Broncho Football Edged by Tuttle and Finish as the Class 4A State Runner Up
Launch the media gallery 1 playerYukon, OK - On a night plagued with weather delays the Class 4A State Championship game finished just after midnight and unfortunately for the Bronchos they were on the short end of a 35-28 loss to Tuttle. Bethany finishes the season with a record of 12-2 and as the Class 4A State Runner Up, both of those losses came to Tuttle, who finished an undefeated 14-0 season. The Bronchos lost to Tuttle 30-7 earlier in the season at home and showed up and played much better this time around.
After three different weather delays to start the night Tuttle was hot out of the gates. They scored on their second offensive snap on a 64 yard run by Parker Ross and then capitalized later in the quarter on a short field after a Bethany interception to move the score to 14-0 heading into the second. But in the second quarter the Bronchos roared back with Sam Brandt scoring on a 1 yard run after a nice drive to pull within seven, then after a couple of defensive stops the Bronchos found the endzone again on a 36 yard pass from Brandt to Lawson Stout to knot the game at 14. The score the Bronchos would like to have back would be with just seconds left in the first half when Tuttle threw up a ball to standout receiver Coby Trevino and he came down with it despite Bethany having him in double coverage. This left the score 21-14 at halftime.
The Bronchos would tie the game again in the third quarter after Brandt picked up a Tuttle fumble and returned it 52 yards for a score. On the ensuing possession though Tuttle would answer again with a 43 yard pass to Ross. Another play the Bronchos would like to have back as they missed several tackles in an effort to get Ross to the ground. The defenses of both teams would stiffen for much of the second half before Brandt connected with Skylar Holzhauser midway through the fourth quarter on a 31 yard pass to tie the game once again at 28. After a blunder on the ensuing kickoff Tuttle took over with the ball at the 42 yard line and ended up scoring on a 29 yard run to take the lead 35-28 with just over two minutes to play. The Bronchos would have one final try, but it would end on an interception by Tuttle to seal the victory.
Bethany coach Jon Arthur said, "We are extremely proud of our players. They were a true team all year long and played with a lot of heart, determination, and love for each other. Tuttle is a great ball club that is big, physical, and tough to defend. I thought we played much better this time around and for that our team should be very proud. This is only the 2nd time in Bethany history a football team has advanced to the state championship game; it is a fantastic accomplishment."
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for announcements regarding all-district, all-state, and little all city honors that have been earned by members of this team.