Outlaws Defeat Ironheads in Defensive Shoot-Out for Semifinal Win; State Championship Game Saturday

by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard
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This Saturday, the Marlow Outlaws will make their sixth appearance in the state championship game and their first since 2006. The bout, against the also-undefeated Washington Warriors, will mark the first time that Marlow plays for the championship as a 2A team.

This is the third time in Marlow football history that the Outlaws have won four playoff games in a single season, alongside the 1959 and 1964 Outlaws, both State Champion teams.

Marlow punched their ticket to the big game after Friday’s 28-16 win over the Eufala Ironheads (12-2) at Putnam City High School.

Marlow High School Head Coach Matt Weber said that the semifinal game was the biggest challenge of the season for the Outlaws.

“The Ironheads were the toughest team to date, which we expected going in,” Weber said. “Our team faced plenty of adversity which had to do with Eufala being such a great team.”

The Ironheads scored first in Friday’s game, when Matt Clover took an 8-yard run to the end zone followed by a point-after kick by Bryan Lynn. The Outlaws answered shortly thereafter with a touchdown and extra point by senior Jace Gilbert to tie the game.

The tide turned when the Outlaws took the lead in the second quarter, and the Ironheads never regained it.

Eufala reached first and goal on the one yard line midway through the second quarter and looked to tie the game, but big plays by the Outlaw defense prevented a score. A timely grab by Will Bergner allowed the senior to rush 96 yards to the end zone gave Marlow the lead, 14-7.

“Our defense came up big when they had it first and goal on the one,” Weber said. “We stuffed them two straight plays, then Will Bergner had his great interception for a TD which completely changed the momentum of the game.”

Gilbert scored again late in the second after Julian Marroquin battled the Eufala defense to take the ball to the one yard line.

Eufala closed out the second quarter with a 30-yard field goal by Lynn. The score was Marlow 21, Eufala 10 at the half.

The third quarter was a defensive contest until 3:08 remained when Marroquin took a 57-yard pass from Gilbert, his first touchdown reception of his career. Marroquin finished the game with 1,450 rushing yards.

Eufala remained in it, though, and scored again midway through the fourth quarter when Khelil Deere caught Luke Adcock’s 16-yard pass. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and the game ended five minutes later with a score of Marlow 28, Eufala 16.

The Outlaws are now laser-focused on Saturday’s state championship game.

“Washington has been ranked number one most of the season and are deserving of such a high ranking,” Weber said. “They are extremely explosive on offense and play great defense on top of that. They have no weaknesses, which is to be expected with only two teams remaining. We need to have a great week of practice and have our best effort and execution against such a fine ball club.”

The 2A state championship game will be Saturday, December 11 at University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm, and Marlow will be the home team.