WYNNEWOOD, Okla. — Morrison coach Cory Bales said his team would need to gain first downs to control the clock. While Wildcats were able to move the ball, they struggled to turn drives into points in a 24-6 loss to the top-ranked Wynnewood Savages in the second round of the Class A playoffs.

“They played a great game,” Bales said. “I’m as proud of them as if we were playing over Thanksgiving. They laid everything they had out there tonight.”

Morrison received the ball first but only gained four yards and had to punt after three plays. The Savages took no time to cash in as Peter Carter ran down the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown. After Levi Phillips converted the extra point, Wynnewood led 7-0 with just 2 1/2 minutes expired.

“That thing was strung out,” Bales said. “We kind of quit on him on the sideline.”

The Wildcats went three-and-out on their second possession but were able to move the ball on their next drive near the end of the first quarter. On third-and-four from on their own 26, senior quarterback Kyle Collins completed a 35-yard pass to freshman Jordan Quinata. John Sanders converted a third-and-one at the Wynnewood 30 with a 7-yard run. The drive would stall as Morrison only gained five yards and turned it over on downs at the Savages’ 18.

On defense, Sanders set up the Wildcats with good field position as he recovered a fumble at the Wynnewood 47 after the Savages’ running back B.J. Morris ran for a 22-yard gain. Morrison had to punt after gaining 4 yards.

Wynnewood wasn’t able to put up any more points as it had to punt on two possessions and had a fumble. After the touchdown run, the Savages only rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries the rest of the first half. The Wildcats entered halftime down 7-0.

“Defensively we couldn’t have played a better game,” Bales said. “We did everything we could.”

The second half was dominated by time-consuming drives. Wynnewood opened with a 13-play, 62-yard drive that ran off more than five mintues. The Savages converted on two third downs. Morrison looked like it had them stopped as it tipped Wynnewood quarterback Jace Brown’s pass but Phillips made a diving catch at the one to convert the fourth down. Brown finished the drive with a sneak, putting Wynnewood up 14-0.

The Wildcats responded with a 59-yard drive on 14 plays and chewed up more than five minutes. Morrison was able to move the ball on the ground, with Collins and Quinata converting first downs. The Savages put Morrison in a fourth-and-five situation at their 34. Collins completed a pass to Tevin Conklin for 18 yards. Quinata capped off the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. VanDorn followed with a 2-point conversion rush but the Wildcats were called for holding. Collins 2-point pass fell incomplete.

Wynnewood responded in the fourth quarter with a 72-yard drive that took 13 plays and ran almost seven minutes off the clock. Phillips finished the drive with a 22-yard field goal.

On Morrison’s next drive, Collins completed a pass to Conklin that would have put it inside the Wynnewood 30. A holding penalty instead gave the Wildcats a third-and-28 at its own 35. On fourth down, Justin Berry over-pitched Quinata on a lateral and Wynnewood recovered at Morrison’s 31.  Trey Knowles added an insurance touchdown with a minute left.