GAMEDAY: McAlester preparing for semifinal battle with Lawton MacArthur
Nov. 24—When the Buffs hit the field, they're hoping to make it a black and gold Friday.
Top-ranked McAlester (12-0) will face off against No. 6 Lawton MacArthur (11-1) in the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Class 5A state semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. at Noble, with a trip to the state title game up for grabs.
The Buffs are coming off a gritty 27-21 win over Guthrie last week, and coach Forrest Mazey said his team did a good job of responding well to being tested by an opponent.
"We told them 'no matter what happens, you've got to play four quarters of football,' and in the playoffs, we learned that last year at El Reno," he said. "You have to play four quarters, and you have to finish four quarters."
But next up for the Buffs will be another postseason rival of sorts in the form of Lawton MacArthur, who took a nail-biting 50-49 win over McAlester in the last meeting of the two programs during the 2014 OSSAA Class 5A state semifinals.
The Highlanders have reached the semifinals this season by first defeating Piedmont 14-10 in the opening round on Nov. 12, and next a 40-0 dominant win over Pryor last week.
MacArthur boasts an offense that averages 43.9 points per game and features the talents of such players as quarterback Gage Graham and receiver Montez Edwards, as well as the powerful running back duo of Isaiah Gray and Devin Bush — who combined for five touchdowns in the win against Pryor.
The Highlanders also laud their own efforts on defense, holding opponents to an average of 16.5 points per game.
Meanwhile, McAlester's double-edged sword of offense averages 45.3 points per game, and has amassed more than 1,800 passing yards and more than 3,300 rushing yards so far this season.
Conversely, the Buffs defense has held opponents to an average of 212.4 yards and just 11.6 points per game.
And Mazey said with McAlester's abilities and work-ethic on both sides of the ball, combined with their resiliency, the Buffs will be ready to come out and respond with any situation that is thrown at them when they hit the field on Friday.
"You have to go with the ebb and flow of the game," he said. "There's going to be highs, there's going to be lows. You can't get too high, you can't get too low — you've got to be even-keeled and understand what you can do."
And with a trip to the state's biggest stage on the line, the Buffs will be looking to avenge their predecessors while also powering forward toward a chance at their ultimate goal.
"(MacArthur is) another opponent that we need to beat from years past," Mazey said. "They've knocked us out, some former teams, and we've got a lot of things to do. And we've got to be prepped for them. Like I've said, if you're practicing on Thanksgiving, you're practicing for a chance to go to the state championship."
The winner of the semifinal matchup will advance to the OSSAA Class 5A state title game against the winner between Carl Albert and Collinsville at the University of Central Oklahoma's Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
