When and Where:
4A #3 Blanchard (11-1) vs. 4A #1 Heritage Hall (12-0)
November 25 (Sat) 1:00 PM
Western Heights High School
Tickets: $7 or OSSAA Playoff Pass

Media Coverage:
Livestreamed on NFHS Network ($10 pay-to-view; nfhsnetwork.com)
Archived on ChargerVision (free; hhchargers.tv)

Most Recent Matchup:
The Chargers face Blanchard Saturday afternoon for the the fourth consecutive year in the playoffs. However, this semifinal showdown is unlike previous bouts, all of which took place in the first round. In last year's contest, an injury riddled Heritage Hall squad was carried by its stout defense while star quarterback Blake Adams watched from the sidelines with an injury suffered in the previous game at Elk City. Heritage held a slim 3-0 at the halftime break after an uneventful first half, with the only score coming on a 32 yard field goal. Despite the chilling weather, things heated up to start the third quarter with a 90 yard kickoff return touchdown by Billy Ross, Jr. The Lions answered back shortly thereafter with a touchdown of their own to trim the deficit to 10-7. The Chargers' makeshift offense featured three quarterbacks – Will Dunn, Santana Randle, and Chandler Shapard. On a drive orchestrated by Shapard, the Chargers answered with a tough five yard score from Morgan Dinwiddie. Blanchard was able to find the end zone yet again just before the end of the third quarter, giving Heritage a narrow 17-13 lead entering the final twelve minutes. The Hall then turned to its ground game to close out the game, and it did not let the team down, as the team was able to build up a 27-19 advantage with just a few minutes remaining on the clock. Blanchard had the ball with a chance to tie the game late, but Conner Carey was able to break up a Blanchard pass on 4th down to give the Chargers another playoff win over the Lions and their 38th victory in a row.

Player Spotlight:
Blanchard's success this season has largely been driven by its defense, the only Class 4A unit allowing opponents under ten points per game. Shane Oliver and Jackson Greenwood, two hard hitting linebackers, are the heart and soul of this Lion team. The seniors are experienced and defend run plays especially well, clogging up holes and making tackles in the backfield. Oliver and Greenwood have combined to rack up 240 total tackles and 7.5 sacks on the season, astoundingly high numbers for a duo of players. The Lions' starting safeties, Jaxon Stratton and Rex Redmon, are nice complements behind a physical linebacker core, combining for 208 tackles and a pair of interceptions.

Offensively, Blanchard heavily relies on their running game from both quarterback Camden Cooper and running back Bryce Madron, who has eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards on the season along with seven touchdowns. The Lions attempt just over 13 passes per game, meaning it will be extremely important for Heritage to defend the run the well on Saturday.

Overview:
The Lions enter this weekend's game with a great deal of momentum after defeating Wagoner 23-14 in the quarterfinals. The upset win snapped the Bulldogs' historic 48 game win streak. Despite the Lions' momentum, Heritage Hall still has reason to play with utmost confidence. The Chargers are playing outstanding in every facet of the game and no Heritage opponent has been within 27 points since Weatherford nearly two months ago on September 29th. Last week against Broken Bow, Blake Adams accounted for 175 total yards and one touchdown, a 47 yard strike to Zane Wade. The Charger defense was the real star of the game, however, holding the Savages to nine points on the night and scoring twice in the third quarter thanks to scoop-and-scores by Jaden McDaniel and Preston Taylor. The Hall will need another great effort this weekend against the Lions, especially from the offense who will be lining up against one of the best defenses in the entire state. If the Chargers can run the ball and outmatch Blanchard's physicality, they should be able to advance to the State Championship and play for the school's sixth title.

Article by Jake LeForce '19
Photos by Jake Steelman '19 / More on Flickr