Week 1 - OKpreps Standouts

9/7/2020 |  Ben Johnson

Top performers 

Dewar

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

Vian

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

Grove

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

Lawton Mac

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

Tonkawa 

Tristan Burdick - 231 yds on 15 carries for 4 tds

Kellyville

Trevor Jones - 19 carries for 236 yds and 3 tds

Durant

Fransisco Avila - 19 rushes, 332 yards, 5 TDs

Stillwater

Qwontrel Walker - 29 carries, 228 yards, 5 TDs

Chelsea

Cash Ramsey - 23 carries, 300 yards, 4 TDs

Bixby

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

Honor roll

McLoud 

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

3 catches for 67 yards. 1 TD

Holland Hall

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

Depew

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

Tulsa Memorial 

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

Scored 14 of team’s 15 points

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

Inola

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

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

Thomas

Ethan Hamberlin 15 carries 211 yards 2 TD

Jayce Miller 8 tackles- Int- blocked punt

Cache 

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

Dewar

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

Lawton 

Christian Houston - 20 carries 150 yards 2 tds

Ardmore

Anton Scallion - 16 carries for 190 yards & 3 TDs

Wagoner

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

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

Christian Heritage

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

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

Cashion

Brexton Green - 7-198-4TDs receiving

Purcell

Sam Wofford - 12 tackles, 1 sack

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

Crescent

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

Chandler

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

Frederick

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

Pawnee

Trevor Mitchell - 19 rushes, 144 yards, 1 TD

Blake Skidgel - 20 rushes, 109 yards, 3 TDs

Carl Albert

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

Antlers

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

Grove

Greg McCurdy - 4 catches, 124 yards, 2 TDs

Weatherford 

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

Piedmont

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

Collinsville

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

Verdigris

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

Checotah 

Dontierre Fisher  - 11 carries 156 yards, 3 tds

Washington 

Luke Hendrix - 4 receptions 132 yards and 2 td

Atoka

Andrew McCall - 3 carries 158 yards rushing, two touchdowns

Salina

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

Skiatook

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

Barnsdall

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

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

Enid

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

Porter

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

East Central

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

Stigler

Ridge McClary - 14 rushes, 115 yds, 1 TD

Bruce Engle - 12 tackles, 2 sacks

Chelsea

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

Tahlequah 

Malik McMurtrey - 26 rushes, 135 yards, 1 TD

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

**PHOTO CREDIT - JASON ELMQUIST - STILLWATER NEWSPRESS

Week 2 picks

9/13/2019 |  Ben Johnson

That noise you heard following the games in Week 1 was Michael Swisher shouting for joy. The oldest of the bunch is proving to be much wiser than those going against him so far. But we’ll see if we can’t gain some ground on him with a solid slate of Week 2 games.

Standings so far

Week 1
Michael Swisher - 15-2
Whitt Carter - 12-5
Ben Johnson - 11-6

Overall
Michael Swisher - 26-5
Whitt Carter - 19-12
Ben Johnson - 19-12
And the fan favorites….
Madison Carter - 16-15
Alicia Johnson - 18-13

And away we go….

Owasso at Broken Arrow

Michael Swisher - Broken Arrow
Whitt Carter - Broken Arrow
Ben Johnson - Broken Arrow

Jenks at Union

Michael Swisher - Union
Whitt Carter - Union
Ben Johnson - Union

Del City at Carl Albert

Michael Swisher - Carl Albert
Whitt Carter - Carl Albert
Ben Johnson - Carl Albert

Sapulpa at Claremore

Michael Swisher - Claremore
Whitt Carter - Claremore
Ben Johnson - Sapulpa

Bishop Kelley at Bishop McGuinness

Michael Swisher - Bishop McGuinness
Whitt Carter - Bishop McGuinness
Ben Johnson - Bishop McGuinness

Clinton at Heritage Hall

Michael Swisher - Heritage Hall
Whitt Carter - Heritage Hall
Ben Johnson - Heritage Hall

Plainview at Tuttle

Michael Swisher - Tuttle
Whitt Carter - Plainview
Ben Johnson - Tuttle

Vian at Lincoln Christian

Michael Swisher - Lincoln Christian
Whitt Carter - Lincoln Christian
Ben Johnson - Lincoln Christian

Purcell at Washington

Michael Swisher - Washington
Whitt Carter - Washington
Ben Johnson - Washington

Morrison at Pawnee

Michael Swisher - Pawnee
Whitt Carter - Morrison
Ben Johnson - Morrison

Wetumka at Davenport

Michael Swisher - Davenport
Whitt Carter - Wetumka
Ben Johnson - Davenport

Sulphur at Davis

Michael Swisher - Sulphur
Whitt Carter - Sulphur
Ben Johnson - Sulphur

Douglass at Millwood

Michael Swisher - Millwood
Whitt Carter - Millwood
Ben Johnson - Millwood

Photo credit - David Stacy

SPRING SPORTS: State golf recaps (boys and girls)

5/7/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Girls golf - state championship results

FIND FULL TOURNAMENT RESULTS HERE

Class 6A

Team
1. Edmond North - 621 - Huskies second straight championship and ninth overall
2. Jenks - 629
3. Edmond Memorial - 649

Individual
1. Sydney Hermann (Ponca City) - 144 (73-71) - Went from finishing in a tie for 10th at last year’s state tournament to winning this year’s title
2. Emma Shelley (Bartlesville) - 148 (71-77)
3. Emily Miller (Edmond North) - 150 (76-74)

Class 5A

Team
1. Durant - 666 - Lions pick up second title in program history (first was in 2016)
2. Duncan - 680
3. Ardmore - 737

Individual
1. Blayne Barker (Durant) - 146 (75-71) - Was last year’s seventh-place finisher in 5A.
2. Jaelynn Unger (Noble) - 150 (72-78)
3. Mika Ramos (Bishop Kelley) - 152 (75-77)

Class 4A

Team
1. Hilldale - 616 - Hornets first championship since 2015 and fifth overall.
2. Wagoner - 723
3. Muldrow - 724

Individual
1. Kenzie Kirkhart (Hilldale) - 146 (76-70) - Joins sister Katie Kirkhart as an individual state champion.
2. Maddie Kamas (Kingfisher) - 147 (73-74)
3. Jordan Clayborn (Hilldale) - 149 (74-75)

Class 3A

Team
1. Plainview - 582 - A move down to 3A this year secured the Indians’ third straight championship and fourth overall.
2. Purcell - 675
3. Dickson - 684

