Week 7 picks

10/10/2018 |  Ben Johnson

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

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

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

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

Carl Albert at Guthrie

Michael Swisher: Carl Albert 33, Guthrie 17

Ben Johnson: Carl Albert 30, Guthrie 16

Whitt Carter: Carl Albert 28, Guthrie 21

Randy Turney: Carl Albert 31, Guthrie 14

Broken Arrow at Edmond Santa Fe

Michael Swisher: Broken Arrow 38, Edmond Santa Fe 14

Ben Johnson: Broken Arrow 41, Edmond Santa Fe 19

Whitt Carter: Broken Arrow 34, Edmond Santa Fe 14

Randy Turney: Broken Arrow 28, Edmond Santa Fe 7

Stillwater at Lawton

Michael Swisher: Stillwater 35, Lawton 21

Ben Johnson: Stillwater 23, Lawton 22

Whitt Carter: Stillwater 42, Lawton 34

Randy Turney: Stillwater 35, Lawton 20

Cascia Hall at Berryhill

Michael Swisher: Berryhill 24, Cascia Hall 12

Ben Johnson: Berryhill 20, Cascia Hall 19

Whitt Carter: Cascia Hall 32, Berryhill 28

Randy Turney: Berryhill 28, Cascia Hall 20

Victory Christian at Beggs

Michael Swisher: Beggs 28, Victory Christian 10

Ben Johnson: Beggs 33, Victory Christian 24

Whitt Carter: Beggs 35, Victory Christian 27

Randy Turney: Beggs 21, Victory Christian 20

Plainview at Sulphur

Michael Swisher: Plainview 24, Sulphur 22

Ben Johnson: Plainview 29, Sulphur 23

Whitt Carter: Sulphur 28, Plainview 24

Randy Turney: Sulphur 34, Plainview 31

Buffalo at Pond Creek-Hunter

Michael Swisher: PC-Hunter 30, Buffalo 14

Ben Johnson: PC-Hunter 43, Buffalo 22

Whitt Carter: PC-Hunter 31, Buffalo 12

Randy Turney: PC-Hunter 34, Buffalo 22

Booker T. Washington at Sapulpa

Michael Swisher: Booker T. Washington 31, Sapulpa 30

Ben Johnson: Booker T. Washington 27, Sapulpa 24

Whitt Carter: Booker T. Washington 42, Sapulpa 28

Randy Turney: Booker T. Washington 31, Sapulpa 22

Stigler at Seminole

Michael Swisher: Seminole 34, Stigler 17

Ben Johnson: Seminole 23, Stigler 20

Whitt Carter: Seminole 34, Stigler 21

Randy Turney: Seminole 34, Stigler 20

Tonkawa at Morrison

Michael Swisher: Morrison 18, Tonkawa 14

Ben Johnson: Morrison 26, Tonkawa 16

Whitt Carter: Morrison 27, Tonkawa 21

Randy Turney: Morrison 38, Tonkawa 14

Yukon at Westmoore

Michael Swisher: Yukon 17, Westmoore 16

Ben Johnson: Yukon 21, Westmoore 17

Whitt Carter: Westmoore 21, Yukon 20

Randy Turney: Westmoore 24, Yukon 17

El Reno at Duncan

Michael Swisher: Duncan 24, El Reno 21

Ben Johnson: Duncan 32, El Reno 17

Whitt Carter: Duncan 28, El Reno 14

Randy Turney: El Reno 28, Duncan 21

Bethany at Cushing 

Michael Swisher: Bethany 31, Cushing 17

Ben Johnson: Bethany 33, Cushing 27

Whitt Carter: Bethany 35, Cushing 13

Randy Turney: Bethany 30, Cushing 24

Catoosa at Cleveland

Michael Swisher: Catoosa 36, Cleveland 25

Ben Johnson: Catoosa 28, Cleveland 18

Whitt Carter: Catoosa 37, Cleveland 21

Randy Turney: Catoosa 20, Cleveland 14

Kingfisher at Perkins-Tryon

Michael Swisher: Kingfisher 31, Perkins-Tryon 28

Ben Johnson: Kingfisher 27, Perkins-Tryon 21

Whitt Carter: Kingfisher 35, Perkins-Tryon 21

Randy Turney: Kingfisher 34, Perkins-Tryon 20

Okemah at Meeker

Michael Swisher: Meeker 33, Okemah 21

Ben Johnson: Meeker 34, Okemah 24

Whitt Carter: Okemah 33, Meeker 24

Randy Turney: Meeker 28, Okemah 12

Stratford at Washington

Michael Swisher: Washington 27, Stratford 23

Ben Johnson: Washington 32, Stratford 19

Whitt Carter: Washington 28, Stratford 20

Randy Turney: Washington 38, Stratford 20

Hooker at Okeene

Michael Swisher: Hooker 31, Okeene 13

Ben Johnson: Hooker 29, Okeene16

Whitt Carter: Hooke 35, Okeene 13

Randy Turney: Hooker 34, Okeene 7

Covington-Douglas at Southwest Covenant

Michael Swisher: SW Covenant 48, Covington-Douglas 30

Ben Johnson: SW Covenant 44, Covington-Douglas 25

Whitt Carter: SW Covenant 45, Covington-Douglas 31

Randy Turney: SW Covenant 42, Covington-Douglas 20

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

Week 7: Top 10 games

10/9/2018 |  Ben Johnson

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

Here's what's on tap this week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable mention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Photo courtesy of Guthrie Booster Club

Zero Week picks

8/23/2018 |  Ben Johnson

High school football is back. Check out this week's picks from Michael Swisher, Whitt Carter, Randy Turney and myself.

