Chandler Lions OK 2026 Team Preview

Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!   It's the month of July and that means it's preview time! Throughout the month of July and even into August, we are publishing well over 100 of the most in-depth team previews that you'll find anywhere to get you completely ready for the 2026 football season. This is something that began for us at PRZ-Oklahoma in 2021 and it continues to get bigger and better every single year. We're looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state in every class. From defending champions, to the top contenders and plenty of dark horses and other teams to know, we'll have complete coverage every single day. There will be multiple previews dropping every single day! In this post, we take a look at the Chandler Lions!   RELATED   - Chandler Video Preview With HC Jack Gray   Chandler Lions   Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #9 In Class 2A-1   Head Coach: Jack Gray - 9th Season - 60-33 Record At Chandler   2025 RESULTS (7-4 Record - Lost In Class 2A-1 1st Round)   Sept. 5th - Beat Stroud 13-8 Sept. 12th - Lost To Lone Grove 42-13 Sept. 19th - Beat Clinton 32-7 Sept. 26th - Lost To Tahlequah Sequoyah 24-14 Oct. 3rd - Lost To Metro Christian 42-14 Oct. 10th - Beat Daniel Webster 52-6 Oct. 16th - Beat Westville 54-6 Oct. 23rd - Beat Central 28-0 Oct. 31st - Beat Sperry 39-12 Nov. 7th - Beat Dewey 38-7 1st Round - Lost To Kiefer 20-15   2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 28.2 Points Per Game 2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 15.8 Points Per Game   The Chandler Lions came into the 2025 season looking to build off their 2024 campaign that saw them make it to the quarterfinals in the first season of the Class 2A split. In 2025, the Lions expected to be a playoff team once again but they were also incredibly young and their overall numbers on the roster were not what they've typically been in the last decade. They certainly went through some growing pains in the first half of the regular season. They started out 2-3 but those two wins were impressive victories over Clinton and rival Stroud. After losing to Metro Christian in week five, the Lions completely turned things around and dominated the rest of the regular season. The closest game during the second half of the year was a 27-point win over Sperry in week nine. They won five straight, finishing the regular season with a 7-3 record. But the losses in the first two weeks of district play put the Lions on the road as a three-seed in the playoffs. They lost to Kiefer 20-15 and the season ended with a 7-4 record and a first round playoff exit. But as the page turns to the 2026 season, there is reason to be very optimistic about what the Lions have coming back and the potential that is there for them to make a run this fall. But there's also going to be a lot of “new” when they kick off the season this fall.    2026 OUTLOOK   Chandler comes into this season as a top ten team once again and they have become one of those teams that you just pencil in as a playoff team year after year. Seven starters are back on the offensive side of the ball and seven starters return on defense. The Lions will lean on that experience throughout the year because their overall numbers are down for the second straight year so they can't afford to lose any of their key pieces. Four of the five offensive linemen return from last year's team and their top overall weapon from last year at the running back position. That is a fantastic place to start when you're building out an offense. They'll be able to rely on that rushing attack while some of those new names come along. Defensively, the Lions bring back seven starters and similar to the offense, they will be strong on the line of scrimmage but Chandler's coaches are very excited about their overall team speed. That goes for both sides of the ball as they believe they have more athletes that can make some big plays in the blink of an eye. Now, the biggest change heading into this season is the fact that the Lions are headed west. They are in a new district which features teams on the west side of the state. That will present some new match-ups and new challenges but Chandler appears to be ready to take care of business.    KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION   Coniah Ritchie - Tight End/Linebacker Javarious Wade - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back   PLAYERS TO WATCH    Chandler coaches are incredibly excited about what they have back on the line of scrimmage. It all starts with the offensive line and as we mentioned earlier, the Lions bring back four of their five starters up front. One of those guys is 2027 offensive and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1838193' first='Boston' last='Christy']. He's one of the biggest guys on the line for the Lions and will help pave the way for the playmakers behind him. Chandler has a really strong cast of skill players but they won't be able to get the job done without Christy and this offensive line. Christy comes into this season as one of the more experienced returning starters and is hungry to help Chandler take that next step.     2027 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1831939' first='Darius' last='Wade'] comes into this season as one of the top overall players in Class 2A-1 football. Just look at what he was able to do with the Lions last season. There was no doubt that he was one of their best playmakers and they played him at several different positions. He started the year as a wide receiver but made his way to running back by the end of the season. He also had a game at quarterback while playing multiple positions on defense. Wade is a player that the Chandler coaches are excited about coming into this season. He has the potential to have a monster season and put up some big time numbers on offense.     2027 wide receiver and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='2253649' first='Jordan' last='Denson'] is a player that we're excited to see take the field for the Lions this fall. Chandler needed to boost up their numbers coming into this season and they recruited some baseball and basketball players to join the team for this season. Denson is a really strong athlete overall and has had a good career on the basketball court. Now, he's putting on the pads and he gives the Lions a dynamic playmaker at the wide receiver position. The Lions already know what they have with Wade going into this season. Adding another playmaker to this offense is going to put a lot of stress on Chandler's opponents.     