FOOTBALL: Sapulpa's explosive passing attack ends Claremore's season in first round
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Sapulpa didn't need to sustain long drives to put Claremore's defense in trouble Friday night.
Sometimes, one throw was enough.
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The Chieftains repeatedly attacked downfield, piling up 351 yards passing and using several explosive completions to build a commanding lead before holding off a late rally for a 42-30 victory over the Zebras in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs at Lantow Field.
Brice Currin caught 4 passes for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 47 yards per reception, while Brodie Chalakee added 6 receptions for 124 yards as Sapulpa [8-3] accumulated 508 yards of offense.
"Their vertical attack was very explosive tonight," Claremore coach Jarrett Hurt said. "We really didn't have an answer for it, to be honest with you. We tried several different things, but it was pretty lethal."
The loss ended Claremore's season at 7-4 and denied the Zebras an opportunity to reach the quarterfinals for a school-record fourth consecutive year. According to Touchdown Friday Night records, it was Claremore's first home loss in the opening round of the playoffs since a 20-8 defeat to Stillwater in 1963.
Sapulpa advances to face four-time defending state champion Carl Albert, which extended its winning streak to 64 games with a 63-7 victory over Shawnee.
Claremore, however, scored more points against the Chieftains than any opponent this season, surpassing the 25 Bishop Kelley scored in its victory over Sapulpa.
But the Zebras spent much of the night trying to recover from an 18-point halftime deficit.
Chieftains quarterback Braddox Broughton completed 10 of 16 passes for 295 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Traeson Shaw added 56 passing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns.
"One quarterback is mainly a thrower, and the other is a dual-threat kid," Hurt said. "He can run and throw, so they were trying to use both kids to their advantage."
Sapulpa struck first after a 78-yard completion from Broughton to Currin set up Shaw's 9-yard touchdown run with 4:34 remaining in the opening quarter, but Claremore answered just over two minutes later with a 39-yard field goal from Jaxon Burton — aided by a 53-yard run from Kannon Kinnard — to cut the deficit to 7-3.
The Chieftains began pulling away in the second quarter, though, after Broughton connected with Jud Merrell for an 18-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-3.
Kinnard responded with a 14-yard touchdown run from the wildcat formation, bringing the Zebras within 14-10 with 8:05 left in the half, but that was as close as they would get.
Shaw scored on a 10-yard keeper before Broughton found Currin for a 27-yard touchdown, sending Sapulpa into halftime with a 28-10 advantage.
The Chieftains had already accumulated 327 yards by the break, including 246 through the air. Claremore managed 141 yards in the first half and missed a 33-yard field goal as time expired.
The Zebras' defense created an opportunity in the third quarter when Ayden Gaines intercepted Broughton at the goal line, stopping a Sapulpa drive that had reached the Claremore 4, but the Chieftains quickly regained possession and scored on their next offensive snap, a 39-yard touchdown pass from Broughton to a wide-open Currin.
That pushed the lead to 35-10 with 2:24 remaining in the third quarter, but Claremore refused to go away.
Quarterback Kellen Gaede completed a 42-yard pass to Jahiem Ewen before scoring on a 1-yard keeper to make it 35-16 at the 1:17 mark. The Zebras then recovered an onside kick, though the ensuing possession ended when Breylon Burdick intercepted a tipped pass.
Claremore continued its comeback attempt in the fourth quarter.
After the defense forced a turnover on downs, Gaede found Taydem Cape for an 18-yard touchdown with 8:29 remaining, trimming the deficit to 35-23. Claremore got another opportunity but turned the ball over on downs at the Sapulpa 41 with 4:59 left.
On the next possession, Eli Daniels broke free for a 61-yard touchdown run, restoring the Chieftains' three-score advantage.
Daniels finished with 70 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 2 carries.
"They got to the edge on us right there," Hurt said. "We thought their quarterback was going to keep the ball on power read, so we condensed on him, and then their No. 5 [Daniels] hit the edge, and we didn't have an answer."
The Zebras answered once more when Gaede connected with Gaines for a 16-yard touchdown with 2:13 remaining, producing the final margin. Gaede completed 20 of 31 passes for 203 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Kinnard rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, while Gaines caught 10 passes for 98 yards and a score. Gaines also recorded an interception defensively.
Claremore finished with 352 yards, including 214 passing and 138 rushing.
Despite Sapulpa's offensive production, the Zebras limited starting running back Michael Bennett to 37 yards on 18 carries. The Chieftains instead generated much of their offense through the passing game and several timely rushing plays.
Hurt praised his players for continuing to compete despite the deficit.
"That's exactly who our guys are," he said. "They're fighters. They're scrappers. They're high-character kids. I'm really proud of their effort throughout the game.
"I thought we had a chance there at the end. It looked like we were going to be able to punch one in, maybe get an onside kick and go win the thing, but it didn't work out that way for us tonight."
The loss brought an end to the careers of a senior class that helped establish one of the most successful stretches in Claremore football history.
As freshmen, the group watched the Zebras reach the Class 5A semifinals in 2023. They followed with quarterfinal appearances in 2024 and 2025 before helping Claremore recover from a 1-2 start this season to win six of its final seven regular-season games.
"We're just super proud of our kids and super proud of this group of seniors," Hurt said. "They did a great job this season clawing out of a hole to start the season to get us here tonight.
"Those kids have meant a lot to our program over the past few years, and I couldn't be more proud of a group of kids."