Preview: Stillwater Pioneers vs. Tahlequah Tigers
The Stillwater Pioneers will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Tahlequah Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Stillwater is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.
Stillwater can now show off four landslide victories after their most recent game on Thursday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Putnam City West 59-0 at home. Given Stillwater's advantage in MaxPreps' Oklahoma football rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while Putnam City West is ranked 104th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Stillwater's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chance Acord, who threw for 240 yards and four touchdowns on only 18 passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Acord was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 63 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Holden Thompson, who gained 152 total yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Tahlequah got themselves on the board against Grant on Friday, but Grant never followed suit. They blew past the Generals, posting a 44-0 victory on the road. The win was just what Tahlequah needed coming off of a 67-0 defeat in their prior game.
Tahlequah's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Darryn Spahr, who rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and Cash Mcalvain, who rushed for 97 yards.
Stillwater's win was their sixth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 6-2. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 2-8 Booker T. Washington and 2-6 Grant (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 36.7% over those games). As for Tahlequah, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.
Everything came up roses for Stillwater against Tahlequah when the teams last played back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 55-0 victory. Will Stillwater repeat their success, or does Tahlequah have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
