Two ALL-USA West Region stars lined up on the left side of the field for a fourth-and-three at the goal line that would decide the outcome of Arizona's most anticipated matchup of the week.
Centennial (Peoria, AZ) had the ball, trailing Chandler (AZ) 20-14 with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. The Coyotes converted a fourth down, got the ball to the one-yard line, but then got stuffed on a run and pushed back a couple yards. Though they moved the ball well on the ground throughout the drive, there was little question about where the ball was going on this play, which would presumably decide the game.
On Centennial's side was tight end Torrin Hill, a 6-foot-3 junior with
18 college offers who leads the Coyotes in yards and touchdowns. On Chandler's side was Jai Jones, the two-way Wisconsin commit who projects as a wide receiver but also plays cornerback for the Wolves.
Sure enough, the pass went up from Hill's brother, junior quarterback Titus Hill. Jones was ready, draped on the receiver. With tight coverage, the pass was incomplete, and the Wolves staved off what would have been the go-ahead catch.
"I knew the ball was coming, but I come with a lot of confidence. It comes to who's most prepared," Jones said after the game.
Centennial head coach Andrew Taylor questioned the no-call on defensive pass interference after the game, saying it looked like heavy contact in real time. When shown the video, he nodded, feeling his eye test was affirmed.
But that wasn't Centennial's only chance. On the play before, Hill found receiver Jason Lee with space in the end zone. Lee had the ball in his hands… and then he didn't, as Chandler DB Brivid Laudermilk punched the ball out of his hands, saving the game.
"(I'm) proud of the resiliency of our guys with that goal-line stand," Chandler head coach Ty Wisdom said.
Chandler had some rust after a 22-day break, but their defense was impressive: safety Austin Reese got two sacks and an interception, Marshawn Coleman got a pick, and Cau'Re Smith iced the game with a sack as time expired to prevent a Hail Mary attempt after a safety. The Wolves won 20-16.
"We're going into a storm here. We gotta go right through the storm," Taylor said to Centennial before the game. "Our kids did that. You just gotta give Chandler credit; they made one or two more plays than us at the end of the game."
ALL-USA and Super 15 West Region
Both Jones and Torrin Hill were on the recently released Midseason ALL-USA West Region second team. Hill entered the game with 777 receiving yards, more than half the team's total receiving yards, and eight touchdowns, the team high. Centennial's passing game wasn't particularly lively, with the Coyotes switching quarterbacks briefly to give Chandler a new look, but Hill helped move the ball downfield and drew a deep pass interference in the second half.
Jones leads Chandler with 542 receiving yards and five touchdowns entering the game, and his impact extends to the defensive side of the ball, where he had two interceptions and three passes defended across five games played. Unofficially, that's four passes defended after this game-winning stop.
Chandler's passing game also wasn't as strong as usual. QB Will Mencl, the ALL-USA second-team quarterback, didn't throw a touchdown pass, but he did run in a score from seven yards out to tie the game at halftime. The biggest passing play was a 34-yard leaping catch by Gage Scheurn, who is now eligible for Chandler after an offseason transfer. Centennial's Elijah Carothers picked off Mencl at the edge of the end zone immediately after a blocked punt, stifling an earlier Chandler threat.
The Wolves entered the week ranked No. 11 in the Super 15 West Region, third in Arizona behind Hamilton and Basha, both of which beat Chandler earlier this year. Centennial was ranked No. 14, behind the three aforementioned teams and Liberty (Peoria, AZ).
With one loss each, Chandler and Centennial are still chasing a chance to play in the Open Division playoffs, Arizona's top bracket.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ALL-USA stars collide as Chandler stuns Centennial at the goal line
