THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

The Edmond North Huskies spoiled the Southmoore Sabercats homecoming by winning 14-7 for their second win of the season. The win ends the Huskies two-game losing streak and brings their record to (2-3) on the season. Ben McNaughton led the offense throwing 9-15 for 79-yards with a touchdown and ran for 51-yards. The Huskies win avenges last year’s 58-28 loss to Southmoore. The Southmoore offense started the first half with the ball. The Sabercats failed to move the ball, which resulted in a three-and-out and punt to the Huskies 12-yard line. The Husky offense couldn’t do much more, punting the ball right back to the Sabercat 49-yard line. On Southmoore’s next drive, the Sabercats only moved the ball 2-yards. Then on fourth down, the Sabercats punter Brian Shomali struggled to get the punt off and was tackled at the 30-yard line. Edmond North started the drive in Southmoore territory and decided to throw the ball often with McNaughton. He went 4-5 passing for 16-yards on the series. The Huskies settled for a field goal attempt from their 20-yard line, but Luke Eisel’s kick was short. The Sabercats offense couldn’t capitalize on the missed field goal, but drove the Huskies defense back to their 42-yard line. On fourth down, Southmoore faced fourth-and-1 and elected to punt it where the Sabercats downed the ball at Edmond North’s 13-yard line. Edmond North closed the first quarter with another three-and-out. At the end of the first quarter the game was tied 0-0. Both offenses continued to struggle to start the second quarter with both going three-and-out on their first possession. Southmoore struck first on their next possession with a 12-play, 41-yard touchdown drive that was capped off from Elijah Brewer’s 4-yard run to go up 7-0 with 4:59 left in the first half. Edmond North started their next drive off with two first downs one from a 13-yard pass to Logan Taber and another on a Walker Brown 12-yard run. The momentum of the drive stopped though when Brown fumbled his next carry and the ball was recovered by Brayden Fenity at the Sabercat 29-yard line. Southmoore’s offense couldn’t take advantage of the turnover and punted the ball back to the Edmond North 24-yard line. The Huskies started their final drive of the half with 1:21 left. McNaughton led the offense to the 42-yard line where they faced third-and-2 with 22-seconds left. North decided to run a trick play where Tyler Merkley was picked off by Trent Kimmel at the Southmoore 27-yard line. The Sabercats kneed the ball to close out the first half. Southmoore went into halftime up 7-0. McNaughton went 6-8 with 36-yards in the first half. Southmoore’s quarterback Jaedyn Scott went 4-9 for 6-yards and ran for 63-yards. North started the second half with the football at their 35-yard line. Will Appling started the second half at quarterback for the Huskies and threw three straight incompletions, before North punted the ball to the Southmoore 37-yard line. The Sabercats got one first down on their ensuing series when Scott hit Caleb Baxter for a 20-yard gain. Southmoore punted later on the drive to the Edmond North 5-yard line. McNaughton came back in at quarterback, but had no success moving the ball. Edmond North punted the ball back to the Southmoore 42-yard line. Southmoore then began driving the ball down the field with the first 4-plays going for 45-yards. The Sabercats would not get another first down on the series and failed to convert on fourth-and-16. After the turnover on downs, the Huskies started their drive at their own 29-yard line. Brown got things going on a 22-yard run to go into Sabercat territory. Southmoore committed 3-penalties with one being a pass interference on fourth-and-5. After the penalty, McNaughton threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jace Rosser to tie the game 7-7 with 1:34 left in the third quarter. The touchdown pass was the first completion for the Huskies in the second half. The score remained tied, 7-7, to end the third quarter. Merkley broke the game wide open in the fourth quarter on a 40-yard touchdown run to put the Huskies up 14-7 with 7:41 left in the game. On the ensuing Sabercats’ drive, North forced a three-and-out after Scott was sacked on third down. The North offense trotted back on the field with 6:10 left at their own 35-yard line. McNaughton went into Sabercat territory on a 15-yard run on the first play of the drive. Later on the drive, North picked up a first down on third-and-five, but was brought back to the 47-yard line on a holding penalty. The next play Merkley ran for a loss of 3 and forced North to punt the ball back to the Southmoore 10–yard line. Scott threw 3-straight incompletions and the Sabercats went three-and-out. Southmoore punted the ball back to the Edmond North 43-yard line with 2:01 left. The Sabercats never saw the ball again with Edmond North running out the clock to win the game 14-7.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

NORTH IS SPOILER FOR SABERCATS

PETER AGNITSCH

The Edmond Sun | 10/2/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Southmoore High School Athletics