So this is Mesa Desert Ridge’s version of grinding it out.

 SLIDESHOW: Friday night high school football

The most explosive passing team in the state found its offensive success on the ground Friday night in 54-24 win over Phoenix Pinnacle in a 5A-II Pima Region contest at Desert Ridge.

The fifth-ranked Jaguars ran the ball 38 times for 334 yards, rushing more than 70 percent of the time.

“We didn’t really put it up in the air a lot because we didn’t have to,” Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock said. “It was nice. It was the first meaningful game in our history where we didn’t have to throw.”

Chris Jamison broke off touchdown runs of 79 and 51 yards in the first quarter, then added a 9-yard scamper in the second quarter to give Desert Ridge (6-2, 2-0) a 28-0 lead less than 16 minutes into the game.

He finished with 176 yards on 12 carries and added three catches for 95 yards and a score.

“The line played so good today,” Jamison said. “They’re the ones that got me around the edge. I just followed them.”

Pinnacle (4-4, 1-2) carried momentum into the half by scoring the last 10 points of the second quarter, but Desert Ridge scored on its first two possessions of the second half to put the game away.

The Jaguars had just one turnover and three penalties. Their defense had two interceptions and six sacks.

Desert Ridge quarterback Kevin Pantastico threw for a 5A-record 595 yards earlier this season but was just 2-for-7 for 13 yards in the first half. It hardly mattered, as Jamison and Chris Heldore (16 carries, 87 yards and three touchdowns) did all the damage.

Pantastico finished the game 8-for-14 for 147 yards and a touchdown.

“I was a little bit surprised (at the constant run calls), but once it started working, I didn’t want to pass,” said Jamison, who had more than 200 yards receiving in a game earlier this season. “I didn’t see any reason for us to stop doing it.”

“This is a huge breakthrough,” Hathcock said. “This is a whole different dimension we saw tonight. Our kids actually liked it. The problem is, the dang clock wouldn’t keep running because we kept scoring. It’s a good problem.”

The Jaguars remain the only undefeated in the Pima region, with games at Scottsdale Horizon and Tempe Marcos de Niza left on the slate and the ability to control their own destiny.

Desert Ridge has won five straight.

“We’re pretty confident, but at the same time we’re staying focused,” Jamison said. “We’re not going to go into the next game thinking we’re going to kill them. We’ll stay focused.”