The Sapulpa Football Chieftains capped their 2023 regular season campaign in dominating style Friday evening, thrashing an outmatched Tulsa East Central Cardinals squad 56-13 on Senior Night at Collins Stadium. The victory marked the fifth time this season the Chieftains hung 50 or more points on an opponent, putting Sapulpa’s record at 7-3 heading into a first-round playoff date next Friday.
Despite a rare evening in which Sapulpa quarterback Colton Howard did not add to his touchdown tally, the senior ran an offense that bagged six touchdowns on eight first-half possessions before handing the offense over to sophomore Eli Beck shortly before the half. Senior running back Marco Smith accounted for three touchdowns, with Kylen Edwards grabbing two, and DeShon Koch, Rashaud Reynolds, and Eli Beck adding one each. A fumble at the Cardinals’ 1-yard-line on what looked to be a sure-thing score early in the first quarter kept the score from going over 60 points for the boys in blue. Cavin Peper was perfect on PATs on the evening.
Two blocked punts contributed to a defensive effort that saw the Cardinals invade Chieftain territory only three times. The Chieftain defense kept East Central quarterback Konnor Dunn on the run all evening, with Isaac Shelton and Ryan Peterson dropping Dunn for one sack each.
Sapulpa took the opening kickoff and marched 69 yards in five plays to open the scoring at the 10:10 mark of the first quarter when Smith found the endzone on first and goal from the 2-yard-line.
After going three and out on their first possession, East Central looked poised to get into the game when Kylen Edwards coughed up the ball at the Cardinals’ 1-yard line on a first and 10 play from the East Central 24-yard line. The Cardinals returned the favor one play later when Dakota Chaney recovered an East Central fumble at the Cardinals’ 5-yard-line. Smith found the endzone two plays later in 2nd and goal from the East Central 2-yard-line to put the home team up 14-0 with 7:22 left in the first quarter.
The Chieftains next score came at the 5:18 mark of the first quarter when Howard connected with Smith on a 14-yard strike on 3rd and 11 to put Sapulpa up 21-0. The four-play series was set up by a blocked punt recovered by Jackson Mills at the Cardinals’ 37-yard-line after an East Central three and out.
East Central’s first score came on their next possession, a 63-yard, 12 play drive that stalled at the Sapulpa 3-yard-line. The Cardinals’ touchdown came on a faked 20-yard field goal attempt when Cardinals kicker Walter Godinez grabbed a pass in the corner of the endzone to breathe some needed life into the Cardinal sideline. A failed two-point conversion put the score at 21-6 in the Chieftains’ favor with 11:04 left in the second quarter.
Edwards redeemed his fumble on the Chieftains’ next possession when Howard found him on a 39-yard strike to widen Sapulpa’s lead to 28-6 with 8:18 left in the second quarter.
After another Cardinal three and out, Koch grabbed six points for the Chieftains on a 22-yard toss from Howard to put Sapulpa ahead 35-6 with 5:42 left in the second quarter.
The Chieftain defense came up big on the Cardinals’ next possession when Shelton dropped Dunn for a sack on 3rd and five at the East Central 25-yard-line. Koch’s sack came one play after Bishop Gordon broke up a Cardinal pass in Chieftain territory. The Chieftain offense went up tempo on the ensuing possession, notching three consecutive first downs on an eight play, 49-yard drive that ended with Howard connecting with Edwards on a five-yard scoring toss to put the Chieftains ahead 42-6 with 1:30 left in the first half.
The Cardinals came out of the half and promptly lit up the scoreboard on a four play, 77-yard drive that ended when Dunn found Veshion Arps on a 39-yard scoring strike to pull put the score at 42-13 after Godinez’s charity point with 8:16 left in the third quarter.
Beck added a touchdown for the Chieftains as time expired in the third quarter on a 14-yard rush to put Sapulpa ahead 49-13 going into the game’s final frame.
East Central looked to add to their total on their next possession, taking the ball 37 yards to the Sapulpa 28-yard-line before Peterson dropped Dunn at the Chieftain 39-yard-line. Jaylen Conway’s 18-yard rush on 4th and 19 resulted in the Chieftains taking over on downs with 5:14 left in the contest.
Reynolds found the endzone two plays later on a 68-yard run to seal the 56-13 Sapulpa victory with 3:18 left in the contest.
Sapulpa opens the playoff portion of their schedule with a visit to Claremore where they will face the Zebras in a win-or-go-home clash next Friday.
