SMQ: Heritage vs. Pawhuska…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
One play decided the fate of this game. Heritage coach Andy Bogert knew it, I knew it, it was clear. When that touchdown pass to Barry Sanders was called back, the life was sucked out of the Chargers.
And Pawhuska was rejuvenated. Sparked by a defense that would not be worn down, the Huskies pulled off a minor upset in a 34-20 victory in a 2A quarterfinal Friday.
I say ‘minor’ because it’s the quarterfinals. Obviously, you belonged here if you made it that far, especially with two playoff wins on the road.
Pawhuska 34, Heritage 20 – Final
From the first series on, Bogert knew it was going to be a long night. On the third snap, it went over Sterling Shepard’s head for a big loss, and then the ensuing punt was blocked at the 1-yard line.
A recurring theme on this night as Pawhuska’s scoring drives went 1, 26, 25, 3 and 15 yards, and it wasn’t until late in the game when Pawhuska got over 100 total yards.
At first, I was saying how Heritage was making mistakes. But a couple of those hits on Shepard and the bone-crunching hit on Brent Gaddis would have made anyone drop the ball. So give tons of credit and kudos to the Pawhuska defense that bent and bent a lot but never broke.
You want the most unassuming three-touchdown night I’ve seen? That goes to Pawhuska’s Justin Garrison. I only had him for 36 total rushing yards, but he found a way to get the tough yards at the goal line. And he definitely found a way to make ‘em count in the fourth quarter when it was 20-20. Garrison scored both TDs in the fourth.
A disappointing end for Heritage, and the dream run of Pawhuska continues. Up next is a rematch with Lincoln Christian (who edged out Davis 24-21). LC whipped the Huskies before. I would not expect that to happen again.
Boneman’s Breakdown
- Without seeing the film, the pass interference call on Sanders was questionable at best. From my vantage point, it looked like Sanders had beaten his man that the Pawhuska defender grabbed Sanders’ arm, and Sanders shoved his arm away to bust free. If the play stood, Heritage would have been up 26 (or 27)-20 early in the fourth. But P.I. calls had me scratchin’ my head all night long. On both sides. Strange game with no real flow.
- Sometimes I wonder if Heritage just tried too hard throughout this season to not just rely on Sanders. He was impressive as usual. But the Chargers would go 3-5 plays straight without him touching the ball, and it didn’t compute in my book.
- Major kudos to the Pawhuska defense. Heritage seemed like it was going to wear that group down, but when it mattered most, the Huskies rose to the occasion. Five fumbles, an interception and a blocked punt. Not bad, not bad at all. Talking with senior Dax Perrier after the game, it’s all about seniors not wanting to play their final game yet.
- This is a learning experience for the Heritage sophomore group. Sterling Shepard lost three fumbles, Sanders one and Gaddis the other. Not saying they weren’t ready, but you can’t duplicate being a senior in what could possibly be your final game.
- Speaking of the seniors, the seniors played 56 games in their career. Bogert was astonished when he realized that. Two quarterfinal appearance, one state final appearance and of course, last year’s championship.
- For Heritage, after an 0-3 start, the Chargers found their footing. However, they just didn’t play consistent enough, and it caught up to them. They’ll definitely be back.
- And one more time, the Boneman Curse strikes. Tellin’ ya, it’s for real.
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who or what is boardman?