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Sep. 9—In a game that came down to the final possession, Claremore senior Andrew Hancock seized his “one chance” and made it count.
With 23 seconds left and Bartlesville threatening, Hancock embodied the Zebras’ Week 1 theme of “One Chance”, intercepting a pass from Bruins quarterback Nate Neal to secure a thrilling 35-33 season-opening victory for the Zebras on Friday night at Lantow Field.
“We were in Cover 5, so I was (in deep coverage),” Hancock said. “I’m backpedaling, and I see him (the receiver) break across. I saw Michael Robertson undercut, so I went up top. The ball was thrown high. It felt great to put the game away. Their offense was driving, but our defense was holding. It just felt good to get it over with.”
Hancock’s game-sealing interception capped off a night where Claremore leaned heavily on standout performances from its offensive stars.
Senior quarterback Brad Hoisington, a transfer from Oologah, was the driving force behind the Zebras’ attack, rushing for 194 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing for 91 yards and another score.
Hoisington wasted no time making an impact, accumulating 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns on his first four carries, including an 80-yard score on Claremore’s second play of the game and a 28-yard dash minutes later.
“Once I got going, I was like, ‘We got this,'” Hoisington said. “Once I got that feeling, it was nonstop from there.”
However, he soon faced a tougher challenge after Bartlesville adjusted.
Hoisington managed only 1 yard on his next eight carries as the Bruins defense tightened up, but he refused to be discouraged, eventually breaking through again with a pivotal 37-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner.
“It was just trusting my teammates and knowing that they’re going to have my back, and I’m going to have theirs,”…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/football-hancock-seizes-one-chance-034600558.html
Author : Claremore Daily Progress, Okla.
Publish date : 2024-09-10 03:46:00
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