Individual
1. Reagan Chaney (Plainview) - 136 (66-70) - Was the fourth-place finisher in 4A last year before winning this year’s crown.
2. Taylor Towers (Rejoice Christian) - 143 (72-71)
3. Adeline Noron (Plainview) - 144 (70-74)

Class 2A

Team
*1. Oklahoma Christian School - 750 - Saints celebrated their first-ever girls golf championship in dramatic fashion.
2. Regent Prep - 750
3. Mooreland - 754
*Won in a playoff

Individual
1. Jenni Roller (Regent Prep) - 142 (73-69) - Roller wins the title in Regent Prep’s first year competing for the OSSAA championship.
2. Brooklyn Benn (Oklahoma Christian School) - 146 (73-73)
3. Sarah Sherrard (Christian Heritage) - 154 (75-79)

Boys golf - state championship results

FIND FULL TOURNAMENT RESULTS HERE

Class 6A

Team
1. Owasso - 897 - A second-round 284 propelled the Rams to their first championship since 2015, while ending Edmond North’s three-year run of titles.
2. Edmond North - 901
3. Stillwater - 901

Individual
1. Jordan Wilson (Edmond North) - 213 (68-70-75) - Went from fourth place last season to state champion this year.
2. Cooper Wilguess (Edmond Memorial) - 217 (72-70-75)
3. Kyle Peterson (Bixby) - 218 (74-74-70)

Class 5A

Team
1. Guthrie - 916 - Beat Bishop McGuinness by eight strokes to win last year’s state championship, and this year enjoyed a 28-shot cushion for the program’s fifth crown.
2. Bishop McGuinness - 944
3. Bishop Kelley - 949

Individual
1. Luke Morgan (Guthrie) - 213 (69-68-76) - Was eight shots off the winning pace last year for third place, but this season beat all other golfers and won by four strokes.
2. Hunter Oden (Piedmont) - (71-72-74)
3. David Woodliff (Bishop Kelley) - 223 (74-74-75)

Class 4A

Team
1. Heritage Hall - 911 - Chargers snagged their third straight title and 13th overall.
2. Cascia Hall - 950
3. Holland Hall - 951

Individual
1. Max Roberts (Ada) - 213 (70-72-71) - Had a seventh-place finish last year in the state tournament, but was one of three players to shoot a final-day 71 to claim the title.
2. Drew Mabrey (Holland Hall) - 217 (72-73-72) -
3. William McDonald (Heritage Hall) - 219 (75-69-75)

Class 3A

Team
1. Regent Prep - 882 - First program in school history to win its second championship. Rams won 2A last year and now 3A this season.
2. Oklahoma Christian School - 890
3. Kingston - 930

Individual
*1. Jaxon Dowell (OCS) - 202 (67-69-66) - Dowell edged out Goodman for last year’s championship by three strokes, and this time the Oklahoma commit won in a playoff.
2. Drew Goodman (Chr. Heritage) - 202 (63-69-70)
3. Jackson White (Regent Prep) - 207 (69-69-69)

Class 2A

Team
1. Turner - 924 - First team title since 2004 was never in doubt, thanks a 306 and a 308 in the first two rounds of the tournament.
2. Linc. Christian - 955
3. Community Christian - 956

Individual
1. Conner Boydston (Big Pasture) - 210 (66-74-70) - His first round 66 held up over the next two rounds, as he went from finishing fourth last season to first this year.
2. Brayden Strickland (Linc. Christian) - 215 (70-71-74)
3. Jackson Hoelker (Okla. Bible Academy) - 219 (71-71-77)

* Photo credit - Kevin Farr

Class 3A playoff preview

11/8/2018 |  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.

Class 3A preview

7/6/2018 |  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

Week 8 Pay Dirt Picks & Results

10/24/2024 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK 9-3	JACOB 9-3	TOM 9-3	DOUG 10-2
Okeene @ Boise City
Kingfisher @ North Rock Creek
Tulsa Central @ Chandler
Lincoln Christian @ Checotah
Texhoma-Goodwell @ Mangum
Southwest Covenant @ Thomas-Fay-Custer
Blanchard @ Tuttle
Turpin @ Garber
Sequoyah Claremore @ Cascia Hall
Muskogee @ Sand Springs
Jenks @ Moore
McAlester @ Booker T Washington

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 8 (2024): Flamingo Lounge

10/23/2024 |  Michael Swisher

If you haven’t had a burger at the Flamingo Lounge in Enid, you really need to because they are absolutely delicious! 

The Flamingo is located right at the main intersection of town (U.S. 81 and U.S. 412 or Van Buren and Garriott for the locals).

It’s a classic dive joint that has been a favorite for many for a really long time. 

Simple is why they are great. 

The burgers are incredible and what I love the most is the melty cheese and warm greasy bun.

I would highly recommend the Double Meat, Double Cheeseburger.

You can even add chili if you’re brave enough or have arteries made of steel.

Regulars normally get some Chili Cheese Nachos as an appetizer or side. 

If you’re wanting to try something truly unique, follow the lead of Mr. SKORDLE Adam Diesselhorst and order the Pickled Eggs. 

I have never brought myself to try them (I stick to the nachos and burgers), but Adam loves them and you might too. 

The place has a shuffleboard, pool and video games for the kids. 

The next time you are in Enid, I would strongly suggest a stop at the Flamingo for an awesome burger!!!

Week 8 High School Football Rankings

10/20/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Union
4. Jenks
5. Deer Creek
6. Norman
7. Edmond Memorial
8. Mustang
9. Moore
10. Broken Arrow

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Sand Springs
5. Piedmont
6. Putnam City North
7. Putnam City
8. Sapulpa
9. Southmoore
10. Lawton Ike

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Del City
3. Lawton Mac
4. McAlester
5. Guthrie
6. Bishop McGuinness
7. Collinsville
8. Booker T. Washington
9. Newcastle
10. Shawnee

Class 4A

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

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Cascia Hall
5. North Rock Creek
6. Plainview
7. Perkins-Tryon
8. Sequoyah-Claremore
9. Pauls Valley
10. Idabel

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Metro Christian
4. Kingston
5. Marlow
6. Jones
7. Kiefer
8. Perry
9. Crossings Christian
10. Hugo

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Adair
3. Stroud
4. Davis
5. Holdenville
6. Alva
7. Beggs
8. Colcord
9. Kansas
10. Community Christian

