Michael Pineda
CASHION — The last thing Velma-Alma wanted to get into was a track meet in its second round playoff meeting against Cashion. It turned out to be wishful thinking.
The Wildcat offense rolled up 409 yards of total offense and had the Comet defense on its heels all night as it advanced to the Class A quarterfinals with a 41-21 win. Running back Collin Willis picked up 200 yards on 22 carries to lead Cashion, which improved to 12-0 on the season.
As strong as the Wildcat offense was, it was not until the fourth quarter that it was able to put Velma-Alma away. Tanner Jenkins scored a 38-yard touchdown with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter. A conversion pass from Dustin Sloan to Trenten Files pulled V-A within 28-21 but Cashion answered with touchdowns on its next two drives to secure the win and end the Comet season at 9-3.
“For our formula to work, we need a close game,” Velma-Alma coach Greg Gothard said. “41-21 was not our formula. It was like Texoma in past playoff games, we knew they could score about every time that they had it. I knew they were really good but I thought that we could do a better job of slowing them down.
“The kids never quit. We got a lot of mileage out of these kids this year. It was the most fun year of coaching that I have had.”
The Comets came out of the gate and were able to impose their pace offensively. Velma-Alma took the opening kickoff and took the ball 83 yards on 15 plays, eating up seven minutes of the clock.
On the drive, V-A converted two fourth downs, one on a penalty, and three third downs. The big play of the drive came on a 30-yard pass from Sloan to Peyton Presgrove. Sloan went to the air on the scoring play, hitting Dillon Dennis on a slant from 13-yards out with 4:55 remaining in the quarter. Cord Gothard converted the extra point to give the Comets to a 7-0 lead.
Cashion responded in kind, taking the ball 74 yards on 11 plays. Working out of a no-huddle, pistol formation, Jeremy Seaton handed the ball off to Willis, who did the majority of the work. Willis capped the drive with a five-yard run with 1:27 left in the quarter and Ayden Gilliam split the uprights to tie the game.
The second drive for both teams also proved to be successful as each put a touchdown on the board. Velma-Alma suffered a setback on its drive when Presgrove suffered a dislocated elbow on a 10-yard completion to convert a fourth down.
Jenkins had a key 31-yard run on the drive which was culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Sloan with 8:12 remaining in the half. The extra point was wide, leaving the score at 13-7.
Cashion retook the lead less than three minutes later as it exposed the right side of the Comet defense with running plays to Willis. The senior scored from two yards out at the 5:21 mark and the extra point gave the Wildcats a 14-13 lead.
“It took some time to make adjustments on both sides of the ball after Payton went out,” Gothard said. “They were blocking our cans and we were not making the play.”
Velma-Alma’s inability to slow down Cashion brought about a gamble that went south on its next possession.
The Comets took over the ball at the Wildcat 29 and gained six yards on three plays. Facing a 4th-and-four, Gothard called for a fake punt. Zach Morse took the snap and was stuffed at the 35 for no gain.
“The fake punt was my fault,” Gothard said, “we just hadn’t stopped them all night.”
Velma-Alma paid as Willis scored his third touchdown of the half with 1:18 remaining in the half, giving Cashion a 21-13 lead going into the locker room.
It did not get much better for Velma-Alma in the second half as Seaton began to assert himself. After hammering Velma-Alma’s right side of the defense in the first half, Seaton faked a handoff to that side and ran a keeper down the middle for a 57-yard gain.
The quarterback scored from nine yards out two plays later to build the lead to 28-13. The quarterback finished the night with 172 yard rushing, 131 of which came in the second half.
The Comets made their first defensive stand midway through the third quarter after giving up touchdowns on the first four Cashion possessions. Facing a 4th-and-six, Austin Phippen got off a low punt to Dennis, who was able to field the ball on the run and return it for a touchdown. A penalty brought the ball back to the CHS 38 but it did not matter as Jenkins took it to the house on the next play.
The Comets went for two and converted as Sloan found Files, who took over for Presgrove at tight end, alone in the corner of the end zone.
Momentum proved to be fleeting as Cashion got back on track offensively and a 70-yard drive. Willis broke loose on a 36-yard run for the score. Aaron Albertson blocked the extra point to leave the score at 34-21.
Velma-Alma drove deep inside Cashion territory twice in the second half but failed to convert while the Wildcats tacked on one more score on a two-yard run by Seaton to account for the final touchdown of the night.
Jenkins turned in a strong night for the Comets as he rushed for 107 yards on 16 carries and had one reception for 22 yards. Sloan completed nine-of-18 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown to Dennis, who had four receptions for 65 yards.
