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By: Chris Evans
The Shawnee Wolves perhaps had their best offensive night of the season against the top-ranked Guthrie Bluejays in their 2007 season. The Wolves managed 430 yards of offense and scored 31 points on a Bluejay defense that allowed just 38 points in the first 11 games of the year and allowed an average of three points a game.
However, Guthrie (12-0) would not be stopped offensively, themselves, by piling up 419 yards of offense and 61 points in their 61-34 quarterfinal win. Guthrie now moves on and plays Tulsa East Central in the state semi finals. The Bluejays and Cardinals last played in 2002.
Shawnee (8-4) entered the contest with a six game winning streak and were 7-1 with fifth year quarterback Tucker Brown. Guthrie had won the previous two games without the services of Brown prior to Saturday’s game.
Brown, who in week nine left the game with a hamstring injury, was clearly not 100% healthy, but was a man among boys with his 17 of 36 passing for 323 yards, two passing scores, two rushing scores, two interceptions, and two sacks. Brown was not helped with five dropped passes.
"If Tucker had been able to run, Guthrie would have never stopped us," head coach and father Billy Brown told the Shawnee News Star. "We might never have stopped them either, but if Tucker could have run, we would have kept their defense out on the field."
Tucker Brown on his first pass of the night found all around athlete Brett Davis, on a one handed catch, for a 45-yard touchdown score to go up 6-0. Davis finished the night with eight catches for 131 yards. It marked for the second time of the season that Guthrie trailed in a game.
On the ensuing kick-off junior Clayton Smith took off for a 90-yard return and with a J Hensley point after Guthrie would get the lead back five seconds later.
Smith, who also had two rushing touchdowns of 11 and 5 yards, finished the night with 67 yards rushing on 16 attempts and had three catches for 36 yards to go along with his three scores.
With a 14-6 first quarter lead, Shawnee would pull within two points asTucker Brown sneaked in on a 1-yard score. The Wolves two point conversion failed.
The ‘Jays would then go on their longest drive of the season by going on a 13 play drive covering 74 yards and took 5:41 off the clock before Smith’s 5-yard score. The drive was continued thanks, in part, to two Shawnee penalties. The first penalty came on a face mask and the second on a roughing the kicker penalty. So, instead of a 26-yard field goal by Hensley it allowed for a 5-yard Smith touchdown to go up 21-12.
Shawnee’s next drive would result in Tucker Brown’s second interception of the night. Senior Michael Harmon pressured Brown and forced Brown to throw. On the other end of the play was fellow senior linebacker Jack Dumas.
Dumas would then take the interception to the South end zone for a 42-yard return and the ‘Jays had a 27-12 cushion, but only for 2:24 as Shawnee would score just before the half.
Shawnee’s 90 yard drive on eight plays was highlighted by Brown finding tight end John Lenox on a 19-yard catch and pass. The combination, again, came through on the two point conversion to make it a 27-20 halftime game.
In the first half, Shawnee compiled 247 yards of offense with 206 of those in the air. Tajhler Phillips led the way with four catches and 106 yards. Meanwhile, Guthrie was more balanced with 110 passing and 86 rushing yards.
Guthrie quarterback and running back Kye Staley had 9 carries for 65 yards while junior quarterback Keaton Callins added 110 yards on seven of 13 passing.
In the second half, Guthrie would out score Shawnee 34-14 with Guthrie coaches making a few half time adjustments.
Guthrie scored on their first drive, of the second half, on an 85 yard drive capped off by a Staley 6-yard run. Shawnee would respond with a score of their own to pull within a touchdown 34-27.
However, Guthrie would respond 18 seconds later to with a 98-yard kickoff return from Staley to give the ‘Jays a 41-27 advantage. In the last three weeks, Guthrie has had four kick offs returned for touchdowns and two punts to add to the talented special teams led by Coach Ric Meshew.
Later in the quarter, Shawnee was forced to bring their punt team onto the field for a fourth and nine play. Davis, the back-up quarterback and punter, took the snap and attempted to pick up the first down on a run play in front of the Guthrie bench, but ended up five yards shy and gave the ball to Guthrie on downs.
The Bluejays also were not able to move the ball and were force to bring their punt team onto the field with a fourth down and two play. However, Watkins, Meshew, and Hensley had other ideas.
The coaches gave Hensley the option of running the ball even without Hensley’s teammates knowing what was about to happen. The result would go for 19-yards, a first down, and a Bluejay touchdown.
Callins would benefit from the fake punt with a 1-yard run to give the ‘Jays a 47-27 lead.
Brown found the end zone, for the second time, on a 1-yard run to pull the Wolves within 13 points, 47-34.
Guthrie pulled away for good with two more scores on the night and both scores would come from Staley and one of those runs proved to be very magical in two different ways.
With Guthrie leading 54-34, Staley would take the snap and would go on an unbelievable run of 27-yards. Staley was breaking tackles and making numerous cuts up field to score. The touchdown score gave Staley his 100th touchdown, as a Guthrie Bluejay, in a career that will be much talked about in years and decades to come.
Staley finished the night with 157 yards rushing on 18 attempts, three touchdowns to go along with a kick off return.
Guthrie now shifts their attention to 12-0 Tulsa East Central and the state semi finals. The Cardinal’s have an arsenal offensive attack with quarterback Brooklyn Fox, running back Kenny Session, and wide receiver Sidney Hadnott.
Both Guthrie and East Central were in the semi finals a year ago and the Cardinals finished the 2006 season 12-1 by losing to eventual state champ Carl Albert.