PODCAST: Crunch time for wrestling & basketball

2/27/2020 |  Ben Johnson

State tournament wrestling is this weekend, and small school basketball teams will be punching their tickets to the state tournament in area tournament play.
Listen in as we break it all down for you.

Q&A with state senator J.J. Dossett

12/15/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Owasso recently knocked off Jenks, 14-6, for the Class 6AI championship in Edmond on Dec. 6. It had been determined several weeks before the playoffs started that all 11-man football title games would be played at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Wantland Stadium.
But now that the season is over, one state senator is sounding off on the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s decision to force Jenks and Owasso play in a championship game at the other end of the Turner Turnpike.
Sen. J.J. Dossett (D-Sperry) has proposed a bill that he hopes will generate conversation in next year’s legislative session that would allow school districts to determine their playing destination.

Skordle contacted Dossett this weekend and wanted to ask Dossett a few questions.

What made you want to put together the legislation to present it when the legislative session starts in 2020?
Basically, it was the outcry from my community. There are some people that don’t like the idea, or the ideas that I have brought up. I purposely wanted until after the game had happened. I filed it on Monday after the game, because I didn’t want it be become a distraction. There’s enough of an outcry and a complaint that have a good point on why we played the game where we did and why we didn’t play it where we had the last five, six or seven years. It worked out great for everyone involved when it was played at the University of Tulsa. I had to bring it up; I had to bring up the discontent that my community, Jenks and a lot of the Tulsa area have with the decision that was made by a state-wide group -- that forced this decision on us and did not seek our input.
It was basically left to the football coaches association to make this decision, and most of the people involved weren’t going to face the ramifications of their school’s decision. It was made against the two schools that were playing and were against the decision that was made.
There should be a way for more flexibility with your local school districts that are competing in this situation to be able to not have to go play at a place that was deemed ‘this is the state championship site,’ especially when there were all the problems of playing late on a Saturday night. There were going to be how many teenage drivers on the turnpike late on a Saturday night in December? And, the stadium was nowhere near able to hold our crowd.
All of this put together, in my mind, says we need to do this better and there needs to be a way to do this better. There needs to be a way that we can go play this game somewhere else. I mean, we could have played at Broken Arrow and it would have been able to hold our fans. We could have played in a bunch of different stadiums here in the Tulsa area.
I heard there were 8,000 fans at the game at UCO, and at TU there would have been 20,000, so we stopped people from coming to the game by putting that distance barrier there. Nobody wants that; we want the community to come to the game, if possible.

What would you say to the people that say Senate bill 1111 is a waste of everyone’s time and could be spent discussing something else?
There are thousands of bills filled every year -- some of them get picked up and some don’t. It doesn’t waste any more time in committee or on the floor. It’s the legislator’s job to conduct the people’s business, so if a community has an idea or wants to change something, it’s the job of the legislator to consider it and go forward from that. And I agree, this is not the most pressing issue in the state of Oklahoma -- I 100 percent agree -- but if there’s a problem, it’s the job of the legislator to address an issue that their community is considered about. Senate district 34 up here in north Tulsa County, where we live, we definitely had a concern on this issue. Therefore, it’s my job to bring forth such ideas, if the people of my district are concerned about it.
As a former coach, I would like to mention this: I absolutely do not care where we’re playing. We don’t care where we play because we were going to win, and that’s the mindset they have. I speak only, and exclusively, from a community standpoint. The community has an opinion on this, and I happen to 100 percent agree with them. If I were still coaching for the Rams, I wouldn’t care one bit.


So you’re advocating to play the games at the University of Tulsa, if that’s a viable option?
You have to ask, ‘is this the best we can get?’ and I don’t think the current option is the best we can get. We’ve seen what good looks like, and it was last year, the year before and the year before, when two Tulsa teams make the championship game and we fill up Chapman Stadium. In my opinion, the OSSAA wins unless something crooked is going on over there. Because if we’re doubling the amount of people going to the game, they make more money -- or that’s how I understand it. I don’t understand at all why you wouldn’t let local school districts make the best decision for them. If Idabel and McAlester were playing for a championship, then they need to go play that at Eastern (Southeastern Oklahoma State) in Durant. No sense in making those schools drive to Edmond. There needs to be a way out for those schools to be play, and play where it makes sense for the fanbase and a public safety standpoint.


What are your thoughts on playing the Class 6A championship games in Tulsa during the week that they currently use as a bye week?
Sure, that would be an option. They’ve done the bye week because of the amount of teams in the playoff. Honestly, the whole 6AII thing has been a disaster. It’s handed Bixby a bunch of trophies, and it’s been really messed up for my community and I was still coaching when all of it went down. I was still coaching at Owasso at the time. It’s ridiculous for us to travel to Moore -- to play Southmoore or Moore -- and a team that can’t even fill up the home stands and play on a Thursday night. Like, why are we doing this? Why aren’t we playing Sand Springs or Bixby or Muskogee during the regular season, and then do something different for the playoffs, if necessary?

The initiative to have all the championship games played at one site was pushed by the Oklahoma Football Coaches Association, but it’s sounding like not all coaches were onboard with that proposal. How do you think that could have been handled differently?
On how the coaches association makes decisions, I do not know. I hear a lot about Texas, and they like it and that’s fine. From my point of view, if two Houston teams make the championship in any given class, for them to go all the way to Dallas is wrong. I don’t buy into the notion of ‘well, Texas does it this way, so we should do it this way.’ It’s the same way with basketball and the big schools playing in Tulsa. If Edmond and Putnam City are playing in the finals, then that’s the wrong decision. I’m not trying to whine; I’m trying to do what’s best for our kids.

What kind of reception do you think this will get when you present it to committee?
Who knows. On these things, you never know. We have these kinds of battles: Tulsa vs. Oklahoma City or urban vs. rural. I will approach other legislators from a straight forward standpoint and say our local school districts are better off when local school districts are making decisions. We don’t need state-wide entities or state agencies making blanket decisions for everyone. I have 100 percent faith that the Owasso administration, athletic director, superintendent and all of the above -- and same at Jenks -- would make the right decision for their kids. But when we had that responsibility over to a group of people that aren’t in our community, then you don’t get as good of an outcome. That’s the way I see this situation playing out here.

There are some that say the Oklahoma legislature should stay out of high school sports. How do you feel about that?
I absolutely agree, if everything is running properly. The legislature cannot determine how the OSSAA operates within, because it’s an agency with it’s own control. There are three things in the statute that says schools will not be part of an association that does this, this or this. What I’ve done is adding a fourth. All my bill does is add language that school districts would have flexibility to pick their own locations for championship games.

