EDMOND —
There’s proof of improvement in Edmond Memorial’s football season, but it’s Edmond North’s that will go on.
The Huskies toppled the Bulldogs, 34-7, Thursday night at Wantland Stadium in a Class 6A first-round playoff game behind two 100-yard rushers and a stout defensive performance. The win moves North (10-1) into a state quarterfinal matchup on the road against the Jenks Trojans, who lambasted Booker T. Washington 59-14 Friday night.
Memorial finishes at 4-7.
The Huskies held the Bulldogs to only 158 total yards, while getting 111 yards rushing from Michael Farmer and 102 from Marque Depp.
“Our physicality up front made a big difference,” EN head coach Jeremy Dombek said. Our offensive line played great. They threw stuff at us we hadn’t seen, with multiple looks, but our guys handled it well.”
The game was closer than the final score indicated, as Memorial led for most of the first half and still trailed only 14-7 at the break. That was vastly different than the season-opener, which North won, 44-0.
Dombek was adamant the difference was the improvement of the Bulldogs.
“We turned the ball over when we had a chance to score in the first half, and you just can’t do things like that in the playoffs,” he said. “But give Memorial credit. They’ve gotten better. We knew they’d come out here fired up. They’d won four of their last five games and we knew they’d be confident. We didn’t overlook them at all.
“A lot of teams that start out 0-5 would tuck their tails, but they made the playoffs in a really tough district and gave us a good game.”
Each team’s punter had trouble kicking into stiff winds the entire contest, and a 5-yard punt set the Bulldogs up at the North 30 on their first possession. Sophomore running back Warren Wand rushed into the end zone from 15 yards out three plays later, and Memorial had an early 7-0 advantage.
Two lost fumbles stymied North’s progress in the first half, but the Huskies finally got on the board with an 11-yard run from Depp with 5:28 left in the first half. The touchdown was set up by a 50-yard pass from Luke Hoskins to Jarech Page.
North scored another touchdown with 3:05 left in the half when Hoskins faked a fourth-down handoff and scampered 17 yards. The Huskies held that 14-7 lead at the break.
North’s defense and offensive rushing attack really began to take over in the second half. After linebacker Sam Delzell forced a turnover on a quarterback sack, Farmer broke free up the middle for a 35-yard score that made it 21-7. Then, early in the fourth, Luke Rossi somehow got wide open behind the Bulldog secondary and hauled in a 38-yard touchdown reception to bring the lead to 28-7.
Farmer capped his night with a 1-yard touchdown plunge to finish the scoring.
Wand, who played quarterback during the first meeting, finished with 86 yards rushing on 26 carries. However, after picking up 44 yards on his first five carries, he managed just 19 yards on his next 18 carries, as the Husky defense started to contain.
“We just settled down. It was difficult at first, because we don’t have anyone in practice who can simulate him,” Dombek said. “The first time we played them, we knew where he was, because he was taking all the snaps. He was more dangerous tonight.”
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Related Photos
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Sam Delzell and the Edmond North Huskies put a stop to Warren Wand and the Edmond Memorial Bulldogs Thursday night in round one of the Class 6A state playoffs.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Memorial's Jason Hand (32) and Tasden Ingram bring down North's Michael Farmer Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Edmond North's Cody Newberry and Richard Morrison celebrate a fumble recovery against Memorial Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN North's Caleb Caldwell closes in on Memorial quarterback Tyler Holcomb Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN North's Sam Brown closes in on Memorial's Waylan Anderson Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Memorial's Sam Kreutzer tries to corral North's Jarech Page Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN North's Luke Rossi brings in a catch from Luke Hoskins and strolls into the endzone to put the Huskies up 28-7 on Memorial Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Edmond North's Marque Depp bulls past Edmond Memorial defender Tasdem Ingram to score the Huskies' first touchdown Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Memorial's Grant Carro brings down North's Chad Whiteley Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN North quarterback Luke Hoskins escapes a tackle by Memorial's Colin Simpson Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN North's Marque Depp tries to avoid a tackle by Memorial's Tyren Lawson Thursday night.
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DREW HARMON | THE EDMOND SUN Edmond North's Michael Farmer breaks off a long touchdown run against Memorial on Thursday.
