Inside Look: Lawton-Tulsa Union...
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Lawton (12-0) vs. Tulsa Union (11-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Putnam City Stadium
Here you go. This was my thought process on the Lawton and Union game. I’m letting you into my head, I warn you in advance in case you’re scared of what you see.
Lawton
- This team has been bred for this moment. I’ve been talking to coach Randy Breeze on nearly a weekly basis since April about what this team is capable of. From having 90 players at summer conditioning to bouncing back after the injury of Cody Miller, this Wolverine team is ready. Lawton 29-27.
Union
- The near-scare with Bartlesville woke up the sleeping giant. It’s funny/strange that a one-point win against Bartlesville is used as evidence that the team is slowing down. Again, a win against a top-10-caliber team means the end of (or start of the end of) a dynasty? Union: 42-34.
Lawton
- The best player on the field is going to be Tyrequek Zimmerman. On offense, he can rush for big plays, and he’s one of the best receivers in the state. Then add that to his defense and his ability in the secondary. He’s a game-changer no matter how you slice it. This is his moment. Lawton 34-30.
Union
- The Redskins only weren’t dominant when quarterback Kale Pearson was banged up. Pearson is healthy. The last two playoff games have been 56-7 and 58-17. In fact, Union has scored more than 50 points in its last four victories in a combined score of 221-44. Union 31-20.
Lawton
- Is anybody (outside of Lawton) going to recognize what this defense has done? Players like Carter Grigg, Richard Sheridan, Jabral Johnson, D.J. Ward, etc., aren’t a dime-a-dozen. These are special kids. And the unit, as a whole, is incredibly fast while also being tough. And they’re fresh, too, because they didn’t play much during the second half of most district games. Lawton 25-21.
Union
- Tradition. There’s a reason the Redskins are the two-time defending champions. There’s a reason people say ‘Jenks, Union and everybody else.’ Coach Kirk Fridrich has done a tremendous job of maintaining and building upon the legacy of the Redskins. Yea, it’s a different Lawton team, but it’s still a tier below Union. Union 45-28.
And finally…
- Lawton has to handle the moment. That first quarter is going to go a long way to determining what happens. It’s not just the Union offense that has played well, the defense has been superb since Bartlesville, too. Running back Jalen Hearron gives the offense balance, and Stephon Weaver is a solid wide receiver. Union will have its hand full of Deaquan Wojciechowski, too. That a tough, gritty little son of a gun.
Boneman’s pick: Union 38, Lawton 29.
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