SULPHUR — The Mannford Pirates wrapped up their 2025 football season Friday night in the shadow of the Arbuckles, falling 48-0 to Class 3A, secondranked Sulphur — an undefeated powerhouse bound for a deep postseason run. The scoreboard was not on the Pirates’ side, but the effort was there. Every yard the Pirates gained came hard, and every hit they delivered echoed with purple and gold.
Senior quarterback Max Moore went 5-of-7 through the air for 28 yards, keeping his composure against one of the state’s stingiest defenses. Sophomore Luke Naylor gave Mannford its best flashes of rhythm with 53 yards on the ground and 12 more receiving, while junior J.J. Hindsman picked up key firstdown carries and chipped in a short reception. Seniors Braiden Rodriguez and Trey Scott combined for 46 rushing yards in a bruising night between the tackles, with sophomores Keegan Arndt and Ryder Tidwell rotating in to keep the drive alive.
Through the air, Moore spread the ball around — senior Jerrett Robinson hauled in a 10-yard grab, Hagen Anderson added a short catch from the flat, and Naylor’s pair of receptions helped keep the chains moving.
Defensively, it was the seniors who kept fighting through the final whistle. Moore and Tidwell each notched nine total tackles, Scott had eight, and Rodriguez and Kayden Leslie added seven apiece. Hindsman chipped in from the secondary, and Anderson fought through double-teams up front.
For the Pirates (6-4 overall, 3-4 in District 3A-2), it wasn’t the ending they hoped for, but it closed a season that refined their resilience, healing and faith.
In the books, Mannford finished ahead of McLoud and Victory Christian and battled to within a possession or two of every team not from Sulphur. The senior class — Moore, Rodriguez, Scott, Morgan, Colson, Anderson, Robinson, Thomas, Hockersmith, Blackburn, Esparza, Gaches, and Howard — leave behind a legacy for a program that has rediscovered its toughness and new-found identity.
They may have been outscored Friday night, but they weren’t out-hearted. As the final whistles sounded and the lights dimmed, the Pirates walked off together — a season ended too soon, but a season filled with lessons, bruises, and a winning record, that came home to the shores of Keystone Lake.