Douglass point guard Stephen Clark received a scholarship offer from Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger on Monday.

Add Oklahoma to the list of college basketball programs seeking the services of Douglass point guard Stephen Clark.

Clark was invited to the Sooners’ game against Missouri on Monday night, and head coach Lon Kruger offered the 5-foot-10 junior a scholarship, as first reported by ESPN.

“Coach Kruger told us he wanted Stephen as a Sooner,” said Dorshell Clark, Stephen’s mother. “So maybe we can begin building a relationship with him and the other coaches.”

Oklahoma joins more than a dozen other programs pursuing Clark, along with the likes of Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri, Memphis and Marquette.

Clark is the third in-state player the Sooners have offered a scholarship, along with Edmond Memorial point guard Jordan Woodard and Tulsa Washington shooting guard Juwan Parker.

If you’re looking for some extra reading on Clark, here’s a quick look at his 65-point game in January.

Here’s a story from December about Clark’s transition to point guard.

And here’s Monday’s piece on Clark and the rest of the state’s star-studded 2013 recruiting class.

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

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark has been selected to compete for the Junior Olympic team in Germany later this year. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

A good season keeps getting better for Douglass junior Stephen Clark.

The Trojans’ point guard has been shooting the lights out virtually every time he steps on the floor, college scholarship offers are rolling in, and now, he has been selected to play for the USA junior team that will compete in Germany later this year.

The team will compete in Mannheim, Germany, from April 3-14 in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, an event with teams from 15 other countries, including Argentina, Australia, China, Serbia and Spain.

Because of NCAA recruiting rules, the players must pay the cost of the flight to and from Germany on their own.

Recruiting has remained steady for Clark as well. Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger was up to see him at practice and in a game earlier this week, and according to Clark’s mother, Dorshell, a Baylor coach was in attendance on Friday night when he scored 18 points in a win over Capitol Hill.

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

Douglass PG Stephen Clark scored 65 points on Friday night.

There was some confusion right around the time of our print deadline on Friday night as to exactly how many points Douglass point guard Stephen Clark had scored, but the number was nailed down overnight.

Clark scored 65 points, including a perfect 27-of-27 at the free throw line and an 8-of-14 performance from 3-point range in Douglass’ 106-92 loss to Airline High School of Bossier City, La., in the Bossier Invitational.

“He did it all,” Douglass coach Terry Long said. “He defended, he scored, hit 3s, penetration, dishing the ball. He left everything on the floor.

“He played a key role in just about every possession we scored on. It was a phenomenal show. I took him out at the end, and the entire crowd gave him a standing ovation.”

Clark scored 52 of the 65 points in the second half.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Clark said. “I was just worried about trying to win the game. We had a couple guys get in foul trouble, so I had to be the scorer.

“I just wanted to win, though. That’s all I care about at the end of the day. This was probably good for us, because we can figure out what we need to do to become a better basketball team.”

The loss eliminated the Trojans from the tournament, dropping their record to 4-3 with all three losses coming to out-of-state competition. They will be back in action at Star Spencer on Tuesday.

Long said the performance recalled memories from when he was younger, watching Larry Bird.

“It was one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen,” Long said. “It reminded me of one of those nights watching Larry Bird when he just couldn’t miss. It was phenomenal.”

Clark is only seven games into his junior season. Last week, I witnessed him score 34. Over Thanksgiving, he dropped 42 at a tournament in Texas, and now this. If you’re looking for a show, this might be the one to watch.

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

EAST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Andrew Hearon, Metro Christian
Tony Kiefer, McAlester

Running backs
Dakota Biswell, Stroud
Caleb Muncrief, Madill
Cole Scheulen, Catoosa
Willie Zackery, Woodland

Wide receivers
Levi Copelin, Broken Arrow
Michael Fraley, Adair
Ty Miller, Caddo
Victor Williams, Muskogee

Tight ends
Matt Gallagher, Owasso
Zac Veatch, Broken Arrow

Linemen
John Connor, Tulsa Kelley
Jeremy Iron, Pawhuska
Lance Kloker, Owasso
Talon Miles-Satepauhoodle, Hominy
Montana Poorboy, Catoosa
Sam Sabin, Jenks
Chris Wallace, Sperry

Punter/kicker
Tom Carwile, Tulsa Washington

DEFENSE
Linemen
Hunter Hart, Cascia Hall
Orion Jones, Jenks
Gcory Rahmings, Broken Bow
Travis Sandlin, Vian
Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
Gary Wilson, Sand Springs

Linebackers
Patrick Bartlett, Woodland
Jevonte Cross, Tulsa East Central
Aaron Dolan, Berryhill
Connor Sherwood, Cascia Hall
Blace Walser, Tulsa Union

Defensive backs
Kent Booze, Spiro
Adam Boyd, McAlester
Kevin Peterson, Wagoner
Dillon Proctor, Caddo
Jermy Reynolds, Wewoka
Jesse Vester, Stillwater

Coaches
Mike Mobra, Catoosa; Eddy Scott, Pawhuska; Kevin Harmon, McAlester; Darren Melton, Lincoln Christian.

WEST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Corben Jones, Yukon
Garrett Lorah, Elgin

Running backs
Casey Curtis, Putnam City
James Flanders, Midwest City
Josh Way, Wayne
Sheldon Wilson, Anadarko

Wide receivers
Gage Diffee, Bethany
Javis Flynn, Watonga
Tre Kelley, Edmond Santa Fe
Tylor Seabolt, Jones
Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall

Linemen
Blake Belcher, Guthrie
Daniel Burton, Putnam North
Brandon Dewitt, Lawton
Devin Dobbins, Millwood
Carrie Farmer, Minco
Adam Kelley, Wynnewood
Cole Parsons, Edmond North

DEFENSE
Linemen
Josh Crouch, Edmond Santa Fe
Patrick Diaz, Lawton
Kyle Factor, Westmoore
Markus Wakefield, Heritage Hall
Braylon Freeman, Lawton MacArthur
Ricky Rodriguez, Clinton

Linebackers
Landry Chappell, Guthrie
Zeke Lewis, Midwest City
Payton Marsh, Thomas
Brandon Nguyen, McGuinness
Wes Satoe, Anadarko
Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass

Defensive backs
Rashaad Copeland, El Reno
Jared Griffin, Duncan
Rico Hogan, Norman
Aaron Holden, Temple
Aaron McCandless, Shattuck
Ivan Moreno, Hennessey
Michael Thomas, Lawton MacArthur

Coaches
Bob Ward, Thomas; Curtis Lorah, Elgin; Tracy Scott, Blanchard; Jeremy Dombek, Edmond North.

“You can tell he’s a good coach from his record,” Bundage said. “Then when I met him, he’s a people person. We bonded real well and that was a plus. I think he’s gonna be good. We’re gonna have a productive season, I can tell.”

Bundage committed to Arizona in the summer and stayed committed after Mike Stoops was let go in October. But he was looking at other options until his trip to Tucson, Ariz., last weekend.

“There were some questions I had, and I got them answered,” said Bundage, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound interior lineman. “The O-line coach (Robert Anae) stayed on the staff, so I’ll still be playing for the same line coach.”

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

Not much here at the top that needs explaining as the top 4 are pretty clear. Sallisaw was clearly the best team not to make the semifinals. Hilldale pushed Wagoner early in the season although Sallisaw and Clinton beat them comfortably. Glenpool came back from an 0-3 start to finish second in its district and is at No. 7. Harrah, the only first-round loser in the top eight, pushed McGuinness in the first round before falling 14-7. Their other losses came to Glenpool and defending champion Douglass. Woodward upset Douglass in the first round on a wild finish but their resume, with losses to Weatherford and Piedmont made it hard to put the Boomers in the top eight. Douglass looked championship-caliber at times this season but also had inexplicable losses to Cushing and Woodward. So even with wins over Glenpool and Harrah, Douglass is at No. 10.

