The Edmond North Huskies held off a second-half charge by a pesky Norman High team and kept their undefeated record intact, winning by a score of 42-28.
The Huskies were without running back Qua'Don Henderson who was out with the flu, but Edmond North still racked up 193 yards on the ground. Joe Aska and Jared Benway found the endzone five times collectively.
"Our offensive line is really coming together. We stayed low and opened up some holes. This was another good outing on the ground," Edmond North head coach Jeremy Dombek said.
The Huskies wasted no time using a 70-yard Rickey Lawyer opening kick return that three plays later set up Benway's first touchdown with just over a minute of time run off the clock. Kicker Austin Brasher was perfect on extra points and his first made it 7-0.
The Husky defense was stifling in the first half, forcing three-and-outs that allowed the offense to take over. Benway and Aska pounded away on the ground, and Aska capped a 52-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge into the endzone that put Edmond North up 14-0 with 7:45 in the second quarter.
After the defense forced another three-and-out, it was quarterback Travis Townsend's turn to lead the Huskies to a score. After their drive looked to be in danger of stalling at the NHS 16, Townsend found receiver Paul Barnes in the back of the endzone and Barnes would make a diving catch to push the score to 21-0.
Edmond North had one more chance to score before the half on a rare play. After fair-catching the Tiger punt at the NHS 43, Brasher had a 60-yard field goal try that just fell short.
In the second half, Edmond North's defense gave up some big plays that allowed the Tigers to pile up 28 points, 22 coming in the fourth quarter.
Big plays highlighted the second half for NHS. Running back Donovan Roberts had runs of 40 and 52 yards in the third quarter, each setting up scores for the Tigers. The first run set up a Chad Anderson to Roger Kelley slant pass for a score, but a blocked extra point meant the Huskies still had a commanding 21-6 lead with 7:50 remaining in the third.
Edmond North would have two more drives in the third, the first resulted in a missed field goal but the second drive started when the Husky special teams blocked a Tiger punt that gave the offense a first down at the NHS 11 yard line. Three plays later, Benway had his second TD and the third quarter ended with the Huskies still dominating 28-6.
NHS wasn't finished, though. Jaime Myers slipped a Husky defender and took the ball the rest of the way for a 27-yard score at the 11:15 mark. A reverse on the 2-point try fooled defenders and the Tigers were within two scores. On the very next play, NHS recovered an Edmond North fumble, and again Myers would make the Huskies pay. This time he shook off a defender after catching a pass out of the backfield, running for a 34-yard score. The extra point made it 28-21.
Edmond North's offense would answer with a commanding drive. Aska ran over the Tiger defense and capped the drive with a 14-yard sprint that made it 35-21.
The Huskies finally gained some breathing room when linebacker Dakota Lambeth recovered an NHS fumble with 6:48 left in the game. The offense would capitalize with Barnes making another circus grab on a jump ball for a 19-yard gain that gave the Huskies the ball at the NHS 1. Aska would give the Huskies their final score of the night at the 5:20 mark.
The Tigers found the end zone one more time on a 24-yard reception by Gavin Edington that made the score 42-28. But with only 2:22 left on the clock ,the Tigers were forced to try an onside kick that the Huskies recovered.
Local Sports
October 3, 2009
Tigers fall short
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Shambaugh proves he is one to watch
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T-Wolves take third at invitational
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- SaberCats come out in force Julian Wilson was the first Southmoore player to commit last summer. And he was pleased at everything that has happened since then.
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Cats tame Tigers
MOORE — Coach Wes Clark didn’t want the game to turn into a track meet. He believed Norman High had a shot to knock off Southmoore if he could slow the game down to a crawl.
The strategy worked … for a quarter. But after Southmoore’s athletes were unleashed, they cruised past the Tigers 59-36 Tuesday. -
Bombers too much for North girls
MIDWEST CITY — Do the Norman North girls belong near the top of the Class 6A rankings?
Tuesday night, at least until the last six minutes, the Timberwolves certainly made their case.
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NHS battles, but North rules mat
Norman North, as expected, claimed Tuesday night’s mat edition of the Crosstown Clash.
Yet, getting past the Tigers by the slim margin of 42-31, it might have been Norman High coach Bo Maynes who exited the NHS Gym with the bigger bounce in his step. - More Local Sports Headlines
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