The Beggs Golden Demon varsity football team dropped their second-straight regular-season game for the first time since 2015 this past Friday night with a 40-6 loss to the visiting Verdigris Cardinals.

In 2015, the Demons finished 6-4 and began the season with a 36-13 win over Eufaula then suffered back-to-back losses to Glenpool (17-6) on September 11 and Hilldale (38-6) on September 25.

Editor’s Note: The Demons were trailing Berryhill 34-28 at halftime on September 18, 2015, when the game was called prior to the start of the third quarter due to heavy lightning at Berryhill High School.

Prior to last Friday’s showdown with Verdigris, the high school football field at Golden Demon Stadium in Beggs was named Tate Field in honor of former Beggs athlete and longtime Beggs coach Rodney Tate. Tate was a member of Beggs’ 1975 state champion and 1977 state runner-up football teams, played college football at the University of Texas from 1978-1981, and was a fourth-round pick in the 1982 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Demons will look to get back on the winning track this Friday when they host the Westville Yellowjackets in their District 2A-7 opener.

Friday’s district battle with Westville is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Tate Field in Beggs.

Prior to Friday’s district opener, Beggs Public Schools will crown their 2022-2023 Homecoming Queen in a special Homecoming festivities ceremony.

In last Friday’s non-district finale, which was also the home opener for Beggs, the Demons jumped out to an early 6-0 advantage, taking the opening possession at their own 11 and covering the 89 yards in just two plays. After a run for no gain on the first play from scrimmage, the Demons found the end zone on the next play, as Knox Dyson connected with Ryan Grayson on a short pass play. After hauling in the pass, Grayson rocketed down the sideline for the 89-yard score.

Grayson’s long-distance TD reception occurred at 11:03 of the first quarter After the opening scoring drive, the Beggs offense were unable to continue the momentum, failing to reach the end zone the remainder of the contest, running a total of 50 plays for 119 yards and moved the ball into Verdigris territory only two times through the final 47:03 of gameplay, which included eight punts, two turnovers, and two turnover on downs.

Of the final 12 offensive series for Beggs last Friday, the longest drive came on the final series, covering 45 yards on eight plays. The final drive ended with a turnover on downs at the Verdigris 7 with 35 seconds left in regulation.

Besides the 89-yard TD pass on the opening series, the next longest gain came during the Demons’ first offensive series of the fourth quarter - a 29-yard pass from Dyson to Braylon Davis on the second play of the drive.

The Beggs defense came away with just one takeaway in the contest - an interception by Red Martel at the Beggs 25 with 3:05 left in the first quarter.

Following Grayson’s opening scoring play, Verdigris found its way onto the scoreboard with an 18yard TD run by Reese Roller at the 8:29 mark of the opening frame. The PAT kick was no good, as Beggs’ Braylon Davis rushed into the backfield and blocked the kick to deadlock the score at 6-6.

The visitors added a 7-yard TD run at 5:51 of the opening quarter on a QB keeper by Dylan White. Mason Mittasch toed the extra-point kick to make it a 13-6 deficit for the host Demons.

The visitors scored three times in the second quarter to extend their lead to 33-6 at halftime.

The first Verdigris score of the second stanza came on a 1-yard plunge by Roller at the 6:59 mark. Roller scampered into the end zone from nine yards out at 2:33 for his second TD of the frame, then completed an 18-yard halfback pass to Caden Parnell with 47 seconds remaining in the first half.

Mittasch connected on the first two PAT kicks, but was off the mark on the third extra-point try to send the teams to the intermission with Beggs trailing by 27 points, 33-6.

The final Verdigris tally came on a 26-yard pass from White to Dalton Person at 5:21 of the third quarter. Mittasch made good on the PAT kick for a 40-6 advantage.

The visitors attempted to increase their lead even further later in the third, attempting a 27-yard field goal. The kick never made it to the end zone, as Davis rushed around the left side of the offensive line and knocked down the attempt for his second blocked kick of the night.

Neither team managed any points in the final 12 minutes of regulation to put the Demons on the losing end of a 40-6 outcome.

--- Verdigris 40, Beggs 6

Verdigris: 13 - 20 - 7 - 0 (40) Beggs: 6 - 0 - 0 - 0 (6)

First Quarter

Beggs - Ryan Grayson, 89-yard pass from Knox Dyson (Run Failed); 11:03 Verdigris - Reese Roller, 18-yard run (Kick Failed); 8:29 Verdigris - Dylan White, 7-yard run (Mason Mittasch kick); 5:51

Second Quarter

Verdigris - Roller, 1-yard run (Mittasch kick); 6:59 Verdigris - Roller, 9-yard run (Mittasch kick); 2:33 Verdigris - Caden Parnell, 18-yard pass from Roller (Kick Failed); 0:47

Third Quarter

Verdigris - Dalton Person, 26-yard pass from White (Mittasch kick); 5:21

Fourth Quarter

No Score

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Team Stats

First Downs: Verdigris 17; Beggs 8 Rushing: Verdigris 46-194; Beggs 32-46 Passing: Verdigris 8-18-1, 123; Beggs 10-20-1, 162 Total Offense: Verdigris 65-317; Beggs 52-208 Fumbles: Verdigris 1-0; Beggs 3-1 Penalties: Verdigris 6-50; Beggs 6-39

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Beggs Individual Stats

Rushing: Red Martel 15-46; Michael Cudney 2-12; Logan Hicks 1-2; Darieon Johnson 1-1; Ryan Grayson 3-(-5); Knox Dyson 10-(-10). Passing: Knox Dyson 10-20-1 162, TD. Receiving: Ryan Grayson 3-104, TD; Braylon Davis 2-28; Darieon Johnson 1-23; Louis Jupiter 1-8; Logan Hicks 1-4; Braylin Clabon 1-0; Red Martel 1-(-5).