Got a question for Ed Sheakley? Ask it here
I’m going to visit with Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association executive director Ed Sheakley early this week. Do you have a question for him? Leave it as a comment here or e-mail me at raber@opubco.com. I’ll pick a few to ask him and we’ll have his answers this week in The Oklahoman.
Sept. 26 Rankings
Decided to sleep on this week’s rankings, especially with Tulsa Kelley’s upset over Tulsa Washington in 5A making me seriously rethink those rankings.
Class 6A
1. Jenks (1)#4-0
2. Tulsa Union (2)#3-1
3. Broken Arrow (3)#3-1
4. Southmoore (4)#4-0
5. Edmond North (6)#4-0
6. Mustang (7)#3-1
7. Norman North (8)#3-0
8. Del City (5)#3-1
9. Midwest City (9)#2-2
10. Bartlesville (NR)#4-0
Not a whole lot of shuffling here with just two of the top 10 losing, and both of those dropping games to higher-rated teams. I dropped Del City three spots to No. 8 and moved Edmond North, Mustang and Norman North up a slot. Del City stays just above Midwest City, whose losses came to Southmoore and Del City. Bartlesville, which beat Muskogee 35-30 to improve to 4-0, enters the rankings for the first time. Considered leaving PC North ranked but looking at the teams they’ve beaten in the context of the first four weeks, Bartlesville appears to be the better candidate. Also thought about Lawton for that spot but the only win that stands out for them looking back at things is the win over Lawton MacArthur. But the Wolverines will get their chance to move into the rankings in a big way this week when they host Mustang.
Week 2 Alumni Report: Best of the Rest Zone
Week two of the college football season is in the books. Here’s a look at how some of the alumni of BOTR schools fared in their games Saturday. For those like Colby Whitlock (Noble) and Tyler Simmons (Washington) it was a good day. For those playing at small colleges in Oklahoma it was a bit of a downer.
Tyler Simmons, LB, Navy (Washington): Simmons is off to a great start to the season, leading the Middies in tackles (7) for the second week in a row this time in a win over La. Tech.
Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech (Noble): Whitlock started again at defensive tackle and had three tackles, including one for a loss, in a blowout win over Rice.
Kyle Jech, QB, Northwestern Oklahoma (Kingfisher): Jech completed 8 of 20 passes for 80 yards in a loss to Black Hills State. He also had 15 rushes for 46 yards.
Ben Birmingham, RB, Central Oklahoma (Luther): Birmingham rushed for 39 yards on 14 carries in UCO’s loss to Texas A&M Kingsville Saturday night.
Ryan Hendrickson, WR, Southwestern (Tuttle): Hendricson had 2 catches for 15 yards in a blowout loss to Angelo State.
Jon Evans, LB, Northeastern (Chandler): Evans had five tackles (4 solo) and a sack and a forced fumble in NSU’s loss to Midwestern State.
Rankings preview, week 2
Got the eight-man rankings added now. 6A, 4A and 2A could get shuffled a bit this afternoon depending on how the games come out.
Class 6A
1. Jenks (2)#2-0
2. Tulsa Union (1)#1-1
3. Broken Arrow (3)#1-1
4. Southmoore (6)#2-0
5. Owasso (4)#1-1
6. Del City (5)#2-0
7. Edmond North (7)#2-0
8. Mustang (8)#1-1
9. Norman North (10)#1-0
10. Midwest City (NR)#1-1
Obviously there could be some changes here by this afternoon depending on the outcome of Edmond North-Mustang but here’s an early look into Class 6A. Jenks and Union just switch spots. Close game, not any real thought to doing anything else. These clearly are the top teams in 6A. I jumped Southmoore ahead of 1-1 Owasso and 2-0 Del City. Gave a lot of thought to the order of those three. I think with Southmoore getting those players eligible this week, they vault into the not-quite-Jenks-or-Union group. Dropped Del City a spot not because of anything the Eagles did or didn’t do against Norman but more because of the Sabercats getting those guys this week. I moved Norman North up a spot since they were up 10-0 on Muskogee when that game was called. Yeah, who knows how it turned out but tonight’s results plus looking at Muskogee’s game last week against Owasso adds up to Midwest City in the rankings and Muskogee on the outside looking in. Lawton is simmering just outside the top 10 after an impressive win over Lawton Mac. PC North is there too. Could see Lawton moving into the top 10 if today’s game is a blowout either way.
