Putnam City North Panthers

Oklahoma City, OK 73162

  • Volleyball
  • Wrestling
  • Football
  • Boys Basketball
  • Girls Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Slow Pitch
  • Fastpitch
  • Boys Soccer
  • Girls Soccer
    • 2024-2025 Football Schedule
    Record: 7-1 | Rank: 6
    vs ShawneeW35-3
    9/6
    vs Shawnee Missing Score
    @ Putnam CityL21-7
    9/13
    @ SouthmooreW21-43
    9/19
    vs Putnam City WestW49-0
    9/27
    @ Ponca CityW28-42
    10/4
    vs Capitol HillW70-0
    10/11
    @ BartlesvilleW0-23
    10/17
    @ SapulpaW3-7
    10/25
    vs Sand Springs 11/1
    7PM
    vs Muskogee 11/8
    7PM

    WEEK 6 Rankings

    |  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

    |  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



    WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR

    |  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

    |  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 PICKS

    |  Ben Johnson

    Here’s how things stand through Week 2 and 44 games picked by the Skordle fellas (and a few wives).

    Last week

    Michael Swisher: 11-2
    Whitt Carter: 8-5
    Ben Johnson: 11-2
    Alicia Johnson: 11-2
    Madison Carter: 9-4

    Overall

    Swisher: 37-7
    Whitt: 27-17
    Ben: 30-14
    Alicia: 29-15
    Madison: 25-19


    Holland Hall at Metro Christian

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

    Kingfisher at Bethany

    Michael Swisher: Bethany
    Whitt Carter: Bethany
    Ben Johnson: Bethany

    Kingston at Sperry

    Michael Swisher: Sperry
    Whitt Carter: Sperry
    Ben Johnson: Sperry

    Putnam City North at Choctaw

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

    Edison at Claremore

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

    Mustang at Westmoore

    Michael Swisher: Mustang
    Whitt Carter: Westmoore
    Ben Johnson: Mustang

    Elgin at Plainview

    Michael Swisher: Plainview
    Whitt Carter: Plainview
    Ben Johnson: Plainview

    Clinton at Lawton MacArthur

    Michael Swisher: Lawton Mac
    Whitt Carter: Lawton Mac
    Ben Johnson: Clinton

    Pawhuska at Morrison

    Michael Swisher: Pawhuska
    Whitt Carter: Pawhuska
    Ben Johnson: Pawhuska

    Ponca City at Collinsville

    Michael Swisher: Collinsville
    Whitt Carter: Collinsville
    Ben Johnson: Collinsville

    Chickasha at El Reno

    Michael Swisher: El Reno
    Whitt Carter: El Reno
    Ben Johnson: El Reno

    Oologah at Hilldale

    Michael Swisher: Oologah
    Whitt Carter: Oologah
    Ben Johnson: Oologah

    Checotah at Eufaula

    Michael Swisher: Checotah
    Whitt Carter: Eufaula
    Ben Johnson: Checotah

    Millwood at Cascia Hall

    Michael Swisher: Millwood
    Whitt Carter: Millwood
    Ben Johnson: Millwood

    Cashion at Crescent
    Michael Swisher: Cashion
    Whitt Carter: Cashion
    Ben Johnson: Cashion

    Hominy at Barnsdall
    Michael Swisher: Hominy
    Whitt Carter: Hominy
    Ben Johnson: Barnsdall


    WEEK 3 Rankings

    |  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 rankings

    |  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 RANKINGS

    |  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

    |  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

    |  Ben Johnson

    We're now a week away from real-life, actual football. (Well, games that actually count)

    This week we pay tribute to one of the state's best, Mr. Ray West, who passed away recent. Swisher shares several great stories about West and what he meant to a lot of people in this great state.


    Then we start our football previews, talking about Classes 6AI through 4A. We unveil our top 10 in each class and offer up some storylines along the way.

    Want to interact with the podcast? Tweet us at @michaelswisher & @benjohnsontul

    Or you can email the show at ben@skordle.com


    As always, thanks for listening!


    GALLERY: Putnam City North

    Skordle Showdown 7v7 |

    PODCAST: It's Skordle Showdown time!

    |  Ben Johnson

    FOOTBALL'S BACK!! Well, not really. But kind of.

    Skordle is hosting two different 7-on-7 football tournaments, all thanks to wonderful sponsors, Tulsa Tech and Charleston's.

    The guys break down both Showdowns, and chat about players to watch and what to keep an eye out for. And shoutout to the 7-on-7 event in Norman live streaming several of the matchups.

    Later in the episode, the OSSAA's Chris Wilfong joins the podcast to talk about his tremendous website - IWasAtTheGame.com ... if you've never checked it out, do it now. It has everything you'd ever want to know about high school sports in Oklahoma. 


    As always, thanks for listening. 

    And send us your feedback at @benjohnsontul or @michaelswisher

    STATE TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS!

    |  Ben Johnson

    No introduction needed. Here are the "expert" picks for state tournaments taking place this weekend. (Oh, and listen to the podcast while you're at it!)


    Class 6A

    Boys

    Ben Johnson - Edmond Memorial: There are so many players to love in this field -- Putnam City West’s Rondel Walker, Sapulpa’s Camryn Dennis, Putnam City North’s Micah Thomas, Booker T. Washington’s Bryce Thompson and so many more. But Shane Cowherd is bringing a team with talent across the board. There’s a reason the coaches in the state have the Bulldogs as the top-ranked team, so I’ll side with Cowherd and Co. over Booker T. Washington in the finals.

    Michael Swisher - Edmond Memorial: The Bulldogs snuck in after losing to Midwest City and squeaking by rival Santa Fe. They’ll play better this week and bring the trophy down south.

    Whitt Carter - Booker T Washington: This will be a fantastic tournament filled with teams that can win it. But I’ll take the Hornets, as they have the experience in big games and are hungry for a title. They had to watch Memorial win two in a row in Class 5A and this year their get one of their own. Another side note, BTW’s Seth Hurd is my favorite and the most underappreciated player in the state.

    Girls

    Ben - PC West: Reckless abandon is what the Patrios will play with this weekend, just like they’ve done all year. Not a ton of big-time scorers for PC West, but last year’s runner-up will hoist the gold ball this year.

    Michael - Putnam City West: No. 1 in Oklahoma. Nationally-ranked. Haven’t lost to a team from Oklahoma. Won’t this weekend, either.

    Whitt - Putnam City West: They were right there last year and had their title taken in the waning seconds by Owasso. All they’ve done this year is go 23-1 with a loss to Skyline, TX and dominate the teams inside the state of Oklahoma. Their relentless style of play and approach will be the difference, as they finish on Saturday this time and cut down the nets.

    Class 5A

    Boys

    Ben - Memorial: Boone twins. It’s that simple. The Chargers have been a dynamo in 5A with two straight titles and now going for a third. Northwest Classen is good, but can Davion Warden and Co. make it to the title game and then take down the Chargers? I don’t see it.

    Michael - Memorial: Lenny Hatchett has Del City playing so well, but I can’t pick against Memorial. Neither should you.

    Whitt - Memorial: Let’s all be honest, this is the easiest pick from any of the classes. Bobby Allison and gang are just on another level. The Boone twins will, once again, wow the crowds at the Mabee Center with their athleticism and impact on both ends of the floor. The Chargers get another one, sending Kalib and Keylan out with a bang.

    Girls

    Ben - Piedmont: Per usual, the 5A girls field is pretty much anyone’s for the taking. Rogers is dangerous, but then so is El Reno with Ashlyn Evans-Thompson leading the charge. Coweta is young but talented, and East Central is always a threat. But for this year, I’ll go with the Wildcats, led by Delanie Crawford (14.8 points a game) and Maci Attalla (13.6).

