Oak matched up well with its first two opponents, but the Deer Park squad had tremendous size and speed that caused havoc on both sides of the ball.  In the end, KO was held scoreless in a 35-0 loss.

The Panther defensive front played very well.  Giving up more than 100 pounds a piece on average to the Deer offensive line and facing one of the state’s premier running backs, Oak kept Deer’s punishing running game in check.  The Panthers expected the good ground game, but did not expect Deer to pass the ball as well as they did (3 TD passes – 14, 37 and 53 yards), which proved to be key to their victory.  Deer was only able to muster 2 first downs during the second half and just 13 yards in the 4^th quarter as the defense played solidly to the end.

The offense move the ball effectively at times with several long drives ending deep in enemy territory, but the Deer defense did an excellent job on pass defense and forced a few turnovers as well.  Being able to move the ball against such a big and quick defense should give the offense a shot of confidence knowing that they can move the ball against anyone – just need to limit the turnovers.

Oak continues to do a great job returning kicks with Avery Johnson running back one for 39 yards and another for 27 yards to set up excellent field position.  David Porter averaged 43 yards on his first 4 punts, before hitting his last one slightly off-center.

Offensively, Alex Pounds was 8-18 for 62 yards and had to do a bit of scrambling.  Avery had 53 yards on 16 rushes and Porter 24 yards on 3 carries, while Dustin Conant picked up 22 tough yards primarily up the middle.  Chris Powell was the leading receiver with 3 snags for 28 yards, while Trey Richmond and Kevin Cravey had two catches apiece. 

Defensively, Matt Nolan had 7 unassisted tackles and 3 assists for 10 total tackles.  Matt Hunter had 13 total tackles (5 solo) and Greg Carlson had 10 tackles (3 unassisted).  Daniel McGilvray had one of the best hits of the night, crushing the ball carrier in the backfield for a loss.

Although the Panthers complete a tough non-district schedule without a win, spirits are still high and each player has grown in experience, skill and character and will be better prepared for the tough District 15-5A competition that lies ahead. 

All teams in the district are currently 0-0, and you will want to be there when Oak wins their district opener against Spring on Friday the 26^th.    GO PANTHERS – TAME THE LIONS!!

Game Highlights

Deer opened up with a flea-flicker pass some 30 yards down the field, but DB Tremayne Dortch matched the receiver stride for stride to break up the play.  Each team exchanged punts on their first possessions before RB Dustin Conant took one 12 yards up the middle for a first down.  A penalty would halt the drive and bring on P David Porter who launched one 44 yards and a loss of 5 on the return had the Deer back at the 26.  Deer would manufacture a 74-yard drive with only 30 rushing yards as they completed 3 passes including a 14-yard TD pass to go up 7-0.

RB Avery Johnson would take the ensuing kick-off back 39 yards to set up Oak in good position at their own 47.  QB Alex Pounds hit WR Chris Powell for 17 yards and then WR Trey Richmond for 10 yards on 3^rd and 8 to move the ball to the Deer 26.  The drive ended with a fumble which Deer converted to 7 points after a 37-yard TD pass.  Oak’s next possession ended with an interception returned 30 yards down to the 23, and the Panthers found themselves in a 21-0 hole.

Oak made a valiant attempt to put points on the board before half time.  Johnson returned a kick 27 yards to the 35 and then carried the ball 5 times for 26 yards.  With the aid of a penalty, Oak were threatening with the ball at the DP 36.  Pounds hit WR Kevin Cravey for 10 yards on 3^rd and 8 to get down to the 24.  A fumbled snap would result in a loss of 10 yards and on 3^rd and 20 the Panthers would pick up 19 on a catch by Cravey and a pitch back to Johnson.   But DP would come up big stopping Johnson on 4^th and 1 at the 15.

K Kelly Nix’s opening kick-off in the 2^nd half was returned to the DP 41.  On 3^rd down, the Deer connected on a 57-yard TD pass to up the score to 28-0.

