MINERAL WELLS — Leading Hamilton 21-0 after three quarters, Stamford appeared well on its way to yet another blowout win in Thursday’s Class 2A Division I state semifinal matchup between a pair of unbeaten Bulldog squads.

That was before a gritty HHS team that had made its name this season with its ability to prevail in hard-fought games battled back with 13 unanswered points to pull within a single touchdown by the 3:53 mark of the final period.

In the end, Stamford survived the challenge, getting a touchdown run from Christian Duran with 1:32 on the clock to put the finishing touches on a 28-13 win. And in that mettle-testing process, SHS earned the program’s eighth trip to a state championship game and first since 2013, when the ‘Dogs capped a streak of three consecutive title game appearances with back-to-back titles in coach Wayne Hutchinson’s first stint with the program.