​A win in week two was the goal, but Tahlequah football was also looking to improve.Bouncing back from a disappointing second-half performance to open the season, the Tigers found some rhythm as they took down Wagoner, 20-3, Friday, Sept. 11. On defense, the Tigers buckled down and got stops when it mattered, and the offense looked like it made progress throughout the game.“Coming off a tough loss from last week, we had a bad taste in our mouths,” THS senior Konner Tindel said. “We knew we were better than we showed and everyone needed to be focused this week, and that’s what we did. This win feels really good for the team as a whole. It brings us closer together and lifts our spirits.”Week one featured the Tigers ultimately losing the game, thanks to a physical rushing and short passing attack wearing down the defense. Even though they had a similar rate of rushing to defend against, they had an easier time containing the rush against the Bulldogs.Senior Braxton Baker was a presence from the first snap to the end of the game. Baker had a handful of quarterback pressures, a tipped pass and some important tackles early on.“I think we did a good job making changes with personnel and schematics,” THS coach Brad Gilbert said. “We really challenged the details. As the game went on last week, they got tired and we responded the way we need to by just being disciplined. Up front, we were pretty physical and the linebackers played really well.”The Tigers were also helped out by a healthier Michael Torkelson. The junior rolled his ankle in the final scrimmage and was limited in the season opener.More reps at corner back from Torkelson resulted in a strong defensive blanket and an interception.“Their guy ran the wrong route, so I ran it for him and went up and got it,” Torkelson said.Through two games, the Tigers have been coming out and scoring on the first drive of games. After last week saw a score on the first play, the Tigers got into the end zone with Will Talburt connecting to Konner Tindel, who went up and came down with the ball.THS scored twice more on field goals in the first half.“It was just trusting my quarterback and trusting myself to make big plays and do what I know I can do,” Tindel said. “We have to clean it up still; we have to make sure we’re pitch-perfect and doing our best playing Tiger football.”The early offense has been a positive for the Tigers, but they still want to see strides as the game goes on. In the second quarter, the Tigers marched down to the red zone and had to settle for field goals after some setbacks prevented the touchdown.“We want to become more consistent on offense. We can scheme some teams up, but then we need to get into something where we can consistently move the football,” Gilbert said. “What we saw at the end of the game, rushing and being physical, that’s something that with game planning, we want to improve on.”THS only scored once more in the second half, but t