Class 3A state football championship: Blanchard tops Kingfisher for gold ball

“We never quit,” Stringer said. “We never quit in the offseason, going through the hard, hot workouts. We put in the extra work throughout the season, and this shows that we never quit as a football team. We're one out here, we keep each other up. It's the greatest feeling ever.”

Stringer finished with 101 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. Blanchard only ran 38 offensive plays and finished with 241 yards.

The defense had two interceptions and recovered two of Kingfisher's five fumbles, including one on the first series of the game that started a touchdown drive.

Ranked No. 20 in the preseason after going 5-5 last year, coach Jeff Craig knew no one would be talking about his team this season. But he and his players believed since the summer that they could make their gold ball dreams a reality.

“I told our guys, it doesn't matter if they're talking about us in Week 1. It matters if they're talking about us in Week 15,” Craig said. “It's a great feeling to get one as a head coach. But you look over at that pile of kids celebrating, and that's what it's really all about.”