Perkins-Tryon Demons

Perkins, OK 74059

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    • 2024-2025 Football Schedule
    Record: 8-2 | Rank: 6
    @ DeweyW0-49
    9/6
    vs CushingL13-23
    9/13
    @ Daniel WebsterW14-55
    9/20
    vs SulphurL0-48
    9/27
    @ MannfordW7-42
    10/4
    vs SeminoleW52-8
    10/11
    @ Victory ChristianW30-44
    10/17
    vs Lone GroveW42-10
    10/25
    @ BristowW35-42
    11/1
    vs McLoudW42-7
    11/7
    vs Pauls Valley
    OSSAA State First Round at Perkins    		L17-20
    11/15

    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



    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 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 3A PREVIEW

    |  Ben Johnson

    Class 3A preview

    Rankings

    **1. Heritage Hall
    2. Lincoln Christian
    3. Plainview
    4. Berryhill
    5. John Marshall
    6. Sulphur
    7. Kingfisher
    8. Seminole
    9. Cascia Hall
    10. Perkins-Tryon
    **Last year’s champion


    Our best guess(es)

    Michael Swisher: Heritage Hall -- Much like CA in Class 5A, I’m going to take the Chargers until someone proves me wrong. Even in years when Heritage Hall doesn’t overwhelm you with talent, it plays tough, disciplined football. The Bogerts always have them primed for big games and I have no reason to believe this year will be any different.

    Whitt Carter: Heritage Hall -- This team lost some very key players from last year’s title team. But they return some guys primed for a breakout and seem to be on another level than most in this class currently.

    Ben Johnson: Lincoln Christian -- The combination of Chase Ricke and Sam Brueggeman gives the Bulldogs a great chance to upend Heritage Hall in the 3A race.

    GALLERY: Perkins

    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

    Delk leaving Perry wrestling for Bentonville job

    |  Ben Johnson

    The state’s flagship wrestling program will have a new coach when the 2019-2020 season begins.

    Perry’s Ronnie Delk was hired as an assistant coach at Bentonville High School, after the school board in Arkansas approved the move Monday.

    Delk took over at Perry prior to the 2011-2012 season and guided the Maroons to eight straight dual state wrestling titles. He also helped the Maroons garner five team titles during his eight years, giving Perry now a state-best 43 state championships.

    The two-time state champion from Collinsville heads to Arkansas after three of his Perry wrestlers won individual titles in 2019. Ryan Smith (113), Dylan Avery (132) and Hadyn Redus (152) were all state champions for the Maroons at State Fair Arena in February.

    After having a season-best six individual champions in 2018, Delk departs Perry having coached 16 individuals to state championships, including Smith, Avery, Redus, Cale Betchan and David Thomas all being two-time state champions during that time.



    STATE TOURNAMENT WRESTLING: Complete class-by-class roundup

    |  Ben Johnson

    OKLAHOMA CITY -- Zane Coleman stepped off the podium and started fielding multiple requests. Everyone inside Jim Norick Arena wanted to snap a photo with the newest member of the four-time state champion club.
    The Choctaw senior joined the exclusive membership with a 1-0 victory over Broken Arrow’s Bryce Mattioda, making it 37 wrestlers to be share the lofty accomplishment.
    “It’s unbelievable,” said Coleman, the 170-pound senior who did it with his dad, Benny Coleman, coaching him to all four championships. “I dreamed about this forever, and now that it’s come true I couldn’t be happier.”
    Finishing as Class 6A’s Most Outstanding Wrestler of the state tournament capped Coleman’s career and wrapped up a 41-1 season. He’ll soon depart for Tempe, Arizona, where he’ll join the Arizona Sun Devils program.
    “They have a great coaching staff,” Zane Coleman said, “and I think we’re the No. 2 recruiting class right now, so we have good things coming.”


    Class 3A wrap-up

    Perry wins another title; Bridge Creek claims first individual crowns

    The state’s preeminent wrestling program did what it normally does to end each wrestling season: pose with a trophy to memorialize another team championship. For Perry, that’s now 43 team championships. The closest to the Maroons? Tuttle and Midwest City with 16.
    “It’s pretty awesome to win as a team,” Perry’s Ryan Smith told the Stillwater NewsPress. “Since I’ve been a freshman, we’ve won every year. All of my teammates did what they’re supposed to do.”
    Smith picked up one of three individual championships for the Maroons. Smith beat Walters’ Remington White, 4-2, to capture the 113 title. Dylan Avery (132) and Hadyn Redus (152) claimed the Maroons other two championships.
    - Smith, DePron lead Bridge Creek: The Bridge Creek Bobcats had waited long enough, so Kolton Smith made sure to make quick of his opponent. Smith, at 126 pounds, pinned Marlow’s Anthony Orum in 58 seconds to claim Bridge Creek’s first individual championship.
    Then Kolby DePron followed at 145 with another title, picking up a 10-8 victory over Geary’s Landon Holt to double up the Bobcats’ hardward in one evening.
    “It feels insane,” DePron said. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. … I hardly remember the match. Just an adrenaline rush; I went out and barfed everywhere.”
    - Marlow finishes second: Perry was too far out of reach, but Marlow still made plenty of noise in the championship matches on Saturday night. Tyler Lawson (106) picked up a title with a 6-2 over Vian’s Braylen Rodgers, and Kobey KIzarr pinned Pawhuska’s Price Perrier at 6:57 to pick up the Outlaws second title.
    Perry topped the 3A leaderboard with Marlow in second place with 91 points.
    - Other 3A titles: Vinita’s Alex Prince won the 120 crown with an 8-3 win over Newkirk’s Dayton Cary. Sperry’s Bryce Carter beat Comanche’s Cade Cook 6-4 at 170 pounds. Blackwell’s Drake Barbee (182) pinned Inola’s Brody Jenkins at 2:33.
    All three became first-time champions.
    Checotah’s Cade Shrosphire beat Marlow’s Tyler Lavey, 3-2, in an ultimate tiebreaker. Vian’s River Simon (182) pinned Perry’s Kohl Owen at 3:41. Comanche’s Konner Doucet picked up a 15-0 technical fall over Berryhill’s Nico Lopez for the 220 crown, and Davis’ Cooper Webb won the heavyweight crown by pinning Perry’s Teaguan Wilson at 1:20. All four became repeat champions. It was the second for Shrosphire, Simon and Webb, and Doucet picked up his third in three years. He’ll attempt to become a four-time state champion as a senior next season.