WEEK 7 RANKINGS

10/14/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(____) - previous rank

Class 6AI

1. Owasso (1) - 6-0
2. Broken Arrow (2) - 5-1
3. Jenks (3) - 3-3
4. Union (4) - 2-4
5. Norman (5) - 5-1
6. PC North (4) - 5-1
7. Moore (8) - 4-2
8. Westmoore (7) - 5-1
9. Mustang (9) - 4-2
10. Edmond Santa Fe (10) - 4-2

Class 6AII

1. Bixby (1) - 6-0
2. Stillwater (2) - 6-0
3. Del City (3) - 5-1
4. Muskogee (4) - 6-0
5. Booker T. Washington (7) - 3-3
6. Midwest City (9) - 3-3
7. Choctaw (6) - 3-3
8. Ponca City (8) - 3-3
9. Deer Creek (10) - 3-3
10. Bartlesville (NR) - 1-5

Class 5A

1. Bishop McGuinness (1) - 5-1
2. Carl Albert (2) - 5-1
3. Edison (3) - 5-1
4. Tahlequah (4) - 6-0
5. Piedmont (6) - 5-1
6. Noble (7) - 5-1
7. El Reno (8) - 5-1
8. Collinsville (5) - 4-2
9. Duncan (9) - 4-1
10. Pryor (10) - 5-1

Class 4A

1. Bethany (1) - 6-0
2. Wagoner (3) - 5-1
3. Tuttle (2) - 5-1
4. Poteau (4) - 5-1
5. Bristow (5) - 5-1
6. Clinton (6) - 4-2
7. Broken Bow (7) - 5-1
8. Weatherford (8) - 4-2
9. Cache (10) - 4-2
10. Central (9) - 5-1

Class 3A

1. Heritage Hall (1) - 5-0
2. Lincoln Christian (2) - 6-0
3. Plainview (3) - 4-1
4. Berryhill (4) - 6-0
5. Sulphur (5) - 6-0
6. John Marshall (6) - 5-1
7. Perkins-Tryon (7) - 5-1
8. Checotah (10) - 5-1
9. Idabel (NR) - 5-1
10. Lone Grove (8) - 5-1

Class 2A

1. Metro Christian (1) - 6-0
2. Sperry (2) - 6-0
3. Vian (3) - 5-1
4. Holland Hall (5) - 5-1
5. Washington (6) - 6-0
6. Jones (7) - 5-1
7. Beggs (8) - 5-1
8. Millwood (4) - 4-2
9. Kingston (9) - 5-1
10. Adair (10) - 5-1

Class A

1. Cashion (1) - 6-0
2. Stroud (2) - 6-0
3. Pawhuska (3) - 7-0
4. Rejoice Christian (4) - 6-0
5. Thomas (5) - 5-1
6. Pawnee (6) - 6-0
7. Minco (7) - 7-0
8. Ringling (NR) - 5-1
9. Gore (NR) - 6-1
10. Hobert (NR) - 4-1

Class B

1. Shattuck (1) - 6-0
2. Regent Prep (2) - 6-0
3. Dewar (3) - 6-0
4. Burns Flat-Dill City (4) - 5-1
5. Laverne (5) - 5-1
6. Weleetka (6) - 4-2
7. Cherokee (7) - 5-1
8. Davenport (8) - 5-1
9. Canadian (9) - 6-0
10. Seiling (10) - 5-1

Class C

1. Southwest Covenant (1) - 5-0
2. Pond Creek-Hunter (2) - 6-0
3. Covington-Douglas (3) - 5-2
4. Maysville (4) - 5-0
5. Midway (6) - 7-0
6. Coyle (5) - 4-2
7. Graham-Dustin (8) - 4-1
8. Tyrone (7) - 4-2
9. Waynoka (NR) - 4-2
10. Sasakwa (NR) - 5-1

WEEK 6 Rankings

10/7/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(__) - previous rank

Class 6AI
1. Owasso (1) - 5-0
2. Broken Arrow (2) - 4-1
3. Jenks (4) - 2-3
4. PC North (5) - 5-0
5. Union (3) - 1-4
6. Norman (6) - 4-1
7. Westmoore (7) - 5-0
8. Moore (8) - 3-2
9. Mustang (10) - 3-2
10. Edmond Santa Fe (9) - 3-2

Class 6AII
1. Bixby (1) - 5-0
2. Stillwater (2) - 5-0
3. Del City (4) - 4-1
4. Muskogee (6) - 5-0
5. Sapulpa (5) - 4-1
6. Choctaw (7) - 3-2
7. Booker T. Washington (3) - 2-3
8. Ponca City (10) - 3-2
9. Midwest City (8) - 2-3
10. Deer Creek (NR) - 3-2

Class 5A
1. Bishop McGuinness (2) - 4-1
2. Carl Albert (2) - 4-1
3. Edison (3) - 4-1
4. Tahlequah (5) - 5-0
5. Collinsville (6) - 4-1
6. Piedmont (10) - 4-1
7. Noble (NR) - 4-1
8. El Reno (7) - 4-1
9. Duncan (8) - 3-1
10. Pryor (9) - 4-1

Class 4A
1. Bethany (1) - 5-0
2. Tuttle (2) - 5-0
3. Wagoner (3) - 4-1
4. Poteau (5) - 4-1
5. Bristow (6) - 4-1
6. Clinton (3-2
7. Broken Bow (7) - 4-1
8. Weatherford (4) - 3-2
9. Central (9) - 5-0
10. Cache (10) - 3-2

Class 3A
1. Heritage Hall (1) - 4-0
2. Lincoln Christian (2) - 5-0
3. Plainview (3) - 3-1
4. Berryhill (5) - 5-0
5. Sulphur (6) - 5-0
6. John Marshall (4) - 4-1
7. Perkins-Tryon (7) - 5-0
8. Lone Grove (8) - 5-0
9. Stigler (10) - 4-1
10. Checotah (NR) - 4-1

Class 2A
1. Metro Christian (1) - 5-0
2. Sperry (2) - 5-0
3. Vian (3) - 4-1
4. Millwood (4) - 4-1
5. Holland Hall (5) - 4-1
6. Washington (6) - 5-0
7. Jones (7) - 4-1
8. Beggs (8) - 4-1
9. Kingston (9) - 4-1
10. Adair (10) - 4-1

Class A
1. Cashion (1) - 5-0
2. Stroud (2) - 5-0
3. Pawhuska (3) - 6-0
4. Rejoice Christian (4) - 5-0
5. Thomas (5) - 5-1
6. Pawnee (6) - 5-0
7. Minco (7) - 6-0
8. Christian Heritage (8) - 4-1
9. Mangum (NR) - 5-0
10. Dibble (NR) - 5-1

Class B
1. Shattuck (1) - 5-0
2. Regent Prep (2) - 5-0
3. Dewar (5) - 5-0
4. Burns Flat-Dill City (6) - 4-1
5. Laverne (7) - 4-1
6. Weleetka (8) - 3-2
7. Cherokee (3) - 4-1
8. Davenport (4) - 4-1
9. Canadian (9) - 5-0
10. Seiling (NR) - 5-1

Class C
1. Southwest Covenant (1) - 4-0
2. Pond Creek-Hunter (2) - 5-0
3. Covington-Douglas (4) - 4-2
4. Maysville (5) - 4-0
5. Coyle (6) - 4-1
6. Midway (7) - 6-0
7. Tyrone (3) - 4-1
8. Graham-Dustin (9) - 3-1
9. Boise City (8) - 4-1
10. Sharon-Mutual (NR) - 3-2

*Photo by Trey Hunter/Piedmont Gazette

Week 5 rankings

9/30/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(___) - previously ranked

Class 6AI

1. Owasso (1) - 4-0
2. Broken Arrow (2) - 3-1
3. Union (3) - 1-3
4. Jenks (4) - 1-3
5. PC North (5) - 4-0
6. Norman (6) - 4-0
7. Westmoore (7) - 4-0
8. Moore (9) - 2-2
9. Edmond Santa Fe (10) - 3-1
10. Mustang (8) - 2-2

Class 6AII

1. Bixby (1) - 4-0
2. Stillwater (2) - 4-0
3. Booker T. Washington (4) - 2-2
4. Del City (5) - 3-1
5. Sapulpa (3) - 3-1
6. Muskogee (7) - 4-0
7. Choctaw (6) - 2-2
8. Midwest City (9) - 2-2
9. Lawton (8) - 3-1
10. Ponca City (10) - 2-2

