KHS loss puts emphasis on Week 10
Just like last week, Kingfisher controls its own playoff destiny.
Only now, the window to do it is much tighter.
The Yellowjackets were stunned last Friday in a 12-10 loss at North Rock Creek.
With the opportunity to clinch a spot in the Class 3A playoffs, the Jackets trailed by two possessions in the fourth quarter and didn’t score their first - and only touchdown until 7:35 was left in the game.
That’s when Dallen Barton plunged in from 3 yards out to cap a 72-yard drive and pull the Jackets within two points.
But they didn’t get the ball back again until 2:48 remained and pinned back at their own 18.
The Jackets got near midfield before their final drive stalled out and sent the home team into a frenzy as they clinched their first OSSAA playoff berth.
North Rock Creek improved to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the district with one game to play. No matter the outcome in this week’s matchup with Metro Christian, the Cougars are in the playoffs.
Kingfisher, meanwhile, still has work to do.
The Jackets dropped to 3-6 and 3-3.
A win at home Friday against Anadarko coupled with a North Rock Creek loss and a McLoud victory over Mount St. Mary - both strong possibilities - means the Jackets would still finish third in the district.
“But we’ve got to make sure we take care of our own business first,” said Kingfisher interim head coach Stan Blundell.
The Jackets struggled to attain and maintain offensive rhythm against the Cougars.
They had 49 total yards at the half and trailed 6-3.
The five first-half possessions saw two turnovers, a punt and a blocked field goal attempt.
The lone scoring drive - which ended with a 39yard Jake Sisk field goal - began at the North Rock Creek 45.
The struggles continued into the second half as KHS threw two more interceptions and had to punt once in its first three possessions.
The first of those backto- back interceptions was followed by a 68-yard scoring drive by North Rock Creek.
Junior back Caleb Hawkins scored on a 15-yard run to give his team a 12-3 lead with 4:58 to go in the third quarter.
It was the second TD on a big night for Hawkins.
The first was a 39-yard scamper early in the second quarter.
He ended his night with 187 yards on 32 carries.
“We just didn’t tackle well,” Blundell said. “He’s a good back. He runs hard. He’s strong, but we also just didn’t tackle well.”
Kingfisher was unable to answer the Cougars’ third-quarter touchdown as it was followed up with another interception, the Jackets’ fourth turnover of the night.
“Four turnovers is never an easy thing to overcome, it doesn’t matter who you play,” said offensive coordinator Derek Patterson.
But the Jackets tried. North Rock Creek didn’t capitalize on the last turnover and was eventually forced to punt.
The Jackets commenced to moving the ball on its best drive of the night.
“We did a good job getting the ball out to the perimeter where we can get some guys in space,” Patterson said.
The drive was aided by fourth-down conversion and a North Rock Creek penalty, but a good bulk was also covered on the ground.
“I should have ‘checked’ more to get us in better run situations,” Patterson said of the rest of the night’s production.
Still KHS did produce 135 yards rushing on 31 attempts.
Quarterback Jhett Birdwell produced 77 of the yards on 19 carries.
Barton added 41 yards on 11 attempts.
Birdwell was 13 of 31 passing for 94 yards with two interceptions.
Barton also had nine tackles on defense as did Ethan Karcher.
Hunter Delozier led the team with 10 stops.
Damien Haynes, tied for the team lead with three receptions, also had an in- terception.
On the kickoff following the Kingfisher touchdown, the Jackets were flagged for a personal foul.
It was one of several crucial penalties on the night as the Jackets were flagged nine total times for 110 yards.
With improved field position, the Cougars picked up three first downs and ate more than four minutes off the clock.
“I told the guys on Saturday that on the outside looking in, there might be a couple of plays that stand out that cost us,” Patterson said. “But the truth is it was several plays throughout the game that cost us.
“All in all we didn’t come ready to play.”
Notes:
• Officiating didn’t cost Kingfisher the game. North Rock Creek was penalized more times (11) and for nearly as many yards (107). However, it was definitely interesting at times, including initially calling Sisk’s field goal, which clearly went through the uprights, no good. After a conference among officials - one of several on the night - the official who called it off then signaled it “good.”
• This will be just the second time since the 1999 season that KHS will finish a regular season below .500. The other was 2015.
• The only way for Kingfi sher to reach the playoffs with a loss this week is also for Mount St. Mary to defeat McLoud (Mount St. Mary is currently 0-6 in the district). If that scenario played out, it would leave KHS, McLoud and Anadarko all at 3-4 and no outright winner in headto- head games, meaning it would come down to district points. Kingfisher currently sits at +25 district points while McLoud is -23 and Anadarko is -17. Teams can’t add or lose more than 15 district points in a game, meaning KHS couldn’t be surpassed.
That scenario isn’t likely. If KHS loses and McLoud wins, McLoud will get the fourth and final playoff spot (behind district champ Perkins, Metro Christian and North Rock Creek).
• If Kingfisher wins this week, it will get either third or fourth in the district.
• A win plus a McLoud win and a Metro Christian win over North Rock Creek would put KHS, McLoud and NRC all at 4-3 and battling for the final two spots in the district. Again with no head-to-head clearcut winner, it would come down to district points. North Rock Creek sits at +27. If KHS wins and NRC loses by two or more points, that puts the Jackets at third and North Rock Creek at fourth and McLoud on the outside looking in.
• A Kingfisher win and a North Rock Creek win (or loss of fewer than three points) would put the Cougars at third and the Jackets at fourth. Again, sorry McLoud.