On a cool and windy Friday, Sept. 5, the Seminole Chieftains hosted the Checotah Wildcats in a non-district battle to open up the 2025 season. A slow, defensive battle in the first half turned into an offensive outburst by both teams in the second half, with the Chieftains coming out on top. A 34-27 win over the Wildcats and a 1-0 start to Seminole’s campaign. Checotah would receive the season-opening kickoff, and the Chieftains would start on defense with a bend but do not break mentality that stuck with the team for the first half. Forcing a turnover in the red zone when Safety Donavin Garfield intercepted the Wildcat QB.

Garfield (also the SHS QB) would then lead a drive of his own, marching the SHS offense down to the Checotah nine-yard line before ultimately turning the ball over on downs as the first quarter came to a close. To start the second period, the Chieftain defense made another clutch play when LB Carter Childs recovered a Checotah fumble near midfield. SHS was able to capitalize on the turnover for their first score of 2025 when QB Donavin Garfield ran it in from 2 yards, giving the Chieftains a 6-0 lead. The Wildcats would chew the rest of the first half clock, marching down to the Seminole twelve-yard line before being stopped once again by the Mean Green defense with three seconds remaining. Allowing the Chieftains to take a 6-0 lead into the break.

The second half began, and so did the offensive fireworks from both squads. WR Jay Ladd would score on a 20-yard TD run, giving Seminole a 14-0 lead just minutes into the period. However, as fatigue set in, the Chieftain defense finally broke. A quick score by the Wildcats utilizing the run game down the entire field broke the shutout, 14-7 SHS.

QB Donavin Garfield went right back to work, extending the Chieftains’ lead to 20-7 with a 35-yard TD run (Seminole’s longest play of the game). Then a Checotah fumble on the ensuing kickoff led to another Garfield TD run just minutes later, 28-7 SHS. Checotah would cut the deficit to fourteen just before the fourth quarter on a 13-yard TD pass, one of only 2 passes thrown by the Wildcats in the third. Seminole would go 3 and out for the only time all night, and Checotah would capitalize, scoring once again, 28-21 SHS with 7:50 remaining. However, with good clock management and clutch runs by the QB, Seminole was able to score once again and hold off the Wildcats’ comeback attempts. Securing a 34-27 season-opening win. QB Donavin Garfield was the catalyst of the Chieftains’ win, finishing 6-15 for 105 yards through the air and leading the team in rushing with 24 attempts for 195 yards and 4 touchdowns. Austin Smith was Garfield’s top target with 2 receptions for 45 yards. Seminole as a team finished with 356 total yards and 20 first downs. However, Coach Snyder wants to fix the 8 penalties for 60 yards his team accumulated.

The bend but do not break mentality was in full strength for the SHS defense. Checotah would finish with 456 total yards and 28 first downs, both higher than the Chieftains. However, 11 penalties for 105 yards and 3 turnovers forced by the Seminole defense were the difference.

Next up for the Chieftains is another home contest, this time with bitter rival, the Tecumseh Savages, on Friday, Sept. 12 Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.