The Sayre Eagles were assured a trip to the Class A-1 playoff championship bracket by putting aside the Hinton Comets by the score of 58 to 14 last Friday evening at Eagle Field in the final regular season game. The win gives the Eagles a 6-win 4-loss record for the regular season schedule. This is the first time since the 2010 season that Sayre has earned a winning record when they went 6 4 and advanced to the State Playoffs but lost their first game to Velma Alma 34 to 0 under head coach Wes Brower.
Sayre received the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards to paydirt in 6 plays. The touchdown was made on a second and third effort of 17 yards by senior Camden Plummer. A pass from Jagger Wootton to Berek Bawden tacked on the PAT giving Sayre an early 8-0 lead with 8:54 left in the first quarter. Hinton began their first possession following the ensuing kickoff at their own 35. Three plays netted a loss of one yard before a fourth down punt was made of 40 yards to the Eagle 31. Both the Eagles and the Comets failed to sustain a scoring drive in each of their next possessions before Sayre took over at their own 43. Six players contributed to taking the ball to the end zone. They were Wootton for 11 yards, Carter Brewer for 4 yards, Dustin McSorley for 16 yards, Jaden Mosser for 16 yards, Plummer for 9 yards and Zeke Curtis capping the drive with a one-yard blast for the TD. The PAT failed and the score was 14 to 0 with no time left on the clock in the first quarter of play.
The Eagle defense throttled the Comets after 3 plays to force a punt by Hinton. The punt was 26 yards with Jaden Mosser receiving it and returning it 15 yards to the Comet 36. A pass from Wootton to Tate Bawden was complete for a 34-yard gain to the one-yard line. McSorley crashing forward into the end zone for the TD. The PAT failed and the score now read 20 to 0 with 9:47 left in the second quarter.
After the ensuing kickoff the tight Eagle defense once again prevented a Comet first down. On fourth down Hinton punted 14 yards to the Comet 39. Sayre used only 3 plays to put more points on the scoreboard. A 2-yard run by Mosser was followed by a 20-yard gain by Brewer to the Comet 17. QB Wootton then dropped a pass into T. Bawden’s hands who made the catch and twisted his way into the end zone. A pass from Wootton to Matthew Wynn was caught to complete the 2-point PAT. The score now read 28 to 0 with 6:26 left in the first half.
After the following kickoff, the Comets failed to make a first down and punted 25 yards to the Comet 45 where the punt was caught and returned 13 yards to the Hinton 32 before a fumble gave the ball back to Hinton at their own 32. Four straight plays only gained 8-yards and Sayre took control on offense at the Comet 40. Sayre used the airways to punch the ball down the field on passes of 18 yards from Wootton to Aiden Ball and 12 yards to Berek Bawden. The eleven yards to the end zone was earned by Wootton. The PAT was a 3-yard run by Triston Easter to give Sayre a commanding lead of 36 to 0 at the end of the first half of play.
The Comets came out for the third quarter inspired and took the second half kickoff 60 yards in only 3 plays for their first TD of the night. The big play was a 64-yard TD pass from QB Jeremy Wright to Jefferey Humphrey. The PAT failed leaving the score at 36 to 6. Following the ensuing kickoff, Sayre returned the favor and scored their 7th touchdown of the night in only 3 plays. After a 10-yard gain by Brewer and an eleven-yard run by Brock Helton, QB Wootton heaved a deep pass to a wide-open B. Bawden who gathered it in and roared to paydirt completing a 58-yard touchdown. Braden Wood ran across the PAT and Sayre now led 44 to 6 with 7:09 left in the third quarter.
The Eagle defense tightened up after the ensuing kickoff by giving up only a single yard in three downs. The punt on fourth down was 34 yards to the Eagle 23 where Mosser gathered it in and returned it 26 yards to the 49-yard line. From the 49, the Eagles stormed 51 yards for their eighth TD. It only took 5 plays to cover the distance. The big play of the drive was a 33-yard pass from QB Wootton to Jaden Mosser. The catch and run took the ball to the Hinton 12-yard line. The final play was a determined 12-yard run by Brock Helton into the end zone. Aiden Ball kicked the ball between the goal posts for the one-point PAT. Sayre now led 51 to 6 with no time left on the third quarter clock.
Following an 8-yard return of the ensuing kickoff to the Hinton 46 the Comets continued to fight by scoring their second TD in only 3 plays. The big play was a 48-yard pass from Wright to Humphrey. That put the ball at the Eagle 11-yard line. Next QB Wright ran to paydirt. Wright ran for the PAT and the score showed the Eagles on top 51 to 14 with 9:30 left in the final stanza. But once again Sayre responded to cancel out the Comet TD by using a 4 play TD run following the ensuing kickoff. The big plays were a strong 21-yard run by Plummer followed by a 13-yard gain by Wootton to the Comet 38-yard line. The icing on the cake was a 38-yard blast by D. Mc-Sorley to the end zone. Ball kicked the single point PAT and the final score was in at 58 to 14.
Eight Eagles had carries for the Eagle offense in the game. Sophomore QB Wootton had his highest passing success this season when he completed 6 of 14 passes for 172 yards and 2 TD’s to eclipse his 145 yards in the Watonga game on 8 of 14 completions and 2 TD’s.
Sayre will have their hands full when they face the number one Class A-1 Wynnewood on their home field. Sayre’s district 1 ranking for Class A has 3 teams in the top 10. Fairview at number 3, Cashion at number 5 and Hooker at number 6. Sayre is rated number 15. Head Coach Craig Hixon is in his fourth year at Sayre and has improved the Eagles upward in each year. Starting at 1 - 9 his first year he steadily increased the Eagle record to 4 - 5 in second year, 5 -5 last year and 6 - 4 this year. The team has had a great season and coaches and players are to be congratulated for their committed and determined work in keeping things on a high note for next season.
EAGLES STATS HINTON 23 First Downs 8 27/264 Rushing Yards 22/(-9) 6/14/172 Passing Yards 9/22/138 436 Total Yards 129 1 Turnovers 0 6/55 Penalties 10/61 1/31 Punts 6/166/27.6 RECEIVING B. Bawden 2/70 TD T. Bawden 2/51 TD J. Mosser 1/33 A. Ball 1/18
