Lions win in the trenches
Chandler’s offense purred like a new car and the defense rang up its second shutout of the season Thursday night.
The result: a 35-0 victory over the Crossing Christian Knights that sets up this week’s showdown with Jones for first place in District 2A-2.
The Lions and Jones have matching 4-0 district records and will kick it off at 7 p.m. Friday at Joe Telford Field. Jones comes into the game ranked No. 2 in Class 2A and the Lions No. 3.
Crossing Christian is a likely playoff team and went into the game with a 6-1 record, the same as Chandler, but the Lions imposed their will the entire game and got what amounted to the winning touchdown on their first possession.
A constant theme was the dominance of Chandler’s line on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the line opened some large holes that helped the Lions’ rack up 359 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Carson Clagg had 238 of the yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, it held Crossings to just 88 yards rushing and 110 yards of total offense.
“Both sides of the ball - great execution,” Coach Jack Gray said of the linemen.
“They played very well. We game-planned some things for them to do because they have a very good defensive bunch and a different style of defense. We thought we were very well prepared and it was all about execution, and our guys executed very well.
“They’re a wellcoached team and we always have a tough game with them.”
Chandler took the ball on a seven-minute, 90yard drive on the opening possession, which was capped by a twoyard run by quarterback Alec Jackson.
Going into a brisk, flag-snapping wind out of the southeast, the Lions kept the ball on the ground most of the drive.
With the breeze behind them in the second quarter, the Lions aired it out more on their next scoring drive. Ty Garver made a sterling catch in front of the Crossings bench to the keep the drive going and ended it with a catch in the end zone.
Just before the half, the Lions were in the end zone for a third time on a one-yard run by Jackson.
The drive was highlighted by a catch by Corbin Hollon for a first down as he was falling backwards and by a bruising run by Clagg, who towed a Crossings tackler from just inside the 10 to the one, setting up the scoring play.
Clagg raced into the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown on Chandler’s first possession of the second half and then finished the scoring with a 16-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Although the wind was strong enough to bend the trajectory of punts and blow them backwards after they reached their apex, it didn’t hinder Chandler kicker Landon Miller, who was five-forfive on extra points.