Your Zebras are 2-0 to start the year and week two was a beat down against Rogers County Rival, Oologah. This rivalry has been happening since before any of the kids on the field were even born. The thing about this rivalry is when you win this particular game it tastes just a little sweeter than other wins, and let me tell you, this one tasted like a deep fried Twinkie, dipped in chocolate, and wrapped in a funnel cake. What a night for the Zebras.
The game started just like any other game. There was a kickoff and then an offense and defense took the field. After that there was nothing normal about the first half. Oologah's quarterback running for dear life and throwing up prayers that were being answered on offense, and the Zebras offense was scoring on what seemed like every other play. This made it a gut wrenching first half that ended 34-27. That score looked more like Texas Tech vs Oklahoma, than it did Claremore vs Oologah. It was exciting none the less if you missed it.
At halftime the coaches and players met and two things happened. The offense said let's just keep doing what we are doing, and the defensive coaches said let's change what were are doing. Both things happened in the second half as the offense continued scoring points and the defensive adjustments put a stop to the Mustangs. When I asked the Coach Willard, the DC, about the defense only giving up 2 garbage time touchdowns in the 2nd half, his response was simple, "Thank God for halftime." He elaborated a little by saying "the coaches did a great job of communicating the adjustments that needed to made, but the kids deserve the credit for executing them. "
The final score ended 62-41 as all the kids played hard and played well. There are many players that contributed to the score being what it was, but some more than others. The group that fits that category was this weeks POW's, Walker Dunaway, Josh Feliciano, Nick Garbani, Gage Deckard, and Braxton Ethridge. Congrats to all of you for being named players of the week.
First lets start with Walker Dunaway. Walker was named JV player of the week because of his work ethic and his drive to get better. Walker not only has been playing well in JV games, he also had a big catch on a 4th down is the varsity game Friday night. Walker is taking full advantage of his opportunities in practice and JV games to make sure he ready when it is his time on Friday nights. He understands his role and takes it very serious, and will soon enough be one of the guys getting his number called under the lights.
Next is the defensive player of the week Josh Feliciano. Josh is a defensive tackle that gets double teamed almost every play, and most of the time that does not work. He is a run game nightmare for the offense when he is on the field. He is constantly in the back field either making the tackle or disrupting the flow of the opposing offense. I have a feeling this will not be the last time Josh is awarded the defensive player of the week.
Nick Garbani was named the special teams POW. If you did not attend the first two games you need to start coming. Garbani is worth the price of admission on the kickoff team alone. He is a heat seeking missal that destroys everything in his path. If you don't believe me show up to the next game and find number 89 on the kickoff team. He is on the right side of the field and he will be the first one down the field either destroying the guy with the ball or the guy standing in front of the guy with the ball. Last week against Oologah he literally convinced another player to get out of the way. When you score 62 points you get to kickoff a lot, and by the end of the game nobody in a Mustang jersey wanted to stand on the tracks when the Garbani train was coming through.
The last POW that needed to be awarded was the offensive player of the week. But the question that was being asked was, who do the coaches award it to. Do you give it to the kid that had 7 receptions for 259 yards and 4 touchdowns or to the kid that was 15 for 21 passing for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns. The answer is simple, you don't choose one and they both get the award. Neither performance out weighed the other, and neither performance happens without each other. Congrats Gage Deckard on having a night that most only dream about. Four receiving touchdowns in one game and over 200 yards, those are video game numbers on rookie mode. Congrats Braxton Ethridge on your 400 yard, 5 touchdown night. In my tenure here at Claremore I have never seen anything like that, not even from back when your offensive coordinator was taking snaps here at Claremore. Through two games these two have accounted for 12 touchdowns and are turning the offense into the second coming of the "greatest show on turf."
One last congratulations to all the coaches and players on the early season success, and lets make it 3-0 this Friday at Hilldale.