Redskins sink Pirates and advance

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  • Redskins sink Pirates and advance
    Redskins sink Pirates and advance
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Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, typically features stories of apocalyptic conditions from the local shopping centers, as hordes of desperate shoppers fight for the best deals for the Christmas season. For the past couple of years, it has also featured the Kingston Redskins fighting to advance in the 2A playoffs, as they once again found themselves in the state quarterfinals. In their rematch-laden 2019 playoff run, the Redskins once again drew a familiar opponent, the undefeated defending state champion Sperry Pirates.

Kingston had played Sperry in a home-and-home series the last couple of years to close out non-district play and had lost both. The 2019 meeting had resulted in a 37-15 Pirates victory. Sperry had rolled through its schedule, averaging over 50 points per game, and had won 17 straight including the 2018 state title. The final Associated Press poll for the regular season ranked Sperry #2, while Kingston shared #10 in a tie with Chisholm. With all this against them, plus playing in adverse weather conditions, a steady drizzle that left the playing surface soft and slick, the underdog Kingston Redskins pulled off the upset and sank the Sperry Pirates 14-7 to advance to the 2A semifinals.

The game started off poorly for the Redskins. Kingston gained 16 yards and a first down on 6 plays and punted on its first drive, and the state champion Pirates went to work. Led by senior quarterback Cooper Park, the Pirates ran and threw successfully, and Park was able to hit senior receiver Kohlby Foster down the left sideline for a 40-yard completion to the Kingston 14. Three plays later, Park swept right on a quarterback keeper to score from five yards out, and Sperry had the early lead, 7-0.

After that early burst, the defenses clamped down. After both teams traded punts, Kingston’s third drive showed definite promise. Junior quarterback Jase Hayes broke tackles as he avoided sacks, and hit senior running back Tanner Showalter , who took the reception 34 yards to the Sperry 20. Short gains three plays later led to a fourth and seven, and junior tight end Matthew Hawkins could only pick up 5 of the 7 yards he needed, and Kingston turned it over on downs.

Sperry looked ready to capitalize, as the Pirates’ first play of the ensuing drive saw senior running back Bryce Carter run through a big hole for a 42-yard gain to the Kingston 46. However, the Redskins’ defense stiffened, and on fourth and two from the Kingston 31, junior linebacker Bryant Watts penetrated into the backfield and redirected Parks’ run on a quarterback keeper, where he was tackled for a loss by Hawkins to turn the ball back over on downs.

Both teams went backwards on their next drives, with penalties on both teams crippling drives. Kingston wound up punting from its own 9 after Hayes was unable to elude

sophomore defensive back Carson Hendrix on a blitz, while Sperry saw Park throw a 33-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Stormy Weathers, only to see it called back by a holding penalty. The teams traded punts, and then Kingston took over with 3:10 left in the half.

It was at that point that Kingston head coach Tommy Bare made a key decision that changed the direction of the game. Hayes had been inconsistent in the wet and muddy conditions, and had issues avoiding the Sperry pass rush, so Bare inserted freshman quarterback Karson Daniel into the lineup. Showing a little more elusiveness and accuracy while throwing on the run, Daniel gave the Redskins a spark. Kingston marched down the field 56 yards in 11 plays, only running out of time on the drive as the Redskins had junior A.J. McKinney complete a halfback pass to Daniel at the Sperry 24 as time expired, and the teams went into halftime with Sperry still holding a 7-0 lead.

The Pirates picked up a first down on their first drive of the second half, but a third-down sack by junior defensive lineman Jesse Rose forced Sperry to punt, pinning the Redskins at their own 7. With the freshman Daniel still at quarterback, the Redskins went to work. Pounding the ball against a Sperry defense that started to show cracks, 11 runs moved the ball to the Sperry 24, where the Redskins faced fourth and nine at the Sperry

24. Daniel’s pass intended for sophomore receiver Braden Matchen fell incomplete, but Sperry extended the drive with a roughing the passer penalty. An unsportsmanline conduct penalty after the play moved the ball to the Sperry 6, and sophomore running back Brandon Watson took a pitch and bulled into the end zone to tie the game up at 7 late in the third quarter.

Both defenses stiffened again, and the teams traded punts to wind up the third quarter. Sperry punted again on early in the 4th quarter, and the Redskins were pinned again on their own 13 yard line. Kingston fought its way out to the Redskins’ 39, but faced 3rd and 16 there. Rolling to his right, Daniel hit a wide-open Hawkins, who outran the tired Pirates secondary and took the ball 61 yards to the house to give the Redskins their first lead, 7-0, with 7:59 left in the game.

