Bridge Creek, Heritage Hall two years later…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Bridge Creek (8-2) at Heritage Hall (11-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Pop Murray Memorial Field (I’ll be there)
We’ve come full circle, no? These same two teams met at Heritage Hall two years ago. The Chargers blew out the Bobcats en route to the 2A championship.
But what’s incredibly odd is the leaders of that Bridge Creek team are STILL the stars of this year’s club. And they’re hungry and confident.
“They do a great job of hitting you early and getting you out of your game plan,” Heritage Hall coach Andy Bogert said. “You blink, and you’re down 21-0.”
Health is the biggest question for the Chargers. Sterling Shepard is battling a hip-flexor. Barry J. Sanders has the foot problem and is one of six players battling the flu for Heritage.
It all adds up to thinking Heritage is ripe for an upset. Bridge Creek has an offense that you can’t really defend for.
Who has a 6-8 quarterback that can move like Ryan Spangler on their roster? Who has receivers like Caden Locke and Josh Pershica?
The Charger injuries actually hurt more on defense than anything else because it’s led to some young kids having to step up in the secondary.
This should be a fun one, and I’m not just saying that because I will be there. If Bridge Creek can match the speed of the Chargers, Friday night gets that much more interesting.
Best of the Rest honor: Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It was just THAT week for Bridge Creek quarterback Ryan Spangler. Two days after signing with Gonzaga to play basketball, he threw for four touchdowns in a rout of Purcell in the first round. You couldn’t stop him on this week.
Spangler has thrown more than four touchdowns in a game, but in the crazy conditions Friday, no performance may have been more impressive for him.
He only finished with 139 yards, but he got ‘em when they mattered. It was the quick start that doomed Purcell.
Spangler had a little help from running back Blake Henderson. The senior rushed for three touchdowns as well to set the stage for Bridge Creek at Heritage Hall on Friday (I will be there).
Other contenders
The Miller boys, Davenport: Mike and Matt combined for all five touchdowns as Bulldogs won a thriller, 32-28 vs. Seiling.
T.J. Martin, Cashion: That’s how you make sure you are not victim of an upset. Martin returned two kicks for touchdowns in the 55-31 win against Turpin.
Guthrie defense: Just another brilliant outing, this time against Durant. Lions had -37 rushing yards. Bluejays forced four turnovers to cruise to the 35-6 win.
Steven Howard, Washington: Warriors are rolling right now. Howard was sensational scoring five touchdowns in victory against Tishomingo.
Deaquan Wojciechowski, Lawton: I was there to witness his brilliance. Two rushing touchdowns, a punt return for a score in a fun, well-played 28-13 win vs. Edmond Memorial.
LOCK: Bridge Creek wins Blanchard city title…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Uh oh, I’m reeling. After a 6-0 start, I’m 1-2 in the last three weeks of making LOCK picks. I’m like a boxer on the ropes. I was all set to make Bethany over Newcastle my selection, but Scott Wright beat me to it.
But I’m staying in 3A and going with Bridge Creek over Blanchard and earning second place in 3A-1 and a home playoff game.
After Elgin whipped Bridge Creek in Week 1, wondered if maybe I had overrated Jerry Wallis’ club. No, still don’t think so.
The Bobcats earned one of their biggest wins in team history against Tuttle in Week 4 and were in a good battle with Anadarko before falling.
Now this is a chance to show Bridge Creek belongs in the top echelon of the class. This is the type of game where the Bobcats can make a statement. A win in a tough road environment is the exact type of momentum you want heading into the postseason.
Blanchard, meanwhile, has weathered the storm as RB John McCracken continues to try to battle back. He’s not 100 percent, but his 80 percent is better than most runners’ top. He notched three more touchdowns in the huge road win at Marlow to punch the ticket to the playoffs.
Bridge Creek has had a couple of weeks to get ready and healthy. The Week 8 game vs. Kingfisher turned into a JV game. Week 9 against Riverside was against an undermanned club. Ryan Spangler, Blake Henderson, Caden Locke and Josh Pershica will be ready.
The pick: Bridge Creek 31, Blanchard 20.
Boneman’s LOCK record: 7-2 (Guthrie over Duncan, Heritage Hall over Clinton, Purcell over Lexington, Midwest City over Yukon, Jones over Morris, Norman over Southmoore, Carl Albert over Guthrie, Clinton over Elgin, Tuttle over Anadarko).
Best of the Rest honor: Bryan Dutton and Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie….
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Like there could have been another winner? Honestly, on the biggest stage of the season thus far, these two (Bryan Dutton, Kentrell Brothers) played the game of their lives in the 32-14 win at Carl Albert.
Dutton, a sophomore, was 17-of-20 for 233 yards and five touchdowns. His main target? Brothers – 8 catches, 156 yards and four touchdowns. Not to mention all he did on defense.
The Bluejays went through the ringer of Deer Creek (41-7), Ada (13-7) and Carl Albert (32-14) and are in firm control for a district championship.
It was sweet redemption for Dutton, Brothers and the rest of Rafe Watkins’ boys. The key, of course, is to not dwell on this one and forget about the rest of the year. Have no fears that Guthrie will be ready for El Reno on Friday night.
Other contenders
Blake Henderson, Bridge Creek: “Best game he’s played this year,” said coach Jerry Wallis. Guess so. He rushed for 240 yards and six touchdown in a rout of Marlow.
Louis Durant, Lawton Eisenhower: Break up the Eagles! Lawton Ike has quietly gone 5-2 and Durant had three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a 35-0 blowout of Edmond Memorial.
Robert Rhynes, Washington: Pressure? What pressure? Rhynes nailed a game-winning 37-yard field goal to complete the comeback in a 24-21 win against Frederick.
Harrah offensive line: Panthers rushed for more than 400 yards in a 48-7 win against Santa Fe South. Now for a showdown with Douglass.
Best of the Rest honor: John McCracken, Blanchard…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Gonna keep this one brief because you can read much more about Blanchard’s John McCracken in Tuesday’s paper as the Player of the Week.
We always have a media day for all the local teams to come in for photos and conversations and things like that. Blanchard’s Jeff Craig is one of the most consistent coaches to bring his kids.
The Lions showed up this year but not McCracken. Where did he come from? This junior has exploded through five games. He has 15 rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores.
His success is leading to a lot of team success and Blanchard is 4-1 and right on the cusp of being ranked in the crazy-deep Class 3A.
Let’s just say the key for McCracken has been mental maturity as much as anything else. Read more Tuesday.
Other contenders
Blake Henderson, Bridge Creek: The Bobcats didn’t have great success on the ground in the win against Weatherford, but Henderson did score four touchdowns.
Chase Rodgers, Chickasha: In one of the most emotional scenes of the season, Rodgers threw for five touchdowns in the Chicks’ first home game since the death of Kody Turner.
Louis Durant, Lawton Eisenhower: The Eagles haven’t lost since a Week 1 defeat to Lawton and Durant is a heckuva running back. Durant had three more touchdowns in a rout of Choctaw.
Jeremy Seaton, Cashion: The Wildcats remain the No. 1 team in Class A and Seaton notched another four touchdowns in Cashion’s win against Crescent.
Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler commits to Gonzaga
Bridge Creek standout Ryan Spangler, fresh off a huge football victory over Tuttle, has committed to play basketball at Gonzaga.
The Slipper Still Fits, a Zags basketball blog, reported Spangler’s commitment during his trip to Spokane Sunday and The Oklahoman confirmed it through Spangler’s coaches on Monday.
Gonzaga was the third of four scheduled official visits for Spangler, having already been to Tulsa and Colorado, with a trip to TCU set for this weekend. He was up to 22 official scholarship offers, though none from Oklahoma or Oklahoma State. But he said he wasn’t bothered by their lack of interest.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” Spangler said last week. “Wherever I go, I’ll probably get a chance to play against them.”
Spangler quarterbacked the Bobcats to a 12-6 win over Tuttle on Friday night. Last season, Spangler averaged 26.4 points and 18.2 rebounds for Bridge Creek.
Obviously, he’s in school right now, so I’ll try to get in touch with him either before or after football practice to discuss his decision.
Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler narrowing his choices
A strong summer performance on the AAU basketball circuit helped Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler increase his college options from four to 22 scholarship offers, and now the 6-foot-7 senior is trying to narrow the field back down.
Spangler, who averaged 26.4 points and 18.2 rebounds for the Bobcats last winter, has made official visits to Tulsa and Colorado the last two weekends, with trips scheduled for Gonzaga this weekend and TCU on Oct. 2. He currently expects to choose between those four schools.
“Colorado was a good trip. It’s really pretty up there. I’m looking forward to seeing Gonzaga, too,” Spangler said, adding that his basis for picking a school will remain simplified.
“I just want to see if I feel right with the team and if I like the coaches.”
While his offers range from the Washington-based Zags to Penn State and a variety in between, Spangler has not received offers from Oklahoma or Oklahoma State. But he says he isn’t bothered by that fact.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “Wherever I go, I’ll probably get a chance to play against them.”
Of course, this week Spangler is more concerned with the Bridge Creek football team’s game against nearby Tuttle, and his play at quarterback.
“We need to play better,” he said. “This will be a fun game, though.”
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Scott’s Lock: Tiger Time
I know Tuttle fans aren’t going to care for this. After last week, you guys were practically begging me to lock Bridge Creek this Friday.
So please accept my apologies as I tell you I’m locking the Tuttle Tigers this week. Sorry.
After the Week 1 loss, I wondered whether the Tigers were going to need some time to fill the gaps from departed players like Ethan Biddy from last year’s team. Beating Elgin was an impressive victory.
And after briefly visiting with Bridge Creek QB Ryan Spangler earlier this week — primarily to talk basketball with the 6-foot-8 senior — I came away thinking Tuttle was going to be too much. Spangler just didn’t seem to be real confident in the way the Bobcat offense is playing right now. It’s not that he didn’t think Bridge Creek could or would win, but he knows Bridge Creek will have to play better than it has so far this season to win – which is why I’m picking their neighbors nine miles to the north in this one.
On that topic, it really surprises me that these two teams have never played each other before, being just right down the road from each other.
I think the Bridge Creek offense is getting things together again, but that Tuttle D will cause enough problems to put the Tiger offense in good situations and win the game.
Of course, I’m 1-2 for the season on my locks, riding the wave of a two-game losing streak. So take it for what it’s worth.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Best of the Rest honor: Blake Riojas, Newcastle…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Again, will keep this short because you can read much more in Tuesday’s paper. But the Best of the Rest Player of the Week for last week is Newcastle’s Blake Riojas.
I could give it to the entire Racers team for making me look like an idiot because they did in the 35-7 victory against a good Blanchard team.
Newcastle was pumped to play at home, and it sure showed. Riojas scored four times and is averaging more than 220 rushing yards per game in the first three contests this season.
Other contenders
Michael Lowe, Jones: Came up huge in the 44-0 win against Mt. St. Mary’s. He was 16-of-22 for 311 yards and three touchdowns. And in a huge oversight, the Longhorns were left out of the 2A rankings. I apologize, Jones should be No. 9.
Jonathan Burton, Enid: In what was probably the best game of the week, Burton had four touchdowns (three receiving, one rushing) in the 37-36 victory against Guthrie. He scored the game-winner from Alex Patterson with 31 seconds left.
Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek: After a disappointing Week 1, Bobcats are back to what they do best. Spangler threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 32-19 win against Little Axe.
Jeremy Smith, Kingfisher: In the big rivalry showdown with Hennessey, Smith scored four times in a fun, close 35-32 victory.
Best of the Rest honor: Deaquan Wojciechowski, Lawton…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
There were other numbers that were more impressive. Running backs that ran for more yards. Quarterbacks that put up gaudy numbers.
But what Lawton’s Deaquan Wojciechowski did against a rival in a big-game atmosphere, well, that’s gotta mean something. Wojciechowski rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown and set the tone in a 41-9 thrashing of a good Lawton MacArthur team.
We’ll keep this short because I’ve written about Wojo for Tuesday’s paper, but he has taken this move from WR to RB and made it a seamless transition.
Other contenders
Brayle Brown, Shawnee: Brown threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for two more in a 33-26 victory against Deer Creek.
John McCracken, Blanchard: What a start to the season for the Lions. McCracken added another four touchdowns in a win against Lindsay.
Caden Locke, Bridge Creek: You want an all-around game? Three receiving touchdowns, a rushing score and recovering a blocked punt for his fifth touchdown. Not bad.
Jeremy Seaton, Cashion: When the Wildcats needed it the most, Seaton powered his way for one big play after another in a win against Morrison.
