Chandler’s season took an unexpected detour Thursday night, as Crossings Christian upended the Lions, 16-6.
The Knights were 1-2 in the district, but took a 7-0 lead just after halftime and never trailed.
The loss left the Lions with a 3-1 district record going into this Friday’s match with district-leading Jones.
The Lions can still win their district, but have to win their last three games.
“It’s a big wake-up call,” said Chandler coach Jack Gray. “I’m hoping it helps in the long run. It’s over now, so it can be a lession learned.
“Our guys have a good team and they have an X on their backs. They’re going to get everyone’s best every week. Our focus during the week has not been the best and it’s been that way week to week.”
Chandler’s usually prolific offense sputtered most of the evening and frequently found itself walking backwards after holding penalties.
Casmen Hill ran for a touchdown with 11:12 left in the fourth quarter, but Crossings blocked the extra-point attempt, leaving the score 7-6.
Chandler got a stop on Crossing’s next possession, but the Knights pinned Chandler just outside the end zone with a punt.
They were flagged for holding again and, since the penalty occured in the end zone, the result as a safety for Crossings, making the score 9-6.
Crossings added another touchdown with just over two minutes to play, accounting for hte final score of 16-6.
“We have to start better,” Gray said. “We’ve had some struggles with our fundamentals and rules in the first half.
“I told them that when we play a good team, it’s going to bite them in the butt and it did tonight.
“The margin for error is now zero. We have to get better.”