McKinley Whitfield headed to NY Giants mini camp

5/2/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Fort Coffee is headed for the big stage.

Wait, Fort Coffee? Where is that? Is it in Oklahoma?

It’s a town that might go unrecognized, outside of severe weather coverage in Oklahoma, but Fort Coffee sits in the Arkansas River bend near Skullyville and northeast of Spiro. Just find LeFlore County in far eastern Oklahoma, and it sits at the very northern tip of the county.

It’s where McKinley Whitfield has called home all his life.

Now Whitfield will fly the Fort Coffee flag proudly when he attends New York Giants mini camp.

“It means everything in the world to me to represent Spiro and Fort Coffee,” said Whitfield, a former standout at Spiro High School before playing college football at the University of Tulsa.

“I grew up there my whole life, and I just try my best to be a inspiration to all the younger kids there.”

Whitfield, measuring at 6 feet, 3 inches and 217 pounds, knows professional athletic endeavors don’t come along often for those growing up in Fort Coffee.

“Not many people from the area get changes like these,” he said, “so it’s a blessing.”

Whitfield, a safety by trade, recently watched the NFL Draft intently, hoping for his name to appear in the later rounds. But all seven rounds breezed by, despite a few draft boards mentioning Whitfield as a possible late-round candidate.

“It was very frustrating,” said Whitfield, who logged 264 tackles and 19 pass breakups during his collegiate career. “Everybody was thinking that I was going to get drafted, so I didn’t want to let anybody down. I just tried to keep myself busy during the whole process and be around my family.”

It didn’t take long for Whitefield to draw an invitation to New York’s minicamp, which begins this weekend.

“It feels good getting a chance to go play at the next level,” said Whitfield, who nabbed four interceptions while at Tulsa. “Of course I would rather have gotten drafted or a free agent deal, but it’s just more motivation for me.

Whitfield joins four other TU players as mini camp invitees. Justin Hobbs and Willie Wright will work out for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns, respectively, and two other in-state talents, Tyler Bowling (Yukon) and Chandler Miller (Bixby), will try to earn a spot with the Atlanta Falcons.

Leading up to the draft, Whitfield never had much interaction with the Giants, chatting with the organization once while at a senior event in Texas. But now he gets a chance to prove Fort Coffee belongs in the NFL.

“I’ve always been a hard worker since I was a kid,” Whitfield said. “That definitely isn’t going to stop now.”

*Photo credit: University of Tulsa

STATE WRESTLING: Drake Barbee's story of survival

2/21/2019 |  Ben Johnson

EMAIL ME - ben@skordle.com   |   RELATED - State tournament wrestling predictions

Drake Barbee will take the mat at Jim Norick Arena on Friday. Impressive for someone who was near death 14 months ago.

“It was as severe as it could have gotten,” Barbee said, “other than death, of course.”

Barbee, attending Stilwell during his junior year at the time, was en route to his dad’s fiance’s house in Broken Arrow. 

Then things went horribly wrong.

“I have no recollection of anything other then trying to avoid something that night,” Barbee said. “The people at the hospital told me there was a guy that crossed over the center line that was high on meth, and I should have died.”

Needless to say, Dec. 19, 2017, was a horrifying day for Chris Barbee, Drake’s dad.

“Hardest phone call I ever had to take,” the elder Barbee said. “A lot of stuff goes through your mind, and I didn’t know the extent of his injuries until I got to the hospital.”

Chris Barbee was about to be horrified all over again. The list of Drake’s ailments was painfully extensive.

- Broken hip

- Broken jaw

- Traumatic brain injury

- Brain bleeds

The injuries caused Drake Barbee to spend nine days in a coma. Then came “multiple months in multiple hospitals,” Drake recalled. “Then a rehab center for an additional month.”

Drake’s near-death experience came immediately after competing at the Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nevada. And it would be the last time he’d take the wrestling mat for a while -- and understandably so.

“It was hard; I looking anywhere I could to get on the mat,” Drake said. “I was decently moving after the rehab center, and my mentality was ‘just keep going.’ I was just trying to grind it out.”

But he pushed himself too hard. He ended up blowing out a knee while recovering.

His junior season was a lost cause. That prompted several months of rest for Drake, and it wasn’t long before he relocated to Blackwell.

But Drake also faced a harsh reality.

“It hit me,” he said, “I realized I might not be able to wrestle for a while.”

A crushing realization for someone who lives for the wrestling room.

“It’s my lifestyle,” Drake said. “I literally love wrestling. Call me crazy, but it’s what I do.”

For Chris Barbee, it was agonizing watching his son endure hardships that no high school athlete should have to entertain.

“It was very tough to see him go through that kind of ordeal,” Chris Barbee said. “I just knew it was gonna be a long road back.”

But Drake navigated the path back to full strength -- or as close to full strength as he can get.

Now he sports a 34-4 record and a regional championship as he enters the 195-pound field in the Class 3A state tournament in Oklahoma City.

