High school football: Blanchard hoping to sustain strong start

“We want everyone to be in the exact spot they need to be in for the play to work,” he said. “We want to have the best chance to succeed, whether it's the blocking angles of the linemen, or the receivers running precise routes, or me going through my reads the right way, or the running backs hitting the hole exactly right.

“We want to keep getting better, execute perfectly and be the best team we can be.”

Still, at this point, it's hard to even call Blanchard the favorite for the district title in 3A-1. Second-ranked Tuttle has been purely dominant in its five wins, and 4-1 Jones certainly can't be ignored.

All three of those teams have the talent to end up in the top 10 by the end of the season, yet one of them will have to go on the road top open the playoffs against the 3A-2 runner-up.

Blanchard, Tuttle and Jones all play each other over the final four weeks of the season, including Tuttle at Blanchard in Week 10, which could very well be for the district crown.

As pleased as the Lions are with the 5-0 start, they know how quickly a good start can turn south.

“We're confident in how we've been playing and the skills we have,” Lamle said. “We just don't want to get complacent or satisfied. We want to keep winning and make sure we don't slip up.”