Guthrie and Deer Creek both need district win

The number of Guthrie and Deer Creek duals on the gridiron are growing close to an end, but on Friday the Jays and Antlers will play an instrumental district game. With a win, Guthrie draws closer to a home playoff advantage, but an Antler win will keep everyone guessing.

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The key game will take place in Edmond with a kickoff at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on Triple Play Sports Radio 105.1 FM or on the Guthrie websites at Guthrie News Page and Guthrie Sports Page.

With Deer Creek joining a new conference beginning next season and continued growing numbers, the series may end after the 2014 and 2015 seasons. It is expected Deer Creek will make the move to Class 6A.

The BlueJays (7-0) will look for their eighth straight win and remain Class 5A’s lone unbeaten team, but more importantly need a win to stay on pace to win the district title. Meanwhile, Deer Creek (5-2) all but needs a win to keep them in the hunt for the district title and a home playoff game. The Antlers dropped a week four game with Carl Albert (42-24) for their lone district loss. Both teams will still go up against McGuinness.

If the game is like anything a season ago you may want to save your voice. Last year in Jelsma, the Jays sent the game into overtime with a touchdown with two seconds left in regulation and captured the 42-35 overtime win with a touchdown and Antler fumble.

The 2013 edition will display two new quarterbacks with Guthrie’s Reed Roberts and Deer Creek’s Caden Sander. While Sander has double the amount of pass attempts than Roberts, both quarterbacks have been accurate with a completion rate of 65 percent for Roberts and 61 percent for Sander. Both are similar in touchdown passes and interceptions.

Deer Creek will not only use the arm of Sander, but his ability to run. The senior has amassed for nearly 600 yards to go with six scores. The Antlers will also run the ball with two running backs, whom all can catch the ball out of the backfield.

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Alec James and Marcus Coleman average over 54 yards running the ball per game. The duo have similar numbers when it comes to carries, yards, touchdowns and receiving yards.

Sander’s primary receiving targets will be Cole Verble, Noah McGraw and Jackson Smith.

Verble is the team leader with 29 catches and 409 receiving yards. McGraw has hauled in a team high three touchdowns through the air.

The Antlers offense will see a Guthrie defense that is allowing 131 yards of offense led by junior linebacker Beau Davis’ 62 tackles and senior defensive tackle Trevor Blassingame’s eight sacks. Only Enid and Carl Albert have been able to rush the ball for more than 100 yards (Enid 105 and Carl Albert 245).

Deer Creek’s defense has plenty of speed and are highlighted by wrestling stand-out Cole Pacheco and his team high 109 tackles. Not too far behind is John Keeth and Blake Landon with 104 tackles each.

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Eli Hooks and Daniel Smith have proven they can get to the quarterback. Hooks has done it 12 times and Smith eight times.

The front seven of the Antlers will look to stop the Guthrie running game who enters the game averaging 274 yards on the ground. Highlighting the Jays ground attack will be senior Kai Callins and junior Idae Alexander. The duo has combined to score 31 times on the ground.

Callins has rushed over the century mark in six of the seven games and Alexander has done it four times.

Guthrie leads the overall series with a 6-2 record, including the last five games dating back to 2007. The Jays have won two of the three games played in Edmond.