KHS puts distractions aside

The potential for distraction was there.

But the Yellowjackets never let it materialize.

Kingfisher shrugged off a whirlwind 48 hours as well as a heartbreaking loss just six days before to put together their most complete performance of the season Thursday in a 42-3 home win over McLoud.

“All the coaches are really proud of how the kids came out and played,” said Stan Blundell after the game.

“You never know how 16and 17- and 18-year-old kids are going to react to some things and they’ve really handled it well.”

Blundell had just completed his first game as the interim head coach.

That came after Jeff Myers was put on administrative leave the day before, which came one day after he was charged in district court. ( Note: See stories on Page 1.)

With a case that’s garnered statewide - and even national - headlines in recent days hovering around, the Yellowjackets still have a playoff spot to play for on the field.

Thursday’s win was a big step in that direction as they moved to 3-2 in District 3A-1. Wins in the final two weeks would lock up third in the district.

“The guys have their backs against the wall for a variety of reasons, but they came out and played really hard from the start, which is what we challenged them to do,” Blundell said.

And it started quickly. McLoud went for a 4thand- 1 on its first possession, but the Jackets’ Hunter Delozier stepped in front of a Kaden Mendenhall pass, picked it off and ran 52 yards for the touchdown just over two minutes into the game.

Kingfisher’s offense didn’t take its first snap until 6:48 of the quarter.

When they did, the Jackets pieced together a 74-yard scoring drive that chewed more than six minutes off the clock.

It ended with a Dallen Barton 7-yard TD run with 12 seconds left in the first quarter.

Such a drive didn’t exist the week before when KHS lost 14-10 at Metro Christian. The offense managed just 78 total yards in defeat with 63 of them coming on one play.

But this week Kingfisher put together sustained drives and scored with big plays as well.

An instance of the latter came with 5:31 to go in the half after McLoud pulled within 14-3.

On Kingfisher’s very next snap, Jhett Birdwell eluded a potential sack and dropped a pass into the hands of Ethan Karcher running a wheel route.

Karcher broke a tackle on the visitors’ sideline and scored from 52 yards out.

“We told them if they played harder and played faster than McLoud, they’d win the game,” Blundell said.

Kingfisher did both. The defense continued to stifle the Redskins’ offense and Barton seemingly scored on a long punt return.

A confusing batch of penalties on the play negated that score and resulted in KHS taking over at the McLoud 15.

The Redskins had apparently held KHS to a field goal attempt, but the Jackets motioned out of the kicking formation.

“We were going to run a fake,” Blundell said.

But McLoud jumped offside, a penalty that gave KHS a first down.

Barton scored from 2 yards out a few plays later, helping the Jackets stake a 28-3 lead at half.

McLoud’s first possession of the second half ended the same way the initial one of the first half did: With a Jacket interception.

A Mendenhall pass bounced off a receiver’s hands and Damien Haynes was able to grab it out of the air.

The takeaway set up a 54-yard scoring drive, which was aided by a 32yard pass from Birdwell to Kasen Blair.

Jake Reagan caught a 3-yard touchdown pass at 7:04 of the third for a 35-3 advantage.

The offense had one more strike in it.

After the defense forced a turnover on downs, Kingfisher needed just a few plays to score again.

Haynes caught a quick pass from Birdwell, hit the sideline, somehow tiptoed on the edge and then outran the Redskins for a 65-yard touchdown.

One week after throwing for negative yardage, Birdwell bounced back to go 12 of 16 for 197 yards and three scores.

“I really thought he got better tonight,” Blundell said. “There were a couple times in the first half where he held onto it too long, but you didn’t see it in the second half.”

Haynes, Karcher, Blair and Reagan all caught multiple passes.

Haynes led the way with three receptions for 73 yards.

Barton added 60 rushing yards on 16 carries while Birdwell ran for another 26 yards.

The Jackets had 293 total yards, a football field more than McLoud.

Defensively, the Jackets held a foe without a touchdown for the second time in three weeks.

Kingfisher has given up just 23 total points in the last four games.

Once again it started up front.

Reagan and Daniel Guerrero were in Mendenhall’s face all night.

The defensive ends combined for 10 tackles, three sacks and four tackles for a loss.

Playing in the middle of the line, Jose Santoyo was tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including one for a loss.

Barton also had seven tackles.

The Redskins averaged less than four yards a play and were held to 2 of 11 on third downs. Both of their fourth-down attempts failed.

After starting the season 0-4, the Jackets are now 3-5 overall with a chance to finish the regular season at .500.

With Kingfisher on fall break, there was no school Thursday. The team had a walk-through practice in the morning and the KHS teachers fed the players and coaches afterward.

“They got together and decided they wanted to do that for the players,” Blundell said of his teaching peers. “They wanted to give them something positive and I think it carried over into the game.”