    Class 4A wrap-up

    Long breaks McLain’s title drought; Tuttle picks up title No. 16

    McLain’s TJ Long put the Titans back on the wrestling map at State Fair Arena. In perhaps the match of the night, Long went back and forth with Tuttle’s Logan Farrell in the 126-pound title bout before ultimately picking up a 12-10 win in sudden victory.
    It was McLain’s first individual championship since 1977 (Greg Hawkins at 178 pounds).
    “It sounds like I just wrote my name in the record books,” Long said.
    Long, last year’s runner-up at 126 pounds, capped his senior season at 36-0.
    “I lost in the finals last year,” Long said. “And I said, ‘that’s not happening this year. I’m known for clutch situations, so I was like, ‘I got this.’”
    - Tuttle wins again: There was never a doubt -- even before the weekend started -- as to who would claim the 4A championship. Tuttle made it look easy again, claiming 229 points to cruise to its 16th championship in its program’s history.
    “I transferred to Tuttle my eighth grade year to experience this, and it’s great,” said Plott, ranked third nationally at 170 pounds. “The group of guys we have right now is like a family. We hang out a lot, and we’re all really close.”
    Garrett Steidley (113), Ryder Ramsey (132), Brady DeArmond (145), Luke Surber (152), Plott and Carson Berryhill (195) each picked up individual crowns for the Tigers. Reese Davis (120), Farrell (126), Bryce Dauphin (138), Harley Andrews (160) and Kavan Guffey (182) were all runners-up at their respective weights.
    -- Cascia Hall sophomore Eli Griffin picked up a 9-1 major decision win over Cushing Luke Ahrberg for his second title in two years. The Commandos have claimed at least one individual title every year since Mike Bizzle won the school’s first in 2002.
    -- Heritage Hall’s Val Park beat Dauphin 3-0 for his third consecutive championship. He became the school’s fourth wrestler to win at least three individual championships, with Rodrick Mosley being the most recent with his title at 152 last season.
    -- Cushing picked it first individual championships since 2014. Jacob Ahrberg finished the season 26-0 with a 9-8 win over Tuttle’s Harley Andrews. Gage Hockett followed at 182 and beat Tuttle’s Kavan Guffey 3-2 in an tiebreaker. Hockett finished the season 32-0.
    -- Bristow’s Luke Fortney pinned Poteau’s Seth Ford at 3:06 to claim the 220 championship, Bristow’s first since 2007.
    -- Other 4A champions included Wagoner’s Braden Drake (120) and Blanchard’s Ryder Wiese at heavyweight.

    Class 5A wrap-up

    Collinsville, Skiatook split 5A title; Borror wins for a 3rd time

    The pressure was sitting squarely on Korbin McLaughlin’s shoulders. The Skiatook senior needed a victory at 220 pounds for the Bulldogs to have a chance at the Class 5A championship.
    Collinsville was leading Skiatook 137 to 133, and a win by decision by McLaughlin would be enough to pull the Bulldogs even. Anything better than that would give Skiatook the championship outright, two weeks after celecrating a dual state title in Shawnee.
    McLaughlin wound up beating Claremore’s Seth Seago, 4-1, meaning Skiatook and Collinsville both left Jim Norick Arena with first-place honors.
    Collinsville finished with four individual champions, including junior Caleb Tanner (132) beating Skiatook’s Cody Francis, 9-0, for his third title in three years. Two Cardinal freshmen claimed their first titles: Cameron Steed (106) and Jordan Williams (113). Rocky Stephens (120) followed with a title by posting an 8-0 win over Carl Albet’s Jayston Cato.
    Skiatook sophomore Josh Taylor (126) picked up his second championship in as many seasons with a 9-3 win over Collinsville’s Jordan Cullors. Then the Bulldogs’ Cougar Anderson capped an unbeaten season (38-0) by pinning Piedmont’s Landis Scoon at 4:36 for the 152 crown.
    For Collinsville, it’s the Cardinals’ second straight championship, and Skiatook claimed its first title since 1987.
    - Borror bests 182 field: Piedmont’s Austin Cooley jumped out to an early lead against Coweta’s Talon Borror. But Borror didn’t let that last long, rallying to pin Cooley at 2:43 to pick up his third consecutive championship.
    “There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it,” Borror said. “Now it’s time call it a career.”
    Well, high school career, that is. Borror wrapped up his senior varsity stint at 38-2 and now will head to Norman and join the Sooners.
    “We’re building a good team and have a lot of good recruits coming in,” Borror said. “Looking to make a run at the top.”
    - Hicks prevails for Durant’s 1st title: Durant’s Cody Hicks trailed early on, but he rallied for a 6-4 win over Glenpool’s Gage Hight. Now Hicks will forever be known as the first Durant wrestler to win an individual championship for the Lions.
    And he celebrated accordingly by jumping into his brother’s arms.
    “He’s eight years older than me, and he’s always worked with us,” Hicks said of his brother, Colby. “(To jump into his arms) was an amazing moment.”
    -- Other 5A champions included Altus’ Kobi Gomez (138), Lawton Mac’s Christiain Maldonado (170) and Matthew Santos (195) and Duncan’s Hunter Jump (160), a former champion at Lawton Mac before moving to Duncan.
    Piedmont’s Josh Heindselman, named 5A's most outstanding wrestler, also picked up his second state championship at heavyweight by pinning Lawton Mac’s Montana Phillips at 3:13.

    Class 6A wrap-up

    Tigers back on top with 6A crown; Mustang nabs 4 titles

    If there’s ever a constant about Class 6A, it’s that the teams like to pass around the team championship. Sure enough, it was Broken Arrow’s turn again with the Tigers claiming their first crown since 2015.
    Broken Arrow was the lone 6A team to crack the 100-point barrier and compiled 158 points by weekend’s end. Mustang was second with 96, and Choctaw was third at 75.
    The Tigers’ Jackson Cockrell (113) and Jared Hill (120) both lost in the finals before Reece Witcraft registered Broken Arrow’s first individual title at 132. Witcraft toppled Owasso’s Zeke Washington -- for the second week in a row -- with a 6-3 decision for his second straight state championship.
    Broken Arrow sophomore Emmanuel Skillings (182) nabbed his first championship with a 5-1 victory over Owasso’s Taylor Fleming, and then Zach Marcheselli (220) etched his name into the Oklahoma record book with his fourth state championship. He made history by beating Edmond North’s Jake McCoy 10-4 in his final varsity match.
    For Broken Arrow, that’s now two four-time state champions after Brandon Tucker accomplished the feat from 2000 to 2003.
    - Mustang crowns 4: Mustang threw the biggest party on the outskirts of the 6A mat inside State Fair Arena on Saturday night. It had been since 2005 that the Broncos snared an individual state championship, so Mustang made sure to celebrate accordingly for each of the four titles.
    Tucker Owens (113) claimed Mustang’s first title with a 9-0 victory over Cockrell of Broken Arrow. Then John Wiley, the No. 4 seed out of the West Regional, picked up a 5-1 win over Stillwater’s Carter Young for title No. 2 for Mustang.
    Tate Picklo followed at 160 and pinned Putnam City’s Rene Martinez to cap off an unbeaten 43-0 season. The Broncos’ final state title was courtesy of Judson Rowland and his last-second, 11-10 win over Deer Creek’s Carson Savage.
    -- Choctaw claimed three individual championships. Coleman won at 170, Gabe Johnson (145) knocked off Deer Creek’s Micah Lugafet, 9-4, and heavyweight Marquonn Journey beat Jenks’ Caleb Orr, 3-1.
    - Other 6A champions included:
    -- Bixby’s Zach Blankenship: Won the 120 title as a freshman with a pin of Broken Arrow’s Jared Hill at 5:12.
    -- Ponca City’s Spencer Schickram picked up the 138 title with a 10-0 major decision over Broken Arrow’s Blake Gonzalez.
    -- Jenks junior Drake Vannoy picked up his second championship by beating Sand Springs’ Scott Patton, 5-1.


    CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEWS: Classes 5A, 4A & 3A

    |  Ben Johnson

    It's time to break down championship games for Classes 5A, 4A and 3A -- or I like to call it, the “no east side teams allowed” preview. For real, just look at whose left in these three championship games.
    As for the quality in these three games, it’s top notch. You have perennial powers, grind-it-out ball clubs and no shortage of extraordinary talent.
    Looking for something to do on Friday night in the Oklahoma City area? You have plenty of options, stretching from Yukon to Edmond.

    Now, here are your game previews….

