hope to revenge last year’s 0-14 loss
Tonkawa’s lone loss of a Class A state championship season in 2018 came against Class 2A Newkirk in Kay County Bedlam a year ago.
It comes around again this year.
Tonkawa goes to Newkirk this Friday.
Kick off is at 7 p.m.
“While we would like to beat them this year, it’s not the end all for us, like it wasn’t last year,” Buc Head Coach Mike Kirtley said
Monday morning after putting the 2019 Bucs through a rigorous practice session.
After that loss a year ago, the Bucs went on to win 13 games in a row and added its seventh state championship to the trophy case.
“What we really want to do is concentrate on getting better each and every week,” Kirtley said, “That’s what we do in Buc football.”
Before that loss a year ago, newkirk hadn’t beaten Tonkawa since 2014, a 27-0 shellacking. Tonkawa continues to lead the series 53-33-3. The rivalry game has been played continuously since 1936.
This will be Newkirk’s season opener.
Tonkawa opened against neighbor Blackwell last Friday night and came from behind for an exciting 36-34 win and its sixth in a row over the Maroons.
The Tigers once again will be in a spread offense “with a dose of power,” Kirtley said. Their defense is a 4-3 alignment.
Tonkawa has much to work on this week after last week’s close call with Blackwell. The Bucs had four interceptions and three lost fumbles and several breakdowns in special team, mainly extra point kicks and punting. “We’ve got to clean some of that up and we’re working to do just that,” Kirtley said.
While the Bucs sailed to a 14-1 record a year ago, the Tigers went 6-5 and they have six starters back for its two-back pistol formation.
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