Labette County scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3:44 left and turned back a final Washington drive to beat the Wildcats 23-20 Friday night at Washington.

The loss was the first of the season for Washington, now 3-1 after beating Schlagle, Highland Park, and Wyandotte by a combined score of 182-6. Labette County improved to 3-1.

Eighth-year head coach Camron Smith scheduled the game to test his team before getting to the post-season. Despite the result, Smith liked the fight his team showed.

“[I] saw a lot of fortitude, saw that our guys were built for high-level games like this,” Smith said. “We didn’t quit. We battled to the end.”

Grizzlies strike first

CamRon Fields returned the opening kickoff to the Labette County 48. The Wildcats pushed inside the 35 but turned the ball over on downs at the 31.

Labette County answered on the ground. The Grizzies’ senior running back Deontae Fields broke a 35-yard touchdown run and added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead with 5:28 left in the first quarter. Fields carried the ball roughly two dozen times for the Grizzlies.

Labette County tried an onside kick, but Washington recovered at its own 47. That drive stalled, and the Wildcats punted.

The Washington defense kept the game close. The Grizzlies drove to the Wildcats’ 20 early in the second quarter. Sophomore Adidas Madlock stopped Deontae Fields on third down, and Nick Carter broke up the fourth-down pass.

Washington then marched 80 yards. Junior quarterback Benito Morell capped the drive on a broken play, shedding tacklers on a 5-yard touchdown run. The 2-point try failed, and Labette County led 8-6 with 5:56 left in the half.

The Wildcats’ defense made another fourth-down stop at its own 23 with 3:20 left. Khaliel Burns-Bey then broke a 41-yard run to the Labette County 27, and Washington soon reached the 10.

Penalties undid the chance. A holding call erased a CamRon Fields touchdown run. An illegal block wiped out another gain. Riggin Ross then intercepted a pass with 20 seconds left, the first interception Washington had thrown all season.

“I do take my blame for my mistakes I made, but it’s always my job to keep my boys going and to keep my composure as a quarterback of my team,” Morell said.

Madlock sets the tone

Madlock opened the second half with three straight stops. He dropped Deontae Fields after a 1-yard gain, tackled him for a 2-yard loss, and then recorded a sack. Joel Arthur returned the ensuing punt to the Labette County 31.

Facing fourth-and-3, Burns-Bey swept right for 9 yards behind a big block from Alvin Riley. Riley later carried to the 1, and after a timeout he powered into the end zone with 5:40 left in the third. Morell’s 2-point run failed, but Washington led 12-8.

Labette County answered with an 80-yard drive. Deontae Fields converted a fourth-and-3 with a sweep to the Washington 34. He later reached the 1, where Micah Neely pushed him out of bounds. Aaron Wyrick scored on the next play, and the kick gave the Grizzlies a 15-12 lead with 38 seconds left in the quarter.

Trading blows in the fourth

Washington recovered a short kickoff at its own 33. Leonidus Alexander broke a 26-yard run early in the fourth quarter, and Riley churned out yards between short catches by CamRon Fields and Arthur. Morell ran 4 yards for the touchdown, and Riley bulled up the middle for the 2-point conversion. Washington led 20-15 with 7:55 to play.

The Grizzlies started at their own 20. Calvin Williams-Coats made three stops on the drive, but Labette County kept moving. Deontae Fields limped off after a carry near midfield. On the next play, Zane Garton got behind the Washington secondary for a 41-yard touchdown catch. The 2-point conversion made it 23-20 with 3:44 left.

Labette County’s onside attempt traveled only to its own 43, giving Washington a short field. Morell swept left to the 31 for a first down. On the next play, the ball came loose, but senior lineman Preston Portley II alertly pounced on it at the 32 to keep the drive alive. A fumbled snap then pushed the Wildcats back to face third-and-14. Two plays later, Burns-Bey came up short on fourth down at the 32. With Washington out of timeouts, Labette County knelt out the clock.

Grizzlies blanket Fields

CamRon Fields entered the game as one of the most productive players in the state. Through three games, he had 17 catches for 468 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 226 all-purpose yards per game.

Labette County held him in check. Fields finished with two catches for 6 yards and five carries for 23 yards. Morell threw his way six times, but one pass bounced off Fields’ fingertips and another was dropped. A holding penalty erased what would have been his only touchdown.

Morell entered the night averaging 313 passing yards per game, with 14 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Labette County largely held the Wildcats’ passing game in check, and Washington leaned on its ground attack.

“We noticed in film that they had a weaker side of the line, and they kind of stuck with that weaker side, so we just kind of isolated that group,” Smith said.

Smith saved his strongest praise for the defense.

“I’m really proud of this defense. All year long they’ve been balling,” Smith said. “They’ve done an amazing job this year, best defense that I’ve ever had.”

A different kind of test

Morell said the fight his team showed stood out against past Washington teams.

“We’re over here beating on these KCK schools, and once we play a good school, we usually fold badly,” Morell said. “But this team, this year, it’s a really good team to me. It’s going to mean something to me for the rest of my life.”

Washington faces KIPP Legacy next, then Pembroke Hill.

“The goal was to get battle-tested early, and so that’s what we’re doing,” Smith said. “We took a L tonight, but we’ll be ready to go next Saturday.”

“Every bad play, we keep our heads up. We don’t hang our heads low,” Morell said.