Week 6 Picks

10/9/2020 |  Ben Johnson

Yukon at Edmond Santa Fe

Whitt Carter: Edmond Santa Fe

Michael Swisher: Edmond Santa Fe

Ben Johnson: Edmond Santa Fe

Del City at Midwest City

Whitt Carter: Del City

Michael Swisher: Del City 

Ben Johnson: Midwest City

Bishop McGuinness at Carl Albert

Whitt Carter: Carl Albert

Michael Swisher: Carl Albert

Ben Johnson: Carl Albert

Sallisaw at Poteau 

Whitt Carter: Poteau

Michael Swisher: Poteau 

Ben Johnson: Poteau

Metro Christian at Beggs

Whitt Carter: Beggs

Michael Swisher: Beggs

Ben Johnson: Metro Christian

Vian at Cascia Hall

Whitt Carter: Vian

Michael Swisher: Vian

Ben Johnson: Vian

Sand Springs at Booker T. Washington 

Whitt Carter: Booker T. Washington

Michael Swisher: Booker T. Washington 

Ben Johnson: Sand Springs

Choctaw at Bixby

Whitt Carter: Bixby

Michael Swisher: Bixby

Ben Johnson: Bixby

Clinton at Cache

Whitt Carter: Clinton 

Michael Swisher: Clinton

Ben Johnson: Clinton

Washington at Community Christian

Whitt Carter: Washington

Michael Swisher: Washington 

Ben Johnson: Washington

Week 1 - OKpreps Standouts

9/7/2020 |  Ben Johnson

Top performers 

Dewar

Joey Fowler - Passing 20 of 22 for 252 yards and 4 TD’s 0 int’s / Rushing 19 for 156 yards and 1 TD / 11 tackles on defense

Vian

Javyn Wright - 24 rushes 249 yards 3 tds / 1 passing td

Grove

Emmanuel Crawford - 29 rushes, 197 yards, 1 TD / 2 receptions, 33 yards

Lawton Mac

Nasir Kemper - 4TDs / Kickoff return TD / 98 yard TD run / 2 yard TD run / 21 yard TD reception / 250+ all purpose yards

Tonkawa 

Tristan Burdick - 231 yds on 15 carries for 4 tds

Kellyville

Trevor Jones - 19 carries for 236 yds and 3 tds

Durant

Fransisco Avila - 19 rushes, 332 yards, 5 TDs

Stillwater

Qwontrel Walker - 29 carries, 228 yards, 5 TDs

Chelsea

Cash Ramsey - 23 carries, 300 yards, 4 TDs

Bixby

Mason Williams - 26/40 passing, 5 TDs, 231 yds

Honor roll

McLoud 

Clint Campbell - Soph. RB - 15 carries for 121 yards, 2-TD’s, 2-2 pt. conv.

3 catches for 67 yards. 1 TD

Holland Hall

Owen Ostroski: 9 solo tackles/2 assisted/6.5 for loss/ 4 QB hurries/2 sacks/ 1 forced fumble

Depew

Tavin Hunt - 10 carries 117 yards and 2 rushing TDs. 2 catches for 25 yards. 15 tackles and 2 picks (1 being a pick 6)

Tulsa Memorial 

Elvis Grayson: Senior - 2 rushing TDs / 1 catch for a 2pt Conv. / 8 Tackles 1 TFL

Scored 14 of team’s 15 points

He helped stop Central on 4th and inches late in the fourth quarter and got the first down to seal the game! 

Inola

Landon Prows was 20-33 for 345 yards, 3 td's and 0 picks.

Gavin Williams caught 4 passes for 165 and 2 td's.

