By Monty Franks
MIAMI — After only posting 14 total points in last year’s Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association All-Star game, a large crowd at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Saturday night saw the Green team record a 53-40 victory over the Gold squad in the 45th rendition at Red Robertson Field.
Despite the 14-0 shutout loss last year, the Green team has won six of the last eight post-season classics.
While the Green squad was amassing 265 yards on the ground and 295 yards via the pass, the Gold team generated only 49 yards rushing and 446 yards through the air.
Unable to move the ball on the opening possession, the Gold was victimized by an interception from Green defensive back Riley Williams of Waukomis at the Green 33-yard line.
Relying on the talents od Waukomis quarterback Hunter Lovell, the Green team covered 67 yards in eight plays to grab the lead.
Lovell concluded the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with 11:41 left in the first quarter. Hayden Morgan of Midway kicked the point-after to give Green a 7-0 lead.
Defensive back Trey Allen of Laverne intercepted an errant pass from Weleetka quarterback David Dye to set up the Gold offense at the Green’s 34-yard line.
Concluding the nine-play drive, Davenport running back Dalton Nicol burst up the middle for a 3-yard TD run with 10:06 left in the second quarter.
Pond Creek-Hunter quarterback Derek Holcomb found Pond Creek-Hunter teammate Jevan Overton in the corner of the endzone for a two-point conversion pass to create an 8-7 Gold lead.
Following an exchange of punts, the Green team marched 45 yards in five plays with time winding down before intermission.
During the drive, Dye connected on a 22-yard pass to wide out Cristian Gomez of Garber before reeling off four runs of 5, 5, 12 and a 1-yard TD run as Green regained the lead for good at the 2:40 juncture. Although the two-point conversion pass failed, the Green team held a 13-8 margin.
With time running out in the second quarter, Dye displayed an accurate arm by connecting with a streaking Overton for an 82-yard touchdown bomb on the first play of the series.
The two-point conversion pass failed with 0:25 showing on the clock as the green team carried a 19-8 cushion to the locker room.
Another one play salvo by the Green team to start the third quarter ignited a high scoring second half.
Corn Bible halfback Spencer Boese broke off right tackle and scored on a 47-yard TD run. Boese added the extra point to provide the Green team with a 27-8 cushion with 11:50 remaining in the third quarter.
Seven minutes later the Gold squad covered 53 yards in eight plays to inch closer in the game.
Pond Creek-Hunter product, wide out Blake Rayner, caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Halcomb with 4:57 left in the third quarter. Rayner tacked on the two-point conversion pass for a 27-16 deficit.
With Lovell under center at quarterback, the Green team responded with a 42-yard, three-play drive as time ran down in the third quarter.
Lovell culminated the drive with a 12-yard TD run just before time expired. His conversion run was stopped as the Green team carried a 33-16 advantage into the final 12 minutes.
Six minutes into the fourth quarter Boese scored on a 12-yard run. Although the conversion pass attempt failed, the Green squad held a 39-16 margin.
Over the next four minutes the Gold team unleashed an aerial attack that resulted in a 14-point swing to rally to a 39-32 deficit.
Tyrone quarterback Tanner Hurst found teammate William Slater wide open on a crossing pattern for an 11-yard TD pass with 3:42 left in the game. Hurst hit Laverne’s Tracer Raven for the two-point conversion pass as the Gold team trailed by a 39-24 score.
A successful on-sides kick on the ensuing play was recovered by Turpin’s Alex Jiminez to set the Gold team up at the Green’s 35-yard line.
Halcomb re-entered the game under center and hit Overton in stride for a 35-yard touchdown pass at the 3:12 juncture. The two-point conversion pass from Halcomb to Rayner produced a 39-32 deficit for the Gold team.
Less than a half-a-minute later the Green squad answered with a 50-yard TD bomb from Lovell to Wetumka’s Jonathan Winn. Boese added the conversion run with 3:02 showing on the clock for a 49-32 Green lead.
