PAWUSKA HUSKIES AND HOMINY BUCKS HEAD TO SEMI-FINAL ACTION NEXT MONTH
Pawhuska High School’s Jenson Snodgrass (1) catches a toss during an earlier season game. The Huskies defeated Wynnedwood 28-26 in Class A-I quarterfinals last Friday. They meet Rejoice Christian on Dec. 5 at a site to be determined.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Nov. 24, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Among the greatest plays in football lore is the Immaculate Reception that boosted the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in the 1972 AFC playoffs.
Last Friday the Pawhuska High School Huskies clinched a playoff victory on the Immaculate First Down.
The Huskies were trying to preserve a 28-26 lead against the host Wynnewood Savages and needed to move the chains at least once more to run out the clock.
Facing 2nd-and-14 at its own 47-yard line, Pawhuska called quarterback Kane Foreman’s number on a run up the middle. After securing the snap Foreman bolted toward a quickly closing hole in the middle.
Almost immediately he appeared swallowed up in a wave of Wynnewood tacklers — for no or little gain.
But suddenly, Wildcat emerged — out of the traffic jam of whirling and crashing bodies — with the ball and hammered his way downfield for a gain of 20 yards and a first down.
Two snaps later the clock expired and Pawhuska celebrated a Class A-I quarterfinal victory and an upcoming semifinal showdown against defending state champion Rejoice Christian.
The Immaculate First Down had been set up — as many legendary plays are — by miscue and odd bounce of the ball. The ball had been punhed out of Foreman’s arms as he struggled for yards and “Vann just happened to be there to pick up the fumble,” Pawhuska coach Matt Hennesy said.
An eerie sidelight was that on the previous play, an errant snap had gotten past Foreman and Wildcat had fallen on the ball for a four-yard loss.
The football gods smiled on Pawhuska, however, and helped level some of the bad luck the Huskies have endured this season. Adversity stung the Huskies even in this game.
“When (defensive standout) Jack Grooms got hurt early in the game, we were at a quandary,” said Hennesy. “Levi Hendren had to go in as a freshman and do the best he could do. Everybody stepped up their level.”
It was not a smooth or pretty performance by either team. There were more warts than in a colony of bullfrogs.
However one wants to look at the hiccups and heroics, Pawhuska and Wynnewood waged a classic battle of wills and adjustments.
Pawhuska opened the scoring with a 22-yard gallop up the middle by Jenson Snodgrass.
Wynnewood answered and carried a 7-6 lead into the second quarter.
Pawhuska regained the lead, 14-7, and then got the ball back on a red zone interception.
The teams traded possessions and punts until Pawhuska scored in the last two minutes of the first half — on a 27-yard rumble by Snodgrass and two-point run by Wildcat — to go ahead 22-7.
But Wynnewood struck back like lightning — on a kickoff return for a touchdown by Davenport, a serpentine run that angled from the right side of the field to the left sideline.
At halftime Pawhuska led, 22-14.
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Pawhuska High School’s Jayden Henley (52) and Jimmie Wildcat (5) react after a turnover during an earlier season game. The Huskies defeated Wynnedwood 28-26 in Class A-I quarterfinals last Friday. They meet Rejoice Christian on Dec. 5 at a site to be determined.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Pawhuska had a chance to put it away on a marathon drive in the second quarter — but turned the ball over on downs, unable to overcome three offensive penalties.
Wynnewood then produced another explosive play on a 57-yard touchdown pass play to the wide open receiver in the middle of the field. But the Savages elected to go for two points and failed to trail by two points, 22-20, late in the third quarter.
Wynnewood played with a mountain of pride — the undefeated Savages hadn’t trailed all season.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Hennesy emphasized.
Pawhuska’s offense continued to struggle moving the ball in the third quarter. The Huskies punted three times in the period and lost it on downs on another possession.
The momentum had definitely shifted in the Savages’ favor. They mounted a 77-yard touchdown march that ended early in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run to move ahead of Pawhuska, 26-22.
Again, the Savages opted to try for two and failed. Had they kicked extra points on their previous touchdown they could have led by six.
Pawhuska’s revitalized offense then took control on a 73-yard scoring thrust — highlighted by a 15-yard burst by Snodgrass on a reverse and an eight-yard tote by Wildcat into the red zone. After Foreman converted on a fourth-down play inside the five-yard line, Snodgrass carried the ball the rest of the way for the touchdown.
Pawhuska’s offensive game plan suffered from trying to cope with a Wynnewood team that played an unexpected defense. The Huskies depended heavily on Foreman running with the ball as a change of pace and to go to their short passing package.
“We told the guys, let's keep gaining yards, let's keep getting first downs,” Hennesy said.
The score put Pawhuska ahead, 28-26. The two-point run attempt failed, opening the door for Wynnewood to win with a field goal.
Following the ensuing kickoff, Wynnewood rang up a huge play — that energized their already rabid home crowd — on a 31-yard pass play that advanced the ball to the Huskie 30-yard line.
But Wynnewood gained only three more yards on the possession, which ended when Pawhuska defensive star Jayden Henley sacked the quarterback on a 4th-and-5 play.
That put the ball back in the hands of the Pawhuska offense with more than three long minutes still on the clock.
The Huskies burned time off the clock with the ground game — highlighted by the Immaculate First Down.
“You can’t measure heart and that’s what our kids had,” Hennesy summarized.
Next, the Huskies will look to make history by beating Rejoice Christian and advancing to the state championship game for the first time. This is the third time in six seasons Pawhuska has played in the semifinals.
NOTE: Defensive leaders for Pawhuska included: Jimmie Wildcat (12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss), Jayden Henley (11 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack), Corlin Cass (11 tackles, 1 pass breakup), Vann Wildcat (6 tackles), Dakaraii Stewart (5 tackles), Logan Cass (5 tackles), Jack Grooms (1 tackle for loss), and Jarek Edwards (interception
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HOMINY 38, Thomas-Fay-Custer 20
The Hominy Bucks (10-2) advanced to the Class A-II semifinals with a 38-20 win over Thomas-Fay-Custer (9-2) in quarterfinal play last Friday night in Hominy.
The Bucks are on a nine-game winning streak, with Pawhuska and Pawnee handing the Bucks their only two losses this season.
Hominy takes on the Allen Mustangs on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at a site to be determined.
-By Becky Burch