Jeff Harrison
Finishing sixth in district might not seem like much of goal for many high school football teams, but it would be a huge step for Oklahoma Christian Academy. After recording just one victory in their first season of OSSAA football, the Eagles (2-7, 2-5) can take that next step Friday night when they head to Bowlegs for the season finale.
“I’ve been trying to impress upon the kids the importance of this game,” OCA coach Keith Lough said. “Being sixth in the district is not the top, but it’s not the bottom either. If we can win, it will build a lot of momentum for next year when we move to a new district.”
The Eagles will bring some momentum with them to Bowlegs as they’re coming off their second win of the season, a 32-14 road win against Prue.
“I thought we played probably the best game we’ve played all year,” Lough said. “It was a real confidence builder for our program. And I think our guys will show up and give Bowlegs all they have.”
And like the Eagles, Bowlegs (2-7, 2-5) has also picked up wins over Agra and Prue. The Bison are coming off four straight losses, but should be a pretty even match for OCA.
The Eagles’ offense came alive last week against Prue, after getting shut out for the first time this year in loss to Davenport in week eight. Parker Randell had a field day against the Rockets, rushing for 228 yards and four touchdowns.
On Friday they’ll meet up with the Bowlegs’ defense, which has surrendered 140 points in their last two games. Lough said the Bison like bring a lot of pressure and plug up the middle of the field.
“We’ll try and run some stuff outside and if we can go up the middle, Parker (Randell) has speed to get to end zone,” Lough said. “Once you get to second level, no one is there.”
Offensively, the Bison like to keep the ball on the ground and run behind their strong line. This season they’re averaging 32.5 points per game and have topped the 50-point mark twice in their wins over Agra and Prue.
The Eagles and Bison will get underway at 7:30 p.m.