Deer’s final score came with 2 minutes remaining as they picked off a pass and returned it 39 yards for the score and a 35-0 victory. 

Oak moved the ball well on their final 4 possessions with QB David Porter darting for 13 yards and 7 yards on two keepers, Johnson pounding out a 19-yard run, Conant an 8-yarder, and Pounds converting several 3^rd down passes, but turnovers and fumbled snaps ended each of these drives.

Oak will have a welcomed week off before starting district play at Spring on Friday the 26^th. 

The week off was welcome relief for healing of injuries, but the precision that was coming together both on offense and defense wasn’t there for this game.  Spring opened the game with a “shock and awe” offensive campaign with screen passes, draws, double reverses and half-back option passes that kept the defense on its heels.  Spring built a 15-0 lead just six plays into the game and strolled to a 46-6 victory.  Oak had several opportunities to keep the game close, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Leading tacklers for Oak were LB Chris Holt with 10 unassisted and 18 total tackles, DB Bryce Hudman with 9 solo tackles and 12 total, and DE Steph Davidson with 10 total tackles.  LB Daniel McGilvray and DE Matt Hunter caused a lot of havoc in the backfield breaking up pitch plays and chasing the quarterback out of the pocket on numerous occasions.  DB Bryce Hudman forced a fumble that was recovered by DL Beau Harris.

QB Alex Pounds was the leading rusher for the Panthers with 20 yards on 3 attempts, including a 13-yard TD run.  Pounds was 5-for-12 passing for 37 yards with 3 dropped passes and one of those in the endzone.  QB David Porter completed 2-of-3 passes for 38 yards and had 10 yards rushing.  TB Avery Johnson carried the ball 9 times for 11 yards.

WR Chris Powell had 2 catches for 23 yards, including a 26-yarder from Porter on a fake punt.  TB Avery Johnson had 2 receptions for 19 yards and WR Kevin Cravey caught one over the middle for 21 yards.

Game Summary

Spring marched 66 yards on their opening possession in just 4 plays and scored on a 30-yard screen pass.  On the ensuing kick-off Oak got pinned at the 3-yard line on a fake reverse.  The ball was hiked out of the end zone for a safety on Oak’s first play from scrimmage.   The Lions took the free kick back to KO’s 44 and scored on their first play with a half-back option pass to make it 15-0.

DB Bryce Hudman stripped the ball on Spring’s next possession and OL Beau Harris recovered for Oak at the Spring 41.  QB Alex Pounds went deep on the first play and had WR Casey Wright open for the touchdown, but interference by Spring resulted in a 15-yard penalty.  On 3^rd down Pounds hit TB Avery Johnson on a short pass for a first down at the 12.  Pounds kept the ball for 13 yards and a TD on a sweep right on 4^th down to make it 15-6; Outstanding blocks by C Steph Davidson taking out the middle linebacker, RT Andy Davis turning in the defensive end and WR Kevin Cravey knocking down the defensive back to clear the path to the goal line.

The defense stood strong again on Spring’s next possession.  LB Daniel McGilvray met the runner head on for no gain on first down.  On second down, McGilvray dove into the backfield and disrupted the pitch play and DE Matt Hunter came in to strip the ball from the startled tail back.  Oak took over at the Lion 23-yard line with a chance to cut the lead to 15-14, but two poor snaps took the Panthers back to midfield where they were forced to quick kick on 3^rd down.

Hunter and McGilvray almost trapped the QB on 3^rd and long at midfield, but he scrambled around and threw on the run for a 20-yard completion, and then followed it up with a 21-yarder to make it 22-6.  An interception on Oak’s next drive allowed Spring to take a 28-6 halftime lead.

Spring’s 2^nd half kick-off went out of bounds setting Oak up at the 30.  On 4^th and 2, P David Porter hit WR Chris Powell for 26 yards on the fake punt.  QB Pounds then found WR Cravey open across the middle for 21 yards down to the 15.  A reverse by WR Casey Wright on 3^rd down moved the ball down to the 10.  Oak set up for the field goal, but holder Alex Pounds took the ball and rolled out to his left and found a receiver open in the end zone, but the pass was dropped.

