Jeff Harrison
EDMOND — Brian Mills would have much rather been trying to figure out who Edmond Santa Fe would be playing next week. But with hopes of the playoffs long gone, Mills and his teammates still went out swinging. The Wolves went out on top, beating Moore 34-14 in their final game of the season Thursday night at Wantland Stadium.
“It’s a great feeling, we just decided to put all the mess aside, put all the past behind us and just play football and play for each other,” Mills said. “We knew three weeks out that we weren’t going to be in the playoffs and we had a choice. We could have just finished with three losses and we decided to pull together and fight and pull every last drop out of the season.”
The Wolves closed out their season with two straight wins to finish with a record of 3-7 and 2-5 in district play.
“It feels real good, the seniors kept believing and kept fighting and never gave up,” Santa Fe coach Bruce Gowen said. “A lot of teams that know they’re out of the playoffs will roll over, but not these guys. That’s what’s fun about coaching at Santa Fe. That’s what they’re about all the time.”
Mills made sure his last game was a great one. The senior, who didn’t touch the ball in the second half, ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns, and finished the season with 1,029 yards.
“I’ve been waiting for two or three years and getting the chance to do it I wasn’t going to let it pass,” Mills said. “I just decided to make the best of it and milk it for all it’s worth.”
Will Long also looked good in his final game with the Wolves, completing 8-of-12 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Santa Fe quickly went ahead as they scored on their opening series. Mills sliced through the middle of the Lions’ defense for a 17-yard score.
The Wolves defense then made it a two-score game, when Antonio Stayton picked off Vova Razryvin’s second attempt of the night and returned it 34-yards for a score. Santa Fe missed the extra point attempt to make it a 13-0 game with 7:06 left in the first.
Moore (0-10, 0-7) continued to slip behind in the second quarter as the Wolves found the end zone three more times. Mills scored on the final play of his high school career, as he broke a 21-yard run.
Long also threw a pair touchdown passes to put the game away. The senior hit Matt Leavell on a two-yard pass early in the second. Then it was Conner Bays hauling in a 20-yard pass with just six seconds left in the half.
“It feels great to end it like this,” Long said. “It’s unfortunate that we’re not in the playoffs but it’s good to end it like this.”
Moore avoided a shutout with a pair of fourth quarter scores. On the Lions’ first possession of the fourth, Razryvin hit Chase Carter on a short pass and the senior wideout turned it into a 65-yards touchdown play.
The Lions later took over near midfield after Santa Fe turned the ball over on downs. Razryvin again led them to the end zone, scoring on a seven-yard run with 3:44 left in the game.
Razryvin finished the game 15-of-33 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 65 yards and one score on 15 touches.
