Woodward, Okla. —
Woodward faces an undefeated, but also untested opponent in week 3 of the high school football season tonight.
The Boomers head to Oklahoma City for a matchup against the Northwest Classen Knights at historic Taft Stadium.
Game time is earlier than normal with kickoff at 7 p.m.
Northwest typically has struggled on the football field, but the Knights showed signs of a turnaround last year under coach Lloyd Smith with a 3-7 record and are currently 2-0 this season.
This is just the school’s second 2-0 start in the past 40 years.
But the Knights have also beaten 2 relatively weak teams in a John Marshall squad that’s rebuilding and a Class 2A Northeast team that has allowed 114 points in 2 games.
The Boomers are 0-2, but against a much tougher schedule - a competitive Class 5A El Reno team and Class 6A Garden City out of Kansas.
At the same time, the Knights are experienced and athletic, which can be a tough combination to handle.
Lorenzo Alexander, one of several 2 and 3 year starters on the Knights, is the major threat at running back.
Terrance Bias is a linebacker to watch on defense.
The Boomers are young across the board, but have played pretty well most of the time on defense, scoring one of the team’s 2 touchdowns so far on an interception return by Kaleb Roach.
Woodward forced 4 turnovers last week.
Offensively, the Boomers were solid in week one, but struggled against a much-larger Garden City team a week ago.
Notes: The Boomers and Northwest Classen last played in 1999. In that game, Woodward rallied from a big early deficit to edge the Vikings 24-21. The teams also played in 1996-1998 with Woodward winning all 3 games fairly easily. If you’re going to Taft Stadium, the quickest way to the stadium is to go north on I-44 off I-40, then exit on 23rd Street and go north on May Avenue. Taft Stadium is on 27th and May and will be to your left. This is the first road game for the Boomers, who were 3-3 on the road last season and have a 3-game road winning streak after victories at Cache, Elk City and Douglass.
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Woodward Middle School football results from Elk City on Thursday.
7th grade
Elk City 18, Woodward 8
Woodward - Slayton Covalt 3-yard run (Covalt run)
8th grade
Woodward 42, Elk City 8
Woodward - Jesus Fraire 80-yard kickoff return (conversion failed)
Luke Vanderwork 5-yard run (Vanderwork run)
Jorge Crespo 10-yard run (Vanderwork run)
Vanderwork 2-yard run (conversion failed)
Vanderwork 4-yard run (Crespo run)
Dawson Taylor 7-yard run (conversion failed)
Woodward’s 7th and 8th grade teams will play at Mooreland on Monday.
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