WARR ACRES — Putnam City couldn’t overcome mistakes and early offensive struggles in a 21-18 loss to Ponca City Friday (Nov. 13) in the first round of the 6A-II playoffs.
Putnam City coach Willis Alexander said the loss was a microcosm of his team’s struggles all season.
“”Mistakes. Self-inflicted. (Ponca City) capitalized on them. We had opportunities . . . Couldn’t get out of our own way.”
Despite being held to a field goal in the first half, the Pirates (5-6) took the lead in the second half after PC’s defense kept them in the game.
Trailing 12-3, Original’s offense finally got into gear late in the third quarter. The Pirates drove 58-yard on eight plays. Senior Kahmi Herrera broke a 16-yard run. Senior quarterback Daevon Simmons connected with junior Marcico Petties for a 20-yard gain to the Wildcat 20-yard line.Three plays later, Simmons found senior Shawn Jones III over the middle in the back of the end zone to make it 12-10.
Ponca City senior Jeremy Evans returned the ensuing kickoff to the Pirate 9-yard line. Putnam City’s defense was in another tough spot. The Pirates sent Ponca City backward and the Wildcats (6-5) had to settle for a 35-yard field goal from sophomore Tucker Love to make it 15-10.
PC wasted little time in answering. Two plays into the next drive, Simmons had Jones behind the defense over the middle but the throw was behind the receiver and fell incomplete. On the next play, Petties got behind his defender down the Ponca City sideline.
This time, Simmons didn’t miss.
He delivered the ball to Petties in stride and he sprinted 64 yards for a score. Simmons ran in the two-point conversion to make it 18-15 with 9:46 left in the contest.
The Wildcats followed with a 12-play, 83-yard drive that drained 6:32 off the clock. Of that total, 62 yards were on the ground. Ponca senior BamBam Coleman capped it off with a two-yard run from a direct snap. Love’s extra point was blocked and the Pirates trailed 21-18.
Junior Kenneth Young fumbled the ensuing kickoff with 3:12 left which gave the Wildcats to opportunity to score or run out the clock.
Ponca City did neither.
The Wildcats reached the Pirate 20-yard line. Senior quarterback Jonston Burke connected with junior tight end Titus Haney in the end zone but Burke ran way past the line of scrimmage before the throw. The penalty nullified the score. On the next play, Love’s 35-yard field goal was no-good.
With no timeouts, Original took the ball to the 50 but the drive stalled with two seconds left and Burke kneeled down once for the win.
“We had our chances. I mean, we’ve got to be better in those situations,” Alexander said.
Even with the miscues, the Pirates had a chance to tie or win the game late.
“That shows the character of these kids.”
Simmons was 10-of-23 from the air with 167 yards and two scores.
Petties caught four of those passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Kamarion Thomas added three catches for 40 yards. Jones finished with two catches, 25 yards and a touchdown.
Putnam City struggled to run the ball effectively, especially in the second half. Herrera finished with 10 carries and 57 yards. Petties added 47 yard on seven rushes.
Original opened the game with an 11-play, 55-yard drive but couldn’t score from inside the 10-yard line. Pirate senior Edgar Yanez booted a 26-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
Late in the first quarter, Ponca City took a 7-3 lead after a 71-yard drive, capped off by a two-yard run by junior Inell DeRogers.
The Wildcats threatened to extend the lead just before halftime. Ponca City drove to the Pirate 14-yard line but Burke was sacked by PC senior linebacker Wyatt Keefer. On the next play, Love missed a 44-yard field goal.
The Wildcats took the first drive of the third quarter deep into PC territory but settled for a 34-yard field goal by Love to make it 10-3.
Putnam City’s next drive stalled and the snap on fourth down sailed over the head of Yanez, who fell on the ball in the end zone for a safety.
The Wildcats racked up 224 yards on the ground, relying on direct snaps and misdirection plays. Love ran the ball seven times for 85 yards. DeRogers had 56 yards on carries with a score.
Burke was 5-of-15 with 31 yards. Evans had three of those catches for 24 yards.
