Lincoln Christian is this week's winner of the Oklahoma Team of the Week, presented by the Oklahoma National Guard.
Photo courtesy of Alicia Heineman
It's an old adage: once the playoffs start, throw the records out the window.
Lincoln Christian (Tulsa) had started off the season on a sour note with back-to-back losses and stood at 3-3 halfway through. But head coach Darren Melton kept the message to his team clear — just get to the playoffs.
That's exactly what the Bulldogs did, winning four of their final five regular season games to advance to the Class 3A playoffs. Their reward? An opening round road matchup with an 8-2 Stigler team.
"It’s a new season. You play for ten weeks to qualify for the playoffs and then put it all behind you," said Melton. "With it being the playoffs the enthusiasm in practice increases and our guys understand that at this point every team is a good one."
Stigler was certainly good, but last Friday night Lincoln Christian was better, pulling out a 41-21 victory to advance to the second round.
For its resilience and impressive playoff-opening victory, Lincoln Christian has been selected as the Oklahoma Team of the Week, presented by the Oklahoma National Guard.
Micah Wilson, Lincoln Christian
Photo courtesy of Alicia Heineman
What made the win that much more impressive was the fact that the Bulldogs were led by a pair of young pups, sophomore quarterback
Micah Wilson and freshman running back
Reed Martin.
Wilson had pinpoint accuracy, connecting on 16 of 20 passes for 190 yards, including three touchdowns. Martin was the workhorse on the ground, pounding out 128 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. The 128 yards surpassed Martin's total for the entire season up to that point, as he had gained 123 yards on just 17 carries in limited action prior to Friday's game.
"Due to several injuries this season Reed has been forced into action very early in his career," said Melton. "Having a freshman on the field is not usually the ideal situation, but he has performed well against some tough opponents."
Martin took over for Lincoln Christian's hampered starting running back, senior
Justin Flewellen, who had rushed for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season.
"Reed’s big frame and explosive running style allowed for him to get some tough yards against a good Stigler defense last Friday," said Melton. "His daily preparation met with opportunity and he helped lead his team to a win on the road. It was an impressive thing to watch."
Wilson was equally impressive at quarterback. His favorite target on Friday was fellow sophomore
Alec Davidson, who caught nine passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Another sophomore,
Jacob White, and senior
Tim Schwoegler also hauled in touchdown passes.
Schwoegler also made what could have been the play of the game on defense, returning a botched lateral 35 yards for a touchdown to give Lincoln Christian the final momentum. Davidson also intercepted a pass for the Bulldogs.
Melton and Lincoln Christian (7-4) face another tough task on Friday, when they take on 11-0 Victory Christian on the road in the second round of the playoffs.
"Our preparation has been the same as any other week," said Melton. "We understand the challenge in front of us and we look forward to a great opportunity against a very good Victory Christian football team. The team seems to be very focused.
"It is always a goal to practice on Thanksgiving, so that adds a little extra incentive for this week. Our guys are practicing efficiently and spending some extra time in the film room. Needless to say, we are very excited about this Friday."
MaxPreps editorial assistant Kirstin Beal contributed to this report.Do you know a team that deserves
consideration for Oklahoma Team of the Week? Email us with your
nominations at OKteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.