Discussion
Edmond North tops Memorial, advances to second round
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Edmond Santa Fe's Taylor heading to Central Florida
Danielle Taylor, fresh off a Central District Youth Rowing Championship victory on the Oklahoma River at the start of the month, followed up the success by signing a letter of intent in rowing with Central Florida at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
Though Santa Fe does not offer rowing as a team sport, Taylor competes for OKC Riversport on the Junior Crew which competes on the Oklahoma River.
Taylor missed her junior season due to an injury, but Coach Brian Ebke knew the Santa Fe athlete would be raring to go her senior season.
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Bronchos hit final match play spot in first round
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Rust birdied four of his first five holes en route to his under-par round and the Bronchos ended up with a 300 on the day, giving them a 36-hole total of 597. The 300 leaves UCO eighth in the 20-team field heading into final round of stroke play, with the top eight teams advancing to match play that will determine the national champion. -
Area players earn All-State honors on the diamond
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Right-handed pitcher Holden Lyons from Edmond North, made the team after posting a perfect 7-0 mark with an ultra-low 1.29 earned run average.
Deer Creek’s Cole Lindley made it as an outfielder and Oklahoma Christian’s Austin Brooks landed on the list in the designated hitter’s spot.
The threesome will compete on the Large West squad on July 30 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. -
Tennis camps offered in Edmond
Edmond Raquet Club is offering a pair of tennis camps beginning May 28.
For ages 5-8, a camp is offered from 8:45-9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for ages 7-15 a tennis camp is available from 6-6:55 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both camps run from May 28-June 13 and cost is $99 per camp.
A camp session for ages 8-16 will run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-9:25 a.m. May 29-June 12 for the identical cost.
For more information concerning these camps and others, call 341-4241. -
UCO winds up 10th nationally
Taylor Neidy fired a final-round 75, but Central Oklahoma failed to move up in the team standings at the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday.
The Bronchos closed with a 323 — making 11 double bogeys and three triples — and finished 10th in the four-day, 72-hole tournament with a 1,298 total on the 6,228-yard, par-72 Arthur Hills Legends Course at LPGA International.
Lynn ended Nova Southeastern’s four-year reign as national championships, finishing with a 1,187 total to edge the Sharks by three strokes. -
Central Oklahoma softballers make World Series again
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The Warriors put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a bid to pull out a late win and force a deciding game in the best-of-three series, but left fielder Devyn Frazier made a running catch in foul territory for the final out to set off a wild celebration on the field.
UCO improved to 47-11 — a school-record for wins — with its 23th consecutive home victory and advanced to the Division II World Series for the second straight year. The Bronchos will face Armstrong Atlantic in the eight-team World Series at 11 a.m. Thursday in Salem, Va.
“I’d say that was a nail-biter,” head coach Genny Stidham said. “It was a good game, both teams played well. Winona has a great team and they didn’t give up, but we came up with some big plays and came out on top. -
Central Oklahoma golf coach picks up award
Central Oklahoma’s Michael Bond has been named the NCAA Division II Central Region Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, with Aly Seng and Erica Bensch both earning All-Central Region honors.
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Workman's blast cranks UCO's engine; Bronchos cruise to 5-2 win
Nicole Workman’s solo home run gave Central Oklahoma a lead it would never relinquish and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos went on to topple Winona State 5-2 in the first game of the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional Friday night at the Edmond North High School Softball Complex.
Workman blasted her 14th homer of the season to lead off the second inning, with UCO adding three runs in the third and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead before the Warriors created some anxious moments in their final at bat.
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Richters rip competition at KickingBird
The KickingBird 2-man scramble was won by Jeff and Josh Richter, finishing with a 57.9 on May 11.
Jeff Jester and Kevin Wright wrapped up second-place honors with a 59.9 and Rick Morales and Ronnie Roberts placed third (60.1).
In the second flight, the top score was 60.4 by Jerry Bernhardt and Ted Carter. Picking up silver was the tandem of Jerry Fuller and Ramona Jacobi (61.2) and the third-place squad was Dyke Hoppe and Mark VanSickle at 62.0.
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Eagles' season finished; Lopez earns national honor
Southeastern, Fla. eliminated Oklahoma Christian 4-0 om the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series in Mason, Ohio today to advance to the tournament semifinals, while OC closes at 26-26.
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