LONE GROVE — The Mannford Pirates showed grit and flashes of determination Friday night despite falling 41-0 on the road, in Lone Grove, in a District 3A-2 matchup that tested their endurance and resolve.
The loss dropped Mannford to sixth in the district standings, but the Pirates’ defensive intensity is showing continuing signs of growth. Sophomore linebacker Keegan Arndt anchored the defense with a team-high 19 tackles, while junior JJ Hindsman added 11 tackles, including three for loss.
Senior Ricky Morgan contributed 10, and junior Ryder Tidwell recorded a sack and six total tackles.
Senior quarterback Max Moore completed two passes for five yards and also led the punting unit with five kicks for 160 yards, including a 41-yard long bomb.
On the ground, sophomore Luke Naylor paced the rushing attack with 30 yards on six carries, followed closely by senior Brayden Rodriguez and junior Hindsman, who each tallied 24 rushing yards.
On special teams, Rodriguez returned three kickoffs for 66 yards, while senior Trey Scott and sophomore Naylor chipped in solid field position gains on their returns.
While the scoreboard told one story, the stat sheet showed another — a team fighting to find consistency and identity as district play intensifies. Mannford (now 5-2 overall, 2-2 in district 3A-2) will look to regroup this week before returning home for another key 3A-2 matchup against 2-5 Victory Christian.