Clear skies. Low 69F. Winds light and variable..
Clear skies. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Claremore's Teagan Panther (20) makes an acrobatic catch in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown during the second quarter of a half-game scrimmage against Coweta on Friday night at Lantow Field.
Claremore's Teagan Panther (20) makes an acrobatic catch in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown during the second quarter of a half-game scrimmage against Coweta on Friday night at Lantow Field.
Coweta is good. Really good.
And Claremore became the first victim of perhaps one of this year's top title contenders in Class 5A when the teams met in a half-game scrimmage Friday night at Lantow Field.
Coweta, which has been ranked as high as No. 2 in some preseason polls, rolled to a 35-7 victory behind 286 yards of offense in only two quarters of action.
Here are some takeaways from the Zebras' "mini" game:
No Hamm, No Problem: Coweta managed all that offensive success despite the inconspicuous absence of star quarterback Gage Hamm.
Hamm is considered among the best quarterbacks in the state, throwing for nearly 2,200 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 707 yards and another 14 scores in 2020 while leading the Tigers to a 10-2 record and a quarterfinals berth.
However, it was Na'kylan Starks behind center Friday night, and he didn't disappoint.
Starks did it all for Coweta, accounting for a touchdown on the ground and through the air while also snagging an 80-yard pick-six.
His first score came on an 18-yard scramble on the opening drive, and his pick-six came just over four minutes later after Claremore had driven to the Tiger 15-yard line.
That score made it 14-0 with 3:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Starks struck again at the 10:18 mark of the second, delivering a 31-yard strike to Justis Grammar, who made a diving catch in the end zone.
In all, Starks completed 6 of 11 passes for 117 yards and rushed for 79 yards on nine carries.
Will Mason, who busted a 25-yard run on the first play of the scrimmage before going on to finish with 75 yards rushing on nine carries, added Coweta's final two touchdowns on runs of 9 and 4 yards.
If the Tigers were that good without their ace quarterback against a Zebras defense that returned more than half its starters from 2020, Class 5A could have its hands full.
“Coweta is a top-five program in the state of Oklahoma, and a lot of folks think they’re a semifinal team this year,” Claremore coach Jarrett Hurt said. “We were excited to test ourselves against one of the better teams in Oklahoma; we like to scrimmage tough competition. That’s kind of our philosophy around here — schedule as hard as we can early in the year so we can improve on what we need to improve on.”
Scout-ing Report: The scrimmage didn't start the way Scout Cutsinger had hoped.
Claremore's junior quarterback completed only one of his first four passes for minus-3 yards, and lumped among that quartet of throws was a pick-six. Just before the turnover, the Zebras were pushed from the Coweta 15 to outside the red zone thanks to a holding penalty.
However, Cutsinger maintained his composure and managed to throw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Teagan Panther with 9:55 remaining in the second quarter.
He finished with 21 yards on 3-of-7 passing.
“I told Scout he did a great job of responding to adversity,” Hurt said. “That’s what a quarterback has to do. You gotta ride the wave; you can’t be too up and you can’t be too down. He hung in there and got a nice touchdown pass to finish it off, so we’re proud of the way he responded to adversity.
“He’s made great strides since last year, and he did lead us to a playoff win against East Central. We’re real pleased with his progress right now.”
Braxton Etheridge, a sophomore, went 2-of-5 in backup duty and led the team in passing with 24 yards.
Common Ground: One question mark facing Claremore entering this season was the running back position.
That question appeared to be somewhat answered Friday night, though.
Despite losing last year's leading rusher Demetrice Coronado to graduation with the next best returner accounting for only 45 yards in 2020, the Zebras have several suitable candidates vying for the job.
Leading the way was David Lozoya. The senior ripped off three-consecutive runs of 10 yards or more in only one series of action, including a 31-yard sprint on a fourth-and-inches play from the Claremore 39 early in the first quarter. He finished with 56 yards on four carries.
Eli Rodgers boasted the team's longest run, though, darting 32 yards on his only carry before getting drug down via the horse collar, which added 15 yards to the scurry and set up Cutsinger's touchdown pass for the Zebras' only points of the scrimmage.
Eli Pezo had the most carries with six, recording 10 yards.
Claremore's rushing attack, which gained 105 yards on 17 touches, featured five ball carriers in all.
“I’m really proud of the way David ran the ball tonight,” Hurt said. “He got us a big fourth-down gain. We kind of rolled the dice right there, and he squirted out of there and got us a big, huge gain to kind of get us jumpstarted.”
Go Green: Claremore was with a new offensive coordinator Friday night, and his name is Joe Green.
Green, who guided the Zebras to 150 yards against a veteran Coweta defense, took over after Tommy Rogers left to become the head coach at Inola.
“I feel like we’re ahead of where we were last year at this time,” Hurt said of Green’s offense. “Coming out of this scrimmage last year at this time, I don’t think we gained an inch. We were excited with what we were able to do tonight on offense, in comparison to last year at this time.”
As for Rogers and his future with the Longhorns, Hurt was nothing but supportive when speaking about his former assistant’s first head-coaching gig.
“He did a super job for us here at Claremore, and it’s always great to see a guy who worked for you spread his wings and go get his own coaching job. We’re excited for him and hope he wins them all. Tommy is a kid magnet. Kids like him, and that’s one of his greatest qualities. He’s energetic and enthusiastic, and I think he’ll get that program jumpstarted.”
Hot Dogs for Everyone: While the Zebras were putting work in on the field, the Claremore Quarterback Club was doing the same off the field.
CQC made sure all players, coaches and officials were fed, cooking 900 hot dogs for the festivities.
Hurt made sure to show his appreciation for their services.
“They do a super, super job,” Hurt said. “Led by Rusty and Reagan Robertson, we couldn’t do it without them. We appreciated what they do for us and for feeding everybody tonight. If you folks out there want to get in on something good, get in on the quarterback club. They do a lot for kids here in Claremore.”
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.