Guthrie High’s Bluejays saw their season come to an end Friday night, losing to the No. 2 Grove Ridgerunners 27-19 in the second round of the Class 5A state football playoffs.
The Bluejays (9-3) fell behind at halftime 7-0, allowing a 42-yard pass play five minutes before the break.
Guthrie got on the board early in the third quarter, when Hayden Calvert connected with Willy Clymer on a 41-yard pass. Noah French kicked the extra point, and it was 7-7.
The Ridgerunners, who face Carl Albert next, scored a minute later on another 40-yard pass, and it was 14-7.
Jaylen Chelf cut the deficit to 14-13 with five minutes left in the third quarter, but French’s extra point was blocked.
The home team then stretched the lead to 20-13 on their third touchdown pass, but that extra point also was not successful.
In the fourth quarter, Calvert hooked up with Carson Wilder on a 26yard pass play and it was 20-19 with nine minutes to go.
Emmanuel Crawford added an insurance score for the Ridgerunners at the five-minute mark on a 36-yard run for a 27-19 lead. Crawford, who had over 2,000 yards on the ground going into the game, led the way with 182 yards on 28 carries.
Grove compiled 362 yards of total offense, with 213 on the ground and 149 in the passing game. The Bluejays had 45 carries for 175 yards on the ground and 146 yards passing on a 9-for-17 effort by Calvert with one interception. Grove was only 8-for-21 in the passing game but the three passing touchdowns were the difference.
The Bluejays will have to replace some key players in 2023. They include: Jackson Walters, Zach Henry, Willy Clymer, Landen Hirzel, Chelf, Tyrin Eaton, Isaiah Hammons, Carson Wilder, Brayden Chaney and Justin Berryhill.
They also return some key elements with Calvert, Nate Benford, Dae’Lonte Glover, Jaylen Harper, Xavier Williams, Josh Varnell, Niko Pena, Eli Moroney and French highlighting a talented junior class.