Class 5A
1. Tulsa Washington (1)#2-0
2. Carl Albert (2)#1-1
3. El Reno (3)#2-0
4. Shawnee (8)#2-0
5. Tulsa East Central (7)#1-1
6. Lawton MacArthur (6)#1-1
7. Duncan (9)#2-0
8. Ada (10)#2-0
9. Bixby (5)#0-2
10. Tulsa Kelley (NR)#2-0
Very tough to figure out how to rank 5A this week after the top 3. Tulsa Washington beats Tulsa East Central handily after beating Carl Albert handily last week, Carl Albert takes care of Choctaw relatively easily, and El Reno hands Guthrie its first shutout in six years. Shawnee makes the big jump with its 46-19 win over Deer Creek. Tulsa East Central actually jumps up two spots with its loss because Lawton Mac lost to Lawton (I do think Lawton’s a near top 10 team in 6A but comparing East Central’s loss to BTW to Carl Albert’s left me thinking East Central is a top five team. Duncan and Ada move up a couple spots after moving to 2-0 with wins over Ardmore and Durant. Bixby is 0-2 but losing to Jenks and 4A No. 1 Glenpool isn’t anything to be down about. I contemplated leaving Guthrie in at No. 10 but the Bluejays lost to McGuinness last week, and then McGuinness got beat by Tulsa Kelley this week, so the Comets are in the top 10.
Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#2-0
2. Sallisaw (3)#2-0
3. Douglass (4)#1-1
4. Broken Bow (2)#1-1
5. Wagoner (7)#2-0
6. Weatherford (8)#2-0
7. McGuinness (5)#1-1
8. Grove (6)#1-1
9. Star Spencer (9)#1-1
10. Poteau (NR)#2-0
Broken Bow drops a couple of places after losing to Class 5A McAlester. Sallisaw and Douglass (for now) are the beneficiaries, though depending on the outcome of Douglass-Millwood later today, that could change. Wagoner and Weatherford move up two spots each after big wins. Grove and McGuinness drop down after losses, though to good teams. Poteau climbs into the rankings after Hilldale knocked off No. 10 Collinsville.
Post Soul Bowl thoughts: Douglass stays where they are. The Trojans defense, despite the bust late, is extremely fast. They gave Kevonte Richardson fits all day. And Antyoun Smith had an excellent game at QB as well. Douglass is going to be all right.
Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#1-0
2. Tuttle (2)#2-0
3. Sequoyah-Claremore (3)#2-0
4. Clinton (4)#1-1
5. Purcell (5)#2-0
6. Madill (6)#2-0
7. Checotah (7)#2-0
8. Bethany (8)#2-0
9. Metro Christian (9)#2-0
10. Blanchard (10)#2-0
Not a change here as everybody won but No. 1 Cascia Hall and the Commandos didn’t play. Checotah did do a number on rival Eufaula, though, with a 40-0 blowout. No serious threats either, so no change to worry about here.
Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#1-1
2. Millwood (2)#1-0
3. Kingfisher (3)#1-1
4. Davis (4)#2-0
5. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (7)#1-0
6. Vian (7)#2-0
7. Heritage Hall (6)#0-2
8. Lexington (9)#2-0
9. Sulphur (10)#1-1
10. Bridge Creek (NR)#1-1
Could be some change at the top here later today depending on what Millwood does. Lincoln lost to a very good Arkansas team so dropping isn’t a given, but if Millwood wins big, I could (well, I will) flip. Sequoyah-Tahlequah also plays tomorrow. Heritage Hall drops another spot after dropping to 0-2 with loss to Weatherford. The Chargers are still going to be good, I believe, but 0-2 is 0-2. They did at least show some offense against a pretty good Weatherford team last night. Chandler drops out. Bridge Creek is the beneficiary, moving into the No. 10 spot with a 70-6 win over Bethel.