Trailing for the first time in their entire season, the Pirates fought hard to stay alive. Starting at their own 32, the Pirates drove the ball all the way to the Kingston 20. There, Kingston’s McKinney tackled Sperry’s senior running back Joe Whiteley for a loss on third down, and then Kingston senior Tyler Blanchard kept Whiteley from catching a pass on fourth down, and the Pirates turned the ball over on downs with 4:51 to go.

Kingston took over and started pounding again, trying to chew up the clock, but the Redskins’ drive stalled with 1:52 left and Kingston was forced to punt. Kingston recovered the punt at the Sperry 23, after it plainly struck Sperry senior Cole Kuykendall before being touched by a Redskin, but the officials ruled that Kuykendall had not touched the ball and awarded possession to Sperry. However, that disappointment would be short-lived, as Park’s first pass was deflected at the line by Kingston junior Jakey Williams, and junior defensive back Connor Short intercepted the fluttering pass to end Sperry’s run. The Redskins came out with the victory formation, and time expired as the Redskins won 14-7.

Daniel led all passers, completing 8 of his 10 attempts for 132 yards and a touchdown. Showalter led all rushers with 92 yards on 9 attempts, and Hawkins led all receivers with 66 yards on 2 catches and a touchdown. Watts led all tacklers with 11 stops, 3 of them for losses, while Rose chipped in the Redskins’ only sack.

Interviewed after the game, Daniel admitted he was “kinda nervous” when he was inserted into the lineup, but gave credit for his good performance to Hayes’ leadership, his linemen and receivers and the ball boys who kept the footballs as dry as possible in the muddy conditions. Coach Bare was Areally proud of how the team stayed the course and followed the game plan [while they] executed in all three phases of the game [with] no turnovers in rough conditions.” Bare called it a Agreat victory over great team,” and was glad that his team got to Asettle the score” with the only team that had beaten his Redskins all season. He is Alooking forward to a great week of preparation for the Vian Wolverines” in the state semifinals.

Kingston (12-1) moves on to the state semifinals, to face Vian (12-1), who dispatched Adair on the road 45-0 Friday night. According to the Oklahoma High School Sports Historical Society, Kingston has not been in the state semifinals since 1988, when the Redskins lost to Wynnewood, which was on its way to a state title. The come-from-behind victory over Sperry marks the final game of the season at Harold ABulldog” Henry stadium, as the state semifinals are played at a neutral site. Kingston and Vian kickoff at 7:00 P.M. Friday night at Edmond North High School, as both teams fight for a trip to the 2A state championship game.

Extra Points

Amazingly, for a game played under very wet and sloppy conditions, there was only one turnover - Short’s interception - the entire game. Otherwise, neither team turned the ball over at all. This definitely speaks to the quality of the teams involved, and both coaches are to be commended for their squad’s performance in such adverse weather conditions.

During the 2019 season, Sperry had not trailed until the final 7:59 of this game. Their closest game this season was a 33-15 defeat of district rival Beggs; their 37-15 defeat of Kingston in week 3 was their next closest victory. Those 15-point scores were the most any opponent put up against Sperry all season, and the 33 points against Beggs was their lowest output coming into Friday night. That’s an amazing accomplishment, and undoubtedly makes the sudden ending of their bid to repeat as state champs even more disappointing.

Upcoming opponent Vian is no bargain, having ended the regular season ranked #4 by the Associated Press. The Wolverines have had an outstanding season, with their only loss being a non-district loss to undefeated 3A school Lincoln Christian, which will face Plainview this weekend for the 3A state title. Vian has a powerful offense, averaging 42.31 points per game on the season, which has increased to 49.33 points per game in the playoffs; this contrasts with Kingston’s 37.54 points per game on the season, and 26 points per game in the playoffs

Kingston brings a much tougher defense to the table, however. Kingston has averaged 9.15 points per game surrendered over the season, which is down to 6.33 per game for the playoffs. Vian is slightly more generous, averaging 11.31 points per game given up on the season, which has increased to 11.67 in the playoffs.

The Redskins will need their defense to be up to the challenge. Vian has a long history of deep runs in the state playoffs, with multiple trips to the state quarterfinals since 2000, including the last three seasons, as well as trips to the state semifinals in 2006, 2012 and 2013, and a loss in the state championship game in 2006 to perennial power Millwood. The Redskins have only made two prior trips this deep in the playoffs, in 1988 when they lost to eventual champion Wynnewood, and the 1980 team that won the Class B state title.

All that being said, 64 teams started the season playing 2A football, and only 4 teams remain. On the other side of the bracket, Beggs (11-2) faces Metro Christian (13-0) in Broken Arrow Friday night for their own trip to the state title game. Regardless of the final outcome, the Redskins have put together a tremendous season under Coach Bare in his second year, and he and his staff deserve a ton of credit for their success.