Little Axe Indians
Norman, OK 73069
Record: 2-4 | Unranked
vs Elmore City-Pernell | W | 35-26 9/6 |
vs Dibble | W | 24-8 9/12 |
@ Bethel | L | 58-14 9/20 |
vs Lexington | L | 14-47 9/26 |
@ Crossings | L | 56-14 10/4 |
vs Washington | 7-49 | |
GAME LIVE NOW! | ||
@ Dickson | L | 19-15 10/17 |
vs Marietta | 10/24 7PM |
@ Lindsay | 11/1 7PM |
@ Marlow | 11/7 7PM |
@ Marlow | 11/8 7PM |
WRESTLING: All-State rosters announced
| Ben Johnson
The Oklahoma Coaches Association announced the 2019 All-State wrestling rosters on Tuesday morning.
Here are the rosters and some notes on the honorees:
Large East
113: David Boucher (Bartlesville)
120: Laif Jones (Bartlesville)
126: Ty Nohelty (McAlester)
132: Reece Witcraft (Broken Arrow) - Two-time state champion headed to Oklahoma State
138: Spencer Schickram (Ponca City) - Won the Class 6A 138 title this season
145: Gage Hight (Glenpool) - Finished as a three-time runner-up for the Warriors
152: Ja’len Hernandez (Union)
160: Scott Patton (Sand Springs) - Runner-up at 6A 152
170: Isaac Strain (Tahlequah)
182: Talon Borror (Coweta) - Three-time state champion headed to Oklahoma
195: Elijah Tomlin (Union)
220: Korbin McLaughlin (Skiatook) - The 5A 220 champion this season to help Skiatook split the 5A state title with Collinsville
HWT: Caleb Orr (Jenks) - Runner-up in 6A heavyweight this season
Large West
113: Dominic Derr (Westmoore)
120: Jayston Cato (Carl Albert) - Runner-up at 5A 120 this season
126: Mitchell Lance (Piedmont) - Third place finish at 5A 126 this season
132: Colt Newton (Choctaw) - Finished third at 6A 132 this season
138: Cameron Picklo (Mustang) - Finished third at 138 this season
145: Kobi Gomez (Altus) - State champion at 5A 138 this season
152: Hunter Jump (Duncan) - State champion at 5A 160 after winning a state title at Lawton Mac as a junior
160: Rene Martinez (Putnam City) - Runner-up at 6A 160 this season
170: Zane Coleman (Choctaw) - Arizona State signee became a four-time state champion this season
182: Christian Maldonado (Lawton Mac) - State champion at 5A 170 this season
195: Carson Savage (Deer Creek) - Runner-up at 6A 195 this season
220: Jake McCoy (Edmond North) - Runner-up at 6A 220 this season
HWT: Josh Heindselman (Piedmont) - Became a two-time state champion by winning the 5A heavyweight crown this season
Small East
113: Kaleb Harris (Sallisaw)
120: Luke Montgomery (Bristow) - Finishied third at 4A 120 this season
126: Thaddeus Long (McLain) - Became the Titans’ first state champion since 1976 with a title at 4A 126
132: Wesley Scott (Pawnee) - Runner-up at 3A 132 this season
138: Price Perrier (Pawhuska) - Runner-up at 3A 138 this season
145: Trystian Shireman (Wagoner) - Finished third at 4A 138 this season
152: Hadyn Redus (Perry) - State champion at 3A 152 this season
160: Jacob Ahrberg (Cushing) - State champion at 4A 160 this season
170: Cade Shropshire (Checotah) - Two-time state champion for the Wildcats with the 3A 160 chamionship this season
182: River Simon (Vian) - Became a two-time state champion by winning the 3A 182 title this season
195: Eriq Simpson (Cushing) - Runner-up at 4A 195 this season
220: Drake Barbee (Blackwell) - State champion at 3A 195 this season
HWT: Teaguen Wilson (Perry) - Runner-up at 3A heavyweight this season
Small West
113: Remington White (Walters) - Former state champion was the 3A runner-up at 113 this season
120: Jaxon Miller (Comanche)
126: Logan Farrell (Tuttle) - Runner-up at 4A 126 this season
132: Kolton Smith (Bridge Creek) - Became the Bobcats’ first state champion by winning the 3A 126 title this season
138: Kobey Kizarr (Marlow) - State champion at 3A 138 this season
