The number of players on Hamilton's roster was too expansive for ALA-Queen Creek's visitors’ locker room.

Coach Travis Dixon was given the option to stay there or move to the auxiliary gym.

The Huskies found comfort in the larger gym, while Patriots coach Rich Edwards lamented the fact they couldn't accommodate a program of the Hamilton's size; saying pregame the school never expected to play at the 6A level.

Soon thereafter the Huskies were certainly comfortable in their surroundings with a 63-20 win Thursday while the Patriots were overpowered in the season opener for both teams.

“We’re fine with being uncomfortable, but we were packed on a yellow bus,” Dixon said after the win. “I wanted to make sure these guys could breathe. We live in uncomfortable situations at practice Monday through Thursday so we’re ready for anything.”

That was pretty evident Thursday as the Huskies scored touchdowns on all eight possessions in the first half and led 47-14 at halftime.

“I was little nervous coming into to this game, but starting like that helps and we never really stopped,” sophomore quarterback Jax Sculley said. “My guys up front came out and shined today. It let (the offense) do anything we wanted.”

And the stat sheet showed it as Sculley passed for more than 200 yards in the first half and finished with more than 300 with and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

The early star was sophomore wide receiver Roye Oliver III as Sculley found him twice for 40-plus yard strikes and a 3-yard slant for a the Huskies second score. He finished with seven catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver Montana Duncan was just as strong on the outside as he had four catches for 101 yards, while the ground game combo of senior Jacob Brown (4 TDs, 77 yards rushing) and junior Skyler Cole (145 yards) was too much for the Patriots’ defense.

Overall, the Hamilton offense had 10 drives thta led to nine touchdowns and a field goal, while defense forced three straight 3-and-outs against the ALA Queen Creek offense along with creating two turnovers. The Huskies’ first three possessions started in Patriot territory thanks to the defense.

“We have some execution things we need to get better at,” Dixon said. “There were some teachable moments in games likes that and we were in position to do that. There are a lot of young guys we’re counting on, and they showed up. That’s a credit to the coaches getting them ready.”

It’d be easy to skim past what the Patriots, who made The Open semifinals a year ago, accomplished in the first game because of the score, but there were glimpses to build off going forward.

Offensively, running back Bobby Nesbit was making the Hamilton players miss, quarterback Brit DeWitt stayed composed with defenders all around him and wide receiver Stetson Agne made several big plays once the ball was in his hands.

Nesbit was pretty adamant that the Patriots will bounce back after getting “punched in the face.” He scored the Patriots' first touchdown to make it 20-7, but made it clear to his teammates it wasn’t the time to celebrate.

“I wanted everybody's emotions to relax,” he said. “When you play too emotional it makes you play bad. We had too much work to do (to celebrate). It wasn’t the time.”

Edwards knows it was one game, and it didn’t look much like the squad that went 10-2 a year ago partly because 11 starters graduated.

“We didn’t play very well in any phase of the game,” he said. “We didn’t coach very well. We have a lot to work to do. They played a great game, but we really have to figure ourselves out defensively.”

Nesbit, who finished with 12 carries for 58 yards, has no doubt there will be improvement the next time the Patriots line up.

“I think we bounce back,” he said. “I think the coaches are going to get on us and lay into us when we watch film as they should. We made a lot of mistakes, left some yards on the field, and I did some things wrong like everyone else.

“We’re going to focus on the bad, but also look at the good. Honestly, we continued to fight. Our team did not give up on each other, we did not turn each other or starting eating each other.”