KHS gets runaway win over rival

Already in rebuilding mode when the season started, the Hennessey football team was further set back with a season’s worth of injuries in its Week 1 opener.

That put the Eagles in damage control last Friday at Kingfisher.

Despite their best efforts, the Eagles could control little as KHS won the cross-county rivalry game for the fifth straight time, 68-0.

“I know they’ve got several people out and that limited what they could do on both sides of the ball, but I still thought our guys went out there and took care of business,” said KHS head coach Jeff Myers, whose team improved to 1-1.

“Our guys watch the film and with social media they pretty much have access to all the information we do,” Myers said. “So they knew Hennessey’s situation, which could provide for a letdown. That didn’t happen.”

The Eagles were without starting quarterback Cole Joyce and running back Brysn Hunt, both of whom suffered concussions the previous week at Perkins-Tryon.

They were also without the services of tight end/linebacker/deep snapper Kaden Rapp (broken pinkies).

The lone good news entering the week was a mis-diagnosis of right tackle Camden Drebenstedt. It was feared he had torn an ACL, but the injury turned out to be much less severe and he was able to play against KHS.

Still, much like last year, that put the Eagles in run mode with a backup quarterback and an offensive lineman at running back.

Hennessey attempted no true passes with sophomore Jay Jech. His six completions were forward laterals to a sweeping Kaden Hawk, who was also injured at Perkins, but able to play against KHS.

Jech’s main duty was to hand off to sophomore Keigan Crites, who was #57 on the preseason roster, but wore #36 in this game.

Crites was the Eagles’ lone point of production as he gained 111 yards on 29 carries.

Hennessey’s limited offense, though, produced just four first downs.

Although the Eagles did their best to run as much clock as possible (they won the time of possession battle with nearly 29 minutes to 19 for KHS), that didn’t help the defensive side of the ball.

Kingfisher scored on every possession and never attempted a punt.

Cade Stephenson accounted for six of Kingfisher’s six touchdowns.

He threw four of them and ran for two more. Most of that damage came in the first half when KHS scored 28 second-quarter points to lead 42-0 at halftime.

Stephenson had TD passes of 7 yards to Caleb Dick, 14 to Hayden Stafford, 24 to Keaton Abercrombie and 5 yards to Riley Myers.

He added scoring runs of 11 and 1 yards.

Dick also scored on an 8-yard run in the second quarter.

That touchdown was set up by a 43-yard punt return for Clayton Abercrombie.

The senior cornerback and wide receiver also nearly scored on his next punt return, this one for 35 yards, which set up Riley Myers’ TD reception.

Already up big, Kingfisher followed up a spectacular halftime fireworks show with another explosive play.

Keaton Abercrombie took the second-half kickoff 74 yards for a score and a 49-0 KHS lead.

The Jackets had already started filtering in reserves. That group continued to stop Hennessey’s offense and put points on the board.

The Eagles never got closer than the Kingfisher 25, which was on a third-quarter drive that ended with a turnover on downs.

The Jackets, meanwhile, got scoring runs of 3 yards from Mason Mecklenburg and 16 yards from Jax Sternberger in the fourth quarter.

“When you put guys in the game in those situations, you want to see them keep up the momentum,” Myers said. “Our guys did that tonight. They kept the shutout intact and kept moving the ball.”

The Jackets amassed 444 total yards. They got 251 of those on the ground on 28 carries.

Stephenson tallied 88 of those yards on eight carries.

Sternberger, his backup, managed 69 yards on just five carries.

Stephenson was 8 of 11 through the air for his 141 passing yards.

Dick, Birdwell and Myers caught two passes each. Birdwell’s netted 67 yards.

Clayton Abercrombie led the Jackets with eight tackles.

Myers added six, including two for a loss. Stafford and Will Taylor also tallied six tackles apiece.

Seth Simunek had a team-high six tackles for Hennessey (0-2). Yosbith Fierro, Crites and Brandon Mendoza amassed four tackles apiece.

Coach Paul Hix, whose team is yet to score through two games, was still able to draw some positive out of the defeat.

The Eagles didn’t suffer any major injuries.

“It’s such a paradox with football,” Hix said. “This was a much, much more physical game (than at Perkins) and we didn’t get anyone injured.

“Go figure.”

Hennessey wraps up its non-district schedule this week as it hosts Hobart (1-1) in its home opener Friday night.

Business, meanwhile, picks up considerably for the Jackets.

They travel to Bethany Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

The Bronchos own two straight wins over the Jackets, including last year’s 38-35 victory on Jackson Howard’s 36-yard field goal as time expired.

Bethany finished last year 12-2 with those two losses coming at the hands of Tuttle, one in the regular season and one in the 4A state title game.

The Bronchos this year are ranked anywhere from No. 1 to No. 4 in 4A depending on the poll.

“They’re really talented again with a lot of the same guys back who contributed last year,” Myers said of the Bronchos.

“It’s going to be another big challenge for us, just like Tuttle. We’ll have to be ready to play.”

There were a number of special events prior to and at halftime of the rivalry.

Kingfisher and Hennessey were taking part in a “Freedom Football Night” promotion, which was established by the Warriors for Freedom Foundation.

Both teams wore special jerseys. Kingfisher’s had a digital camouflage theme while Hennessey’s were red, white and blue with a part of the American flag on one shoulder.

The jerseys were purchased by donors. Kingfisher’s were bought by Eli Davis, a 1999 KHS graduate and a veteran of two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

Seniors are allowed to keep their jerseys from the game.

The game ball was brought into the stadium by the AirEvac Lifeteam helicopter.

KHS had honorary captains for the game as war veterans Ronnie Smith, Eli Davis, Bob Davis, John Hopkins and Alfred Jech were introduced on the field.

All military personnel, whether active or veterans, received free admission.

A local ROTC group presented the colors during the national anthem and at halftime, both high school bands combined to play the Armed Forces Medley while fireworks shot off north of the stadium.

“I thought that aspect of the night was great,” Myers said. “We were able to go out the north side of the fieldhouse and watch the fireworks. They were impressive.

“I felt like Coach (Jay) Wood (the school’s athletic director) and everyone else who played a part in organizing this should be commended. It was a special night that allowed us to honor a worthy group of people.”