145: Val Park (Heritage Hall) - Became a three-time state champion by winning 4A 138 title this season
152: Alec McDoulett (Little Axe) - Runner-up at 3A 152 this season
160: Tyler Lavey (Marlow) - Runner-up at 3A 160 this season
170: Ethon Hamrick (Comanche)
182: Denver Dahlenburg (Hinton)
195: Carson Berryhill (Tuttle) - Won a second straight state championship by winning 4A 195 title this season
220: Cameron Gregg (Pauls Valley)
HWT: Ruben Guiterrez (Clinton) - Finished third at 4A heavyweight this season
**Photo courtesy of Austin Bernard/Owrestle.com
STATE TOURNAMENT WRESTLING: Complete class-by-class roundup
| Ben Johnson
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Zane Coleman stepped off the podium and started fielding multiple requests. Everyone inside Jim Norick Arena wanted to snap a photo with the newest member of the four-time state champion club.
The Choctaw senior joined the exclusive membership with a 1-0 victory over Broken Arrow’s Bryce Mattioda, making it 37 wrestlers to be share the lofty accomplishment.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Coleman, the 170-pound senior who did it with his dad, Benny Coleman, coaching him to all four championships. “I dreamed about this forever, and now that it’s come true I couldn’t be happier.”
Finishing as Class 6A’s Most Outstanding Wrestler of the state tournament capped Coleman’s career and wrapped up a 41-1 season. He’ll soon depart for Tempe, Arizona, where he’ll join the Arizona Sun Devils program.
“They have a great coaching staff,” Zane Coleman said, “and I think we’re the No. 2 recruiting class right now, so we have good things coming.”
Class 3A wrap-up
Perry wins another title; Bridge Creek claims first individual crowns
The state’s preeminent wrestling program did what it normally does to end each wrestling season: pose with a trophy to memorialize another team championship. For Perry, that’s now 43 team championships. The closest to the Maroons? Tuttle and Midwest City with 16.
“It’s pretty awesome to win as a team,” Perry’s Ryan Smith told the Stillwater NewsPress. “Since I’ve been a freshman, we’ve won every year. All of my teammates did what they’re supposed to do.”
Smith picked up one of three individual championships for the Maroons. Smith beat Walters’ Remington White, 4-2, to capture the 113 title. Dylan Avery (132) and Hadyn Redus (152) claimed the Maroons other two championships.
- Smith, DePron lead Bridge Creek: The Bridge Creek Bobcats had waited long enough, so Kolton Smith made sure to make quick of his opponent. Smith, at 126 pounds, pinned Marlow’s Anthony Orum in 58 seconds to claim Bridge Creek’s first individual championship.
Then Kolby DePron followed at 145 with another title, picking up a 10-8 victory over Geary’s Landon Holt to double up the Bobcats’ hardward in one evening.
“It feels insane,” DePron said. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. … I hardly remember the match. Just an adrenaline rush; I went out and barfed everywhere.”
- Marlow finishes second: Perry was too far out of reach, but Marlow still made plenty of noise in the championship matches on Saturday night. Tyler Lawson (106) picked up a title with a 6-2 over Vian’s Braylen Rodgers, and Kobey KIzarr pinned Pawhuska’s Price Perrier at 6:57 to pick up the Outlaws second title.
Perry topped the 3A leaderboard with Marlow in second place with 91 points.
- Other 3A titles: Vinita’s Alex Prince won the 120 crown with an 8-3 win over Newkirk’s Dayton Cary. Sperry’s Bryce Carter beat Comanche’s Cade Cook 6-4 at 170 pounds. Blackwell’s Drake Barbee (182) pinned Inola’s Brody Jenkins at 2:33.
All three became first-time champions.
