Week 3 of the high school football season will feature five of the six Okmulgee County teams competing in non-district finales. Two of the county teams will tackle their final
Week 3 of the high school football season will feature five of the six Okmulgee County teams competing in non-district finales.
Two of the county teams will tackle their final non-district game of 2018 in front of their hometown fans, while the other three squads will take to the road for their non-district finales tonight (Friday), including one team traveling to another state.
The Dewar Dragons will be the only county team not competing in a non-district finale in Week 3, traveling to Wetumka for their annual showdown with the Wetumka Chieftains.
The two non-district finales that will feature county teams playing at home are the Okmulgee Bulldogs and Morris Eagles.
The Bulldogs will welcome the very talented Vian Wolverines, who reached the quarterfinals last year in their 14th-straight playoff appearance. The Wolverines feature one of the best quarterback-running back duos in seniors River Simon and Bohdi Vann.
The Eagles are the only other county team to play in front of their home crowd this week, playing host to the much-improved Kellyville Ponies. In the past, these two teams have met in district play with the final two contests not being decided until late in the fourth quarter. Two years ago, Kellyville defeated the Eagles 35-34 in Morris on a last-second field goal. Last year, Morris extracted a little revenge, defeating the Ponies on their home field 41-37 on a defensive score with 2:07 left in regulation.
Three of the four road games in Week 3 featuring Okmulgee County gridiron squads will see the Henryetta Golden Knights traveling to Hartshorne for a non-district battle with the Hartshorne Miners,, the Wilson Tigers going to Choctaw for their final non-district game of 2018 against Life Christian Academy.
The final county team that will be on the road for their non-district finale will be the Beggs Golden Demons, who will take a 2-hour, 26-minute (140-mile) trip to Springdale, Arkansas to take on the Shiloh Christian Saints. The Demons enter the non-district finale with a spotless 2-0 record and have outscored their first two opponents of 2018 by a 94-6 margin. The Beggs squad will have their hands full tonight, as they take on a team that has won seven Arkansas state championships in the last 20 years.
Here is how the county teams fared in Week 2:
• Okmulgee notched its first win of 2018, defeating Tulsa Rogers 26-10.
• Morris improved to 2-0 with a 14-8 win over NOAH.
• Henryetta earned its first win of 2018 with a 30-13 victory over Warner
• Dewar routed Caddo to improve to 2-0.
• Wilson fell at home to Watts, 58-8.
• Beggs had the week off.
Below are the offensive and defensive keys to the game for the six Okmulgee County teams that are competing in Week 3.
Henryetta at Hartshorne
Henryetta Offensive Keys
The Knights totaled 400 yards on offense last week in their win over Warner. The Henryetta offense will need to have the same type of success this week if they are to earn their second-straight win in 2018. The offensive line will need to continue to be productive in opening up running lanes for senior tailback Jordan Hart, who had 166 yards rushing on 18 carries, and junior running back Austen Macaluso, who had 57 yards on seven carries and one TD last week, while also allowing sophomore QB Jakob White time in the pocket to find an open receiver, such as senior wideout Jeremiah Boyles, downfield for positive yardage whenever the Henryetta signal caller is tasked with putting the ball in the air. The Knights will also need to continue taking care of the football and do a better job of avoiding costly penalties this week if they are to leave Hartshorne with a victory. After turning the ball over six times in the season opener against Morris, the Knights only had one turnover in last week's win over Warner. The Henryetta squad is averaging 14.5 penalties per game so far this season.
Henryetta Defensive Keys
The Henryetta defense will need to find ways to disrupt the Miners' offensive rhythm this week and do what Hartshorne's other two opponents this season have done - keep the Miners off the scoreboard. Hartshorne has failed to reach the end zone in eight quarters this season, suffering shutout losses to Stigler and Spiro by a combined 60-0. The Knight defense will need to get into the backfield and apply lots of pressure to the Hartshorne quarterback, while also shutting down the running game, forcing the Miners to go to the air more than they are accustomed to doing. If the Henryetta defense can force several punting situations, as well as create turnovers, it could very well lead to the Knights entering district play next week with a 2-game winning streak.
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Dewar at Wetumka
Dewar Offensive Keys
The Dewar offense will need to continue to move the ball down the field effectively this week if they are to continue on their winning path against a very talented Wetumka squad. The Dragons will need to continue to have production from sophomore quarterback Joey Fowler this week in both the running and passing aspects of the offense. The offensive line will need to continue allowing Fowler room to run the football for a sizeable gain or give the Dewar signal caller time in the pocket to fire a deep pass to a wide-open receiver, like he did twice in last week's win over Caddo. The Dragons will need to continue taking care of the football this week, while also avoid having scoring drives to stall because of penalties.
Dewar Defensive Keys
The Dragon defense will need to continue creating turnovers this week. In last week's win over Caddo, the Dewar defense recorded four takeaways, including coming away with three interceptions - one that was returned for a touchdown. The Dragons will also need to contain the Wetumka offense and not allow the Chieftains to move the ball effectively. The Dewar defense will need to force several 3-and-out situations that get the ball back into the hands of the high-powered Dragon offense. The Dragons will also need to stay aligned on defense and wrap up the ballcarrier at the point of contact if they are to be victorious this week.
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Wilson at Life Christian
Wilson Offensive Keys
The Tigers will need to get back to being productive in the run game this week if they are to get back to winning in 2018. The offensive line will need to open up lanes for the running backs to run through and not allow the Life Christian defenders into the backfield. The Wilson offense will also look to mix in a few passes this week, but not be forced to rely heavily on throwing the football, as they have done the last two games. The Wilson offense will need to avoid costly penalties and turnovers this week if they are to put up points and earn a second-straight win over the Choctaw private school.
