By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
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Something had to give. Bishop McGuinness and Wagoner locked heads in an eagerly-anticipated Class 4A semifinal showdown in Sapulpa, with McGuinness prevailing 28-12 to move to the Class 4A State championship game for the first time in school history.
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Both teams entered the contest with eye-popping defensive statistics. McGuinness had allowed just 67 total points in 12 games, posting six shutouts en route to a 12-0 record. Wagoner allowed 80 points in 12 games, equaling McGuinness' 12-0 record. Not surprising to the estimated 8,000 in attendance, it was the defense putting the first points on the board.
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Just 2:14 into the contest, Wagoner junior quarterback Durrell Parker fumbled after relentless pressure by the Fighting Irish defense. Sophomore defensive end Gabe Ikard scooped up the pigskin off the Sapulpa High School FieldTurf and rumbled 15 yards for to give McGuinness an early 7-0 lead.
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For a team averaging nearly 300 yards a game on the ground, McGuinness surprisingly elected to trust the arm of steady quarterback Joseph Krenger. Krenger entered the contest with just 46 completions on the season, but 15 of those went for touchdowns. After missing on his first two passing attempts, Krenger went to work.
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Krenger hit back-up tight end Jared Smith on a 31-yard gain after Wagoner's decision to quick-kick on their own 5. On the next play, Krenger hooked up with Smith again on a 6-yard touchdown pass to give the Fighting Irish a 14-0 lead.
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Smith, who entered the game with just five receptions and one touchdown on the season, was shocked to see Head Coach Kenny Young decide to throw the ball so much.
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"We worked more on running the ball, but we came out and started throwing the ball and it started clicking for us. The line had good protection and Krenger did a good job throwing the ball, so I was surprised that we threw the ball that much tonight," Smith said.
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Young knew that Wagoner would be attempting to stuff McGuinness' running game.
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"We knew they (Wagoner) were going to be bringing nine guys towards the line of scrimmage. Our passing game has been effective all year long. We don't throw a lot, but we throw effectively when we do. I knew against these guys if we had time to throw, guys would be open," said Young, who moved to 43-17 all-time as the coach at McGuinness.
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McGuinness made the score 21-0 in with 7:29 remaining in the second quarter when Krenger snuck in from 1-yard. During the eight play, 58-yard drive, Krenger hit running back Kris Parham on a 20-yard gain before Parham busted out on a 28-yard run down to the 4-yard line.
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The Bulldogs clawed back to 21-6 when Parker, who lined up at tailback on the play, scored from 3-yards out. The two-point conversion pass failed, and the teams went into the lockerroom with McGuinness clinging to a 15-point lead.
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On fourth and 8 from the McGuinness 38 with 7:26 left to play in the third quarter, McGuinness' defense came up with a huge play. Parker found Jermaine Sherman wide-open by at least 10 yards, until Jared Lester broke up the easy touchdown with an amazing hit to jar the ball loose, resulting in an incomplete pass. Young gave Lester credit on the play.
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"That was a situation where they sent three guys vertical on a side where we were playing cover-3, so we only had two guys over there. Lester came off of his guy and the ball was in the air long enough for him to rally back and make the play. It was a fantastic play," Young said.
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After both teams went scoreless in the third quarter, McGuinness put the game out of reach when Towns Holmboe rumbled in from 1-yard out with 4:35 to play.
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Parker hit Sherman on a touchdown pass with under two minutes to play from 9-yards to cut the deficit to 28-12. McGuinness scooped up an onside kick attempt to seal the victory and a spot in the state championship game.
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Parker, the southpaw junior quarterback, had 191 total yards on the evening and could be emerging as a highly-recruited player next season.
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"He (Parker) is a big, strong kid. He's got shifty feet, the toughest thing about him is he is so hard to tackle once you get to him. He is strong and we really focused all week on trying to get on him low, get on his legs, and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. The best thing to do to him was to try to gang tackle him. He always seems to be falling forward. He's just a heck of a player," Young said of Parker.
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Along with Parker, Wagoner will return Sherman, as well as sophomore running backs Aubrey Richardson, Gus Jones, and Everett Shaver. Wagoner could be one the favorites in 2007.
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McGuinness will face Grove in the Class 4A State Championship at Broken Arrow on Friday, Dec. 1. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
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ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 2ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 3ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 4-ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ F
McGuinness (13-0)ÿÿÿ 14ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 7ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 7-ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 28
Wagoner (12-1)ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 6ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 6-ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 12
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Scoring Summary
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McG: Gabe Ikard 15-yard fumble return (Cameron Bryan kick)
McG: Jared Smith 6-yard pass from Joseph Krenger (Bryan kick)
McG: Krenger 1-yard run (Bryan kick)
Wag: Durrell Parker 3-yard run (two-point conversion failed)
McG: Towns Holmboe 1-yard run (Bryan kick)
Wag: Jermaine Sherman 9-yard pass from Parker (two-point conversion failed)
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Game Stats
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Passing
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Bishop McGuinnessÿ Compÿ Attÿÿÿÿÿÿ Ydsÿÿÿÿÿ TDsÿÿÿÿ INTs
Joseph Krengerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 6ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 12ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 114ÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
Towns Holmboeÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
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Wagonerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ Compÿ Attÿÿÿÿÿÿ Ydsÿÿÿÿÿ TDsÿÿÿÿ INTs
Durrell Parkerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 10ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 23ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 121ÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
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Rushing
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Bishop McGuinnessÿ Carr.ÿÿ Ydsÿÿÿÿÿ TDs
Kris Parhamÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 11ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 45ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Towns Holmboeÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 11ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 28ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
Joseph Krengerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 4ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 16ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
Joey DeGuistiÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 5ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 9ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Tyler Vaughnÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 2ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 8ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Alex Valleÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ -4ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
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Wagonerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ Carr.ÿÿ Ydsÿÿÿÿÿ TDs
Durrell Parkerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 22ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 70ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
Aubrey Richardsonÿÿÿÿÿÿ 8ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 38ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Gus Jonesÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 4ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 5ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Everett Shaverÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 3ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
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Receiving
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Bishop McGuinnessÿ Recÿÿÿÿ Ydsÿÿÿÿÿ TDs
Jared Smithÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 3ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 62ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
Kris Parhamÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 20ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Jared Lesterÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 8ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
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Wagonerÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ Recÿÿÿÿ Yds ÿÿÿ TDs
Everett Shaverÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 4ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 44ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0
Jermaine Shermanÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 4ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 43ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1
Mikeus Mooreÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 1ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 35ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ 0