PawneeSports
02-08-2006, 02:58 PM
Tuttle Times Article
Tigers win state championship
Written by: Milton Winkelman
http://www.tuttletimes.com/images/867.jpg
Zack Mincey rushed 35 times for 236 yards and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard dash to lead the No. 2 Tuttle Tigers to a dominating 35-14 beating of Cascia Hall to capture the Class 3A state championship Saturday night at Owen Field in Norman.
Both teams felt each other out in their first possessions, with both quarterbacks exchanging interceptions. Following a Brett Coffman interception, the Tigers took over for their second possession at the 26, where Mincey and Tyler Henson took over.
Henson started the drive with a seven-yard pass to Cooper Bassett, followed by a Mincey three-yard gain to give Tuttle their initial first down. They would continue to dismantle the Commando defense until Mincey finally scored from one yard out to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead, ending the 14-play, 74-yard drive in just over five minutes.
Cascia Hall followed with an eight-play drive of their own, but could not get past the Tiger 38. Kyle Ebert saved a touchdown on first down when running back Zack Enlow gained 42 yards right off the bat. That’s the best the Commandos could do, however, as Ebert, Kyle Shelton, Andrew Harrison, Kenny McMullen, and the rest of the Tiger defense toughened up and forced Cascia Hall to turn the ball over on downs seven plays later. Shelton and Harrison sacked Cascia Hall quarterback Andrew Curthoys and forced an incomplete pass on fourth down from the Tiger 29-yard line to end the threat.
The ensuing Tiger possession featured two dropped passes and a Mincey short gain to force a punt. Henson would wind up completing four of 10 for 55 yards, but the six incompletions could have easily been completions.
Cascia Hall started the second quarter in trouble. A sack by Jael Elliot forced the Commandos into a fourth and 26 situation, resulting in a punt and setting up Mincey’s heroics. After a short gain by Henson and an incomplete pass, the Tigers had third and eight from the 26. That’s when the 5 foot 5, 144-pound junior took over.
Henson pitched the ball to Mincey on an option, and he took off down the Cascia Hall sideline for a 74-yard touchdown run, while the Commando defense just tried and failed to stop him. With the score now 14-0 Tigers and seemingly the entire population of Tuttle exploding in the stands, the Tigers knew that destiny was in their hands.
With the Commandos on the run, the defense stepped up again, looking for that one knockout blow. They first stuffed running back Zack Enlow for a two-yard loss, then forced a bumble, recovering the ball on the Cascia Hall 33-yard line. Now was the time to put the Commandos away, and the Tigers did just that. The Tigers scored eight plays later on a Tyler Henson quarterback sneak. He then threw the two-point conversion to Cooper Bassett to make the score 22-0 Tigers, and the rout was on.
The defense continued their domination at the end of the half, forcing Cascia Hall to punt two more times, and sacking Curthoys for a third time. The Tigers ended the first half with Henson throwing his second interception, but the Commandos could do nothing about it as the teams went into the locker room with Tuttle leading 22-0.
The Tigers, realizing they were 24 minutes from their second state championship, had to be careful not to let Cascia Hall sneak back into the game. After all, this was the team that just two weeks earlier had upset No. 1 Seminole.
The Commandos came out running in the third quarter, hoping to catch the Tigers relaxing. Enlow and Conor Murphy had moderate success on the first drive, but Kyle Shelton stepped up and put an end to any Cascia Hall comeback homes with an interception.
With the ball on the 38, it was Moncey’s turn to go back to work. He gained 23 yards on the first four plays of the drive, then Henson gained seven yards on a nice run to set up a fourth down and three from the Commando 32 that will go down as one of the top plays of the year.
Henson fell as he was leaving the line of scrimmage, fumbling the ball. Mincey was able to pick the ball up and run with it like it was nothing. He broke enough tackles to make it to the 29-yard line for a first down that was almost disastrous. He came back two plays later with a 13-yard run through a tough hole to set up an 11-yard pass from Henson to Andrew Harrison. Henson scored one play later on a sneak to make the score 29-0.
With the game now definitely out of reach, Cascia Hall was poised to at least get some points on the board to make the score a little more respectable. Quarterback Andrew Curthoys was finally able to hit a few passes on their 15-play, 80-yard drive, something he could not do in the first half. Zack Enlow scored on a 16-yard run with just under nine minutes left to end the shutout at 29-7.
With the shutout now gone and just under nine minutes left, the Tigers knew they needed to respond just in case the Commandos had any ideas of a miracle comeback.
Mincey did his part, gaining 14 yards on three carries, setting up Tyler Henson’s 66-yard touchdown run down the Tuttle sideline to make the score 35-7 Tigers. Cascia Hall didn’t give up, though as Curthoys hit Patrick Easley on a 50-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive to complete the scoring at 35-14.
The Commandos went for an onside kick, but the Tigers recovered and started moving again. They wound up punting, but recovered a fumble and kept moving, hoping for one final touchdown. A blocked field goal would end the drive, however. Cascia Hall’s final drive would start out promising, but the defense sealed the deal with two quarterback sacks and forcing an incompletion on fourth and 24.
Henson took a knee to end the game and give the Tigers a 35-14 victory and the state championship.
The Tigers ended the season a perfect 14-0 and sent the senior class, including Henson, Jeremiah Huff, Brett Coffman, Kyle Shelton, and the others, out on top.
