Chargers Win 2017 OSSAA Class 4A State Championship

The day all Charger football fans had so desperately awaited had finally arrived. It was Friday, December 1st, and Heritage Hall found themselves competing for the program's 6th gold ball.

The 2017 edition of Charger football wanted to prove that they were one of the best teams in Oklahoma high school history, and they had a chance to do it against a powerhouse Ada program boasting the most titles in any classification all-time (19).

The first quarter, and the game, was controlled by the Charger defense. The Hall's stoppers smothered the Ada attack with a range of blitzes, power play from the defensive line, and perfect coverage over the top.

While the Charger defense played a nearly perfect game early in the contest, the Ada defense matched Heritage Hall's intensity as they proved to be one of the best tackling teams the Chargers had faced.

On the Chargers' second offensive series, facing third down and 31, all Ada had to do was prevent a big play to force a probable punt and secure good field position for the Cougar offense.

The complete opposite ensued, however, as Conner Carey caught a Blake Adams pass, broke two tackles, and found himself surpassing the first down marker to give The Hall a fresh set of downs. Moments later, Carey would catch an 11 yard touchdown pass from Adams for an early 7-0 Charger lead.

The second quarter proved to be the most exciting of the game.

Heritage Hall's defense continued to dominate throughout the half, led by a key 43 yard interception by sophomore safety Phillip Smitherman. The timely pick set up a 3 yard touchdown run by Blake Adams that stretched the Hall's lead to 14.

Just when all hope seemed to be lost for the Cougars, Ada responded with a beautiful drive. With 8 seconds left in the half, the Cougars advanced the ball to the Charger 2 yard line with no timeouts remaining.

What happened next will forever be remembered as one of the best defensive plays in Heritage Hall history, as Ada's quarterback was sacked by Jaden McDaniel. The clock – and Ada's chance to get on the scoreboard – expired with Heritage Hall headed to the break up by 14.

Ada responded well out of the locker room, moving the ball effectively, but couldn't capitalize when they made it back to the red zone.

The Cougars moved the ball inside the Charger 5 yard line again late in the third quarter, threatening to cut the deficit to one score, but the Heritage Hall defense held on downs.

Relying on their stingy defense in the fourth quarter, the Chargers kept the clock churning to wrap up the perfect 14-0 season with fitting 14-0 State Championship win.

Adams finished the night 12 of 18 for 175 yards and one touchdown in the air. Even more impressively, Adams finished his illustrious Heritage Hall career unblemished as the team's starter – a perfect 39 wins and zero losses.

Billy Ross, Jr., capped off his junior campaign with 115 yards rushing and added 35 yards receiving. Conner Carey had a big night, hauling in 6 passes for 105 yards and one score.

Connor Keith, Jaden McDaniel, and Carson Orton wreaked havoc in the Cougars backfield all night, each recording 4 sacks. Keith joined Grayson Wilson to lead the team with 17 tackles each. Seth Meacham clogged the interior with 12 tackles. Zane Wade recorded a tipped-ball interception to go with 8 tackles.

The storybook season for Heritage Hall ended with the team hoisting the gold ball in front of a crowd of Charger faithful at Choctaw Stadium.

This Charger squad will always be remembered for their heart, skill, and sheer domination. The 2017 team is arguably the best in school history. The senior class elevated the program to unseen heights – a career 54 and 2 record with 3 championships and 2 perfect seasons.

Until next year, Onward Chargers.

Article by Rives Mitchell '19
Photos by Jake Steelman '19 / More on Flickr (Action & Celebration)

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