Class A
1. Okeene (1)#2-0
2. Tonkawa (2)#2-0
3. Ringling (4)#1-0
4. Hennessey (5)#2-0
5. OCS (6)#2-0
6. Stroud (8)#2-0
7. Commerce (10)#2-0
8. Woodland (7)#0-2
9. Talihina (NR)#2-0
10. Apache (NR)#2-0
Who knows when the last time Morrison wasn’t in the rankings. And I know going from No. 3 to out was pretty harsh but they lost to Barnsdall. Barnsdall was winless last year and I had them ranked No. 76 of 78 in the preaseason. So Morrison’s time in the rankings this time was short. Woodland dropped to 0-2 but stayed second because of the teams they’ve lost to. Apache and Talihina move into the rankings after impressive starts.
Class B
1. Garber (1)#2-0
2. Laverne (2)#2-0
3. Canton (3)#2-0
4. Weleetka (5)#2-0
5. Porter (6)#2-0
6. Depew (7)#1-1
7. Fox (8)#2-0
8. Alex (9)#1-1 LOST to Temple
9. Watts (NR)#2-0
10. Copan (NR)#2-0
There was some shakeup here as No. 4 Davenport and and No. 10 Geary both lost to fall out of the rankings. Davenport’s loss to Kiefer, a team I had No. 19 in the preseason rankings, caused it to drop all the way out. Geary lost to Cherokee, knocking them down a spot from the ranked. The biggest beneficiary was the other ranked team to lose — Alex. Alex was beaten 24-17 to Class C No. 4 Temple. I didn’t hold a loss to another ranked eight-man team against them the way I did Geary and Davenport’s to unranked teams. Watts and Copan join the rankings this week, and Ryan continues to look strong.
Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#2-0
2. Timberlake (2)#2-0
3. Seiling (3)#2-0
4. Temple (4)#1-1
5. Thackerville (7)#1-1 Beat Duke, lost to Fox
6. Covington-Douglas (6)#0-2 Lost to Seiling (12),lost to Garber
7. Deer Creek-Lamont (8)#2-0 Beat Braman, beat Waukomis
8. Corn Bible (9)#2-0 Beat Victory Life, Beat Merritt
9. Waynoka (10)#2-0 Beat Sharon-Mutual, Beat Braman
10. Forgan (NR)#1-1
The top four spots all remain the same as they all win, including Temple, who beat Class B ranked Alex after losing to Ryan last week. Thackerville jumps up a couple spots to five but more for what other teams didn’t do than for what they did. The blew out Duke, which is exactly what was expected of them. Covington-Douglas stays in the same spot despite dropping to 0-2. I still think they’re a No. 6 team, they’ve just had abrutal early schedule that includes Class B No. 1 Garber and Class C No. 3 Seiling. Deer Creek-Lamont, Corn Bible and Waynoka all move up a spot each. Forgan is new to the rankings this week after beating up on Balko. Again, this is more based on what other teams didn’t do. Specifically Buffalo. I didn’t penalize Buffalo last week for losing to Laverne but they took a hit this week with a 34-26 loss to Tyrone. Boise City was also given consideration but they lost to No. 1 Shattuck this week (Although losing to Shattuck 48-24 isn’t anything to be ashamed of).
Alumni report: Best of the Rest
Here’s a list of how some alumni from the Best of the Rest Zone performed over the weekend in their college games. Former Washington linebacker Tyler Simmons gets the nod here as player of the week for his role in Navy’s near upset of Ohio State.
Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech (Noble): Whitlock started Tech’s opener and managed a tackle for a loss during the game.
Kyle Jech, QB, Northwestern (Kingfisher): Jech completed 12 of 20 pass attempts for 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his team’s 34-28 win over Colorado State – Pueblo Saturday.
Austin Major, LB, Southwestern (Chandler): Major is starting as a freshman and notched four tackles in Southwestern’s 45-7 loss to Eastern New Mexico Saturday.
Cooper Bassett, TE, Oklahoma State (Tuttle): Bassett didn’t catch a pass in Oklahoma State’s season-opening win over Georgia but he did play on special teams.
Kent McDonald, WR, Northwestern: McDonald caught 2 passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in his team’s win over CSU-Pueblo.
Tyler Simmons, LB, Navy (Washington): Simmons started and had seven tackles in Navy’s near upset of Ohio State on Saturday.
At look at the rankings: Class 6A-A
Eight-man will have to wait another day as my eyes are about to slam shut but here’s Class 6A-A with a short explanation with each class.
