SMALL SCHOOL PREVIEW: Locals preparing for start of district play
Sep. 23—The race toward the playoffs has kicked into another gear.
Hartshorne will be opening up its Class 2A-6 district slate in its home stadium on Friday as the Miners play host to Eufaula.
The Ironheads are currently 2-1 on the season, coming off a thrilling 49-6 win over rival Checotah last week.
Matt Clover led the way for Eufaula in the win, rushing for 130 yards on 12 carries with three touchdowns in the first half before being rested in the second.
Quarterback Luke Adcock finished his night with 6-of-10 passing for 102 yards and a score, with Khelil Deere grabbing four of those passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.
The Miners, meanwhile, are led by senior Bryson Cervantes — a dual-threat quarterback who leads the team in rushing with 138 yards and a score. He's followed by Xavier Fraser, who has totaled 93 rushing yards and a score, as well as Bo Wilkett with 18 carries for 63 yards.
The Miners and Ironheads previously met in last season's district opener on Sept. 25, where Eufaula took the 47-14 win. In that game, Cervantes threw for 95 yards, with Fraser nabbing seven of those catches for for 65 yards.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
WILBURTON AT ANTLERS
Wilburton continues its season on the road Friday it travels to Antlers to begin district play.
Antlers is 3-0 on the season after a win against Savanna last week. The Bearcats are led by quarterback Andrew Arnold, who has thrown 32 passes for 470 yards and five touchdowns — while also leading the team in the ground game with 25 carries for 278 yards and five touchdowns.
Caden Lee and Conner Hammons have gathered most of the receiving yards for the Bearcats, with Lee nabbing 13 catches for 205 yards and a score, and Hammons grabbing 10 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side, Wilburton quarterback Grayson Mathis has completed 63 passes for 879 yards and eight scores, with Aubrey Runkle being on the receiving end of the majority of those passes — nabbing 19 catches for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
CANADIAN AT HULBERT
Canadian (0-3) will be hitting the road as the Cougars face off against Hulbert on Friday.
Hulbert (0-3) is led by senior quarterback Walker Eaton, who through three games has completed 15 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. Senior Daniel Hair leads the receiving unit with four catches for 44 yards and the score.
On the ground, the Riders spread the wealth in the run game — but it's David Jacobs that has gained the most yardage with two carries for 33 yards.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
STROUD AT SAVANNA
Savanna returns home as it begins its district slate against Stroud on Friday.
Stroud is 0-3 on the season, coming off a 68-22 loss against Prague last week. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are 1-2 on the year — having just come off a loss on the road at Antlers.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
QUINTON AT KEOTA
Quinton continues its road stretch as it travels to face off against Keota on Friday.
The Lions are 2-1 in the 2021 season, with wins of 48-16 over Strother and 40-0 over Prue.
But now, they'll face a Quinton (2-1) offense that has put up 140 points in three games, including two mercy rule wins.
The green and white are coming off a 40-34 loss to Arkoma last week, where they battled in a back-and-forth, dramatic finish that saw the Mustangs respond to a Quinton rally to steal the win.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
