Week 8 State Area Picks…
By Robert Przybylo, Jason Kersey and Zach West
We said last week there was a chance for some separation amongst the Stooges, and there almost was. Robert had a considerable advantage with the state picks, being the only one to believe in Durant and Bethel. However, he totally blew it on the top 10 where Jason and Zach had the exact same advantage. And thus, we’re back to Even Steven to quote a great Seinfeld reference. Will anybody have the guts to pick against Hennessey after last week’s miscue with Alva? Find out as several games have caught our eye, so without further ado…
Week 8
Weatherford at Anadarko
Robert – Weatherford; Jason – Weatherford; Zach – Anadarko
Kingfisher at Tuttle
Robert – Tuttle (but close); Jason – Tuttle; Zach – Tuttle (LOCK)
Apache at Hinton
Robert – Apache; Jason – Apache; Zach -Apache
Northeast at Elk City
Robert – Elk City; Jason – Elk City; Zach – Elk City
Chickasha at Ardmore
Robert – Ardmore (LOCK); Jason – Chickasha; Zach – Ardmore
Luther at Crescent
Robert – Luther; Jason – Crescent; Zach – Luther
Moore at Lawton
Robert – Moore (still believe in Balak); Jason – Lawton; Zach – Lawton
Glenpool at Deer Creek
Robert – Glenpool; Jason – Glenpool; Zach – Glenpool
Davis at Valliant
Robert – Davis; Jason – Davis; Zach - Davis
Hennessey at Perkins
Robert – Hennessey; Jason – Hennessey; Zach – Hennessey
Millwood at OCS
Robert – Millwood; Jason – OCS (LOCK); Zach – Millwood
Last week: Robert (11-7, 1-0 LOCK); Jason (11-7, 0-1 LOCK); Zach (11-7, 1-0 LOCK)
Season totals: Jason (70-38, 4-2 LOCK); Zach (69-39, 6-0 LOCK); Robert (68-40, 5-1 LOCK)
Henryetta’s “D” reason for 7-0
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Linebackers leading the Knights: Henryetta’s 7-0 start can be attributed to its stellar play from linebackers Nick Whitlow and Colby Blondell.
Blondell has 75 tackles and two sacks while Whitlow has 65 tackles and four sacks.
The two were key contributors in the Knights’ back-to-back road victories at Prague and Chandler.
The Red Devils and Lions average more than 30 points per game, but Henryetta limited Prague to 14 in a 19-14 victory while Lions could only net seven last week in a 14-7 victory.
Henryetta hosts Holdenville tonight
Wildcats keeping eye on the prize: Bethel coach Kevin Nichols is still beaming about the school’s monumental victory over Millwood last week. But he knows the Wildcats have been in this spot before.
“Last year, we were 6-2 heading into a game against Jones (which Bethel lost),” Nichols said. “We spent a lot of time working out scenarios that this year, we’re not going to do that.”
Nichols said the team has abandoned scoreboard watching and is just focused on his team and its game against St. Mary tonight.
Lions looking for consistency: Chandler is in an unusual spot, coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in coach Neal Bacon’s tenure.
The Lions also will be without running back Marcus Thrash for what looks like is the remainder of the season. Thrash has not had an MRI yet, but Bacon said he believes it is a torn ACL. But through it all, Bacon said he remains optimistic about his team’s chances.
“We actually haven’t played that bad the last two weeks,” Bacon said. “We’ve played some really good teams (Morris and Henryetta, combined 14-0). We just need to find a little more offensive consistency. We’ve had chances to make plays and haven’t always come through.”
Chandler looks to bounce back at home against Beggs tonight.
Prep pugilists…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Anyone who knows me knows my favorite sport is boxing. So it pleases me to say that in the near future, there will be a nice boxing feature on some of the prep pugilists out there in The Oklahoman.
And one stands out more than the others: LaTyshia Green. A student at Emerson, Green is in a unique position for two reasons: 1) She’s involved in boxing, a very tough sport for kids to latch onto at an early age. 2) She’s the only female at the Badd Lands Boxing Gym in OKC and finding sparring partners is almost tougher than finding her fights.
But after talking with LaTyshia, it’s clear that boxing is not just a part-time thing. She had her first amateur fight Saturday night (lost) and is hoping to bank bout No. 2 next Saturday in Tulsa. I could talk boxing all day with people and it was refreshing to see names besides Muhammad Ali pop up as some of the favorites.
Boxing can’t rely on its past, so seeing names like Floyd Mayweather, Kelly Pavlik, Jermain Taylor and Roy Jones Jr. is nice to see as some of these high schoolers favorites.
I love Ali and Smokin’ Joe Frazier as much as the next guy, but people like Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Paul Williams, etc. are the boys who are going to light up HBO and Showtime.