Class A Division-I

1. Hooker
2. Fairview
3. Rejoice Christian
4. Christian Heritage
5. Walters
6. Pawnee
7. Pawhuska
8. Pocola
9. Hartshorne
10. Wynnewood

Class A Division-II

1. Woodland
2. Mangum
3. Regent Prep
4. Hominy
5. Talihina
6. Thomas
7. Texhoma
8. Ketchum
9. Central Sallisaw
10. Velma-Alma

Class B Division-I

1. Laverne
2. Dewar
3. Yale
4. Turpin
5. Garber
6. Caddo
7. Empire
8. Hollis
9. Keota
10. Drumright

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Covington-Douglas
4. Okeene
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Copan
7. Boise City
8. Waukomis
9. Shattuck
10. Cyril

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Timberlake
3. Ryan
4. Welch
5. Tyrone
6. Maysville
7. Geary
8. Medford
9. Paoli
10. Sasakwa

Week 7 Pay Dirt Picks

10/16/2024 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK 5-7	TOM 10-1	CHRIS 8-4	HUNTER 8-4
Ardmore @ Blanchard
Oklahoma Christian School @ Perry
Minco @ Walters
Thomas-Fay-Custer @ Texhoma-Goodwell
Waynoka @ Timberlake
Garber @ Pond Creek-Hunter
Marlow @ Washington
Fairview @ Hooker
Deer Creek @ Jenks
Stillwater @ Choctaw
Colcord @ Adair
Norman @ Moore

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 7 (2024): Fun Facts on Win Streaks and Mr. Burger

10/16/2024 |  Michael Swisher

Week 7 High School Football Rankings

10/15/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Deer Creek
4. Union
5. Jenks
6. Edmond Memorial
7. Broken Arrow
8. Moore
9. Mustang
10. Norman

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Sand Springs
5. Piedmont
6. Putnam City North
7. Putnam City
8. Sapulpa
9. Lawton Ike
10. Southmoore

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Del City
3. Lawton Mac
4. Collinsville
5. McAlester
6. Guthrie
7. Bishop McGuinness
8. Booker T. Washington
9. Newcastle
10. Shawnee

Class 4A

1. Wagoner
2. Elgin
3. Tuttle
4. Blanchard
5. Broken Bow
6. Grove
7. Weatherford
8. Clinton
9. Poteau
10. Cushing

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Plainview
5. Cascia Hall
6. North Rock Creek
7. Bristow
8. Perkins-Tryon
9. Checotah
10. Sequoyah-Claremore

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Metro Christian
4. Marlow
5. Kingston
6. Jones
7. Hugo
8. OCS
9. Kiefer
10. Chisholm

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Adair
3. Stroud
4. Davis
5. Holdenville
6. Colcord
7. Luther
8. Salina
9. Alva
10. Beggs

Class A Division-I

1. Fairview
2. Hooker
3. Rejoice Christian
4. Hartshorne
5. Christian Heritage
6. Walters
7. Pawnee
8. Pawhuska
9. Pocola
10. Wynnewood

Class A Division-II

1. Woodland
2. Mangum
3. Texhoma
4. Regent Prep
5. Hominy
6. Talihina
7. Thomas
8. Ketchum
9. Central Sallisaw
10. Velma-Alma

Class B Division-I

1. Laverne
2. Turpin
3. Dewar
4. Yale
5. Garber
6. Caddo
7. Empire
8. Hollis
9. Keota
10. Pond Creek-Hunter

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Covington-Douglas
4. Okeene
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Shattuck
7. Copan
8. Cherokee
9. Thackerville
10. Boise City

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Ryan
3. Timberlake
4. Welch
5. Tyrone
6. Maysville
7. Geary
8. Sasakwa
9. Medford
10. Balko-Forgan

Week 6 Pay Dirt Picks

10/9/2024 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK 10-2	JACOB 9-3	TOM 8-4	SHANE 9-3
Tonkawa @ Pawhuska
Beggs @ Holdenville
Crossings @ Marlow
Millwood @ Oklahoma Christian School
Wynnewood @ Minco
Waukomis @ Covington-Douglas
Perry @ Mount St. Mary
Hooker @ Cashion
Moore @ Deer Creek
North Rock Creek @ Pauls Valley
Tuttle @ Bethany
Alva @ Stroud

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 6 (2024) Part I: Flour and Fennel

10/9/2024 |  Michael Swisher

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 6 (2024) Part II - REVISITING AUBURN 25 YEARS LATER

10/9/2024 |  Michael Swisher

Great food experiences are often tied to core memories.

We enjoyed a great meal as part of a bigger experience and often linked them together.

Sometimes, sadly, that great memory inflates the actual quality of the meal.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been disappointed to revisit a restaurant on my own - after having previously experienced a fantastic meal there before - only to discover the meal was….just….OK.

It was the overall time I had that was fantastic.

So that was my concern as I was driving into Auburn, Ala., early in the afternoon of Sept. 27.

I was headed there for a showdown between MY two teams.

I grew up in Oklahoma, was lured in by Barry Switzer’s OU teams of the 1980s and have never been able to shake a love and a pride of the crimson and cream ever since.

However, I also moved to Alabama in 1989. Lived there for eight years. I went to high school in Muscle Shoals and, after a stellar academic career in JUCO, went to Auburn to pursue a journalism degree.

Eventually, I landed back in Oklahoma, but I grew to truly love Auburn, the Tigers, War Eagle, Toomer’s Corner and everything that came with it.

But it’s not easy to return to a place that’s 865 miles away.

I went once for a few days in 1999.

Then I flew in and flew out in 2018 when Auburn hosted Jace Sternberger and Texas A&M.

That’s it.

It had been 25 years since I’d spent an measurable time in a place that holds a big spot in my heart.

When OU was announced to be joining the SEC, I was ecstatic. When it was announced OU would be visiting Auburn this season, I. HAD. TO. GO.

So I did.

Lots of people stepped up for me to make it happen, but it did.

Anyone who has followed me through the years knows I love food. I’m not some big connoisseur of fine dining. I just love to find cool spots with great food.

And there were two places in Auburn that I insisted on revisiting: Momma Goldberg’s and Guthrie’s.

Both were Auburn staples when I was there in the mid- to late-1990s and both remain today.

I pulled into Auburn at about 1 p.m. on that Wednesday prior to the OU game. 