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (1) - 4-0
2. Bishop McGuinness (2) - 3-1
3. Edison (4) - 3-1
4. Bishop Kelley (5) - 2-2
5. Tahlequah (6) - 4-0
6. Collinsville (7) - 3-1
7. El Reno (8) - 4-0
8. Duncan (3) - 2-1
9. Pryor (9) - 3-1
10. Piedmont (NR) - 3-1

Class 4A

1. Bethany (1) - 4-0
2. Tuttle (2) - 4-0
3. Wagoner (3) - 3-1
4. Weatherford (5) - 3-1
5. Poteau (6) - 3-1
6. Bristow (7) - 3-1
7. Broken Bow (8) - 3-1
8. Clinton (4) - 2-2
9. Central (NR) - 4-0
10. Cache (NR) - 2-2

Class 3A

1. Heritage Hall (1) - 3-0
2. Lincoln Christian (2) - 4-0
3. Plainview (3) - 2-1
4. John Marshall (4) - 4-0
5. Berryhill (5) - 4-0
6. Sulphur (6) - 4-0
7. Perkins-Tryon (7) - 4-0
8. Lone Grove (8) - 4-0
9. Seminole (NR) - 3-1
10. Stigler (9) - 3-1

Class 2A

1. Metro Christian (1) - 4-0
2. Sperry (2) - 4-0
3. Vian (3) - 3-1
4. Millwood (4) - 3-1
5. Holland Hall (5) - 3-1
6. Washington (6) - 4-0
7. Jones (7) - 3-1
8. Beggs (9) - 3-1
9. Kingston (10) - 3-1
10. Adair (8) - 4-0

Class A

1. Cashion (1) - 4-0
2. Stroud (2) - 4-0
3. Pawhuska (3) - 5-0
4. Rejoice Christian (4) - 4-0
5. Thomas (6) - 4-1
6. Pawnee (8) - 4-0
7. Minco (9) - 5-0
8. Christian Heritage (7) - 4-1
9. Colcord (10) - 4-0
10. Tonkawa (5) - 4-1

Class B

1. Shattuck (1) - 4-0
2. Regent Prep (2) - 4-0
3. Cherokee (3) - 4-0
4. Davenport (4) - 3-1
5. Dewar (5) - 4-0
6. Burns Flat-Dill City (7) - 3-1
7. Laverne (8) - 3-1
8. Weleetka (6) - 2-2
9. Canadian (9) - 4-0
10. Snyder (NR) - 4-0

Class C

1. Southwest Covenant (1) - 3-0
2. Pond Creek-Hunter (2) - 4-0
3. Tyrone (4) - 4-0
4. Covington-Douglas (5) - 3-2
5. Maysville (6) - 4-0
6. Coyle (7) - 3-1
7. Midway (8) - 5-0
8. Boise City (9) - 4-0
9. Graham-Dustin (10) - 3-1
10. Buffalo (3) - 3-1

WEEK 4 PICKS

9/27/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Swisher is still in the lead, and blah blah blah. Whitt and I need to step it up

Week 3 picks

Michael Swisher - 9-6
Whitt Carter - 12-3
Ben Johnson - 13-2

Overall standings

Michael Swisher - 46-13
Whitt Carter - 41-18
Ben Johnson - 43-16

Broken Arrow at Jenks

Swisher: Broken Arrow
Whitt: Broken Arrow
Ben: Broken Arrow

Union at Owasso

Swisher: Owasso
Whitt: Owasso
Ben: Owasso

Del City at Choctaw

Swisher: Del City
Whitt: Del City
Ben: Del City

Sapulpa at Bixby

Swisher: Bixby
Whitt: Bixby
Ben: Bixby

Claremore at Collinsville

Swisher: Claremore
Whitt: Collinsville
Ben: Claremore

Elgin at Weatherford

Swisher: Elgin
Whitt: Elgin
Ben: Weatherford

Bethel at Sulphur

Swisher: Sulphur
Whitt: Sulphur
Ben: Sulphur

Cascia Hall at Verdigris

Swisher: Verdigris
Whitt: Cascia Hall
Ben: Verdigris

Lincoln Christian at Stigler

Swisher: Lincoln Christian
Whitt: Lincoln Christian
Ben: Lincoln Christian

Metro Christian at Adair

Swisher: Metro Christian
Whitt: Metro Christian
Ben: Metro Christian

Morris at Beggs

Swisher: Beggs
Whitt: Beggs
Ben: Beggs

Vian at Spiro

Swisher: Vian
Whitt: Vian
Ben: Vian

Barnsdall at Pawhuska

Swisher: Pawhuska
Whitt: Pawhuska
Ben: Pawhuska

Christian Heritage at Cashion

Swisher: Cashion
Whitt: Cashion
Ben: Cashion

Hooker at Thomas

Swisher: Thomas
Whitt: Thomas
Ben: Hooker

Tonkawa at Pawnee

Swisher: Tonkawa
Whitt: Tonkawa
Ben: Pawnee

Weleetka at Dewar

Swisher: Dewar
Whitt: Weleetka
Ben: Dewar

Buffalo at Boise City

Swisher: Boise City
Whitt: Buffalo
Ben: Boise City

Graham Dustin at Midway

Swisher: Midway
Whitt: Graham-Dustin
Ben: Midway

Seiling at Cherokee

Swisher: Cherokee
Whitt: Cherokee
Ben: Cherokee

**Photo by David Stacy

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR

9/26/2019 |  Ben Johnson

It’s time for most teams to embark on district games. Let’s take a look at what’s become apparent so far…

Mansfield, Texas teams stink

Everyone hypes up Texas football, but wow, the teams in Mansfield are ……. ungood. I mean, sure, Union lost in one of the only competitive games between five Oklahoma teams and the Mansfield clubs. But I watched Mansfield Legacy with my own eyes, and I watched Jenks to shove it down their throat all game long. That’s all I needed to know about the caliber of teams down there.

6AI runs through Owasso (so far)

We’ll find out who the best team is in 6AI-2 on Friday night, but it appears as though Owasso is on track for its second title in three years. And hot take: If Blankenship wins another title at Owasso, he becomes the best high school football coach this state has ever seen.

Bixby might be the best team in the state

Notice above I said “6AI-2” because the state’s best team could be in 6A Division II. Bixby is that good. If you’ve never watched Brennan Presley or any of his superstar teammates in Bixby, do yourself a favor and go see them before the Spartans’ season ends in another 6AII championship game.

Bishop Kelley has had the worst injury luck so far

The Comets had a chance to stand toe to toe with Carl Albert in Class 5A. Then Bishop Kelley lost defensive lineman Montrell Cozart, receiver Cori Lewis and Oklahoma State commit Zach Middleton to various injuries. Now Bishop Kelley will have to dig deep and grind its way through District 5A-3 until Lewis and Middleton maybe (possibly) come back.

We need to start using common sense when it comes to weather

One coach texted me and was pissed about a having a game cut short due to weather to close out non-district play. Someone happened to let the officials know that lightning was 32 -- THIRTY-TWO -- miles away. That’s outrageous. Look, I get it, safety is the name of the game. But let’s use some common sense. We all live in Oklahoma; we all know how to read radars. Just because you see lightning doesn’t always mean there’s imminent danger. Take the 6AI title game last year …. We endured a long delay and were just about to get back to the game when a stray lightning strike flashed east of Tulsa. There was no chance it was coming back toward Chapman Stadium, and yet, the clock was reset to 30 minutes before teams could warm up. All I’m asking for is some common sense to be applied. 