Checotah’s Cade Shrosphire beat Marlow’s Tyler Lavey, 3-2, in an ultimate tiebreaker. Vian’s River Simon (182) pinned Perry’s Kohl Owen at 3:41. Comanche’s Konner Doucet picked up a 15-0 technical fall over Berryhill’s Nico Lopez for the 220 crown, and Davis’ Cooper Webb won the heavyweight crown by pinning Perry’s Teaguan Wilson at 1:20. All four became repeat champions. It was the second for Shrosphire, Simon and Webb, and Doucet picked up his third in three years. He’ll attempt to become a four-time state champion as a senior next season.
Class 4A wrap-up
Long breaks McLain’s title drought; Tuttle picks up title No. 16
McLain’s TJ Long put the Titans back on the wrestling map at State Fair Arena. In perhaps the match of the night, Long went back and forth with Tuttle’s Logan Farrell in the 126-pound title bout before ultimately picking up a 12-10 win in sudden victory.
It was McLain’s first individual championship since 1977 (Greg Hawkins at 178 pounds).
“It sounds like I just wrote my name in the record books,” Long said.
Long, last year’s runner-up at 126 pounds, capped his senior season at 36-0.
“I lost in the finals last year,” Long said. “And I said, ‘that’s not happening this year. I’m known for clutch situations, so I was like, ‘I got this.’”
- Tuttle wins again: There was never a doubt -- even before the weekend started -- as to who would claim the 4A championship. Tuttle made it look easy again, claiming 229 points to cruise to its 16th championship in its program’s history.
“I transferred to Tuttle my eighth grade year to experience this, and it’s great,” said Plott, ranked third nationally at 170 pounds. “The group of guys we have right now is like a family. We hang out a lot, and we’re all really close.”
Garrett Steidley (113), Ryder Ramsey (132), Brady DeArmond (145), Luke Surber (152), Plott and Carson Berryhill (195) each picked up individual crowns for the Tigers. Reese Davis (120), Farrell (126), Bryce Dauphin (138), Harley Andrews (160) and Kavan Guffey (182) were all runners-up at their respective weights.
-- Cascia Hall sophomore Eli Griffin picked up a 9-1 major decision win over Cushing Luke Ahrberg for his second title in two years. The Commandos have claimed at least one individual title every year since Mike Bizzle won the school’s first in 2002.
-- Heritage Hall’s Val Park beat Dauphin 3-0 for his third consecutive championship. He became the school’s fourth wrestler to win at least three individual championships, with Rodrick Mosley being the most recent with his title at 152 last season.
-- Cushing picked it first individual championships since 2014. Jacob Ahrberg finished the season 26-0 with a 9-8 win over Tuttle’s Harley Andrews. Gage Hockett followed at 182 and beat Tuttle’s Kavan Guffey 3-2 in an tiebreaker. Hockett finished the season 32-0.
-- Bristow’s Luke Fortney pinned Poteau’s Seth Ford at 3:06 to claim the 220 championship, Bristow’s first since 2007.
-- Other 4A champions included Wagoner’s Braden Drake (120) and Blanchard’s Ryder Wiese at heavyweight.
Class 5A wrap-up
Collinsville, Skiatook split 5A title; Borror wins for a 3rd time
The pressure was sitting squarely on Korbin McLaughlin’s shoulders. The Skiatook senior needed a victory at 220 pounds for the Bulldogs to have a chance at the Class 5A championship.
Collinsville was leading Skiatook 137 to 133, and a win by decision by McLaughlin would be enough to pull the Bulldogs even. Anything better than that would give Skiatook the championship outright, two weeks after celecrating a dual state title in Shawnee.
McLaughlin wound up beating Claremore’s Seth Seago, 4-1, meaning Skiatook and Collinsville both left Jim Norick Arena with first-place honors.
Collinsville finished with four individual champions, including junior Caleb Tanner (132) beating Skiatook’s Cody Francis, 9-0, for his third title in three years. Two Cardinal freshmen claimed their first titles: Cameron Steed (106) and Jordan Williams (113). Rocky Stephens (120) followed with a title by posting an 8-0 win over Carl Albet’s Jayston Cato.
