Gans posted a 44-14 win over Dewar last season as the Dragons finished last in District B-4 and endured a 1-9 season. An influx of young talent has the Dragons off to a 4-3 start this eason and they are 2-3 in the district.
One of the talented newcomers is freshman running back Ronell Lewis, a move-in from Morris who has scored 10 touchdowns already this season. Lewis also leads the Dragon defense with 106 tackles. Another freshman, Micky Bullard, quarterbacks the team.
Dewar is coming off a 48-0 loss to Weleetka. The Dragons fell behind 22-0 in the first quarter and were eventually mercy-ruled by the No. 1-ranked Outlaws in the fourth quarter.
The Dragons' victories this season have been against Class C No. 4-ranked Midway (22-16), Arkoma (51-6), Cave Springs (30-14) and Wetumka (32-12). They have been defeated by Central (40-12) and Haileyville (56-20).
Gans will take a 6-1 record into the game at Dewar and the Grizzlies are 4-1 in the District B-4. A win on Thursday would put Gans in a tie for second place with the loser of this week's Weleetka/Central game. Gans plays Central next week.
The Grizzlies have been led this season by senior Jake Knapp, the county's top rusher with 1,170 yards and 19 touchdowns on 117 carries. Heath Branham has gained another 426 yards on 63 attempts. Quarterback Nick Woodrff has thrown for 477 yards while completing 29-of-68 passes. He has nine TD passes and just two interceptions. the top receiver for Gans has been Kameron Pastore with 11 catches for 143 yards and four touchdowns.
