The Deweyville Pirates announced their arrival into postseason history on Thursday night with an emphatic message…we are for real! The district champion Pirates dominated the game from start to finish and avenged one of their two losses of the season in crushing the Cushing Bearkats by a final score of 44-8. The senior duo of Cade Watson and James Menard led the way for the Pirates by scoring all six of the Pirate’s touchdowns. Menard finished with 56 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. Cade Watson had 24 carries for a massive 239 yards rushing and finished with 2 rushing touchdowns.
The Pirates won the coin toss and elected to defer to the 2nd half. Menard executed a squib kick that was mishandled by the Bearkats and Ryan Bland made a heads up play and pounced on the loose ball. On the very next play, Cade Watson darted around the left side for 35 yards to the end zone on the Pirate’s first play from scrimmage. Justin Brister added the 2-point conversion.
On the ensuing drive, the Bearkats looked to be stalled, but penalties kept their offense on the field. The Bearkats marched down to the Pirate’s 5 yard line, but after a bobbled hand off, two penalties on the Bearkats, and a huge sack by Shawn Dreyer on 4th down, the Pirates took over. On the next drive, the Pirates bulled their way to their way down inside the 20. Menard capped it off with an 18 yard touchdown run around the right edge. The two point conversion failed.
After a 3 and out, the Bearkats punted and the Pirates took over at their own 44 yard line. The Pirates drove the ball down to the 1 yard line. On fourth and 1, Menard called his own number and punched it in for his second touchdown of the night. Menard scored the 2-point conversion to make the game 22 – 0.
Cushing’s lone score came after the two teams exchanged turnovers late in the second quarter. Cushing running back, Eddie Davis, broke free up the middle for a long gain, but Noah Watson stripped the ball loose and Cade Watson recovered it on the Pirate’s own 10 yard line. After a botched exchange in the backfield, Cushing jumped on the loose ball on the 1 yard line. The Pirates held the Bearkats for 3 plays on their own 1 yard line, but Cushing finally found the end zone on the fourth play of the drive from the 2 yard line. The Pirates led at halftime 22 – 8.
The Pirates received the 2nd half kickoff and methodically marched the ball down the field. Menard scrambled for a run on third and long to give the Pirates a 1st down at the Cushing 43 yard line. Watson then showed his quickness by busting loose on a 43 yard touchdown. Ryan Bland bulled his way in for the two-point conversion.
On the next drive the Pirates shut down the Bearkats and forced Cushing to turn the ball over on downs. With a heavy dose of Watson, Menard, and Nathan Berry, the Pirates marched the ball down the field. The drive was capped off with a 7 yard touchdown around the left side by Menard. The Bearkats stopped the Pirates as they failed to convert the two point conversion.
The Pirates dodged a bullet in the third quarter on a 58 yard halfback touchdown pass that was called back due to a penalty on the Bearkats. The drive ended when Cade Watson intercepted a pass and returned it 43 yards to just inside the Cushing 20 yard line. After the play, things got chippy with a Cushing player getting ejected for throwing a punch against a Pirates player. Three plays later, Menard punched it across the goal line from 3 yards out for his 4th touchdown of the night. Jordan Brown scored the two point conversion.
Late in the fourth quarter, a great defensive play by Ryan Bland forced the Bearkats to go for it on fourth and long. After a dropped pass, Deweyville took over on downs, but after their only three and out, the Pirates punted it right back to the Bearkats at their own 13 yard line. Still, a comeback was not in the cards for Cushing. The Bearkats ended their season at 6 – 5.
Head Coach Brandon Prouse was very pleased with the effort that his team brought to the field on Thursday night in Jasper. “I am so proud of the focus, intensity level and effort our guys brought tonight. We’ve had a tendency of letting up this season after getting a lead, but our players stayed fully engaged for 48 minutes and the scoreboard reflected that. Cade runs harder each week, and James is a field general who directs our offense with great efficiency.” Prouse went on to say that “this group of seniors decided before the season that they wanted to be different. They wanted to change the culture and history at Deweyville, and I could not be more proud of them for doing just that.”
After the game Menard said, “Words can’t describe this feeling. We have worked so hard for this. We’ve got a special group of guys. I’m just glad I can be a part of a history making team. Our offensive line (Ethan Willett, Connor Salter, Louis Gonzalez, Nathan Parker, Bryce Raymer & Roman Spears) did an awesome job creating space. We’ve got a special group of guys here.”
There’s a new feeling around Deweyville, and it seems like no one around there wants the feeling to end. They get a chance to extend history next week when they face Chilton High School.
-Dominic Menard, KOGT-
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