The fruits of Hayden’s labor blossomed into a championship season.

Again.

The Lobos defended their 1A football title Saturday, defeating No. 2 seed Bagdad 56-34 at Coronado High School to extend their win streak to 24 games. The program outscored opponents by an average of 47 points during that dominant stretch.

Getting to this point took a lot of hard work, though. In his second tour of duty with Hayden, coach John Estrada returned in 2015.

Since then, he and his assistants were busy constructing a championship program. They were rewarded last year with the program’s first gold ball in 51 years.

This year, despite graduating of a lot of experience last season, the young Lobos executed their tough-nose title game plan (471 rushing yards) to a tee once again. In the 2024 final, Hayden played the only team that hung in until the end during the regular season.

But this time Bagdad was without a key player and dealing with injuries and the recent passing of a teacher the players knew well. Hayden also was without some injured players, and Bagdad took advantage early.

“(Bagdad’s Dalton) Mills is a heck of a coach and saw that and started attacking us where we were weak,” Estrada said.

On the first play during his second drive of the game, Bagdad quarterback Ezrah Aguilar found Aaron Landers for a 63-yard score.

A two-point conversion pass from Aguilar to Aaron Landers tied the game at 8-8. At the start of the second quarter, Bagdad capped a six minute drive with a Aguilar to Destry Owings 10-yard touchdown pass to take a 22-20 lead.

But from there on, junior running back/linebacker Kino Loroña and his 12-0 Lobos assumed control and didn’t stop until they lifted the championship trophy.

“We knew coming into this game that we were going to pound the rock and had to step up, and we did,” said Loroña, who had an MVP performance on both sides of the ball.

He had scoring runs of 12, 31, 46, and 57 yards, finishing with 202 rushing yards. Loroña also caught a 35-yard touchdown, intercepted two passes, including a pick-6, forced a fumble, had eight solo tackles, and assisted on seven others.

The physical runner/defender has a year of eligibility left, and he isn’t planning on slowing down.

“We are coming for that three-peat, baby,” he said. “Yes, sir.”

Loroña’s grandfather, Bobby, was Hayden’s coach when it won a title in 1971.

Junior Tyler Garner’s first half performance (55-yard touchdown run, 55-yard run to set up a TD) also helped Hayden keep up with Bagdad’s aerial attack. Garner totaled 171 yards on the ground.

A game ball also goes to Hayden’s young offensive line (Manny Aguirre, Javier Ortega, Oscar Rodriguez), which was the Hayden unit that likely grew the most this season. Rodriguez gave it his all against 6-3, 250-pound defensive lineman Elisha Alfred all game.

On defense, Matt Armenta led Hayden with 10 solo tackles.

For No. 2 seed Bagdad (10-2), Aguilar threw two touchdown passes to Landers and Owings as well. Aguilar, a junior, helped lead his team to its first state title appearance in eight years.

“They’ve overcome a lot, and I’m proud of them,” said Mills, who was making his fourth state title appearance with Bagdad, about his team.

With only six seniors on this year’s team, it’s safe to pick the Lobos as next year's preseason favorite.

They do have to replace their starting quarterback, however, as Paul Gaither, who directed the offense the last two years successfully, is graduating. But the structure and players are in place to keep Hayden rolling.

“That (three-peat) is our objective, but all good things come to an end, and it’s going to end eventually,” Estrada said. “I think mentally we have to get prepared for that. But we are going to continue to work hard to strive for another undefeated season.”

If it happens, Hayden will become the first 1A Arizona program to complete three straight undefeated campaigns.