JimBob
12-06-2008, 06:02 AM
Union wins 6A title
By BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
12/6/2008
Last Modified: 12/6/2008 3:27 AM
STILLWATER — Just a few minutes after experiencing a loss to Jenks in last year's Class 6A state championship game, Union tailback Jeremy Smith vowed that his team would return and not fall short again.
On Friday night, Smith and the rest of the Redskins fulfilled his promise. Smith rushed for 242 yards with three touchdowns and Chase Boyce fired two second-half scoring passes to lead top-ranked Union past No. 2 Jenks 34-20 in the 6A state final before a crowd of 14,000 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
"I told you," Smith said about his promise a few moments after winning the gold ball before adding, "I'm speechless. We got it done."
Union (13-1) captured its fourth state title in the past seven seasons and fifth overall, but it was the first for Kirk Fridrich in his second season as the Redskins' head coach. Jenks (12-2), which was looking for a three-peat, lost for only the second time in 11 championship game appearances since 1996.
Fridrich, holding the gold ball aloft, said to his players: "There's nothing better, men, than having a Diet Coke in this hand and the gold ball in the other."
The teams have met in the playoffs seven times over the last 11 years, but it was only the second time that one team has swept the other both games during a season. Union edged Jenks 24-17 in overtime in Week 2. The other time was Jenks winning twice in 2000.
Jenks did not go down easily as it rallied from a 20-3 deficit to tie the game with 17 consecutive points, capped by Tramaine Thompson's 42-yard TD punt return with 4:18 left in the third quarter.
However, just over two minutes later, Boyce connected with a wide-open Thomas Roberson on a 40-yard TD bomb to give the Redskins a 27-20 lead.
"I did not want to drop it," said Roberson, who had three catches for 106 yards. "I wanted to redeem myself."
Roberson was referring to falling down as he broke open for a potential TD bomb that fell incomplete just before Thompson's tying punt return.
Boyce said the Redskins' sideline remained calm after seeing a 17-point lead slip away.
"We knew we had to score," said Boyce, who completed 8-of-16 passes for 190 yards. "None of us panicked. We had been there before. We knew we were going to score."
Boyce's second TD pass was 44 yards to Anthony Foster with 10:47 remaining. Foster later intercepted a pass to help seal the Redskins' win.
Jenks quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen completed 13-of-26 passes for 213 yards, but his one interception was costly as Randy Stanley picked him off in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 6 just after Foster's TD. The game ended with Jenks at the Union 4.
"As good a football team and as many great athletes as Union has, you've got to seize those opportunities and we just weren't able to do it," Jenks coach Allan Trimble said. "But give credit to Union, they made some great plays down the stretch. I'm proud of my boys."
Thompson, usually a wideout, had seven carries for 137 yards taking direct snaps from the spread formation.
But it was Smith, an Oklahoma State commit, who was the game's leading rusher on 28 carries. He had 190 yards on 16 carries in the first half.
"It makes it very special (winning the gold ball at OSU)," said Smith, who left the game briefly in the fourth quarter when his left shoulder popped out of place temporarily. "I have a great line and all I had to do was follow my blocks and I was good to go."
The 2008 playoff trend of big Union first quarters and Jenks slow starts continued as the Redskins led 13-0 when the opening period ended. Jenks hurt itself with six penalties for 45 yards during the period. In the first quarters of four playoff games, Union outscored its 69-7 in the first quarter while Jenks was outscored 37-14.
It was similar to the Week 2 meeting between the teams when Union led 14-0 at the end of the first period.
On Friday's first possession, the Redskins needed only 2:04 to open the scoring with Smith's 44-yard run that capped a seven-play, 72-yard drive.
Smith scored again on a 32-yard run with 1:29 left in the quarter. Jenks, however, countered with Thompson's 51-yard run on the first play after the ensuing kickoff. That set up Cody Mumma's 25-yard field goal that opened the second quarter.
With 8:07 left in the half, Smith reached the Trojans' end zone on a 15-yard run that increased the Redskins' lead to 20-3.
But the Trojans countered again with Thompson on their next offensive play and he sped 74 yards to the Union 7. Colton Dost carried off left tackle and powered into the end zone on the next play, just 24 seconds after Smith's third TD.
Jenks ended the half with a 14-play, 73-yard march. Kollmorgen ignited the drive with a 35-yard pass to Jarrett Lake, who made a leaping catch at the Trojans 46. Later on fourth-and-5, Kollmorgen connected with Dost on a 25-yard pass to the 12.
On second down, Kollmorgen passed to Thompson, who was inside the 5 when he had the ball stripped, but teammate Trent Martin recovered at the 9.
That enabled the Trojans to salvage from the drive a 26-yard field goal by Mumma with 18 seconds left before intermission.
Jenks opened the second half with a 12-play drive that chewed up half the third quarter. The Trojans, however, stalled at the 3 as Jacob Rice broke up a fourth-down pass to Thompson in the end zone.
Union couldn't stop Thompson on his punt return less than two minutes later. The Redskins, however, would not be denied their first gold ball since 2005.
"These kids understand what it takes to stay in a ballgame," Fridrich said. "I think you saw that tonight. Their spirit did not break."
By BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
12/6/2008
Last Modified: 12/6/2008 3:27 AM
STILLWATER — Just a few minutes after experiencing a loss to Jenks in last year's Class 6A state championship game, Union tailback Jeremy Smith vowed that his team would return and not fall short again.
On Friday night, Smith and the rest of the Redskins fulfilled his promise. Smith rushed for 242 yards with three touchdowns and Chase Boyce fired two second-half scoring passes to lead top-ranked Union past No. 2 Jenks 34-20 in the 6A state final before a crowd of 14,000 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
"I told you," Smith said about his promise a few moments after winning the gold ball before adding, "I'm speechless. We got it done."
Union (13-1) captured its fourth state title in the past seven seasons and fifth overall, but it was the first for Kirk Fridrich in his second season as the Redskins' head coach. Jenks (12-2), which was looking for a three-peat, lost for only the second time in 11 championship game appearances since 1996.
Fridrich, holding the gold ball aloft, said to his players: "There's nothing better, men, than having a Diet Coke in this hand and the gold ball in the other."
The teams have met in the playoffs seven times over the last 11 years, but it was only the second time that one team has swept the other both games during a season. Union edged Jenks 24-17 in overtime in Week 2. The other time was Jenks winning twice in 2000.
Jenks did not go down easily as it rallied from a 20-3 deficit to tie the game with 17 consecutive points, capped by Tramaine Thompson's 42-yard TD punt return with 4:18 left in the third quarter.
However, just over two minutes later, Boyce connected with a wide-open Thomas Roberson on a 40-yard TD bomb to give the Redskins a 27-20 lead.
"I did not want to drop it," said Roberson, who had three catches for 106 yards. "I wanted to redeem myself."
Roberson was referring to falling down as he broke open for a potential TD bomb that fell incomplete just before Thompson's tying punt return.
Boyce said the Redskins' sideline remained calm after seeing a 17-point lead slip away.
"We knew we had to score," said Boyce, who completed 8-of-16 passes for 190 yards. "None of us panicked. We had been there before. We knew we were going to score."
Boyce's second TD pass was 44 yards to Anthony Foster with 10:47 remaining. Foster later intercepted a pass to help seal the Redskins' win.
Jenks quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen completed 13-of-26 passes for 213 yards, but his one interception was costly as Randy Stanley picked him off in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 6 just after Foster's TD. The game ended with Jenks at the Union 4.
"As good a football team and as many great athletes as Union has, you've got to seize those opportunities and we just weren't able to do it," Jenks coach Allan Trimble said. "But give credit to Union, they made some great plays down the stretch. I'm proud of my boys."
Thompson, usually a wideout, had seven carries for 137 yards taking direct snaps from the spread formation.
But it was Smith, an Oklahoma State commit, who was the game's leading rusher on 28 carries. He had 190 yards on 16 carries in the first half.
"It makes it very special (winning the gold ball at OSU)," said Smith, who left the game briefly in the fourth quarter when his left shoulder popped out of place temporarily. "I have a great line and all I had to do was follow my blocks and I was good to go."
The 2008 playoff trend of big Union first quarters and Jenks slow starts continued as the Redskins led 13-0 when the opening period ended. Jenks hurt itself with six penalties for 45 yards during the period. In the first quarters of four playoff games, Union outscored its 69-7 in the first quarter while Jenks was outscored 37-14.
It was similar to the Week 2 meeting between the teams when Union led 14-0 at the end of the first period.
On Friday's first possession, the Redskins needed only 2:04 to open the scoring with Smith's 44-yard run that capped a seven-play, 72-yard drive.
Smith scored again on a 32-yard run with 1:29 left in the quarter. Jenks, however, countered with Thompson's 51-yard run on the first play after the ensuing kickoff. That set up Cody Mumma's 25-yard field goal that opened the second quarter.
With 8:07 left in the half, Smith reached the Trojans' end zone on a 15-yard run that increased the Redskins' lead to 20-3.
But the Trojans countered again with Thompson on their next offensive play and he sped 74 yards to the Union 7. Colton Dost carried off left tackle and powered into the end zone on the next play, just 24 seconds after Smith's third TD.
Jenks ended the half with a 14-play, 73-yard march. Kollmorgen ignited the drive with a 35-yard pass to Jarrett Lake, who made a leaping catch at the Trojans 46. Later on fourth-and-5, Kollmorgen connected with Dost on a 25-yard pass to the 12.
On second down, Kollmorgen passed to Thompson, who was inside the 5 when he had the ball stripped, but teammate Trent Martin recovered at the 9.
That enabled the Trojans to salvage from the drive a 26-yard field goal by Mumma with 18 seconds left before intermission.
Jenks opened the second half with a 12-play drive that chewed up half the third quarter. The Trojans, however, stalled at the 3 as Jacob Rice broke up a fourth-down pass to Thompson in the end zone.
Union couldn't stop Thompson on his punt return less than two minutes later. The Redskins, however, would not be denied their first gold ball since 2005.
"These kids understand what it takes to stay in a ballgame," Fridrich said. "I think you saw that tonight. Their spirit did not break."