We got to check out Chandler back in the spring and 2027 tight end and defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='1833990' first='Kale' last='Winters'] was one of the guys that immediately stood out to us. He's hard to miss, checking in at 6'6 and 230 pounds. While we were watching the Lions, Winters was mainly working on the offensive side of the ball. Needless to say, he's a massive target in the pass game but he's also an extension of the offensive line. But Winters might be the most valuable to the Lions on defense. He's an absolute nightmare coming off the edge and had a lot of success on defense. He's a hidden gem in the state's 2027 class and we're fired up to see more of him this fall.     2027 defensive standout [player_tooltip player_id='1169619' first='Roanon' last='Wolford'] is going to be a fun player to watch this season. Wolford comes to Chandler from Meeker, where he has been a standout defensive player since his freshman season. Wolford was one of the first defensive prospects that we covered in the state's 2027 class. He's been a tackling machine and gives the Lions more depth and playmaking ability on that side of the ball. Whether he's lined up on the line of scrimmage or back at linebacker, Wolford has a nose for the football and knows how to be in the right place at the right time. Combining Wolford with Winters makes this Chandler defensive front a devastating unit.    MORE NAMES TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='1831941' first='Brody' last='Waldman'] - 2028 Tight End/Defensive End Caynan Ritchie - 2030 Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1838192' first='Clayton' last='Ritchie'] - 2027 Quarterback/Defensive Back Josiah Tillis - 2029 Athlete Landon Massie - 2027 Offensive/Defensive Lineman Peyton Arms - 2029 Running Back/Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1838197' first='Tallan' last='Boggs'] - 2028 Offensive/Defensive Lineman Zaedyn Hankins - 2027 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back   2026 SCHEDULE   Aug. 27th - Clinton - The Lions will kick off the season against a 4A-ranked Clinton squad in week zero. These two teams have met in non-district play in each of the last two seasons. Clinton won the 2024 meeting but Chandler got the best of Clinton with a 25-point victory. The Red Tornadoes will come into this season with a first year head coach.  Sept. 11th - AT Prague - After a bye week in week one, Chandler hits the road and renews an old rivalry game with Prague in week two. These two teams used to meet every year, whether they were in the same district or not. They hadn't played since 2021 but the series picks up this year. The Lions have won four straight over the Red Devils.  Sept. 18th - Stroud - The Lions return home to host Stroud in another annual rivalry game to wrap up non-district play in week three. The Lions won a low-scoring affair last season, prevailing 13-8. That was their fifth win over the Tigers in the last six meetings. Stroud has become one of the top 2A-2 teams with back to back semifinal appearances. Sept. 25th - AT Dickson - A new district means new district match-ups and opponents altogether. The Lions go on the road to face Dickson in week four and this district opener will also serve as the first ever meeting between these two teams. Dickson is a program that has been battling to get back into a position where they can be a winning football team. Oct. 2nd - Little Axe - Chandler hosts Little Axe in week five and this will be the first meeting between these two teams in a decade. They squared off in 2014 and 2015 and split that series. Chandler won a shootout in 2014 while Little Axe got the best of the Lions in the rematch in 2025. The Indians will come into this season with a first year head coach.  Oct. 9th - AT Anadarko - The Lions will get back on the bus and head west to Anadarko to kick off the second half of the regular season. Chandler was dominant in the second half of the regular season a year ago and they'll look to repeat that here. Anadarko is also another new opponent for the Lions heading into this season. They never met prior to this year. Oct. 16th - Casady - On a Fall Break Thursday night in week seven, the Lions will host Casady as the Cyclones have moved up from 2A-2. And while the Cyclones haven't been official OSSAA members for very long, this isn't the first time these two met. But you have to go back all the way to 1951 to find the last meeting between these two teams.  Oct. 23rd - Lindsay - The Lions host Lindsay in week eight and this really kicks off a three-week stretch where Chandler will be battling for playoff positioning every single week. Lindsay is another new opponent on the schedule but this isn't their first meeting. Chandler beat Lindsay in the 2003 playoffs. A win here could set them up for playoff success in 2026. Oct. 30th - AT Crossings Christian - Chandler heads west on I-44 again to face Crossings Christian in week nine. Out of all the district opponents, Crossings Christian is the one that Chandler is the most familiar with. These two teams met every year from 2020-2023 and the Lions had plenty of success in that series. They went 3-1 against the Knights, including a 35-0 win in their last meeting. Nov. 6th - AT Washington - If Chandler wants to take that next step and become a true state championship contender, this is the game where you get to prove that you are that team. In week ten, they'll head west to face perennial powerhouse Washington. The Warriors are coming off six straight trips to the state championship game and show no signs of slowing down.    NOTABLE   The Lions have been a team of consistency and winning over the last decade. Chandler has made the playoffs every year since starting the streak in 2019. You can usually pencil them in for a couple things before each season. They're going to have a winning record and they are going to be a playoff team. But the Lions are hungry to take that next step and look like the Chandler teams from two decades ago that saw championship game appearances in 2005 and 2008 with a gold ball to show for it in 2005. In fact, the Lions haven't made it out of the quarterfinal round since that run to the 2008 championship game. They are one of a handful of teams this season that are looking to get over that hump. They've been knocking on the door for years now and they want to kick the whole thing down. There is no doubt that this Chandler team is athletic enough and experienced enough to go on a run but they'll need to go out and prove it.   LAST FIVE SEASONS   2025 - 7-4 - Lost In Class 2A-1 1st Round 2024 - 8-4 - Lost In Class 2A-1 Quarterfinals 2023 - 8-3 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round 2022 - 9-4 - Lost In Class 2A Quarterfinals  2021 - 8-4 - Lost In Class 2A 2nd Round   CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY   2 State Championships   2005 - Beat Davis 40-7 1984 - Beat Chelsea 30-13

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