All-City Athletic Conference postseaon honors

All-City Athletic Conference 2011 Football Team

Coach of the Year: Tony Henry, Millwood
Coach’s Special Recognition: Mark Ryan, Centennial
Player of the Year: Cayman Bundage, Douglass
Defensive Player of the Year: Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass
Offensive Player of the Year: Dametric Sanders, Millwood
Co-Special Teams Players of the Year: Quincy Rideau, Star Spencer; Juan Campos, Northwest Classen
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Bobby Wilkes, Millwood
Co-Linebackers of the Year: Marc Robinson, Millwood; Gumaro Murphy, Southeast
Defensive Back of the Year: O’Sha Clark, Douglass
Co-Offensive Linemen of the Year: Devin Dobbins, Millwood; Dale Burch, Star Spencer
Offensive Back of the Year: Luis Leyva, Capitol Hill
Receiver of the Year: Kameron Bryant, John Marshall

First Team Defense
Defensive Line: Christian Nicholson, U.S. Grant; Kevin Williams, John Marshall; Codie Nolan, Northwest Classen; Genaro Monter, Southeast; Justin Woody, Northeast
Linebackers: Derrick Ward, Star Spencer; Andrew Bailey, Douglass; Malcolm Scales, Millwood; Francis Taylor, Capitol Hill
Defensive Backs: TyLiq Braziell, Southeast; Brandon Morse, Capitol Hill; Derrick Young, U.S. Grant; Chris Compton, Douglass
Punter: Carlos Morales, U.S. Grant

First Team Offense
Quarterback: Christian Gorham, Northwest Classen; Michael Thomas, Northeast
Running Backs: Cory Hooks, U.S. Grant
Receivers: Trevon Willis, Northeast; Marvin Kerbo, Northwest Classen; Deonte Childs, Douglass
Offensive Line: Diamonte McClellan, Douglass; Charles Hayes, Star Spencer; Jacob Tavarez, U.S. Grant; Harvey Hightower, Millwood; Michael Holder, Southeast; David Johnson, John Marshall
Place Kicker: Antonio Cueto, Southeast

Honorable Mention
Capitol Hill: Maleke Dixon, Jerrad Fomin
Douglass: Davon Barber
Millwood: Marquise Kemp
Northeast: Savon Peevy, Demarkus Long
Northwest Classen: Marcus Ervin
Southeast: Nolan Payne, Michael McAnelly, Dominique Schweitzer, Nicholas Chamberlain
Star Spencer: Quintrae Kendrick
U.S. Grant: Eric Benevue, Javier Tarrazas


5A-2 All-District

District 5A-2 All-District Team
Coach of the Year: Brett Manning, Lawton MacArthur
Co-Player of the Year: Jared Griffin, Duncan
Co-Player of the Year: Braylon Freeman, Lawton MacArthur
Defensive Player of the Year: Bradley Carletti-Silva, Duncan
Offensive Player of the Year: Taylor Chasteen, Lawton MacArthur
Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year: Spencer Robinson, Ardmore
Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year: Cordell Zalenski, Durant
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Treyvan Lawson, Ardmore
Defensive Back of the Year: Michael Thomas, Lawton MacArthur
Offensive Back of the Year: Brandon Carletti-Silva, Duncan
Linebacker of the Year: Tyler Day, Ardmore
Co-Receiver of the Year: Quinton Paras, Lawton MacArthur
Co-Receiver of the Year: T.J. Turner, Lawton MacArthur
Special Teams Player of the Year: Daniel Schwarz, Lawton MacArthur

