SCOOPHD: T-Wolves upset T-Town

It had been 15 years since Tulsa Union had fallen to an Oklahoma City-area school.

The 2001 Putnam City North Panthers had held that honor.

Had.

Friday, at Harve Collins Field, it took a gritty effort from Norman North (7-0, 4-0) to repeat the feat by knocking off No. 2 Union (5-2, 3-1), 30-27.

Union traveled to Norman with multiple Oklahoma offers (Tre Brown and Patrick Fields), a future Sooner (Brown), and a star receiver that nobody has been able to guard (C.J. Moore).

The 6-foot-5 Moore was able to get his, exploding for eight catches, 162 yards, and a touchdown, as North had no answer for 2018’s No. 61 overall player. However, the Timberwolf defense lead by brothers, senior linebacker Cade Mashburn and sophomore defensive end Cole Mashburn, was aggressive all night, disrupting the Union offense, never allowing them to find a consistent rhythm, and holding them to 27 points. In Union’s 3-0 start to district play, they beat their opponents by an average score of 54-2 and scoring no fewer than 51 points.

The North offense, which averages over 50 points per game on the season, also found themselves in their toughest fight of the season. Head coach and offensive play-caller, Brent Barnes, found himself relying upon his Iowa State tight end commitment Charlie Kolar from kick-off until the very end. Kolar accounted for 123 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions – the final of which sealed the game for North on a 3rd & 5 with 20 seconds remaining.

Quarterback Brandon Marquardt would ultimately take a final knee, sparking an explosion of Norman North students from the stands and onto the field, as the 19-year-old program scored an unprecedented victory.

And yet, there was a sense of déjà vu in the air.

Timberwolf students had rushed the same field 10 years prior after claiming the school’s first every victory over rival Norman High.

The score? 30-27.

The Tigers were 9-1 on the season. They had star receiver and future Sooner Ryan Broyles, who, like Moore, got his with a pair of touchdowns of 31 and 67 yards.

Yet, Norman High was thwarted by running back Beau Blankenship’s 191 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The school Blankenship signed with out of high school? Iowa State.

On the field following the 2016 Timberwolves 30-27 upset, a Norman North assistant coach, who was there for the frenzy a decade ago, reminisced about the similarities between two of the biggest wins in school history and what they meant to the program. Mostly, the feelings were simply marveling how far the program had come.

In 2006, that 30-27 victory was not only the first over the crosstown rival Tigers, but the first ever playoff win since the school was founded in 1997.

Since then, the Timberwolves have won more playoff games - even played for a state championship - and now have inserted themselves as a threat to end the run of Tulsa-area titles at Oklahoma high school football’s top classification.

Something that hasn't been done since Midwest City in 1995.

The 2016 team’s win over Union already gives this team more wins than the 2006 one that finished 6-6 after their subsequent loss to Rell Lewis, Jameel Owens, Stacy McGee, and Muskogee.

Next week, North will go for their eighth-straight win to start the season against Owasso, while Union will attempt to rebound with another tough road test in the metro versus Southmoore.

If the Timberwolves can win out, it will likely force Jenks and Union to the same side of the bracket, opening the door for Norman North to have a clear path to the state title game, and become the team that usurps years of east side dominance.

Breakdown: After Drake Stoops got behind the Union secondary on North’s first drive, Brown was charged with slowing down the son of his future coach. While the Oklahoma commitment could rely on grabbing too often, he provided a physical presence that lead to some battles throughout the night. Stoops would break free and wrangle loose at times, but Brown was able to keep him contained from any explosive plays. The main problem for Brown continues to be that he also fails to produce game-changing plays of his own that you would expect from an athlete like that.

Breakdown: North quarterback Brandon Marquardt found most of his success downfield opposite of Fields, as the Oklahoma offer didn’t see a ton of work, but impressed as a sound safety. Fields scored the only interception of the night for Union on a Marquardt overthrow and probably should have had another when a ball bounced off his chest after perfectly reading, and jumping, an in-route intended for Charlie Kolar. Fields is a cerebral player that does a good job keeping everything in front of him, while providing tough angles and windows for quarterbacks to find completions.

