Sports360AZ
By Ethan Holtzinger
The contest between No. 3 Chandler and No. 11 Brophy at Central High School on Thursday, Sept. 24 was a tale of two halves.
A botched snap forced the 4-1 Wolves back to their own 2-yard line on the first play of the game.
The last play of the game went a little differently: Senior Chandler quarterback Will Mencl took a knee to run out the clock with a comfortable 28-13 lead over the 3-2 Broncos.
First play of the game gets Chandler off to a rough start. pic.twitter.com/j5BFqJgSz7
— EthanHoltzinger (@EthanZinger6) September 25, 2026
For the majority of the first half, the momentum belonged to Brophy, and the spotlight belonged to senior wide receiver Ryder Noche. Noche found paydirt early on a 13-yard touchdown run that gave Brophy a 6-0 lead with three minutes to go in the first quarter. Then halfway through the second quarter, Noche came up with a beautiful pass breakup on the other side of the ball.
Yet another botched snap resulted in another punt for Chandler, but the Wolves’ offense found their rhythm on their next possession. After sitting out for the entirety of the first quarter, Mencl connected with wide receiver Iona Kupu in the endzone. Chandler entered halftime with a 7-6 lead.
Once the second half opened up, Noche gave the Broncos home crowd the encore they were hoping for. The 5’8 dual threat broke loose for a 66-yard touchdown run that put Brophy up 13-7. Mencl returned the favor almost immediately with an 11-yard scramble touchdown to snatch the lead back once more.
The Ryder Noche show continues with a long TD run that gives Brophy a 13-7 lead with 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. pic.twitter.com/vsM390FOr1
— EthanHoltzinger (@EthanZinger6) September 25, 2026
It wasn’t long before Chandler had another prime opportunity inside Brophy’s redzone, but sophomore defensive back Mason Alexander had other plans. Alexander, who seemed to be flying around the field, picked apart the Wolves’ offense on three consecutive plays, two of which included a tackle for loss and a sack.
Chandler was forced to end that drive without a score, but they made up for it quickly. Senior Ty Strozier scored on a 15-yard touchdown run, and junior David Douglas followed his lead soon after with a short touchdown carry of his own.
The Wolves led 28-13 with six minutes on the clock, and an interception from senior Jai Jones snuffed out any last hope for the Broncos.
Chandler head coach Ty Wisdom was encouraged by the way his team bounced back in the second half. He noted that five of his players are slated to become eligible in Week 6.
“I thought we completely dominated the second half,” Wisdom said. “I made a couple terrible calls there when we got down to the 1-yard line, but I don’t think the game was really as close as it looked. I just thought our defense completely dominated the second half. Our O-line really took over too.”
Next up, Brophy will visit 3-1 Shadow Ridge, while Chandler travels to take on 0-4 Cactus Canyon. Both games will be played on Friday, Oct. 2.