Sam Brandt & Asher Link need to be getting more attention

Mason Williams is putting up silly numbers at Bixby, but there’s plenty of QB talent around. Sam Brandt is a menace on both sides of the ball for Bethany, and Asher Link has Metro Christian in position to be the favorite in 2A. More college coaches should be taking notice in these guys.

Dorian Plumley could lead El Reno to special things


If El Reno’s junior quarterback were two inches taller, college coaches would be knocking down his door. Some things never change on the recruiting trail.

Dae Dae Leathers might be the best RB you don’t know about

Dominic Richardson, Sevion Morrison, Qwontrel Walker and Tristan Truelove are notable running backs in this state, but Leathers is putting up solid numbers every week in far eastern Oklahoma.

Bristow & Mannford have a fantastic rivalry trophy

The Battle for the Boat trophy played for between the two Keystone Lake rivals KICKS ASS!

Heritage Hall remains good

Take a moment, allow the shock to wear off. OK, let’s continue….

Mike Snyder is about to be the king of coaching in Oklahoma

Might not be another guy in the state who remains so quiet and just continues to get the job done. And he’s a win shy of tying the state’s record for all-time coaching wins.

Classes 2A & A are extremely deep

As many as a dozen teams (if not more) could win the gold balls in 2A or A.

A really good team from District A-5 will miss the playoffs

Pawhuska, Barnsdall, Pawnee and Tonkawa are all unbeaten. Hominy is 3-1 and Morrison is 2-2. Only four of these teams will escape A-5 and venture into the playoffs. Buckle up!

WEEK 4 RANKINGS

9/22/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(____) - previous rank

Week 3 scoreboard
6AI

6AII

5A

4A

3A

2A

A

B

C

Class 6AI

1. Owasso (1) - 3-0
2. Broken Arrow (2) - 2-1
3. Union (3) - 1-2
4. Jenks (4) - 1-2
5. PC North (5) - 3-0
6. Norman (6) - 3-0
7. Westmoore (7) - 3-0
8. Mustang (8) - 2-1
9. Moore (9) - 1-2
10. Edmond Santa Fe (10) - 2-1

Class 6AII

1. Bixby (1) - 3-0
2. Stillwater (2) - 3-0
3. Sapulpa (3) - 3-0
4. Booker T. Washington (4) - 1-2
5. Del City (6) - 2-1
6. Choctaw (5) - 2-1
7. Muskogee (7) - 3-0
8. Lawton (9) - 3-0
9. Midwest City (8) - 1-2
10. Ponca City (10) - 2-1

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (1) - 3-0
2. Bishop McGuinness (2) - 2-1
3. Duncan (3) - 2-0
4. Edison (4) - 2-1
5. Bishop Kelley (5) - 1-2
6. Tahlequah (6) - 3-0
7. Collinsville (7) - 2-1
8. El Reno (NR) - 3-0
9. Pryor (NR) - 2-1
10. Claremore (8) - 1-2

Class 4A

1. Bethany (1) - 3-0
2. Tuttle (2) - 3-0
3. Wagoner (3) - 2-1
4. Clinton (4) - 2-1
5. Weatherford (5) - 2-1
6. Poteau (7) - 2-1
7. Bristow (8) - 2-1
8. Broken Bow (9) - 2-1
9. Elgin (10) - 1-1
10. Hilldale (NR) - 2-1

Class 3A

1. Heritage Hall (1) - 2-0
2. Lincoln Christian (2) - 3-0
3. Plainview (3) - 1-1
4. John Marshall (4) - 3-0
5. Berryhill (5) - 3-0
6. Sulphur (6) - 3-0
7. Perkins-Tryon (7) - 3-0
8. Lone Grove (9) - 3-0
9. Stigler (10) - 3-0
10. Kingfisher (8) - 1-2

Class 2A

1. Metro Christian (1) - 3-0
2. Sperry (2) - 3-0
3. Vian (4) - 2-1
4. Millwood (5) - 2-1
5. Holland Hall (3) - 2-1
6. Washington (7) - 3-0
7. Jones (9) - 2-1
8. Adair (10) - 3-0
9. Beggs (6) - 2-1
10. Kingston (8) - 2-1

Class A

1. Cashion (1) - 3-0
2. Stroud (2) - 3-0
3. Pawhuska (3) - 4-0
4. Rejoice Christian (4) - 3-0
5. Tonkawa (5) - 4-0
6. Thomas (6) - 3-1
7. Christian Heritage (7) - 4-0
8. Pawnee (8) - 3-0
9. Minco (9) - 4-0
10. Colcord (NR) - 3-0

Class B

1. Shattuck (1) - 3-0
2. Regent Prep (2) - 3-0
3. Cherokee (3) - 3-0
4. Davenport (4) - 2-1
5. Dewar (7) - 3-0
6. Weleetka (8) - 2-1
7. Burns Flat-Dill City (NR) - 3-1
8. Laverne (5) - 2-1
9. Canadian (NR) - 3-0
10. Seiling (NR) - 4-0

Class C

1. Southwest Covenant (1) - 2-0
2. Pond Creek-Hunter (2) - 3-0
3. Buffalo (3) - 3-0
4. Tyrone (4) - 3-0
5. Covington-Douglas (5) - 2-2
6. Maysville (7) - 3-0
7. Coyle (8) - 2-1
8. Midway (9) - 4-0
9. Boise City (10) - 3-0
10. Graham-Dustin (NR) - 3-0

**Photo credit: Von Castor / Von Castor Photography

WEEK 3 Rankings

9/16/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(___) - previous rank

Week 2 scoreboard
6AI

6AII

5A

4A

3A

2A

A

B

C

Class 6AI

1. Owasso (2)
2. Broken Arrow (1)
3. Union (3)
4. Jenks (4)
5. PC North (5)
6. Norman (6)
7. Westmoore (8)
8. Mustang (9)
9. Moore (10)
10. Edmond Santa Fe (7)

Class 6AII

1. Bixby (1)
2. Stillwater (2)
3. Sapulpa (3)
4. Booker T. Washington (3)
5. Choctaw (6)
6. Del City (4)
7. Muskogee (8)
8. Midwest City (7)
9. Lawton (9)
10. Ponca City (NR)

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (1)
2. Bishop McGuinness (2)
3. Duncan (4)
4. Edison (5)
5. Bishop Kelley (3)
6. Tahlequah (7)
7. Collinsville (6)
8. Claremore (8)
9. Noble (10)
10. Lawton MacArthur (NR)

Class 4A

1. Bethany (1)
2. Tuttle (5)
3. Wagoner (2)
4. Clinton (3)
5. Weatherford (4)
6. Blanchard (6)
7. Poteau (8)
8. Bristow (7)
9. Broken Bow (9)
10. Elgin (NR)

Class 3A

1. Heritage Hall (1)
2. Lincoln Christian (2)
3. Plainview (3)
4. John Marshall (5)
5. Berryhill (4)
6. Sulphur (6)
7. Perkins-Tryon (8)
8. Kingfisher (9)
9. Lone Grove (NR)
10. Stigler (NR)

Class 2A

1. Metro Christian (1)
2. Sperry (2)
3. Holland Hall (4)
4. Vian (3)
5. Millwood (5)
6. Beggs (6)
7. Washington (7)
8. Kingston (8)
9. Jones (9)
10. Adair (10)