Thomas

Ethan Hamberlin 15 carries 211 yards 2 TD

Jayce Miller 8 tackles- Int- blocked punt

Cache 

Hunter Tate. 6 carries 118 yards 2TDs, 2 receptions 63 yds 1TD / 7 Tackles / He only played first half

Dewar

Ty Whitlow - 11 catches for 193 yards and 3 TD’s

Lawton 

Christian Houston - 20 carries 150 yards 2 tds

Ardmore

Anton Scallion - 16 carries for 190 yards & 3 TDs

Wagoner

Braden Drake - 159 yards on 18 carries with 2 tds.  Also had 8 tackles

Isaac Smith - 8 tackles, 3 sacks, and a fumble recovery

Christian Heritage

Kye Davis - 10/17 passing, 262yds. 3 TDS and 1 int / 3 carries, 47 yds

Cade Hale - 5 receptions, 186 yds, 1 TD / 4 tackles

Cashion

Brexton Green - 7-198-4TDs receiving

Purcell

Sam Wofford - 12 tackles, 1 sack

Kody Kroth - 19-34 for 339 2tds no Ints 

Crescent

Hunter Wilmoth - 10 rushes 150 yds 3 rushing td. 1 passing td

Chandler

Casmen Hill - 10 carries for 143 yds, 2 TD / 95 yard kick return for a TD / 4 receptions for 53 yds

Frederick

Adrian Gaytan - 9-14 passing, 167 yds 2 td’s

Pawnee

Trevor Mitchell - 19 rushes, 144 yards, 1 TD

Blake Skidgel - 20 rushes, 109 yards, 3 TDs

Carl Albert

Noah Dobson (offensive tackle) - Coaching staff graded him at a 90 percent

Antlers

Isaac Sorrells - Kick return for a TD / Rushing TD / two 2pt conversions / 48 yards receiving / 12 tackles 

Grove

Greg McCurdy - 4 catches, 124 yards, 2 TDs

Weatherford 

Sam Hoffman - 14 carries 174yds 4 TD’s / 7 tackles

Piedmont

Caden Hendren - 3 catches for 100 yards 2 TDS / 11 tackles on defense.

Collinsville

Oscar Hammond (WR/FS  Junior) - 3 catches for 119, 2tds / 6 tackles

Verdigris

Alec James - 117 rushing yards and 2 TD / 40 receiving yards and 1 TD  / 4 tackles

Checotah 

Dontierre Fisher  - 11 carries 156 yards, 3 tds

Washington 

Luke Hendrix - 4 receptions 132 yards and 2 td

Atoka

Andrew McCall - 3 carries 158 yards rushing, two touchdowns

Salina

Jack Wilkins soph QB - 17 carries 157 yds rushing long of 66, 2 TD, 1 pass TD

Skiatook

Jace Woodrow (Corner) - 2 interceptions, 1 pick 6, 4 tackles. 

Barnsdall

Hunter Auschwitz - 13 carries, 128 yards, 3 TDs / 4 tackles, 1 sack

Carson Auschwitz - 12 tackles, 5 for loss / 1 rush, 25 yards / 5 catches, 38 yards

Enid

Nate Gamble - 5 pancake blocks after rehabbing sprained ankle all week long

Porter

Caleb Brewer - 14 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

East Central

Cunu Fields - 6/10 passing, 241 yards, 5 TDs + 1 67-yard rushing TD

Stigler

Ridge McClary - 14 rushes, 115 yds, 1 TD

Bruce Engle - 12 tackles, 2 sacks

Chelsea

William Hampton - 4/9 passing, 63 yards, 2 TDs + 12 rushes, 121 yards, 2 TDs

Tahlequah 

Malik McMurtrey - 26 rushes, 135 yards, 1 TD

Have a player of the week candidate? Let us know. Email Ben Johnson at  benjohnsontdp@gmail.com 

**PHOTO CREDIT - JASON ELMQUIST - STILLWATER NEWSPRESS

Sources: Brown to take over at Booker T. Washington

1/26/2020 |  Ben Johnson

Booker T. Washington’s head-coaching vacancy didn’t last long. The Tulsa World reported that Brad Calip would be vacating his post as Hornets head coach for an assistant coaching job at Owasso on Sunday.

