MUSKOGEE DROPS A 38-23 DECISION AT BIXBY

It looked like a hole Muskogee wouldn’t climb out of. They almost did. But almost counted for nothing other than a 38-23 loss Friday at Lee Snider Field as Bixby — a year after the homecoming barnburner that went the Roughers way at Indian Bowl en route to a District 6AII-2 championship — held serve on their night of pageantry. But oh, what might have happened without a 21-3 hole that started out so differently. Diante Crutchfield shocked the gussied-up home gathering with a 95-yard kickoff return on the opening play. He was tackled at the 2. Backed up by a penalty and three stuffed running plays, quarterback Jacob Medrano was intercepted by the Spartans’ Colton Tafoya. Staton King, adequately named after being crowned with that homecoming honor prior to kickoff, found Brennan Presley for 69 yards on the first play, then three plays later, hit him again for the final 8. Muskogee drove from its 22 to the 12 and after a face mask penalty against the Spartans pushed it to the 6, the Roughers drew a procedure call. Medrano missed on two passes and between those, running back Jimmie Coleman was stopped for no gain. A 27-yard Manuel Espinosa field goal ended the drive. Bixby took one play to answer. Braden Roller plowed through the middle of the defense on the way to a 70-yard touchdown. On Muskogee’s next drive, a bobbled snap on a punt resulted in a turnover on down and a short field for the Spartans. Presley’s 19-yard TD catch made it 21-3 near the end of the first quarter. The Roughers went 80 yards to cut the lead in half, Crutchfield hauling in a 5-yard TD pass from Medrano. The two would hook up on the next drive from their own 14. Medrano hit Crutchfield upfield at the 35, who outran a defender and went the remaining distance for an 86-yard touchdown play, cutting the deficit to 21-17. They had a shot at another score late in the half, reaching the 23, but Medrano was sacked and fumbled. Defensive lineman Trevor Gavin made the recovery. Reis Vernon’s 31-yard field goal as time expired capped a 10-point Bixby run to finish the half. While moving the ball with efficiency the second half, all the Roughers would get was two more field goals from Espinosa of 21 and 37 yards to make it a one-possession game with 6:15 to go. Roller, who had 120 yards on the ground at the half, carried for 27 on the first play of the ensuing drive. He would go over 200 on the drive, finishing with 209, but Coby Tillman got the final 3 with 4:39 to play. Medrano was 33-of-43 for 445 yards with both Crutchfield and Quintevin Cherry finishing with over 300 yards receiving between them. Crutchfield had 8 catches for 185 yards, Cherry 11 for 121. Muskogee had 96 on the ground “We didn’t finish our drives,” Medrano said. We drove the field all night. They just stopped us at the goal line. They were the stronger team.” Bixby had over 300 yards at the half and finished with 543. “Offensively other than finishing drives we were there, but we’re not going to beat teams with field goals,” Muskogee coach Rafe Watkins said. “Defensively I thought we were much better the second half.” The Roughers were missing middle linebacker Karrington Ashley, but the linebacking corps settled in in the second half, particularly Kaleel Smith and Nathan Coffman. Defensive end Michael Edwards went out after a strain on the first offensive drive but played the second half. Davion Williams was solid on the offensive line after Devonn Harris also was hurt. “We overcame penalties and turnovers and fought back to have a chance, but obviously we put ourselves in a hole,” Watkins said. The win ended a three-game losing streak for Bixby, now 2-3 overall and 1-0 in 6AII-2. The Roughers (2-3, 1-1) must get ready for Tulsa Washington at home next week in a win they need to maintain hopes of repeating as district champions or at the least, be in position for a possible home playoff game. “We can’t pout,” Watkins said. “We have to dust ourselves off and get back after it.”

MUSKOGEE DROPS A 38-23 DECISION AT BIXBY

Photo Credit: Shane Keeter

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