Other prep studs include Dejan Rutesic from Putnam City and Joe Strong from Midwest City.
Midwest City is quietly setting up for a deep playoff run
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@oklahoman.com
Midwest City is undefeated. Yet is seems nobody is talking about the 7-0 Bombers. Led by Tim and John Flanders, Midwest City has a tough running game and fast, athletic defense.
Nonetheless when I think about the top teams in Class 6A the Bombers aren’t the first to come to mind. I think about the obvious East side powers then Norman North and Midwest City comes in later on down the line.
I saw the Bombers beat Moore and I was impressed with the speed of their defense. I think when push comes to shove, Midwest City will make a deep run into the playoffs but they’ll have to develop a passing attack to balance their power running game in order to win a state title.
But keep an eye on the Bombers, most people aren’t talking about them now but it’s likely we could be in November…
Week 7 State Area Picks
By Robert Przybylo, Jason Kersey and Zach West
Well, well, the Stooges are officially back. Thanks to our folks in Chandler (nice job, Morris) and Berryhill (Blackwell stunned ‘em), we’ve proven our intellecutual capacity, ha ha. This week has a bunch of pick ‘em games involved, meaning we might finally get some separation amongst the group. Without further ado…
Week 7
Hennessey at Alva
Robert – Alva; Jason – Alva; Zach – Alva
Frederick at Bridge Creek
Robert – Bridge Creek; Jason – Bridge Creek; Zach – Bridge Creek (LOCK)
Cushing at Glenpool
Robert – Glenpool (LOCK); Jason – Glenpool; Zach – Glenpool
Kingfisher at Newcastle
Robert – Kingfisher; Jason – Kingfisher; Zach – Kingfisher
Perkins-Tryon at Fairview
Robert – Perkins; Jason – Perkins-Tryon; Zach – Fairview
Ada at Durant
Robert – Durant; Jason – Ada; Zach – Ada
Broken Bow at Idabel
Robert – Broken Bow; Jason – Idabel; Zach – Broken Bow
Millwood at Bethel
Robert – Bethel; Jason – Millwood (LOCK); Zach – Millwood
Henryetta at Chandler
Robert – Chandler; Jason – Chandler; Zach – Chandler
Fox at Mountain View-Gotebo
Robert – Fox; Jason – Fox; Zach – Mt. View-Gotebo
Last week’s totals – Robert (11-7, 1-0 LOCK); Jason (11-7, 0-1 LOCK); Zach (11-7, 1-0 LOCK)
Overall Standings
1. Jason (59-31, 4-1 LOCK); 2. Zach (58-32, 5-0); 3. Robert (57-33, 4-1)
HS Football traditions, anyone??
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
In a future edition of The Oklahoman, our “amazing” high school sports staff is going to dive into high school football traditions. We know about some, like the bell at Putnam City West, the bulldog at Edmond Memorial, and the various Lawton traditions.
But if you feel like your school has a bonafide great tradition, let us know. We would prefer something that can be seen visually, but we don’t want to leave out any schools.
Suggestions can be sent the following way:
1) Just comment to this post.
2) Drop me a line at BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com.
3) Call the sports desk at 405-475-3314.
All assistance is greatly appreciated.
ASA Softball drama…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
El Reno may not win the Class 5A title (Carl Albert will have something to say about that), but its fans have engulfed ASA so far. Poor Lawton Mac, whose contingent was vastly outnumbered by the El Reno faithful Friday.
That game was a thing of beauty. Each team had chances. Each made beautiful defensive plays. Both pitchers were on top of their game. It was a joy to watch.
The game concluded right around 7 p.m. Had the Lady Highlanders won, we could have been looking forward to some late late night heroics as the two would have to play the ‘if’ game.
In 6A, the West side is reigning supreme as the Moore War will determine the winner. It was very impressive to watch Moore come out of the gates swinging. It used early momentum from the Edmond Santa Fe game and just carried through both Yukon wins.
Westmoore took care of business early against Owasso, which is always a smart move. Never let the underdog think it has a chance, knock ‘em out early.
So the stage is set: Moore vs. Westmoore, Carl Albert vs. El Reno, let the games begin and the champions be crowned.
It’s official, Moore 12, Edmond Santa Fe 0; LawtonMac 3, Coweta 2.
A pair of rematches, you say? Nothing is official (just yet), but it sure appears we are on our way to seeing a couple of teams get a second crack at the foe that vanquished them yesterday. Moore started things early, notching three in the top of the first and has never looked back, currently enjoying a 5-0 lead in the top of the seventh against Edmond Santa Fe.
Lady Lions pitcher Katie Lynn has only allowed two hits through the first six.
In 5A, it looks like Lawton Mac will be seeing the Lady Indians of El Reno once again. Freshman Lauren Renneker had a two-run single in the third to widen the gap to 3-0 as it currently stands in the bottom of the fifth against Coweta.
