The Wilson Eagles came into Ryan last Friday night and unleashed a powerful offensive attack in rolling to a 68-22 victory over the Cowboys at Bob Givens Sports Complex.
With the win, the Eagles are guaranteed second place in District B-4 and a home playoff game in the first round of the post-season.
The Cowboys will try to rebound from the loss in the final regular season game as they travel to Central High Friday to meet the Bronchos. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
The game Friday is critical to both teams’ playoff hopes.
Last Friday Wilson used its team speed to its maximum potential as several receivers ran open through the Ryan secondary throughout the game that ended near the end of the third quarter.
Wilson rolled up 518 total yards and 313 yards were through the air – the fourth highest passing yards by an opponent in school history.
The Cowboys, however, contributed to Wilson’s success by failing to cover a pair of kickoffs and giving up the ball once on an interception and once on a fumble.
Wilson took the opening kickoff of the game and promptly marched 56 yards on five plays with Hayden Mantooth racing 27 yards on the ground for the first score of the game. Logan Schaaf ran for the two-point conversion giving Wilson an 8-0 lead with 10:17 left in the first quarter.
The Cowboys could not produce a first down on their first possession and were forced to punt and Wilson took possession at its own 36.
On first down Schaaf found a wide open Sane Honea – his favorite target of the night – for a 64-yard scoring play. Axson Hunsiker caught the two-point conversion pass and with 7:36 left in the first quarter the Eagles held a 16-0 advantage.
The Cowboys answered with a 63-yard drive on just three plays as Grayson Tomberlin scampered 45 yards for a score. Tomberlin ran for the two points and Ryan had cut into the Wilson lead with 6:11 showing in the first quarter.
The two teams exchanged punts and Wilson got the ball again at the Cowboy 40. In just four plays the Eagles found the end zone with Mantooth skirting 23 yards for the touchdown. The pass for two points was broken up by Tomberlin, but Wilson had a 22-8 lead with 1:07 left in the first quarter.
It was the second quarter that the wheels really fell off for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys had a drive going, but facing a third and three at the Eagle 43, Tomberlin scrambled around before trying to hit a receiver and Manthooth stepped in front and intercepted the ball for Wilson giving the Eagles possession at their own 34.
The Eagles drove the 66 yards for the score, but it took eight plays. The Eagles converted two third downs along the way including the scoring play which was a 23-yard pass from Schaaf to Hunter Wyatt. Honea caught the two-point conversion pass and with 5:52 to play in the half the Eagles were in command with a 30-8 advantage.
On the kickoff by the Eagles the ball bounced pass the Ryan returner and Mantooth was right there to cover the loose ball for the Eagles.
This miscue, however, did not cost the Cowboys as five plays later Mantooth fumbled and Walter Snider came up with the ball for the Cowboys at the Ryan 11.
Andrew Villerreal broke off a 52-yard run to spur the drive that covered 89 yards in eight plays. Villerreal carried the pigskin in from four yards out and with 1:29 left the Cowboys had trimmed the lead to 30-14.
Wilson answered the score quickly as Schaaf hit Kaden Barron for a 61-yard touchdown pass and after Schaaf passed to Tommy Wright the Eagle lead increased to 38-14 with only 1:07 left before intermission.
On the kickoff, the Cowboys did not handle the ball cleanly and Caylen Fulton recovered the loose ball for the Eagles.
Three plays later Schaaf hit Honea from 16 yards out for a touchdown and then passed to Mantooth for the two points to increase the lead to 46-14 with 34 seconds showing on the clock.
This meant the Eagles scored 16 points within 33 seconds to end the half and essentially seal the win.
There was no scoring in the third quarter until almost halfway through the period.
Wilson ran the lead to 54-14 with a six-play, 37-yard drive that followed a Ryan fumble. Wyatt scored from the one and Schaaf ran for the two points with 7:18 showing remaining in the third quarter.
The Cowboys refused to quit, however, and after forcing the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs Ryan took the ball at its own 37-yard line. On first down Tomberlin took off up the middle and then cut to the right side and outran the Wilson defense for a 63-yard score. Caleb Perrin caught a pass from Tomberlin for the two-point conversion to narrow the gap to 54-22 with 4:32 left in the quarter.
