Steve Smith/PrepsKC

By Shawn Garrison
Posted: October 25, 2012 - 11:27 PM

The last four weeks produced so much optimism for the William Chrisman football team.

After steadily improving through the season’s first five weeks, the Bears finally snapped a 17-game losing streak in week six against Belton. Then they closed the regular season with two consecutive victories over Truman and Oak Park.

But the positive vibes dissipated on Thursday night at Ted Chittwood Stadium in Raytown as Chrisman took a Class 5 District 7 defeat that felt painfully familiar.

Raytown downed the Bears 38-12 to end Chrisman’s season for the third consecutive year and drop coach John Crutcher’s record to 0-4 against the Blue Jays.

“Same place, same thing, same result,” said Crutcher, whose team fell to Raytown in the final game in districts in 2010, which kept the Bears from advancing to the playoffs, and again last season to close an 0-10 campaign.

Offensively, the Bears (3-7) stagnated in the first half, starting with five consecutive three-and-outs. They didn’t pick up a first down until the final two minutes of the second quarter when Kreig Jarnagin broke off a 16-yard run.

Meanwhile, Raytown (5-5) built a 14-0 lead as Nate Dixon streaked for a 51-yard scoring sprint and Josh Drake added a 2-yard plunge.

Dixon, who racked 270 yards on 25 carries and tallied three TDs, pushed the margin to 21-0 on the opening drive of the third quarter with a 20-yard dash.

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