“It’s been awesome,” Drake Barbee said of being at Blackwell for his senior season. “The wrestling tradition is what I like. It doesn’t get much better.”

Regardless of how Drake, an Arkansas-Little Rock signee, does at State Fair Arena, it’ll be impressive for a wrestler who was told he may never display the correct walking tendencies.

“The doctor said he’d never had someone recover and walk correctly,” Drake Barbee said. “So to recover and do what I’m doing now, I’m truly blessed.”

And Chris Barbee couldn’t be happier to coach his son for his senior season.

“It’s been very satisfying to see him get back to his old self and what he’s capable of,” Chris Barbee said. “He’s very driven and is a tireless worker. He’s wrestling really good right now, and he is gonna be tough to beat.”

Class 4A preview

7/6/2018 |  Ben Johnson

Look back at 2017

2017 district champs

4A-1: Heritage Hall - Everyone should have seen it coming from the start. Heritage Hall took down John Marshall -- who went on to win the Class 3A title -- in the first week of the season, and the Chargers just stampeded their way through 4A-1, as well. Clinton came the closest to knocking off Heritage Hall, 28-24, in week four but Heritage Hall ended up polishing off a 14-0 campaign with a title game victory over Ada.

4A-2: Ada - The Cougars endured some brutal losses to Ardmore and Carl Albert in non-district play, but it prepared Ada for what was up ahead in 4A-2 play. The Cougars' only blemish in district competition was to Tuttle, but Ada ended up knocking off Blanchard for the tiebreaker at the end of the year when both finished atop the standings. Then Ada went on to knock off Oologah in the quarterfinals, and the Cougars marched all the way to the title game, where Heritage Hall ended up prevailing.

4A-3: Wagoner - Few figured there'd be many teams to stand between Wagoner and Heritage Hall ultimately meeting in the 4A title game. The Bulldogs owned the state's longest winning streak (48) after another unbeaten run through 4A-3 and a first round playoff victory over Poteau. But trouble arrived in the form of Blanchard, who ended the Bulldogs' unbeaten run at Odom Stadium.

4A-4: Hilldale - The Hornets were another east power that figured to challenge the likes of Wagoner and Heritage Hall late in the playoffs. After all, Hilldale breezed through 4A-4 for the district crown, but Bethany rallied and took down Hilldale in the quarterfinals.

 

Talking title game: Heritage Hall 14, Ada 0

Quarterback Blake Adams found Conner Casey for a 10-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and from there the Chargers' defense secured Heritage Hall's sixth state championship and third in the four seasons. Adams added a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and it was plenty with the Charger defense forcing two Ada interceptions while limiting the Cougars to 193 total yards.

On to 2018...

Players to watch

- Bryce Madron (Blanchard): Even as a sophomore, Madron was instrumental for the Lions on offense in 2017. Blanchard finished 11-2 and it was Madron who shouldered a bulk of the load on offense with 1,316 yards and 21 touchdowns on 200 carries.

- Jaxon Ratterree (Weatherford): Ratterree will head into his junior season after completing 87 of 153 passes for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns last year.
- Schyler Adair (Wagoner): Partnered with Nikia Jones on offense, Adair did his work on the ground for the Bulldogs in 2017. He rushed for 1,231 yards and 14 touchdowns on 158 carries.

- Sam Brandt (Bethany): Taking over the quarterback reins, Brandt became a star for the Bronchos. He passed for 1,290 yards and 16 touchdowns with a 57 completion percentage, and he tacked on 964 yards and nine touchdowns on 174 carries. And for good measure, he piled up 76 tackles and six interceptions on defense.

- Easton Francis (Poteau): Francis did it all during his sophomore campaign last year. He rushed for 1,404 yards and 23 touchdowns on 215 carries. He also caught 16 passes for 182 yards and three scores, and he saw a little time at quarterback, where he completed 37 of 62 passes for 809 yards and eight touchdowns. And for good measure, he also served as the Pirates' punter with a 35.3 yard-per-punt average on 18 attempts.

- J.R. Crain (Broken Bow): The Savages will give the ball to Crain plenty of times during the upcoming season. In 2017, Crain rushed for 748 yards and seven touchdowns on 134 carries.
- Tyler Wayland (Bristow): Senior quarterback is ready to pick up where he left off last season. He threw for 634 yards and eight touchdowns, but he was deadly on the move with 1,236 yards and 18 touchdowns on 160 carries.
- Jesse Rudd (Fort Gibson): Rusty Rudd and Jesse Rudd shared the bulk of the carries for the Tigers in 2017, but it was Jesse Rudd who led the team with 1,003 yards and 14 touchdowns on 195 carries as a sophomore.

- Jamie Nance (Blanchard): The wide receiver exploded onto the recruiting scene in the offseason, garnering offers from across the nation. The Nebraska commit is looking to build on last year's campaign that saw him tally nearly 700 yards and six TDs.

