EIGHT AND COUNTING

It’s not quite set in stone but Shawnee is oh-so-close to completing its first undefeated regular season in 36 years.
Thanks to a third-quarter revival, Shawnee remained unblemished (8-0) by upending feisty Guthrie, 33-23, Friday night in a chilly District 5A-2 conflict at Jim Thorpe Stadium.
All the Wolves require for their first 10-0 regular season mark since 1973 are district road wins against Noble and Capitol Hill.
Both of those squads, winless in their first seven games of the season, met Friday night with Noble prevailing 48-7.
Shawnee, leading Guthrie just 13-10 at the half, got third-quarter scoring runs of 2 and 27 yards by Jordan Acock for a 26-10 lead entering the fourth quarter. 
Acock’s 2-yard scoring run, culminating a 60-yard drive on Shawnee’s initial second-half possession, was set up when Keldin Choat caught a 15-yard pass on a fourth-and-two situation from the Guthrie 17.
Acock’s 27-yard scoring gallop up the middle finished a 67-yard drive highlighted by a 25-yard reception by Saulyer Saxon.
After Acock scored again on a 6-yard run at the 9:36 mark of the fourth quarter, Shawnee was up 33-10.
The Wolves then hung on as 6-foot-3-inch Kentrell Brothers twice outjumped Shawnee defenders for 26 and 49-yard scoring receptions. Guthrie recovered an onside kick after Brothers’ 49-yarder, but an interception by Leon Davis with 1:31 left sealed the deal.
Shawnee’s third-quarter difference came after a sloppy first half.
An early Shawnee fumble was converted into a 27-yard field goal by Hank Hudson for a 3-0 Bluejay lead.
After failing to record a first down on its first two possessions of the game, Shawnee cranked up an 80-yard, five-play drive ended by Brown’s 27-yard TD pass to a wide-open Beau Davis. A 35-yard run by quarterback Brayle Brown preceded the TD toss.
A missed extra point left the Wolves up 6-3.
Two plays later, Bluejay freshman quarterback Bryan Dutton hit Brothers on a 50-yard scoring pass :33 before the end of the first quarter.
Guthrie’s next possession ended when Tyler Monroe of Shawnee blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt.
The Wolves lost a scoring opportunity by running out of downs at the Guthrie 17.
However, the visitors quickly coughed up a fumble to Choat at the Guthrie 23. On fourth down, Brown found Nick Berry in the back of the end zone for a 20-yard scoring strike and a 13-10 SHS lead with :23 left in the half.
“We weren’t ready to play early, especially offensively,” Shawnee head coach Billy Brown said.
“Our defense kept us in the game the first half. Guthrie had a good defensive scheme and just outplayed us the first half.”
Shawnee accumulated 300 yards of offense — 151 on the ground and 149 through the air. Brown completed 12-of-24 passes for 149 yards with one interception.
Guthrie passed for 241 yards but had just 29 yards rushing on 22 attempts.
Saxon had six catches for 53 yards while Berry caught three passes for 39 yards.
Acock, who has 19 rushing touchdowns, was Shawnee’s top ground gainer with 100 yards on 23 carries. Malachi Hill, Jeremy Barrientos and Cooper Ansell had a quarterback sack apiece for the victors. Ansell’s came on a 2-point conversion attempt after Guthrie sliced the lead to 33-23.
Shawnee will travel to Noble next Friday night.