The Panthers, whose numbers have been impacted by both illnesses and injuries, took on a formidable opponent in Klein Forest.  Oak hung in there for most of the first half trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter and had a chance to cut it to 21-14 before half-time, but the size and depth of the Eagles took its toll as they pulled away for a 48-13 victory.

Oak quarterback Alex Pounds did a fine job throwing the ball hitting on 7-of-15 passes for 51 yards with a touchdown, a couple dropped and no interceptions.  Pounds connected on his first 4 passes before having one batted down at the line of scrimmage.  QB David Porter completed a pair of passes for 51 yards and ran for 23 yards.  Porter also engineered a 14-play, 78-yard touchdown drive in his first of two series at the helm during the 3^rd quarter.

Casey Wright was Oak’s leading receiver with 4 catches for 46 yards.  Brandon Reynolds caught an 8-yard pass for the Panthers first touchdown.  Chris Powell had 2 catches for 19 yards, while Trey Richmond had a 24-yard catch and Avery Johnson one for 10 yards. 

Avery Johnson and Torey Hall shared the bulk of the duty at running back.  Hall playing in his first game as a Panther showed great speed and agility as he led the rushing attack with 26 yards, despite having a couple good runs called back on penalties.  Johnson picked up 11 yards on 9 carries.  Bryce Hudman carried the ball twice gaining 3 yards on each attempt, with the last one going for 6 points.

Middle linebacker Chris Holt led the defense with 8 unassisted tackles and 10 total tackles.  DB Bryce Hudman garnered 9 tackles and DE Steph Davidson followed with 7.  DT Beau Harris had a QB snack sack and also caused a fumbler on another play.  Soph LB Matt Sweisthal had 3 tackles and forced a fumble in his first varsity appearance.  DB Casey Wright played tight pass defense as he swatted away a couple passes from the receiver’s hands.   Overall the defense played well, giving up a few big plays, but most of the points coming off turnovers or set up by good kick/punt returns.

Valiant effort guys!  Keep up the passion and the desire to win.

"If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."                 – Vince Lombardi
 

Game Summary

The Panthers had some early excitement as the defense forced a fumble that was recovered by Chris Boren at their own 45.  But Oak turned it back over on its first offensive play as the snap sailed high and was recovered by the Eagles at the 30.  On second and long, the Eagles “connected” for 27 yards on a pass that bounced just once before the receiver attempted to catch it, setting up the games first score on the next play and a 7-0 lead.  After holding Oak to 3-and-out, the Eagles scored quickly as a receiver got loose behind the secondary for a quick 14-0 lead.

As has been characteristic of this Panther team, they fought right back.  The defense came up big forcing another fumble at the KF 34.  QB Alex Pounds led Oak to pay dirt hitting Casey Wright for 10 yards, Chris Powell for 14 yards and Brandon Reynolds for 8 yards and a touchdown.  Matt Smith sailed the kick long and true to cut the lead in half at 14-7. 

Brandon Reynolds made another key catch later in the second quarter as he picked off a pass for Oak’s first interception of the year.  This gave Oak a chance to cut the score to 21-14 before halftime.  A holding penalty would wipe out a nice run by Torey Hall, forcing Oak to punt and a long return allowed Forest to take a 27-7 halftime lead.

In the 3^rd quarter, the Panthers led by Soph QB David Porter, went 78 yards on 14 plays converting 3-of-3 third down conversions to chew up 6 minutes of the clock and to close within 34-13.  After Hall banged out 3 yards on the first two plays, Porter kept the ball for 14 yards out to the 39 yard line.  Hall and Porter fought for 5 yards each after an incompletion for another first down just short of midfield.  Porter connected with Trey Richmond across the middle on 3^rd and 13 for 24 yards and a first down at the Eagle 30 yard line.  Casey Wright took the ball on a wide receiver screen and demonstrated some nice athletic moves cutting around several defenders before being knocked out of bounds at the 3.  On third and goal, Bryce Hudman took the ball and dove over the goal line for the score to make it 34-13!