Skiatook sophomore Josh Taylor (126) picked up his second championship in as many seasons with a 9-3 win over Collinsville’s Jordan Cullors. Then the Bulldogs’ Cougar Anderson capped an unbeaten season (38-0) by pinning Piedmont’s Landis Scoon at 4:36 for the 152 crown.
For Collinsville, it’s the Cardinals’ second straight championship, and Skiatook claimed its first title since 1987.
- Borror bests 182 field: Piedmont’s Austin Cooley jumped out to an early lead against Coweta’s Talon Borror. But Borror didn’t let that last long, rallying to pin Cooley at 2:43 to pick up his third consecutive championship.
“There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it,” Borror said. “Now it’s time call it a career.”
Well, high school career, that is. Borror wrapped up his senior varsity stint at 38-2 and now will head to Norman and join the Sooners.
“We’re building a good team and have a lot of good recruits coming in,” Borror said. “Looking to make a run at the top.”
- Hicks prevails for Durant’s 1st title: Durant’s Cody Hicks trailed early on, but he rallied for a 6-4 win over Glenpool’s Gage Hight. Now Hicks will forever be known as the first Durant wrestler to win an individual championship for the Lions.
And he celebrated accordingly by jumping into his brother’s arms.
“He’s eight years older than me, and he’s always worked with us,” Hicks said of his brother, Colby. “(To jump into his arms) was an amazing moment.”
-- Other 5A champions included Altus’ Kobi Gomez (138), Lawton Mac’s Christiain Maldonado (170) and Matthew Santos (195) and Duncan’s Hunter Jump (160), a former champion at Lawton Mac before moving to Duncan.
Piedmont’s Josh Heindselman, named 5A's most outstanding wrestler, also picked up his second state championship at heavyweight by pinning Lawton Mac’s Montana Phillips at 3:13.
Class 6A wrap-up
Tigers back on top with 6A crown; Mustang nabs 4 titles
If there’s ever a constant about Class 6A, it’s that the teams like to pass around the team championship. Sure enough, it was Broken Arrow’s turn again with the Tigers claiming their first crown since 2015.
Broken Arrow was the lone 6A team to crack the 100-point barrier and compiled 158 points by weekend’s end. Mustang was second with 96, and Choctaw was third at 75.
The Tigers’ Jackson Cockrell (113) and Jared Hill (120) both lost in the finals before Reece Witcraft registered Broken Arrow’s first individual title at 132. Witcraft toppled Owasso’s Zeke Washington -- for the second week in a row -- with a 6-3 decision for his second straight state championship.
Broken Arrow sophomore Emmanuel Skillings (182) nabbed his first championship with a 5-1 victory over Owasso’s Taylor Fleming, and then Zach Marcheselli (220) etched his name into the Oklahoma record book with his fourth state championship. He made history by beating Edmond North’s Jake McCoy 10-4 in his final varsity match.
For Broken Arrow, that’s now two four-time state champions after Brandon Tucker accomplished the feat from 2000 to 2003.
- Mustang crowns 4: Mustang threw the biggest party on the outskirts of the 6A mat inside State Fair Arena on Saturday night. It had been since 2005 that the Broncos snared an individual state championship, so Mustang made sure to celebrate accordingly for each of the four titles.
Tucker Owens (113) claimed Mustang’s first title with a 9-0 victory over Cockrell of Broken Arrow. Then John Wiley, the No. 4 seed out of the West Regional, picked up a 5-1 win over Stillwater’s Carter Young for title No. 2 for Mustang.
Tate Picklo followed at 160 and pinned Putnam City’s Rene Martinez to cap off an unbeaten 43-0 season. The Broncos’ final state title was courtesy of Judson Rowland and his last-second, 11-10 win over Deer Creek’s Carson Savage.
-- Choctaw claimed three individual championships. Coleman won at 170, Gabe Johnson (145) knocked off Deer Creek’s Micah Lugafet, 9-4, and heavyweight Marquonn Journey beat Jenks’ Caleb Orr, 3-1.
