When and Where:
2A #11 Davis (1-1) vs. 3A #1 Heritage Hall (1-1)
September 14 (Fri) 7:00 PM
Charger Stadium

Game Notes:
After defeating a historic program in Clinton last Friday, the Chargers now turn to face a similar opponent this week in the Davis Wolves. Although they have not garnered national attention like the Red Tornadoes, the tradition at Davis may be just as impressive. The Wolves have spent much of their their football history in the smaller classes, but their dominance is nevertheless remarkable. Davis has captured six football state championships, the latest coming in 2014 when the Wolves capped off a three year run much like Heritage Hall's incredible win streak from 2014-2016. In this stretch, Davis completed three perfect regular seasons in a row and won a state title in each of the final two. The Wolves' success led to an incredible 44-1 record over the period, including a 30 game win streak, just eight short of tying the Chargers' record. Davis has been close to winning a few more state championships recently too, coming up just short as runner-ups four times since 2000. Despite these achievements, possibly the Wolves' biggest feat has been their consistency, as the they have made it into the postseason an Oklahoma record 34 years in a row, a record that was actually set just last season.

Heritage Hall and Davis have played each other 12 straight years and have began to form a small rivalry over the past couple years, considering nearly every matchup goes down to the wire and seems to have a competitive nature unlike many other matchups. In 2014, the Wolves handed the Chargers their only loss of the season in a close battle, which also happened to mark the beginning of Heritage's 38 game win streak. Both squads ended up winning the state championships in their respective classes. Heritage Hall has defeated the Wolves in the three games since, most notably in 2016 when the Chargers were forced to complete some late game defensive heroics in order to pick up a tight 39-34 victory on the road. No matter the two teams' rank or outlook on the season, a Heritage Hall and Davis matchup has proven to be an exciting one every year.

Player Spotlight:
The Wolves' offense is not like one commonly seen in football anymore, still choosing to use an old fashioned wishbone attack. This tricky offensive style requires its quarterback to make different reads and pitches every play, meaning it is important to have a trustworthy player under center. Davis graduated last year's starting quarterback Briston Summers, but they have multiple skill players to rely on to carry the offense, a group is headlined by 6'2" and 225 lbs standout Cooper Webb. The fullback is an extraordinarily tough runner, using his strength to effectively run up the gut right behind the offensive line and carry defenders when in open field. It will be important for the Charger defense to clog up the middle on defense, thus shutting down a vital part of Webb's skillset and forcing the Wolves to run towards the sideline off of pitches. To a further extent, Heritage could possibly completely shut down Davis' offensive production if they are forced to pass the ball rather than run it. Wishbone offenses are typically run heavy and not suited to rely on the pass to put points on the board.

Injury Report:
The Chargers were able to slip past Clinton last weekend while playing with some key players on the sideline, but the injury bug still seems to be a problem for the Chargers as they enter their week three contest. Defensive lineman Gavin Wilson will be forced to watch against Davis after injuring his hand against the Red Tornadoes. The freshman was seen flying around the opponent's backfield all last week, and his loss will be an especially big blow against the Wolves' unique rushing attack. Wilson's ability to power through blockers, clog running lanes, and find his way into the backfield would have been very helpful to the Charger defense this week. Senior Landon Moulder recently received surgery on his right hand and will be out for the time being, further diminishing the Chargers' depth at defensive line. Look for senior leader Jack Griffin, who typically only plays one side of the ball, to take more snaps on defense due to the team's lack of depth at the position.

Quarterback is another position that has found itself razor thin after a wave of injuries. Will Dunn, who has started both games so far, seriously injured his shoulder in the second quarter against Clinton and was forced to sit out for the rest of the game. It was originally speculated that Dunn would be completely sidelined for this week's contest, but he has been cleared to play defense and will start on the line. The junior also made some strides in his recovery to play quarterback again, as he was able to at least throw the ball in practice throughout the week. Jackson Jobe has also dealt with left hand issues all season, preventing him from taking snaps so far, however, he has shined on defense to this point. Against Clinton, Jobe made some huge plays down the stretch to seal the Heritage victory. Freshman Will Paque, another quarterback on the roster, is also out with a shoulder injury.

Fortunately, Connor Keith will be back on the field after missing the first two games with a hand injury. It will be beneficial for the Chargers to have another veteran presence on the field with so many players sidelined.

Overview:
In 2017, Davis' 42-19 loss to the Chargers dropped them to 1-2 on the season, however, it appears to have been a rallying point for the team. The Wolves were able to rattle off nine wins in a row afterwards and made it all the way to the 2A semifinals before having their season ended by Washington. Despite the crushing loss, Davis definitely carried a lot of that momentum into 2018 and surely head into Friday's contest with vengeance on the mind.

On the other hand, Heritage certainly enters Friday with a great deal of momentum as well after completing a dramatic comeback at Clinton to pick up their first win of the campaign. The Chargers struggled greatly in the first half, ending the first 24 minutes with a total of seven turnovers, one for each possession, and a surprising 12-0 deficit. Sophomore Robert Mbroah entered the game for Will Dunn at quarterback late in the first half, and was able to provide a much needed spark. Mbroah only finished the game with 70 total yards, but his stats do not show the impact he had on the game. The sophomore's ability to run the football opened up new holes in the offensive line and allowed the offense to run totally different plays than with Dunn, who is primarily a pocket passer. Senior Conner Carey had a huge game for the second straight week, this time providing an impact in the rushing attack. Carey finished the game with 123 yards and two touchdowns, and has now accounted for five of the team's six scores on the season. His ability to play multiple positions and impact the game in different ways will be a big part of the Chargers' offense against Davis and for the rest of the year. Billy Ross Jr. has been hampered by injuries a bit so far in 2018, but it would be so no surprise to anyone if he exploded on Friday, particularly after rushing for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in last year's contest.

Jaden McDaniel must also have a big game if Heritage is going to find success in stopping the Davis wishbone offense. The star's presence alone is enough to disrupt an offense, as he possesses a perfect combination of power and speed. McDaniel's strength allows him to completely blow up plays ran to his end of the D-line, yet also has the speed to chase down plays from behind if they go away from him. He is absolutely a force to be reckoned with, proving it once again after recording three tackles for loss in Clinton. Juniors Phillip Smitherman and Hardy Bowers both played a big part in the Charger comeback last week, combining for 21 total tackles and a sack.

It will be vital for the Chargers to get off to a hot start against Davis and put points on the board early. Heritage has turned the ball over 12 times in the first two games, a number clearly much too high for the coaches' liking. These turnovers have dug the team into large holes, and it is difficult to play from behind no matter how talented the team is. It is especially important for the Hall to gain the lead early against a team like Davis whose methodical rushing attack can give opponents only a few possessions to score in a game. If the Chargers can control their turnover problems, and maybe even force some off of the Wolves' fumble prone offense, then they should be to walk away with the win and be back over .500.

Written by Jake LeForce '19
Photos by Kirsten Griffin