Semifinal sites set
Here’s the semifinal times/dates:
Class 6A
Jenks vs. Southmoore, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Putnam City Stadium
Tulsa Union vs. Broken Arrow, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, University of Tulsa
Class 5A
El Reno vs. Carl Albert, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Putnam City Stadium
Bixby vs. Guthrie, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Stillwater High School
Class 4A
Weatherford vs. Douglass, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Yukon
Star Spencer vs. Sallisaw, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sapulpa
Class 3A
Seq. Claremore vs. Cascia Hall, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Collinsville
Berryhill vs. Dewey, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Skiatook
Class B
Garber vs. Laverne, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Woodward
Ryan vs. Canton, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Norman
Class C
DC-Lamont vs. Timberlake, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Enid
Seiling vs. Forgan, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Woodward
Know of a player signing?
With signing day coming up Wednesday, The Oklahoman is once again compiling a list of players across the state who have signed to play college athletics at any level.
If you have a signing to report, e-mail it to Ryan Aber at raber@opubco.com ro post it on the comments section here (on the main high school blog at http://blog.newsok.com/highschoolsports )
SMQ: Anadarko vs. Tuttle
So even without Ethan Biddy, one of their best offensive linemen and several other starters missing from the lineup Tuttle still had no problems winning their district in convincing fashion with a 31-0 rout of Anadarko.
Tuttle
What went right: Just about everything. The most amazing thing to come out of this game for me was Bobby Stonebreaker’s 52-yard field goal. That’s such a rarity in high school football where kicking games range from bad to downright awful, generally speaking. Stonebreaker is an elite talent at the position and it’s a complete joke he hasn’t been snagged by a Division I school yet. He already has more range than current OU kicker Jimmy Stevens has on his best day…with hurricane force winds at his back. Moving on, Tanner Koons and Dylan Coppenbarger helped Tuttle rush for nearly 300 yards. The defense pitched a shut out, even without Biddy, as guys like Cole Gracey harassed Anadarko’s ball carriers all night long.
What went wrong: There were a couple of fumbles and Koons threw an interception. Outside of that, a near flawless performance.
Anadarko
What went right: Not much. The good news for Anadarko is they’re getting a little healthier and did a great job on Tuttle defensively in the second half. Also, this is a young Anadarko team that returns loads of starters next year. You can see the potential of this group that should be fully realized in 2010. Hopefully they’ll get a taste of the playoffs this year.
What went wrong: Plenty. Anadarko had a fumble but really never came close to getting anything going on offense as Tuttle limited them to under 150 total yards. Defensively, Anadarko couldn’t stop the rush but did a decent job otherwise, particularly in the second half.
Capsule: Anadarko at Tuttle
Anadarko (6-2, 3-2) at Tuttle (8-0, 5-0)
When : 7:3o p.m. Friday
Where: Tuttle Stadium
Tuttle
The Tigers are battling some injuries at several spots but should be okay in this one depth wise. Look for the Tigers to fine tune their offense and defense in preparation for the playoffs and stay healthy. Losing a front line starter or two would be a troubling development for a team that has a lot to lose (and gain) in the coming weeks as the Class 3A playoff battle begins.
Anadarko
Andarko has also had to battle some injuries with several starters out over the last month. Still, the Warriors managed to stop their two-game losing streak with a rout of Santa Fe South last week. If they can stay in this game early and keep it close anything can happen but it’s still Tuttle’s to lose.
The pick: Tuttle 31, Andarko 14
Three questions: Anadarko vs. Tuttle
Tuttle hosts Anadarko in a game that will go a long way in clearing up the district 3A-1 playoff picture. Here’s a few angles for this game and beyond.
Can Andarko rebound after losing two out of its last three games?
Sure they can, only trouble is, Tuttle is the wrong team to attempt that against, especially when the Tigers are at home. Anadarko trounced Santa Fe South but lost back-to-back games to Elgin and Blanchard which is there is no shame in. Both are good teams. But Anadarko has also had to deal with injuries so it will be interesting to see how competitive they are playing with a full deck.
What’s in it for Tuttle?
Phil Koons would say plenty. The Class 3A playoffs loom large and these next two games will be helpful in getting ready for when losing games means your season is over. Tuttle has been penalized too much this season, one of its few weaknesses. Crisper execution on both sides of the ball wouldn’t hurt either, but those elements have generally been good to great all year.
What’s in it for Anadarko?
Plenty. This might seem like a game that Tuttle should win easily, and it probably should. But never underestimate a team with something to play for. After a hot start Anadarko has cooled off considerably leaving them at 3-2 in district play fighting for a spot along with Blanchard (3-2), Clinton (3-2) and even Newcastle (2-3). Tuttle and Elgin have the top two spots locked up. The other two remain very much up for grabs.