Wilson closed out the game with a seven-yard scoring run by Schaaf and a 57-yard pass from Barron to Honea. When the Eagles’ Barron ran for the two points, the game was ended.
Honea dominated the receiving corps for the Eagles with six catches for 217 yards and three scores.
Tomberlin finished with 164 yards rushing on just 17 carries and Villerreal ended up with 120 yards on 14 carries for the Cowboys who rushed for 290 total yards.
Five Cowboy senior football players took the field for the final time at Bob Givens Sports Complex. Jonathan Clark, Parker Carey, Villerreal, Gunner Phillips and Snider made their final appearance at home in a Cowboy uniform and were introduced before the game as part of Senior Night festivities.
COWBOY CORRAL: The playoff picture for the Cowboys is unclear heading into Friday’s meeting with Central High….The only sure thing is that Ryan must win over the Bronchos to have a chance to make the post-season – and they must win by 10 points or more….A Ryan win and an Empire loss to Waurika would make a three-way tie in the district for third place and Empire would take third based on the point tiebreaker system….A Central win would give the Bronchos third place and Empire would take the fourth spot because of the win over the Cowboys earlier in the season….Central High would gain fourth place in the district if the Cowboys win by less than 10 points….Ryan now trails the series with Wilson, 13-8…..The first meeting in football between the two schools came in 1920…Wilson has won four of the last five meetings and seven of the last 10 dating back to 1970….The 68 points scored by the Eagles is the most ever against Ryan eclipsing the 54 points scored in 1965 against the Cowboys….The 90 points scored by both teams is the most ever in the 21-game series….The 22 points scored by Ryan is the third most against Wilson in a losing cause….This was the fourth game this season that Tomberlin and Villerreal have each rushed for 100 or more yards.
Game in Figures
WHS RHS
First Downs 18 13
Yards Rushing 30-205 32-290
Yards Passing 313 15
Passes 11-16 2-9
Passes Int. By 1 0
Fumbles, Lost 2-1 3-2
Punts 1-45 2-31
Penalties 4-35 5-37
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Wilson 22 24 22 x—68
Ryan 8 6 8 x—22
WILSON- Hayden Mantooth 27 run (Logan Schaaf run), 10:17, 1st Quarter
WILSON -Shane Honea 64 pass from Schaaf (Axson Hunziker pass from Schaaf), 2:36, 1st Quarter
RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 45 run (Tomberlin run), 6:11, 1st Quarter
WILSON – Mantooth 23 run (pass failed), 1:07, 1st Quarter
WILSON – Hunter Wyatt 23 pass from Schaaf (Honea pass from Schaaf), 5:52, 2nd Quarter
RYAN – Andrew Villerreal 4 run (run failed), 1:29, 2nd Quarter
WILSON – Kaden Barron 61 pass form Schaaf (Tommy Wright pass from Schaaf), 1:07, 2nd Quarter
WILSON – Honea 16 pass from Schaaf (Mantooth pass from Schaaf), :34.6, 2nd Quarter
WILSON – Wyatt 1 run (Schaaf run), 7:18, 3rd Quarter
RYAN – Tomberlin 63 run (Caleb Perrin pass from Tomberlin), 4:32, 3rd Quarter
WILSON – Schaaf 7 run (pass failed), 3:08, 3rd Quarter
WILSON – Honea 57 pass from Barron (Barron run), :36.5, 3rd Quarter
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
WILSON: Rushing – Hayden Mantooth 13-131, Logan Schaaf 2-36, Kaden Barron 5-26, Hunter Wyatt 5-12; Passing – Schaaf 10-15-256-0, Barron 1-1-57-0; Receiving – Shane Honea 6-217, Caylen Fulton 2-15, Barron 1-61, Wyatt 1-23, Mantooth 1-(-3).
RYAN: Rushing – Grayson Tomberlin 17-164, Andrew Villerreal 14-120, Caleb Perrin 1-6; Passing – Tomberlin 1-8-5-1, Villerreal 1-1-10-0; Receiving – Tomberlin 1-10, Villerreal 1-5; Tackles – Villerreal 11, Try Bryant 7, Tomberlin 7, Gunner Phillips 6, Jonathan Clark 5, Skyler Wickware 4, Perrin 3, Walter Snider 3, Parker Carey 3.
