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 )
Private schools: Week 9 Recap…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
There was one surprise after another in the private school realm this last week. Teams losing I thought would win and teams winning I thought would lose. You really just never know.
Bishop McGuinness (7-2, 5-1)
Well, there were no surprises with the Irish. A dominating first half had ‘em up 24-0 before earning a 37-22 win against Southeast.
Senior Jameel Whitney had a rushing touchdown. Yea, that’s usual. But he also had a passing touchdown, finding David Krahl on a 31-yarder. I would love to see that video.
McGuinness was able to total more than 400 yards of offense, so that’s a good sign as we get deeper and deeper in the season.
The Irish close out their regular season at Elk City. EC has come a long way and is a totally different team from the one that lost to Western Heights.
Heritage Hall (5-4, 5-1)
Maybe the biggest shocker of the week. John Marshall went into Pop Murray Memorial Field and gutted out a 12-7 road victory.
Sophomore Barry Sanders had a big game as usual, but the Bears controlled the rest of the club.
The biggest question is the health of Sterling Shepard, and it will be the first question I ask coach Andy Bogert when I talk to him Monday.
When I first heard it, I thought it was overconfidence. But after hearing about Shepard’s injury in the first half, think it was more confusion to go with a determined club from John Marshall.
Heritage is at Mt. St. Mary’s on Friday.
Casady (7-3, 3-3)
Not the end the Cyclones wanted. Casady was the toast of the town at 7-0, but the wheels fell off in losing the final three games.
Losing to Houston St. Johns and Houston Episcopal were things I could see. But I really thought Casady was better than Holland Hall, so the 35-12 margin was shocking to me.
Casady gave up 61 points the first seven games and 87 in the final three.
Plan on giving coach Koby Scoville a call to wrap up the season for the Cyclones later this week.
Other private schools
- What a performance by Mt. St. Mary’s in winning 28-21 at Newkirk. Wow. It was the usual suspects (Dalton Newsome, Aaron Smith and Mikey Mollman) doing the bulk of the damage, but Andrew Aguilar and Jake Peace came up big, too.
The Rockets did something for coach Dal Nichols on Saturday that I don’t want to talk about just yet. Let’s just say it says a lot about those kids and how those kids see their coach. A truly touching moment.
- Parker Randell once again stole the show as Oklahoma Christian Academy made it two wins in a row against Prue. This time it was a 32-14 victory. Randell had four touchdowns while OCA held Prue to -6 rushing yards.
- Christian Heritage also had an offensive explosion. The Crusaders won 38-15 against Thomas, with QB Bryant Hodge throwing two touchdowns and running for two more.
- And Oklahoma Christian School was dominant in a 55-14 win vs. Crescent. OCS had 461 yards of total offense as Jeff Smith and Jack Warren each accounted for four touchdowns.
Casady vs. Holland Hall Capsule…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Casady (7-2, 3-2) vs. Holland Hall (4-4, 3-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Holland Hall
Casady (W, FWAll Saints; W, Heritage Hall; W, Crooked Oak; W, Houston Kinkaid; W, Tulsa NOAH; W, Dallas Greenhill; W, Dallas St. Marks; L, Houston St. Johns; L, Houston Episcopal)
Why the Cyclones can win: Because like I’ve said, their two-game losing streak is nothing to be ashamed of. But it definitely has the team pumped up, not that it needed any extra motivation going against their conference rival and a chance to play for the championship.
Quote:
You can just throw out the records when it comes to this rivalry. We’ve had many classic games with them before. This should be another good one.” – coach Koby Scoville
Holland Hall
Why HH can win: Two reasons. Holland is coming off a huge win against Houston St. Johns, so the confidence is high. The other thing is the home-field advantage. Holland is only 1-3 on the road, but it’s home sweet home with this one where Holland is 3-1.
Key matchup: Casady defense vs. Holland offense: The Cyclones defense has a lot of pride. They’ve allowed 52 points in the last two games after giving up 61 in the first seven. Look for a monster game from the defense.
The pick: Casady 19, Holland Hall 15. Think the difference is going to be turnovers. Casady will cause one late in the game and earn a huge win to get another crack at Episcopal. A favor to ask Holland, Casady fans. If you’re on Twitter, @BPrzybylo would love constant updates on this battle all night.
Casady: Rivals on collision course…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
This is a fun week for me, personally. Whether it’s the Edlam showdown between North and Memorial or the SPC battle between Casady and Holland Hall.
