A Tale of Top-Notch High School Football Programs…1,244 Miles Apart

Karsceal Turner – I Got NEXT!

This is a football piece but indulge me the opportunity to compare two places very dear to me – Daytona Beach and Guthrie, Oklahoma.

It’s 1,304 miles from Daytona Beach to Guthrie. Daytona Beach’s population in 2012 was 62,035 (99% urban, 1% rural) while Guthrie’s was 10,623 (79% urban, 21% rural).

Daytona Beach…Home of the World’s Most Famous Beach

Daytona Beach, Florida has a …Beach, is headquarters of NASCAR and home to Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona 500, and also is home of my alma mater, Bethune-Cookman University.

Mainland High School is arguably its flagship high school of several within Volusia County, Florida. MHS is a 6A football and basketball member, and boasts 1,980 students. MHS is one of 10 high schools located in Volusia County, Florida and claimed championships in basketball in 1995 and football in 2004.

Their mascot is a Buccaneer and strongly resembles the old logo of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Vince Carter and Denzel Washington are notable alum; Carter also served as the lone drum major when he wasn’t dunking on folks during basketball season. A big-time rivalry is the Mainland vs. Seabreeze football game each season although the two aren’t in the same district (go figure). Still, it’s as big a rivalry as any.

The Bucs play at Municipal Stadium and share the turf playing surface with another high school (Seabreeze), and an FBS Collegiate team in the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats.

Guthrie…one of the largest historic districts on the National Register

Guthrie, Oklahoma has a water-tower which reads “Guthrie”. It is the site of the annual “89er run” (which commemorates the land run of 1889), an annual April event commemorating Oklahoma’s first land run, held on April 22, 1889, to open the Unassigned Lands of central Oklahoma to non-Indian settlement. I know that was a mouthful but it’s a big deal at home.

Guthrie High School, the largest high school of four in Logan County, Oklahoma, is also a 5A member, half the size of Mainland with 900 students. With regards to rivalries, when I was a Blue Jay (circa 1987-89) we simply could not STAND the Bulldogs of Edmond Memorial High School. These days the two are in separate classes. Who can keep up?

Guthrie plays at “The Rock”, AKA, Jelsma Stadium, it is a stadium built during the Great Depression, which sits in the middle of historic downtown Guthrie and is source of pride for the state’s first capital.

Jelsma Stadium is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, doesn’t have artificial turf. It doesn’t have a Jumbo-tron. However, it offers a 30-foot wall on its North side which helps contain a hell of a lot of noise. What it lacks in the technology of other Oklahoman and Texas stadiums, it makes up for it with its intimidation factor. It is a very imposing structure. Think of the roar of the FSU-MIAMI game for a noise reference Florida folks.

“The noise coming off the rock wall keeps it in there. The fans are right there on you on the sideline. It’s like an arena game,” said Head Coach Rafe Watkins. Remember, I told you earlier, I visited coach in his office. He might have been a little surprised at my bear hug after I met him, or not.

GHS won class 5A state championships in football in 2002, 2007 and 2011; basketball in 1954, 1956, 1968, 1969, 2008, and 2009. Their mascot is the Bluejay, which strongly resembles …a Bluejay.

Compare and contrast

Both have special events; Daytona Beach has or used to have Spring Break while Guthrie has its annual 89er celebration. Want sand? Go to Daytona Beach. Want a walk back in time? Go to Guthrie.

Both have railroads which run through town, both offer tourists attractions from jet-skiing to bed and breakfasts, and BOTH lay claim to a football championship tradition.

While Mainland’s last championship was in 2005, Guthrie is seeking its third title as I write this feature. I took the liberty of boasting accomplishments from where I grew up and the place where I now make my home, living, and name. Finally, we move on to the football part of the feature.

I visited home (Guthrie) for my aunt’s funeral. After the home-going celebration, I took the liberty to take in the city of my youth as opposed to the “fast” Floridian lifestyle. My fondest memories involved fishing the Cottonwood Creek, (which regularly flooded our home and turns the west side of Guthrie into a Lake), and playing football for Guthrie High School.

Football glory days

I wore No. 4 and played Split-end and Corner for the Bluejays in 1986. These days I think those positions are known as Wide Receivers and defensive backs, (telling my age). Anyway, our team stunk; we were usually in the cellar of our district. That’s all I have to say about that.

Of course as alum of GHS, I stay apprised of how the team is doing. Whenever we win a championship, my Aunt Joyce is at the ready with the championship gear. I was able to score my own stuff during this recent trip home.

I also made the pilgrimage to my old high school, checked/signed in, got my visitors badge and walked through the same halls I walked through in 10-12th grade while in route to the coach’s office. I was met at the door by a serious looking guy; I introduced myself and asked if he was the coach.

I didn’t know I was speaking to none other than Head Coach Rafe Watkins, who is 69-18-0 at GHS, and pioneered championships in 2002, 2007 and 2011 and was preparing for a home game against Bishop McGuiness that very evening under the bright Friday night lights of Guthrie.

Anyway, I gave coach a bear hug and thanked him for a job well done. He invited me to stand on the side line at the game. You know I had to take him up on that offer… Me AND my camera.

In fact, one of my great pleasures as an alum is to author the very commentary you now see on the computer screen. When I was at GHS, I kind of don’t recall using them. This serves as a reminder of how things change, yet stay the same. When I played football, we simply sucked. As an alum, I can bask in the glory of the winning tradition we’ve achieved. I was an average student in high school, who would have thought I’d become a columnist and write about Guthrie, some 1,304 miles away from where I now live in Florida. I do not envy Oklahoma Winters in the least. Even as I finish this up, Bedlam (Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State) is being suffocated by snow. Nope, I don’t miss home right about now.

Continuing the winning legacy

As the Playoff chase continues for both teams – Guthrie takes on the McAlester High School Buffaloes at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater for the Oklahoma Class 5A Football State Championship (just as soon as the weather permits), and hope to win their second gold ball in three years.

Mainland takes on the Miami Central High School Rockets in the 6A semifinals for an opportunity to challenge for the Florida high school golden ball. Sadly I won’t be home to join in the parade and hoopla surrounding MY team. I revel in the fact I WILL be able to participate in festivities in the city in which I live. If I’m lucky maybe this commentary will spur conversation about these two teams meeting. You never know folks.