All eyes on Class 5A football

Sports

Related Photos

Corey Hamilton, 73, and the Duncan offensive linemen go through blocking drills during Wednesday’s practice in preparation for the 2010 season opener Friday at Guthrie. Ben Whitehead

September 2, 2010

Demons gear up for Friday night at Guthrie

Ben Whitehead The Duncan Banner The Duncan Banner Thu Sep 02, 2010, 06:00 AM CDT

DUNCAN — Friday night’s football schedule in Class 5A looks more like a semifinal playoff bracket than it does the opening night of high school football.

Defending state champion Carl Albert, ranked No. 1 in the AP Prep Poll, hosts No. 2 Booker T. Washington. Meanwhile, No. 5 Duncan travels to No. 3 Guthrie.

Surely there will be a few butterflies floating in the stomachs of many of the players. And needless to say, all of 5A football will be keeping a close eye on both games.

Game on.

Last season, Guthrie knocked the home-standing Demons out of the playoffs. There will be a few new faces on both sides of the ball for both teams, but Duncan head coach Jim Holloway said his Demons are ready to play.

“It seems like it’s been a really, really long time since we played Guthrie in the first round of the playoffs, but time has really gone by fast,” Holloway said. “I think our players are really excited and ready. I think our coaches are excited and ready. Just the leading up to game one sometimes can really produce a lot of tense moments, and I’m sure that there’ll be some intense moments right up until kickoff.”

The high rankings for each team are well-deserved and Holloway noted the similarities that the Demons and Bluejays share.

“We’ve got a lot of similarities. We’ve both got a large number of returning starters, quality returning starters,” he said. “They lost two defensive linemen that were really good players for them, and we lost two senior defensive linemen, so a lot of similarities.

“They’ve got three returning starters on the offensive line, we’ve got four. We both got our quarterback back, we both got out running backs back, we’ve both got receivers back. Both teams bring back a wealth of experience and it’s more than just the experience, it’s the quality of that experience. They’ve got a really fine football team. They’re well-coached as we found out last year, and I think it goes without question that we’ve got some good players ourselves.”

The expectations for Duncan are higher than they have been in the recent past. Picking up a win at Guthrie would certainly push those expectations through the roof.

“I think because of so many expectations and so many things that have been said and written, I think the players are just like anybody else. They want to believe that that’s true,” said Holloway. “A win in Week 1 would give us a tremendous amount of confidence.”

Holloway said playing teams like Guthrie and Carl Albert — Duncan’s opponent in Week 3 — help make the Demons better prepared for when district play rolls around.

“I sought out Guthrie, I wanted to play them,” he said. “I want to play some good people. No. 1, we want to be tested when we go into district play. We want to be the very best football team we can be and you do that by playing good people. It makes your players prepare harder, it makes your coaches prepare harder and it just elevates everybody’s game.”

Senior center Cody Pollock expects Guthrie to bring its “A” game.

“I think there’s going to be more intensity,” Pollock said. “They’ll come out fired up and fight just as hard as last year.

“We’re prepared, but we’ve got to go in it with our best on each play. I expect them to give their best and we have to give our best.”

— Ben Whitehead is the sports editor for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 255-5354, Ext. 165, or via e-mail at ben.whitehead@duncanbanner.com.

Text Only

Sports

Bray-Doyle names four new head coaches
Four new coaches were named Thursday, filling vacancies left after a flood of resignations at the end of the school year.

May 26, 2012
Whipples back to where it started
Kevin Whipple, one of the best golfers to come out of Duncan, was back on the course where he learned to play the game about three decades ago as he and his father, Dale, paired up in the 35th Annual Blowout Tournament on Saturday.

May 26, 2012
Low scores on Day 1 of Blowout
Duncan Golf & Tennis Club members are leading seven of the eight flights after the first round of action, and are second in the Blowout Flight.

May 26, 2012 2 Photos
WELL STATED
Britton Scott and Kelsey LeValley didn’t earn titles at the state tennis tournament like they hoped to, but they can rest assured they will still get a chance to end their high school careers on a high note.
Scott and LeValley were among the eight players selected to the Girls’ West All-State Tennis Team, which was announced Wednesday. They will take on the East team on July 24 at the University of Tulsa.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos
Under new management
Sometimes, change can be a good thing. For the Marlow Outlaws football team, this season is gearing up to be full of it.
After a disappointing 1-9 finish to the season, which included six losses by 10 points or less, there was a change of command for MHS.
On April 20, Rob Renshaw, who had spent the past six seasons at Putnam City High School as the offensive coordinator, was named the official head coach of the Outlaws.

May 23, 2012 2 Photos
Laying the foundation
Last season, the Velma-Alma Comets had a nightmare start to their year.
After losing its first five games, along with star running back Checotah Lynn to a knee injury, V-A was looking at an unthinkable losing season.
However, the Comets rebounded to win six straight games and earn second place in district, eventually reaching the second round of the playoffs before falling to Minco 51-18.
Monday evening saw the Comets hard at work on Edgar Martin Field as they try and build upon the success of 2011.

May 22, 2012 2 Photos
Blowout is as big as ever in 35th year
The driving range has seen an increase in popularity, the putting green is getting more use and the course professionals are devoting more of their days to giving lessons.
With the 35th Annual Blowout Tournament this weekend at the Duncan Golf and Tennis Club, it isn’t a time to be rusty.

May 22, 2012
First Impressions
Even before the rooster could finish his morning crows Monday, the Central High football team was hard at work at Broncho Stadium.
Enthusiasm was high and the pads were clapping as 18 CHHS players hit the field for the first time in 2012.
This marked the first official practice under head coach Andy Claborn, who takes over a Bronchos squad that narrowly missed the playoffs in 2011 with a 5-5 record.

May 21, 2012 2 Photos
Scramble helps send Stevens to Pinehurst
Thanks to his performances in U.S. Kids Golf tournaments in Oklahoma City, Caden Stevens earned a spot in the World Championships.
Thanks to his fellow Stephens County residents, he will get to go.
Fifty-six players took part in the Team Caden Classic scramble on Saturday at Twin Oaks Golf Club. Between them and sponsorships from 11 local businesses, around $2,800 was raised to help send Stevens to Pinehurst, N.C., where he will compete at the storied golf resort against some of the best 7-year-olds in the world.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
Cards win Jess Welch title
Even though Duncan experienced a slight shower Sunday morning, it wasn’t enough to halt the final day of the Jess Welch Memorial Tournament at Abe Raizen Park.
In the championship of the 10-&-under division, it was an all-Duncan final between the Cardinals and Yankees, both of which survived semifinal matchups against teams from outside of Stephens County to advance earlier in the day.
Four runs in each of the first three innings proved to be too much for the Yankees to handle as the red birds took home the championship with a 15-0 victory in four innings.

May 20, 2012 2 Photos
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Related Photos

All eyes on Class 5A football

Demons gear up for Friday night at Guthrie

How far will the Oklahoma City Thunder go in the NBA playoffs?

Site Map

Contact Us