Easton Stockford is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Hamilton High School for AZPreps365.com

As the first half of Friday’s game between Hamilton and Pinnacle began to wind to a halt, the Pioneers found themselves with a prime opportunity to turn the tide of the game. 

Trailing 13-0 to No. 1 Hamilton, the Pioneers forced a three-and-out just prior to the 2-minute mark and took over possession of the ball at the 38-yard line, with a chance to make it a one-score game prior to the half.

Moments after Pinnacle’s senior quarterback Braxton Lowe took the snap to open the drive, the ball hit the turf. Hamilton junior Dylan Linder pounced on it to give the Huskies the ball. In the final breaths of the first half, sophomore wide receiver Roman Oliver plucked a pass from junior quarterback Jaxson Sculley out of the air in the back of the end zone and plucked all of the momentum from the Pioneers heading into the locker room.

​The last-second score gave Hamilton a 20-0 halftime lead and all of the juice it needed to take down Pinnacle on the road, as it protected its undefeated record with a 34-13 victory.

“I’m really proud of our guys,” Hamilton head coach Travis Dixon said. “We’ve talked about growth over grind this week, and we grew a lot offensively and played a lot of complementary football. It was really encouraging to see from our guys.”

With the Huskies' (7-0, 2-0 Fiesta Region) top wide receiver, Roye Oliver III, unable to play due to injury, the running back room delivered needed results. Three different running backs combined for over 200 yards and three touchdowns, with 118 yards and a score coming from sophomore Jeremiah Jones.

​“He had himself an absolute day,” said junior running back Devante Roebuck. “I pride myself on teaching him to get better, and he is really taking it to the next level.”

​Roebuck scored two rushing touchdowns himself, including a 28-yard run that put the final nail in the Pioneers' (5-2, 1-1) coffin, making the score 34-13. Overall, the Huskies’ running backs accounted for three of their five touchdowns, with a fourth also coming on the ground from junior quarterback Jax Sculley

​“We did a good job focusing on the little things,” Roebuck said. “We took our time and didn’t speed it up. We adjusted and fixed mistakes quickly and didn’t let them repeat themselves.”

​Hamilton’s defense was also stout, only allowing two touchdowns, both of which came through the air. 

“We were adjusting to the new formations that they were running on the fly,” said junior linebacker Mitchell Raner. “We didn’t prepare for what they brought out tonight, but we made strong adjustments and came out flying around.”

​Hamilton now has road wins in three consecutive weeks but will hop on the bus again in Game 8 of its season as it takes on Liberty in enemy territory. Dixon said the stretch of games away from home has only instilled more confidence in his squad. 

“I love my team,” Dixon said. “They play hard. I love them and my staff. I love everyone in this program that helps us win.”

The Huskies’ schedule won’t get any easier as they will face a 6-1 Liberty team next week and a 6-1 Chandler team in their final week, making carrying the momentum from Friday’s win increasingly more important.

“We have to stay focused on our path,” Roebuck said. “We can’t look into the future. We have to focus on what’s in front of us right now.”