Here's the good news for flag football teams next season: Hamilton is capable of losing. 
Here's the bad news: Marlie Phillips and Samaya Taylor-Jenkins will be back. 

Saturday night at Chandler High, Hamilton survived the only close game of its undefeated season and outlasted Red Mountain, 21-17 to capture its first sanctioned state championship. 
The Mountain Lions made it close from start to finish. 
Their final drive reached the Huskies' three-yard line with four seconds left in the game and the season. 
But Sierra Mellish had her flag pulled before she could get the potential winning pass off, and Hamilton secured its first championship. 
"This just feels so good," said freshman quarterback Marlie Phillips. 
The Huskies (17-0) had beaten Red Mountain (15-5) earlier in the season 27-0. Saturday night was a different story.
"We knew (Red Mountain) had switched things up on offense, Samaya Taylor-Jenkins said. 
"It was close, but I wasn't shocked how we responded."

How it Happened

Red Mountain took an early 7-0 lead when Joelle Haddad Intercepted a Phillips pass attempt and returned it to the Hamilton one yard line. Didrika Valentin scored on the next play. 
The Mountain Lions continued giving problems to Hamilton's offense, holding it scoreless until the inevitable Philips to Taylor-Jenkins touchdown hookup midway through the second quarter to tie the score at 7. 
 

Red Mountain kickerTatum Gowey gave the Lions a 10-7 lead, but the Huskies had just enough time to score before halftime in a sequence that may haunt Red Mountain. 
With under a minute left in the half, the Lions had forced another Hamilton punt. But two penalties gave the Huskies a first down. Phillips and Taylor-Jenkins took advantage. 
 

The second half was more of the same. Red Mountain fought and scraped on both sides of the ball. Hamilton, however, continued to torch the Lions with the Phillips to Taylor Jenkins connection. 
 

Despite trailing 21-10, Red Mountain kept fighting. After forcing two more Hamilton punts, the Lions put another drive together to cut into Hamilton's lead. 
 

As with the entire game, Red Mountain kept it close with its defense, forcing two more Hamilton punts, which set up the Lions' last drive that came up three yards short and four seconds too late. 

Quotable

"So much anxiety and emotion. I kept saying to myself and teammates “it wasn’t written any other way”, we needed to pull through and we did." -Hamilton QB Marlie Phillips on having to watch the final moments from the sideline.