CRESCENT GAME PERSONAL FOR OBA'S MINX

Oklahoma Bible Academy quarterback Jud Minx has a personal stake when he and the Trojans (1-3) visit No. 3-ranked Crescent (4-0) in the District A-5 opener for both teams at 7 p.m. Friday. Minx was lost for the season with a broken collarbone in the first half of a 39-0 loss to the Tigers a year ago at Commitment Field. He went out after being sacked for an 11-yard loss after completing a 10-yard pass. It was OBA’s longest gain of the night as the Trojans managed only 36 yards of total offense — 26 running and 10 passing. Trojans head coach Jay Mendenhall said after the game it could have been 70-0 if not for an outstanding effort by the OBA defense. “Every game is emotional up to a point,’’ Minx said. “There’s some special motivation this week since I haven’t gotten to see them since they hurt me.’’ Minx doesn’t remember much about the play except “dropping back and trying to escape and getting hit ... I don’t remember too much about getting hit. I went over to the sideline and I knew something was wrong. I had to go to the hospital after that.’’ Doctors told him he would be out eight weeks and would not play football again in 2016. “It was tough emotionally for me than anything else,’’ Minx said. “I had been working hard all year and then not being able to go out and play with my teammates ... that was the hardest — watching your teammates and not being able to help them.’’ His story, though, did have a happy ending. He came back to start in basketball and Minx earned the starting job with a solid off-season, both in the spring and going to summer camps and seven-on-seven leagues where he was able to develop some chemistry with his receivers. Minx, while taking a pounding in games like Crescent, never became gun shy about getting hit again. “You take one hit and then you’re thinking more about the game,’’ Minx said. “You have the adrenalin flowing. It’s not much of a problem.’’ Minx has been one of the bright spots in a difficult season so far for the Trojans. He has thrown three touchdown passes and has touchdown runs of five and 77 yards. He has thrown for 432 yards with four interceptions in 80 attempts. “I feel like it’s been good so far, but I could have played better,’’ Minx said. “I made some mistakes, which have been costly to us. We have a lot of stuff in our offense that sets up the big play. A lot of people have to do their jobs to make that happen.’’ Mendenhall said Minx’s character came out in the second game of the season against Tonkawa with OBA trailing 36-0 in the third quarter, he stripped the ball away from a Buccaneer ballcarrier and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. “If the game is still going on, I’m going to play hard,’’ Minx said. “There’s a lot of guys on the team that are that way.” That play is one reason why OBA defensive coordinator James Cheatham is a big fan of Minx. “He’s a tough young man,’’ Cheatham said. “The thing I enjoy the most about him is his competitiveness and his desire to be successful.’’ That desire gave him the confidence to move to quarterback as a junior even though he had never played the position before. “I like it,’’ Minx said. “It’s fun and I enjoy the responsibility that goes with it. As long as I get to play, I’m happy. I do whatever it takes to win, I’m in a different role than I was last year, but if it helps us win, I’m just glad to do it.’’ Minx has welcomed a tough schedule (Tonkawa and Alva are both unbeaten) saying “it builds character and it’s good to build character over wins.’’ He is looking forward to playing Crescent not just because of his history with them, but because the Tigers are so good, having outscored opponents, 175-51. “It’s exciting to have a chance to play against a team that’s really good,’’ he said. “We don’t have anything to lose. It’s a new season. It depends how we play here on out whether we make the playoffs or not.’’

CRESCENT GAME PERSONAL FOR OBA'S MINX

Photo Credit: Billy Helton

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