VERDIGRIS —
Playing smash-mouth football has become the identity of the Class 3A No. 5 Verdigris Cardinals.
Blessed with a pair of bruising running backs in seniors Tanner Smith and J.D. Hanslovan, as well as an aerial attack led by quarterback Dakota Brasher and wide receiver Ryan Hurd, the Cardinals’ offense is the most explosive in Rogers County.
Through six games this season, the Cardinals (5-1 overall, 1-1 District 3A-5) have tallied 255 total points for an average of 43 points per game.
The offensive fireworks can be attributed to the power running game of Smith and Hanslovan, who have combined for 1,804 yards behind a seasoned offensive line that is led by senior Dalton Inman (6-3, 285) and junior Jake Jones (6-3, 300).
Smith comes into Friday’s game against No. 6 Metro Christian with 1,301 yards on 127 carries and 17 touchdowns. He is averaging 10.2 yards per carry.
The Cardinals’ running attack is chewing up 332.3 yards per game.
Hanslovan, meanwhile, isn’t far behind with 46 carries for 503 yards and eight touchdowns.
Though the running game is highly potent and hard to stop, Brasher and the Cardinals’ aerial attack is gaining ground at the midway point of the season.
In six starts as the Cardinals’ first-year quarterback, Brasher has completed 34-of-67 passes for 452 yards and seven touchdowns with only two interceptions.
His favorite targets — Hurd and tight end Chase Bryant — both have eight catches on the season.
Hurd leads with eight receptions for 139 yards and three touchdowns, while Bryant has eight catches for 106 yards and one touchdown. Out of the backfield, Smith has nine receptions for 58 yards.
Note: The Cards’ defense is holding opponents to 14 points per game.
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No. 5 Verdigris battles No. 6 Metro Christian in 3A-5 showdown
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Verdigris’ Hanslovan commits to ORU
One of the biggest decisions of her upcoming senior year is finally behind Verdigris High School soccer standout Caitlyn Hanslovan.
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Area players earn All-Region baseball awards
The awards keep piling up for Verdigris High School graduate Blake Battenfield.
After being named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Large East team earlier this week, Battenfield and numerous other players from Rogers County earned OCA All-Region accolades.
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Wal-Mart FLW anglers head to Grand Lake
The Walmart FLW Tour on Grand Lake presented by Castrol will visit the Grove, Okla., area June 6-9 for the fifth event of its 18th season. Hosted by the Grand Lake Association, the tournament will feature a full field of the world’s best bass pros and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.
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OU, OSU, Tulsa join forces on 2013 Oklahoma Disaster Reliefs Shirts
The University of Oklahoma has partnered with Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa to utilize logos from all three institutions to develop the 2013 Oklahoma Disaster Relief Shirt. Net proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated directly to the United Way to aid disaster relief and recovery efforts across the state of Oklahoma.
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Strong offseason raises bar for Tulsa Shock
Are the pieces finally falling in place for the Tulsa Shock?
Time will tell, but if the preseason prognostications of the league's general managers are any indication, Tulsa finally looks like a playoff contender. A survey found the Shock as the WNBA's most improved team. - More Sports Headlines
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