Woodland, meet woodshed

One of the reasons Cashion has been able to emerge - and remain - a state title contender in football has been its ability play a physical brand.

The Wildcats can pass for a lot of yards and score a lot of points, but they also can win battles in the trenches.

That was on display yet again last Friday as they ventured into Fairfax and handed Woodland a 41-22 defeat in the Class A quarterfinals.

It’s the same score by which Cashion defeated Woodland in last year’s quarterfinal game, which was played at Maxon Field.

Just like last year, this year’s game wasn’t as close as the final score might suggest.

“Our guys matched their physicality,” said head coach Lynn Shackelford afterward. “That’s how they’re able to wear teams down, but our guys were ready for that type of game.”

And now they’re ready to play another state semifinal game.

Cashion takes on Pawhuska at 7 p.m. Friday in Ponca City for the right to advance to the state title game.

Woodland features a pair of 1,000-plus-yard rushers in quarterback Aidan Rhodes and running back Nathan Bouchard.

The duo had helped the Cougars to six straight wins, including the previous week’s upset of previously-unbeaten Gore.

But against Cashion, they were stonewalled early as the visitors built a 20-0 lead.

That lead came partly on the strength of Cashion’s own run game and battering ram Nick Nabavi.

The senior scored on a 20-yard run in the first quarter and added a 4-yard TD run in the second.

He finished his night with 16 carries for 134 yards, which included another 20-yard scoring run in the third quarter as Cashion extended its lead to 34-8.

All that softened up the Cougars for that Cashion aerial attack.

Once again Ben Harman was on his game, which of course is aided by two of the most talented receivers in the class.

Harman connected on 14 of his 19 pass attempts for 313 yards.

“Our balance on offense and the way we were able to execute really hurt them,” Shackelford said.

Opposing defenses have the often ill-fated conundrum of trying to stop Landon LaGasse and Mason Manning.

If efforts are concentrated on one, that generally spells doom with the other.

This time it was Manning delivering the “doom” as he caught seven passes for 208 yards.

The senior hauled in a pair of TDs, one that covered 5 yards in the second quarter and then an 85-yard bomb in the third.

For good measure, La-Gasse’s four catches netted 79 yards.

He caught a 35-yard touchdown in the fourth.

That score came between a pair of Woodland TDs as the Cougars were able to pad points and stats onto the final tallies.

In the end, the Cougars were able to run for 233 yards on 41 carries.

However, in playing from behind, Rhodes was also forced to throw it 18 times.

He completed five for 77 yards, two TDs and an interception.

“We were good on defense and it started with us being able to match their physicality,” Shackelford said.

Gavin Phippen had nine tackles to lead the team.

Jackson Vandruff and Bryce Burke added eight stops apiece while Nabavi chipped in seven.

Cashion’s win advances it to the state semifinals for the third straight year and the fifth time in the last nine seasons.

The Wildcats advanced to the title game each of the four previous times during this run (2014, 2015, 2019 and 2020).