From bad to worse in Claremore
By Ray Martin
rmartin@oklahoman.com
Claremore started the season 2-0. They opened with an impressive win against cross-town rival Oologah. Things were looking up for the Zebras, who won only three games a year ago.
Three weeks later, things aren’t so great in Claremore.
In weeks three’s loss to Owasso, Zebra running back Timmy Butcher suffered a high ankle injury, and will remained sidelined until at least week six. Claremore coach Keith Bell said of the injury “He’s our workhorse and one of our senior leaders. We are losing a lot more than just him on the field.”
In the district opener against Tulsa Kelley, Claremore lost another senior leader. Quarterback Blake Grauer suffered a broken hand during the Zebra’s first possession, and Kelley cruised 24-0.
Grauer passed for over 1400 yards last season, and will be out at least 4-6 weeks.
Its bad news for the Zebras, who face Coweta on Friday. With their two most productive offensive weapons watching from the sidelines, the playoffs are becoming more and more of a stretch.
Bell is optimistic though, and says a few changes in the offense should put Claremore back on track. Cody Baskas will take the snaps. He’ll start for the first time ever on Friday and, while he doesn’t have the cannon that Grauer did, Bell says he’s a great runner.
“We just have to change a few things with the offense,” Bell said. “But the team had a great week of practice after an emotional let down last week. Cody is a great runner and I think we will be ok.”
If Claremore can somehow stay in playoff contention, they could be full strength when the post-season begins. This could be bad news for class 5A. After all, they haven’t lost a game at full-strength yet.
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