TIGERS HAVE MOMENTUM, CONFIDENCE

Big plays and game-deciding momentum swings have defined Tahlequah through the first half of its football season. None were bigger than last week, which ignited the Tigers in a 31-21 road win over Collinsville at Sallee Field -- the first THS win over the Cardinals in six tries. And it was the kind of win that can make a big impact on what remains in front of head coach Brad Gilbert's team. The Tigers, sitting at 4-1 overall and ranked ninth in this week's Class 5A AP Oklahoma Prep Football Poll, notched their first District 5A-4 win against the Cardinals and avoided falling into an 0-2 hole. Next up for THS will be Pryor in a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday on homecoming night at Doc Wadley Stadium. Tahlequah has won the previous three matchups and defeated Pryor, 30-6, last year in Pryor. Pryor enters at 2-3 overall and 1-1 in district games under head coach Jeramy Branchcomb. The Tigers suffered a 37-21 home loss to fifth-ranked Bishop Kelley last Friday. Pryor's district win came against Tulsa Memorial (47-18). "We're going to try to stay routine as possible," Gilbert said of preparations for Pryor on homecoming. "We remind the guys that this week is about Friday night's football game, not about all of the other things. We want them to enjoy the homecoming activities, but we're here to win football games. "Every game is the biggest game from this point forward, and Pryor is no exception. Pryor presents a big challenge, they really do. They're a good football team. They're 2-3 but have played some really good football teams. They're big and physical up front." The sequence of turning points against the Cardinals -- a 68-yard touchdown pass from Cayden Aldridge to Braxton Stopp, a fumble recovery by Cole Goodnight, and a drive that consumed nearly five minutes and was capped by an Aldridge TD run to close the door -- has left Tahlequah with a confidence level that is soaring going into week six. All of that came after Collinsville had taken a 21-17 lead in the third quarter following 21 unanswered points. "There's no doubt it has us more confident," Gilbert said. "Confidence is good, and it's something that is important for a football team. But it's also important that we remain humble and understand that that win doesn't carry over to the next game." "We're starting to understand what it takes to win," Gilbert added. "It's always good to go out and execute a game plan as well as we did. It shows that the guys are starting to understand what is expected of them. That was a big game, going to Collinsville and beating them." Aldridge, who has thrived in big moments, was the workhorse for the Tigers last Friday, rushing for a game-high 176 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns. On the season, the senior quarterback has completed 33 of 67 passes for 564 yards with five TDs. Aldridge has a team-high 536 rushing yards, averaging just under five yards per carry, with eight scores. He's the player that Gilbert wants to have the ball in key situations. "Cayden's an experienced guy," said Gilbert. "He's been a starter for three years. He's been out there in those big games, he handles himself well and he has a much better understanding of the offense. He's a guy we trust to have the ball in his hands. You can't say enough about what he does, and it's great to have someone like him that you can count on." Other weapons for Tahlequah on offense over the course of the season have been sophomore running back Dae Dae Leathers, senior running back Brian Resch and receivers Seth Berry and Stopp. Leathers has rushed for 255 yards and is averaging 7.7 yards per carry, and Stopp has been Aldridge's top go-to target with 17 catches for 372 yards (21.8 average) with two TDs. Pryor is led offensively by senior running back Elijah Jarboe, who has 479 yards and is averaging just over seven yards per attempt. Jarboe had a season-high 191 yards in the Tigers' win over Memorial. Pryor also has a pair of threats at receiver in Will Considine and Max Jordan. Considine has 23 catches for 468 yards with six TDs, and Jordan has nine receptions for 150 yards with three scores. Defensively, Tahlequah has been led by senior linebackers Dalton Caldwell and Resch, sophomore linebacker Dylan Parish, and Goodnight and Berry at the safety positions. As a unit, the defense is allowing just 76.8 passing yards and has forced seven turnovers. Caldwell has posted a team-high 46 tackles and has three tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks. Berry follows with 45 tackles, four of those for losses. Parish and Resch each have 37 tackles, and Parish has one sack. Goodnight caused two turnovers last week and has 27 tackles with a team-best 2.5 sacks. "Cole obviously was huge for us with the interception and the fumble recovery last week," Gilbert said. "Dalton also played really well. He's a guy that makes the calls for us out there and he's a senior. He's waited his turn, and this has become his year. He's done a phenomenal job for us. He's been really consistent and I think last week was his best game." Gilbert also noted the play of defensive linemen Blake Corn and Nathaniel Justice. "They've both had a good year for us," he said. "They're both first-year guys for us and they both have over 20 tackles, which is great for defensive linemen."

TIGERS HAVE MOMENTUM, CONFIDENCE

Photo Credit: Byron Beers

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