Chandler Wolves on verge of sixth consecutive state championship
CHANDLER, Ariz. (BVM) – Chandler head coach Rick Garretson has experienced a lot as both a player and coach. But nothing like the AIA Open Division Championship semifinals last week.
“I’ve never been in a game like that,” Garretson said.
Teams typically lose when they commit six turnovers. Those odds worsen when you trail 21-7 to begin the fourth quarter, and 21-13 with just 24 seconds left on the clock.
But Chandler isn’t your typical program. The Wolves have lost just six games since 2016 and won five consecutive state championships with the last two coming under Garretson’s watch. It’s why Chandler remained unfazed as its season, and dominant five-year run, hung in the balance.
Down 21-7 to No. 6 Liberty, the Wolves’ first two drives of the fourth quarter ended with an interception and a fourth-and-8 incompletion. Chandler senior quarterback Blaine Hipa made the third drive of that decisive quarter count, marching the Wolves 80 yards in seven plays to cut the deficit to one score. But Liberty junior Anthony Ruiz blocked the extra point, leaving the Lions’ lead at 21-13.
Hipa threw his third interception of the night on Chandler’s ensuing possession, but the Wolves’ defense forced a Liberty three-and-out to give its offense one final shot with just 24 seconds remaining. A 26-yard completion to Iowa State commit Quaron Adams from Hipa got Chandler down to the four-yard line and after a delay of game penalty, Hipa found senior running back Anyale Velazquez in the flat for a touchdown with two seconds left. Hipa tied things up at 21 on the following play, faking a pitch before getting the edge and converting the two-point conversion himself.
Princeton tight end commit Nason Coleman was the star of overtime as his one-handed touchdown grab in the corner of the endzone gave Chandler the 27-21 advantage, its first lead of the night. Senior safety Franky Morales then intercepted Liberty’s fourth-and-16 pass attempt to complete the miraculous comeback and send the Wolves to their sixth consecutive state championship game.
NASON COLEMAN one handed catch for a TD!! Chandler goes up 27-21 in OT – Liberty with redemption coming up @AZHSFB @gridironarizona @nason_88 pic.twitter.com/OuWlv2SPd3
— Cody Cameron (@CodyTCameron) December 5, 2021
“It just goes to show the resiliency of our kids and my coaching staff; those kids just never give up,” Garretson said. “It’s just a testament to my boys that they just finish things off.
“Like I told my boys, it doesn’t matter how you get to the championship; it’s hard to get to championships. I was just very proud of them doing their due diligence and making things happen to get there.”
Double-digit comebacks in high-pressure moments like these don’t happen without a stud quarterback. Despite throwing three interceptions to help put Chandler in a hole, it was Hipa’s heroics that ultimately helped the Wolves advance.
The three-star transfer from Hawaii (Campbell High School) threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-tying and game-winning scores. It’s this QB room, which includes two other more-than-capable signal-callers – senior Ethan Moore (who threw for 231 yards and a touchdown on Sept. 10 vs. Colorado state champion Cherry Creek) and senior Kenneth “K Gun” Cooper Jr. (who fueled Chandler’s quarterfinal win over Queen Creek with 70 rushing yards and two scores) – that has provided the Wolves with leadership and consistency all season long.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without him (Hipa) and my two other QBs (Moore, Cooper Jr.),” Garretson said. “With all three of those guys, the quarterback room has been awesome and obviously Blaine won the job and has performed. He’s a warrior, he’s a gunslinger.
“Sometimes he does some things where you wonder, ‘why’d you do that?’ Then there’s other times where he does things and it’s like ‘how’d he do that?’ because he makes some incredible plays where all options are out.”
The team that stands in the way of a Chandler six-peat is the same team that nearly prevented a four-peat. Saguaro (11-1) knocked off No. 11 nationally ranked Hamilton in the semifinals last week to set up a rematch of the 2019 Open final when the Wolves held on for a 42-35 win.
The respect Garretson has for Saguaro and head coach Jason Mohns is substantial.
“When you think of the top programs in the state, you’ve got Chandler, Hamilton, you definitely have Saguaro and I think Liberty has come into that picture as well,” Garretson said. “They (Saguaro) have athletes and know how to put them in position to win. His (Mohns) kids aren’t afraid to compete and he’s a good friend of mine.
“You’ve got a lot of good coaches in the state of Arizona that know how to lead, how to scheme things and put their kids in position for a bunch of success. Jason is right at the top of the food chain with that.”
It’s safe to say that Garretson and Mohns are among the best coaches in the state, and that Chandler and Saguaro are among Arizona’s best football programs which makes this Open Division final matchup so fitting.
For the Wolves, their emphasis will be on putting together two halves of complementary football. After trailing 21-14 at halftime of its quarterfinal win and then 21-7 at the break of its semifinal victory, Chandler has lived life on the edge.
If the Wolves want to make it six consecutive state championships, they’ll have to both start and finish strong against a motivated Sabercat squad.
“It’d be nice to put together a two-half game which I don’t think we’ve really done this year,” Garretson said. “It’s also going to start up front. Our offensive line played really well for the second week in a row and our defensive line has been excellent the entire year. The fronts are important because that helps everything else fall into place so we’ll be physically aggressive with that and try to make those ends meet.”
