Loss to Knights dash Rangers playoff hopes

Roland trimmed 12 points off a 16-point deficit in the second period of Friday night‚s homecoming game inside Ranger Stadium against Henryetta but the Knights scored 29 unanswered points on their way to the District 2A-5 win.

The loss knocked the Rangers (2-4 in the district and 2-7 overall) out of playoff contention and on Friday night Roland hosts Warner (4-2, 7-2) on Senior Night in its season finale. Henryetta (3-3, 4-5) takes on Keys (06, 0-9) at home this week.

In the first stanza of Friday‚s contest the Knights took an 8-0 lead with 8:52 remaining following Brady Norman‚s 1-yard touchdown run and his conversion pass to Seth Kinslow. Roland quarterback Michael Taylor was tackled in the end zone for a safety at the 4:56 mark to give the Knights a 10-0 advantage.

After the safety Henryetta returned the free kick to the Roland 20 and four plays later Nick Hudson ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 3:12 left. The score remained 16-0 after the Rangers‚ defense kept the Knights out of the end zone on the twopoint conversion (run) attempt.

Following an interception by Roland‚s Desean Cruse early in the second quarter the Rangers‚ offense used eight plays to drive 59 yards before Taylor ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 7:05 to go before the intermission. Three key plays in the scoring drive were a 26-yard reception by Ashton Peters on a third-and-13 play, a 10yard catch by Dom Collins and a 34-yard throw from Taylor to Kyeree Hall on a third-and-19 play which moved the Rangers to the Henryetta 4.

Seventeen seconds later Taylor returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown to trim six more points (16-12) off the deficit.

A 12-yard run by the Knights‚ David Reid at the 3:31 mark ended the first-half scoring with Henryetta in front 22-12.

With 9:13 left in the third period the Knights added two points to their advantage (24-12) after tackling Peters in the end zone for a safety.

Hudson crossed the goal line following a 34-yard run with 3:04 remaining and Hunter Gobin‚s pointafter kick made the score 31-12.

Fourteen seconds into the final frame Hudson‚s 76-yard touchdown scamper and Gobin‚s PAT widened Henryetta‚s lead.

After the ensuing kickoff the Rangers moved to the Henryetta 18 before turning the ball over on downs and with 6:58 left Hudson raced 82 yards for his fourth touchdown of the night.

Roland‚s Logen Thomas completed a 23-yard touchdown throw to Cruse at the 2:29 mark before throwing to Hall for the two-point conversion. Key plays in the seven-play, 55-yard scoring drive were three runs totaling 30 yards by Peters and Noah Hyatt‚s 17-yard carry.

Following Roland‚s TD Reid ran for a 61yard touchdown before Gobin‚s extra-point kick ended the scoring.

Taylor completed 15-of-30 passes for 185 yards with two interceptions in the contest and Thomas was 2-of-5 for 33 yards and a touchdown.

Hall (7 catches for 125 yards), Peters (3 for 48), Cruse (2 for 33 and a touchdown), Collins (2 for 15) and Lorenz (2 for minus 3 yards) had Roland‚s receptions.

Peters (12 carries for 44 yards) was the Rangers‚ leading rusher and Hyatt (2 for 14) also ran for positive yardage.

Norman completed 8-of-13 passes 57 yards with two interceptions for Henryetta and Kinslow (5 catches for 47 yards) and William Perez (2 for 6) were the Knight‚s leading receivers.

Hudson totaled 412 yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries for the Knights and Reid added 91 yards and a touchdown on seven runs.

Roland totaled 237 yards (218 passing and 19 rushing) of total offense and Henryetta registered 556 yards (57 passing and 499 rushing).