Chandler QB Mason Moran makes Chaparral pay with his running ability

Running back Chase Lucas watched from the sideline, his right knee in a big brace.

Wide receiver N'Keal Harry never got going with quarterback Mason Moran nursing a hand injury that kept him out of practice all week.

Still, top-ranked Chandler beat host Scottsdale Chaparral 22-10 on Friday night in a Division I football game before an overflow crowd with outstanding defense and enough big running plays by Moran and his stable of backs.

"Mason didn't practice all week; he had stitches in his hand," coach Shaun Aguano said. "It was a tough one. But I have to give credit to Chaparral. They played good defense. We were sloppy. But coming back from a big game at (Las Vegas) Bishop Gorman, this was good for us. The last two years, when we came back from out of state, we lost. But we were really sloppy."

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The defense was stifling, for the most part, with 6-foot-4, 215-pound outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr. getting to junior quarterback Grayson Barry early. Barry suffered an injury to his left, throwing elbow early in the game, but he gutted it out with a big knot on his elbow.

Chaparral (1-1) tried to go conservative at times with Kurt Shughart and Spencer Greenberg trading off running the ball.

But Chandler (2-1) was ready for anything.

Rashed sacked Barry for a 12-yard loss that stopped one Chaparral drive, then he took part in the play of the game late in the first half, charging strong on Barry as he released the ball. Cornerback Isiah Swann intercepted the pass and returned it 45 yards for a 15-0 lead.

"I was just trying to get to the ball and make a play," Rashed said. "We were angry about that game (the 35-14 loss last Saturday at Bishop Gorman) and we wanted to step it up."

PHOTOS: Chandler at Scottsdale Chaparral

Mason Drake, who moved from wide receiver to cornerback this season, did a good job covering the 6-4, 220-pound Harry all night. But Harry dropped three passes, including one that would have been a remarkable catch if he had held on for a touchdown.

Moran got Kolby Taylor and Johnny Johnson mixed into the passing game. Chaparral's defense gave up a 38-yard scoring run by Moran in the first quarter, and a 22-yard touchdown jaunt by backup tailback T.J. Green late in the third quarter for the only Chandler scores on offense.

To try to make up for the loss of Lucas (who is expected to miss as much as a month), Aguano mixed in backs Micah Reed-Campos, Green and Anthony Clay. Green gave Chandler's offense a boost in the third quarter.

But it was mostly the defense that came through, and Moran's occasional big runs that kept Chaparral at bay.

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Sophomore Douglas Reynolds sacked Barry for an 8-yard loss that caused Chaparral to settle for a 30-yard field goal with 7:44 left.

Chaparral got down to the Chandler 3-yard line with five minutes left, but was turned away on fourth down with Rashed batting down Barry's pass at the line of scrimmage.

After that, Moran broke loose on a 32-yard run on a third-and-4 play to keep the clock moving that sealed it.

"We played tough," Chaparral coach Conrad Hamilton said. "We didn't play a complete game. We gave up a pick six. We had too many opportunities. We had to kick a field goal. We have to score a touchdown."