Remember these names... Dominic Grein, Ryan Morgan, Peyten Keith, Dalton Pierce, Isaiah Lively, Derek Strong, Jeffrey Lieb and Landon Beliel.They are the senior members of the 2023 Tonkawa Buc football team. Don’t remember them for not making the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Remember them for three great multiple-round playoff seasons during their freshman, sophomore and junior years. (9-3 in 2020 and 2021 and 10-2 in 2022). While the Bucs finished tied for fourth in District A-5, Morrison owns the head-to-head win so they advance to the playoffs.Their careers at Tonkawa high school football came to an end at Woodland Friday night in a 0-14 loss Remember them for that, too. You see, that’s the fewest points Woodland has been held all season long. Just like the 0-13 loss to Hominy two weeks earlier.Many of them were four year starters for Head Coach Mike Kirtley and the Buccaneers. “I thought we played hard. We just made too many mistakes to win and our offense wasn’t good enough to overcome those.”Tonkawa just couldn’t get a break on offense all night long. Despite that, the defense dug in and held on, always giving the Bucs a chance at a miracle finish.In four trips to the Buc redzone, the Cougars managed only two scores. With first and goal at the Tonkawa seven early in the second quarter, the Bucs made a valiant goal-line stand. Dominic Grein and Derek Strong dropped a Woodland runner for a yard loss on third down and then on fourth down Ryan Morgan tipped away a certain touchdown throw incomplete in the endzone.Woodland would score on their next possession going 27 yards on 9 plays. It was 8-0 at halftime. The Cougars scored the first time they got the ball in the second half. This time they went 40 yards in 7 plays, but with the help of four penalties that provided 21 of those yards and three first downs.Tonkawa completed only their second pass of the night on the next possession, a 20 yard strike from Morgan to Cayden Duvall. With the help of a 15 yard penalty -- a rare flag against Woodland -- the Bucs moved from their own 29 to the Cougar 36. After four straight downs of no yards gained -- one rush and three incomplete passes -- the Bucs turned the ball back over to Woodland.The Cougars picked up four straight ...
