Cashion’s weapons too much for Rejoice
Harman, Green, Harrell excel for Wildcats in 47-14 season-opening win
CASHION’S Caden Harrell (9) bowled over and leapt over Rejoice Christian on this play, one of several that led to the Wildcats’ 47-14 road win last week. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone. shootproof.com]
CASHION LINEMEN Tanner Dean (64) and Tommy Branson (76) wrap up a Rejoice offensive player. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone. shootproof.com]
One of the more anticipated early-season showdowns last Friday turned into a Week 0 blowout.
Cashion traveled to Owasso to battle Rejoice Christian in a matchup of teams that went a combined 26-2 in 2019. One of them (Rejoice) didn’t get its first loss until the Class A semifinals while the other (Cashion) wasn’t beaten until the state championship game.
Rejoice Christian’s initial loss of 2020 came much earlier as Cashion headed home a 47-14 victor.
“We made some big plays at opportune times and just continued to capitalize,” said Cashion coach Lynn Shackelford, whose team hasn’t lost a regular season game since 2017. The loss snapped a 23-game regular-season win streak for Rejoice.
Cashion led 20-0 late in the second quarter when the Eagles finally struck when QB Chance Wilson scored on a 20-yard run.
However, Brexten Green wasn’t going to let the Eagles take momentum into the half.
He grabbed a bubble screen pass from Ben Harman on the next possession, got some initial blocks then let his speed do the rest for a 60-yard scoring strike and a 27-7 halftime lead.
The Wildcats forced a fumble on the second-half kickoff and needed just one play for a 34-7 lead as Harman found Landon LaGasse from 18 yards out.
That was the third TD pass of the game for Harman as the junior completed 14 of 17 passes for 248 yards and no interceptions.
Green caught eight of those passes for 136 yards.
He also carried it twice… both times for touchdowns. One was an 11-yard scamper to give Cashion a two-touchdown cushion in the second quarter and the other was from 6 yards out as Cashion continued to pull away in the third quarter.
Caden Harrell did his scoring damage earlier.
The senior back got Cashion on the board with a 36-yard run and added a 21-yard TD reception, both in the first quarter.
Harrell ran for 82 yards on just eight carries.
Max Brown added another 57 yards on six attempts, including a 7-yard TD run in the third, which was Cashion’s final score of the game.
Wilson was making his first career start for the Eagles and Cashion didn’t make it easy on him.
He was limited to 54 passing yards and completed just 10 of 21 attempts.
Harrell and LaGasse both picked him off. Harrell also led the team with eight tackles, including 2.5 for a loss.
Jacob Farrow added six tackles and forced the fumble early in the second half.
Rejoice had 183 total yards.
“The defense was just really good,” Shackelford said. “We forced those three turnovers, two of which led to scores. That was huge.” Cashion’s biggest question mark coming in was its inexperienced offensive line.
The Wildcats racked up 415 total yards and averaged just a shade under eight yards a carry.
“I was pleased with the way they pass protected,” Shackelford said. “We only gave up one sack and that was more of a coverage sack. “And then Caden (Har
“And then Caden (Harrell) and Brexten (Green) just had huge games for us.”
Cashion has its season opener this Friday when it hosts Perry before taking on two more potential Class A titans in Thomas and Minco.
“We’ve still got some big tests ahead of us,” Shackel-ford said. “We’ll enjoy this for now, but we’ve got to get back to work.”