Chandler High picked up momentum with a Hail Mary touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the first half with Liberty on Friday night. That score tied the game at 21.

Would that momentum carry over to the second half? A longer than usual halftime due to the Wolves' Homecoming and the fact there was the normal halftime break couldn't guarantee the extra boost would last.

It did. Chandler forced two stops of Liberty in the third period and promptly scored on its first two offensive tries to pave the way to a 41-21 victory at Austin Field.

The victory was the 40th in a row for Chandler, which last lost a game in 2018 to Centennial High (Corona, Calif.). The Wolves haven't lost to an Arizona opponent since bowing to Mountain Pointe September 8, 2017. Chandler improved to 4-0 while Liberty fell to 3-1. The Lions came within a two-point conversion of ending Chandler's win streak last December in the playoffs (34-33 loss). Chandler outscored Liberty, 27-0, over the game's final 28 minutes.

The key play for Chandler was the go-for-broke touchdown toss from quarterback Blaine Hipa to Nason Coleman seconds before halftime. Coleman outpostitioned and out-muscled a pile of defenders to haul in the tying TD. It was the second TD pass of three for Hipa on the night and Coleman's second of the evening.

Chandler's defense got the ball back twice for its offense in the first four minutes of the third period. Two big plays on offense - a total of four plays - produced touchdowns putting the Wolves in front, 34-21 with 8:08 left in the third period. A 61-yard run right up the gut by Ca'lil Valentine made its 28-21 at the 9:22 mark. One play was all it took on the next Chandler possession with Hipa throwing a 50-yard scoring strike to Quaron Adams. 

Liberty threatened to score later in the third period and early in the fourth, but were turned away. On fourth-and goal inside Chandler's 10, Liberty backup quarterback Navi Bruzon threw an incompletion in the end zone. Bruzon had replaced starter Dom Ochoa, who was shaken up late in the first half on a run. Ochoa threw three first-half TD passes before being knocked from the game.

Liberty challenged Chandler's defense again midway through the final quarter, down 34-21. The Wolves Travis Roberts stopped the march inside the red zone with 6:43 to play. Chandler responded clinching the outcome with a 72-yard drive - aided by three Liberty penalities. Kenneth Cooper Jr.'s 2-yard TD run accounted for the final points with 3:12 to play.