CLEWISTON — Clewiston junior Oran Singleton is this week’s Big Lake Athlete of the Week for his performance in the Tigers’ game against the Port St. Lucie Jaguars on Sept. 27.

Lake Okeechobee News/Richard Marion
Clewiston junior Oran Singleton has emerged as a playmaker on the Tiger offense.

Singleton was one of the few high points during the Tigers’ loss to the Lake Wales Highlanders on Sept. 20. Coach Pete Walker must’ve been impressed with the flashes Singleton showed on offense because he got the start at quarterback ahead of the Port St Lucie game.

It was a slow start for the Tigers’ offense against the Jaguars, but once they got rolling toward the end of the game they looked almost unstoppable.

Singleton’s ability to use his legs to get first downs proved to be the spark the Tiger offense needed after a disappointing performance in Lake Wales. If he didn’t like what he saw down field when he dropped back to pass, Oran would tuck the ball and cut up field to get the first down. Some players are one cut runners, they see a hole in the defense, make a cut and head up field. Singleton can make about four or five different cuts as he weaves and bobs his way past the defense.

Two plays late in the second half showed the multiple ways Singleton can help the Tigers this year.

The first play saw Oran hit fellow junior Keuntay Felton in stride for a 60-yard pass that put Clewiston on the doorstep of the Port St. Lucie endzone. Singleton took the snap from shotgun, faked the handoff and hit Felton for the completion as a Jaguar defender barreled down on him in the pocket.

The second play happened during a phase of the game that had been a weakness for Clewiston all year — special teams.

Singleton dropped back to catch a Port St. Lucie punt on his own 30-yard line, then proceeded to run circles around the Jaguar coverage. Oran nearly went sideline to sideline as he outran the Port St. Lucie defenders in route to a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The return brought some energy and swagger back to the Clewiston sideline as the game came to an end.

When you watch Singleton run in open space, not only does he look fast, he makes all the other players look slow.

The Tigers will need Singleton this week when they travel to face Immokalee in the annual Harvest Bowl, Immokalee has taken the last two games from Clewiston. Singleton and the Tigers will need to keep the momentum going they have from their big win over Port St. Lucie into this week’s game to give Clewiston its first Harvest Bowl victory since 2016.

To nominate an athlete for Big Lake Athlete of the Week, email Okeechobee News sports reporter Richard Marion at rmarion@newszap.com.