Junior Bulldogs continue perfect season with two home wins

The Okmulgee Junior Football Association recorded their fourthstraight sweep this past Saturday with two home wins against the Seminole Chieftains.

The latest sweep came at the friendly confines of historic Harmon Field in Okmulgee.

Saturday’s Red Dirt Football League action featured just two games between the Junior Bulldogs and the visiting Chieftains, as Seminole only fields fourth-grade and sixth-grade teams in 2023.

Along with earning wins in both contests on Saturday, the OJFA’s third and fifth grade gridiron squads also improved to 4-0 on the year without taking the field, earning forfeit wins over the Chieftains.

The Junior Bulldogs will look to make it five in a row this Saturday when they play host to the Okemah Panthers.

Saturday’s RDFL gridiron action in Okmulgee is scheduled to get underway with the third-grade game at 12 p.m., followed the fourth-grade contest at 1:30 p.m. and the fifth-grade game at 3 p.m.

The final contest on Saturday between Okmulgee and Okemah will be the sixth-grade showdown at 4:30 p.m.

In Saturday’s fourth-grade contest against Seminole, the Junior Bulldogs jumped out to a 16-0 lead after the first eight minutes of action following a pair of long-distance runs by Brayden Lewis. The first touchdown run by Lewis went for 48 yards at the 4:29 mark of the opening quarter with Lewis running in the conversion attempt for an early 8-0 advantage.

Lewis’ second first-quarter scamper went for 41 yards with 2:24 left in the frame. Jayceon Byrd ran in the conversion attempt following the TD run to double the Okmulgee lead to 16-0.

Bentley Garnder’s 21-yard scamper and Davion Delonia’s successful conversion run at 4:23 in the second quarter made it a 24-0 advantage for the Junior Bulldogs, while Byrd’s 25-yard fumble return and Anthony Gertner’s successful conversion run at the 3:48 mark of the stanza sent the Okmulgee squad into the halftime break with a commanding 32-0 margin.

The final tally for the Junior Bulldog fourth-grade squad on Saturday came at the 4:58 mark of the third quarter on a 3-yard run by Elijah Harjo. The try for two was unsuccessful to put the finishing touches on the Junior Bulldogs’ 38-0 victory.

In Saturday’s sixth-grade showdown with Seminole, the host Okmulgee squad opened the scoring at the 4:06 mark of the first quarter on a 21-yard TD run by JaCari Hammon. The try for two was unsuccessful, giving the Junior Bulldogs an early 6-0 advantage after one quarter of action.

The Okmulgee squad doubled its lead to 12-0 on a 24-yard pass from Isaiah Toney to Hammon just seven seconds into the second stanza.

Seminole got on the scoreboard at the 7:24 mark of the second quarter on a 46-yard pass play, cutting the Okmulgee lead in half, 12-6.

Hammon’s 43-yard scamper and Allen Wright’s successful conversion run 23 seconds later pushed the Okmulgee lead to 20-6, while the visitors made it a 20-14 contest returning the ensuing kickoff 70 yards to paydirt and crossing the goal line on the conversion try. The Junior Bulldogs regained their double-digit lead - 28-14 - at the 3:54 mark of the second stanza on a 19yard run by Adrain Burgess and successful conversion run by Hammon.

Seminole returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards for its third score of the quarter, making it a 28-20 contest with 3:38 remaining in the first half.

The Junior Bulldogs pushed their lead to 16 (36-20) on a 13-yard scamper and successful conversion run by Wright with 12 seconds left in the stanza, while the visitors ended the first half by reaching the end zone on a 57-yard TD run and successful conversion attempt on the final play of the first half, sending the contest into the intermission with Okmulgee clinging to an 8-point advantage, 36-28.

The lone score of the third quarter came on a 24-yard TD run by Hammon at the 2:31 mark. Hammon also crossed the goal line on the conversion attempt to give the Junior Bulldogs a 44-28 lead, heading into the final eight minutes of action.

Hammon put the finishing touches on his stellar 5-TD evening with a short 3-yard score at 5:58 of the final frame. The short TD run extended the Okmulgee lead to 22 points, 50-28.

The Chieftains made it a 50-36 contest at the 5:10 mark of the final frame on a 57-yard TD run and successful conversion run.

The visitors cut the Okmulgee lead to six, 50-44, with a 49-yard TD run and successful conversion run with seven seconds left in regulation.

Okmulgee recovered the onside kick following the late score to preserve the 50-44 victory.

--- Fourth Grade

Okmulgee 38, Seminole 0

Seminole: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 (0) Okmulgee: 16 - 16 - 6 - 0 (38) --- First Quarter

Okmulgee - Brayden Lewis, 48-yard run (Brayden Lewis run); 4:29 Okmulgee - Brayden Lewis, 41-yard run (Jayceon Byrd run); 2:24 --- Second Quarter

Okmulgee - Bentley Gardner, 21-yard run (Davion Delonia run); 4:23 Okmulgee - Byrd, 25-yard fumble return (Anthony Gertner run); 3:48 --- Third Quarter

Okmulgee - Elijah Harjo, 3-yard run (Run Failed); 4:58 --- Fourth Quarter No Score --- Sixth Grade

Okmulgee 50, Seminole 44 Seminole: 0 - 28 - 0 - 16 (44) Okmulgee: 6 - 30 - 8 - 6 (50) --- First Quarter

Okmulgee - JaCari Hammon, 21-yard run (Run Failed); 4:06 --- Second Quarter

Okmulgee - Hammon, 24-yard pass from Isaiah Toney (Run Failed); 7:53 Seminole - No. 19, 46-yard pass from No. 12 (Run Failed); 7:24 Okmulgee - Hammon, 43-yard run (Allen Wright run); 7:01 Seminole - No. 19, 70-yard kickoff return Okmulgee - Adrain Burgess, 19-yard run (Hammon run); 3:54 Seminole - No. 12, 64-yard kickoff return (Run Failed); 3:38 Okmulgee - Wright, 13-yard run (Wright run); 0:12 Seminole - No. 19, 57-yard run (No. 19 run); 0:00 --- Third Quarter

Okmulgee - Hammon, 24-yard run

(Hammon run); 2:31 --- Fourth Quarter

Okmulgee - Hammon, 3-yard run (Run Failed); 5:58 Seminole - No. 19, 55-yard run (No. 12 run); 5:10 Seminole - No. 19, 49-yard run (No. 19 run); 0:07