Flawless 2nd Half Leads Chandler Past Casteel 20-13

CHANDLER, Ariz. – The Chandler Wolves overcame an early defensive battle to defeat the Casteel Colts 20-13 on Tuesday night.

Both teams opened with strong defenses, keeping the scoreboard quiet through the first quarter.

Chandler struggled to block Casteel sophomore rusher Cyan Martens.

Casteel, on the other hand, finally made their way down the field late in the first quarter after a long reception by sophomore athlete Payton Schneider put the Colts at the 21-yard line.

The drive looked promising until Chandler senior linebacker Ariana Molina intercepted a Colts pass, giving the Wolves back possession on the opposite 20-yard line.

Both offenses continued to struggle for the remainder of the first quarter, though, keeping the game scoreless heading into the second.

Once again, offenses continued to struggle for the first half of the second quarter, as both teams were continuously either forced to punt or turn the ball over on downs.

Following a lengthy drive, Casteel was able to strike first.

Freshman quarterback Emily Luedeke scrambled outside the pocket, reaching her hand over the pylon for a 10-yard rushing touchdown.

Following the touchdown, the extra point was no good, updating the score to 6-0 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

Chandler took their time on their following drive, moving the ball down the field as well as two pass interference calls that stopped the clock.

The penalties helped move the Wolves inside the 50-yard line.

With just 39 seconds remaining, senior quarterback Ariana Martin found junior athlete Egypt Johnson wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.

The crucial extra point gave Chandler the lead, 7-6.

When Casteel took over, they threw a crucial interception on the second play, putting Chandler in great field position.

Junior athlete Jacqueline Gonzalez came up with the interception, jumping an out route.

The following play, Martin connected with Chandler senior athlete Jimya Henderson in the corner of the end zone for another touchdown.

Chandler had scored two touchdowns in 14 seconds to take the lead in the second half.

After the extra-point attempt was missed, Chandler entered halftime with a 13-6 lead over the Colts.

Casteel came out of the break looking to erase the deficit, responding with an extremely long drive draining the majority of the third quarter's time.

The drive saw a big reception by Schneider and a long jet sweep by Casteel sophomore wide receiver Alexa Enman.

After the big plays, Luedeke rushed her way into a ton of Chandler defenders for a clutch touchdown on fourth down.

Luedeke’s second rushing touchdown of the night tied the game at 13-13 with just under three minutes remaining in the quarter.

As Chandler regained possession, they weren’t left with a lot of time.

However, before the quarter ended, Martin connected with Gonzalez on a deep pass, putting the Wolves in prime scoring position entering the final quarter

Chandler capitalized, finding the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown and taking a 20-13 advantage.

Martin found junior center Isabella Hulsey-Simpson on a quick pass that ended up taking the Wolves inside the 5-yard line early in the quarter.

The next play, Hulsey-Simpson came down with an incredible contested catch in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, taking the lead back for the Wolves with 11 minutes remaining in the game.

With the lead in hand, Chandler’s defense remained firm for the remainder of the game, preventing Casteel from finding the end zone again.

Casteel took one long drive that was promising.

However, on a crucial play, Chandler junior rusher Londynn Harris delivered pressure, forcing Luedeke to throw the ball into Molina, her second interception of the night.

“Just keep motivating my girls, telling them that we gotta go up from here and this is only the bottom,” Molina mentioned following the victory.

The interception helped seal the victory for Chandler, which held on for a 20-13 win after a strong second-half defensive effort.

The Wolves’ ability to capitalize on two late first-half touchdowns proved to be a key difference, as Chandler scored twice within 14 seconds to take control before the break.

Next up: 7-7 Casteel prepares to turn things around against the 6-7 Perry Pumas on the road Wednesday. 7-6 Chandler enjoys a day off before they face the 13-1 Basha Bears on the road this Thursday.