    Michael - Piedmont: El Reno beating Ardmore at area put the bracket in a funk as it appears loaded at the bottom. Coach Carr’s team will emerge from that and then claim gold on Saturday.

    Whitt - Ardmore: They suffered a surprising and tough loss to El Reno at the area tournament last week, but I think that may work to the Lady Tigers advantage by waking them up. This team rolled through the first part of the season, losing their first game in late January. Ardmore cuts down the nets and gets its’ third gold ball.


    Class 4A

    Boys

    Ben - Kingfisher: Some unbelievable talent in this field -- Broken Bow’s Josh Jones (20.4 points per game), Central’s B.J. Jefferson (16), Elgin’s Conner Slater (16.3), Kingfisher’s Trey Green (17) and Heritage Hall’s Trey Alexander (24.8). And what’s scary is a lot of these teams will return a lot of talent next season. But for now, I’m zeroing in on a Kingfisher-Heritage Hall title game for a second straight year. This time the gold ball goes to Jett Sternberger, Matt Stone, Bijan Cortes and Co.

    Michael - Kingfisher: I live in Kingfisher. I have to pay my bills. I have to pick the Yellowjacket. Oh, and they’re really, really good. And hungry. If they get by dangerous Elgin in the quarters, look out.

    Whitt - Kingfisher: The class that everyone is excited for will take center stage at the Fairgrounds for all three days. Heritage Hall beat the Yellowjackets in the title game last year and are 26-0 this year. But the star-studded Kingfisher remembers that loss last March and will want revenge. They get it and send out their seniors with a second gold ball.

    Girls

    Ben - Anadarko: Top half of the bracket -- Holland Hall, Muldrow, Elgin and Classen SAS -- is STACKED. Again, STACKED. That’s part of the reason I went with Anadarko. The Warriors still have their work cut out for them, but I’m rolling the dice with Kaylee Borden (12 points a game), Averi Zinn and the rest of the Anadarko team to win its third gold ball.

    Michael - Muldrow: Coaches tell me Classen SAS is as talented as they’ve seen in 4A in a while. And they’re young as they start three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior. That said, I’m going with Muldrow. Taylen Collins can match up with Littlepage-Buggs and Hannah Boyett can handle the pressure. And that’s just a semifinal. Don’t overlook Anadarko, either (it appears I am).

    Whitt - Anadarko: A fairly wide open class, there are a handful of teams I could see winning it. I’ll go with the tradition-rich Anadarko, who beat one of the favorites, Classen, last Friday in the area finals. When the Lady Warriors get the press up and running, you better handle the pressure or things can unravel quickly.

    Class 3A

    Boys

    Ben - Millwood: Kingston’s Jacob Germany is as good as it gets in this field, but I’ll side with the athleticism of the Falcons here. Give me Justin Wilson and Isaiah Williams and the rest of the Falcons.

    Michael - Here’s hoping for a Kingston-Millwood final (all apologies to you other six). I’ve got personal ties to Millwood, so the fan in me is pulling for the Falcons all the way. The business side in me says Kingston won’t be denied.

    Whitt - Millwood: I’ll take the Falcons to win the gold ball here. Several really good teams that you can pick here, including Kingston or Sequoyah on the other side. Ultimately, I think Millwood gets the winner of that eventual semifinal and beats them. Millwood has not lost inside the class this year and that won’t change this weekend.

    Girls

    Ben - Christian Heritage: Up from 2A, the Crusaders are still loaded. Tahlequah Sequoyah is probably the favorite, but I’ll side with Olivia Curtis and Rylee Langerman.

    Michael - Sequoyah-Tahlequah: CHA has won the last two 2A crowns and is a sleeper, but this isn’t 2A and the Lady Crusaders aren’t as deep as they have been. Larry Callison rides into the sunset with another state championship.

    Whitt - Christian Heritage: Another class with some big time teams, but I’ll take CHA to win another title as it took the jump up a class this season. They know how to win and ultimately get past Sequoyah in what would be an awesome semifinal. Side note, I am really picking my alma mater, the Sulphur Lady Bulldogs - in Toby Todd we trust.

    Class 2A

    Boys

    Ben - Hennessey: Total guess here, so I’m siding with Hennessey, who -- along with Hooker -- has only lost twice this season.

    Michael - Hooker: This is the most wide-open bracket in OKC, in my opinion. Any number of teams can win…and also get beat Thursday. Hooker is one of them.

    Whitt - Dale: They are coming off a big win over Hooker last week to punch their ticket to the state tourney. They have played well inside the class this year, going 12-2, only losing to Cashion a month ago and Rock Creek back in January.

    Girls

    Ben - Dale: I’m programmed to believe that Dale wins everything when its in any state tournament field. Pirates win again.

    Michael - Howe: No Cashion and no CHA this year, which have been Howe’s kryptonite the last three years. Dale is in the way, but Jalei Oglesby caps her stellar career with the gold ball.

    Whitt - Latta: I’ll go with what many would consider a sleeper pick here, but give me the Lady Panthers. They are a long team and present a bunch of problems defensively. They will have to get past top-ranked Dale in the semis and it would be the rubbermatch between the two.

    PODCAST: More basketball on tap this week

    |  Ben Johnson

    Made a big podcast addition this week. Ben & Swisher are joined by the Oklahoman's Jacob Unruh.

    Jacob & Swisher recap the highlights and the championship moments from the Class A & Class B state tournaments.

    Then the guys break down the state tournaments from 2A through 6A. And of course, PREDICTIONS! (Most sure to go wrong, in Ben's case).



    Have feedback for the show? Tweet at us - @michaelswisher or @benjohnsontul | Or email us at ben@skordle.com

    And as always, thanks for listening!

    STATE TOURNAMENT WRESTLING: Weight by weight predictions

    |  Ben Johnson

    State tournament wrestling is back. It's the weekend that every high school wrestler circles on the calendar. Now time to make predictions for every single weight class inside Jim Norick Arena.

    Class 6A

    Brackets posted here
    106: Cruz Aguilar (Edmond Memorial): Spent his freshman season at Heritage Hall, where he finished second at 106 in 2017. Almost went with Owasso’s Jared Campbell or Sand Springs’ Brendon Wiseley, but opted for a Bulldog to win a title for the first time since Johny Hendricks in 2002.
     
    113: Tucker Owens (Mustang): Finished second as a freshman last season at 113. A title for Owens would be the first for the Broncos since 2005 -- and only the second since 1999.
     
    120: Zach Blankenship (Bixby): Has burst onto the scene as a freshman for the Spartans this season. Blankenship’s only loss of the season was to Sand Springs’ Seth Jones, when Bixby bumped Blankenship up a weight class for a regular-season dual. Blankenship is 27-0 at 120 pounds this season, including a dominant run through last week’s regional in Jenks. Nic Roller (220 pounds in 2016) won Bixby’s last state championship, but before him was Shane Roller in 1998.
     
    126: Carter Young (Stillwater): Upended Yukon’s Studd Morris for the 106 crown in 6A last season. But he did it at Sand Springs. Now at 126, Young has potential obstacles in his way, like Broken Arrow’s Blazik Perez (27-9) and Bartlesville’s Laif Jones (last year’s 6A champion at 120). Should mention, Stillwater also has gone two years without a state champion. Young could bring that to a halt.
     