Class A

1. Cashion (1)
2. Stroud (2)
3. Pawhuska (4)
4. Rejoice Christian (5)
5. Tonkawa (6)
6. Thomas (3)
7. Christian Heritage (7)
8. Pawnee (9)
9. Minco (10)
10. Morrison (8)

Class B

1. Shattuck (1)
2. Regent Prep (2)
3. Cherokee (3)
4. Davenport (4)
5. Laverne (5)
6. Keota (6)
7. Dewar (7)
8. Weleetka (8)
9. Snyder (9)
10. Seiling (NR)

Class C

1. Southwest Covenant (1)
2. Pond Creek-Hunter (2)
3. Buffalo (3)
4. Tyrone (5)
5. Covington-Douglas (4)
6. Tipton (6)
7. Maysville (7)
8. Coyle (8)
9. Midway (9)
10. Boise City (10)

Photo cred: Byron Beers/Tahlequah Daily Press

Week 2 picks

9/13/2019 |  Ben Johnson

That noise you heard following the games in Week 1 was Michael Swisher shouting for joy. The oldest of the bunch is proving to be much wiser than those going against him so far. But we’ll see if we can’t gain some ground on him with a solid slate of Week 2 games.

Standings so far

Week 1
Michael Swisher - 15-2
Whitt Carter - 12-5
Ben Johnson - 11-6

Overall
Michael Swisher - 26-5
Whitt Carter - 19-12
Ben Johnson - 19-12
And the fan favorites….
Madison Carter - 16-15
Alicia Johnson - 18-13

And away we go….

Owasso at Broken Arrow

Michael Swisher - Broken Arrow
Whitt Carter - Broken Arrow
Ben Johnson - Broken Arrow

Jenks at Union

Michael Swisher - Union
Whitt Carter - Union
Ben Johnson - Union

Del City at Carl Albert

Michael Swisher - Carl Albert
Whitt Carter - Carl Albert
Ben Johnson - Carl Albert

Sapulpa at Claremore

Michael Swisher - Claremore
Whitt Carter - Claremore
Ben Johnson - Sapulpa

Bishop Kelley at Bishop McGuinness

Michael Swisher - Bishop McGuinness
Whitt Carter - Bishop McGuinness
Ben Johnson - Bishop McGuinness

Clinton at Heritage Hall

Michael Swisher - Heritage Hall
Whitt Carter - Heritage Hall
Ben Johnson - Heritage Hall

Plainview at Tuttle

Michael Swisher - Tuttle
Whitt Carter - Plainview
Ben Johnson - Tuttle

Vian at Lincoln Christian

Michael Swisher - Lincoln Christian
Whitt Carter - Lincoln Christian
Ben Johnson - Lincoln Christian

Purcell at Washington

Michael Swisher - Washington
Whitt Carter - Washington
Ben Johnson - Washington

Morrison at Pawnee

Michael Swisher - Pawnee
Whitt Carter - Morrison
Ben Johnson - Morrison

Wetumka at Davenport

Michael Swisher - Davenport
Whitt Carter - Wetumka
Ben Johnson - Davenport

Sulphur at Davis

Michael Swisher - Sulphur
Whitt Carter - Sulphur
Ben Johnson - Sulphur

Douglass at Millwood

Michael Swisher - Millwood
Whitt Carter - Millwood
Ben Johnson - Millwood

Photo credit - David Stacy

Week 2 rankings

9/8/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(__) - previous rank - Week 1 result

Class 6AI

1. Broken Arrow (1) - Beat Union, 14-0
2. Owasso (3) - Beat Fayetteville (Ark.), 51-19
3. Union (2) - Lost to Broken Arrow, 14-0
4. Jenks (4) - Lost to Bixby, 57-7
5. PC North (5) - Beat Putnam City, 50-0
6. Norman (6) - Beat Norman North, 31-24
7. Edmond Santa Fe (7) - Beat Edmond North, 41-14
8. Westmoore (9) - Beat Moore, 44-35
9. Mustang (10) - Beat Yukon, 38-0
10. Moore (8) - Lost to Westmoore, 44-35

Class 6AII

1. Bixby (1) - Beat Jenks, 57-7
2. Stillwater (2) - Beat Edmond Memorial, 42-7
3. Booker T. Washington (3) - Beat Bishop Kelley, 33-14
4. Del City (4) - Beat Bishop McGuinness, 20-17
5. Sapulpa (5) - Beat Edison, 21-13
6. Choctaw (7) - idle
7. Midwest City (6) - Lost to Carl Albert, 31-0
8. Muskogee (8) - Beat McAlester, 43-7
9. Lawton (9) - Beat Burkburnett (Texas), 56-21
10. Deer Creek (NR) - Beat Southmoore, 45-14

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (1) - Beat Midwest City, 31-0
2. Bishop McGuinness (4) - Lost to Del City, 20-17
3. Bishop Kelley (2) - Lost to Booker T. Washington, 33-14
4. Duncan (7) - Beat Putnam West, 59-35
5. Edison (5) - Lost to Sapulpa, 21-13
6. Collinsville (3) - Lost to Oologah, 13-12
7. Tahlequah (8) - Beat Fort Gibson, 42-21
8. Claremore (10) - Beat Bartlesville, 40-28
9. Guthrie (6) - Lost to Shawnee, 33-23
10. Noble (NR) - Beat Newcastle, 41-12

Class 4A

1. Bethany (1) - Beat Elk City, 41-20
2. Wagoner (3) - Beat Coweta, 36-27
3. Clinton (4) - Beat Woodward, 49-14
4. Weatherford (5) - idle
5. Tuttle (6) - Beat Kingfisher, 41-18
6. Blanchard (2) - Lost to Elgin, 35-20
7. Bristow (7) - Beat Cushing, 19-16
8. Poteau (8) - Beat Durant, 40-13
9. Broken Bow (9) - Beat Idabel, 41-0
10. Cache (NR) - idle

Class 3A

1. Heritage Hall (1) - Beat Millwood, 34-0
2. Lincoln Christian (2) - Beat Jones, 49-14
3. Plainview (3) - bye
4. Berryhill (4) - Beat Mannford, 35-7
5. John Marshall (5) - Beat Classen SAS, 48-0
6. Sulphur (6) - Beat Madill, 49-21
7. Seminole (8) - Beat Harrah, 40-8
8. Perkins-Tryon (10) - Beat Hennessey, 35-0
9. Kingfisher (7) - Lost to Tuttle, 41-18
10. Cascia Hall (9) - Lost to Holland Hall, 28-7

Class 2A

1. Metro Christian (2) - idle
2. Sperry (3) - Beat Verdigris, 49-13
3. Vian (4) - Beat Eufaula, 14-2
4. Holland Hall (5) - Beat Cascia Hall, 28-7
5. Millwood (1) - Lost to Heritage Hall, 34-0
6. Beggs (7) - Beat Okmulgee, 39-0
7. Washington (8) - Beat Hobart, 42-7
8. Kingston (9) - Beat Hugo, 44-22
9. Jones (6) - Lost to Lincoln Christian, 49-14
10. Adair (NR) - Beat Commerce, 46-16