Union at Broken Arrow

Michael Swisher: Union 27, Broken Arrow 13

Ben Johnson: Union 24, Broken Arrow 17

Whitt Carter: Union 20, Broken Arrow 17

Randy Turney: Union 24, Broken Arrow 17

Booker T. Washington vs. North Little Rock

Michael Swisher: N. Little Rock 24, Booker T. Washington 21

Ben Johnson: Booker T. Washington 32, N. Little Rock 30

Whitt Carter: Booker T. Washington 24, N. Little Rock 26

Randy Turney: Booker T. Washington 28, N. Little Rock 7

Midwest City at Bentonville

Michael Swisher: Bentonville 27, Midwest City 24

Ben Johnson: Midwest City 29, Bentonville 24

Whitt Carter: Midwest City 28, Bentonville 24

Randy Turney: Midwest City 17, Bentonville 7

Wynnewood at Minco

Michael Swisher: Minco 21, Wynnewood 14

Ben Johnson: Minco 20, Wynnewood 17

Whitt Carter: Minco 20, Wynnewood 16

Randy Turney: Wynnewood 20, Minco 18

Bentonville West at Owasso

Michael Swisher: Owasso 22, Bentonville West 14

Ben Johnson: Owasso 30, Bentonville West 21

Whitt Carter: Owasso 34, Bentonville West 21

Randy Turney: Owasso 24, Bentonville West 10

Jenks at Bixby

Michael Swisher: Jenks 30, Bixby 24

Ben Johnson: Jenks 34, Bixby 23

Whitt Carter: Jenks 28, Bixby 17

Randy Turney: Jenks 27, Bixby 10

Choctaw at Shawnee

Michael Swisher: Shawnee 27, Choctaw 23

Ben Johnson: Choctaw 28, Shawnee 20

Whitt Carter: Choctaw 41, Shawnee 37

Randy Turney: Choctaw 14, Shawnee 13

Shattuck at Tipton

Michael Swisher: Shattuck 45, Tipton 35

Ben Johnson: Shattuck 43, Tipton 22

Whitt Carter: Shattuck 41, Tipton 36

Randy Turney: Tipton 36, Shattuck 22

Hominy at Hulbert

Michael Swisher: Hominy 29, Hulbert 27

Ben Johnson: Hominy 20, Hulbert 19

Whitt Carter: Hulbert 28, Hominy 22

Randy Turney: Hominy 28, Hulbert 6

Chisholm at Weatherford

Michael Swisher: Weatherford 31, Chisholm 14

Ben Johnson: Weatherford 30, Chisholm 28

Whitt Carter: Weatherford 35, Chisholm 20

Randy Turney: Weatherford 27, Chisholm 14

Jones at Oklahoma Christian School

Michael Swisher: Jones 27, OCS 20

Ben Johnson: OCS 33, Jones 31

Whitt Carter: Jones 34, OCS 24

Randy Turney: Jones 35, OCS 21

Metro Christian at Broken Bow

Michael Swisher: Broken Bow 23, Metro Christian 21

Ben Johnson: Broken Bow 24, Metro Christian 13

Whitt Carter: Broken Bow 32, Metro Christian 28

Randy Turney: Metro Christian 28, Broken Bow 10

Plainview at Elgin

Michael Swisher: Plainview 28, Elgin 17

Ben Johnson: Plainview 34, Elgin 22

Whitt Carter: Plainview 34, Elgin 14

Randy Turney: Elgin 14, Plainview 13

Gore at Haskell

Michael Swisher: Gore 30, Haskell 20

Ben Johnson: Gore 39, Haskell 23

Whitt Carter: Gore 21, Haskell 18

Randy Turney: Haskell 21, Gore 14

Watonga at Okeene

Michael Swisher: Watonga 42, Okeene 12

Ben Johnson: Watonga 26, Okeene 23

Whitt Carter: Okeene 28, Watonga 23

Randy Turney: Watonga 21, Okeene 14

Morrison at Kiefer

Michael Swisher: Morrison 28, Kiefer 14

Ben Johnson:Morrison 27, Kiefer 12

Whitt Carter: Morrison 38, Kiefer 27

Randy Turney: Morrison 28, Kiefer 14