On Monday, Tulsa Public Schools is expected to formally announce Jonathan Brown as the Hornets new head coach at Booker T. Washington, according to multiple sources. Brown will be elevated from his current defensive coordinator role.

Calip leaves after going 32-15 during a four-year run as head coach. During that time, Booker T. Washington won the 2017 Class 6AIi state championship.

Brown is a former Booker T. Washington standout who graduated in 1994. He played college football at Tennessee and spent time during his professional career in both the NFL and Canadian Football League.

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 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/

ZERO WEEK PICKS

8/30/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Union at Mansfield (Lake Ridge)

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

North Little Rock vs. Booker T. Washington (in Bentonville, Ark.)

Michael Swisher: North Little Rock
Whitt Carter: Booker T. Washington
Ben Johnson: Booker T. Washington

Broken Bow at Metro Christian

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

Oklahoma Christian School at Jones

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

Owasso at Bentonville (West)

Michael Swisher: Owasso
Whitt Carter: Owasso
Ben Johnson: Owasso

Bixby at Mansfield (Timberview)

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

Minco at Wynnewood

Michael Swisher: Minco
Whitt Carter: Wynnewood
Ben Johnson: Wynnewood

Altus at Cache

Michael Swisher: Altus
Whitt Carter: Cache
Ben Johnson: Altus

Poteau at El Reno

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

Community Christian at Crossings Christian

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

Jenks at Mansfield (Legacy)

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

Fairview at Perry

Michael Swisher: Perry
Whitt Carter: Fairview
Ben Johnson: Perry

Weatherford at Chisholm

Michael Swisher: Weatherford
Whitt Carter: Weatherford
Ben Johnson: Weatherford

Chr. Heritage at Coalgate

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

ZERO WEEK: Top 10 games

8/29/2019 |  Ben Johnson

1. Union at Mansfield (Lake Ridge)
Union won the matchup between the two clubs last year 36-30, thanks to Darius Boone’s 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Union went on to be a Class 6AI semifinalist, and Lake Ridge was a Region 1 semifinalist in Texas’ 6A Division II.

2. North Little Rock vs. Booker T. Washington (in Bentonville, Ark.)
A classic game last year ended with North Little Rock’s Oscar Adaway scoring on a 7-yard run with 1:28 left. Booker T. Washington led 28-15 with 9:14 left in the fourth quarter, but North Little Rock scored twice to seal the game.

3. Broken Bow at Metro Christian
Metro Christian quarterback Asher Link scored on a touchdown run and an 18-yard TD pass to Junior Simpson, and the Patriots defense took over from there in a 28-22 victory last season. Metro Christian is 8-3 all-time against Broken Bow -- with all 11 meetings happening since 2008.

4. Oklahoma Christian School at Jones
Jones ran its winning streak against OCS to four straight with last year’s 27-10 victory. Jones is 7-1 against OCS since 2006.

5. Owasso at Bentonville (West)
A high-scoring affair last year saw Owasso prevail 56-40. Owasso QB Will Kuehne threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns to beat Bentonville West.

6. Bixby at Mansfield (Timberlake)
It was a tight one last year, but the Spartans knocked off Mansfield Timberlake 36-33 to kick-start another championship season.

7. Minco at Wynnewood
Minco beat Wynnewood 27-14 last season, and is now 4-1 against Wynnewood in the past five seasons.

8. Altus at Cache
Both teams finished 8-3 last year and only makes sense that the Highway 62 foes would clash for the first time, despite only being separated by 41 miles.

9. Poteau at El Reno
Poteau’s defense was all over El Reno last year with four sacks and three fumble recoveries in last year’s 38-19 contest. Now the scene shifts to El Reno this year.

10. Community Christian at Crossings Christian
Community Christian scored first, but Crossings Christian followed with 29 straight points to dominate the rest of the way.

