Wolverines hold off Highlanders’ late scoring bid

Sometimes the bounces just go your way and in some instances it makes a hero out of an unsung offensive lineman like Lawton High School's Ryne Yoast. The big guard smoothered his arms and frame around a Wolverine fumble producing a strange touchdown that set his team on its way to a 28-15 victory over MacArthur before a wind-swept crowd at Cameron Stadium Friday night.

Wolverine workhorse DeJuan Wojciechowski was trying to cap a 47-yard touchdown drive when he lost possession on a third-and-three play at the Mac 14. Several Highlanders had a golden opportunity to fall on the ball but it was Yoast who altertly made the play for the score with 5:36 left in the first quarter. Will Hight tacked on the first of four perfect PATs  a real accomplishment in the 40 mile and hour wind  and the LHS faithful on the south side voiced their approval.

Ironically, later in the second half the Highlanders had a similar opportunity, marching from their own 22 to a first down at the LHS six. One play netted five yards, but the officials ruled that Jake Smith's tough run came up just short of the goal-line.

On the next play a host of Wolverines hit Smith hard in the hole and a helmet landed squarely on the ball sent it to the turf where Curtez Zachary recovered for the touchback, saving the day for the LHS defense.

"With the big lead at halftime, we wanted to work the clock and with our defense playing so well, I thought we'd go ahead and give them the wind in the third and challenge our defense to hold them," LHS coach Randy Breeze said. "We get the big hit there on that play and recover the fumble, then force another big punt there in the third. We wanted to hang a goose-egg on them in the third and our defense found a way."

From the Mac sideline you could almost feel the big gust of air coming out of the players and fans in unison after the big fumble.

"That was a big difference in the outcome; they go down there and fumble into the end zone and recover and we do the same thing and can't get it back," Mac skipper Brett Manning said. "We just made too many mistakes and when you dig yourself in a big hole it's hard to come back, especially against a great football team. They have a great team with a lot of quickness but I was proud of our team in the second half."

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