Sallisaw closed the regular season at 9-1 overall and 6-1 in District 4A-4 and the Diamonds did it in explosive fashion.
The offensive tally was one-point shy of the single-game school record set by the 1969 team in a win over Muldrow. However, the 1969 squad’s regular season scoring record was eclipsed as this year’s team ran its total to 405 in 10 games. The old mark was 399.
Head coach Craig Benson gave the Sallisaw reserves plenty of playing time and freshman tailback Dakota Petree responded with a game-high 144 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 12 carries.
“At that position, we’re as deep as anybody could be,” said Benson. “It didn’t surprise me because we know he’s a good back. It’s just hard to get him reps with the people in front of him.”
The first-team tailback, Matt Mitchell had just four carries on Friday night but scored on a five-yard run to put Sallisaw in front less than five minutes into the game.
Quarterback Matt Oberste threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Lefler later in the quarter and also ran 15 yards for another score as Sallisaw jumped out to a 22-0 lead in the period.
Petree got the first of his three touchdowns in the second quarter, running seven yards to the end zone with 11:41 left in the half. Ryon Mefford scored on a five-yard run and David Hadley caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Oberste to stake the Diamonds to a 43-12 halftime lead.
Petree’s second TD run of the game, a five-yarder, pushed the Sallisaw lead to 50-12 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
Offensive lineman Derrek Branham moved to the backfield and carried the ball two yards for another touchdown in the fourth quarter before Petree capped the scoring with a 48-yard scamper.
Kicker Carlos Nieto was 8-for-8 on extra points for Sallisaw, which rolled up 378 yards of total offense. The majority came on the ground as Mefford rambled for 61 yards on five carries Kyle Underwood chipped in 50 yards on seven attempts. Oberste ran twice for 34 yards and Mitchell finished with 20 yards on four runs.
Through the air, Oberste connected on 7-of-11 passes for 79 yards. Hadley caught four of those passes for 46 yards and Lefler caught the other three for 33 yards.
Webster quarterback Beau Ballard completed 11 passes for 12 yards, but was picked off three times as Dalton Campbell, Oberste and Damon Lynch came up with interceptions for the Diamonds.
Marianna Ledison ran 65 yards and Curti Wheeler scored on a one-yard run for Webster’s first half touchdowns. Ballard added a 68-yard TD pass to Isaac Anderson in the third quarter for the Warriors (1-9, 1-6).
Chris Turner led the Sallisaw defense with eight tackles and Jake Fitzsimmons made seven stops. Trevor Fitzsimmons had six tackles, Petree five, Derick Scott four, Matt Walkingstick four, Jason Glover three, Martin Wigg three, and Garrett Gladd three.
Benson was pleased to see the Diamonds take care of business even though they had already clinched second place in the district the week before.
“It hasn’t been a problem for us and that goes back to the coaching staff—not me,” said Benson. “The assistants do a good job of getting the kids ready to play and it’s a tribute to them.”
