Parading Pirates' plunder poised on "championship" door

Dec. 1—Up to now, all this group of Gore seniors have known is home playoff games.

Part of that has had to do with a second-round wall they've been unable to climb, thus never getting beyond the early home-field advantage of a district champion. But two weeks ago, that was taken care of.

So last Friday, they loaded up a bus and took a playoff road trip, smack-dab in the middle of Thanksgiving weekend.

And it was quite the sight.

A fire truck led the way in the bus escort through Gore from campus, slowed by a pair of water tankers spraying a salute as the bus passed by. The parade of sorts even had a relay partner in the Webbers Falls police at the city limits, all the while seeing bystanders coming out of businesses and others adorning the sidewalks and roadside showing their appreciation for the Pirates, who went to Harrah and blasted Crescent 69-13 to earn a spot in this week's Class A semifinals.

It got to Gore head coach Brandon Tyler, who showed a video of the caravan and reaction on his Facebook page.

"This never gets old!" he posted.

Tyler experienced such a salute as head coach at Vian, where he made one title game and on three other occasions, went as far as the semifinals. But for these Pirates, it was all new.

And it will continue at 7 p.m. Friday as Gore embarks on a shorter journey up the turnpike to Jenks' Allan Trimble Stadium to battle Hominy in the Class A semifinals in a battle of 13-0 teams.

"Getting that was pretty cool," said two-way performer Dayne Perryman. "People everywhere waving, cheering and honking, even people from Webbers Falls being involved was pretty cool."

The two towns sit on the county line separating Muskogee and Sequoyah counties, but you could almost throw touchdown bombs between each. They aren't rivals in football — Webbers is Class B eight-man ball. And the Pirates have pillaged 13 teams in their Class A slate.

Friday's win over Crescent was the seventh scoring output of 60 or more points, topping the previous high of 65 in a shutout win over Sallisaw Central in October.

And last week, the defense posted three scores. Jackson Duke, Christian O'Connor and Noah Cooper all returned interceptions for touchdowns.

"We ran 18 offensive plays with our starters," said Tyler. "Those on defense being on the field that much and giving up 13 points, I thought we settled in and played pretty good after they got a quick score on us."

This week's chore for the defense is the toughest by far.

The Bucks' offense revolves around the dual threat arm and legs of quarterback Jaxon Woods. He was 10-of-13 for 254 yards and four touchdowns on offense, scored on a 60-yard punt return and had an interception on defense to boot in a 46-13 win over Hooker.

Woods has had several triple-digit rushing performances including 206 and four touchdowns against Pawnee. He hails from a school who has had another notable quarterback — Zaven Collins led Hominy to state in 2016 as quarterback. He's now an NFL linebacker after an outstanding career at the University of Tulsa.

Woods will use a mix of receivers Chase Tindell, Ethan Wikel and Carson Keene, and others.

"He's very athletic, probably the best player at any position we've seen to this point," Tyler said of Woods. "He runs very well, is elusive in space, has great vision and sees the field really well when he throws the ball. He's always using his feet to extend plays, extend drives and go downfield when he needs to."

The front two levels defensively will have their hands full in containment, with the inside linebackers — one of which is Perryman — having primary roles.

"If I can get everyone lined up and they play their position and no one plays selfish, I feel confident we can contain him," said Perryman.

In the end, the Pirates, past that second-round hurdle in Woodland from the last couple years, is riding with confidence and a mission.

"This is a special place and Coach Tyler played here, and his best team lost in the third round," Perryman said. "We have a lot of respect for him. Most of the guys have been around him since eighth grade, I came in a year later, and we'd like to get him a championship he didn't get as a player.

"Everyone plays as a team and that's what I've loved most about being here. This team has a lot of respect for our community. Even some of our dads played here. It's a special place."

And the Pirates, largely seniors, are going about this with a business as usual approach, said Tyler.

"I told our administration earlier today being in the semifinals and all the hoopla, we're still all treating this as another game," he said. "The stakes are higher, but again, it's just one game."

But people don't line your streets waving at your bus for any game, nor give a water gun salute or even adulation from your neighbor town.

With a win on Friday, they'll experience it again, sending them on a journey to go against Fairview or Colcord at 7 p.m. a week from Saturday at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.