KHS wraps up Panthers in district opener

After the win over Clinton, Kingfisher head football coach Reagan Roof was distraught about his team’s inability to put teams away late.

That hasn’t been the case the last two weeks.

The Jackets once again struck early and often Friday night as they sent Pauls Valley home with a 42-0 defeat.

It was Kingfisher’s third straight win as it improved to 3-1 overall and is 1-0 in District 3A-1.

The Jackets scored a defensive touchdown to start the game and found the end zone on their first three offensive possessions to lead the Panthers 28-0 after a quarter.

“That’s the third week in a row where we were able to get on a team early,” Roof noted.

Against Clinton, Kingfi sher quickly led 14-0 early, but squandered that lead as well as a two-touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter before eventually winning in overtime.

But in Week 3 against Bridge Creek - KHS led 14-0 after a quarter and 38-0 at the half - and last week against the Panthers, there was no comeback.

“When we play these struggling teams, it’s important to get on them early and take the wind out of their sails,” Roof said. “And we’ve done that. Once we get a couple of quick scores on them, they sort of shut it down.”

The scores back it up as the Jackets outscored those two foes a combined 87-12.

The Jackets had the lead against Pauls Valley before the offense ever took the field.

Brett Calamateo’s pressure forced a backward pass by the Panthers that was nowhere near a teammate.

Brody Boeckman wasted no time picking it up and running it 20 yards into the end zone for a touchdown less than two minutes into the contest.

Once KHS did get the ball, it drove 57 yards in just over four minutes as Jhett Birdwell connected with freshman Collin Farrar for a 7-yard touchdown.

The Jackets led by the two touchdowns when they next had possession with just 28 seconds left in the first quarter.

By the time the quarter was over, it would be 28-0.

The third score saw Calamateo burst through the line and score on a 51-yard run, the Jackets’ longest run of the season, for a 21-0 lead with 18 seconds left in the quarter.

Boeckman then forced a fumble on the kickoff, one that was recovered by Braydon Livingston.

That gave the Jackets possession at the Pauls Valley 24.

On the last play of the quarter, Kasen Blair ran it in from four yards out.

Kingfisher’s lone blemish in the first half was a fumble, but the defense responded with a turnover on downs.

KHS put together a quick 81-yard scoring drive capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass from Birdwell to Blair.

Birdwell didn’t have a blemish in the first half.

He completed all 12 of his passes for 177 yards and the two scores.

The senior eventually ran the total to 13 straight completions and finished 13 of 16 for 200 yards.

“He played his best game of the year,” Roof said. “As much as they blitz, it was going to be important to get the ball out quickly. He did that and got it to the right person.”

And he spread the wealth. Five different Jackets Boeckman, Blair, Farrar, Jackson Willbanks and Carter Stephenson - caught at least two passes each.

Blair had four receptions for 66 yards.

Stephenson’s four catches netted 54 yards.

That included a 21-yard touchdown thrown by Calamateo in the third quarter, the Jackets’ final score of the game.

All told, Kingfisher had 227 yards through the air and 150 on the ground.

Calamateo needed just four carries to net 64 yards.

Pauls Valley was held to 164 total yards.

Boeckman and Blair both had seven tackles.

It was Kingfisher’s first shutout since Oct. 6, 2023, when the Jackets won 38-0 at Mannford.

Most importantly, said Roof, the Jackets got that all-important district win.

“Every one of them is important, but you’ve got to have the ones you feel you should win,” he said. “And that was one of them.”

Kingfisher is on the road this week for the first time since Week 1 when it visits Purcell.

The Dragons are 1-3 and coming off a 42-21 loss to Plainview.

“This is going to be a tough, physical test for our defense,” Roof said.

The Dragons run the flexbone offense and do their best to hog the time of possession.

“Their offensive linemen fire off low and fast,” Roof said. “They play keep away and try to limit your possessions.

“So when you don’t get as many snaps on offense, every possession is important.”