NORMAN — Norman North is in uncharted territory. With last week’s big win over Broken Arrow, the Timberwolves are 11-1, in the midst of the best season in school history and will make their first-ever trip to the state semifinals on Friday.
Where they’ll meet Owasso, a team with a very different background.
Owasso, the state’s fourth-largest high school, has consistently fielded strong teams year in and year out, and Friday will mark the Rams’ third-straight semifinals appearance. Thanks to losses to Jenks and Broken Arrow, the Rams haven’t yet been able to crack the title game despite putting an explosive offense on the field both years.
This season is no exception. Despite the loss of receiver Keon Hatcher to Arkansas, Owasso (9-2) has reloaded on offense and have proven they can still score points in bunches.
Through two playoff games this season, including a decisive 35-15 victory over Norman High last week, Owasso has scored 84 points and given up just 18. They’ve done it with terrific quarterback play and a bevy of speed at the other skill positions on offense.
Senior quarterback Jaylen Lowe has been the key, directing the Rams’ offense and putting the ball into the hands of its playmakers.
And that includes himself. Lowe accounted for four of Owasso’s five touchdowns last week against NHS, including two on the ground. He also extended several plays with his feet and was able to use the extra time to convert several big plays. Alongside Lowe in the backfield is Scottie Prealow, who Norman fans may remember as the back who put up five touchdowns in a playoff game against NHS in 2011.
At receiver the Rams have reloaded and have plenty of depth. While Cole Neph, who had four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown last week, leads the conversation, he is far from the only threat lined up for Owasso.
And Owasso, which enters Friday’s game on a nine-game winning streak, has been at it all year on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve averaged about 40 points a game, and haven’t scored fewer than 35 points in a game since Week 2. All in all, it’s a much better offense than the Broken Arrow unit the T-Wolves held to 16 points last week.
And Owasso is tired of being stopped just short of the title game, something the Timberwolves will hope to do to the Rams yet again.
“We’re tired of losing in the semis,” Lowe said. “We’re ready for this game, and we’re not finished yet.”
Corbin HoslerFollow me @Chosler88chosler@normantranscript.com
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