Oklahoma high school football: Heritage Hall rolls past Verdigris in Class 3A semifinals
PRAGUE — Nearly everything went right for Andy Bass and the Heritage Hall offense in the first half of the Chargers’ semifinal matchup against Verdigris.
Whether it was on the ground or through the air, Heritage Hall was in a rhythm and doing things Verdigris hadn’t allowed to happen all season.
Because of that strong offensive start, Heritage Hall is now just one win away from claiming its first football state title since 2018 and eighth overall.
The Class 3A second-ranked Chargers defeated No. 4 Verdigris 40-21 Friday night at Prague High School, advancing to the championship game against No. 3 Tulsa Metro Christian.
Bass, a junior, had an outstanding game at quarterback. He finished 20-of-34 passing for 231 yards and ran for 91 yards on 13 carries.
He had five touchdowns, four passing and one rushing, and four of those scores were in the first half.
“We were pretty much able to do what we wanted to do,” Bass said. “A lot of guys had to step up, and they definitely did that for sure. Shoutout to the O-line. They played great. Massive holes all over the field.”
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Heritage Hall (12-1) and Verdigris (11-2) had an exciting first half.
Bass tossed a 9-yard touchdown to Cooper Cookson on the first drive and had passing scores of 30 and 26 yards to Jordyn Harris later in the quarter.
But Verdigris’ offense played well and made things interesting.
The Cardinals had two touchdowns in the opening half, a 1-yard rushing score from Caden Parnell and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Dylan White to Tyler Willis.
Bass scored on a 2-yard run as time expired in the second quarter, and Heritage Hall led 27-13 heading into the break.
“We knew we had our hands full with 11 (Reese Roller) and 44 (Luke Zaferes) for Verdigris,” Heritage Hall coach Brett Bogert said.
“Their two defensive ends are studs. (Roller) might be the best player we’ve seen in a while around here. Great player. So, we really challenged our guys up front, in pass pro and in the run game. They absolutely stood out and balled out and helped us get this.”
Heritage Hall allowed just 118 yards in the second half and fed the ball often to senior tailback River Faulkner, who finished with 18 carries for 138 yards. He ran for a 58-yard touchdown with 9:14 left, the final touchdown of the game.
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Now, the Chargers are turning their attention to Tulsa Metro Christian (13-0), and the two will face off in the championship at 7 p.m. Thursday at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond.
“It’s super exciting,” Bass said. “All the guys are really hyped up. It’s a short week, so we’re going to have to get right back to it, and we’ll be prepared.”
Heritage Hall not only sealed a championship berth.
It also helped Bogert achieve a big milestone.
The coach now officially has 100 wins.
“It’s really cool,” Bogert said. “I honestly didn’t know tonight was it. I knew we were getting somewhat close, but I wasn’t sure.
“But that just says a lot about our coaching staff. My dad was the head coach before me, so essentially, we have the same continuity for the last 20-plus years. It was easy for me to transition in and be the head coach.”
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.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS football: Heritage Hall beats Verdigris in 3A semifinals
