When and Where:
3A Mount St. Mary (1-2) vs. 3A #1 Heritage Hall (2-1)
September 20 (Thu) 7:00 PM
Charger Stadium

Game Notes:
Heritage Hall has undoubtedly challenged themselves to start the 2018 campaign, squaring off against some of the most tradition-rich programs in all of Oklahoma. No matter who has lined up across from the Chargers, the lengthy history between the two has been the storyline of the week. Teams like Clinton and Davis boasted impressive resumes, both bringing home their fair share of state championships, while Millwood, who has now won 31 consecutive games, hung its hat on their recent success. When the Hall prepares for their week four matchup with Mount St. Mary, however, this will not be the case, as the Rockets are still currently searching for their first state title in school history. To a further extent, the team has not found much success in the regular season either. Mount St. Mary has failed to reach more than five wins in all but two seasons since 1986, and have appeared in the postseason only a single time in the last 33 years.

In 2015, this legacy seemed to be changing when the Rockets announced then-25 year old Derick Perkins would be the program's new head coach. Perkins was young and unproven when hired, but eventually proved out to be an incredible steal. Mount St. Mary struggled in Perkins' first year at the helm with the team only managing to muster up two victories, but defeat only inspired change in the young coach. He decided to drop the Rockets' old fashioned flexbone offense, and installed a new quick paced spread attack in 2016. The changes led to a truly special season for Mount St. Mary. The Rockets recorded a 7-4 record and finally made the playoffs, breaking the two dreadful streaks aforementioned. This momentum was carried into 2017 where the Rockets were able to win five games and found themselves on the verge of making the postseason for the second year in a row. Mount St. Mary seemed to have found their savior and coach for the long haul. Unfortunately for the Rockets, Derick Perkins' success and ability to turn the program around did not go unnoticed, even at the college ranks. Just last summer, Perkins left Mount St. Mary for a graduate assistant position at Texas Tech University.

Afterwards, Mount St. Mary decided to take a different route than when they hired they hired Perkins this time around. The Rockets hired storied coach Willis Alexander, who was the head coach at Douglass for 11 years and led them to a state championship in 2010. He finished with a career 91-41 record, finishing every season with a winning record. Alexander knows the game's ins and outs, and has gained the utmost respect from his coaching peers across Oklahoma throughout the years. Perkins' departure was surely shocking to the Rocket community, but if anyone can continue the culture change he originally started, it is Willis Alexander.

Player Spotlight:
The Rocket offense has struggled early through three games, only scoring just over 10 points per game. Despite this, running back Kaysen Fisher has had a strong start to his senior campaign, totalling 273 rushing yards with four touchdowns. In the Mount's dominant 32-8 victory over Crooked Oak in week two, Fisher exploded for 193 yards, a total accounting for 66% of the team's offense. Fisher possesses a nice balance of speed and power, and is possibly the team's most skilled athlete. The senior is averaging nearly 16 carries per game thus far, as the Rockets rely upon him to carry their run heavy pistol offense.

On the other side of the ball, the Mount St. Mary defense has actually been a bright spot. The Rockets are only allowing 18 point per game so far, largely due to the stellar play by Lorenzo Jones. The defensive end has 31 total tackles on the year, including eight for loss and a sack. Jones has a special ability to find his way into the backfield and disrupt plays before they even get started. It will be key for the young Charger offensive line to slow down the senior's attack if the team is going to find success.

Injury Report:
The Chargers have dealt with a slew of injuries to key players, but it finally appears the team is getting healthier after a commanding 36-7 victory over Davis last week. Quarterback Robert Mbroh has shined since entering in the second quarter against Clinton in the second week and sparking a furious comeback to pick up the first win of 2018. The sophomore's ability to run the ball has been a welcomed asset to the Charger offense, but the hits that come along with rushing have also began to take a bit of a toll. Mbroh has been banged up all week at practice, and was originally expected to watch this Thursday's matchup from the sidelines. Fortunately, it now appears Mbroh has been cleared and will start for the second consecutive week.

Quarterback Will Dunn, who started the first two games of the year, is still feeling the effects of a shoulder injury suffered in Clinton. Dunn has yet to find complete comfortability when throwing the football in practice, and the training staff will not rush his recovery while Mbroh continues to play well. That being said, the coaches are finding ways for the junior to impact the game, as Dunn will most likely see snaps at tight end on Thursday. He has an incredibly large frame, especially for a quarterback, and good quickness for his size, giving him an almost perfect skill set to play tight end. It will be interesting to see how the Charger coaching staff utilizes his abilities in different ways throughout the season.

Heritage has a great opportunity against the Rockets to grab a big lead early in the game and allow their key players some get much needed rest in the second half. The Hall has played three very physically and emotionally draining games to start the year and it would be helpful if they were able to play a much more low-stress contest on Thursday.

Overview:
At 1-2, the Mount has struggled so far in 2018 and may for the rest of the year while the team becomes more familiar with their new head coach. Heritage Hall will probably be the more talented team on Thursday, but they must stay locked in and not look past the Rockets. The Chargers have gained quite a reputation over the last few years as one of the best programs in Oklahoma, but that recognition also comes with a target. Every opponent will give Heritage their best shot, because everybody wants to knock off the top dog. It is important for the Hall to stay focused on Mount St. Mary and avoid a possible scare that could come with playing a determined underdog opponent. Coach Bogert knows this well, however, and will definitely have the team ready to go. He commonly preaches the key to being a great football team is to concentrate on the task at hand, play one game at a time, and improve each week. Thursday also marks the start of district play, adding that much more importance to every game on the schedule from here on out.

Last week, the Chargers played a solid all around game against Davis. Heritage got off to a hot start, picking up a 15-0 lead by halftime, and never looked back. The offense avoided early turnovers and were extremely efficient on third downs as well. Breakout star Conner Carey was tremendous yet again, rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown. Billy Ross Jr. broke out of his small slump in a big way while seeing the field at multiple positions and recreating the versatile role Carey played for much of last season in an attempt to give him the ball in open space. This strategy was a complete success and Ross ended the game with 149 total yards and a score. Wide receivers Joe Washington and Phillip Smitherman also combined for 98 yards and two touchdowns. It is crucial that the receiving corps continues to step up in order to help Mbroh, who is skilled yet still lacks experience, develop at such an important position to play.

The Charger defense was able to slow down Davis' wishbone offense, shutting the Wolves out until late in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. Mount St. Mary's offensive style is different from the Wolves', but it will be just as essential for Heritage to stop the rushing attack again this week. Jaden McDaniel needed to have a big game against Davis for the team to be successful, and he did just that, coming through for 12 total tackles, two for loss, with a sack. Linebackers Hardy Bowers and Preston Nelson both continued to provide much needed help on run defense, combing for 24 tackles in the victory. Nelson did not play all of last year when he sat out with injury issues, and his ability to step back in while hardly missing a beat has been huge for the Chargers. The only improvement to look for against the Rockets is the unit's ability to force more turnovers than they so far this year.

The coaching staff will be hoping for a clean game for the second week in a row. It will be key for the Chargers to get an early lead and extend it quickly throughout the first half, because Mount St. Mary will attempt to play a slow, low scoring contest. If the Chargers can avoid undisciplined turnovers and penalties, then they should have no problem improving to 3-1 on the year.

Written by Jake LeForce '19
Photos by Jake Steelman '19