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The South Coffeyville Lions are preparing for another Thursday night district matchup this week as they hit the road to face Oaks-Mission, looking to build on a season that has already secured them a playoff berth.

Head coach Rich Giesen said the team is focused on correcting mistakes from last week’s close loss, in which the Lions gave up several big plays that ultimately proved costly. “We were tied 22–22 in the second half, and then we gave up a touchdown and another one right at the end,” Giesen said. “It was a good game between two 4–3 teams, but we just didn’t come out on top.”

The Lions’ defensive game plan this week centers on stopping Oaks Mission’s powerful ground attack. “They’ve got a great running back and are really well-coached,” Giesen said. “Defensively, we’ve got to prevent big plays in the run game, and offensively, we need to control the ball and sustain drives.”

South Coffeyville’s district race remains wide open, with matchups against Oaks-Mission, Medford, and Bluejacket to close the regular season. Giesen said positioning in the district standings will be key, as top teams earn home-field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

“The higher you place in your district, the better your matchup,” Giesen explained. “If you finish first or second, you get to host, and that’s something we’d love to do here—it’s been a very long time.”

Despite challenges, the Lions have already marked a major turnaround season. “It’s been a long time since they’ve won four games here,” Giesen said. “We’re not satisfied with just four. We want to get a few more and see how far we can go in the playoffs.”

South Coffeyville will kick off against Oaks-Mission at 7 p.m. Thursday in Oaks.