Wolves Walk Away with Win Over Wynnewood
GREAT TACKLE BY THE WOLVES. Senior Lane Rawls and Sophomore Dakota Carter tag team on the first tackle against Wynnewood’s offense. Starting the game off strong and leading the Wolves to win 34-28.
By Jeff Mapes
Trailing by two scores midway through the first half, Davis erupted for three touchdowns in the second quarter propelling the Wolves to a 34-28 win over Wynnewood on Sept. 16.
Davis erased a 16-point deficit in the second period, scoring three times in a span of 2:06.
“Our kids played hard,” said Wolves head coach Greg Parker. “They didn’t get their dobbers down when things weren’t going their way. I’m super proud of them for that.”
The two teams, who combined for 393 yards offense and seven touchdowns in the first half, traded scores to start the game.
Wynnewood took the early lead, marching 75 yards in six plays on its second possession. Savage tailback John Mathis ran for 14 yards to the Wynnewood 44, then raced for 43 yards to the Davis 10 three plays later.
Quarterback Caden Knighten scored on the next play on a 10-yard run. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and the Savages led 6-0 with 5:01 in the first quarter.
It took the Wolves just three plays on the next possession to score and tie the game at 6-6. Trey Melton set up the drive, fielding an onside-kick at the 50-yard line.
Davis quarterback Jake Parker carried for five yards to the Wynnewood 45. Sophomore Luke Linville was dropped for a two-yard loss on second down.
Facing third-and-seven, Jake Parker hit Melton wide-open for a 47-yard touchdown pass at the 3:31 mark. It is the second straight game the pair have connected on a scoring strike. Jake Parker was stopped short on the conversion.
Wynnewood broke the tie and regained the lead on its next possession. The Savages drove 59 yards in five plays and 2:38.
Wynnewood halfback Torin Cross recovered a fumbled pitch on first down for a seven-yard loss. The Wolves were flagged for pass interference the next play.
Knighten ran for 19 yards to the Davis 32 and hit receiver Adam Fields on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 53 seconds left in the first quarter. Fields caught the conversion pass from Knighten, and the Savages led 14-6.
Davis committed three turnovers on the night, the first coming on its next possession. Jake Parker completed a 13-yard pass to Rance Digby at the Wynnewood 48 but fumbled on the next play.
It took the Savages three plays and 1:30 to score and increase their lead. Cross was dropped for a six-yard loss and Wynnewood was penalized 10 yards for holding.
Knighten ran for four yards to the Savage 33 on first-and-25 then coasted 67 yards for a touchdown with 9:56 before halftime. Fields caught his second conversion pass from Knighten, and Wynnewood held its largest lead at 22-6.
Knighten and Fields combined for 192 of the Savages’ 236 first-half yards. Knighten rushed for 119 yards and two scores while Fields posted two catches for 73 yards and one touchdown.
Wynnewood was held scoreless the remainder of the half and it was at this point momentum shifted in the Wolves’ favor. It took Davis one play and 16 seconds on its next possession to cut the lead.
Tyson Moss returned the ensuing kickoff 31 yards to the Savage 34. A fumbled pitch on first down bounced perfectly into the hands of Seth Knapp who ran 34 yards untouched for the touchdown.
Jake Parker was stopped on the conversion and Davis trailed 22-12 with 9:40 remaining.
“The bobbled pitch was probably the best executed play we ran all night offensively,” Coach Parker said. “It was blocked perfect on the edge. Our halfback and our split end did a great job.”
“The read by the quarterback was spot-on,” Coach Parker continued referring to Knapp’s scoring play. “Part of the reason why he was able to pick it up and go score was because it was done right. There was nobody out there because they were blocked.”
Wynnewood faced a fourth-and-12 from its 29 on the next possession. The Wolves’ Lane Rawls scooped up a blocked punt and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. Jake Parker hit Melton on the conversion pass and Davis trailed 22-20 with 7:43 left.
“We practiced that,” Coach Parker said of the block. “We thought we could block a punt. It was block-punt. We weren’t playing defense. We were going after it.”
“The kicking game is a big part of the game if not bigger sometimes than offense and defense,” Coach Parker continued. “The kids executed the block. The bounce did go our way but that was no fluke. We thought we could.”