By 2 p.m., me and my buddy Elk were sitting inside Momma Goldberg’s with three Momma’s Love sandwiches and a pitcher sitting in front of us.

Yes, three. Elk loves to eat, too.

You can read about Momma Goldberg’s and its history here.

They have multiple “signature” sandwiches but their signature of signatures is the “Momma’s Love.” 

It’s roast beef, ham, hickory smoked turkey with muenster cheese served on a seeded hoagie bun. All signature sandwiches there have spicy brown mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato and “Momma’s sauce.”

And they’re also steamed before they are served which, to me, is the kicker.

Yes, it’s simple. Yes, it’s just a sandwich.

Which had me wondering….did I really love the Momma’s Love or did I just love being at Auburn and the Momma’s Love is part of that.

My first bite into one in over a quarter-century told me I did, in fact, love the Momma’s Love.

It was all that I had remembered.

A couple days later, it was time to revisit Guthrie’s.

Now I know what you’re thinking. It’s a chicken finger restaurant. How original. There’s 20 different franchises and 100 locations in Oklahoma City.

True.

But Guthrie’s is truly the original chicken finger restaurant. It opened its first location in Auburn in 1982.

When I actually had some money in my pocket while in college, Guthrie’s was a must-stop for me.

The order: Box, no slaw, extra fries, extra sauce.

Sounds like Raising Cane’s, right?

Just think Cane’s before there was Cane’s. 

That was - and is - Guthrie’s.

But did it live up to my hype?

Now imagine this….

Just think Cane’s chicken…..but SEASONED. Guthrie’s actually has flavor WITHOUT using the dipping sauce.

But you also can’t not (double negative alert) use their signature sauce which was Cane’s sauce before there was Cane’s sauce!!!!!

Needless to say, Guthrie’s - like Momma Goldberg’s - wasn’t just about great memories at Auburn.

It was great food and remains so today….almost 30 years after I first fell in love.

Week 6 High School Football Rankings

10/7/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Deer Creek
4. Union
5. Jenks
6. Edmond Memorial
7. Moore
8. Mustang
9. Norman
10. Broken Arrow

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Sand Springs
5. Piedmont
6. Putnam City North
7. Putnam City
8. Sapulpa
9. Lawton Ike
10. Southmoore

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Del City
3. Bishop McGuinness
4. Lawton Mac
5. Collinsville
6. McAlester
7. Guthrie
8. Claremore
9. Booker T. Washington
10. Newcastle

Class 4A

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

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Plainview
5. Cascia Hall
6. Pauls Valley
7. Bristow
8. Seminole
9. North Rock Creek
10. Checotah

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Metro Christian
4. Marlow
5. Kingston
6. OCS
7. Jones
8. Crossings Christian
9. Hugo
10. Kiefer

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Adair
3. Stroud
4. Davis
5. Holdenville
6. Colcord
7. Kansas
8. Alva
9. Beggs
10. Luther

Class A Division-I

1. Fairview
2. Hooker
3. Rejoice Christian
4. Hartshorne
5. Tonkawa
6. Christian Heritage
7. Walters
8. Pawnee
9. Pawhuska
10. Minco

Class A Division-II

1. Woodland
2. Hominy
3. Mangum
4. Regent Prep
5. Texhoma
6. Thomas
7. Talihina
8. Central Sallisaw
9. Mooreland
10. Ringling

Class B Division-I

1. Laverne
2. Turpin
3. Dewar
4. Yale
5. Garber
6. Pond Creek-Hunter
7. Caddo
8. Hollis
9. Empire
10. Keota

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Okeene
4. Covington-Douglas
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Shattuck
7. Webbers Falls
8. Thackerville
9. Waukomis
10. Copan

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Ryan
3. Timberlake
4. Welch
5. Tyrone
6. Maysville
7. Waynoka
8. Geary
9. Paoli
10. Sasakwa

Week 5 Pay Dirt Picks

10/4/2024 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK 9-3	JACOB 9-3	TOM 8-3	NICK 7-5
Blackwell @ Perry
Bethany @ Blanchard
El Reno @ Carl Albert
Jones @ Millwood
Mooreland @ Texhoma-Goodwell
Cashion @ Watonga
Mount St. Mary @ Chisholm
Davis @ Beggs
Owasso @ Union
Putnam City @ Choctaw
Pocola @ Rejoice Christian
Pauls Valley @ Plainview

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 5 (2024): Taco Stop in Ponca City

10/2/2024 |  Michael Swisher

This week the Blackwell vs. Perry football game is on the SKORDLE PayDirt Pick’em Show as well as SKORDLE PayDirt.

When these two schools meet, it must be one of, if not the only, Maroons vs. Maroons game in America and by all accounts a heck of rivalry. 

In between the two towns and just slightly east is Ponca City and for many years I have heard numerous folks rave about Taco Stop. 

When I was rolling through Ponca City this year, the time had come for me to try this popular place myself. 

I decided my best bet was to get the favorites of two people who are big fans of Taco Stop, my wife Amanda and food expert Mark Rodgers. 

Amanda’s favorite item on the menu is the Taco Salad while Mark’s go-to the is Casadia. 

Both Amanda and Mark stated that the famous taco sauce - and a lot of it - is what really made the meals at Taco Stop. 

I went to the counter and placed my order of a Taco Salad and Casadia along with a refreshing fountain drink to wash it all down. I also made sure that some taco sauce would be readily available at the table. 

When I got my food and sat down, I could immediately tell this was going to be a solid lunch! 

The Taco Salad had all the markings of being great, most notably the paper-thin crunch taco shell and pile of shredded cheese. 

The Casadia had a generous layer of taco meat topping and melted shredded cheese on top of a corn tortilla.  

I also added a ton of taco sauce as I devoured my food and found myself generously adding some more to every single bite. 

Quite frankly, Taco Stop was fantastic! 

It is easy to see why Taco Stop, with its great food and extremely reasonable prices, is such a popular place to eat in Ponca City. 

I would highly recommend stopping in any time you are in town and remember to put a lot of the famous taco sauce on everything you order because it makes everything even better.

