'They just kept giving us a chance': Cashion tops Ringling to repeat as Class A state football champion

EDMOND — Mason Manning had been unstoppable all day.

The senior from Cashion already had 13 catches in the game.

So, with just 16 seconds left on the clock in a tie game, Cashion coach Lynn Shackelford called his number again.

"I had a corner and (Landon LaGasse) had a slant," Manning said of his route. "Ben (Harman) just picked his poison and I ended up being the poison for the night."

Harman took the snap and threw the pass to his star receiver who was battling for position in the back of the end zone. Manning leaped into the air and caught the ball over the outstretched arm of the Ringling defender before getting his feet in bounds for the go-ahead score with just eight seconds remaining.

"I saw press coverage," Harman said of the play, "and I knew my man could win it, so I just gave him a shot."

Manning's nine-yard touchdown reception capped a nine-play, 67-yard game-winning drive as No. 1 Cashion bested No. 2 Ringling 21-14 to secure back-to-back Class A state championships at Chad Richison Stadium on Saturday afternoon. For Cashion, it's state championship No. 5 in eight appearances.

"We finally put a drive together late," Shackelford said. "We got some kids that are really good with the ball in their hands and (Manning) is one of them. Mason had a chance to go win it in the endzone and he made a play. Sometimes that's all it takes."

Manning finished the game with 14 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 11 tackles on defense, two of which were for a loss.

Harman completed 18 of 33 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions to go along with 14 rushes for 33 yards. The seniors' performances helped Cashion overcome a hard-fought back-and-forth battle with Ringling.

"I thought the first half we got punched in the mouth," Shackelford said, "and we kind of took it. We challenged them at halftime to hit back a little bit and I thought defensively we played incredible. Holding them to two touchdowns I thought was amazing. We just kind of kept grinding on offense."

After two empty drives by both teams to start the game, Harman threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Manning for the first score.

But Ringling soon answered with a seven-play, 67-yard drive. Kaden Barron finished it with a 12-yard touchdown run.

Cashion was then forced to punt but on Ringling's first play of the drive, Cashion forced a fumble. Max Brown caught the ball in full stride and returned it 50 yards untouched for the go-ahead score.

"Just to get that momentum shift," Shackelford said, "and get back in there and keep us in the game offensively when we weren't doing much was huge."

Ringling wouldn't go away.

A 24-yard punt return from Kanyon McGahey put the Blue Devils at Cashion's 25-yard line. On the ensuing play, Ringling’s Coltin Fincher ran for the 25-yard score on a misdirection to tie the game before halftime. The team's remained tied until Harman found Manning in the endzone for the final touchdown.

"They just kept delivering punches and blows and we kept fighting back," Shackelford said. "Thank God they missed a couple of pass plays where they probably could have scored... They just kept giving us a chance. They just kept us in it enough where one play could win it for us and one play won it for us."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSSAA football: Cashion beats Ringling for Class A state title