Kiefer Trojans
Kiefer, OK 74041
Record: 8-3 | Rank: 7
vs Jones | 0-33 | |
GAME LIVE NOW! | ||
@ Vian | L | 45-14 9/13 |
@ Sperry | W | 12-18 9/20 |
@ Kingston | L | 29-28 9/27 |
vs Roland | W | 58-7 10/4 |
@ Prague | W | 28-40 10/11 |
vs Hugo | W | 30-28 10/17 |
@ Bethel | W | 20-30 10/25 |
vs Heavener | W | 60-9 11/1 |
vs Okmulgee | W | 64-0 11/8 |
vs Sequoyah Tahlequah OSSAA State First Round at Kiefer | W | 36-13 11/15 |
vs Washington OSSAA State Quarterfinals at Washington | L | 48-14 11/22 |
Steve Edwards steps down at Glenpool
| Ben Johnson
GLENPOOL -- When Glenpool starts the 2020 season, the Warriors will have a new head coach for the first time since the mid 90s.
On Thursday, Steve Edwards told Skordle he’s stepping down as the Warriors’ head coach after a 24-year run.
“Been going up and down the sidelines for 35 years,” he said. “It’s time to take a break.”
After serving as an assistant coach in Hominy, Edwards took over at Glenpool in 1996 and led the Warriors to the most successful years in the program’s history.
Glenpool had won only one district championship before Edwards arrived, and he now departs with eight district titles and two state championships (2002 and 2008).
“Through those 24 years at Glenpool, it’s been a really good run,” Edwards said. “Class 4A was good to us for a while.”
Edwards enjoyed a vast amount of success after his father questioned his profession a long time ago.
“I remember my dad asking why I wanted to be a football coach and having to move everywhere,” Edwards recalled. “But that wasn’t the case for me because I’ve ended up being at Glenpool for a long time.”
During his 24-year run at Glenpool, Edwards went 167-109, including a 2-8 season in 2019 to close the book on his tenure with the Warriors.
“Since 1996, we’ve followed the same coaching mantra, ‘make better players, not better plays,’” Edwards said. “It’s been so much more than developing good football players. We’ve always wanted to make sure the young boys turn into great men.”
As for Edwards, he’ll still be in Glenpool as the Warriors’ assistant athletic director. It will allow him more time to watch his sons, Gus and Michael, play football and wrestle.
“I want to sit back and watch them,” Edwards said. “Both have really promising futures in both football and wrestling, I want to be able to watch them.”
And what about coaching? Edwards wouldn’t totally close the book on a return in the future.
“If I still have a hankering to get back into it,” he said, “hopefully I’ll be able to do that.”
Steve Edwards’ career
Record: 167-109
Seasons: 24 (all as Glenpool head coach)
District titles: 8
State titles: 2
Trent Worley named head coach at Kiefer
| Ben Johnson
KIEFER -- Trent Worley is a small-town kid at heart. Plus, he and his wife Ashley have most of their family living in northeast Oklahoma.
That made the head coaching vacancy at Kiefer so intriguing.
And sure enough, Worley was named the Trojans’ head man Monday night, becoming only the program’s second head coach in 12 years.
“It’s a really good spot to be in, both for me and my family,” Worley told Skordle. “But to a lot of people, it’ll look like a crazy move.”
Worley, a Foyil alum, recently wrapped up a two-year tenure at Piedmont, where he went 8-13. The Wildcats went 5-6 in 2018 and earned a playoff berth before being eliminated in the first round by eventual Class 5A runner-up, Ardmore.
In Kiefer, Worley will fill the void left by Josh Calvert, who is stepping away from coaching to take a job in Oregon. From 2008 to last season, Calvert led the Trojans to a 94-37 record.
“This is something I’m looking forward to,” Worley said. “What was impressive to me about Kiefer was how the town places a priority on athletics, and those being bright spots in the community. Plus, there they place a great deal of importance on building relationships in settlings like Kiefer.”
Kiefer is coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2018. The Trojans shared a spot in District 2A-3 with Class 2A’s state champion, Sperry, and runner-up, Beggs. Kiefer entered the final week of the regular season vying for postseason spot, alongside Haskell and Morris.
“I’m a small-town guy,” Worley said. “I’m going into year No. 20 in my career. The older you get the more you realize what’s important, so I’m excited for the move for my family. And I’m excited about the Kiefer program, which as unlimited potential.”
Zero Week picks
| 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
| 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 2A preview
| Ben Johnson
Look back at 2017
2017 district champs
2A-1: Chisholm - The Longhorns were golden when they weren't facing Washington in 2017. Luckily for them, Washington was in a different district, so Chisholm made an unbeaten 6-0 run through A-1 last season, including a 33-21 victory over Alva in October. But unfortuntaely for Chisholm, its only two losses were to Washington in non-district play in September and then in the second round of the playoffs in November.
2A-2: Millwood - A machine -- that's what Millwood was in 2017. The Falcons scored no fewer than 37 points in all 14 of their games, and they never gave up more than 18. That's pure dominance. And to cap it all off, Millwood outscored its opponents 228 to 7 in the postseason.
2A-3: Lindsay - The Leopards were hard to get a read on in 2017, but they finished atop 2A-3 by the end of the regular season. A 27-21 loss to Hobart landed Lindsay in a tie atop the district with Washington, but the Leopards followed that loss with a 38-21 victory over Washington to claim the tiebreaker. But while Washington was making a run to the state championship game, Lindsay ended up with a second-round loss to Alva to cap a 7-5 season.
2A-4: Davis - Head coach Jody Weber capped his 17-year run as the Wolves' head coach with the program's 34th district title. Davis knocked off every 2A opponent it faced in 2017 until it clashed with Washington in the semifinals.
2A-5: Vian - The Wolverines coasted in 2A-5 play, winning all five contests comfortable. The closest was a 26-12 win over Okemah in late October. The district title segued into playoff wins over Panama and Victory Christian and the first two rounds, but then Millwood was waiting in the quarterfinals to pull the plug on Vian's postseason run.
2A-6: Valliant - Really only one word sums up 2A-6 in 2017: craziness. Five -- yes, five! -- teams finished atop the district standings at 4-2. It was Valliant that ended up with its fifth district crown, and then there was Hartshorne that missed the playoffs altogether. Valliant, Spiro and Antlers all won their first round playoff matchups, but none of the three advanced past the second round.
2A-7: Holland Hall - It was the first district championship for the Dutch, a team that had joined the OSSAA ranks in 2016 after transitioning over from the Southwest Preparatory Conference with mostly Texas teams. Holland Hall looked like a potential opponent for Millwood in the finals, but a furious comeback by Davis in the quarterfinals ended the Dutch's postseason run.
2A-8: Adair - The Warriors picked up their seventh straight district title, thanks in large part to a 36-14 win over Commerce in the final week of the regular season. Adair marched into the quarterfinals, where Alva dispatched the Warriors with a 40-8 rout.
Talking title game: Millwood 42, Washington 7