It was not the error-free game that was thought to be needed for Ryan to overcome the talented Fox Foxes.But, it was good enough as Ryan rolled to a 42-6 victory over the Foxes at Bob Givens Sports Complex last Friday night.
The Cowboys moved to 4-2 on the year and 1-0 in District B-4 play. Fox dropped to 0-6 and 0-1 with the loss.
Ryan used its vaulted running attack and stout defense to thwart any upset hopes Fox had for the contest.
Six turnovers and only one completed pass put the Cowboys in jeopardy but with the defense making big plays and Fox committing four turnovers of its own the Cowboys were able to pick up the win.
Ryan also racked up 70 yards in penalties that kept the Cowboys in check.
The Cowboys jumped out to a 14-0 lead and then used big scoring plays the rest of the night to secure the win.
Joseph Martin got the Cowboys on the board first with a 22-yard pass from Grayson Tomberlin – the only completion of the night for Ryan. Ty Garrett caught the two-point conversion pass from Tomberlin to give Ryan an 8-0 lead with 5:51 left in the first quarter.
Possibly the biggest play of the game came on the ensuing kickoff.
The Cowboys’ Martin picked up a Fox fumble on the ensuing kickoff and returned it 38 yards to pay dirt. The run failed for two points, but Ryan held a commanding 14-0 lead with 5:39 left in the first frame.
That’s the way the half ended as both teams could not sustain any offensive attack.
Late in the third quarter, Skyler Parkhill capped a Cowboy drive with a six-yard scoring scamper. Tomberlin ran for the two points and Ryan was on top, 22-0, with 4:15 to play.
Ryan took possession again late in the third quarter and this time Parkhill broke into the Fox secondary and scooted 74 yards for the score. The two-point conversion failed, but now Ryan held a 28-0 advantage with 1:04 left in the third period.
Fox tied to rally on the next possession as quarterback Jimmy Bivings capped a drive with a three-yard touchdown run. The try for two failed, but Fox had trimmed the lead to 28-6 with 11:14 left in the fourth quarter.
Two big scoring plays by the Cowboys ended any hopes of a Fox rally.
Dawson Tomberlin shook loose for a 59-yard touchdown with 9:25 left in the game putting the Cowboys in front, 34-6.
G. Tomberlin ended the Cowboys’ scoring for the night on a 63-yard run and Parkhill added the two-point conversion to set the final margin with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter.
Parkhill, D. Tomberlin and G. Tomberlin all finished with 100-plus yards rushing as the Cowboys rolled up 377 yards on just 35 carries.
Martin, whose two scores set the pace for the contest, was outstanding on the defensive side of the ball. He recorded 16 tackles, force a fumble and had a fumble recovery. River Williams also added to the defensive cause with 13 tackles and Tate Kimbro added 10 stops.
The Cowboys play hosts to rival Waurika tomorrow night (Friday). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Bob Givens Sports Complex.
COWBOY CORRAL: The victory over Fox still leaves Ryan trailing in the series with the Carter County school, 10-15-3…The 42 points recorded by the Cowboys is the third highest total in the 28 meetings with the Foxes….The 36-point margin of victory is the second highest margin of victory for the Cowboys in the series….Ryan had a 49-6 victory over the Foxes in 1998…This was the fourth time for Ryan to score 40 or more points against Fox, while Fox has done the same on six occasions….The win for Ryan broke a short two-game losing streak to Fox….Coach Stan Mueggenborg has a 3-3 mark against the Foxes….Fox ran 70 offensive plays, while Ryan had only 46 offensive snaps in the game – thanks somewhat to the six turnovers….Ryan, Waurika and Central High are tied for the District B-4 lead with 1-0 marks….The last time Ryan was 1-0 in district play was in 2012 – not including a forfeit in 2013 by Cement.
