It will be an interesting Thursday night for me

I’ve been looking forward to Thursday night’s Poteau-Sallisaw football game, and not just because of its importance for both teams.

As most of you know, I replaced the retiring Lea Lessley by coming from The Poteau Daily News, at which I did both sports (for eight years) and news (for three years).

The majority of not just the Poteau teams, but most of the LeFlore County teams, face Sequoyah County teams. Thus, I knew I’d be running into a lot of my LeFlore County friends and acquaintances.

The first such instance happened Aug. 21 when the Poteau Lady Pirates, who are at this week’s Class 4A State Tournament, came here to meet the Sallisaw Lady Diamonds.

The second such instance happened in last Friday night’s home Sallisaw football game against Broken Bow when four of the officials hailed from Poteau/LeFlore County — head referee Greg Wilson, his son Kyle, current Van Buren (Ark.) Pointers freshman basketball coach and former Poteau girls track coach Billy Bond and Jackie Lowrimore. Throughout the softball season, I also saw Dennis Wright, former Central basketball coach and current Spiro girls basketball coach, who umpired games I was covering.

Now, comes Thursday night when the Pirates football team comes calling on the Black Diamonds at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium for a crucial District 4A-4 game. I know I’ll be seeing several friends and acquaintances — not to mention most of the Poteau Pirates coaching staff.

I’m anxious to see how things go Thursday night.

• • •

I want to thank Vian’s Landmark Missionary Baptist Church Worship Team Director and Youth Pastor Aaron Heflin for inviting me Thursday morning to his church’s weekly football game day breakfast for the Wolverines football team, coaches and cheerleaders.

During the first half of my tenure as sports editor of The Daily Ardmoreite

newspaper in Ardmore, Aaron was pastor of the sister church, Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Ardmore. When I became sports editor at both Your TIMES and The Vian Tenkiller News, he reached out to me. We met face-to-face for the first time since he left Ardmore for Vian at the Vian home football opener against Eufaula. It was then he invited me to come to each football game day for breakfast.

I had to tell Aaron that since I still live in Poteau, it’s hard for me to spend so much time in Sequoyah County on a football game day when there’s only football games to do, but since Thursday morning was the “paper day” when today’s edition was created, I could finally accept Aaron’s invitation.

It was great to see that there was about a 15-minute devotion for the youth and adults present. A video of New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was shown, where after a recent Saints game during the postgame press conference, Davis basically turned his “segment” into an opportunity to give a mini-sermon. In fact, Davis told reporters that he would answer questions, but no football questions — only questions about how to save your life for Christ. I just became a fan of Davis if for nothing more than his testimony and devotion to God and Christ.

• • •

Week 6 Individual Highlights

100-Yard Rushers

Hunter Pack, Central — 145 yards.

Bladin McCartney, Gore — 130 yards.

Coy Blackburn, Central — 120 yards.

Tate Brooksher, Gore — 119 yards.

Joseph Lee, Central — 105 yards.

100-Yard Passers

Joseph Lee, Central — 208 yards.

Tate Brooksher, Gore — 141 yards.

Jackson Harris, Sallisaw — 133 yards.

100-Yard Receivers

Hunter McGee, Gore — 140 yards.

Kade Tucker, Central — 100 yards.

Scoring-12 Points/More

Hunter McGee, Gore — 24 points.

Coy Blackburn, Central — 20 points.

Kade Tucker, Central — 20 points.

Jacob Brannick, Vian — 12 points.

Draighton Fletcher, Vian — 12 points.

Defensive Honor Roll

Jacob Gregory, Muldrow — 14 tackles.

Devan Gibbs, Muldrow — 13 tackles.

Devon Mannon, Gore — 10 tackles, eight solo, a quarterback sack, an interception.

Braxton Lamb, Sallisaw — Eight tackles and an INT.

Cole Stephens, Sallisaw — Eight tackles, six solo.

Journey Shells, Gore — Seven tackles, three solo, a fumble recovery.

Broque Oft, Sallisaw — Six tackles, one solo.

Ayden Cox, Gore — Six tackles, five solo, and a pass break-up.

Mikey Maust, Sallisaw — Five tackles, a caused fumble and a fumble recovery.

Cooper Cox, Sallisaw — Five tackles, one solo, and a pass break-up.

Ashton Foster, Muldrow — Five tackles and a 62-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Joseph Lee, Central — Five tackles.

Coy Blackburn, Central — Five tackles.

Kash Keepes, Sallisaw — Four tackles, a caused fumble, a fumble recovery and two QB sacks.

Jace Holman, Sallisaw — Four tackles, one solo.

Kolton Riggs, Sallisaw — Four tackles, three solo.

Cooper Carter, Sallisaw — Four tackles.

Drew Simpson, Roland — Four tackles.

Bladin McCartney, Gore — Four tackles, one solo, and a QB hurry.

Bryon McDuffie, Gore — Four tackles, two solo, two pass break-ups and an INT.

Chester Abercrombie, Gore — Four solo tackles.

Noah Flores, Sallisaw — Three tackles, one solo, a QB sack, two QB hurries and a blocked punt.

Caden Pollard, Sallisaw — Three tackles, a QB sack and a QB hurry.

Austin File, Sallisaw — Three tackles.

Cole Mayfield, Sallisaw — Three tackles, a QB sack and a pass break-up.

Hunter McGee, Gore — Three tackles, two solo, and a pass break-up.

Jagger Moore, Gore — Three tackles, two solo.

Logan Lorenz, Roland — An INT.

Aiden Sainer, Central — An INT.

Xhaiden Mosby, Central — An INT.

• • •

Coaches, I need to make sure I get your offensive and defensive statistics either put on your MaxPreps website wall or e-mailed to me at davids@cookson.news by no later than 10 a.m. Thursdays to be able to give your player(s) some special recognition from the week before in each week’s Gridiron Notes Column.

David Seeley is sports editor for Your TIMES. He can be reached by telephone at (918) 775-4433, Ext. 139 or by email at davids@cookson.news.