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

Player of the Year: Dawson Myers, Cushing
Offensive Player of the Year: Eddie Reynolds, Harrah
Defensive Player of the Year: Cayman Bundage, Douglass
Special Teams Player of the Year: Chris Compton, Douglass
Receiver of the Year: Abraham Luna, Santa Fe South; Eric Delay, Cleveland
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Diamonte McClellan, Douglass; Blaine Atchely, Tecumseh
Quarterback of the Year: Ivan Zavala, Santa Fe South
Offensive Back of the Year: Alton Adkins, Glenpool
Tight End of the Year: Richard Griffin, Harrah
Defensive End of the Year: Brock Hubble, Cushing; Travis Johnson, Harrah
Defensive Tackle of the Year: Josh Smith, Glenpool; Dustin Malloy, Cleveland
Inside Linebacker of the Year: Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass; Brandon McDonald, Harrah
Outside Linebacker of the Year: Drake Stevens, Glenpool; Kyle Knight, Cushing
Safety of the Year: Phillip Spess, Cleveland; Tanner Shepard, Tecumseh
Cornerback of the Year: Jake Queen, Harrah
Kicker of the Year: Ben Henley, Cleveland
Special Recognition: Blake Murray, Cushing
Coaches of the Year: Barrett Shupe, Cushing; Jerry Braziel, Santa Fe South

All-District by team
Cleveland: Frankie Mackey, Kolton Hansen, Matt Gayle, Josh Casebott
Cushing: Marshal Dilley, Ben Loftis
Douglass: Andrew Bailey, O’Sha Clark, Deonte Childs, Camron Dizer
Glenpool: Zach Parnell, Tyler Harrison, Connor Ferrell, Austin Wills, Matt Lafitte, Matt Meeks, Trent Cleveland, Hunter Green, Tyler Dunn, Taylor Howell, Jordan Bullock, Matt Lena, Cody Marshall
Harrah: Tyler Humphrey, Corey Beder, Houston Ward
Sante Fe South: Daniel Gardado, Abel Hererra, Aaron Johnson
Tecumseh: Jacob Bender, Jackson Ryan

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark averaged 32.5 points per game at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas.

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark would have preferred a victory, but he did everything he could to get one at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas.

Clark scored 42 points in a 90-80 loss to Dallas-Kimball on Saturday night at an event that included teams from Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina.

The Trojans went 0-2 on the weekend, falling in a tight game to Tulsa Washington on Friday. Tulsa Washington’s Juwan Parker and Phabian Glasco each scored 22 in the 68-59 win. Clark had a game-high 23.

Team-wise, the weekends went very differently for Clark and Parker (the Hornets won twice), but both nationally known recruits took advantage of the big stage to show their skills. Each player has more than a dozen scholarship offers already, and both were impressive at Hoopfest.

In particular, Clark showed his ability to run his team from the point guard position, which he wasn’t asked to do for the Trojans the last two seasons.

“As he develops his feel for the position, Clark should expand his playmaking and he looks to be on his way to being a viable option at the point for high majors,” wrote Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Eric Bossi.

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

Douglass lineman Cayman Bundage will play in the Offense-Defense All-America Game on Dec. 30 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Douglass lineman Cayman Bundage has accepted an invitation to the Offense-Defense All-America Game, which will be played Dec. 30 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Bundage, an Arizona commit and a four-year starter for the Trojans, has been a key player on four straight playoff teams, including the Class 4A state champions in 2010.

The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Bundage had an offensive line grade of 92 percent this season, adding 98 tackles and eight quarterback sacks in his senior year.

“Bundage has room to add weight and could potentially play on either side of the ball at Arizona, giving them a versatile athlete who I feel has a lot of potential,” said Josh Buchanan, Director of Player Personnel for the Offense-Defense Game. “Arizona should be very excited to have a quality lineman who has been consistent and productive during his career.”

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

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

Last week:
Ryan: 7-3, 1-0
Jason: 6-4, 1-0
Scott: 6-4, 0-1

Overall:
Ryan: 59-22, 7-1
Jason: 55-26, 6-2
Scott: 52-29, 6-2

Ryan:
Jenks 28, Broken Arrow 24
Edmond North 17, Edmond Santa Fe 14
Lawton 28, Putnam City 9
Norman 28, Muskogee 15
Tulsa Central 26, Coweta 17
Carl Albert 35, Deer Creek 26
Douglass 27, Glenpool 24
Anadarko 33, Tuttle 14
Heritage Hall 38, Bethany 14
Wynnewood 20, Wayne 14
Lock of the Week: Carl Albert over Deer Creek. The Titans offense has steadily improved throughout the season and they have both the secondary speed to hold the Antlers’ receivers down and the front seven to get pressure on Deer Creek’s quarterback.

Jason:
Broken Arrow 27, Jenks 24
Edmond North 21, Edmond Santa Fe 17
Lawton 31, Putnam City 7
Norman 26, Muskogee 17
Tulsa Central 24, Coweta 14
Carl Albert 41, Deer Creek 14
Douglass 17, Glenpool 14
Anadarko 31, Tuttle 14
Heritage Hall 35, Bethany 14
Wayne 13, Wynnewood 10
Lock of the Week: Anadarko over Tuttle. The Tigers are always a tough, well-coached team under Phil Koons. I expect that Sheldon Wilson won’t be able to run wild like he has all year against Tuttle. But the Warriors, at home, will be too tough,

Scott:
Jenks 30, Broken Arrow 28
Edmond Santa Fe 21, Edmond North 20
Lawton 28, Putnam City 21
Norman 34, Muskogee 28
Tulsa Central 28, Coweta 24
Carl Albert 42, Deer Creek 24
Douglass 28, Glenpool 21
Anadarko 34, Tuttle 28
Heritage Hall 38, Bethany 28
Wayne 27, Wynnewood 22
Lock of the Week: Norman over Muskogee. Norman is beyond motivated to finish this season strong after finding themselves facing potentially being left out of the playoffs. I’d look for a big day from Donovan Roberts, as well as the passing attack to give the Tigers momentum heading into the Week 10 battle with Jenks.

Last week:
Ryan: 8-2, 1-0
Jason: 5-5, 1-0
Scott: 4-6, 1-0

Overall:
Ryan: 52-19, 6-1
Jason: 49-22, 5-2
Scott: 46-25, 6-1

Ryan:
Wagoner 21, Catoosa 18
Douglass 20, Harrah 17
Deer Creek-Lamont 26, Timberlake 20
Pryor 20, Coweta 17
Weatherford 21, Tuttle 14
Broken Arrow 40, Norman 14
Lawton 21, Edmond North 20
Sallisaw 21, Hilldale 14
McGuinness 28, Piedmont 21
Putnam City 35, Westmoore 24
Lock of the week: Deer Creek-Lamont over Timberlake. DC-Lamont will finally get pushed but they come out on top in a possible state championship game preview.

Jason
Wagoner 31, Catoosa 21
Douglass 28, Harrah 21
Deer Creek-Lamont 42, Timberlake 30
Coweta 21, Pryor 14
Tuttle 17, Weatherford 10
Broken Arrow 42, Norman 28
Edmond North 24, Lawton 14
Hilldale 24, Sallisaw 20
McGuinness 31, Piedmont 28
Westmoore 27, Putnam City21
Lock of the week: Westmoore over Putnam City. The Pirates have faced one really strong defense all year, Edmond North, and were shut down offensively. Westmoore’s defense has shown itself to be tough all season, and I think they can keep Casey Curtis in check and come away with the win.

