After forcing a fumble on fourth down, junior Cody Chancellor (#1) picked up the football to set up an Irish touchdown against the Harrah Panthers (Photo by Joe Bendiez).

Harrah was no pushover and gave McGuinness their first real test since traveling to Elk City. However, the Irish found a way to win at home.

Thanks to a critical fumble recovery and late defensive stops, McGuinness put away a Panther football team favored to win.

Both defenses played like it was their last, and despite Harrah losing, they held the Irish to only two touchdowns. That is an accomplishment in itself.

Senior QB Camden Tharp has been putting up gaudy stats the past six weeks, and how could he not with the competition the Irish have faced?

However, it was a slow night for the offense, and it took a huge fumble recovery by junior Cody Chancellor.

Harrah went for it deep in their own territory, and thanks to efforts by seniors Sam Shadid and Chris Johnson, they forced a takeaway that would set up a Brandon Nguyen touchdown.

The defense only allowed one touchdown from the Panther offense led by senior QB Eddie Reynolds.

The 14-7 victory puts the Irish in a quarterfinal match-up with Sallisaw. A team and stadium that all of the seniors should be very familiar with.

Two years ago when ex-Irish QB Quinn Shanbour endured a season-ending injury gave Tharp the starting job he has held on to ever since his sophomore year.

That season, the Irish finished second in district, beat Tecumseh at Pribil, and lost in the quarterfinals to none other than the Sallisaw Black Diamonds on the road.

McGuinness will get a rare opportunity to redeem itself from that devastating loss that sourly ended the careers of guys like Jay Lester and Kyle Ahmad, but gave postseason experience to the seniors of the 2011 Fighting Irish football team.

The Irish will load the bus to Sallisaw next Friday, and will kickoff at 7:30 PM. Safe travels, keep warm, and fight Irish fight.