Myers points to season’s positives

Kingfisher’s first-round playoff game was painfully representative of the entire 2021 season.

The Jackets saw their season end last Friday night with a 6-5 record after a 48-20 loss at Plainview.

It’s just the second time in Jeff Myers’ 18-year tenure that KHS hasn’t won at least one playoff game.

As the contest was being played out, senior Alan Muñoz, the team’s leading rusher, third-leading tackler and also its kicker and punter, watched from the sidelines while in a boot, the result of a sprained ankle suffered the previous week.

On the field, and making his season debut, was Dallen Barton.

The versatile sophomore ran the ball, caught the ball, returned kicks and was tied for the team lead with 11 tackles.

It was an impressive, yet aching reminder of what the team missed out on as Barton watched the first 10 games of the season with a broken foot.

Muñoz and Barton were two of many who missed significant time to injury.

Aaron DeLaTorre. Tanner Parker. Kyle Borelli. Cade Covalt. Jax Sternberger. Harrison Evans.

The list is longer, but those Jackets missed anywhere from one full game to the entire season.

Most were - or would have been - two-way starters. All were - or would have been - major contributors.

“It was a difficult season to navigate, especially with all of the injuries,” Myers said afterward.

Given time to reflect - and after a conversation with one of his former college coaches - he was reminded of an axiom fitting not only for sports, but life.

Adversity equals opportunity.

“We were able to play a lot of younger kids and give them significant playing time and that wouldn’t have happened if we would have stayed healthy,” Myers continued.

“So the amount of adversity we faced on a weekly basis, either figuring out who was going to be available to play or not, as well as the adversity we dealt with during games that we are not used to… all of those things when you think about it are all character building opportunities for all of our kids that will serve them well in the future.”

The adversity was on display earlier at Plainview.

Indians’ quarterback Reis Taylor took the game’s first play from scrimmage around the right end and went 71 yards untouched into the end zone.

Plainview led 7-0 just 15 seconds into the game.

Whereas in blowout losses to the likes of Perkins-Tryon, Heritage Hall and Anadarko, the Jackets saw early miscues get compounded, this time around they were more composed.

Kingfisher’s defense stiffened and on the third offensive possession of the game, that unit came to life.

Sternberger delivered a 21-yard run on a 4th-and-9 play and two plays later was able to sneak it in from the 1.

The Jackets had pulled within 7-6 and even forced another Plainview punt on the ensuing possession.

That’s when things slowly began to unravel for KHS.

Sternberger fumbled on the next possession and that set up a 20-yard scoring drive for the Indians as Taylor ran it in from the 3 with just seven seconds left in the quarter.

Plainview was able to add 71-yard and 64-yard scoring drives before the end of the half to lead 27-6.

“We were still very much in the game,” Myers said.

However, Plainview intercepted Sternberger on the first drive of the second half.

That set up another short field and another Indians’ touchdown as they went up 34-6.

Kingfisher clawed back as Slade Snodgrass hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Sternberger late in the third quarter.

The Indians had their own answer, but Snodgrass and Sternberger connected one more time, this one from 64 yards out.

That came with 7:15 to play and pulled KHS within 41-20.

Kingfisher got no closer.

Snodgrass ended his KHS career with a bang.

The senior had 10 catches for 174 yards and joined Barton in collecting 11 tackles.

“He was a warrior for us,” Myers said. “He was all season. Without him, we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did.”

Sternberger finished 17 of 32 for 217 yards, but was picked off three times. He added another 57

He added another 57 rushing yards on 17 attempts.

Wrigley Kennedy added six tackles and a sack for KHS while Isaac Long was in on five tackles.

Taylor was just 1 of 9 through the air for the Indians, but the Jackets struggled to slow him down in the run game.

He finished with 12 attempts for 153 yards. Plainview had 256 total rushing yards.

The season ended with three straight losses.

This year’s squad joins the 2015 team as the only ones to not win a postseason contest under Myers.

Still, it was one that went into Week 9 still with a chance to win its district.

“The season didn’t turn out like any of us had envisioned,” Myers said.

“But there are a lot of life lessons that can be taken from this year.”

Myers said this year’s adversity can be next year’s fuel.

“Hopefully our younger kids will take all of this and learn from it and hopefully use it as a building block for our future seasons.”