Scott
Wagoner 23, Catoosa 20
Douglass 21, Harrah 14
Deer Creek-Lamont 48, Timberlake 33
Pryor 20, Coweta 17
Tuttle 27, Weatherford 21
Broken Arrow 38, Norman 28
Edmond North 24, Lawton 21
Hilldale 28, Sallisaw 27
McGuinness 21, Piedmont 17
Putnam City 30, Westmoore 24
Lock of the Week: Wagoner over Catoosa. This should be one heck of a ballgame, but I think Wagoner has the leadership, the experience and the talent to get back to the title game this year, maybe win it all. Guys like Kevin Peterson and Jeremy Applegate, among others, have been around long enough to help keep the team composed in a big game — and this is a huge one.

Douglass offensive lineman Cayman Bundage remains committed to Arizona in the aftermath of coach Mike Stoops' firing on Monday.

The news about Mike Stoops’ firing as the head football coach at Arizona was a bit of a shock to Cayman Bundage’s family, but the Douglass offensive lineman remains committed to the Wildcats as of now.

“Right now, Cayman is still committed to Arizona,” said his father, Clyde Bundage. “We’ll have to see what goes on, or if the staff stays. You never know what kind of situation you’ll have with a new head coach. We’re looking forward to seeing what the status is.”

Cayman Bundage, 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, committed to Arizona in the summer, and took an unofficial visit to the campus in mid-September. He spoke with Arizona assistant Seth Littrell — Bundage’s primary recruiter — on Monday, prior to the news breaking about Stoops. But Bundage had not been in contact with anyone on the Arizona staff as of Tuesday night.

“Cayman’s commitment is to the University of Arizona,” Clyde Bundage said. “It’s a verbal commitment. But you always have to look at your options.”

Prior to committing to Arizona on June 22, Bundage had offers from Missouri, Arkansas, Tulsa and North Texas. Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had been looking at him as well.

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

A couple of times a year I throw out my rankings and start fresh, take an overall look at the season and don’t constrain myself with past rankings. This is one of those weeks and while their figures to be other classes that are more drastically affected, there is a bit of that here. The biggest questions in my mind were where to place Edmond Santa Fe (and Lawton) and what to do with Putnam City. I considered dropping Broken Arrow a spot but the Tigers still stand as the only team to really challenge Union this season and I’ll give them their small bump Friday. Edmond Santa Fe goes from just outside to No. 8 after their win at Lawton. The Wolverines drop to No. 10. Owasso stays in at No. 9 but has a tough test this week against Union.

Class 5A
1. Guthrie (2)#5-0
2. Lawton MacArthur (5)#5-0
3. Carl Albert (3)#5-0
4. Tulsa East Central (1)#5-0
5. McAlester (4)#5-0
6. Deer Creek (6)#4-1
7. Tulsa Washington (7)#2-3
8. Tulsa Kelley (8)#3-1
9. Ardmore (9)#2-3
10. Coweta (10)#2-3

There’s no shame in being any one of the top five teams here although there was some definite shaking up as I reevaluated from scratch. Guthrie has won every one of its game by 28 or more points, helping the Bluejays move to the top spot. Tulsa East Central falls to No. 4 after their close call against Coweta. Any of the five teams on top could come out with a gold ball but it was time to make some adjustments there. On the bottom half, it hurts that I can’t include Tulsa Central here but looking over their resumes, I’ve got to leave Ardmore and Coweta in ahead of them. Ardmore has played Carl Albert and McAlester tighter than anyone this season and their other loss was to Lawton MacArthur. Their schedule to start has been tough but they shouldn’t lose the rest of the way. Coweta pushed Tulsa East Central and Tulsa Kelley to the brink and their other loss was a close one to 4A power Wagoner. Tulsa Central gets its chance for a statement this week when it faces East Central.

Class 4A
1. Douglass (1)#4-1
2. Wagoner (2)#5-0
3. Catoosa (3)#5-0
4. Clinton (4)#4-1
5. Harrah (5)#5-0
6. Elk City (7)#5-0
7. McGuinness (8)#3-2
8. Hilldale (10)#4-1
9. Sallisaw (9)#3-2
10. Broken Bow (6)#3-2

There wasn’t much shuffling here, save for Broken Bow and Hilldale. Catoosa and Wagoner are on a collision course toward what should be a very entertaining game Oct. 20. Elk City has been impressive but gets a tough test this week against No. 7 McGuinness. Douglass and Clinton’s losses don’t count against them because of the competition they came against. Hilldale got its statement win at Broken Bow but the Hornets win Week 1 against Pryor is looking better and better and their only loss came to No. 2 Wagoner.

Class 3A
1. Heritage Hall (1)#5-0
2. Anadarko (2)#5-0
3. Cascia Hall (3)#5-0
4. Bethany (4)#4-0
5. Metro Christian (5)#5-0
6. Tuttle (6)#5-0
7. Purcell (7)#5-0
8. Kingfisher (8)#5-0
9. Seminole (9)#5-0
10. Berryhill (10)#5-0

I did the same thing here as in other classes and came up with the same thing I had. I considered swapping Seminole and Berryhill on the bottom end and Kingfisher and Purcell one step above that but didn’t pull the trigger in the end. Berryhill’s win over Glenpool in the first week doesn’t look as strong as it did then (not that it’s not a big win still) and Seminole beat a pretty good Stigler team on the road. Berryhill plays at Cascia Hall this week in what should be one of the week’s best games.

Class 2A
1. Davis (1)#4-1
2. Millwood (2)#4-1
3. Lincoln Christian (3)#5-0
4. Stroud (5)#5-0
5. Jones (4)#5-0
6. Vian (7)#5-0
7. Hennessey (6)#3-2
8. Colcord (8)#5-0
9. Talihina (10)#5-0
10. Frederick (NR)#5-0

Made a mistake last week here dropping Frederick out in the first place. Their win over St. Mary was very similar to Washington’s and Washington has two losses, which pushed Frederick into the rankings. Vian moves up a spot while Hennessey drops while Stroud and Jones switch places. Stroud has still given up just seven points all season and shut out four of its opponents. There are still six undefeated team that remain unranked: Comanche, Talihina, Newkirk, Chelsea, Wyandotte and Adair. All are in districts with ranked teams, though, so they’ll get their chances.

Class A
1. Woodland (1)#4-0
2. Thomas (2)#5-0
3. Wynnewood (3)#5-0
4. Minco (5)#5-0
5. Wayne (7)#4-1
6. Morrison (6)#4-1
7. Mangum (9)#4-1
8. Okeene (10)#3-2
9. Elmore City (8)#4-1
10. Foyil (NR)#3-2

At the top, this class was relatively easy as I was pretty comfortable with the top three. After that, there was some switching around after No. 4 Afton fell to Foyil 33-8. First, I swapped Wayne and Morrison. Wayne’s overall resume is slightly better at this point. Mangum and Okeene move up two spots while Elmore drops one after its loss to Wynnewood. Foyil moves in after an impressive win over Afton, beating out Rush Springs for that final spot despite Rush’s 5-0 record. That was a tough choice but Foyil’s two losses came to a pair of still-undefeated Class 2A teams–Chelsea and Adair.

