Woodland wallops Talihina, earns sixth Oklahoma state football championship: Live updates recap

Trey Bennett accounts for five touchdowns as the Cougars post perfect 14-0 2024 season. Bennett rushes for three scores, passes for two more as Woodland wins first title since 2010.

The Oklahoma high school football season wraps up this weekend with six more state championship games. / Photo by Taylor Balkom

OKLAHOMA HS FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

Woodland High School has not earned am Oklahoma state football chmapionship since 2010.

For Talihina, it's been much longer ... try 1966.

But tonight these two schools -- one from Leflore County in the eastern part of the state and the other from Osage County -- will clash at Chad Richison Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond to determine the Oklahoma Class A Division II state championship.

Ironically, Talihina opened its push through the playoff bracket with a trip to Osage County taking on Barnsdall and earning a 30-20 victory.

The two teams come into the championship as offensive juggernauts, Woodland (located inside the city of Fairfax) averages 53.5 points per game and has been held to under 40 points twice on the season, the season-opening 38-8 victory at Pawnee and a 46-6 victory at Pawhuska en route to a 13-0 record.

Talihina (12-1) lost its next to last regular season game to Regent Prep of Tulsa 41-26, the same Regent Prep Woodland defeated last week in the state semifinals 60-22 at Catoosa.

The Golden Tigers average 39 points per game, but its the defense where the this game could be decided as Talihina allows 36 points per game and Woodland holds opponents to 9.5.

Passing leaders: Talihina: Landen Griffith 65.2% completions, 2,485 yards (191.2 per game), 28 TDs, 2 interceptions, Woodland: Trey Bennett 63.6% completions, 2,157 yards (165.9 per game), 31 TDs, 2 interceptions.

Rushing leaders: Talihina: Griffith 1,760 yards (135.4 per game), 6.8 yards per carry, 20 TDs, Gavin Brown 846 yards (65.1 per game), 7.3 yards per carry, 6 TDs; Woodland: Dray Long 1,063 yards (81.8 per game), 7.6 yards per carry, 18 TDs, Jaston Terry 589 yards (45.3 per game), 10 yards per carry, 7 TDs.

Receiving leaders: Talilihina: Cy Ammons 69 catches, 1,268 yards (97.5 per game) 18.4 yards per catch, 12 TDs, Noah Lloyd 73 catches, 933 yards (71.8 per game), 11 TDs; Woodland: Lucky Heath 42 catches, 1,035 yards (79.6 yards per game), 24.6 yards per catch, 16 TDs.

Tackles leaders:  Talihina: Sam Bryant 125 (64 solo, 10 for loss), Racin Hilton 115 (35 solo), Talon Griffith 109 (42 solo); Woodland: Khamdyn Patterson 135 (52 solo, 29 for loss), Derrick Kennedy 89 (34 solo, 22 for loss), Danner Lessert 59 (28 solo, 22 for loss).

Sacks leaders: Talihina: Bryant, Talon Griffith 5 each, Woodland: Kennedy 7.

Interceptions leaders: Talihina: Ammons 5, Woodland: Bennett 5.

Follow along below for live updates from the Class A-II state finals between Woodland and Talihina, which is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Dec. 13 at Chad Richison Stadium on the campus of Central Oklahoma University.

You can also watch this game live on the NFHS Network (subscription required).

Woodland vs. Talihina, Class A-II state final live updates

Overcast and 56 degrees as captains meet at midfield ... Woodland wins the toss and takes the ball.

FIRST QUARTER

Woodland calls an early timeout 51 seconds in and the comes back and connects on a 22-yard completion as Trey Bennett connects with Lucky Heath for 22 yards and Aidan Carey breaks an 18-yard run to get the ball down the Golden Tigers 32.

Senior fullback Dray Long (5-foot-8, 185) caps the nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive using 4:37 of the first quarter for a two-yard touchdown run, two-point conversion pass is broken up by Jayden Evans ... Woodland 6, Talina 0, 7:23 1st Quarter

Talihina picks up a first down on two completions from sophomore quarterback Landen Griffith before the drive stalls at the Woodland 47 ... the Cougars stop Griffith on fourth down as D.K. Kennedy stuffs the quarterback draw play, Woodland takes over 5:07 1st quarter.