The Eagles converted some 4^th quarter mistakes into 2 easy scores for what may appear to others as a rout.  But the Panthers held their ground in the second and third quarters scoring 13 points to the Eagles 20.  Excluding KF’s first “gift” touchdown (short-hopped long pass), the Panthers battled one of Houston’s top team for 3 quarters to a 27-13 deficit despite not having five starters available for action. 

The Woodlands have an excellent team and are well deserving of their national top 15 ranking.  The Panthers had a huge task in front of them and battled the Highlanders to a 14-6 deficit for 3 quarters, but it was a 35-point outburst in the second quarter that led to the Highlanders 49-6 victory. 

A dejected team went into the lockers at halftime trailing 42-0 after the humiliating 2^nd quarter where the Woodlands rubbed salt in the wounds by recovering an onside kick while leading 35-0 (apparently national rankings come before character and sportsmanship).

An inspirational halftime speech by Senior Captain Tremayne Dortch ended with a call to arms by declaring, “We’re not gonna leave here without putting points on the board!”  The Panthers rallied together and went out with renewed spirit and determination.  They meant what they said as the team opened the second half with a 75-yard drive culminating with 47-yard TD pass from QB David Porter to WR Woody Smith.  Oak went on to play the best half of football of the year on both sides of the ball.  The offense accumulated 201 2^nd half yards and had driven the ball down to the 9-yard line before time expired.  The defense stifled the Highlanders allowing just 60 yards and 3 first downs over the last 2 quarters.

QB David Porter was the offensive spark as he completed 5 passes for 113 yards and rushed 7 times for 41 yards.  RB Bryce Hudman gained 30 yards on 4 second half carries as he ran through, rather than around, the defense.  RB Dustin Conant fought for tough yardage up the middle and broke one for 7 yards after a great second effort.  RB Torey Hall carried the ball once for 6 yards and a first down.

WR Woody Smith scored Oak’s only touchdown as he pulled in a 47-yard pass and dove across the goal line to hit pay dirt.  WR Sherrod Ceasar was Porter’s favorite target as he caught 3 passes for 52 yards, including a 27-yarder on 4^th and 13.  WR Kevin Cravey had 1 reception for 14 yards.  Hats off to the offensive line, opening up big holes and providing pass protection that led to Oak’s second half uprising:  Ken Dodson, Joseph Villanueva, Trace Brown, Scott Sacchieri, Andy Davis and Brett Harvey.

The defense was led by Matts.  LB Matt Sweisthal had 9 unassisted and 12 total tackles.  DE Matt Hunter had 11 tackles including 2 QB sacks.  LB Matt Domzalski had 9 tackles and sacked the quarterback once.  LB Matt Nolan picked off a fumble in midair on the third play of the game and returned it 10 yards and also assisted on a sack.   Other defensive linemen and backers that held the Woodlands running game in check during the second half included Chris Boren, Steph Davidson, Drew Johnson, Anthony Flory, and Richard Engdorf.

Guys, we are very proud of you!  Your play in the second half shows the great potential that you possess and the tremendous pride and tenacity that continue to be characteristic of this team.

GO PANTHERS!

Second Half Recap

Casey Wright returned the 2^nd half kick-off back to the 25 (Casey had 3 returns for 65 yards in the game).  QB David Porter kept the ball twice for 9 yards before RB Bryce Hudman added another 19 yards on 3 carries to the Woodlands 47.  Porter bounced off a defender on a naked bootleg and found WR Woody Smith open down the left side.  Woody received the ball at the 25 and raced to the end zone, diving over the goal line with a defender in tow.

