It’s been almost five years since Lawton MacArthur and Shawnee met on a football field.
It wasn’t just any game and any football field. The Highlanders and the Wolves played at Oklahoma’s Memorial Stadium in the 2003 state championship conflict.
Shawnee, with Carter Whitson — son of head coach Brent Whitson — at quarterback, edged MacArthur, 21-20. The difference came when MacArthur failed on a fourth-quarter extra-point kick attempt.
This time around, the two squads will meet tonight (7:30) in a first-round, Class 5A playoff confrontation at Cameron University in Lawton.
Shawnee (8-2) has to hit the road by virtue of a third-place finish in District 5A-2. MacArthur (8-2) got a first-round host berth by finishing second in 5A-1.
If Shawnee is to prevail and advance, it almost certainly will have to put the clamps on running back Javon Harris, regarded as one of Oklahoma’s prep Blue Chippers. Harris, despite missing one game (loss to El Reno), has still rolled up 954 yards on 127 carries for a 7.5-yard average. He has tallied 20 touchdowns.
“He’s probably in a league with David Oku of Carl Albert,” Shawnee head coach Billy Brown said. “Harris is more of a slasher in a one-back scheme. He just picks his own holes and runs to daylight. He is a big, strong kid. Stopping him is the key to stopping them.”
MacArthur operates an offense modeled from Texas Tech. Quarterback Ryan John, Brown says, has a very strong, accurate arm. John has completed 174 of 283 passes for 2,408 yards and 23 touchdowns.
“They put one of their receivers, Brad Harmon, all over the field, similar to what we do with Brett Davis,” Brown said. Nine of Harmon’s 26 receptions have gone for touchdowns. He has 793 receiving yards, a 30.5 yard average. Teammate Norris Wrenn has 26 receptions for 369 yards and two touchdowns.
Harmon has also been a defensive pillar with 124 tackles.
Brown said MacArthur is very comparable to Guthrie, which handed Shawnee one of its two defeats this season.
“Offensively, they spread you all over the field,” Brown said. “Defensively, their down linemen are average size but they have big linebackers.”
Highlander linebacker Julian Jones is listed at more than 250 pounds.
SHS sophomore quarterback Brayle Brown has thrown for 1,213 yards. Brown has been accurate on 82 of his 127 attempts with 19 going for touchdowns. Davis, who has committed to Tulsa, has easily been the most active receiver with 33 catches for 417 yards, including seven touchdowns. Jordan Robbins has caught 15 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns.
Justin Parsons is Shawnee’s top rusher with 608 yards on 69 totes, including 14 touchdowns.
Davis has reeled off 525 yards on 51 attempts, four of which have produced touchdowns. Brown has 255 rushing yards on 98 efforts.
Shawnee’s extra-point specialist Nick Carter has been true on 45 of his 49 attempts.
In last week’s 27-9 victory over Deer Creek, MacArthur forced five turnovers and six punts.
Shawnee defeated Deer Creek 35-8 in its second game of the season.
In the 2003 state championship game, Shawnee led 21-7 at the half, then held off a MacArthur comeback. Ryan Carstensen’s quarterback sneak for a touchdown with 2:40 to play cut the margin to 21-20. Sophomore kicker Jacob Branstetter, who had converted his first two extra-point attempts, was wide left on the third attempt. Shawnee entered the playoffs 7-3 but went on a 4-0 run to bring home its first state football championship since 1973.
