Lawton HS 2
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It was defense and special teams that led the way Thursday night for the Lawton Wolverines as a wild finish at Cameron stadium was set up by a 55-yard Marcheenan Hair punt return and a late fumble recovery by Levi Cain secured a 24-13 Wolverine victory over the visiting Midwest City Bombers.

Michael's first half touchdown run sent the Wolverine's to half time with an 18-0 lead over Midwest City. But with the score 18-13 Lawton late in the fourth quarter, it was DiaVonte Michael's punt coverage, downing the ball at the Bomber 1 yard line with just over 2 minutes to go in the game that helped to secure the win. Midwest City struggled to move the ball in their own end as the clock ticked down, and when Levi Cain put a devistating hit MWC quarterback Brendan Brown, the ball popped loose and Cain recovered the loose ball mid-air, diving backwards to haul in the victory.

Wolverine Football vs Midwest City
photo by Seth Coburn
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As Cain's teammates started to celebrate, Cain lay still on the turf, flat on his back. As the LHS training staff sprinted onto the field, Cain remained still on the turf. The staff decided to err on the side of caution and but Cain on a back board, loading him into a waiting ambulance for a short trip to the hospital. Reports came in later that Levi had feeling in all his extremities and early X-rays looked good.

The win clinched a third straight district title for the Wolverines, giving them a 5-0 district mark, 7-1 overall.

Cain's heroics were set up after Dia Vonta Michael did a super job as gunner on a Jair Thomas' punt, killing the ball at the MWC 1. His feet were on the line but in Federation rules, the ball is the important thing and the back judge ruled the pigskin never made the line. But there was more to the play than those basic facts. MWC was called for a personal foul for roughing the punter call on the play. But the Wolverines were facing a fourth and 17, so even the 15 yards wouldn't have given them a first down. Head coach Randy Breeze showed his confidence in his defense, putting the game in their hands, confident Midwest City couldn't go 99 yards in just 1:58.

Lawton HS 1
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The Bombers got a quick first down but on a first-and-10 from the 15, MWC quarterback Brendan Brown dropped back to pass and was swarmed by Cain and three other Wolverines. It was a stirring moment, many of the Bombers were kneeling on one knee near Cain, and as he was carted off the field his right arm shot in the air and he threw the crowd the "Big L" letting them know he was OK and ready for more.

At that point quarterback Zack Hanna sealed the deal, beating the Bombers around the end on a keeper, taking the ball to the 1-yard-line, but staying in bounds to keep the clock running. On the next play Hanna ran a simple sneak to cap the scoring and give the Wolverines a 24-13 win.

It was defense, special teams and the kicking of senior Caitlyn Cox that made the difference for Lawton. Cox booted a 23-yard field goal in the first half and boomed two kickoffs into the end zone, keeping the ball out of the hands of MWC's dangerous returner Drew Wright.

photo by Seth Coburn
photo by Seth Coburn
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After Lawton took an initial 11-0 on Marcheenan Hair 41-yard end-around, and Cox's field goal, DiaVonte Michael took a punt 55 yards for a score midway through the second quarter, sending Lawton to the half with an 18-0 lead.

The Wolverine offense sputtered throughout the rest of the night. Hanna was just 6-for-13 passing for 37 yards and an interception, while their two-headed backfield monster of Tre Curry and DeQuan Weaver gained just 87 and 53 yards respectively. Marcheenan Hair ran for 38 yards on the night, and that included his 41 yard touchdown run. Cain led the way on defense, with 16 tackles, 10 of those solo stops and the fumble recovery. Keith Theory also came up big with 14 tackles, a blocked punt and the recovery of the block in the fourth quarter.

Next up for the Wolverines, they will host the Choctaw Yellowjackets Thursday night. The Yellowjackets, 5-4, will enter the game pumped up, coming off a 58-8 win over Grant  Friday night. Kickoff at Cameron stadium is slated for 7pm. You can catch all the action, starting with the Wolverine pre-game show at 6:45 on Lawton/Ft. Sill's Rock Station, Z94 and z94.com.

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