Midwest City High School needs to win three out of their last four games to make the playoffs. In a season plagued with injuries, heart-breaking losses, and self-inflicted mistakes, the talented young Bombers still control their own destiny.
Four teams will advance to post season play from district 3 in class 6A. Edmond North and Norman North are in. Add Putnam City North, with their victory Friday over the Bombers and three of the four slots have been filled, leaving one chance for Midwest City to continue past November 2.
Midwest City has yet to play three of the bottom five teams in district 3 and has already beaten U.S. Grant. In other words, win and you’re in.
Expectations were high early on for the Bombers but injuries and disappointments have ,contributed to a difficult 1-5 record at the midpoint in the season. But Midwest City Head Coach Darrell Hall has not been deterred.
"It’s just like I tell the kids, ‘Sometimes things are hard, do you think life is gonna get easier? It’s not. It’s gonna get harder. You just have to work hard,’" he said. "We just need to win. If we do that and get in the playoffs, it’s a whole new season."
The past six weeks have been a roller coaster of emotion for the team on the field. Following single-score losses in the first two games, the Bombers played the Eagles of Del City and suffered a devastating one point loss, with an interception at the Del City 3 yard line with five seconds to play on Sept. 14 at Rose Field. The following week, Midwest City allowed the most points in program history in a loss to Norman North. The team seemed to recover with a dominating win over U.S. Grant only to suffer another embarrassing loss Friday night vs. Putnam City North at Jim Darnell Stadium.
However, the teams the Bombers have fallen to this season have a combined record of 21-9 while the teams they must beat to reach the playoffs have a combined record of 4-14. Fans have reason to be hopeful considering the only team with a loosing record faced by Midwest City this year was dispatched easily, 61-0.
Defense is a large concern for the Bombers. In three games this season Midwest City has allowed 50, 66 and 63 points. Prior to the 2012 season, the most points ever scored by an opponent of the Bombers was 55 in a game vs. Tulsa Washington in 1973. If the Bombers intend to reach the post-season opposing offenses must be stopped.
The offense has had little problem moving the ball or putting points on the board despite starting four sophomores on the offensive line.
"We have a young team, we’re only returning a few starters from last year. Most years, these kids would be playing JV, but we’ve had to move them up." Coach Hall said.
But looking to the promise of next year is not on Hall’s mind. His focus is solely on this week’s battle with Lawton Eisenhower. Without a win in Lawton on Friday, post-season play will be out of reach.
"We’re talking about basics and explaining better why we do things the way we do, this week," Hall said, discussing preparation for Friday’s must-win at Lawton Eisenhower. "This week is all about beating Ike."
"But in the end, I’m proud of my players," Hall said. "I’m proud of the work they’ve put in and I’m proud of the men they are becoming. I wish we could reverse our record. Winning is great, it makes the weekend much better, but if these players continue on after they leave me, whether they go to college or not, to become good, productive members of the community, I’ve done my job."