Alexander wants his young players to learn to play with consistency.
“Hopefully the young guys will learn that, number one, you’re not entitled to anything. Some people think just because you put on that Putnam City logo and put on them colors that it’s supposed to happen.”
After the Pirates reached the 6A-II semifinals last season, Alexander knew they would have a target on their back.
“People weren’t overlooking us anymore. So, we have to learn how not to make the mistakes that hurt us and harm us and overcome those things.”
CLASS 6A-II STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
FIRST ROUND – Nov. 13, 2026
Muskogee 48, Putnam City North 13
Norman 33, Booker T. Washington 20
Ponca City 21, Putnam City 18
Sand Springs 57, Putnam City West 13
Choctaw, BYE
Bartlesville, BYE
Stillwater, BYE
Piedmont, BYE
QUARTERFINALS – Nov. 20, 2026
Muskogee at Putnam City North, 7 p.m.
Norman at Bartlesville, 7 p.m.
Ponca City at Stillwater, 7 p.m.
Sand Springs at Piedmont, 7 p.m.
SEMIFINALS – Nov. 27, 2026
Choctaw/Muskogee winner vs. Norman/Bartlesville winner, TBD
Stillwater/Ponca City winner vs. Sand Springs/Piedmont winner, TBD
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP – Dec. 5, 2026
Chad Richison Stadium at University of Central Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponca City (6-5) | 0 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 21 |
| Putnam City (5-6) | 3 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 18 |
PUTNAM CITY – Yanez 26 field goal, 7:57, 1Q
PONCA CITY – DeRogers 2 run (Love kick), 11:46, 2Q
PONCA CITY – Love 34 field goal, 7:56, 3Q
PONCA CITY – Safety, Bad snap, 6:01, 3Q
PUTNAM CITY – Jones 17 pass from Simmons (Yanez kick), :50, 3Q
PONCA CITY – Love 35 field goal, 10:48, 4Q
PUTNAM CITY – Petties 64 pass from Simmons (Simmons run), 9:46, 4Q
PONCA CITY – Coleman 2 run (kick failed), 3:14, 4Q
2026 Putnam City Football
Overall Record: 5-6 · District Record: 4-2 (6A-II-1)
| Date | Opponent | Time / Result |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28 | vs Yukon | L 7-37 |
| Sept. 4 | at Ponca City | L 34-37 |
| Sept. 11 | vs Booker T. Washington | L 14-24 |
| Sept. 25 | at Piedmont* | L 22-43 |
| Oct. 2 | vs Putnam City North* (Homecoming) | W 35-34 (OT) |
| Oct. 8 | at Norman* | W 28-27 (OT) |
| Oct. 15 | at Putnam City West* | W 54-26 |
| Oct. 23 | vs Choctaw* | L 7-48 |
| Oct. 30 | at Lawton Eisenhower* | W 50-7 |
| Nov. 5 | vs Midwest City (Senior Night) | W 34-13 |
| Nov. 13 | vs Ponca City — Class 6A-II Playoffs | L 18-21 |
HOME GAMES in bold
* District game
2026 Ponca City Football
Overall Record: 6-5 · District Record: 1-4 (6A-II-2)
| Date | Opponent | Time / Result |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28 | at Enid | W 38-0 |
| Sept. 4 | vs Putnam City | W 37-34 |
| Sept. 11 | at Shawnee | W 55-31 |
| Sept. 18 | vs Norman | L 26-45 |
| Oct. 2 | at Douglass | W 62-13 |
| Oct. 9 | at Stillwater* | L 14-63 |
| Oct. 15 | vs Muskogee* | L 28-33 |
| Oct. 23 | at Bartlesville* | L 21-52 |
| Oct. 30 | vs Sand Springs* | L 38-45 |
| Nov. 6 | vs Booker T. Washington* | W 39-32 |
| Nov. 13 | at Putnam City — Class 6A-II Playoffs | W 21-18 |
| Nov. 20 | at Stillwater — Class 6A-II Playoffs | 7 PM |
HOME GAMES in bold
* District game
