Let there be no doubt both Chandler Hamilton and Phoenix Brophy are favorites to meet again in the 5A Division I state championship game for a third time in five years.

If it does happen, look out.

What began as a runaway evolved into a hand-wringer for the near-capacity crowd at Phoenix College on Friday night, and onlookers were treated to a stunning comeback that, for the Broncos, couldn’t be made fully complete.

Down 21-0 to the defending 5A-I champion Huskies, the Broncos found good fortune and a few holes, but for the second consecutive game Hamilton showed its mettle and slipped out with a 24-21 victory to remain unbeaten on the season and take a pivotal one-game lead in the Fiesta Region standings with two weeks left in this regular season.

Since Brophy won the state title on the final drive of the game in 2005, these two teams have met six times, with Hamilton now 4-2.

Keenly aware of their three-touchdown lead which evaporated in 1 1/2 quarters, not to mention a possible rematch in December, the Huskies weren’t about to declare themselves champions of anything. But a road win on local TV against a perennial title contender (and slightly short-handed) Broncos team was worth enjoying for a night or two.

That mixture of joy and exhale could be traced to the second of two interceptions by Mike Monroe, an end-around by backup quarterback Kyren Poe on second-and-long for 27 yards and Zach Bauman’s 8-yard run which led to kneel downs to end the game.

“We’ll grow from this,” Brophy coach Scooter Molander said.

Without Brophy defensive tackle Adon Nunez in the middle and their own pile-driving offensive line to run behind, Bauman’s own self-described version of “lighting” (Michael Allen) and “thunder” (himself) couldn’t be stopped. Then Hamilton tossed in a few option plays and quarterback keepers for Travis Dean (TD runs of 1 and 35 yards) and Broncos turnovers led to a 21-0 Hamilton lead at halftime.

“The bye week was big for us,” Bauman said.

But many things changed after intermission, and flashbacks of the Brophy comeback against Chandler in late September began. The Broncos held Hamilton to seven offensive plays in the third quarter (one of which was a fumbled snap recovered by Brophy), and without panicking, the Broncos stayed with their pregame “mix it up” philosophy and found success 5 yards at a time.

Max Leonesio (75 yards on 17 carries) strolled in from 1-yard out to make it 21-14 to start the fourth quarter, and the drama reached a boil when Alex Garoutte picked off Poe and returned it 16 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to make it 21-21 with 10:40 left.

Hamilton began piling up penalties and punts, but after a big run by the Broncos’ Leonesio, Chase Knox threw an interception to Monroe. Bauman (104 yards rushing, TD) and Dean (73 yards, 2 TDs) went to work running the ball, and Yannick Metz hit a 38-yard field goal for the 24-21 lead with barely three minutes left.

“Momentum changer,” Monroe said of his first interception.

Knox threw another interception to Monroe off a deflection with 2:40 left, and Poe’s 27-yard run across the field shut the door on Brophy’s last-second hopes to get the ball back.

“Our 'D’ needed to make a play, and it starts with our defensive line put the pressure on,” Monroe said.

Bauman ran for 8 yards behind highly touted tackle Christian Westerman on third-and-1, and that locked the door.

But only for this game. Another one could be a few weeks away.

“I think so,” Bauman said of a reunion. “I’d like to play different teams once but I think we’ll see them again.”

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Travis Dean takes an option keeper 35 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Hamilton midway through the first quarter. After faking the handoff and breaking one tackle, Dean was in the clear and cruised to the end zone.

Travis Dean scores on a 1-yard quarterback keeper to extend Hamilton's lead to 14-0 in the second quarter.

After Brophy muffs a punt deep in its own territory, Zach Bauman scores on a 9-yard run off an option pitch, breaking a couple tackles to get into the end zone and giving Hamilton a 21-0 lead late in the first half.

Brophy gets on the board on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Chase Knox to A.J. Steimel, cutting Hamilton's lead to 21-7 midway through the third quarter.

An impressive Brophy drive ends with a short touchdown plunge from Max Leonesio to make it 21-14 Hamilton early in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Garoutte picks off a pass and returns it 16 yards for a touchdown -- and then adds the extra point -- to tie things up at 21-21 with 10:35 left in the game.

Yannnick Metz nails a 38-yard field goal to give Hamilton a 24-21 lead with about 6 minutes to play.

After a costly Brophy interception in Hamilton territory, the Huskies are able to pick up a couple first downs and run out the clock. This one's over: Hamilton survives with a 24-21 victory.

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