    *All games scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Friday


    Class 5A


    No. 1 Carl Albert (13-0) vs. No. 2 Ardmore  (13-0)

    Where: Wolves Stadium (Edmond Santa Fe High School)

    Road to the title game

    - Carl Albert: 28-7 vs. El Reno in the first round; 42-6 vs. Claremore in the quarterfinals; 37-20 vs. Collinsville in the semifinals
    - Ardmore: 42-13 vs. Piedmont in the first round; 48-13 vs. Coweta in the quarterfinals; 21-13 vs. Bishop Kelley in the semifinals

    What to watch for

    - Ground game galore: Carl Albert’s Dadrion “Rabbit” Taylor is coming off a monster game against Collinsville - 313 yards and five touchdowns on 32 carries. Then there’s Ardmore arsenal of ball carriers, including Tero Roberts, Jadrien Monroe and Cameron Petties. The Tigers are averaging close to 400 yards on the ground per game, and they’re coming off a 21-13 win over Bishop Kelley where they ran for 318 yards on 43 carries.

    - Ardmore’s massive offensive line: Lost amid the big names in this one is the Tigers’ massive offensive line. Anchored by 5-foot-10, 305-pound senior guard Trenzel Johnson, Ardmore may possess the largest offensive front, this side of Broken Arrow. Brayden Bryant, Ethan Phillips, Sitani Lemeki and Johnson all check in at more than 275 pounds, and Tafolla mans the center position at 210.

    - Tradition or Tigers? Carl Albert has won 35 straight games, and the Titans are basically royalty when it comes to winning championships. Then there’s Ardmore, looking for its first title since 1992.

    Random facts

    - Carl Albert head coach Mike Corley took over in 2017. He’s gone 27-0 over the course of two seasons.
    - Ardmore head coach Josh Newby took over in 2015. He’s gone 40-9 over the course of four seasons.
    - Ardmore is 3-2 all-time in championship games -- the last one being a 34-14 win over Douglass for the 5A crown in 1992.
    - Carl Albert sophomore quarterback Ben Harris has completed 140 of 240 pass attempts this season for 2,224 yards and 19 touchdowns. For his career, Harris has logged 4,990 yards through the air.
    - Junior linkebacker Reise Collier leads Carl Albert on defense with 160 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions.
    - Carl Albert has won back-to-back 5A titles -- both wins over Bishop McGuinness in 2017 and 2016 by a combined score of 69-52.
    - Carl Albert is 16-7 against Ardmore all-time, and the Titans beat Ardmore in both 2017 (28-12) and 2016 (38-21).
    - A title would be ….. Carl Albert’s 14th; Ardmore’s fourth.

    Prediction panel

    Michael Swisher: Ardmore over Carl Albert - Man, if we could just stop at the first three classes, I would seem pretty smart. I've nailed all six title game participants so far. I went out on a limb with my Ardmore pick. Only a fool would pick against Carl Albert. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce myself, the fool. I could be embarrassed by this pick still, but I feel the Tigers' ground game and stellar defense do just enough to knock off the champs.

    Ben Johnson: Carl Albert over Ardmore - Welp, I had Bishop Kelley making the championship game against Carl Albert, so strike one for me there. But I had Carl Albert winning it all, so I’ve still got that going for me. When the season started, it looked like Carl Albert was the run-away favorite to win another gold ball, and while I’m still picking the Titans, I think Ardmore’s got a great shot. With guys like Tero Roberts, Cameron Petties and others, Ardmore will do its best to lean on it size and speed as much as possible. But when it comes down to it, Carl Albert has too much firepower. I know, I know -- what else is new?

    Whitt Carter: Carl Albert over Ardmore - Again, this was my pick before the playoffs started and I've seen no reason to change it. Carl Albert is in the middle of an incredible run and they'll be hard to beat with a chance to go for the three-peat and their 36th win in a row. But it won't be easy, as Tero Roberts is the real deal. Again, major props to Tigers' head coach Josh Newby. He has this program at an elite level in 5A and they aren't going away anytime soon. But they will have to wait, as the Titans continue to add to their historic run.


    Class 4A


    No. 6 Bethany (12-1) vs. No. 2 Tuttle (13-0)

    Where: Miller Stadium (Yukon High School)

    Road to the title game

    - Bethany: 38-13 vs. Weatherford in the first round; 42-35 vs. Wagoner in the quarterfinals; 31-30 in double overtime vs. Clinton in the semifinals.
    - Tuttle: 31-0 vs. Anadarko in the first round; 42-14 vs. Hilldale in the quarterfinals; 21-11 vs. Poteau in the semifinals.

    What to watch for

    - Rematch time: Just about the only thing Bethany had going for it back in October was it was at home. Beyond that, Tuttle waltzed into Bethany and knocked around the Bronchos, winning a 30-7 clash in District 4A-2. “I just wanted to beat them so bad,” Tuttle quarterback Carson Berryhill told the Oklahoman. And he sure did, accounting for four touchdowns -- two on the ground and two through the air. He finished with 82 yards through the air and 60 yards on the ground, while the Tigers’ defense did the rest.

    - Truelove’s traction: Lost amid Berryhill’s touchdowns against Bethany was Tuttle’s junior tailback Triston Truelove piling up yardage while helping Tuttle dominate in time of possession. Truelove had 182 yards on 29 carries, and he has more than 1,500 yards for the Tigers this season.

    - Best of Brandt: Christian Heritage’s Zach Hale is one of the poster boys for having to do it all this season, but Bethany’s Sam Brandt is in the conversation. The junior quarterback/defensive back has rushed for 1,234 yards and 24 touchdowns on 177 carries this season, and he’s added 2,405 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 156 of 241 passes. And he’s not done there. He’s logged 71 tackles and seven interceptions. His production was limited against Tuttle the first time around, so don’t expect that to happen again.

    Random facts

    - Bethany coach Jon Arthur took over in 2017, and he’s gone 22-4 over the course of two seasons.
    - Tuttle coach Brad Ballard took over in 2014, and he’s gone 45-12 over the course of five seasons.
    - Bethany is unbeaten in its only state championship appearance -- a 40-6 win over Davis in the 2A title game of 2003.
    - Tuttle is 11-2 all-time against Bethany. The Tigers did lose 21-12 to Bethany last season during district play.
    - Bethany’s senior tailback Jacob Kyle has rushed for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns on 185 carries this season.
    - Five Bethany receivers -- Ben Lawson, Lawson Stout, Jordan Flinton, Jackson Howard and Skylar Holzhauser -- each have at least 299 yards receiving this season.
    - Brodey Claborn leads Bethany in tackles with 107. Lawson Stout had added 103 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.
    - A title would be ….. Bethany’s second; Tuttle’ third.

    Prediction panel

    Michael Swisher: Tuttle over Bethany - In my defense, I was forthright in saying I had no idea what was going to happen in the 4A playoffs when I picked Poteau to beat Wagoner in the finals. I still think you could start the playoffs over and get at least one different finalist. That said, sorry for doubting you, West side. Bethany's Sam Brandt will be the best player on the field, in my opinion. But, Tuttle has the best overall team. It's a return to glory for the Tigers. For the record, I have Tigers winning three of the top four classes now.

    Ben Johnson: Tuttle over Bethany - I’d like to piggyback off of Swisher, if I could, and offer an apology to the west side teams. I had Poteau over Wagoner in the finals. I felt really good about Poteau, too, but the Pirates picked a bad time for injuries to start mounting up. Just how the luck shakes out sometimes. Nevertheless, Tuttle is more than deserving of being in the finals. It might not have looked like it by the final score, but Hilldale was a really good football team this season and Tuttle just smacked the Hornets around in the quarterfinals. The Tigers have the luxury of letting Carson Berryhill do his thing at quarterback, or they can hand the ball off to Triston Truelove. All the while, Tuttle has the more stout defense between itself and Bethany. Sam Brandt and Bethany aren’t going anywhere, so perhaps 2019 could be the year the Bronchos wrestle gold away from the rest of Class 4A. Until then, I’m sticking with Tuttle to claim football and wrestling championships this season (that’s right, I’m already calling my shots in wrestling).

