FOYIL — Claremore Christian coach Steve Robinett has made it a tradition to draw up something special for his seniors.

In Saturday night’s Frontier Christian Athletic Association Championship, that tradition paid off in unforgettable fashion with game-changing moments and a storybook ending.

This time, the spotlight belonged to Daniel Snipes and Noah McClurg.

Snipes — normally known for his rushing ability — became the team’s go-to receiver, catching 5 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns, while McClurg — a senior lineman — lived every big man’s dream, slipping past the secondary for an 18-yard touchdown catch in his final game.

Their efforts helped fuel the Warriors’ 64-20 rout of Life Christian on a breezy night at Foyil High School, earning them their third championship since 2018 and their first in the FCAA after previously winning two titles in the Heartland Christian Athletic Association, including one in 2021 during Robinett’s first year at the helm.

“We always plan and try to do a senior play,” Robinett said. “We normally don’t do it in games like this, per se, but we’ll try to do it on Senior Night or anything like that.”

CCS [7-2] also reached the title game in 2020 and last season, when it let a 22-point lead slip away to Wichita Faith Academy, a school that has since closed its doors.

This time, there would be no collapse.

“It’s always a great thing, it’s always the goal,” Robinett said of winning another championship. “At the beginning of the season, everybody wants to win a championship, and I’m no different — that’s always it. I’m grateful to be able to do this with the boys. But it’s more than that; it’s more than winning. Obviously that is the goal, and when we’re on the field, that’s why we’re playing. But to see these young boys grow up and become young men, that’s really what it’s about.”

While Snipes and McClurg had their moments, it was Troy Frank who set the tone, as he has all season.

The senior running back needed only 7 carries to rack up 127 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 18.1 yards per carry. Senior standout receiver Malachi Zehder contributed in his usual dynamic fashion, scoring on a 50-yard reverse and catching an additional 37-yard touchdown, finishing with 8 receptions for 85 yards.

Meanwhile, junior quarterback Grant Schulze was nearly flawless, completing 19 of 24 passes for 286 yards and 5 touchdowns while spreading the ball to six different receivers. He also accounted for a quartet of 2-point conversions.

“Grant being out at the beginning of the season we thought was going to be a lot bigger detriment,” Robinett said. Troy and Derek Smith both stepped up and filled that while he was gone, but clearly him not being there, we’re not quite the same team. Everybody’s playing a little out of position, even when he’s not. Having him there and in that position that’s his and everyone else in their primary positions just opens up the offense that much more.”

The Eagles [5-5] from Choctaw struck first when quarterback Vincent Travis scrambled in from 16 yards out on third down, but the lead lasted all of 12 seconds.

On the Warriors’ first play from scrimmage, Zehder raced 50 yards on a reverse for the equalizer, with Schulze punching in the 2-point try to make it 8-6 with 8:55 remaining in the opening period.

Later in the quarter, Schulze found Zehder again on a 37-yard jet-sweep pass, followed by a 2-point toss to Snipes for a 16-6 lead at the 2:15 mark. Frank then ripped through the defense for a 79-yard touchdown run early in the second, and Snipes added his first score of the night on a 30-yard strike from Schulze, who tacked on the ensuing 2-point run, with 1:15 remaining until halftime.

After Travis briefly cut the deficit to 30-14 with a 43-yard run, Schulze hit Derick Smith on a 38-yard touchdown as time expired in the first half, and Frank’s 2-point run made it 38-14 at the break.

“I felt like I was seeing the field well, and everything was open,” Schulze said.

The second half was all about closing the door and celebrating the seniors who helped build the program.

Frank added his second score with a 9-yard run at the 7:11 mark — complemented by a Schulze 2-point run — and following a Smith interception on the ensuing Life Christian possession, Robinett dialed up the play that linemen dream about.

McClurg hauled in a touchdown pass from Schulze to push the lead to 52-14 with 3:36 remaining in the frame, drawing a huge roar from the Claremore Christian sideline.

“I was ready, but I was definitely nervous,” McClurg said. “If I’m being honest, I don’t really remember what happened. I just kind of woke up in the end zone. Grant threw a great ball, and the line did great like they always do. [Offensive coordinator Chris Zehder] calls up great plays all the time, and that was just one of those trick plays he’s able to call because he’s so good.”

Robinett on the play: “I don’t know that he’s dropped one in practice. He’s a big boy, so we just gave it a shot. By film, we didn’t think they would really cover him, but I was actually shocked that they picked him up well. I thought the ball was overthrown, and he was covered, so I didn’t really think it was going to work out. But he went up and got it and secured it with those soft hands.”

Then Landry Langford found redemption.

Earlier in the third quarter, a holding penalty erased what would have been a long receiving touchdown for the sophomore. However, on the Eagles drive following McClurg’s score, he jumped a halfback pass and raced 45 yards for a pick-6, reclaiming his moment and stretching the advantage to 58-14.

“It was really freeing,” said Langford, who had a similar score against Cornerstone last month. “[The touchdown catch] got taken back, but I got it back in glory. I was seeing my receiver going, and I look up in the air and see the ball. I just prayed I’d catch it.”

Snipes capped the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown reception midway through the fourth quarter, sealing the Warriors’ dominant night before Travis connected with Anderson Lee on a 10-yard pass for Life Christian as time expired to make the score a little more respectable.

Snipes also tallied 3 carries for 19 yards in the running game.

“To be honest, since I hadn’t gotten passed the ball much throughout the year, the other teams underestimated me and allowed me to get open,” Snipes said. “Grant Schulze was able to hit me in stride, and we were able to connect all night. Being a running back and as someone who has played as a lineman and borderline every position on the field, it’s something I can take pride in because guys like me, who are normally in the backfield, don’t get the ball all the time.

“The last four years were all worth it. All the tears and sweat I put into it, it was all worth it in the end.”

CCS outgained the Eagles 488-187, averaging 12.2 yards per play and 12.6 yards per carry, while the defense notched 2 interceptions, 19 tackles for loss and held the Eagles to 3.2 yards per play.

Travis led Life Christian with 186 yards rushing on 24 carries alongside 3 total touchdowns, but the Eagles’ one-dimensional attack struggled to keep up.

The defensive performance marked an improvement from last month’s meeting against the Eagles, which the Warriors won 70-38.

“We really worked over the last week and a half or so just really on staying home and doing what we’ve known all year,” Robinett said. “We just have struggled with the discipline, mainly on the outside stuff. All year, my d-ends have not performed as well, but they did tonight. I was really impressed with my DBs. We’ve, in the past, given up points when we bite on the run and give up those long passes, and we didn’t do that today. They got a pass there at the end, but other than that, we pretty well shut them down in the air, and everybody was in position.”