(Chandler's Justin Jan and his teammates want to finish No. 1 this season. Photo by Ray Chen/maxpreps.com)

 

The city of Chandler might have to rename Arizona Avenue to Championship Drive if the Chandler Wolves and Hamilton Huskies start meeting annually for the Division I football championship title.  

Hamilton and Chandler are on Arizona Avenue and about a 10 minute drive from each other. That's the same street the two football teams will take Friday to start their Nov. 28 trek to University of Phoenix Stadium, the site of the D-I 7 p.m. title game.

Husky Way and Belles Blvd. should already exist in Chandler. That's because Hamilton is in the title game for the seventh year in a row and for the 11^th time in the past 13 years, achievements that no other big school has ever accomplished in Arizona. 

Hamilton coach Steve Belles is a win away from establishing a new state coaching record with six big school titles.

"We are looking forward to the challenge," said Belles about the Nov. 28 title game.

 

                  (After reaching 11 of the past 13 Division I state final games, Hamilton knows a thing or two about finishing No. 1. Photo by Mark Jones/maxpreps.com)

 

But even Belles will tell you that Chandler is the favorite to win the title this year.

A couple of publications, including the Sollenberger Prep Football Report, ranked Chandler No. 1 in the preseason. Chandler lived up to the hype and then some when it walloped Hamilton 56-24 in the regular season, snapping Hamilton's 64-game win streak at home.

It was the worst defeat in Hamilton's school history. History used to be on Hamilton's side (It won its first 17 meeting against Chandler.).

But Chandler snapped that winless streak with a regular season victory last year against Hamilton. But when it mattered most last year, Hamilton beat Chandler 21-17 in last year's state semifinals.

Now history seems to be on Chandler's side this season. Chandler High opened its doors 100 years ago, and its football program started in 1917.

"To have the opportunity to play at the University of Phoenix Stadium against the likes of Hamilton, we are so excited and think it's going to be a pretty good ballgame," Chandler coach Shaun Aguano said.

Chandler (12-1) has never won and prior to this season appeared in a sanctioned Arizona Interscholastic Association football state championship since the AIA started crowning D-I champs in 1959.

In charge of Chandler's title hopes and its explosive offense is quarterback Bryce Perkins, a dual threat who is completing 74.5 percent of his passes this year. For his career, Perkins has competed 72.2 (351 for 486) of his passes in his career. 

That career percentage currently ranks him No. 7 on the national high school federation career percentage list for quarterbacks with a minimum of 275 career attempts. Belles, a former Arizona star quarterback at St. Mary's, hasn't had the luxury of working with the same starting quarterback for two consecutive seasons in Belles' nine seasons at Hamilton. 

And this year, Hamilton (12-1) reached this year's title game despite starting nine new starters on offense and eight on defense.

 

Friday (Nov. 28) at University of Phoenix Stadium, 7 p.m.

Fox Sports Arizona Plus will televise the game. For a Fox Sports Arizona Plus channel finder for the entire state, go here.  

To download a free Chandler-Hamilton championship program, go here.