Huskies rout Oklahoma Union, 52-6, in playoff opener
The Pawhuska Huskies returned to their winning ways Friday, building a 44-0 lead by halftime and coasting to a 52-6 win over Oklahoma Union in the first round of the Class A playoffs. Pawhuska, now 10-1, is scheduled to travel to Stroud on Friday for round two.
Pawhuska quarterback Bryce Drummond opened the scoring with a keeper for a touchdown with 9:44 to go in the first quarter, the two-point attempt was good and the Huskies led 8-0. With 7:05 left in the first quarter, Kevin Davis caught a touchdown pass from Drummond, the Huskies made the two-point attempt and the score was 16-0. Then, with 54.1 seconds left in the first quarter, Evan Frye caught a long touchdown toss from Drummond that excited the home crowd, and the Huskies extended their advantage to 24-0.
Oklahoma Union showed flashes of potential to break loose, but Pawhuska’s defense held the Cougars off the scoreboard until almost the very end. With about four minutes left in the game, and the Huskies leading 52-0, Oklahoma Union finally scored.
Hagen McGuire led the Huskies on defense, making or helping to make 21 tackles. Other Huskies who made double figures in tackles included Hunter Reed with 16, Jack Reed with 16, Jack Long with 12, Kevin Davis with 12 and Lesharo Wildcat with 11. Long made three of the team’s six tackles for loss. McGuire, Long and Davis had what the coaches considered “big hits” and J.T. Waddle had an interception.
On the offensive side, Drummond led the way with 119 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground. He lifted his season rushing totals to 824 yards, 23 touchdowns and four two-point conversions. Through the air, Drummond accounted for 277 yards and two touchdowns Friday, lifting his season totals to 2,927 yards and 32 touchdowns. That gives him a hand in 55 touchdowns for the season, against nine interceptions and two fumbles.
Other offensive leaders for the 2019 Huskies include senior receiver Cade McNeil, who has 50 catches for 810 yards, eight touchdowns and a two-point conversion. Senior standout Easton Kirk, who was sidelined with an injury Friday, has caught 33 passes for 519 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also rushed for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Mason Gilkey has turned in 556 yards and seven touchdowns on 20 catches. Other Huskies in double figures when it comes to receptions are J.T. Waddle with 27, Evan Frye with 17, Dalton Hurd with 16 and Kevin Davis with 12. Davis, a sophomore, is a versatile player who catches the ball well, runs with power and brings the same energy to his defensive play. Hurd, also a sophomore, shows strong ball sense on both offense and defense and sometimes makes unexpected catches.
The Huskies will be on the road Friday against an 11-0 Stroud team that defeated a 4-6 Warner team by a count of 48-7 in the first round. Pawnee, which handed Pawhuska its only loss, beat Colcord in the first round by a score of 54-0 and is scheduled to have a home game against Wayne in the second round. Elsewhere in Osage County, Barnsdall won its first-round road game against Commerce, 33-7, and Hominy fell, 42-19, at Rejoice Christian. The Hominy Bucks finished the year 7-4.