Last  year Mesa High believed its defense gave it a puncher's 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.

Hamilton used a big-play passing game,  a pick six and tough defense in the red zone to defeat upset-minded Desert Ridge, 21-13, at University of Phoenix Stadium.

With its third successive title and sixth in seven years,  Hamilton (15-0) became the first 5A-I school to win three titles in a row and extended its winning streak over the last two-plus seasons to 40. That ties Mesa Mountain View for the 5A record for most consecutive wins. The Toros accomplished that between 1996-98.

"That was a great state championship football game," Hamilton coach Steve Belles said. "A lot of people say well Hamilton will beat these guys easily. They deserved to be here and they played like it."

Desert Ridge (10-4), playing in its first state championship football game in just its eighth year of existence, was in the game to the end thanks to its hard-to-stop rushing attack and converting two Hamilton turnovers into 10 points. Desert Ridge trailed 21-13 with 6:16 to play and had the ball at its 2 needing a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie.

With quarterback Jordan Becerra (136 yards rushing) and running back Joey Counts (124 yards rushing) continuing to pound away around the edges and occasionally up the middle, the Jaguars marched to the Hamilton 29 with a minute left. A fourth-and-14 conversion on a 17-yard completion from Parker Rasmussen to Sam Papa, kept the drive alive.

But tackling Counts for a rare loss and then stopping Rasmussen five yards short of a first down on a scramble with 38 seconds left and Hamilton had its threepeat -- one that eluded it back in 2005 when Brophy Prep drove 99 yards in the fnal couple minutes to take a 15-14 victory.

"I'm proud of kids, they stayed in it  and we knew if we could keep in close in the fourth quarter we'd have a chance," Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock said. "I think we gave a good account of ourselves We made one too many mistakes."

What hurt Desert Ridge the most were big passing plays by Hamilton and a fourth-down gamble just before halftime designed to get a first down that instead went for a Huskies touchdown.

With fourth-and-2 at midfield and trailing 7-3, Rasmussen came in at quarterback for Becerra and was supposed to throw a quick pass to Paris Clark.

"They had backed off about eight yards deep and we just waited too long to throw," Hathcock said. Stepping in front of the pass was Hamilton junior defensive back Reggie Daniels, who returned it 52 yards for a touchdown with 1:44 left in the half. Hamilton saw the lead jump to 14-3. Shades of what happened the year before when the Huskies intercepted a Mesa High pass just before halftime to turn a 3-0 margin to 10-0 at intermission.

Hamilton quarterback Kyren Poe, who totaled 273 yards rushing and passing had his greatest impact through the air. Poe tossed two touchdown passes 34 yards to Clayton Stanchik for the game's first points in the second periood and a 17-yard strike to wide out Tanner Clay that answered Desert Ridge's only TD of the game in early in the third period. Clay had four receptions for 157 yards.

Poe, while happy about the Huskies' success through the air, praised his defensive mates.

"Our defense stepped it up when they had to and won the game for us," Poe said, "They were one of the top offensive team we played with their misdirection, but our defense rose up."

Hamilton limited Desert Ridge to two field goals -- one in the second period and one in the fourth period - after the Jaguars had penetrated Hamilton's 10.

Desert Ridge outrushed Hamiton, a rarity for any team, and also outgained the Huskies, 334-322. The rushing difference was 268-105.

 "Our game plan was to run the ball," Clay said. "We didn't do that as well as we thought. But we made plays passing. That last drive of the game made me nervous. Our defense was really good. I wasn't quite sure what would happen."