NOTE: The Blanchard game has been changed to tonight (Thursday).
The weather was a bit sloppy, but it was a successful Senior Night for the Savages last Friday at home. After celebrating Tecumseh seniors from football, cross country, band and cheer, the Savages went to work on the field to move their record to 5-4 as they hammered Bridge Creek 39-14.
The T-Town boys made it rough on themselves early on but put things together by the end of the first quarter. Bridge Creek received the opening kickoff, and the Savage defense forced the Bobcats backwards before a punt gave Tecumseh good field position at the Bobcats 44-yard line.
The Savages immediately gave the ball back to Bridge Creek on an interception but again the Tecumseh defense forced a punt, giving the Savages good field position. This time the Savages moved the ball and finished with a nineyard TD run by Garrett Chaffin. The point after try was no good and Tecumseh led 6-0 halfway through the first quarter.
The Bobcats answered the Savage score on their next possession with a big play. A 60yard pass from Bridge Creek quarterback Beau James to Jose Martinez ended up in the endzone. The PAT was good, and the Bobcats led 7-6 just over a minute after the Tecumseh touchdown.
The Savages then got going and answered the Bridge Creek touchdown with the first of three of their own on their next possession. This time Conner Barksdale burst for a 20-yard run to paydirt with 3:55 on the clock in the first quarter. Tecumseh again missed the extra-point, but the Savages led 12-7.
The Savage bucked up again and forced a Bridge Creek punt. The Savages went on a drive to the endzone, overcoming some mistakes, and ended the drive with another touchdown run by Chaffin. This time Chaffin covered 30-yards for the score. The extra-point was booted through by Brody Moody and Tecumseh led 19-7 just 52-seconds into the second quarter.
As the Tecumseh defense held Bridge Creek at bay, The Savages finished off the half and the Bobcats with two more touchdowns in the second quarter, with both involving Chaffin. The first TD was a Chaffin to Keegan Plumley 10-yard pass into the endzone. The PAT was blocked, and Tecumseh led 25-7 with 4:39 left in the half.
The next Tecumseh score came after another defensive stand deep in Bobcat territory. The Savages took advantage of a high snap on a Bridge Creek punt and began a short drive that ended with Chaffin finding the goal line on a nine-yard run. Moody kicked the extra-point and Tecumseh took an overwhelming 32-7 lead into the halftime locker room.
In the second half, the two teams went back and forth with a punt fest early on before the Savages finished the Bobcats off with a touchdown at the 2:05 mark of the third quarter. The third rushing touchdown of the night for Chaffin was a threeyard run. Moody was true on the extra-point and the Savages had taken any doubt of the outcome away with a 39-7 lead.
The Savages began playing reserves liberally from that point in the game as the teams exchanged punts and interceptions deep into the fourth quarter. The Bobcats finally got on the scoreboard again against Tecumseh’s second and third teamers with a seven-yard run with exactly two-minutes left in the game. The PAT was good, and it made the final score 39-14 with a District 4A-2 win to move the Savages in 5th place in the district.
As you might guess, Chaffin was named the Todd Colburn Oklahoma Farm Bureau MVP of the Game for the second straight game and his third of the season. Chaffin was responsible for four Tecumseh TD’s and played like a mad man on defense with several tackles for loss.
With a chance of severe weather on Friday night, the Savages (5-4, 3-2) game at Blanchard (6-3, 5-1) has been moved to tonight (Thursday) with kickoff at 7:00.