    132: Reece Witcraft (Broken Arrow): Went from second at 126 with Coweta in 2017 to state champion last year with Broken Arrow at 126. Witcraft, ranked fifth in the nation on InterMat, pinned Choctaw’s Colt Newton in the finals last year, and this year it could be a semifinals matchup. The two didn’t clash at dual state, so a semifinal showdown would be the first in a year. The 132 field is loaded, for sure. Edmond Memorial’s Jackson Oplotnik (20-5), Mustang’s Keegan Luton (33-10) and Owasso’s Zeke Washington (34-4 and 6A’s runner-up at 120 last season) all share space on the top half of the bracket. Witcraft has been hobbled by a bum ankle, but he beat Washington 7-2 in the regional finals so there’s little doubt he’ll be ready to go in Oklahoma City.
     
    138: Peter Rolle (Edmond Memorial): There was some personal anguish in making a selection here. So many qualified wrestlers in this field that it was hard to pick who might finish above the fray. Ultimately, sided with Rolle, because why not? The Edmond Memorial senior is 30-5, and he’s got Deer Creek’s Parker Wright (32-8) and Broken Arrow’s Blake Gonzalez (21-7) on his side of the bracket. Then there’s Mustang’s Cameron Picklo (41-3) and Ponca City’s Spencer Schrickram (39-2) on the bottom half of the bracket. This weight will be a gauntlet to get through.
     
    145: Gabe Johnson (Choctaw): Went from not placing as a freshman at 106 in 2017 to a runner-up spot at 132 last season for the Yellowjackets. Lost in last year’s finals to Ponca City’s Dylan Schickram, 7-3. And another tough field awaits Johnson, including Edmond North’s Jaxon Randall (24-11) on Johnson’s half of the bracket. Then there’s Deer Creek’s Micah Lugafet (21-3), Enid’s Chance Davis (21-5) and Ja’len Hernandez (35-5) in the bottom half of the bracket. Would be Choctaw’s first championship at 145 since Jaryn Curry in 2016.
     
    152: Drake Vannoy (Jenks): This one was tough to pick. Sand Springs’ Scott Patton beat Vannoy for last week’s regional crown, but Vannoy was last year’s champion at 152. A championship for Vannoy would be Jenks’ first back-to-back champion since Justin DeAngelis won in 2008 through 2010.
     
    160: Tate Picklo (Mustang): Went 35-4 as a freshman en route to a second-place showing at 145 last year in 6A. Now Picklo is 40-0 and ranked 11th in the country at 160. Putnam City’s Rene Martinez might be Picklo’s biggest challenge in the field, and Picklo beat Martinez in an 18-6 major decision to win last week’s regional crown.
     
    170: Zane Coleman (Choctaw): Ranked sixth in the nation and looking to join the four-timers club. After two suspenseful championships during his freshman and sophomore years, Coleman cruised to last year’s title at 170 by pinning Broken Arrow’s Bryce Mattioda in the first period. Coleman, an Arizona State signee, enters his final state tournament with a record of 145-8 -- and only two losses in the last two seasons. Coleman’s only loss this year was in the 170 finals of the Geary Tournament, when he lost to Blair Academy’s Peyton Craft.
     
    182: JT Stambeck (Norman North): Narrowly missed out on the 170 finals last season after enduring a 3-2 loss to Mattioda. Enters this year’s state tournament at 29-1. Would be the Timberwolves’ first state champion since Levi Berry (160) in 2013.
     
    195: Carson Savage (Deer Creek): Entered last year’s state tournament as the No. 4 seed out of the West at 182. This season, Savage is 35-2 and the top seed from out west. He’ll have to contend with a deep field, though. Broken Arrow’s Gavin Potter (last year’s champion at 195), Sand Springs’ Kaden Glass (31-9), Union’s Elijah Tomlin (36-7) and Mustang’s Judson Rowland are all contenders. Took Savage over Potter after Savage picked up a 9-2 win over Potter at dual state a couple of weeks ago.
     
    220: Zach Marcheselli (Broken Arrow): Another wrestler in 6A aiming to be a member of the four-timers club. Marcheselli, ranked ninth in the country, has been on cruise control for most of the season. After guiding the Tigers to their first football championship, Marcheselli, a Texas Christian University signee for football, could add to his collection of hardware in a 220 field that could end up seeing a rematch of the east regional last weekend. Marcheselli knocked off Edmond North’s Jake McCoy 8-2 for the regional crown, and both appear to be on a collision course for the finals in Oklahoma City.


     
    285: Noah Cortes (Broken Arrow): Jenks’ Caleb Orr beat Cortes for the regional crown last week, but it was a 3-2 decision in an ultimate tiebreaker. This could go any direction, including Choctaw’s Marquan Journey (33-6) and Yukon’s Ashton Aldridge (32-7) vying for the title. Last year, Cortes didn’t even make it out of the pigtail round of the state tournament.
     
     

    Class 5A

    Brackets posted here
    106: Cameron Steed (Collinsville): Should come as no surprise that Collinsville has yet more freshmen contending for championships at the lower weights. This year it’s Steed and Jordan Williams (below) as favorites in their respective fields. Steed tech-falled Coweta’s Brody Gee, 16-1, in the regional finals and don’t see any reason to think he won’t do the same to anyone he comes across in Oklahoma City.
     
    113: Jordan Williams (Collinsville): Previously ranked sixth in the nation at 106 pounds, Williams has been unbeatable at both 106 and 113 this season. And this is a weight Collinsville has controlled for several years in recent memory with four championships since 2013 -- Davion Jeffries (2013), Christian Moody (2014), Caleb Tanner (2017) and Rocky Stephens (2018).
     
    120: Rocky Stephens (Collinsville): Turned a third-place finish as a freshman into a state championship last year at 113 pounds. Could be stream-rolling straight ahead to a solid showdown in the finals between Stephens and Carl Albert’s Jayston Cato (33-2).
     
    126: Josh Taylor (Skiatook): Surprising turn of events at the east regional last week with Collinsville freshman Jordan Cullors knocking off Taylor, 2-1. But that loss for Taylor puts him on the top half of the bracket, and he avoids Tahlequah’s Jakob Lyons, who has routinely wrestled Taylor tough these past two seasons. Don’t be surprised if it’s a Taylor-Cullors rematch -- but this time for a state championship.
     
    132: Caleb Tanner (Collinsville): Last year’s champ at 126, Tanner could put himself in position for a special senior year if he wins this year’s state championship at 132. It would be Tanner’s third state championship, and he would be a season away from joining Gary Wayne Harding and Will Steltzlen -- who both became four-time state champions at the 2014 5A state tournament.
     
    138: Kobi Gomez (Altus): Someone other than a Collinsville wrestler will win a state championship in Oklahoma City this weekend. It just won’t feel much like it through the first handful of weights. Collinsville’s Connor Henson certainly has a shot at claiming the 138 crown, but I’m going with the reigning state champion here to win his second title. Could pave the way for two more special years for Gomez.
     
    145: Gage Hight (Glenpool): It’s now or never for Hight. He’s knocked on the doorstep twice, but in back-to-back state tournaments he’s had to settle for second place. Last year, Coweta’s Ricky Turner who upended Hight, 3-2, in the finals after Hight had won the reginal matchup between the two. Durant’s Cody Hicks (32-3) and El Reno’s Jacob Catagas (22-3) are lurking, but surely it’s going to be Hight’s year.
     
    152: Cougar Anderson (Skiatook): If the Bulldogs are going to challenge Collinsville for the team title, Anderson winning at 152 could be key. Anderson, a sophomore, is 35-0, and he’s on the same side of the bracket as El Reno’s Cole Thomas (28-3). Anderson was dominant last year en route to his first title, and expect him to be ready to roll in Oklahoma City.
     