 

District debriefs

4A-1: Heritage Hall took its Class 4A championship trophy and marched on to 3A, leaving 4A-1 open for the taking. Weatherford, Elk City, Elgin, Cache, Newcastle, Clinton and Chickasha all return to familiar stomping grounds, and they all welcome newcomer Anadarko in its move up from 3A.

4A-2: No more Ada here, but the tussle among Blanchard, Bethany and Tuttle should be phenomenal again. That trio, along with Harrah and Tecumseh, all return for more 4A-2 action, and newcomers include Cushing, McLoud and Madill.

4A-3: Very little has changed here with Oologah and Wagoner headlining 4A-3 once again. Catoosa, McLain, Grove and Miami are all back again, too. Bristow shifts up from 3A and Cleveland moves from 4A-2, where it spent most of its time traveling west last year.

4A-4: Hilldale and Fort Gibson can once again clash for The Rock trophy during district play. They're both back for more time in 4A-4, and same goes for Broken Bow, Poteau, Stilwell and Sallisaw. Metro Christian moved out, so in comes Tulsa Central and Muldrow.

 

What’s new? (coaching moves)

- Barrett Shupe (59-24 at Cushing) had an impressive seven-year run at the helm with the Tigers, but he stepped down and gave way to Rusty Morgan.

- Oklahoma lost a solid head coach in Brandon Craig, who accepted the head coaching job at Siloam Springs in Arkansas. In steps Chase Kime, who served as defensive coordinator under Craig.

- Zach Gardner spent 11 seasons at Afton and compiled a record of 96-32, including a 14-0 run to last year's Class A state title. But Andrew Rice left Miami for a position at Northeastern Oklahoma State A&M, and Gardner is now the head coach for the Wardogs.

- Former Central star Willie Ponder is now the head coach at McLain, taking over for Jarvis Payne, who went 24-35 in six seasons with the Titans. Ponder, a former speedster who played for the New York Giants, most recently was a wide receivers coach at Colorado Mesa University.

- Sallisaw hired Randon Lowe as its new head coach after Lowe's stint as an offensive analyst for North Texas University.

- Greg Werner parlayed his success at Poteau from 2012 to 2014 to the head coaching gig at Van Buren (Arkansas) a few years ago. Now Werner is back in Oklahoma, taking over at Hilldale after Chad Kirkhart stepped down.

- J.T. Cobble accepted the head coaching position at Duncan, and Mike Perez is the new head coach at Stilwell.

 

Fun fact:

- Dale Condict took over at Wagoner in 2005, and since then he's gone 147-23 with nine district titles and four state championships.

 

Prediction time

Michael Swisher - Anyone is 4A sad to see Heritage Hall go? Anyone? Bueller? | I'll be looking to see if Blanchard - and a couple others - are ready to remain contenders or if dominance in the class returns to Wagoner and Oologah | Remember the name Ethan Downs, a sophomore RB/TE/DE (whatever you need from him) from Weatherford | Wagoner. Maybe it's a safe pick, but I'm not sure if someone else is ready to step up and take the title.

Ben - Beyond bummed to see former Oologah head coach Brandon Craig leave for the Siloam Springs job, but the Mustangs will be just fine under Chase Kime | This class is an enigma | Sam Brandt will be a problem for a lot of teams this season | Bristow may have moved up a class, but the Purple Pirates should hold their own in 4A-3 | Oologah and Wagoner will duke it out for the 4A-3 title - shocker! | Get to know Poteau's Easton Francis - he'll be a hot commodity in no time | I could end up being way off, but I think Poteau has what it takes to win the title | I've talked myself into it - Poteau Pirates as the 2018 4A champions.

Whitt Carter -This class is wide open | Gone are the days of Wagoner dominance, although it wouldn't surprise me if it found a way to play late in the year | Coaches are gladly waving goodbye to previous champ Heritage Hall (now in 3A) and runner-up Ada (now in 5A) | Blanchard's Jamie Nance is no doubt going to be a major problem for 4A | Southeastern Oklahoma will be heard from, as Poteau and Broken Bow have as good of a chance as anyone | But I'll take a darkhorse, Tuttle, to improve throughout the year and be there at the end, capturing their first gold ball since 2005.

Guest picker - Hall of Fame coach Randy Turney - Better go with Bethany to win gold in 4A.

