The Glenpool Warriors came into Friday’s homecoming matchup against Tulsa Hale eager to erase the zero that had parked itself in their win column over the course of the season’s first four games, and to give the homecoming crowd at the Chafin Sports Complex something to celebrate. They did both in a big way, crushing the Rangers 66-0.
On a night that saw the Warriors make big plays on both sides of the ball, Glenpool’s Makai Blades brought the crowd to its feet with a big 90 yard touchdown dash midway through the second quarter.
It was a night with plenty of Warrior touchdowns to go around, with Blades, Cayden Willingham, and Ethan Mosquito bagging two each, and Kyle Mullinex and Caleb Aston both snagging one.
Defensively, the Warriors were clutch in breaking the Rangers’ attempts at establishing a passing game, with Harley Mullins intercepting Hale quarterback Jeremiah Stacey to stop a Ranger scoring threat late in the third quarter. Warrior special teams took full advantage of Hale kicking errors to keep the visitors’ offense on its heels all evening.
The game started in less-than-ideal fashion for the Warriors when the Glenpool offense coughed the ball up on the first play from scrimmage at the Hale 35 yard line. However, the Ranger offense was unable to make good on the charity, going four and out on the series following the early Glenpool miscue.
The Warriors first lit up the scoreboard at the 6:49 mark of the first quarter when Blades rushed into the end zone from eight yards out on second down and three to cap a four play, 38 yard drive to put set the score at 8-0 after a two point conversion.
The Warriors took a 16-0 lead on the heels of a muffed Hale punt at the 3:59 mark in the first quarter when Caleb Aston found the goal line on a seven yard rush on second and goal from the visitors’ seven yard line.
With the Glenpool defense choking the Hale run game, the Rangers tried opening their offense and going more to the air early in the second quarter. The Rangers’ first serious scoring threat was stopped cold when Glenpool’s Darren Rittwage picked off a Jeremiah Stacey pass at the Warriors’ 11 yard line.
Glenpool needed only one play after Rittwage’s interception to increase their lead to 24-0 0 on Blades’s 90 yard dash at the 5:04 mark in the second quarter.
Glenpool’s defense got into the scoring act with 3:13 left in the second quarter when Josh Morgan disrupted a Stacey pass attempt, handing the Warrior defense a 24 yard touchdown and a 32-0 lead going into the half.
Willingham nabbed his first touchdown of the evening on an 11 yard rush at the 9:42 mark of the third quarter to cap a six play, 70 yard drive to give the home team a 38-0 advantage. His second score of the evening capped a six play, 25 yard drive with 4:50 left in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 45-0 advantage. The drive was set up by a five yard loss on a Hale fumble on fourth down and 11, resulting in the Rangers turning the ball over on downs deep in their own territory.
Mullinex’s touchdown came at the end of a 7 play, 44 yard drive on a 10 yard rush with 8:15 left in the fourth quarter, putting Glenpool’s lead at 52-0.
Mosquito capped the evening’s festivities with scoring rushes of 20 yards with 6:04 left in the contest, and 31 yards with 2:59 remaining on the clock.
The Warriors will look to put together a winning streak next Friday when they head south to face the Ada Bulldogs.
