FOOTBALL: Gaines, Kinnard steal the show as Claremore crushes Pryor in historic rivalry rout
· Yahoo Sports
PRYOR — Ayden Gaines knew his offensive touches would be at a premium Friday night because of Pryor's schemes to contain his explosiveness.
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So he decided to take some from the Tigers instead.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back recovered 2 fumbles, including a strip-and-score, as Claremore forced 5 turnovers and dismantled Pryor 63-20 in the Battle of Highway 20 at Tiger Stadium.
According to IWasAtTheGame records, the 43-point victory matched the largest margin in series history, equaling the Zebras' 43-0 win in 2000 and the Tigers' 50-7 triumph in 1965.
"I just knew they were going to double me all game, so I knew I had to make a lot of plays on defense," Gaines said. "That's just what I do."
And he wasted little time proving it.
Claremore [6-3, 4-1 District 5A-4] scored touchdowns on its first six meaningful possessions and led 42-0 before Pryor [5-4, 3-3] reached the end zone. The Zebras, who had lost five of the previous six meetings, also spoiled the Tigers' first Battle of Highway 20 at their new stadium.
Claremore coach Jarrett Hurt credited his team's physicality and preparation.
"We just preached toughness all week," Hurt said. "Toughness wins, and the toughest team won tonight. You have to be tough in high school football, especially this time of year.
"I tip my hat to our guys because they showed a lot of grit, a lot of toughness tonight, and I could tell by our week of practice that it was going to be a great night."
Gaines provided the first touchdown himself, taking a direct snap on fourth down and scoring from 9 yards out with 6:47 remaining in the opening quarter.
The package was installed specifically to counter Pryor's defensive attention.
"We just put that in this week," said Gaines, who rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries and caught 2 passes for 17 yards in addition to the defensive highlights. "We knew they were going to double me, so we had to give me the ball somewhere. The coaches made a great game plan, and as you can see, it executed pretty well."
But his most damaging contributions came on defense.
With Claremore leading 7-0, Tigers running back Issac Torres appeared to have converted a fourth down before losing the football. Gaines scooped it up and raced 32 yards to the Tigers' 8-yard line.
One play later, Kannon Kinnard scored the first of his 5 rushing touchdowns.
The sophomore running back went on to rush for 172 yards on 21 carries, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt, to earn Patriot Player of the Game honors. It was a career night for Kinnard, who scored on runs of 8, 19, 44, 11 and 4 yards while helping the Zebras finish with 263 yards rushing.
He credited the offensive line for creating running lanes throughout the night.
"My line makes it easy on me every game," Kinnard said. "I give all my credit to my line. I can't do it without them.
"I just have a knack for it, my vision. It's just there."
Kinnard acknowledged that Claremore had struggled to establish its rushing attack against Pryor in previous seasons.
The Zebras rushed for a total of 212 yards combined in the 2024 and 2025 losses.
"At first, no, because the past few years we haven't run the ball well on them," he said when asked whether he expected such a productive night. "This year changed. We came with more force."
After the Tigers turned the ball over on downs at their own 41, Claremore quarterback Kellen Gaede scored on a 14-yard keeper to extend the lead to 21-0. Kinnard added a 19-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.
Then Gaines delivered the night's defining blow.
On Pryor's next possession, he stripped Torres of the football and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.
In a matter of seconds, the Zebras' lead had grown to 35-0.
"That was one of the most violent, aggressive plays that Ayden Gaines made on an outstanding running back," Hurt said. "I was down there right next to it, and it was so physical, so violent. He took the ball from him in mid-stride and took it to the house for a touchdown.
"If that's not a Division I player, I don't know what one looks like."
The turnovers continued the next Tigers possession when Claremore lineman Levi Robinson intercepted Pryor quarterback Maddox Young and returned it 22 yards to the Tigers' 26.
Gaede later connected with Furious Poole for a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Zebras a 42-0 advantage midway through the second quarter.
"Levi's an athletic kid," Hurt said. "He played basketball all the way through junior high, so he's got great hands, soft hands, and he knew what to do with the ball once he caught it."
Torres finally put Pryor on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run, but Jorge Navarrete intercepted Young near the Claremore goal line just before halftime to thwart hopes of an unprecedented comeback and maintain the 42-7 lead.
The Tigers' first seven possessions ended with 3 fumbles or interceptions, 2 turnovers on downs, a punt and a touchdown. They ultimately outgained the Zebras 417-349, including a 253-86 advantage through the air, but struggled to overcome their turnovers and unfavorable field position.
Excluding a kneel-down before halftime, Claremore began seven of its 10 possessions at midfield or in Pryor territory, with an average starting position at the Tigers' 33-yard line.
The Zebras scored touchdowns on eight of those possessions, and the other two reached the red zone.
Pryor showed signs of life after halftime when Torres scored on a 3-yard run midway through the third quarter, cutting Claremore's lead to 42-13, but Kinnard answered with a 44-yard touchdown run just one minute later.
Torres added a 14-yard score after recovering a low snap, trimming the deficit to 49-20 with 2:55 remaining in the third.
The Tigers also converted all 5 of their third-down opportunities in the third quarter after going just 1-for-6 in the first half.
However, the Zebras quickly regained control.
Kinnard scored from 11 yards out early in the fourth quarter, then added his fifth touchdown on a 4-yard run following another Pryor turnover on downs. The Tigers committed their fifth turnover moments later, losing a fumble near midfield.
Gaede added 36 rushing yards and a touchdown while completing 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on a deflected pass. Poole caught two passes for 24 yards and a score.
For Pryor, Torres rushed for 80 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 carries but lost 2 fumbles.
Young completed 25 of 33 passes for 189 yards and 2 interceptions while adding 54 yards rushing on 8 carries. Cooper Hooker caught 9 passes for 78 yards, Tyler Belew added 9 receptions for 61 yards and Jackson Parks finished with 6 catches for 46 yards.
Hurt said the additional preparation time created by playing Memorial last week helped Claremore account for the Tigers' offensive schemes.
"To have two weeks to prepare for a team like Pryor, they do so much offensively that puts stress on you," Hurt said. "So the extra week last week really benefited us in being ready to come out here tonight."
The victory also carries significant postseason implications.
The Zebras are assured of finishing no lower than third in District 5A-4, while Bishop McGuinness [8-1, 5-0] has already clinched the championship.
Second place will be decided next Friday when Claremore visits Collinsville [5-4, 4-1], which defeated Memorial this week 48-0. The Zebras have not won at Sallee Field since 2013.
The winner will host a first-round playoff game, while the loser will finish third and open the postseason on the road.
"Collinsville is always a really tough team," Hurt said. "They're going to run the ball. They're going to play great defense. It'll be a slobberknocker next Friday night at their place. There's a lot on the line."
Kinnard said Friday's performance gives Claremore confidence heading into the regular-season finale.
"That's a big confidence booster, especially going into Collinsville," he said. "Now we've got to go beat them for second."