Southeast heads to Class 5A football's 'toughest' district with sledgehammer, momentum
Following the transfer of star quarterback Michael Graham Jr. to Westmoore, Southeast has a different look this season, with an offense focused on the running game and an opportunistic defense. The Spartans shined on both sides of the football on Friday night against U.S. Grant.
Junior Bonilla carried 22 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns and two other Southeast backs rushed for at least 75 yards as the Spartans kept possession of the Southside Showdown Sledgehammer with a 38-12 win over U.S. Grant at C.B. Speegle Stadium.
Southeast (2-1) took advantage of seven turnovers by U.S. Grant (2-1) and limited the Generals to only 64 yards of offense (including minus-3 rushing yards) and four first downs. The defense blanked the Generals after halftime and also scored the Spartans’ first touchdown, a 54-yard interception return by Keaun Holland.
Holland also had 87 yards rushing on 11 carries while Terry Flowers had 75 yards on just four carries, including a 51-yard scoring jaunt. Southeast had 274 rushing yards overall.
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“We’ve got a bunch of guys who can run the ball and we have an underrated offensive line,” Southeast coach Matt Lane said.
Headed into a brutal Class 5A district that features four top-10 teams in Carl Albert, Guthrie, Bishop McGuinness and Piedmont, the Spartans earned themselves a solid dose of momentum. Southeast – which likely will need to beat at least one of those teams to earn a postseason berth – will face Piedmont in next Friday’s district opener.
“If we play our game, don’t make mistakes and capitalize on their mistakes, we’ll be alright,” Lane said about the Spartans’ tough road in district play. “We play in the toughest district, but we have players who can play with them.”
Ronale Walker scored all of the Generals’ points, on a 5-yard touchdown run that gave U.S. Grant an early lead and on a 95-yard interception return on the final play of the half. But the Generals otherwise struggled mightily to gain traction, fumbling eight times (losing four) and throwing three interceptions.
Southeast had five turnovers of its own, with two lost fumbles (six overall) and three interceptions.
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Holland’s 54-yard interception return for a touchdown and Raymond Hummingbird’s conversion kick gave Southeast a 7-6 lead after Walker’s first touchdown. Before the first quarter ended, Bonilla extended the Spartans’ lead to 14-6 on a 9-yard touchdown run.
Holland fumbled into the end zone as the Spartans were poised for another touchdown and the Generals recovered for a touchback. But Southeast’s defense forced a punt and the Spartans eventually went up 17-6 on a 24-yard field goal by Hummingbird.
On the final play of the half, Southeast had the football at the U.S. Grant 24 and quarterback Santos Medrano tried to throw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, but Walker instead snagged it at the 5 and brought it back 95 yards for a touchdown, pulling the Generals within 17-12.
Flowers reeled off his 51-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter and after the Spartans recovered a U.S. Grant fumble at the Generals’ 36, Bonilla scored on a 9-yard run with 4:04 left in the third quarter. Brandon O’Connor sealed the win for the Spartans, catching a shovel pass from Medrano and scoring from 9 yards out with 5:43 left.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football: Southeast beats U.S. Grant in Week 3
