Frakes shines in debut as starting QB
NORMAN — Gavin Frakes dropped back to pass for the first time as Norman North’s starting quarterback and stayed patient.
The senior stood in the pocket before sliding past a Norman defender and seeing receiver Brayden Dorney breeze past the opposing defensive back on a fly route.
Frakes pulled the trigger, and his pass was flawless.
Dorney ran under it near Norman’s 30 in the middle of the field, made the catch and coasted into the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown with 8:54 left in the first quarter.
Frakes’ first pass of the 2021 season was perfect, and it certainly wasn’t his only good one of the night.
Frakes finished with five touchdowns and 302 yards on 13-of-16 passing, leading Class 6A No. 6-ranked Norman North to a 41-24 victory against No. 9 Norman on Thursday night at Harve Collins Stadium.
Frakes, a Princeton commit, had to wait his turn to become the Timberwolves’ starting signal caller. Now, he’s ready to show everyone what he can do.
“Even though I wasn’t the guy last year, I was just working hard, kept on plugging and just waiting for my time,” Frakes said. “I guess my time is now. Last year was last year, so we’re moving on, and it’s going to be a good season.”
Dorney was Frakes’ top target throughout the night. The junior finished with seven receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Two of Frakes’ first three passing attempts were to Dorney. Both were touchdowns.
“We’ve just been working on it so long, the connection,” Frakes said. “He’s been working super hard, so he deserves it.”
Frakes’ other two touchdown throws were to junior Cason Cabbiness. Those came in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach.
“Did a fantastic job, made some great throws,” Norman North coach Justin Jones said. “Not just managing the offense but really took control of it and got the ball where it needed to be, made some nice plays.”
Norman North took a 14-0 lead after junior tailback Chapman McKown ran for a 16-yard touchdown, but Norman quarterback Tias McClarty kept the Tigers in the game.
McClarty, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound junior, was nearly sacked in his own end zone the possession after McKown’s touchdown. But McClarty broke away from the defenders, found some open space along the sideline and cut back to the middle and into the end zone.
McClarty finished with 29 carries for 172 yards and two scores. He also completed 10 of 21 passes for 105 yards.
Norman never led but came within five points when Colyn Wade made a 26-yard field goal with 6:29 left in the third quarter.
Frakes and Dorney connected for their third touchdown with less than two minutes left in the quarter. The Timberwolves took a 28-17 lead and pulled away for the win.
“Really happy with our offense,” Jones said. “Defensively, I thought we played really well. We gave up a 79-yard quarterback scramble. Credit to their quarterback. The kid is fast and doesn’t go down real easy.”
Reporter Nick Sardis covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nick_sardis. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe or by using the link at the top of this page.