When the seniors from Big Mac selected this year's motto "Per Aspera" - a Latin phrase meaning "through the rough" or "through hardships to the stars" - they really didn't know how much of the "rough" they would actually endure so early in the season.

MacArthur Highlanders vs Lawton High Wolverines
Photo by: Eric Sharum
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It wasn't the heat or cramps weighing heavy on the players, but instead a surprising last minute shower that crept up late Friday afternoon in southwest Oklahoma delaying week two for the MacArthur Highlanders for one hour. One thing is for sure though, it didn't dampen the spirits of the Highlander faithful from filling the south side of the stands of Cameron Stadium to cheer their team on from up on the Hill. The stands were filled with ponchos and umbrellas as the number 4th ranked team in class 5-A, MacArthur, faced the number 4th ranked team in the state in class 6-A, Lawton High. Both teams were coming off impressive first week wins and looked to add to their confidence in the second week of action.

The two teams held each other in check for a scoreless first quarter. It was then in the second quarter the Wolverine offense got rolling under some big plays and a 19-0 halftime lead. The start of the second half didn't look much better for the Highlanders. Only 14 seconds into the second half, a Will Collins interception set Lawton High up for a long touchdown run the very next play by Wolverine running back Michael Warren, jumping the score to 26-0. The play-and-fight-to-the-end Highlanders didn't let that get them down, and responded with back-to-back touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to make things very interesting.

In the end, after all was said and done, the Wolverines where able to hold off the Highlanders from any sort of comeback in the 4th quarter and walked away with the City Championship and a 47-20 win.

Even though the Highlanders took it on the chin during week two, their resiliency and their never-give-up attitude impressed all. Know this, the MacArthur Highlanders will be looking to rebound and be plenty prepared for week three's opponent, and another city rival and foe, the Eisenhower Eagles.

Check back here in the next couple of days for a preview of the exciting rematch of last years game between the Highlanders and the Eagles. Who could forget the heroic last minute win for the Highlanders with a long pass to Gary McKnight Jr with just seconds on the clock!

Included in the week three preview will be a unique video of the Highlanders doing the Samoa War Dance - you won't want to miss that!

It's the rough times like these that allows a great team to see what they're really made of, and I cant wait to see how the Highlanders will respond on Friday. Through hardships to the stars, the Highlander faithful will remember 2013's motto - "Per Aspera."

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