STROUD — And then there were eight.
Stroud’s Tigers are one win closer to claiming the Class A gold ball after a 21-13 triumph over Pawnee in Friday night’s second-round playoff match. The Tigers are one of eight teams remaining in contention for the 2009 championship.
“You got to give hats off to the 38 kids wearing blue jerseys,” Stroud head coach Chris Elerick said after his undefeated Tigers downed the Black Bears at Jack Poskey Field.
“Just guts, determination and execution.”
The Bears took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter, but the Tigers responded with 21 uncontested points. Pawnee scored late in the game, making it 21-13, and threatened to score again after recovering a fumbled onside kick in the waning seconds.
Dakota Biswell had other ideas.
The Stroud sophomore let the air out of Pawnee’s sail by snagging his third of three second-half interceptions — this one in the end zone — giving the hosts control of the ball with less than 17 seconds to go. Quarterback Andrew Miller took a knee, and the No. 2 Tigers iced their 12th win in 12 games.
“Our offensive line, I thought, was the key to moving the ball all night against a very, very good defense,” Elerick said.
The Tigers amassed 322 yards against the Black Bears — including 204 on the ground — as their leading rusher continued his trend of churning up the turf. Senior Cody Pritchard carried the ball 31 times for 165 yards and a touchdown, and had back-to-back scoring runs of 23 and 5 yards negated by penalties.
Stroud quarterback Andrew Miller connected on six of 10 passes for 85 yards and a TD, and Pritchard was 1-of-1 for 33 yards on a halfback toss. Miller was intercepted once on the night, on a third-and-11 toss from the Bears’ 35 during the game’s initial possession.
Pawnee’s Marlin Miller put the guests on the board when he punched one in from 3 yards out, and Brandon Coltharp added the PAT kick to give Pawnee a 7-0 lead with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter.
On the Tigers’ second possession of the second quarter, Pritchard punctuated the 10-play drive with a 6-yard scoring run, and Biswell knotted the score with his PAT kick at the 5:14 mark.
Pritchard reached the end zone not once, but twice, on Stroud’s next possession, but both scores were called back because of holding infractions. With six seconds remaining in the second quarter, Miller hooked up with Biswell in the end zone for a 12-yard scoring reception and 14-7 halftime lead for Stroud.
The Tigers made it 21-7 late in the third when Miller shoved his way in from a yard out.
After garnering no passing yards in the first half, Pawnee quarterback Tate Beer completed 10 of 15 throws in the second half for 141 yards. The most critical of the connections was a 46-yard scoring toss to Adam Bruns with 30 seconds of game time left.
The Bears recovered the bobbled reception on the ensuing onside kick, and Beer completed a 12-yard toss to Bruns to set Pawnee first-and-10 at Stroud’s 34.
His next toss fell into the hands of Biswell, and the Tigers — first-and-10 at their own 20 because of the touchback — needed nothing more than to let time expire.
“Defensively, they really executed the scheme well,” Elerick said of the Tigers. “We’re very proud.”
The Bears were limited to 113 yards on 28 rushes, and they accumulated nine first downs (two by penalty). The Tigers collected 17 first downs, including two by penalty.
Now 12-0, the Tigers will host Cashion at 7:30 p.m. next Friday in the Class A quarterfinals. Cashion defeated Velma-Alma, 41-31, in second-round play Friday.
Stroud is trying for its first unblemished season since 1969, when the Tigers earned their first state title.
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STROUD — And then there were eight.
Stroud’s Tigers are one win closer to claiming the Class A gold ball after a 21-13 triumph over Pawnee in Friday night’s second-round playoff match. The Tigers are one of eight teams remaining in contention for the 2009 championship.
“You got to give hats off to the 38 kids wearing blue jerseys,” Stroud head coach Chris Elerick said after his undefeated Tigers downed the Black Bears at Jack Poskey Field.
“Just guts, determination and execution.”
The Bears took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter, but the Tigers responded with 21 uncontested points. Pawnee scored late in the game, making it 21-13, and threatened to score again after recovering a fumbled onside kick in the waning seconds.
Dakota Biswell had other ideas.
The Stroud sophomore let the air out of Pawnee’s sail by snagging his third of three second-half interceptions — this one in the end zone — giving the hosts control of the ball with less than 17 seconds to go. Quarterback Andrew Miller took a knee, and the No. 2 Tigers iced their 12th win in 12 games.
“Our offensive line, I thought, was the key to moving the ball all night against a very, very good defense,” Elerick said.
The Tigers amassed 322 yards against the Black Bears — including 204 on the ground — as their leading rusher continued his trend of churning up the turf. Senior Cody Pritchard carried the ball 31 times for 165 yards and a touchdown, and had back-to-back scoring runs of 23 and 5 yards negated by penalties.
Stroud quarterback Andrew Miller connected on six of 10 passes for 85 yards and a TD, and Pritchard was 1-of-1 for 33 yards on a halfback toss. Miller was intercepted once on the night, on a third-and-11 toss from the Bears’ 35 during the game’s initial possession.
Pawnee’s Marlin Miller put the guests on the board when he punched one in from 3 yards out, and Brandon Coltharp added the PAT kick to give Pawnee a 7-0 lead with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter.
On the Tigers’ second possession of the second quarter, Pritchard punctuated the 10-play drive with a 6-yard scoring run, and Biswell knotted the score with his PAT kick at the 5:14 mark.
Pritchard reached the end zone not once, but twice, on Stroud’s next possession, but both scores were called back because of holding infractions. With six seconds remaining in the second quarter, Miller hooked up with Biswell in the end zone for a 12-yard scoring reception and 14-7 halftime lead for Stroud.
The Tigers made it 21-7 late in the third when Miller shoved his way in from a yard out.
After garnering no passing yards in the first half, Pawnee quarterback Tate Beer completed 10 of 15 throws in the second half for 141 yards. The most critical of the connections was a 46-yard scoring toss to Adam Bruns with 30 seconds of game time left.
The Bears recovered the bobbled reception on the ensuing onside kick, and Beer completed a 12-yard toss to Bruns to set Pawnee first-and-10 at Stroud’s 34.
His next toss fell into the hands of Biswell, and the Tigers — first-and-10 at their own 20 because of the touchback — needed nothing more than to let time expire.
“Defensively, they really executed the scheme well,” Elerick said of the Tigers. “We’re very proud.”
The Bears were limited to 113 yards on 28 rushes, and they accumulated nine first downs (two by penalty). The Tigers collected 17 first downs, including two by penalty.
Now 12-0, the Tigers will host Cashion at 7:30 p.m. next Friday in the Class A quarterfinals. Cashion defeated Velma-Alma, 41-31, in second-round play Friday.
Stroud is trying for its first unblemished season since 1969, when the Tigers earned their first state title.
