Westmoore hangs on for a first-round victory

LAWTON — After Westmoore capped its 21-20 first-round playoff win over Lawton on Thursday, Jaguars coach Mike Whaley slowly started shedding layers of clothes while he addressed his football team.

Two or three layers deep, Whaley pulled up a shirt to reveal a black shirt with bold block letters — "Beat Jenks.”

The players erupted in cheers, and the Jags jumped up and down on the Cameron Stadium turf.

Westmoore (8-3) will have to hit the road again next week, playing the winner of tonight's Jenks-Stillwater game Friday.

The mood several minutes before Whaley's speech was considerably more tense, when Lawton's Cornelius Douglas hit Ariues Ervin for a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with less than three minutes remaining.

But Wolverines kicker Ethan Estep's point-after try bounced off the right upright, capping Westmoore's comeback.

"I was in disbelief,” Westmoore defensive end Joey Fowler said. "I was just thinking we've got to turn around and find a way to get into the end zone and then the kick misses.”

Lawton (7-4) had come back from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit with 166 yards and three touchdowns from running back Craig Ralls.

Westmoore's defense had to make some adjustments after Lawton scored touchdowns on its first two drives, but its offense didn't panic when it started with three consecutive three-and-outs.

"We just start off slow,” Ralls said. "We knew we'd be all right.”

And the Jaguars were, as Ralls ran 83 yards on the first play of Westmoore's fourth drive. The Jaguars kept up the offensive production throughout the rest of the game.

Lawton running back Chris Porter ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns but was slowed for much of the game with a bunion on his right foot. He later came up limping with an ankle injury.

Porter was off the field for the final two plays of Lawton's last scoring drive.

"Their defense switched up in the second half,” Porter said.

"They started keying more and more on me.”

Whaley expected to have to change things to adjust to Porter.

Porter, though, will be home for the rest of the playoffs while Whaley and the Jaguars move on.