Freshman QB sparking Rangers football team

After the Roland Rangers lost the 2024 installment of “The Battle of 64” to the archrival Muldrow Bulldogs in the season opener Sept. 5 at Muldrow’s Marty Rogers Field, first-year coach Greg Wise made a change at quarterback. Wise put senior Dalton Crossno, who started as QB against Muldrow, back in his more familiar position at running back, and Wise put in freshman Austin Benham as starting quarterback.

While Weeks 2 and 3 ended up being losses to Lavaca, Ark., and Central, respectively, one could tell that Benham was showing signs of sparking the Roland offense.

Finally last week, the spark did just that — spark — as the Rangers got their first win of the season in the District 2AII-3 opener as they routed the Okmulgee Bulldogs 41-0 on Sept. 26 at Ranger Stadium.

“It felt great,” Benham said about the first victory of the season. “It felt good to get the first win as a freshman varsity quarterback. I felt like our chemistry was amazing. We played good. We ran the ball good. Our defense was great.”

It was even better that the win was the district opener, which is the first of the final seven — and most important — games of the season.

“It felt great,” Benham said. “We were really happy with that win. We were really glad that it was a district game. We finally clicked.”

Benham said as the team practiced for the Okmulgee game that one could sense a different Rangers team.

“That week during practice, we worked and kept getting better every day,” he said.

“We kept the intensity up in practice. We were working as a team.”

Benham is not only relishing but enjoying being Roland’s starting QB as a freshman.

“It’s been a privilege,” Benham said. “I really love it. I’m glad that my coaches have trusted me and put me in this position. I really love it.”

Now the Rangers will try for something that hasn’t happened in three seasons — a winning streak. The Rangers will play their first district road game at 7 tonight against the Kiefer Trojans. The last time the Rangers had a w i n n i n g streak was a threegame winning streak from Oct. 8-22, 2021, when they beat Spiro 42-39, defeated Keys 16-12 and beat Heavener 48-14. The freshman quarterback believes the Rangers are now destined for such success after last week’s district-opening victory over Okmulgee.

“I think we’ll start doing better,” Benham said. “I think we’ll pick up the pace and intensity, and keep moving forward.”

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TO GET THERE — Take Interstate 40 west to the Muskogee Turnpike. Take the Muskogee Turnpike west to the Creek Turnpike. Take the Creek Turnpike west to U.S. 75. Take U.S. 75 south to Glenpool. Take state Highway 67 west to Kiefer.