    Whitt Carter: Tuttle over Bethany - Tuttle was my preseason state championship pick for Class 4A and I must say, I'm pretty proud. Not many picked this team to make a deep run, probably due to not making it out of the first round in three of the last four years. But Tuttle has been the team to beat in 4A all season long. The Tigers are 13-0 and haven't played a game closer than 10 points all year. But they will have to beat a really good Bethany team to finish the perfect season. Broncos QB Sam Brandt will give the Tigers all they can handle, but Tuttle QB Carson Berryhill has made plays when it mattered all year long and I'm betting he does it again, as Tuttle reigns supreme as the Class 4A champ.


    Class 3A


    No. 1 Heritage Hall (12-1) vs. No. 3 Sulphur (12-1)

    Where: Charles W. Scheid Stadium (Western Heights High School)

    Road to the title game

    - Heritage Hall: 42-0 vs. Marlow in the first round; 44-21 vs. Stigler in the quarterfinals; 69-34 vs. Lincoln Christian in the semifinals.
    - Sulphur: 34-7 vs. Perkins-Tryon in the first round; 56-31 vs. Idabel in the quarterfinals; 35-26 vs. Kingfisher in the semifinals.

    What to watch for

    - Containing Conner: Prior to his senior season, Heritage Hall tailback Conner Carey had a whopping 158 rushing yards to his credit. This year, Carey has burst onto the scene with 1,667 yards and 28 touchdowns on 182 carries. A receiver last season who hauled in 44 catches for 642 yards, Carey switched to the backfield for the Chargers, who also have Billy Ross to hand the ball off to, as well. Carey still says busy catching the ball, hauling in 23 catches for 474 yards and seven touchdowns. Then on defense, he’s come up with 55 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions.

    - Containing Kiser: This year has been full of tremendous running back performances across the state. Yet, the one piling up the most yards resides in Sulphur. Kiser, a 6-foot, 190-pound tailback, is sitting at 2,442 yards and 38 touchdowns on 367 carries with one game left to go. It’s no surprise that Sulphur will go as he goes -- even if his ankle is still a little wobbly. He torched Kingfisher for 130 yards and three scores last week, so he’s no stranger to picking up yards against good teams. And if his offensive endeavors aren’t enough, he’s also one of Sulphur’s main defense stoppers, and he added 10 tackles against the Yellowjackets last week.

    - Dixon does it again?: Sulphur coach Jim Dixon has been coaching the Bulldogs since 1975, but he actually wasn’t Sulphur’s coach when the team won its last state championship. Wait, what? Dixon missed the 2004 season due to an illness, and Jeff Nye coached the Bulldogs to the 2A title that season, beating Purcell in the championship game. Dixon returned in 2005, but Sulphur has yet to reclaim a gold ball. Heading into this week’s game, Dixon is 309-179 in 43 years on the sidelines.

    Random facts

    - Heritage Hall head coach Brett Bogert took over in 2015. He has gone 52-2 over the course of four seasons.
    - Sulphur won its first championship in 2002 against Seminole in the 2A title game. The Bulldogs’ last title was in 2004. That’s been it, despite Sulphur being a perennial power in Oklahoma.
    - Heritage Hall has scored an average of 42.4 points in its last seven playoff games.
    - Billy Ross has rushed for 637 yards and nine touchdowns, and he’s also caught 42 passes for 800 yards and nine touchdowns for Heritage Hall this season.
    - Hardy Bowers leads Heritage Hall with 144 tackles, and he also has 10 sacks. Jaden McDaniel (12) and Will Dunn (11) also have more than 10 sacks apiece, too.
    - These two teams have had pretty limited exposure to one another. Only other meeting was in 2004 -- a 48-21 win for Sulphur in the 2004 semifinals.
    - A title would be ….. Sulphur’s third; Heritage Hall’s seventh.

    Prediction panel

    Michael Swisher: Heritage Hall over Sulphur - Kingfisher knocked off Berryhill, my pick to make it out of the bottom half of the bracket. Then Sulphur disposed of the Yellowjackets last week behind its always-solid ground game. While stopping Trey Kiser is key, he's not the only rushing weapon for the Bulldogs. However, Heritage Hall's offense also has a multi-pronged rushing attack. That, plus a quirky, blitzing defense will be too much for Sulphur to overcome. Heritage Hall won't do things to get itself beat and, if need be, I think the Chargers can go to the air to win. I'm not convinced Sulphur can.

    Ben Johnson: Heritage Hall over Sulphur - Deferring to Swisher and Whitt would be the smart play here. Both were at the semifinal clash between Sulphur and Kingfisher last week, so both know what Sulphur has to offer. That being said, they’re split on the outcome so I’ll break the tie. Sulphur is about as hard-nosed as it gets, but I’m never one to doubt a member of the Bogert family. Brett opted to switch things up and go with Conner Carey as the team’s primary tailback this season, because of a Billy Ross ailment, and it’s paid dividends. It always seems like Bogert and his staff are always one step ahead, so that’s enough to sway me. I should mention here that I had Berryhill making the title game against Heritage Hall, so you’re welcome to publicly shame me. I deserve it.

    Whitt Carter: Sulphur over Heritage Hall - So I picked the Chargers pretty confidently back in August, and they've done nothing to earn my distrust. But I did pick Sulphur to beat the Chargers in the finals at the start of the playoffs and I'll stay with that mindset. Heritage Hall is looking for its fourth state title in five years, and we all know they can certainly get it done. But this Sulphur team has been overlooked all year, and the way they play is tough to deal with. This will surely be the toughest test the Bulldogs have faced all year long, but they have the best player on the field in Trey Kiser and I think they find a way to pull the upset. The Bulldogs win a nail-biter for their third state title in school history.


    *Photo courtesy of Russell Stitt



    Class 3A playoff preview

    |  Ben Johnson


    Players to watch

    - Conner Carey (Heritage Hall): If you stop the senior running back who has 1,229 yards and 16 touchdowns on 139 carries this season, nice job. Then you get to deal with Billy Ross who is equally as explosive out of the Chargers' backfield.
    - Trey Kiser (Sulphur): Often overlooked in a state where running backs have been running rampant this season, but the senior tailback picked up where he left off last season. Kiser has 1,847 yards and 28 touchdowns on 182 carries.
    - Ty Hill (Perkins-Tryon): The Sulphur-Perkins game will feature two elite running backs with Hill, a senior, totaling 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground this season.
    - Cameron Gunville (Seminole): The junior tailback's workload has been almost unmatched by any other player in the state this season. Gunville has racked up 2,046 yards and 32 touchdowns on 194 carries.
    - Jerod Leviston (John Marshall): The senior quarterback has been a passing machine for the Bears, racking up 2,132 yards and 34 touchdowns while completing 118 of 185 passes this year.
    - LaQuan Wells (Idabel): The senior quarterback is the Sam Brandt of 3A -- he does everything. Wells has thrown for 836 yards and seven touchdowns, he's rushed 81 times for 323 yards and 13 touchdowns and he's caught 15 passes for 117 yards. Then on defense he's picked off three passes.
    - Addison Love (Purcell): Junior tailback has rushed for 1,124 yards and 17 touchdowns on 152 carries for the Dragons.
    - Chase Ricke (Lincoln Christian): Senior quarterback has completed an impressive 64.4 percent (121 of 188) of his passes for 2,403 yards and 30 touchdowns -- mostly to his favorite target, Sam Brueggemann, who has 48 receptions for 1,147 yards and 15 TDs.
    - Cody Ross (Berryhill): Junior quarterback has tossed for 1,807 yards and 16 touchdowns while also rushing 105 times for 632 yards and 13 touchdowns.
    - Brant Hager): Junior QB has engineered the Cardinals' offense smoothly this season, thanks to 1,585 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.

