Chargers take down Verdigris in quarterfinal grinder

The 3rd-ranked Chargers faced the 6th-ranked Verdigris Cardinals in an OSSAA Class 3A Quarterfinal matchup at Pop Murray Memorial Field. The Hall came into the game wanting to prove they were deserving of a #1 playoff seed and that they are a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. Verdigris entered the contest with a 9-1 record, so Heritage Hall knew the Cardinals would be strong on both sides of the ball.

The Chargers started the game out strong and hungry. With the defense holding the Verdigris offense in check, junior receiver Gavin Freeman caught a pass from Will Paque and found the end zone from 43 yards out, putting The Hall on the scoreboard first.

The Cardinals clapped back with a series of great offensive plays and scored on a 29 yard pass play to even the score. The first quarter closed with Heritage Hall and Verdigris tied at seven.

The second quarter continued where the first left off, with the teams in a virtual stalemate.

Senior linebacker Landon Lahodny showed up at clutch moments throughout the game, including an interception with a 9 yard return that stopped the Cardinals in the red zone before they could grab the lead.

Amped up by the big takeaway, the Charger offense seized momentum. Two plays later, Paque tossed a quick pass out in the flat to Freeman who broke loose on a phenomenal 86 yard sprint with a two monster cutbacks en route to the endzone. With the interception and big pass play, momentum swung in Heritage Hall's favor heading into halftime up 14-7.

The third quarter started and the Hall continued to battle on defense. The Cardinals tried to rattle the Hall but both sides continued to play extremely well on the fence and the Hall ended the quarter with an interception from Freeman which motivated the Hall to head into the final quarter of the night.

The third quarter was another grinder, although The Hall continued to find a rhythm and showed signs of securing a victory.

Senior bruiser Jayden Williams broke free on a season-long 38 yard run, then punished the Cardinals on multiple runs to open the fourth quarter. Williams capped off the drive with a tough 12-yard touchdown run, maybe the biggest score of the night.

The Hall closed out the fourth quarter to achieve a 21-7 win over the visiting Cardinals. Even though the Chargers' scoring output wasn't as explosive as usual, they showed grit and determination and ultimately got the job done. The impressive team win showed the rest of Class 3A that The Hall can come out on top in even the most physical games.

Will Paque led the Charger passing attack, completing 9 of 22 throws for 209 yards. The junior signal-caller threw 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Four Charger receivers caught passes in the contest – Freeman, Orie Walker, Robert Mbroh, and Joe Washington. Freeman led the way with an impressive total of 185 yards on 6 catches, 2 for touchdowns. Walker had 2 receptions for 19 yards, while Mbroh had one catch for 6 yards.

The ground attack was led by Jayden Williams, who carried 13 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. K.J. Evans ran 7 times for 12 yards and Paque followed with 4 carries for 8 yards.

A.J. Sirls, Jr., fresh off a commitment to Air Force Academy, was a monster on the defensive side of the ball. The senior linebacker registered 15 tackles, 6 of them solo takedowns, and 4 of them behind the line of scrimmage including 2 sacks. Brigham Evans, Gavin Freeman, and Landon Lahodny each tallied 7 tackles. Junior defensive end Mason Georgia caused trouble in the Cardinal backfield with 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss.

The Chargers travel to Tulsa for a semifinal matchup against the Lincoln Christian Bulldogs for the third consecutive year. The teams split the previous two semifinal meetings and each went on to win State (HH in 2018, Lincoln Christian in 2019). The Hall looks to punch their ticket to State and for another shot at a Gold Ball.

Lincoln Christian is 11-0 this season and their high powered offense is averaging 51.5 points per game. Despite losing several senior leaders from last year's State Champion squad, they are a formidable foe. A new quarterback has stepped in and provides a dual-threat and the Bulldogs return Kolbe Katsis, a speedy deep threat at the wide receiver position.

With both teams winning their district in 2020, OSSAA playoff rules adjusted for COVID-19 considerations dictate a coin toss would decide the host school. Lincoln Christian won the toss on a Zoom call conducted Saturday morning after the quarterfinals.

The Hall has been looking forward to this potential playoff matchup all season, salivating for a shot at redemption. The epic showdown kicks off Friday at 7pm at Lincoln Christian High School (map). Take a road trip to Tulsa to witness this historic showdown and cheer your Chargers onward. If you can't make it in person, tune in on ChargerVision to watch all the hard-hitting action.

Go Chargers!

Written by Quincy LeNorman '21
Edited by Luke Steelman '93
Photos by Dawn Freeman

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