Santa Fe Falls to Jenks in Title Game

The junior kicker kicked a high-arching ball into the air, and it came crashing down to Earth in a way the return team could not handle.

Jenks recovered its own kickoff by Max Paskvan just after taking its first lead, setting the tone as it defeated the Edmond Santa Fe football team 41-14 at Wantland Stadium and claimed the state championship.

Santa Fe (10-3) has now fallen to Jenks in both of its state title game appearances.

Jenks (12-1) captured the 6A-I title after two-straight title game defeats the past two seasons. This is the Trojans first title since 2015 and 17th overall.

Santa Fe coach Kyle White told his players postgame to hold their heads high.

“(They’ve) accomplished a lot,” White said. “There’s a lot of people that would love to be in their position right now… It’s tough, but hold your head up high and be proud of what you did, and you don’t have to take a backseat to anybody. Don’t walk out of here with your head down… walk out of here proud, because we made a difference in our school and in our community, and they accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of them.”

The muffed kickoff did not directly lead to points for Jenks as Santa Fe senior Angelo Rankin intercepted Jenks senior quarterback Stephen Kittleman in the end zone at the end of the resulting drive. However, Santa Fe went backward and ultimately punted from inside its own 1-yard line.

Jenks then started form the Wolves’ 17. Senior running back Grant Lohr scored in one play.

Rankin had given the Wolves the lead by returning the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, but the Trojans responded with 24-straight points.

Santa Fe junior quarterback Scott Pfieffer scored the other Wolves touchdown with a 1-yard run. A 50-yard pass from Pfieffer to junior Talyn Shettron and a 26-yard rush by Rankin set up the score. However, Santa Fe was unable to replicate the success of that drive the rest of the game.

The Wolves had a couple of other opportunities to score but did not capitalize. A third-quarter drive with two successful fourth down conversions, one a fake punt, ended in an interception from the 3-yard line. Late in the fourth quarter, a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver resulted in an incomplete pass on fourth down.

Despite the result, White said the experience of playing in the title game is invaluable.

“I think it’s one of those games that…, you have to experience it,” White said. “It’s different. Playing Jenks in the postseason is different than playing Jenks in week 7. I’m not saying Jenks isn’t good in week 7, but they crank it up a notch. But I think the experience of being in the game is invaluable, because now, we’ve done it. We’ve been here. We know what it takes to get back. We kinda know how the game unfolds.”

The Trojans’ win means the wait for a non-Tulsa area school to win a 6A-I title continues. Midwest City was the last to do so in 1995.