All-District
Quarterbacks: Travis Galbreath, Ardmore; Keaton Webb, Durant.
Running backs: Jordan Alesky, Duncan; Dom Nortonen, Altus; Ashton Perry, Ardmore.
Wide receivers: Jacobi Davis, Chickasha; Won Davis, Chickasha; Jace Hammock, Durant; Marvin Kirbo, Northwest; Josiah Reed, Ardmore.
Tight end: Christian Kneisel, Altus.
Offensive linemen: Michael Buben, Duncan; James Gibson, Duncan; Austin House, Altus; Christian Joy, Ardmore; Cameron Sralla, Ardmore; Cole Stamps, Lawton MacArthur.
Defensive linemen: Marcus Johnston, Durant; Evan McGee, Ardmore; Codie Noland; Northwest; Kaynon Sadler, Altus; Dwayne Sanford, Lawton MacArthur; Braxdan Turner, Chickasha.
Linebacker: Tyler Dixon, Ardmore; Austin Payne, Lawton MacArthur; Francis Taylor, Capitol Hill; Andrew Weaver, Durant.
Defensive backs: Jywayne Allen, Ardmore; Jeff Ervin, Duncan; Trey Fish, Ardmore; Tyler Henley, Durant; Daniel McCoy, Duncan; Jacob Warner, Lawton MacArthur.
Punter: Luis Leyva, Capitol Hill.
Kicker: Juan Campos, Northwest.


All-City Preview basketball tournaments begin Tuesday

Douglass junior Stephen Clark and the two-time defending Class 4A state champion Trojans will be in action at the All-City Preview tournament, which begins on Tuesday night.

The All-City Preview, the preseason basketball tournament featuring the Oklahoma City Public Schools and Millwood, begins Tuesday evening at Northwest Classen and Capitol Hill. The tournaments will be concluded on Thursday with championship and third-place games, as well as loser’s bracket competition.

Each site will host seven games on Tuesday, between both boys and girls teams. All 11 schools from the All-City Athletic Conference will participate, including a pair defending champions, the Douglass and Centennial boys teams.

Here is the schedule for Tuesday’s games:
Girls
At Capitol Hill
5 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Centennial
6 p.m.: Classen SAS vs. Capitol Hill
7 p.m.: Northeast vs. Star/Centennial winner
8 p.m.: Douglass vs. Classen/Capitol Hill winner
At Northwest Classen
5:30 p.m.: US Grant vs. John Marshall
6:30 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Southeast
7:30 p.m.: Millwood vs. US Grant/John Marshall winner

Boys
At Northwest Classen
5 p.m.: Southeast vs. US Grant
6 p.m.: Millwood vs. John Marshall
7 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Southeast/US Grant winner
8 p.m.: Centennial vs. Millwood/John Marshall winner
At Capitol Hill
5:30 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Classen SAS
6:30 p.m.: Capitol Hill vs. Northeast
7:30 p.m.: Douglass vs. Star/Classen winner

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK


Game preview: Capitol Hill at Centennial

The last time I watched a Centennial High School team compete, it walked away with a gold ball as the Class 3A boys basketball state champions. That night in the Big House seems like a distant memory now, and stakes aren’t as high for the Centennial football team tonight. But this game is still very important to the Bison.

They open the football season against Capitol Hill at Star Spencer (Centennial’s home stadium) tonight at 7, and they do so without their head coach, Mark Ryan. He continues to battle an illness that has kept him away from his team for the last month. The Bison will take the field under acting head coach Michael Baldwin and a group of assistants — mostly volunteers — in hopes of building on the athletic success the young school got to enjoy in basketball season.

What to watch for: Centennial

Some of the Bison’s top returners transferred out, so this team is putting a lot of youngsters into action. But they had a solid showing at the All-City Preview, getting to the consolation final. This is a team that just needs to keep moving forward right now.

There’s no timetable for coach Ryan to return, so Baldwin just has to keep them focused on the present. Judging by what I saw at practice, the Bison have a few guys with good size to play up front, and plenty of speed at the skill spots, which is worth a lot in a game like this.

What to watch for: Capitol Hill

The Redskins are under the guidance of first-year head coach Jason Webster, who was promoted from offensive coordinator. He’s a young guy who has been at a variety of places and has a clear passion for leading young people.

He has a mostly new staff, but they were able to keep a group of athletes committed to getting better over the summer. This game will be important for showing the direction of his new program.

