Chandler Pulls Away for 42-13 Victory Over Cathedral Catholic

Chandler responded to an early deficit and steadily took control Friday night, defeating Cathedral Catholic 42-13 in a boys varsity football matchup at Chandler High School.

Cathedral Catholic opened the scoring on its first possession. Quarterback Koa Smith-Mayall connected with Isaac Cook for a 17-yard touchdown, and Aidan Phillips converted the extra point to give the Dons a 7-0 advantage.

Chandler answered almost immediately. After Cash Pacini helped move the Wolves out from their own end with a long run, quarterback Gianluca Busalacchi struck for a 65-yard touchdown pass. The extra point tied the game at 7-7.

The Wolves took their first lead late in the opening quarter when Busalacchi connected with Jordan Lilo for a 22-yard touchdown. Chandler converted the PAT and carried a 14-7 advantage into the second quarter.

The second quarter became more of a defensive battle. Chandler forced a Cathedral Catholic fumble near midfield, while the Dons twice stopped the Wolves on downs to prevent Chandler from extending its lead.

Cathedral Catholic eventually cut the deficit to four when Phillips connected on a 32-yard field goal, making it 14-10 late in the half.

Chandler immediately flipped the momentum back in its favor with one of the biggest plays of the night, returning the ensuing kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown. The extra point sent the Wolves into halftime with a 21-10 lead.

Cathedral Catholic created an opportunity early in the third quarter by recovering a Chandler fumble at the Wolves' 31-yard line. Chandler's defense kept the Dons out of the end zone, however, forcing them to settle for a 40-yard field goal from Julio Garcia that trimmed the lead to 21-13.

That would be Cathedral Catholic's final score.

Late in the third quarter, Chandler put together another scoring drive. Busalacchi connected on multiple passes before finding Lilo for a 24-yard touchdown, their second scoring connection of the night. The PAT pushed Chandler's advantage to 28-13 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Wolves wasted little time breaking the game open in the final period. Busalacchi connected with Noah Lauifi for a 75-yard touchdown pass, extending Chandler's lead to 35-13.

Special teams then created another major opportunity. Chandler blocked a Cathedral Catholic punt and took possession at the Dons' 20-yard line.

The Wolves capitalized with a two-yard rushing touchdown and another successful PAT to make it 42-13.

Chandler's defense kept Cathedral Catholic scoreless throughout the fourth quarter, allowing the Wolves to close out the 29-point victory.

Following the game, Chandler wide receivers coach James Jones pointed to his team's response to mistakes as one of the biggest positives from the night. Jones, a former Green Bay Packers wide receiver, said he was proud of the Wolves for overcoming adversity despite penalties, dropped passes and missed assignments.

"They responded," Jones said.

Jones described that response as the sign of a good football team. He also stressed that Chandler will need to clean up those mistakes if the Wolves want to become something special.

With the victory, Chandler improved to 1-1 on the season after pulling away from Cathedral Catholic for the 42-13 win.