A couple of weeks ago I would have given Casady a huge advantage in this game. Not so much because of the way the Cyclones were playing (that hasn’t changed all season) but because Holland wasn’t putting it together.
If last week is any indication, I might be wrong about that one. That was a huge win by Holland Hall against Houston St. Johns.
Now comes the showdown Friday.
Casady has been steered by its stellar senior class all year, anchored by quarterback Cale Shivers. A true leader. His stats don’t indicate what he means to the team.
When Travis Hibdon went down, it definitely put the Cyclones in a tough spot, but they’ve battled. Austin Katigan has become a solid No. 1 option.
Interesting to see that though Casady has given up 52 points in its last two games, it has allowed just one more point than Houston Episcopal (113-112). That’s how good this Cyclone defense is.
Holland Hall has a nice, balanced offense, but its defense seems to be where Casady can find some holes. HH has allowed 201 points in eight games, a little more than 25 ppg.
Offensively, HH is paced by RB Kwame Sexton. He has rushed for 982 yards and 13 touchdowns. Quarterback Jay Swab is explosive but does make mistakes. He has nine TDs vs. 11 INTs. If Casady’s defense can force the action, it should create some turnovers.
I can’t be in two places at once, but this should be another classic in this outstanding rivalry. Each team is 3-2 in Division I of the Southwest Prep Conference.
What are the most impressive streaks in state HS sports?
With Shattuck about to break Morrison’s record of 90 consecutive wins, I’m wondering what are the other streaks in the state that are most impressive?
Here’s a few I’ve come up with. Let me know, either through a comment here or an e-mail (raber@opubco.com), if you have any others.
I’m sure there are plenty more I’ve missed but here are a few:
- Morrison and Shattuck’s 90-game winning streaks in football
- Tulsa Union’s and Jenks’ stranglehold on the 6A football title
-Asher and Owasso baseball dominance
-McGuinness girls cross country
-Bethel girls basketball state tournament streak
-Bartlesville boys swimming
-El Reno wrestling
-McGuinness girls tennis
-Cascia Hall boys tennis
Casady: Looking to bounce back…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
After two tough weeks, what better way to take out all your frustrations than on your biggest rival?
That’s the mindset for Casady as the Cyclones head to Holland Hall on Friday night to wrap up their regular season.
Casady was a shock to start the year, and its play really hasn’t dropped off, said coach Koby Scoville. Truth of the matter is the Southwest Prep Conference is loaded this season.
Bellaire Episcopal is a great team. Not a good team, but a great one. I thought the senior night thing might carry Casady to an upset. A 24-15 loss isn’t the end of the world.
Houston St. Johns is another solid team. And I had almost written off Holland Hall until HH took care of HSJ last week.
So now the Cyclones are playing for pride, but that’s something they definitely have a lot of.
It’s been surprising to me how we’ve been able to gel as a team from Day 1. Now we have Holland Hall, a great rivalry game. The records don’t matter in these type of games.” – Scoville
Holland Hall is 4-4 and 3-1 at home. The Casady seniors have restored the school pride, now they want to end a good season with a win Friday.
Private schools POW: Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
There were any number of Chargers to pick from. Sophomore Brandon Moews had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Sophomore Barry Sanders (remember, no Jr.) rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns, caught another and had an interception.
But in the end, I think the play of Sterling Shepard was the thing that got Heritage rolling in a 49-7 victory against Newkirk to earn him the Private Schools Player of the Week.
Shepard’s stats weren’t outstanding (one passing TD, two rushing scores), but he set the tone early. He is making better decisions with each game and threw some of his best balls this year. The Chargers are starting to find some balance to go with the running game.
Newkirk wanted to stack the box, but once Shepard found Cale Courtney a couple of times for big gains, Tigers were left in a bind. And Shepard becomes another running back when he decides to just take off and run.
That’s back-to-back solid passing games from Shepard, which is a great sign if you’re a Chargers fan.
Other contenders
Bishop McGuinness defense: There will be a story on Jay Lester and Jameel Whitney in Tuesday’s paper and a litany of Irish players could be deserving, so I’m just giving it to the D in a 34-0 win at Guymon.
Cale Shivers, QB, Casady: Cyclones played their heart out against a great Houston Episcopal team. Shivers threw for two touchdowns in a 24-15 loss.
Dalton Newsome and Aaron Smith, Mt. St. Mary’s: The duo was electric as MSM scored a season-high 35 points in a 35-21 win against Fairview.
