By Fred Kroner
Scoring five touchdowns in a football game against an opponent that has been in the playoffs 15 of the last 16 years the IHSA has conducted a postseason is impressive in itself.
What Oakwood’s squad did on Friday (Sept. 15) was to score those touchdowns on a series of big plays. The Comets’ scoring plays in a 34-25 conquest at Clifton Central averaged 56.4 yards per TD.
“We have explosive players and we try to create as many explosive plays as possible,” Oakwood coach Cameron Lee said.
The Comets took a 14-0 lead with 4 minutes and 32 seconds left in the first quarter on back-to-back scoring runs by Cameron Black of 55 and 77 yards.
Jacob Pricer connected on both conversion kicks.
“We have the ability to score fast and frequently and the ability to hit big plays,” Lee said. “When you get the lead early, it changes the way you play.
“We have a lot of respect for Clifton. They have been very good for a long time. For us to do good things and control the game was eye-opening for the kids.”
Clifton drew within a 14-13 margin before Oakwood went to work again in the second quarter.
Chase Harrison took off on a 77-yard scoring run at the 7:38 mark. With a minute left in the half, Harrison snared a 32-yard pass from Jackson Dudley and took it to the end zone.
Pricer’s fourth straight conversion kick lifted Oakwood into a 28-19 halftime cushion.
Neither team scored again until the fourth stanza when Black tallied his 13th TD in four games on a 40-yard pass from Dudley, creating a 34-19 margin.
Black had his second 200-yard rushing performance of the season, rambling for a team-high 204 yards. Harrison gained 105 yards rushing and added 62 yards on his pass receptions.
For the season, Black has rushed for 718 yards and, according to Maxpreps, is the state’s No. 1 ground-gainer. He is also the state leader in points scored with 82.
Dudley connected on 5 of 9 passes for 104 yards against Clifton Central, his fourth straight 100-yard passing performance. Of his 21 completions to date, nine have resulted in TDs.
Defensively, tackling leader Harley Grimm continues to be the anchor.
“He makes it hard for teams to run the ball,” Lee said. “I like to see the fight in all of our kids.”
In addition to his offensive heroics, Harrison also intercepted a pass.
Oakwood is the top scoring team in the 10-school Vermilion Valley Conference, averaging just under 46 points per game.
The Comets (3-1) return to action on Friday (Sept. 22) for their homecoming game against Westville (3-1).
“We’re excited to get to the portion of the schedule and a stretch of games against teams in our backyard,” Lee said. “In the first half of the season, we didn’t know those teams as well.
“This feels like an opportunity to prove ourselves and see who we are.”