The defense would stop the Highlanders on 3 downs and force a punt.  Porter got the offense going again as he weaved his way for 15 yards.  He added 5 more yards before a fumbled pitch stopped the drive and led to the Woodlands only second half score.

The Panther started the next drive from their own 28.  Porter hit WR Sherrod Caesar for 15 yards and a first down.  Porter scrambled for 6 yards and RB Dustin Conant added 2 more before Hudman busted a 13-yarder up the middle to the Highlander 36.  After Porter added 8 yards on 2 carries, RB Torey Hall ran around the right end for 6 yards and a first down at the 22.  This drive was halted, however, when Oak could not convert on 4^th and long following a penalty.

Another 3-and-out stand by the defense resulted in Oak taking their last possession at their own 37.  Porter hit Caesar for 10 yards and then got 6 on a keeper to move the ball into Highlander territory.  On 3^rd and 10, Porter hit WR Kevin Cravey for 14 yards and a first down at the 33.  Oak faced 4^th and 13 after the Woodlands stopped Porter for a 3-yard loss and forced 2 incomplete passes, but Porter found Caesar across the middle for 27 yards and he was dragged down at the 9-yard line.  The game clock expired before Oak got a chance to cash in for the score.

For those of you who like to play the IF game, Oak was only 1 fumble, 1 penalty and a few seconds away from pitching a 28-0 shutout during the second half.  It was an excellent comeback nonetheless.

Outstanding effort guys!!!

Despite the disparity in final score, the Panthers were able to move the ball pretty well against the highly ranked Westfield team, picking up 4 yards per carry and being successful on 9-of-19 passing.  Five fumbles, 4 dropped passes and an interception, however were too much to overcome.  These mistakes not only halted potential scoring drives, they changed the game’s momentum, resulted in the defense having stay on the field longer without rest, and in the end a bigger margin of defeat.  Over the past several games, however, you can begin to see that cutting down on mistakes would allow Oak to remain competitive throughout the game, even against these top ranked opponents.  Quite an accomplishment with the number of key injuries that has plagued the team.

Westfield was able to convert Oak’s three lost fumbles into 17 first half points, which accounted for the 26-0 halftime deficit.  KO did not turn the ball over during the second half, and had played the Mustangs to a 14-14 tie, until they were assessed a 15-yard penalty on an onside kick, leading to a late Westfield score.

Small consolation for Oak, but the defense did limit the district’s leader rusher Patrick Webster to 147 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Mustang running back had averaged 220 yards/game on the ground coming into the game, including a 350-yard game against defending 5A state champs Converse Judson.

Special teams played very well.  The Mustangs utilized high pooch kick-offs that require catching the ball in heavy traffic and are not easily returned.  Woody Smith, Bryce Hudman and Casey Wright did an outstanding job fielding these kicks and averaged about 10 yards on the returns.  District leading Klein Oak punter David Porter averaged 43.3 yards on 4 punts, including a booming 57-yarder against a strong wind that sailed over the return man’s head and through the endzone. 

Brandon Reynolds blocked a punt that led to Oak’s first touchdown.  Porter had an excellent onside kick that Tremayne Dortch was able to pick cleanly out of the air, but a confused line judge called it back on interference to make a catch, although the receiver retreated and was never touched.  Hudman also made an outstanding play staying home on a fake punt, stopping the runner near the line of scrimmage.

Attaboys for the offensive line, which had to battle a much bigger defensive line in the trenches, yet created gaps for an effective ground game.  Doing the blocking for the Panthers were C Ken Dodson, G Scott Sacchieri, G Joseph Villanueva, T Trace Brown, T Andy Davis, T Brett Harvey, and TE Kevin Cravey.

QB David Porter was the leading rusher for the Panthers with 39 yards on 7 attempts, including an 8-yard touchdown scamper.  RB Bryce Hudman picked up 22 yards on just 5 carries (and scored 2 points on a fake kick), RB Dustin Conant added 15 yards, QB Alex Pounds had a nice 8-yard keeper for a first down and RB Trey Richmond ran 5 times for short yardage.  Pounds was 6-for-13 passing for 37 yards, and David Porter completed 3-of-6 passes for 32 yards and a TD.

