(Cushing, Okla.) After riding a thrilling playoff express train to the 3A state championship football game for the first time since 1961, the Cushing Tigers came up short against the Heritage Hall Chargers, 37-14. The outcome was not much different than a Tiger defeat at the hands of the Chargers earlier this season when Cushing lost at home to perennial champs Heritage Hall, 34-14.
Ultimately, the game was decided by the long strides and deceptive speed of Heritage Hall’s senior quarterback, Connor McGinnis, who is headed to Yale University on a football scholarship. McGinnis took off on a 48-yard scamper to score the game’s first touchdown, and the Chargers led the rest of the way. Cushing bounced back for a minute in the second period when Ian Jones threw a perfect strike to Blake Burden who caught the pass in stride and raced 44 yards for a score. Late in the fourth quarter with the game already decided, Guy Parker showed his speed against Heritage Hall’s reserves with a 76 yard run for a touchdown that gave Cushing fans reason to cheer.
While the Tigers did not top 3A football in 2014, the team challenged odds makers throughout the playoffs as Cushing was never a favorite going into any of their five playoff games. After defeating district champion Bethany, then Marlow, highly rated Lincoln Christian, and a Kingfisher team laden with D-1 college prospects, Cushing finally ran up against a foe they could not overcome. Now that a silver ball trophy representing their state championship runner-up status is in the trophy case, Tigers who are not involved in other sports such as wrestling or basketball, will get back to the weight room, look forward to spring practice, and begin preparing for next season.