    Don't overlook... Kingfisher

    The Yellowjackets reeled off an impressive victory in the final week of the season, beating John Marshall to claim a home playoff game in the first round. Kingfisher could be lethal, especially with Jett Sternberger running the show on offense.

    Favorite (potential) matchup - Kingfisher at Berryhill

    Wouldn't take long to get there either, with this one being a potential second round clash. This quadrant of the bracket -- along with Seminole and Purcell -- is quite difficult, so advances to the semifinals out of this will have earned it. And potentially waiting at that point could be Trey Kiser and Sulphur. Better buckle up.

    Coaching candor

    How do other high school coaches see the 3A postseason playing out? We asked and they made their predictions (after being granted anonymity, of course). 
    Coach One: "Heritage Hall wins it all. They ran through the toughest district in Class 3A, and they expect to win. They are on the toughest side of the bracket, but should roll into the semis where they will get challenged by Lincoln Christian or the winner of Plainview-John Marshall. The other side of the bracket is wide open. ... Watch out for Seminole. They beat Lincoln Christian 50-31 in week five. ... Also, 3A-3 probably has five teams that would have been in the playoffs if not for all being in the same district together."
    Coach Two: "I feel like 3A is one of the toughest classes in the state. In my opinion, Sulphur will win this year if Trey Kiser can get healthy. He is one of the best players I have seen in a long time, and his team seems to feed off of him. As a team, they are very physical on defense and are going to pound the ball at you. Those two things, I feel, are vital to win this time of year."

    Prediction time

    Michael Swisher: Heritage Hall over Berryhill - I’m guessing this will be a popular pick. On paper, the Chargers have the tougher side of the bracket with the likes of defending champ John Marshall, Plainview, Lincoln Christian, etc. Meanwhile, Berryill likely will have to survive Kingfisher in the second round to move on. These two have just seemed to be the most consistent all season. I don’t think there’s a dominant team in the class, but Heritage Hall just doesn’t do much to beat itself and has a couple of dynamic offensive weapons to score just enough points.
    Ben Johnson: Heritage Hall over Berryhill - There are so many good teams in 3A. Heck, even a team like Checotah isn't even in the playoffs and the Wildcats were a solid bunch this year. I say that to mention that 3A is been a bear all season long -- and not just for the John Marshall Bears. But all lame jokes aside, I'd be foolish not to go with Heritage Hall. The Chargers breezed to the 4A title last season, and they dropped down a class this year and kept on motoring. Not only that, but Heritage Hall made 3A-1 -- likely the toughest district in the state -- look easy. Sign me up for another Chargers state championship.
    Whitt Carter: Sulphur over Heritage Hall - Make no mistake, Heritage Hall was the clear favorite heading into the season, after winning the state title in Class 4A last year and back-to-back championships in 3A in 2014 and 2015. The Chargers opened the season with a loss to Millwood, but responded by winning their next nine games and remaining the top-ranked team in the class behind running backs Conner Carey and Billy Ross Jr. Sulphur has flown under the radar for most of the year, but their 26-7 win over No. 5 Plainview a few weeks ago cannot be overlooked. The Bulldogs are as physical of a team as you will see in 3A and have the best player in the class - senior running back and linebacker, Trey Kiser. Sulphur has a potential semifinal matchup with Seminole or Berryhill along the way, but I like the Bulldogs to make the title game. And yes, I am a Sulphur graduate, so who would I be if I didn't pick them? Sulphur and legendary head coach Jim Dixon bring home the school's third state championship.

    Week 9: Top 10 games

    |  Ben Johnson

    We are two weeks away from playoff games starting. But for now, it's time to hand out playoff berths and district titles.

    Here's what's on tap for week nine:

    1. 5A No. 4 Bishop McGuinness (7-1) at 5A No. 6 Guthrie (7-1): Laying low and waiting for the final two weeks of the season -- that's been Bishop McGuinness for about a month now. The playoffs essentially start now for the Irish with Guthrie in the crosshairs, followed by Carl Albert. The winner all but secures a home playoff game in the first round, whereas a Bishop McGuinness win sets up a showdown for the district title next week against the Titans. Should mention that Bishop McGuinness has won four of the past six matchups against Guthrie since 2012.

    2. 6AI No. 2 Jenks (7-1) at 6AI No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe (7-1): The Wolves had a chance to make a splash against Broken Arrow two weeks ago and got beat 35-7. But Edmond Santa Fe can still earn a home playoff game and all but wrap up second place in 6AI-1 with a victory. Jenks, meanwhile, has been on a roll since losing to Broken Arrow on Sept. 20

    3. A No. 2 Cashion (8-0) at A No. 5 Crossings Christian (8-1): Another week, another District A-3 game in the top 10. This time, it's the top two teams clashing for the district title. This is it for Crossings Christian in the regular season; a win and the Knights enjoy a bye week in week 10 with the playoffs around the corner. A victory for Cashion will be followed by a another interesting matchup with Minco next week. Never a dull moment in A-3.

    4. 4A No. 7 Catoosa (7-1) at 4A No. 5 Bristow (7-1): For the first time since 1989, these two I-44 establishments will square off, and thanks to Oologah and Wagoner it's a glorified mess atop 4A-3. Wagoner, Oologah, Bristow and Catoosa are all 4-1 in district play, so the winner of this one at least feels better about staying home for a first-round playoff matchup. Plus, Bristow's Tyler Wayland and Catoosa' Daniel Queen sharing a field is exciting within itself.

    5. 6AII No. 5 Del City (6-2) at 6AII No. 4 Lawton (5-3): The Wolverines had Stillwater on the ropes, and they flat out gave up too many points against Midwest City. Del City was throttled last week by Midwest City. Needless to say, one of these two desperately needs a victory. The winner likely finishes third and earns a date at Booker T. Washington in the opening round of the playoffs. That's a much better option than venturing to Bixby.

    6. 3A No. 5 Lincoln Christian (7-1) at 3A No. 9 Idabel (6-2): Raise your hand if you have a firm handle on how things are playing out in District 3A-3. Now put it down, because no one knows what's happening in that chaotic mess. Both Lincoln Christian and Idabel seem likely to be playoff representatives from 3A-3, so this one is more about district supremacy. It's likely the result will be whatever further creates havoc in that bizarro district.

    7. Hominy (6-2) at A No. 9 Morrison (7-1): Class A has itself some stacked districts -- A-3 and A-5 come to mind. Here we have more A-5 hijinks afoot. Morrison has been dominant this season, outside of its loss to Tonkawa. Hominy's only district loss was a six-point setback against Pawhuska. Morrison's rushing attack against Hominy Hipp brothers (Blake and Mike) should be fun to watch. All eight clashes between these two have occurred since 2008, and Morrison has won six of them.

    8. Skiatook (6-2) at 5A No. 3 Collinsville (8-0): A few weeks ago, this one looked like it had all the makings of a week nine district clash for the 5A-4 title. Then Skiatook went and lost to Tahlequah and Claremore and now appears to be almost assuredly locked into the No. 4 spot in the district. The Bulldogs, though, can claim some Highway 20 bragging rights with a win. Neither defense has given up more than 69 points this season, so expect plenty of carries and a quick game.

    9. B No. 6 Dewar (7-1) at B No. 10 Keota (6-1): Perhaps the best defense not mentioned in the state resides in Keota this season. The Lions have given up only 58 points and only 14 in their last four games. Then there's Dewar, a team that's averaging 47.6 points per contest. Winner here claims the B-6 crown.

