Grayson, Martel lead charge for Beggs in 44-36 win

The Beggs Golden Demon varsity football team closed out their non-district schedule on a winning note last Friday night at Verdigris High School.

The Demons finished this year’s non-district slate with a 2-1 record after holding on for a 44-36 victory over the host Verdigris Cardinals.

The Beggs gridiron squad was led offensively by the duo of senior tailback Red Martel and junior wide receiver Ryan Grayson.

Martel scored three rushing touchdowns in Friday’s non-district finale, including a 41yard scamper with five minutes remaining in regulation that gave the Demons a 16-point advantage and proved to be the deciding score in the 8-point victory.

Grayson also tallied three scores in the contest - all on long-distance receptions, including back-to-back 80-plus scores in the third quarter.

With the non-district finale win, the Demons will begin their journey towards a 16th-straight playoff appearance this Friday in the Class 2A-7 district opener at Westville.

Friday’s district opener at Westville is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

In last Friday’s narrow win over Verdigris, the Demons opened the scoring on a 5-yard run by Martel at the 4:49 mark of the opening quarter. Grayson then hauled in a pass from Billy Ramsey on the conversion attempt to give Beggs the early 8-0 advantage.

The host Cardinals knotted the scoring at 8-8 with a 1-yard TD run by Tyler Willis and conversion pass from Carson Carberry to Ty McKnight with 1:41 left in the opening frame.

With 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Martel rocketed down the field 70 yards to paydirt for his second score of the night. Ramsey called his own number on the conversion try, crossing the goal line on the QB run play to put Beggs in front by a 16-8 margin after the first 12 minutes of action.

Verdigris got on the scoreboard first in the second stanza on a 17yard pass from Ethan Hushbeck to Willis at the 3:41 mark. The try for two was unsuccessful to make it a 16-14 contest.

On the very first play of the Demons’ offensive series following the Verdigris score, Ramsey connected with Grayson on a 64-yard pass play. Martel bulldozed his way into the end zone on the conversion attempt to push the Beggs lead to 24-14 with 3:28 remaining in the first half.

The final tally of the second quarter came on a 4-yard TD run and conversion run by McKnight at the 1:15 mark to send the teams to the halftime break with Beggs clinging to a narrow 24-22 advantage.

The third quarter scoring belonged to the visitors to increase the Demons’ lead to 38-22 with 12 minutes left in regulation.

The first Beggs score came at the 10:25 mark on an 84-yard aerial strike from Ramsey to Grayson. Martel ran in the conversion attempt for a 32-22 advantage.

With 39 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Ramsey and Grayson hooked up on another 80plus scoring play with Grayson scoring on an 86yard pass to give Beggs a 16-point lead after three quarters of action.

After Hushbeck’s 6-yard TD pass to Willis at 6:06 of the fourth cut the Beggs lead to 10 (38-28), Martel scampered 41 yards to paydirt at the 5-minute mark to push the Demon advantage back to 16 (4428).

The host Cardinals got a 39-yard TD pass from Hushbeck to Willis and successful conversion run by Willis with 3:40 remaining to make it a 44-36 contest.

Verdigris attempted an onside kick following the score, but Grayson fell on the ball at the Beggs 39 with 3:36 left in regulation.

The Demons faced a 3rd-and-6 situation with a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, then Ramsey connected with Grayson on a 20-yard pass play to give Beggs a fresh set of down and allow the Demons to run out the remaining time off the gameclock to secure the 44-36 victory for the Beggs squad.

According to a Tulsa World report, Grayson finished with eight catches for 286 yards and 3 TDs in the Beggs win.

--- Beggs 44, Verdigris 36

Beggs: 16 - 8 - 14 - 6 (44) Verdigris: 8 - 14 - 0 - 14 (36) --- First Quarter Beggs - Red Martel, 5-yard run (Ryan Grayson pass from Billy Ramsey); 4:49 Verdigris - Tyler Willis, 1-yard run (Ty McKnight pass from Carson Carberry); 1:41 Beggs - Martel, 70-yard run (Ramsey run); 0:36 --- Second Quarter

Verdigris - Willis, 17-yard pass from Ethan Hushbeck (Pass Failed); 3:41 Beggs - Grayson, 64-yard pass from Ramsey (Martel run); 3:28 Verdigris - McKnight, 4-yard run (McKnight run); 1:15 --- Third Quarter

Beggs - Grayson, 84-yard pass from Ramsey (Martel run); 10:25 Beggs - Grayson, 86-yard pass from Ramsey (Run Failed); 0:39 --- Fourth Quarter

Verdigris - Willis, 6-yard pass from Hushbeck (Run Failed); 6:06 Beggs - Martel, 41-yard run (Run Failed); 5:00 Verdigris - Willis, 39-yard pass from Hushbeck (Willis run); 3:40