KEY MATCHUPS, KEY GAME FOR ROUGHERS' DENTED DISTRICT TITLE HOPES

Muskogee’s 38-23 loss to Bixby came with a lot of points left off the board. Three Rougher drives stalled, some due to penalties and others to an insufficient run game, and all they could come up with was settling for three field goals from Manuel Espinosa of 27, 21 and 37 yards. On another, following a 95-yard kick return to open the game by Diante Crutchfield, a short pass bounced out of running back Jimmie Coleman’s hands and into a defender’s hands as he hit the ground. Nineteen points and the potential momentum that might’ve come with it and the Roughers (2-3, 1-1) aren’t facing a near do-or-die situation to stay in the hunt to defend a District 6AII-2 championship or at the very least, keep their clutches on a home playoff opportunity in the first round. A lot of football is left. but a bounceback against No. 1 Tulsa Washington is sorely needed. “Oh definitely. We lose this one and we’re probably on the road. If we win there’s all kinds of factors involved,” said MHS head coach Rafe Watkins. “I think Booker T is too fast for Bixby in that matchup but we need the win regardless.” In the Hornets, the Roughers won’t have the physical deficiencies they had in places against Bixby, although the defensive line held their own for much of the contest. The linebackers improved as the game went on minus middle linebacker Karrington Ashley, who will miss another week this week due to a concussion. Instead, it’s collective speed and quite possibly an advantage in it when Washington strolls into town Friday for Hall of Fame Induction night. One key matchup will likely involve Diante Crutchfield. Muskogee’s leading receiver, coming off an 8-catch, 185-yard game against Bixby, should draw the Hornets’ best corner, senior Rylan McQuarters. The son of R.W. McQuarters, the Super Bowl-winning cornerback with the Giants in version XLII is also, like Crutchfield, a return specialist. Dax Hill, a junior and the younger brother of OSU running back Justice Hill, is a safety who occasionally takes the other corner spot, Watkins said. But he doesn’t expect to see that. “I think they’ll probably put Hill deep at safety,” Watkins said. “It’ll be a big test for Speedy but he’s come a long way since week one. Midwest City locked him down good but since then he’s done well.” Bixby bracketed Crutchfield with a safety over the top last week and he still had quite a night. Like the 86-yard TD catch where he outjumped the safety for the ball at the 35 then outran the defense. That got Muskogee within 21-17 after trailing 21-3 after one quarter. The scheme also opened up opportunities that were seized by other receivers. Quintevin Cherry had 11 catches for 121 yards. Crutchfield thinks he can handle McQuarters. “I just need to get off his press,” he said. “He’ll jam me so I just need to break it.” But with Hill coming over to help, Crutchfield isn’t concerned with beating them both as much as winning the game. “I’m good with that so everyone else can get to the ball,” he said. Quarterback Jacob Medrano, who threw for over 400 yards last week, will appreciate the options as he evaluates the defense. “Hill’s the best athlete they got. McQuarters is OK but I don’t think he presses very well and I can take advantage of that,” Medrano said. “They play man and the back shoulder ball is the hardest ball to cover in football.” There’s also the protection element though and the front seven can present some issues. “They’re not gigantic like Bixby. The biggest guy is their nose guard (Jonathan Brown) but he can run with any of our running backs,” Watkins said. “The back speed is unreal and the three linebackers are as a group the best we’ve seen.” Especially Jason Harris, a senior, who plays along side Trace Linn and Garrick Jackson “Harris is a stud,” Watkins said. “He can run and he’s physical. The Linn kid we thought was their weak link last year but he’s put on 20 pounds and is much improved.” Muskogee knows its run game won’t overwhelm and the pass will be key. Within that, there’s one matchup that will either determine in itself the direction of the game or influence other aerial space. NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN: The lone loss for the Hornets (5-1, 2-0) was to West Monroe, La., a 30-21 game on Sept. 8. They beat Midwest City 27-24, aided by a punt return by McQuarters. Whether Crutchfield can beat him or not the passing game, Watkins says he won’t let McQuarters beat him on special teams. “If we kick or punt to McQuarters I’ll get fired,” the coach said, half-jokingly perhaps, but respectful of the obvious predicament. “Midwest City let them beat them two years in a row with his returns.” REEL BACK THE TAPE: While the Bixby win last year proved critical in Muskogee’s district title run, the 23-7 win over the Hornets in Tulsa was in Watkins’ analysis, the best game the Roughers played a year ago. The defense knocked the quarterback out of the game and McQuarters left late in the third quarter and did not retunrn. “We played extraordinary that night,” Watkins said. “We lost some guys (Kamren Curl and Joe Combs) that further neutralized their speed but we’re still capable of going up, well, going against them here and playing well.”

KEY MATCHUPS, KEY GAME FOR ROUGHERS' DENTED DISTRICT TITLE HOPES

Photo Credit: Shane Keeter

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