Clash goes to Titans

MIDWEST CITY – Much of the talk involving Carl Albert usually gravitates around highly-recruited running back David Oku.
But as fourth-ranked Shawnee discovered Friday night, the fifth-ranked Titans also possess a rock-hard defense.
Behind a defense that held Shawnee to 189 total yards and posted two fourth quarter interception returns, the Titans upended the Wolves 27-14 in a District 5A-2 encounter.
Shawnee, which trailed 13-0 at the half, climbed to within 13-6 with 8:07 left in the third quarter on an 8-yard touchdown run by Justin Parsons. That terminated an eight-play, 62-yard drive that also featured a 21-yard run by Brett Davis on the opening play of the second half.
But on its next three possessions, Shawnee posted just one first down and couldn’t take advantage of two Oku lost fumbles — to Josh Lenox and Jon Carter.
Those blown opportunities were magnified when Daytawion Lowe and Trevante Porter returned interceptions for 32 and 39-yard touchdowns at the 2:44 and 2:28 marks of the fourth quarter to make it 27-6.
Shawnee took some comfort when sophomore quarterback Brayle Brown hit Lenox on a 21-yard scoring pass at the 1:24 mark. Brown and Lenox also hooked up on a 2-point conversion pass to end the scoring.
“We were intimidated at the start of the game,” Shawnee head coach Billy Brown said. “Before the game, they walked right through us as we warmed up and that got in our kids’ heads. We played like we were scared of them the first half.
“I challenged them at halftime. I thought we played harder the second half, like we weren’t scared. But it was too little, too late.”
Shawnee finished with 142 rushing yards, 123 of which came in the second half. Brayle Brown, under intense pressure most of the night, hit 4-of-9 passes for 47 yards with two interceptions.
Carl Albert, 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the district, didn’t exactly set the world on fire offensively with 227 total yards.
Oku finished with 167 yards rushing yards‚ just 29 in the second half, on 36 carries.
Parsons notched 72 yards on 11 carries while Davis had 67 on seven attempts.
Davis averaged 41 yards on five punts.
In the first half, Oku carried the ball 23 times for 138 yards, including TD runs of 26 and 36 yards. The 26-yarder capped an 80-yard, six-play drive on the game’s first possession. A 39-yard reception over the middle by Porter set up the TD.
Carl Albert had two other other first-half possessions falter at the SHS 33 and 35-yard lines. Devin Leitka deflected a fourth-down pass on one of the threats.
Oku’s 35-yard TD dash up the middle came on a 3rd-and-20 call just 2:03 before halftime. Ethan Acock blocked the extra-point attempt.
Shawnee didn’t cross midfield until its last possession of the half, which ended with the Wolves at the Titan 32.
The Titans outoffensed the visitors 191-48 in the opening half as Shawnee was limited to 19 yards rushing.
Shawnee stormed 87 yards on eight plays off the second-half kickoff. Parsons set up his 8-yard TD run with a 33-yard bolt to the 14.
Linebackers Keldin Choate and Leitka posted 10 tackles apiece.
In its first four games, Shawnee’s first-team defenders had allowed just one touchdown.
Shawnee, 4-0 overall and 1-1 in district play, will entertain Durant next Friday night.