Chandler nabs meaningful win, rebounds to top Mtn. Pointe

September 22, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Winning a meaty game. A game against  a contending team.

That's what faced Mountain Pointe and Chandler High Thursday night. Neither had a breakthrough in that regard this season before Thursday. Now Chandler does.

Using two-way standout  Paul  Perkins'  interception return for a touchdown as a springboard, Chandler rebounded from a poor defensive showing at Basha last week to turn back Mountain Pointe, 35-24, in a battle of Division I heavyweights at Austin Field.

Chandler improved to 4-1 under first-year coach Shaun Aguano. The Wolves defense, torched for 58 points and more than 600 yards of offense the week before, responded by collecting four turnovers and getting a decisive 14 points off those takeaways. Mountain Pointe, which dropped to 2-3, has lost to Hamilton, Desert Vista and Chandler. Those teams are a combined 12-1 and among the top five teams in D-I.

Mountain Pointe, which operates with a rushing attack first and foremost, tried to use that strength to score and control the clock. It was effective as the Pride outrushed Chandler, 146-110, through three periods. At halftime Mountain Pointe had won the time of possession by a nearly 2-1 margin -- 15 minutes and change to 8 minutes and change. The Pride, however,  trailed 14-10 at intermission.

But Perkins 45-yard interception return for six to begin the scoring and a Mountain Pointe fumble inside the Chandler 30 late in the first half kept the Pride from taking control on the scoreboard. Add the longest offensive scoring play of the evening from scrimmage -- a 41 -yard pass from quarterback Darell Garretson (two TD passes and a short TD run) to Lloyd MIlls in the opening half -- and Mountain Pointe's solid game plan was neutralized.

IIf not in the first half, quickly in the second half. Chandler took control for good using a 54-yard kickoff return by MIlls to set up an 8-play, 40 yard touchdown march. That drive was capped by a Perkins 1-yard run that bumped Chandler's lead to 21-10 with 8:27 left in the third period. Perkins had a big game, rushing for 139 yards on 18 carries along with his early pick.

Mountain Pointe began another drive after Perkins TD run that penetrated Chandler territory at the 48. But the Pride's third turnover of the game, a fumble by quarterback Caleb Buck, was returned 45 yards by the Wolves John Meile to the Mountain Pointe 6.  Garretson tossed an easy 3-yard TD pass to tight end Patrick Baldenegro to extend the margin to 28-10.

Chandler put the game away after Mountain Pointe cut the lead to 28-17 after converting Chandler's only turnover into a touchdown. The Wolves marched 80 yards in 11 plays doing all the damage on the ground and taking 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. Perkins and Laron Tarkington did most of the work. Garretson finished it off with a 7-yard TD run.

The schedule doesn't get easier for either team next week. Mountain Pointe hosts unbeaten Brophy and Chandler entertains unbeaten arch-rival Hamilton.