(Free) Carl Albert Escapes with 21-14 Victory Over Del City
The stage was set perfectly for Del City in this Mid-Del rivalry matchup. They were hungry for revenge after last year’s disappointing 49-19 loss to Carl Albert, they returned most of their star players from a year ago, and they had momentum and excitement behind them pregame as they opened up their brand new stadium for the first time. It seemed as though the stars had aligned for Del City to have a big game against one of their fiercest rivals. Although they fell just short in the end, Del City did not simply roll over and let Carl Albert take this game away from them, they gave the Titans just about all they could handle.
First Half
Coming into this game Carl Albert had only lost 1 game in the last 4 seasons and they showed why on their first possession by starting fast. On their first drive, Carl Albert went on a 12 play scoring drive led by their QB Ben Harris Ben Harris 6'1" | QB Carl Albert | 2021 State OK , who went 7-7 with 78 yards including a 20-yard touchdown to Gavin Haines in the corner of the end zone. After Carl Albert’s first drive, it looked like Del Ciy’s defense was in for a long night. However, after a couple of failed drives on offense, the Eagles talented defense led by Donovan Stephens Donovan Stephens 6'1" | DB Del City | 2021 State OK and Rejhan Tatum Rejhan Tatum 6'2" | LB Del City | 2021 State OK buckled down and started playing to their ability and forced Carl Albert to consecutive three and outs to close the first quarter. The second quarter was then a complete flip of the script. After watching Carl Albert go on a long scoring drive in the first quarter, Del City put together a 17 play, 8 and a half minute drive of their own that was capped off by a Jahkobie Smith Jahkobie Smith 5'10" | ATH Del City | 2021 State OK rushing touchdown to tie the game at 7 and swing the momentum their way right before the half.
Second Half
Del City gained a lot of momentum going into the half and they carried that momentum into the third quarter. The Eagles received the ball to start the second half and quickly scored on a 25-yard rushing touchdown from running back Lajuan Brown Lajuan Brown 5'9" | RB Del City | 2021 OK to take a 14-7 lead. On the ensuing possession from Carl Albert, Del City’s defense once again held strong and stuffed CA star running back Javion Hunt Javion Hunt 6'1" | RB Carl Albert | 2021 State OK on a 4th down run to force a turnover on downs. At this point in the game, it felt as if the momentum was solely on Del City’s side, and for the first time in a while, it felt like Carl Albert was in serious danger of losing a football game. That feeling, however, vanished quickly as 3 plays later Del City fumbled the ball near midfield and gifted Carl Albert with a chance to come back. The Titans then quickly cashed in on their opportunity to tie the game and flip the momentum with a 20-yard rushing touchdown from Ben Harris Ben Harris 6'1" | QB Carl Albert | 2021 State OK and then took a 21-14 lead on their next drive on a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Buddy Bizzell Buddy Bizzell 6'1" | RB Carl Albert | 2022 State OK . Del City then had three chances to tie the game from inside the 10-yard line thanks to a 55 yard run from Jahkobie Smith Jahkobie Smith 5'10" | ATH Del City | 2021 State OK , but the Eagles were unable to get in the endzone and would lose at the goal line on the last play of the game for the second week in a row.
Player of the Game – Ben Harris Ben Harris 6'1" | QB Carl Albert | 2021 State OK – 18-24, 196 yards, 1 TD, 44 rushing yards, 1 TD
Looking Ahead
This game was a fun one to watch and featured 2 of the best teams in the state that have bright futures. Carl Albert is obviously the team to beat in 5a, and after watching the Titans grind out a win on a night where their rushing attack struggled at times, it’s hard to see them losing a game this season. For Del City, even though they have started slower than they would have liked to at 0-2, their losses were both decided in the final seconds of the game against 2 very talented teams in Carl Albert and Booker T Washington. After two games I can confidently say that their defense has lived up to all the hype as they have handled 2 of the top rushing attacks in the state in consecutive weeks. If Del City can gain more consistency on offense with QB Jahkobie Smith Jahkobie Smith 5'10" | ATH Del City | 2021 State OK in the passing game, I don’t see why they won’t be able to rebound and make a run at the 6A-II title. Look out for their matchup against Stillwater in a few weeks, it may be one that we see more than once this season as both teams will certainly be in the playoffs.