<p>This segment is eighth of an 11-part series, highlighting game recaps of the 1988 Savage Football season. The Savages became the only football team in Southeastern’s Athletics history to finish the regular season undefeated en route to their 11th conference championship before upsetting No. 1 Central Arkansas in the first round of the NAIA playoffs at Paul Laird Field. Southeastern fell to Adams State (Colo.) in the second round, also at Paul Laird Field.</p><p>The stories, written by then-Sports Information Director Harold Harmon, were published in the Durant Democrat, and reproduced for web use by M. Shane Baxley. </p><p>November 6, 1988<br />ADA – Oh, yes. Oh, YES! OHHH, YESSS!!!</p><p>Coach Jon Lantz’s Southeastern Savages threw the second shutout of the season here Saturday afternoon when it counted most, slamming the door on East Central in a solid 29-0 victory that brought home the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference championship.</p><p>It also made the Savages 8-0 overall and put them in the national playoffs for the first time ever.</p><p>The defense was Southeastern’s, the offense was Southeastern’s, the crowd was Southeastern’s and the day was all Southeastern’s.</p><p>Coach Lantz, swamped by reporters and wellwishers immediately following the game, sported a first-down grin in the locker room.</p><p>Coach Lantz, mobbed by media in the locker room after the game, had a first-down grin as he just sort of stood back and enjoyed the results of almost three years of hard work.</p><p>“How do you feel, Coach?” I asked.</p><p>“You know,” Lantz answered, “I’ve heard reporters ask guys that at the Super Bowl and Olympics and World Series and I always though they gave kind of dumb answers.</p><p>“Well, now I know why. I don’t how to describe how I feel.</p><p>“It’s just so gratifying, so satisfying. Just looking around here in the locker room and all these guys. Our coaches and players getting the payoff for all their work and belief in our system.</p><p>“You couldn’t believe the pandemonium on the field at the end of the game. Our fans stormed out there and there was all that hugging going on and everything.</p><p>“I knew this was big deal but I didn’t realize how big it really was.</p><p>“It will soak in later, just what this team has accomplished. Right now, it’s just one of the greatest feelings you can imagine.”</p><p>This was the first time East Central has been shut out since 1978 and the first time Southeastern has shut out two teams since 1973.</p><p>In ’73, it was 9-0 over Austin College and 22-zip over East Central.</p><p>It was also the first time Lantz was drenched in shaved ice with the delivery on the sideline late in the game by linebacker Gary Pearson.</p><p>The victory broke a 10-game losing streak against East Central and gave coaches, players and fans something to really celebrate.</p><p>Southeastern had more fans at the game than the Tigers, or it certainly seemed that way from the press box vantage point.</p><p>All in all, it would be most difficult to imagine a more satisfying way to spend an afternoon if you follow the Savages.</p><p>When it was wrapped up on the field, just before the game ended, Southeastern called time and the players went to the sideline, <br />turned and saluted the crowd in a gesture of thanks for all the support this season.</p><p>A brutal 21-mile-per hour north-northwest wind that gusted 35 miles-per-hour made life miserable for both team and virtually wiped out the passing game on both sides.</p><p>The Savages had by far the better of the aerial attack and it was bunch under the season average of 192.7 yards per game.</p><p>Greg Neece struggled through a game of knuckle ball and passes that took off like high fast balls to finally complete 7 of 19 passes for 92 yards while East Central miss on 12 attempts, many under heavy duress.</p><p>Bonham sophomore Corey Ransom got the only points the Savages would need on a day the Blue and Gold outstripped the Orange, Black and White.</p><p>Ransom continued his scoring streak with a 5-yard run with 5:00 left in the first period. Mike Nelson’s kick slid wide left but the Savages had five more points than need on this marvelous windy afternoon.</p><p>Ransom struck again in the second stanza, roaring 17 yards with 3:12 left before the half.