Week 5 High School Football Rankings

10/1/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Union
4. Deer Creek
5. Jenks
6. Moore
7. Norman
8. Edmond Memorial
9. Mustang
10. Broken Arrow

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Sand Springs
5. Putnam City
6. Putnam City North
7. Piedmont
8. Southmoore
9. Sapulpa
10. Bartlesville

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Del City
3. Bishop McGuinness
4. Lawton Mac
5. Collinsville
6. McAlester
7. Guthrie
8. Claremore
9. Shawnee
10. Booker T. Washington

Class 4A

1. Wagoner
2. Elgin
3. Tuttle
4. Blanchard
5. Sallisaw
6. Poteau
7. Bethany
8. Cushing
9. Grove
10. Weatherford

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Pauls Valley
5. Plainview
6. Seminole
7. Cascia Hall
8. Idabel
9. Anadarko
10. Muldrow

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Metro Christian
4. Jones
5. Marlow
6. Kingston
7. OCS
8. Mount St. Mary
9. Chandler
10. Crossings Christian

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Adair
3. Stroud
4. Davis
5. Holdenville
6. Beggs
7. Colcord
8. Kansas
9. Alva
10. Luther

Class A Division-I

1. Fairview
2. Hooker
3. Rejoice Christian
4. Pocola
5. Pawhuska
6. Wynnewood
7. Hartshorne
8. Tonkawa
9. Christian Heritage
10. Walters

Class A Division-II

1. Woodland
2. Regent Prep
3. Hominy
4. Mooreland
5. Mangum
6. Thomas
7. Velma-Alma
8. Texhoma
9. Talihina
10. Central Sallisaw

Class B Division-I

1. Laverne
2. Turpin
3. Dewar
4. Yale
5. Garber
6. Pond Creek-Hunter
7. Keota
8. Caddo
9. Hollis
10. Empire

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Okeene
4. Covington-Douglas
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Shattuck
7. Webbers Falls
8. Thackerville
9. Waukomis
10. Copan

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Ryan
3. Timberlake
4. Welch
5. Tyrone
6. Maysville
7. Mt. View-Gotebo
8. Waynoka
9. Paoli
10. Sasakwa

Oklahoma State Fair Trip 2024 - Where is the Beef?

9/26/2024 |  Michael Swisher

This past weekend my family made our annual trip to the Oklahoma State Fair. We go mainly to eat our favorite fair foods which are the corn dog and roasted corn. Funnel cake normally makes the rotation, especially for the kids, but for some reason it took a year off this time. Here are some pictures of our trip and man these were great!

Also, the Brown’s Lemonade stands never disappoint because they only serve actual real hand squeezed lemonade. Multiple lemonade refills were needed on our trip because it was hot!

The Indian Taco used to ALWAYS be in the rotation until this year. The last couple of years I noticed that my Indian Tacos were severely lacking in beef. From my estimation the “chili mix” as described on the menu was about 99.9% beans and 0.1% beef. Last year I even went into the State Fair with a gameplan to only order meat and cheese so the lack of beef couldn’t be hidden under a pile of toppings. My suspicion of no beef was only confirmed even further, and I was disappointed.

I made the decision this year that I would do some reconnaissance of the Indian Taco hoping for improvements. Unfortunately, I saw none, so I just passed on the Indian Taco this year. As I looked at several Indian Tacos passing by, I saw the delicious fry bread, piles of beans, heaps of lettuce, and a handful of shredded cheese, but no noticeable beef.

It is a sad day at the State Fair when the Indian Taco is no longer in the line-up! Has anyone else felt the same way or had a similar experience? This will be my final comments on the matter until actual beef topping makes its triumphant return to the Indian Taco at the State Fair. Until then I will remember the days of old when this great State Fair food staple was at its peak. 

Week 4 Pay Dirt Picks

9/26/2024 |  Korry Rogers

	MARK 12-0	JACOB 10-2	TOM 9-2	Mark 7-5
Timberlake @ Balko-Forgan
Beggs @ Community Christian
Sequoyah Tahlequah @ Chandler
Blanchard @ Harrah
Texhoma-Goodwell @ Southwest Covenant
Kingfisher @ Pauls Valley
Central Sallisaw @ Wewoka
Garber @ Covington Douglas
Jenks @ Bixby
Choctaw @ Piedmont
Del City @ Collinsville
Sulphur @ Perkins-Tryon

Week 4 High School Football Rankings

9/23/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Union
4. Jenks
5. Deer Creek
6. Moore
7. Mustang
8. Norman
9. Edmond Memorial
10. Norman North

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Sand Springs
5. Piedmont
6. Putnam City
7. Putnam City North
8. Southmoore
9. Bartlesville
10. Sapulpa

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Collinsville
3. Del City
4. Bishop McGuinness
5. Lawton Mac
6. McAlester
7. Guthrie
8. Claremore
9. Shawnee
10. Booker T. Washington

Class 4A

1. Wagoner
2. Elgin
3. Tuttle
4. Blanchard
5. Clinton
6. Sallisaw
7. Poteau
8. Bethany
9. Cushing
10. Grove

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Pauls Valley
5. Plainview
6. Seminole
7. Cascia Hall
8. Idabel
9. Perkins-Tryon
10. Anadarko

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Metro Christian
4. Jones
5. Kingston
6. Marlow
7. OCS
8. Chisholm
9. Prague
10. Mt. St. Mary

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Adair
3. Stroud
4. Davis
5. Holdenville
6. Beggs
7. Colcord
8. Kansas
9. Alva
10. Wyandotte

Class A Division-I

1. Fairview
2. Hooker
3. Rejoice Christian
4. Walters
5. Pocola
6. Pawhuska
7. Wynnewood
8. Hartshorne
9. Tonkawa
10. Warner

Class A Division-II

1. Woodland
2. Regent Prep
3. Hominy
4. Mooreland
5. Mangum
6. Thomas
7. Velma-Alma
8. Texhoma
9. Talihina
10. Central Sallisaw

Class B Division-I

1. Garber
2. Laverne
3. Turpin
4. Caddo
5. Dewar
6. Yale
7. Hollis
8. Pond Creek-Hunter
9. Keota
10. Empire

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Okeene
4. Covington-Douglas
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Copan
7. Shattuck
8. Webbers Falls
9. Thackerville
10. Waukomis

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Ryan
3. Timberlake
4. Welch
5. Tyrone
6. Geary
7. Oaks
8. Medford
9. Maysville
10. Mt. View-Gotebo

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 3 (2024): A TRIBUTE TO COACH GLOVER

9/17/2024 |  Michael Swisher

There are times in life where no words are adequate to truly express what a person means to you. Moments of immense sadness normally tend to be tied to the loss of a loved one. 

That person can be a family member, a close friend or an impactful mentor. This week I feel like I lost all three of those when my coach, David Glover, passed from this earth. 

Coach Glover’s positive impact on me is not worthy of any words or sentences I could ever type, but doing so allows me to remember him and process the immense levels of sadness I have felt this past week. 

While writing this, I find threads of joy and appreciation of the relationship I had with Coach and that helps me cope with the grief of losing someone that has meant the world to me. 

My family moved to Fairview from Hennessey the summer before my 8^th grade school year. I knew who Coach Glover was - the Fairview girls coach - but I didn’t know him. 

I always thought he looked like a college or NBA coach because he was always well dressed in a suit and tie. 

He coached with passion and confidence and his girls played that way. The Fairview Lady Jackets were as good as anyone playing in Oklahoma at the time. 

Coach Glover’s 1995 team lost the state semifinals the last year of 6-on-6 girls’ basketball in Oklahoma. A fellow coach and longtime friend of his once told me, “Glove was a heck of 6-on-6 coach!”

During my first year of school at Fairview, Coach Glover made it a point to seek out the new 8^th grader who loved basketball. Coach did this to help a new kid become comfortable and feel a part of a school and community. 

He did this with a welcoming smile and a smooth delivery. 

As I moved towards high school, I would be in the same building as Coach Glover. He was someone I really liked and I knew he liked me because he was constantly giving me a hard time, but never in a harsh or serious way. 

Coach loved to bring me back down a couple notches in the hallway of the high school or in the gym and it was exactly what I needed at the time. 

Coach did this in a way that let me know he was keeping up with me.

Coach Glover’s girls’ team my freshman year of high school was excellent. It was the first year of 5-on-5 for all classes in Oklahoma. 

The Fairview Lady Jackets made it all the way to the state championship game at the Fairgrounds, losing to Inola by 2 points. I vividly remember it was an excellent game as I cheered in the student section at State Fair Arena like so many small-town Oklahoma kids do if their school is lucky enough to make it there. 

I also remember specifically watching Coach Glover “coach” a lot that year from the student section. 

My sophomore year of high school was when my relationship with Coach Glover became special and meaningful. I had Coach Glover in class every day and he would be my assistant coach in varsity basketball. 

I was about to become “Phat” for the rest of my life and let me tell you a story why. 

Coach Glover was my Sophomore English teacher. Coach was an excellent classroom teacher and I absolutely loved going to his class. 

For me personally, he was this awesome, funny, confident and highly-successful coach who had an incredible ability for teaching and reaching students in the classroom. 

We had a vocabulary test every week, which he taught out of this little old notebook. I learned how to write a five-paragraph essay. 

My favorite thing in his classroom was reading books together as a class, normally in a play format with characters assigned by Coach. Of all the stories we read together in class, Of Mice and Men was his favorite. 

When it came to reading it that school year, Coach cast himself as George and I was Lennie. 

In the book, Lennie asks George several times, “When are we going to get that little place to live on the fat of the land?” 

If you have ever read the book or watched the movie, you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

During the class readings, Coach gave me the nickname “Phat.” Thankfully he changed the spelling to be cool and hip from the “F” to “Ph” and it stuck. 

Coach called me Phat from that point forward for the rest of his life. It didn’t matter about the situation or who was around, if Coach was talking to me, it was only Phat and it always made me laugh. 

I can hear the exchanges between us in class just like it was yesterday.  

 

Coach Glover was also our assistant boys’ basketball coach my sophomore year and he was fantastic in that role. We spent a tremendous amount of time together in practices. 

He gave me encouragement, confidence and advice. We shot a lot of baskets together before and after practices.

 My favorite part was that he wanted to shoot, too, and demanded “change” on all his makes. Coach could really shoot the basketball, a self-described smooth lefty. 

I spent a lot of time rebounding and him shooting with him talking some mild trash the entire time. I was, however, smart enough to never shoot him for dollars. 

Coach hid the gym key under his mailbox for us players to use anytime. This was the kind of thing you can do when you coach and play in a small rural town. 

The number of times I went to get that key would be too many times to even guess. 

Coach and I also shot a lot of baskets together over the years, either in the gym or in his driveway. It’s the kind of activity two people who love basketball and each other do, while talking about anything and everything other than basketball. 

That following summer would be the start of some of the most enjoyable times that I ever had with Coach Glover as a referee for his summer league. 

For the next three summers, Coach and I along with Adam and Matt Diesselhorst reffed a ton of summer league games together. The pay was low, but the experience together was a blast. 

Cyndy Glover always took care of us with some Paul Bunyan bread and Sonic drinks. I wrote about this in 2020.

My junior year, my parents bought Coach Glover’s old black 1985 GMC Jimmy for me to drive. It was a stick shift and it backfired all the time. 

When it would do this, it scared the heck out everyone nearby. It literally sounded like a shotgun being fired into a tin bucket. It makes me giggle just thinking about how loud it was and how often it happened. 

I drove that Jimmy for several years and that little V6 couldn’t pass a single car, even going downhill and putting the gas pedal to the floorboard. 

During my junior and senior years of high school, I had two amazing experiences with Coach Glover. I was his teacher’s aide in the coaches’ office and he was the head baseball coach.

 These two years of my life are what made me want to be a coach.  

Being Coach Glover’s aide in the coaches’ office for the next two years was simply awesome. All the coaches shared an office together. 

I heard and participated in all the discussions, good and bad, of all the games and practices. I bet I only got asked to leave (“go shoot Phat”) a handful of times. 

The best part of this experience was talking about whatever was going on at the school or on all the teams. It was a great experience and one I cherish greatly to this day. 

Secondly, Coach Glover was my head baseball coach. There are a ton of great stories from these two years of high school baseball. 

In the last high school game I ever played in any sport, I was pitching and was just getting hammered on the mound. We were down several runs in an elimination game. 

Simply put, I was awful and coach left me in way too long. I never wanted to come out of any game and I could tell he didn’t want to come get me either, but he had to. 

When I got to the dugout ahead of him, I went and sat by myself. I was really upset because I felt like I let my teammates, and especially him, down.  

High school sports were over for me. 

When Coach Glover got back to the dugout, he came and put his arm around me. In classic Coach Glover fashion, he started telling funny stories from the two baseball seasons we had together, trying to make my heartache a little better.

Coach Glover was a heck of a golfer and he would let me borrow his golf cart anytime I wanted if he wasn’t using it. Coach finally told me, after calling him repeatedly, and said, “Phat quit calling me every time you want to go out there and just make sure to put it back on the charger.” 

Occasionally, Coach would allow me to join his round of golf and I was always asking for pointers because my game needed lots of improvement. 

During my sophomore year of college, I finally decided to do what I really wanted to do since being an office aide for Coach in high school. 

That was ditching my pursuit of a business degree and pursuing a teaching degree and becoming a coach. I remember telling Coach Glover and he was genuinely excited for me. 

My first head coaching job was when I was 22 years old. I called or emailed Coach a bunch of times that year. I was learning fast that I really didn’t know anything about coaching and being a teacher, but he always encouraged me, challenged me to work hard and to create meaningful relationships with my players. 

Coach would always listen to what I had to say and mentor me. 

For the next several years, I would cross paths with Coach regularly while he was at Newkirk, Bethel and Okarche while I was at Morrison and Cashion. 

I would see him and Cyndy at a lot of basketball games, but also many other sporting and school events. Coach would call, text or email often about my games he watched mainly to let me know he cared about how I was doing. 

When Coach moved onto the OSSAA to be the director of small school basketball for the state of Oklahoma, this became a new situation in our relationship. 

We didn’t always agree on whatever we were discussing, but every single call ended with him saying “Love ya Phat” and I would reply “Love ya Coach.” 

We understood we were both doing what we thought was best at the time. 

Coach was an excellent basketball director! He would always take a call or reply to an email from the hundreds of schools, administrators or coaches he served at the OSSAA. 

Coach worked diligently on drawing up the playoffs for B-4A every year and he wanted to get it right. Coach had lots of Oklahoma state maps with push pins and rubber bands in his office and at his house creating playoff brackets. 

I know he really cherished his time at the Big House representing the OSSAA. He loved watching hoops with Cyndy and their grandkids sitting right next to him.

 

I loved to go and sit with him at the State Fairgrounds which was his happy place. I always thought he was perfect for that job and he was excellent at it. 

When Coach moved to Kingfisher, I would get to see him regularly at ballgames. I also made it a point to try and stop by his house when I was in town. 

Coach and Cyndy had my kids over to swim in their pool during the summer. 

I really enjoyed going over to his house to see him prior to the start of the state basketball tournaments. We would visit and talk about all the teams and who might win, because Coach loved the state tournament! 

Looking back now, I wish I had stopped in more and stayed longer.

Coach and Cyndy attended a lot of my teams’ games just to watch me coach. In 2021, they were sitting in the front row to watch my team at the Tournament of Champions. 

Just last year at the Lomega Junior High Tournament in Loyal, they stayed after the Kingfisher game there were there to watch just to see my son, Jack, play his game.

This really meant a lot to me. 

If you have or had a relationship with a coach, teacher, sponsor or principal like the one I had with Coach Glover, you are truly fortunate and you should count yourself blessed. 

Coach Glover has been coaching me for the last 30 years of my life, not just a single or couple of seasons like most people experience. 

I will never take this for granted, but rather know I was beyond fortunate. 

Coach, thank you for everything you ever did for me! You gave me comfort, confidence, discipline, laughter and guidance whenever I needed it most. 

If I can make just 1% of the positive impact on my own family, players and students that you made on me, I know that would be substantial and profound. 

I would never have been a teacher, coach or the person I’m today if it wasn’t for you and your immeasurable influence on me. 

Rest in peace coach and I hope you are hitting it long and straight in Heaven!

        Love, 

                        Phat

Cyndy Glover World Famous Baked Beans

In addition to the Paul Buyan Bread recipe linked above, I have also included Cyndy Glover’s World-Famous Baked Beans. She made this all the time for cookouts and get togethers. The Hardaway boys (my dad included) loved it so much, my mom asked her for the recipe. This is a picture of the actual recipe Cyndy shared with my mom.  I love the notes my mom wrote on the recipe *SO GOOD* and “The boys love this”. This recipe is incredible and the best baked beans you will ever have. 

Week 3 High School Football Rankings

9/17/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Union
4. Jenks
5. Deer Creek
6. Mustang
7. Moore
8. Norman
9. Edmond Memorial
10. Norman North

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Piedmont
5. Sand Springs
6. Putnam City North
7. Southmoore
8. Ponca City
9. Putnam City North
10. Sapulpa

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Collinsville
3. Guthrie
4. Del City
5. Coweta
6. Bishop McGuinness
7. McAlester
8. Lawton Mac
9. Claremore
10. Shawnee

Class 4A

1. Wagoner
2. Elgin
3. Tuttle
4. Blanchard
5. Clinton
6. Sallisaw
7. Poteau
8. Bethany
9. Cushing
10. Grove

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Pauls Valley
5. North Rock Creek
6. Plainview
7. Seminole
8. Cascia Hall
9. Idabel
10. Perkins-Tryon

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Metro Christian
4. Jones
5. Kingston
6. Marlow
7. OCS
8. Chisholm
9. Chandler
10. Heavener

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Davis
3. Adair
4. Stroud
5. Kansas
6. Alva
7. Beggs
8. Holdenville
9. Colcord
10. Wyandotte

Class A Division-I

1. Fairview
2. Pocola
3. Hooker
4. Pawhuska
5. Rejoice Christian
6. Walters
7. Tonkawa
8. Wynnewood
9. Hartshorne
10. Warner

Class A Division-II

1. Woodland
2. Regent Prep
3. Hominy
4. Velma-Alma
5. Thomas
6. Mangum
7. Mooreland
8. Ringling
9. Mounds
10. Central Sallisaw

Class B Division-I

1. Laverne
2. Garber
3. Turpin
4. Caddo
5. Dewar
6. Yale
7. Hollis
8. Pond Creek-Hunter
9. Keota
10. Waurika

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Okeene
4. Covington-Douglas
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Webbers Falls
7. Copan
8. Shattuck
9. Waukomis
10. Thackerville

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Ryan
3. Timberlake
4. Maysville
5. Mt. View-Gotebo
6. Tyrone
7. Welch
8. Balko-Forgan
9. Medford
10. Waynoka

SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 2 (2024): RIBS

9/12/2024 |  Michael Swisher

Simple question: Who doesn’t like ribs? 

Whether it's pork ribs (spare ribs, St. Louis ribs, baby back ribs) or beef ribs (dino ribs), ribs are a culinary staple for any BBQ lover. 

Pork ribs are pretty much a no-fail mission in BBQ, second only behind  pulled pork when it comes to ease and edibility. 

The reality is that about anyone or any place can cook up some solid, edible pork ribs in many different shapes, sizes and flavors that can satisfy any hungry BBQ lover. 

Beef ribs, on the other hand, take a lot more craftsmanship and patience to get done just right.

But when they are, they are almost magical. 

When I visit a BBQ place for the first time, I almost always get the “Texas Trinity” which is pork ribs, sausage and sliced brisket. 

I do this as a way to sample the primary staples of any good BBQ restaurant. 

Now, ribs are never the deal breaker in forming my opinion of the top end quality of BBQ establishment (that lies with sliced brisket), but I often find that ribs (along with sausage) can save the day for a particular visit if the sliced brisket isn't up to my lofty standards. 

If you come across a place that does smoked beef ribs (dino ribs), I highly recommend giving these a try. 

Beef ribs can be hard to find sometimes and many places (normally highly quality establishments) only sell them on special days of the week or occasions. 

They tend to be pretty expensive, BUT, this is because they are really incredible when done right. 

Imagine some of the best, rich, flavorful brisket you have ever tasted, but on a big handle. That’s a beef rib for the most part. If you see it somewhere, I encourage you to get it!

Now, if you are brave or skilled enough to smoke some ribs at home, this is where I feel ribs really have the opportunity to be excellent without a lot of crazy techniques and difficulty. 

At-home (DIY) meat smokers can produce some really great ribs on a pellet, stick or electric smoker. Just follow the easy-to-find, tried-and-true Johnny Trigg method (Google search) with maybe your own twist or variation based on your experiences and wants when it comes to your ribs. 

My preference has been 2 hours uncovered, 3 hours covered and 1 uncovered on my offset stick burner smoker. 

I want to have guaranteed, fall off the bone, delicious ribs as opposed to the competition ribs, so I like the extra hour in the foil to get them nice and soft with plenty of pull back off the ends of the bone. 

Despite the above method, which I have described and used for many years, the best ribs I have ever smoked were by complete accident and have never been replicated since. 

My good friend Layne Jones – BBQ, Tea and Red Dirt music connoisseur – can attest to the quality of these ribs and the complete lack of preparation or general care that produced them. 

It was 3 racks of St. Louis style pork ribs on a cheap big box store smoker. I literally sprinkled the ribs with some retail seasoning blend, put them on the smoker and packed the fire box with as much charcoal and hickory wood that I could fit in there. 

I left the smoker going for hours, never checking the ribs once – not the temp, not the fire box – and I came and ate the best ribs I have ever had, primarily because of the exceptional bark. 

Still to this day I don't know why or how they came out so great, but man they were and I have been chasing these same ribs ever since. 

Maybe my problem now is that I do care and that is actually the method here - not caring as much, not peeking and not worrying about temperature control. 

Like the old saying goes “If you're looking, you're not cooking.”

Before we finish up with some beautiful rib pictures, we have to share the  iwasatthegame.com “Fun Fact of the Week.” 

When I asked Chris for something interesting to share with our millions and millions of readers (not really) he wanted people to know about some very long-standing football rivalries in Oklahoma. 

 

Since 1944, HARTSHORNE and WILBURTON have played every year with HARTSHORNE leading the series 54-26. I don’t have the total number of times these teams have played but the earliest I could find was in 1922.

 

IDABEL and BROKEN BOW will be squaring off for their 110^th time this Friday night, according to my calculations. The Warriors and the Savages first squared off in 1915 with BROKEN BOW leading the ALL-TIME series 62-45-2.

 

The most games played since 1944 between 2 teams is ARDMORE vs DUNCAN and IDABEL vs HUGO. These matchups have happened 81 times with each playing some years twice (playoffs and regular season). Neither one of these rivalries are scheduled for this year during the regular season.

Are you ready for some rib pictures? Here you go!

Week 2 High School Football Rankings

9/10/2024 |  Michael Swisher

6A Division-I

1. Owasso
2. Bixby
3. Jenks
4. Union
5. Deer Creek
6. Mustang
7. Moore
8. Norman
9. Norman North
10. Broken Arrow

6A Division-II

1. Muskogee
2. Stillwater
3. Choctaw
4. Piedmont
5. Sand Springs
6. Putnam City North
7. Southmoore
8. Sapulpa
9. Putnam City
10. Lawton Ike

Class 5A

1. Carl Albert
2. Collinsville
3. Coweta
4. Guthrie
5. Del City
6. McAlester
7. Bishop McGuinness
8. Tahlequah
9. El Reno
10. Lawton Mac

Class 4A

1. Wagoner
2. Elgin
3. Tuttle
4. Blanchard
5. Clinton
6. Sallisaw
7. Poteau
8. Ardmore
9. Bethany
10. Cushing

Class 3A

1. Lincoln Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Sulphur
4. Idabel
5. Pauls Valley
6. Perkins-Tryon
7. Cascia Hall
8. North Rock Creek
9. Plainview
10. Seminole

Class 2A Division-I

1. Washington
2. Millwood
3. Jones
4. Metro Christian
5. Kingston
6. Marlow
7. Prague
8. OCS
9. Crossings Christian
10. Sperry

Class 2A Division-II

1. Vian
2. Davis
3. Kansas
4. Adair
5. Stroud
6. Alva
7. Holdenville
8. Henryetta
9. Colcord
10. Beggs

Class A Division-I

1. Fairview
2. Pocola
3. Crescent
4. Hooker
5. Pawhuska
6. Tonkawa
7. Rejoice Christian
8. Walters
9. Wynnewood
10. Stratford

Class A Division-II

1. Hominy
2. Woodland
3. Regent Prep
4. Apache
5. Velma-Alma
6. Thomas
7. Ringling
8. Mangum
9. Central Sallisaw
10. Mooreland

Class B Division-I

1. Laverne
2. Garber
3. Dewar
4. Turpin
5. Caddo
6. Yale
7. Hollis
8. Pond Creek-Hunter
9. Keota
10. OBA

Class B Division-II

1. Seiling
2. Weleetka
3. Okeene
4. Covington-Douglas
5. Wilson-Henryetta
6. Webbers Falls
7. Copan
8. Shattuck
9. Cyril
10. Cherokee

Class C

1. Tipton
2. Ryan
3. Timberlake
4. Maysville
5. Mt. View-Gotebo
6. Paoli
7. Welch
8. Geary
9. Tyrone
10. Waynoka