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

Zero Week: Top 10 games

8/21/2018 |  Ben Johnson

The calendar hasn't flipped to September yet, but high schools across Oklahoma are officially footballing this week.

Zero Week is here, and it's offering up some solid matchups to get the season rolling.

Here are this week's top 10 games:

1. 6AI No. 1 Union at 6AI No. 3 Broken Arrow: There will be talent all over the field on Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The running back matchup, featuring Broken Arrow's Noah Cortes and Union's Darius Boone Jr., will be fun to watch. This one could come down to quarterback play, and Union has the advantage there with Peyton Thompson. Also helps that Union holds a 39-3 record over the Tigers since 1983.

2. 6AII No. 1 Booker T. Washington vs. North Little Rock (Ark.) at Bentonville High School: Clash of two state champions from 2017. The Hornets will deploy Thomas Grayson, a Nebraska commit, at running back, and they'll also feature one of the nation's top recruits in Dax Hill, who figures to play on both sides of the ball. North Little Rock, Class 7A title winner in Arkansas, will counter with North Texas commit Oscar Adaway and plenty of other talented players across the field. The game is part of the Rumble in the Ozarks, played in Northwest Arkansas.

3. 6AII No. 2 Midwest City at Bentonville (Ark.): This will be the nightcap of the Rumle in the Ozarks on Saturday. Bentonville lost to North Little Rock in last year's title game, and Midwest City was dispatched from the Class 6AII playoffs in the semifinals. Look for Midwest City's Preston Colbert to get off to a roaring start for the Bombers this season.

4. A No. 6 Wynnewood at A No. 5 Minco: Both teams shared a district (A-4) in the past four seasons, and Minco ended up winning three of those four matchups. Now they've gone their separate ways in Class A, so they'll meet up in Zero Week. Minco quarterback Daxton Williams graduated, so they Bulldogs will have to find his replacement. Meanwhile, Wynnewood has Tyler Grove who passed for nearly 1,000 yards as a sophomore last season.

5. Bentonville West (Ark.) at 6AI No. 2 Owasso: Will Kuehne and Co. get the 2018 season kicked off against one of the newest programs in Arkansas. Bentonville West is led by former McAlester head coach Bryan Pratt, who led the Wolverines to a 9-2 record in 2017. For Owasso, the Rams will look for Bryce Cabrera's replacement at tailback and Josh Proctor's replacementin the defensive backfield.

6. 6AI No. 4 Jenks at 6AII No. 4 Bixby: This one-sided rivalry leveled out in 2017 with the Spartans ending a 26-game losing streak to Jenks with a 35-18 victory. Jenks' winning ways over Bixby had dated back to 1977. The Trojans return quarterback Ian Corwin and Mr. Do Everything Noah Hernandez, but they'll have a new look on the sidelines under first-year head coach Keith Riggs. For Bixby, there's a lot of newcomers after Tucker Pawley and Staton King graduated following the Spartans' runner-up finish in Class 6AII.

