OXFORD – Oxford dominated possession time against Candor, but failed on nearly every golden opportunity save its last. At that point, however, it was too late.

The Indians returned a blocked punt for a score, and had two short TD drives after Oxford turnovers to defeat the Blackhawks, 27-8, Friday night on homecoming weekend.

“It came down to, at least in the first half, that they made more plays than we did,” said Oxford coach Mike Chrystie.

Candor’s defense yielded ground right at the start. Travis Frank ran for a pair of first downs, and John Wonka connected with Jeremy Nelson on a 39-yard pass inside the Candor 10. Four running plays, though, left Oxford two yards short of the goal line.

Two plays later, Candor had the momentum squarely in its favor. Quarterback Gino Martone ran 15 yards for a first down, and fullback Cody Rose did the rest. Getting through the initial line of scrimmage untouched, Rose showed good speed for a 235-pounder racing down the left sideline for an 83-yard score. Along the way, Rose shrugged off a pair of tacklers to keep the run alive.

The Blackhawks gave themselves plenty of opportunities to turn the tide. Candor had the ball stripped or poked loose three times, and on each occasion, Oxford recorded fumble recoveries. Five dropped passes hampered the Oxford effort as well as less-than-expected execution in the running game at crucial times.