Honorable mention games
Jenks at Mansfield (Legacy)

Fairview at Perry

Weatherford at Chisholm

Chr. Heritage at Coalgate

Class 6AII SEASON PREVIEW

8/27/2019 |  Ben Johnson

STATE OF THE PROGRAM

BIXBY SPARTANS

If it’s another year of Class 6AII football, you can bet that Bixby will be in the mix. The Spartans secured another 6AII title in 2018 -- their fourth overall.

However, Bixby did lose several key pieces from last year’s team. Cade Cavender will need to be replaced at receiver and in the secondary; Clayton Barbour was an interception machine on defense and he’s now gone; Ryan Kerr kept the defense intact at middle linebacker and he graduated; and Noah West and Ethan Hall -- two outstanding defensemen -- also exhausted all their high school eligibility and graduated to college football.

But at Bixby, it’s always “plug and play” on the roster, so never count out the Spartans.

“Our team has been really focused,” Bixby head coach Loren Montgomery said. “We graduated some great players, but we have a great nucleus of leaders coming back.”

That spells trouble for the rest of 6AII.

Biggest on-field question: Who fills the void on the offensive and defensive lines?

Montgomery with a simple breakdown.

“The offensive and defensive lines will be a work in progress,” he said. “We graduated all three defensive linemen, but we have some great prospects coming back.”

Tallon Javersak and Hayden Haynes were key up front on defense, much like Cavender was an integral part of Bixby’s offensive and defensive game plans. But Montgomery has a player in mind to ease the pain of losing Cavender to Oklahoma State.

“I would keep an eye out for Luke Creeger,” Montgomery said. “He’s a senior wide receiver who we think will have a breakout year.”

Depth chart breakdown

Offense: Where to start?

There’s Mason Williams on offense, after he passed for 3,225 yards and 36 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2018.

“Mason continues to grow in our offensive system,” Montgomery said. “he had a great summer, and we are hoping he can only improve on last year’s performance.”

Braylin Presley is just now a sophomore and already has 743 yards and 12 touchdowns to his credit for the Spartans.

Then there’s Brennan Presley (Braylin’s older brother) at wide receiver, and he caught 67 passes for 1,081 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. And Montgomery already mentioned Creeger.

The offensive front figures to feature Kobe Williams and Matt Doyle as key figures in creating running lanes and keeping Williams upright in the pocket.

Defense: It’s Presley again! Brennan Presley, an Oklahoma State commit, has turned plenty of heads in the secondary leading up to his senior season.

Add in Jordan Reagan, another Oklahoma State commit, at cornerback, and the Spartans secondary is quite dangerous.

Key linebackers will include Zach Blankenship (state champion in wrestling), Brody Sartin, and Nick Wedel.

The defensive line could be more like a jigaw puzzle and figuring out where to place everyone early on.

Missed the most: Kerr, Hall, West and Cavender combined for 318 tackles last season. That kind of production can’t just be replaced overnight.

2019 schedule

Aug. 30 - @ Mansfield Timberview (Texas)

Sept. 6 - @ Jenks

Sept. 13 - bye

Sept. 20 - @ Putnam City

Sept. 27 - Sapulpa

Oct. 4 - @ Booker T. Washington

Oct. 11 - Ponca City

Oct. 17 - @ Bartlesville

Oct. 25 - Sand Springs

Nov. 1 - @ Shawnee

Nov. 8 - Muskogee

*District 6AII-2 games

The 2018 season for Bixby was nothing but pure domination. Lost the season opener to Jenks but then rattled off 12 straight wins -- with most not being particularly close. This season’s schedule offers plenty of challenges, including six road games. But if the Spartans are able to plug in new faces along the offensive and defensive fronts, it could end up being another trophy-raising season for Bixby.

Class 6AII preview

Rankings

**1. Bixby - Guys like Cade Cavender and Ryan Kerr are gone, but the Spartans still have talent all over the field with Brennan Presley, Jordan Reagan, Mason Williams and so much more.

