NORMAN — Football means a lot to Dan Davis.
The Norman North senior heads to Stanford to play college ball next year. And he’s become one of the top defensive players in the state thanks to hard work and a lot of talent.
In his final Crosstown Clash tonight, though, Davis is looking forward to more than just playing rival Norman High one more time at Owen Field.
“I get to be on the defensive line with my brother,” Davis said. “That’s really great.”
Jack Davis is a sophomore defensive lineman who’s earned a spot in new defensive coordinator Rob Arndt’s rotation. He’ll start tonight at defensive tackle, next to Dan Davis’ familiar No. 1 on the end.
“Football has always been really important to us,” Davis said. “I know that sounds strange. Some people might not think football is that important. But it’s not just about playing the game. It’s about building the relationships. I get to share that with my brother.”
And if there is any doubt that a sophomore can make an impact in the Clash, just look at Dan Davis two years ago. He dominated the game defensively and spent most of it harrassing NHS’ running backs and quarterbacks in the backfield.
Cox still ailing
The Tigers will be missing a key contributer to their defense tonight.
Senior defensive end Dylan Cox, who started at linebacker last year for NHS, is still dealing with a sprained shoulder. He tried practicing at full speed with the injury earlier this week, but he was in too much pain following practice.
Cox is feeling better, though. He’s got full rotation in the shoulder again and is improving.
He might miss next week’s game againt Moore, too, but he hopes to be on the field by then. He said he definitely doesn’t want to miss NHS’ Sept. 17 trip to Del City.
“I’ve never missed a football game in my life,” Cox said. “Now I have to miss Norman North. It’s tough.”
Fan guidelines
Owen Field’s gates open for tonight’s Clash at 6 p.m. NHS fans enter at Gate 5, on the west side of the stadium. North’s fans enter at Gate 7, on the east side.
Tickets are still available and are $7 for adults and $4 for Norman Public Schools students grades K-12 and OU students with valid ID.
To avoid long lines at the gates, tickets can be purchased at either high school today or at the NPS athletic office at 131 S. Flood Ave.
No backpacks are allowed in the stadium and neither are any hard objects. Fans may bring a stadium seat or cushion and all bags will be checked.
With Lindsey Street between Jenkins and Asp open again, the Asp Avenue parking garage should be more easily accessed.
Jeff Johncox 366-3535 jjohncox@normantranscript.com
