The Sayre Eagle football team ended the 2023 season at home where they smothered Burns Flat-Dill City by the score of 34 to 0 on Senior Night last Friday Evening. The Eagles started the season one win and 4 loses but under the tutelage of Coach Craig Hixon and staff ended the second half of the season with 3 wins and one loss for a 4 win 5 loss record. Offensively Sayre outgained their opponents with a total of 2752 yards to 2724 yards. The offense was powered by running back Ayden Hendershot who had a season total of 1281 rushing yards. That brought him close to second place for the second most yards in a season held by Artie Puckett Jr. who ground out 1348 yards in 1972. R.J. Powell had eclipsed Puckett’s 1348 in the 2018 season to take over first place with a total of 1405 rushing yards. Powell is finishing his football college career this year at SWOSU.
Last Fridays game began with Sayre receiving the opening kickoff. Beginning from their own 22 yard line Sayre drove the distance to put their first touchdown on the scoreboard in only four plays. The fourth play was a crowd pleaser when the speedy Jaden Mosser raced 60 yards to the end zone. The PAT failed and Sayre led 6 to 0 with 9:51 still on the clock in the first quarter. Chris Carter returned the ensuing kickoff for BFDC 53 yards to the Sayre 25. Penalties of 10 and 5 yards against BFDC set them back to the 40 yard to begin their offensive possession. After a running play for 4 yards the next play was a pass that was intercepted by Zane Allen at the Sayre 33. Four different runners carried the mail 67 yards in 8 plays with the final one a 28 yard blast by Hendershot. J. Mosser ran successfully for the PAT and the score was upped to 14 - 0 with 4:41 left in the quarter.
After the ensuing kickoff the Eagle defense prevented BFDC a first down after 3 plays to force a punt. The punt was 39 yards to the Sayre 30 where Hunter Hanrahan made the catch and returned it eleven yards to the Sayre 41 yard line. Sayre fumbled on the third play of their possession and BFDC made a recovery at the BFDC 48. BFDC tunned up their offense from there and went on a 3 first down sustained drive to theEagle15. Butalossof10 yards and an incomplete pass turned the ball over to Sayre on downs at the S. Eagle 25.
The S. Eagles went on an 8 play 75 yard TD drive with Hendershot covering the final 8 yards to the end zone. The PAT failed and Sayre led 20 to 0 with 3:18 left in the first half. The half ended with no more scoring.
BFDC receiving the kickoff to start the second half and proceeded to go on their best drive of the night beginning at their own 32. Twelve plays later Sayre put an end to the effort when a fourth down and 3 yards to go play was stopped for no gain by Zeke Curtis and Coy Capehart at the Sayre 22. From there, Sayre drove the ball back to the BFDC 24 yard line in 13 plays where BFDC ended the Eagle possession. The third quarter ended with no further scoring.
BFDC ran 3 plays for only one yard after tackles were made by Allen, Brock Helton, Camden Plummer and Parker Harrell. The fourth down punt was for 37 yards to the Eagle 38 where Hanrahan made the catch and returned the ball 17 yards to the BFDC 45. Sayre took little time in putting up their fourth touchdown . The 45 yards to paydirt took 6 plays with the final play a 10 yard run by Hendershot. Hanrahan ran for the PAT and the score now read 28 to 0 with 5:57 left in the game.
Following the ensuing kickoff BFDC failed to gain a first down after 4 plays netted only 5 yards leaving the ball at their own 30. Sayre got a 24 yard run by Hendershot to the BFDC 6 yard line before Mason Racadio got the call on the next play and scored on a six yard run. The PAT failed and the final score was 34-0. Coy Capehart led the defense in tackles with 12 while Zeke Curtis and Brock Helton added 10 stops each. The team will miss the outstandintg services of seniors Mason Racadio, Devin Mosser, Ryan Johnston, Ayden Hendershot, Cade Renner, Jose Flores, Parker Harrell and Deontaye Thomas next season. Coach Hixon and assistants Patton Pugh, Dakin Harris, Kyle Merrick and Hunter Hines all want to say thanks to the Sayre fans and All Sports club and the support they gave the team throughout the season. I personally want to thank Wright radio 107.7 the Zoo, Max Patten and Dakota Gloria for putting the games on TV for those who could not attend. Their color commentary was very well presented.
SAYRE STATS BFDC 21 First Downs 6 46/272 Rushing Yards 39/73 2/3/68 Passing Yards 0/6 340 Total Yards 73 2 Turnovers 2 9/70 Penalties 9/75 --- Punts 2/76/38.0 RUSHING A. Hendershot 24/201 J. Mosser 6/28 H. Hanrahan 4/20 Z. Curtis 4/18 R. Beck 2/15 M. Racadio 1/6 D. Mosser 2/6 R. Johnston 2/(-22) RECEIVING J. Mosser 1/60 Z. Curtis 1/8 TACKLES C. Capehart 12 B. Helton 10 Z. Curtis 10 D. Mosser 8 Z. Allen 7 P. Harrell 6 H. Hanrahan 5 K. Beaird 5 M. Wynn 4 A. Hendershot 3 Others 3
