Muskogee Looks Shaky in Final Preseason Tune-up

Originally Published: Aug 29, 2009 11:6 AM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Reporter

BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma –The Muskogee Roughers split their final preseason tune-ups with Broken Arrow and Bixby Friday night. Teams switched on and off and played two quarters against each opponent.

Muskogee dropped game one of the scrimmage to Broken Arrow 28-0. Tigers’ sophomore running back Andrew Griffin scored twice to lead Broken Arrow.

Muskogee’s offense couldn’t get anything going against BA’s tough front four. Muskogee QB Mitch Stevenson was sacked and hurried all night long.

Game two went much better for the Roughers. Stevenson led the offense on an 80-yard drive to start the first quarter. Senior running back Eddie Venters punched it in from four yards out to give Muskogee its first points of the night.

Late in the second quarter, tied at 7, Stevenson hit Kyler Harris on a deep out and the junior wideout danced his way down the sideline for the go-ahead score.

The Roughers defense played much better in game two. Muskogee held Bixby’s dual-threat QB Kevin Lamb and senior running back DeWitt Jennings in check. Bixby only scored 7 points on the night.

Kyler Harris made the play of the day on offense and made the early hit of the year on defense. With Bixby driving trying to tie the game with under a minute to play, Lamb threw up top to TJ Eckert but Harris jarred the ball loose with a thundering hit right under Eckert’s chin. The crowd roared after the hit and Harris celebrated with his Rougher teammates.

Eckert stayed down on the ground for several minutes while the Bixby training staff tended to him. He was able to walk off the field on his own.

Harris and his Spartans teammates managed a split but will have to play better next week when they open up the season against Owasso.