Vian built up a 21-point cushion in the third quarter and appeared to be in control.
However, the tables turned as the host Kiefer Trojans scored on all three of their secondhalf drives and forced the Wolverines into two turnovers and stopping them on downs on a third possession, dealing Vian a 30-29 stunning defeat last Friday night at Kiefer Stadium.
Vian coach Gary Willis said the key to the game was for his team to thrive in the run game while stopping their opponents. One was met throughout the first half, and on the opening drive of the third quarter, but was short the rest of the way. The other was not.
Willis attributed the loss to “Depth is one thing, and two, the guys came in and played their rear off, and we just came up short. They made plays, and we didn’t in the second half.”
The Wolverines (1-1) did outgain the Trojans (2-1) in total offense, 322-268, and outran the Trojans 182-174, but Kiefer did boast the top individual rusher as Cash Worley produced a game-high 113 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns on TD runs of 28, 5, 4 yards.
Dreighton Fletcher led the Wolverines in that department with 93 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns on TD runs of 23 and 2 yards.
“It (running game) was good in the first half, and it got shut down in the second half,” Willis said.
Coming out with a two-touchdown halftime lead, Vian got the ball to start the second half and moved the ball in 14 plays to add on to its lead with a 2-yard rushing TD from Fletcher, his second of the night.
Keifer then began its comeback. Two TDs – a pair of 4-yard runs by K.J. Bowers and Cash Worley, respectively – capped by successful two-point conversions on its next two drives, put Vian on the edge, seeing its lead reduced to 29-24 with 9:17 left in the game.
Spurred by the comeback, the Trojan defense tightened up and did not allow the Wolverines to get much running room.
Still, the Wolverines ran 15 plays and converted on fourth down twice in a span of 6:25, but could not convert on fourth-and-16 from the Kiefer 30-yard line as a pass attempt came up incomplete.
The Trojans took over, and with 47.4 seconds left, Worley ran into the end zone from four yards for the go-ahead TD. The extra point was missed, but Vian was still behind 30-29.
With one chance to regain the lead, Vian could only muster seven yards, and on fourthand-3 from its 27-yard line, the Wolverines threw a pass that was picked off.
Kiefer took over and took knees.
“We’ll go watch film and correct things,” Willis said. “Some of us were not in alignment on defense and wrong fits, and we missed blocks. So everything’s teachable. We usually learn more in a loss than we do in a win, but it’s a Week 2 non-district game, so in the big scheme of things, that doesn’t hurt anything but our pride tonight. A non-district loss doesn’t hurt our goals at all. Hopefully, it’ll make us come back hungry, and we’ll get after Pocola next week.”
Vian struck quickly as senior Masyn Wright scored on the first play on a 28-yard run around the right less than two minutes into the game. Cash Trammel added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 10:38 left in the first quarter.
Fletcher increased the Wolverine lead to 14-0 with a 23-yard TD run around to the left and another successful PAT by Trammel with 2:08 left in the first quarter.
Vian threatened for a third TD but turned the ball over on downs at the Kiefer 30-yard line with more than five minutes left before halftime.
The Trojans then completed a 37-yard pass to the Wolverines’ 33, then Cash Worley ran on a keeper from that distance to trim Vian’s lead to 14-8, which included a 2-point conversion, with 2:38 left in the second quarter.
However, the Wolverines answered back as Trammel tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass in the end zone to Ledger Folsom, then countered with their own two-point try as Trammel hit Wright to make the score 22-8 at halftime.
The Wolverines will return home to meet the Pocola Indians at 7 p.m. next Friday at St. John Stadium.
