ESD Crushes Casady to Win SPC Football Crown
By Anthony Green / Special Contributor
Jack Johnson rushed for 251 yards and three scores as ESD dominated Oklahoma City Casady 42-14 in the SPC small-school final at Jesuit’s Postell Stadium. The Eagles scored touchdowns on their first four possessions, including one on the first play from scrimmage.
ESD (9-2) used its passing attack to take the lead and then finished off Casady with Johnson, its workhorse tailback. Thomas Fitts passed for 228 yards and two scores and ran for another in the first half.
The ESD defense was every bit as impressive as its offense. The Eagles held Casady without a first down until the 9:31 mark of the second quarter.
“I am proud of these players. We implemented a 4-2-5 defense at the start of the season and guys were excited,” said first-year ESD head coach Richard Williams.
Casady’s lone first-half score came with on a hook-and-ladder with 2:19 remaining before halftime. Colin Morris passed to Denver Johnson on fourth-and-10 from the ESD 21. Johnson pitched it back to Chandler Coleman, who ran it in from 10 yards out.
ESD led 28-7 at the half. Casady (8-3) took the opening kickoff of the second half and capped off a 10-play drive with a 3-yard run by Gary Woods to cut the deficit to 28-14.
Jack Johnson squashed any thoughts of a comeback bid from the Cyclones when he ran 62 yards up the gut untouched with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter. The score came on third-and-15.
“That was an audible,” Williams said. “We saw the defensive alignment.”
Johnson later added a 17-yard run on the first play of fourth quarter after a Fitts audible. Caleb Williams and Jack Colonetta each intercepted passes by Morris in the fourth quarter.
Earlier, Johnson capped off a nine-play drive with a 14-yard run to make it 14-0 with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter. Fitts scored on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal to end a 12-play drive, making it 21-0 with 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
ESD outgained Casady 223 to 18 in total yardage in the first quarter. Fitts passed for 26 yards to Blake Morrison on the opening drive of the second quarter to make it 28-0. Morrison ran a double move and was wide open in the right corner of the end zone.
ESD finished with 506 total yards. Fitts finished with 272 yards passing. Winston Guillory added four receptions for 128 yards.
Morris accounted for 207 total yards to lead Casady. Denver Johnson, an Iowa State pledge, caught six passes for 86 yards.
