No. 1 Carl Albert’s defense stifles No. 2 McGuinness
MIDWEST CITY — Carl Albert safety Zane Alexander knew the importance of the situation.
With the Titans ahead eight late in the third quarter Friday, they needed to find a way to stop McGuinness inside the red zone. So, Alexander did what he does best — make physical plays.
A sack was first. Then a crushing blow to an Irish receiver knocked away a touchdown.
Each time he raised his arms out toward the home crowd, begging for applause.
“Zane’s just a warrior, man,” Carl Albert coach Mike Corley said sporting a big smile.
On a night where Class 5A’s top two teams met, it was No. 1 Carl Albert’s defense that delivered when needed most. It stopped No. 2 McGuinness four times in the red zone and limited the damage from a prolific rushing attack.
And the Titans came away with a dominant 21-6 victory.
“You’ve got to get those plays for momentum,” Alexander said. “Just do what you’ve got to do and get it to your offense.”
The victory puts Carl Albert at 6-0 on the year. It also puts the Titans as the heavy favorites to win the District 5A-2 title.
Carl Albert star running back Dadrion Taylor rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. But the night belonged to the defense.
The Titans held McGuinness to 259 total yards, 240 of which came on the ground. Sophomore star Dominic Richardson accounted for 168 of the rushing yards, but did not reach the end zone.
“It’s all about tackling,” Carl Albert safety Jason Taylor II said.
Carl Albert’s first stand came in the late in the first. With the Irish on the 6, the Titans got two straight stops.
Early in the second, Carl Albert again stopped McGuinness, this time with Taylor recovering a fumble by Richardson.
Eleven plays later, Taylor made it 14-0 with a crazy one-handed touchdown grab. A back-corner fade, he somehow got one foot down as his arm stretched at the final moment for a 14-0 lead.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to get to it,” Taylor said.
Carl Albert stopped McGuinness twice in the second half inside the red zone, with Alexander’s two big plays preserving a 14-6 advantage with 4:39 left in the third.
At that point, a 5-foot11, 155-pound safety had taken control.
“He’s not a big kid, but he’s got the heart of a lion,” Corley said.
“He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached, pound for pound.”