Class A

1. Cashion (1) - Beat Prague, 28-0
2. Stroud (2) - Beat Okemah, 40-38
3. Thomas (3) - Beat Newkirk, 41-0
4. Pawhuska (4) - Beat Okla. Union, 60-18
5. Rejoice Christian (5) - Beat Crossings Christian, 48-6
6. Tonkawa (6) - Beat Newkirk, 41-0
7. Christian Heritage (7) - Beat Mount Saint Mary, 30-7
8. Morrison (9) - Beat Crescent, 24-10
9. Pawnee (10) - idle
10. Minco (NR) - Beat Dibble, 14-6

Class B

1. Shattuck (1) - Beat Destiny Christian, 44-8
2. Regent Prep (2) - Beat Prue, 53-6
3. Cherokee (4) - Beat South Barber (Kan.), 44-8
4. Davenport (3) - Lost to Weleetka, 32-28
5. Laverne (5) - Beat Alex, 28-22
6. Keota (6) - idle
7. Dewar (7) - Beat Strother, 46-0
8. Weleetka (8) - Beat Davenport, 32-28
9. Snyder (9) - Beat Waukomis, 44-6
10. Wetumka (10) - Beat Depew, 40-6

Class C

1. SW Covenant (1) - Beat Central Marlow, 52-28
2. Pond Creek-Hunter (3) - Beat Kremlin-Hillsdale, 54-0
3. Buffalo (4) - Beat Medford, 40-12
4. Covington-Douglas (6) - Beat Garber, 64-62 (4OT)
5. Tyrone (8) - Beat Turpin, 56-22
6. Tipton (2) - Lost to Burns Flat-Dill City, 54-6
7. Maysville (NR) - Beat Paoli, 52-6
8. Coyle (5) - Lost to Pioneer, 48-20
9. Midway (NR) - Beat Gans, 64-48
10. Boise City (NR) - Beat Beaver, 48-0

Photo credit - David Stacy

Week 1 picks

9/5/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Zero week was all about Swisher flexing on both myself and Whitt. Let’s see if we can’t bring him back down to earth this week….

Zero Week
Michael Swisher: 11-3
Whitt Carter: 7-7
Ben Johnson: 8-6

(Should mention that my wife and Whitt’s wife are picking on the side, and once I can get these picks posted on time I’ll make sure to include Madison Carter’s picks so she doesn’t get mad at me anymore!)

Millwood at Heritage Hall

Michael Swisher: Heritage Hall
Whitt Carter: Heritage Hall
Ben Johnson: Heritage Hall

Broken Arrow at Union

Michael Swisher: Broken Arrow
Whitt Carter: Union
Ben Johnson: Union

Carl Albert at Midwest City

Michael Swisher: Carl Albert
Whitt Carter: Carl Albert
Ben Johnson: Carl Albert

Bixby at Jenks

Michael Swisher: Jenks
Whitt Carter: Bixby
Ben Johnson: Jenks

Booker T. Washington at Bishop Kelley

Michael Swisher: Booker T. Washington
Whitt Carter: Booker T. Washington
Ben Johnson: Booker T. Washington

Bishop McGuinness at Del City

Michael Swisher: Del City
Whitt Carter: Del City
Ben Johnson: Bishop McGuinness

Lincoln Christian at Jones

Michael Swisher: Lincoln Christian
Whitt Carter: Jones
Ben Johnson: Lincoln Christian

Tuttle at Kingfisher

Michael Swisher: Tuttle
Whitt Carter: Tuttle
Ben Johnson: Tuttle

Sapulpa at Edison

Michael Swisher: Sapulpa
Whitt Carter: Sapulpa
Ben Johnson: Sapulpa

Crossings Christian at Rejoice Christian

Michael Swisher: Rejoice Christian
Whitt Carter: Rejoice Christian
Ben Johnson: Rejoice Christian

Norman at Norman North

Michael Swisher: Norman
Whitt Carter: Norman North
Ben Johnson: Norman

Claremore at Bartlesville

Michael Swisher: Claremore
Whitt Carter: Claremore
Ben Johnson: Bartlesville

Broken Bow at Idabel

Michael Swisher: Broken Bow
Whitt Carter: Broken Bow
Ben Johnson: Broken Bow

Cascia Hall at Holland Hall

Michael Swisher: Holland Hall
Whitt Carter: Cascia Hall
Ben Johnson: Cascia Hall

Vian at Eufaula

Michael Swisher: Vian
Whitt Carter: Vian
Ben Johnson: Vian

Davenport at Weleetka

Michael Swisher: Davenport
Whitt Carter: Davenport
Ben Johnson: Davenport

Medford at Buffalo

Michael Swisher: Buffalo
Whitt Carter: Buffalo
Ben Johnson: Buffalo

Week 1 - Top 10 games

9/4/2019 |  Ben Johnson

An absolutely tremendous slate of games this week. Let’s get to it…

1. Millwood at Heritage Hall
One team was thought to be the preeminent favorite in its class last year until it was upset in the playoffs by Vian. That was Millwood in 2018. One team was head and shoulders above every other team in its class and coasted to a state championship. That was Heritage Hall in Class 3A, of course. Not too shabby when these two clash, and they do it again this year after Millwood won last year, 30-20.
 
2. Broken Arrow at Union
This one had been one-sided for quite some time, and Broken Arrow put a stop to that last season. Union still owns a 38-5 record all-time against Broken Arrow, but the Tigers took out frustration of 14 straight losses by dismantling Union, 33-10. The Tigers went on to win the state championship and finally join Union among the ranks of state champions in 6AI. One matchup to watch will be Union’s passing game against Broken Arrow’s secondary, led by the likes of Oregon commit Myles Slusher, who had an interception return for a touchdown in a blowout win over Mansfield on Saturday.
 
3. Carl Albert at Midwest City
This one had been all Midwest City, dating back to 1976 when the Bombers started their six-game winning streak against Carl Albert. But the Titans put a stop to that with a 28-21 victory last season. Then the Titans did what they always do – win a 5A championship.
 
4. Bixby at Jenks
Both were dominant last week with wins over teams in Mansfield, Texas, last week. Jenks’ defense was stout, pitching a shutout against Mansfield Legacy, while Bixby’s offense was unstoppable against Mansfield Timberview. Bixby managed to thwart Jenks in 2017, but the Trojans won this matchup last  year, 28-14, and they now own a 47-13 record against Bixby.
 
5. Booker T. Washington at Bishop Kelley
The Hornets were shut out last week in a loss to North Little Rock (Ark.), and they’ll get another stout defensive challenge from Bishop Kelley, who lost to Booker T. Washington last year, 24-14.
 
6. Bishop McGuinness at Del City
Plenty of offensive firepower will be on the field for both teams, including Del City’s Quinlan Ganther and Bishop McGuinness’ Dominic Richardson. Del City won this one last year, 47-7.
 
7. Lincoln Christian at Jones
Bust out the calculators for this one; could be plenty of points being scored. Both teams soared on offense last week, with Lincoln Christian beating Inola, 51-19 and Jones knocking off Oklahoma Christian School, 56-8. Last year it was Lincoln Christian that prevailed over Jones, 34-19.
 
8. Tuttle at Kingfisher
Tuttle knocked off Kingfisher 26-14 last season, and now the reigning 4A champions will explore life without quarterback Carson Berryhill.
 
9. Sapulpa at Edison
The Chieftains, powered by Eli Williams, a TCU commit, at quarterback, took down Edison, 34-13, last season. But it wasn’t long after that game that Edison running back – now a Nebraska commit – Sevion Morrison started taking down every Edison rushing record that ever existed.
 
