Sometimes the third time is the charm. It wasn't for the Blanchard Lions.

Like Heritage Hall, Blanchard made the move up to Class 4A due to recent success in the 3A ranks. And, like Heritage Hall, Blanchard made the playoffs and was matched against the same team it had played to open the playoffs the previous two years. The teams would play each other...again.

The Lions finished their first 4A campaign with a 6-4 record, good for fourth place in District 2. The District 1 Champion Chargers entered the contest 10-0, having just completed a second straight undefeated regular season, and carrying the nation's 10th longest active win streak with 37 consecutive victories. Brett Bogert entered the game with an unblemished 25-0 career record.

But not everything has gone the Chargers way. In the regular season finale, starting quarterback and free safety Blake Adams fell hard on his left shoulder and suffered a season-ending broken first rib. Freshman Will Dunn would start the first playoff game, and several other Chargers were fighting through "dents and dings" from a season of more physical play at the higher class.

Accustomed to scoring early and often, The Hall struggled to get on the board in the first half. Callahan Walker's 32-yard field goal in the first half was the only score by either team, giving the Chargers a 3-0 halftime lead. Dunn had completed just 2 of 6 passes for 33 yards and the ground game had yet to get uncorked.

Billy Ross sparked the Chargers with a 90-yard kickoff return to open the 3rd quarter and stretch Heritage Hall's lead to 10 points. But Blanchard's Holden Mayfield came out on fire too, and the running back capped off a 3 minute Lions drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to make it 10-7. With Chandler Shapard running the offense, the Chargers scored on Morgan Dinwiddie's 5 yard run before Blanchard's Camden Cooper answered with a 3 yard score. The Blanchard extra point attempt was errant, though. At the end of three, Heritage Hall held a narrow 17-13 lead.

Coach Bogert decided to put Santana Randle in at quarterback and the Senior receiver didn't disappoint. Randle fearlessly ran the ball on sweep after sweep, often taking solid hits along the way, scoring from 7 yards out to give The Hall a 24-13 lead with 8:31 to go. Randle would finish with 14 carries for 125 yards. Blanchard scrambler Rowdy Steelman wouldn't let his Lions give up, breaking free and punching it in from 16 yards to make it 24-19 with 5:47 to play. Blanchard attempted a two-point conversion, but was unable to connect on a pass attempt.

The Chargers recovered the ensuing onside kick and the offensive line pushed Blanchard around while the offense churned clock and moved the ball deep into Blanchard territory. Walker angled a tough 22 yard field goal in from the left hashmark to make it an 8-point game. The Lions drove the ball down to the Heritage Hall 38 yard line with a minute to play, but on 4th and 4, Randle and Conner Carey knocked Cooper out of bounds a yard shy of a first down to give the Chargers the ball back on downs and seal the 27-19 win.

The 2014 Chargers beat Blanchard 36-7 and went on to win the 3A title. In 2015, Heritage Hall won the playoff opener 49-7 over the Lions before cruising to another State Championship. With a third straight playoff opening win against Blanchard in the books, the 2016 Chargers are hoping the trends continue.