Edriece Anderson puts Rogers ‘on his back’, lifts Ropers over Eagles in historic win

As friends and families poured onto the football field, Edriece Anderson stood alone near the south end zone.

His matte blue helmet was placed purposefully at his feet. He stripped his gloves off and set them with care on top of his helmet.

As more than a dozen of his Rogers teammates knelt five yards behind him to say a prayer, Anderson closed his eyes and stood motionless.

He faced the scoreboard at Will Rogers High School Stadium in Tulsa and closed his eyes. He tilted his head up slightly, muttering something to himself.

“I was just taking in the moment,” the senior wide receiver said. “This is the last time I’m putting on the Rogers jersey.”

And when he opened his eyes after several moments of mediation, he glanced at the impact he had left, displayed prominently on the scoreboard in front of him.

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On a sub-50 degree night in Tulsa, it was Anderson’s two touchdowns with less than eight minutes remaining that catapulted the Ropers to a memorable win and 6-4 record — the program’s first winning season since 2006.

“I owe everything to this senior class because they kind of put the first foot forward for us,” said Rogers coach Levy Adcock.

Trailing by a touchdown with less than eight minutes remaining, the Ropers defense forced Edison (4-6 overall, 2-5 Class 5A-4) into a punting situation near midfield.

But, the aftermath of a rainy Friday afternoon in Tulsa had left the field damp and a light sprinkle was still falling. The wet conditions resulted in a bad snap that was muffed by the Eagles’ punter and rolled past midfield.

Anderson scooped it off the field at Edison’s 41-yard line and churned his way into the end zone to slice the Ropers’ deficit to one. After missing on its first PAT attempt, Rogers attempted a fake – with Anderson corralling the snap and tucking it – but he was yanked down a yard short.

He laid motionless in the end zone before slowly returning to the sideline.

“I told my defense when I missed that two-point conversion, I said, ‘I’m going to get it back for us,’” Anderson said.

After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Ropers assumed possession at their own 31-yard line. On the first play of the drive, freshman quarterback Shannon Lee lofted a pass down the middle of the field and into coverage, slipping past the defenders and into Anderson’s hands.

Then, 69 yards later, Anderson found himself against past the pylons.

“It fell right in my hands, I made one move and into the end zone,” Anderson said. “They told me to put them on my back so I did.”

The Ropers would force a turnover on downs the following possession and with the help of their run game – which combined for 38 carries and 220 yards – Rogers bled the clock to zeroes to seal the win.

It was a bombastic finish to a game that piddled along in the first half. When the teams headed to their locker rooms, the scoreboard read 0-0, but not because of a lack of trying.

The Ropers message at the intermission was simple: “Mistakes are going to be made, we’ve just got to survive the adversity.”

That adversity came in the form of three red zone turnovers for the Ropers in the first 24 minutes. On the opening possession, Rogers rushed the ball nine times to get within the 5-yard line, but a turnover on downs halted a promising drive.

Their next two trips would end in fumbles on the goal line, thwarting any chance of scoring.

Adversity isn’t something the Ropers are new to.

During this senior class’ freshman year, Rogers finished 0-10. Over the next two seasons, they’d only net five wins. So, in their final game, they weren’t going to let adversity defeat them.

“We left a mark,” Anderson said. “Going 0-10, that really hurt. We all just waited around for that moment, and we got that moment this year. We all just showed up.”

While Anderson’s heroics sealed a regular season finale win, it was Lee, the freshman quarterback making only his second career start, who opened the scoring for Rogers.

In the third quarter, the Ropers found themselves inside the 10-yard line for the fourth time but had no points to show. After the pocket collapsed on third down, Lee danced through the scuffle to slip in the end zone for Rogers a touchdown.

He finished the night completing 5-of-12 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. His counterpart, Edison’s senior quarterback Luke Parrish, threw for 181 yards and a touchdown.

More importantly, the Ropers have constructed a foundation for Lee to excel on his next three years, Anderson said.

“Y’all are going to see a lot more of Shannon,” he continued. “He’s going to be a big part of this Ropers program going forward.”

Adcock places the historic season on the shoulders of his senior group, which Rogers celebrated 15 of on its senior night and allowed all to participate in the opening coin toss.

“That’s the hardest part of coaching,” Adcock said of having to say goodbye to the senior class. “This is the first time in a long time I haven’t had to hug their necks and tell them, ‘It’s OK’ this time they’re all filled with joy. Some of them, this is the last time they’re ever going to get to play.

“But to send these guys out, coaching their last game, I’m so proud of them.”

For now, the Ropers will relish the win and proper farewell to their senior class. There won’t be postseason action for either team next week.

But down the road, the foundation has been set. And Adcock wants it known that it’s not only because of him.

“It’s not about what I’m building. It’s about what these guys have bought in to,” he said. “What they’ve endured over the last four years of their high school career. To come in here and have the attitudes, the buy-ins it takes to go in and do something like this, to get the program going in the right direction.”

ROG – Lee 5 run (kick failed)

EDI – Foster 4 run (kick failed)

EDI – Lazenby 46 pass from Parrish (Simon-Davila kick)

ROG – Anderson 41 fumble return (run failed)

ROG – Anderson 69 pass from Lee (pass failed)

First Downs – EDI 11, ROG 13; Rushes-Yards – EDI 24-76, ROG 38-220; Comp-Att-Int – EDI 14-34-1, ROG 5-12-0. Passing Yards – EDI 181, ROG 92. Fumbles-Lost – EDI 1-1, ROG 2-2. Penalty Yards – EDI 5-30, ROG 3-20. Total Yards – EDI 257, ROG 312. Punts-Avg. – EDI 5-39, ROG 4-26.

Photos: Rogers, Sapulpa win on rainy night of football 110522-tul-spt-hsemckinnis 007 A

Sapulpa wide receiver Tre Morrow (17) celebrates on the sideline during the Chieftains 47-11 win against East Central at East Central High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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East Central players console one another during the Sapulpa-East Central football game at East Central High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Sapulpa’s Diego Maya (18) is tackled by an East Central defender at East Central High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Sapulpa quarterback Colton Howard (left) and wide receiver Tre Morrow shake hands on the sideline during the Chieftains 47-11 win against East Central at East Central High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Sapulpa quarterback Luke Meachem runs the football during the Sapulpa-East Central game at East Central High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Sapulpa quarterback Luke Meachem runs the football during the Sapulpa-East Central game at East Central High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Edison running back Kaden Foster (21) runs the ball during the Edison-Rogers football game at Will Rogers High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Rogers wide receiver Adison Code (2) and linebacker Emmon Simpkins (9) walk off the field during the Edison-Rogers football game at Will Rogers High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Rogers running back Que Cherry runs the ball during the Edison-Rogers football game at Will Rogers High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Rogers defensive back Ian Hudson (14) contests a pass intended for Edison running back Jhett Brown (7) during the Edison-Rogers football game at Will Rogers High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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Edison quarterback Luke Parish (12) passes the ball during the Edison-Rogers football game at Will Rogers High School on Friday Nov. 4, 2022. CORY YOUNG/For the Tulsa World

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