Bulldogs look to end regular season with road win over Locust Grove
The Muldrow Bulldogs will have a chance to repeat the ending to this season as they did in 2024 — win the regularseason finale.
The Bulldogs (4-5 overall, 1-5 in District 3A-3 play) will look to end their five-game losing streak with a road win over the host Locust Grove Pirates (1-8, 1-5) when the two teams meet at 7 tonight in Locust Grove.
The ’Dogs had their playoff hopes dashed last week when the host Stigler Panthers scored with nine seconds left to defeat Muldrow 26-25 to eliminate the ’Dogs from Class 3A playoff contention.
“It’s always tough to lose a game like that,” Muldrow coach Logan Coatney said. “It feels like that’s been a recurring theme for us this year down the stretch. We’ve put ourselves in some bad spots and made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be. To have the lead there (late), we felt like we were doing some things right in the second half to give ourselves an opportunity. Give credit to Stigler, (new Stigler) Coach (Johnny) Easttom and those guys down there. They did an outstanding job, and when they needed to execute, they went out and executed.”
The Stigler loss was one of four district losses this season by either one or two scores.
“Looking at that game and a handful of the other ones that we’ve ended up losing, we’re right there,” Coatney said. “At this point, we’ve lost two onescore games and lost a couple of others that were eight, nine or 10 points (in losing margin). I hate it for our kids because they knew what was at stake (in the Stigler game), and they knew what we needed to do in order to position ourselves to continue making it to Week 11 (first round of Class 3A playoffs).”
Coatney has been proud of his players this week with how they have responded preparing for this week’s regular-season finale against the Pirates.
“I’m so proud of our kids,” he said. “They showed up Monday and came to work. The kids had a good start to the week. We still have an opportunity in front of us to be one of the handful of teams unfortunately to be able to win their last ball game that doesn’t get to play in Weeks 11 and 12. I’m proud of the way they responded (to the Stigler) loss. I think that’s a testament to the leadership we have on the team and our coaching staff about handling our business. I’m extremely proud of that.”
A win to end the regular season tonight would be huge for the ’Dogs.
“It’s no different than it was last year,” Coatney said. “We were in the same boat. Winning your final game gives you momentum into the offseason. That’s probably the biggest deal from the program’s standpoint, it’s to continue to build momentum into the off-season and start preparing for 2026. Then, it’s about the seniors, these kids who have been in the program and showing the amount of effort and desire to be here — and continuing to lay the bricks of the foundation. Getting them an opportunity to go out on a high note and win their last football game is a big deal. I hope that we’re able to do that. Winning this game will truly be a double-edged sword for us — the seniors can go out on a high note, allow them to relish a victory on their final night, and we need to take momentum into this off-season with our young guys, and understanding what we’re trying to and compete for in 2026.”
The Pirates have only one win this season, that coming in a 24-22 home win over Stigler on Oct. 23. Overall this season, they have been outscored 446-116. However, Coatney said the Pirates can provide problems if not careful.
“They’re all over the board,” he said about the Pirates. “I think they are very athletic. Their running back can really go. I think defensively, they rally to the ball very well. From the looks of it, they look to be a younger team. They don’t have a lot of upperclassmen, they’re playing hard and fast. They’re going to present us with some issues with their formations. With their athleticism, it puts them in a position to have success.”
The Bulldogs will need to execute in all phases of the game tonight to see a five-game losing streak end.
“We have to continue doing our job,” Coatney said. “We have to secure tackles because (Locust Grove’s running back) is a very athletic (running) back. We have to execute our schemes. Our 11 guys on the field need to do their part in what needs to be done. If we can do that, and limit the turnovers, I think we will be able to have success. We have to win the turnover battle. Special teams will be huge for us. It will come down to the small details. The small details will be the things that will matter the most.”
Coatney said the ’Dogs overall are healthy, but two players were injured in last week’s loss to Stigler. One was slated to have surgery to repair a broken ankle on Thursday, while the other player is questionable for tonight’s game with an ankle sprain.
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TO GET THERE — Take I-40 west to the Muskogee Turnpike. Take the Muskogee Turnpike west to U.S. 69 north of Muskogee. Take U.S. 69 north to Chouteau. Take U.S. 412 east to U.S. Alternate 412. Take U.S. Alternate 412 east to Locust Grove.
