WOW!!!! WHAT A THRILLING ENDING TO THE A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

The Muskogee Roughers captured the Class 6AII state football championship on December 1 as they defeated the defending state champion Stillwater Pioneers 28-26 at Chad Richison Stadium on the UCO campus in Edmond.

The teams traded a pair of first half touchdowns to forge a 14-14 tie at half time. The Roughers took the third quarter kick and drove 64 yards in just five plays with junior quarterback Jamarian “Byrd” Ficklin scoring on a 19-yard run to make it 21-14. Stillwater came back with a 56-yard drive but missed the extra point to make it 21-20. Muskogee came right back with a 65-yard drive with Byrd scoring again to make it 28-20 after three quarters.

After Stillwater drove to the Rougher 11, the defense held on a fourth down play and Muskogee mounted a drive, rolling down the field for what looked like another touchdown or field goal that could put the game away, but a fumble stopped the drive and gave Stillwater one last chance which they took advantage of, scoring with less than a minute to play in the game making it 28-26 . Forced to go for a two-point conversion to tie the game because of the earlier missed kick, Stillwater’s Talon Kendrick took a direct snap and tried to power in, but the Muskogee defense stopped him. Then the Roughers had to survive a Stillwater onsides kick but Kayden McGee recovered that to seal the win for the Roughers in a nail biter and give Muskogee it’s first state football title since 1986.

Ficklin was a part of all four Rougher touchdowns and had 245 yards of total offense while Tim Moore led the defense with 13 tackles followed closely by Coda Barnoski with 12.

Twenty-one seniors saw their final football action for the Roughers as the fans mobbed the field and the players after the game to lift the gold ball high.

WAY TO GO ROUGHERS!!!!