FOOTBALL: Wilhite powers No. 9 Inola to first home playoff game since 2016
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Huston Wilhite made sure Inola’s long-awaited playoff homecoming became reality Thursday night.
Wilhite turned just 5 carries into 148 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging a staggering 29.6 yards per rush, and even added a 40-yard touchdown pass as the Class 3A No. 9 Longhorns rolled past Cleveland 35-13 to close the regular season.
The win, combined with Cascia Hall’s victory over Berryhill, locked Inola [8-2, 6-1 District 3A-4] into second place in the district, earning the program its first home playoff game since 2016.
The Longhorns will host Checotah [6-4] next week in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs.
This will be Inola’s first playoff appearance since 2020 — a 47-17 loss to Checotah — and first earned playoff berth since 2019. The Longhorns reached the postseason in 2020 only by virtue of COVID-19 allowing every team into the playoffs, regardless of record or district standing.
After a scoreless first quarter, Inola asserted control by punching it in on a 6-yard touchdown run by Brennan Lawley, who finished with 84 yards and a score on 14 carries. Zeke Rodriguez followed with a 25-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 14-0.
The Tigers briefly swung momentum with an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-6, but that was as close as it got.
Wilhite answered immediately in the second half, racing 23 yards to the end zone before breaking the game open with a dazzling 70-yard sprint.
He wasn’t done, though.
In the fourth, Wilhite launched a 40-yard touchdown strike to Caleb Helling, who caught 3 passes for 65 yards on the night.
Inola piled up 411 total yards of offense, including 295 on the ground, while holding Cleveland [2-8, 1-6] to just 190 total yards.
The Longhorns’ defense allowed only 1 offensive touchdown and forced the Tigers to punt twice for an average of only 15 yards per kick.
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