TE Kevin Cravey had 2 catches for 21 yards and a touchdown.  WR Chris Powell caught 3 passes for 16 yards.  WR Avery Johnson made an outstanding 1-handed catch as he reached back between 2 defenders, for a first down on the opening drive.  WR’s Sherrod Caesar, Trey Richmond and Kelly Nix each had receptions. 

Leading tacklers for Oak were DE Steph Davidson with 8 unassisted and 10 total tackles, DB Bryce Hudman with 9 total tackles and LB Matt Nolan with 8 tackles.  Davidson made the last 6 tackles of the game, with the last tackle stopping the Mustang back 1-yard short of the goal line! 

Beginning district with Spring, Forest, The Woodlands and Westfield was a formidable challenge.  But through it all, there have been many individual and team successes that provide the basis for a successful close to the football season.  We are very proud of your efforts thus far and know that victory will soon be yours.

GO PANTHERS!

Oak suffered a heart-breaking loss at Conroe as the Tigers kicked the game winning field goal with just 8 seconds remaining to secure a 12-10 win.  The Panthers were clearly the superior team, but turnovers allowed the Tigers to stay in the game until the end.  The Panthers literally let victory slip through their paws with two lost fumbles in the last few minutes of the game.    

Conroe came through when it counted as they drove 60 yards in the final 2 minutes of the first half for 6 points, and 50 yards in the game’s final minute for the game-winning field goal.  With just seconds remaining, the defense stuffed the Tigers from inside the 1-yard line to force a timeout and a final field goal attempt (Conroe had already missed 2 field goals and an extra point).  Chris Powell made a valiant diving effort to block the kick, but the ball slipped just past his fingertips and through the uprights.

The offensive line of Andy Davis, Trace Brown, Joseph Villanueva, Scott Sacchieri and Ken Dodson continue to do an excellent job blocking as they led the way for an impressive ground attack.  Running backs Bryce Hudman, Torey Hall and Trey Richmond combined for nearly 8 yards a pop, garnering 161 yards on 21 carries.  Hudman became Oak’s first 100-yard rusher of the season with breakaway runs of 30 and 21 yards, and an even 100 yards on the night.  Hall took the ball 38 yards and was knocked out of bounds at the 16 on his only carry.  Richmond took the ball up the middle four times for 22 yards.  QB David Porter had an 8-yard run for a touchdown and QB Alex Pounds had runs of 7 and 11 yards.

Pounds completed passes to Woody Smith for 18 yards and Chris Powell for 16 yards on his first two attempts, and hit Hudman for 10 yards on the final play of the game.  Pounds ended the game 3-for-6 for 44 yards with a pass in the end zone slipping through the hands of a leaping receiver.

Kevin Beymann, playing in his first varsity game, was successful on an extra point attempt and kicked a 24-yard field goal to give Oak a 10-9 lead with 10 minutes to go.  Brandon Reynolds did a fine job punting.  His first punt was 36 yards and went out of bounds at the Conroe 11, and he later boomed one high and deep to the return man 48 yards away.  Kevin Cravey made a couple of tackles on the kick-off team and also had a 20-yard kick-off return.  Casey Wright had 30 total return yards on 2 kick-offs and a punt.

The defense played very well, forcing 4 turnovers and coming up with big plays to swing the momentum back the Panther’s way.  The defense prevented Conroe from gaining even a yard on their first three possessions with the last one ending with a LB Chris Boren fumble recovery.  LB Matt Nolan, who always seems to be where the ball is, recovered a fumbled punt after teammate Tremayne Dortch successfully separated runner from ball.  DE Matt Hunter decided it was better to take (the ball) rather then give (the hit) when he grabbed the ball from the QB and started running the other way.  DB Chris Powell made a diving catch of a tipped ball just before it hit the ground for a spectacular interception.