The pick: Capitol Hill 20, Centennial 18. This kicks off six games in 10 days for me, and I don’t plan on seeing any blowouts.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK


Boys basketball All-City Athletic Conference awards

All-City Athletic Conference Selections
Co-Coaches of the Year: Terry Long(Douglass)and Scott Raper(Centennial)
Co-Players of the Year: Devonte Smith(Douglass) and Tyrone Jones(Centennial)
Newcomer of the Year: Caleb Cryton( Northeast)

First Team:
Dorrian Williams – Douglass, Stephen Clark- Douglass, Ramond Jenkins- Douglass, Romond Jenkins- Douglass, Tre Jordan- Southeast

Second Team:
Jamil Donovan- Northwest Classen, Marcus Johnson- Centennial, Marquis Buxton-Hill- Douglass, Nico Meadows- Capitol Hill, Dre’ Triplett- Millwood,

Third Team:
Korihon Jackson- Northeast, Dominique Manuel- Douglass, Craig Hackney- Centennial, DeSean Carolina- Centennial, DeMontrey Mitchell- John Marshall

Honorable Mention:
Capitol Hill-  Josh Thompson, Aaron Brown, Darrin Tucker
Classen- Cameron McClure, Anthony Bolar
Douglass- Darris Mitchell, DeAngelo Clark
U.S. Grant- Anthony Hartfield, G’vonte Bonds
John Marshall- Talmadge Lawrence, Tyler Harrison
Centennial- Darius Lacey, Austin Garner
Northeast- Eric Peabody, Gabe Houston,
NW Classen- Paco Jones, Anthony Hardrick
Southeast- William Brewer, Travis Morris, Jay Gogue
Star Spencer- Gary Ford, Symon Smith


OKC Player of the Week: T’aries Taylor, Northwest Classen

Hard to imagine, but I think the All-City Athletic Conference might be better this year than it was last year. Northwest Classen is a big part of the surge.

The Knights took third place in a loaded field at the Edmond Open over the weekend, with T’aries Taylor leading the team in scoring in two of the three games.

Taylor scored 26 in the opener against Tulsa Central and followed it up with 19 in the third place game against Lawton Mac to earn all-tournament honors at the Edmond Open.

With Taylor providing a reliable scoring option alongside point guard Jamil Donovan, the Knights will be a team to watch in Class 5A this season. At 5-1 on the season, NWC is up to No. 4 in this week’s rankings.

Other contenders

Talmadge Lawrence, John Marshall: Lawrence averaged 18.5 points in a pair of wins over Star Spencer and Bethany last week. DeMontrey Mitchell also scored 19 against Bethany.

Caleb Crayton, Northeast: Scored 20 in a close win over Centennial, then he and Gabe Houston each had 18 in a win over Chickasha at the Harrah tournament. Crayton had 17, behind 24 from Eric Peabody, on Saturday in a close loss to Choctaw.

Delford Robinson and Michael Ervin, Millwood: Robinson led the Falcons in scoring twice at the Millwood tournament, including 14 in the opener. Ervin had a team-high 12 in the third-place game, an 18-point win over Capitol Hill.

Nico Meadows, Capitol Hill: Meadows had 24 points against US Grant as the sophomore continues to make an early impact for the Redskins.

Tona Edwards and Brianna Pendleton, Northeast: Edwards had 25 against Centennial and Pendleton had 19 in a win over Putnam City. Edwards had 15 against PC and scored 22 of the team’s 35 against Carl Albert. Pendleton led the team with 17 in the championship loss to Del City.

Sharane Campbell and LaKeitha Watson, Star Spencer: Campbell, an OU signee, had 25 in a win over John Marshall and 17 to help Star take third at the Millwood Invitational. Watson had a team-high 20 in the third-place game.

Meshelle Parker, Northwest Classen: Scored 19 points in a win over Classen last Tuesday.

Dayla Threat, Millwood:  Averaged 17.5 points over four games last week, helping the Falcons to a runner-up finish at their own tournament.

