Sharon-Mutual hands Tyrone first loss of the year

September 15, 2012

Tyrone’s Cole Wall (17) returns the opening kickoff in the game against Sharon-Mutual Friday night. Uriel Orona (12) runs with him. Staff photo/John Plestina

TYRONE—When Friday night’s game was over and the Bobcats had been handed their only loss so far this season, Josh Bell said it was only one game and the team must now look ahead.
The head coach was trying to be upbeat and forward thinking despite the fact that the Bobcats, now 2-1, lost 54-8 to Sharon-Mutual in just over three quarters. The 45-point mercy rule in Oklahoma 8-man football ended the game early.
The Bobcats are yet to play four full quarters this season as the same mercy rule has ended every game early. The difference was the outcome. Tyrone had big wins over Rolla, Kan., and Goodwell.
Bell said Wednesday that Sharon-Mutual would be the Bobcats’ toughest test yet this year.
The Trojan defense limited Tyrone to 85 yards of total offense and just six first downs.
Sharon-Mutual quarterback Cooper Free scored early in the first quarter on a keeper. The Trojans scored on another keeper in the second quarter and scored a third touchdown on a pass from Free to Cody Campbell. Another Sharon-Mutual touchdown made the halftime score 30-0. The Trojans made three of four two-point conversions in the first half.
A pass from Free to Dustin Baker gave Sharon-Mutual yet another touchdown early in the third quarter. A good conversion brought the tally to 38-0.
The Bobcats’ only score came on a keeper by Wall with 4:42 remaining in the third frame. Slater carried the ball into the end zone for the conversion.
Free carried the ball across the goal line two more times. The final two-point conversion ended the game on the 45-point rule.
A fake punt by Tyrone’s Payson Slater in the second quarter picked up what would have been a first down and then some but it turned into a would of, could of, should of situation when a penalty flag nullified the gain. Tyrone had to return to the fourth down situation at the line of scrimmage and punted.
“To their credit, they are a State caliber team. It’s a long season, This is one game,” Bell said. “Now we have got to play.