It's almost inconceivable if a team commits six turnovers it will emerge victorious. Operative phrase -- almost inconceivable.

#2 seed Chandler overcame the six-pack of turnovers, scored to force overtime with three seconds remaining and lived to play another day on Saturday with a 27-21 overtime triumph over #6 Liberty at Austin Field.

Chandler quarterback Blaine Hipa tossed a 7-yard scoring pass to tight end Nason Coleman in the overtime period for the winning margin. Liberty got its turn in the alternating possession format of OT, but Chandler's defense forced a sack on third down and intercepted a pass on fourth down to advance to the Dec. 11 Open Division title game at Sun Devil Stadium. Defensive end Amar Elmore knocked down a pass on second down and a sack for 10 yards on third down. Safety Frankie Morales made the on fourth down for the Wolves. Chandler never led in the game until it scored in overtime.

Liberty twice held two-touchdown leads. The Lions scored twice in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the second quarter to lead 14-0 at halftime. A 7-yard TD run by sophomore quarterback Navi Bruzon, who alternated at QB with junior Dom Ochoa, made it 7-0. Ochoa made his presence felt with a 10-yard scoring pass to Prince Zombo with 1:24 left in the half.

Chandler traded touchdowns with Liberty in the third period. The Wolves got on the board thanks to a 26-yard scoring strike from Hipa to Jamere Haskell. Liberty bumped the lead back up to two scores (21-7) in the final 90 seconds of the third. Bruzon connected for an 18-yard TD to Braylon Gardner. 

The Chandler comeback heated up midway through the final quarter. An 80-yard drive that took 1:37 off the clock was capped by a 20-yard TD run by Anyale Velazquez with 4:39 to go. The extra point was blocked, meaning a tying TD would require a two-point conversion.

Chandler got that opportunity and didn't fail. After forcing a Liberty punt inside the Lions 10, the punt netted just 22 yards. Chandler took possession at Liberty's 30 with 24 seconds to play. A third-down completion from Hipa to Quaron Adams reached Liberty's 10. The Wolves scored with 2.7 seconds left. The two-point conversion was converted - Hipa on bootleg left for the deadlock.

 

 

 

 

 

#2 Chandler (10-1) vs. #6 Liberty (9-2)