Previewing Stigler-Bristow and Keota-Wetumka
Stigler and Keota play at home once again for the second round of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 18, with both games starting at 7:30 p.m. The Lions look to continue their success against a strong former district foe. The Panthers likely will be involved in a shootout with another top-notch scoring team.
Stigler (9-2) vs. Bristow (9-2)
Last week: Stigler 48, Sequoyah Tahlequah 30; Bristow 41, Sperry 14.
Last meeting: Bristow 28, Stigler 6 (1999)
Stigler and Bristow enter as two of the top five scoring teams in Class 3A. The Pirates are third at 46.8 points per game while the Panthers are fifth at 46.3 per game. Both play high-tempo offense. Bristow brings some of the no-huddle approach that Stigler uses. Garret Brooks, who has run for 2,263 yards and 24 touchdowns this season, has been an explosive ball-carrier for Stigler. He ran for 261 yards and three touchdowns against Sequoyah Tahlequah in the first round on Nov. 11.
"He's full speed in two or three steps," said Stigler coach Chris Risenhoover.
Stigler quarterback T.J. Spearman has met expectations as a senior, passing for 2,369 yards while completing 61.2 percent of his passes and throwing 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
Bristow's speed will pose a challenge to Stigler's defense.
"They have more speed than we do across the board and this is the fastest Stigler has been in years," Risenhoover said. "Coach [Chris] Cole, our linebackers coach, went there after he did an internship here. ... He's really familiar with their personnel and they're faster than we are."
The Pirates' Kyren Johnson and Nathaniel Bradford are major playmakers at running back. Both run the ball quickly to the outside while working in Bristow's Wishbone formation. At 5'10" and 210 pounds, Bradford also poses problems with his size.
Since the Panthers are not as tall in the defensive backfield, they have struggled at times this season with tackling. Risenhoover said that, defensively, tacking will be the name of the game.
"We'll have to keep tightening up and making sure our defense is there. At this point, it's about getting stops and giving our offense a chance to score," he said.
Bristow has not advanced beyond the second round since 2000.
Stigler is looking to make its fourth playoff run beyond the second round. The Panthers reached the quarterfinals in 2012. Brooks and senior wide receiver Dawson Barger expressed hopes of beating that team's success.
Keota (8-3) vs. Wetumka (8-3)
Last week: Keota 50, Prue 0; Wetumka 50, Allen 0.
Last meeting: Keota 36, Wetumka 12 (Sept. 30, 2016).
Keota has won its last three games against Wetumka, which was a district rival of the Lions before this season. The win against the Chieftains was Keota's first truly strong game this season after having senior quarterback Trevor Bryant out due to eligibility and senior running back Garren Drummonds recovering from a knee injury.
Keota coach Eric Henry called it the team's "best game from start to finish this season," adding that the team would need another supreme effort to beat them this week.
The Lions have high hopes of going deep in the playoffs after making the Class B championship last year.
After shutting down Prue in the first round on Nov. 11, Henry reminded his players of the need to play with urgency in the first two rounds.
"We earned the right to play at home in the first two rounds. We do not lose at home," he said.
The Lions have used a three-man rushing attack with Bryant, Drummonds and senior Knute Dumas. Bryant has rushed for 944 yards and 22 touchdowns in nine games. Drummonds has totaled 787 yards and 14 touchdowns. Dumas has garnered 905 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Wetumka, which last reached the third round of the playoffs in 2010, has leaned on senior running back Joseph Freeman, who has run for 1,465 yards while averaging 8.8 yards per carry and scoring 15 touchdowns. Senior running back Waylon Lashley has 591 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, but only received five carries against Allen on Nov. 11 while Freeman ran 19 times for 201 yards.
Dumas is Bryant's primary passing target with 552 yards receiving and 10 touchdown catches.
Keota is 11th in Class B with 44 points per game and tied for sixth in scoring defense, allowing 20 per game. Wetumka is 14th in Class B in scoring at 40.2 points per game and 13th in scoring defense with 21.3 points allowed per game.