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By: Chris Evans
Streaks have seen to be a pattern lately with the top-ranked and undefeated Guthrie BlueJays, but the Jays can extend a few more Friday night when Harrah come to Jelsma Stadium for a 5A-2 district game.
Since coming on board in 2001, Jays head coach Rafe Watkins has never lost to a Harrah team (7-0) and the closest the Panthers have come was in 2001. That season Guthrie came away with a 13-7 win, but the following six years Harrah has only been able to put 24-points total on the Jays. In the seven games, Guthrie has won by an average of 41-4, including a 68-0 win last season.
Guthrie has won their last 19-games and is currently the largest streak in the larger schools and the third longest in the state.
The Panthers come into the game with a 2-3 record including two home wins with a 52-12 win over Capitol Hill last week, and in Week 3 with a 37-0 shut-out win over Tecumseh. The three loses have come to 4A McLoud (28-9), 4A Piedmont (22-10), and Shawnee (52-0).
Harrah is coming off a 3-7 season, but the program continues to build with the amount of players coming out to play.
By the end of the 2006 season there was 30 players left and in '07 the numbers grew to 53 players. Heading into this spring, Harrah was up to 68 players and a lot of that credit goes to head coach Greg Willis. The Panthers have been at a disadvantage ever since moving up to Class 5A and currently are the third smallest 5A school.
Junior quarterback Brett Roberts leads an offense that averages 270-yards a game and is a run orientated team with 180 of those yards coming on the ground. Roberts is 41 of 73 passing for 449-yards to go along with three passing scores and four interceptions.
The rushing game is led by senior running back Cameron Cornish and his average of 61-yards rushing and has found the end zone four times. The top receiver for the Panthers is Curt Lanham with 15 receptions for 230-yards and two touchdowns. Overall, the offense averages 21-points a contest.
However, the Panther offense will work against a very stingy BlueJay defense that allows just 177 total yards a game and has given up just 25-points all season. Leading the way in the tackle category are junior Jaden Chappell with 61 and senior Josh King with 54.
In the win over Capitol Hill, Harrah was balance with 113-yards on the ground and 122-yards in the air and had six different players score in the rout.
Meanwhile, the BlueJay offense enters Friday night averaging 33-points a game behind the passing of senior quarterback Keaton Callins and wide-out Donte' Foster. Callins has thrown for 15-scores and 929-yards and his favorite receiver, Foster, has brought down 20-catches and 418-yards. Seven of those 20-catches have gone to the house for the senior, who averages 21-yards a catch.
The two other primary Callins targets are senior Laron Parker and sophomore Kentrell Brothers. Parker has 13-grabs and 4-touchdowns while Brothers has 9-catches and 3-touchdowns.
Senior Clayton Smith is expected to miss his third game in a row and is still questionable for next week. Junior J.P. Bruner continues to carry the rushing game with over 5-yards a run with his tough running ability, but also has the speed to get away from would be defenders.
The Guthrie-Harrah game can be heard on Triple Play Sports 105.1 FM and streaming live on www.GuthrieSportsPage.com.
Notes:
2007 Guthrie 68-0
2006 Guthrie 53-6
2005 Guthrie 44-3
2004 Guthrie 21-0
2003 Guthrie 45-7
2002 Guthrie 47-8
2001 Guthrie 13-7
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