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Junior offensive lineman Chase Garrison will be available for duty Friday when the Bulldogs play at Ardmore. Garrison has been sidelined most of the season because of injury.

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At this time of the football season sports pages are full of stories with the different playoff possibilities.

Many times that are so many possibilities that it gets complicated.

But that is not the case for the Altus High School Bulldogs. Actually its very simple. Win at Ardmore on Friday night and defeat Capitol Hill next week and the Bulldogs are in the playoffs as the fourth place team from District 5A-1. Lose once and the season is over.

Altus travels to Ardmore for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and with the winner earning the right to more than likely play at top ranked Guthrie in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bulldogs enter the game with a 2-6 overall record and 2-3 in the league. Ardmore is 4-4 and 3-2.

It’s a young Ardmore football team who returned only three starters back from a 2011 team that went to the state semifinals.

It’s a team that runs out of the flex bone and relies heavily on the option.

“You have to play assignment football,” AHS Head Coach Chad Stone said. The Tigers run the football 80 percent of the time and 57 percent of the runs are option.

It was just a few weeks ago that Jeff Surrell (6-0, 185, Sr.) was moved from quarterback to slot back. A freshman Clay Atwood (5-10, 180) directs the attack. Surrell is the big play guy. He possess 4.48 speed according to Ardmore head coach Doug Wendel.

Two returning starters Elijah Clay defensive end (6-2, 260) and nose guard Darius Lawson (5-5, 225) are linemen that anchor the 3-4 based defense.

Keys to victory

“We have to win the turnover battle and we have to tackle well in space,” Stone said.

It appears the district standings are all but set barring upsets in the final two weeks of the season. If Del City defeats Duncan on Friday as expected they will be the district champion. MacArthur looks to be the second place team with games with Capitol Hill and Ardmore remaining. Duncan will probably be the third place team and will go on the road in the first round of the playoffs. The Altus-Ardmore winner should lock up the fourth and final playoff spot.

Bulldog notes: It was a big year for the Altus High freshmen football team who just finished an unbeaten season with a victory over Lawton MacArthur on Monday night. It is believed to be the first freshmen team in 37 years.