Mac, LHS vie; Cache, Elgin renew rivalry

This might be the preseason as some coaches call the non-district games but with those all-important games starting in the next couple of weeks for most area teams, this week’s games are important for confidence and execution.

This week we have a pair of Big 5 matchups with Lawton High meeting MacArthur at Cameron Stadium Friday evening and Cache making the short drive to Elgin for the Annual Battle of the Wichitas. We aren’t picking those two games but we need to touch on what to expect in both since big crowds are expected at the two rivalry games.

Clearly MacArthur may have the edge in game experience with two games under the Highlanders’ belts, while LHS went on the road and pulled out a wild 32-26 overtime victory over a much-improved Duncan team.

As was the case last week with the Mac-Eisenhower game, it was turnovers late that proved to be the difference with Adam Auston’s Pick-6 sparking the Highlanders to a 27-13 victory. All told, Ike had three turnovers while Mac had a couple, one of which led to Ike’s tying touchdown in the second half.

We’ve seen enough of these intra-city games to know that turnovers are critical along with defense and special teams. The team that can dominate the line of scrimmage and get a solid rushing game going is the likely winner. LHS has Nate Jones carrying the ball most of the time while Jeremy Hutcheson is the leader for Mac but the Highlanders do have better depth pretty much across the board, especially at the running back position.

The Battle of the Wichitas continues to see that series tighten as the Owls have won the last two and are the heavy favorite in this one. The Owls are solid across the board with some talented athletes including a strong defensive front seven. Both teams will try to establish their ground game and the team that has the most success in that phase will have an edge.

Cache is probably hoping for a low-scoring contest where the Bulldogs can sustain some drives and keep the explosive Owls’ offense off the field. If these gusty winds continue Friday, punting will be important and Colynn Donnelly may give the edge to the Owls in that key phase.

The Cache-Elgin game will begin at 7 p.m., while the LHS-Mac battle will begin at 8 p.m. All fans for both these big games need to be aware that additional security measures are in place for both games, so arrive early to make sure you are able to get into your seats before kickoff.