Red Oak Tigers end season, not brotherhood

Friday night’s game was not about a conference title or the final score, which read Underwood 21 and Red Oak 7. The game for the Red Oak Tigers was about firsts and lasts.
The game was the final senior night for the senior players. It was the final home game of their high school football career. It was an emotional night for the players and the coaches. These seniors were freshmen when coach Barry Bower began as head coach of the program.
It was the first time all season that all seniors on the team were captains. It was the last time to line up together. It was the last huddle for the coach and this particular team. It was all emotion.
“That last time out, I just told the boys I wanted to come out just one last time,” Bower said.
The first quarter was a great show of heart and aggression from the Tigers. They kept the Eagles from scoring and they were this close several times to scoring. With no score in the first, and seconds left in the second quarter, it looked like the game would remain scoreless for the first half. But the Eagles quarterback Jared Martin, connected with Isiah Humphrey in the end zone on a 33-yard pass right as the clock flipped to zero. The PAT by Cody Colton was good and the half-time score was 7-0.
The Tigers ran to the lockerroom for their last half-time pep talk.
“Coach always says to never give up,” senior Mario Lepe said. “It’s not about the game. It’s about making yourself a better person.”
Senior Carlos Guerra followed up with, “Always finish. Finish the play, finish the game, and take the lessons learned with you in life.”
The Eagles came out quick in the third quarter and Hunter Goehring scored on a three-yard run in less than four minutes of play. A Colton PAT took the score to 14-0. The Tigers defense was able to keep the Eagles from scoring again in the third.
The final fourth quarter started with another Eagle score on a Goerhing 67-yard run and a Colton PAT. With under half of the time remaining in the fourth, senior Ryker Connell made his first and last touchdown of the season on an 11-yard run. Fernando Rivera made the PAT and the final score was 21-7.
“Inside, I feel like we were the winners,” senior Will West said. “Success is not measured by the score of a game, but by actions in life.”
Three of the seniors reminisced about playing together throughout flag football, JVAA and the final high school game. “We are brothers,” West said.
The heart displayed on the field is found in the stats on the year. Connor Johnson ran 59 yards on 19 carries and had a 22-yard reception, for a total of 81 yards. Johnson ended the season with a total of 1,135 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 42 tackles on the year, one interception and one fumble recovery.
West gained 26 yards on six carries for a total of 281 rushing yards and three TDs this senior season. West totaled 16 tackles this game and 113 this year to lead the Tigers.
Sophomore Isaac Bower led the Tigers in tackles in this game with 17, and 99 all year. Bower had one interception and 119 yards receiving, with an added 200 rushing yards for the season, and four touchdowns.
Lepe ended his senior night with 221 yards on the year and one touchdown.
Ryan Lundgren’s senior stats include 270 yards on 10 kick returns, one TD, and 1,063 yards punting, 234 in Friday’s game alone.
Guerra ended his senior year with 30 tackles, one interception, 294 yards punting, three touchdowns and 292 all-purpose yards. Guerra completed one of two passes his final game and 10 of 35 this year.
Hunter McMann ended his senior year with 49 tackles.
Quarterback Carter Bruce gained 16 yards to total 456 on the year. Bruce completed three of 10 passes in the loss on Friday.