Joe Claxton ACS Publications Director
Ada Evening News
Ada —
Many fans have remarked how unusual it is for Ada High to open with its two biggest rivals, Ardmore and McAlester. Their memories are short. Opening with that pair is not all that unusual.
In fact, that was the opening line-up from 1986-1995. The demise of the Norman at OU’s Owen Field series opener saw then-head coach Larry McBroom replace the Tigers of Norman with the Tigers of Ardmore in 1986, a series that stands today and will be renewed Friday night at Norris Field. McAlester was an every year opponent through the years and simply moved into the No. 2 slot that same season.
Seasons opening with Ardmore, then McAlester numbered eight with splits being the norm.
Ada was moved up to Class 5A and matched with McAlester in the same district in 1996. Then-head coach Gary McBroom came up with possibly an even more potent 1-2 opening line-up by inserting Midwest City Carl Albert. For good measure McAlester was the third game from 2002-05. The Carl Albert series stood until 2005 when Ada dropped the Titans.
Ada-McAlester is, quite simply, the most traditional of all Cougar rivalries. Ada has a huge series edge, 60-29-1, but the Buffs have narrowed it a bit with four straight wins. For the record, Ardmore is No. 2, with Ada leading 46-39-2.
As Ada approaches its 100th season next year, McAlester has been there for 85 of them. They have also divided five post-season meetings to round it off at 90 meetings. Ironically, Ada’s three playoff wins were in drives to a state championship in 1962, 1991 and 1996. Moreover, the latter meeting was a championship game, won 21-14 by the Cougars. It was Ada’s last championship to date, one of a state record 19 state titles.
Another of Ada’s state records — the 42-game winning streak 1993-96 — was ‘started’ by back-to-back losses to Ardmore and McAlester. The following week Ada won over Durant here and 43 games later lost at Durant.
Ada-McAlester started without much fanfare.
Ada started football with a single-game season in 1912, a 12-6 win over Maud at Ada.
Three years later the Ada and Mac footballers appear to have discovered the city just down the road and met McAlester for the first time in the final game of 1915, a 13-0 Ada win.
Meetings in 1915, 1917 and 1918 were followed by an abbreviated series 1921-1924.
Then came the long, 32-year series, 1928-1959, and a shorter one, 1962-73.
In 1976 the current series began and now spans 34 seasons going into Friday night’s game.
