Coweta Makes Statement In 44-14 Win

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was no doubt that #5 Coweta had this date circled on their calendar since last November. They had their 2021 season end in the quarterfinals in a loss to Carl Albert. They would open the 2022 season at home against #1 Carl Albert. And the Tigers would dominate from start to finish, making quite the statement to the rest of Class 5A as they would send the Titans home, beating them 44-14.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carl Albert would actually get the scoring started as they marched right down the field on their first drive and would score to make it 6-0 less than four minutes into the game. However, the Titans would lose their starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='150088' first='Reed' last='Dequasie'] on that drive and 2024 QB [player_tooltip player_id='429016' first='Kash' last='Ferris'] would have to play the rest of the game. Coweta responded to the Titan touchdown with a 15 play posssession that took up almost six minutes and ended in a LoLo Bell touchdown, his first of two touchdown carries on the evening. That would give the Tigers the lead and they would never give it up. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From there, Coweta's defense would bend but not break. They would either force a three and out or give up yards while holding the Titans to field goals. Meanwhile, the offense was clicking on all cylindars. They scored on every offensive possession in the first half. They also got a 92-yard kick return for a touchdown from senior star [player_tooltip player_id='57163' first='Mason' last='Ford']. 2023 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='51055' first='Carson' last='Laverty'] would add a 9-yard touchdown run as the first quarter came to a close and he had an excellent game throwing and running the ball in his first start for the Tigers after starting for Putnam City North in the last few seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half was back and forth until early on in the fourth quarter. The Titans blocked a punt and it would go out of the end zone for a safety. It appeared Carl Albert would be gaining momentum. But on their next possession, 2023 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='428158' first='Carson' last='Flanary'] would sack the quarterback and knock the ball loose near midfield and the Tigers would recover. The Tigers would then go for it on fourth down on the next possession and Laverty found Flanary for a 25-yard touchdown with less than six minutes to play and that appeared to be the dagger. But the Titans would throw a backbreaking interception on the next possession that was returned all the way to the 1-yard line and the Tigers would punch it in on the next play. Another touchdown late in the game would give the Tigers an eye-opening 44-14 win over the top ranked team in Class 5A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was a big game for the Tigers but they'll look to keep the momentum going next week when they face off with rival Wagoner. You can check out Coweta's Top Performers below!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>COWETA TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='428158' first='Carson' last='Flanary'] - 2023 Tight End/Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coweta 2023 tight end and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='428158' first='Carson' last='Flanary'] put the dagger in the top ranked Titans on Friday night with his strip sack on defense and then catching a touchdown on fourth down on the very next possession. The Coweta linebackers had a really strong performance on Friday night and Flanary was flying all over the ball on that side. It wasn't just the sack and touchdown sequence, Flanary had a complete game from start to finish. Flanary and several other linebackers were all over the Carl Albert defense, attacking their running game and also getting into the Carl Albert backfield all night long. Flanary is one of the more experienced players on this Coweta defense and the seniors really led the way in this dominating victory over the Titans on Friday night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='51055' first='Carson' last='Laverty'] - 2023 Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After starting for several seasons at Putnam City North, 2023 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='51055' first='Carson' last='Laverty'] is finishing his high school career at Coweta and it's off to a fantastic start. Laverty was in charge of the Tiger passing attack and he has some serious speed around him. He finished 16-24 for 164 yards and a touchdown. That passing touchdown was the dagger to Flanary in the fourth quarter. Laverty was also Coweta's leading rusher and he had a good mix of scrambling and designed running plays. Laverty finished with 56 yards on 16 carries and had a rushing touchdown to go along with the passing TD. Laverty is an excellent quarterback and he's shown that in the last few seasons. He definitely gives the Tigers a chance to contend for the Class 5A state championship later on this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='57163' first='Mason' last='Ford'] - 2023 Athlete</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to Laverty, they got a complete performance from 2023 star [player_tooltip player_id='57163' first='Mason' last='Ford']. This Coweta standout has been a star since his freshman season and he was determined to make a statement on Friday night. On offense, Ford caught six passes for 39 yards, mostly on bubble screens on the outside. Ford also had a few carries on offense. And then on defense, Ford was tasked with covering Carl Albert's tall and lanky wide receivers. The Titans have some really good wideouts and Ford showed why he's one of the best cover corners in the state's 2023 class. Despite giving up several inches to his opponents, Ford got the job done. And then there's special teams where Ford electrified the Coweta crowd with a 92-yard touchdown return that put the Tigers up right after a Carl Albert score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219074' first='Na'Kylan' last='Starks'] - 2023 Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to Ford, Laverty also had an electric wide receiver in 2023 wideout [player_tooltip player_id='219074' first='Na'Kylan' last='Starks']. He ended up leading the Tigers in receiving on Friday night. He finished with four catches for 70 yards. He had two catches for over 20 yards and both were electrifying catch and runs. Starks did a good job of making a short pass into a very long play after the catch. Starks is going to be an X-factor in the Coweta offense because as long as he's healthy, opponents can't focus on slowing down Ford. Starks gives Laverty a second threat in the passing game and the Tigers are going to be able to chip away at defenses with those two playmakers. Starks dealt with injuries last season but if he can stay healthy this fall, he's primed to have a big season on offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='428159' first='Noah' last='Loyd'] - 2023 Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='51055' first='Carson' last='Laverty'] wasn't the only move in that had a breakout game in his first performance in Coweta orange. 2023 tight end and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='428159' first='Noah' last='Loyd'], who comes over from Bartlesville, was outstanding on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers. Loyd did a great job of getting into the backfield and getting multiple tackles for loss. He racked up the tackles in a big way and did a good job containing Carl Albert's rushing offense. Loyd also gave the Coweta offense some size in the passing attack as a tight end. While he didn't have much of an impact there, he will provide that side of the ball some size in the red zone to go along with their speed. But he made this breakdown for his defense. the rushing attack was the bright spot in the Carl Albert offense and he did a good job containing it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->