MACARTHUR FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK/PLAYOFFS

— Compiled by Steve Sinderson



    Waiting for clearance

    Austin Giles’ status for Friday’s Class 5A playoff opener against Woodward is still in limbo.

    Giles, who is getting over a concussion, had an MRI last Friday and the results were clear. Now the Highlanders have to wait for a doctor’s release, and maybe more importantly, a mother’s release.

    “It hurt Austin big time to sit out (Friday’s game against Altus),” Mac head coach Ernie Manning said. “He’s hurting inside. He’s a great competitor. He wants to play. It just hurts him that he can’t play. But in the meantime he’s done a great job in supporting Ryan (John), helping Ryan and being there for Ryan.

    “Until we get a release and he quits having headaches he’s day-to-day. The minute they tell us he can play, and Austin feels good about it and his mom feels good about it, then I’m ready to go with it.”

    John, a 6-0, 185-pound junior, stepped in last Friday for Mac and had an impressive game against the Bulldogs, completing 18-of-31 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns.

    A game of firsts

    There’s a first time for everything and for Manning two of those came in the Highlanders’ 52-32 regularseason finale over Altus.

    Including the opening kickoff, the Bulldogs kicked five onside kicks. In the passing catagory, Bulldog quarterback Blake Stepanovich threw 64 passes.

    “We kind of expected that (the onside kicks), given their situation,” said Manning. “But we didn’t expect the other.”

    Manning was vocal about his displeasure with Altus head coach Lyn Hepner’s decision to keep passing until time ran off the clock. Stepanovich, who leads Class 5A in passing, threw for 486 yards.

    Losing precious time

    Like every other team in the state, the Highlanders have had to adjust their practice because of last weekend’s time change.

    “We have shortened a little bit, some of the things that we feel like we could shorten without giving up anything,” Manning said. “That’s normal for us in the playoffs.”

    Defensively speaking

    Julian Jones led the Highlanders’ defensive effort against the Bulldogs. The junior linebacker had nine tackles, one more than Javon Harris, and two more than Brad Harmon.

    Donald Maddox leads Mac in tackles for the season with 103, 33 of those unassisted. Harris has 72 for second, Harmon has 66, and bruising linebacker Trey Caldwell has 63.