2A Semifinal Preview

Originally Published: Dec 3, 2009 4:17 PM CDT

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- Lincoln Christian Meets Pawhuska in Semifinals

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Corey DeMoss and Dave Carty
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

Lincoln Christian vs Pawhuska

The 2A semifinal Saturday between Lincoln Christian and Pawhuska will feature a district rematch and will pit the most dominant team of the year against one of 2A’s feel-good stories of the year.

Pawhuska came into this season having lost six or more games in each of the last three years and with a combined record of 13-19 in those years. The Huskies returned to playoff form this season by going 8-2, and their success culminated in a win over defending champion Heritage Hall last week.

Pawhuska’s reward for such success is a rematch with district foe Lincoln Christian, which crushed the Huskies 48-0 on Nov. 23. That game began a span of five games during which Lincoln Christian surrendered a total of three points. During that period, the Bulldogs beat their opponents by a combined score of 231-3.

The Bulldogs have been on a mission this season after losing in the state final to Heritage Hall last year. They have been tearing through their competition in an attempt to gain their first state championship. Their only loss of the season came to an out-of-state foe and of their nine wins, only one was decided by less than 20 points.

Pawhuska and Lincoln Christian have only been in the same district for two years, but the Bulldogs have already asserted their dominance. In the teams’ two previous matchups, Lincoln Christian won by a combined score of 90-6.

Lincoln Christian and Pawhuska will play each other at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Skiatook High School.

Kingfisher vs. Millwood

Kingfisher is bound for its fourth straight state semifinal game after knocking off Sperry 35-14. The Yellowjackets forced eight Sperry turnovers and buried the Pirates with a killer aerial attack. Sperry’s strong first half was quickly negated and Kingfisher went out to put the Pirates away by three touchdowns. Kingfisher’s 331 passing yards versus Sperry were the story. Derek Patterson was one of a handful of 2A quarterbacks to break 2,000 passing yards this season and he’s someone Millwood will surely key in on.

Millwood asserted its defensive dominance against Kingfisher to advance to the semifinals. The Falcons’ 28-0 shutout left nothing in doubt, proving the Falcons’ status among the 2A elite. The Falcons average over 250 yards on the ground, led by Emilio Gatewood, who averages 9-plus yards per carry. But, don’t lose sight of quarterback Kevonte Richardson. He’s not afraid to run and he’s complements the running game very well.