CHANDLER — It didn’t take long for the Chandler Lions to show the Spiro Bulldogs exactly who was in charge of Friday night’s opening round of the Class 2A playoffs. In fact, it took just 19 seconds for the Lions to get their first score in a 47-6 pasting of the visitors.
The Lions took the opening kickoff and needed just one play from scrimmage to get on the board, and did so in spectacular fashion. Quarterback Brandon Cummings took the snap and threw a hook pattern to Joe Hernandez. The receiver then pitched the ball to a sprinting J.J. Tillis, who ran untouched for the 66-yard scoring strike with 11:41 left in the first quarter.
Chandler’s defense then held the Bulldogs on their initial drive. The offense responded with a 9-play, 65-yard drive and created a comfortable 14-point cushion with 5:57 left in the first quarter. The scoring play came on another scoring pass from Cummings, this time to Tyler Milam from the 10-yard line.
Not to be outdone, the Lion defense got in the scoring act. On Spiro’s next possession, quarterback Clayton Mitchum overthrew his intended receiver into the waiting arms of Chance Rich, who took the ball down the boundary for a 52-yard interception return, increasing the Chandler lead to 21-0 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.
Both teams then traded possessions and early in the second quarter, Spiro got on the board with a 5-play, 58-yard scoring drive. Mitchum scored on a 4-yard scamper to cut the deficit to 21-6.
The Bulldogs took that momentum and held the Lions on a fourth-and-eight from the Spiro 14-yard line and threatened to turn the game into a contest.
The Chandler defense was having no part of it.
Casey Barrier, on Spiro’s second play of the drive, picked off a Mitchum pass and took it to the house from 60 yards out to up the lead to 28-6 with 3:41 remaining in the half and deflated any chance of a Bulldog comeback.
The Lions’ special teams then took center stage in Spiro’s tragedy play, blocking a Bulldog punt attempt that Tillis recovered on the Spiro 24-yard line. It took just two plays for the Lions to take a commanding 34-6 lead into the half. Cummings scored on a two-yard sneak with 1:01 remaining.
“It was a good all-around team win,” said Chandler head coach Neal Bacon. “Defensively we couldn’t ask for much more.”
Chandler finished off the rout in the third quarter scoring two more times. Cummings scored from nine yards out with 6:35 left and George Maris ended all scoring on a one yarder with 2:21 showing on the third quarter clock.
In all, Chandler outgained the Bulldogs 330 to 146 total yards. Cummings threw for 76 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 82 yards on 11 carries. He scored twice more on the ground. Tillis accounted for 161 combined yards.
The Lions held Spiro to 146 total yards of offense. They gave up 116 yards passing, but picked off four Spiro passes.
Chandler will now set its sights on Verdigris, which posted a 48-14 win over Colcord. The two squads will face off next week in Chandler for a berth in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
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CHANDLER — It didn’t take long for the Chandler Lions to show the Spiro Bulldogs exactly who was in charge of Friday night’s opening round of the Class 2A playoffs. In fact, it took just 19 seconds for the Lions to get their first score in a 47-6 pasting of the visitors.
The Lions took the opening kickoff and needed just one play from scrimmage to get on the board, and did so in spectacular fashion. Quarterback Brandon Cummings took the snap and threw a hook pattern to Joe Hernandez. The receiver then pitched the ball to a sprinting J.J. Tillis, who ran untouched for the 66-yard scoring strike with 11:41 left in the first quarter.
Chandler’s defense then held the Bulldogs on their initial drive. The offense responded with a 9-play, 65-yard drive and created a comfortable 14-point cushion with 5:57 left in the first quarter. The scoring play came on another scoring pass from Cummings, this time to Tyler Milam from the 10-yard line.
Not to be outdone, the Lion defense got in the scoring act. On Spiro’s next possession, quarterback Clayton Mitchum overthrew his intended receiver into the waiting arms of Chance Rich, who took the ball down the boundary for a 52-yard interception return, increasing the Chandler lead to 21-0 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.
Both teams then traded possessions and early in the second quarter, Spiro got on the board with a 5-play, 58-yard scoring drive. Mitchum scored on a 4-yard scamper to cut the deficit to 21-6.
The Bulldogs took that momentum and held the Lions on a fourth-and-eight from the Spiro 14-yard line and threatened to turn the game into a contest.
The Chandler defense was having no part of it.
Casey Barrier, on Spiro’s second play of the drive, picked off a Mitchum pass and took it to the house from 60 yards out to up the lead to 28-6 with 3:41 remaining in the half and deflated any chance of a Bulldog comeback.
The Lions’ special teams then took center stage in Spiro’s tragedy play, blocking a Bulldog punt attempt that Tillis recovered on the Spiro 24-yard line. It took just two plays for the Lions to take a commanding 34-6 lead into the half. Cummings scored on a two-yard sneak with 1:01 remaining.
“It was a good all-around team win,” said Chandler head coach Neal Bacon. “Defensively we couldn’t ask for much more.”
Chandler finished off the rout in the third quarter scoring two more times. Cummings scored from nine yards out with 6:35 left and George Maris ended all scoring on a one yarder with 2:21 showing on the third quarter clock.
In all, Chandler outgained the Bulldogs 330 to 146 total yards. Cummings threw for 76 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 82 yards on 11 carries. He scored twice more on the ground. Tillis accounted for 161 combined yards.
The Lions held Spiro to 146 total yards of offense. They gave up 116 yards passing, but picked off four Spiro passes.
Chandler will now set its sights on Verdigris, which posted a 48-14 win over Colcord. The two squads will face off next week in Chandler for a berth in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
