Game preview: Centennial at Capitol Hill
Centennial vs. Capitol Hill
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: CB Speegle Stadium
Why Centennial can win: The backfield looks to be a strength for the Bison. Coach Mark Ryan has some options back there, starting with Nico Durham. Coming off a playoff appearance last season and moving up to Class 3A this season, it’s an interesting season for the Bison.
Why Capitol Hill can win: The Redskins are much farther along in their understanding of Montana Lyons’ plans and expectations in the coach’s second season, and a strong group of seniors led by quarterback Derrick Jefferson. They’re building depth, and that could be a difference maker.
Key matchup: Centennial RBs vs. Capitol Hill LBs. Linebacker is one of the strengths for the ‘Skins, with Junior Zavala and Fred Taylor leading the charge in a unit with a good combination of size and speed. If those guys play well and contain the Bison backs, it should be good news for Capitol Hill. If Centennial can establish the run, it will go a long way toward knocking off its Class 5A opponent.
The pick: Capitol Hill 21, Centennial 20. This shouldn’t suggest that Centennial won’t be a good team. I just think Lyons is making some significant progress at Capitol Hill. The senior class seems to have a strong motivation to avoid another 0-10 season.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
All-City Preview schedule
If you’re looking for some good football scrimmage action, you can’t go wrong at the All-City Preview, which will be held Thursday and Friday at Douglass’ Moses F. Miller Stadium and Taft Stadium.
There’s a lot of talent in the ACAC, and some good potential matchups all the way through. Here’s the schedule:
Thursday’s games
At Douglass
Game 1, 6 p.m.: US Grant vs. Northeast
Game 2, 6:45 p.m.: Millwood vs. Centennial
Game 3, 7:30 p.m.: Douglass vs. Grant/Northeast winner
At Taft
Game 4, 6 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Capitol Hill
Game 5, 6:45 p.m.: John Marshall vs. Southeast
Game 6, 7:30 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Northwest/Capitol Hill winner
Friday’s games
Championship bracket at Douglass
Game 7, 6 p.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 8, 6:45 p.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Game 9, 7:30 p.m.: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 (Third-place game)
Game 10, 8:15 p.m.: Championship game, Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Consolation bracket at Taft
Game 11, 5 p.m.: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 12, 5:45 p.m.: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5
Game 13, 6:30 p.m.: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 11
Game 14, 7:15 p.m.: Loser Game 6 vs. Winner Game 12
Game 15, 8 p.m.: Consolation championship, Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Class 5A Baseball Regional: Deer Creek…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Here ya go:
Class 5A Baseball
At Deer Creek
Wednesday
Game 1: Deer Creek vs. Capitol Hill, 1:30
Game 2: Noble vs. Ada, 4 p.m.
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 6:30
Thursday
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 6:30
Friday
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 6:30 (if necessary)
Cross country standout pacing Santa Fe South soccer
Santa Fe South’s Ramiro Becerra is doing everything a midfielder is supposed to and more as the Saints shoot for a second straight Class 4A boys soccer title.
As expected, the midfielder leads the team in assists. But he has done more than set up the forwards, he also leads the team in scoring with 18 goals. The senior’s goal tally is 13 more than the second-leading scorers, David Medrano and Luis Preciado.
Becerra, who was The Oklahoman’s All-City runner of the year as a sophmore, has helped Santa Fe South to a runner-up finish in cross country as well as the title in soccer.
Santa Fe South is ranked No. 1 in 4A and has a 9-2 mark. The Saints’ regular-season finale is April 27 at home at 8 p.m. against Classen SAS.
OKC Players of the Week: John Marshall boys track
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
The Oklahoma City Player of the Week is shared by John Marshall’s Steven Bay, Keyair Bolden, Emmanuel Denson, Elijah Gill, James Green, Keene James and the other members of John Marshall’s boys relay teams.
Those athletes all won events at Saturday’s Rock Creek Invitational in Sulphur, helping the Bears dominate the event in beating second-place Tecumseh 217-82 in the overall standings.
Bay and Denson won multiple events. Bay won both the 3,200 and 1,600 meter runs, while Denson won both the 300 and 110 hurdles.
James won the 100-meter dash as the Bears swept the top three spots in the premier event, with Bolden coming in 0.05 seconds behind and John Marshall’s Delante Scroggins finishing third.
Bolden on the 200, Gill won the 400, Green won the 800 and the Bears won the 400, 1,600 and 3,200-meter relays.
Others:
Zekeria Chism, Temisha Shoals and Jordan Smith, John Marshall: The trio each won events in helping the Bears complete the sweep at Sulphur. Shoals win the 200, Chism the 400 and Smith the long jump.
Deandre Vick, Douglass: Vick won both the 110 (15.39) and 300 (41.30) hurdle events at last Tuesday’s meet at Shawnee’s Oklahoma Baptist. His wins played a big part in the Trojans winning the meet, beating out Millwood 117-107.
