Westmoore outlasts Mustang, 43-38, in first round of Oklahoma Class 6AI playoffs

Jaguars and Broncos combine for 942 yards in game which lasted more than three hours

MOORE, OKLAHOMA - It was a long night. 

When Westmoore and Mustang faced off Friday in the opening round of the Class 6AI playoffs, their game lasted more than three hours as they combined for 942 yards and 81 points.

The Jaguars needed every minute in those three hours to hold off a tough Broncos squad, 43-38, at Moore Stadium.

“It's the playoffs, man. Guys aren’t going to go out easy,” Westmoore coach Zo Williams said. “We got a big lead in the first half, but credit goes to (Mustang) coach (Lee) Blankenship and his staff and his team. They fought hard.

"It's the playoffs, so you got to stay on it. You can't let off the gas. You have to keep rolling. So we learned a little lesson right here. Hopefully, we figured it out.”

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After leading by 22 points, the Jaguars saw their big lead slip away until it came down to one possession late in the fourth quarter.

With 1:47 left in the game, Mustang’s Jacob Blice threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to senior LB Hayes to close the deficit to five points. The Broncos then attempted their second onside kick of the evening.

However, this time, the Jaguars recovered and had the ball near midfield.

But with two timeouts still in their pocket, the Broncos forced Westmoore into a fourth-and-2 situation. Instead of punting the ball away, Williams put the game on the shoulders of his offensive line and quarterback, Michael Graham Jr.

Graham took the direct snap and then ran up the gut of the Mustang defense to get the first down and put the game away.

“I told them, 'Keep your head up, give me everything you got,'” Graham said. “This is win or go home right here. Give me everything you got.”

It was Graham who may have given everything he had. Along with starting on defense, he finished the night with 263 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing, and also ran for 78 yards and two scores on 22 carries to lead the Jaguars.

“MJ made a lot of great decisions (Friday),” Williams said of Graham. “For a couple of weeks, he has been sick. I mean our whole team has been sick, so he hadn’t been playing his best.

"But when the lights come on and the popcorn is popping, the nacho cheese is flowing and the Cokes are fizzling, that guy comes out and makes plays every time.”

Westmoore's Michael Graham Jr. scores a touchdown during the Jaguars' win against Mustang in the first round of the Class 6AI playoffs Nov. 10, 2023. 

Matt Evans led the Jags with 82 yards rushing while Jaden Hunter hauled in two catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Colton Bennett added eight receptions for 93 yards.

Bryance Sanders paced Mustang with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Hayes had a season-high 16 catches for 167 yards and a score. Blice came off the Broncos' bench to throw for 197 yards and two TDs in the loss.

Westmoore jumped out early on Mustang when Graham scored midway through the first quarter. He bulldozed his way through the MHS defense for a 2-yard touchdown run.

However, Graham wasn’t done there. The junior added another TD run at the 10:39 mark to give the Jaguars a 15-0 advantage.

Mustang looked like they were in danger of getting run off the field and needed something big to happen. Quarterback Tyson Pogi tried to hit Ben Patkowski streaking down the right sideline, and Westmoore’s Mishaun Graham made a play on the ball and seemingly had a clean interception.

But the ball bounced off Graham’s hands and into Patkowski’s, who sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown. Westmoore’s deficit had been cut to eight points and MHS was back in the game.

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However, the Jags stormed back down the field and Michael Graham threw a touchdown to Zane Zienly. On the ensuing possession, Westmoore’s Courtney Graham forced Pogi into a fumble that linebacker Connor Cavnar recovered.

The turnover led to another Michael Graham touchdown pass. This time, he threw to Hunter in the flats and the junior broke a couple of tackles before streaking into the end zone.

Westmoore led, 29-10, at halftime.

After leading the Broncos to a field goal to close out the first half, Blice started the second half under center in place of Pogi.

Blice once again led MHS on a scoring drive as Sanders pounded his way for a 1-yard touchdown run at the 7:17 mark.

The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the night. That included Bennett returning a failed onside kick 60 yards for a touchdown.

But in the end, it was the Jaguars who came up with enough stops down the stretch to hold on to the victory.

“We really came into this game knowing we had to be really physical,” Cavnar said. “We had to win the game of physicality and we had to win the game of turnovers and we did both, and that's why we came out on top.”

Westmoore moves on to face Tulsa Union next week in the second round of the 6AI postseason. 

-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK