PODCAST: Crunch time for wrestling & basketball

2/27/2020 |  Ben Johnson

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

WEEK 3 Rankings

9/16/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(___) - previous rank

Week 2 scoreboard
6AI

6AII

5A

4A

3A

2A

A

B

C

Class 6AI

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

Class 6AII

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

Class 5A

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

Class 4A

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

Class 3A

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

Class 2A

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

Class A

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

Class B

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

Class C

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

Photo cred: Byron Beers/Tahlequah Daily Press

Week 2 rankings

9/8/2019 |  Ben Johnson

(__) - previous rank - Week 1 result

Class 6AI

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

Class 6AII

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

Class 5A

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

Class 4A

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

Class 3A

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

Class 2A

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

Class A

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

Class B

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

Class C

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

Photo credit - David Stacy

WEEK 1 RANKINGS

9/1/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Class 6AI

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

Class 6AII

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

Class 5A

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

Class 4A

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

Class 3A

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

Class 2A

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

Class A

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

Class B

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

Class C

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

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

CLASS 4A PREVIEW

8/28/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Class 4A preview

Rankings

1. Bethany - Declaring 2019 the year of Sam Brandt. He’s improved his quarterbacking skills as the years have gone along, and last season he rushed for 1,262 yards and 25 touchdowns, in addition to 2,615 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air.
2. Blanchard - Class 4A’s top rusher last year was the Lions’ Bryce Madron with 1,743 yards and 32 touchdowns. And, he’s back.
3. Wagoner - Running back Chochee Watson could be on the verge of a breakout season after totaling 746 yards and nine touchdowns while sharing time with Schyler Adair in 2018.
4. Clinton - Expect a big year from tailback linebacker Eddi Gonzalez, who logged 107 tackles during his junior campaign.
5. Weatherford - Ethan Downs, a big-time tight end that stands 6 feet, 4 inches and 240 pounds, holds offers from OU, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU and plenty more.
**6. Tuttle - The departure of Carson Berryhill at quarterback could mean the reigning 4A state champs turn to Triston Truelove for a heavy bulk of the offensive load. Truelove rushed for 1,621 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.
7. Bristow - Having Jalen Fullbright’s athleticism back will certainly help, and the same goes for Luke Fortney (reigning state champion in wrestling) and Braden Fullbright on the offensive line.
8. Poteau - Greg Werner returns after a stint at Hilldale as head coach, and so does Mr Do Everything Easton Francis.
9. Broken Bow - Savages are always sneaky good, and that’s likely to be true this season with plenty of seniors on defense, including Dawson Jackson, Stephen Young and Britton McKinney.
10. Hilldale - Hornets lose some talent from last year’s roster, but they still have Jay Porter at quarterback, along with Brayson Lawson and Dylan Walker at wide receiver.

**2018 state champion

Premier players

- Wil Moyer (Cushing): As a junior, Moyer passed for 2,576 yards and 22 touchdown while completing 60 percent of his passes.
- Keaton Crooks (Cushing): Most of Moyer’s passes found Crooks, who had 1,117 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
- Ben Ward (Cleveland): Enters his junior year after throwing for 2,334 yards for the Tigers last season.
- Caden Culver (Elk City): Threw for 1,683 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2018.
- Jaxon Ratterree (Weatherford): Downs gets the accolades in Weatherford, but Ratterree threw for 1,758 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior last year.

Our best guess(es)

Michael Swisher: Tuttle -- Want to see a cool tradition? Go to a Tuttle home game and watch the Tigers bus into the stadium and go straight from the bus to warmups. That’s not going to win Tuttle a gold ball, obviously. But the fact about 90 Tigers roll off those buses certainly helps. Tuttle will reload what it lost from a year ago and repeat.

Whitt Carter: Wagoner -- It will be hard to defeat Bethany if Sam Brandt is as good or better than he was last year, but the Bulldogs have a ton back and it’s enough to get it done and reclaim their spot at the top.

Ben Johnson: Bethany -- Could foresee a Bethany-Blanchard finale, and I like Sam Brandt to get the job done this year.

NEW PODCAST: Football is back

8/22/2019 |  Ben Johnson

PODCAST: Summer is coming

6/4/2019 |  Ben Johnson

It's that time of year again. Summertime has arrived, and high school sports fans are left waiting for more games in August. But fear not! The Publics and Privates OKpreps Podcast will help get you through the slow months.

This week the guys recap some state tournament baseball, including Edmond Santa Fe and Pryor winning titles for the first time for both programs. The guys also look back on the memorable moments from the 2018-2019 athletic season, including some cross country, football, basketball and much more. 

The podcast closes out with Swisher breaking down this week's Skordle Shootout in Cushing. A solid field of small school hoopsters will be at Cushing Middle School, and Swisher gives you all the details you need to stop by and watch some basketball.

We'd welcome your feedback! Tweet at us - @michaelswisher & @benjohnsontul

STATE TOURNAMENT WRESTLING: Complete class-by-class roundup

2/25/2019 |  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.

NEW PODCAST: Talkin' Wrestlin' ..... (and lots of hoops)

2/21/2019 |  Ben Johnson

SKORDLE ALL-STATE: Large school team and top honors

1/4/2019 |  Ben Johnson

The high school football season can’t come to a close until awards are handed out. Over the next week, Skordle will issue its first All-State football teams for large and small schools.

The large schools consist of teams in Classes 6AI through 4A. Small schools included every team from Class 3A through Class C. There are also Player of the Year, Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP named for each individual class.

The teams were chosen by those who covered high school football for Skordle all year long: Michael Swisher, Whitt Carter and Ben Johnson.

So let’s get to it. Here is your large school All-State team and class superlatives…

CLASS SUPERLATIVES

Class 6AI

Player of the Year: NOAH CORTES (Broken Arrow) - Running behind the Tigers’ massive offensive line, Cortes rushed straight into the Broken Arrow record books during his senior season. The 6-foot, 205-pound tailback compiled 1,958 yards on 261 carries, and he also set a new school record with 35 touchdowns. He finished his career with 4,453 yards and is now Broken Arrow’s all-time leading rusher. Also led the Tigers to their first state championship, thanks to a 120-yard effort on 30 carries in the Class 6AI championship game against Jenks.
Broken Arrow coach David Alexander: “Noah was the heartbeat of our team. He led us in the weight room, locker room and at practice. And his hard work showed up big time on game nights.”

Offensive MVP: IAN CORWIN (Jenks) - The Trojans’ 6-foot, 185-pound quarterback engineered a high-powered offense to 464 points in only 13 games this season. The senior signal caller completed 176 of 290 passes for 2,905 yards and 25 touchdowns. Finishes his Trojans’ career as the program’s top passer with 8,988 yards and 548 completions. He’s also second with 80 passing touchdowns. In a championship game loss to Broken Arrow, Corwin passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns while completing 17 of 28 passes.
Jenks coach Keith Riggs: “Jenks has had a number of great quarterbacks over the years, and yet Ian was able to re-write the Jenks record book for passing statistics. He was a great leader and role model in the offensive huddle, on the practice field and in the film room. As good as he was on the field, he is an even better person; he’s humble, involved in a number of school groups and activities and always willing to help others.”

Defensive MVP: GAVIN POTTER (Broken Arrow) - It was 1A and 1B in middle of Broken Arrow’s defense this season with Potter and Zach Marcheselli. The nod goes to Potter ever so slightly after the Tigers’ defense mauled seemingly every opponent it faced this season. Potter, a 6-1, 200-pound senior linebacker, finished with 102 tackles and 23 tackles for loss this season. He also added 11 quarterback pressures, five pass break-ups and two blocked kicks. Anchored Broken Arrow’s defense in the state championship game with 10 tackles against Jenks.
Broken Arrow coach David Alexander: “Gavin’s explosiveness and his unmatched effort on every play made him a tackling machine in every game we played.”

Class 6AII

Player of the Year: QWONTREL WALKER (Stillwater) - In a dynamic offense that also featured quarterback Gunnar Gundy and wide receiver Anthony Bland, Walker stole the spotlight with his running ability this season. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound running back finished with 2,310 yards and 35 touchdowns on 284 carries. Accounted for Stillwater’s only two scores in the 6AII title game, finishing with 150 yards on 31 carries against Bixby. He collected 234 yards and two touchdowns in Stillwater’s semifinal win over Booker T. Washington.
Stillwater coach Tucker Barnard: “Q is an incredible back. His combination of speed, quickness, power, balance and vision is unlike any running back I’ve coached.”

Offensive MVP: PRESTON COLBERT (Midwest City) - Senior quarterback guided the Bombers to the 6AII semifinals, thanks to 2,427 yards through the air on 147 completions. He completed 53.5 percent of his passes and also threw for 31 touchdowns. He also added 432 yards and eight touchdowns on 61 carries.

Defensive MVP: ETHAN HALL (Bixby) - The Spartans’ defense featured plenty of playmakers, but none more so than Hall in the middle of it all at linebacker. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker racked up 82 tackles with 26 1/2 of those for loss. During a six-game span from Sept. 14 to Oct. 18, Hall notched 17 tackles for loss, including four against Sand Springs. Hall also mixed in 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Class 5A

Player of the Year: SEVION MORRISON (Edison) - A solid sophomore season in 2017 segued to a monster 2018 for Morrison, who turned in one spectacular performance after another. Against McAlester, Morrison logged 429 total yards and scored seven touchdowns, and he polished off the regular season with a 382-yard, 5-touchdown performance against Ada. That’s when the Division I offers started rolling in for the 6-foot, 190-pound junior running back. Morrison finished off his junior campaign with 2,728 yards and 36 touchdowns on 232 carries. He currently holds offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska and Nevada heading into this senior season.
Edison coach Tony Daniels: “Sevion is a special player. His vision and how hard he runs the ball down hill, or in open space, is what makes him that way. Track has helped him out a lot this past year, and we cannon wait to see what he can do next season.”

Offensive MVP: DADRION TAYLOR (Carl Albert) - Missing a quarter of Carl Albert’s season didn’t keep “Rabbit” from turning in another monster season. While guiding the Titans to their third straight 5A championship, Taylor rushed for 1,365 yards and 24 touchdowns on 175 carries. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Utah State commit wrapped up his career with 4,611 yards and 65 touchdowns for the Titans.

Defensive MVP: REISE COLLIER (Carl Albert) - Offenses found little success against Carl Albert this season, and in the middle of it all was Collier, a 6-3, 205-pound junior linebacker. Collier collected 175 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions while leading the charge in Carl Albert’s march to a third straight championship.

Class 4A

Player of the Year: SAM BRANDT (Bethany) - Mr. Do It All -- aka Sam Brandt -- is listed first most places as a defender -- a 5-10, 180-pound defensive back. He performed there admirably during his junior season, amassing 76 tackles and seven interceptions while leading Bethany to a runner-up finish in Class 4A. But he also seems to have a handle on his offensive abilities, becoming dual-threat quarterback who put up monster numbers. Brandt completed 175 of 269 passes for 2,615 yards and 27 touchdowns, while also adding 1,262 yards and 25 touchdowns on 191 carries. But please, continue to tout the USA Today’s All-State team, one that couldn’t even bother to include Brandt anywhere on its roster.

Offensive MVP: CARSON BERRYHILL (Tuttle) - His numbers might not have been as electric as Brandt’s, but Berryhill guided the Tigers all the way to the 4A title. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior quarterback completed 132 of 233 passes for 2,271 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also rushed for 440 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 carries.
Tuttle coach Brad Ballard: “Carson did everything that a quarterback could do to lead his team to a championship. He was a threat running and throwing the ball. His attitude and leadership was instrumental in our success.”

Defensive MVP: DYLAN COFFMAN (Tuttle) - Anchoring Tuttle’s stout defense was a 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker this season. Coffman logged 123 tackles, two sacks and one interception while the Tigers’ defense yielded only 150 points over the course of 14 games.
Tuttle coach Brad Ballard: “He was the leader of our defense. He started for us multiple year and was among our leading tacklers in each of those. He set the tone for our team every week. One of the most physical players I have ever coached.”