Leading tacklers for Oak were LB Matt Nolan with 5 unassisted and 12 total tackles (2 for loss), LB Chris Boren with 4 solos and 7 assists and DB Bryce Hudman with 10 total tackles.  Tackle Beau Harris had 10 tackles while DE Matt Hunter had 9, 2  behind the line of scrimmage.  DE Steph Davidson also had 9 with one tackle for a loss.

"You never win a game unless you beat the guy in front of you.  The score on the board doesn't mean a thing.  That's for the fans.  You've got to win the war with the man in front of you.  You've got to get your man."                                                      

- Vince Lombardi

Let’s show the Bearkats what Panther Pride is all about and come away with that Homecoming Victory!

Klein came knocking on Oak’s door expecting a treat, but none were to be found as the Panthers treated themselves to a 28-12 thrashing of the Bearkats.  Oak opened the game with a 75-yard drive on 8 plays for a 7-0 lead, extended the lead to 15-0 before the end of the first quarter, and never looked back.  The victory was especially sweet as it comes against their biggest rival Klein.

The Panthers have put together some exceptional halves this year, but this was the first time the team executed well from beginning to end on both sides of the ball.  The defense played solidly; tightening up each time Klein threatened to score, while allowing just 1 big play (60-yard run by Hawkins) and forcing 2 turnovers.  Klein was content to pound the ball up the middle with 3-4 yards per play while consuming much of the game clock, otherwise Oak would have had 3 running backs over the century mark. 

Klein never knew what hit them as Oak ran the ball at will, rolling up 265 yards on 31 carries.  It was almost as if they were protected by an invisible force field, but of course it was the charge of the “light brigade” – center Ken Dodson, guards Scott Sacchieri and Joseph Villanueva, tackles Andy Davis and Trace Brown, and tight ends Matt Hunter and Chris Boren.  This offensive line, averaging almost 200 pounds dripping wet with pads, and all coming back next year (as is injured captain Craig Strube), cleared the way for Oak running backs to have their second consecutive week of 8+ yards per carry.

QB David Porter was the leading rusher with 132 yards on 13 carries.  Bryce Hudman, coming off a 100-yard performance last week, had 12 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown.  Dustin Conant picked up 43 yards on six rushes.  Torey Hall carried once for 7 yards, but it was erased on a holding penalty.  QB Alex Pounds was effective and efficient going 6-for-8 for 45 yards and two touchdowns.

Oak’s leading receiver, Chris Powell, pulled in 3 passes for 20 yards and scored Oak’s first TD less than three minutes into the game.  The “A-Train”, Avery Johnson, had two receptions for 12 yards including a diving TD catch.  Matt Hunter made a great diving catch as well for 13 yards to set up an early score.

Oak had 3 defenders with 15 tackles each – DB Bryce Hudman with 11 unassisted, LB Matt Nolan with 9 unassisted and DB Tremayne Dortch with 8 solos.  LB’s Matt Sweisthal and Chris Holt came through with big stops to halt 3^rd quarter drives deep in Oak territory.  Beau Harris, Chris Boren, Theron Matthews and James Ponshock all played well in the box to keep the Bearkat running game in check.  Casey Wright charged around the end to block Klein’s first extra point attempt to keep the momentum in Oak’s favor.  Bryce also had a touchdown reception from Pounds, Trevor that is, as he picked off an errant pass and ran it back 40-yards for a touchdown to “seal the deal”.

Kevin Cravey had an exciting kick-off return racing right up the middle from his own 5-yard line before being tackled by the kicker near midfield to prevent the TD.  Kevin Beymann kicked a pair of extra points and Kelly Nix did a great job on his 5 kickoffs.

Good luck Panthers this week in the season finale.  A victory over Collins will secure a 5^th place district finish and end the season on a high note -  a winning streak heading into next season as well.

GO OAK – WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!!!