Unblemished record

By RICHARD STROUD

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — For the second time in four years, the Sequoyah Indians finished the football regular season undefeated, overcoming the Colcord Hornets to win their tenth consecutive game of the year, 35-7.

The Indians broke open a 7-7 tie with three second quarter touchdowns to take a 28-7 halftime lead. The Indians scored on four of their five first half possessions.

"We played well," Sequoyah head coach Brent Scott said. "They [Colcord] are a well-coached team, especially defensively. Their home field is a tough place to win. To come out of here with a win is something special."

The Indians were led by the three-headed rushing attack of Rykar Salazar, Justin Lepley and Ryan Mouse.

Salazar led the way with 167 yards on 23 carries and two second quarter touchdowns.

Lepley added 66 yards on eight carries, while Mouse had 61 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns.

The Indians also got another outstanding effort from their defense. Colcord's only touchdown came late in the first quarter when Hornet quarterback Canaan Sherrell took off on an option keeper and raced 70 yards to answer Mouse's first touchdown run and tie the game at seven.

Sherrell also had a 42-yard pass completion in the second quarter, accounting for 112 of Colcord's 137 first half yards on two plays.

In the second half, the defense was even better, holding Colcord to 41 total yards and four first downs. Sequoyah's defense turned the game into a nightmare for Sherrell, who was sacked four times and turned the ball over four times.

But the second half was notable, mostly due to questionable officiating. The Indians were called for 14 penalties for 130 yards overall, both season highs, with 10 of those occuring in the second half. The Hornets, meanwhile, were called for seven penalties in the game, three in the second half.

The penalties kept the Indians from gathering any offensive momentum in the second half, though Justin Lepley did add a 38-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to end the scoring.

A Lepley fumble ended Sequoyah's first drive of the night after the Indians had driven to the Colcord 25 in 12 plays. After a Colcord punt, Salazar appeared to have a 47-yard touchdown run on the first play of the ensuing possession. However, that play was called back by a block in the back penalty and the Indians settled in for a six-play drive that ended with Mouse scoring from 16 yards out.

After Sherrell's run tied the game, the Indians countered with a five-play drive that covered 65 yards and ended with Salazar's 4-yard touchdown to make the score 14-7.

Colcord's next drive ended with a Keanu Poe interception at the Hornet 29-yard line. Mouse scored from 15 yards out to make it 21-7.

The Indians scored their final touchdown of the half when the Hornets ran a fake punt from their own 16-yard line. The play ended in a one-yard loss and Salazar later scored from one yard out to make it 28-7.

With the win, Sequoyah's senior class finishes with a 38-2 regular season record in their four year careers. The Indians will open the playoffs next Friday when they host Sperry, the fourth-place team from District 2A-7.

"We've got to regroup and carry this momentum forward," Scott said.