SEIZIN' THE POSTSEASON: Pawhuska Huskies look to power past Colcord in 2nd round clash
Pawhuska High School’s goal on the football field is no secret.
From Day One of the start of the off-season, the Huskies set their sights on winning a state title.
That desire and hunger has only intensified in the months that have followed, whetted by the emotional stirrings of the unrelenting chase.
The next domino standing in Pawhuska’s way is a very successful Colcord Hornets squad, in the second round of the Class A playoffs.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Pawhuska.
Both teams coming into the game at 9-2.
But, while Pawhuska breezed past the Hominy High Bucks, 44-16, in last week’s opening-round playoff game, the Hornets went to the wire to knock off Okemah High, 53-52.
The Colcord vs. Okemah contest went back-and-forth. Colcord completed a bomb and kicked an extra point to yank out the win.
“Their quarterback is really, really good,” Pawhuska head coach Matt Hennesy said about the Hornets. “He might be the fastest player we’ve seen all year. He throws the ball decent and he’s hard to tackle. They also have a good, fast tailback. They’re huge up front.”
Pawhuska’s defensive focus will be to pursue to the ball and make sure to get the quarterback to the ground, Hennesy said.
On the other side of the ball, Hennesy hopes his Huskies will be able to exploit Colcord’s man-to-man coverage.
“We haven’t seen anybody do that to us in a long time,” Hennesy said.
The Huskies boast a strong flinger in junior quarterback Todd Drummond, with two dangerous senior targets in Mason Gilkey and Dalton Hurd, as well as other options.
“We’ll take what they give us,” Hennesy said. “We don’t want to be in a big hurry, not have turnovers and not have penalties and make sure we tackle No. 8.”
The Huskies finished are riding the momentum of an eight-game winning streak, including three consecutive shutouts. Pawhuska allowed only 18 points the past six games.
Colcord has won its last five games.
Friday’s winner advances to the quarterfinals.
Last year, Pawhuska powered into the semifinals, where it fell by one point, 7-6, to eventual state champion Cashion.
The Huskies are fired up to make up for that heartbreak and capture the first state football title in school history.
But, its a one-week-at-a-time pattern — and Colcord is the next obstacle.
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Class A playoff slate
Colcord at Pawhuska; Elmore City-Pernell at Burns Flat-Dill City; Hooker at Cashion; Minco at Ringling; Pawnee at Mounds; Stroud at Morrison; Tonkawa at Fairview; Woodland at Gore.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: PLAYOFFS: Pawhuska High football team eyes Colcord