- Other 6A champions included:
-- Bixby’s Zach Blankenship: Won the 120 title as a freshman with a pin of Broken Arrow’s Jared Hill at 5:12.
-- Ponca City’s Spencer Schickram picked up the 138 title with a 10-0 major decision over Broken Arrow’s Blake Gonzalez.
-- Jenks junior Drake Vannoy picked up his second championship by beating Sand Springs’ Scott Patton, 5-1.
Little Axe's McDoulett wins in thriller; advances to title match
Wrestling | | Christian Potts | The Norman Transcript
OKLAHOMA CITY – Alec McDoulett simply would not be denied.
Battling back from behind with a takedown in the closing seconds of the third period, the Little Axe junior ultimately lasted through three extra periods to knock off Landon Holt of Geary/Watonga, 6-5, and gain the 138-pound championship match for Class 3A.
It was one of the most exciting matches of hundreds conducted on the first day of the state wrestling tournament at Ron Norick Arena.
"It's just wrestling, every match is a dogfight," said McDoulett. "I was real confident once I got it to overtime that if I was going down (position) I could do something."
SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 8 (2024): Flamingo Lounge
| 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
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Union
- Jenks
- Deer Creek
- Norman
- Edmond Memorial
- Mustang
- Moore
- Broken Arrow
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Sand Springs
- Piedmont
- Putnam City North
- Putnam City
- Sapulpa
- Southmoore
- Lawton Ike
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Del City
- Lawton Mac
- McAlester
- Guthrie
- Bishop McGuinness
- Collinsville
- Booker T. Washington
- Newcastle
- Shawnee
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Broken Bow
- Clinton
- Poteau
- Sallisaw
- Bethany
- Weatherford
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Cascia Hall
- North Rock Creek
- Plainview
- Perkins-Tryon
- Sequoyah-Claremore
- Pauls Valley
- Idabel
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Metro Christian
- Kingston
- Marlow
- Jones
- Kiefer
- Perry
- Crossings Christian
- Hugo
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Adair
- Stroud
- Davis
- Holdenville
- Alva
- Beggs
- Colcord
- Kansas
- Community Christian
Class A Division-I
- Hooker
- Fairview
- Rejoice Christian
- Christian Heritage
- Walters
- Pawnee
- Pawhuska
- Pocola
- Hartshorne
- Wynnewood
Class A Division-II
- Woodland
- Mangum
- Regent Prep
- Hominy
- Talihina
- Thomas
- Texhoma
- Ketchum
- Central Sallisaw
- Velma-Alma
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Dewar
- Yale
- Turpin
- Garber
- Caddo
- Empire
- Hollis
- Keota
- Drumright
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Covington-Douglas
- Okeene
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Copan
- Boise City
- Waukomis
- Shattuck
- Cyril
Class C
- Tipton
- Timberlake
- Ryan
- Welch
- Tyrone
- Maysville
- Geary
- Medford
- Paoli
- Sasakwa
Week 7 Pay Dirt Picks
| 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
| Michael Swisher
Week 7 High School Football Rankings
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Deer Creek
- Union
- Jenks
- Edmond Memorial
- Broken Arrow
- Moore
- Mustang
- Norman
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Sand Springs
- Piedmont
- Putnam City North
- Putnam City
- Sapulpa
- Lawton Ike
- Southmoore
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Del City
- Lawton Mac
- Collinsville
- McAlester
- Guthrie
- Bishop McGuinness
- Booker T. Washington
- Newcastle
- Shawnee
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Broken Bow
- Grove
- Weatherford
- Clinton
- Poteau
- Cushing
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Plainview
- Cascia Hall
- North Rock Creek
- Bristow
- Perkins-Tryon
- Checotah
- Sequoyah-Claremore
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Metro Christian
- Marlow
- Kingston
- Jones
- Hugo
- OCS
- Kiefer
- Chisholm
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Adair
- Stroud
- Davis
- Holdenville
- Colcord
- Luther
- Salina
- Alva
- Beggs
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Hooker
- Rejoice Christian
- Hartshorne
- Christian Heritage
- Walters
- Pawnee
- Pawhuska
- Pocola
- Wynnewood
Class A Division-II
- Woodland
- Mangum
- Texhoma
- Regent Prep
- Hominy
- Talihina
- Thomas
- Ketchum
- Central Sallisaw
- Velma-Alma