    160: Hunter Jump (Duncan): After second-place finishes as a freshman and sophomore at Lawton MacArthur, Jump picked up a title for the Highlanders last season at 160, and he did so in convincing fashion. Now at Duncan, Jump will enter a stout field that includes Skiatook’s Richie Lee (37-1) and El Reno’s Kord LaFoe (24-5). A title for Jump would be Duncan’s first since 2011 (Markwae Sanders and Justin Hughes).
     
    170: Christian Maldonado (Lawton Mac): This is a wide open field. Maldonado was second to Coweta’s Talon Borror last season, and Maldonado is a week removed from knocking off Piedmont’s Braden Culp, 7-4. But Culp is more than capable to make a run at a championship. Same goes for Skiatook’s Hunter Hall. This is about as wide open as it gets.
     
    182: Talon Borror (Coweta): In 2016, Lawton MacArthur’s Nick Mahan beat Borror in the 160 quarterfinals. Since then, Borror hasn’t lost inside Norick Arena. Borror stormed to titles in 2017 and 2018. He’s 35-2 and looking for a third title to cap his high school career. Standing in his way could be Lawton Ike’s Muhammad A Al Zeragi (23-1) and Piedmont’s Austin Cooley (28-2).
     
    195: Cabe Dickerson (Altus): It was Piedmont’s Will Heindselman that knocked off Dickerson, 8-7, in an ultimate tiebreaker in last year’s state finals. It was a crushing end to Dickerson’s sophomore season, and then he followed it up with an elbow injury that’s limited him to 12 matches this season. But if Dickerson is a full strength, the 195 crown should be his to lose.
     
    220: Korbin McLaughlin (Skiatook): This is could make things interesting late into the state tournament. If Skiatook is coming down to the wire against Collinsville or Piedmont for the team crown, the Bulldogs will need McLaughlin to pick up as many points as possible. McLaughlin has posted two fourth-place finishes, but if he captures a championship it could propel Skiatook to a title.
     
    285: Josh Heindselman (Piedmont): It was a Heindselman party at last year’s state tournament with Josh (220) and Will (195) both capturing gold. Now Josh will aim for Piedmont’s second-ever title at heavyweight, despite being possibly the smallest guy in the field. Lawton Mac’s Montana Phillips is a two-time state champion, and he’ll be out for some revenge after getting pinned at 2:15 by Heindselman at last week’s regional tournament.
     
     

    Class 4A

    Brackets posted here
    106: Eli Griffin (Cascia Hall): Ranked 15th in the country, Griffin is aiming for his second championship in as many years. In order for the sophomore to do so, he’ll have to navigate a field that looks a lot like it did in 2018. Returning as qualifiers at 106 are Tuttle’s Ashton Grounds (35-8) and Cushing’s Luke Ahrberg (31-3) -- and they share space in the top half of the bracket. One way or another, the finals in 106 will be extremely entertaining.
     
    113: Garrett Steidley (Tuttle): After grabbing his first title as a sophomore last season, Steidley is a heavy favorite at 113. Steidley rolled through regionals last week, but he enters a field with some solid contenders from the east -- Sallisaw’s Kaleb Harris (25-6) and Mannford’s Wade Landrum (28-8).


     
    120: Reese Davis (Tuttle): With some big wins under his belt as a freshman, perhaps none were bigger than his rally at dual state against Wagoner in the finals to keep the Tigers’ unbeaten streak intact throughout the entire weekend. That win was against Wagoner’s Braden Drake, and Davis breezed past Harrah’s Breaden Williams in the regional semifinals. Then he did the same against Heritage Hall’s Cole Allen in the regional finals. Davis could be hitting his stride at the right time as a freshman.
     
    126: Thaddeus Long (McLain): This time there’s no Ryder Ramsey in Long’s way. Long was second to Ramsey at 126 last season, and before that he finished third at 106 for Union in 2017. If Long captures a title for the Titans, it would be the school’s first since Greg Hawkins won at 178 in 1977.
     
    132: Ryder Ramsey (Tuttle): Picking up his first title as a sophomore last season, Ramsey entered the state tournament 36-9. Now he heads to Oklahoma City at 43-3 and another key cog in Tuttle’s deep lineup.
     
    138: Val Park (Heritage Hall): Since 2012, the Chargers have produced 17 state champions, including Kaden Gfeller’s four-year run from 2014 to 2017. And while he might not join the four-timers club, Val Park has been a staple of consistency for Heritage Hall at the lower weights since teaming with Gfeller during his senior season in 2017. Park will be after his third title in as many years, winning previously at 113 (2017) and 132 (last season).
     
    145: Brady DeArmond (Tuttle): Despite Tuttle being so utterly dominant across the board in 4A for quite some time now, last season’s state tournament felt a little off with Tuttle only claiming three state titles. And DeArmond was one that settled for third place after losing to Heritage Hall’s Carson West in the 145 semifinals. DeArmond enters a field that could pose some challenges, including Fort Gibson’s Cade Waltman, but DeArmond appears poised to snare his first title during his junior season.
     
    152: Luke Surber (Tuttle): Elgin’s Jacob Butler dashed any hopes that Surber had of becoming a four-time state champion with a sudden victory win against Surber in last year’s 138 finals. Since then, Surber has been nearly unbeatable on the mat for the Tigers, including tournament titles at the MidCals in Gilroy, California, and an individual championship at the Geary Tournament in January. There are some quality wrestlers at 152 -- Cache’s Duncan Shafer (30-2), Bristow’s Anthony Bigpond (20-5), Catoosa’s Abel Perez (41-6) -- but good luck trying to knock off Surber this year.
     
    160: Jacob Ahrberg (Cushing): It was a fourth-place finish for Ahrberg last year at 145, a year after not placing at 126. Now Ahrberg arrives in Oklahoma City at 23-0, fresh off a dominant run at the east regional in Catoosa. Madill’s Colt Crowson (26-5) could pose a significant threat to Ahrberg in the bottom half of the bracket, and then there’s Tuttle freshman Harley Andrews lurking in the top half. Also, a little surprising but a Cushing wrestler hasn’t won a title since 2014 (Gage Stallworth).
     
    170: Dustin Plott (Tuttle): There might not be a better wrestler in the state right now than Plott, ranked third nationally and who has gone 88-1 over the course of his sophomore season and his current junior campaign. The lone loss was a 6-5 decision to Blair Academy’s Julian Ramirez in the Geary Tournament finals this January. Plott went fall-fall-major decision to win last year’s title at 160, so don’t be surprised this year with tech fall-fall-fall (or something impressive like that).
     
    182: Gage Hockett (Cushing): There’s been a natural progression each year Hockett has been in the state tournament. As a freshman, he was third at 160 in 2017, and last season he finished second with a loss to Plott in the 160 finals in 4A. This season he returns to Norick Arena at 29-0 after taking down Cleveland’s Tyler Johnson (18-8) with an 8-5 decision in the regional finals. The winner between Anadarko’s John Mark Holton (29-6) and Oologah’s Landon Brown (30-6) could pose a threat to Hockett in the semifinals on Friday, though.
     
    195: Carson Berryhill (Tuttle): A state champion as a sophomore in 2017, Berryhill lost to Heritage Hall’s Colton Denney in the 170 finals last season. But Berryhill bounced back in the fall by quarterbacking the Tigers to the 4A title, and now he sports a 37-1 mark (only loss to Mustang’s Judson Rowland at the Geary Tournament), heading into the state tournament. Berryhill has even worked his way up to 11th in the nation at 195. In Berryhill’s crosshairs in Oklahoma City could possibly be Poteau’s Nate Ulmer (32-1) and Cushing Eriq Simpson (34-2).
     
