Much like their week in Florida, things started slowly Thursday for Chandler’s Cadet Wolves and Scottsdale’s Jr. Pee Wee Firebirds. The two CAYFL teams will bring home Sportsmanship Award titles, though, after victories in the consolation-bracket finals at Austin Tindall Park in Orlando.

Both squads went 2-1 at the AYF National Championships after losing opening-round games to teams that eventually won the weeklong tournament. And both turned in comeback performances Thursday to claim their trophy.

The Wolves fell behind 13-6 early against the Staten Island Hurricanes before rallying to a 28-13 win. The Firebirds, also playing the Staten Island Hurricanes, overcame a late touchdown by the New Yorkers in the first half and dominated the game after intermission, winning 26-6 on a cold, rainy day.

A coach’s threat

Chandler fumbled on its first offensive play, leading to an early Hurricane touchdown and a 6-0 deficit. Sayers LaCivita’s block sprang Cito Hemphill-Toledo for a 65-yard, game-tying touchdown run, but the Hurricanes quickly answered to take a 13-6 lead.

“That’s when the threat came in,” Chandler coach Ken LaCivita said. “I had to threaten the kids that they weren’t going to Universal Studios tonight (for AYF Night at the park) if they lost.”

It worked. The defense not only didn’t allow another score but added a touchdown of their own as the Wolves manhandled the Hurricanes the rest of the way.

Tanner Palormarez and Jamari Tansmore each had three sacks for Chandler. Imani Lee caused a fumble that was recovered by lineman Zach Neff, who rumbled into the end zone for a TD.

Chandler took the lead for good late in the second quarter on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Devin Cowan to Lee.

Second-half Birds

After a sloppy and scoreless first quarter in a rainstorm, the weather and the Firebirds settled down as the game went along. By the end, the rain had stopped and Scottsdale was dominating.

The Firebirds struck first, using some trickery to keep alive a six-play, 73-yard scoring drive. Daniel Bridge-Gadd’s 13-yard scamper for a first down on a fake punt set up Malique Sharp’s 52-yard touchdown run on the next play, giving the Birds a 6-0 lead with 1:41 left in the half.

Karsten Hultquist then recovered an onside kick, and Scottsdale went to the air to try to get a quick score. They instead turned the ball over, as the Hurricanes returned an interception for a touchdown at the 50-second mark to tie the game 6-6.

The second half belonged to the Firebirds, however, especially to Rexx Tessler. He had four tackles for losses in the second half, terrorizing the Staten Island offense, but he may have done even more damage when the Birds had the ball.

Switched to wide receiver to start the third quarter, Tessler’s crushing block on the second play after intermission opened the outside for Sharp, who raced 45 yards untouched for a 12-6 lead.

The Birds got the ball back at the 7:22 mark when Tyler Taffuri and Chance Ikei converged on a Hurricane and knocked the ball loose. Kenny Vandall recovered, and Scottsdale was back in business at the 50.

They again went to the air on the damp, sloppy field, and a backward pass was recovered at midfield by the Hurricanes. Staten Island mounted a drive that was stopped in its tracks by Tessler on a fourth-down tackle for a loss at the 1:09 mark.

The quarter ended with Scottsdale clinging to a 12-6 lead and returning to their punishing ground game against the noticeably tired Hurricanes. The Birds banged up the middle with Tessler and Seth Beltran before bouncing Sharp outside at the 25 for a TD. Brody Azbill’s conversion kick made it 20-6.

Beltran recovered another Hurricane fumble at the Staten Island 31 with 6:15 remaining in the game. Tessler put an exclamation point on the game and his performance with a 21-yard touchdown run.

“The coaches made good adjustments at halftime,” Scottsdale coach Craig Wise said, “and the kids turned things up a notch. I also think we wore them down by the fourth quarter.”

One of the biggest reasons for the second-half turnaround, however, was the play of Tessler.

“Absolutely,” Wise said. “He played a tremendous game.”