McFadden scores three times; Jays advance to second round

The Guthrie offensive line was challenged by their head football coach throughout the week and the secondary knew the challenge was coming when they suited up for the first round of the high school playoffs.

The line was stellar, the secondary was near perfect. Toss in a sprinkle of J.T. McFadden, a pinch of Bryan Dutton and a fake punt and that proved to be the exact recipe the BlueJays needed for an opening round win at Lawton MacArthur, 31-13. The Highlanders win streak of 14 straight home playoff games ends after not losing since the 2002 season.

Guthrie, who has now won eight straight first round playoff games, will now charter to Tulsa next Friday night to take on top-ranked Tulsa East Central in a second round showdown.

Head coach Rafe Watkins in his post game radio interview stated it was the best overall game his team has played since week one when the Jays shut-out Duncan 43-0. Watkins Interview

It was a rematch the Highlanders were looking forward to following last year’s 5A state championship game, that saw the Jays win their third state title while keeping the Highlanders  searching for their first.

After a MacArthur fumble, Guthrie capitalize with the first score of the night on a Dutton one-yard score. However, MacArthur scored on their next two possessions with touchdown runs of three and 45 from senior running back Darius Graham. On a then crucial play, McFadden blocked the point after to keep it a 13-7 Highlander lead.

The BlueJays like they have in the Dutton era responded with a score of their following possession when McFadden, who finished with 104 total yards of offense, scored his first of three scores when he scampered in from 3-yards out. Luis Morales connected on the PAT for the lead.

All of that was set up on a well-time, well executed fake punt. Junior punter Reed Roberts received the snap and appeared was about to rugby punt the ball away from midfield. However, the back up quarterback, spotted a wide-open Donovan Jordan inside the 25-yard line.

Later in the second half, Roberts blasted a 72-yard punt that pinned MacArthur inside their own 10-yard line and flipping field position.

With a halftime lead of 14-13, Guthrie made it a 21-13 lead when McFadden made several cut back moves to score on a 22-yard pass from Dutton in the third quarter. The drive covered 82 yards on 10 plays.

McFadden’s next score would send several Highlander fans to the parking lot when the senior running back dashed down the sideline for a 48-yard daggering run and score of 28-13 with under five minutes left in the game.

Morales finalized the scoring with a 26-yard field goal after MacArthur turned the ball over inside their 10-yard line.

The Guthrie defense was nearly flawless especially in the second half by not allowing any scores, supplying continuous pressure on the Highlander quarterback and the secondary made several big plays on deep thrown balls. The secondary was looking to redeem themselves from the week nine 32-0 setback to McGuinness. Kelly Beeby Radio Interview.

The defense kept Graham under control despite the physical back collecting 121 yards on 24 carries. Graham could manage four runs of 10 yards or more. Last week, against Ardmore, the 11th ranked player in the state finished with 301 yards on the ground.

Guthrie must now face a Tulsa East Central team that has not lost a game on the field this year, but had to forfeit the first four games of the year after playing with an ineligible player. They easily took down Shawnee in their opening round game 38-14.

Cardinals quarterback Trevaughn Cherry finished the game 11-of-19 passing for 134 yards and one score while William Goree scored four touchdowns on a night he rushed for 184 yards on 24 carries.

East Central will display Stanvon Taylor, who committed to Oklahoma earlier this spring. Taylor can line up in several different positions.

Since 2002, the Jays are 4-0 against the Cardinals with all of those coming in the playoffs, including last year’s 20-14 second round game in Guthrie. The game will be third meeting at East Central’s Eastside Sports Complex (2002 and 2009).