The Chandler Cougars, getting stronger as the game progressed, hammered the Brooklyn Renegades 44-12 Sunday in the first round of the AYF Pee Wee National Championships in Orlando.

(More photos, click here).

Chandler took the lead for good at the 4:19 mark of the third quarter on a spectacular 44-yard run by Riley O'Brien. A crushing block by Mason Goodell at the line of scrimmage sprang O'Brien for the TD that started the Cougars' romp. Chandler scored four fourth-quarter touchdowns to bounce the New Yorkers into the losers' bracket.

Case Hatch was a one-man wrecking crew defensively for the Cougars, spending as much time in the Brooklyn backfield as the Renegades' players. He caused a fumble in the first quarter, stopped one Brooklyn drive late in the second quarter with a jarring tackle for a 9-yard loss on fourth down, recovered a fumble that set up O'Brien's go-ahead score, then smashed the Renegades' returner on the ensuing kickoff.

And those were just the highlights. His hard hits helped tire out the Renegades as the game progressed, and his emotional play kick-started and maintained momentum for the Cougars.

Offensively, Kyler Burke carried the Cougars to their rout, beginning with the game's opening drive.

Brooklyn opened with an onside kick that the Cougars covered at their own 38. Burke carried five times for 35 yards on an 11-play drive that stalled at the Brooklyn 5.

Chandler got the ball back after a three-and-out on one of the strangest punts at any level of football.

Kicking from their own 13, the Renegades' punt ended up bouncing back to the 7. On first down, Jake Lewis hit Hatch for a TD, giving Chandler a 6-0 lead with 3:22 left in the quarter.

Brooklyn broke a 59-yard TD run on the next possession, but it was the only points they would manage until late in the game after the result was a forgone conclusion. After O'Brien's TD and Hatch's conversion made it 14-6, the Cougars dominated.

Hatch's defensive play started the Renegades' downfall. He broke through the New Yorkers' line on fourth down for a 9-yard loss that gave the Cougars the ball at the Brooklyn 44 with 1:59 left in the third.

Chandler then put together an impressive 13-play drive, capped by Burke's 6-yard TD run. He busted over right guard, stretching the ball over the goal line for the score. His kick made it 22-6 with 6:20 left in the game.

The Cougars stopped Brooklyn on the ensuing drive, effectively ending their comeback chances when Dean Raab recorded a fourth-down sack that gave Chandler the ball at the Brooklyn 14.

It took just three plays for the Cougars to score. Jaelon Parson's 1-yard TD and Burke's conversion made it 30-6 with 2:17 remaining.

Brooklyn returned the kickoff 80 yards for a score to make it 30-12, but the Cougars and Burke punctuated the win in the final 1:12. Burke, who finished the game with 121 yards on 12 carries, ran 51 yards for a score, kicked the conversion for a 38-12 lead, and Raab returned a fumble for a score on the game's last play.