Loss at Cascia Hall ends Bulldogs’ stellar season

MULDROW HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

TULSA–Muldrow’s stellar high school football season ended Friday night in Tulsa with a 40-6 loss to Class 3A fifth-ranked Cascia Hall in a first-round playoff game inside Ray Siegfried II Stadium.

The seventh-ranked Bulldogs finished their season with an 8-3 record, their most wins since 1990 (92), and Cascia Hall improved to 9-2 and will play at unbeaten and third-ranked Metro Christian (11-0) Friday night in a second-round contest.

“They’re a good ball club,” Muldrow head coach Brandon Ellis said. “They just beat us in all three phases of the game so hats off to them. Not really taking anything away from our kids because they had a great season.”

Early in the opening period the Commandos took the lead when quarterback Cooper Lai completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Ethan Clark before Nick Eshelman kicked the point-after. Key plays in the 10-play, 90-yard scoring drive were runs of 11 and 14 yards by Clark, 14 and 16-yard carries by Jayce Ward and a 15-yard run by wide receiver Baxter Robertson.

On Muldrow’s second offensive series late in the quarter an 18-yard carry by running back Trenden Collins and a targeting penalty against Cascia Hall helped the Bulldogs move to the Commandos’ 13. On fourth-and-8 from the 11 early in the second stanza Muldrow’s 28-yard field goal attempt was no good.

Moments later after a 50-yard reception by Robertson the Commandos registered their second touchdown on Ward’s 30-yard scamper with 9:49 left before the intermission.

Following Muldrow’s second punt of the half Ward ran for a 1-yard touchdown at the 3:37 mark and with 35.6 remaining Lai completed a 27-yard touchdown throw to Ward. Eshelman’s PAT after the TD pass gave Cascia Hall a 27-0 lead at the half.

Cascia Hall received the second-half kickoff and its first four plays (runs of 30, 13, 12 and 14 yards) took the Commandos to the Muldrow 11. Four plays later Robertson crossed the goal line after a 1-yard run and Cascia Hall led 34-0 following Eshelman’s PAT at the 8:53 mark.

With 2:07 to go in the third quarter running back Owen Darby ran for a 2-yard touchdown to end Cascia Hall’s scoring.

After the TD, runs of 31 and 11yards by Collins and running back Eli Crumrine, respectively, helped the Bulldogs’ offense advance to the Commandos’ 25 but six plays later the scoring threat ended at the 6 following an incomplete pass.

Fumble recoveries by Muldrow defenders Jacob Gregory and Hayden Boyette ended a pair of Cascia Hall offensive possessions and with 1:03 remaining Collins raced 47 yards into the north end zone to put the Bulldogs on the board.

Collins was Muldrow’s leading rusher in the game with 121 yards on 19 carries, Crumrine had 21 yards on five attempts and quarterback Camden Matthews added 4 yards on seven runs.

Matthews was 0-of-6 in the passing department and Collins was 1-of-4 for 1 yard with one interception. Wide receiver Jacob Voelkel caught Collins’ throw.

Cascia Hall’s leading rushers were Clark (8 carries for 115 yards), Ward (11 for 111), Darby (8 for 102), Robertson (7 for 52) and Hektor Enriquez (6 for 26).

Lai completed 11-of-11 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns and the Commandos’ top receivers were Robertson (6 catches for 80 yards), Ward (1 for 27), Clark (1 for 14), Charlie Stanford (1 for 14) and Tyler Vincent (1 for 10).