Change of plans worked out for Tiger son of college QB

Sep. 23—There was a time when the plan was for Cade Waggle to follow in his dad's footsteps.

All through elementary and into middle school, Waggle was rolling in that plan, playing quarterback.

Clay Waggle played quarterback for Bacone in its first three seasons returning to the sport after a 44-year hiatus, 2001-2004, and was part of a group of about a dozen on campus practicing the year before the program got started under David Ross.

Ross was there through 2004. The program was shut down in the summer of 2018.

Maybe that was a sign.

That year, the younger Waggle was entering his eighth grade year as a quarterback.

There wouldn't be a ninth-grade campaign.

"My whole family, my dad, my cousin, my dad's brother, my dad's dad, all played quarterback and I was raised to be a quarterback," said Cade.

But plans, and fate, are tricky things.

"I coached his group from second grade through sixth and I will admit, I had that dream," admitted Clay.

But in those youth league days, it was always run first, pass second. When he did throw the ball, he threw to Hunter Branch.

Cole Mahaney was the running back, Clay recalled.

With Cade entering his freshman year, Clay said he got a call from Greg Whiteley, the Fort Gibson head coach.

"He said, 'here's what I'm thinking,'" Clay said.

Mahaney, like Cade a freshman at the time, would take over as quarterback from Cameron Dornan, who graduated last year. Dornan would be a receiver. Cade would be a receiver.

"I said then I was on board, and I'm glad it's worked out," Clay said. "To be honest, Cade never really had the arm for it and was built more as a slot receiver — someone elusive and quick. It made sense to do it."

Friday night provided supporting evidence in that case.

Cade had a 40-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-and-4 play that tied the score at 20. Fort Gibson would go on to win 34-26 to go to 2-1 on the year. He finished with six receptions for 102 yards and back in the first half, excelled in another task he has — returning kicks. He took one 97 yards for a score and at the time, a 13-7 lead.

"I saw something in him. He's an impact player with good hands, good speed, good quickness," Whiteley said.

Cade saw an opportunity outside of just getting a first down and sustaining a drive Friday.

"It was supposed to be a five-yard hitch," Cade said. "I was planning to just get the first down by I made the first guy miss, bounded to the outside and made the second guy miss and I was gone."

Fort Gibson is deep at the receiver position. Seven different Tigers have caught passes in 2021. Branch, still one of those, has 209 yards on nine receptions, Waggle 156 on 10.

It's a unit that is starting to come together in all phases, Whiteley said.

"It's getting better and better and a lot of that is how the offensive line has started to jell," Whiteley said. "There's three guys up front who have not started prior to this year. Our running game is coming along, those guys run hard, and our overall scheme is coming together."

Seth Rowan, another prime target, has four catches, third on the team, but has been slowed by a hamstring. When healthy, Whiteley likes what's coming.

"Who are you gonna key on?" said Whiteley. "You take away Hunter, you have Cade, Seth and Jaxon Perdue. You take away Cade, you have Seth, Hunter and Jaxon."

Cade is fine with how it all panned out. It's helped to have his dad's ear, and there's also Grayland Dunams, a former Bacone player himself who is on the Tigers' staff who himself was on Bacone's final team as a wide receiver.

"I love football, so whatever position I play, I'm going to give it my all," Cade said. "My dad knows a lot about football and would do anything to push me and train, work out and be on the top of my game. And Coach D, after my freshman year, he asked me about training with him on footwork and agility drills. I love him like I love my dad."

Position-wise, it's now Dunams' steps he's following in.

Notes

—Fort Gibson faces Muldrow on the road this week. It's their homecoming, and the second time as homecoming guest for the Tigers.

"You can't read a lot into that," said Whiteley. "I know people look at it and say they are targeting you when it happens, but there's a lot of things that go into that. The date has to be right, everyone involved has to be there, the fastpitch team has to be off. It's a group effort. We have to get on them quick."

—Muldrow is 1-2 with its win being a 42-0 rout of Tahlequah Sequoyah. Losses were to Spiro (41-35) and Roland (20-7).