MacArthur football coach Brett Manning met with The Lawton Constitution’s Kevin Green ahead of the Highlanders’ regular-season finale on Friday night against El Reno (5-4, 3-3).
Manning discussed the significance of this week’s game, the injury report and Isaiah Gray’s future.
Big Game Brett
Mac is in an interesting predicament entering the final week of the regular season.
There is no denying the Highlanders are a perennial power in Class 5A, but disaster could be only a mistake or two away. If Mac were to lose to the Indians, it would miss the playoffs for the first time since 2001, when the team finished 5-4.
It certainly isn’t a favorable situation for Manning and his squad, but luckily for the Highlanders, history is on their side.
Manning is 9-1 in playoff-clinching games, and since taking over the team in 2009, his teams are a perfect 9-0 in Week 10 games. The last time Mac lost a regular-season finale was in 2002 — a 17-0 decision to Chickasha.
It also doesn’t hurt that the Highlanders have had El Reno’s number for quite some time.
Mac has won four-straight in the head-to-head series, with the Indians’ last win coming in 2009 by a score of 42-17. That, coincidentally, was the last season El Reno made the playoffs.
Manning said his players know what’s at stake, but they know what needs to be done to ensure a 17th-straight postseason berth.
“I think if we play as hard as we did Friday night (against Duncan), we’ll be OK,” Manning said. “I’m confident, and our defense has played really well. I think if we go play hard, we’ll be fine.”
Injury report
The Highlanders will be without several key starters for the second-straight game.
Starting Linebacker and center Ronnie Johnson was out last week with a bacterial infection in one of his legs, and Manning said he likely won’t play again this week. Leading receiver and starting safety Michelle Artzberger, who is dealing with a ruptured tendon in one of his fingers, will also sit Friday night after missing last week.
Christian Maldonado stepped up and played more defense that usual, seeing time at defensive end and linebacker in addition to starting at left guard on offense.
Maldonado filled in at the end position for Jason Arrington, who is facing a two-game suspension after being ejected for fighting against Noble, and he moved to linebacker after Daunye Thompson left the game with an injury.
Thompson was well on his way to leading the team in tackles before leaving halfway through the third quarter, racking up 14 tackles.
Matt Woods and Racer Felter also saw increased time on defense.
Kobe Houseman, a starting safety, went out with a sprained ankle during the second series against Duncan and is questionable for this week.
On top of all that, defensive lineman Dshaun Merriweather and running back Nasir Kemper will both be out against El Reno with bruised ribs.
“We went into the game pretty thin and had a lot of injuries and a lot of guys out,” Manning said. “Then we had two guys go down during the game. I’ve never had this as a head coach or assistant coach, but it’s all piling up right now. It’s not your common injuries.
“We’re going to go with the guys we have and go to El Reno and give it our best shot.”
Gray does it again
Not many players can say they’ve scored a touchdown of 90 yards or more.
Isaiah Gray, on the other hand, now boasts two such plays, and he’s only a freshman. Gray took over for two series late in the fourth quarter against Duncan, and he showed off his running skills once again, dashing 91 yards for a score to get Mac back within striking distance.
He scored on a 99-yard run against Western Heights on Oct. 5.
Gray’s feats have impressed Manning so much that he has essentially locked himself into some varsity playing time for the rest of the season. He’s rushed for 242 yards on only 24 carries this season to go along with three scores.
“He’s got an extremely bright future,” Manning said. “He’s a good kid, he makes good grades, he’s really personable and everybody really likes him. He’s making us find some different ways to get him on the field and get him the ball. I think we’re going to see him playing more than just strictly a backup quarterback role.”