Last year Mesa High believed its defense gave it a punchers chance of knocking off Hamilton for the 5A-I football title. The Jackrabbits were worthy for a half and then fell by the wayside. On Monday afternoon -- a year later -- Desert Ridge felt its offense gave it a shot to upend the Huskies. Good try. Very good try. Just not quite enough.

The overall winning streak rests at 39. Hamilton\'s goal Monday is first, a third consecutive 5A-I state title. That would mean win No. 40 in a row would come as a byproduct. The team that stands in the Huskies\' way, Desert Ridge, has a modest streak of its own going with eight consective wins. The Jaguars pit their dynamic offense against the Huskies\' rock solid defense in the 2010 5A-I championship game. Kickoff is at 4:10 p.m. at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Running back has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also plays key role as linebacker.

Andre Yruretagoyena is one of the toughest players you will find, but it wasn\'t always that way.

Mike Reardon, who made three successful prep football coaching stops in Arizona after relocating from Utah a little more than a decade ago, retired Friday Mesquite athletic director Anthony Scanio said.

Graduates of Westview and Centennial remain affiliated with their schools, help football teams on Friday nights.

Hamilton High is a few days away from playing in its eighth state championship football game in 12 years. In that span the Huskies are 5-2 and very close to chiming in at a perfect 7-0. One huge reason behind that success, and why Hamilton is bidding for a 5A-I threepeat at University of Phoenix Stadium on Monday afternoon against Desert Ridge, is defense.

With only three of six Mesa schools making the playoffs in football this season and all of them eliminated in the first round, basketball could not arrive fast enough.

Two-way Saguaro lineman Cyrus Hobbi was spent. Nagging physical aliments and fatigue had him collapsing often in the final minutes of Saturday\'s 4A-I football championship game with Canyon del Oro. But when time had expired do-everything quarterback Teddy Ruben had enough energy to play another 48 minutes. The diminutive Saguaro signal caller jumped and spun with joy knowing he and his teammates had snared a hard-fought, come-from-behind 41-34 victory over defending champ CDO at Sun Devil Stadium.