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Practice wasn’t great for Plainview on Tuesday. Then coach Chris Berus challenged the Indians.
The response? Expectantly great. Plainview (9-3) has meet the challenge all season, spurred by a team motto that’s taken full life throughout the school.
“We got a defense sheet at the beginning of the year that said ‘DDW,’” senior linebacker Gary Heller said. “We all thought it meant ‘Dominant Defenses Wins.’ But it’s ‘Don’t Die Wondering.’ You don’t know when your last play is and we live through God through our athletic abilities.
“I think it’s kinda helped us out on the field, to kinda remember to go as hard as we can.”
“Don’t Die Wondering” is more mentioned than the notion of the Class 3A quarterfinal being the Indians’ final home game of the season. If Plainview beats Berryhill (11-1) tonight, the Indians will play the winner of Anadarko-Metro Christian at a yet-to-be-announced neutral semifinal site.
“I haven’t really thought of it, actually,” Heller said of his last career game at Indians Stadium. “We look at it as another game.”
Berryhill will bring a 3,000-yard power running game to Plainview and a resume with only one blemish — a 31-14 loss to Cascia Hall in week 6. Fortunately, the Indians’ defense has been close to inpenetrable in the postseason, allowing only one touchdown in eight quarters.
“They have two tailbacks and they love the smash-mouth game,” Berus said. “They’re gonna try to line up with two tight (ends) and hammer us.”
The Indians have a counter to that in the speed game. In the playoffs, Plainview has outscored its two opponents 69-7, behind its own two-headed running game of senior Blake Campo and sophomore Austin Carrera. Each have run for more than 100 yards in blowouts against Weatherford and Newcastle.
Berus said that “without a doubt” the Indians are playing the best football of his three years at the school. He attributes that to a senior group that’s “continually responded to challenges.”
Last week against Newcastle, the Indians had the additional challenge of overcoming 13 penalties for 135 yards. In the flag frenzy, Plainview senior safety Will Roberts was ejected from the game for accumulating two unsportsmanlike conduct calls.
According to Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association rules, “a player disqualified during a game or contest because of flagrant or unsportsmanlike conduct must be reinstated by the school principal.” The OSSAA recommends that a player sit out at least a game, but it isn’t mandatory.
Practice wasn’t great for Plainview on Tuesday. Then coach Chris Berus challenged the Indians.
The response? Expectantly great. Plainview (9-3) has meet the challenge all season, spurred by a team motto that’s taken full life throughout the school.
“We got a defense sheet at the beginning of the year that said ‘DDW,’” senior linebacker Gary Heller said. “We all thought it meant ‘Dominant Defenses Wins.’ But it’s ‘Don’t Die Wondering.’ You don’t know when your last play is and we live through God through our athletic abilities.
“I think it’s kinda helped us out on the field, to kinda remember to go as hard as we can.”
“Don’t Die Wondering” is more mentioned than the notion of the Class 3A quarterfinal being the Indians’ final home game of the season. If Plainview beats Berryhill (11-1) tonight, the Indians will play the winner of Anadarko-Metro Christian at a yet-to-be-announced neutral semifinal site.
“I haven’t really thought of it, actually,” Heller said of his last career game at Indians Stadium. “We look at it as another game.”
Berryhill will bring a 3,000-yard power running game to Plainview and a resume with only one blemish — a 31-14 loss to Cascia Hall in week 6. Fortunately, the Indians’ defense has been close to inpenetrable in the postseason, allowing only one touchdown in eight quarters.
“They have two tailbacks and they love the smash-mouth game,” Berus said. “They’re gonna try to line up with two tight (ends) and hammer us.”
The Indians have a counter to that in the speed game. In the playoffs, Plainview has outscored its two opponents 69-7, behind its own two-headed running game of senior Blake Campo and sophomore Austin Carrera. Each have run for more than 100 yards in blowouts against Weatherford and Newcastle.
Berus said that “without a doubt” the Indians are playing the best football of his three years at the school. He attributes that to a senior group that’s “continually responded to challenges.”
Last week against Newcastle, the Indians had the additional challenge of overcoming 13 penalties for 135 yards. In the flag frenzy, Plainview senior safety Will Roberts was ejected from the game for accumulating two unsportsmanlike conduct calls.
According to Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association rules, “a player disqualified during a game or contest because of flagrant or unsportsmanlike conduct must be reinstated by the school principal.” The OSSAA recommends that a player sit out at least a game, but it isn’t mandatory.
After throughly reviewing the film of the game, Plainview principal Wayne Moore ruled that Roberts could play. Roberts said he was called for three helmet-to-helmet hits.
The Plainview-Newcastle game had a combined 25 penalties for 245 yards. Berus opted not to comment on the officiating, instead focusing on Berryhill and the opportunity to play in the semifinals.
When asked about the last home game of the season, Berus also opted out of the concept of any finality.
“There’s no last anything going on here right now,” Berus said. “We’ll only get sentimental at the end. It’s not the end yet.”
Erik K. Horne
221-6522
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Berryhill at Plainview
— Class 3A quarterfinals, 7:30 tonight at Indians Stadium
— Records: Berryhill 11-1, Plainview 9-3
— How they got here: Berryhill def. Sequoyah 20-6, def. Beggs 28-21; Plainview def. Weatherford 34-7, def. Newcastle 35-0
— Radio: KICM-FM 90.3
