Senior special teams player/RB says Black Diamonds just did ‘weather’ the storm
The Sallisaw Black Diamonds football team had to do like a lot of people did late Tuesday afternoon — literally “weather” the storm that blew through town, doing damage to the town, like tearing off a part the roof of the Northeastern Health System Sequoyah hospital, located about a block south of the Perry F. Lattimore Stadium football field house.
Luckily, the Black Diamonds had just gotten through with their practice for that afternoon.
“We were trying to go like normal while watching the weather because it (storms) had been forecasted,” Sallisaw senior special teams player and running back Matthew McGrew said. “We just didn’t know when it was exactly going to get here. Right at the end (of practice), it got right up on us. We got through what we wanted to (before having to take shelter inside the field house). We weren’t scared.”
McGrew also had a hand in getting the Black Diamonds going in last week’s home win over Eufaula. With the Black Diamonds only ahead 7-6, McGrew’s teammate Logan Bethel blocked a wouldbe punt by Eufaula’s kicker, in which the ball bounced right into McGrew’s hands, and the senior took it the remaining 10 yards to paydirt with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. After a successful twopoint conversion run by quarterback Kase Adams, the Black Diamonds took a 15-6 lead into the second period. McGrew believed that was a turning point in the game for the Black Diamonds.
“Logan Bethel had an amazing block,” McGrew said. “He gave me the opportunity for me to go take (the ball) and score. I think it (the score) was part of the motivation that started getting us to score on them.”
McGrew said that improving special teams play has been a point of emphasis for the last couple of weeks ever since the season opener Aug. 29 at Pryor, which scored on the opening kickoff.
“In terms of special teams, we’ve had a pretty bad start to the year,” he said. “We’ve spent the last couple of weeks harping on it. Last week, when things started going our way, it (special teams play) was a wake-up for us.”
The Black Diamonds (2-1) are beginning District 4A-4 play tonight when they entertain the Hilldale Hornets (1-2) at 7 p.m. at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium. McGrew said the Black Diamonds are ready for the “second season” to commence.
“We’re fired up and ready to go,” the Sallisaw senior said. “It’s obviously a bit of a rivalry match, so we would like to go start off hot (tonight) and go beat them. I’m looking forward to (tonight).”
Tonight’s game also will end a threegame homestand for the Black Diamonds, in which they won the first two games — 27-0 over Stigler in the home opener on Sept. 5 and last week’s 57-19 victory over Eufaula. McGrew believes the same way Judy Garland’s character “Dorothy” did in the 1939 famed classic “The Wizard of Oz” — there’s no place like home.
“We love playing at home,” McGrew said. “We love having the fans in the stands and having our backs. It’s amazing.”
For each of the last two seasons, the Black Diamonds have made the Class 4A playoffs, only to see the postseason parade end with a state quarterfinal defeat. McGrew believes the team can go farther this year — much farther.
“I know we can (go farther in the playoffs) for sure,” he said. “I think we’re definitely a state finalist this year.”
In fact, the Sallisaw senior isn’t quite sure how he would be feeling that December afternoon/night should the Black Diamonds bring home the gold ball as Class 4A state champions.
“I don’t even know if I can even put it into words,” he said. “It would be the most amazing thing I will have ever experienced.”
McGrew isn’t thinking about his senior year the way one might think a senior would ponder thoughts about the last season ever playing high school football.
“I really don’t think of it being my last season,” he said. “I just see it as another opportunity to play with the guys that I love — and play the sport that I love.”
