The Dewar Dragon varsity football team’s hopes for a repeat state championship came to an end this past Friday night in Enid.

The defending Class B state champion Dragons suffered a 40-28 defeat to the Balko-Forgan Bulls in the semifinal round at Enid High School’s D. Bruce Selby Stadium.

The double-digit setback also ended Dewar’s 28-game win streak, which began last August with a 54-16 win over Southwest Covenant.

Despite finishing with 542 yards of total offense, the Dragons were unable to overcome three turnovers and two other possessions ending on downs in Balko-Forgan territory, as well as having no answer for Balko-Forgan quarterback Jaden Hall, who accounted for 411 of the Bulls’ 462 yards of total offense, which included 256 yards rushing and 3 TDs.

Two positives for the Dewar defense was the two interceptions - the only two thrown by Hall all season - in the first half. The first takeaway came at the 4:13 mark of the first quarter that ended the Bulls’ second offensive series when Thomas Brownfield hauled in the pass near the Balko-Forgan sideline.

The other defensive takeaway for Dewar in the semifinal contest came with 6:08 left in the first half when Kaelem Carter came away with the interception at the Dewar 1, ending a scoring chance for Hall and the Bulls offense.

The Dragons finish the 2021 campaign with a 13-1 record, which included winning the team’s 29th district championship in school history and a third-straight perfect regular season.

In last Friday’s semifinal showdown with Balko-Forgan, most of the opening quarter was a defensive battle between both squads.

Hall broke the scoreless tie with a 21-yard TD run with eight seconds left in the opening frame. The try for two was stopped short of the goal line to make it a 6-0 advantage for the Bulls at the end of one quarter of play, marking the first time the Dragons had been held out of the end zone this season.

With 11:05 left in the second stanza, the Dragons had an answer, as Jameson Ross connected with Brownfield on a 65-yard aerial strike. The try for two was unsuccessful, tying the score at 6-6.

Hall and the Bulls had an answer, as the Balko-Forgan QB scored the go-ahead touchdown from two yards out at the 9:33 mark. Once again, the Dewar defense kept the Bulls out of the end zone on the conversion attempt, making it a 12-6 Balko-Forgan advantage.

With 4:11 remaining in the first half, Hall increased the Balko-Forgan lead to double digits with a 47-yard TD pass to Adam Creason. Nathan Smith’s successful conversion run made it a 20-6 deficit for the Dragons.

One play later, the Dewar offense responded on a 61-yard pass from Ross to Ty Whitlow. Ross then found Marshall Been in the back of the end zone for the conversion try, cutting Balko-Forgan’s lead to six, 20-14, with 3:55 left before halftime.

After Balko-Forgan recovered the ensuing kick at its 47, Hall rocketed downfield 53 yards to paydirt for his third TD run of the half. The Bulls QB then bulldozed his way into the end zone for the conversion run, pushing the Balko-Forgan lead back to double digits, 28-14, at the 3:33 mark of the second quarter.

Neither team was able to reach the end zone in the final three and one-half minutes of the second quarter, sending the teams to the intermission with Dewar trailing 28-14.

The Dragons began on offense first to begin the second half and needed three and one-half minutes to cut into the double-digit deficit. The opening possession score for Dewar came on a 2-yard run by Kaelem Carter. Ross found Whitlow in the end zone for the conversion to make it a 28-22 contest with 8:32 left in the third quarter.

Balko-Forgan closed out the frame with a 7-yard TD pass from Smith to Jordan McGowan on a Halfback Pass play. The short TD pass came with nine seconds left and made it a 34-22 lead for Balko-Forgan with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

The Dragons cut the deficit back to six points, 34-28, with 8:40 remaining in regulation when Ross completed a 43-yard TD pass to Carter. The try for two was unsuccessful to keep the deficit at six points.

A 30-yard TD pass from Hall to McGowan at the 3:45 mark of the fourth quarter pushed the Balko-Forgan lead back to double digits - 40-28.

The Dragons attempted to cut into the deficit once again after the score and marched the ball down the field.

The late promising drive ended with an interception at the Balko-Forgan 2 with 2:23 remaining in regulation and ended the Dragons’ chances of defending their state championship.

Class B Playoffs

Semifinals

Balko-Forgan 40, Dewar 28

Balko-Forgan: 6 - 22 - 6 - 6 (40)

Dewar: 0 - 14 - 8 - 6 (28)

First Quarter

Balko-Forgan - Jaden Hall, 21-yard run (Run Failed); 0:08

Second Quarter

Dewar - Thomas Brownfield, 65-yard pass from Jameson Ross (Pass Failed); 11:05

Balko-Forgan - Hall, 2-yard run (Run Failed); 9:33

Balko-Forgan - Adam Creason, 47-yard pass from Hall (Nathan Smith run); 4:11

Dewar - Ty Whitlow, 61-yard pass from Ross (Marshall Been pass from Ross); 3:55

Balko-Forgan - Hall, 53-yard run (Hall run); 3:33

Third Quarter

Dewar - Kaelem Carter, 2-yard run (Whitlow pass from Ross); 8:32

Balko-Forgan - Jordan McGowan, 7-yard pass from Smith (Run Failed); 0:09

Fourth Quarter

Dewar - Carter, 43-yard pass from Ross (Run Failed); 8:40

Balko-Forgan - McGowan, 30-yard pass from Hall (Run Failed); 3:45