Mid-game surge propels Minco past Cashion
![CASHION QB Kellen Smith, picutred in the team’s season opener against Hennessey, accounted for more than 300 yards of offense last Friday, but the Wildcats were ousted from the playoffs in a 24-14 loss at Minco. [Photo by Rylee Broadbent]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/6f3917580a_Ar01402022.jpg?itok=IjuZxxsF "CASHION QB Kellen Smith, picutred in the team’s season opener against Hennessey, accounted for more than 300 yards of offense last Friday, but the Wildcats were ousted from the playoffs in a 24-14 loss at Minco. [Photo by Rylee Broadbent]")
CASHION QB Kellen Smith, picutred in the team’s season opener against Hennessey, accounted for more than 300 yards of offense last Friday, but the Wildcats were ousted from the playoffs in a 24-14 loss at Minco. [Photo by Rylee Broadbent]
Minco scored two touchdowns before Cashion ever touched the ball in the second half and that proved too much for the Wildcats to overcome.
The two scores were part of 17 unanswered points for the Bulldogs as they knocked Cashion out of the Class A-I playoffs with a 24-14 win at home in the first round.
Cashion saw its season end at 8-3 while Minco moved into this week’s quarterfinal round at Tonkawa.
After a slow offensive start by both teams, Cashion drew first blood when Kellen Smith found Ethan Waswo for a 29-yard touchdown pass just before the midway point of the second quarter.
The Bulldogs tried to answer, but eventually settled for a 25-yard field goal by A.J. Russell near the end of the half.
Minco then got the ball to start the second half and used a long pass play from Dason McMurtrey to Aden Brummell on a drive that eventually saw McMurtrey score on a 2-yard run.
That gave Minco its first lead of the game with 8:15 left in the third.
But the Bulldogs weren’t done.
A surprise onside kick was scooped up by Minco’s Taylor Truelove.
The home team turned that into yet another scoring drive as McMurtrey dropped a 22-yard touchdown into Russell’s arms at the back of the end zone for a 17-7 lead at 6:45 of the third.
Finally Cashion was able to get a possession in the second half and the Wildcats made it count.
Jayden Bolton’s short touchdown run pulled Cashion within 17-14 with 3:10 to play in the third.
But Minco wasn’t done scoring as the Bulldogs had their own reply.
Their next drive saw Sebastian Valdez punch it in from a yard out to push the lead back to 10.
Cashion couldn’t cut into it again.
The Wildcats’ best shot came as time was winding down.
They got inside the Minco 5 in the final minute, but Smith’s run on 4th and 3 from the 4 was short of the marker, putting an end to the Wildcats’ hopes.
Smith threw for 215 yards and ran for 105 more, but production was hard to come by elsewhere against the stout Bulldogs’ defense.
Grayson Davis caught seven passes for 56 yards and also led the team with 10 tackles.