Wagoner falls as Anadarko streak hits 28

BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Saturday, November 24, 2012
11/24/12 at 6:21 AM

LANGSTON - Wagoner went 43 minutes without committing a turnover, but a pair in the final five minutes proved costly.

In a Class 4A semifinal Friday night, the second-ranked Bulldogs self-destructed late to fall 24-14 to No. 3 Anadarko at Langston University's W.E. Anderson Stadium.

"We had every opportunity in the world to win the game," coach Dale Condict said. "I think basically in the fourth quarter it came down to who screwed up the least."

Trailing 17-14, Wagoner was driving before tailback Lawrence Evitt fumbled near midfield. The Warriors picked up a key first down and cashed in with a third touchdown from running back R.J. Sink.

The Bulldogs, needing two scores with two minutes left, hurriedly marched down the field. They were inside the 15-yard line when disaster struck again in the form of another fumble, and Anadarko ran out the clock for its 28th straight victory, the longest streak in the state.

"It was just one that got away," Condict said. "It'll be one that will burn for a while."

The game featured a rare matchup of reigning state champions, with Anadarko having moved up from 3A. If not for several Warriors errors, Wagoner wouldn't have had a chance.

Fourth-quarter fumbles gave the Bulldogs the ball at the Anadarko 30-yard line and at the 25, but each drive resulted in a failed fourth-down conversion.

"We had some bad breaks, seems like the whole game," Warriors coach Kent Jackson said. "They just kept plugging and kept plugging, and I'm just super proud of them."

Wagoner (11-2) started the game by forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff, and then seemingly scored on an Evitt scamper on the first play from scrimmage. But a holding penalty negated the touchdown, and Evitt was unable to break a long run the rest of the game. He finished with 144 tough yards.

"He ran hard, but we just couldn't ever get him loose," Condict said. "They were very good up front with their defensive linemen. We knew that going in, but I really thought we might get him loose one or two times."

The teams were tied at 7 after the Bulldogs scored just before halftime. Evitt appeared to be stopped for a 3-yard gain but squirted through for an 18-yard TD.

A third-quarter run by Evitt gave Wagoner its first lead, but it lasted less than a minute.

Sink scored again, on a 66-yard pass from quarterback Brandon Pollard. A penalty for too many men on the field gave the Warriors a short two-point conversion try, and Sink sneaked in for the 15-14 advantage.

"I felt like we were going to win (after the Wagoner touchdown)," Condict said. "I really did. We had them third and forever, and Sink breaks several tackles - tackles that we should have made."

After the Sink TD, Wagoner went three-and-out, and a high snap on a punt resulted in a safety.

The loss ended the careers of a Bulldog senior class that is the winningest in program history.

"They can hold their heads high," Condict said. "There's been football played in Wagoner for a long time, and they can say they're on top right now.

"I'm sure our juniors want to beat them. They want to go win more games than they did next year."

Anadarko 24, Wagoner 14

Anadarko	0	7	10	7	-	24
Wagoner	0	7	7	0	-	14

A: Sink 17 run (Nation kick)

W: Evitt 18 run (Clark kick)

W: Evitt 7 run (Clark kick)

A: Sink 66 pass from Pollard (Sink run)

A: Safety (snap out of end zone)

A: Sink 5 run (Nation kick)

	ANA	WAG
First Downs	16	14
Rushes-Yards	37-175	40-157
Passing Yards	96	100
Comp-Att-Int	8-12-1	5-10-0
Punts-Avg	1-44	2-40-5
Fumbles-Lost	6-3	4-2
Penalties-Yards	10-84	4-35

Kelly Hines 918-581-8452
kelly.hines@tulsaworld.com