The 2023 football season for the Vian Wolverines started with a loss to the defending Class 2A state champion Washington Warriors, and the campaign ended Friday night with a loss to those same Warriors.

The Class 2A defending state champion Warriors, who opened the season Aug. 25 with a 55-13 victory at home over the Wolverines, kept their perfect season intact as well as punched their ticket to the state semifinals at week’s end with a 47-14 victory over the Wolverines in the Class 2A state quarterfinals on a cold Friday night at Norris Field at Koi Ishto Stadium on the campus of East Central University in Ada.

The Warriors (13-0) will meet Jones in the Class 2A state semifinals at 7 p.m. this Friday in Yukon.

The Warriors finish the season at 8-5.

Things started well for the Wolverines as they took the opening kickoff and marched downfield into Washington’s red zone. However, the drive stalled, and Mikayah Mendoza came in to attempt a 31-yard field goal. However, his attempt hit the left upright of a college goal —which is smaller than the usual width of a high school goal — with 9:04 left in the first quarter.

The Warriors took the ensuing drive down field to paydirt as Hudson Howard took it in from five yards out. However, just like on Mendoza’s field-goal attempt, Washington place-kicker Mayson Thomas missed the extra point, which went wide left, keeping the Warriors ahead 6-0 with 8:05 left in the period.

As he did practically all night, Thomas would either onside kick, as he did to begin the game, or squib-kick it. After the initial score, Thomas attempted another onside kick, which was muffed by the Wolverines and recovered by Washington at the Vian 41.

The Warriors cashed in that drive as Howard made it 2-for-2 with his second touchdown run of the game, another five-yarder, with 5:11 remaining in the quarter. However, Thomas once more missed the PAT, this one wide right, keeping the Warriors ahead 12-0 after the first quarter.

On the ensuing Vian drive, the Wolverines got as deep as the Washington 19, but they went for it on fourth down but were stopped after a third-down potential touchdown pass play failed to connect.

As Washington was driving once more off the ensuing defensive stop, Howard made a nice gain on the first play, only to fumble the ball with Vian’s Kaden Fullbright making the recovery at the Vian 45 with 1:27 remaining in the period, but the ensuing drive for Vian was unproductive.

Off the Vian punt, the Warriors scored once again as quarterback Major Cantrell connected with Nate Roberts on a 13-yard TD pass. The Warriors went for two points and got them as Cantrell hit Cooper Alexander in the end zone to up Washington’s advantage to 20-0 with 9:32 remaining in the first half.

On Vian’s ensuing possession, the Wolverines went for it once more on fourth down but were stopped, giving the Warriors the ball on the Vian 36-yard line with 7:25 left before halftime.

The Warriors cashed in that possession with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Cantrell to Roberts with 6:48 left in the first half. Thomas hit the extra point for a 27-0 lead.

Thanks to a 22-yard kickoff return by Vian’s Nathan Creasey and a fourth-down conversion, the Wolverines drove inside the red zone once more, but Vian fumbled the ball with Washington’s Case Taylor making the recovery at the Washington 9 with 30 seconds remaining before halftime.

With five seconds left after a personal foul penalty and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty got 30 gift yards for Washington, Cantrell was going to attempt a Hail Mary touchdown pass, but he was smashed to the ground by Vian ‘s Cash Collins to end the half, with the Warriors on top 27-0.

Vian tried an onside kick with the secondhalf kickoff, but it did not travel the necessary 10 yards, giving Washington possession at the Vian 44.

The Warriors took the possession to the house as Kade Norman scored on an 8-yard TD run. Thomas hit the PAT for a 34-0 lead for the defending state champions with 10:18 left in the third quarter.

Thanks to a 22yard kickoff return by Creasey and face-mask penalty on Washington, Vian finally found the end zone as Jacob Brannick hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass from Masyn Wright. Mendoza’s extra point cut the Vian deficit to 34-7 with 7:48 remaining in the period.

However, the Warriors came right back and capped their drive with a 40-yard TD pass from Cantrell to Mason Singletary. Thomas missed the PAT as it went wide right, but Washington’s lead stood at 41-7 with 3:30 left in the period.

Thanks to a desperation 9-yard pass from Draighton Fletcher to Fulbright off a fumbled snap and a 12-yard pass and a 10-yard pass from Wright to Creasey, plus a roughing the passer penalty on Washington, the Wolverines scored on their second straight possession as Creasey caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Wright. Mendoza’s extra point cut Washington’s advantage to 41-14 with 11 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Perhaps the play that iced the game came on the final play of the period as Norman rambled 65 yards to paydirt. The extra point by Thomas put Washington ahead 47-14 entering the fourth quarter – which saw no points scored.

“We didn’t play a perfect game,” Vian coach Gary Willis said. “They’re a really good team, and hats off to them. I was proud of our boys’ effort, but you have to execute. We said the same thing to them at halftime. You have to play perfect and execute. We could have had at least 14, maybe 21, there in the first half. We had to do that (execute), and we didn’t.”

For the game, Wright threw for 148 yards and two TDs while rushing Brannick caught three passes for 86 yards and a touchdown and Creasey caught four passes for 42 yards and a TD. Fletcher led the Wolverines in yards rushing with 56.