It’s been 22 years since Blackwell won two games in a row in a single season.
There won’t be a third win in a row.
Tonkawa came from behind twice to post a 15-14 win over the Chikaskia River rivals, the Bucs’ seventh in a row over the Maroons since the rivalry was renewed in 2014.
The game wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
Credit a ball-hogging Buc offense and a very stingy defense for the win.
The Maroons made their final first down of the game with a little over nine minutes left in the second quarter and were held to no pass completions and a mere 19 yards rushing the entire second half.
It was 14-8 at halftime but could have been worse had it not been for a goal-line stand by Tonkawa and a TD saving tackle by Dante Mendoza.
With 3:39 left in the second period, Bode Husted intercepted and returned the ball to the Buc one yard line, pushed out of bounds by Mendoza.
On first and goal, Clay Massey and Noah Campbell were there to make the stop for no gain with help from Dante Mendoza and Miccael Brown.
Second and goal saw a five yard loss administered by Campbell and Jake Morgan. Then Mandoza and Tristan Burdick got the quarterback for another two yard loss. On fourth down, it was Carson Robinson, Jaidyn Guzman, Ryan Morgan, Nathan Anderson and Jake Randall there for the stop at the two yard line.
Campbell led the defense with 10 tackles. Randall picked up an interception, his fourth of the season.
Blackwell got on the board first with a 71 yard drive on a 34 yard TD run by Christian Mora. Worthy Shepherd hit Nat Hindman for the two point conversion, giving the Maroons the early 8-0 lead.
Shepherd, Blackwell’s talented quarterback, would leave the game early in the second quarter with a knee injury. While in the game he was 3-4-1 passing for 35 yards and ran the ball five times for 35 yards.
After trading interceptions, Jaidyn Guzman covered a Maroon fumble two downs after Blackwell’s first interception.
Working from their own 42, the Bucs just took six plays to cover the needed 58 yards with a 32 yard run by Burdick. Burdick would also run for the two point conversion. It knotted the game at 8-8 as the first period came to a close.
Burdick would finish the game with 258 yards on 38 carries.
The Maroons came right ...