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Turpin
- Dewar
- Yale
- Garber
- Caddo
- Empire
- Hollis
- Keota
- Pond Creek-Hunter
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Covington-Douglas
- Okeene
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Shattuck
- Copan
- Cherokee
- Thackerville
- Boise City
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Welch
- Tyrone
- Maysville
- Geary
- Sasakwa
- Medford
- Balko-Forgan
Week 6 Pay Dirt Picks
| 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
| Michael Swisher
SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 6 (2024) Part II - REVISITING AUBURN 25 YEARS LATER
| 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
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Deer Creek
- Union
- Jenks
- Edmond Memorial
- Moore
- Mustang
- Norman
- Broken Arrow
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Sand Springs
- Piedmont
- Putnam City North
- Putnam City
- Sapulpa
- Lawton Ike
- Southmoore
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Del City
- Bishop McGuinness
- Lawton Mac
- Collinsville
- McAlester
- Guthrie
- Claremore
- Booker T. Washington
- Newcastle
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Broken Bow
- Grove
- Weatherford
- Bethany
- Clinton
- Poteau
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Plainview
- Cascia Hall
- Pauls Valley
- Bristow
- Seminole
- North Rock Creek
- Checotah
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Metro Christian
- Marlow
- Kingston
- OCS
- Jones
- Crossings Christian
- Hugo
- Kiefer
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Adair
- Stroud
- Davis
- Holdenville
- Colcord
- Kansas
- Alva
- Beggs
- Luther
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Hooker
- Rejoice Christian
- Hartshorne
- Tonkawa
- Christian Heritage
- Walters
- Pawnee
- Pawhuska
- Minco
Class A Division-II
- Woodland
- Hominy
- Mangum
- Regent Prep
- Texhoma
- Thomas
- Talihina
- Central Sallisaw
- Mooreland
- Ringling
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Turpin
- Dewar
- Yale
- Garber
- Pond Creek-Hunter
- Caddo
- Hollis
- Empire
- Keota
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Okeene
- Covington-Douglas
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Shattuck
- Webbers Falls
- Thackerville
- Waukomis
- Copan
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Welch
- Tyrone
- Maysville
- Waynoka
- Geary
- Paoli
- Sasakwa
Week 5 Pay Dirt Picks
| 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
| 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
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Union
- Deer Creek
- Jenks
- Moore
- Norman
- Edmond Memorial
- Mustang
- Broken Arrow
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Sand Springs
- Putnam City
- Putnam City North
- Piedmont
- Southmoore
- Sapulpa
- Bartlesville
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Del City
- Bishop McGuinness
- Lawton Mac
- Collinsville
- McAlester
- Guthrie
- Claremore
- Shawnee
- Booker T. Washington
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Sallisaw
- Poteau
- Bethany
- Cushing
- Grove
- Weatherford
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Pauls Valley
- Plainview
- Seminole
- Cascia Hall
- Idabel
- Anadarko
- Muldrow
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Metro Christian
- Jones
- Marlow
- Kingston
- OCS
- Mount St. Mary
- Chandler
- Crossings Christian
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Adair
- Stroud
- Davis
- Holdenville
- Beggs
- Colcord
- Kansas
- Alva
- Luther
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Hooker
- Rejoice Christian
- Pocola
- Pawhuska
- Wynnewood
- Hartshorne
- Tonkawa
- Christian Heritage
- Walters
Class A Division-II
- Woodland
- Regent Prep
- Hominy
- Mooreland
- Mangum
- Thomas
- Velma-Alma
- Texhoma
- Talihina
- Central Sallisaw
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Turpin
- Dewar
- Yale
- Garber
- Pond Creek-Hunter
- Keota
- Caddo
- Hollis
- Empire
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Okeene
- Covington-Douglas
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Shattuck
- Webbers Falls
- Thackerville
- Waukomis
- Copan
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Welch
- Tyrone
- Maysville
- Mt. View-Gotebo
- Waynoka
- Paoli
- Sasakwa
Oklahoma State Fair Trip 2024 - Where is the Beef?
