Published: August 03, 2008 10:12 am      

On the mark

West offense rolls in 31-14 win in OCA All-State game

MUSTANG — MUSTANG — In the end, Trent Wilkins lived up to the billing.

The former Duncan quarterback rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown and added 44 yards through the air to help lead the West to a 31-14 win over the East in the All-State football game Friday night. The performance capped off a memorable evening that saw Wilkins named the Jim Thorpe Oklahoma High School Football Player of the Year.

The performance capped off a whirlwind summer that saw Wilkins lead Oklahoma to a win over Texas in the Oil Bowl in an MVP performance. By Saturday afternoon, Wilkins was reporting to Tulsa University, where he will hang up quarterback duties and move to safety.

“You couldn’t ask for anything more other than a state championship,” Wilkins said. “It was a great end to a great high school career.”

This past year, Wilkins rushed for 1,840 yards and 25 touchdowns and added 1,340 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air. True to form, it was his feet that placed the West out in front 10-7 early in the second quarter.

On his second possession of the game, Wilkins led the West on a 60-yard drive. The key play of the drive was a 24-yard Wilkins run around the left side. Two plays later, the former Demon took the scoring honors on an 8-yard run to place the West out in front. The lead was extended out to 17-7 when Douglass running back DaSor Horton scored on a six-yard carry.

The East struck back quickly to make it a game as East Central’s Kenneth Session made a highlight reel 80-yard run to close the gap to 17-14. Wilkins came back on the field and drove the West 77 yards on 15 plays. The drive included a Wilkins conversion run on fourth down at the West 29 to keep the drive alive.

Also playing a key role in the drive was Rush Springs running back Dustin McClenny. The bruiser had two receptions on the drive for 13 yards. Time ran down on the West and a 36-yard field goal was wide, leaving the score at 17-14.

The bulk of Wilkins’ yards came in the first half. He rushed for 67 yards and completed five of his passes after misfiring on his first three attempts for 44 yards. A third-down conversion pass of 16 yards on the first touchdown drive got Wilkins out of his funk.

“I was a little shaky at the start,” Wilkins said. “During the season, I would throw every day but I haven’t been throwing much this summer. That completion was the one that got me going.”

The West would go on to put the game away in the second half with two touchdowns. The key to the win was the West’s ability to come together as a team in a short amount of time, Wilkins said.

“We’ve known each other from the camps and you got to know their speed and ability. You have to come together quickly or you’re going to get left behind.”

For McClenny, the All-State game closed the chapter on his football career. The leading rusher in Rush Springs’ history finished with 21 yards on three rushes and the two receptions for 13 yards.

“It was a blast getting to play fullback, getting to lead the way,” McClenny said. “I was just happy to be here. It was a good last chapter for football. It was like a state championship out there, it had the same feeling.”

The night was memorable for Rush Springs as former head coach Barry Foster was named the Oklahoma High School Football Coach of the Year. Foster closed the chapter on his Rush Springs tenure by accepting the award and escorting one of his top former athletes onto the field.

“It was great running out with Dusty onto the field before the game,” Foster said. “We have coached him from sixth grade on up and we knew he would be special. He is very deserving of playing in this game.”