The Drumright football team faced a huge task last Friday from Central Sallisaw. In the preseason VYPE magazine they were rated number 10 in A-2. VYPE gave their sizes talking about them. I think they left a bunch of their players out. Some of their football players look as big as college players.
Even then, in the fi rst quarter we got to the Central Sallisaw 10, but didn't get the ball in.
Coach Mark Ryan said, “Tornadoes continue to battle, turn attention to Mounds.”
The Drumright Tornadoes faced a strong Central Sallisaw team Friday night, falling 41-7 in District action. Despite that fi nal score, the Tornadoes continued to show e ort, leadership and individual growth as they work through their fi rst season back in 11-man football.
Drumright is now 1-1 in District play, with plenty of football still ahead.
The Tornadoes found the end zone when Garrett connected with Zaidon “Blue” Stewart for a touchdown, and Jay Welch followed with a perfect PAT.
Wright continued to demonstrate his value on both sides of the football. In addition to throwing the touchdown pass, he had an impressive night defensively, coming up with several big tackles and continuing to provide leadership for the Tornadoes.
Sammy Blackburn once again found a way to create a turnover for the Drumright defense, recording an interception. Blackburn has consistently been around the football this season and continues to make plays when opportunities arise.
Andrew Deering turned in another high-e ort performance, recording two sacks. Deering continues to give everything he has each time he steps onto the fi eld and has become a dependable presence for the Tornadoes.
Anthony Fisher had an impressive night up front on both sides of the football. His physical play and e ort in the trenches stood out throughout the game.
Freshman BB Barber continues to improve at the center position week after week. Barber has handled an important role in the Tornado o ense while continuing to gain valuable experience at the varsity level.
Defensively, Kypton Ward turned in another solid performance and led the Tornadoes in tackles. Ward continues to be a presence for a defense that has shown the ability to make plays throughout the season.
While Friday night's result was not what the Tornadoes wanted, quality opponents provide opportunities to learn where improvement is needed for a promising team still gaining experience in the 11-man game.
The challenge is to turn that experience from each Friday night and continue moving forward. The Tornadoes have shown throughout the season that they will compete regardless of the situation. The next step is continuing to turn that e ort and experience into more consistent execution on every snap.
With the Central Sallisaw game behind them, the Tornadoes now turn their attention to another important District matchup. Drumright returns home to Riddle Field this Friday to take on Mounds with a 1-1 District record and an opportunity to respond.
The message for the Tornadoes remains the same: learn from it, keep working and get better every week.
The Tornadoes will play Mounds at home Friday at 7:00. Last week Skordle picked its football player of the week, and it was Garrett Wright for his great game against Porter.