Deion Sanders' Prime Prep Academy Spartans made the long bus ride from Dallas to Lawton Friday night, giving the Lawton High Wolverines all they could handle for the first 45:15 of the game. But with the game on the line, it was the Wolverine defense that was "Prime" turning in a pair of pick-six interceptions in the final 2:45 of the game that made the difference, turning a tenuous 28-26 lead into a 41-26 victory over Sanders' Spartan squad.

The football program Sanders has coached and helped form at the Dallas school is indeed formidable and it took an ultimate effort from the No. 5-ranked Wolverines (7-1) to pull out the victory and on this night it was the defense that saved the day.

Tre Curry
courtesy of Lawton Constitution
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On this night, however, those two pick-six plays in a matter of 35 seconds sparked the Wolverines to a wild 41-26 victory over Sanders' Prime Prep Academy before a large crowd at Cameron Stadium. At times is seemed that came out more to just get a glimpse of the former Dallas Cowboys defensive back and wide receiver. On one occasion, as Sanders came across toward the Wolverine to check on and injured player, many members of the crowd pushed against the fence that separated the fans from the playing field.

Lawton High moved the ball well at times, but quarterback Jack Meservy seemed uncharacteristically unnerved, over throwing receivers at key moments, which seemed to bog the Wolverines down on several key possessions. The last of those coming at the Prime Prep 13 when a fourth-down Meservy pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage with the Wolverines owning a very uncomfortable 28-26 lead and 2:38 on the clock.

The Spartans picked up one first down, but on the next play LHS came with a blitz and Prime Prep quarterback Michael Curtis rolled out but was hit and the ball floated into the air. Out of nowhere LHS sophomore linebacker Levin Cain gathered in the interception and set a course for the end zone. He used a couple of good blocks and took it 38 yards to score with 1:57 left in the game.

That made it 34-26 and you could almost hear the big gasp of air coming out of the nervous Wolverine fans.

With under two minutes remaining, the visitors still had time to strike again, but on the second play of the ensuing series, Curtis dropped back and was hit just as he threw the ball. It went toward double coverage where the short man, LHS safety Chris Jones, tipped it high in the air and over the intended receiver.

Waiting right behind the receiver was senior safety Chris Bishop who hauled in the interception and headed toward the goal-line on about the same path as Cain had taken just seconds earlier, taking the interception 61 yards to pay dirt. Caitlyn Cox struggled all night, missing two extra points and having a third one blocked, but this time she booted the conversion and this one was history.

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It was Cox that opened the scoring for the Wolverines. After a slow first quarter, Caitlyn hit a 41 yard field goal attempt and proved that last week's 42 yarder was no fluke, hitting it with plenty of distance to spare and putting the Wolverines on top 3-0. Lawton later scored on a 23 yard run from Darreyl Patterson and a 1 yard plunge from Meservy to take a 16-6 lead to the locker room at the half.

Lawton took a 28-20 lead in the fourth quarter on second half touchdown runs of 8 yards from Tre Curry and 23 yards from Patterson, but Prime Prep scored on a 35 yard run by Alize Ward, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving the Wolverines with a tenuous 28-26 lead. Meservy drove Lawton the length of the field, but facing a 4th and goal from the 13, coach Randy Breeze decided against a 35 yard field goal attempt and went for it. Meservy had Marcheenan Hair open in the flat, but his passed was knocked away by Spartan defensive lineman Jarrice Goodson, who had been a thorn in Lawton's side all night long.

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