Norman North hosting Mustang was the high profile game of Thursday night. It was one of the top games of the weekend regardless of class.

With the spotlight shining, the Timberwolves seemed to wilt. Ranked No. 1 by every poll, North got pushed around by the visiting Mustang Broncos Thursday at Harve Collins Field. It was 30-7 at one point in the third quarter and 30-14 to start the fourth and it seemed like it could have been worse.

“We really didn’t play well,” North coach Lance Manning said.

But then they did. North put together a furious rally in the final frame, scoring with just over a minute remaining to cut the lead to 30-29. All North needed was an extra-point to possibly turn the game into extra innings.

But kicker Bryce Easley’s kick was blocked, and Mustang escaped with a one-point victory.

North is now 5-1 overall and 2-1 in District 6A-1. Mustang is now in the driver’s seat for the district title and will be considered one of the best teams in Class 6A, with a 6-0 record and a 3-0 mark in the district.

Disappointment surrounds the North program right now. Being ranked No. 1, all eyes were on the Timberwolves for the first time in the school’s history. But the word now is redemption. The T-Wolves are focused on putting the loss behind them and looking forward to a bright future.

“It was a good game. I said that before and I can’t back down from that now,” North coach Lance Manning said. “They are in the driver’s seat, but we still control our own destiny.”

North can, and will, make the playoffs. A loss to No. 7 Mustang will only hurt the T-wolves pride, not their season.

“This game will not make or break us, not by any means,” Manning said. “We’re still in control of our own destiny. This loss does not change our goals or our outlook on the season or anything.”

The good thing about high school football is that polls mean nothing. Being ranked highly by a bunch of sportswriters doesn’t mean anything when the postseason starts. North’s district title aspirations took a hit when it lost to Mustang, but a state title is still clearly in sight. All a team has to do is make the playoffs and the good teams will rise to the top.

“Of course we had some kids that were upset after that game,” Manning said. “We really can’t wait to get back to work and play that next game. Our players are excited about playing that next game. Things happen for a reason and in the end, we’ll see that reason. These are great kids and they’ll get refocused and have a great season. Our goals are still ahead of us.”

North will have an excellent chance to get back on track in the coming weeks. North will be at 1-5 Del City Friday and will host 2-4 Southmoore Oct. 24.

“There were a lot of reasons why we lost. It wasn’t just the kicking team,” Manning said. “Our guys never quit and I’m not surprised. We still have a lot to play for.”

Scott Moore