The Woodward News

Sports

November 14, 2009

Shattuck turns back Wildcats

Shattuck expected and got a test from Thackerville in the first round of the Class C football playoffs Friday night.

The Indians used their defense to open up a lead in the second half and beat the Wildcats 26-6 for their 93rd consecutive victory.

Thackerville wasn’t the typical No. 4 seed playing a No. 1. Mid-season injuries had a lot to do with the Wildcats 5-5 record.

And the Wildcats didn’t play like a fourth place team in this rematch of last year’s state championship game.

Shattuck went three and out on its first possession, then needed a big defensive stop to keep Thackerville from taking an early lead.

The Indians, though, got it going on their second possession, marching 83 yards in 8 plays to take a 6-0 lead.

Brent Starbuck’s 43-yard run was the big play, setting up an 11-yard touchdown pass from Aaron McCandless to Mitch Henson.

Midway through the second period, McCandless intercepted a Jonathon Buckaloo pass at the 37.

Shattuck then went 63 yards, overcoming two major penalties, to take a 12-0 lead.

A 37-yard halfback pass from Brent Starbuck to Kelby Schick on third and 25 was the big play. The Indians converted a fourth and one at the 11, then Starbuck scored from the six to make it 12-0.

Shattuck had one more threat in the half but turned the ball over on downs at the 20.

In the second half, the Indian defense stepped up as interceptions by Theo Rea and Conner Babcock set up touchdowns on back-to-back possessions.

Rea’s pick gave Shattuck first down at the 20 and two plays later Starbuck scored to make it 18-0.

But one play before the score, McCandless went out with an injury and the sophomore sensation didn’t return the rest of the game.

Babcock got the next interception and returned it to the Wildcat 20. From there, Shattuck scored in four plays with Babcock getting in on a quarterback sneak. Rea’s conversion made it 26-0.

Buckaloo’s 48 yard scramble got the Wildcats inside the Indian 20 on their next possession, but they gave the ball up on downs.

Thackerville finally broke through late in the third period on a 3-yard run by Aaron Vondrak to make it 26-6.

The Wildcats recovered an onside kick and went deep into Indian territory again before fumbling the ball away.

That was one of 5 Wildcat turnovers in the game. Shattuck turned the ball over twice.

Thackerville had 231 yards in total offense to Shattuck’s 363.

Shattuck, 11-0, will host Deer Creek-Lamont in the second round.

Overall it was a huge night for western Oklahoma in the 8-man playoffs. Forgan routed Victory Life 46-6 and Waynoka, the fourth seed from C-1, crushed Temple 48-14 on the road.

In other games, Seiling pasted Sasakwa 51-0 in a game ended at halftime and Timberlake, DCLA and Covington-Douglass all won.

In Class B, Laverne edged Caddo 50-48, stopping a two-point conversion with 13 seconds left.

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