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August 31, 2012

Sequoyah opens season at Okemah

By KOLBY PAXTON Staff Writer

Hurricane Isaac is a hurricane no more, downgraded Wednesday to a Category 1 tropical storm. Still, its impact on the sport of football has been felt all over the Gulf Coast, postponing season openers for Texas A&M, Louisiana Tech and even Oregon State.

As the high school season kicks off in Oklahoma tonight, Isaac’s foot print will reach the Sooner State, further spreading its gridiron impediment. Perhaps no game stands to be affected to a greater degree than Sequoyah’s road opener at Okemah.

Though Indians head coach Brent Scott has a long history of success operating out of a power run set, the strength of the Sequoyah offense rests on the strong right arm of senior quarterback Brayden Scott. At the peak of its powers, SHS is a spread passing team, running for balance rather than necessity.

By contrast, Okemah still lines up in the age-old wing-T, a derivative of the single-wing made famous by one Glenn “Pop” Warner. Messy, sloppy, ground and pound football splits the proverbial fairway of what the Panthers would prefer.

“The elements are going to play a factor in tomorrow’s game,” said Brent Scott. “If you mess around and get in a dog fight with a team that already slows the game down, you don’t get as many chances. If both teams start running the football and running it well, it could be tough.”

In other words, the Indians would prefer to avoid wallowing in the mud with a pig.

“They’re very well coached,” said Scott. “They do a good job running the football. They have a very potent running game. They’ve got two big backs that run hard and their entire offensive line is a big line. Their quarterback (Andrew Banta, Jr.) does a lot of good things for them, too. He reminds me of a quarterback that they had a couple of years ago.”

Of course, despite Banta’s similarity to an Okemah field general of yesteryear, adequate run defense and the mercy of looming rain clouds should allow Scott & Co. to coast to victory in the opener. Still, with a 50 percent chance of Isaac-induced showers, it remains to be seen if Mother Nature is willing to hold up her end of the bargain.

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