Two Big Plays by Chandler Put Wolverines Over the Top

Here’s a night Cory Chandler, a tight end and punter for Aliso Niguel, won’t soon forget.

It was the night Aliso Niguel won its first Southern Section Division VIII football championship, Friday at Orange Coast College, and Chandler scored his first touchdown of the season.

A few minutes later, Chandler also made a key, 20-yard run in the fourth quarter to keep a Wolverine drive alive. The run set up Aliso Niguel for its final touchdown of the game, effectively sealing a victory over Pacifica, 32-21.

Aliso Niguel (14-0) trailed at halftime, 13-12, and in the locker room, Chandler and the rest of the seniors decided this would not be the way they would finish their careers.

“We just went in at halftime and said, ‘You know something, we’re all seniors. We need to come out and show senior pride,’ ” he said.

On the Wolverines’ first possession of the second half, they marched 72 yards in seven plays to the Mariner 11-yard line. Facing third down and nine, quarterback Wes Thomas threaded the ball through several Mariner defensive backs and into the arms of Chandler as he dived into the end zone.

“The [Pacifica defenders] were all over and I didn’t think Wes was going to throw the ball and he just put it right in the gut,” Chandler said. “I just knew I had to fall forward instead of backward.”

For Chandler, it was well worth the wait to get his first touchdown of the season.

“We worked on that play so long this year and we never ran it [in a game],” Chandler said. “I’ve been waiting for a touchdown this year so long, so I got my opportunity.”

The touchdown gave Aliso Niguel an 18-13 lead with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter. But Pacifica scored about four minutes later on a 24-yard touchdown pass from J.D. Stern to Darell Miles to take back the lead, 21-18.

Aliso Niguel’s Scott Nemeth then scored on a 51-yard run with 47 seconds remaining in the quarter to give Aliso Niguel the lead again, 25-21.

In the fourth quarter, the Wolverines faced fourth and 11 at the Pacifica 44-yard line and Chandler took the field to punt.

He reached up to grab a high snap and had to make a split-second decision.

“I thought it would have gotten blocked,” he said.

Chandler looked to his right and saw open field.

“It was just pure decision. Pure instincts,” he said.

Chandler high stepped up the field, spinning off one blocker before being tackled at the 24-yard line.

“[Coach Wood] was very happy. He said, ‘I don’t believe you did that,’ ” Chandler said.

Three plays later, Aliso Niguel scored on a 32-yard pass play from Thomas to Andrew Mashburn to secure the victory.

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Leading League

Aliso Niguel’s Division VIII championship is the sixth Southern Section title won by a Pacific Coast League team in the league’s 11-year history. The other champions:

* 1987, Woodbridge defeated West Hills Chaminade, 13-10, in the Desert-Mountain Conference.

* 1988, Trabuco Hills defeated Woodbridge, 34-14, in Division VIII.

* 1989, Trabuco Hills defeated Orange, 17-14, in Division VIII.

* 1991, Laguna Hills defeated Trabuco Hills, 35-28, in Division VII.

* 1993, Trabuco Hills defeated Costa Mesa, 44-6, in Division VIII.