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#1-0
2. Jenks (2)#1-0
3. Broken Arrow (4)#0-1
4. Owasso (5)#1-0
5. Del City (11)#1-0
6. Southmoore (6)#1-0
7. Edmond North (10)#1-0
8. Mustang (9)#1-0
9. Muskogee (8)#0-1
10. Norman North (13)#1-0
Rankings review
I take a little different approach when formulating rankings. I don’t drop teams every time when they lose. Never understood why a No. 10 team who lost to a No. 1 team had to drop. That’s why you’ll see Broken Arrow moved up a notch in 6A despite losing to Tulsa Union. The Tigers lost in a close game and couldn’t see jumping Owasso (who’s without its regular starting QB) or Southmoore (who struggled to run the ball in its opening win) over Broken Arrow. I struggled with how to order the bottom part of the rankings. Del City’s win was huge so I jumped them ahead of winners Southmoore, Edmond North and Mustang. There were flaws with each of those team’s wins (although I don’t hold North’s against them as much as the other two, since it was a rivalry game). We’ll see some more shaking out in the next couple weeks with some big matchups. Midwest City might still be a top 10 team by the time it’s all said and done. Along with the Bombers, Putnam North and Lawton are bubbling right outside the top 10.
Class 5A Rankings
1. Tulsa Washington (1)#1-0
2. Carl Albert (2)#0-1
3. El Reno (5)#1-0
4. Lawton MacArthur (6)#1-0
5. Bixby (4)#0-1
6. Guthrie (3)#0-1
7. Tulsa East Central (7)#1-0
8. Shawnee (8)#1-0
9. Duncan (11)#1-0
10. Ada (12)#1-0
It was tough at the top of 5A with Nos. 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 all losing. In the end, I decided to keep Carl Albert at No. 2 because I can’t see jumping El Reno or Lawton MacArthur up over the Titans right now. And El Reno win next week would give serious consideration to a jump. Lawton Mac’s win was certainly impressive and the Highlanders could also be moving up with continued wins. I just think Tulsa Washington is heads and shoulders above everyone else in the class right now. It’s hard to judge just where Bixby and Guthrie are right now but we’ll find out soon enough. I don’t drop teams just because tey lost but Guthrie’s offense worries me and Bixby got hammered so I wasn’t hesitant of dropping them behind El Reno and Lawton Mac. Tulsa Kelley and Deer Creek are just outside the top 10, as is Ardmore and Coweta.
Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#1-0
2. Broken Bow (2)#1-0
3. Sallisaw (3)#1-0
4. Douglass (5)#1-0
5. McGuinness (6)#1-0
6. Grove (7)#1-0
7. Wagoner (8)#1-0
8. Weatherford (9)#1-0
9. Star Spencer (4)#0-1
10. Collinsville (10)#1-0
With just one team in the top 10 losing, the only real question here is how far does Star Spencer fall with its big loss to Millwood. The answer winds up being to No. 9 from No. 4. No. 1 Glenpool’s win wasn’t overly dominant but the Warriors are still No. 1. The others ahead of Star Spencer all had big wins, either in blowout fashion or in McGuinness’ and Weatherford’s cases, wins over highly regarded opponents. Poteau and McLoud are hanging around just outside the rankings.
Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#1-0
2. Tuttle (3)#1-0
3. Sequoyah-Claremore (4)#1-0
4. Clinton (2)#0-1
5. Purcell (5)#1-0
6. Madill (7)#1-0
7. Checotah (6)#1-0
8. Bethany (7)#1-0
9. Metro Christian (9)#1-0
10. Blanchard (10)#1-0
Another relatively stable class, with Clinton the only top 10 team with a loss. Figured they’need to go fall under at least Tuttle and Seq.-Claremore. Elgin and Newcastle ate just outside the top 10.
Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (2)#1-0
2. Millwood (3)#1-0
3. Kingfisher (5)#1-0
4. Davis (6)#1-0
5. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (7)#1-0
6. Heritage Hall (1)#0-1
7. Vian (9)#1-0
8. Chandler (4)#0-1
9. Lexington (13)#1-0
10. Sulphur (8)#0-1
Another class with some interesting dilemmas. How far does Heritage Hall drop? What about Chandler? Who fills out the bottom of the top 10? The answers: To 6th because their defense performed well yet they clearly have a ton of work to do on offense. Chandler drops four spots to eighth. Chandler should be significantly better by the end of the year but thhe Lions have to grow up quick. Sulphur stays in the top 10 in large part due to the rash of losses at the bottom and just outside the top 10.