    10. 4A No. 4 Blanchard (6-2) at Cushing (4-4): Upon further review, Cushing might have been overlooked early on this season. But the Tigers continue to churn out points, much like they've done in recent seasons. Bryce Madron is a running machine for the Lions, and Cushing's Wil Moyer continues to rack up passing yards every week. Expect some offensive fireworks in this one.



    Honorable mention

    Westmoore at Norman: Fourth place in 6AI-1 is up for grabs here. Of course, being in the playoffs will mean a trip to Union in the first round. But, better to have a shot than closing up shop after the regular season.

    Midwest City at Choctaw: Choctaw in desperate need of a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. Any letdown from the Bombers after torching Del City last week?

    Coweta at Bishop Kelley: The Comets have been coasting along in 5A-3 play this year. Their defense, though, should get a challenge from Coweta quarterback J.D. Geneva this week.

    Perkins-Tryon at John Marshall: In a different district in 3A, Perkins would be competing for a district title. But the Demons' have the misfortune of being paired with Heritage Hall, John Marshall and Kingfisher. Still, though, don't sleep on Perkins-Tryon against the Bears this week.

    Pauls Valley at Plainview: Winner likely finishes second in 3A-2 and welcomes Kingfisher to town in the first round of the playoffs. That's no picnic, but seems like a better option than traveling to John Marshall.

    Verdigris at Locust Grove: Berryhill is the class of 3A-4, but Verdigris has worked itself into position to possibly host a playoff game. The Pirates' defense has been stingy this season, but next up is Verdigris quarterback Brant Hager and running back Hayden Hutchinson.

    Okemah at Jones: The Longhorns haven't been challenged much this season. The Panthers need a win to keep playoff hopes alive in 3A-2.

    Prague at Meeker: Staying in 3A-2, Meeker can solidify its spot in the No. 2 spot with a win. Prague is tussling with Kellyville and Okemah just to get into the playoffs.

    Shattuck at Seiling: A victory for Shattuck wraps up the B-1 crown.

    Tyrone at Pond Creek-Hunter: Buffalo has reigned supreme in C-1, so it's now down between PC-Hunter and Tyrone to claim the second spot.



    So who wins all the matchups? Check back for our weekly picks on Thursday.

    *Photo courtesy of Coweta football

    Week 7 picks

    |  Ben Johnson

    Well, what we have here is two hotly-contested showdowns for first and third place. Swisher and Coach Turney are locked in a battle for first place, while Whitt and myself charge hard after the bronze.

    Week 6 picks - Coach Turney 14-4 | Whitt 13-5 | Ben 13-5 | Swisher 13-5

    Overall - Swisher 91-35 | Turney 91-35 | Ben 84-42 | Whitt 84-42

    And per usual, my apologies in advance to the teams I pick below:


    Carl Albert at Guthrie

    Michael Swisher: Carl Albert 33, Guthrie 17

    Ben Johnson: Carl Albert 30, Guthrie 16

    Whitt Carter: Carl Albert 28, Guthrie 21

    Randy Turney: Carl Albert 31, Guthrie 14


    Broken Arrow at Edmond Santa Fe

    Michael Swisher: Broken Arrow 38, Edmond Santa Fe 14

    Ben Johnson: Broken Arrow 41, Edmond Santa Fe 19

    Whitt Carter: Broken Arrow 34, Edmond Santa Fe 14

    Randy Turney: Broken Arrow 28, Edmond Santa Fe 7


    Stillwater at Lawton

    Michael Swisher: Stillwater 35, Lawton 21

    Ben Johnson: Stillwater 23, Lawton 22

    Whitt Carter: Stillwater 42, Lawton 34

    Randy Turney: Stillwater 35, Lawton 20


    Cascia Hall at Berryhill

    Michael Swisher: Berryhill 24, Cascia Hall 12

    Ben Johnson: Berryhill 20, Cascia Hall 19

    Whitt Carter: Cascia Hall 32, Berryhill 28

    Randy Turney: Berryhill 28, Cascia Hall 20


    Victory Christian at Beggs

    Michael Swisher: Beggs 28, Victory Christian 10

    Ben Johnson: Beggs 33, Victory Christian 24

    Whitt Carter: Beggs 35, Victory Christian 27

    Randy Turney: Beggs 21, Victory Christian 20


    Plainview at Sulphur

    Michael Swisher: Plainview 24, Sulphur 22

    Ben Johnson: Plainview 29, Sulphur 23

    Whitt Carter: Sulphur 28, Plainview 24

    Randy Turney: Sulphur 34, Plainview 31


    Buffalo at Pond Creek-Hunter

    Michael Swisher: PC-Hunter 30, Buffalo 14

    Ben Johnson: PC-Hunter 43, Buffalo 22

    Whitt Carter: PC-Hunter 31, Buffalo 12

    Randy Turney: PC-Hunter 34, Buffalo 22


    Booker T. Washington at Sapulpa

    Michael Swisher: Booker T. Washington 31, Sapulpa 30

    Ben Johnson: Booker T. Washington 27, Sapulpa 24

    Whitt Carter: Booker T. Washington 42, Sapulpa 28

    Randy Turney: Booker T. Washington 31, Sapulpa 22


    Stigler at Seminole

    Michael Swisher: Seminole 34, Stigler 17

    Ben Johnson: Seminole 23, Stigler 20

    Whitt Carter: Seminole 34, Stigler 21

    Randy Turney: Seminole 34, Stigler 20


    Tonkawa at Morrison

    Michael Swisher: Morrison 18, Tonkawa 14

    Ben Johnson: Morrison 26, Tonkawa 16

    Whitt Carter: Morrison 27, Tonkawa 21

    Randy Turney: Morrison 38, Tonkawa 14


    Yukon at Westmoore

    Michael Swisher: Yukon 17, Westmoore 16

    Ben Johnson: Yukon 21, Westmoore 17

    Whitt Carter: Westmoore 21, Yukon 20

    Randy Turney: Westmoore 24, Yukon 17


    El Reno at Duncan

    Michael Swisher: Duncan 24, El Reno 21

    Ben Johnson: Duncan 32, El Reno 17

    Whitt Carter: Duncan 28, El Reno 14

    Randy Turney: El Reno 28, Duncan 21


    Bethany at Cushing 

    Michael Swisher: Bethany 31, Cushing 17

    Ben Johnson: Bethany 33, Cushing 27

    Whitt Carter: Bethany 35, Cushing 13

    Randy Turney: Bethany 30, Cushing 24


    Catoosa at Cleveland

    Michael Swisher: Catoosa 36, Cleveland 25

    Ben Johnson: Catoosa 28, Cleveland 18

    Whitt Carter: Catoosa 37, Cleveland 21

    Randy Turney: Catoosa 20, Cleveland 14


    Kingfisher at Perkins-Tryon

    Michael Swisher: Kingfisher 31, Perkins-Tryon 28

    Ben Johnson: Kingfisher 27, Perkins-Tryon 21

    Whitt Carter: Kingfisher 35, Perkins-Tryon 21

    Randy Turney: Kingfisher 34, Perkins-Tryon 20


    Okemah at Meeker

    Michael Swisher: Meeker 33, Okemah 21

    Ben Johnson: Meeker 34, Okemah 24

    Whitt Carter: Okemah 33, Meeker 24

    Randy Turney: Meeker 28, Okemah 12


    Stratford at Washington

    Michael Swisher: Washington 27, Stratford 23

    Ben Johnson: Washington 32, Stratford 19

    Whitt Carter: Washington 28, Stratford 20

    Randy Turney: Washington 38, Stratford 20


    Hooker at Okeene

    Michael Swisher: Hooker 31, Okeene 13

    Ben Johnson: Hooker 29, Okeene16

    Whitt Carter: Hooke 35, Okeene 13

    Randy Turney: Hooker 34, Okeene 7


    Covington-Douglas at Southwest Covenant

    Michael Swisher: SW Covenant 48, Covington-Douglas 30

    Ben Johnson: SW Covenant 44, Covington-Douglas 25

    Whitt Carter: SW Covenant 45, Covington-Douglas 31

    Randy Turney: SW Covenant 42, Covington-Douglas 20



    Let us know what you think. Tweet your predictions to us at @Skordle.