</p><p>A pass for two points was barely behind Oscar Wright and Savages were ahead 12-0.</p><p>Southeastern’s first scoring drive was straight out of the textbook, 80 yards in nine plays and 4:13.</p><p>The drive went to third down just once with the Savages needing a yard at their own 48. Neece took care of things with a 16-yard keeper to EC 36.</p><p>Southeastern’s second scoring drive covered 67 yards in 4 plays and 1:12.</p><p>Neece nailed Randy Summers for a 46-yard gainer to the Tiger 17 and Ransom delivered on the next play.</p><p>Things settle down to a defensive struggle in the third stanza with neither team able to put points on the board.</p><p>The Savages had won the toss and elected to take the wind and kick off to start the game.</p><p>The Tigers opted for the wind and kicked to start the last half.</p><p>The Savages lost the ball twice on interceptions in the third period, but offset that when Charles Love stormed through the EC defenders to block a Kenny Ridley punt. Rodney Pope recovered at the Tiger 29, but the interception halted the scoring attempt.</p><p>Charles Walker recovered an East Central fumble at the Tiger 29 but again an interception, this time on a pass batted into the air at the EC goal line, halted by the drive.</p><p>To ice the victory cake, Southeastern scored 17 points in the final 15 minutes.</p><p>The Savage defense, which was only slightly magnificent all game, forced the Tigers to punt on fourth and 12.</p><p>Southeastern took over on the EC 38 and it took one play and 8 seconds for Oscar Wright to run through a flurry of tacklers and scoot the distance.</p><p>Neece hit Lance Butler with 2-point pass and it was 20-0, Savages with 12:35 left.</p><p>The clock showed 12 and one-half minutes to play and the EC side of the field showed about that many fans.</p><p>Again, the Southeastern defense forced a punt and the Savages this time went 35 yards on 10 plays before having to settle for Nelson’s 28-yard field goal.</p><p>The final nail in the Tiger coffin came with 3:54 left. Linebacker Kevin Blankenship intercepted a pass and returned it 5 yards to the EC 27.</p><p>Neece lost a couple of yards on a fumbled snap, Ransom picked up 17 yards, Neece carried for no gain.<br />On second and 10, Neece scrambled to buy some time, then found Tadd Hammel slashing through Tiger defenders from right to left in the end zone.</p><p>The pass zipped in low and unaffected by the swirling wind. Hammel turned in a beautiful diving catch and it was 29-zip, Savages, with 3:54 to play.</p><p>Again, the kick was wide left but the Savages had all they needed and then some.</p><p>Ransom carried the ball 16 times for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. That gave him 657 yards on the season, only 2 behind the single-season record of 659 set by Harvey Ryan in 1974.</p><p>Ransom has now scored at least one TD in every game this year.</p><p>Fullback Versie Graham ran as tough as he ever has on 13 hits into the middle for 46 yards.</p><p>Oscar Wright had 9 carries for 74 yards and a 38-yard TD and Neece finished with 12 for 23 yards.</p><p>Ransom had 107 and the Tigers combine for 138 with leading rusher Gerard Polite, averaging 76.5, getting just 34 on 15 carries.</p><p>Randy Summers caught 3 passes for 58 yards and Hammel had 2 for 25 and a TD.</p><p>The big story of the game was the Southeastern defense. The Tigers had five possessions of three downs and a punt. Twice, they had two downs and lost fumbles to David Moore and Charles Walker.</p><p>The longest EC possession was 11 plays and ended in a fumble recovery by Kevin Blankenship.</p><p>East Central also had possessions of 6 and 5 plays, both ending in punts.</p><p>It’s been a long time coming and that just makes it sweeter. This was a game the Savages needed just to prove some things to themselves.</p><p>Southeastern will close out the regular season Saturday when Langston comes to Paul Laird Field.</p><p>Part nine of the series will be the Langston game recap.</p><p>The Southeastern Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is hosting the 1988 Savages for a reunion on Nov. 8 during the annual SE-ECU rivalry game. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. </p>
