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Lori Robinson • The Madill Record Redskin Tanner Showalter crosses the goal through two Wampus Cats, as AJ McKinney celebrates the touchdown during Friday night’s game against Atoka.
Game 2 of the high school football season was Friday the 13th, with a full moon. Despite the cooler weather, courtesy of a late-afternoon rain shower, the portents were there for an odd game between the Kingston Redskins and Atoka Wampus Cats in both teams’ second game of the season.
Sure enough, those portents delivered, but Kingston overcame a mistake-filled performance to smother the Wampus Cats 28-0.
Both teams came into the game off big season-opening wins. Ninthranked Kingston was coming off a 44-21 victory over Hugo, while unranked Atoka had destroyed Coalgate 37-0 in their first game.
Atoka also looked to avenge its 34-0 spanking by Kingston at home the year before. While these Wampus Cats proved tougher than the 2018 version, they still weren’t up to the challenge Friday night
Kingston’s first drive started out with enormous promise. Starting at their own 19, the Redskins’ second play from scrimmage was a pass to junior tight end Matthew Hawkins in the flat that he took 37 yards. After pounding the ball to the Atoka 9 with junior running back A.J. McKinney, the Redskins faced third and goal. Junior quarterback Jase Hayes, in his second career varsity start, rolled right but overlooked Hawkins all alone in the end zone to his right, eventually throwing all the way across the field to his left to doublecovered junior wide receiver Colton Robinson, and Atoka freshman Kollin Ritchie picked it off for a touchback to end the threat.
Atoka went to work at its own 20. After picking up a first down, the Wampus Cats made their own mistake. Junior Tyler Blanchard picked off the errant pass from sophomore quarterback Barrett Tyson on 3rd and 14, and the Redskins took over on the Atoka 45.
The Redskins would misfire quickly, as McKinney fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive, and Atoka had the ball back at their own 38. Two plays later, Atoka would then hand the ball back on a fumbled handoff recovered by junior linebacker Jesse Roseon the Atoka 33.
Kingston’s offense finally got going. Kingston pounded the ball with McKinney, sophomore running back Brandon Watson and senior fullback Tanner Showalter, and converted a 4th and 4 with an end around to junior wide receiver Jarron Boomer Morgan which picked up 14 yards to the Atoka 9. Watson cashed in from the 6 to score the first points of the night and give Kingston a 7-0 lead late in the 1st quarter.
After Atoka went three-andout, the turnover bug bit Kingston again at the start of the second quarter. A tough Showalter run took the ball into Atoka territory to end the 1st quarter, but then an untimely holding penalty gave Kingston 1st and 20 from the Atoka 47. Looking for Blanchard in the right flat, Hayes overlooked Atoka’s Ritchie lurking underneath the route, who picked off his second pass of the night.