Grundy's 3 TDs help BTW top McAlester
BY MICHAEL HARRIS World Correspondent
Saturday, September 08, 2012
9/08/12 at 5:58 AM
Neither the weather nor the game were ideal at S.E. Williams Stadium, but a second-half shutout by Booker T. Washington gave the Hornets a 27-17 victory over visiting McAlester on Friday night.
After a delay of more than 90 minutes, miscues by both teams made the rematch of last year's District 5A-3 title game look like it might be a shootout.
McAlester drove 55 yards on its opening possession before a fumble on a high shotgun snap was scooped up by Hornets defensive lineman Jordan Brailford, who returned the ball 75 yards for a touchdown.
A failed fake punt during the ensuing Buffalo (0-2) possession gave the Hornets (2-0) control deep in McAlester territory.
Hornets quarterback Cordale Grundy connected with receiver Arlando Johnson for a 13-yard touchdown pass after the fake punt, giving Booker T. Washington a 13-0 lead entering the second quarter.
Still, Hornets coach Marvin Dantzler said his team still needs to execute better should the No. 9 6A Hornets wish to contest for the program's ninth state title.
"We came out kind of flat," Dantzler said. "Even though we were up 13-0, we still looked pretty flat."
The Buffaloes' running game was dominant through much of the first two quarters, with six McAlester backs racking up 139 yards and 13 first downs before halftime.
A pair of special team mistakes by Washington, however, gave McAlester its best field position.
McAlester blocked consecutive Washington punts during the second quarter, setting tailback Seth Grant up for a pair of touchdown runs, giving McAlester a 14-13 lead with 8:10 left in the first half.
"That's something that's got to be addressed," Dantzler said. "We've got to fix our special teams."
McAlester extended its first half lead to 17-13 following a 23-yard field goal by kicker Tam Kang, but Washington capped a one-minute, 84-yard scoring drive with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Myles Tease to give the Hornets a 19-17 halftime advantage.
Neither team was able to move the ball with consistency in the second half until Grundy threw his third touchdown with 5:56 left in the game. A two-point conversion following Grundy's 41-yard touchdown pass to Tease finished both teams' scoring.
"We're still trying to find our way on offense," Dantzler said. "But we hang our hat on our defense."
Washington next travels to East Central, where the Hornets will face the Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Booker T. Washington 27, McAlester 17
| McAlester |
0 |
17 |
0 |
0 |
- |
17 |
| BTW |
13 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
- |
27 |
BTW: Brailford 75 fumble return (Beasley kick)
BTW: Johnson 13 pass from Grundy (kick failed)
MHS: Harkins 2 run (Kang kick)
MHS: Grant 3 run (Kang kick)
MHS: FG, Kang 23
BTW: Tease 51 from Grundy (Conversion Failed)
BTW: Tease 41 from Grundy (Tease pass from Grundy)
|
| BTW | McAlester |
|
First Downs | 7 | 18 |
|
Rushes-Yards | 20-50 | 52-201 |
|
Passing Yards | 188 | 53 |
|
Comp-Att-Int | 11-23-0 | 9-16-0 |
|
Punts-Avg | 4-33 | 2-21.5 |
|
Fumbles-Lost | 2-1 | 3-3 |
|
Penalties-Yards | 8-95 | 4-45 |
