CLARKSTON KNOCKS OFF GRITTY OXFORD

Kurt Richardson knew that his Clarkston Wolves didn’t have an easy playoff opener.

Despite beating Oxford earlier this season, 35-14, the top-seeded Wolves had their hands full with the eighth-seeded Wildcats on Friday.

Oxford held an early lead and stayed within a score until late in the game, but Clarkston still found a way to pick up the win in the Division 1 district opener, 21-7.

“They were tougher than hell the first time we played them, they just turned the ball over and shot themselves in the foot. That’s a good football team,” Richardson said of Oxford. “They’re wellcoached, and Oxford is always tough from the old Bud Rowley teams. It’s the same thing this year. They are tougher than hell. It was a good challenge, but we have to play better.”

Oxford (2-5) established tone of the game right away.

After forcing a quick threeandfrom Clarkston, the Wildcats drove 71 yards on their opening possession and ate up nearly eight minutes of clock.

Oxford converted a fourthandon the drive and eventually got into the end zone with a 1-yard plunge from sophomore Tate Myre to make it 7-0.

“We came out and executed our offense at a high level tonight,” the

Oxford coach Zach Line said. “That’s a good defensive front we were up against. We aren’t far off. Another offseason will do us some good.”

The Wolves (7-0) responded to the Oxford score by going on a scoring drive as well. Clarkston navigated 84 yards, which concluded with a 16-yard TD run from Davis York. York followed his wall of blockers to get into the endzone near the sidelines.

Not to be outdone, Oxford put together another strong offensive possession. The Wildcats would use Myre to work the ball down the field and eat up another seven minutes of clock.

Oxford found itself down to the Clarkston 2-yard line, but a pair of penalties forced them 13 yards away from the goal line. The Wildcats attempted a 30-yard field goal to take the lead, but it missed wide left.

“We got down there and ended up with no points when we should have had seven,” Line said of the possession. “It is what it is. That’s the game of football. We will improve on that for next season.”

Clarkston only had 2:28 to work with in the half, but the Wolves turned it into the go

DREW ELLIS PHOTOS — MEDIANEWS GROUP Clarkston’s Davis York breaks through the Oxford defense during Friday’s Division 1 district playoff game. The host Wolves won, 21-7.

Oxford sophomore Tate Myre, left, ran for his team’s lone touchdown in a 21-7 Division 1 playoff loss to host Clarkston on Friday. This game was closer than when the two teams met earlier this season. Clarkston prevailed in that contest, 35-14.