DURANT — Trailing 22-6 at the half, the Caddo Bruins did a bit more than respond to a gut-check. Caddo fought back to outscore Laverne 30-8 in the third quarter, but fell short in a wild finish 50-48.

“I couldn’t be more proud than I was tonight with this team,” said Caddo coach Randy Hitsman. “We fought back, but we just couldn’t stop them. Their size advantage up front helped them quite a bit. I knew we’d have to outscore them, and we just came up a little bit short.”

Unstoppable was the only way to describe Caddo sophomore receiver Ty Miller’s second-half performance. He burned the Laverne defense for 274 receiving yards and four touchdowns after just 33 yards on three grabs in the first half. Quarterback Nate Owens finished with six touchdowns passing and 403 yards through the air, while sophomore Dillon Proctor added 138 all purpose yards and two touchdowns.

After Caddo’s opening drive stalled in Laverne territory, the Tigers answered with a touchdown on a 72-yard drive that was capped by a four-yard run from J.R. Halliburton. A bad bounce on a punt that ended the next Caddo series set up Laverne in good field position for its second score, an 18-yard run by quarterback Jack Taylor.

Taylor was the player who was injured most of the season, and managed to get healthy just in time for the playoffs. He easily had the biggest impact for Laverne, finishing with 230 yards rushing on 25 carries and four touchdowns. Taylor added another touchdown and conversion run to open second quarter scoring, and gave the Tigers a 22-0 lead.

The Bruins answered after Proctor came out of the backfield for a pass reception and rumbled 28 yards for Caddo’s first score. The conversion failed, but Caddo had new life entering the lockerroom down 22-6.

Momentum was entirely with Caddo in the third quarter. Proctor opened scoring with a 45-yard run and Miller added three touchdown receptions, all of which were more than 40 yards. His last of the quarter, a 64-yard touchdown grab, gave Caddo its first lead of the game at 36-30.

The final quarter became a bit more balanced. Laverne’s Halliburton opened scoring with a 27-yard run, but the conversion was snuffed out, tying the game at 36-all. Laverne got a big stop on Caddo’s next series, and Taylor regained the Tigers’ lead with an eight-yard TD run. The conversion again failed, leaving the Bruins down a touchdown with 3:35 remaining.

On the next drive, Miller faked a reverse for 15 yards to give Caddo a new set of chains at the Laverne 33. The next play was a touchdown strike from Owens to Rodger Behrens, but the extra point attempt went wide left, leaving the game tied at 42-all with 2:08 remaining.

The Tigers took to the ground and chewed up yards and clock on the next drive, leaving just 29 seconds remaining after Taylor plunged in from two-yards out and converted two points with a run for a 50-42 lead.

Working with no time-outs, Caddo began the drive at its own 36-yard line.

Owens found Miller who broke a tackle and went 64 yards to paydirt with just 13 seconds left. The conversion pass fell short, and the ensuing on-side kick was recovered by Laverne.

Caddo’s defensive effort was led by noseguard Robert Davenport, who logged a pair of big tackles for loss to kill Laverne drives in the third quarter. Andy Murphree had 11 tackles, with forced fumbles by Cameron Grace and David Cook. Ryan Daws had a fumble recovery, and Miller had eight solo tackles.

Caddo finished the season at 8-3, while Laverne travels to Davenport for the second round of the postseason.

“We lose seven seniors (Owens, Davenport, J.T. Argo, Hunter Self, Dallas Hughston, Tyler Wright and Andy Murphree), but only four juniors (Behrens, Joseph Tinkler, Grace and Daws),” said Hitsman. “Our sophomore group is our biggest class and we have some good freshmen coming up, so we have a chance for a bright future.”