LARGE SCHOOL ALL-STATE TEAM

Coach of the Year: DAVID ALEXANDER (Broken Arrow) – In his fifth year at Broken Arrow, Alexander improved to 44-16 with a perfect 13-0 campaign in 2018. The Tigers capped a run to their first championship with a 28-20 victory over Jenks in the Class 6AI title game, one that featured a weather delay of more than two hours. The Tigers averaged 44.5 points per game this season while giving up only 7.9 points.

Offense

QB: Ian Corwin (Jenks) – Passed for 2,905 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading the Trojans to the 6AI championship game.
RB: Sevion Morrison (Edison) – Junior tailback rushed for 2,728 yards and 36 touchdowns on 232 carries for the Eagles.
RB: Noah Cortes (Broken Arrow) – Amassed 1,958 yards and 35 touchdowns on 261 carries for the Tigers during his senior season.
RB: Qwontrel Walker (Stillwater) – Set a new Stillwater single-season record with 2,130 yards. Added 35 touchdowns on 284 carries as a sophomore.
WR: Jeff Foreman (Del City) – Caught 64 passes for 1,247 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior.
WR: Brennan Presley (Bixby) – Hauled in 67 catches for 1,081 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior.
OL: Andrew Raym (Broken Arrow) – Paved the way for the Tigers’ high-powered offense as the most sought-after offensive lineman on the recruiting circuit. As a junior, Raym rotated all over Broken Arrow’s offensive line to give defenses different looks.
OL: Chester Baah (Edison) – University of Tulsa signee anchored the Eagles’ offensive line that saw Sevion Morrison re-write the Eagles’ record books.
OL: Ricky Stromberg (Union) – Arkansas signee created an array of running opportunities for tailback Darius Boone Jr., and kept the pocket intact for quarterback Peyton Thompson.
OL: Brady Latham (Jenks) – Arkansas signee was the key cog for the Trojans’ offensive line that allowed Jenks to score 464 points in 13 games.
OL: Trenzel Johnson (Ardmore) – Senior lineman graded out as the Tigers’ top offensive lineman for a unit that guided Ardmore to 368.1 rushing yards and 35.8 points per game.

Defense

DL: Montrell Cozart (Bishop Kelley) – Junior nose guard had seven sacks and 128 tackles to lead the Comets’ stingy defense.
DL: Trace Ford (Edmond Santa Fe) – Oklahoma State signee finished the season with 41 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks.
DL: Alphonse Joseph (Carl Albert) – Junior lineman collected 98 tackles and 31 tackles for loss. Even had 16 sacks to pace the Titans’ defense en route to their third straight 5A championship.
LB: Ethan Hall (Bixby) – Senior linebacker notched 82 tackles and 12 sacks for the Spartans on their way to another 6AII championship.
LB: Gavin Potter (Broken Arrow) – Senior linebacker led the Tigers with 102 tackles and 23 tackles for loss.
LB: Zach Marcheselli (Broken Arrow) – TCU signee completed his senior season with 101 tackles and 12 tackles for loss.
LB: Dylan Coffman (Tuttle) – Senior linebacker recorded 123 tackles, two sacks and one interception for the 4A champions.
DB: Aaron Stokes (Broken Arrow) – Snagged five interceptions and had 52 tackles for the Tigers during his senior season.
DB: Dax Hill (Booker T. Washington) – Finished with 93 tackles and nine tackles for loss before signing with Michigan.
DB: Cade Cavender (Bixby) – Senior safety had 64 tackles and two interceptions. On offense, rushed for 222 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans’ 34-13 win over Stillwater in the 6AII championship game.
DB: Sam Brandt (Bethany) – Recorded 76 tackles, seven interceptions and a fumble recovery for the Bronchos. Added 3,877 rushing and passing yards combined on offense with 52 touchdowns.