10. Crossings Christian at Rejoice Christian
Two heavy favorites in Class A, and for good reason. Rejoice Christian won both matchups last season – 21-20 in the regular season and 33-14 in the playoffs. In fact, Rejoice has won the past four showdowns with Crossings, dating back to 2016.

 
Honorable mentions
Norman at Norman North
Claremore at Bartlesville
Broken Bow at Idabel
Cascia Hall at Holland Hall
Vian at Eufaula
Davenport at Weleetka
Medford at Buffalo

WEEK 1 RANKINGS

9/1/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Class 6AI

1. Broken Arrow (2)
2. Union (1)
3. Owasso (3)
4. Jenks (4)
5. PC North (5)
6. Norman (6)
7. Edmond Santa Fe (7)
8. Moore (8)
9. Westmoore (9)
10. Mustang (10)

Class 6AII

1. Bixby (1)
2. Stillwater (2)
3. Booker T. Washington (3)
4. Del City (4)
5. Sapulpa (5)
6. Midwest City (6)
7. Choctaw (7)
8. Muskogee (8)
9. Lawton (9)
10. Bartlesville (10)

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (1)
2. Bishop Kelley (2)
3. Collinsville (3)
4. Bishop McGuinness (4)
5. Edison (5)
6. Guthrie (6)
7. Duncan (7)
8. Tahlequah (8)
9. Ardmore (9)
10. Claremore (10)

Class 4A

1. Bethany (1)
2. Blanchard (2)
3. Wagoner (3)
4. Clinton (4)
5. Weatherford (5)
6. Tuttle (6)
7. Bristow (7)
8. Poteau (8)
9. Broken Bow (9)
10. Cache (NR)

Class 3A

1. Heritage Hall (1)
2. Lincoln Christian (2)
3. Plainview (3)
4. Berryhill (4)
5. John Marshall (5)
6. Sulphur (6)
7. Kingfisher (7)
8. Seminole (8)
9. Cascia Hall (9)
10. Perkins-Tryon (10)

Class 2A

1. Millwood (1)
2. Metro Christian (2)
3. Sperry (3)
4. Vian (4)
5. Holland Hall (5)
6. Jones (6)
7. Beggs (7)
8. Washington (8)
9. Kingston (9)
10. Eufaula (10)

Class A

1. Cashion (1)
2. Stroud (2)
3. Thomas (3)
4. Pawhuska (4)
5. Rejoice Christian (5)
6. Tonkawa (6)
7. Christian Heritage (7)
8. Crossings Christian (9)
9. Morrison (10)
10. Pawnee (NR)

Class B

1. Shattuck (1)
2. Regent Prep (2)
3. Davenport (3)
4. Cherokee (4)
5. Laverne (5)
6. Keota (6)
7. Dewar (7)
8. Weleetka (8)
9. Snyder (9)
10. Wetumka (10)

Class C

1. SW Covenant (2)
2. Tipton (1)
3. Pond Creek-Hunter (3)
4. Buffalo (4)
5. Coyle (5)
6. Covington-Douglas (6)
7. Fox (7)
8. Tyrone (8)
9. Sharon-Mutual (9)
10. Medford (10)

*** Big thanks to Caleb Williams, whose work is the cover photo for this post. Check out his work here: https://www.photosbycaleb.com/

Class 6AI SEASON PREVIEW

8/27/2019 |  Ben Johnson

STATE OF THE PROGRAM

BROKEN ARROW TIGERS

The trophy made the rounds all across Broken Arrow. The Tigers showed up off the Class 6AI championship trophy all over town for the first time in program history, after Broken Arrow took down Jenks for the championship in 2018.
Now it’s time to turn the page.
This time the Tigers are the ones everyone is chasing.
“Our approach is: we aren’t defending anything,” Broken Arrow coach David Alexander said. “Every year they make a new trophy. Last year’s team won last year’s trophy. We are going to attack the season, and try to see how good we can get.”

Here’s a look at what to expect from the Tigers in 2019….


Biggest on-field question: How will the front seven on defense look with so many new faces?
Zach Marcheselli and Gavin Potter served as a dynamic duo at linebacker last season, and the two tackling machines both graduated. Same goes for Kaizer Newell, DeMeco Roland and Colton Collier on the defense front. That leaves Jaylen Moss on the defensive line and middle linebacker Campbell Yeager, alongside Zeno Marcheselli, Logan Stovall, Darryan Moss and Jadahian Floyd-Wright at outside linebacker to lead the charge in 2019.
“Those are some of the guys fighting for playing time at outside linebacker right now,” Alexander said. “All four of those guys are smart and can run.”


Depth chart breakdown
Offense: Maurion Horn (5-feet-11, 180 pounds) takes over in the backfield at running back after Noah Cortes set every rushing record at Broken Arrow. KeJuan Tolbert will be another that gets plenty of carries alongside Horn.
At quarterback, it’s anybody’s guess on who’s slinging passes in 2019. Jake Raines figures to have the inside edge with the season’s first game this wek.
The bulk of those passes will make their way to Isaiah Keller and Tori Dillard.
Paving the way at offensive line will be the nation’s most sought-after right tackle, Andrew Raym (6-5, 285), an Oklahoma commit. Also on the line with Raym will be Trevor Burckhartzmeyer at 6-2, 295 pounds.

Defense: Myles Slusher (6-0, 185) is committed to Oregon, and gives the Tigers a veteran presence at cornerback.
Linebacker responsibilities will fall upon middle linebacker Campbell Yeager with Zeno Marcheselli, Logan Stovall, Darryan Moss and Jadahian Floyd-Wright vying for time at outside linebacker.
And it’ll be Jaylen Moss (6-4, 235) providing pressure up front on the defensive line.

Special teams: Skyler Segraves was a potent weapon in the kicking game last season, but now it’ll be Tyler Crawford’s turn in 2019.

Missed the most: Noah Cortes
Both Quintevin Cherry and Tate Robards graduated from the quarterback spot, but Cortes was the offense’s motor in 2018. The Tigers’ new all-time leading rusher will pass the torch on to guys like Maurion Horn and KeJuan Tolbert in 2019.
“So excited to get this group of running backs on the field,” Alexander said. “Best way to describe these guys is explosive! None of them are as big as Noah, so we will hand the ball to two or three guys to make up for the number of carries.”


2019 schedule
Aug. 31 - @ Mansfield (Texas)
Sept. 6 - @ Union
Sept. 13 - Owasso
Sept. 27 - @ Jenks*
Oct. 4 - Norman*
Oct. 10 - @ Westmoore*
Oct. 17 - Edmond Santa Fe*
Oct. 25 - Yukon*
Nov. 1 - Edmond Memorial*
Nov. 8 - @ Enid*
*District 6AI-1 games
No surprise that it’s another stout schedule for Broken Arrow. The games against Union and Owasso in non-district play are almost always certainties, and Broken Arrow -- along with several other Oklahoma schools -- are playing a collection of teams from Mansfield, Texas, south of the Red River this season. Beyond that, there’s a good chance the District 6AI-1 title comes down to the Sept. 27 game against Jenks -- just like last season (and also the state championship rematch).

Best guess for 2019
This Broken Arrow team lost a lot of firepower from last season. No shame in saying there are a lot of voids that need to be filled. But Alexander and Co. will see what their club is made of early on, and any problems that need to be addressed will certainly get ironed out in the latter half of district play. The Tigers definitely have enough talent to garner another semifinal appearance, and of course, beyond that is anyone’s guess as to what could happen.

Class 6AI preview

Rankings

1. Union - Feels like one of those Union years, where the Redskins have a boatload of talent to win it all.
**2. Broken Arrow - If the defense’s front seven can hold its own, there’s enough talent on this team to win back-to-back titles
3. Owasso - Cole Dugger, a transfer from Collinsville, could be the key link to getting the Rams their second title in three seasons.
4. Jenks - Going to be some getting used to with some new names for the Trojans, but of course they’ll be good.
5. PC North - Wildcats lost tight end Will Taylor, but they return a lot of firepower this season, including quarterback Aaron Norment.
6. Norman - Tigers with a solid chance to impress in 2019 with quarterback Cade Horton, an Oklahoma commit for baseball and football, at the controls.
7. Edmond Santa Fe - Linebacker Collin Oliver has more than a handful Division I offers before he even begins his junior season.
8. Moore - Quarterback Daniel Hishaw Jr. enters his senior year after rushing for 776 yards and 1,839 yards and 29 combined touchdowns.
9. Westmoore - Jace Bohrofen has a bright future in baseball, but he’ll lead the Jaguars at quarterback for his senior season.
10. Mustang - Lee Blankenship is now in charge, so don’t be surprised to see the Broncos climb the rankings as the season progresses.

**2018 state champion

Premier players

District 6AI-1
Broken Arrow
- Myles Slusher: The Oregon commit at cornerback picked off two passes in 2018, including the game-clincher against Jenks in the Class 6AI title game. Also had 68 tackles during his junior year last season.
- Andrew Raym: The state’s top college prospect has committed to Oklahoma after a stellar junior season. Will once again be a key focal point for the Tigers on offense in 2019.

Jenks
- Bo Estes: The 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver/tight end could become one of the state’s best pass catchers before the year is done.

Edmond Santa Fe
- Collin Oliver: The Wolves lost Trace Ford to graduation, but they filter in another star in the making after Oliver had 56 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks as a sophomore in 2018.

Norman
- Cade Horton: Rushed for 1,009 yards and 11 touchdowns and passed for 1,919 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.

Yukon
- Isaiah Butler: Rushed for 453 yards as a junior and figures to have a key role in the Millers’ rushing attack in 2019.

Westmoore
- Dayton Wolfe:  Enters his junior season after passing for 1,813 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Edmond Memorial
- Nate Williams: Returns for his senior season after rushing for 408 yards in 2018.

Enid
- Jadon Dimarucut: Recorded 85 tackles as a junior last season.

District 6A1-2
Owasso
- Duece Mayberry: Senior defensive is committed to Kansas after logging 27 tackles and three interceptions in 2018.
- Isaiah Jacobs: Brother of former McLain star Joshua Jacobs. Heading into his senior year after rushing for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Union
- Kyler Pearson: Kansas commit caught 58 passes for 551 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2018.
- Gabe Cantu: The Tulsa commit stands 6 feet, 4 inches and 300 pounds, and will be Union’s offensive line engineer at center this year.

Mustang
- Andre Dollar: Son of Mustang’s new defensive coordinator, Sam Dollar. Andre Dollar, a sophomore this season, is 6-4, 218 pounds and already holds offers from NC State, Liberty and Southern Miss.

Putnam City North
- Aaron Norment: Panthers’ offensive centerpiece is back at quarterback after rushing for 255 yards and four touchdowns, on top of passing for 2,201 yards and 21 touchdowns. And on his Hudl profile it says, “broke Sam Bradford’s single game passing record.” Not too shabby.

Moore
- Daniel Hishaw: Continued to impress as a junior last season with 776 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing, and he passed for 1,839 yards and 16 touchdowns. Has a commitment to Kansas currently.

Southmoore
- Jaedyn Scott: Dual-threat quarterback for the SaberCats ran for 870 yards and 12 touchdowns and threw for 653 yards and six scores in 2018.

Norman North
- Jake Roberts: 2019 could be the year of the tight end in 6AI. Roberts has committed to North Texas and has a 6-4, 235-pound frame.

Edmond North
- Colby Entwistle: Quarterback for the Huskies is back after throwing for 1,770 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018.

Our best guess(es)

Michael Swisher: Union -- Broken Arrow and Owasso have combined to take some of the luster off Jenks and Union the past couple of years. While Jenks has gone longer without a title, it’s Union that will reclaim supremacy for the duo this season.

Whitt Carter: Union -- After being the only person outside of the Broken Arrow locker room to pick the Tigers to win it all last preseason, I will take my bow and wait for the applause.
***Bows***
Thank you.
And they can certainly do it again this season, with many key players back. But I think Union returns to the top in 2019. The Redskins don’t have the big names that they normally do, but there is still talent everywhere and I think Coweta move-in JD Geneva is the difference at quarterback. He is in for a huge year and will lead the Redskins to the title in what should be an exciting race in 6A-1.

Ben Johnson: Union -- Yeah, boring, I know. But making it three-for-three as someone picking Union to win it all. J.D. Geneva was taking big strides at Coweta before he transferred, and I think he’ll be instrumental on Union’s march to a state championship.

NEW PODCAST: Football is back

8/22/2019 |  Ben Johnson

PODCAST: Time to tackle some public/private discussion

7/18/2019 |  Ben Johnson

We finally took the plunge and did a deep dive into the long-standing public schools vs. private schools debate in Oklahoma. Cashion head football coach (and athletic director) Lynn Shackelford (24:45) joined us to share his thoughts from the public side, and Bishop Kelley athletic director Lance Parks (46:24) offered up some insight from the private school side.

Regardless of which side you're on, both make great points. Both have valid arguments. 

Also, we talk about some recent football commitments, including Broken Arrow's Andrew Raym siding with the Sooners. The chat briefly about OSU's recruiting class after Bixby's Brennan Presley vowed his commitment to the Cowboys.

But perhaps most importantly, we talked food (5:46). Is there a place that we think is overrated? Underrated? FYI: We talked pizza!

Have your own thoughts on food or the public/private debate? Tweet us at @benjohnsontul or @michaelswisher. 

Or send us an email at ben@skordle.com & we'll answer any questions or read comments on the next podcast.

Thanks so much for listening!

Just in case, a few more options to listen to the podcast....

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BA's Andrew Raym commits to Oklahoma

7/9/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Andrew Raym is headed to Norman. Broken Arrow’s highly sought-after offensive lineman on Wednesday night committed to the Sooners on Twitter..

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Raym, a Rivals four-star prospect, held offers from just about every major program in the nation, including Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Baylor, Nebraska, Notre Dame and plenty more. But he essentially narrowed down his choices to Georgia, Oklahoma and Michigan with his tweet on Monday.

WNEKREN

Broken Arrow head coach David Alexander spoke glowingly of Raym when the Tigers played at the Skordle Showdown in Bixby in June.

“He’s a special talent,” Alexander said. “He’s as talented as anyone we have on the team, athleticism-wise. … Watching him grow and develop has been pretty special. But the best thing about Andrew is his attitude. He’s not interested in being the best right tackle at Broken Arrow; he’s just getting himself as good as he can be and focus on that.”

The offensive line unit, anchored by Raym, was key in Broken Arrow securing its first state championship in 2018. Raym also helped pave the way for an offense that featured a lot of Noah Cortes, who rushed for 1,958 yards and 35 touchdowns en route to becoming the Tigers’ all-time leading rusher.

The Tigers will open the 2019 season on Aug. 31 at Mansfield (Texas) High School.