Wilson Defensive Keys
The main focus for the Tigers on defense this week will be to get better at tackling the ballcarrier at the point of contact. The Wilson defense has had trouble wrapping up and bringing down runners in the past two weeks, allowing their opponents to score at will. The Tigers will need to be more sound defensively this week, creating turnovers and lots of 3-and-out situations that get the Wilson defense off the field and the Tiger offense back on the field.
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Okmulgee vs Vian
Okmulgee Offensive Keys
The main goal for the Bulldogs on offense this week will be to eliminate turnovers and costly penalties that take away scoring opportunities. In last week's win over Tulsa Rogers, the Okmulgee squad had two kickoff returns called back by penalties. If the Bulldogs are to enter district play next week with some momentum, they will need to avoid making the same costly mistakes as last week. The Okmulgee offense will need to continue to move the ball effectively this week, sustaining long, time-consuming, drives that keeps the high-powered Vian offense off the field as much as possible. If the Bulldogs can avoid turning the ball over and avoid costly penalties, while also controlling the clock on offense, they could very well enter district play with a lot of momentum on their side.
Okmulgee Defensive Keys
The main focus for the Okmulgee defense this week will be the contain the Wolverines' 2-headed offensive monster in QB River Simon and tailback Bodhi Vann. Simon is a very dangerous offensive weapon under center for Vian, having the ability to throw and run the ball effectively. When Simon is not handling the playmaking duties on offense for Vian, the senior signal caller is handing the ball off to Vann, who is a very dangerous runner if not contained at the line of scrimmage. If Vann gets past the line of scrimmage, the 5-6, 180-pound tailback can break off long-distance runs. Last year, Vann rushed for almost 2,000 yards and scored 26 times on the ground in leading the Wolverines to the Class 2A quarterfinals. If Vann is not dangerous enough, the Wolverines have another crafty running back in junior Gray Cloud (5-6, 155), who averaged more than six yards per carry last year as a sophomore. The Okmulgee secondary will need to keep Vian's speedy receiver Elijah Wright (6-0, 210, Jr.) in front of them and not allow the speedy receiver to make catches deep down the field. If the Okmulgee defense can find ways to get into the backfield and bring down Simon, Vann, or Cloud in the backfield for negative yardage, as well as force Simon to make errant passes, it could lead to the Bulldogs earning a crucial victory over a very talented opponent, heading into next week's district opener against Idabel.
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Beggs at Shiloh Christian
Beggs Offensive Keys
The Beggs offense will need to be more efficient this week and sustain long drives that take lots of time off the clock and keep the Shiloh Christian offense off the field as much as possible. The Demons will need to find a way to run the football with effectiveness this week, while also getting production from the passing game. The Beggs offense will also need to avoid making costly mistakes that take away scoring drives this week if they are to continue their journey to a perfect season. The offensive line will need to keep the aggressive Shiloh Christian defense out of the backfield, allowing the running backs the opportunity to run for positive yardage every time they touch the football, while giving senior QB Dalton Spring time in the pocket to find one of his speedy receivers downfield when the 6-4, 230-pound signal caller is tasked with throwing the football.
Beggs Defensive Keys
The Demon defense will need to force Shiloh Christian to run the ball more than they are accustomed to doing. The Saints like to put the ball in the air on most of their offensive plays, which could be a long night defensively for the Demons. The defensive line, which features junior Easton Davis and senior Chandler Stanton at the defensive end positions, will need to find ways to get into the backfield and disrupt the rhythm of Shiloh Christian quarterback Jaiden Henry (5-9, 150, So.), who is a dual threat at the signal caller position for the Arkansas school. Henry will use his arm to throw quick outlet passes or midfield slant passes to his receivers, but can also tuck the ball to his side and race for positive yardage if not contained in the backfield. If the Beggs defense can continuously get into the backfield and bring down Henry for negative yardage, it could very well lead to the Demons scoring a victory over a very talented Arkansas team that has as much tradition on the gridiron as Beggs. The Beggs defense also needs to force turnovers and punting situations that get the high-powered Shiloh Christian offense off the field as quickly as possible.
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Morris vs Kellyville
Morris Offensive Keys
The Eagles will need to continue to move the ball effectively on the ground this week if they are to continue their winning ways. In the first two games of the season, the Morris offense has averaged 169 yards on the ground and will need that same production this week if they are to stay perfect in 2018. The offensive line will need to continue to open up running lanes for sophomore tailback Jeremiah Ramos and the other running backs, while also allowing the Morris quarterback - either Dillon Mattingly or Kolby Burgess - time in the pocket to find an open receiver downfield in the passing game. The Eagles did a better job of not losing the ball on turnovers last week with an interception being the only miscue on offense. The Morris offense will need to do a better job of avoiding costly penalties that take away scoring chances. In two games this season, the Eagles are averaging 13 penalties per game.
Morris Defensive Keys
Defensively, the Eagles will need to create turnovers and not allow the Kellyville offense to dictate the pace of the contest. The Morris defense will need to force several 3-and-out situations this week that gets the ball back into the hands of the Morris offense. The Eagles will also need to stay aligned on defense, as the Ponies like to use a Wishbone-type offense that features lots of option and misdirection plays designed to keep defenses guessing at all times. The Morris defenders will need to stay focused on the Kellyville quarterback and running backs and not attack too late, allowing the ballcarrier to run for positive yardage. The Morris defense will need to make sure to wrap up the ballcarrier at the point of contact and not allow a tackle for no gain or negative yardage result in the Ponies moving the chains and continuing a drive.