Chandler Football 2026 Preview, Players and Schedule | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Teams to Know Season Preview: Chandler (AZ)
Chandler returns an Oregon-committed quarterback and three more Division I senior commits after reaching Arizona's Open Division championship game.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/28/20265 min read
Chandler returned to Arizona's biggest stage in Ty Wisdom's first season. The Wolves finished 10-3 and reached the AIA Open Division championship game before Basha won the final 34-7. That result set the 2026 standard clearly: Chandler is no longer trying to prove it belongs in the title picture. It is trying to finish there.
The roster gives Wisdom a real chance. Oregon quarterback commit Will Mencl returns after throwing for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns, and three more senior starters are already committed to Division I programs. The first game is a rematch at Basha, which means Chandler will not have to wait to measure how much the championship loss changed it.
Team Snapshot
Team: Chandler Wolves
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Head Coach: Ty Wisdom
2025 Record: 10-3
2025 Finish: AIA Open Division state runner-up
T25PS Preseason Ranking: No. 69
Will Mencl Gives Chandler a Championship-Level Starting Point
Mencl completed his junior season with 3,815 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and only five interceptions. At 6-foot-4 and roughly 205 pounds, he has the size to see and drive the ball across the field, but the decision-making is what makes the numbers matter. A better than six-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio kept Chandler from giving away the possessions elite opponents need.
Jai Jones gives him a 6-foot-2 Wisconsin commit outside, and Maxwell Sprott adds a Sacramento State commit who can work another part of the formation. Chandler does not have to force the ball toward one receiver. If the protection holds, Mencl can identify the matchup the defense chose to leave and make it pay.
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Sire Stewart is the Utah-committed senior protecting that operation. At 6-foot-5 and roughly 255 pounds, he gives the front a long, athletic tackle with the responsibility of keeping the passing game on time. Chandler's skill talent will receive the attention, but Stewart and the rest of the line determine how often that talent can work from a clean pocket.
The Open Division Still Demands More Than Recruiting Profiles
Iona Kupu gives the defense a 220-pound senior linebacker around whom the front seven can organize. Chandler needs his experience because the Open Division will force the Wolves to defend teams capable of attacking every level. The defense has to get the ball back to Mencl without turning every game into a race to the last possession.
Kaydon Gray, Jaxon Zembrycki and 2029 prospect Michael Rivera are part of the next wave Wisdom can develop behind the veteran core. Their upside deepens the roster, but what matters now is whether they turn camp roles into dependable varsity snaps while the committed seniors handle the largest responsibilities.
The 34-7 loss to Basha is the useful reference point. Chandler knows what the championship standard looked like from the opposite sideline. Opening 2026 against the same opponent creates an immediate opportunity to show that the offseason produced better protection, better situational defense and a stronger response when momentum changes.
Players to Know
Will Mencl, QB
Mencl is committed to Oregon after throwing for 3,815 yards, 33 touchdowns and five interceptions as a junior. He is the clear center of Chandler's title push, not just because of the arm talent, but because he has already shown he can produce volume without giving away many possessions.
Jai Jones, WR
Jones is committed to Wisconsin and gives Chandler a 6-foot-2 senior target on the perimeter. His presence can discourage defenses from squeezing every route inside and gives Mencl an experienced answer when the coverage asks the quarterback to win outside.
Maxwell Sprott, WR
Sprott committed to Sacramento State in June. The 5-foot-11 senior gives the Wolves another proven receiver, which matters because the Open Division defenses are too talented for one target to carry the entire passing game.
Sire Stewart, OL
Stewart is committed to Utah and gives Chandler a 6-foot-5 senior anchor up front. His ability to protect Mencl and keep the run game from living behind schedule is one of the quiet reasons the Wolves can enter 2026 with championship expectations.
Iona Kupu, LB
Kupu is a 6-foot, 220-pound senior who gives Chandler leadership in the middle of the defense. The Wolves need him to fit the run, communicate changes and keep the unit steady against opponents that will test its discipline as much as its athleticism.
Kaydon Gray, Jaxon Zembrycki and Michael Rivera
Gray, Zembrycki and Rivera are the younger names to follow behind Chandler's senior core. Rivera is only a 2029 prospect. The immediate question is not how quickly recruiting attention arrives. It is how many trustworthy snaps the group can add to a roster built to play another 13-game season.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 29: at Basha
Sept. 4: Cathedral Catholic (CA)
Sept. 11: at Salpointe Catholic
Sept. 18: American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek
Sept. 24: at Brophy College Prep
Oct. 2: at Cactus Canyon
Oct. 16: Centennial
Oct. 23: at Valley Vista
Oct. 29: Pinnacle
Nov. 5: at Hamilton
Biggest Question
Can Chandler turn one of Arizona's best senior groups into the final win it missed last season?
The offensive talent is proven. Mencl protects the ball, Jones and Sprott give him multiple targets, and Stewart anchors the protection. The separator will be how the Wolves handle red-zone possessions, third downs and the defensive series immediately after an opponent creates momentum.
Basha exposed the gap in the 2025 final. The opening rematch gives Chandler a direct test of whether the senior core is ready to close it.
Bottom Line
Chandler has everything required to return to the Open Division championship game: an elite senior quarterback, four Division I commits across the offense and a defense with an experienced linebacker in the middle.
I see the Wolves as a legitimate title contender and a team capable of climbing from its No. 69 preseason position. The remaining question has nothing to do with potential. It is whether Chandler can play its cleanest football when the opponent across from it is another Arizona heavyweight.
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