Class B
1. Caddo (1)#5-0
2. Davenport (2)#5-0
3. Kiefer (5)#4-1
4. Fox (6)#4-1
5. Dewar (7)#3-2
6. Gans (4)#4-1
7. Cherokee (8)#4-1
8. Seiling (9)#4-1
9. Wetumka (10)#4-1
10. Pond Creek-Hunter (NR)#4-1

It was tough to drop Laverne all the way out from No. 3 but looking schedule-by-schedule, it had to be done. Laverne beat Cherokee, 45-8, in Week 2, but fell to Pond Creek-Hunter on Friday night. Pond Creek-Hunter’s only loss came to Seiling, who lost to Cherokee by two on Friday. So Seiling pulls off the rare moving up by dropping a game feat by leapfrogging Laverne. Pond Creek-Hunter has to stay in ahead of Laverne so Laverne falls all the way out but still has Seiling remaining on its schedule. It’s tough to ignore what Welch is doing in B-4 but they’ve beaten just one team that is above .500 to this point. They play Kiefer on Oct. 20.

Class C
1. Deer Creek-Lamont (1)#5-0
2. Timberlake (3)#4-0
3. Temple (4)#5-0
4. Sharon-Mutual (10)#3-2
5. Shattuck (2)#4-1
6. Covington-Douglas (5)#4-1
7. Tipton (6)#4-1
8. Coyle (7)#4-1
9. Forgan (8)#4-1
10. Ryan (9)#3-2

The big change here came due to Sharon-Mutual’s 38-22 win at Shattuck. Sharon-Mutual jumped all the way from No. 10 to No. 4. Its only losses came to Seiling and Timberlake and they remain the only team to score on Timberlake this season (They scored 44 in the loss). Shattuck drops just below Sharon-Mutual while Covington-Douglas, Tipton, Coyle, Forgan and Ryan all drop a spot. Arkoma is the lone undefeated team remaining unranked but Keota is the only over .500 team they’ve beaten.

With Westmoore falling out from No. 8 after its loss to Edmond Santa Fe, there were two logical candidates to take the spot: Edmond Santa Fe, who was ranked before its loss to Midwest City the week before, and Stillwater. I chose the Pioneers based on their recent performances but just barely. Santa Fe gets a tough test next week at Lawton. A good performance there, win or lose, gives the Wolves a chance to move back in.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa East Central (1)#4-0
2. Guthrie (2)#4-0
3. Carl Albert (3)#4-0
4. McAlester (4)#4-0
5. Lawton MacArthur (5)#4-0
6. Deer Creek (6)#3-1
7. Tulsa Washington (7)#1-3
8. Tulsa Kelley (8)#2-1
9. Ardmore (9)#1-3
10. Coweta (10)#3-1

Ardmore and Tulsa Washington still in the rankings at 1-3? Absolutely. I’ve never understood why teams drop in rankings after they lose to a high ranked opponent (in most cases). While Tulsa Washington has plenty to work on, the Hornets are still very talented, especially on the defensive side. They lost to Carl Albert, Abilene, Texas, and Tulsa East Central. They’re going to be right there at the end, regardless of what their record now is. Ardmore is similar. They beat Ada to start the season before running into the murderer’s row of Carl Albert, McAlester and Lawton MacArthur the last few weeks. They shouldn’t lose the rest of the way. Speaking of Lawton Mac, I think next week is the week I totally deconstruct my rankings in this class especially and build from scratch. I think the Highlanders might be the best team in the class right now, although I think all five of the top teams are very good. The team I hate to leave out is Tulsa Central, who is 4-0 going into next week’s game against Grove.

Class 4A
1. Douglass (1)#3-1
2. Wagoner (2)#4-0
3. Catoosa (3)#4-0
4. Clinton (5)#3-1
5. Harrah (6)#4-0
6. Broken Bow (7)#3-1
7. Elk City (8)#4-0
8. McGuinness (4)#2-2
9. Sallisaw (9)#2-2
10. Hilldale (NR)#3-1

McGuinness drops four spots after getting manhandled on the road at Clinton. They might be a better team than that but hard to tell right now as the only varsity team they’ve beaten to this point was Tulsa Kelley, another team I’m not sure what to think of through four weeks. I suspect McGuinness will climb up. Hilldale moves into the rankings after a big win over Poteau gave the Hornets back-to-back blowouts after playing Wagoner pretty tough in Week 2. Piedmont and Cleveland gave me pause in those spots, though. Piedmont because of its offense and Cleveland due to its defense. Cleveland has allowed just 33 points all season. Elgin dropped out after getting thumped by Piedmont

Class 3A
1. Heritage Hall (1)#4-0
2. Anadarko (2)#4-0
3. Cascia Hall (3)#3-0
4. Bethany (4)#4-0
5. Metro Christian (5)#4-0
6. Tuttle (6)#4-0
7. Purcell (7)#4-0
8. Kingfisher (8)#4-0
9. Seminole (10)#4-0
10. Berryhill (NR)#4-0

I’ve been looking to get Berryhill into the rankings for a few weeks but since no team in my top 10 had lost a game through three weeks, I couldn’t do it. Sequoyah Tahlequah finally broke that stretch this week with its loss to Verdigris. Everything else remains the same with Seminole moving up one slot. There are several other undefeated teams in the class right now as well.

Class 2A
1. Davis (1)#3-1
2. Millwood (2)#3-1
3. Lincoln Christian (3)#4-0
4. Jones (4)#4-0
5. Stroud (5)#4-0
6. Hennessey (6)#2-2
7. Vian (7)#4-0
8. Colcord (8)#4-0
9. Washington (9)#3-1
10. Talihina (10)#4-0

Nothing changes here as all of the top 10 teams won last week. Hennessey is ranked at No. 6 because their only losses came close against Jones and to 3A No. 8 Kingfisher.

Class A
1. Woodland (1)#3-0
2. Thomas (2)#4-0
3. Wynnewood (3)#4-0
4. Afton (4)#4-0
5. Minco (5)#4-0
6. Morrison (6)#3-1
7. Wayne (7)#3-1
8. Elmore City (8)#4-0
9. Mangum (9)#3-1
10. Okeene (10)#2-2

Nothing changes here either as all of the top 10 teams won.

Class B
1. Caddo (1)#4-0
2. Davenport (3)#4-0
3. Laverne (4)#4-0
4. Gans (NR)#4-0
5. Kiefer (5)#3-1
6. Fox (6)#3-1
7. Dewar (7)#2-2
8. Cherokee (8)#3-1
9. Seiling (9)#4-0
10. Wetumka (2)#3-1

It’s hard to figure out where to slot Wetumka in here after a previously unranked Gans team beat them 52-22 Friday. I slid Davenport and Laverne up a spot before slotting Gans at No. 4. As I kept going down, comparing schedules, I wound up with Wetumka holding on at No. 10. They might be a bit better than that but of the teams ahead of them, only Cherokee has had a blowout loss (at Laverne). Wetumka isn’t likely to be challenged until the final two weeks of the season when they get zcaddo and Dewar back-to-back.

Class C
1. Deer Creek-Lamont (1)#4-0
2. Shattuck (2)#4-0
3. Timberlake (3)#3-0
4. Temple (5)#4-0
5. Covington-Douglas (6)#4-0
6. Tipton (4)#3-1
7. Coyle (8)#4-0
8. Forgan (7)#2-2
9. Ryan (9)#2-2
10. Sharon-Mutual (NR)#2-2

Covington-Douglas moves up a spot after beating previously fourth-ranked Tipton. Tipton drops a couple of spots to six after the close loss. Coyle continues to move up the rankings to No. 7 but they’ll get a tough test this week with No. 1 Deer Creek-Lamont. Sharon-Mutual moves into the rankings, replacing Thackerville in the final spot.

By Ryan Aber

The opening of Yukon's new Miller Stadium was one of many events during a busy weekend of football.

