Jays trying to get to Thanksgiving Day

Every high school football coach wants his team to practice on Thanksgiving Day.

The Guthrie football program has had the privilege of doing so in three of the last four seasons and four times since 2002. If you talk to many Guthrie followers, the Jays should be playing for their sixth state semi-final berth as they reflect back on the triple overtime loss, 27-34, to Booker T. Washington in Tulsa. Still to this day many believe Hank Hudson’s field goal was between the goal posts, but was ruled no good.

Thanksgiving Day practice simply means you are one of four teams remaining in your class and are playing for the right to play for a state championship.

The BlueJays (10-1) will entertain the Coweta Tigers (9-2) in the second round. Coweta held back Bishop Kelley, 13-7, with two defensive stands in the final five minutes, last week, to begin the playoffs. The Tigers are a much improved team after a 2-8 2009 campaign. The Jays handled Durant 35-6.

Guthrie is currently 15-6 overall in playoff games since 2001 and are 7-1 in home games. Friday night’s game will be just the second home playoff game in the second round. In 2007, the Jays handled Shawnee 61-34 en route to the state title.