Cougars to face explosive Madill passing attack Friday night
Oct. 6—The Ada High School football team had to deal with a vaunted Hilldale rushing attack last week. Madill poses a different challenge for the Cougar defense Friday night.
Ada will have to try and slow down a Madill aerial offense that has produced 233 yards per game when the two teams meet in a District 4A-4 battle during a Week 6 matchup Friday night inside Koi Ishto Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Cougars enter Friday's contest at 3-2 overall and a 1-1 mark in the district after coming off a disappointing 24-16 road loss at Hilldale. Madill sits at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in 4A-4 play.
The Wildcats have had some hard luck in the district so far. Madill dropped a 34-33 decision at Broken Bow in Week 4 and last week the Wildcats came up just short in a 17-14 home loss to No. 3 Poteau.
"They've been playing people really tight, they just haven't been able to finish," Ada head coach Brad O'Steen told The Ada News. "They've been in every ballgame they've played. They're dang sure playing hard and playing pretty well. It's going to be one of those games where we have to be ready to go."
Senior quarterback Ty Rushing leads an explosive Madill passing game. He has completed 65-of-127 passes for 1,169 yards and 15 touchdowns to go with eight interceptions.
MHS standout receiver Stephen Sisco has hurt opposing defenses to the tune of 33 catches for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sisco has had four games with more than 100 yards receiving and in the narrow loss to Broken Bow, he finished with six catches for 240 yards and three TDs.
Senior Yovanny Robles is next with 10 grabs for 122 yards and a score. Junior Caden McHatton has six catches for 95 yards, including a 51-yard reception.
"They're really good at throwing the football. They have a really good quarterback and some really good receivers," O'Steen said.
The veteran Ada coach said his defenders are going to have to keep track of Sisco throughout the contest.
"(Sisco) is a really good receiver. We've got to keep him under control and not let him make the big plays and make them take the ball somewhere else," he said. "Defensively, we have to shut down their passing game."
Madill's leading rusher is senior Holden McGahey, who has 290 yards on 71 carries with a pair of touchdowns.
The Wildcats will enter Friday's contest averaging 30.6 points per game while giving up just 17.6.
Ada leads the all-time series with Madill 9-2 and is 5-0 against the Wildcats since 1983.
Local connections
Ada has several connections with the Madill High School and its football program.
One might call the Week 6 matchup "The Pettigrew Bowl." Longtime Ada football coach Dan Pettigrew has a son that is an Ada student coach, Blake Pettigrew, and another son that is an assistant coach at Madill, Austin Pettigrew.
Other connections include:
—O'Steen was the head football coach at Madill football in 2007 and is also an MHS alum.
—Ada High principal and former girls' basketball head coach Jeff Maloy coached the Lady Wildcats basketball squad before coming to Ada.
Cougars limping in
Ada is fighting the injury bug.
The latest Cougar to be sidelined is senior tailback Darias Gilmore, who suffered an elbow injury against Hilldale last week.
Senior quarterback Carter Freeland is still working on getting back into the Ada lineup after suffering a knee injury against Durant.
Senior wideout Cooper Patterson is still dealing with a foot injury.
Senior running back Kaden Gallagher, although he has played some, is still slowed by an ankle injury.
The healthy running backs on the Ada roster include Fisher Marr, Taye McDowell — a senior who just became eligible to play last week — and a pair of freshmen. O'Steen said sophomore backup quarterback Kolten Carlock could get some carries against Madill.
"We're kind of banged up right now. We have several kids out," O'Steen said. "We're on our fourth and fifth tailback right now."
O'Steen said his staff has even dialed back practices this week.
"We weren't quite as physical in practice this week to try and heal up a little bit," he said.
