by Steven Reese (@stevenreese33)9/10/2021 8:03:47 AM
posted in: App News | 1,385 views
Week 1 showed a lot of promise with many thrillers and close matchups.
Bixby stealing one at Jenks gives the Spartans a huge boost of confidence.
The Edlam matchup between Edmond North and Edmond Memorial was low scoring, but the Huskies survived 12-6, handing the Bulldogs a heartbreaking loss in their home opener.
Nonetheless, it was a hard-fought defensive performance by both teams.
Union was too much for Broken Arrow and took care of business at home against the Tigers 38-28. I don’t know about you, but all of these close matchups have me excited for this season.
Speaking of which, let’s get to Week 2, shall we?
1. Jenks @ Union
What a better way to start Week 2 than a non-district rivalry between two historic programs. There are a total of 25 state championships between the two schools with 17 of those belonging to Jenks. The Backyard Bowl Series, as they call it, has had a total of 63 matchups. Jenks leads the series 40-23. For several years, the game was played at Tulsa University’s Chapman Stadium. This year, Jenks fans will get their first dose of the newly-renovated home of Union: Union-Tuttle Stadium. Most would agree it is one of the best rivalries not only in the state, but in the whole country. I think it is by far the best non-district rivalry in the state. Can Jenks bounce back after falling short to Bixby last week? Or will Union stay undefeated? Despite last week’s heartbreaking loss, Jenks still holds the #1 spot in 6A-I while Union comes in at #3. A top-three matchup in Week 2? This is definitely a must-see.
2. Broken Arrow @ Owasso
Stieber, Jones and company are hoping to bounce back on the road against Owasso after losing a close one at Union in Week 1. They still have a great start though because they still own the #4 ranking in 6A-I. Despite the two interceptions that Stieber had against Union, he still had a promising performance going 21-30 for 136 Yards and four TDs. On the other hand, Owasso is coming in with an electric start to the season with statement wins at Edmond Santa Fe and against Fayetteville out of Arkansas 7A.
3. Mustang @ Stillwater
A lot of the standouts who led the Pioneers to back-to-back 6A-II title games may be gone, but they keep rolling as they went to Edmond Santa Fe last week and added a quality win on the road to their résumé. I know it’s only Week 2, but they have to be confident being #2 in 6A-II at the moment. If the Pioneers get the job done against Mustang this week, they’ll get to be in a #1 vs. #2 matchup at Bixby next week. And since Bixby has a bye week, it will still own the top spot in going into Week 3. But don’t sleep on Mustang. It had a rough year in 2020, but has almost its whole squad back. This is one of the most experienced teams in all of 6A heading into 2021. The Broncos opened up their season last week at home with a comfortable win against the Yukon Millers, 48-7. Do you want another great reason to go to this matchup? You get to eat at one of the best restaurants in all of Oklahoma. Either before or after the game, you can go get some famous cheese fries at the one and only Eskimo Joe’s. An amazing dinner plus a big 6A fest in Stillwater? It can’t get any better than that.
4. Vian @ Lincoln Christian
This is a 2A-3A matchup you won’t want to miss. 3A No. 2 Lincoln Christian is coming off an incredible season making it to Wantland Stadium at UCO for the 3A state championship. Despite losing to Holland Hall in that game 35-7, Lincoln Christian QB Max Brown is coming into his senior year along with an experienced receiving corp. These Bulldogs should have a lot of confidence this season and they should be the heavy favorite to win their district again in 2021. They are 2-0 this season with an escaping win at Jones last week 31-29. The Vian Wolverines out of District 2A-5 are coming in hungry as well. Both of their losses last season were close. Besides falling short to Cascia Hall 7-6 in 2020, the Wolverines blew out everyone else in their district and didn’t lose by much to Metro Christian in the third round of the 2A Playoffs. Vian has also started 2-0 for the season winning at Eufaula on the road 34-27 in Week 1. This is a great game to see in Tulsa for you 2A or 3A fans out there.
5. Edmond Santa Fe @ Edmond North
We have another “Edlam” matchup this week. This means a fun road trip for Edmond Santa Fe even though it’s just a few minutes away. Regardless, the Edmond North fans are going to be loud and ready. The Huskies won at Edmond Memorial last week in a defensive slugfest 12-6. Can they sweep the Edlam series this year? My prediction is: I don’t think so. North will give Santa Fe a good game because it’s at North, but I don’t see Santa Fe losing three in a row. Despite starting off 0-2, the Wolves are No. 5 in 6A-I. This will give them a lot of momentum going into this rivalry. It will be a fun and electric atmosphere.
*Note: The rankings used in this blog are by MaxPreps.