Prep notebook: Midwest City prepared for tight games

Published: November 11, 2008

Midwest City prepared for tight games

Midwest City hasn’t had to deal with close games much this football season.

The closest an opponent has come to the Bombers was a 20-point win over Del City in the season opener. Nobody has come closer than 38 points to Mi City in the last half of the season.

But Bombers quarterback Jace Chilcoat says Midwest City is ready for the close games that are sure to come in the Class 6A playoffs.

"I feel like we can step up to that pressure,” Chilcoat said. "Against Edmond North and Putnam City, when we didn’t go out and score on our first drives, we got together as an offense and got pretty fired up and pretty focused again real quick.

"I’m sure we can do the same thing late in the game when we need to.”

SHAWNEE GETS TOUGH DRAW

Shawnee finished third in its district, meaning it has to go on the road for the first round of the high school football playoffs. The Wolves’ opponent is no pushover — Lawton MacArthur.

"It’s definitely a tough draw,” Shawnee coach Billy Brown said. "Of course, it’s the playoffs now, and every team that’s left is pretty good.”

Brown said a key to Shawnee’s success will be slowing down Lawton MacArthur’s Javon Harris, a running back and safety who has committed to Oklahoma.

"He’s as good an athlete as we’ve seen,” Brown said. "We’ve gotta control him somehow if we’re going to win. But it’s not only him, it’s their entire offense. There’s not many holes in it.”

WILSON APPLYING FOR ACADEMY

This week, Christian Heritage Academy’s John Wilson is focused on helping the Crusaders start their first OSSAA playoff season with a win.

Wilson has even bigger hopes for his future, though, as he’s been going through the process of applying for an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

That process started last year, when CHA assistant coach Troop Bullard called Wilson into his office and asked him if he would be interested in the service academies.

"It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do,” Wilson said. "It’d be a great way to serve the country and get my college education done at the same time.”

Wilson finished his application to the Naval Academy over the summer and since has applied to Rep. Mary Fallin and Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe for appointments.

Wilson should know by the end of the school year if he gets an appointment and is accepted into the academy.

SANTA FE DUO TO SIGN LETTERS

Two Edmond Santa Fe baseball players will continue their careers as rivals in the Big 12.

Third baseman Duke Von Schamann will sign with Texas Tech, and outfielder Tyler Sturges will sign with Kansas State on Wednesday. Von Schamann is the son of former OU kicker Uwe Von Schamann.

DOUGLASS PREPS FOR SEMINOLE

Douglass’ (8-0) first playoff game since 2003 is against Seminole, which hasn’t missed the postseason since 1984.

"It means a lot to our program because one of our goals was to get to Week 11,” Douglass coach Willis Alexander said. "Coach (Mike) Snyder does a great job with (Seminole).”

Alexander said Seminole (6-4) is a dangerous team to open the playoffs against.

"They’re very well coached and very well prepared,” Alexander said.

PC HAS BUILT MOMENTUM

Momentum is everything at this stage of the football season, and it’s hard to argue that Putnam City doesn’t bring a bunch of it into the Class 6A playoffs. PC capped the regular season with an upset win over Edmond Memorial. The win gave the Pirates a home game in the first round against Edmond Santa Fe. It was PC’s third win in four games.

"Who is going to tell our kids we can’t win right now?” PC coach Mark Little said. "It’s so much about believing you can win at this stage. That’s one of the things I love about this sport, is you can achieve things through desire alone.”

Still, the task of beating Santa Fe is a large one. The Wolves finished third in District 6A-1, perhaps the toughest district in the large school class.

"We can’t line up and beat them,” Little said. "We have to get some turnovers and make our possessions count. The game hinges on that and field position.”

MAC’S HARRIS IS HEALTHY

Lawton MacArthur got its top player back to full health just in time for the Class 5A playoffs.

Coach Ernie Manning said senior running back and safety Javon Harris, who has committed to Oklahoma, is back to 100 percent health after sitting out the team’s Week 6 loss to El Reno.

MORRISON IS READY TO GO

Morrison is new to the 11-man game this year, but the Wildcats are no stranger to the playoffs. Coach Cory Bales said the level doesn’t matter when it comes to big game experience.

"My kids are veterans in the playoffs,” Bales said of the former eight-man power. "We’ve played a full season of 11-man football now, and playoffs are playoffs, big games are big games regardless of what level you’re at.”

Morrison (9-1) plays its first 11-man playoff game Friday, when it hosts Afton (8-2).

BY RYAN ABER, MATT PATTERSON AND

JASON KERSEY

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