By Jeff Johncox
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It was a game of ifs and maybes for Norman High Thursday night.
If only the rain had kept up, maybe Del City would have shot itself in the foot a little more often in the second half.
If only Jaime Myers had held onto a wide open catch, or been able to grab that interception that would have gone for an easy six points, maybe the Tigers wouldn't have blown a 7-0 lead.
If the Tigers had decided, after Roger Kelley intercepted Eagles quarterback Chazten Gonzales at midfield with 1:49 left in the first half, to go with the momentum, put the ball in the air and try for a score instead of running the clock out, Del City wouldn't have felt it was in the game in the second half.
But those ifs and maybes still didn't decide things at Harve Collins Field. The Eagles' ability to completely control the game after the break led to their 19-7 victory over the Tigers.
Del City dominated in the second half, putting together two long scoring drives and outgaining NHS 197-51 in total offense. The Eagles ran 40 second-half plays. The Tigers ran 18.
That's how the Eagles scored 19 unanswered points, and how they came from behind to win for the second straight week.
For the Tigers, it was the second straight second-half collapse. NHS trailed 9-3 at the half last week, and ended up falling 30-9 to Crosstown rival Norman North.
A 35-minute delay, thanks to a couple of lightning strikes, kept the two teams in their locker rooms.
When they finally got out on the field, it was obvious Del City was having trouble with the heavy rain. The Eagles fumbled twice early, and Gonzales threw his first pick to Rashad Parker.
NHS' drive ended with a missed field goal, though.
For a while, it looked like Tiger quarterback Chad Anderson was going to have a big game. He finished 5-for-11 for 76 yards and a touchdown.
The score was a 38-yard toss to Seth Zimmer with 2:57 left in the first half that put NHS up 7-0.
Zimmer went out of the backfield on a flag route and managed to make a nice over-the shoulder catch about six yards downfield, then take it the rest of the way.
On Del City's ensuing possession, Gonzales threw his second pick (the Eagles' fourth turnover of the first half), but NHS ran the ball and let the clock run out, taking the lead into the locker room.
When the two teams came out again, the rain had stopped and Gonzales and the Eagles took over.
Gonzales finished 16-for-24 for 178 yards, a touchdown and two interception, and Del City put together 330 yards of total offense.
Things get a bit easier for the Tigers next week when they travel to Moore. After that comes the other team NHS beat in 2008, when Putnam City West visits the Harve for homecoming.
Jeff Johncox366-3535jjohncox@normantranscript.com
