In 2001, it was Russell Rush delivering the game winning field goal against the Carl Albert Titans. 10 years later it was Easu Paez’s field goal with 12 seconds to give the Jays a 38-35 win in a top three Class 5A showdown.
Kai Callins hauls in this 21-yard touchdown score that tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Photo By Shawn Ingle
Paez’s 18-yard field goal gave the top ranked BlueJays the final points to remain unbeaten in front of perhaps the largest crowd to ever watch a game inside Jelsma Stadium with an estimated 6,000 fans.
Guthrie (7-0) quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the third ranked Titans before the game was four minutes old. Guthrie to0k their opening possession 80 yards, in 8 plays, with a 1-yard run by senior running back Luke Davis. On the ensuing kick Carl Albert fumbled the ball to Guthrie’s Donavan Jordan, who recovered it at the Titan 32 yard line. Three plays later Davis was back in the end zone with a 6-yard score.
Carl Albert (6-1) committed four turnovers with three of those coming on special teams and the Jays cashed in on all four with 24 points. Guthrie’s lone turn over came in the fourth quarter that led to Carl Albert points when the Titans quarterback Dillan Dansby hit a diving Tank Richmond in the end zone with a 29-yard reception to give Carl Albert their first lead of the game (35-28) with 5:12 left in the game.
Facing adversity for the first time this season and needing a score, the BlueJay offense marched 80 yards in 9-plays by taking less than three minutes when quarterback Bryan Dutton hit sophomore playmaker Kai Callins for a 29-yard score to tie the game at 35-all.
On the next possession, the Titans mishandled the shotgun snap on first down and when senior John Clark pounced on the ball it gave the Jays the ball back on the Titan 20-yard line. Guthrie moved down to the Titans 1-yard line, but after a Carl Albert time-out the Jays were forced to call their final time-out before they were to flagged for having 12 men on the field.
Guthrie head coach Rafe Watkins elected to kick the field goal to avoid not being able to stop the clock and handed it over to Paez. The game winning kick was the first field goal on the season for the Jays.
The BlueJays amassed 322 yards of offense while Carl Albert was just as productive with 313 yards. Guthrie rallied behind Dutton, who finished with 113 yards rushing on 13-carries and was flawless in the passing category by completing 12-of-13 passes for 170 yards. Dutton was named the F&M Bank Player of the Game.
The win guarantee’s the Jays a home playoff game and a win next week in El Reno will all but secure the district title in 5A-1.
Great game. But Guthrie better figure out a better D against CA come playoff time because the 4 turnovers will get corrected and CA was gashing the Guthrie D for 4 yards per carry. I give them props for coming up big in the end, but the LB’s were getting sucked up too close to the line all night to where they couldn’t see the ball carrier.