Bryson Francis ran for 223 yards on 10 carries as fourth-ranked Owasso beat Yukon 37-10 on Thursday, Oct. 15.

His touchdown sprints covered 70 and 72 yards. The 6-foot, 195-pound junior was a backup quarterback through the first half of the season. By mid-October, he had become what the Tulsa World's Bill Haisten called the most fascinating figure in Class 6AI.

Owasso head coach Bill Blankenship said Francis is now the No. 1 name on the Rams' list of playmakers and called him special.

Francis's breakout began Oct. 9 against Moore, when starting quarterback Drew Frankenfield was sidelined with a foot injury. Francis got his first varsity start and accounted for six of the Rams' eight touchdowns in a 56-28 win, running for three scores and passing for three more.

At Yukon, Frankenfield returned to start at quarterback. The coaching staff deployed Francis as a running back, wildcat quarterback and receiver. He made the most of it.

Blankenship said Francis was undoubtedly the player of the game and that the Rams need to keep expanding his role. The Owasso defense also stood out, recording four fourth-down stops in the red zone. The Rams had scoring drives of 90, 95 and 95 yards and finished plus-2 on turnovers.

Francis is also a TCU baseball commit who plays center field for coach Larry Turner's program. Blankenship said Francis accepted his backup quarterback role at Owasso rather than transferring to another school. That loyalty stands out in a year when Bixby, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Metro Christian and Booker T. Washington all have move-in starting quarterbacks, according to Haisten's column.

Blankenship said it is rare for talented backup quarterbacks to show that patience and stay put.

The win moved the Rams to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in District 6AI-2. Owasso hosts Edmond Santa Fe, then travels to Deer Creek on Oct. 30 and closes the regular season at home against Union on Nov. 6.

Around 6AI on Thursday

Tulsa-area powers dominated their Oklahoma City-area opponents in Week 7 district play. Top-ranked Bixby beat Norman North 58-0. Second-ranked Broken Arrow beat Mustang 35-10. Third-ranked Jenks beat Edmond Santa Fe 64-7. Union beat seventh-ranked Moore 45-15. Including Owasso's win, the five games produced a combined score of 239-42.

Union has won three straight after an 0-4 start, including a home win at Yukon that handed the Millers their first loss of the season 49-45.