Grizzlies return to action Thursday against Cave Springs
After a bye week thanks in part to the Porum Panthers dropping football just before school started in August, the Gans Grizzlies used that bye week to their advantage.
After a bye week thanks in part to the Porum Panthers dropping football just before school started in August, the Gans Grizzlies used that bye week to their advantage.
“We really tried to make sure we got healthy,” first-year Gans coach Gary Hixon said. “We had some kids banged up (from the homecoming game vs. Midway on Sept. 20). Anthony Vasquez went out (of that game) with a high ankle sprain. We just had some kids that got banged up (in the Midway game). We lifted and tried to stay in condition. We didn’t do any hitting at all. We have been just trying to recover.”
The Grizzlies (1-3) will return to action at 7 p.m. Thursday with a road game against the Cave Springs Hornets (1-3).
The Hornets are on a threegame losing streak. After opening the season with a 58-12 rout of Watts, Cave Springs has dropped its last three games — 34-32 to Oaks, 49-0 to Welch and falling last Thursday night 40-34 to Webbers Falls.
“Their speed and their quickness concerns us,” Hixon said. “On a couple of films, we noticed their quarterback had been gone. He was here at the scrimmage when we scrimmaged them (in August). He was gone from the Welch game. He came back, and he makes a world of difference on that team. He’s very quick and athletic. He’s a very scary person.”
Hixon said the best defense may actually be having success offensively.
“We have to play mistake free,” he said. “We can’t blow an assignment. We have to keep the ball away from that offense. Our best defense, I think, for this game is to have long, sustaining drives and keep the ball as much as possible, and keep them off the field (on offense).”
This game will be the final non-district game of the season before the Grizzlies enter District BII-4 play Oct. 11 against the Arkoma Mustangs at Grizzly Field. Hixon said entering that game on a twogame winning streak will be huge.
“It would be awesome,” he said. “It would make our kids believe that they have arrived and the system we’ve installed is starting to work. I’d rather go in (District BII-4 play) on a two-game high and winning than losing. It would be a great motivator and a big confidence booster for us if we can pull off a win at Cave Springs.”
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TO GET THERE — Take U.S. 64 west to Sallisaw, where it becomes Cherokee Street. Proceed west on Cherokee Street to Maple Street. Take Maple Street (signal light) north to where it becomes 4620 Road. Continue on 4620 Road to where it becomes 4610 Road. Continue on 4610 Road to 991 Road. Turn left on 991 Road through Marble City to 4590 Road. Turn right on 4590 Road to where it becomes 4610 Road. Continue 4610 Road to where it becomes Bunch Road. Continue on Bunch Road to Cave Springs High School.
