Good news and bad news for Ringling fans:
The bad is that coach Tracy Gandy said Thursday senior running back Skylar Bartlett is about 80 percent healthy.
The good is that Gandy is leaning toward playing him tonight against No. 9 Watonga.
More good news: If Bartlett doesn’t play tonight, No. 2 Ringling has many more ball-carriers to turn to.
Well, that’s always the case at Ringling — throwing different runners at the opposition.
“That’s just Ringling football; everybody likes to carry the football,” Bartlett said.
It’s Ringling’s kind of offense that produces big numbers, one of them being 3,844 total yards in 10 games so far. Bartlett has been a key reason for that total, rushing for 100 of more yards in all but two games.
In last week’s Class A first-round game against Mangum, he gained 36 yards on seven carries. He left the game in the first quarter with a high right-ankle sprain and didn’t practice until Wednesday.
“I feel confident I’ll play tonight,” Bartlett said at practice. “It’s pretty iffy, but I feel like I’ll be ready.”
The Blue Devils began the season already with All-Ardmoreite Super Team running back Michael Hudson lost due to graduation, but they also lost sophomore running back Zane Shores and senior Dustin Martin due to injuries. From there, junior Tyler Shores had to step up under center and Bartlett would have his number called the most out of the backfield.
After Ringling’s season-opening victory at Empire, Tyler Shores was the Blue Devils’ leading rusher with eight carries for 141 yards. Bartlett had 12 carries for 81 yards.
But Bartlett took off from there, eventually burning the Velma-Alma offense with 304 yards.
“In our offense, you got to have a good running back, but we can throw it,” senior fullback Holden Lambert said.
The Blue Devils’ plan for tonight is to set up Shores’ passing game with the run. Ringling will try to outdo a Watonga offense that racks up 386.9 total yards per game.
But Shores doesn’t care about which route Ringling will have to take — ground or air.
“If we can slash them on the run, I think we’ll just keep on running,” Shores said.
Bartlett isn’t worried that Watonga’s defense may key on him enough to slow him down.
“The great thing about this year’s team is that we can rely on so many who can score,” he said.
I.C. Murrell
221-6527
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Watonga at Ringling
■ Class A second round, 7:30 tonight at Rick Gandy Field
■ Records: Watonga 9-2, Ringling 10-0
■ AP Rankings: Watonga No. 9, Ringling No. 2