7. Choctaw at 6AII No. 10 Shawnee: These two haven't met since 1999, despite only being 30 miles apart. Now they're both members of Class 6AII with Shawnee bumping up a class this season. The Yellowjackets are coming off a 6-4 season, where Jake Corbin was in his first year as head coach. On the other side, Shawnee was 6-5 before leaving 5A. Now Heath Hunter and the Wolves get to show what they're made of in a new classification.

8. B. No. 2 Shattuck at C No. 1 Tipton: A rematch of the 2011 Class C state championship. Also a clash of last year's Class B (Shattuck) and Class C (Tipton) champions. The winner gets to claim the title of "best eight-man team" until the playoffs start.

9. A No. 4 Hominy at Hulbert: Perhaps the best running back matchup in the state, outside of Union-Broken Arrow. Hominy will feature move-in Dylan Roach, who torched opponents at Prue last season to the tune of 2,264 yards and 31 touchdowns. Then there's Hulbert's Jacob Bruce, who has posted back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons for the Riders in 2016 and 2017.

10. 2A No. 7 Chisholm at 4A No. 7 Weatherford: This one features a solid matchup of quarterbacks. Chisholm's signal caller, Braden Meek, passed for 1,552 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior in 2017, and Weatherford's Jaxon Ratterree will begin his junior season after tossing for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns last year.

Honorable mention

Jones at Oklahoma Christian School

Metro Christian at Broken Bow

Plainview at Elgin

Gore at Haskell

Watonga at Okeene

Morrison at Kiefer

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

Class A preview

7/6/2018 |  Ben Johnson

Look back at 2017

2017 district champs

A-1: Thomas - The Terriers hit the half-century mark in district titles with an unbeaten run against A-1 foes. A 20-0 win over Hooker set the stage for a district crown, and that was part of the Terriers' 10-game winning streak, which continued into December. But Afton derailed Thomas' playoff run in the semifinals.

A-2: Watonga - A September win over Cordell proved to be the deciding factor for the A-2 crown for Watonga. The Eagles went on to avenge a season-opening loss against Okeene with a win to open the playoffs, but then Watonga was dispatched from the postseason in the next round against Oklahoma Christian Academy.

A-3: Ringling - The Blue Devils knocked off Apache to begin district play, and they rolled the rest of the way against A-3 opponents. Ringling's playoff run lasted until the second round when Hooker moved on to the quarterfinals.

A-4: Minco - Led by Cole Burchfield in the backfield, Minco motored to the district title last year. Eleven straight wins, including six in district play, preceded Minco's run to the Class A quarterfinals, where the Bulldogs were beaten by Afton.

A-5: Crescent - Cashion, Pawnee and Morrison were no match for the Tigers during district play. Crescent manhandled every opponent it faced in its first 14 games, including wins over Cashion (54-14), Morrison (51-24) and Pawnee (35-14) during the regular season. The Tigers' unbeaten run, though, came to a halt in the Class A title game, which ended with a 44-12 loss to Afton.

A-6: Kiefer - The Trojans started the season 0-4, but a 34-14 win over Woodland in late September turned Kiefer's season around. Kiefer, Woodland and Hominy all finished atop the district at 5-1, but it was the Trojans who prevailed, thanks to district points. Kiefer, though, was bounced quickly from the playoffs, a 28-0 loss to Morrison in the opening round of the postseason.

A-7: Afton - The Eagles labored through a stout district -- that included Rejoice Christian, Barnsdall and Hulbert -- and emerged unscathed. A 22-20 victory over Rejoice Christian in mid October propelled Afton a district title, and from there the Eagles went into cruise control the rest of the season. In the playoffs, Afton outscored its opponents 214 to 46.

A-8: Talihina - Led by seniors Heath Humphreys and Sooner Box, the Tigers coasted to the A-8 crown. Talihina dismantled Central Sallisaw, 36-0, in a showdown of the district's top two teams. The Tigers finished the regular season 9-1 and beat Barnsdall in the opening round of the playoffs before being upset by Hominy in the second round.

 

Talking title game: Afton 44, Crescent 12