Connor Cox is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Chandler High School for AZPreps365.com

CHANDLER— Chandler High School welcomed Greenwood Village Cherry Creek out of Colorado Friday night. Kickoff scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and the sky was morose. The temperature was an unsettling 103 degrees and the Wolves walkout song? Butchered.

The tempo was flat and the Wolves were not barking. The game opened with a quick three-and-out by the Wolves that would turn the ball to the Bruins with great fiel position. A quick seven plays later and Cherry Creek’s Keegan Holles would score. 

The Wolves fired back with an 80-yard drive that would end with Chandler’s Iowa State commit, Quaron Adams, walking in a fly sweep from the 14. Tied at seven apiece at the end of the first quarter, the Wolves were looking for some momentum. 

Then Travis Roberts happened. The Chandler cornerback came up with Chandler’s first of four turnovers of the night, punching the ball loose with the perfectly executed ‘Peanut punch.’ According to Roberts, he was watching a lot of film on [retired Chicago Bear cornerback] Charles Tillman over summer trying to incorporate Peanut’s game into his own. Well, it paid off: the game changed. The Wolves got a taste for Bruin blood and did not let their prey get back up. 

Following the stellar play by Roberts, the Wolves embarked on a drive that ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Moore to Junior Nsubuga. Up 14-7, the Wolves defense forced yet another turnover. Chandler safety Blaine Mourning closed in on a five-yard gap while the ball was in the air, leaping in front of a Cherry Creek receiver for the blink-of-an-eye interception. Unfortunately, the Wolves offense did not capitalize on this turnover and punted. 

With four minutes left in the first half, the Wolves defense needed a stop. Who else but Roberts again? This time he made news with an acrobatic interception that would put the Wolves on the Bruin 41 with a little more than a minute left. A huge completion on second-and-20 to senior Jamere Haskell set Chandler up to score before time expired. Chandler drove down to the goal line, but settled for three as time ran out.

At the half the Wolves led 17-7. 

The second half of the game was riddled with penalties and punts. The Wolves defense played great. Notably, senior linebacker Noah Sauni: sideline to sideline he was there.  Defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson came up with the fourth and final turnover for the Wolves on a sack and fumble recovery early in the fourth. Time ran out with a scoreless second half and the Wolves finished off the out-of-state guests with a 17-7 win.

Chandler's defense is the real deal. They play like a pack, surrounding their opponent and sniffing out any weaknesses, then exposing them.  Speaking to Roberts following the game it was evident that the Wolves defense holds each other accountable. Each player is trying to get better for the other person, so they don’t let the guy next to them down.  Roberts said he dropped one last week so he had to get it back for his team. He told them he would make up for it, and by forcing two turnovers tonight, the debts paid off.

But rent is due every day.