Class A
1. Okeene (1)#1-0
2. Tonkawa (2)#1-0
3. Morrison (3)#1-0
4. Ringling (4)#0-0
5. Hennessey (6)#1-0
6. OCS (7)#1-0
7. Woodland (5)#0-1
8. Stroud (9)#1-0
9. Hominy (8)#0-1
10. Commerce (12)#1-0
I dropped Woodland down two spots after its 31-6 loss to No. 1 Okeene. Woodland’s going to be pretty good by season’s end but needs some ore consistency. Stroud and Hominy switch spots after Stroud beats Chandler and Cleveland beats Hominy.
District previews: Classes 6A-C
If you missed your school’s district football preview, here’s all the links for every district.
District previews: Classes 6A-C
Class 6A
District 6A-1: Lawton’s Sunny Puletasi learns quickly
District 6A-2: D’Juan Brooks stepping up for Edmond Memorial
District 6A-3: Jenks still strong without Jarrett Lake
District 6A-4: Choctaw trying to build tradition
Class 5A
District 5A-1: Coach Tom Cobble says it’s a good time to be in El Reno
District 5A-2: Carl Albert QB J.T. Realmuto could see time on defense
District 5A-3: Tulsa Washington unanimous No. 1
District 5A-4: McAlester poised to rebound; East Central wants more
Class 4A
District 4A-1: McGuinness’ offensive line a concern
District 4A-2: Tecumseh is strong up front
District 4A-3: Home playoff game is Collinsville’s goal
District 4A-4: Broken Bow coach high on Eric Dockins
Class 3A
District 3A-1: Tuttle battling lack of experience
District 3A-2: Madill trio has coach Kerry Roberts looking for big things
District 3A-3: Jody Iams’ Eagles rely on Wing-T
District 3A-4: Metro Christian gains valuable asset in QB Beau Marsaln
Class 2A
District 2A-1: Marc Robinson still growing for Heritage Hall
District 2A-2: Little Axe ready for breakthrough?
District 2A-3: Washington’s Chance Pistole moving to fullback; Bridge Creek rebuilding its line
District 2A-4: Atoka QB commands attention
District 2A-5: Chandler counting on Brandon Cummings
District 2A-6: Toughness key for Valliant
District 2A-7: Verdigris has 15 experienced seniors
District 2A-8: Colcord hoping to build on strong finish
Class A
District A-1: Hennessey avoids logjam at quarterback
District A-2: OCS’ Jack Warren hasn’t forgotten loss
District A-2 notes: Trio vying for QB job at CHA
District A-3: District loaded with talented teams
District A-4: Bray-Doyle deals with adversity
District A-5: Tough three weeks for Stroud
District A-6: Talihina a cut above the rest
District A-7: Morrison ready to reload
District A-7 notes: Barnsdall seniors looking for wins
District A-8: Commerce looks to preserve streak
Class B
District B-1: Could district dominance repeat?
District B-2: Paoli defense is a strength
District B-3: Weightlifting competition inspires OCA
District B-4: Copan’s secret is out
Class C
Shattuck closing in on record win streak
District C-1: Finding running back key for Forgan
District C-2: Aaron Vondrak to lead Thackerville
District C-3: Seiling to turn QB Zach McDonald loose
District C-4: Maud’s Jarrid Resler works way back
Kingfisher young compared to Chandler
By Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
Kingfisher and Chandler face off in the Class 2A semifinals this week, and one thing has Kingfisher coach Jeff Myers somewhat concerned: Age and experience.
“Right now, our quarterback is a sophomore, one running back is a sophomore, one receiver is a sophomore, we have a secondary kid that’s a sophomore,” Myers said. “Being in a big game, that does worry me a bit.”
But, Myers said, he does like that his young players have had big game experience — even if they weren’t playing in those big games.
“Those kids were part of our team last year as freshman when we played in the state championship game (against Clinton),” Myers said. “These kids have been in some big ball games.”
