Muskogee Starts & Finishes Fast In 48-26 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>#4 Muskogee came on the road and improved to 4-0 on the season with a 48-26 win over #6 Sand Springs by starting fast and finishing strong. The Roughers would avoid a Sand Springs rally by scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to run away with the win. Muskogee's star sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] led the way for the Rougher offense and Sand Springs had several self-inflicted penalties that really hurt them, especially in the fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muskogee's defense came out very fast and physical, especially within their front seven. They forced three consecutive three and outs and Muskogee's offense would cash in on the other side. After forcing a three and out, Ficklin would throw the first of his six touchdowns on a jump pass to [player_tooltip player_id='202153' first='Anthony' last='Watson']. 90 seconds later, Ficklin would connect with [player_tooltip player_id='129399' first='Kayden' last='McGee'] for a 61 yard touchdown. The Sandites would go three and out yet again and the Roughers would get another big touchdown when Ficklin found running back Brandon Tolbert all alone near the Muskogee sideline. He would make one man miss and score from 51 yards out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='202153' first='Anthony' last='Watson'] had a huge game on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. After Sand Springs put together their best drive, Watson would get a sack on fourth down, forcing a turnover on downs. On the very next play, Ondraye Beasley would take a hand off and go 85 yards for a touchdown with just a few seconds left in the first quarter. In the blink of an eye, Muskogee was up 27-0, but the offense would struggle over the next two quarters. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sand Springs would score 26 unanswered points in the second and third quarters. Junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='382992' first='Kenneth' last='Page'] would score a pair of touchdowns. Freshman quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='449993' first='Easton' last='Webb'] would toss a touchdown to [player_tooltip player_id='288966' first='Brody' last='Rutledge'] and would also score a touchdown on the ground from a yard out. Muskogee's lead was cut to 27-26 heading into the final quarter. From there, things became very chaotic over the final twelve minutes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It started with Muskogee converting a 3rd and 20 on an extra effort from senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='380627' first='Jayden' last='Bell']. A few plays later, Bell would catch a 62-yard touchdown to put the Roughers up 33-26 early in the fourth. However, on the touchdown and PAT, Sand Springs got flagged for unsportsmanlike penalties. Muskogee would kick off from the Sand Springs 30. Because of that, they attempted an onside kick and would actually recover it at the Sandite 9-yard line. 2 plays later, Ficklin would connect with Watson to put the Roughers up 41-26.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite Muskogee having all the momentum, Sand Springs still had time to mount another comeback. However, their next three offensive possessions would finish with turnovers. The Roughers would score another touchdown on Ficklin's sixth touchdown pass on the night. The Roughers would avoid a meltdown after leading 27-0 and would finish strong to get the 22-point victory on the road. </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>MUSKOGEE TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632f22df113a8","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["202153"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Throughout a game, we start circling names for the Top Performer features of these articles. Muskogee junior athlete [player_tooltip player_id='202153' first='Anthony' last='Watson'] was the first name we circled because he was the first name that stood out in a major way. In the first half alone, Watson had at least three sacks and also had a big tackle for loss on the quarterback on a designed run. On the offensive side of the ball, Watson was Muskogee's tight end near the goal line and he had two touchdown catches that totaled 16 yards. We have Watson listed as an athlete but we're starting to think that the defensive side of the ball might be where he fits in best moving forward. He was outstanding on that side of the ball. We can't stress enough how dominant and nasty the Muskogee front seven was during the first quarter when the Roughers were jumping out to a big lead.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a58333e29d9"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632f22f6113a9","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["211556"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"We asked Muskogee head coach Travis Hill what the biggest difference has been for his sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] from last year to this season. He said how the game had slowed down and that was evident on Friday night. Ficklin had complete control of the offense. He started fast and ended fast and is definitely a 2025 quarterback on the rise. He threw six touchdown passes to five different wide receivers. While he didn't need to do it on Friday night, he's also a big threat in the running game. Ficklin is like a microwave shooter in basketball. When Ficklin starts getting hot, it's nearly impossible to stop him and this Rougher offense. Ficklin threw three touchdowns on three consecutive passes, not once, but twice in the win on Friday night. On the night, he was 10-17 for 250 yards and six touchdowns.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a58333e2a12"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632f230b113aa","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["380627"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Some of Muskogee's best players from Friday's win are non-seniors, with the exception of senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='380627' first='Jayden' last='Bell']. He came into this season as the leading wide receiver for the Rougher offense from last season. On Friday night, he was the leading wide receiver in an explosive offense once again. He finished with three catches for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown was a 62-yard touchdown where he made a catch over the Sand Springs defender and raced the rest of the way for the touchdown. Before that touchdown catch, he made a 22-yard reception on 3rd and 20. When he made the catch, he was short of the first down. His extra effort got the first down and Muskogee would score the first of three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away. Bell also had an interception on defense at the corner position.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a58333e2a41"} /--> <!-- 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>SAND SPRINGS TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632f2326113ab","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["288966"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"We've thought this for the last six months and it was backed up again on Friday that Sand Springs senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='288966' first='Brody' last='Rutledge'] is one of the more underrated players at his position in the state's 2023 class. Rutledge is a big playmaker within the Sandite offense and he had an excellent night on Friday. He would end up leading the Sandites in receiving with five catches for just over 100 yards and a touchdown. Muskogee has some really good players in their secondary but nobody was able to match the size of Rutledge and the Sand Springs standout was able to take advantage of that mismatch at various times throughout the night. Rutledge made some outstanding catches throughout the night and even a few that didn't count because of being just out of bounds. Rutledge should be considered a name to watch in this senior class at the receiver position.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a58333e2a75"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632f233d113ac","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["449993"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Sand Springs went ahead and gave freshman [player_tooltip player_id='449993' first='Easton' last='Webb'] the nod as QB1 and let the 2026 product sink or swim on Friday night. He started out sinking as the Sandites went three and out on their first three possessions. But he would compose himself and had a really nice night in his first ever start. Webb went 18-27 for nearly 250 yards and a touchdown. He also added a short touchdown on the ground that pulled the Sandites within one point of the Roughers late in the third quarter. Webb had a shaky start with three incompletions in a row and multiple sacks. But after that, he was locked in and showed what has impressed the Sandite coaches during the week at practice. He completed eight straight passes in the first half and had another stretch where he completed eight of nine passes in the second half.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a58333e2aa3"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_632f234d113ad","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["382992"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"While the Sandite passing game was slowly but surely getting going on Friday night, they could still rely on the running game with junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='382992' first='Kenneth' last='Page']. The junior would finish with 30 carries for nearly 150 yards and a pair of first half touchdowns. It was Page in the first half that kept the Sandites in the game and kept this from being a Muskogee blowout from start to finish. Page was definitely the bright spot on the offensive side of the ball through the first two quarters. But the combination of carries and Muskogee's physical front seven meant that Page was going to take a beating. And he still managed to tote the rock 30 times. But he got banged up in the second half and did not have as many carries. But Page is a very physical runner that we like moving forward. He's enjoying a breakout season this fall.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-68a58333e2ad0"} /-->