Star Spencer ends Glenpool run

By Ryan Aber, Staff Writer Comments 1
Published: November 7, 2009

GLENPOOL — A season ago, Glenpool wore down Star Spencer. What was a close game at halftime turned into a blowout by the time the game ended.

Friday night, Star Spencer did the wearing down, ending the Warriors' 23-game winning streak and taking the District 4A-2 title with a 34-20 road victory over Class 4A's No. 1 team.

Star Spencer did it on the ground, running for more than 300 yards against a defense that has made its reputation as the best around.

The Bobcats' 34 points were the most scored against Glenpool since the 2006 playoffs.

"We want it more this year," Star Spencer's Terence Olds said. "We came to practice, worked harder and we're a more disciplined team than we were last year."

The win gives No. 6 Star Spencer two home playoff games if it wins in the first round. The Bobcats (8-2) open the playoffs with Elk City next week.

"This is a great step for our program," coach Darrell Hall said. "This gives us — and the city schools in general — a little validation."

Glenpool (9-1) will start the playoffs at home but against a much tougher foe — Douglass.

Olds was a big part Friday night, running for 180 yards, including touchdown runs of 70 and 43 yards.

But the Bobcats' other feature running back, Darwin Rideau, and quarterback Franky Jamison did their damage too, combining for 127 yards.

While Star Spencer had a three-pronged rushing attack, Glenpool's lone threat for most of the game was running back Marco Nelson, a Tulsa commit.

Last year in a 35-6 Glenpool win, Nelson had 234 yards on the ground, scoring all five of Glenpool's touchdowns. Friday, he had to work much more for his yardage.

Nelson ran for 132 yards on 29 carries, scoring once. But only once did he gain more than 12 yards. He also caught two passes for 34 yards.

"We just played our defense," Hall said. "We talked a lot about gang tackling him and we did that."

After giving up 100 points in a 1-2 non-district start, Star Spencer's defense came back in a big way. The Bobcats shut out four consecutive opponents to start district play and finished allowing just 43 points in 4A-2.

"They got the best of us early," Olds said of the Bobcats' early season losses to Douglass and Millwood. "But this win shows everybody how far we've come since then.

"This proves that we can contend for a championship."

The Bobcats certainly looked championship-caliber Friday night.