    220: Luke Fortney (Bristow): Now a junior, the best Fortney has done at the state tournament was fourth at 195 last season. Now he’s 25-0 and coming off a solid weekend at regionals. He’s steamrolled his way to titles at the Chuck West Invitational and the Cushing tournament, and if Fortney can with a title he’d be Bristow’s first since 2007 (Kale Biggs at 160).
     
    285: Griffon Williams (Madill): Guaranteed to not have a Tuttle winner here. It’s the one weight the Tigers didn’t qualify at. It’s a pretty balanced field that includes Wagoner’s Jaydn Marshall (31-12), Bristow’s Steven Marlow (23-7) and Blanchard’s Ryder Wiese (31-6). But this could be the year Madill wins its first individual title since 2003, when Brent Parkey picked up his third title in as many years.
     
     

    Class 3A

    Brackets posted here
    106: Gabe Valencia (Perry): Finished fourth last year in his first crack at the state tournament. Now a junior, Valencia drops down a weight class and enters the final weekend at 44-6. At dual state, Valencia beat Marlow’s Case Rich, but the Outlaws will send Tyler Lawson (38-6) into the mix for a possible showdown against Valencia in the finals.
     
    113: Ryan Smith (Perry): There’s a lot of quality depth at this weight, but none more superlative than Smith (43-2), last year’s champion at 106. Bridge Creek’s Kaden Smith (37-8) and Locust Grove’s Hunter Fitzpatrick (24-5) could make for tough semifinals draws, but Smith could be on a collusion course with Walters’ Remington White, the program’s only wrestler and a 2017 state champion. White to Plainview’s Jaxson Roney in the 113 finals, and it could be Smith standing in the way of only the second wrestling championship at Walters.
     
    120: Alex Prince (Vinita): It was Perry’s Logan Smith -- the weight’s top seed from the east -- who pinned Prince in the final two seconds of their semifinal class at Perry last week. That leaves Prince (40-7) with a tough draw of Hinton’s Brian Pastrana (27-3) in the quarterfinals and possibly Smith (24-11) in the semifinals. If he advances beyond that, Checotah’s Luke Collett (28-6) or Newkirk’s Dayton Cary could be waiting in the finals. That’s quite a load for Prince in his junior season.
     
    126: Kolton Smith (Bridge Creek): Two years in a row, Smith has watched while a Perry wrestler stood atop the podium. In 2017, Smith lost 7-4 to Perry’s Cale Betchan at 120, and last season Smith was on the wrong end of a 4-2 decision against Perry’s Cade Nicholas. And now, Smith enters as the top seed from the west after beating Marlow’s Anthony Orum (31-4) in the west finals. If a Bridge Creek wrestler wins a title this season, it would be the school’s first.
     
    132: Dylan Avery (Perry): Now a junior, Perry will be after his second title in as many years. The field is deep at 132, though, with the likes of Sulphur’s Kolbe Madron (36-8), Marlow’s Jordan Taylor (42-5), Pawnee’s Wesley Scott (35-2) and Morris’ Kolby Adams (31-6).
     
    138: Price Perrier (Pawhuska): Mike Perrier won a state championship at 136 in 1990. That’s Price’s father. Dax Perrior won a state championship at 160 in 2010. That’s Price’s brother. Price could be carrying on a family legacy with a title. But the field is a deep one. Plenty of candidates could snag the 138 crown -- Perkins-Tryon’s Ayron Lawson (30-7), Marlow’s Kobey Kizarr (43-4), Kingfisher’s Stone Snodgrass (29-8) and Salina’s Austin Wilkins (20-8).
     
    145: Kolby DePron (Bridge Creek): Like his teammate, Kolton Smtih, DePron watched as a Perry wrestler celebrated a championship last year. As a freshman, DePron logged a second-place showing at 132. Now he’s the favorite at 145, despite plenty of qualified candidates -- Morris’ Ryan Allred (30-7), Geary’s Landon Holt (31-5) and Salina’s Brier Smith (46-3).
     
    152: Hadyn Redus (Perry): A title would be Redus’ second in as many years. Redus pinned Little Axe’s Alec McDoulett in the third period of last year’s 138 finals, and sure enough, McDoulett is back in the same state tournament field as Redus again. Mangum’s Daelin Stacy (24-7), Pawnee’s Blake Skidgel and Comanche’s Gage Miller (33-5) all pose serious threats, too.
     
    160: Cade Shrosphire (Checotah): The only state champion in the history of Checotah Public Schools will go for his second straight title as a senior now. This time the field is a tad deeper. Barnsdall’s Joe Smith (31-3) is on the top half of the bracket with Shrosphire, and Marlow’s Tyler Lavey (38-3) occupies the bottom half. And Shrosphire narrowly edged past Lavey in the regional finals, 3-2.
     
    170: Bryce Carter (Sperry): The returning champion at this spot is Comanche’s Cade Cook (35-4), and he’s back as the top seed out of the west for his junior year. He could pair up with Jay’s Zach Coy (46-1) in the semifinals, and that could end up being a coin toss -- which is basically was when Cook beat Coy, 2-1, in last year’s quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Carter is up from 160 at this time last year, and he enters the state field at 33-2. And much like Tuttle’s Carson Berryhill, he’s going for the one-two punch of football-and-wrestling championships. And never count out Perry’s Jace Burdick (34-13), who finished second to Cook in last year’s 170 finals.
     
    182: River Simon (Vian): Only two wrestlers have ever won state championships at Vian, and one just so happens to be Simon (2017 at 170; the other is Landon Decker in 2012). Simon, an Army signee, missed last year’s state tournament due to various injuries, and he hasn’t wrestled a full schedule to this point (only 22-1). But when he’s on the mat, he’s tough to beat. Sulphur’s Trey Kiser (36-7) is on the bottom half of the bracket, and he gets Vinita’s Zach Wattenbarger (43-3) in the quarterfinals. Then there’s Perry’s Kohl Owen (37-10), last year’s champion at 182.
     
    195: Drake Barbee (Blackwell): What a story Barbee is. Endured a horrifying car accident two years ago, and now he’s back in the state tournament field as the top seed from the east. Barbee is 34-4 and he finished second at 182 at his last state tournament in 2017 -- when he wrestled for Stilwell. Already signed to wrestle at Arkansas-Little Rock in college, Barbee motored through the regional field, including a win by fall over Tonkawa’s Simeon Shepherd in the third period. The 195 field also features Little Axe’s Caeden Guthary (30-5), Hinton’s Denver Dahlenburg (29-3) and Perry’s Brandon Speikers (44-8).
     
    220: Konner Doucet (Comanche): Already halfway to the four-timers club, Doucet, for the first time, enters the state tournament unbeaten in a season. He is 37-0 cruised through the regional tournament last weekend. Last year, he knocked off Sperry’s A.J. McEntire in the finals, 4-2, and as a freshman he was pegged as the 195 champion when Sulphur’s Dan Baker was disqualified in a controversial ending in extra time. Now Doucet is ranked sixth nationally at 220. Some of the others at 220 include Vinita’s Brodie Miller (39-6), Vian’s Cruz Partain (34-2) and Berryhill’s Nico Lopez.
     
    285: Cooper Webb (Davis): Looking for his second straight title, Webb is 29-1 this season. He’ll have his work cut out for him against the likes of Geary’s Chase Merkey (33-3), Perry’s Teaguan Wilson (30-6) and Locust Grove’s Dalton Shatto (26-1). In fact, it was Webb who beat Shatto, 9-5, in last year’s heavyweight finals. Fun fact: Cooper’s brother, Conner Webb, won three titles for Davis from 2015 to 2017, and Cooper could still tie him with a championship this year and next.

