Tigers senior football duo enjoying practicing on Thanksgiving week prepping for Hooker

The Central Tigers closed out their home season last Friday night at Tiger Stadium with a double-overtime thrilling 36-34 victory over the Pawnee Black Bears.

“It was exciting.” Central senior running back/lineman Easton Girty said. “I don’t know how to describe it. I just never had felt nothing like that (adrenaline) before.”

In that game, the Tigers trailed at one point 16-0, but then during the comeback they had three stops on Pawnee’s two-point conversion — including stopping the two-point conversion in the second OT that won the game.

“We’ve got that dog in us,” Central senior receiver Isaac Rogers said. “That just shows you what kind of team we are, too. We ain’t going to stop. We ain’t going to stop until the final whistle blows.”

Thanks to the win, it has meant three things. First off, it has meant the Tigers made the Class A quarterfinals, which has led to the second thing — practicing during Thanksgiving week, which has been special.

“I’m pretty proud of our team,” Girty said. “It shows that we’re doing what a lot of people haven’t been able to do as far as still playing this far (into the playoffs). Our team is close enough that it’s almost like family, so we don’t mind spending extra time with each other.” The third thing last Friday night’s win meant was the Tigers set themselves up with a state quarterfinal game against the Hooker Bulldogs, which will take place at 7 tonight in Newcastle. “They’re kind of the same style that we do,” Rogers said. “They have a couple of guys that are bigger than us, but everyone we play is bigger than us. They’re not the biggest team we’ve faced, but they’re going to play until the final whistle blows, too. It’s going to be a fun game. It’s going to be a dogfight. You go hit someone in the mouth. I don’t care how big you are.”

If the Tigers win tonight, they will be two wins from not only a Class A state title but a perfect 15-0 season.

“That’s everybody’s dream as a kid,” Girty said. “Everybody wants to be remembered. Gold balls and plaques stay forever.”

However, Rogers isn’t looking any further than tonight’s state quarterfinal game vs. Hooker, but he might be overwhelmed with emotion if a state title and a perfect season happens in two weeks.

“I really haven’t looked that far (ahead), so I couldn’t tell you (what winning state would be like),” Rogers said. “I’m just trying to take it game by game and quarter by quarter. It would be amazing. It’s something I couldn’t even fathom.”

See OSSAA Play-off bracket on page B-3.

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TO GET THERE — Take U.S. 64 west to Interstate 40. Take I-40 west to Interstate 240 in Oklahoma City. Take I-240 west to Interstate 44. Take I-44 west to Newcastle.