by Michael Swisher (@michaelswisher)10/4/2017 6:53:33 PM
posted in: Swisher's Suite | 2,520 views
We're going streaking...
Wagoner is going to break the state's 11-man win streak this week when it hosts McLain on Friday night.
A likely win will give Dale Condict's program its 43rd straight victory since losing to Cascia Hall on Oct. 3, 2014. It will beat the record set y Ada from 1993-1996.
During that span, the Bulldogs have won three consecutive Class 4A titles, beating a team that no doubt would like to see the streak end at 43 games.
Oologah.
The Mustangs have been Wagoner's victims in each of those title tilts.
In 2014, it was a 45-21 win for Wagoner. The next year, the Bulldogs escaped 15-14 and then last year Wagoner prevailed 28-14.
Also in each of those years, Wagoner has knocked off Oologah in their pivotal 4A-3 matchup (Wagoner had to forfeit the 2014 win after the fact, but that was prior to the loss to Cascia Hall).
During the win streak, only Cascia Hall and Coweta have been able to put much of a scare into Wagoner outside of Oologah.
So you know the Mustangs will be fired up next week when they make their trek to Wagoner with some streak-busting in mind.
As has been the case the last handful of years, it should be a good one.
Oologah hosts winless Grove this week, so it should be 6-0 entering the matchup, setting the stage for one of the biggest non-6A games this season.
And now that I've pumped up that game, you can bet it will be a boring blowout.
Games that lived up to their billing...
Games that weren't boring blowouts were the ones I told you about last week.
First and foremost was Union's epic (and any other superlatives you'd like to insert here) 44-41 win against Owasso in double-overtime.
It would appear that win gives Union the easier path to the 6AI title game.
Owasso, assuming it finishes second in its district, could be looking at hosting Westmoore or Broken Arrow in the first round and then possibly Jenks or Westmoore in the semifinals (if you couldn't tell by my columns, I get a kick out of looking ahead to potential playoff matchups).
That picture should start to clear up - or possibly get more muddied - when Broken Arrow visits Westmoore this week.
Broken Arrow is coming off a 26-13 setback to Jenks. When was the last time a game pitting two teams with one win against one another midway through the season carried that much weight?
In the eight-man ranks, No. 2 Davenport held serve against No. 9 Dewar in Class B. Davenport had to rally for a 44-42 victory. Davenport had to stop a two-point conversion and recover and onside kick to preserve the win.
In Class C, top-ranked Pond Creek-Hunter and No. 4 Regent Prep didn't disappoint in a 74-56 shootout win for the Panthers. Members of the Skordle staff were on hand to see that one in person.
Also, a team we told you to look out for several weeks back made a statement when No. 9 Tyrone knocked off then-No. 3 Sharon-Mutual, 50-36, on the road.
Swish said it would happen...
One thing you'll notice is I like to do the ol' Traber "give it up to myself" from time to time when I'm right about something. And when I'm wrong....I'll conveniently forget about it.
So, excuse me if you will while I reach behind and pat myself on the back.
I told you a few weeks back in this space about the Drummond baseball team, which is trying to move up the ranks and become among the regulars at the state tournament.
Well, the Bulldogs are back in as they enter this week's (weather permitting) Class B fall tournament as the sixth-ranked team in the class.
Drummond knocked off No. 4 Vici 6-0 to advance as a winner and the No. 4 seed (Vici subsequently lost to No. 16 Asher to get denied it trip).
Whatever coach Jared Swart is doing in the little Garfield County town, it's working.
Brutal bracket
Quick: Who's going to win the Class A fall baseball bracket? Your guess is as good as mine. I'm on record as saying the Class A fall crown is one of the toughest of any to win - in any sport - in Oklahoma.
Not only do you have your perennial powers to contend with, but also some that lurk as high as 3A and 4A in the spring.
That makes for a brutally tough state tournament bracket, but also some quality baseball.
Oktaha enters as the No. 1 team, but four of its five losses are to teams also in this bracket.
Two were to Dale, a potential semifinal opponent, and two more to No. 3 Roff.
Its quarterfinal foe, Tushka, won the crown a year ago.
In other words, nothing's a given in this bracket.