OKLAHOMA CITY — Putnam City senior CJ Turnbull accounted for all eight touchdowns in the Pirates’ 56-14 rout over Putnam City North in the “Battle of the Expressway” rivalry game at Panther Stadium Friday (Sept. 12).

“Rivalry game is just any other game,” Turnbull said. “It’s just more hyped up. I’m for the hype, if you could tell.”

Turnbull is no stranger to big games having played in three Class 2A state title games with Millwood.

Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter, Turnbull showed why he has multiple Division I offers. He took off on a quarterback run, dodging a tackle from North defensive end Gavan Krone behind the line of scrimmage.

Turnbull split two defenders at the North 5-yard line before lunging into the end zone for a 13-yard score with 8:19 left in the first quarter.

After junior Edgar Yanez connecting on the extra point, the Pirates never looked back.

Turnbull said before the game Putnam City coach Willis Alexander told the team that Original was “keeping our foot on the gas pedal the whole game, We going and going and going.”

Putnam City (2-1) would score two more times before the opening quarter ended.

Turnbull connected with senior Savion James on a 30-yard score followed by a 20-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Shawn Jones. The junior’s catch and run over the middle made it 21-6.

The Panthers (0-2) moved the football but couldn’t get into the end zone.

PC added another score in the score as Turnbull found senior Mitchell Taylor wide open for a 10-yard score.

“(North was) playing heavy in the box of the pass was really open,” Turnbull said. “They didn’t have safeties over top of anything, so the pass was open anytime.”

Early in the third quarter, the Turnbull-James connection worked again as James caught a short pass then made a North defender miss, speeding down the Pirate sideline for a 76-yard touchdown.

The Pirate defense gave the PC offense the ball back three plays later as junior Jairus Polly intercepted Mason Jones’ pass with 10:04 left in the third quarter. That led to senior Rodgerick Sloan catching a swing pass from Turnbull and weaving through North defenders for a 19-yard score to make it 42-6.

North scored just before the end of the quarter to make it 42-14.

Turnbull and Sloan executed another swing pass in the fourth quarter with the same result – a touchdown. Sloan sprinted 55 yards down the North sideline.

After getting good field position after a North punt, Turnbull went back to the ground with another read option touchdown, this time from 43 yards out for the final score.

Alexander wasn’t surprised by Turnbull’s night but credited the Pirate offensive line.

“They played really well in order for him to be able to do all those things,” Alexander said. “He’s a spectacular player but it was a collaborative effort.”

Turnbull finished with 281 yards, on 12-of-15 passing. He also rushed 14 times for 137 yards.

PANTHERS STRUGGLE AFTER FAST START

Putnam City North coach Brian Lockart got what we wanted at the beginning of the game. He wanted his team to score first in the rivalry game.

Senior Josh Lombard, who played at Putnam City last year after playing at North as a sophomore, took the opening kickoff to near midfield. Lombard connected on three of his first five pass attempts as the Panthers marched down the field.

Facing a fourth-and-five from the Pirate 29, Original jumped offsides to keep the drive going. On the next play, Lombard hit senior Bravion Stubbs in the back of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. The hold on the extra point was muffed and North led, 6-0.

“That’s kind of a thing with our program offensively,” Lockart said. “We want to get that momentum going, create some momentum for our team.”

The momentum was short-lived as North punted twice and turned the ball over on downs in Pirate territory on their next three possessions.

“We did some good things, but we could just never get out of our own way,” Lockart said. “I mean, penalties killed us.”

The Panthers were tagged several personal foul penalties and Lockart addressed that with his team at halftime.

“(I told the team) . . .’there’s two teams beating you. Execution and discipline,’ ” Lockart said.

After trailing 42-6 in the third quarter, the North offense got into gear. Senior quarterback Mason Jones and junior Terry Wilson, Jr. got things going on the ground. Then, Jones connected with Stubbs in the air.

North was also helped out by a Putnam City offsides penalty when facing a third-and-two. Wilson scored from 37 yards out four plays later with 1:55 left in the third quarter.

Both Lombard and Jones saw time in the quarterback position but it wasn’t Lockart’s intent to play two quarterbacks.

In the loss to Shawnee last week, Jones suffered a hand injury.

“The leader and the character that (Jones) has, he was like, ‘Hey, I’d rather Josh go, give us the best chance to really run our offense the way we want.’ “

Later in the game, Lombard dealt with cramping from the neck down and Jones was pressed into service, despite the injury.

“Both phenomenal kids,” Lockart said. “They do all the right things.”

SCHOOL	PC DISTRICT RECORD
Putnam City	2-0
Putnam City North	0-1
Putnam City West	0-1

PIRATES CLAIM PC DISTRICT FOOTBALL CROWN

With the win, Putnam City earned the Putnam City school district title.

The Pirates beat both of their sister schools last year for the title. West won the school district title in 2023.

The Pirates have now beaten the Panthers in five straight contests with North last winning in 2020.

North travels to West Sept. 26 for a 6A-II District 2 matchup.

RIVALRY GAME RECOGNIZED

The game was part of the Great American Rivalry Series, co-sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps. After the game, the Pirates were presented with a trophy and hats for each player. Turnbull was also given hardware as the game’s most valuable player.

UP NEXT

The Pirates have a bye next week. Original opens 6A-II District 1 play Sept. 25 against Northwest Classen.

The Panthers host Southmoore next Friday (Sept. 19). The Sabercats fell to rival Moore, 28-20, Friday.

Photographs courtesy of Danielle Johnson.
Photographs courtesy of Richard T. Clifton.

	1	2	3	4	F
Putnam City (2-1)	21	7	14	14	56
Putnam City North (0-2)	6	0	8	0	14