Special teams

K: Noah Rauschenberg (Union) – Set a school record with a 54-yard field goal and finished the season 10 of 16 on field goal attempts.
P: Andrew Wisniewski (Bishop McGuinness) – Averaged 42.7 yards per punt on 34 attempts during his senior season.
KR/PR: Jamie Nance (Blanchard) – Nebraska signee had four touchdowns on 15 kickoff returns, and he averaged 45.2 yards per return. On punt returns, he averaged 25.8 yards per return and two touchdowns.
ATH: Dadrion Taylor (Carl Albert) – Senior tailback led the Titans’ offense with 1,365 yards and 24 touchdowns on 175 carries.

Let us know what you think. Leave a comment or send a tweet to Ben Johnson on Twitter. Small school All-State team will be published next week.

* Photo courtesy of Jimmy Gillispie/Stillwater NewsPress

PLAYOFF PICKS: Week 2 edition

11/16/2018 |  Ben Johnson

At this point, Randy Turney is just showing off. He went 23-7 last week and has all but sewn up his title as Skordle's premier picker this year. The rest of us are not worthy! And spinzone: I wasn't horrendous at picking games last week, so baby steps.

Playoff picks - Week 1 - Coach Turney 23-7 | Ben 19-11 | Whitt 17-13 | Swisher 14-16

Overall - Turney 181-59 | Swisher 165-75 | Whitt 165-75 | Ben 159-81

Now I present picks for the second round of the playoffs:

