Metro Christian outslugs Jones in 2A playoffs
JONES — Asher Link wasn’t supposed to run the football on the play, but the Tulsa Metro Christian quarterback saw an opening and took it — and by doing so, took the Patriots deeper into the Class 2A playoffs.
Link capped a sublime performance with the 8-yard scoring run with 22 seconds left, giving the sixth-ranked Patriots a 49-45 win over No. 3 Jones in a classic Class 2A second-round game.
In a game filled with big offensive numbers, Link had the biggest. In addition to the decisive run, the junior quarterback completed 27 of 37 passes for 416 yards (the 16th-best total in Oklahoma prep history) and four touchdowns for Metro Christian (11-1), which advanced to face No. 7 Washington in the quarterfinals next week.
“We did have moments when we doubted ourselves, but we came to win,” Link said. “My teammates and my coaches really set me up for success. We were confident in our game plan throughout the week, and we executed it really well on the last drive.”
Jones (10-2), which won the 2016 Class 3A title and reached the 3A semifinals last season, could only watch the Patriots celebrate despite the Longhorns’ own terrific performances. Quarterback Daniel Jackson completed 24 of 40 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns. One of those went to Tye Tucker, who caught 13 passes for 221 yards. Running back Korbin Cox chipped in 100 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
“Our kids battled and we knew it would be like this,” Jones coach Dave Martin said. “It was going to be a continual battle. At the end of it, there was going to be a winner and a loser. But we’re proud of our kids. There’s times early on they could have folded, but we fought right back and put ourselves in a situation to be in the game.”
Jones looked to be in good shape when Jackson hit Jase Farmer on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 2:41 left in the third quarter. That put the Longhorns up 38-28 and the Jones defense had kept the potent Metro Christian offense scoreless in the second half to that point.
But Link answered with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Derek Sanderson with 11:01 left, and Ryan Johnson scooted 75 yards for a touchdown with 6:20 left that gave the Patriots a 42-38 lead. Johnson carried 16 times for 147 yards, caught nine passes for 127 yards and also completed a pass for 14 yards.
Jones — which hadn’t had a game closer than 22 points since September — came right back, going 61 yards and taking a 45-42 lead with 3:10 left on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Farmer.
Metro Christian took over at its own 20 and methodically marched down the field. The Patriots lined up in an empty backfield set on secondand-goal from the 8 on the play on which Link scored.
“I don’t know if he got pressure,” Metro Christian coach Jared McCoy said. “I didn’t see it — I was watching the coverage. But I couldn’t be more excited for him. It was the biggest run of the year so far, right?”
Link’s favorite target was Carson Callaway, who caught 11 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Metro Christian finished with 553 yards of offense while the Longhonrs had 511 yards.