High school football: Here come the Titans; Carl Albert upends Del City

Five weeks later, though, the Titans are heading to the second round of the playoffs after knocking off No. 6-ranked Del City 28-21 in the Class 5A playoff opener on Friday night at Robert Kalsu Stadium.

“Especially coming off four losses like we had that we could've won,” Carl Albert coach Gary Rose said. “We were a very, very average to poor football team early in the season.

“They could've given up. But we as coaches are never going to give up and they took on that same attitude.”

Carl Albert (6-5) will host Claremore next Friday at Harris Field in the second round. Del City's season ends 9-2.

The Titans did it Friday by limiting mistakes, holding down Del City's big-play threats and grinding it out with a steady dose of quarterback Steven Thompson on the ground.

Thompson carried 38 times for 189 yards and scored all four of the Titans' touchdowns.

His final score came on Carl Albert's first drive of the second half, when he sprinted 70 yards for the touchdown to put the Titans up 28-7.

“When I hit that hole, I was just praying to God that I could make it to the end zone,” Thompson said. “I was running for my life.”