Laverne beats Balko-Forgan for Class B state football championship behind stout defensive effort

ALVA — Mason Massee didn't have to move as the ball spiraled toward him.

The senior at Laverne was stalking the middle of the field as Balko-Forgan quarterback Jaden Hall tried to make a play as the first half winded down. Hall tossed a pass across the middle, but instead of finding one of his receivers, it fell right into Massee's hands. 

Massee then sprinted behind blockers up the right side and into the end zone on the final play before halftime. It was Balko-Forgan's third turnover of the first half, but it was a product of a dominating defensive effort from Laverne.

Class B top-ranked Laverne beat No. 5 Balko-Forgan 46-12 on a blustery Friday at Northwestern Oklahoma State University's Ranger Field. The Tigers forced four turnovers, but the late first-half interception was seemingly a dagger on a night Balko-Forgan's offense couldn't find a rhythm. 

“From a momentum standpoint, I thought it was really big,” Laverne coach Tanner Woods said of Massee's interception. “It was a huge play for him. He has been a big player for us all year.”

For Laverne (14-0 overall), it's the fourth state title in school history. 

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With seconds left before halftime, Laverne led 6-0 before quarterback Peyton Freeman completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Houston Bockelman to take a two-score lead. Following the kickoff, Massee came up with the 45-yard pick-six, and Laverne never gave up control after that.

The Tigers held Balko-Forgan (13-2) scoreless until the fourth quarter. Although Hall had more than 200 rushing yards, Laverne held him to 29 yards passing and made the Balko-Forgan offense seemingly one dimensional.

For Laverne, it was freshman running back Felix Teal who did most of the damage offensively. He had 21 carries for 195 yards with three touchdowns and a two-point conversion run.

Teal played like a savvy senior, not an inexperienced freshman. He was the best player on the field, and when the ball found his hands, he found ways to make plays.

“He’s something else,” Woods said. “As I tell a lot of people, we’re really blessed to have him.”

Teal opened the scoring with a 30-yard dash up the middle toward the end of the first quarter. His final touchdown run, however, was the most special. 

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It was only a 4-yard score, but Teal was nearly tackled before keeping his balance, spinning to the outside and using his speed and acceleration to beat the defense to the corner for the score. 

Teal’s balance and vision was on display the whole game. He made sharp cuts and found open holes nearly every run. When there wasn’t one, he found a way to get positive yardage. His running ability helped Laverne’s offense play strong all game. 

Balko-Forgan lost only two games all season, and both came to Laverne. The first matchup, a 36-28 loss in district play, helped spark a dominant second-half run from the Bulls that saw them knock off No. 3 Davenport and defending champion, No. 2 Dewar, en route to the state championship game. 

Yet it was Laverne who dominated in the title game. The Tigers had 10 seniors back on this year’s team after losing in the state championship game last season, something Woods said helped push the team.

“A lot of our guys had seen others before them be able to play in these games,” Woods said. “Some of that experience showed up tonight. We have that runner-up banner in our weight room, and they had to look at that for a long time. Now they’re going to be able to replace something with a better name on it.”

Cameron Jourdan covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for Cameron? He can be reached at cjourdan@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @Cam_Jourdan. Support Cameron’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.