HS FOOTBALL: Buffs ready for season-opening battle with Broken Bow
Aug. 25—The Buffs are back again.
5A-No. 2 McAlester will kick off its 2022 season with a Zero Week contest against 4A-No. 9 Broken Bow at Hook Eales Stadium on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Coach Forrest Mazey said a lot of preparation went into the offseason, but now the time to put their hard work into practice has finally arrived.
"It's go time," he said. "Full go."
Broken Bow held a record of 8-3 last season, with one of those losses being the season opener against the Buffs, who took the 39-7 win.
But this year, it'll be new coach Rod Davis leading the charge. He'll have many returning offensive pieces to his team, including senior quarterback Christian Brumley. In 2021, Brumley threw for 1,436 yards and rushed for 871 additional yards, totaling
Broken Bow will also have a veteran receiving force in seniors Alex Lindly and JaKyran Whitfield, while seniors Carl Cooks and Kannen Willis will be the top returning rushers.
Defensively, Broken Bow returns a senior-led line, as well as a bevy of veteran linebackers and secondary — including Brumley, who racked up 103 tackles last season as a linebacker.
But the Buffs have many weapons of their own. Senior running back Erik McCarty — who rushed for 185 yards and four scores against Broken Bow in 2021 — will be ready to lead the charge, alongside the powerful legs of the likes of Dakota Moton and Blaze Baugh.
McAlester will also have two options at quarterback, with juniors Caden Lesnau and Lance Stone able to sling it for the Buffs, while Ethan Watkins and Chaz Bradley will be some of the top targets.
The black and gold will also see debut the 2022 version of their vaunted Black Death Defense, including the likes of Garrett Shumway leading the defensive line alongside the attacking efforts of players such as Malachi Wrice, Eli Chatman, and Owen Russell.
That's just the tip of the iceberg of the depth McAlester will have at its disposal, something Mazey said is a very good problem to have.
"We're trying to find guys that are ready and willing, and let's get it done," he said. "You've got guys that are running around out here, they really enjoy football."
But mostly, the Buffs are excited to getting back to the field and under the lights as they embark on their 2022 season and try to keep the wave of success moving forward.
"Our senior class has to step it up this year," Moton said. "We have to do what we did last year, and we have to be the ones to keep it going."
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