Tigers win state championship
Written by: Milton Winkelman
http://www.tuttletimes.com/images/867.jpg
Zack Mincey rushed 35 times for 236 yards and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard dash to lead the No. 2 Tuttle Tigers to a dominating 35-14 beating of Cascia Hall to capture the Class 3A state championship Saturday night at Owen Field in Norman.
Both teams felt each other out in their first possessions, with both quarterbacks exchanging interceptions. Following a Brett Coffman interception, the Tigers took over for their second possession at the 26, where Mincey and Tyler Henson took over.
Henson started the drive with a seven-yard pass to Cooper Bassett, followed by a Mincey three-yard gain to give Tuttle their initial first down. They would continue to dismantle the Commando defense until Mincey finally scored from one yard out to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead, ending the 14-play, 74-yard drive in just over five minutes.
Cascia Hall followed with an eight-play drive of their own, but could not get past the Tiger 38. Kyle Ebert saved a touchdown on first down when running back Zack Enlow gained 42 yards right off the bat. That’s the best the Commandos could do, however, as Ebert, Kyle Shelton, Andrew Harrison, Kenny McMullen, and the rest of the Tiger defense toughened up and forced Cascia Hall to turn the ball over on downs seven plays later. Shelton and Harrison sacked Cascia Hall quarterback Andrew Curthoys and forced an incomplete pass on fourth down from the Tiger 29-yard line to end the threat.
The ensuing Tiger possession featured two dropped passes and a Mincey short gain to force a punt. Henson would wind up completing four of 10 for 55 yards, but the six incompletions could have easily been completions.
Cascia Hall started the second quarter in trouble. A sack by Jael Elliot forced the Commandos into a fourth and 26 situation, resulting in a punt and setting up Mincey’s heroics. After a short gain by Henson and an incomplete pass, the Tigers had third and eight from the 26. That’s when the 5 foot 5, 144-pound junior took over.
Henson pitched the ball to Mincey on an option, and he took off down the Cascia Hall sideline for a 74-yard touchdown run, while the Commando defense just tried and failed to stop him. With the score now 14-0 Tigers and seemingly the entire population of Tuttle exploding in the stands, the Tigers knew that destiny was in their hands.
With the Commandos on the run, the defense stepped up again, looking for that one knockout blow. They first stuffed running back Zack Enlow for a two-yard loss, then forced a bumble, recovering the ball on the Cascia Hall 33-yard line. Now was the time to put the Commandos away, and the Tigers did just that. The Tigers scored eight plays later on a Tyler Henson quarterback sneak. He then threw the two-point conversion to Cooper Bassett to make the score 22-0 Tigers, and the rout was on.
The defense continued their domination at the end of the half, forcing Cascia Hall to punt two more times, and sacking Curthoys for a third time. The Tigers ended the first half with Henson throwing his second interception, but the Commandos could do nothing about it as the teams went into the locker room with Tuttle leading 22-0.
The Tigers, realizing they were 24 minutes from their second state championship, had to be careful not to let Cascia Hall sneak back into the game. After all, this was the team that just two weeks earlier had upset No. 1 Seminole.
The Commandos came out running in the third quarter, hoping to catch the Tigers relaxing. Enlow and Conor Murphy had moderate success on the first drive, but Kyle Shelton stepped up and put an end to any Cascia Hall comeback homes with an interception.
With the ball on the 38, it was Moncey’s turn to go back to work. He gained 23 yards on the first four plays of the drive, then Henson gained seven yards on a nice run to set up a fourth down and three from the Commando 32 that will go down as one of the top plays of the year.
Henson fell as he was leaving the line of scrimmage, fumbling the ball. Mincey was able to pick the ball up and run with it like it was nothing. He broke enough tackles to make it to the 29-yard line for a first down that was almost disastrous. He came back two plays later with a 13-yard run through a tough hole to set up an 11-yard pass from Henson to Andrew Harrison. Henson scored one play later on a sneak to make the score 29-0.
With the game now definitely out of reach, Cascia Hall was poised to at least get some points on the board to make the score a little more respectable. Quarterback Andrew Curthoys was finally able to hit a few passes on their 15-play, 80-yard drive, something he could not do in the first half. Zack Enlow scored on a 16-yard run with just under nine minutes left to end the shutout at 29-7.
With the shutout now gone and just under nine minutes left, the Tigers knew they needed to respond just in case the Commandos had any ideas of a miracle comeback.
Mincey did his part, gaining 14 yards on three carries, setting up Tyler Henson’s 66-yard touchdown run down the Tuttle sideline to make the score 35-7 Tigers. Cascia Hall didn’t give up, though as Curthoys hit Patrick Easley on a 50-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive to complete the scoring at 35-14.
The Commandos went for an onside kick, but the Tigers recovered and started moving again. They wound up punting, but recovered a fumble and kept moving, hoping for one final touchdown. A blocked field goal would end the drive, however. Cascia Hall’s final drive would start out promising, but the defense sealed the deal with two quarterback sacks and forcing an incompletion on fourth and 24.
Henson took a knee to end the game and give the Tigers a 35-14 victory and the state championship.
The Tigers ended the season a perfect 14-0 and sent the senior class, including Henson, Jeremiah Huff, Brett Coffman, Kyle Shelton, and the others, out on top.