Shawnee Wolves Look to Fire Away on Offense

Originally Published: Sep 4, 2009 5:12 PM CDT

Dave Carty
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

SHAWNEE, Oklahoma – Head coach Bill Brown and his son Brayle, the starting quarterback, are back for a promising 2009 campaign that sees a number of talented players return.

A junior, Brayle should be ready for more complicated assignments. He started every game as a sophomore, rushing for around 600 yard and throwing for 1,700, showing he has the ability to move the chains with his feet or arm. “Last year, we kind of milked him into it. He’s able to pick up more this year,” said his father. Bill Brown knows what to look for in progress, playing quarterback in high school at Wewoka and in college at Southeastern College.

The Wolves will spread the offense and have had eight or nine different receivers catch passes during scrimmages. Saulyer Saxson rejoins the team after not playing last year. The smallish receiver has shown big ability during scrimmages. “He’s a little guy but he’s really quick and runs great routes,” said Brown. He’ll be paired with large wideout Leon Davis (6’4”, 185), who moved in last winter.

In the team’s single back set, Jordan Acock will get most of the carries. He played well last season with Shawnee’s JV team and has shown promising blocking ability and average 8 yards per carry in scrimmages.

With a talented offensive line in front of the skill players, the Wolves should be able to pick up some big gains. “That’s probably our biggest asset,” said Brown. In fact, Brown returns every starter on the line from last season. “That’s the first time in my nineteen years of coaching I’ve ever been able to say that,” he said.

Defensively, the team will need to shore up a few points of concern. “That’s where our emphasis is right now,” said Brown.

The secondary should be strong with Saxson and Isaha Mitchell, among others,covering a lot of ground. Keldia Choate at linebacker has led the team in tackles two of the past three years and will surely rank among the top if healthy.

The defensive line, unlike their offensive line counterparts, features a host of new pieces. Brown said the defense had one promising scrimmage and one disappointing scrimmage, but the coaching staff will know the right blend when it sees it. “We’re just really focused on working hard at those positions and trying to find a good mix that’s going to work,” he said.

Taking each game as it comes will be a focal point for Shawnee. The program faces a difficult October in which it hosts Carl Albert (12-2 last season), Ardmore (6-4), and Guthrie (10-2) and travels to Durant (6-5).

Whether October’s a trick or treat will be up to the team. “It’s a brutal month of October for us,” said Brown. “We just got to win enough of those to come out seeded high and position yourself in the playoffs.”