| 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
| 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
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Union
- Jenks
- Deer Creek
- Moore
- Mustang
- Norman
- Edmond Memorial
- Norman North
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Sand Springs
- Piedmont
- Putnam City
- Putnam City North
- Southmoore
- Bartlesville
- Sapulpa
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Collinsville
- Del City
- Bishop McGuinness
- Lawton Mac
- McAlester
- Guthrie
- Claremore
- Shawnee
- Booker T. Washington
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Clinton
- Sallisaw
- Poteau
- Bethany
- Cushing
- Grove
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Pauls Valley
- Plainview
- Seminole
- Cascia Hall
- Idabel
- Perkins-Tryon
- Anadarko
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Metro Christian
- Jones
- Kingston
- Marlow
- OCS
- Chisholm
- Prague
- Mt. St. Mary
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Adair
- Stroud
- Davis
- Holdenville
- Beggs
- Colcord
- Kansas
- Alva
- Wyandotte
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Hooker
- Rejoice Christian
- Walters
- Pocola
- Pawhuska
- Wynnewood
- Hartshorne
- Tonkawa
- Warner
Class A Division-II
- Woodland
- Regent Prep
- Hominy
- Mooreland
- Mangum
- Thomas
- Velma-Alma
- Texhoma
- Talihina
- Central Sallisaw
Class B Division-I
- Garber
- Laverne
- Turpin
- Caddo
- Dewar
- Yale
- Hollis
- Pond Creek-Hunter
- Keota
- Empire
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Okeene
- Covington-Douglas
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Copan
- Shattuck
- Webbers Falls
- Thackerville
- Waukomis
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Welch
- Tyrone
- Geary
- Oaks
- Medford
- Maysville
- Mt. View-Gotebo
SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 3 (2024): A TRIBUTE TO COACH GLOVER
| 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 8th 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 8th 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
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Union
- Jenks
- Deer Creek
- Mustang
- Moore
- Norman
- Edmond Memorial
- Norman North
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Piedmont
- Sand Springs
- Putnam City North
- Southmoore
- Ponca City
- Putnam City North
- Sapulpa
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Collinsville
- Guthrie
- Del City
- Coweta
- Bishop McGuinness
- McAlester
- Lawton Mac
- Claremore
- Shawnee
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Clinton
- Sallisaw
- Poteau
- Bethany
- Cushing
- Grove
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Pauls Valley
- North Rock Creek
- Plainview
- Seminole
- Cascia Hall
- Idabel
- Perkins-Tryon
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Metro Christian
- Jones
- Kingston
- Marlow
- OCS
- Chisholm
- Chandler
- Heavener
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Davis
- Adair
- Stroud
- Kansas
- Alva
- Beggs
- Holdenville
- Colcord
- Wyandotte
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Pocola
- Hooker
- Pawhuska
- Rejoice Christian
- Walters
- Tonkawa
- Wynnewood
- Hartshorne
- Warner
Class A Division-II
- Woodland
- Regent Prep
- Hominy
- Velma-Alma
- Thomas
- Mangum
- Mooreland
- Ringling
- Mounds
- Central Sallisaw
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Garber
- Turpin
- Caddo
- Dewar
- Yale
- Hollis
- Pond Creek-Hunter
- Keota
- Waurika
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Okeene
- Covington-Douglas
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Webbers Falls
- Copan