    **Photos courtesy of Austin Bernard/Owrestle.com
     

    Have your own predictions or have feedback? Email me at ben@skordle.com




    Class 6AI playoff preview

    |  Ben Johnson


    Players to watch

    - Noah Cortes (Broken Arrow): Now the all-time leading rusher in Broken Arrow history, the senor tailback has been on cruise control for the Tigers this season. Cortes has racked up 1,331 yards and 26 touchdowns and often times not even playing in the final 10-15 minutes of game time.
    - Ian Corwin (Jenks): The orchestrator of the Trojans' offense has completed 126 of 203 passing attempt this season. He's tossed for 2,042 yards and 17 touchdowns.
    - Trace Ford (Edmond Santa Fe): The standout defensive end has mixed in some offensive exposure this season. The Oklahoma State commit has caught 18 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, he's collected 38 tackles and three sacks.
    - Daniel Hishaw (Moore): Junior quarterback has completed 107 of 190 passes for 1,820 yards and 16 touchdowns.
    - Aaron Norment (Putnam City North): While leading PC North to an 8-2 season, the junior quarterback has thrown for 20 touchdowns and 1,949 yards.
    - Darius Boone (Union): Closing in on 1,000 yards this season with 973 heading into the playoffs. 

    Don't overlook... Jenks

    The senior leadership of Ian Corwin at quarterback is not to be ignored. He directs an offense that also features Noah Hernandez and Dreyson Watters. And the only setback for the Trojans this season was a week four, 28-13, loss to Broken Arrow.

    Favorite (potential) matchup - Jenks vs. Union

    Don't be surprised if it's the second edition of the Backyard Bowl at Tulsa' Chapman Stadium. Corwin threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns to lead Jenks to a 27-10 win over Union back in September. It was Union that made the finals last year, but Owasso broke through to break the 20-plus-year mutiny on titles on the state's top classification. The winner here figures to get Broken Arrow for the gold ball. 

    Coaching candor

    How do other high school coaches see the 6AI postseason playing out? We asked and they made their predictions (after being granted anonymity, of course). 
    "Broken Arrow has all the ingredients on offense and defense to win in any situation."

    Prediction time

    Michael Swisher: Broken Arrow over Jenks - I’m not expecting a ton of surprises in this class this season, other than the gargantuan fact Broken Arrow will be a football state champion. It’s been the perfect storm. Broken Arrow is pretty danged solid and Jenks and Union aren’t quite up to normal standards and the west….oh, nevermind. Anyway, time for a parade in BA. I’m sure Ben Johnson will be right in the middle of it, crying like a teenage girl at a Bieber concert (is that still a thing?).
    Ben Johnson: Jenks over Broken Arrow - Look, I graduated from Broken Arrow. I endured a state championship beatdown from Union during my senior year. Since then, it's been a parade of Union and Jenks continuing to add gold balls to their trophy cases. And honestly, I think Broken Arrow will be the 6AI champion this season. But I've operated under the mindset, "I can't pick it until I see it." So, here's me picking Jenks over Broken Arrow. It's not like Broken Arrow blew out Jenks the first time around this season, and I guarantee Jenks would have a puncher's chance in the finals. Plus, having Ian Corwin would help tremendously.
    Whitt Carter: Broken Arrow over Jenks - Jenks has been very good under first year coach Keith Riggs. Quarterback Ian Corwin has been as good as anyone in the class this year and the Trojans have two big-time weapons in Noah Hernandez and Dreyson Watters out of the backfield. But make no bones about it, this Broken Arrow team is next level. Led by Noah Cortes, Andrew Raym, Zach Marcheselli, Gavin Potter and many others, Broken Arrow ran through a brutal first four games with ease. The Tigers took care of Jenks in the final game of that stretch, winning 28-13 in a game that didn't even seem that close. There are D-1 players everywhere for Broken Arrow and its' dominance on both sides of the ball is just too much. The best team in school history finally brings home a gold ball.

    Week 10: Top 10 games

    |  Ben Johnson

    The playoffs are here! Well, not quite but for some teams it will feel that way. Some teams are playing to extend their seasons while some are playing to better position themselves for long postseason runs. Week 10 is always a whirlwind, so buckle up and hold on!

    Here's what's on tap:

    1. 6AII No. 1 Stillwater (9-0) at 6AII No. 4 Del City (7-2): It has been a day or two since Stillwater last laid claim to a district championship. Since 1995 to be exact. Pioneers can clinch the District 6AII-1 title with a win. A Del City victory (plus a Midwest City win over PC West) creates a three-way tie at the top of the district with district points deciding the champion. Stillwater is 2-0 against Del City, but they haven't played since 2007.

    2. 5A No. 1 Carl Albert at 5A No. 4 Bishop McGuinness (8-1): If these two are squaring off, there's always something significant on the line. Last season it was the Class 5A championship. This time, it's for 5A-2 supremacy. The winner claims the district crown. For Carl Albert, it would two years in a row. For the Irish, it would be the third district title in four years.

    3. A No. 2 Cashion (9-0) at A No. 3 Minco (8-1): Take the Stillwater-Del City playoff scenario and apply it here. Cashion wins the District A-3 title with a win. A victory for Minco creates a logjam atop the district with Crossings Christian off for the way and cemented at 7-1 in the district. A Cashion win also moves Minco to third. 

    4. 2A No. 2 Sperry (9-0) at 2A No. 4 Beggs (8-1): It's been 77 years -- SEVENTY. SEVEN. -- since Sperry was 9-0. The Pirates have won a district title more recently than that (1992), but it's still been a long time for that, too. Beggs, on the other hand, is coming off a runner-up finish in Class 3A, so this is familiar territory for the Demons. The winner here claims the District 2A-3 title, and the loser finishes second. The quarterback matchup -- Sperry's Beau Tell against Beggs' Dalton Spring -- should be a good one, too.

    5. 3A No. 3 John Marshall (8-1) at 3A No. 7 Kingfisher (6-3): Winner finishes second in 3A-1 and gets a home playoff game. Loser finishes third and hits the road -- likely to Plainview -- in the first round of the playoffs.

    6. 4A No. 8 Hilldale (8-1) at 4A No. 1 Poteau (9-0): Poteau will have to reverse a recent trend if it wants to win District 4A-4. The Pirates can win the district with a win, but a Hilldale victory likely creates a three-team tie atop the standings with Broken Bow also involved. The streak Poteau has to end is its losing ways to Hilldale, who has beaten the Pirates four times in a row, dating bcak to 2010. Poteau's last win over Hilldale was 2009.

    7. 6AI No. 7 Owasso (5-4) at 6AI No. 5 Putnam City North (8-1): Neither one can catch Union in 6AI-2, but the Panthers can lock up second place with a win over Owasso, the reigning 6AI champion. An Owasso win likely means the Rams, PC North finish in a tie for second and resort to district points. A win for PC North would be its first ever against Owasso. The Rams are 4-0 all-time against PC North.

    8. 5A No. 7 Tahlequah (8-1) at 5A No. 9 Claremore (6-3): This one is simple enough -- winner gets second place in 5A-4, the loser finishes third. The running back battle between Tahlequah's Dae Dae Leathers and Claremore's Jace Hightower should be fun to watch.

    9. 6AII No. 2 Bixby (8-1) at 6AII No. 7 Muskogee (6-3): Regardless of records, it seems as though Bixby always struggles with Muskogee. The Spartans have secured the 6AII-2 title and can look toward a home playoff game next week, while Muskogee needs a win to finish third in 6AII-2.

    10. 5A No. 5 Altus (8-1) at 5A No. 10 Duncan (8-1): Same at the Tahlequah-Claremore game -- winner gets second place, loser finishes third.