Wisby, Douglass: Wisby won both the 200 (25.16) and 400 (59.04) at last Tuesday’s meet at Shawnee’s Oklahoma Baptist.
Have a player of the week nomination for an Oklahoma City athlete? E-mail raber@opubco.com
OKC schedule: March 22-27
Today
Baseball: Northeast/Classen at Douglass
Baseball: John Marshall at Centennial
Baseball: U.S. Grant at Southeast
Baseball: Capitol Hill at Northwest
Baseball: Millwood at Star Spencer
Tuesday
Baseball: Santa Fe South at John Marshall
Soccer: Capitol Hill at McGuinness
Soccer: Southeast vs. U.S. Grant at Speegle
Tennis: Capitol Hill at Millwood
Tennis: Centennial at Northwest
Tennis: Classen at Northeast
Tennis: John Marshall at Douglass
Tennis: Star Spencer at Southeast
Wednesday
Baseball: All-City Tournament at Dolese
Soccer: Classen vs. Harding at Taft Stadium
Thursday
Baseball: All-City Tournament at Dolese
Soccer: Capitol Hill at Edmond North
Tennis: Douglass at Classen
Tennis: John Marshall at Capitol Hill
Tennis: Northeast at Star Spencer
Tennis: Southeast at Northwest
Tennis: US. Grant at Centennial
Friday
Baseball: All-City Tournament at Dolese
Soccer: Capitol Hill boys at Kings of the South Tournament at Speegle Stadium
Saturday
Baseball: Northwest at Mustang
Soccer: Capitol Hill boys at Kings of the South Tournament at Speegle Stadium
Track: John Marshall at Tiger Track Classic at Stroud
OKC POW: Mike Anderson, NWC
The Oklahoma City Player of the Week this week is Northwest wrestler Mike Anderson. Anderson, a senior, wrestled all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The injury hampered him at times throughout the season, including in the state tournament.
After offseason surgery, Anderson has come back to become one of the favorites in Class 5A at 215 pounds.
In last week’s regionals, Anderson pinned Deer Creek’s Alex Christensen at 3:50 to win the region and earn the West’s No. 1 seed.
At the state tournament beginning Friday, Anderson (30-3) will start off his quest for a title against Grove’s Weston Culvey.
Anderson’s brother, Antwan, was a state champion wrestler for Capitol Hill.
Look after the jump for other Oklahoma City players who turned in impressive performances in the last week.
OKC Player of the Week: Marquis Buxton-Hill, Douglass
By Ryan Aber
raber@opubco.com
The Oklahoma City player of the week is Douglass’ Marquis Buxton-Hill.
Hill scored 22 and pulled down 12 rebounds in the Class 4A No. 1 Trojans’ 84-73 win over Star Spencer on Saturday night.
After the win, Buxton-Hill said he believed the Trojans were the best team in the state regardless of class and it’s hard not to agree with him right now.
The Trojans will enter the playoffs undefeated and Buxton-Hill is a huge reason why.
5A Girls Playoffs
The OSSAA released the Class 5A girls playoff brackets today. The first round will be played Thursday, Feb. 25.
WEST
At Carl Albert
Lawton MacArthur vs. Northwest
Carl Albert vs. Capitol Hill
At Western Heights
Ada vs. Ardmore
Western Heights vs. Guthrie
At El Reno
Altus vs. Duncan
El Reno vs. Chickasha
At Deer Creek
Southeast vs. Durant
Deer Creek vs. Noble
EAST
At Tulsa East Central
Skiatook vs. Tulsa Kelley
Tulsa East Central vs. Tulsa Hale
At Tulsa Edison
Claremore vs. Tulsa Rogers
Tulsa Edison vs. Pryor
At Tulsa Memorial
Coweta vs. Collinsville
Tulsa Memorial vs. Tahlequah
At Tulsa Washington
Grove vs. McAlester
Tulsa Washington vs. Tulsa Central
5A Boys Playoffs
Here are the Class 5A boys playoff pairings. The first round will be played Friday, Feb. 26:
WEST
At Western Heights
Capitol Hill vs. Duncan
Western Heights vs. Durant
At Ardmore
Lawton MacArthur vs. Deer Creek
Ardmore vs. Altus
At El Reno
Carl Albert vs. Chickasha
El Reno vs. Ada
At Guthrie
Northwest vs. Southeast
Guthrie vs. Noble
EAST
At Tulsa Memorial
Tahlequah vs. McAlester
Tulsa Memorial vs. Siatook
At Claremore
Tulsa Washington vs. Tulsa Hale
Claremore vs. Grove
At Tulsa East Central
Tulsa Kelley vs. Pryor
Tulsa East Central vs. Tulsa Rogers
At Tulsa Edison
Tulsa Central vs. Coweta
Tulsa Edison vs. Collinsville