I can already tell this is going to be a long week. Since Sept. 1, I haven’t gone more than two days without covering a high school football game. Friday can’t get here soon enough.

And after the three games I covered this weekend, it’s going to be hard for the next 13 weeks of football to live up to the standard.

On Thursday night, I watched Putnam City North knock off Mustang in double-overtime when sophomore kicker Richard Gallegos booted through a 17-yard field goal to clinch it. Friday brought the debut of Yukon’s new stadium, and a late rally by Edmond Santa Fe to spoil the opener at the Millers’ new home. Then we had the usual amount of drama on Saturday afternoon at the Soul Bowl.

Here’s a look back at what we learned about the teams in those three contests, starting with the double-OT thriller at PC Stadium.

What we learned about Mustang: The Mustang offensive line is getting better, but defenses are still finding ways to attack that young group of players. Fortunately, they can battle through their growing pains in the non-district, and hopefully be ready by Week 4 when district games begin.

Brandon Taylor is doing well throwing on the run and moving the pocket when he needs to, but the experienced PC North secondary was able to give him trouble, coming up with four picks on Thursday. At running back, I’ve been impressed with A.J. Ashman early this season. Obviously, the Broncos toss the ball around a lot, so he doesn’t get a ton of carries, but he takes advantage of his opportunities and is viable in the passing game, too.

Putnam City North senior Dre Holman rushed for 201 yards Thursday against Mustang.

What we learned about Putnam City North: The run game is vital to the Panthers’ offensive focus, but their ability to stay balanced is what kept them alive on Thursday. Dre Holman’s 201 yards were huge, but the fact that John Robert Simon was 8-of-10 passing in the second half and overtime — with two touchdowns — was the turning point of the game.

Defensively, it’s clear that the Panthers’ strength is in the secondary, so I’ll be curious to see if teams try to focus on running the ball against them more, especially in the early part of the season until the new players in the front seven develop.

After the ugly fourth quarter in the opening loss to Putnam City, finishing strong against Mustang was valuable to this team. Getting back to the playoffs is a definite possibility for this team, based on the district schedule, but giving away very many fourth-quarter leads won’t get you past Week 10.

What we learned about Edmond Santa Fe: This team has battled through several close losses in the last two years, but I don’t think anyone — on the outside, at least — saw this strong start coming. With so much talent on both sides of the ball, along with a good mix of experience and youth, the Wolves are clearly a team that’s going to make some noise in 6A this year, and Friday’s 38-28 win at Yukon was a breakout moment.

People are quickly becoming familiar with guys like Justice Hansen, Trevan Smith and Phillip Sumpter. But here’s another name to keep an eye on: Khari Harding. He’s a big, athletic defensive back who could very well land at a Division I program. He’s only a junior now, so the Wolves get to enjoy him terrorizing opponents for a couple seasons.

I had heard a lot about Michael Onuoha coming into the game, and he’s an athletic specimen with a lot of talent. But the Wolves’ defensive line overall was very impressive. They were getting a good push most of the game, and getting into the backfield to disrupt the Yukon offense. With the amount of talent at the skill spots, the Wolves can really be a dangerous team if the lines start playing in a dominant fashion.

On a sidenote, you couldn’t help but feel for Tre Kelley on Friday. He’s an impressive player who twice seemed to have given his team the big play just when they needed it. First, he took a screen pass and zipped through the Miller defense for a 76-yard TD. But it was called back. A couple plays later, he got behind the defense and went the distance for a 74-yard score. Also called back. Moments later, he was the target again, but Yukon’s Derek Deeds stepped in front for the pick in what seemed to be a huge turning point in the game. But the Wolves recovered to rally for the win.

What we learned about Yukon: Tackling in space was the one big issue that haunted the Millers on Friday night. From the opening kickoff, which Smith returned 94 yards for a score, the Millers’ ability to keep Santa Fe ball carriers coralled was a problem. The Wolves accounted for more than half of their total offense on four big plays, including a 73-yard scramble by Hansen.

Other than the tackling, Yukon really played pretty solid. They were slow out of the gate, which might have had something to do with all the hype around the opening of the new stadium. Anyone who saw the Millers against Mustang in the opener could tell they were a little out of sync early, maybe pressing a little, hoping to put on a good show.

The running back by committee idea looks to be Todd Wilson’s focus. Not counting QB Corben Jones, eight different players got at least one rushing attempt Friday. And of the three players who carried the ball in the first half, none of them touched it in the second half.

Douglass' Chris High is one of three talented running backs in the Trojan arsenal.

What we learned about Douglass: As closely as I’ve followed this team the last couple of weeks, it’s hard to say I learned very much new information about them at Saturday’s 21-14 Soul Bowl win. They had a couple of players held out because of injuries suffered Monday against DeSoto, but otherwise, Saturday was a strong bounce-back game.

Chris Compton was able to show that he can be a threat throwing the ball. The way things went against DeSoto, it was hard to tell just what kind of passer he was going to be, but his 8-of-11 performance — including a couple of big throws at crucial times — showed that he’ll be ready to handle it when the team needs to throw. Coach Willis Alexander always says that he wants his offense to be able to throw when they want to, and Saturday, that seemed to be the case.

The run game will still be the Trojans’ bread and butter. With Dion’Tay Washington, Chavez Wyatt and Chris High, they’ve got a group of backs who can do a little bit of everything.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for Deondre Clark. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore came through with some big plays on Saturday, including the go-ahead touchdown on a 15-yard reception. He had to go down low to pull it in, then regained his balance to finish off the run.

What we learned about Millwood: When they start lining up against 2A competition every week, the Falcons are going to be dishing out some pain. Running backs Marc Robinson and Larry Lambeth give Millwood a power run game that not many teams can match up against. Unfortunately, Douglass was one of those teams, with Cayman Bundage and Diamonte McClellan in the middle. But the run will be much stronger for Millwood against different competition.

QB Dametric Sanders threw the ball better than I expected him to. He hit some big passes in the first half, and had a couple of good throws dropped. He’s a very athletic QB, and he’s not going to put up the kind of numbers Kevonte Richardson did last year. But he can be effective both throwing and running the ball for Millwood this year. And backup QB London Potts can toss it around, too, if needed.

Defensively, Millwood has some good size up front, and the duo of Robinson and Lambeth are the perfect pair at inside linebacker. Stopping the run will be their strength. Even with all the talent Douglass has in the run game, Millwood made them work for their yards, finishing with 186 on 43 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. I’d be surprised if anybody holds Douglass to those kinds of numbers in the run game the rest of the season.

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

The Douglass Trojans will face DeSoto, Texas, High School Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Cowboys Stadium.

The day of the big game is finally here for the Douglass Trojans.

They had to sit around last Thursday and Friday, watching every other team in the state open the 2011 football season, and now it’s finally here.

Some players said it wasn’t easy watching all the other teams getting to play, and others felt it only hyped them up for their game even more.

The trip has been a lot of fun so far. How could you not have fun eating dinner at Dave and Buster’s with 75 high school kids?

I got the impression that coach Willis Alexander wasn’t too happy with the team’s focus at walk-through on Sunday afternoon, but I’d expect him to corral the kids’ attitudes before gametime.

You could sense the focus coming back around when the bus rolled into Cowboys Stadium on Sunday evening for the tour. Just seeing the turf brought a lot of excitement.

And camera phones were busy throughout the tour at places like the field and in the Cowboys’ locker room. But the tour almost came to a halt when it passed the doors of the Cowboys Cheerleaders locker room. Like I said… it’s 75 high school boys.