*Photos courtesy of Von Castor

Week 7 High School Football Rankings

10/13/2025 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Bixby (6-0)
2. Jenks (5-1)
3. Owasso (4-2)
4. Edmond Memorial (5-1)
5. Broken Arrow (4-2)
6. Norman (5-1)
7. Norman North (4-2)

6A Division-II

1. Stillwater (5-1)
2. Sand Springs (4-2)
3. Putnam City (5-1)
4. Choctaw (3-3)
5. Piedmont (4-2)
6. Muskogee (3-3)
7. Southmoore (4-2)

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (6-0)
2. Bishop McGuinness (6-0)
3. Del City (5-1)
4. Pryor (6-0)
5. Guthrie (5-1)
6. Collinsville (5-1)
7. Coweta 65-0)

Class 4A

1. Tuttle (6-0)
2. Elgin (6-0)
3. Ada (6-0)
4. Sallisaw (5-1)
5. Cushing (5-1)
6. Broken Bow (5-1)
7. Grove (5-1)

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian (6-0)
2. Sulphur (6-0)
3. Heritage Hall (5-1)
4. Holland Hall (5-1)
5. Plainview (5-1)
6. Anadarko (5-1)
7. Perkins-Tryon (4-2)

Class 2A Division-I

1. Jones (6-0)
2. Washington (5-1)
3. Metro Christian (6-0)
4. Marlow (5-0)
5. OCS (6-0)
6. Kingston (5-1)
7. Mt. St. Mary (6-0)

Class 2A Division-II

1. Adair (6-0)
2. Vian (5-1)
3. Holdenville (6-0)
4. Valliant (6-0)
5. Wyandotte (6-0)
6. Dibble (5-1)
7. Stroud (5-1)

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian (5-1)
2. Hooker (5-1)
3. Tonkawa (5-1)
4. Fairview (5-1)
5. Cashion (5-1)
6. Pocola (4-2)
7. Pawhuska (6-1)

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina (6-0)
2. Thomas (5-0)
3. Mangum (6-0)
4. Hominy (4-2)
5. Fairland (5-1)
6. Texhoma (4-2)
7. Ringling (4-2)

Class B Division-I

1. Caddo (6-0)
2. Dewar (4-2)
3. Hollis (5-1)
4. Laverne (3-2)
5. Pioneer (4-2)
6. Empire (5-1)
7. OBA (5-1)

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka (6-0)
2. Seiling (6-0)
3. Okeene (5-1)
4. Cyril (5-1)
5. Coyle (5-1)
6. Boise City (6-0)
7. Cherokee (4-2)

Class C

1. Ryan (6-0)
2. Tipton (5-1)
3. Timberlake (5-1)
4. Mountain View-Gotebo (5-1)
5. Medford (4-2)
6. Sasakwa (5-1)
7. Sharon-Mutual (4-2)

Week 6 Pick 'Em Results

10/11/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 9-2 (61-17 78.21%)	MARK 8-4 (59-25 70.24%)	JACOB 10-2 (64-20 76.19%)	BRIAN 7-5	NIMA 8-4
Kingfisher @ Heritage Hall
Wynnewood @ Minco
Seiling @ Okeene
Hominy @ Woodland
Pioneer @ Garber
Weleetka @ Cyril
Tonkawa @ Pawhuska
Hooker @ Cashion
Jenks @ Mustang
Grove @ Fort Gibson
Allen @ Wewoka
Tipton @ Ryan

Week 6 Pay Dirt Picks

10/8/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	BRIAN	NIMA
Heritage Hall @ Kingfisher
Wynnewood @ Minco
Seiling @ Okeene
Hominy @ Woodland
Pioneer @ Garber
Weleetka @ Cyril
Tonkawa @ Pawhuska
Hooker @ Cashion
Jenks @ Mustang
Grove @ Fort Gibson
Allen @ Wewoka
Tipton @ Ryan

Week 5 Pick 'Em Results

10/6/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 9-3 (52-15 77.61%)	MARK 9-3 (51-21 70.83%)	JACOB 8-4 (54-18 75.00%)	BRANDON 9-3	KEGAN 9-3
Bethany @ Blanchard
Purcell @ Kingfisher
Southwest Covenant @ Mangum
Chandler @ Metro Christian
Woodland @ Barnsdall
Broken Bow @ Sallisaw
Minco @ Stratford
Seiling @ Dewar
Norman @ Jenks
Putnam City @ Choctaw
Lincoln Christian @ Holland Hall
Pocola @ Rejoice Christian

Week 6 High School Football Rankings

10/5/2025 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Bixby (5-0)
2. Jenks (4-1)
3. Owasso (3-2)
4. Norman North (4-1)
5. Edmond Memorial (4-1)
6. Broken Arrow (3-2)
7. Norman (4-1)

6A Division-II

1. Stillwater (4-1)
2. Sand Springs (3-2)
3. Putnam City (4-1)
4. Choctaw (2-3)
5. Piedmont (3-2)
6. Southmoore (4-1)
7. Muskogee (2-3)

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (5-0)
2. Bishop McGuinness (5-0)
3. Del City (4-1)
4. Pryor (5-0)
5. Guthrie (4-1)
6. Collinsville (4-1)
7. Coweta (5-0)

