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

CHANDLER — Friday night, the Chandler Wolves lost for the first time since August 17, 2018. Their 45-game win streak? Reset. To put that in perspective, the last time Chandler lost a football game gas was $2.91 per gallon, Prince Harry had just married Meghan Markle, Black Panther with Chadwick Boseman was just being released, and Chandler’s seniors were 13 and 14-year-old freshmen.

These seniors had never lost... until Friday night.

Nearly 12,000 spectators witnessed the game of the year Friday night as Chandler traveled four miles south to take on the Hamilton Huskies. Both schools entered the latest edition of the Battle Of Arizona 9-0 and nationally ranked.

Among the crowd — Arizona Cardinals DeAndre Hopkins, Isaiah Simmons, Eno Benjamin and Zaven Collins, as well as Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount, Hamilton alum Cody Bellinger, and YouTube star 'Deestroying'.

The @AZCardinals players stole the show right before halftime. @DeAndreHopkins @ZavenCollins@EnoB being followed out of the stadium by dozens of wide-eyed kiddos. pic.twitter.com/4fenAC09sw

— Sports360AZ (@Sports360AZ) November 13, 2021

The field was manicured to perfection with checkered endzones that foreshadowed the chess match that awaited. A dusty haze draped over the field with light penetrating through like a flashlight through smoke.

The Wolves arrived with purpose. Chandler forced a quick three-and-out after a punishing hit by Alfred Smith that would set the tone early. Chandler’s offense hit the field and ignited the crowd. Five plays in, Wolves quarterback Blaine Hipa threw a deep ball halfway to heaven, hitting Ohio State commit Kyion Grayes in stride for a 56-yard touchdown. Racing off the field and straight to the crowd, Hipa sprinted right up to the gate dividing him from the roaring crowd, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Chandler coach Garretson ran over and joined him: 7-0, Wolves.

The next time Chandler touched the ball, an abrupt six plays would bring them back to the sideline. Iowa State commit Quaron Adams was pulled aside by a coach who had a headset. Adams put it on — speaking to a coach upstairs — “Bet.” Adams took the headset off and ran over to the offensive unit, “Hey line, listen up real quick…”

While Adams was on the sideline, Hamilton began its drive on Chandler’s 24-yard-line. It took the Huskies two plays for quarterback Nicco Marchiol to find senior wideout Christian Anaya for the quick five-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at seven apiece.

After a short kick and a great return by Chandler's Ca’lil Valentine, the Wolves offense took the field. The first play? Touchdown, Adams.

Remember that headset call? First play of the drive, Hipa lofted a pass — with the arc of a rainbow — to Adams. Adams took the pot of gold down the west sideline for a 50-yard touchdown. Whatever upstairs saw, it worked:14-7, Chandler.

Two drives later, Hamilton answered the call. Three passes and three big runs would put Hamilton in the red zone. Husky running back Logan Krei squirreled his way up the gut for a 13-yard touchdown. The score was tied once more, 14-14.

Terrific defensive play on both sides brought the crowd into the fourth quarter, still tied up at 14 apiece. The Wolves had their backs against the wall to start the fourth; howerver, the defense would prevail. A huge hit on third-and-goal down knocked the ball loose from a Hamilton ball carrier and Chandler’s Amar Elmore scooped it up and carried the rock another 15 yards until he was brought down. The timing of the goal line stand was more sensational than the feat itself.

Hamilton's defense countered the Wolves and played the series of their lives. Back-to-back sacks by the Huskies' Chandler Davis drove the Wolves back from their 40 to their 17. Then, a turnover followed that would give the Huskies field position handed to them a silver platter.

Hamilton had the ball, first-and-goal on Chandler’s two-yard-line. A quick pass in the northeast corner to Tre Spivey (son of former Diamondback player Junior Spivey) gave the Huskies the lead, 21-14.

With 7:45 left in the game the Wolves had a chance. Grayes had three catches for 38 yards in the drive to give Chandler hope. However, that hope was crushed by Hamilton’s defensive line. Chandler made its way to the Huskies 27-yard-line until they started going backward. Two sacks would bring them back to the 50. Fourth-and-27, the Wolves had to go for it. The deep ball fell short due to pressure up the gut, forcing Hipa to throw up a prayer. Incomplete. Turnover on downs.

Hamilton would take the field for the final time with 2:20 on the clock. Chandler was watching the clock count down until the final kneel allowed it to hit 0:00.

There was no lining up. There were no shaking hands. Just disbelief, as students and players stormed the field from the home sideline and celebrated the historic night that Hamilton beat their rivals for the first time since 2013. There is no script for this. Garretson didn’t need one.

“Everybody to the endzone,” Garretson said. The Wolves (9-1 now) followed their alpha to the south endzone and took a knee. "Was it our goal to go undefeated?" Garreston asked rhetorically, "No. We know what the mission is and we are going to go get it."

The players took their eyes of the grass and looked up at coach. “We played well tonight,” Garretson said. “We played with effort throughout, and I am proud of you guys. Now let’s get ready.”