I was in San Diego with the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2008 during the lead-up to the Holiday Bowl, and Sunday’s events had a very similar feel. These kids are really enjoying the experience and trying to take it all in.

The team got together for breakfast at 8 a.m. today, with the pregame meal around 1 p.m. Then it’s off to Cowboys Stadium to get taped, and check out the atmosphere during the earlier games.

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. and is televised on Fox Sports Oklahoma, Cox 37.

For the fans who aren’t at the game, or watching on television, the Dallas Morning News will be providing live stats and play-by-play online.

And I’ll be providing some updates on Twitter as well (@ScottWrightOK).

As for the game itself, here are a couple story lines I’ll be watching:

1. The Douglass linemen. I haven’t seen the DeSoto players in person, but based on the tape I saw, and what I’ve heard, they’re some big dudes. Douglass has a good group of linemen for a Class 4A team, but this could be a different kind of ballgame.

2. The Trojan backfield. Chris Compton is making his first start at quarterback on national TV in Cowboys Stadium. He’s a senior and he’s played before (on defense) but he’ll need to keep his composure in this setting. The running backs will be important in helping him along. I expect big things from Dion’Tay Washington this year, and Chavez Wyatt is a good complement to him as well.

3. The Douglass defense. Here’s the area where the Trojans need to be the equalizer. They have speed to compare with any school, no matter the size. Jas’Sen Stoner at middle linebacker, along with the guys in the secondary, need to avoid giving up the big plays. And the D-line will have to use its quickness as a weapon against a bigger O-line.

I’ve had my video camera with me the whole time, and I’ll provide a behind-the-scenes look at the trip and the game on Tuesday. There will be stories online and in the newspaper over the next couple of days as well. 

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

I’m currently on a charter bus riding with the Douglass High School football team to Arlington, Texas for their Monday afternoon game against DeSoto, Texas, HS at Cowboys Stadium. The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Monday and will be televised by Fox Sports Oklahoma, Cox 37.

I’m planning lots of fun stuff from the trip, including some behind-the-scenes stories and videos. So keep an eye on Twitter (@ScottWrightOK), as well as here on the blog, on NewsOK.com and in The Oklahoman for all the coverage from the trip and the game.

The Trojans practice at Lamar HS in Arlington this evening, then get to visit Cowboys Stadium before heading to dinner — Dave and Buster’s, I’m told — then to the hotel.

This is a big game for Douglass in a number of ways. Not only is it a nationally televised game against one of Texas’ top teams, but it’s also their first game of the season as they begin their Class 4A state title defense.

I’ll have plenty more from the road, so keep checking back to see how the trip is going.

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

Quarterback Chris Compton and the Douglass Trojans will have a strong following at Cowboys Stadium Monday for their season-opener against DeSoto, Texas.

As part of their agreement to play in the Kirk Herbstreit Kickoff Classic at Cowboys Stadium next week, the Douglass Trojans were allotted 1,000 tickets to the event.

And now, coach Willis Alexander has requested more.

On Wednesday night, all of the football coaches from the OKC Public Schools system attended a dinner with a few media members, and Douglass’ ticket frenzy was among the most interesting items of the night — No. 2 being the chicken fajitas at 1492 New World Latin Cuisine (highly recommended).

So Trojan Pride is out in full force, as usual. There should be a large contingent of orange and black in Cowboys Stadium for the 4:30 p.m. game on Monday against DeSoto High School.

Winning won’t be easy. According to MaxPreps, DeSoto is ranked No. 3 in the state of Texas and No. 25 nationally. As I mentioned last week, their attendance numbers would put them as the fourth-largest school in the state, just behind Jenks, and larger than any school in the OKC metro area.

But I know the Trojans won’t be scared, and I believe the experience is more valuable, in the long run, than the result of the game. I look forward to providing something of a behind-the-scenes look at the trip and the game, so be on the lookout for that next week.

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

Douglass won the All-City Preview championship once again on Friday night, but just like last year, the discussion turned to a much more important trophy than the one the Trojans claimed Friday.

It’s all about another state title for this team, which starts its season Sept. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, against DeSoto High School

It won’t be an easy game, and the Trojans know that. For the sake of comparison, DeSoto’s official enrollment is 2,750. Douglass’ is 495. If you moved DeSoto to Oklahoma, they’d be the fourth-largest school, right behind Jenks (2,843) and just ahead of Owasso (2,604).

I’ll get into the game a little more throughout the week, and I’ll be traveling down to Texas for the game as well.

Here are a few other thoughts from the semifinals and finals of the All-City Preview:

-Millwood still has a lot of talent, and even though they graduated so many Division I players from last year’s squad, I don’t expect to see a ton of drop-off. Dametric Sanders is a very athletic quarterback who is dangerous when he gets to the edge. Marc Robinson didn’t get to play in the scrimmage because of OSSAA rules as he completed his required one year of sitting out after transferring from Heritage Hall. He’ll be a big boost, especially on defense. He and Larry Lambeth will be one of the better linebacker pairs around.

-John Marshall is still young, even though some of those guys, like quarterback Devion Smith, got some good experience last year. Kameron Bryant is a tall, athletic receiver with good ball skills, and he could be in for a big breakout year. He’ll be a tough matchup for any cornerback in that district. Tyler Stamm provides a big, athletic tight end target as well, so look for the passing game to take a step forward this year. Defensively, the secondary is the strenght of the team, but the front seven seems to be coming together.

-Star Spencer coach James Harding always talks about making his players accountable, and he’s clearly going to be a man of his word. The Bobcats opened fall camp with 62 players but had fewer than 40 suited up Friday night. Players who missed practices or got in trouble at school were held out as Harding implements his value system in his new program. On the field, the Bobcats will rely on defense, especially with a couple of athletic, hard-hitting players in the front seven. Kenneth Davis and Derrick Ward are two good leaders and both — but Davis especially — can pop the pads.

Lastly, don’t forget that our state-wide, class-by-class season preview publication will be included in Sunday’s paper. Be sure to pick one up. We have everything from preseason rankings, all-state teams and feature stories on some of the best dynamic duos in the state. It’s a little different than in past years. Instead of having separate sections for OU, OSU and high schools, it’s all one big section together, so don’t miss it.

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

Chris Compton looked good in spring practice (pictured here) and summer workouts as he tries to take over the quarterback job for defending Class 4A state champion Douglass.

Back in the middle of the summer, I asked Douglass coach Willis Alexander if he ever worried that his team would relax, or lose its edge, after winning a state title. The year before, the Trojans had lost in the title game, and that loss seemed to be the driving force behind everything they did.

Once they won it all, would they still have that fire?

Alexander said he that was his biggest fear shortly after the victory last year. But then, his players lessened that fear.

“The kids wanted to get right back to work,” Alexander said then. “It wasn’t hard to motivate them and keep them motivated.”

Alexander was prepared. He had things to hold up in front of his players, particularly his seniors — like the chance to be the winningest class in school history over a four-year period. Then came the opportunity to play on national TV against DeSoto, Texas, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, which provided yet another motivating tool.

But most importantly, it was the players’ attitudes that kept the team grounded.

There’s no talk about last year’s state championship. This year’s team knows it can’t live off of last year’s successes.

“The kids haven’t been wearing their state championship rings,” Alexander said before Tuesday’s first practice of the season. “It’s just their attitude. That’s in the past. Now we need to go forward.”

The Trojans have some key returning players, like lineman Cayman Bundage, an Arizona commit, and linebacker Jas’Sen Stoner.

Chris Compton, a key player in the secondary last year, is likely to replace Shon Bridges at quarterback.

