'You know you can come back': Jenks scores 30 unanswered points to rally past Tulsa Union for 6A-I title
EDMOND — Ty Walls knew exactly what was coming.
"They were going to try to get a quick pass in," Walls said.
So, the junior defensive back from Jenks jumped the route and found himself in the right position. Walls intercepted the pass and returned it 31 yards for a score. He held the ball out in front of him and high-stepped into the end zone as his teammates surrounded him in celebration.
Walls' interception was the exclamation point of a dominant second-half Jenks' performance.
"It's the moment I dreamed of as a kid," Wall said, "making a big play in a big-time moment like that."
No. 1 Jenks took down No. 2 Tulsa Union 30-15 in a come-from-behind win to secure back-to-back Class 6A-I state championships at Chad Richison Stadium on Saturday afternoon. For Jenks, it's state championship No. 18 in 28 appearances.
In what's considered the greatest rivalry in Oklahoma high school football, Jenks bested Tulsa Union with 30 unanswered points — 23 in the second half to secure the win.
"If you've been in big games," Jenks coach Keith Riggs said, "and been behind and been able to come back, I think that does pay off... You know you can come back, there's a lot of time. There was no reason to panic. Even down 15 to nothing. Our kids didn't panic they just kept going out, we still made some mistakes but they kept playing and eventually got up on top."
Jenks had shut out Tulsa Union in two consecutive games winning 22-0 in the third game this season and 28-0 last year. But the Red Hawks would break the streak on the first play of the game. Tulsa Union's Rovaughn Banks found Makhai Belt for an 80-yard touchdown pass. Jakyri Jenkins then ran in the 2-point conversion after a fumbled snap.
Union went up two scores after Jamori Ray intercepted a Jenks pass and took it 37 yards to put the Red Hawks in good field position. That set up a 43-yard Rovaughn Banks touchdown pass to Da'Monn Sanders II.
Last season, Jenks fell behind after Edmond Santa Fe's Angelo Rankin Jr. returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Riggs said the run gave Jenks confidence as it faced Saturday's situation.
"We really didn't make adjustments," Riggs said. "We had a couple of busts. On the first play, we bit on the double move and (it was) a great play call for the first play of the game. The other touchdown we had a bust, we didn't play clean on that play and good teams are going to take advantage. But (I'm) really proud of our defense, they played so well all year and came through in this game as well."
After Jenks forced a punt, freshman quarterback Shaker Reisig ran for a 26-yard touchdown to put Jenks on the board with 6:46 to go in the second quarter. The Trojans had other chances to score with field goals, but missed both first-half tries, first from 31 yards out, then 42.
The Trojans didn't let it slow them down.
Tulsa Union chose to kick the ball short, coming out of halftime and Jenks' Jaiden Carroll took advantage, taking it 41-yards to put the Trojans deep into Tulsa Union territory. Seven plays later, Reisig ran for his second touchdown of the night, this time from 2-yards out to pull within two points.
Jenks finally went on top when Jalyn Stanford broke a long run but fumbled the ball into the end zone. Glenver Jones, who was in the right place at the right time, recovered the fumble to give Jenks the lead. From there, Jenks defense dominated the football game.
The Jenks defense recorded three interceptions on the day, including Walls' final score. Cade Stacy and Cooper Crissup grabbed the others.
"Last year," Stacy said, "right after winning I said I want to do it again. And we did that."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSSAA football: Jenks beats Tulsa Union for Class 6A-I state title
