Two road trips will determine Jackets’ playoff destination

The goal is always to win.

Another goal is to avoid heading to Sulphur in the first round of the playoffs, a fate that has fell to the Kingfisher Yellowjackets the last two years and has been quite unkind.

How to achieve that second goal?

Win. That’s what the Jackets will try to do these next two weeks as they close out their 2025 regular season with trips to Anadarko and Plainview.

With two wins, the Jackets would be District 3A-1 runners-up and host a firstround playoff game.

One win in the final two weeks means - likely - the Jackets will be third (though with the right scenario, both second and fourth would also be on the table as possibilities).

Two losses means Sulphur, a team that’s beaten KHS a combined 108-7 the last two seasons.

Kingfisher won just four games in 2023 and five a season ago.

This year’s squad has already eclipsed those marks through just eight games.

Kingfisher heads to Anadarko with a 6-2 record overall. It’s 4-1 in district games and currently tied with Plainview.

Anadarko is also 6-2 and sits at 3-2 in the district with its losses to district champ Heritage Hall and then 49-28 to Plainview last week.

The Warriors are in much the same position as Kingfisher.

A loss this week likely knocks them down to fourth in the district while a win keeps them in the hunt for second place (with some help from the Jackets at Plainview next week).

The Warriors offer one of the best offenses the Jackets will face this season.

They average 42 points and have the ability to throw it around.

QB Jason Kawaykla has thrown for 959 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“But they’re big and physical. They want to play smash mouth and run it right at you,” said KHS football coach Reagan Roof.

Behind the size up front, the Warriors have two backs with more than 500 rushing yards.

Troy Pendarvis has amassed 652 yards while Farris Sutteer has added 537. Both average 7.0 yards a carry and the two have combined for 17 touchdowns.

Anadarko has three receivers with more than 200 yards on the season led by Napoleon Camp’s 418 yards and four TDs.

Anadarko does give up over 24 points a game, but that average is inflated by three contests: 49 to Plainview, 52 to Heritage Hall and 35 to Lone Grove.

“They run to the ball really well,” Roof said. “They have a lot of athleticism and team speed in the secondary.”

As for the keys to the game, it comes down to what most big games do, said Roof.

“First, we can’t turn the ball over. We’ve got to take care of it,” he said. “We have to find a way to stop their run and then we need to find a way to hit some big plays on offense.”

Kingfisher’s lone district loss to this point was 26-7 to Heritage Hall.

That snapped a fourgame win streak after the Jackets opened up the season with a 28-27 overtime loss at Weatherford.

Kingfisher downed North Rock Creek 34-0 last Thursday to secure its 26th consecutive trip to the playoffs.