“It feels amazing, especially the way we did it,” Spychalski said.

The Ridgerunners took command of the game early, taking advantage of excellent field position to score on their first two possessions. Spencer Londagin made a diving interception of a Sawyer Pooler pass on Miami's first drive of the game, setting up the Ridgerunners at the Miami 35. Four plays later, Spychalski ran it in from 15 yards out for the first points of the night.

A 14-yard punt on Miami's next possession set up the Ridgerunners at the Miami 34. Conner Dickey had runs of 10 and 11 yards before scoring from five yards out on a swing pass to make it 14-0.

Pooler and the Wardogs would get back in the game with a pair of big plays. The first came in the second quarter. Following a Grove fumble, Miami faced a 3rd and 12 from their own 49. Pooler found Ty Mercer on a short out route, and the senior wideout did the rest, cutting inside and weaving through the secondary for the touchdown to make it 14-7.

“We knew they were going to make plays,” Grove head coach Dennis Millican said. “They're a good team. We didn't tackle very well, didn't get our arms around them and didn't bring them down.”

Spychalski and the Ridgerunners would have an answer. Starting from their own 39, Grove used eight plays, culminating in a 29-yard touchdown to Matt Jeffries down the left sideline to make it 21-7.

“He's tough and skilled,” Millican said of his quarterback. “Like any offense, when he's good, we're all good.”

Pooler and Wardogs would have the final say before halftime, in a play almost exactly like their first touchdown. This time on a 3rd and 1 from their own 22, Pooler found Christian Folks in the flat with a pass, and the sophomore turned it up the sidelines for a 78-yard score that made it 21-14 at the half.

Things turned completed in Miami's favor at the beginning of the third quarter, when a Grove fumble on the second half kickoff led to a short touchdown run by Blake Ragsdale that tied the score at 21.

Spychalski followed with an interception, giving Miami the ball at the Grove 34, but the Ridgerunner defense held, giving the offense the ball at its own four.

That's when the game swung back in Grove's favor for good. Spychalski connected with Jeffries for a 41-yard bomb down the left sideline, and Austin Cross followed with runs of eight and 19 yards to the Miami 28.

But a pair of penalties left Grove facing a 3rd and 30 from near midfield. Spychalski lofted a deep pass down the left sideline, which Clayton Honeycutt made a leaping, juggling catch for a 26-yard gain. Jeffries would follow with a seven-yard reception to convert on 4th and four, and Cross scored from five yards out to give Grove the lead for good.

“I think that was about the bottom of where we were on the roller coaster,” Millican said. “The momentum went back and forth all night. That seemed to turn it out way for good.”

A short punt and 15-yard return by Honeycutt set up Grove on the Miami 30 for the Ridgerunners' next possession, and Spychalski needed just one play, going up the middle for the touchdown to make it 35-21.

The Grove defense would toughen up over the final two quarters, ending the game with three punts and two turnovers, and Spychalski would add a 68-yard touchdown pass to Trent Lyle for the finishing touch with five minutes left in the game.

Spychalski would finish with 256 yards through the air and another 84 yards on the ground. Jeffries caught 6 passes for 102 yards.

“They have a good running game, big backs and a big quarterback,” Miami head coach James Cheatham said. “We like to be aggressive and sometimes we got beat by being aggressive. We can't give up the big play.”

Grove will travel to Jay on Friday looking to avenge last year’s 27-26 loss to the Bulldogs. Miami will play at Claremore.