Fort Gibson spoils Sallisaw’s Senior Night with OT win

The Fort Gibson Tigers rallied twice in the second half from 14-point deficits, the last time with 3:07 left in regulation, to tie the game, and ended up winning it in overtime 49-48 when the Sallisaw Black Diamonds decided to go for a two-point conversion and the win, as the Tigers spoiled Senior Night for the Black Diamonds on a chilly Friday night at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium.

The Tigers (4-5 overall, 3-3 in District 4A-4 play) now has the third-place tiebreaker with the Black Diamonds (5-4, 3-3). However, the Black Diamonds can still claim third place if they beat Madill Friday, Nov. 3, and if the Tigers lose to Muskogee County rival Hilldale. If Fort Gibson wins or Sallisaw loses next week, the Tigers will be the third seed, and likely will visit Cushing for the following week’s Class 4A playoff opener.

If Sallisaw loses to Madill, it could mean a potential chance of the Black Diamonds missing out on the playoffs altogether.

Trailing 35-21 at halftime, the Tigers, aided by two offside penalties and a pass interference penalty on Sallisaw, took the opening second-half possession and drove for a touchdown and a successful extra point with 7:10 left in the third quarter to cut the Sallisaw advantage to 35-28 after three periods.

The Black Diamonds got their two-TD lead once more as senior Cole Stephens scored his second touchdown of the game on a five-yard run. Brian Castor’s PAT put Sallisaw up 42-28 with exactly nine minutes left in regulation.

However, the Tigers scored on each of their next possessions to knot the game at 42, with the last TD coming with 3:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.

After the second Fort Gibson score, the Black Diamonds had one last chance to take the lead late to win in regulation, but they could not get past the midfield area. They punted, but were almost gift-wrapped the game-winning touchdown when Fort Gibson’s return man decided to field a bouncing ball that appeared destined for the end zone and a touchback. The Tiger return man muffed the punt with 35 seconds left, but he recovered the ball amidst two Sallisaw defenders. The Tigers ran out the clock, and overtime was forthcoming with the score tied at 42.

The Tigers got the first crack in the extra session, and scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass and an extra point to put First Gibson ahead for the first time all game at 49-42.

The Black Diamonds responded with a 10-yard TD run by Stephens to give him a hat trick on touchdown runs to make it 49-48, with the conversion looming.

Sallisaw coach Brandon Tyler called timeout to discuss things, then sent the offense back onto the field to go for a two-point conversion — and the win — as opposed to sending Castor out to tie the game at 49 and force a second OT.

However, senior quarterback Brock Streun was stopped just shy of the goal line, and the Black Diamonds suffered their most heartbreaking loss of the season.

The Black Diamonds broke the scoreless deadlock in the opening quarter on an 18-yard touchdown run by Broque Oft. Castor’s PAT put Sallisaw ahead 7-0 with 6:21 left in the first period.

The Tigers needed just 57 seconds to tie the game on a 26-yard TD pass and a successful extra point for a 7-all stalemate with 5:24 remaining in the quarter.

The Black Diamonds responded with a 57-yard touchdown run by Streun, the first of three TDs by the senior QB. Castor’s PAT regained the advantage for Sallisaw at 14-7 with 3:54 left in the period.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Fort Gibson return man fumbled the ball, with Jace Holman making the recovery at the Fort Gibson 29.

The Black Diamonds cashed in on the gift as Stephens scored his first touchdown of the night on a 33-yard run in which he leaped over a Fort Gibson defender en route to the end zone. Castor’s extra point put Sallisaw ahead 21-7 with 2:28 remaining in the quarter.

The Tigers answered with a drive ending in the end zone on a 71-yard TD pass and a successful PAT with 22 seconds left in the period to cut the Sallisaw lead to 21-14 after a quarter.

It appeared as if Sallisaw had scored another TD just before the period ended when Oft rambled 59 yards to paydirt with four seconds remaining, only to have a holding penalty nullify the score.

The Black Diamonds did regain their two-score lead once more as Streun sneaked it in from a yard out. Castor’s extra point made it 28-14 with 4:52 left before halftime. The drive was aided by a pass interference penalty on Fort Gibson when the defender grabbed senior tight end Braxton Lamb’s arm as he attempted to catch a possible TD pass.

On the ensuing possession, aided by a 32-yard hook-and-lateral play by the Tigers, they marched down field and scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass play on fourth down. The successful PAT cut the Fort Gibson deficit to 28-21 with 2:10 remaining in the first half.

The Black Diamonds had the last say in the opening half as they responded with a scoring drive capped by Streun’s hat trick, a two-yard TD run, with 39 seconds left in the first half. Castor’s extra point put Sallisaw ahead 35-21.

It looked as if the Black Diamonds might even get more points before halftime when Cooper Cox picked off a pass and returned it 22 yards to the Fort Gibson 23 with four seconds left. That left Sallisaw with one play to try to get the ball into the end zone, but Streun ended up being tackled on a run after he could not find an open receiver in the end zone. Sallisaw took a 35-21 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.

Tyler declined to give comments after the game.