Returning to the gridiron after missing a game due to insufficient numbers, the Madill Wildcats may not have won on the scoreboard againsttop-rankedTuttlebut accomplished much more in the heart of their faithful fans and community.
Still battling through some injuries, the Wildcats fought the Tigers as hard as they could in spite of the situation while coming out on the short end of a 69-0 final score.
“It was great to get back out on the field after the adversity we dealt with for twoweeks,”headcoachWade Couch said. “The community was exceptional with its support. They all showed their true colors in adversity and whatitmeanstobeaWildcat. The support was heartfelt. I was super proud of the effort. We played our guts out for four quarters.
“Our attitude was great and I didn’t feel like the kids were intimidated at all. Tuttle is very talented and very well coached. We prepared as well as we could and played as well as we could, but you have to tip your cap to them. Weobviouslymadesomemistakes and there are things we can fix for this week.”
Couch pointed to solid play from quarterback Christian Smith as well as backfield mate Landon Clutter, who continues to play with a broken hand.
He credited the strong effort of Ramiro Rangel up front as well as continued positive progression from freshman Damien Gomez in the trenches. Xavier Seanz also stood out at guard after fighting through illness during the week.
On the defensive side, the Madill head coach added that junior Brylon Gibson was solid throughout and freshman Rodrigo Cruces was consistent.
The Wildcats are looking to get a few more players back this week for another rugged district road test at Ardmore, which sports a 2-3 record coming off a 42-21 win over Chickasha. The Tigers dropped a 51-0 verdict to Tuttle two weeks ago.
Ardmore has a massive offensive front that is anchored by 315-pound junior Jacoby Jefferson.
“We are hoping to get a few more guys back from concussions this week,” Couch said. “We have one possibly out with knee injury last week but came out relatively healthy other than that.
“This will definitely be the biggest offensive line we have seen this year. Ardmore is enormous. They have two guys that are at least 295 pounds. They had almost 900 pounds on one side of the line last week. They have quickness and speed in the backfield. They don’t do anything fancy, but we have our hands full with their size. We have to be disciplined with our eyes and stay focused with our keys in what we should be doing.”