Chandler controls its destiny heading into finale
District 2A-5 After needing help, Lions now can claim title with a victory Thursday night against Eufaula

BY ROBERT PRZYBYLO Comments 0
Published: November 4, 2009

CHANDLER — Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. The Chandler Lions certainly have a little luck on their side.

Neal Bacon Chandler coach

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It appeared Chandler was going to need to win Thursday at Eufaula and get a little help with a Beggs loss to secure a district title this week.

Henryetta helped make it a simple proposition: win, and the Lions will secure the District 2A-5 title.

Henryetta was 0-8, but with a 29-23 overtime win against Beggs last week, the Knights have given the Lions a chance to control their own destiny.

"We told the kids all we need to do is take care of business,” Chandler coach Neal Bacon said. "We do that, and we’ll accomplish our goal.”

A goal that definitely didn’t seem attainable at the start of the season. Coming off a runner-up finish last year, Chandler was 0-3 and had only scored 14 points.

That’s the beauty of district play. While the losses in non-district play won’t give a team momentum, it doesn’t ruin a season, either. Chandler (5-4 overall, 5-1 district) has righted its ship, and it begins with quarterback Brandon Cummings.

"Early on, he was just trying to do too much,” Bacon said. "He was trying to take it all on by himself.”

Bacon said the turning point of the season actually came in a 35-14 loss to Beggs. Bacon said the team became frustrated with the mistakes it was making. Since that game, the Lions have been executing.

In the last two weeks, Chandler hasn’t had a fumble. Running back T.J. Tillis is consistently getting the job done and rushing for more than 100 yards per game.

"We played a lot of young kids to start the season against some real good teams,” Bacon said. "The kids are getting smarter and comfortable.”

If Chandler wins, the district crown goes with it. If the Lions lose, it’s possible there could be a four-way tie at 5-2 as the top four teams (Chandler, Beggs, Morris and Prague) play the bottom four teams of the district.

Bacon doesn’t want his kids concerned with that.

"We know what we need to do,” Bacon said. "It’s in our hands.”