McKinley Whitfield headed to NY Giants mini camp

5/2/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Fort Coffee is headed for the big stage.

Wait, Fort Coffee? Where is that? Is it in Oklahoma?

It’s a town that might go unrecognized, outside of severe weather coverage in Oklahoma, but Fort Coffee sits in the Arkansas River bend near Skullyville and northeast of Spiro. Just find LeFlore County in far eastern Oklahoma, and it sits at the very northern tip of the county.

It’s where McKinley Whitfield has called home all his life.

Now Whitfield will fly the Fort Coffee flag proudly when he attends New York Giants mini camp.

“It means everything in the world to me to represent Spiro and Fort Coffee,” said Whitfield, a former standout at Spiro High School before playing college football at the University of Tulsa.

“I grew up there my whole life, and I just try my best to be a inspiration to all the younger kids there.”

Whitfield, measuring at 6 feet, 3 inches and 217 pounds, knows professional athletic endeavors don’t come along often for those growing up in Fort Coffee.

“Not many people from the area get changes like these,” he said, “so it’s a blessing.”

Whitfield, a safety by trade, recently watched the NFL Draft intently, hoping for his name to appear in the later rounds. But all seven rounds breezed by, despite a few draft boards mentioning Whitfield as a possible late-round candidate.

“It was very frustrating,” said Whitfield, who logged 264 tackles and 19 pass breakups during his collegiate career. “Everybody was thinking that I was going to get drafted, so I didn’t want to let anybody down. I just tried to keep myself busy during the whole process and be around my family.”

It didn’t take long for Whitefield to draw an invitation to New York’s minicamp, which begins this weekend.

“It feels good getting a chance to go play at the next level,” said Whitfield, who nabbed four interceptions while at Tulsa. “Of course I would rather have gotten drafted or a free agent deal, but it’s just more motivation for me.

Whitfield joins four other TU players as mini camp invitees. Justin Hobbs and Willie Wright will work out for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns, respectively, and two other in-state talents, Tyler Bowling (Yukon) and Chandler Miller (Bixby), will try to earn a spot with the Atlanta Falcons.

Leading up to the draft, Whitfield never had much interaction with the Giants, chatting with the organization once while at a senior event in Texas. But now he gets a chance to prove Fort Coffee belongs in the NFL.

“I’ve always been a hard worker since I was a kid,” Whitfield said. “That definitely isn’t going to stop now.”

*Photo credit: University of Tulsa

PODCAST TIME! Wall to wall basketball and wrestling

2/28/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Medals and trophies have been handed out to wrestlers across the state. Now it’s time for basketball teams to start claiming hardware.

Ben and Michael dive into Class A & B state basketball tournaments on tap this week, and they guys also make their predictions in each class.

Ben breaks down what happened at the state wrestling tournament and some of the various highlights along the way. 

Also added a new segment where the guys named their MVPs of the week. Listen in and find out who they dubbed as last week’s MVPs.

All that leading up to Michael's interview with Okarche coach Ray West. You don't want to miss what West had to say.

Thanks for listening & enjoy!

Have any feedback? Email the show at ben@skordle.com

Week 10 Pay Dirt Picks

11/6/2025 |  Korry Rogers

	TOM	MARK	JACOB	SHAWN	JORDAN	COACH V
Ada @ Sallisaw
Kingfisher @ Plainview
Timberlake @ Tyrone
Waukomis @ Cherokee
Regent Prep @ Wewoka
Woodland @ Fairland
Dewar @ Caddo
Fairview @ Cashion
Piedmont @ Putnam City
Del City @ Pryor
Metro Christian @ Sequoyah Tahlequah
Vian @ Valliant

SKORDLE SAMPLER: 2025 Week 10 - BG10 Cafe in Cashion

11/6/2025 |  Michael Swisher

The SKORDLE Game of the Week makes its way to Cashion this Friday night and I wanted to take the opportunity to encourage any hungry football fans to visit the BG10 Cafe prior to the big game between the Yellowjackets and Wildcats. 

It's not often in high school football you get a Week 10 matchup that could decide the district championship and playoff seedings depending on outcomes, scores and a possible coin flip like the book and movie Friday Night Lights. 

The BG10 Cafe opened this past July in downtown Cashion and ever since has been cooking up some of the best burgers anyone can get ahold of in central Oklahoma!

          I have included some of my own pictures from some of my visits and I think the burgers keep getting better every time I go. 

The menu includes a variety of great burger options from the namesake the “BG10 Burger” which has grilled onions, pickles and cheese. 

The “Classic American Burger” includes the traditional toppings of lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles and cheese. 

The “Mushroom and Swiss Burger” is exactly that and maybe my favorite.

 

Lastly, the “Cowboy Burger” has bell peppers, onions and special sauce for a little extra kick. 

Of course any of these fantastic burgers can be customized with great add-ons such as bacon, avocado and the popular extra patty for the really big eaters. 

            I have tried all four and they are all fantastic! 

            These classic, flat top griddle burgers are served on a warm buttery soft bun which really makes them delicious and puts them over the top for a burger eating experience. 

All the traditional burger sides are available and I tend to rotate the tater tots and onion rings while the rest of my crew really like the french fries. 

            They also have great cheese curds if that is something you like. I would suggest the cheese curds as an appetizer and it's pretty shareable for a couple of people.

In addition to the great burgers, BG10 Cafe also serves up several other items including a popular Ribeye sandwich, a great Philly Cheesesteak and several other cold sandwiches, wraps and salads.