Win at State Quarter-Finals against Pryor drives NHS to State Semi-Finals
Newcastle moved on to the OSSAA Class 5A Football State Semi-Finals after beating number two-ranked Pryor on Friday night. The win places the Racers (5-1, 9-3) in a game tomorrow (Friday) night against number oneranked Carl Albert (7-0, 12-0).
Newcastle traveled to Pryor for the 40-30 win, while Carl Albert beat McAlester, 55-0. The State Semi-Final game between Newcastle and Carl Albert will be at 7 p.m. at Norman North High School.
Newcastle came out strong in the first quarter scoring 14 points while holding Pryor scoreless. They scored again before the half while holding Pryor to only a field goal. The halftime score was 21-3.
Both teams scored in the third quarter with Pryor making their extra point. Newcastle, in a rare moment this year, did not connect on the extra point. The third quarter score was 27-10.
Pryor had a strong fourth period scoring 20 points, while the Racers added another 13, making the end score, 40-30.
Newcastle Head Coach Jeff Brickman said, “Pryor had a great stadium and a great home crowd. We started off the game strong up 21-0 by midway through the second quarter.”
He added that the Racer defense forced several turnovers and the offense took advantage, turning most of those into points.
“Ashton Shumard had an electric touchdown on a pass from Blake Creswell early in the game,” Brickman said. “Pryor kicked an onside kick late in the game and Kaden Longman returned it for a touchdown. Preston Scagnetti was all over the field and made several big plays on defense including recovering two fumbles.”
Newcastle held Pryor to 96 yards rushing on 34 attempts and forced four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Offensively, the Racers had 396 total yards — 226 yards rushing and 170 yards passing.
Brickman said the Racers are excited to prepare for the Semi-Finals game this week. This will include practicing on Thanksgiving Day.
Booster Club members stated, “There is a lot to be thankful for this year including the Racers playing in the State Semi-Finals. We hope to see you at ‘Breakfast on the Balcony’ on Thanksgiving Day at 8 a.m.”
Individuals recognized for their efforts during the Pryor game were: Ashton Shumard, Most Valuable Player; Cody Nix, Offensive Player of the Game; Preston Scagnetti, Defensive Player of the Game; Kaden Longman, Special Teams Player of the Game; Beau Birdsong, Scout Team; Cody Nix, Hammer; and Garrett Pratt, Knockdowns (5).
Semi-Finals game tickets are available at OSSAA.COM via GoFan.co.
Racer Preston Scagnetti pressures the Pryor quarterback during the Newcastle game Friday night. • photo by Mindi Stucks
