In a battle of two undefeated teams Saturday at Chaparral High School, it was the Scottsdale Firebirds Red who came out victorious over the Chandler Mustangs 24-0 in the CAYFL’s Jr. Pee Wee division championship.

“We played well and made the proper adjustments when we needed to,” Firebirds coach Craig Wise said.

Led by power running from Brody Azbill and elusive running by Maligue Sharp, the Firebirds were able to put up 24 points in the second half.

Tough defense from both teams opened the game, as neither team was able to capitalize on any of their offensive possession in the first quarter.

Penalties for illegal shifts and motions stalled the Firebirds offense from making an impact in the second quarter. The Mustangs could not do much to take advantage of the missed opportunities, however, and the teams ended the half tied 0-0.

The Mustangs opened the second half off with the ball, but they were forced to turn the ball over on downs.

A powerful run and stiff-arm from Azbill brought the Firebirds deep inside Mustang territory. A horse collar tackle penalty at the end of the play helped put the Firebirds inside the red zone for the first time in the game. Azbill capped the drive with a touchdown run from inside the Mustangs 10 to give the Firebirds the lead. A two-point kick made it 8-0.

The Mustangs fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Firebirds recovered. A 20-yard run from Sharp put the Firebirds in the red zone again, but the Firebirds could not make the most of their trip, as the Mustangs defense came up big by forcing a turnover on downs.

Sharp used his speed and elusiveness for a large rushing gain early in the fourth quarter, putting the Firebirds inside Mustang territory. Following Sharp’s run, a 23-yard run by Azbill to the Mustangs 5 set up a rushing touchdown from Tyler Taffuri that gave the Firebirds a 16-0 lead.

Sharp was not done there as he had another 20-yard run to the Mustangs 2 yard line late in the fourth quarter. He was able to score on the next play, giving the Firebirds a 24-0 lead.

“We had a great season, but we’re down about today,” Mustangs coach Keith Taylor said. “We didn’t execute like we should’ve today, and the Firebirds did.”