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| Senior Center Carl Meders (62) prepares to snap the ball to QB Clay Doughty (7) in the first quarter of last Friday's 42-23 win at Ferndale. |
By David Svien
The Wildcats found their mojo.
Bouncing back from a rough, error-filled loss in week one, the Oak Harbor High School football squad drilled host Ferndale 42-23 Friday, Sept. 12 to even its season record at 1-1.
Playing a near-precision game this time out (no turnovers and just two penalties) the 'Cats used a second-half surge to turn a 16-14 halftime deficit into a romp.
Key to the turnaround was a change in attitude on defense.
After being blitzed for 142 yards on the ground by Ferndale's Marcus Nightingale in the opening half, Oak Harbor stiffened, holding the fullback to just 62 after halftime.
Even that number was deceptive, as 30 of the yards came on a breakaway run long after the game had been decided and the 'Cat first-string defense had retreated to the sideline.
Slowing down the run game, forcing Ferndale to repeatedly punt, Oak Harbor's defense set up things and the 'Cat offense answered the call.
After the first two punts of the night from the host team, the Wildcats drove for touchdowns, tearing up big chunks of yardage in relatively few plays. Oak Harbor went 64 yards on four plays, then piled up a 72-yard, five-play scoring drive to blow things open.
The one-two combo of Princeton Lollar (147 yards on 19 carries) and Dejon Devroe (16-116) powered the offense, while 'Cat quarterback Clay Doughty was 7 of 16 for 121 yards, hitting Dyllan Harris on 42 and 13-yard scoring strikes.
Devroe hit pay dirt on touchdown runs of 23 and 13 yards, Lollar punched in a 2-yard scoring run and Zach Jones busted out a 48-yard run to the end zone.
Oak Harbor rolled up 459 yards of total offense and its lone mistake on the night was a minor one.
The Wildcats gave up two points on a safety when its punter, backed up deep on his end of the field, had to snag a snap that went too high. As he did, his foot brushed the end line for just a moment, long enough for a ref to notice.
The team will have two weeks to work on things like that, as a possible non-conference game against a Canadian school fell through, leaving Oak Harbor with a bye week. The Wildcats face Everett Sept. 26.
Bouncing back from a rough, error-filled loss in week one, the Oak Harbor High School football squad drilled host Ferndale 42-23 Friday, Sept. 12 to even its season record at 1-1.
Playing a near-precision game this time out (no turnovers and just two penalties) the 'Cats used a second-half surge to turn a 16-14 halftime deficit into a romp.
Key to the turnaround was a change in attitude on defense.
After being blitzed for 142 yards on the ground by Ferndale's Marcus Nightingale in the opening half, Oak Harbor stiffened, holding the fullback to just 62 after halftime.
Even that number was deceptive, as 30 of the yards came on a breakaway run long after the game had been decided and the 'Cat first-string defense had retreated to the sideline.
Slowing down the run game, forcing Ferndale to repeatedly punt, Oak Harbor's defense set up things and the 'Cat offense answered the call.
After the first two punts of the night from the host team, the Wildcats drove for touchdowns, tearing up big chunks of yardage in relatively few plays. Oak Harbor went 64 yards on four plays, then piled up a 72-yard, five-play scoring drive to blow things open.
The one-two combo of Princeton Lollar (147 yards on 19 carries) and Dejon Devroe (16-116) powered the offense, while 'Cat quarterback Clay Doughty was 7 of 16 for 121 yards, hitting Dyllan Harris on 42 and 13-yard scoring strikes.
Devroe hit pay dirt on touchdown runs of 23 and 13 yards, Lollar punched in a 2-yard scoring run and Zach Jones busted out a 48-yard run to the end zone.
Oak Harbor rolled up 459 yards of total offense and its lone mistake on the night was a minor one.
The Wildcats gave up two points on a safety when its punter, backed up deep on his end of the field, had to snag a snap that went too high. As he did, his foot brushed the end line for just a moment, long enough for a ref to notice.
The team will have two weeks to work on things like that, as a possible non-conference game against a Canadian school fell through, leaving Oak Harbor with a bye week. The Wildcats face Everett Sept. 26.
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