“Chris has waited his turn and bided his time,” Alexander said. “He has the opportunity now. He had a good spring and was good in 7-on-7 in the summer. Now he just needs to take another step in the maturation process.”

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

The Kirk Herbstreit Kickoff Classic is trying to find the best fan base among the 16 schools competing in its football games in Ohio and Texas next month.

The contest is completely based on fan voting, and the winner will be announced on ESPN and Fox Sports during the event on Labor Day weekend.

Voting is now open on the event’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/HerbstreitFootball, and concludes Sept. 2. Fans can vote as many times as they wish.

Douglass compete in the Herbstreit Kickoff Classic against DeSoto (Texas) High School at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults, and can be purchased at www.herbstreitclassic.com. Tickets are good for entry to all four games at Cowboys Stadium that day.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

The Wes Welker Foundation’s board of directors have approved $29,000 in grant money to four Oklahoma City-area schools, the organization announced Monday.
The grants were awarded to Star Spencer’s volleyball and athletic department, U.S. Grant’s football program, Putnam City West’s football and athletic department and Crooked Oak’s athletic department.

The foundation, founded by former Heritage Hall and current New England Patriots standout Wes Welker, was founded five years ago with the aim of helping underprivileged kids.

The foundation awards grants twice a year to schools and organizations in the Oklahoma City area. It also provides free sports camps for at-risk youth and a coach and leadership development program.

The foundation has given more than $192,000 in grant money in the past four years.

U.S. Grant is a two-time recipient.

Other organizations that have received the grants in the past have included Life Change Academy, Astec Charter School, Douglass High School, Memorial Park Boys and Girls Club and Western Village Academy.

Another Super 30 player ends the drama as Douglass' Cayman Bundage has committed to Arizona.

Douglass offensive lineman Cayman Bundage gave his verbal commitment to Arizona, coach Willis Alexander told The Oklahoman on Wednesday.

Bundage, 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, also had scholarship offers from Missouri, Arkansas, Tulsa, North Texas.

A tackle for the Trojans’ powerful rushing attack, Bundage is likely a guard or center in college. He started at center for Douglass as a freshman, but moved outside for his sophomore and junior seasons, because that’s where he was needed most.

During his three seasons, Douglass has been among the most dangerous run offenses in the state, reaching the Class 4A state championship game two straight years and winning it last fall.

Arizona has been looking hard for offensive linemen in Oklahoma, also extending offers to Guthrie’s Blake Belcher and Putnam City North’s Daniel Burton.

I’ll have an update later today after I get the chance to talk in detail with Bundage and Alexander about the decision.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Douglass and Jas'sen Stoner will have a national spotlight to showcase their skills Sept. 5 vs. DeSoto, Texas, on Fox Sports.

Douglass is the lone Oklahoma participant in the seventh annual Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic, and the Trojans will be taking on DeSoto (Texas) on Fox Sports.

The classic is a two-day event on Labor Day weekend with games in Ohio on Sept. 4-5 that will be broadcast on the ESPN networks. Sept. 5 games will also be played at Cowboys Stadium and all games will be broadcast on Fox Sports.

Douglass, the reigning Class 4A state champions, plays DeSoto at 4:30 and is the third of four games. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students 18 and under. Tickets are on sale through Douglass High.

Though Douglass, coached by Willis Alexander, lost some key parts from last year’s championship squad, the Trojans still have plenty of talented players including running back Diontay Washington and linebacker Jas’sen Stoner.

Teams from Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana and Florida will also be competing in the classic.

“We are thrilled to join Intersport in showcasing some of the best high school football in the country on national television,” Kirk Herbstreit said in a press release. “Each year, our event helps shine a light on the top young football talent throughout the country and provides a great way to kick off the season.”

Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
Sept. 4
St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) vs. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) /Noon ET/ESPNU
Springfield (Springfield, Ohio) vs. Upper Arlington (Columbus, Ohio)/3:30 p.m. ET/ESPNU
Sept. 5
Camden County (Kingsland, Georgia) vs. Cleveland Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)/Noon ET/ESPN
Indianapolis Cathedral (Indianapolis) vs. Centerville (Dayton, Ohio)/4 p.m. ET/ESPNU

Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Sept. 5
Edna Karr (New Orleans) vs. Arlington Bowie (Arlington, Texas)/10 a.m. CT/FSN
Cocoa (Cocoa, Fla.) vs. Skyline (Dallas)/1:15 p.m. CT/FSN
Frederick A. Douglass (Oklahoma City) vs. DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas)/4:30 p.m. CT/FSN
Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas) vs. Denton Guyer (Denton, Texas)/7:45 p.m. CT/FSN

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

The Trojans have been invited to play in the Kirk Herbstreit Kickoff Classic, which will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 5, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The event will feature four games in all, with Douglass taking on DeSoto (Texas) High School in the third game of the day, set to kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37).

Tickets will be good for all four games and will be sold in advance at Douglass at a cost of $15 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets purchased at the event will be more expensive.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Jordan Woodard is ranked No. 86 on the Rivals 100 for 2013.

They both got a taste of the gold ball in the spring, and they still have two more years left to make their mark at their respective program.

The honors keep coming for Edmond Memorial’s Jordan Woodard and Tulsa Washington’s Juwan Parker as each was named to the Rivals top 100 prospects for the class of 2013.

Woodard played a big role in helping the Bulldogs win the Class 6A state title, while Parker was instrumental in the Hornets winning their second consecutive 5A title.

Parker was named to The Oklahoman’s Super 5 boys basketball team. Both are rated as four-star prospects by Rivals.com. Parker is No. 62, while Woodard is No. 86.

***

Definitely thought I’d see Douglass’ Stephen Clark on the list. Still time, though, for Clark to work his way on there.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Douglass football player Cayman Bundage received a scholarship offer from Arizona Tuesday morning.

After taking up-close looks at Missouri and Arkansas in the spring, Douglass offensive lineman Cayman Bundage continues to draw recruiting attention.

Arizona is the latest program to extend a scholarship offer to the 6-foot-2, 280-pound lineman.

The Wildcats’ offer on Tuesday morning brings his total to five, with Missouri, Arkansas, Tulsa and North Texas officially on board.

Bundage is rated No. 5 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 recruiting list. Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida State are among other programs continuing to show interest in Bundage, who has started since his freshman season as part of a powerful Douglass rushing attack.

Bundage, who will play center or guard in college, tends to really impress in camp settings as well as on highlight tape, so I’d expect his stock to continue rising throughout the summer. That said, I don’t expect him to overload his schedule on the camp circuit, either. He’ll do enough to keep his name out there, but he won’t wear himself out.

He has a good support system around him, both with his family and his coaches, and he’s a very grounded kid. I would expect them to maintain a very realistic view of the recruiting process and handle it properly.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Clark, Parker on sophomore All-America team

Two Oklahoma boys basketball players were selected to the MaxPreps Sophomore All-America team released Thursday.

Douglass guard Stephen Clark was a third-team selection after averaging 15.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in helping the Trojans to a second consecutive state championship. He shot 34.2 percent (89-of-260) from 3-point range on the season.

Tulsa Washington’s Juwan Parker was selected to the MaxPreps second team, averaging 16.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Both players are being heavily recruited already. Parker has offers from Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Minnesota. Clark has an offer from Marquette, and has recently drawn strong interest from programs like Connecticut and Arkansas.

Both are playing summer ball with the local AAU team Athletes First. Check out the full MaxPreps Sophomore All-America team here.

PC North’s Provo picks Maryville

Putnam City North basketball standout Armon Provo has committed to play at Maryville University in St. Louis next season.

Provo, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 18.0 points per game as a senior, leading the Panthers within one game of the state tournament.

