Yellowjackets earn ‘feel good’ victory
KHS takes care of Bridge Creek with dominant homecoming performance
KHS DEFENDERS Eduardo De La Torre (44) and Hayes White (right) combine to make a tackle during the Jackets’ 45-12 homecoming victory over Bridge Creek last Friday. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
In Week 1, Kingfisher had a chance to win in overtime, but fell short.
In Week 2, Kingfisher won in overtime, but blew a 14-point lead in the final minutes of regulation.
Despite the improved outcome, head coach Reagan Roof couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied.
“This week I’d like to win and be able to feel good about it,” he said.
Consider it done. KHS scored on offense, defense and special teams Friday to earn a 45-12 homecoming night victory over Bridge Creek.
“We did feel good about that one,” said Roof after his team improved to 2-1 and awaits Pauls Valley this week for the start of District 3A-1 games.
Coaches expected a win over the Bobcats on Friday. The visitors came in with an 0-2 record, which included a 50-13 defeat to Anadarko the previous week.
What they got was a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and a 38-0 advantage by halftime.
“We played with a sense of urgency,” said Roof. “It was something I felt had been missing.”
Kingfisher’s defense forced a three-and-out to start the game, then the offense drove 53 yards for a TD.
Jhett Birdwell’s twoyard scoring run was set up by a 23-yard run by Brett Calamateo and a chain-moving pass to Kasen Blair on a 4th-and-9 play.
On the Jackets’ next possession, they drove 82 yards.
Brett Calamateo found the end zone on a 17-yard run, a play that was set up by a 60-yard reception by Blair.
That score came with 49 seconds left in the first quarter.
It was the first of three TDs scored by the Jackets over the span of 2:00 on the game clock.
The Jackets pinned Bridge Creek deep and forced yet another punt.
This one was bobbled by the Bobcats’ kicker and he was quickly swarmed by Kingfisher defenders.
As Brody Boeckman and Jackson Willbanks flung him to the ground, the ball popped out and Collin Farrar pounced on it in the end zone.
Special teams - namely Boeckman - struck again and quickly.
Boeckman’s hit forced another fumble on the ensuing kickoff.
This time the Jackets’ Kaden Cline jumped on it to give his team a short field.
That turned into Calamateo’s second TD run, this one from 2 yards out to give the Jackets a 28-0 lead at the 10:39 mark of the second quarter.
Special teams made their mark, but in a different way, on Kingfisher’s next possession.
Senior Rhett Schlegel, in his first career field goal attempt, made good on a 28-yarder with 2:39 to go in the half.
Kingfisher wasn’t done as it struck one more time by the end of the half.
Another defensive stand set up another scoring drive. This one covered 48 yards and saw Birdwell connect with Blair for a 10yard score.
The Jackets pushed it to 45-0 in the third quarter when Blair stepped in front of a pass near the KHS sideline and returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown.
Kingfisher’s defense held Bridge Creek to 195 total yards. The Bobcats got 157 of those in the second half.
Willbanks had a big night with seven tackles, including four for a loss and two sacks.
Hayes White was also in on seven stops for the Jackets.
KHS had 275 of its 298 total yards by halftime and spent much of the second half trying to run out the clock.
Birdwell was 7 of 9 for 168 passing yards and a TD.
Blair caught five passes for 96 yards. Willbanks hauled in two passes for 25 yards.
Calamateo’s five carries netted him 58 yards while Birdwell added another 40 yards on the ground.
“We played well in all three phases,” Roof said. “We executed our game plan well on both sides of the ball.”
The head coach attributed a lot of that to what happened Monday through Thursday.
“We had a really good week of practice,” he said. “And it’s supposed to work that way: You have a good week of practice and you play better on Friday.
“We want to take steps and get better every week and we felt like we did that.”
The win ended the Jackets’ non-conference slate.
The Panthers come to town this Friday with an 0-3 record, including last week’s 42-7 defeat at the hands of Weatherford.
The Panthers aren’t the same team with multiple Division I talents that came from behind to beat the Jackets 43-40 a season ago.
But Roof said he’ll be stressing to his team this week that the first three games don’t matter for either team.
“This district game is just as important to them as it is to us,” Roof said. “It’s a win that you feel you really need to get to have a leg up on making the playoffs.”