Chandler played up two classes and took on one of the state’s blueblood programs Friday to close out the nondistrict portion of its season.
The Lions scheduled the game against 17-time state champion Clinton as a measuring stick and, even though they lost, 21-0, head coach Jack Gray like what he saw.
“I’m very pleased with the way we progressed over the last two weeks, from being really bad in week one to a little better last week,” he said.
“Then tonight, I saw a lot brighter things. Our quarterback stepped up another level and got a little older. We completed some passes and moved the ball. We just didn’t score when we needed to and penalties hurt us at the wrong time.”
The Red Tornadoes have been a power in Oklahoma football for decades and trail only Ada, Jenks and Carl Albert in state championships. They’ve been state runnerup an additional 10 times and put together a 33-game winning streak in the 1960s.
But the Lions were anything but starstruck. Two touchdowns in two minutes of the first quarter and a long touchdown pass were the difference in the game.
“You play a bigger school, you’re going to get out-manned a little,” Gray said. “A 4A school starts wearing you out, but I was happy.
“We got exactly what we wanted, a hard physical game.
“Our kids kept up well. Defensively, I thought we were up in their faces and getting them in the backfield a lot.
“Their No. 3 is a monster. I think anyone he plays, he’s going to have a lot of yards after contact.”
Clinton’s No. 3 is Zaedon Collins, a 5-11, 200-pound back.
“From what I’ve seen on film, he’s already had a lot of yards after contact and he’s a good dude,” Gray said.
Clinton scored two touchdowns in roughly two minutes late in the first quarter to go from a scoreless tie to a 14-0 lead.
The first score came when Collins ran 13 yards to the end zone with 4:18 left in the quarter. Clinton intercepted a pass on Chandler’s next possession and got in the end zone on a 26-yard pass to Marcelo Juarez with 2:07 left in the quarter.
After that, the teams played on more or less even terms until late in the third quarter, when Marquis Martin got behind the Chandler defense and hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass.
Gray said he was pleased with Chandler’s composure and aggressiveness.
“They seemed calm and collected the whole way.
“I thought we threw the ball well. I wish we’d tackled better - we work on it every day.
“But No. 3 is going to be hard for anyone to tackle. I think that’s something we’ll work on and we’ll have a good run defense.”
Chandler finished with 49 yards passing and 105 rushing for a total of 154 yards gained.
Clinton had 180 total yards, with 72 passing and 108 on the ground.
The Lions are 1-2 on the season begin district play at Joe Telford Field Friday night against Sequoyah-Tahlequah.
The game will be the Lions’s Homecoming, with the coronation at 6 p.m. and football kicking off at 7 p.m.
Both teams come into the game with 1-2 records.