I’ll keep you posted.
It’s a lot cooler (weather-wise) this week at ASA than it was for the small schools championship last week. Hopefully, this weekend won’t bring any rain either.
First game of the day is in the books before we’ve even hit the noon hour as Duncan has sent Skiatook home in 5A action, 2-0. Lady Demons pitcher Judy Dines gave up a leadoff triple in the top of the third to Skiatook’s Cheyenne Gipson but left the inning unscathed. Dines certainly did not overpower the Lady Bulldogs, but the Duncan defense was up to the task all day, save for one fielding error in the sixth inning.Skiatook pitcher Demi DeGeer pitched well enough to win, but we all know that won’t cut it at this point. This is the elimination round where only the best of the best performances see teams move on.
While typing this, Owasso has just finished off Choctaw, 5-4. Chelsea Kennedy of Owasso jacked a two-run bomb into deep left-center field in the second, but the Lady Rams needed a three-run fourth to turn a 3-2 deficit to a 5-3 advantage.
Owasso now battles Westmoore while Duncan gets shot No. 2 against Carl Albert. Both games start at 2 p.m.
Kersey’s Week 7 Top 10 picks
Tulsa East Central over Coweta
Bixby over McAlester
Plainview over Purcell
Alva over Hennessey
Metro Christian over Seq. Claremore
McGuinness over Anadarko
McLoud over Mannford
Chandler over Henryetta
Tonkawa over Luther
Putnam North over Moore
Norman North loses second D-I prospect
By Justin Harper
jharper@oklahoman.com
Norman North will still get Tyler Tettleton back for his senior season in 2008, but it definitely didn’t help the Timberwolves to lose a Division I-A caliber quarterback. Tettleton tore his ACL in preseason practice, though, so North went into the season knowing the situation. And North has managed pretty well obviously (6-1 overall, 4-0 in District 6A-1). However, North lost another big-time athlete recently when outside linebacker/tight end/punter Michael Ford was dismissed from the team for violating team policy.
Ford, who transferred to North from Norman after last season, wasn’t as valuable to North as running back Beau Blankenship or defensive lineman Nathan Badger. He didn’t have as many tackles as Beau Traber or Jon Johnson. Andre Cheatham and Chika Madu may mean more to the team as well, but it’s hard to say. Regardless, it never helps to lose an athlete as talented as Ford, who starts at three positions.
To give you an idea of what kind of athlete Ford is, he was North’s starting tight end even though the T-Wolves have KJ Williams, who is committed to Texas A&M at that position. And North coach Lance Manning said in two-a-days that Ford may be the best all-around athlete on the team.
Nevertheless, the T-Wolves have cultivated enough talent to overcome the loss of bigtime players. They’re a few plays from being unbeaten overall and are unblemished in district play after Thursday’s 24-21 win over Mustang.
It was just meant to be a joke…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
No seriously, whenever I pick a team to win these top 10 games, I’m not trying to jinx them. So I apologize to Durant, Shawnee and Bixby and hope to break the curse now.
My prints are all over some of these games this week, most notably McAlester at Bixby, Hennessey at Alva and McLoud at Mannford.
But the one game that’s got me thinking is Henryetta at Chandler.
Both the Knights and the Lions faced their first stern district test last week. Henryetta battled Prague and its versatile all-everything quarterback Dakota Harris. The Knights found a way to take away the 0 from Prague record, dropping the Red Devils 19-14.
On the other hand, Chandler failed its test. Allowing too many big plays, the Lions faltered against Morris, 34-14.
Talking with Chandler coach Neal Bacon, you could sense he felt last Friday was an aberration but that he was also concerned.
The Lions gave up four scoring plays of more than 50 yards. So from one angle, you could say Morris never drove on the Chandler defense. But conversely, you could say the Lions are susceptible to the big one.
Bacon said he feels last week was a wake-up call, and his team is better prepared for Friday night.
It was 52 weeks ago when a Chandler victory at Henryetta propelled the Lions to the district crown. Henryetta was undefeated while the Lions had fallen to Kingfisher in non-district action.
Chandler steamrolled the Knights on their home field, forcefully taking back the No. 1 spot in the district.
The Lions will be without one of their featured backs, Marcus Thrash. Boy oh boy, this is a toughie. I’ve ridden with the Lions for a long time, even foolishly picking them to beat Millwood last year. Can’t stop now.
The pick: Chandler 22, Henryetta 19.
Week 7
Tulsa East Central over Coweta
McAlester over Bixby
Purcell over Plainview (game of the week)
Alva over Hennessey
Sequoyah-Claremore over Metro Christian
McGuinness over Anadarko
McLoud over Mannford
Chandler over Henryetta
Luther over Tonkawa
Moore over Putnam North