Other winners (cross country)
Mary Kate Roy, McGuinness: The Irish were dominant at the 5A regional with Roy leading the way. Team placed first and three of the top six finishers (Mary Beth Canfield and Erin Gaffney).
Frank Frantz, McGuinness: Boys weren’t too bad, either. Frantz placed fourth overall and Irish placed second overall.
Virginia Ratliff, Heritage: Will lead team into state this weekend and was also named Homecoming Queen last week at the football game.
Private schools: Week 8 Recap…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
A couple of teams took big steps up while some took a step back. Coming down the stretch with only two weeks left.
Bishop McGuinness (6-2, 4-1)
I predicted 34-7. In actuality, it was 34-0 for the Irish at Guymon. That’s what you’re supposed to do against a weaker opponent.
The most notable thing in Week 8 happened at Moses F. Miller Stadium when Weatherford beat Douglass. I talked to Jameel Whitney on Saturday, and he said they were getting their hopes up.
A Douglass win would have made a three-way tie. But with the Eagles win, Weatherford is in the driver’s seat to claim the 4A-1 title. Irish are looking at second as have head-to-head edge on the Trojans.
The Irish take on Southeast on Friday.
Heritage Hall (5-3, 5-0)
Another team that put itself in control of its own destiny for a district crown. The Chargers had their most impressive game of the season in a 49-7 win against Newkirk.
Sterling Shepard is playing with a lot more confidence at quarterback and that is crucial if this team is going to make a run.
The rich get richer as sophomore Quintaz Struble has been cleared to play. The only question is when he will suit up.
Heritage hosts John Marshall (6-2, 3-2) on Friday.
Casady (7-2, 3-2)
Knew it would be a battle with Houston Episcopal. It was 17-15 HE in the fourth quarter when HE put the game out of reach.
Talked with coach Koby Scoville on Saturday, and he agreed with my assessment. Casady has not dropped off its level of play the last two weeks, but the Southwest Prep Conference is just that strong this year.
To close out with Houston St. Johns (who was fired up after a tough loss), Episcopal and of course, Holland Hall is just a tough chore to take on.
The rivalry game caps off the season for the Cyclones as Casady goes to Holland Hall. HH had an impressive win over HSJ this last week.
Other private schools
- In a close and exciting game, Cashion got the best of OCS by a 12-10 score. The Saints running game was practically nullified. OCS is still in good shape for a playoff berth.
- CHA’s playoff chances took a turn for the worse with a loss to Luther. A win, and the teams would have flipped positions. Now John Merrell’s club is going to need to take care of business and get some help.
- Mt. St. Mary’s received a big game from Aaron Smith and Dalton Newsome and beat Fairview 35-21. The Rockets are now 2-6 this season. Doesn’t sound much, but it’s definitely an improving program.
- Thought it might be a ‘run-rule’ game between Davenport and OCA. It was as Davenport won 50-0 against Keith Lough’s club. The Eagles have a winnable game vs. Prue this week.
Houston Episcopal vs. Casady Capsule…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Houston Episcopal (7-1, 5-0) vs. Casady (7-1, 3-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Hoot Gibson Field
Houston Episcopal
Why HE can win: Because after a 38-7 pasting of Holland Hall, this team is definitely in contention for a conference championship. Some might even consider them the favorites at this point. Both teams have solid defenses, but Episcopal has a pretty dang good offense, too, averaging just over 35 points per game.
Casady (W, FWAll Saints; W, Heritage; W, Crooked Oak; W, HKinkaid; W, Tulsa NOAH; W, Dallas Greenhill; W, Dallas St. Marks; L, HSJohns)
Why the Cyclones can win: Koby Scoville’s kids met a team that wouldn’t be denied last week in Houston St. Johns. Casady is that team this week. They’ve been fired up all week about the chance to get back out there. The defense let up a season-high 28 points last week, don’t think they’ve forgotten.
Key matchup: Cale Shivers start. Odd choice here, but let me explain. Shivers is one of several senior leaders on this team. He needs to set the tone early and show last week won’t have a lingering effect on the team. If Shivers looks rattled, the whole team might. This is where his leadership needs to shine through most.
The pick: Casady 14, Houston Episcopal 10. It might take a while for Casady to find its footing, but the Cyclones will and look for Austin Katigan to make a couple of big plays. Cyclones go to 8-1 with Holland Hall next week.
