By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
MOORE – Yukon got off to the start it wanted to Friday night.
The Millers just didn’t have the finish it needed.
Yukon scored on their first two possessions of the game, then saw Westmoore put up 35 unanswered points and handed the Millers a 35-14 District 6AI-1 loss at Moore Schools Stadium.
The Millers dropped their third straight district game to fall to 1-3 and put their backs against the wall for a shot at making the playoffs. YHS is 4-3 overall, while Westmoore improved to 5-2 and 3-1 in the district.
Yukon scored on its first two possessions of the game and looked to be positioned to spoil Westmoore’s homecoming. But the Jaguars turned the game around by scoring in their next possession and the momentum swung all Westmoore’s way after that.
“I wish I knew what went wrong, I have never seen such a momentum swing in my life,” YHS head coach Jeremy Reed said. “I’d like to tell you they did something different, but all they did was pick up there intensity and we didn’t. I don’t know I’m still puzzled.
“There is no explanation, I hadn’t seen many times like this,” he said. “It is just puzzling. It was the same plays, players, alignments. We tried to get something manufactured offensively and until we watch the film we don’t know.”
The Millers took their opening possession of the game and drove 93 yards in 13 plays to take the initial lead. YHS managed just 103 more yards of offense the rest of the game and turned the ball over three times.
That opening drive came after the Miller defense had stopped Westmoore at the YHS 43 following a 34-yar kickoff return.
Antonio Washington scored on an 11-yard run with 4:20 left in the opening quarter. Isaiah Butler had runs of 16 and 20 yards in the drive, both on second down and long plays. Washington also had an 11-yard run in the drive.
After forcing a second Westmoore punt, the Millers put together a six-play, 55-yard drive with Jackson Young scoring on a one-yard run. Landon Donoho broke a 12-yard run on the first play and a 25-yard run by Butler moved the ball to the 15. Washington had a 12-yard run and was pushed out at the one-yard line to set up the score.
Jackson’s run came on the first play of the second quarter and gave the Millers a 14-0 lead.
The game though, turned around at that point. Westmoore scored in only six plays on a 1-yard run by quarterback Dayton Wolfe to cut the lead to 14-7. Runningback Chris Oliver, who had fumbled the ball and lost 10 yards on his first carry, broke runs of 23 and 28 yards to put the Jaguars in scoring position.
A defensive stop by the Millers at their 36 yard line stopped a Westmoore drive. But, the Millers fumbled the ball at their own 34 three plays later and Westmore’s Jordan Hampton recovered.
Westmoore found the end zone five players later as Wolfe connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Metcalfe to tie the game at 14-14 with 59 seconds left in the half.
The Millers looked to regain control of the lead on the opening possession of the second half. YHS, after a 27-yard kickoff return from Connor Sudduth, moved the ball to the Westmoore 32, but a fourth down pass went incomplete.
Westmoore took the lead with a 75-yard, six-play drive capped by a 14-yard run by Oliver with 4:51 left in the third.
Oliver scored again wit 26 second left when he took a shuttle pass from Wolfe and scored from 10-yards out.
Wolfe tossed his third touchdown pass of the game with 7:20 remaining, connecting with Jacob Clark on a 16-yard scoring aerial.
The Millers had two more chances in the game, but turnovers ended both drives.
Yukon returns home to host Broken Arrow on Thursday. The game will be senior night and will kickoff at 7 p.m.
