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.