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  • Tuttle running back Jesse Gregory, during the Friday, Nov. 2 game against Blanchard at Bill Hinkle Stadium in Tuttle. Gregory ran for 233 yards and four touchdowns in the Tigers' 56-34 win. Lauren Carter/The Express-Star

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November 6, 2012

Tuttle Tigers beat Blanchard in finale

By Lauren Carter, Staff Writer, lauren@chickashanews.com The Express-Star

TUTTLE — The Tuttle Tigers crushed the Blanchard Lion's hopes of an undefeated season and a district title Friday night at Bill Hinkle Stadium.

Previously-unbeaten Blanchard lost the game 56-34 with a large crowd of supporters cheering in the stands for both teams. Tuttle ends the regular season at 9-1, 5-1 in the district. Blanchard finished at 8-1, also 5-1 in the district.

Although Jones took the district title with a 8-2 overall and 5-1 district record, Tuttle moved up to second place, with Blanchard following in third.

Because of the three-way district record tie between Jones, Tuttle and Blanchard, the district standings were determined by total point margin in district games.

Jones finished the regular season with a 72-point margin in the district. Tuttle’s margin was 60, and Blanchard’s was 48, meaning the difference between a win and a loss to Tuttle was the difference between first and third place in the district for the Blanchard Lions.

After Tuttle's only loss of the season to Jones, the Tigers were never prepared to give up, said head coach Philip Koons.

"We're not going to give up after one game," Koons said. "We live to run the ball and get physical."

After the win, Tuttle will have home field advantage in the first round of playoffs.

"It's nice to stay home and win nine games," Koons said. "With Blanchard, Jones and us, that is three good teams."

Blanchard seemed to have control in the first two quarters of the game, leading the Tiger 28-14. Tuttle stormed back with 35 straight points to take a 49-28 lead in the fourth quarter.

Tuttle quarterback Cooper Koons went 9-for-11 with 155 yards and three touchdowns. His counterpart for the Lions, Brock Lamle, went 16-for-30 with 241 yards and two touchdowns.

The offensive star of the game was Tuttle running back Jesse Gregory, who ran for 233 yards on 20 carries and scored four touchdowns.

Lamle was Blanchard's leading rusher with 13 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Blanchard had two receivers with more than 100 yards receiving; Tanner Foster with six catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and Zach Hill with seven catches for 102 yards.

Seth Odam was Koons' target of choice with three receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Dawson Bassett had three catches for 25 yards and one touchdown.

Jones, Blanchard and Tuttle will all be in the playoffs. Marlow will also be in the playoffs from district 3A-1 because of Bridge Creek's loss to Jones and Little Axe's loss to Mount St. Mary on Friday.

The Tigers will host Bristow in the first round of the playoffs Friday. Blanchard will have to go on the road to play Cushing High School.

Both Bristow and Cushing are class 3A-2 teams from the northeastern part of the state. Cushing finished the regular season 8-2, with losses to Cleveland and Seminole, and Bristow was 7-3 with losses to Cushing, Perkins-Tryon and Seminole. Playoff games are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

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