Class 4A

1. Tuttle (5-0)
2. Elgin (5-0)
3. Ada (5-0)
4. Sallisaw (4-1)
5. Fort Gibson (4-1)
6. Cushing (4-1)
7. Broken Bow (4-1)

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian (5-0)
2. Sulphur (5-0)
3. Heritage Hall (4-1)
4. Holland Hall (4-1)
5. Seminole (5-0)
6. Kingfisher (4-1)
7. Plainview(4-1)

Class 2A Division-I

1. Jones (5-0)
2. Washington (4-1)
3. Metro Christian (5-0)
4. Marlow (4-0)
5. OCS (5-0)
6. Kingston (4-1)
7. Mt. St. Mary (5-0)

Class 2A Division-II

1. Adair (5-0)
2. Vian (4-1)
3. Holdenville (5-0)
4. Valliant (5-0)
5. Wyandotte (5-0)
6. Dibble (4-1)
7. Stroud (4-1)

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian (4-1)
2. Cashion (5-0)
3. Pawhuska (6-0)
4. Hooker (4-1)
5. Fairview (4-1)
6. Pocola (3-2)
7. Tonkawa (4-1)

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina (5-0)
2. Thomas (4-0)
3. Mangum (5-0)
4. Woodland (3-2)
5. Hominy (3-2)
6. Wewoka (4-1)
7. Fairland (4-1)

Class B Division-I

1. Caddo (5-0)
2. Dewar (3-2)
3. Hollis (4-1)
4. Laverne (2-2)
5. Quinton (5-0)
6. Garber (4-1)
7. Pioneer (3-2)

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka (5-0)
2. Seiling (5-0)
3. Okeene (5-0)
4. Cyril (5-0)
5. Coyle (4-1)
6. Boise City (5-0)
7. Cherokee (3-2)

Class C

1. Tipton (4-1)
2. Timberlake (4-1)
3. Ryan (5-0)
4. Mountain View-Gotebo (4-1)
5. Medford (4-2)
6. Sasakwa (4-1)
7. Sharon-Mutual (4-1)

Week 5 Pay Dirt Picks

9/30/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	BRANDON	KEGAN
Bethany @ Blanchard
Purcell @ Kingfisher
Southwest Covenant @ Mangum
Chandler @ Metro Christian
Woodland @ Barnsdall
Broken Bow @ Sallisaw
Minco @ Stratford
Seiling @ Dewar
Norman @ Jenks
Putnam City @ Choctaw
Lincoln Christian @ Holland Hall
Pocola @ Rejoice Christian

Week 5 High School Football Rankings

9/29/2025 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Bixby (4-0)
2. Jenks (3-1)
3. Owasso (2-2)
4. Norman (4-0)
5. Norman North (3-1)
6. Edmond Memorial (3-1)
7. Broken Arrow (2-2)

6A Division-II

1. Stillwater (3-1)
2. Choctaw (2-2)
3. Sand Springs (2-2)
4. Putnam City (3-1)
5. Piedmont (2-2)
6. Southmoore (3-1)
7. Muskogee (1-3)

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert (3-0)
2. Bishop McGuinness (5-0)
3. Del City (3-1)
4. Booker T. Washington (3-1)
5. Pryor (4-0)
6. Guthrie (3-1)
7. Collinsville (3-1)

Class 4A

1. Tuttle (4-0)
2. Elgin (4-0)
3. Ada (4-0)
4. Broken Bow (4-0)
5. Poteau (4-0)
6. Grove (4-0)
7. Ft. Gibson (3-1)

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian (4-0)
2. Sulphur (4-0)
3. Holland Hall (4-0)
4. Heritage Hall (3-1)
5. Berryhill (3-1)
6. Anadarko (4-0)
7. Muldrow (4-0)

Class 2A Division-I

1. Jones (4-0)
2. Washington (3-1)
3. Metro Christian (4-0)
4. Marlow (3-0)
5. OCS (4-0)
6. Kingston (3-1)
7. Mt. St. Mary (4-0)

Class 2A Division-II

1. Adair (4-0)
2. Vian (3-1)
3. Holdenville (4-0)
4. Valliant (4-0)
5. Wyandotte (4-0)
6. Dibble (3-1)
7. Stroud (3-1)

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian (3-1)
2. Cashion (4-0)
3. Pawhuska (5-0)
4. Pocola (3-1)
5. Pawnee (3-1)
6. Hooker (3-1)
7. Fairview (3-1)

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina (4-0)
2. Thomas (4-0)
3. Mangum (4-0)
4. Woodland (2-2)
5. Hominy (2-2)
6. Healdton (4-0)
7. Wewoka (3-1)

Class B Division-I

1. Dewar (3-1)
2. Caddo (4-0)
3. Laverne (2-2)
4. Hollis (3-1)
5. Quinton (5-0)
6. Garber (4-1)
7. Pioneer (3-2)

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka (4-0)
2. Seiling (4-0)
3. Okeene (5-0)
4. Cyril (4-0)
5. Coyle (3-1)
6. Boise City (5-0)
7. Cherokee (2-2)

