Thursday: Class 4A NR Cache (3-2, 1-0) @ Class 4A NR Elk City (2-3, 0-1)

Each year there’s a game on every team’s schedule that helps define that season. Tonight’s 4A-1 tilt inside Big Elk Stadium is that game for Elk City. The Brown and White have dropped 3 straight, including their district opener last week to Clinton. A second district loss tonight puts a playoff spot in jeopardy, and makes next week’s game at Chickasha a must win. A win tonight stabilizes the season and keeps the hopes of a district title alive depending on the result of Clinton/Weatherford tomorrow night. Cache has won two straight in blowout fashion outscoring Woodward and Southeast by a combined 111-0. The explosive Bulldogs offense will feature hard nosed tailback Connor Muldowney, as well as an electric athlete at the QB spot in Tyler Harbin. Cache leads to overall series 7-5, but the Elks have won the last two. One of these teams will stay in the district title race while the other will fall behind and put their playoff hopes in peril. I see a close game throughout with the Elks making the plays when it counts in a 28-20 season defining win.

Friday: Class 4A #7 Clinton (3-2, 2-0) @ Class 4A #8 Weatherford (4-2, 2-0)

This year’s edition of the Custer County Conflict drips with 4A-1 Title ramifications as the two long time rivals square off on Woody Roof Field. Both teams suffered a pair of losses in the non-district but have rebounded with a pair of district wins. Clinton owns the best win in the district so far, 21-7 over Elk City last week. Another Red Tornado victory this week and it gets pretty hard to imagine anyone but Clinton being the district champion. Weatherford can change all that by holding serve at home Friday night. The Eagles got their offense cranking in the second half last week against Woodward and will attempt to continue that success against Clinton’s stingy defense. Clinton leads the overall series 56-20, but Weatherford has been formidable as of late. The Eagles won 30-10 a year ago, their second straight win in the Tornado Bowl. Clinton has won 6 of the last 10, but the teams have split the last 6. This feels like a 4 quarter battle that is decided by Weatherford’s playmakers on the outside late. Give me Weatherford 24 Clinton 20 in another Custer County Conflict classic.