Wharton wins easily

The Alonso Ravens, whose color scheme is navy blue and gold, switched to black-on-black uniforms Friday night.

The Wharton Wildcats were undaunted. They promptly turned out the lights on Alonso's playoff hopes.

Wharton, behind stunning contributions from junior do-everything player Vernon Hargreaves and sophomore quarterback Chase Litton, earned the Class 8A-District 6 runner-up spot with a 44-21 romp against the Ravens, who were celebrating homecoming.

Wharton (5-4, 2-1), which has won four straight games after a 1-4 start, will make its first postseason appearance since 2008. Alonso dropped to 6-3, 1-2, but is hopeful of receiving a bowl bid.

"We never gave up on this season," Wharton coach David Mitchell said. "It's like a new season now. These guys deserve it.''

Hargreaves accounted for 26 points – three touchdowns and four 2-point conversion runs. He was unstoppable out of a formation installed this week ("Heavy'') in which he took a Wildcat snap while flanked by two offensive linemen in up-back positions.

Hargreaves ran free down the middle on a 74-yard bomb from Litton in the second quarter that snapped a 6-6 tie.

Wharton roared to a 28-6 lead in the third quarter, but Alonso rallied, cutting it to a one-touchdown game on Jordan Davis' 22-yard interception return. But the Wildcats put it away with a 10-play, 52-yard drive – all running plays – capped by Hargreaves' 11-yard scamper.

"I had some success running the ball tonight,'' said Hargreaves in understated fashion. "We came up with something they couldn't stop.

"It was just our night."

Early on, it was the play of Litton that baffled the Ravens. Litton, a 6-foot-5, 195-pounder who also starts for Wharton's basketball team, finished 19 of 25 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. At one point, he had completed 14 consecutive passes.

But late in the third quarter, Litton misfired on three straight passes, including two interceptions and Wharton shifted to a running game that clinched the outcome.

"It doesn't matter how we win as long as we win,'' Litton said. "It's so satisfying to get to the playoffs after the start we had. And Vernon Hargreaves? What can you say about him. He's a beast.''

For Alonso, senior running back Brandon Holloway had 106 yards on nine carries, including a 56-yard touchdown run, but he carried the ball just twice after halftime.

A—Holloway 56 run (kick blocked)

W—Page 3 run (kick failed)

W—Hargreaves 74 pass from Litton (Hargreaves run)

W—Page 7 pass from Litton (Hargreaves run)

W—Hargreaves 6 run (run failed)

A—Mosely 75 pass from Hawkins (Mosely pass from Hawkins)

A—Davis 22 interception return (Bagli kick)

W—Hargreaves 11 run (Hargreaves run)

W—Tyler 70 interception return (Hargreaves run)