TAHLEQUAH STAMPEDES PRYOR HOMECOMING NIGHT

Tahlequah was dominant from start to finish on both sides of the ball Friday in an easy 48-8 win over Pryor on homecoming night at Doc Wadley Stadium. The Class 5A No. 9 Tigers didn’t need any second-half magic like they have at times through the first five weeks of the season. They ambushed Pryor with 396 rushing yards and 453 total yards of offense, while the defense forced seven turnovers. The win puts Tahlequah at 5-1 overall under head coach Brad Gilbert. The Tigers move to 2-1 in District 5A-4 with a road contest against Claremore coming up next week. “I can’t say enough about these young men and everything they choose to do,” Gilbert said. “It’s an important concept because they choose to do what’s right and they come to work every day. They got after it tonight and they stay focused.” The Tigers put together their most complete 24-minute stretch of football of the season in the first half. They went 72 yards on their first drive, all of those yards coming on the ground. Senior quarterback Cayden Aldridge scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns from seven yards out. After forcing a Pryor punt, THS went right back to work on offense. This time, the Tigers marched 89 yards and got a six-yard TD run from running back Dae Dae Leathers, the first of two for the sophomore. Senior Braxton Stopp then made two big plays — he picked off Pryor quarterback Drew Miller, and then on offense had a 57-yard TD reception from Aldridge to put Tahlequah up 20-0 at the 8:55 mark of the second quarter. “I think everybody is relying on each other right now,” said Stopp, who finished with two interceptions. “Everybody is staying in their own zone and doing their own jobs, not trying to pick up too much slack. I think that’s what is clicking for us.” Pryor answered back with its only score — an 80-yard touchdown run from running back Matt Dale — but Tahlequah responded with the next 28 points. Stopp set up the Tigers’ next score after a 77-yard kickoff return that would lead to an Aldridge two-yard TD run on fourth down. The Tigers then closed the first half with a 34-8 advantage after Leathers scored on a nine-yard run. “We played about as well as we could in the first half,” Gilbert said. Aldridge has been the glue to the offense all season. With him behind center, the Tigers had six plays of 20 yards or better Friday. He gave full credit to his offensive line afterwards. “The guys up front work their butts off day in and day out,” he said. “They do what they need to do and they got the job done tonight. They get down and dirty with it, and none of us quarterbacks or running backs would be anything without them.” “I can’t say enough about how well Cayden and the offensive line played,” Gilbert said. “ Our running backs also ran extremely well.” Seth Berry and Brian Resch scored the game’s final two touchdowns in the second half. Berry raced 45 yards for a score at the 2:25 mark of the third quarter following an interception by Colton Booth, and Resch went 59 yards for a TD after an interception. Dalton Caldwell, Anthony Neunendorf and Simon Escalera added fumble recoveries for Tahlequah in the second half. The eight points were a season low for Pryor. “The defense was outstanding to come out and hold them to just eight points and force the turnovers that they did,” Gilbert said. “The offensive staff, the defensive staff, they do a great job. I’ve got a great of men working with me in guiding these young men. I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with them. It’s a good time for us right now.”

TAHLEQUAH STAMPEDES PRYOR HOMECOMING NIGHT

Photo Credit: Byron Beers

Contact Us