Class C

1. Tipton (3-1)
2. Timberlake (3-1)
3. Ryan (4-0)
4. Tyrone (2-1)
5. Mt. View-Gotebo (3-1)
6. Medford (3-2)
7. Sasakwa (3-1)

Week 4 Pick 'Em Results

9/27/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 9-2 (43-12 78.18%)	MARK 10-2 (42-18 70.00%)	JACOB 7-5 (46-14 76.67%)	LAYNE 9-3	ERIC 8-4
Kingfisher @ Pauls Valley
Central Sallisaw @ Wewoka
Garber @ Covington Douglas
Sequoyah Tahlequah @ Chandler
Waukomis @ Oklahoma Bible
Beggs @ Community Christian
Sallisaw @ Hilldale
Chisholm @ OCS
Jenks @ Bixby
Broken Arrow @ Owasso
Choctaw @ Piedmont
Wyandotte @ Colcord

Week 4 Pay Dirt Picks

9/24/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	LAYNE	ERIC
Kingfisher @ Pauls Valley
Central Sallisaw @ Wewoka
Garber @ Covington Douglas
Sequoyah Tahlequah @ Chandler
Waukomis @ Oklahoma Bible
Beggs @ Community Christian
Sallisaw @ Hilldale
Chisholm @ OCS
Jenks @ Bixby
Broken Arrow @ Owasso
Choctaw @ Piedmont
Wyandotte @ Colcord

Week 4 High School Football Rankings

9/23/2025 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Bixby
2. Jenks
3. Edmond Memorial
4. Owasso
5. Broken Arrow
6. Norman
7. Mustang

6A Division-II

1. Stillwater
2. Choctaw
3. Sand Springs
4. Piedmont
5. Putnam City
6. Southmoore
7. Ponca City

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Bishop McGuinness
3. Del City
4. Booker T. Washington
5. Pryor
6. Collinsville
7. Guthrie

Class 4A

1. Tuttle
2. Elgin
3. Ada
4. Broken Bow
5. Poteau
6. Grove
7. Weatherford

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Sulphur
3. Holland Hall
4. Heritage Hall
5. Berryhill
6. Anadarko
7. Muldrow

Class 2A Division-I

1. Jones
2. Washington
3. Metro Christian
4. Marlow
5. OCS
6. Kingston
7. Kiefer

Class 2A Division-II

1. Adair
2. Vian
3. Davis
4. Holdenville
5. Valliant
6. Colcord
7. Wyandotte

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian
2. Cashion
3. Pawhuska
4. Pocola
5. Pawnee
6. Hooker
7. Fairview

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina
2. Thomas
3. Mangum
4. Woodland
5. Hominy
6. Healdton
7. Wewoka

Class B Division-I

1. Dewar
2. Hollis
3. Caddo
4. Laverne
5. Pioneer
6. Quinton
7. Garber

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka
2. Seiling
3. Okeene
4. Cyril
5. Coyle
6. Boise City
7. Shattuck

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Timberlake
3. Ryan
4. Tyrone
5. Mt. View-Gotebo
6. Medford
7. Oaks

SKORDLE SAMPLER - State Fair Trip 2025

9/22/2025 |  Michael Swisher

It's mid-September and prep, college and professional football is now in full swing. 

This time of year also means its State Fair time and my annual pilgrimage to the Super Bowl of all things fried, roasted, smoked and freshly squeezed happened last week.

The routine has become pretty standard over the years and I have even included all the prior State Fair trips blogs for your reading enjoyment. 

Contained in these you find plenty of food pictures of all of my favorites, some still in the rotation, some that are not and some that have been retired. 

The first stop is almost always the same, the green Poncho Dog stand. Corn Dogs are the MVP of the fair in my humble opinion and the night we went it just so happened to be $4 corn dog night, which normally goes for $8. 

Confession time: I ate 3 of them and it was awesome. I justified my decision making with the fact that I didn’t eat breakfast or lunch, had already worked out that day and I knew I wasn’t going to eat an Indian Taco (see 2024 Fair Blog for reason why).  

If anyone else took advantage of the $4 corn dog night like I did, I applaud you!

After the first corn dog consumption (which actually was a $10 jumbo one), we made our way to the roasted corn stand. 

I decided to give the “Corn in a Cup” a try instead of the standard ear of corn and it was fantastic! 

Check out the picture of this cup of corn packed full of flavor and much easier to eat! I highly recommend the “Corn in a Cup.”

The corn was pretty spicy, which I liked, and this required my first Brown’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, which is the only option for true lemonade lovers at the fair. 

Look for the Browns name and avoid the others. I may or may not have had 3 lemonade refills during the course of the evening. 

After the corn in a cup and lemonades, I headed back to the Poncho Dog stand for corn dog 2 and 3 and they were just as good, if not better, than the first, piping hot from the fryer with a line of mustard down the side. 