Broken Arrow vs. Owasso

Michael Swisher: Broken Arrow 38, Owasso 18

Ben Johnson: Broken Arrow 42, Owasso 10

Whitt Carter: Broken Arrow 42, Owasso 17

Randy Turney: Broken Arrow 38, Owasso 17

Jenks vs. Union

Michael Swisher: Union 34, Jenks 33

Ben Johnson: Jenks 27, Union 24

Whitt Carter: Jenks 31, Union 28

Randy Turney: Jenks 24, Union 14

Bixby vs. Midwest City

Michael Swisher: Bixby 30, Midwest City 24

Ben Johnson: Bixby 37, Midwest City 21

Whitt Carter: Bixby 27, Midwest City 21

Randy Turney: Bixby 32, Midwest City 22

Stillwater vs. Booker T. Washington

Michael Swisher: Stillwater 24, Booker T. Washington 18

Ben Johnson: Stillwater 16, Booker T. Washington 14

Whitt Carter: Stillwater 31, Booker T. Washington 28

Randy Turney: Stillwater 32, Booker T. Washington 20

Bishop McGuinness at Bishop Kelley

Michael Swisher: Bishop McGuinness 21, Bishop Kelley 20

Ben Johnson: Bishop Kelley 20, Bishop McGuinness 19

Whitt Carter: Bishop McGuinness 35, Bishop Kelley 31

Randy Turney: Bishop McGuinness 24, Bishop Kelley 10

Guthrie at Collinsville

Michael Swisher: Collinsville 31, Guthrie 20

Ben Johnson: Collinsville 23, Guthrie 17

Whitt Carter: Collinsville 27, Guthrie 20

Randy Turney: Collinsville 24, Guthrie 14

Bethany at Wagoner

Michael Swisher: Wagoner 22, Bethany 22

Ben Johnson: Bethany 24, Wagoner 21

Whitt Carter: Wagoner 27, Bethany 24

Randy Turney: Wagoner 17, Bethany 14

Blanchard at Poteau

Michael Swisher: Poteau 19, Blanchard 18

Ben Johnson: Poteau 20, Blanchard 16

Whitt Carter: Poteau 28, Blanchard 21

Randy Turney: Poteau 21, Blanchard 20

Broken Bow at Clinton

Michael Swisher: Clinton 21, Broken Bow 20

Ben Johnson: Broken Bow 14, Clinton 9

Whitt Carter: Clinton 31, Broken Bow 27

Randy Turney: Clinton 34, Broken Bow 28

Hilldale at Tuttle

Michael Swisher: Tuttle 30, Hilldale 18

Ben Johnson: Hilldale 27, Tuttle 26

Whitt Carter: Tuttle 35, Hilldale 21

Randy Turney: Tuttle 35, Hilldale 14

Kingfisher at Berryhill

Michael Swisher: Berryhill 32, Kingfisher 24

Ben Johnson: Berryhill 27, Kingfisher 22

Whitt Carter: Kingfisher 28, Berryhill 27

Randy Turney: Berryhill 28, Kingfisher 21

Plainview at Lincoln Christian

Michael Swisher: Lincoln Christian 35, Plainview 31

Ben Johnson: Lincoln Christian 29, Plainview 27

Whitt Carter: Plainview 38, Lincoln Christian 31

Randy Turney: Lincoln Christian 42, Plainview 38

Metro Christian at Jones

Michael Swisher: Metro Christian 24, Jones 20

Ben Johnson: Metro Christian 27, Jones 23

Whitt Carter: Jones 35, Metro Christian 28

Randy Turney: Jones 27, Metro Christian 21

Vian at Millwood

Michael Swisher: Millwood 35, Vian 30

Ben Johnson: Millwood 30, Vian 16

Whitt Carter: Millwood 34, Vian 21

Randy Turney: Millwood 42, Vian 21

Washington at Holland Hall

Michael Swisher: Holland Hall 27, Washington 20

Ben Johnson: Holland Hall 20, Washington 18

Whitt Carter: Washington 27, Holland Hall 24

Randy Turney: Washington 35, Holland Hall 20

OCS at Beggs

Michael Swisher: Beggs 31, OCS 21

Ben Johnson: Beggs 37, OCS 29

Whitt Carter: Beggs 42, OCS 31

Randy Turney: Beggs 34, OCS 24

Fairview at Cashion

Michael Swisher: Cashion 34, Fairview 28

Ben Johnson: Cashion 30, Fairview 13

Whitt Carter: Cashion 34, Fairview 21

Randy Turney: Cashion 26, Fairview 20

Christian Heritage at Thomas

Michael Swisher: Christian Heritage 22, Thomas 14

Ben Johnson: Christian Heritage 27, Thomas 25

Whitt Carter: Christian Heritage 30, Thomas 27

Randy Turney: Christian Heritage 21, Thomas 14

Crossings Christian at Hooker

Michael Swisher: Hooker 35, Crossings Christian 18

Ben Johnson: Hooker 26, Crossings Christian 22

Whitt Carter: Hooker 28, Crossings Christian 14

Randy Turney: Hooker 19, Crossings Christian 14

Morrison at Stroud

Michael Swisher: Morrison 22, Stroud 19

Ben Johnson: Morrison 23, Stroud 21

Whitt Carter: Stroud 27, Morrison 24

Randy Turney: Morrison 28, Stroud 20

Commerce at Hulbert

Michael Swisher: Commerce 36, Hulbert 33

Ben Johnson: Commerce 41, Hulbert 37

Whitt Carter: Hulbert 35, Commerce 28

Randy Turney: Commerce 31, Hulbert 21

Laverne at Snyder

Michael Swisher: Synder 34, Laverne 22

Ben Johnson: Snyder 44, Laverne 29

Whitt Carter: Snyder 38, Laverne 36

Randy Turney: Snyder 38, Laverne 28

Keota at Regent Prep

Michael Swisher: Regent Prep 48, Keota 18

Ben Johnson: Regent Prep 33, Keota 22

Whitt Carter: Regent Prep 42, Keota 32

Randy Turney: Regent Prep 42, Keota 42

Coyle at Tipton

Michael Swisher: Tipton 38, Coyle 33

Ben Johnson: Coyle 43, Tipton 41

Whitt Carter: Tipton 48, Coyle 38

Randy Turney: Tipton 42, Coyle 14

Pond Creek-Hunter at Paoli

Michael Swisher: PC-Hunter 41, Paoli 35

Ben Johnson: PC-Hunter 55, Paoli 23

Whitt Carter: PC-Hunter 42, Paoli 36

Randy Turney: PC-Hunter 26, Paoli 14

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

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK: Classes 2A, 3A & 4A

11/16/2018 |  Ben Johnson