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By: Chris Evans
Well, so much for scheduling a "cream puff" and getting an automatic win for your Homecoming game. That is what the Guthrie BlueJays find themselves in this week as the Durant Lions come to town for Homecoming 2008.
Guthrie will have to bring their "A" game in an all-important game if the Jays want to achieve a few of their goals of winning the district and protecting their home field. The Lions move into the district after being in 5A-3 for several years and making the play-off's a season ago.
The Lions enter Jelsma Stadium 2-1 on the season, with both wins coming on the road, that included a, 41-12, win at Hugo last week and in Week 1 with a, 24-7, win at McAlester. Their only loss came in the game labeled, "Battle of Slippery Rock" with the 9th ranked Ada Cougars, 21-20 when Durant went for a 2-point conversion instead of the extra point. The 2-point conversion failed with :33 seconds left in the game. Last season Durant was 4-2 on the road in the regular season.
The win over 4A Hugo marked the first time a Durant team had defeated Hugo since 1991.
Not only will, 11th ranked, Durant bring a solid team, they will bring one of the most exciting players in 5A and in the state, in Max White.
White, a baseball stand-out, was summed up by his head coach Byron Cordell as "Everything". Who could disagree?
In a 7-4 season a year ago that ended in the first round of the play-offs at Tulsa East Central (54-7), White piled up 780-yards of offense with 524 receiving yards and 256 rushing yards. White finished the season with 10 touchdowns and was over shadowed by his own brother.
Bo White, currently playing football at Southeastern University after briefly walking on at OU, was a second team all-state selection with over 2700-yards of offense as the Lions quarterback.
With older brother playing college football, the younger White has made the move to the signal caller and has completed 70% of his passes this season.
In last week's win over Hugo, White passed for 194-yards including a 25-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage. The Lions stayed balance with 204-yards rushing. White and running back Tyler Fields each had three touchdown's against Hugo. Fields was solid last season with 700-yards and eight scores.
As if that was not enough, Max White was the teams leading tackler a year ago with 60 tackles and is one of the best kickers in the state. White averaged 42.29-yards a punt and tied for the longest field goal in 2007 with a 51-yarder. Max White finished the season with four field goals.
White's favorite targets are receivers Jon Garza, Brandon Brooks, Spencer Stephens, and Dustin Dunham. Brooks had the biggest play against Hugo from scrimmage with a 33-yard reverse run.
Durant has battled injuries already this season, but none more serious then defensive specialist Justin Buckman.
Buckman, a three-year starter, has three recovered fumbles already this season was taken to the hospital, during the Hugo game, with a sustained subdural hematoma (blood collecting on the surface of the brain) and was later flown to a Tulsa hospital where is improving.
“He’s not going to have surgery, they don’t think,” Coach Cordell told the Durant Daily Democrat. “He’s improving. It (blood on the surface of his brain) is reabsorbing. They’re optimistic that he should be able to come home in a few days. He was having trouble keeping anything down, but it looks very, very positive.”
Game time between the Jays and Lions is set for 7:30 pm, at Jelsma Stadium, and can be heard on 105.1 FM and streaming live on www.GuthrieSportsPage.com.
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