Twenty minutes later, I was feeling pretty miserable, but still looking forward to the “Cobbler in a Cup” dessert that I had been seeing and hearing about since the fair opened. 

When we got the “Cobbler in a Cup” truck, the line was a mile long and I had lost some of my initial motivation. 

My estimate was a 15-20 minute wait and for as good as it looked I decided I would just catch a cinnamon roll on my way out. 

When we got to the cinnamon roll truck, it was also a mile long and we just kept on walking by as I grabbed a few little bites of my kids funnel cake and called it good.

I also thought the Fried Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream truck had some major potential, but we came upon it early in the middle of the corn dog tsunami and the sweet stuff was something I was going to have at the end so I didn’t indulge, but maybe next year. 

Also, apparently there was a fried pecan pie vendor at the fair that my friends kept secret to themselves and then criticized me for not trying or finding it, which is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. 

Overall the trip to the fair was great and I ran 3 miles the next day - 1 mile for each corn dog I devoured the night before. 

Do you have any fair food pictures? What is your favorite fair food? Please share!

https://skordle.com/blog/993/Oklahoma_State_Fair_Trip_2024_-_Where_is_the_Beef?

https://skordle.com/blog/974/SKORDLE_SAMPLER_-_Week_5_(2023)_The_State_Fair_of_Oklahoma

https://skordle.com/blog/953/SKORDLE_SAMPLER_-_Week_4_(2022)_-_The_State_Fair_Food_Tour

https://skordle.com/blog/870/SKORDLE_SAMPLER_-_Week_4_(2020)

https://skordle.com/blog/804/SKORDLE_SAMPLER_The_State_Fair_of_Oklahoma

Week 3 Pick 'Em Results

9/20/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 11-0 (34-10 77.27%)	MARK 9-3 (32-16 66.67%)	JACOB 12-0 (39-9 79.17%)	SHAWN 12-0	JACOB 10-2
Stroud @ Tonkawa
Millwood @ Heritage Hall
Pioneer @ Seiling
Chandler @ Clinton
Sallisaw @ Eufaula
Guthrie @ Blanchard
Carl Albert @ Stillwater
Okeene @ Waukomis
Bixby @ Choctaw
Norman @ Piedmont
CHA @ Rejoice Christian
Vian @ Pocola

Week 3 Pay Dirt Picks

9/16/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	SHAWN	JACOB
Stroud @ Tonkawa
Millwood @ Heritage Hall
Pioneer @ Seiling
Chandler @ Clinton
Sallisaw @ Eufaula
Guthrie @ Blanchard
Carl Albert @ Stillwater
Okeene @ Waukomis
Bixby @ Choctaw
Norman @ Piedmont
CHA @ Rejoice Christian
Vian @ Pocola

Week 3 High School Football Rankings

9/15/2025 |  Michael Swisher

1. Bixby
2. Jenks
3. Edmond Memorial
4. Owasso
5. Broken Arrow
6. Norman
7. Mustang

6A Division-II

1. Stillwater
2. Choctaw
3. Sand Springs
4. Piedmont
5. Putnam City
6. Southmoore
7. Ponca City

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Bishop McGuinness
3. Del City
4. Booker T. Washington
5. Pryor
6. Collinsville
7. Guthrie

Class 4A

1. Tuttle
2. Elgin
3. Ada
4. Broken Bow
5. Poteau
6. Grove
7. Weatherford

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Sulphur
3. Holland Hall
4. Heritage Hall
5. Plainview
6. Berryhill
7. Anadarko

Class 2A Division-I

1. Jones
2. Washington
3. Metro Christian
4. Marlow
5. OCS
6. Kingston
7. Kiefer

Class 2A Division-II

1. Adair
2. Vian
3. Davis
4. Holdenville
5. Valliant
6. Colcord
7. Wyandotte

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian
2. Cashion
3. Pocola
4. Tonkawa
5. Pawhuska
6. Hooker
7. Fairview

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina
2. Thomas
3. Mangum
4. Woodland
5. Regent Prep
6. Fairland
7. Hominy

Class B Division-I

1. Dewar
2. Hollis
3. Laverne
4. Caddo
5. Pioneer
6. Keota
7. Quinton

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka
2. Seiling
3. Okeene
4. Cyril
5. Waukomis
6. Coyle
7. Boise City

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Timberlake
3. Ryan
4. Medford
5. Mt. View-Gotebo
6. Tyrone
7. Oaks

Week 2 Pick Results

9/13/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 7-4 (23-10 69.70%)	MARK 6-6 (23-13 63.89%)	JACOB 8-4 (27-9 75.00%)	CHRIS 5-7	NICK 8-4
Ringling @ Cashion
Tonkawa @ Fairview
Kingfisher @ Clinton
Crossings @ OCS
El Reno @ Weatherford
Newcastle @ Blanchard
Weleetka @ Dewar
Timberlake @ Pioneer
Broken Arrow @ Mustang
Cushing @ Perkins-Tryon
Davis @ Sulphur
Pawnee @ Stroud

