Bulldogs finish with 435 yards of total offense
Stratford head coach Michael Blackburn had been waiting all season for his Bulldog football team to put four quarters together.
And when it finally happened, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Stratford's Chase Chamberlain
In a first-round Class A playoff game that — pardon the pun — many expected to be a dogfight, the host Bulldogs took control early and never let up in a 41-14 romp past Gore.
By the time the clock reached zero, the Bulldogs (7-4) had churned out 435 total yards (including 375 rushing) and had held the Pirates — who didn’t have a single rushing attempt in the second half — to minus-6 yards on the ground. Gore (8-3) managed 187 yards through the air, but Stratford’s defense intercepted Pirate quarterback Logan Andrews twice and registered three sacks.
“I was proud of them,” Blackburn said. “They played with intensity and they played four quarters.”
Quarterback Chase Chamberlain led the Stratford offense with 156 yards on 16 carries while tailback Tyler Mills added 130 yards and three touchdowns.
Stratford will need to remain on top of its game in the second rounds of the playoffs as the Bulldogs travel nearly 160 miles one way to face District A-7 champ Tonkawa.
The Buccaneers — who last won a state title in 2005 — are a perfect 11-0 this season and have outscored their opponents by a whopping 460-75 margin.
Roff faces pair of rivals this week
Class B’s top-ranked Roff Tigers will look to snap a three-game losing streak against Stringtown Tuesday night before extending a win streak over rival Latta on Friday.
Most recently, Stringtown eliminated the Tigers in the first round of the Class B state tournament in March and also manhandled them last December in a regular-season contest. But when the two teams meet Tuesday night in Stringtown, Roff will be favored against the host Tigers for the first time in a while.
Roff head coach Kale Simon downplayed the meeting between the two Class B powers.
“We’re looking forward to it because it’s the next game on our schedule,” Simon said.
On Friday, Latta — ranked No. 11 in Class 2A — will travel 10 or so miles down the road to Roff and a packed house is expected to watch the battle between the two talented Pontotoc County foes.
“If you’re expecting anything less than a dogfight with Latta, you’re not approaching it right,” Simon noted. “It’s a rivalry game, and I’m sure they’ll be ready for us.”
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