— The way that Fort Gibson’s non-district schedule was set this season, it got the Tigers’ attention.

First, there was Tahlequah, which left a bad taste in Fort Gibson’s mouth after last season’s 35-34 double-overtime loss. The came arch rival Hilldale, whom the Tigers had not beaten since 2006. And there was Catoosa, a Class 4A semifinalist and the only team to beat eventual state champion Wagoner in 2011.

It was a rough first three games for Fort Gibson.

“Tahlequah is kind of a rivalry game due to the closeness of the schools and what happened last year,” Fort Gibson coach James Singleton said. “Then playing Hilldale, which is a rivalry, and following that with a highly-ranked opponent in Catoosa. It kept our kids focused for three weeks.”

Fort Gibson took care of Tahlequah 40-20 to open the season then captured The Rock from Hilldale 21-12.

Last Friday, Fort Gibson remained undefeated with a 35-32 win over Catoosa to improve to 3-0 and hand the Indians their first loss of the season.

“Defensively, we had three interceptions and scored a defensive touchdown,” Singleton said. “Offensively, we were really, really consistent in the first half. We had a lull in the third quarter but picked it back up in the fourth.”

The final score was indicative of the statistics.

The Tigers rushed for 217 yards on 36 carries while the Indians (2-1) ran for 204 yards on 39 carries. FGHS threw for 102 yards compared to Catoosa’s 92.

“It was an exciting high school football game,” Singleton said. “We had momentum then it kind of switched midway through the third quarter. All of a sudden we had ourselves a battle on our hands. We made some big plays down the stretch when we needed to and found a way to win.”

The second-year head coach is quick to point out that while there were a lot of positives to come out of the game, there were a few items his team needs to improve on to prepare for the District 4A-3 opener against Tulsa Rogers at home on Friday.

“Today was one of our more physical practices we’ve had all year,” Singleton said on Monday. “Defensively, we emphasized tackling. Offensively, we worked on stock blocking. Scheme-wise, we’re pretty good at what we’re doing but you always want to work on fundamentals.”