Te’era Williams, Douglass: Had a team-high 21 against Chickasha on Friday.


All-City Athletic Conference football honors

Here are the All-City Athletic Conference postseason honors for football, as chosen by the coaches:

All-City Athletic Conference Football Team
Coach of the Year –
Michael Branch, Southeast
Player of the Year – Marcus Caddell, Douglass; Brandon Swindall, Millwood
Defensive Player of the Year – Devante McKinney, Douglass; Davion Pierson, Millwood
Offensive Player of the Year – Aliston Cobb, Douglass; Kevonte Richardson, Millwood
Special Teams Player of the Year – Josh Turner, Millwood; Carlos Hudson, Star Spencer
Defensive Lineman of the Year – Clifford Lawrence, Millwood
Tri-Linebacker of the Year – Erik King, Douglass; Larry Seals, Millwood; Denzelle Johnson, John Marshall
Defensive Back of the Year – Jay Gogue, Southeast; Brison Currin, Centennial
Offensive Lineman of the Year – Ravi Riley, Douglass
Offensive Back of the Year – Kody Shields, John Marshall
Receiver of the Year – Tyrone Jones, Centennial; Michael Cole, Millwood

All-City Athletic Conference 1st Team Defense
Defensive Line –
Dejon Brison, John Marshall; Shawn Hudson, Southeast; Tyrele Pendleton, Centennial; Markus Jackson, Southeast
Linebackers – Ian Robinson, Douglass; Tre Jones, Northwest; Allen Starks, Millwood; Tavin Deloney, Southeast
Defensive Backs – Donnell Ward, Douglass; Stevo Henderson, Star Spencer; Robert Bui, Northeast
Punter – Irving Roa, John Marshall

All-City Athletic Conference 1st Team Offense
Quarterback –
Shon Bridges, Douglass
Running Backs – Ontinneil Zavala, Capitol Hill; Anthony Frazier, Southeast
Receivers – Johnny Do, Capitol Hill, Aljone Stringer, Centennial
Offensive Line – Michael Blackmon, Douglass; Kody Stamm, John Marshall; Spencer Davis, Centennial; Ramon Miller, Star Spencer; Kyvonta Smith, Douglass
Place Kicker – Tony Zamarripa, Northwest Classen

Honorable Mention
Capitol Hill –
Deantre Williams, Brandon Johnson, Zack Dixon
Centennial – Charles Sebree, Chad Hester
Douglass – Jason Holloway
Millwood – Michael Ervin, Shevin Patton,
Northeast – Alvin Scott, Josh Ray, Justin Moore
Northwest Classen – Larry Mathis, Berkeley Lopez, Tarig Ismil
Southeast – Jovan Ramos, Nelson Williams, Jose Cardoza
Star Spencer – Marcus Singleton, Lashan Penny


OKC: Previewing district play

Sometimes I just abandon all creative instincts and copy what Boneman does. This is one of those times.

So let’s take a look at what some of the OKC schools face as we get ready for the start of district play:

Millwood (3-0)

It’s going to be a while before the Falcons face a team as good as what they’ve seen the last two weeks in Douglass and McGuinness. Those are two of the best teams in 4A, and none of the competition in 2A-2 is going to exceed that.

Jones (Week 6) and Lexington (Week 10) are a couple of big games to look ahead to, but with easiejr competition, the key for the Falcons will be making sure not to let their guard down. They’ve got the talent to win every game they play. It’s just a matter of staying focused.

Week 4: The new seven-team districts in most of A-3A have led to some scheduling craziness. Millwood closes out the preseason portion of its schedule at Alva Friday night, then opens 2A-2 play at home against Luther the following week.

Douglass (1-2)

After finally getting into the win column, the Trojans are heading into district play on a high note. And in terms of west-side districts, 4A-2 is much more favorable than 4A-1, which has teams like McGuinness, Elgin, Elk City, Cache and Woodward. The Week 9 meeting with Glenpool (the two teams are 4 and 5 in the rankings this week) could be for the district title.

