Jays, Lions to play under the sun to begin playoffs

The Guthrie football program has had it share of playoff games. It has had it share of Saturday games, but the program has not seen many day games and for sure not many day games inside The Rock.

That will be the case when Class 5A’s top ranked BlueJays (10-0) take on the Durant Lions (5-5) in the first round of the playoffs inside Jelsma Stadium. The kickoff is set for 2:30 and can be heard on Triple Play Sports Radio 105.1 FM and on Guthrie Sports Page Radio.

The last day game for the program came in 2008, in Tulsa, when Guthrie lost a triple overtime game to Booker T. Washington (34-27). Prior to that, Guthrie played in Broken Bow in 1983 and pulled out that game with a 24-22 win. It is uncertain the last day game played inside Jelsma Stadium, but for certain it has not been in the last five decades.

Guthrie is making their seventh straight trip to the playoffs and 10th in the past 11 eleven season. The BlueJays will put their eight-game home playoff streak on the line when Durant visits Jelsma for the second straight season in the playoffs.

In the 2010 match-up, the Jays took care of the Lions, 35-6, before losing two weeks later in the semi-finals.

This season Durant finished the regular season with two wins over Northwest Classen and Capitol Hill. The Lions have played a stout schedule with the likes of McAlester, Duncan, Ardmore and Lawton MacArthur despite dropping all four games.

The spark plug for the Lions offense goes through the legs of junior running back Dakota Deezner, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards and when you combine his receiving scores has found the end zone 17 times.

Lions quarterback Keaton Webb returns for Durant with improved numbers in his senior campaign with nearly 500 passing yards to go with seven touchdown tosses to just three interceptions.

Webb’s primary target will be 6’1 senior Tyler Hendley, who has brought in 501 yards and four scores.

Durant will have to work against the top ranked BlueJay defense, who is allowing just 129 yards of offense and a just six-points a game. The Guthrie defense is allowing just 49-yards on the ground. On the flip side, the Lions average 100 yards on the ground and 159 more through the air.

This will mark the eighth meeting between the schools with Guthrie with the slight edge 4-3 despite winning the last four meetings.

Guthrie vs Durant

1986 DURANT 34 @ GUTHRIE 20
1987 GUTHRIE 24 @ DURANT 27
1998 GUTHRIE 3 @ DURANT 7
1999 DURANT 15 @ GUTHRIE 18
2008 DURANT 15 @ GUTHRIE 41
2009 GUTHRIE 28 DURANT 14
2010 DURANT 6 @ GUTHRIE 35