- Shattuck
- Waukomis
- Thackerville
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Maysville
- Mt. View-Gotebo
- Tyrone
- Welch
- Balko-Forgan
- Medford
- Waynoka
SKORDLE SAMPLER - Week 2 (2024): RIBS
| 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 110th 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
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Owasso
- Bixby
- Jenks
- Union
- Deer Creek
- Mustang
- Moore
- Norman
- Norman North
- Broken Arrow
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Stillwater
- Choctaw
- Piedmont
- Sand Springs
- Putnam City North
- Southmoore
- Sapulpa
- Putnam City
- Lawton Ike
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Collinsville
- Coweta
- Guthrie
- Del City
- McAlester
- Bishop McGuinness
- Tahlequah
- El Reno
- Lawton Mac
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Clinton
- Sallisaw
- Poteau
- Ardmore
- Bethany
- Cushing
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Idabel
- Pauls Valley
- Perkins-Tryon
- Cascia Hall
- North Rock Creek
- Plainview
- Seminole
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Jones
- Metro Christian
- Kingston
- Marlow
- Prague
- OCS
- Crossings Christian
- Sperry
Class 2A Division-II
- Vian
- Davis
- Kansas
- Adair
- Stroud
- Alva
- Holdenville
- Henryetta
- Colcord
- Beggs
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Pocola
- Crescent
- Hooker
- Pawhuska
- Tonkawa
- Rejoice Christian
- Walters
- Wynnewood
- Stratford
Class A Division-II
- Hominy
- Woodland
- Regent Prep
- Apache
- Velma-Alma
- Thomas
- Ringling
- Mangum
- Central Sallisaw
- Mooreland
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Garber
- Dewar
- Turpin
- Caddo
- Yale
- Hollis
- Pond Creek-Hunter
- Keota
- OBA
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Okeene
- Covington-Douglas
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Webbers Falls
- Copan
- Shattuck
- Cyril
- Cherokee
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Maysville
- Mt. View-Gotebo
- Paoli
- Welch
- Geary
- Tyrone
- Waynoka
Week 1 High School Football Rankings
| Michael Swisher
6A Division-I
- Jenks
- Owasso
- Union
- Bixby
- Norman North
- Deer Creek
- Mustang
- Moore
- Broken Arrow
- Edmond Memorial
6A Division-II
- Muskogee
- Choctaw
- Stillwater
- Sand Springs
- Piedmont
- Sapulpa
- Lawton Ike
- Putnam City North
- Putnam City
- Southmoore
Class 5A
- Carl Albert
- Collinsville
- McAlester
- Guthrie
- Del City
- Coweta
- Bishop Kelley
- El Reno
- Bishop McGuinness
- Lawton Mac
Class 4A
- Wagoner
- Elgin
- Tuttle
- Blanchard
- Ada
- Clinton
- Sallisaw
- Bethany
- Cushing
- Poteau
Class 3A
- Lincoln Christian
- Heritage Hall
- Sulphur
- Idabel
- Pauls Valley
- Perkins-Tryon
- Cascia Hall
- Checotah
- Berryhill
- North Rock Creek
Class 2A Division-I
- Washington
- Millwood
- Jones
- Metro Christian
- Kingston
- Prague
- Marlow
- Chandler
- OCS
- Sequoyah-Tahlequah
Class 2A Division-II
- Davis
- Vian
- Kansas
- Adair
- Stroud
- Alva
- Holdenville
- Henryetta
- Meeker
- Colcord
Class A Division-I
- Fairview
- Minco
- Pocola
- Crescent
- Hooker
- Pawhuska
- Rejoice Christian
- Pawnee
- Walters
- Stratford
Class A Division-II
- Hominy
- Woodland
- Central Sallisaw
- Apache
- Regent Prep
- Velma-Alma
- Thomas
- Ringling
- Mangum
- Gore
Class B Division-I
- Laverne
- Garber
- Dewar
- Turpin
- Caddo
- Yale
- Hollis
- Pond Creek-Hunter
- OBA
- Pioneer
Class B Division-II
- Seiling
- Weleetka
- Okeene
- Covington-Douglas
- Wilson-Henryetta
- Ringwood
- Webbers Falls
- Davenport
- Copan
- Shattuck
Class C
- Tipton
- Ryan
- Timberlake
- Mt. View-Gotebo
- Tyrone
- Waynoka
- Medford
- Paoli
- Welch
- Maud