Class 2A-2 Title Game Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong><em><strong><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Davis Wolves captured their first state championship in a decade and they did it behind a dominant run game and 48 minutes of near-perfect play. The Wolves took down Vian 28-18 on Saturday afternoon and it was the third straight week that Davis took down a previously unbeaten team. They won the turnover battle 4-0 and you can't do that against a team like Davis. The Wolves were once again led by the quarterback and running back. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1324250' first='Dax' last='Owens'] was outstanding and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1573245' first='Brenden' last='Rawls'] was a workhorse with nearly 40 carries on the day. Check out all of the highlights from title game below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNAMBM4f5S4","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNAMBM4f5S4 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And now, we take a look at the six standouts from the state championship game. Three guys from the champs in Davis and three guys from Vian. Both teams played outstanding football so we have plenty of standouts from both sides of this memorable championship clash.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1573245' first='Brenden' last='Rawls'] - Senior Running Back - Davis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We talked with Davis senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1573245' first='Brenden' last='Rawls'] about his strength and power and he mentioned that it comes from his offensive line and the work they put in to open up the holes. And that was a solid teammate response but we're here to tell you that his strength and power is up there near the top in Oklahoma. Rawls carried the ball 38 times on Saturday and finished with 172 yards and a touchdown. There are workhorse running backs and then there's Rawls when it comes to what he has done in the playoffs. The senior has been outstanding over the last four weeks and he's a big reason why the Wolves are state champs for the first time in a decade. If you need a fullback at the next level, here's your guy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1324250' first='Dax' last='Owens'] - Sophomore Quarterback - Davis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1324250' first='Dax' last='Owens'] is on our shortlist of breakout stars when it comes to the 2024 season. Owens came into this season with experience but he has taken his game up a notch and helped guide the Wolves on a memorable state championship run. In the game on Saturday, most of the carries went to Rawls but like always, Owens would pick his spots and was incredibly productive. He finished with 13 carries for just 24 yards but had a touchdown on the ground. He also threw for 46 yards and a touchdown on 4-5 passing. And to top it all off, he took a kickoff back 89 yards for another score and that really put Vian in a hole that they weren't going to be able to come out of. He seems to play the best against the toughest opponents. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1163096' first='Draighton' last='Fletcher'] - Junior Running Back - Vian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Because he shares the backfield with one of the best players in the state this season, Vian junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1163096' first='Draighton' last='Fletcher'] has flown under the radar. He's had a solid season and he had a few big moments in the championship game on Saturday afternoon. Fletcher didn't get many looks in the first half but he had a solid second half and finished with eight carries for 66 yards. The Wolverines just couldn't take advantage of the different explosive plays that they got from Fletcher and company. The shifty junior running back is going to be a player to watch going into next season as he's been incredibly productive when he's had carries. But like we mentioned, he just happens to be a part of a loaded depth chart at the moment. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913366' first='Jacob' last='Brannick'] - Senior Wide Receiver - Vian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vian didn't throw the ball much as they stuck with their explosive rushing attack but when they did throw the ball, it was usually going to senior [player_tooltip player_id='913366' first='Jacob' last='Brannick'] and he would routinely make the catch. He came into Saturday's game and he finished the game as the team's leading receiver with four catches for 41 yards. And even on plays where Brannick didn't make a catch, he would routinely get open and find different soft spots in the Davis defense. He's had a terrific career and he's another example of a wide receiver prospect that will just make a program better. He's reliable, runs good routes and if you get the ball to him, he finds a way to make a play on it. That checks a lot of the boxes that coaches should be looking for. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1575190' first='Jaxon' last='Wright'] - Sophomore Linebacker - Davis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you look this championship game in hindsight, we've pin-pointed one moment where momentum shifted towards Davis and they never gave it back. The game was tied at 7 going into the second half. Vian had no problems marching down the field and inside the Davis 15. Sophomore linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1575190' first='Jaxon' last='Wright'] would then force and recover a fumble, return it 37 yards and that set Davis up with a scoring drive. The Wolves outscored Vian 21-3 in the third quarter and it started with that play from Wright. The sophomore would finish with six tackles, two for a loss and force two fumbles on the day. But you can make the argument that his forced and recovered fumble in the third quarter put Davis on the path to a state championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='424595' first='Masyn' last='Wright'] - Junior Running Back - Vian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vian junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='424595' first='Masyn' last='Wright'] is our final standout from Saturday's game and we've said this before but we'll say it again here, there are few players in Oklahoma that have been better than him this season. On Saturday, the Wolverines came up short on the scoreboard but Wright did just about everything he could to keep them in the fight. The Vian junior finished the afternoon with 21 carries for nearly 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He showcased his overall athleticism and explosiveness on several plays, including a 58-yard touchdown in the first half that gave the Wolverines an early 7-0 advantage. Wright will go into the 2025 season as one of the top players to watch across Oklahoma. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->