MacArthur's Nick Mahan (7) gets by Carl Albert's Louis Cottone (52) in the Highlanders 41-15 loss to the Titans at Jim Harris Stadium in Midwest City on Friday night. Mahan finished with 139 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. (Courtesy/The Oklahoman)
MIDWEST CITY — Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong for MacArthur.
The Highlanders couldn’t overcome its miscues against Carl Albert, falling to the No. 1 Titans 41-15 in the first round of the playoffs at Jim Harris Stadium in Midwest City on Friday night. The Highlanders end the season with a 6-5 record — their worst finish since 2000.
It was only the third time a Brett Manning team has been eliminated in the first round. The other losses came to Carl Albert in 2009 and Guthrie in 2012.
Despite the disappointing loss, Manning is proud of the way his team persevered through a tough and uncommon season.
“We stuck it out through some down times and kept a positive attitude," Manning said. "It’s a really good group of guys and a good group of leaders, and I’m proud to be their coach.”
The No. 1 Titans held a slight 7-0 lead early in the ballgame, and after Mac running back Nick Mahan ripped off a series of impressive runs to put the Highlanders in scoring position early in the second quarter, the teams looked to be in for yet another classic.
However, the stout Carl Albert defense showed once again why it allowed only 11.5 points per game during the regular season.
With Mac threatening at the Titans’ 15-yard line, the defensive line went into action, popping Mahan in the backfield and causing a fumble in the process.
Carl Albert recovered the loose ball and wasted little time making the Highlanders pay for it, scoring on a 78-yard touchdown strike from freshman quarterback Ben Harris to Diego Richards with 8:21 left in the first half.
Richards proved problematic all night for Mac, hauling in five catches for 102 yards to go along with his touchdown. Harris finished with 273 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-19 passing.
Things only got worse on the ensuing kickoff, for Mac muffed the return, giving the Titans possession again inside the 30-yard line.
The defense made stand in the red zone and seemingly forced a field goal, but another mistake proved detrimental.
The Highlanders jumped offside on the attempt, giving Carl Albert a manageable touchdown situation on fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line.
Titan running back Dadrion Taylor took advantage of the opportunity, scoring on the the next play, to extend the lead to 20-0.
Taylor finished with 89 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. He also caught three passes for 72 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown that gave Carl Albert a 27-8 advantage late in the second quarter.
Manning said it seemed the Highlanders couldn’t get out of their own way for most of the contest, and he was brutally honest about the difference between the rivals.
“It was just really all night,” Manning said. “They’re so good and they’re so talented, and I felt like we were playing from behind the whole night. Not just on the scoreboard, but we were (outmatched athlete-wise) and they were really tough.
“They’re a very, very good team and a very talented team and we have no excuses. They are better than we are.”
However, the Highlanders weren’t ready to go away quietly.
Mac scored twice in the final 1:43 of the half on runs from Mahan and quarterback Racer Felter, the latter of which came on a fourth down with only five seconds remaining, giving the Highlanders some much-needed momentum.
Mac carried that confidence into the second half, giving itself a chance to make it a one-possession game after forcing a turnover on downs at its own 16 on the Titans’ opening drive.
Unfortunately for the Highlanders, everything went downhill after that.
Felter was forced to leave the game the following drive after suffering an ankle injury on a sack, stalling an otherwise promising drive. The sophomore made his exit having completed 3 of 5 passes for 50 yards, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in the meantime.
Taylor scored once more on a 13-yard run on Carl Albert’s next possession, and after Zane Alexander intercepted JR Winningham shortly after, Harris put the game out of reach with an 11-yard touchdown sling to Chris Veals with 56 seconds left in the third.
Carl Albert outgained the Highlanders, 444-245, holding Mac to only 52 yards in the second half.
Manning said it was a bitter ending for the 20-plus Highlander seniors, but they have so many more positives memories to be proud of moving forward in life. The Class of 2018 ended its football career with an impressive 42-8 record.
“It’s always tough,” Manning said. “Any time you put so much work into something and fall short, it hurts. If it doesn’t hurt, you didn’t put enough work in. They’re hurting right now, but when the pain goes away, they’ll be able to remember all the good times and see everything in a really positive light.”
One of those seniors is Mahan.
Aside from the fumble, Mahan had a good showing in his final game, rushing for 139 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. He finished the season with 1,762 yards rushing 26 touchdowns, averaging 160.2 yards per game and more than 5 yards per carry.
Mahan said he enjoyed every moment of his time in a Mac uniform, and he appreciates the coaches having the faith in him to be a leader for not only the offense, but the entire team.
“I loved it,” Mahan said. “I love the coaches putting me in that role, and the offensive line was great all year. It was really easy to run behind them.”