Gore continues dominance: Pirates take down Hominy, 48-12, to play Fairview in Class A championship

Dec. 3—JENKS — Gore's magical run through the Class A playoffs is, quite simply, taking no prisoners.

The No. 2 Pirates surged early and with a key goal line stand amid it all, built a 27-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 48-12 semifinal win over the No. 3 Hominy Bucks at Allan Trimble Stadium on Friday night.

Gore (14-0) will take on No. 4 Fairview, a 38-22 winner over Colcord, at 7 p.m. a week from Saturday at the University of Central Oklahoma, eyeing its first-ever state championship. The Pirates will do so having been tested no closer than a 34-point margin back in week three against Mounds.

"It's just what we are," said Gore head coach Brandon Tyler. "We want to hit the throttle, hold it down and keep rolling. It's about 48 minutes, that's what we preach. Forty-six minutes got us eliminated last year (in the second round). It takes going from start to finish."

It was Woodland this year in the second round that's represented the closest margin in the postseason, 35 points.

Gore's Hunter McGee fumbled after a 27-yard return on a punt, delaying the Pirates' first offensive series. But they didn't take long to recover.

Gore forced another punt and drove 68 yards in seven plays. Running back Gunner Dozier picked up four first downs on runs and quarterback Noah Cooper's 11-yard run made it 7-0.

The Pirates capitalized on a fumble recovery by Cooper, playing linebacker as well, at the Hominy 29 to start their next scoring drive. After a holding penalty backed them up, Cooper kept for 24 and a first down at the 12. Four plays later, Dozier took it over from the 3 on a fourth-and-1 call out of a full-house backfield, taking it to his left off tackle.

The Pirates' defense would then come up big as the game moved into the second quarter.

Hominy took possession at its 34 and marched to a first-and-goal carry by Chase Tindell. Four carries by quarterback Jaxon Woods followed, the last on a fourth-and-inches call where his second effort was met by a scrum of Pirate defenders, spurred by defensive lineman Garrett Douthit.

"We studied all week their quarterback iso blast where they stacked up the right side," said Douthit. "We moved over to where I took my guy, pushed him back and the running back came through (first) and I grabbed his leg and pulled it into me, and that's when we pushed (Woods) back."

Gore added two more scores before halftime.

Dozier broke loose on a 67-yard run down the sideline for a first-and-goal at the 8. Two holding calls backed the Pirates up to the Hominy 22, where Cooper connected with Liam Edwards just in bounds at the 1. Edwards, ironically, redeemed himself on one of those holding calls and set up Dozier's second touchdown from a yard out.

With 1:43 to go until half, the Pirates went 54 yards in five plays, Cooper keeping for 28 being the big play. Jackson Duke's 9-yard run made it 27-0, which is where it stood at the half.

After being stopped on an interception to end the final threat of the half, Gore came out and marched 74 yards in seven plays, with Duke spelling Dozier and taking it in on a 6-yard run. Dozier would return and scored on a 1-yard run on a three-play drive set up by Keigan Reid's interception of Woods at the Bucks 14.

Dozier, who has played the entire postseason with a fractured forearm, finished with 163 yards on 15 carries and three TDs.

"It got sore in the first half, but we've got the quarterback run game and Jackson came in and did a great job spelling me," Dozier said. "Whatever it takes, we'll get the job done."

Duke capped the scoring on a 29-yard run, his third of the game, in between a pair of 1-yard runs by Woods that spoiled the shutout.

"Every day for over a year we've been working toward this," said Cooper, who had 124 yards on 17 carries and a score. "It's awesome."

Added Douthit: "It's really amazing. We have faith in our guys, faith in our coaches, that we could get to this point since we were freshman. We've persevered and we got one more to go."

Hominy finished at 13-1.

Gore 48, Hominy 12

Hominy00012 — 12

Gore1314147 —48

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

GHS-Noah Cooper 11 run (Christian O'Connor kick), 3:33.

GHS-Gunner Dozier 3 run (kick failed, 1:07.

Second quarter

GHS-Dozier 1 run (O'Connor kick), 3:58.

GHS-Jackson Duke 9 run (O'Connor kick), 0:20.

Third quarter

GHS-Duke 6 run (O'Connor kick), 9:22.

GHS-Dozier 1 run (O'Connor kick), 7:29.

Fourth quarter

HHS-Jaxon Woods 1 run (run failed), 11:12.

GHS-Duke 29 run (O'Connor kick), 9:52.

HHS-Woods 1 run (run failed), 6:30.

TEAM STATS

HOMINYGORE

First Downs1617

Rushes-Yards40-12043-405

Passing Yards17586

Passes C-A-I13-26-15-6-1

Punts-Avg.4-382-38

Fumbles-Lost1-11-1

Penalties-Yards10-9111-137

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Rushing: HHS, Woods 25-68 (2 TD). GHS, Dozier 15-163 (3 TD), Cooper 17-124 (TD).

Passing: HHS, Woods 13-26-175-1. GHS, Cooper 5-6-86-1.

Receiving: HHS, Blaine Hipp 4-66. GHS, Liam Edwards 2-32. Duke 1-44.