Edmond Memorial surged in the second half to defeat Norman 49-20 in a thrilling quarterfinal on Friday night.

The first quarter remained scoreless and both teams’ defenses were strengthened. Norman’s Dax Noles made a game-changing play by intercepting a pass in the red zone to stop the Bulldogs’ early drive. The Tigers took advantage when Phoenix Murphy connected with Crew Noles up the middle for a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Edmond Memorial evened the score with a perfectly executed flea flick. Quarterback David McComb made an accurate pass to Billy McDown for the touchdown.

Norman responded with a fourth-and-1 play, as Crew Noles lined up in the Wildcat formation, blasted their way for a first down and added a touchdown to regain the lead, 14-7.

The Bulldogs replied quickly, with Riley Baptiste breaking free for a long period to set up an equaliser.

In the second half, Edmond Memorial found its rhythm, dominated on both sides of the ball and pulled away for a decisive 49-20 victory.