ALTUS -- I've seen many football games in my day, but I don't think I have seen a better high school football game than the one I was at Friday night.
The Altus High Bulldogs won a four-overtime thriller over the Ardmore Tigers 42-36 and with it garnered a second place finish in District 5A-1 and earned a home playoff game against defending state champion Shawnee.
The game ranks up there with the best of them. I reminisced some of the better games over the years. There was the 1971 semifinals with Shawnee in which the Bulldogs won a 44-36 track meet enroute to the state championship. There was 1974 quarterfinal playoff game at Tulsa Hale when Eddie Graham kicked a 25-yard field goal to defeat the Rangers 23-21 in the Bulldogs first year in the state's largest class. And who can forget 1989 when Altus traveled to Ardmore in a matchup of the # 1 and 2 ranked teams. The Bulldogs had to go three overtimes before they came away with a victory. In that game Ardmore broke a tie with a touchdown only to have the extra -point blocked. Altus quarterback Keith Wiginton scored and the Bulldogs needed only a PAT to win. Ardmore saved all three of its timeouts from the second half and all three in the overtimes. They called all six of those timeouts in an effort to freeze place kicker Jim Tasker. It didn't faze Tasker. He calmly knocked the kick into the center of the uprights giving Altus the victory.
Friday night another kicker came to the forefront. Raegan Vaughan had struggled through the year but on Friday night the junior came up big. He kicked three field goals and the Bulldogs needed all three of them. His 47-yarder in the first half came up one yard short of tying the school record.
Actually the Bulldogs rose to the occasion in all phases of the game. Defensively, the Bulldogs and cornerback James Holt did a masterful job in holding Ardmore receiver Jermaine Gresham to just one catch. That reception was for a touchdown in the third overtime, but the 6-7, 235-pound junior had been much more productive during the rest of the season.
The biggest defensive play of the game came from Zacc McCaskill in the fourth overtime. He came up from his linebacker slot and spilled Ardmore running back Jamane Stubblefield for a 4-yard loss putting the Tigers into a third and long situation, something they were not able to overcome.
The Bulldogs were without the services of senior running back/linebacker De'Arteuy Jones who tore his ACL and MCL last week against Chickasha. That presented problems because of Jones is a two-way starter.
Junior Kelby Fowler replaced Jones on defense. He recorded a sack that foiled on Ardmore drive. He caught a 20-yard pass on a fake punt that led to the Bulldogs first touchdown.
Senior halfback Omar Nails took up the slack for the absence of Jones on offense. Nails was a workhorse Friday night carrying 26 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns.
It wasn't just one player. Whenever a play was needed somebody stepped up and made it. It was truly a team effort.
If there was a sad thing about the game, it was with the crowd. It was a shame that such a small audience watched this game. It wasn't a terrible crowd, but there was still way too many empty seats. I long for the days when fans packed Hightower Memorial Stadium.
I know everyone can't go to the game. But, certainly more can make this Friday night's playoff against Shawnee. You might see something special. I'm certainly glad I was there Friday night.
I wondered about this team several weeks ago. Remember the Duncan game on Oct. 8. The Bulldogs lost to the Demons 47-38 leaving many questions about this football team. It was really a poor defensive effort that night.
That left a question whether or not Altus would reach the playoffs.
The toughest portion of the district schedule remained and Altus was going to have to beat at least one team that was better than Duncan.
If you remember I wrote a column a few days after that game. I said the Bulldogs faced a big challenge and asked if they were up to it.
The Bulldogs faced the challenge and whipped it. But there is more work to be done. The playoffs are my favorite time of the year and they present a new challenge for this football team.. In football as in all sports there is always a challenge.
I'm confident the Bulldogs will give a great effort in the playoffs. We'll see how far they can go. But for now I'm just glad I was at Hightower Memorial Stadium on Friday night.
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