The comeback was complete following the next kickoff. Linville recovered an onside kick at the Savage 40.
“The way they were lining up, we had to kick it over there,” Coach Parker said. “They didn’t have anybody over there. He (Lane Rawls) did a great job of kicking it where we needed it, and Luke went and got on it.”
Lane Rawls ran 40 yards for the go-ahead score. Jake Parker converted on the conversion and Davis had its first lead at 28-22 with 7:34 before the intermission.
“That play was very well blocked too,” Coach Parker said. “I don’t know if anybody touched him. He may have broken a tackle.”
Lane Rawls accounted for 68 of the Wolves’ 97 yards rushing in the first half. He finished with 136 yards on 11 carries and one touchdown.
It did not take long after halftime for Davis to strike. The Wolves took the second-half kickoff and used two plays and 49 seconds to go 69 yards for the score.
Lane Rawls ran for 39 yards on first down to the Savage 30. Following an offsides penalty against Wynnewood, Brenden Rawls scored on a 25-yard touchdown run. Jake Parker missed the extra-point and Davis enjoyed a two-score lead of its own at 34-22 with 11:11 in the third.
“Our offensive coaches did a really good job coming out of halftime making adjustments,” Coach Parker said of the touchdown. “The kids executed well.”
Wynnewood closed out the game’s scoring on its first possession of the second half. The Savages went 67 yards in nine plays and used 4:08 of the third quarter.
Knighten had a 48-yard run called back due to a penalty. Wynnewood marched to the Davis 32 where he hit Fields for a 32-yard touchdown pass. The conversion pass was incomplete, and the Wolves led 34-28 with 7:03 in the third.
Jake Parker threw two interceptions inside Wynnewood territory that kept the Savages within one score. The first came on the next possession at the Wynnewood 22. Knighten later picked off Jake Parker at the Savage five-yard line on fourth-and-12 with 4:12 left in the game.
The Wolves limited Wynnewood to 90 yards offense in the second half. Knighten had 34 yards rushing and Fields was held to the one touchdown reception.
(Knighten) is very talented. We knew that going in,” said Coach Parker. “He’s going to be the fastest kid on the field about every time they play.”
“I think we were so physical it played a factor in the second half,” continued Coach Parker. “When we did get him penned up, we were hitting him. I don’t care who you are, that weighs on you. As much as he carried the ball and as much as were able to hit him.
Coach Parker also praised the effort of his secondary against Fields.
“Our cornerbacks were doing about all they could do,” Coach Parker said. “They were in position, but he just outjumped them. We never backed down from it. They went up for it.”
Davis, now 2-1, turns its attention toward District 2A-4. The Wolves travel to Holdenville Sept. 23 for a 7:30 kickoff in their league opener. The Wolverines are 3-0 after wins against Wewoka, Meeker and North Rock Creek.
“They’re good,” Coach Parker said of Holdenville. “They run the ball about 95 percent of the time. They have three guys that are quality ball carriers and they’re very patient. They play hard and they’re like us, they want to keep the ball.”
Box Score
Davis 6 22 6 0 – 34
Wynnewood 14 8 6 0 – 28
Scoring Summary
W-Knighten 10 run (conv. failed)
D-Melton 47 pass from Jake Parker (conv. failed)
W-Fields 35 pass from Knighten (conv. good)
W-Knighten 67 run (conv. good)
D-Knapp 34 run (conv. failed)
D-Lane Rawls 22 block punt ret. (conv. good)
D-Lane Rawls 40 run (conv. good)
D-Brenden Rawls 25 run (conv. failed)
W-Fields 32 pass from Knighten (conv. failed)
Team Stats
Davis Wynnewood
8 First Downs 11
34-232 Rushes-yds 46-221
2/4/2-60 Passing yds 3/13/0-105
5-45 Penalties-yds 10-57
292 Total Yds 326
Individual Stats
Rushing- Lane Rawls 11-136, Brenden Rawls 3-35, Seth Knapp 1-34, Jake Parker 14-33, Rance Digby 2-2, Luke Linville 1-(-2) and Malaki White 2-(-3).
Passing- Jake Parker 2/4/2-60.
Receiving- Trey Melton 1-47, Rance Digby 1-13.