Colder weather ahead With Fall kicking into the gear, temperatures are steadily falling around the state.
However, MacArthur football will experience its coldest contest on Friday when it travels an hour west for a monumental District 5A-1 matchup with No. 5 Altus.
According to current weather projections, temps in the low 50s are likely for the kickoff at 7 p.m., with that number dropping to the low 40s and possibly below by the game's end.
The Highlanders (5-3, 4-1 5A-1) haven't experienced anything less than the 60s this season. Despite the expected climate changes, Mac coach Brett Manning said he doesn't anticipate anything negative relating to his players' preparedness and their ability to play in the cold.
"I always downplay the weather," Manning said. "Hot or cold, there's not a whole lot you can do about it. We'll just do what we normally do. We'll probably break out the hand warmers.
"The kids who aren't going to play can basically wear whatever they want under their shoulder pads, but the guys who are handling the ball are going to have their skin that God gave them — I don't like sleeves for skill guys. You can hang on to the ball better with your skin than you can with a piece of cloth."
Keys to Duncan win Manning is happy with his defense, and for good reason.
The Highlanders held Duncan to 200 yards rushing on 50 carries, and Manning said the defense's competitiveness and energy were key to the 36-23 victory.
"We were extremely focused, and I thought we had a great week of practice," Manning said. "We were absolutely ready to play, and I think it showed. That's going to have to be the way it is from now on. That's going to have to be the normal, so I hope we can bring that same energy this week."
For many of the players, the Altus game has been circled since before the season started. The Bulldogs pose a threat to Mac's district supremacy every year, and this season is no different.
Altus enters the contest with 7-1 record — its only blemish being a 20-16 loss to district foe Ardmore on Oct. 6. Friday's game has major implications regarding playoff seeding, which has the Highlanders' energy levels the highest Manning has witnessed this season.
"I think we see it every day," Manning said. "We have some intense practices, and it's been really good. "I'd say it's probably been a higher level than even what we saw last week. Hopefully that's a good sign."
Less Mahan Nick Mahan normally carries the ball about 30 times per game, but fans experienced less of him against Duncan.
The senior running back had only 24 touches last Friday, rushing for 148 yards — nearly 20 yards under his average coming into the game — and a touchdown. It was his first time with less than 30 carries since Sept. 22 against Western Heights when he had only 13 carries.
Furthermore, it was the first game he didn't rush for at least three touchdowns since the Amarillo Tascosa contest on Sept. 14.
Manning said giving Mahan less touches wasn't intentional, but rather just how things worked out.
"We call plays based on what we think is going to work, and that's actually a pretty good number," Manning said. "That's where I'd like to have him at — I don't like giving him the ball a ton of times. But this year we haven't had much of a choice."
Artzberger awarded Hammer The longest run Duncan could muster last week against the improved Mac defense was a 23-yard burst, and a lot of that has to do with Michelle Artzberger.
The senior was given a new task in an attempt to limit breakaway runs by the opposing offense, and it worked to near perfection. Artzberger co-led the team in the tackles category with Rylan Webb, earning him the coveted Hammer award for this week.
"We've asked him to be more involved in the run game at his safety spot and kind of put him in the middle of the field," Manning said. "He's just played really well. He has for a while, but he's really stepped up and accepted this new challenge we've put on him."
Artzberger's 13 tackles was a season-high, something Manning likes to see from a safety.
"He was mostly in coverage, so he wasn't getting a lot," Manning said. "His tackles were coming from either runs that were broken or balls that were caught downfield. Now he's kind of up there in the middle and reading the tackles and coming and stopping the run, and he made some tackles not for 7 or 8-yard gains, but for 1 or 2-yard gains last week.
"That really helps when you can have a safety who can do that."
Season stat leaders With the regular season quickly coming to an end, I thought I'd give you some season stat leaders so you can get an idea of where your favorite Highlanders stand.
Mahan leads the way in the rushing category, accumulating 1,321 yards and 21 touchdowns on 226 carries. He is averaging 5.84 yards per carry and 165.12 yards per game.
According to NewsOK's stat database, those numbers put Mahan at seventh in the state in yards, and he is tied for third in touchdowns with Lawton's Miles Davis and Easton Francis of Poteau.
However, remember that not all schools turn in their stats — especially some of those in the Tulsa area — so those standings may be off somewhat.
In all, Mac has 2,071 yards rushing on the season on 371 carries, averaging 258.87 yards per contest.
Racer Felter is Mac's leading passer, throwing for 1,212 yards and eight touchdowns to four interceptions while completing 70 of 124 passes — giving him a completion percentage of 56.45. He has thrown all but one of the Highlanders' touchdowns through the air.
The sophomore's favorite target is Jarious McKnight, who is the team's leading receiver. Through eight games, McKnight has 40 catches for 778 yards and six touchdowns, ranking him as one of the top receivers in the state.