Game Preview: Guthrie vs McGuinness

The Guthrie football team begins district play on Friday night when they host Bishop McGuinness. Both teams are expected to make the playoffs, but the winner will take a step ahead in possibly hosting a first round playoff game.

The Bluejays enter the game with a 1-1 record after last week’s game was cancelled midway through the second quarter in Sand Springs due to lightning. The Fightin’ Irish enter Jelsma Stadium on a two-game losing skid to Weatherford (21-7) and rival Bishop Kelley (19-16). The Irish started the season by taking down Shawnee, 38-7.

The game can be heard on Triple Play Sports Radio 105.1 FM., streamed world-wide on both Guthrie Sports Page and Guthrie News Page websites along with the Tunein radio app.

McGuinness head coach Justin Jones, who is now in his fifth season for the Irish, says his team played well in week one, but injuries hampered his team in the last two weeks.

On offense the Irish return quarterback Jacob Mullins, who passed for nearly 1,700 yards in 2014 to go with 11 touchdown tosses. In the first three games so far, Mullins has thrown for 582 yards, four scores and has been picked off three times.

Junior running back Zach Segell returns after running for over 1,100 yards in his sophomore season and ran in 12 scores. This season he is averaging 68 yards per game.

The receiving core returns Rubell Goe, Matt Chancellor and Alec Minielly. The three have combined for 30 catches so far in 2015.

Despite experience returning for McGuinness, Jones says they are still searching for their identity.

On the Irish defense, who are allowing 263 yards of offense, Jones has been pleased with the effort that has carried his offense through the first three games.

The Bluejay offense has been balance in their two games this season by averaging 171 yards on the ground and 169 more through the air while scoring nearly 28 points a game.

This series has been a competitive series with the Jays winning four of the seven games, including two of the last three games. A season ago the Jays went to Pribil Stadium and earned a 35-0 shut-out victory.

The Bluejays will carry a 35 game home winning streak and have not lost in Jelsma Stadium since 2009. In that year, McGuinness won the season opener 12-7.