Guthrie High’s football team tuned up for a huge showdown this week, shutting down Piedmont 27-0 by limiting the Wildcats’ powerful running game to just 60 yards on 26 carries and allowing just 4 passing yards on one completion.
The Bluejays (5-0) return home Friday night for a key district game with Bishop McGuiness at 7 p.m. The Irish also are 5-0 and depending on what ranking report you look at, the Irish are No. 4 in the state and the Bluejays are No. 5. The Irish beat Shawnee 63-13 and Lawton Eisenhower 49-15 in their first two district games.
Guthrie beat the Irish last year 35-34 in overtime in Guthrie. Look for a similar game and a huge crowd at Jelsma Stadium.
Against Piedmont, junior Hayden Calvert was the offensive star with 95 yards rushing on 13 carries and was 10-for-12 passing for 113 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. The Bluejays rolled up 348 total yards of offense, with 197 on the ground in 46 plays and another 151 in the air. Senior Jaylen Chelf got the Bluejays started with two first-quarter touchdowns on a 4-yard run and a 34-yard pass play from Calvert to give the visitors a 14-0 lead at halftime. Tyrin Eaton hooked up with Jaylen Harper on a 26-yard pass in the third quarter for a 20-0 lead.
Piedmont managed just three first downs; Guthrie had 19.