Though Douglass won last week, there was some difficulty, with coach Willis Alexander sending his starting QB, Shon Bridges, and RB, Aliston Cobb, to the bench at one point. But I’d expect Alexander to get everything sorted out.

Week 4: The Trojans open district play with a visit from Tecumseh, which lost 35-13 to Deer Creek last week. The Antlers hit some big plays with the run, so look for Douglass to try the same thing.

Star Spencer (0-3)

I paid a visit to Star Spencer practice on Monday, and there’s some sense of relief in the arrival of district play. After battling through a difficult preseason, the Bobcats are ready for a fresh start.

And district action gets off to a fast start, too. Friday’s game at home against Chandler pits the two teams who were viewed as the preseason favorites in 3A-4. Perkins is a team that has looked good in the first three weeks, and the Bobcats go there in Week 6.

Star gets its break from district action in Week 9 with a game against Victory Christian.

Week 4: As I said, it starts with Chandler this week. No one in the district is currently ranked in the 3A top 10, and these two teams would like to change that.

Southeast (3-0)

Michael Branch has his team off to a great start, but as we’ve discussed before, the Spartans are in possibly the toughest district around. Two top-three teams await in Guthrie and Carl Albert, as well as No. 7 Deer Creek. The move of Jay Gogue to running back seems to have inspired the running game, and the defense has been solid all year.

I won’t be surprised to see this team step up and upset someone at some point during the season.

Week 4: The district action begins with Ada coming to Southeast this Friday. This could be a more important game than it seems right now. These two teams could be battling for the final playoff spot in this district if things go well for Southeast.

John Marshall (2-1)

As expected, the Bears have been strong on defense so far this year. Even in their loss to Cache, they still only gave up 15 points. They’re stuck in a challenging district, with Heritage Hall, Kingfisher, Bethany, Newcastle and Centennial. So with opponents like that, a good defense will come in handy.

The question will be whether the young offense can come along and put up enough points to win some big games.

Week 4: The Bears open with Bethany Thursday night at Taft Stadium. It should be a good test for the JM defense. Bethany brings a balanced offensive attack with QB Ryley Claborn and RB Devin Campbell.

Centennial (2-1)

No sense in waiting around, and that’s the case for Centennial, which opens district play with one of the hottest teams in the state, No. 3 Heritage Hall.

It’s a tough district, and there are a couple of key games waiting in next few weeks, with games against Newcastle and John Marshall. Both of those games will go a long way toward separating the middle of the district. The Bison are one of the teams who got stuck with Week 10 as its district off week. They’ll close out the season against 2A Hennessey.

Week 4: The opener against Heritage Hall on Friday night will be a big test for the Bison defense, which struggled to slow down Anadarko — certainly no shame in losing to a team like the Warriors, but like Anadarko, Heritage Hall has a strong running game that few have been able to slow down.

Other OKC teams

US Grant opens district play Thursday night with the suddenly scary Putnam City Pirates, who are 3-0 and routed Choctaw last week… Capitol Hill begins district action against one of 5A’s best teams, Duncan, on Thursday… Northeast, also in 2A-2 with Millwood, will try to build on last week’s success in its district opener against a Lexington team that has earned its spot in the top 10… Altus visits Northwest Classen on Friday night for the 5A-2 opener.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com


Game preview: Southeast at Capitol Hill

Southeast (2-0) at Capitol Hill (1-1)
When:
7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: CB Speegle Stadium

Last week: Southeast knocked off Star Spencer 27-14. Capitol Hill edged rival US Grant 13-12.

Why Southeast could win: The Spartans are riding a wave of motivation after the 2-0 start, and Jay Gogue is a big reason why. The QB/RB/DB has been making plays all over the field, no matter what position he plays. He had a 59-yard TD run that sparked last week’s victory, and the defense was even better, allowing only 48 total yards.

