Division IV:
This was payback for last year’s 31-16 loss to Hamilton in the state final.
“I said four months ago we
Division V:
were going to win state,” senior guard Natrell Curtis said. “We played every day with a big chip on our shoulder. Through conditioning. Every chance we had, we used that moment (last year) as our motivation.”
Hamilton (11-3), making its 11th state-championship appearance, took advantage of Mountain Pointe’s penalties and poor field position to take a 7-0 lead on Tyrell Smith’s 1-yard run that was set up by Morris Kroma’s 31-yard gain.
Mountain Pointe took control after that with Hinojosa running 7 yards for a score and finding Emmanuel Butler with a 34-yard scoring pass with seven seconds left in the half, building a 21-7 lead.
Payne, playing injured, tossed a 47yard scoring pass to Jalen Brown on a halfback option play that tied it at 7-7. He also ran for a score. Lucas, the state track champion last spring in the 100 meters, ran for 159 yards, including a 56-yarder that put Hamilton away with 5:50 left.
“They were the best team from the start of the year to the end of the year, and that’s why they’re champions,” Hamilton coach Steve Belles said.
Mountain Pointe got on the national radar in August when it traveled to Las Vegas and beat powerhouse Bishop Gorman 28-21 on its turf. There was never a letdown. But Mountain Pointe wasn’t flawless in its march.
It overcame two fumbles and penalties in a mistake-filled first quarter Monday to beat Mesa Desert Ridge 27-9 in semifinal that got pushed back because of the rain.
It overcame 14 penalties for 115 yards in Saturday’s final, but it never turned the ball over.
“I’m happy for Ahwatukee, I’m happy for Mountain Pointe, I’m happy for our team,” Vaughan said. Mountain Pointe controlled the line. Hinojosa had ample time to throw for 250 yards, completing 10 of 15 passes. With Brown being bracketed, Hinojosa found Butler and Timmy Hernandez for nine passes and 248 yards.
Mountain Pointe had 243 rushing yards and 297 passing.
Even though it only ran three plays in the third quarter, Hamilton got within 21-13 on Kroma’s 84-yard punt return with 2:09 left in the period.
Mountain Pointe answered with a 13play, 79-yard scoring drive capped by Payne’s 1-yard run with 9:27 left.
The big play was Hinojosa’s 43-yard completion to Hernandez.
After that, it was an avalanche of big plays on both sides of the ball for Mountain Pointe. Sammy Sasso got intercepted twice and Mountain Pointe scored two touchdowns in a 23-second span.
“We’re just calm,” Curtis said. “We kept our poise. Turnovers and stuff like that are going to happen. I knew we were the best second-half team in the state. Our coaches were going to get us to adjust, and we did it.”
Sasso completed only 11 of 26 and had three passes intercepted.
Hamilton ran for144 yards on 25 carries.