Lawton Struggles Early, Takes Command Late To Down Salina Central 56-35

The Lawton Wolverines gave up the first two scores, but battled back and in an outcome reminiscent of the 2014 season opener, downed the Salina Central Mustangs 56-35 at Cameron Stadium Friday night.

Last season the Wolverines made the long bus ride north to open the season, early on appearing to be suffering from bus lag, but came back in the second quarter to take the halftime lead before cruising to a 63-35 win. This year the Mustangs were the ones with the 5 hour bus trip to take on Lawton. But Salina did not show any signs of fatigue as they took the opening kickoff back into Wolverine territory, taking just 4 plays to score on a 43-yard pass play from senior quarterback Jake Bellerive hitting fullback Michael McMullen with just 1:32 gone in the first quarter.

After Lawton misplayed the ensuing kickoff and were forced to start deep in their own territory. The Wolverines drove the ball to midfield, but then Mustangs the forced a Lawton punt, with Salina taking over at their own 27. The Mustangs used a series of counters and reverses to drive the ball to the Lawton 4 before Bellrive took the ball in for a 14-0 lead.

Zack Hanna and the Wolverines responded with a 73 yard drive to open the 2nd quarter and when the junior quarterback called his own number from five yards out, the Selina lead was cut to 14-7. Lawton then forced a punt from the Mustangs, but the snap sailed over punter Kyle True's head, the Wolverines were in business, again from the Mustang 5 yard line. Hanna again took things into his own hands and bootlegged the ball into the end zone and after Caitlyn Cox nailed her second extra point, the game was tied at 14.

The teams then traded 2nd quarter scores, with Tre Curry scoring on a 20-yard run for Lawton, and Bellerive scoring on a 1-yard sneak to send the game to half time tied at 21.

Lawton would surge out to a 35-21 lead in the 3rd quarter on 1-yard touchdown run by Curry and and a 17-yard touchdown catch by Marcheenan Hair, but Salina had a never say die spirit and surged back to tie the game at 35 on a  4 yard keeper by Bellerive and a 19-yard touch down pass from Bellerive to McMullen.

But Lawton would not bow to the resilience of Salina, and led a 62-yard td run and a 10 yard touchdown catch by Hair as well as a 1 yard keeper dive by Hanna, the Wolverines closed out the scoring with the final 21 points in a 56-35 victory over Salina Central.

The Wolverines are set to take on cross-town rival and defending 5A champion McArthur Highlanders next Friday night at Cameron Stadium. If you can't make it to the game, you can catch all the action on Lawton/Ft. Sill's Rock Station, Z94 and at z94.com.