El Reno shuts out Jays inside packed Jelsma Guthrie finishes non-district play on the road next week at Piedmont   COMMENT   |   TWITTER   |   EMAIL  |   FACEBOOK  |   LEAVE FEEDBACK   By: Charles Chaney Posted September 11, 2009

Guthrie --Friday night's game between Guthrei and El Reno seemed like a night for Bluejay trivia. Name the last time Guthrie was shut out: 2003 versus Ardmore in the first round of the playoffs and the first home shut-out since losing to Altus in 2001. Name the last time Guthrie lost three in a row: 2000 season, finished 5-5. Name the last time Guthrie started a season 0-2: 1999.

Homecoming is a night supposed to be filled with joy and happiness, however the sixth ranked El Reno Indians had other plans for the Guthrie Bluejays.  El Reno rolled in and shut down homecoming with a 18-0 victory. The Indians win ends Guthrie’s 17 game home winning streak.

El Reno (2-0) had been plastered by Guthrie the past eight years, but a feisty El Reno defense wouldn’t allow the streak to continue.

"It’s different this year,” El Reno senior linebacker Tyler Palmer said. "Coach (Tom) Cobble knows all of us well this year and knows what we’re capable of doing and how we play. Last year, we were still getting used to each other.”

Guthrie’s offense was very subpar as they managed just 104-yards total. Quarterback Bryan Dutton finished 5-10 with 42 yards passing, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Both interceptions helped set up two Indian touchdowns that helped put the game out of reach for Guthrie. However, it did not all fall back on the freshmen quarterback getting his first start at home.

Jays head coach Rafe Watkins talked about his offense, “We’re pretty pathetic on offense right now. Until you can get some continuity built, it doesn’t matter if you have Joe Montana or Billy Sims in the backfield, we’re not going to be able to very good to run or throw the ball.”

The first half was a defensive battle as neither team was really able to run the ball. Guthrie managed 43-yards on offense, but allowed El Reno to pass the ball marginally. El Reno’s run game was stuffed during the first half. Not before Jakiel Everheart scored his first of three touchdowns to put the Indians on top 6-0 after the point after failed.

"He’s (Everheart) such a big factor,” senior Cody Dauphin said. "He plays great when he’s rushed and can really make things happen, and he did tonight.”

After a very forgettable first half the Bluejays got the ball to start the second half, but ended up going three and out.

“We are just very undisciplined and making too many mistakes right now.” Watkins spoke about the effort tonight.

El Reno and Guthrie traded possessions before Guthrie’s defense sparked into action.

After a carless ball control by Everheart on a roll out, Jays defensive end Felix Scott fell on the fumble and put the Bluejays in prime position from the El Reno 26-yard line.

Running back Derrick Kelly made a nice run, combined with a Dutton keeper gave the Bluejays only their third first down of the evening,  pushing the ball to the Indian 16-yard line.

After a rush by Dauphin, Dutton was forced to make a hurried throw and the pass was picked off by Palmer.

“Cody Daughin was a stud.” Watkins said “He’s as good as a defensive linemen we’ll face this year.”

The lone bright spot of the evening was the Guthrie defense as they held the vaunted El Reno running game to  26-yards in the first half.  However, Everheart and Cory Daughin, twin brother of Cody, to explode over a very tired Guthrie defense.

The very next El Reno possession, the Indians marched 80-yards in seven plays, capping it off with a 24-yard gallop to the house, to push the El Reno lead to 12-0.

It seemed like the house fell down on the Bluejays on the next series, Dutton threw an open interception to Cameron Ross, who returned it to 16-yard line of the Bluejays.

Everheart took the ball and from the 1-yard line on third down and scored, pushing the score to the final 18-0. The two point conversion was an incomplete pass.

After a poor kick, Guthrie got the ball on the 40-yard line, and began really their only lengthy drive of the game. JP Bruner and Dutton combined for 38-yards of a 56-yard drive, all the way down to the El Reno 3-yard line.

Big play of the drive was a rolling out Dutton who found Kentrell Brothers on a tipped pass, who caught it for a 18-yard pass play, and resulted in the biggest play for the Bluejays on the entire night, but the drive stalled, however, when on fourth and goal, Guthrie was unsuccessful and turned the ball over on downs.

El Reno would get the ball back and played risky ball, throwing the ball on rollout passes out of the end zone. One pass was almost intercepted by Brothers.

He batted it down in the end zone, forcing a fourth down. While punting, Guthrie was called for illegal participation and instead of having the ball at the El Reno 44-yard line, El Reno received 15-yards on the penalty and was able to milk the clock for the rest of the game.

Watkins said, “I talked to them after the game and said guy’s we’re all in this together. We expect to win every time we step on the field.”

Guthrie travels next Friday to Piedmont to take on the Wildcats, who are 0-2 after losing to Deer Creek Edmond 0-19 and Harrah 11-21.

“We have a game next week we should win. Piedmont is better than they have been,” Watkins talking about the Wildcats.

Charles Chaney is a contributing writer and alum of Guthrie High School.

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