The Nocona Indians season came to an end with their loss to Bangs on Friday night in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
The Dragons won 61-21 with most of the damage done in the first half.
The Indians came into the game as the higher seed, with an emotional 31-28 win against Alvord at home the previous week not only sending Nocona to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, but as a two seed.
Bangs came in as a three seed and with most of its offensive production coming from running back Guy Powell. The Indians knew it would have to stop him if they wanted to win, but found out how hard that would be.
It started off bad on the opening kickoff for Nocona. The ball bounced off the returner and the Dragons recovered at the Indians 12-yard line. Two plays later, Powell scored on a short run.
The Indians offense moved the ball, but stalled out at the Bangs 37-yard line turning it over on downs. Following a false start, Powell then ran for a 68-yard touchdown.
Down 14-0, Nocona’s offense again moved the ball into Bangs territory. A false start got the Indians off script and eventually led to Nocona turning it over on downs at the Dragons 14-yard line.
This time, the Bangs offense used its quick short passing to move the ball, before hitting its receiver on a short slant that broke away for a 67-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0 heading into the second quarter.
It was like déjà vu as the Indians again moved the ball before again turning it over on downs in Dragons territory, this time at the 31-yard line.
The Bangs offense continued to show it was not just about Powell as the quarter got lose on a big run as well after completing some passes the last drive.
It was Powell who finished it off though as he ran for a 21-yard touchdown to make it 28-0.
The Indian offense moved the ball to midfield and looked like it was again threatening to turn the ball over on downs. They ran a double-reverse, but it was not only snuffed out by the defense, Powell was the defender and he ripped the ball away from the Nocona player and ran for another touchdown to make it 35-0.
The Indian offense failed to move the ball and after punting it away the defense was hoping they could get their first stop with Bangs facing a fourth and short. The Dragons’ quarterback kept the ball and found an open lane, scoring on a 54-yard run to make it 41-0 heading into halftime.
The good news was it could not get much worse for the Indians and they could only play better. The bad news was it would take an all time miracle to come back from this.
It was not meant to be as the Dragons scored in the opening minutes of the third quarter on a short run from Powell to make it 48-0.
The Nocona offense had moved the ball well in almost every drive in the first half, but had no points to show for it. That changed with its first drive of the second half.
On a 13-play drive, with the Indians threatening to turn the ball over on downs again facing fourth down at the nine-yard line, quarterback Brady McCasland found Luke Fuller for a touchdown pass to make it 48-7,
Still, the Dragons were not pulling their starters yet and the offense responded by marching down the field and scoring on a one-yard plunge from Powell to make it 54-7.
Nocona’s offense failed to move the ball much and punted the ball back. The following play the Indian defense forced a turnover as Miguel Olivares recovered a fumble right before the end of the quarter.
The Nocona offense took advantage, driving down the field before McCasland found Charlie Fuller for a five-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 54-14.
The Indian defense forced another turnover as Dayson Elliot recovered a fumble and returned it 13 yard to the Dragons 33-yard line. Nocona again took advantage as McCasland found Bodie Davis for a 21-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 54-21.
The Dragons were trying to hold out Powell with the game in hand, but facing a third and long on their next drive, they handed the ball to him and he went 83 yards for his seventh touchdown of the game to make it 61-21.
The Indians tried to drive one last time for a touchdown, but would fumble the ball away at the Bangs 25-yard line with a little more than a minute left. The Dragons kneeled the ball down to end the game and Nocona’s season.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.