Jaston Terry's 19-yard run on first down sets the tone as the Cougars, converting a fourth short with a Bennett quarterback sneak before he capped the drive with another fourth down conversion, this time a 15-yard touchdown run on a quarterback counter play as the drive covered 53 yards in nine plays using 3:44 ... Terry's two-point conversion run was stuffed ... Woodland 12, Talihina 0, 1:23 1st quarter

On 4th down and 3, the final play of the first quarter ... Griffith, under pressure rolled to his left and tried to throw across his body and had his pass intercepted by senior corner Cash Koenig. Talihina commits the first turnover of the game. Woodland 12, Talihina 0, End of 1st Quarter

WOODLAND 12, TALIHINA 0, END OF 1ST QUARTER

SECOND QUARTER

Talihina takes a timeout on defense after Woodland completes 10 yard pass from Bennett to Aidan Carey and Jaston Terry rushes for nine yards and a 11 yard completion to Terry has the Cougars first and 10 at the Golden Tigers 25.

Another huge fourth down conversion as Bennett drills Terry with an 18-yard strike over the middle to convert 4th and 9 at the Talihina 24 amd sets up first and goal at the six ... two Bennett rushing plays later and the Cougars have a three-touchdown lead. Bennett runs it in from two-yards out, Terry runs in the two-point conversion ... Woodland 20, Talihina 0, 7:02 2nd Quarter. 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:58

Woodland defense gets a three and out, a tackle for loss by Terry and two incomplete passes forces Talihina to punt ... Woodland takes over the at the Talihina 37 thanks to a holding penalty, 6:33 second quarter.

Woodland putting on an offensive clinic -- four possessions, four touchdowns -- as Bennett throws for his first touchdown connecting with tight end Austin Wilson on a play action pass from 15 yards out, two-point conversion pass fails ... Woodland 26, Talihina 0, 3:53 2nd Quarter ... 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:40

Landen Griffith finally breaks free with his legs and picks up the Golden Tigers second first down with a 14 yard carry ...

Make it back to back first downs of 18 and 10 yards ... Talihina trying to get something going.

Noah Lloyd with the Golden Tigers first big play, a 24-yard catch and run on a slant, Golden Tigers in business in the red zone.

A costly 10-yard sack by Aidan Carey on second down and back to back incomplete sacks results in a turnover on downs at the Woodland 26 with 26 seconds left in the first half.

WOODLAND 26, TALIHINA 0, HALFTIME

Woodland halftime notables ... Trey Bennett 8 of 9 passing for 96 yards and a touchdown, nine carries, 42 yards and two touchdowns. Dray Long 11 carries 41 yards and a touchdown, Lucky Heath three receptions and 36 yards.

Talhina halftime notables ... Landen Griffith 3 of 12 passing for 42 yards and seven carries for 17 yards rushing. Noah Lloyd has caught all three passes for 42 yards.

Woodland ran 37 plays for 238 yards, 142 yards rushing, 96 yards passing with 15 first downs, 2 of 5 on third down, 3 of 3 on fourth down and 16:25 time of possession.

Talihina 23 plays for 70 yards, 28 yards rushing, 42 yards passing with four first downs, 1 of 5 on third down and 0 for 3 on fouth down and 7:35 time of possession.

Fun fact ... Fairfax High School won back to back to back state championships in 1975, 1976 and 1977 under head coach Larry Coker, the same Larry Coker who would later become the head football coach at the University of Miami. Fairfax consolidated with Ralston in 1990 to form Woodland High School in Fairfax.

Landen Griffith, a 5-foot-11, 160 pound quarterback for Talihina, is only a sophomore but came into the state championship accounting for 4,245 yards of total offense -- 2,485 passing and 1,760 rushing -- and 48 total touchdowns, 28 passing touchdowns (a 28-2 TD-INT ratio) and 20 rushing touchdowns.

THIRD QUARTER

Talihina starts the second half with the ball ... three tackles for loss including a sack by Derrick Kennedy ends the Golden Tigers drive. Talihina punts it away and Woodland takes over at the Talihina 42, 10:41 3rd quarter

Trey Bennett busted a 14-yard run on a counter play to highlight a fifth touchdown drive by the Cougars ... this one capped by a 10-yard run by Bennett to conclude a 7 play, 42-yard drive in 3:24, he added the two-point conversion ... Woodland 34, Talihina 0, 7:17 3rd Quarter

Another three and out series ends with a sack as Khamdyn Patterson gets home to force a punt ... Woodland takes over at the Talihina 41, 5:52 3rd Quarter.

