Oakland football got it done, no matter how it looked

Getting it done.

That's the best way to describe surviving Friday nights during the playoffs.

When you get to this point of the season, all that matters is getting to the next round. How bad you demolish a team is nice to brag about, but all that really matters is getting it done.

That was the case with Oakland on Friday night in its 24-14 win over visiting Mt. Juliet in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.

This wasn't the same Mt. Juliet team that was unbeaten going into last year's 6A quarterfinals, when the Bears gave Oakland its toughest game (14-7) of the playoffs.

But it was still a quality team, particularly on defense. That showed Friday night when it held Oakland to just three points through nearly the first three quarters.

Fans around the state were likely on upset alert when the Bears scored on a 68-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Griffin Throneberry midway through the third quarter to take a 7-3 lead.

A lot of teams with the type of hype and pressure (not to mention a 24-game winning streak) Oakland is under might have hit the panic button.

All the Patriots did was calmly score three touchdowns in a span of just more than 12 minutes to turn a 7-3 deficit into a 24-7 lead.

It wasn't that Oakland played terrible football before the late run. The Patriots methodically ran the ball, moved the chains and got into scoring position several times during the first half.

Unlike the previous 11 games, though, those drives didn't amount to points. One field goal was all coach Kevin Creasy's squad had to show for what was actually an impressive clock-eating, ball-control offense.

A dropped touchdown pass in the first quarter stalled a drive. There was a missed field goal late in the half. There was also a touchdown pass from Kody Sparks to D.D. Anderson that was called incomplete (out of the end zone) that appeared to be a bad call.

The defense wasn't wavering, either. Throneberry's touchdown run midway through the third quarter was the only semblance of offense the Bears displayed except for a late score during the final minute of garbage time.

Creasy spoke during the postgame speech of lessons learned. Maybe his team was a little lethargic early. Perhaps the Bears were a little overlooked.

Those things can get you beat in the 6A playoffs.

But the bottom line is the Patriots got it done. That's all that matters.

Now Oakland awaits rival Blackman in Friday's quarterfinals. I don't think Creasy will have to worry about his team's mentality for this one.

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

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