Tahlequah Tigers football team blanks Will Rogers College Ropers
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Tahlequah Tigers football team faced the Will Rogers College High School team on Friday, November 1, 2024 in a conference matchup in Tahlequah. The Will Rogers Ropers were outgunned from the first series of plays. By the time two minutes had ticked off the clock, the Tigers had already scored twice! The Tigers didn鈥檛 stop there, they racked up a total of 21 points before the end of the first period.
Tahlequah Head Coach Brad Gilbert鈥檚 squad came on strong. It took two plays for the Tigers to reach the end zone for the first time. Tiger Quarterback Senior Cash McAlvain connected with Senior Wide Receiver JJ Antwine for a long deep ball. Antwine鈥檚 big catch set the stage for the touchdown on the very next play. Junior Running Back Jake Girty forced the ball into the end zone.
The Ropers struggled from their first offensive play of the night. The ball was fumbled, and The Tahlequah Titans capitalized on the mistake. As Coach Gilbert has said earlier in the season, 鈥淭he margin of error is so small, and if you鈥檙e on the wrong side of those errors, it can come back to haunt you.鈥� The Ropers were haunted by their mistake as Junior Corner Back Synjin Sampson recovered the ball and scored for the Titans.
These two touchdowns set the tone for the rest of the game. There was a second fumble on the second offensive possession by the Ropers. This time, Junior Line Backer Christopher Perry did the honors of recovering the football for the Titans. After the chains were reset, and the Titans offense took the field, Senior Running Back Caden Waits put points on the board with another touchdown!
Fumbles were a significant factor in the first quarter. There were a whopping five fumbles during the first quarter, and the ball bounced in favor of the Tigers. The Tigers were able to recover four of them. By half time, the Tigers had run up the score, 35-0. The momentum continued into the second half. The Tigers scored twice more, and the final score was 49-0.
Tahlequah Head Coach Brad Gilbert was pleased with the overall performance of his team. 鈥淎 lot of guys got on the field. We did what we needed to do for the most part, a few snafus here and there, but it was a really good night,鈥� Coach Gilbert said.
You can catch the Tahlequah Tigers in action during their final home game of the season next Friday as they take on the Hale Rangers. The Hale Rangers will be playing for their spot in the playoffs, so it is guaranteed to be a game that you won鈥檛 want to miss! For the first time in a decade, the Tigers season will end without a playoff bid. Coach Gilbert said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not ashamed. Last year, I was ashamed of how we played; this year, I鈥檓 just disappointed.鈥� But, the caliber of the teams that they have lost to is impressive. 鈥淭hey were 34-6, and that was a point of emphasis,鈥� said Coach Gilbert.
Kickoff for the Tahlequah Tigers season finale is at 7 p.m. at Doc Wadley Stadium on November 8, 2024.
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