Heavener scores big in Okmulgee win

Heavener scores big

By CRAIG HALL

Heavener scores big in win over Okmulgee Friday night in high school football action at Harvey Stadium.

With 3:10 left in the first quarter Friday, the winless Bulldogs actually held a 12-10 lead over Heavener after Mike Lewis scored on a 12-yard run.

In the photo above, Heavener’s Brayden Semore makes a one-handed catch in the win over Okmulgee. Photo by KAYDENCE McGEE

That is when the bottom pretty much fell out for Okmulgee in the District 2A-3 game at Heavener in the first meeting between the schools. The Bulldogs only dressed out 14 players and the Wolves took advantage of the disparity in number of players to wear down Okmulgee.

Heavener started to roll and eventually built up a 52-12 lead at halftime before winning, 59-28, to improve to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in district play. To make the playoffs for the first time in back-to-back seasons since 2004, the Wolves have to win at Kiefer Friday or at home against Bethel the following week.

Okmulgee is 0-8 and 0-5 in the district.

In other District 2A-3 games Friday night, Hugo beat Roland, 55-39; Kiefer downed Bethel, 30-20; and Kingston ousted Prague, 42-12.

It was a memorable homecoming night on this warm and humid night for the Wolves as the 52 points in the first half is the most points in a half in recent memory. The 59 points was the most for Heavener since a 58-26 win at Spiro Nov. 11, 2008.

The only thing that slowed Heavener’s offense was a running clock in the second half and a missed 43-yard field goal by Fernando Villanueva in the second half that would have set a school record. It was the first missed field goal of the season. He did kick a 26-yarder in the first half and was perfect on all eight PAT’s on the night.

The Wolves’ Carson Payne rushed for 198 yards on 14 carries and scored four rushing touchdowns. Fellow running back Hagan Ritter rushed 13 times for 110 yards and scored twice. Overall, Heavener rushed for 348 yards on 37 carries, an average of 9.4 yards per rush.

Quarterback Zaid Rodriguez wasn’t needed as much this week as the last few, but still completed 3-5 passes for 77 yards and no interceptions.

Defensively, Heavener gave up some big plays due to Okmulgee’s speed, but Jaxon Rutledge intercepted two passes and scored the Wolves’ first defensive touchdown of the season on a 52-yard interception return late in a second quarter which saw Heavener score 35 points.