2. Stillwater - The three-headed monster (Gunnar Gundy, Qwontrel Walker, Anthony Bland) is back for the Pioneers. Just have to wait and see who fills the voids left on offensive and defensive fronts.

3. Booker T. Washington - Sophomore quarterback Gentry Williams -- whose recruiting is accelerating by the day -- has perhaps the state’s top two targets in the passing game: JJ Hester and Keuan Parker.

4. Del City - The Foreman brothers graduated but Quinlan Ganther is back to lead the charge at quarterback.

5. Sapulpa - Expectations are high for the Chieftains with Eli Williams at quarterback and Te’Zohn Taft on both sides of the ball. If the defense is sound, it could be a big year for Sapulpa.

6. Midwest City - Bombers need to replace Preston Colbert at quarterback, who passed for 2,427 yards and 31 TDs last season.

7. Choctaw - Linebacker Jeff Roberson has committed to Oklahoma State, and he provides the Yellowjackets with an anchor on defense after collecting 117 tackles at Harrah in 2018.

8. Muskogee - Plenty of weapons returning for the Roughers this season, including junior quarterback Ty Williams, senior running back Jimmie Coleman and junior safety Caleb Webb.

9. Lawton - Wolverines have their hands full trying to replace Miles Davis’ production at running back last season.

10. Bartlesville - Bruins lost head coach Lee Blankenship to Mustang, but Jason Sport takes over with the luxury of having quarterback Ben Winters and safety Taton Hopkins returning in key spots.

** 2018 state champion

Premier players

District 6AII-1

- Qwontrel Walker (Stillwater): Has compiled 3,060 rushing yards in two varsity seasons, and could finish on the state’s top 20 all-time rushing yards list if we doubles that over his next two years. Ran for 1,739 yards and 26 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign in 2018.

- Gunnar Gundy (Stillwater): Completed 143 of 226 passes last season and now has more than 4,000 career passing yards. Currently holds offers from Eastern Michigan and Toledo.

- Corey Williams (Choctaw): Split carries alongside Blake Muse last year, but now this year could see the bulk of the load after logging 778 yards and nine touchdowns.

- Gavin Houska (Deer Creek): Threw for 1,119 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2018.

- Eric Wiley (Lawton): Could become the focal point of the offense after the graduation of Miles Davis. Wiley threw for 1,424 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

- Quinlan Ganther (Del City): Completed 59 percent of his passes and threw for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior last season.

District 6AII-2

- Ty Williams (Muskogee): Churned out a solid sophomore season with 1,046 passing yards and nine touchdowns, in addition to 1,147 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Also picked off two passes on defense.

- Ben Winters (Bartlesville): Deferred to running back DeAndre Young a lot last year, but still threw for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns.

- Krishawn Brown (Booker T. Washington): Kansas commit enters his senior season after 119 tackles, 14 sacks and an interception last season.

- Mason Williams (Bixby): Somehow gets overlooked on a roster full of star power. Williams completed 68 percent of his passes last season for 3,225 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Our best guess(es)

MIcahel Swisher: Bixby -- Stillwater has all of the tools just as it did a year ago. But Bixby - like Bama in the NCAA and New England in the NFL - seems to just have that formula. Spartans do it again when it matters.

Whitt Carter: Bixby -- To say that Bixby has dominated this class since the inception of 6A-2 would ultimately be an understatement. The Spartans won it all again in 2018 and are surely the heavy favorite for their 5th title in six years. I think the talent of Booker T can certainly get it done, but I’ll go with the Spartans, who have it up front and out at the skill spots, as well as tradition.

Ben Johnson: Stillwater -- I’ll mix it up a bit. Hard not to go with Bixby, but I’ll side with Qwontrel Walker and his crew in 2019.

NEW PODCAST: Football is back

8/22/2019 |  Ben Johnson