TIGERS WILL TRY TO END DROUGHT AGAINST COLLINSVILLE

Tahlequah will try to recover from its first setback last week when it visits Collinsville Friday in the second week of District 5A-4 action. After starting 3-0 in non-district play, the Tigers, now ranked 10th in Class 5A, dropped their district opener to No. 8 Skiatook, 38-21, last Friday at Doc Wadley Stadium. The Cardinals enter at 1-3 overall, but their losses are to teams that have a combined 11-1 record – 4A No. 6 Catoosa (4-0), 4A No. 3 Oologah (4-0) and 5A, fifth-ranked Bishop Kelley (3-1). Collinsville’s 24-6 setback to Bishop Kelley last Friday was its third straight since opening the season with a 47-0 win over Tulsa East Central. Tahlequah has come up empty against the Cardinals in the previous five meetings. The Tigers suffered a 23-20 home loss in 2016. “Collinsville is better than its record indicates,” Tahlequah head coach Brad Gilbert said. “Their three losses are to really good football teams. They’ve got a good football team, and they always do. They will probably be the best defense we’ve faced all year.” The Cardinals are led by tight end Grayson Boomer and wide receiver Hayden West on offense. They have a first-year starter at quarterback in Tate Robards, who is replacing current University of Tulsa freshman Seth Boomer. “They’re more balanced offensively than what we’ve seen over the previous four games,” Gilbert said. “They will spread you out and get guys in space. They have some guys that have been there before and that have made a lot of plays. They will split Grayson Boomer out to create mismatches. He’s a matchup problem, especially against corners. Hopefully we can control the situation by down and distance.” Boomer was limited to one catch for six yards last week against the Comets. West had three receptions for 36 yards, running back Jake Tuttle rushed 10 times for 51 yards and had the only touchdown, and Robards completed 5 of 12 passes for 32 yards. Gilbert knows the importance of Friday’s matchup and getting that first district win. “You don’t want to start 0-2 in district play, but it doesn’t mean if you do it’s the end all,” Gilbert said. “Every game is important and we know we need to win four of the last six. That’s the way we look at it. But, yes, it’s a very big game for us.” Mistakes and lack of consistency on offense and defense were Tahlequah’s downfall in the loss to Skiatook. The Tigers committed 10 penalties, were limited to 225 total yards of offense, and the defense allowed 429 total yards, including 225 on the ground. “We need to be more consistent for four quarters,” said Gilbert. “There are times when we move the ball offensively and have some success and even still see those big plays. Defensively, we did really well at times. It’s just a play here or a play there that allowed them to continue drives. You see the consistency in areas, but we’ve got to see that consistency over four quarters.” “When you have inexperience out there, you’re going to have mistakes,” Gilbert added. “The good that comes from it is that is shows the guys that if they continue to make those against the competition that we’re going against, they’re not going to like the outcome. “Competition is much more difficult now that we’re in district play so those mistakes are magnified. Anytime you put yourself in third-and-long and second-and-long offensively, you’re giving them hidden yards on the defensive side of the ball, and it’s tough to overcome. We need to do a better job of staying more disciplined and focused on the little details that allow you to be successful.” There were some positive takeaways, however. “Our kids continued to play hard, even being down 28-7 at halftime,” Gilbert said. “They fought to the very end and got back to within two scores. I liked the character that they showed, the composure they had, and the effort and attitude they continued to give.” The Tigers are led offensively by senior quarterback Cayden Aldridge, senior running backs Brian Resch and Seth Berry, senior receiver Braxton Stopp, and sophomore running back Dae Dae Leathers. Aldridge completed 9 of 16 passes for 70 yards in last week’s loss. He led the Tigers ground attack with 101 yards on 16 carries and had all three Tahlequah touchdowns. Leathers added 49 rushing yards on 10 attempts, and Stopp had five catches for 70 yards.

TIGERS WILL TRY TO END DROUGHT AGAINST COLLINSVILLE

Photo Credit: Byron Beers

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