Breakdown: Fisher looked the part of an explosive pass-rusher most of the night for the Union defense. The Minnesota commitment constantly harassed the North backfield by beating tackles with ferocious hand action, while attacking their outside shoulder. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound outside linebacker can still rely on his raw athleticism, but possesses the frame and tools to potentially be a steal for the Golden Gophers.

Breakdown: There was no player more imperative to North's success in toppling Tulsa Union than the 2017 Iowa State tight end commitment. Kolar's 6-foot-6 frame provided a problem that the Union defense simply had no answer for, as he consistently rewarded his quarterback's confidence in one-on-one coverage by hauling in seven receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. In the game's most crucial situations, the Timberwolves routinely dialed up Kolar's number, who was exceptional at creating and/or finding space in a defense.

Breakdown: Marquardt will always get dinged due to his height, which is probably a hair under six-feet, but did a great job manning the wheel to Brent Barnes’ high-speed offense by completing 23 of 39 passes, for 328 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The senior was accurate all night, made quick decisions, showed accuracy on a few deep throws, and even chipped in a 12-yard score on the ground.

Breakdown: While it wasn't quite the individual performance out of Mashburn Scoop saw from Mashburn a year ago when he chased down 2018 Southmoore Rivals250 dual-threat quarterback Casey Thompson to the tune of four sacks. Yet, it was a yeoman's like effort for the Memphis commitment that helped contain talented Union running back Shamari Brooks to just four yards a carry and added a one-yard touchdown run of his own as the Timberwolf wildcat quarterback.

Breakdown: Memphis decided to offer the entire Mashburn clan after Cole’s impressive performances in North’s last two victories over Southmoore and Union. It was the 2019 defender’s first of many, as college coaches should quickly take notice of the sophomore’s frame (already bigger than his brother’s), surprising athleticism, and tenacity. After giving Brey Walker everything he could the week before, the younger Mashburn revved the motor up again for another relentless performance against Tulsa Union. The idea has been for Mashburn to eventually move back to linebacker after some seniors, including his brother, graduate. However, there is a sense that he is growing into a future on the defensive line.

Breakdown: The 2018 Rivals100 receiver's unique height is a known commodity, but the Norman North defense saw first hand just how dangerous the 6-foot-5 receiver can be in the open field. Most of Moore's eight catches and 162 yards came on screens, drags, or any underneath route designed to get him moving in space and let his feet do the work. The No. 61 overall ranking more than holds up in person when you see elite length being paired with the agility and explosiveness of a smaller receiver.

Breakdown: Stoops continued his impressive junior campaign by reeling in seven receptions for over 90 yards. The 5-foot-11 son of the Oklahoma head coach sparked the Timberwolf confidence with a 41-yard reception near the goal line on the team’s opening drive. After gaining separation over the top on that play, Stoops spent the rest of his night mostly making tough catches underneath and converted a huge fourth down while taking a big hit late in the game. To emphasize the respect Union had for the North receiver, they guarded him with 2017 four-star Sooner commitment Tre Brown for most of the night.

Breakdown: While he’s not quite the explosive athlete his brother is, Isaac Stoops is a fundamentally sound cornerback. It’s not surprising that the son and nephew of former University of Iowa defenders and successful secondary coaches, Bob and Mike Stoops, is technically sound. In the fourth quarter, Stoops had a pair of crucial pass break-ups while in the hip pocket of his receivers; able to split their hands each time to knock the ball away.

Breakdown: The good news? On three occasions the smooth athlete burst through the North secondary. The bad news? Two of those throws bounced off of his hands and harmlessly to the turf. Outside of a 41-yard touchdown catch on a flea-flicker, this is a game Wilson would love have to back.