By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Yukon gets to do something the Millers have yet to do this season.
Put on the red jerseys and step out on their home field.
Yukon opens the home portion of their schedule hosting Norman North Friday at Miller Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Millers will also be looking to earn their first win of the season, but will face a tough task with the 2-0 Timberwolves. Norman North comes in after a 28-20 win over Edmond Santa Fe. That followed a 42-36 win over crosstown rival Norman in the opening week.
The Millers lost to Stillwater 55-9 last week and will be looking to correct mistakes that cost them in that game.
“We are looking forward to finally getting to play a game on our home field,” Miller head coach Marshall Hahn said. “Norman North has been in two close games this year and came out on top in both, so that says something about their team, their character. They have talented players, everyone knows their tailback, he seems like he has been around forever. But, they also have some other talented players around him as well.
“They have a quarterback that can run and throws the ball well,” he said. “They are a good team, there is no doubt about that. We don’t play any bad teams this year, we have a stout schedule and let’s test ourselves against the best, see where we measure up and look to improve week in and week out. You can’t stand on top of the mountain if you are not willing to try and climb it and that is what we are doing every week.”
North runningback Chapman McKown gave the Miller problems last year and is off to a strong start this season. Quarterback Kamm Sixkiller is lanky at 6-4, 190 and throws the ball well but can also run it. He has a pair of targets in Brayden Dorney and Carson Cabbiness that the Millers will have to focus on.
“North is a pretty balanced team,” Hahn said. “Their tailback is real quick and sometimes they will swing it out to them in the flat. It’s more like a running play only they are trying to get him in space. They will also run some counter, power and at times some zone, they just do a good job of staying balanced.
“It will be up to us that we know the weaknesses of what we are doing, run to the ball and tackle,” he said. “If we do that on the defensive side of the ball.
“On defense, they will run both an even and an odd front and keep the same personnel out there to run either look,” he said. “They have a couple of good sized defensive linemen up front and they play really, really hard. They have some talent on that side of the ball.”
The Millers made a few changes last week and Hahn looks for that the click a little more this week. Ezra Johnson, who had been playing a wide receiver has been moved to the backfield to give the Millers a different look.
“Would it be important for us to get a win this week, yes,” Hahn said. “Our world won’t come crashing down if we don’t. You have to stay the course and district games are the ones that matter to achieve your goal to make the playoffs.”