Week 2 Pay Dirt Picks

9/10/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	CHRIS	NICK
Ringling @ Cashion
Tonkawa @ Fairview
Kingfisher @ Clinton
Crossings @ OCS
El Reno @ Weatherford
Newcastle @ Blanchard
Weleetka @ Dewar
Timberlake @ Pioneer
Broken Arrow @ Mustang
Cushing @ Perkins-Tryon
Davis @ Sulphur
Pawnee @ Stroud

Week 2 High School Football Rankings

9/8/2025 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Bixby
2. Jenks
3. Mustang
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Owasso
6. Norman
7. Broken Arrow

6A Division-II

1. Stillwater
2. Choctaw
3. Sand Springs
4. Piedmont
5. Southmoore
6. Putnam City
7. Muskogee

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Bishop McGuinness
3. Del City
4. Booker T. Washington
5. Pryor
6. Collinsville
7. Guthrie

Class 4A

1. Tuttle
2. Elgin
3. Ada
4. Broken Bow
5. Poteau
6. Blanchard
7. Grove

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Sulphur
3. Holland Hall
4. Heritage Hall
5. Perkins-Tryon
6. Cascia Hall
7. Plainview

Class 2A Division-I

1. Jones
2. Washington
3. Metro Christian
4. Marlow
5. Millwood
6. Kingston
7. Kiefer

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Davis
3. Adair
4. Holdenville
5. Valliant
6. Colcord
7. Wyandotte

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian
2. Pawnee
3. Cashion
4. Pocola
5. Hooker
6. Fairview
7. Wynnewood

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina
2. Thomas
3. Mangum
4. Woodland
5. Regent Prep
6. Hominy
7. Ringling

Class B Division-I

1. Dewar
2. Hollis
3. Laverne
4. Caddo
5. Garber
6. Pioneer
7. Keota

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka
2. Seiling
3. Okeene
4. Waukomis
5. Cyril
6. Coyle
7. Copan

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Timberlake
3. Ryan
4. Tyrone
5. Medford
6. Sasakwa
7. Bluejacket

Week 1 Pick Results

9/6/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM 7-4 (16-6 72.7%)	MARK 8-4 (17-7 70.8%)	JACOB 9-3 (19-5 79.2%)	TONY 10-2	ROBERT 10-2
Seiling @ Laverne
Weatherford @ Kingfisher
Blanchard @ Noble
Velma - Alma @ Cashion
Minco @ Dibble
Stroud @ Chandler
Sulphur @ Washington
Fairview @ Kingston
Union @ Stillwater
Owasso @ Jenks
Ada @ Ardmore
Rejoice Christian @ Cascia Hall

Week 1 Pay Dirt Picks

9/4/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM Season 9-2	MARK Season 9-3	JACOB Season 10-2	TONY	ROBERT
Seiling @ Laverne
Weatherford @ Kingfisher
Blanchard @ Noble
Velma - Alma @ Cashion
Minco @ Dibble
Stroud @ Chandler
Sulphur @ Washington
Fairview @ Kingston
Union @ Stillwater
Owasso @ Jenks
Ada @ Ardmore
Rejoice Christian @ Cascia Hall

Week 1 High School Football Rankings

9/2/2025 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Bixby
2. Jenks
3. Owasso
4. Mustang
5. Edmond Memorial
6. Broken Arrow
7. Union

6A Division-II

1. Choctaw
2. Stillwater
3. Sand Springs
4. Muskogee
5. Piedmont
6. Southmoore
7. Putnam City

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Booker T. Washington
3. Bishop McGuinness
4. Del City
5. Pryor
6. Collinsville
7. Guthrie

Class 4A

1. Tuttle
2. Elgin
3. Ada
4. Broken Bow
5. Poteau
6. Wagoner
7. Cushing

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Sulphur
3. Heritage Hall
4. Holland Hall
5. Perkins-Tryon
6. Plainview
7. Cascia Hall

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Jones
3. Metro Christian
4. Kingston
5. Marlow
6. Millwood
7. Kiefer

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Davis
3. Adair
4. Holdenville
5. Stroud
6. Wyandotte
7. Valliant

Class A Division-I

1. Rejoice Christian
2. Pawnee
3. Cashion
4. Pocola
5. Hooker
6. Fairview
7. Wynnewood

Class A Division-II

1. Talihina
2. Woodland
3. Thomas
4. Mangum
5. Regent Prep
6. Hominy
7. Ringling

Class B Division-I

1. Dewar
2. Hollis
3. Laverne
4. Caddo
5. Garber
6. Yale
7. Pioneer

Class B Division-II

1. Weleetka
2. Seiling
3. Okeene
4. Waukomis
5. Covington-Douglas
6. Cyril
7. Copan

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Timberlake
3. Ryan
4. Tyrone
5. Welch
6. Sasakwa
7. Medford