Crucial games are starting to dot the prep football schedule as the season travels deeper into the October calendar.
Fall break is in the rearview mirror now. Mornings are starting to turn cooler. And upcoming prep football games will determine playoff qualification and positioning.
Just ask Empire and Central.
Empire will play at Hollis this week to solidify a chance at a district title. Meanwhile, Central will play host to Burns Flat-Dill City in hopes of keeping its postseason hopes alive.
Both are important game. Both could determine who hosts and who travels for playoff games. And both could decide who remains in football after Week 10 and who starts basketball.
“This is our toughest test yet,” said Empire coach Bryant Hayes, whose Bulldogs are ranked fourth in Class B1 by the Associated Press and stands as the county’s only unbeaten team at 7-0.
Empire has been challenged in just one of its seven contests. Cyril tested the ‘Dawgs in the first half of a Week Three contest that Empire eventually won, 44-12.
Empire has won its seven contests by a combined score of 302-36. That’s an average of a 38-point victory per outing. The Bulldogs beat their first two District B1-2 opponents by a combined 108-0.
But Hollis is no strangers to success. The Tigers are 4-2 overall, with their losses coming against the Tipton, which is ranked No. 1 in Class C, and Laverne, the top ranked team in Class B1.
All but one of Hollis’ four wins came by the 45-point rule. The Tigers beat Balko-Forgan, 42-26, in the season opener and bounced Mt. View-Gotebo, 60-14, in the third week. They’ve beaten two district foes Snyder, 46-0, and Central, 56-0.
“Hollis looks just like us,” Hayes said. “They’re big, and they run. It’s going to come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes.”
Hollis is sure to see a heavy dose of Kam Whetstone, the Empire running back who leads the area in rushing with some 700 yards. Empire quarterback Bryce Shaver has started to come in the past two games, accounting for two rushing and two passing TDs.
But it’s been the Empire defense that’s stolen the show. Led by the likes of Cutter Rochell, Chase Kaspereite, Sean Allen, Nathan Menga, and Whetstone, the Bulldogs’ defense has been nearly impenetrable. The Empire defense has pitched five shutouts in seven games.
The winner will grab the inside track to the district championship.
Burns Flat-Dill City at Central: In Central, the Bronchos still have a chance to make the playoffs if they win two of their final three games. Despite being mired in a five-game losing streak, Central is holding fast to the fourth place stop in the league.
“The kids know that we can still make the playoffs and that this is a big game this week,” Central head coach Dusty Ketner said.
The Bronchos have lost to Waurika, 68-14, and Hollis, 56-0, in district. They have Burns Flat-Dill City (1-6, 0-2), Empire (7-0, 2-0), and Snyder (1-6, 0-2) remaining. It Central beats Burns Flat-Dill City and Snyder, and those teams don’t upset anyone else in the district, the Bronchos should make the playoffs as a fourth seed out of District B1-2.
Dickson at Marlow: The Outlaws (5-2, 3-1) took top-ranked Washington into overtime last week before losing, 35-28.
The Outlaws looked left for dead after Washington, winner of 38th straight games, took a 21-0 advantage into halftime. But Marlow practically dominated the third quarter and the early moments of the fourth to force the game into overtime.
“Our kids have no quit in them,” Marlow head coach Matt Weber said. “Playing a team the caliber of Washington, at a lot of places it would have gotten really ugly in the second half. Our guys just bowed their neck and fought their way back in it.”
The Outlaws will try to bounce back against Dickson (3-4, 2-2) in their homecoming game Friday.
Dickson is coached by Duncan High graduate Matt Suffal. The Comets opened the season with wins over Coalgate (18-7) and Madill (28-7) before losing three straight to Hugo, Washington, and Lindsay. Dickson carries a two game winning streak into the contest, having beaten district cellar dwellers Marietta, 40-7, and Little Axe, 19-15, in its last two games.
Comanche at Davis: The Indians will try to snap a three-game slide when they travel into Murray County to face the 4-3 Wolves, who are second in the district with a 4-0 league mark. Davis is tied with Holdenville for the district lead. Comanche enters the contest at 2-5 and 1-3.
Velma-Alma at Healdton: The district Velma-Alma plays in is all in a tizzy. Four teams – Velma-Alma, Ringling, Konawa, and Wilson – are all tied for first with district records of 3-1. Ringling and Konawa sits atop of the league based on district points, and the two leaders play each other this week. Velma-Alma beat Konawa, 14-12, last week. The Comets have yet to play Wilson. Healdton is 2-5 overall and 1-3 in district.