    Honorable mention

    Edmond Santa Fe at Norman: The Wolves are in the playoffs, but a win would assure a third-place finish. A Norman victory gives the Tigers a chance to make the playoffs with Westmoore headed to Jenks.

    Ada at Edison: Winner finishes second in 5A-3, loser gets third since both Edison and Ada are vastly ahead of McAlester in district points.

    Clinton at Cache: The Red Tornadoes are no strangers to district titles with 38, according to Iwasatthegame.com. Yet, Clinton hasn't won one since 2011. Cache hasn't won one since 1983. It's a winner-take-all game in 4A-1.

    Oologah at Catoosa: A Catoosa win likely means third place and would leave Bristow and Wagoner to settle the district title. An Oologah victory likely means Bristow, Wagoner and Oologah finish tied for the district title, and would likely go to Bristow based on district points.

    Checotah at Lincoln Christian: Well, the best way to describe the District 3A-3 standings is jumbled. But don't over-think it. More likely than not, Seminole, Stigler and Idabel should bag victories this week, so this game will decide whether there's a five-way tie for first place or a three-way tie for second place. Either way, it's all about district points at that stage.

    Locust Grove at Vinita: After Berryhill at the top of this district, it gets a bit chaotic. Vinita need to win to keep its playoff hopes alive, whereas Locust Grove claims second place with a win.

    Lindsay at Kingston: Even if Lindsay wins here, Kingston will have wrapped up its first district championship since 1987. That's how sizeable Kingston's district points lead is.

    Panama at Holland Hall: The Dutch win a district title with a win over Panama, whereas a Panama victory likely hands the district title to Vian.

    Christian Heritage at Crescent: Someone's season will end here. District A-3 is deep so this game will decide who finishes fourth. Crazy to think Crescent could go from Class A runner-up to out of the playoffs, but that's the scenario headed into this week's slate of games.

    Pawhuska at Pawnee: Pawnee has to win to keep its playoff hopes alive. A Pawhuska win would assure the Huskies of third place in District A-5.

    Hobart at Frederick: Simple enough on this one. The winner claims the District A-2 title and the loser finishes second.

    Ringling at Apache: Did you read the Hobart-Frederick breakdown? Same thing applies here. Would be Ringling's eighth straight district title.

    Gore at Central Sallisaw: Gore is looking for its first district championship since 2011. A Central Sallisaw win would give it a chance at a district title for the first time since 2001.

    Weleetka at Wetumka: District B-5 will be decide in this one. Winner gets first place, loser gets second place.

    Regent Prep at Foyil: These two clubs have played some stout defense this year, giving up only a combined 112 points in 17 games. The better defense here will help its win a district championship. The loser of the game stays home for the playoffs but won't claim a district title.

    Paoli at Graham-Dustin: Winner claims the District C-4 championship. Loser finishes second.



    *Photo courtesy of Jason Elmquist/Stillwater NewsPress

    Week 10 rankings

    |  Ben Johnson

    Here's the top 10 in each class heading into Week 10

    Class 6AI

    1. Broken Arrow (1) - 9-0

    2. Jenks (2) - 8-1

    3. Union (3) - 7-2

    4. Edmond Santa Fe (4) - 7-2

    5. Putnam City North (6) - 8-1

    6. Moore (8) - 5-4

    7. Owasso (5) - 5-4

    8. Yukon (9) - 5-4

    9. Norman (10) - 5-4

    10. Westmoore (7) - 5-4


    Class 6AII

    1. Stillwater (1) - 9-0

    2. Bixby (2) - 8-1

    3. Midwest City (4) - 7-2

    4. Del City (5) - 7-2

    5. Booker T. Washington (6) - 6-3

    6. Lawton (4) - 5-4

    7. Muskogee (8) - 6-3

    8. Sapulpa (7) - 6-3

    9. Choctaw (9) - 4-5

    10. Sand Springs (NR) - 3-6


    Class 5A

    1. Carl Albert (1) - 9-0

    2. Ardmore (2) - 9-0

    3. Collinsville (3) - 9-0

    4. Bishop McGuinness (4) - 8-1

    5. Altus (5) - 8-1

    6. Bishop Kelley (8) - 7-2

    7. Tahlequah (8) - 8-1

    8. Guthrie (6) - 7-2

    9. Claremore (9) - 6-3

    10. Duncan (10) - 8-1


    Class 4A

    1. Poteau (1) - 9-0

    2. Tuttle (2) - 9-0

    3. Wagoner (5) - 8-1

    4. Blanchard (3) - 7-2

    5. Bristow (4) - 8-1

    6. Bethany (6) - 8-1

    7. Broken Bow (8) - 7-2

    8. Hilldale (9) - 8-1

    9. Catoosa (8) - 7-2

    10. Clinton (10) - 8-1


    Class 3A

    1. Heritage Hall (1) - 8-1

    2. Berryhill (2) - 9-0

    3. John Marshall (3) - 8-1

    4. Sulphur (4) - 8-1

    5. Lincoln Christian (5) - 8-1

    6. Plainview (6) - 7-2

    7. Kingfisher (7) - 6-3

    8. Seminole (8) - 7-2

    9. Stigler (10) - 7-2

    10. Locust Grove (NR) - 7-2


    Class 2A

    1. Millwood (1) - 9-0

    2. Sperry (2) - 9-0

    3. Jones (3) - 8-1

    4. Beggs (4) - 8-1

    5. Holland Hall (5) - 7-2

    6. Vian (6) - 7-2

    7. Washington (7) - 7-2

    8. Kingston (8) - 8-1

    9. Meeker (9) - 8-1

    10. Coalgate (10) - 8-1


    Class A

    1. Hooker (1) - 9-0

    2. Cashion (2) - 9-0

    3. Minco (3) - 8-1

    4. Rejoice Christian (4) - 9-0

    5. Ringling (6) - 9-0

    6. Stroud (7) - 8-1

    7. Tonkawa (8) - 8-1

    8. Crossings Christian (5) - 8-2

    9. Morrison (9) - 8-1

    10. Frederick (10) - 8-1


    Class B

    1. Shattuck (1) - 8-0

    2. Davenport (2) - 9-0 

    3. Regent Prep (3) - 8-0

    4. Snyder (4) - 8-0

    5. Laverne (5) - 7-2

    6. Dewar (6) - 8-1

    7. Waurika (8) - 8-0

    8. Yale (7) - 7-2

    9. Weleetka (NR) - 7-2

    10. Keota (10) - 6-1


    Class C

    1. SW Covenant (1) - 8-0

    2. Tipton (2) - 7-2

    3. Buffalo (3) - 9-0

    4. Coyle (4) - 6-2

    5. Pond Creek-Hunter (5) - 8-1

    6. Tyrone (6) - 6-2

    7. Paoli (7) - 9-1

    8. Graham-Dustin (9) - 9-0

    9. Medford (10) - 5-3

    10. Covington-Douglas (9) - 6-4


    () - Last week's ranking


    *Photo courtesy of Jason Elmquist/Stillwater



                   

