Surprise, Ariz. – OUAZ continued their dominant run through Sooner Athletic Conference play on Saturday night, defeating Langston 27-0 at Spirit Field. The victory improves the Spirit to 4-1 overall and a perfect 4-0 in SAC action. It also marked a historic milestone for the program, as OUAZ recorded its second consecutive defensive shutout, the first time in program history the Spirit have posted back-to-back shutouts.
OUAZ controlled the game on both sides of the ball, totaling 441 yards of offense while holding Langston to just 184 total yards and 21 rushing yards. The Spirit defense consistently disrupted the Lions, recording two sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, 16 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in another dominant performance.
The Spirit struck first late in the opening quarter. After a defensive takeaway by Shamar Adams, OUAZ marched 54 yards in 10 plays, capped by a two-yard touchdown run from Luke Giron to take a 7-0 lead.
OUAZ doubled its advantage in the second quarter when Giron connected with Frankie Valentino on a three-yard touchdown pass following a 59-yard scoring drive. The Spirit took a 14-0 lead into halftime after limiting Langston to just six first downs and no points through the first two quarters.
Coming out of the locker room, the Spirit put together another impressive drive. Kendric Smith broke free for a 27-yard touchdown run to finish an eight-play, 67-yard march and push the lead to 21-0 midway through the third quarter.
The defense took over from there. Langston reached the OUAZ red zone twice in the second half, but the Spirit repeatedly came up with timely stops. A fourth-down stand at the OUAZ 16-yard line in the third quarter was followed by a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, turning away the Lions from the one-yard line and preserving the shutout.
OUAZ sealed the victory in the final minutes. Taking possession at their own eight-yard line, the Spirit engineered a 92-yard scoring drive that consumed more than six minutes of game time. Jelani Guerrero finished the march with a four-yard touchdown run to account for the final 27-0 score.
The rushing attack led the way offensively, totaling 297 yards on 51 carries. Tay Wheat paced the ground game with 86 rushing yards, while Isaiah Dickerson added 80 yards. Guerrero provided 45 yards and a touchdown, Kendric Smith rushed for 41 yards and a score, and Giron added a rushing touchdown of his own.
Giron finished 13-of-20 passing for 144 yards and a touchdown. Frankie Valentino hauled in four receptions for 44 yards and the touchdown, while Jeremiah Ballard added 31 receiving yards.
Defensively, Kenny White was everywhere, recording eight tackles, a sack, four tackles for loss, and two quarterback hurries. Labarron Kennedy Jr. added six tackles, a sack, four tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries, while Corey Floyd Jr. contributed a sack, four tackles, and three quarterback hurries. Shamar Adams recovered the game's lone takeaway, helping set up the Spirit's first touchdown drive.
The night also featured a special teams milestone. Eric Cline connected on his first three PAT attempts, extending his school-record streak of consecutive made extra points to 69 before a fourth-quarter miss ended the streak. Cline now stands alone as the OUAZ program record holder for consecutive PATs made.
By the Numbers
- 4-1 overall record and 4-0 SAC record.
- First back-to-back defensive shutouts in program history.
- 441 total yards of offense.
- 297 rushing yards.
- Held Langston to 184 total yards and 21 rushing yards.
- 16 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hurries by the Spirit defense.
- Eric Cline set the OUAZ program record with 69 consecutive made PATs before the streak ended in the fourth quarter.
Up Next
OUAZ remains at home next Saturday, Oct. 10, when the Spirit hosts SAC foe Texas College on Senior Night at Spirit Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. as OUAZ looks to stay unbeaten in conference play.