    Week 7: Top 10 games

    |  Ben Johnson

    Some rock-solid games this week as district races tighten up.

    Here's what's on tap this week:

    1. 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (6-0) at 5A No. 7 Guthrie (6-0): Bluejays beat Carl Albert every year from 2010 to 2015, but the Titans have posted back-to-back blowouts over Guthrie, including last year's 55-10 contest. Carl Albert running back Dadrion Taylor is also expected back after suffering a knee injury earlier in the season.

    2. 6AI No. 1 Broken Arrow (6-0) at 6AI No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe (6-0): Tigers have been machine-like all season long. The Wolves pulling the upset would be one to send shockwaves throughout 6AI.

    3. 6AII No. 1 Stillwater (6-0) at 6AII No. 5 Lawton (4-2): Pioneers are 0-4 against Lawton since the two clubs started playing district contests in 2014. And this one was going to feature a stellar running back showcase, but Stillwater tailback Qwontrel Walker was ejected in the fourth quarter against Choctaw last week, leaving his status for this week up in the air. Meanwhile, the Wolverines will ride the hot hand of Miles Davis at tailback.

    4. 3A No. 8 Cascia Hall (5-1) at 3A No. 2 Berryhill (6-0): These two teams have met 10 times since 1999 and Cascia Hall is one nine of those games. The Chiefs' lone victory in the series was in 2004. Winner all but locks up the District 3A-4 crown.

    5. 2A No. 9 Victory Christian (6-0) at 2A No. 5 Beggs (5-1): Former district mates are reunited in 2A-3 play this year. From 2010 to 2015, the two teams split the series 3-3. Winner here still has to tangle with Sperry to claim the district title.

    6. 3A No. 4 Plainview (5-1) at 3A No. 5 Sulphur (5-1): Sulphur beat Plainview 35-12 last season, but prior to that Plainview had won the last eight clashes between the two teams.

    7. C No. 4 Buffalo (6-0) at C No. 1 Pond Creek-Hunter (6-0): Winner all but wraps up the District C-1 championship. And to this point, Pond Creek-Hunter opponents are averaging four points per game.

    8. 6AII No. 6 Booker T. Washington (3-3) at 6AII No. 7 Sapulpa (5-1): Chieftains came up with an overtime win over Muskogee last week, and a win over the Hornets would be a massive statement. One advantage Sapulpa does have is at the quarterback position with Eli Williams.

    9. Stigler (5-1) at 3A No. 6 Seminole (5-1): All of a sudden everyone in District 3A-3 is chasing after Idabel. And it's looking more and more like a quality team will be left out of the playoff picture in the suddenly-deep 3A-3. The winner here at least feels somewhat more at ease with a postseason spot more obtainable.

    10. Tonkawa (6-1) at A No. 3 Morrison (6-0): Tonkawa has a two-game winning streak going against Morrison, but it's the Wildcats who are ranked heading into this one. District A-5 is deep, so a win here moves one of these two closer to the district title.

    Honorable mention

    Yukon at Westmoore: Top three spots in 6AI-1 appear to be spoken for among Broken Arrow, Jenks and Edmond Santa Fe. So for a regular season matchup, it all but serves as a "win and you're in; lose and you're out" tilt. And Westmoore is 6-0 against Yukon since 2006.

    El Reno at Duncan: The Demons are unbeaten but now the schedule tightens up. A win for Duncan sets up an epic showdown against Ardmore next week for 5A-1 supremacy. A win for El Reno has the Indians feeling better about securing a postseason spot. El Reno beat Duncan 41-40 last season.

    Bethany at Cushing: Despite a minus-nine scoring margin in six games this season, the Tigers are 3-0 in District 4A-2. A win for Cushing could work toward some must-see games against Blanchard and Tuttle to close out the regular season in a few weeks.

    Catoosa at Cleveland: District 4A-3 looks like it'll come down to Bristow or Wagoner at the top. So that leaves three -- maybe four (Catoosa, Cleveland, Grove and Oologah) -- competing for the final two playoff spots.

    Kingfisher at Perkins-Tryon: We're finding out that a lot of districts have some solid depth, and 3A-1 falls in that category. Heritage Hall and John Marshall are locks for playoffs spots, so it's up to Kingfisher, Perkins, Mannford and Mount Saint Mary to challenge for the final two spots.

    Okemah at Meeker: Since 2008, Okemah has won seven of the last eight matchups. Both of these clubs need a win to have a shot at possibly winning or finishing in the top two spots of 2A-2.

    Stratford at Washington: Washington pushed Millwood to the limit last week. And despite a 1-2 mark in 2A-7, Stratford has to be taken seriously in the playoff mix.

    Hooker at Okeene: Winner here gets a chance to challenge Oklahoma Bible Academy for District A-1 bragging

    Covington-Douglas at Southwest Covenant: Winner all but wraps up the C-3 title.




    So who wins all the matchups? Check back for our weekly picks on Thursday.

    *Photo courtesy of Guthrie Booster Club

    Class 3A preview

    |  Ben Johnson

    Look back at 2017

    2017 district champs

    3A-1: Oklahoma Christian School - Kingfisher gave OCS a run for its money in district play, but the Saints marched to a 28-22 victory against the Yellowjackets to close out the regular season. In the playoffs, Mason Arnold, who rushed for 1,368 yards his senior season, and the Saints almost knocked off Beggs, but the Demons moved on an eventually made the 3A championship game.

    3A-2: Jones - The Longhorns were machine-like in 2017. It was a near cakewalk to 13-0, and it was the same story in the first three rounds of the playoffs. But then John Marshall got in the way. That's when Jones' season came to a half at 13-1.

    3A-3: John Marshall - The Bears had weapons for days on their way to the 3A-3 title and the Class 3A crown. Both Devonte Lee and Trey Eason rushed for more than 1,000 yards, but it was Lee who amassed 2,175 yards and 35 touchdowns before heading off to Nevada to start his collegiate career.

    3A-4: Sulphur - The only blemish the Bulldogs endured in the season's first 13 weeks was a loss to John Marshall out of district play. Beyond that, the Bulldogs rolled right up until the 3A semifinals. There, Beggs derailed Sulphur and its plans to advance to the title game.

    3A-5: Berryhill - Had all the makings of a team poised to make a run at the title in 2017. The Chiefs pulled out a seven-point win over Sperry in district play for the crown, and Berryhill's defense was stout all season long. But then Tahlequah Sequoyah pulled off a 32-30 upset in the second of the 3A playoffs to stun Berryhill.




    3A-6: Beggs - The Demons had no problem scoring points last season. Quarterback Dalton Spring and all his weapons put up 592 points in 14 weeks, including eight performance of 40-plus points. Beggs stormed its way to the 3A finals, but there points were hard to come by in a 14-7 loss to John Marshall.

    3A-7: Jay - No one pegged as the 3A champion before the 2017 season started. That's when Gabe Simpson and company steamrolled their way to a 9-1 regular season, including an unbeaten run through district play. But in the second round of the playoffs, Sperry ousted the Bulldogs from the playoffs.