    Week 9 rankings

    |  Ben Johnson

    Here's the top 10 in each class heading into Week 9

    Class 6AI

    1. Broken Arrow (1) - 8-0

    2. Jenks (2) - 7-1

    3. Union (3) - 6-2

    4. Edmond Santa Fe (4) - 7-1

    5. Owasso (5) - 5-3

    6. Putnam City North (6) - 7-1

    7. Westmoore (7) - 5-3

    8. Moore (8) - 4-4

    9. Yukon (9) - 4-4

    10. Norman (NR) - 4-4


    Class 6AII

    1. Stillwater (1) - 8-0

    2. Bixby (2) - 7-1

    3. Midwest City (4) - 6-2

    4. Lawton (5) - 5-3

    5. Del City (3) - 6-2

    6. Booker T. Washington (6) - 5-3

    7. Sapulpa (7) - 6-2

    8. Muskogee (8) - 5-3

    9. Choctaw (9) - 4-4

    10. Bartlesville (NR) - 3-5


    Class 5A

    1. Carl Albert (1) - 8-0

    2. Ardmore (2) - 8-0

    3. Collinsville (3) - 8-0

    4. Bishop McGuinness (4) - 7-1

    5. Altus (5) - 7-1

    6. Guthrie (7) - 7-1

    7. Tahlequah (8) - 7-1

    8. Bishop Kelley (10) - 6-2

    9. Claremore (NR) - 5-3

    10. Duncan (6) - 7-1


    Class 4A

    1. Poteau (1) - 8-0

    2. Tuttle (2) - 8-0

    3. Wagoner (5) - 7-1

    4. Blanchard (3) - 6-2

    5. Bristow (4) - 7-1

    6. Bethany (6) - 7-1

    7. Catoosa (8) - 7-1

    8. Broken Bow (7) - 6-2

    9. Hilldale (9) - 7-1

    10. Clinton (10) - 7-1


    Class 3A

    1. Heritage Hall (1) - 7-1

    2. Berryhill (2) - 8-0

    3. John Marshall (3) - 7-1

    4. Sulphur (4) - 7-1

    5. Lincoln Christian (5) - 7-1

    6. Plainview (7) - 6-2

    7. Kingfisher (6) - 5-3

    8. Seminole (9) - 6-2

    9. Idabel (NR) - 6-2

    10. Stigler (8) - 6-2


    Class 2A

    1. Millwood (1) - 8-0

    2. Sperry (2) - 8-0

    3. Jones (4) - 7-1

    4. Beggs (5) - 7-1

    5. Holland Hall (6) - 6-2

    6. Vian (3) - 6-2

    7. Washington (7) - 6-2

    8. Kingston (8) - 7-1

    9. Meeker (9) - 7-1

    10. Coalgate (10) - 7-1


    Class A

    1. Hooker (1) - 8-0

    2. Cashion (2) - 8-0

    3. Minco (3) - 7-1

    4. Rejoice Christian (4) - 8-0

    5. Crossings Christian (5) - 8-1

    6. Ringling (6) - 8-0

    7. Stroud (7) - 7-1

    8. Tonkawa (8) - 8-1

    9. Morrison (9) - 7-1

    10. Frederick (10) - 7-1


    Class B

    1. Shattuck (1) - 7-0

    2. Davenport (2) - 8-0 

    3. Regent Prep (3) - 7-0

    4. Snyder (5) - 7-0

    5. Laverne (6) - 7-1

    6. Dewar (7) - 7-1

    7. Yale (8) - 7-1

    8. Waurika (9) - 7-0

    9. Seiling (4) - 7-1

    10. Keota (10) - 6-1


    Class C

    1. SW Covenant (1) - 8-0

    2. Tipton (2) - 6-2

    3. Buffalo (3) - 8-0

    4. Coyle (4) - 5-2

    5. Pond Creek-Hunter (5) - 7-1

    6. Tyrone (6) - 6-1

    7. Paoli (7) - 8-1

    8. Graham-Dustin (9) - 8-0

    9. Covington-Douglas (8) - 6-3

    10. Medford (NR) - 4-3


    () - Last week's ranking




                   

    Week 8 rankings

    |  Ben Johnson

    Here's the top 10 in each class heading into Week 8

    Class 6AI

    1. Broken Arrow (1) - 7-0

    2. Jenks (2) - 6-1

    3. Union (3) - 5-2

    4. Edmond Santa Fe (4) - 6-1

    5. Owasso (5) - 4-3

    6. Putnam City North (6) - 6-1

    7. Westmoore (7) - 5-2

    8. Moore (8) - 4-3

    9. Yukon (9) - 4-3

    10. Mustang (10) - 3-4


    Class 6AII

    1. Stillwater (1) - 7-0

    2. Bixby (2) - 6-1

    3. Del City (3) - 6-1

    4. Midwest City (4) - 5-2

    5. Lawton (5) - 4-3

    6. Booker T. Washington (6) - 4-3

    7. Sapulpa (7) - 5-2

    8. Muskogee (8) - 5-2

    9. Choctaw (9) - 4-3

    10. Shawnee (NR) - 2-5


    Class 5A

    1. Carl Albert (1) - 7-0

    2. Ardmore (2) - 7-0

    3. Collinsville (3) - 7-0

    4. Bishop McGuinness (4) - 6-1

    5. Altus (5) - 6-1

    6. Duncan (6) - 7-0

    7. Guthrie (7) - 6-1

    8. Tahlequah (8) - 6-1

    9. Skiatook (9) - 6-1

    10. Bishop Kelley (10) - 5-2


    Class 4A

    1. Poteau (2) - 7-0

    2. Tuttle (3) - 7-0

    3. Blanchard (4) - 6-1

    4. Bristow (5) - 7-0

    5. Wagoner (1) - 6-1

    6. Bethany (6) - 6-1

    7. Broken Bow (7) - 6-1

    8. Catoosa (8) - 6-1

    9. Hilldale (9) - 6-1

    10. Clinton (10) - 6-1


    Class 3A

    1. Heritage Hall (1) - 6-1

    2. Berryhill (3) - 7-0

    3. John Marshall (2) - 6-1

    4. Sulphur (5) - 6-1

    5. Lincoln Christian (7) - 6-1

    6. Kingfisher (9) - 5-2

    7. Plainview (4) - 5-2

    8. Stigler (NR) - 6-1

    9. Seminole (6) - 5-2

    10. Cascia Hall (8) - 5-2


    Class 2A

    1. Millwood (1) - 7-0

    2. Sperry (2) - 7-0

    3. Vian (3) - 6-1

    4. Jones (4) - 6-1

    5. Beggs (5) - 6-1

    6. Holland Hall (6) - 5-2

    7. Washington (7) - 5-2

    8. Kingston (8) - 6-1

    9. Meeker (10) - 6-1

    10. Coalgate (NR) - 6-1


    Class A

    1. Hooker (1) - 7-0

    2. Cashion (2) - 7-0

    3. Minco (4) - 6-1

    4. Rejoice Christian (5) - 7-0

    5. Crossings Christian (7) - 7-1

    6. Ringling (9) - 7-0

    7. Stroud (10) - 6-1

    8. Tonkawa (NR) - 7-1

    9. Morrison (3) - 6-1

    10. Frederick (NR) - 6-1


    Class B

    1. Shattuck (1) - 6-0

    2. Davenport (2) - 7-0 

    3. Regent Prep (3) - 6-0

    4. Seiling (4) - 7-0

    5. Snyder (5) - 6-0

    6. Laverne (6) - 6-1

    7. Dewar (7) - 6-1

    8. Yale (8) - 6-1

    9. Waurika (10) - 6-0

    10. Keota (NR) - 5-1


    Class C

    1. SW Covenant (2) - 7-0

    2. Tipton (3) - 5-2

    3. Buffalo (4) - 7-0

    4. Coyle (5) - 4-2

    5. Pond Creek-Hunter (1) - 6-1

    6. Tyrone (6) - 5-1

    7. Paoli (8) - 7-1

    8. Covington-Douglas (7) - 6-2

    9. Graham-Dustin (9) - 7-0

    10. Boise City (NR) - 4-3



                   


    loggedin: True
    loginemail:
    lastpage:
    userid:
    auditionid:
    auditiontimeid:
    year:
    disciplineid: