OKLAHOMA CITY – Putnam City gained revenge on Putnam City West with a 43-0 rout Friday (Sept. 6) at Patriot Field.

The Patriots beat the Pirates last season, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Pirates.

“Anytime you get a win, we want to take it,” Putnam City coach Willis Alexander said. “We’ve got to work on some things that we’re gonna constantly improve, especially trying to get to the goals we want to get to.”

Putnam City started a new winning streak in the rivalry by controlling the line of scrimmage and taking advantage of West mistakes.

After each team traded punts in the first quarter, the Pirates (1-1) capped a 14-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown from senior Brayden Knox with 3:02 left in the first quarter.

The Patriots (0-2) were unable to move the ball and Putnam City took advantage of a short punt, scoring after a seven-play drive. Pirate junior quarterback Joshua Lombard found fellow junior Savion James in the end zone for 25-yard score to make it 14-0 at the 10:46 in the second quarter.

Again, West couldn’t move the ball and the snap on the ensuing punt went over the punter’s head into the end zone for a safety to make it 16-0 with 7:54. This marked the second straight week Original scored a safety from an opponent’s bad snap on a punt.

Senior Tobias Braddy found a crease up the middle on the ensuing free kick, taking it 48 yards and putting Putnam City just outside the red zone again.

It took only two plays for PC to score again. Lombard connected with senior Demarion Ridley on a crossing route for a 27-yard touchdown. At half, the Pirates were in control, up 23-0.

The second half got messy for both teams and it was costly for the Patriots.

During the first drive, West senior quarterback Jordan Hester was taking shots from the Pirate defense as Putnam City was getting penetration into the West backfield. Knox finally got to Hester for a sack, hitting him hard. The play earned a targeting penalty and Hester had to leave the game after being down on the turf for a long time.

Helped out by Pirate penalties, the Patriots’ backup quarterback, sophomore Andre Farrar, got the West across midfield for the first time, down to the Putnam City 28-yard line.

The Pirate defense snuffed out the threat as Knox and fellow senior linebacker Cayden Hatlelid blew up a handoff between Hester and sophomore Terry Wilson, Jr, resulting in a fumble. PC Senior Sy Phipps recovered the fumble.

With reserves in the game, neither team was unable to score until the fourth quarter.

Senior Marqucio Woody scored on a 42-yard touchdown run with 11:18 left in the game, sprinting along the Pirate sideline.

The final score of the game came with 4:31 left when Hatlelid stripped West sophomore Gavin Crawford, who had come in at quarterback. Hatlelid scooped the ball up after a 37-yard return to make it 43-0 (after the kick failed).

Alexander praised the Pirates defense, who stifled West most of the game.

“I think they played well in spurts,” Alexander said. “I liked our physicality.”

YOUNG PATRIOTS LOOK TO IMPROVE

Putnam City West coach Greg Johnson wasn’t surprised about his team’s two blowout losses to start the season, given his team’s youth and inexperience. Most of the upperclassmen West has on the roster saw little playing time over the last few year and some weren’t even playing football.

“Ouur youth showed up. We played in spurts. That’s what young teams do,” Johnson said. “So we just got to stick together and keep playing hard and fight through it.”

Johnson said he thinks that looking beyond the final score is a way for his young squad to stay optimistic.

“We’ve got to take little individual victories, whether it be a few plays here, a few plays there and try to build on it,” Johnson said.

BANGED UP COACHES

West’s Johnson was on the sideline while continuing his recovery from knee-replacement surgery. Original’s Alexander made an entry on the injury report, after a player in practice ran into the coach, leading to a leg fracture. Alexander patrolled the sidelines with the help of a cane.

UP NEXT

The Pirates return home for the “Battle of the Expressway” against sister school Putnam City North (1-0) next Friday (Sept. 13) at 7 p.m.

The Patriots have an unusual two bye weeks because their September 13 game with Western Heights fell through. West returns to action Friday, September 27 on the road at sister school Putnam City North.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	F
Putnam City (1-1)	7	23	0	13	43
Putnam City West (0-2)	0	0	0	0	0