By Blake Colston
Sports Writer
NORMAN – One week after a scintillating performance against Stillwater, Yukon returned to the doldrums Friday night.
Mason James scored twice, Carter Hammer added a touchdown catch and Carver Rogers returned a fumble for a score as the Timberwolves cruised to a 57-28 win over the Millers on Harve Collins Field.
The energy and excitement that carried the Millers to a come-from-behind victory in Week 2 was nowhere to be found in the opening minutes Friday against the T’Wolves, as YHS dugout itself into an insurmountable 29-0 hole.
Following a pair of ineffective drives to start the game from Yukon, North cashed in with a four-yard touchdown run from James, and later on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Owen Eshelman to Hammer.
North’s onslaught didn’t stop there, though. With the Timberwolves already ahead 21-0, Rogers scooped up an errant throw that was ruled a backward pass and rumbled 46 yards for a touchdown.
Yukon was behind 29-0 by the time quarterback Holden Kee found Bayler Weaver for a 65-yard touchdown pass with 8:56 left in the first half. That connection opened the floodgates for Yukon’s passing game, which put up prolific numbers in the loss.
Weaver proved to be the Millers’ most productive option on Friday, finishing with four catches for 104 yards and three touchdowns, but YHS had two other 100-yard receivers. Lucas Jones added a team-high 13 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown while Kenison Rogers caught nine balls for 115 yards.
Throwing on almost every play, Kee completed 26 of 47 passes for a career-high 342 yards and four touchdowns, also a career-best.
Because of its early four-touchdown deficit, Yukon didn’t have a chance to rev up its running game like it did a week ago against Stillwater. Norman North limited the Millers to just 21 yards rushing for the game.
Yukon also lost two fumbles and Timberwolves defensive back Kamden Pratcher added interceptions on back-to-back drives in the third quarter to dispel any notion of a Yukon rally.
Norman North (3-0) quarterback Owen Eshelman completed 13 consecutive passes against a Yukon defense that has surrendered 145 points (48.3 per game) through three games.
Midway through the second quarter, Tayber Gammon provided a bright moment on that side of the ball when he forced a fumble that linebacker Keller Troxell recovered.
YHS capitalized off the takeaway when Kee completed to Weaver for a 21-yard touchdown on fourth-and-6 to cut the T’Wolves’ lead to 29-13 with 2:58 until halftime, but the Millers weren’t able to pull any closer.
Latrell Williams capped the scoring for the T’Wolves with a 24-yard touchdown run with 4:53 remaining. Williams totaled 93 yards rushing.
Yukon (1-2) was trying for their first back-to-back wins since 2021 and also had a chance to climb above .500 for the first time since the 2020 season.
Yukon travels to Mustang next Friday for the annual Canadian County Bedlam game.
