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By: Chris Evans
The Guthrie Bluejays come back to Jelsma Stadium Friday night as they prepare to take on the Southeast Spartans for Homecoming 2007 and more importantly look forward in securing their second straight district win.
In a week that could very well be over looked with a car bash, a bonfire and a parade head coach Rafe Watkins dreads this week, but also understands the meaning of homecoming.
“It’s just one of those things that you dread it every year, but it’s one of the necessary evils you’ve got to have homecoming,” head coach Rafe Watkins said alluding to the fact that there are much more distractions this week for the football game on Friday night.
“You just hope the kids are focused, and I think we are. I think our kids understand what this is all about,” Watkins continued.
In last year’s homecoming game, Guthrie had no problem keeping their concentration on Harrah with a 53-6 win.
This year’s homecoming game will feature a Southeast team coming off a 4-6 season a year ago, and just missed out on the play-offs, in which a few injuries toward the end of the season was the downfall by seasons end. This Southeast team believes they are a team that if everything goes right can make the play-offs, but know it is a tall challenge.
“They are an explosive team. They have been scoring points, but their defense is a little suspect at this point in time,” Watkins said.
With a defense that is struggling and Guthrie is your next opponent, which is not a good formula if you are a Spartan fan. Guthrie on the season averages 57.5 points a contest and could be a higher average if the first team unit had played more in the second half in the teams last three games.
The Spartans enter the Rock on a three game losing streak and stand at 1-3 on the season. Their lone victory came back in Week 1 with a 28-21 victory over U.S. Grant. Southeast then dropped games to Star Spencer, Capitol Hill and Woodward last week in the first game of the district season.
Southeast is an Oklahoma City school that may be the most consistent team, as of late, in a span of years that has seen its downfall of seasons. Douglass, Northwest, U.S. Grant, and Capitol Hill are just a few teams that have a hard time competing.
Not to help things this season for Southeast, but they lost 22 seniors from a year ago and it shows by having to start a freshmen, at quarterback, in Jay Gogue. Also, figured to be playing some quarterback will be junior Darius Chatman. When Gogue is the signal caller Chatman will be the tailback.
The strength of the Spartans will be their offensive and defensive lines. Freshmen offensive linemen Brenton Pritchett anchors their line for the very speedy running backs in the Spartans arsenal.
There is no question that Guthrie is far superior between the two teams, but Guthrie will look to come out quickly and set the tone much like they have done in their prior four games. Guthrie won this contest last season in Speagle Stadium, 49-0.
“Coach Branch does a great job with them. They are very disciplined and are looking to throw the football a little more this year,” Watkins said is one of the changes they have added to the offense from a year ago. Last season, Southeast used the “pop” offense.
Kick-off is set for 7:30 inside Jelsma Stadium and can be heard on Hot 93.7 FM KSPI with the call of the game by Chris Evans, Casey Porter, Chris LeGrande, and Craig Fleck. The radio pre-game show starts at 7:00 p.m.