Junior back Jaston Terry with the run of the game, a 36-yard touchdown on a jet sweep to the left, he hesitated at the 10 and then slipped into the end zone to cap a 3 play, 41 yard drive that needed only 1:19. Bennett connected with Austin Wilson for the two-point conversion pass ... Woodland 42, Talihina 0, 4:33 3rd Quarter

Talihina breaks through ... Lande Griffith goes over the top to Jayden Evans from 25 yards out. The scoring drive coveed 58 yards in six plays in 2:19, the two-point conversion pass was Griffith to Cy Ammons ... Woodland 42, Talihina 8, 2:14 3rd Quarter

Bennett breaks a 21-yard run to get the ball inside the Golden Tigers 25 ... Cougars driving as the quarter ends

WOODLAND 42, TALIHINA 8, END OF 3RD QUARTER

FOURTH QUARTER

Bennett through three quarters ... 9 of 10 passing for 129 yards and a touchdown, 14 carries, 95 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

Two plays into the fourth quarter and Bennett lobs a perfect pass to Lucky Heath for a 33 yard touchdown pass -- his second touchdown pass of the game -- Bennett adds the two-point conversionm run, six plays, 49 yards in 3:05 ... Woodland 50, Talihina 8, 11:08 4th Quarter

Golden Tigers add another score ... aided by a personal foul penalty for a hit on defenseless receiver, Talihina drives 12 plays in 63 yards using 2:13 of the fourth quarter as Griffith connected with Noah Lloyd from 13 yards out as he snuck inside the farside pylon on an out route, Griffith completed the conversion to Cy Ammons ... Woodland 50, Talihina 16, 8:49 4th Quarter

The wind has picked up and the rain has begun to fall in earnest at Richison Stadium ...

Chunk plays ... Jaston Terry for 15 yards, Dray Long for 26 yards and Terry for 25 more yards caps another touchdown drive, 4 plays, 68 yards in 1:27 all on the ground, senior guard Payton Rikkola runs in the two-point conversion on a hitch and pitch play ... Woodland 58, Talihina 16, 7:16 4th Quarter

Both teams just putting up offensive numbers at this point as defense has become optional ... Talihina scores again on a 30-yard pass to Kaden Cossey, Cossey kicks the extra point to cap a five play, 60 yard drive in 1:26 ... Woodland 58, Talihina 23, 5:44 4th Quarter

2:04 remaining timeout Woodland facing a fourth and 7 at the Cougars 34.

Fourth down converted on a 23 yard completion to Jaston Terry but tries to pitch it backwards but its fumbled and recovered by Tomi Ludlow. Talihina has the ball with 1:54 remaining at the Golden Tigers 40.

Talihina timeout 1:08 left fourth quarter.

FINAL WOODLAND 58, TALIHINA 23

Woodland highlghts ... Trey Bennett, a 6-foot-4, 205 pound senior quarterback 10 of 11 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns, added another 100 yards rushing on 16 carries with three touchdowns. Junior halfback Jaston Terry finishedf with 118 yards rushing on nine carries with two touchdowns and senior fullback Dray Long added 75 yards on 21 carries. Lucky Heath caight four passes for 69 yards and touchdown. Defensively, end Danner Lessert, linebacker Derrick Kennedy and tackle DK Kennedy had six tackles each and Heath added five solo tackles.

Talihina highlights ... Sophomore quarterback Landen Griffith was 17 of 34 passing for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Noah Lloyd caught seven for 71 yards and a touchdown, Cy Ammons had four receptions for 52 yards and Gavin Brown led the Golden Tigers rushing with 20 yards on seven carries. Defensively, sophomore Talon Griffith led Talihina with six solo tackles, Landen Griffith had 14 total (four solo, 10 assisted) and sophomore Samuel Bryant had five solo, eight assisted for 13 tackles.

More Oklahoma high school football news

SBLive/SI Top 25 national high school football rankings (12/9/2024)

Oklahoma (OSSAA) high school football state championships: matchups, times, scores, 2024 brackets (12/11/2024)

Hall of Fame head coach Bill Blankenship returns to sideline for Owasso high school

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