November and its cold nights and cool days are here. And like clockwork, the November cool brings the hottest part of the Oklahoma high school football season. It’s playoff time. And the Sapulpa Football Chieftains are right in the thick of it.
Despite posting a respectable 7-3 record overall and 5-2 in district play, the story of the Chieftains’ 2023 regular season cannot be told in terms of wins and losses alone. Simply put, this team has been just plain fun to watch. What has turned into a hot season began on a hot night in late August against a Sand Springs squad in a game that in any sane universe would have been a Chieftain win. It may have been a loss, but the 63-53 setback was an appetizer of the offensive juggernaut Sapulpa would ride into this week’s first-round playoff date against the Claremore Zebras.
A paltry 15 points separate the Chieftains from a 7-3 record and a 9-1 record. Even in the depths of the Chieftains’ worst loss of the season, a 30-0 shutout at the hands of a rampaging Del City squad that has outscored its opponents 508-59 in six shutouts on its way to a 10-0 record, Sapulpa’s efforts stand as the lowest point total Del City has scored all season. Victory in Sapulpa’s two losses was within reach until the very end of the 10-point miss against Sand Springs and in a five-point setback against Coweta. The Chieftains have bagged five shutouts of their own this season, including two consecutive home games that saw the Chieftains outscore their opponents 106-0. On the season, the Chieftains have outscored their opponents 401-236
Claremore comes into the playoffs one point away from a perfect season, outscoring their opponents 415-217. However, in games against common opponents, the Zebras won by a single point each over the Bartlesville and McAlester squads the Chieftains defeated by 12 points and five points, respectively.
The matchup looks to offer plenty in terms of offensive firepower from both sides. Claremore quarterback Braxton Etheridge enters the game with 27 passing touchdowns and 68 percent pass completion, while Sapulpa quarterback Colton Howard brings 11 passing touchdowns and 52 percent completion. On the ground, Sapulpa running back Marco Smith is averaging 147.5 yards per game with nine touchdowns on the season, while Claremore’s Micah Teel brings a 125.5 yard per game average and 16 touchdowns on the season.
But the only numbers that will matter at the end of the fourth quarter Friday evening will be the score on Lantow Field’s scoreboard. It’s win-or-go-home time in Oklahoma. And it doesn’t get any better.
