After the Division I boys state championship soccer match, a photographer asked a group of Chandler High players if there were any siblings in the group he could photograph.

“We are all brothers,” the teammates responded.

Chandler’s tight-knit team can now also say that it’s a state champion.

It’s the first time in Chandler’s 100-year history that the boys soccer program can lay claim to the state championship title. It did so after extinguishing a formidable opponent, Sandra Day O’Connor, that, like Chandler, plays a dynamic brand of soccer.

Chandler, making only its second state title appearance since Arizona started playing boys high school soccer 32 years ago, won an entertaining matchup, 3-2, at Campo Verde High. Sandra Day O’Connor made its first title trip Saturday with a team guided by a well-respected Arizona youth soccer coach, Harry Demos, and two nimble-footed players Demos assumed legal guardianship of, Jackson Jellah and Musa Morris.

But Saturday belonged to Chandler, including 15 seniors who played their final high school game and their very dedicated coach, Sasha Hunter. Hunter is usually in the broadcast booth, serving as the analyst during the Fox Sports Arizona’s broadcasts of the state soccer championship games.

But it’s safe to say that he prefers to be on the field participating in the big game, especially if he’s drenched in Gatorade and celebrating in the end like he did Saturday. Like it did in its semifinal game, Chandler struck early in the final.

In the 7^th minute, Zackery Bishop banged home a shot after a corner kick that seemed to go off Sandra Day O’Connor’s goalkeeper, Marcel Ruzan. But Sandra Day O’Connor used one of its corner kicks to equalize in the 24^th minute, when a linesman ruled that Morris’ shot crossed the end line despite Chandler’s goalkeeper’s efforts to keep the ball out.

Sandra Day O’Connor started to possess the ball longer at this point, but Chandler switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 and pressed high to regain some control. Oregon State signee Don Tchilao, likely the best player in the state this season, helped set up Carter Rumsey for Chandler’s second goal.

Rumsey went to the far post to beat the goalkeeper in the 50^th minute. Chandler added another goal in the 69^th minute when Daniel Corona knocked in a rebound.

But Sandra Day O’Connor’s pressure helped it earn a couple of chances to try and tie the game. It converted on its first one, a header by George Ekdahl off an on-target free kick by Jellah.

But Chandler thwarted the second opportunity, a deep run by Jella.

“We worked hard for it,” said Tchilao, a senior, about the championship trophy. “It took us four years to get here. This is a dream come true.”

When Chandler’s players were wrapping up their celebration on Campo Verde’s field, Sandra Day O’Connor showed a lot of class by applauding their opponent’s accomplishment.

But both teams deserve to take a bow after the great seasons they had.