Cascia Hall passes 4A test with dominating victory
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Saturday, September 29, 2012
9/29/12 at 6:57 AM
SALLISAW - In what was called their first real test at the Class 4A level, the No. 1 Cascia Hall Commandos passed with flying colors Friday night.
Give them something like a 98 score on a scale of 100.
They were that dominant in rolling past sixth-ranked Sallisaw, spoiling the Black Diamonds' homecoming before about 2,500 spectators at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium.
"We've got a good team. Put us in any class and we'll play," Cascia Hall coach Joe Medina said of the Commandos' jump to 4A after dominating smaller classifications with three state titles and a runner-up finish in the past five years.
Abrm McQuarters rushed 21 times for 229 yards and three scores as the Commandos posted their 48th consecutive district win since 2005.
Cascia Hall scored touchdowns on six of its first seven possessions and forced four turnovers. The Commandos intercepted Sallisaw quarterback and TU commit Ben Oberste three times and caused him to fumble at the goal line on a key stand in the first quarter.
McQuarters said the Commandos prepared extra hard during the week because people were wondering whether they were up to the test.
"Faith in us was getting a little shaky," he said. "We wanted to prove we're as good as we think we are and prove we can hang with the big boys."
Sallisaw coach Craig Benson was convinced.
"I think they lined up and smashed us in the mouth," he said. "They are very good up front and they had their way with us on offense."
McQuarters concurred with Benson's assessment of the Commandos' offensive linemen.
"Those guys are warriors. It's fun running behind them," McQuarters said.
His blockers sprung him for scoring runs of 54 and 85 yards on his fourth and sixth carries of the game, giving the Commandos a 14-0 lead.
In between those scores, Sallisaw's Jadon Daveport went 56 yards and the Black Diamonds reached the Comandos' 1 before Oberste tried the middle on a third-down quarterback sneak and got the ball stripped by Bryce Carter.
Tate Swab recovered the fumble, one of two takeaways by the Commandos' two-way starting quarterback. Swab also intercepted a pass.
Cascia led 28-9 at halftime and the lead could have been longer, but Sallisaw scored on the last play of the half when Devin Harriman took a short pass from Oberste, broke a tackle and turned it into a 57-yard scoring play.
But Cascia Hall marched 80 yards to start the second half, and Tate sparkled on the scoring play, scrambling out of a sack and racing 22 yards to the end zone.
CASCIA HALL 42, SALLISAW 17
| Cascia Hall |
14 |
14 |
7 |
7 |
- |
42 |
| Sallisaw |
3 |
6 |
8 |
0 |
- |
17 |
CH: McQuarters 54 run (Rosendo kick)
CH: McQuarters 85 run (Rosendo kick)
S: FG, Rodriguez 37
CH: McQuarters 4 run (Rosendo kick)
CH: Cook 2 run (Rosendo kick)
S: Harriman 57 pass from Oberste (kick failed)
CH: Tate 22 run (Rosendo kick)
S: Hamilton 18 pass from Oberste (Harriman pass from Oberste)
CH: Cook 4 run (Rosendo kick)
| Cascia Hall | Sallisaw |
| First downs | 19 | 11 |
| Rushing yards | 59-412 | 21-157 |
| Passing yards | 53 | 158 |
| Passes | 4-8-0 | 9-16-3 |
| Punts | 1-34.0 | 1-40.0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-15 | 1-5 |
