Unlike last year’s postseason there were no broken bones or hearts.

The only thing Williams cracked Saturday were smiles after winning a championship it believed it should have won last year as well. Injuries interrupted the 2018 postseason run of Williams in the semifinals.

But the team was healthy when it upended the defending 1A Conference champ, Superior, 35-20 at Coronado to claim the 2019 title. Williams was loaded with experience and motivation this year.

“We wanted to be in that championship game last year so bad, but obviously injuries took over,” Williams coach Jeff Brownlee said. “Our No. 1 goal from Day 1 and summer camp was to be here, and we accomplished that goal.”

Despite the loss, Superior accomplished a lot.

It was the first Arizona team to give 10-1 Williams a game this year, and its senior class will graduate as the school’s most decorated senior class after reaching three championship games.

“They were an overtime away from making it to a championship as freshmen,” Superior coach Ryan Palmer said. “Even though they weren’t playing a lot in that game, they understood the culture and understood how hard it’s to get there and how much work you have to put in. How much you have to sacrifice as a team, and they are the ultimate role players.”

One of his seniors, captain Gabriel Otero, caught a 67-yard touchdown in the first half.

But turnovers, dropped passes and Williams’ defense kept Superior from the end zone a couple of times. Still, after a Williams turnover, Superior was down only 28-20 after a short touchdown run and two-point conversion by Adam Navarrette with 3:05 left.

But Alex Garrett iced the game on Williams’ next drive when he ran 47-yards untouched to the end zone.

Garrett, a junior, scored three touchdowns, including a 42-yard score in which he broke a couple of tackles and jumped over a defender on his way to the end zone late in the second quarter.

That touchdown sent his team to halftime with a 22-12 lead.

“I know for my brothers who are seniors this is very special for them,” Garrett said. “It was very emotional. Even before the game and at halftime there were tears. Just sharing this game with them is amazing.”

Alex Garrett

At the start of the second half, Superior recovered an onside kick.

But David Lozano then picked off his third pass of the game to end Superior's scoring threat. Superior (9-2) had thrown only three interceptions heading into Saturday’s game.

One of Williams' players who was injured in last year’s playoffs was senior Chance Pearson, the team’s leading rusher and tackler.

On Saturday, Pearson had another big night on both sides of the ball.

“It was a lot of unfinished business for us,” Pearson said.