For Roughers and Enid, it's been long time no see

Aug. 24—While last year's non-district schedule was overhauled in mid-cycle, which also happened to be Travis Hill's first season as head coach, this two-year cycle was Travis Hill's schedule by design.

Muskogee will make its first trip to Enid in 32 years Friday night. While the two teams have been in the state's highest classification all this time, their paths haven't crossed since the year following the meeting at Enid.

Carter Bradley was the quarterback of that 1991 team and is back coaching the receivers this season after a year away. Don Mayes, the running back coach was in that game too. Ron Freeman was the head coach. That's seven head coaches ago.

So there's certainly not much familiar the two programs will see in each other, although both coaches' paths intersected here two years ago in the interview process for the job to be that seventh MHS coach since the last meeting.

Woods, a standout receiver at Oklahoma State with a stint with the San Francisco 49ers and Canadian Football League, is in his third season at Enid after a successful stint at John Marshall High in Oklahoma City. He like Hill were among three finalists for the Muskogee job.

Hill got it, as he was promoted from his defensive coordinator post. Woods stayed put, at a place stuck in the bottom rung of Class 6AI, both in wins and enrollment. The Plainsmen haven't pushed past three wins in a season since a 4-6 mark in 2014, but 16 starters are back from a year ago. Their last winning season was 6-4 in 2010 after a 5-1 start.

"Rashaun has them better than three years ago and I think he knows this is an important year for him," Hill said. "I'll say this. They play physical and they do the right things even if they aren't very successful at it.

But, you look at their schedule last year (a 3-7 mark), they were in every game they played except two (Jenks, 49-6 and Broken Arrow, 55-7). And BA was the last game of the year in a situation where where you're playing the season out, you're on the road at BA, and in that situation, it's good chance you have a recipe for a blowout."

The Plainsmen beat Westmoore by a touchdown, and had single-digit losses to Lawton Mac, Edmond Memorial and Norman, and a 10-point loss in week nine at Edmond Santa Fe.

Enid won the last meeting against Muskogee at Enid, 24-17. Coming off that 5-6 year, Muskogee went 9-3 the following year and beat Enid 35-6.

Bradley remembers that last matchup.

"We had just gotten back from playing East St. Louis where we had won and that caused us to flip in the rankings. Enid dropped from 1-2 and we took the top spot," he said. "I remember Don ran back the opening kickoff."

Indeed he did, 87 yards. He added a touchdown run on offense and his twin brother Ron had a pick six on defense. Muskogee had four touchdowns in the first quarter before Enid knew what happened.

"I remember before the game their coach saying that Muskogee's defense was better than their offense," said Don Mayes. "That made us mad, and lit a fire in us to go out and show them that our offense was just as good as our defense.

"We also took pride that year in special teams. We had several kicks and punts run back for touchdowns."

As for today, neither are close to any conversation of 1 versus 2. For Enid, there's perhaps a greater sense of urgency to grab some non-district wins due to the 6AI juggernaut they face.

For Hill, the non-district slate of Enid then Putnam City and Carl Albert represent something of its own.

"Some people put more emphasis on how important their wins are because of their situation in district play. That's not the case here. We wanted to play people that will help us prepare for our district play whether it's a W or L," Hill said.

"Having said that, we feel like we're like in a position to win (Friday)."

Scrimmage review

Some points Hill and staff took from last week's half-game with Broken Arrow and round-robins with Bixby, BA and Jenks, after a full digestion of it:

—Offensively, once in the round-robin and once in the simulated half game against Broken Arrow, sophomore quarterback Jamarian Ficklin was intercepted, and there were some drops.

"A little sloppy offensively for a variety of reasons, but we have to quit the drops and just throwing the football around," he said. "A plus, our ball security when we had it was good."

—The play of the linebackers impressed. "A vastly improved area," said Hill, noting Brandon Tolbert's re-adaption at linebacker after focusing on offense last season, as well as Traeveon Houston in the middle. Deshawn Smith, the lone returning starter there, "was much improved" in that role as well, Hill said.

—On the defensive line: "The strong side of the line stood out. Jeremy Collins showed us he could do it, and Vernon (Pepiakitah) at tackle can be a dominant player for us," Hill said. "The other end (nose guard and weak side tackle), we have some work to do."

—On the secondary: "BA threw the ball. We were where we were supposed to be but at times weren't prepared to make the plays," Hill said. "No one got behind us, but we gave up some completions on third down and on slants where we didn't have the confidence to come up and make the play."

—Kicking game: A question mark all through the summer, Hill had several get looks but will go Friday with Darrion Armstrong, a senior. "He's progressing, he's just raw," Hill said. "We'll see how he responds in a game situation."