To outsiders unfamiliar with the Oak Grove football program, the Panthers' dominating quarterfinal victory over two-time defending Class 3 state champion Maryville could have been a surprise.
California head coach Marty Albertson, whose team scrimmaged Oak Grove during the preseason, was NOT one of those people.
Albertson and the Pintos were familiar with the Panthers' speed, toughness and precision going into Friday night's state semifinal at Oak Grove - but unfortunately, they didn't have an answer for it.
Oak Grove (12-2), which rolled past Maryville 69-23 in the quarterfinals, ran the ball 60 times against California for a staggering 532 yards. The result was a convincing 49-14 victory and spot in the state championship game in St. Louis.
"You have to give it to Oak Grove," Albertson said. "They did a good job, they really did. I can't complain. Our kids gave good effort."
The Panthers offense featured three running backs behind quarterback Austin Blackston, and it was hard for California defenders to identify the ball carrier. When Blackston didn't hand-off, he surprised the defense by keeping it and rolling outside.
"They run their offense to perfection. It's something else," said Pintos senior linebacker Allan Burger, the Tri-County Conference Defensive MVP. "We were caught out of position a lot of times."
The Panthers had three players run for more than 100 yards, led by senior Aaron Graham's 220 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot, 190-pound back is considering college football offers from Southeast Missouri, South Dakota State, Illinois State and Northern Iowa, among others. Graham has been clocked at 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
"He's a heck of a player. He really is," Burger said. "He's fast and reads the holes really well. I look forward to seeing him play at the next level."
Albertson agreed: "He's definitely the best running back we played all year," he said. "You'll see him play on Saturdays somewhere."
It wasn't only Graham that hurt the Pintos defense. Oak Grove junior Landon Cairer finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns, and junior Jake Harrenstein rushed for 117 yards and a score. Blackston also had success on the ground, running for 71 yards.
Oak Grove wasted no time flexing its muscle on the offensive line, opening a huge hole for Graham on the game's second play. He proceeded to race 76 yards for a touchdown, giving the Panthers an early 7-0 lead. Blackston added a 10-yard scoring run in the second quarter, and Cairer a 4-yard touchdown, giving Oak Grove a 21-7 halftime advantage.
"You have to give them credit," Pintos junior defensive back Landon Mouse said. "It's tough to find the ball. Every person that ran did their job. The linemen up front were tough, they were fast. You have to give all the credit to them."
The Panthers broke the game open in the third quarter, getting three more rushing touchdowns to take a commanding 42-14 edge. Cairer had a 67-yard score, Graham plunged in from 1-yard out, and Harrenstein scampered 43 yards for the final score of the quarter.
"We've been perfecting (our offense) since freshman year," Graham said. "They played a good game, but our talent, our heart and our dedication showed. We dominated both sides."
California (13-1), which advanced to the state semifinal for the third consecutive season, had its chances in the first half to keep the game close, but mistakes cost the Pintos.
After Graham's scoring run to start the first quarter, California senior Walker Borghardt took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. However, a questionable penalty on the Pintos moved the ball back to the 50-yard line and negated the score. California missed a field goal attempt to end that possession.
"I asked the referee for a number (on the penalty) and he said, "I don't know who the number was,'" Albertson said. "I'm not sure what he called, but he called something. It was way behind the ball."
Still within reach at 21-7 in the second quarter, the Pintos marched 10 plays to the Oak Grove 1-yard line with 2 seconds left. California put star offensive lineman Nathan Squires in the backfield and gave him the hand-off. The Panthers were not fooled, tackling Squires for a 1-yard loss to end the half.
"We tried to rally ourselves and play better in the second half," Burger said. "We played our hearts out and lost to a really, really good team."
California received the kickoff to begin the third quarter, but the drive stalled quickly and the Pintos were forced to punt from their own 23-yard line. Four plays later, Oak Grove scored again on Cairer's long run.
Following another Panthers touchdown, California scored on a nicely designed hook-and-ladder. Senior quarterback Jaden Barr threw a short pass to Mouse, who then pitched it back to Borghardt. With the defenders racing toward Mouse, Borghardt broke free down the sidelines for a 55-yard touchdown.
Although the Pintos never quit trying, Oak Grove proved to be the better team.
"You can't defend talent. If talent is going to beat you, they're going all the way," Borghardt said. "If I was going to lose, I'd lose to a bunch of Division I athletes. They are good. They are really, really good. We just couldn't handle them."
Barr finished with 239 passing yards and rushed for 89 yards. Borghardt had four receptions for 114 yards, while adding 33 yards rushing and a score. Senior Drew Norton caught four passes for 56 yards, and Mouse added five receptions for 36 yards. Mouse (10 tackles) and Burger (8.5 tackles) led the defense.