NORMAN — In some ways, Norman North’s game tonight will be the most meaningless of any this season. After all, the Timberwolves have already secured themselves the District 6A-3 championship, rendering tonight’s trip to Lawton Eisenhower simply another bump in the road to the playoffs.
But, on the other hand, it can be argued that tonight’s game is huge for the T-Wolves, regardless of the playoff implications. After all, you can’t overstate the importance of entering the postseason at the top of your game, making North’s performance tonight vital to its playoff hopes.
It’s the second line of thought fourth-ranked North (8-1, 6-0) is subscribing to this week, putting a major emphasis on how well they perform in what is expected to be a lopsided game against Lawton Eisenhower (2-7, 1-5).
“It’s very important for us to go down there and play well and take care of our business,” coach Wade Standley said. “You want to get in there and play well and leave without anyone getting hurt, and then take that momentum into the playoffs.”
North’s ultimate stated goal is to win in the playoffs. To do that, Standley stresses improving every week. That includes this week. While North doesn’t yet know what its opponent will be when the postseason begins next week, Standley said that in order to peak at the right time the T-Wolves can’t afford to let down on any week.
“I do think we’ve gotten better every week of the season,” he said. “Our guys have come into practice focused and we’ve had a good week of practice this week. They know what our goals are, and they take that upon themselves to be ready.”
It’s a sentiment that’s evident among the Timberwolves. Even while celebrating earning the District 6A-3 title with a blowout win last week over Moore, quarterback Peyton Gavras was already looking ahead.
“It’s a stepping stone to reaching our next goal,” he said of the title. “We need to come out and get a win in Lawton, then we’ll celebrate and worry about the playoffs.”
And that won’t be as easy as it may appear at first. While Eisenhower has endured a tough season, the Eagles are a squad that puts a lot of speed onto the field. That’s something the Timberwolves must account for, Standley said.
“They always have great athletes and have a lot of team speed,” he said. “We’ve got be ready for that and bring our A-game.”
Corbin HoslerFollow me @Chosler88chosler@normantranscript.com
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