by Steven Reese (@stevenreese33)10/1/2021 8:07:58 AM
posted in: Articles | 1,510 views
Last week was full of defensive performances including #1 ranked McAlester in 5A getting an ugly win at winless Bishop Kelley 19-0. Top-ranked Bixby in 6A-II, on the other hand, went to the beautiful town of Bartlesville and had a walk in the park win, 71-0. Tuttle was able to keep its #1 spot in 4A with arguably the best defense in the whole class. The Tigers were down 7-6 to Cushing heading into the fourth quarter and scored 16 unanswered points to win an instant classic, 22-7. Week 5 is another journey for all of us. Let’s get to it!
1. #8 Carl Albert 2-2 (1-0 in 5A-2) @ #4 Guthrie 4-0 (1-0 in 5A-2)
This might be the biggest game in all of 5A in 2021. Carl Albert has managed to stay in the top 10 despite dropping its first two games to Midwest City and Del City. The Titans have recently owned this series, winning the previous five matchups against the Bluejays. On top of that, Guthrie has not scored against the top rival Titans since 2017. The Titans shutout the Bluejays 21-0 in 2018 as well as 48-0 in 2019. They did not face each other in 2020 due to COVID issues. Guthrie has had a very promising start so far in 2021 and is looking for its first 5A state championship since 2013. The Bluejays didn’t have a really tough non-district schedule this year, but they got the job done in their district opener on the road against Piedmont. If you’re a Guthrie fan, you have to be excited about what you’re seeing so far. This game is huge not just because of the rivalry, but this also affects the District 2 standings and playoff implications. This is why I love high school football.
2. #2 Collinsville 4-0 (1-0 in 5A-4) @ #9 Sapulpa 3-1 (1-0 in 5A-4)
Another top 10 5A district battle features #2 Collinsville having its first big road test of the season. This high scoring offense is led by dual quarterback Andrew Carney and the running back duo of the Gilkey brothers. Through the Cardinals’ 4-0 start, they have averaged 52.5 points a game. The Cardinal squad is dangerous, but don’t sleep on the ninth-ranked Sapulpa Chieftains. After having a .500 record last season, they already have a record of 3-1 with an average of 42 points a game. This will be quite the challenge for the Chieftains. However, if they can get going on offense and stop the Cardinals’ rushing game, they could pull off the upset. This will definitely be an electric Chieftain fan base Friday night in Sapulpa.
3. #1 Jenks 3-1 (1-0 in 6AI-1) @ #5 Broken Arrow 2-2 (1-0 in 6AI-1)
Top-ranked Jenks comes in with one of the best defensive units in all of 6A. Through four games, they’ve only allowed 10.75 points a game which could go down to single digits if the Trojans keep their momentum up. Their only loss was to Bixby 23-15. Allowing 23 points to Bixby and only losing by one possession is extremely impressive considering Bixby blows out most teams. Broken Arrow may be 2-2 in 2021, but the losses are to quality foes. This is a top-five matchup for the Trojans on the road. Will the Tigers redeem themselves from a slow start and go 2-0 in district play? That answer will come from what kind of performance we see from the Trojan defense.
4. #4 Verdigris 4-0 (1-0 in 3A-4) @ #10 Berryhill 3-1 (1-0 in 3A-4)
Verdigris is one of the most balanced teams in all of 3A with an average score of 37 points a game and a defense in the single digits allowing an average of 9 points a game. The Cardinals have two running backs, Mason Mittasch and Caden Parnell, who both have over 300 yards rushing this season, which is helpful considering District 3A-4 is one of the toughest districts in the class. A top-10 win for either one of these programs would be a huge confidence boost since these two squads have to play top-ranked Holland Hall later this season.
5. #2 Cashion 4-1 (1-0 in A-3) @ OCA 4-0 (1-0 in A-3)
This may be OCA’s biggest game since 2017 considering that was the last time the Eagles had a winning season. In 2020, OCA went 1-10 and this season the Eagles are off to a strong 4-0 start including a huge 18-16 win on the road at Hinton. If the Eagles upset #2 Cashion this week, they could be in the top 10 next week. A fun fact about OCA is that junior quarterback Brody Galyean also plays basketball for the Eagles. Could he lead his squad to one of the biggest upsets in the state Friday night? This matchup could be a thriller.