Washington roars past Millwood for Class 2A football state championship, undefeated season

EDMOND — Mason Singletary only needed a small crease after fielding the kick in the fourth quarter against Millwood.

The Washington junior didn’t have a ton of space to work with as he maneuvered through a crowded area, but once he found a small opening and cut to his left, he was off to the races.

A couple of Millwood players appeared to have an angle on Singletary, but that didn’t matter.

He dashed along the sideline and zoomed into the end zone with 6:44 left, delivering a gut punch to the Falcons’ attempt for a comeback as Washington took an 11-point lead.

Singletary’s 72-yard kickoff return for a touchdown all but sealed the Class 2A top-ranked Warriors’ 41-24 victory over No. 2 Millwood in the state title game Saturday night at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Chad Richison Stadium.

The same programs faced off in last year’s championship, with Washington winning 17-14.

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The Warriors (15-0) got it done again this year, finishing undefeated for the second straight season and extending their win streak to 30.

Washington, which has made four consecutive championship appearances, now has three titles in football (1996, 2022, 2023).

“This was our goal the whole time. … We just work hard each and every day,” Washington senior linebacker and running back Kade Norman said. “And without our coaching staff, without our brothers behind me pushing us each and every step, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Washington senior quarterback Major Cantrell, who is committed to Iowa State as a preferred walk-on, connected with junior Nate Roberts, one of the nation’s top tight end recruits in his class, for an 85-yard touchdown on the Warriors’ opening drive.

But Millwood (13-2) dominated the remainder of the first half.

Freshman Anthony Keys got the Falcons on the scoreboard with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:56 left in the second quarter, and junior OU commit Jaden Nickens gave Millwood a 12-7 lead as he returned an interception 82 yards for a score.

The Falcons took an 18-7 advantage into halftime following a 67-yard touchdown pass from sophomore CJ Turnbull to junior Xzavier Thompson — who finished with five catches for 149 yards — with 2:50 left in the second quarter, but the tide completely turned after the break.

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“When we got into the locker room at halftime, our spirits were a little low,” Washington coach Brad Beller said. “We weren’t executing. A lot of the credit goes to Millwood for what they were able to do and some of the adjustments that they made. Ran some stuff that we hadn’t seen before.”

Norman and Singletary played a big role in Washington pulling away in the second half.

Norman recovered a fumble that ultimately led to a 23-yard touchdown pass from Cantrell to Singletary with 6:50 left in the third as Washington cut Millwood’s lead to 18-14.

Norman returned an interception 59 yards for a score later in the quarter. He also scored the final touchdown of the game, a 9-yard run with 42 seconds left in the fourth.

"Tonight was football justice to see him end the way he did with a pick-six, then finish it with a run," Beller said. "He does everything, and he does it with no expectations of self reward. He does it for the team."

Washington took a 28-18 lead after Cantrell ran for a 6-yard touchdown with 9:12 left in the fourth, but Millwood made things interesting.

A six-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Turnbull pulled the Falcons closer, but Singletary’s kickoff return for a touchdown came right after that.

“Mason Singletary is just a gamer,” Beller said. “He’s one of those guys that he’s not the loudest guy in the world and he doesn’t talk a whole lot, but when he came over, he was like, ‘Coach, I can get open and get me the ball.’ And when he says that, you try to get him the ball.”

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Cantrell finished 8-of-17 passing for 206 yards and two scores, while Turnbull completed 7 of 16 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

For Cantrell, he couldn’t have asked for a better way to end his senior season.

The Warriors had to battle and faced adversity against Millwood, but they regrouped and finished strong.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Cantrell said. “Just the culture, the people here at Washington. It’s truly a beautiful thing and truly God’s been moving through this community, so it’s been an amazing ride.”

Washington lost in the 2020 and 2021 title games.

After claiming the championship last year, the Warriors knew they had a great chance to win another one and remained hungry.

"We said it throughout the summer," Roberts said. "Don't be happy with one ring, don't be happy with one ring. We worked to get this second ring."

Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nicksardis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Washington roars past Millwood for 2A football title, perfect season