For the first time this fall the Durant Lions will face outside competition on the gridiron coming up Friday night as they play host to Pauls Valley in their lone preseason scrimmage at Paul Laird Field.
Action is slated to get under way at 5:30 with the freshmen followed by the junior varsity and varsity squads.
Pauls Valley is a Class 3A squad but picked fifth in the state preseason rankings according to the Oklahoma Pigskin Preview.
The Lion defense is expected to get a major test from the Panthers’ standout senior running back Caden Knighten, who has already committed to play at Baylor next year. Knighten checks in at 6-foot, 215 pounds and was a state sprint champion in track last spring.
Pauls Valley also possesses a strong-armed quarterback that threw for 1,900 yards and 28 touchdowns. His favorite target will likely be 6-foot-5 Jon Grimmett, who also has Division I scholarship offers.
“It’s going to be a big test for us with Pauls Valley,” said Lion head coach Todd Vargas. “They have some tremendous athletes and are ranked as one of the top clubs in Class 3A. They will show us some of the things we will need to be prepared for early on in the season with Ada and Broken Bow in the first couple of weeks.
“We have seen good progress in fall drills and need to continue progressing in that direction. It will be good to face someone other than ourselves to see where we stand.”
Durant is closing fast on the 2024 season opener, which is scheduled for Friday, August 30 on the road at rival Ada.