The scoring barrage wasn’t finished as the Gold team drove 33 yards in four plays before Hurst hit Tyrone’s Joshua Chirchir for a 22-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone.
Hurst tossed the two-point conversion pass to another Tyrone teammate William Slater to create a 47-40 deficit with 1:49 left in the game.
Five plays and 65 yards later the Green team finally brought the curtain down on the all-star game as Boese rambled for a 26-yard touchdown run. The conversion run was stopped with 0:42 seconds remaining in the three and one-half hour game.
Boese led all rushers with 123 yards on 10 carries for the Green ground game. Dye contributed 49 yards on eight carries while Lovell added 36 yards on nine attempts.
Lovell completed 6 of 12 passes for 124 yards with two interceptions while Dye connected on 2 of 5 passes for 106 yards. Pioneer’s Chris Faw-Faw completed 2 of 3 passes for 65 yards and one interception.
Leading the Green receiving corps was Overton with two catches for 134 yards and Corey Miller with three receptions for 45 yards.
Hurst paced the Gold ground game with 25 yards on nine carries.
Halcomb led the Gold passing foursome with 8 of 11 for 143 yards and one interception while Hurst connected on 10 of 17 passes for 120 yards and Hilbert hit 5 of 16 passes for 117 and Maud’s Cash Bodkin completed 3 of 6 passes for 66 yards and one interception.
Overton finished with seven receptions for 133 yards to lead the Gold receivers while Rayner made four catches for 81 yards and Slater had four for 79 yards.
Gold 0 8 8 24 — 40
Green 7 12 14 20 — 53
Scoring summary
First quarter
Green — Lovell 9 run (Morgan kick), 11:41
Second quarter
Gold — Nicol 3 run (Overton pass from Halcomb), 10:06
Green — Dye 1 run (Pass fail), 2:40
Green — Winn 82 pass from Dye (Pass failed), 0:25
Third quarter
Green — Boese 47 run (Boese run), 11:50
Gold — Rayner 27 pass from Halcomb (Rayner pass from Halcomb), 4:57
Green — Lovell 12 run (Run failed), 0:01
Fourth quarter
Green — Boese 9 run (Pass failed), 7:47
Gold — Slater 11 pass from Hurst (Raven pass from Hurst), 3:42
Gold — Overton 35 pass from Halcomb (Rayner pass from Halcomb), 3:12
Green — Winn 82 pass from Lovell (Boese run), 3:02
Gold — Chirchir 22 pass from Hurst (Slater pass from Hurst), 1:49
Green — Boese 26 run (Run failed), 0:42
Game statistics
Gold;Green
First downs;29;24
Rushes-yards;29-49;38-265
Passing yards;446;295
Return yards;56;4
Passes-com-att-int;26-50-3;10-20-2
Punts-avg;4-28;3-34
Fumbles-lost;5-0;0-0
Penalties-yards;12-135;10-95
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Gold, Hurst 9-25, Shawnee 4-13, Hilbert 4-9, Tefft 1-6, Halcomb 1-2, Chirchir 1-(-2), Hawkins 1-(-3); Green, Boese 10-123, Dye 8-49, Lovell 9-36, White 4-19, FawFaw 2-19, Nelson 3-16, Nagel 1-4, Smith 1-(-1).
PASSING: Gold, Halcomb 8-11-1-143, Hurst 10-17-0-120, Hilbert 5-16-0-117, Bodkin 3-6-1-66; Green, Lovell 6-12-2-124, Dye 2-5-106, FawFaw 2-3-1-65.
RECEIVING: Gold, Overton 7-133, Rayner 4-81, Slater 4-79, Nicol 3-48, Shawnee 2-41, Chirchir 2-28, Regier 1-16, Reid 1-12, Rogers 1-5, Carter 1-3; Green, Overton 2-134, Mora 1-52, Miller 3-45, Nelson 1-32, Gomez 1-26, White 1-6.