Blanchard to face Tuttle in key district showdown

That year, the Lions' pursuit of a district title was actually decided in a Sept. 23 loss that capped an 0-4 start before they won six straight to take the No. 2 seed.

The road block to their 2005 district title?

Tuttle.

Blanchard will face the Tigers once again on Friday, knowing that a win will guarantee a district championship, as well as an undefeated season.

“The atmosphere is going to be unbelievable,” Blanchard coach Jeff Craig said of the game against the Lions' nearby rival. “Really, I think you're talking about even possibly like a state championship atmosphere. It's going to be unbelievable on both sides.”

Blanchard has been one of the bigger surprises of the year. They were regarded as a fringe top-20 team in the preseason. But behind quarterback Brock Lamle, an experienced group of skill players and a group of linemen who progressed quickly, the Lions have charged to the forefront and are ranked No. 4 in Class 3A.

All season, things like the pursuit of a district — or even state — title have been discussed in Blanchard.

“We've talked about a lot of that stuff all year,” Craig said. “I think if you're not gonna talk about it, you're not thinking about it. And if you're not thinking about it, you can't get there. We talked about winning the district and winning a gold ball, because those are the things we want to accomplish.”