Lawton High football coach Ryan Breeze met with The Lawton Constitution’s Kevin Green ahead of the Wolverines’ matchup on Friday with city rival MacArthur at 7 p.m. at Cameron Stadium.
Breeze discussed a variety of topics, including his team’s loss to Altus, the injury report and his retired father’s role within the program.
Week 1 debrief
To say LHS was shocked after its 45-35 loss to Altus is an understatement.
Breeze lost his head coaching debut to friend and fellow first-year coach Matt Terry, and though he was happy for the Bulldogs’ new coach, Breeze was also frustrated with the outcome.
“I don’t think the best team won,” Breeze said. “I think the team that executed their system won. They out executed us, and the one concern we had going into the game was whether they’d be able to play keep away, and they were. It might’ve just been a bad matchup because their strength is running between the tackles, and we didn’t play well up front.”
The game plan was to take an early lead and force Altus play from behind, but the Bulldogs put LHS on the receiving end of that instead, forcing turnovers on the Wolverines’ first two drives to take a 14-0 lead.
Defensively, Breeze said LHS wanted to stuff Altus’ flexbone offense and force more throws, but that didn’t work either. The Bulldogs rushed for 518 yards, throwing only two passes in the process.
“Everything played into their hands,” Breeze said. “They wanted to play keep away and keep Miles (Davis) and our offense off the field, and they were able to do that. You can’t spot a team like Altus 14 points and give up three turnovers and expect to win.”
The loss was a devastating blow not only because the Wolverines lost their second-straight season opener, but also because making history by becoming the first Oklahoma high school football team to reach 800 wins became much more difficult.
With a 42-12 win over Woodward last week, Clinton moved to within one win of 800 wins in team history — tying LHS. Reaching the historic mark first won’t be easy for the Red Tornadoes, though, for they are up against defending Class 4A champion and current 3A No. 2 Heritage Hall this week and MacArthur next week.
After this week’s game with the Highlanders, the Wolverines close out non-district play against Eisenhower on Sept. 14.
Austin back at school
Sporting a pair of crutches and a cast on his right leg, junior Eddie Austin returned to school on Tuesday for the first time since breaking his fibula and tibia in a scrimmage against Ardmore on Aug. 23.
“He’s having to stay in the library for a couple of weeks because they don’t want him going up and down stairs,” Breeze said. “We’re holding out hope that we make a deep playoff run and he gets to come back later in the year.”
The injury occurred after Austin caught a pass near the left sideline and attempted to plant his foot to make a cut. His cleat became stuck in the artificial turf at Ardmore’s Noble Stadium, and a nearby defender made a diving tackle, hitting Austin’s stationary leg with his helmet.
“My body turned but my leg didn’t, so it snapped,” Austin said. “At that moment, I knew the season was over. It sounded like a broomstick. I didn’t think it was me at first, I thought it was the dude who tackled me, but when I looked down, I could just see it hanging to the right. I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to play again, to be honest.
“It broke through the muscle and was an inch away from piercing the skin. When the coaches started coming over, I started feeling the burning and the pain and how the bone was itching the skin. I don’t think I was screaming. I was yelling, but I wasn’t screaming like a little girl.”
Austin underwent a 1.5-hour surgery the next morning. During the operation, doctors put a rod in his leg and four screws to hold it in place.
The expected recovery period is 11-12 weeks.
“(The doctor) said I should be back for the playoffs if physical therapy and all that goes well, so hopefully that works out for me,” Austin said.
‘Big Breeze’ shows support
Randy Breeze isn’t the Wolverines’ coach anymore, but that doesn’t keep him from supporting his former players and his son.
Randy Breeze, who retired in July after 12 years as the LHS head coach, could be seen cheering on the Wolverines from the Cameron Stadium stands on Thursday night.
Ryan Breeze said his father has been nothing but encouraging and helpful throughout the transition period, including after the loss to Altus.
“We talk quite a bit,” Ryan Breeze said. “We talk a couple of times a day, and he’s good and supportive. He was frustrated we lost, but that’s natural. He liked a lot of things we were trying to do, and he’s still really close to a lot of these kids, the seniors especially.
“I’ve talked to him about coming to practice, and he said he would. Hopefully we can get a (win), and he can come celebrate that.”
AP poll movement
As expected, LHS took a dive in the Oklahoma prep football AP poll, which was released Monday, after its 10-point loss in Week 1.
The Wolverines, who entered the season ranked No. 4 in Class 6A-II, dropped out of the poll and didn’t receive any votes. Because the class consists of only 16 teams, only the top five are ranked.
Altus was rewarded handsomely for its win over LHS, vaulting nine spots to No. 3 in the latest Class 5A poll. Mac dropped one spot to No. 5 in 5A despite beating then-No. 15 Ike, 39-7.