    3A-8: Idabel -Offering up stout defense all year long, the Warriors only slip-up in district play was against Eufaula. Idabel did, however, knock off Muldrow, who tied with the Warriors atop the district standings. In the playoffs, Idabel beat Bristow in the second round of the postseason, but John Marshall ended the Warriors' season in the quarterfinals.

     

    Talking title game: John Marshall 14, Beggs 7

    Both John Marshall and Beggs could put up points at will in 2017, but neither succeeded in doing so in the championship game. The two teams combined for six turnovers in the title game, but it was Devonte Lee's 51-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to put the Bears ahead for good. Lee rushed for 223 yards on 25 carries in John Marshall's first championship since 1995.

     


    On to 2018...


    Players to watch

    - Jett Sternberger (Kingfisher): The Yellowjacket quarterback was instrumental on offense all year long in 2017. Sternberger completed 183 of his 282 passes for 2,398 yards and 35 touchdowns.




    - Trey Kiser (Sulphur): Bulldog tailback is gaining traction on the recruiting scene, thanks to his monster junior year in 2017. He rushed for 1,937 yards and 25 touchdowns on 195 carries, and he mixed in 100 tackles on defense.
    - Jamon Dennis (Seminole): In 2017, Dennis was one of two 1,000-yard rushers for the Chieftains. Dennis racked up 1,121 yards and 12 touchdowns on 184 carries.

    - Cameron Gunville (Seminole): Gunville joined Dennis in the 1,000-yard rushing club with 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns on 167 carries.

    - LaQuan Wells (Idabel): Wells did it all for the Warriors in 2017. Wells threw for 1,694 yards and 26 touchdowns, and he also ran the ball 115 times for 653 yards and eight touchdowns. Then he mixed in 17 catches for 164 yards.

    - Chase Ricke (Lincoln Christian): Emerged on the scene last year as a sophomore and immediately took command of the Bulldogs' passing attack. Ricke passed for 3,055 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 222 of 367 attempts.
    - Cody Ross (Berryhill): The Chiefs were led on offense by Ross, who completed 132 of 211 passes for 2,319 yards and 29 touchdowns.

    - Jerod Leviston (John Marshall): Leviston takes over the Bears' offense with the departure of Devonte Lee. Last season, Leviston passed for 1,698 yards and 19 touchdowns.
    - Kaysen Fisher (Mount Saint Mary): The leader of the Rockets' defense last season with 106 tackles and five sacks.

    - Aaron Wolcott (Mannford): Landry Wasson was the key cog for Mannford on offense last season, but now Wolcott will look to build on his 919 yards and six touchdowns on 180 carries last season.
    - Billy Ross (Heritage Hall): A situational tailback during his freshman and sophomore years, Ross emerged as a key playmaker for the Chargers in 2017. He had 1,388 yards and 22 touchdowns on 168 carries, and he also caught 31 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns. Then on defense, he added 49 tackles.

    - Cole Crosswhite (Kingfisher): His rushing totals were down last year, but his effectiveness wasn't. Crosswhite is a true dual threat with lightning-quick moves and surprising power packed into his smaller frame.


     

    District debriefs

    (Note: Class 3A has only four districts for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.)

    3A-1: Things could get interesting here. First off, there's Heritage Hall, who faced limited resistance en route to a 14-0 season and the 4A title in 2017. The Chargers drop down a class and now share district space with the reigning 3A champion, John Marshall. Then mix in a solid Kingfisher team and 3A-1 offers up plenty of intrigue from start to finish. Also vying for the 3A-1 crown the next two seasons will be Blackwell, Bridge Creek, Mount Saint Mary, Mannford and Perkins-Tryon.

    3A-2: Shades of 3A-4 from the last couple of seasons. Sulphur and Plainview will again clash for district supremacy, and they're once again joined by Pauls Valley and Lone Grove. Bethel, Douglass, Purcell and Marlow round out the rest of the district.

    3A-3: Break out the gas card for this group of eight, which spans from the far southeast corner of the state up through east Tulsa. Idabel, Stigler and Roland all stick together in the move from 3A-8. The rest includes a mixture of Checotah, Seminole, Okmulgee, Webster and Lincoln Christian.

    3A-4: Berryhill, Claremore Sequoyah and Verdigris will all be familiar with one another, while Inola, Locust Grove and Jay move in from 3A-7. Then there's Cascia Hall and Vinita who both shift down from Class 4A.


     

    What’s new? (coaching moves)

    - Dusty Raper is now in charge at Pauls Valley, taking the place of Matt Weber.

    - Speaking of Matt Weber, he's now in charge at Marlow.

    - Former Roland coach Jeff Streun left, and assistant coach Waymon Potts was elevated to head coach.

    - Tragedy struck Okmulgee in the offseason when head coach Carl Lee died due to complications with kidney cancer. The Bulldogs' new head coach is Bruce Munden, who was recently the head coach at Hale.

    - Dennis Parker retired at Idabel, and Jeffrey Gibson is now the head coach.

    - Matt Hennesy led a resurgence at Locust Grove, and he took over at Pawhuska this summer. Now David Blevins is the head coach for the Pirates.

    - Rob Gilbreath spent eight seasons as the head coach at Claremore, and now he's back in Claremore again -- this time as the head coach at Claremore Sequoyah.


     

    Fun facts:

    - Brett Bogert took over for his dad, Andy, prior to the 2015 season. In three years at the helm for the Chargers, Brett Bogert is 40-1 -- the only loss being a quarterfinal setback against Cascia Hall in 2016.

    - Cascia Hall head coach Joe Medina has been in charge of the midtown Tulsa school since 1999. During that time, Medina has gone 202-39.

    - Then there's Mike Snyder at Seminole. Snyder has led the Chieftains since 1980 and has a record of 352-113.

     

    Prediction time

    Swisher - You know about Kingfisher's Trey Green and his basketball exploits. You'll read more about him and football this year | Captain Obvious: 3A-1 is a bit top-heavy | Defending champ John Marshall lost a lot of talent and its OC, but coaches tell me they don't expect a huge drop-off on the field | The class is loaded with quality teams. Maybe not "great" teams, but really good ones that will make the top-10 tough to pick each week | I can't go against Heritage Hall until someone beats the Chargers. Tough pre-district schedule will help prepare them for two anticipated district games and then a strong playoff run.

    Whitt Carter - Sulphur's Trey Kiser is Oklahoma's best-kept secret | No, seriously. He might just be the best player in the class | Although 3A looks much different now, the smaller-sized class is loaded with good teams | And it's even tougher with the addition of Heritage Hall and Cascia Hall, both down from Class 4A | Familiar programs like Kingfisher, Lincoln Christian, Berryhill and Plainview will certainly be tough to beat | But can anyone beat the aforementioned Chargers? | They won it all in a class above last year and are the clear favorite to win their fourth state title in five years.

    Ben - Yowza, 3A-1 is loaded at the top -- of course, like Swisher said, that's plainly obvious | Sulphur will lay low and rack up victory after victory and then start wrecking havoc on the rest of the field come playoff time | Always feel like Mike Snyder and Seminole are overlooked, and I'm guilty of that nearly every year. But shocker, the Chieftains will be good yet again | Lincoln Christian's statkeeper will be one of the hardest-working individuals on Friday nights this season | Cascia Hall returns to 3A and wins District 4 | Going chalk here with Heritage Hall to win the 3A crown. No reason to doubt Brett Bogert, so why start now?

    Guest picker - Hall of Fame coach Randy Turney - Gotta go with Heritage Hall here.


    *Photos courtesy of Joey Johnson & Russell Stitt







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