Muskogee junior QB Jamarian Ficklin leads Roughers past Stillwater for Class 6A-II title

EDMOND – A wave of confidence permeated Muskogee’s sideline in the final seconds against Stillwater, and Jamarian Ficklin could tell.

The Roughers had a chance to control their fate. Stillwater could force overtime with a two-point conversion, or Muskogee could call game with one valiant stop.

After accounting for four touchdowns, junior quarterback Ficklin had a hunch his defense would finish what he started, and he wasn’t alone.

“Everybody was up on the sideline saying, ‘We’re gonna get this. We’re gonna do it,’” Ficklin said. “And for us to be able to do it, it just means a lot.”

Muskogee, the ultimate underdog only two years ago, secured its reign atop Class 6A-II with a 28-26 state finals victory over Stillwater on Friday afternoon at Chad Richison Stadium. The fourth-ranked Roughers toppled the defending champion, reversing the outcome of their Week 10 loss to the No. 1 Pioneers to claim their first state title since 1986.

The outcome hinged upon the final plays, delivering the edge-of-your-seat suspense expected in a matchup between 6A-II giants.

With 20 seconds left, senior running back Holden Thompson rushed for a 2-yard touchdown to narrow Muskogee’s lead to 28-26, capitalizing on Trace Clark’s fumble recovery for the Pioneers.

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But Stillwater needed a two-point conversion to create overtime.

Muskogee (11-2) refused to let it happen. In a chaotic pile of green jerseys and white jerseys, senior defensive back Deyonn Bowler and senior lineman Kaleb Huston wrapped up Stillwater receiver Talon Kendrick, stopping him just short of the goal line.

Then the Roughers recovered an onside kick to seal the victory. Senior receiver Kayden McGee hopped around the field, triumphantly holding the football in the air as the Muskogee faithful rejoiced.

Head coach Travis Hill needed some time to process the surreal moment.

“There’s really no emotions until, realistically, about 20 seconds after the game,” Hill said. “(Then) there’s a lot of emotions that flow through, a lot of emotions.”

The coach reflected on Muskogee’s extraordinary three-year ascent. In 2021, the Roughers won only two games.

In 2022, they vastly improved but fell in the state semifinals to Choctaw.

This year, the gold ball is theirs. Ficklin, known as “Byrd” to his teammates, has led the Roughers as their starter through all three of those seasons, growing from a freshman on a struggling team into one of Oklahoma’s most lauded high school quarterbacks.

“I knew it would all progress through at some point,” Ficklin said.

In the finals, Ficklin completed 10 of 11 pass attempts for 149 yards, no interceptions and one touchdown to Ondraye Beasley. He also rushed for 86 yards and three scores on 21 attempts, guiding the Roughers with pure will to win as he scored on a couple of quarterback sneaks.

Kendrick, an Oklahoma State preferred walk-on commit, energized the Pioneers with three touchdowns: two rushing and one receiving. Although Stillwater and Muskogee were tied at 14 heading into halftime, the Pioneers (10-3) never led. Penalties proved costly for Stillwater, particularly late in the game.

And the Roughers’ confidence carried them.

“They never, ever got up on us,” Ficklin said. “And we never, ever got down on ourselves.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football: Muskogee holds off Stillwater for title