Behind a pair of touchdown runs from workhorse running back Dae Dae Leathers and a stingy defense, the Tigers took down fourth-ranked Skiatook, 14-7, at Exchange Bank Stadium in a District 5A-4 showdown between top 10 teams.
"We've had some big wins, and we keep adding to that, but this is right up there," Tahlequah head coach Brad Gilbert said afterwards. "It's great to see, and it just shows you the direction the program is moving. We continue to improve each week and hopefully it continues."
"We knew it was going to be a tough game," Gilbert added. "Skiatook's a really good football team. Defensively, they hadn't given up very many points all year and we knew it was going to be difficult for us offensively."
Eighth-ranked Tahlequah moves to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in 5A-4 and hands No. 4 Skiatook (4-1, 1-1) its first loss.
Leathers, who surpassed the 200-yard mark for the third time this season, ran 29 yards for a touchdown with 3:10 remaining for what would be the game-winning points.
The junior finished with 202 yards on 28 carries, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark just five games into the season at 1,038.
Leathers also stood out defensively. He had two critical pass breakups in the fourth quarter on third downs.
"I just give it everything I've got," Leathers said. "I'm trying to help the team out on both sides of the ball. I feel amazing. I trust my teammates and I believe in us. Maybe teams will start taking us seriously after tonight."
Defensive end Isaac Strain put the clamps on the win when he sacked Bulldog quarterback Cody Evans on a third down late in the fourth quarter and forced a Skiatook punt. The Bulldogs never got the ball back.
The Tigers held the Bulldogs to under 200 yards of total offense and held big-play threat Jayden Garner in check throughout. Garner had just three touches for 12 yards.
"Defensively we played great," Gilbert said. "We came out and played as well as we've had all year. We thought we could be there, we just didn't know when it was going to come. It came tonight. Hats off to the defense, hats off to this entire group and our coaching staff. Coming up to Skiatook isn't an easy place to win. Walking out of here with a 14-7 victory and being 2-0 in district play, that's where we want to be."
Tahlequah scored the only points of the first half on a 64-yard sprint to the end zone by Leathers at the 3:51 mark of the second quarter. It took the Tigers just two plays to cover 70 yards, both runs by Leathers.
The game-deciding drive went 69 yards in seven plays and included a crucial third down conversion when junior quarterback Tate Christian connected with senior receiver Cole Goodnight for 20 yards. Christian later had a 13-yard run to set up Leathers' TD that came on the next play.
"It's a big milestone for us," Goodnight said. "If we can come out and execute like this every week, maybe tweak some things on offense, we're going to be pretty deadly. The defense came in clutch when we needed it to. We're starting to execute like we should and we're getting better every week."
The Bulldogs only points came on their opening offensive possession in the the second half as they marched 60 yards in six plays, capped by a Jaxon Dohn 1-yard TD run.
Christian completed five of his 11 pass attempts for 61 yards. Junior receiver Jaxon Jones finished with three catches for 41 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Dylan Parish tallied a team-high 10 tackles, and senior defensive back Colton Booth created the game's only turnover on a first quarter interception.
Skiatook received 70 yards on 13 carries from running back Greydon Jackso... Click here to read full article
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