Why Capitol Hill could win: QB Derrick Jefferson is the key to a solid backfield with pass-run capabilities. He has some weapons at receiver as well. The Southeast offense seems to be in a good flow, so it will probably take more than 13 points to win this week. Still, the Redskins have the talent to move the ball and score some points.

Quote: “Our defensive line played well last week and that gave our linebackers opportunities to make plays. We’ll need to do that again this week, because Capitol Hill has some good athletes and the quarterback throws the ball well.” – Southeast coach Michael Branch

Key matchup: Southeast run game vs. Capitol Hill run-stoppers. The Redskin defense had trouble slowing down US Grant’s run game last week and will need to step up in that area to take down another southside rival. Gogue’s position swapping in the backfield is an effort to get more out of the run game, and Gogue is the team’s best option there. Whichever spot he’s playing, he’s dangerous with his feet and the ‘Skins will have to keep tabs on him.

The pick: Southeast 30, Capitol Hill 20. The district schedule is going to be extremely tough for Southeast, but this is a team that has shown it is ready for the challenge. Making the playoffs will be a chore, but the Spartans are definitely moving in the right direction this year.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com


OKC Player of the Week: Millwood trio of Richardson, Swindall and Turner

Trying to say one player was the key to Saturday’s Soul Bowl, that one player defined that game, would be like asking Bill Gates which dollar he earned was worth the most.

It was hard enough narrowing the field down to three guys, and that’s why Millwood quarterback Kevonte Richardson and receivers/defensive backs Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner must share the honor of Oklahoma City Player of the week.

Richardson threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 40 more yards and a score. Turner had five catches for 117 yards, including grabs of 32 and 27 yards on the final drive, the latter accounting for the game-winning touchdown. And Swindall had five receptions for 161 yards and three scores, with his shortest catch of the day going for 19 yards. Oh, and he had the game-saving tackle at the 1-yard line on the final play of the 36-31 victory.

So, yeah, they were kind of a big deal on Saturday.

A few other Millwood players who earned recognition Saturday: Nose guard Stanford Rice, linebacker Larry Seals and receiver Dametric Sanders, who had a 79-yard TD catch.

And Douglass had their share of playmakers, too. RB Aliston Cobb had 202 rushing yards and three TDs, and Diontay Washington running behind a powerful offensive line all day. DeVante McKinney was stirring up trouble at defensive end. Erik King and the linebackers were running to the ball well. QB Shon Bridges made his share of plays, though he wishes he could’ve picked up one more yard on that last play. And Marcus Caddell who made several plays, including a 90-yard kickoff return TD that kept the Trojans in the game in the third quarter.

Other POW contenders

Jay Gogue, QB/RB, and Micah Hunter, QB, Southeast football: The Spartans are 2-0 with Gogue leading the way. He has played quarterback and running back this season as coach Michael Branch looks for the best way to utilize his dangerous runner.  Hunter threw a TD pass in Thursday’sd 27-14 win over Star Spencer, helping keep the Spartans from becoming one-dimensional.

Christian Gorham and Terry Arnold, Northwest Classen football: Gorham threw five touchdown passes, hitting Arnold for three of them, on his way to a 279-yard performance on just 12-of-19 passing. Arnold pulled in scoring catches of 15, 23 and 21 yards, and also returned a kickoff 86 yards for a score as Northwest edged Northeast 40-34.

Trevyone Willis and Michael Thomas, Northeast football: Thomas threw a touchdown pass to Willis and caught another himself in the tough loss to NW Classen. Willis had the 22-yard TD catch and rushed for TDs of 20 and 37 yards.

Nico Durham and Tyrone Jones, Centennial football: Durham and Jones combined for all three Bison touchdowns in Friday’s loss to Anadarko.

GaVonte Bonds, US Grant football: Bonds rushed for 116 yards on 14 carries against Capitol Hill.

Irving Roa, John Marshall cross country: Roa won the John Marshall meet at Lake Hefner last Thursday, finishing the 4,800-meter course in 16:55.

– To nominate an OKC athlete for Player of the Week, e-mail Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com