Published: October 09, 2008 09:45 am      

Duncan prepares for Deer Creek

DUNCAN — One week after seeing just how good it could be, the Duncan football team found out just how bad it could play. The Demons turned the ball over three times and committed an uncharacteristic 11 penalties in a 28-13 loss to Altus that can only be termed disappointing.

The loss now has Duncan sitting 1-1 in district in the first game of a key three-game stretch. The mid-point of the stretch comes Friday when the Demons face a 4-1 Deer Creek team and will wrap up next week against 5-0 Lawton MacArthur. Duncan still has all of its goals in front of it, but the loss to the Bulldogs was not the start the coaching staff was looking for.

“It was disappointing,” Duncan coach Jim Holloway said. “We lost the battle of field position and it was not all the kicking game’s fault. We have to pick up some first downs when we are pinned back.

“We also had the 11 penalties and that is not acceptable. If you can’t line up, you can’t play and you just can’t give them 1st and five, three times.”

Mistakes against Deer Creek will prove costly. The Antlers boast an explosive run game led by quarterback Dax Dilbeck. Dilbeck has rushed for 686 yards and 11 touchdowns on 80 carries. Dilbeck has committed to Oregon State next season. Joining him in the backfield is sophomore Colt Sander, who has rushed for 500 yards on 52 carries. In short, the Antlers have big-play potential.

Deer Creek works out of multiple formations and throws the ball fewer than 10 times a game. The team is further strengthened by a good offensive line that has some size to it.

Defensively, the Antlers work out of a 3-3. They have several players on the defensive side of the ball that play only one way. Deer Creek is strong up the middle with two talented noseguards in Jantz Haan (6-4, 290) and Cale Coshow (6-5, 260). There is also quickness in the secondary.

In its two district games, Deer Creek has defeated Northwest Classen 46-27 and Western Heights 55-7. Its only loss of the season came at the hands of Shawnee in a 35-8 setback.

With its loss last week, Duncan needs to pick up a win this week and do so in an impressive manner. Adding insult to injury last week was the fact that the Bulldogs won by 15 points, the maximum allowed towards point differential in district play. With Lawton Mac looming in the horizon, there is a sense of urgency within the Duncan program to pick up a couple of wins and avoid a downhill slide that could see it fighting for its playoff lives in the final three weeks of the season.

“It keeps you out of the absolute must-win game,” Holloway said. “Not only do we have to win this week, we have to win decisively. If we go out and win out, we’re district champions. We just have to go out and come up with the wins.

“The confidence is there, it is just the penalties and the turnovers. We were down 7-0 last week and I thought we were in complete control of the game from a defensive standpoint. And then we let them have an easy one after a turnover. It happens, that’s just football. We’re not talented enough to overcome three turnovers and 11 penalties against a football team.”