Maryville just completed its second season at the NCAA Division II level, playing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Saints’ leading scorer last season averaged 11.4 points per game.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Twin brother Ramond and Romond Jenkins accomplished their D-I goal and fulfilled another goal of finding a college where they could play together. The 6-foot-6 twins had multiple D-I school showing interest, but Oral Roberts was one of the few programs that had room to take both of them together.

“All the time, I would have college coaches asking which one was better,” Douglass coach Terry Long said. “I would tell them, ‘They take turns.’ Both are tremendous athletes and I think they have tremendous up-side.

“One of the things we know about the twins is that they like to be together. Oral Roberts was the one from the beginning that said, ‘Hey, we’ll take you both.’ I think it’s a wise, wise choice.”

Although they’re twins, their game isn’t identical. At the college level, Ramond could be a better fit as an inside-outside guy, while Romond is at his best around the bucket.

Romond averaged 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in helping the Trojans to their second consecutive state championship, while Ramond averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s D-I, NAIA — I played NAIA ball and you couldn’t tell me it isn’t as competitive as anything else,” Long said. “But the biggest thing is that you end up with a degree. You get that opportunity and it’s not gonna cost you a dollar.

“That’s the big thing, not just to our program, but to our community, to see two young men get the opportunity to further their education. Hopefully this will inspire others to continue to take care of business in the classroom as well as on the basketball court.”

I shot a video at the signing as well, so be sure to check back for that as soon as it’s ready to be posted.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

The pair of 6-foot-6 forwards will sign with ORU on Thursday afternoon, just a month removed from helping the Trojans to their second straight Class 4A state championship.

Romond Jenkins averaged 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Trojans, while Ramond Jenkins averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds. The two are lauded for their tremendous athletic skills and long bodies.

The signing will be held at Douglass HS at 2 p.m. Thursday.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Here’s how the voting finished:
Obi Emegano, Edmond Memorial 2.51% (128 votes)
Stephen Clark, Douglass 9.54% (486 votes)
Dominique Raney, Putnam City 14.12% (719 votes)
Josh Richardson, Edmond Santa Fe 33.97% (1,730 votes)
Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek 39.85% (2,029 votes)

Spangler was also The Oklahoman’s Super 5 Player of the Year. Here’s my Super 5 video interview with Spangler:

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

The 6-foot-2 guard signed with the Bears in November and asked for his release last week after coach Cuonzo Martin left to become head coach at Tennessee. Williams said he has met with new Missouri State coach Paul Lusk.

“He came here to talk to me,” Williams said. “I just want to see if (Missouri State) is the best opportunity for me. It’s about my future and what will be best.”

Until he gets his full release, Williams cannot speak to coaches at other college programs, but Douglass coach Terry Long said schools, including Texas Tech and Clemson, have inquired about Williams’ status.

Williams averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals this season, and has been a key player on the Trojans’ back-to-back state championship teams. He averaged 21 points per game through the playoffs this year.

Tulsa East Central’s Drew Wilson was also released from his letter of intent with the Bears, but according to a report from the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader on Monday, Wilson has recommitted to Missouri State.

Williams said Wilson contacted him after he recommitted, but Williams does not expect that to impact his decision.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

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

Too early for 2013 class talk? Maybe, but Deer Creek's Joel Blumenthal is one to watch.

Before we get to the weekly news and notes on some of the top recruits, really think some recruiting experts are missing the boat on the class of 2012.

Heritage Hall’s Barry J. Sanders dominates the headlines and has for the last couple of years. And then when a program like Oklahoma offers players such as Jenks’ Alex Ross and Heritage Hall’s Sterling Shepard, that obviously makes people stand up and notice.

Those three again were recognized with Sanders at No. 51, Shepard at No. 85 and Ross at No. 89 of the Scout 300. And then that was it. Really?

No love for Norman RB Donovan Roberts or Douglass OL Cayman Bundage? Or an OL like Blake Belcher from Guthrie? And we might all be sleeping on just how good Ramsey Hamilton of Beggs after how well he has fared in workout/combine atmospheres.

I really like this class. Hey, maybe I’m overestimating how good this class is going to be, but I can tell you that I’m already excited for the fall. Heck, even spring practice.

With that said, more news and notes:

- Edmond Santa Fe has been off the radar lately, but that should change this year. Not only is Ty Hensley a top baseball/football prospect, defensive back Conner Bays performed extremely well at an Under Armour combine last weekend in Houston. It’s going to be a new looks Wolves team so it will be very interesting to see how this team gels together.

- When you start talking about the 2013 class, it starts in Lawton with D.J. Ward, but I’m wondering just how far up the ranks Deer Creek’s Joel Blumenthal is going to go. He performed well at a combine in Dallas in late March and has been invited to Tampa for a top camp in the summer. It is invite only with 25 quarterbacks from 15 different states.

- Mention Casady recruiting for 2011, and you go right to DL Graham Bennett and LB Garrison Lee. However, don’t forget about Mac Katigan. He’s going to Princeton’s Junior Day this weekend and has also been invited to the junior days at Yale and Dartmouth. Dartmouth seems like a natural fit considering his older brother, Austin, is a freshman on the football team.

- Incredibly busy time of year when it comes to combines. Casey Curtis of Putnam City is off to a couple more on this weekend. We won’t call Curtis ‘Scott Wright’s boy,’ but Scott is very high (rightfully so) on the ability of Curtis. With more info, read Scott’s blog.

- OKVarsity.rivals.com is going to have its in-state combines next month. The Oklahoma City area one is May 21 at Yukon, while the Tulsa area is May 28 at Broken Arrow. For much more info, here ya go. I definitely intend to attend both combines but have no idea if I’ll be able to. Justin Mitchell does a great job with the OKVarsity site, and it’s a very well-run exhibition.

- A couple of forgotten kids are starting to make some noise. Edmond North RB Jared Benway missed all of his junior season with a broken leg but is back and looking good. Same can be said for Heritage Hall quarterback Quinn Shanbour. Shanbour left Bishop McGuinness a day before the season opener. HH coach Andy Bogert said Shanbour played a vital role in helping the team practice against opposing QBs last year. Shanbour just returned from a visit to the University of Arizona.

- As always, you got info, drop me a line. You went to a camp? Let me know how it went.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Will Josh Richardson overtake Ryan Spangler for NewsOK.com Boys Player of the Year?

Voting ends Friday at 11:59 p.m. for the NewsOK.com Boys and Girls Basketball Player of the Year. So if you haven’t voted for your candidate enough, well, you got four more days to get to it.

As of 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, here are the numbers:

Girls
Sharane Campbell, Star Spencer – 583 votes, 30.9 percent
Ashley Clark, Midwest City – 458 votes, 24.3 percent
Elizabeth Donohoe, Edmond North – 260 votes, 13.8 percent
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe – 532 votes, 28.3 percent
Marisha Wallace, Midwest City – 49 votes, 2.6 percent

Boys
Stephen Clark, Douglass – 452 votes, 9.9 percent
Obi Emegano, Edmond Memorial – 117 votes, 2.5 percent
Dominique Raney, Putnam City – 716 votes, 15.6 percent
Josh Richardson, Edmond Santa Fe – 1,596 votes, 34.8 percent
Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek – 1,708 votes, 37.2 percent

Thanks for the more than 6,000 combined votes in the boys and girls polls. Once again, the voting closes Friday so you still have a chance.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

- College football coaches are getting real familiar about where Beggs is as star quarterback Ramsey Hamilton continues to get attention nationwide.

Hamilton, 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, has emerged as one of the top quarterback prospects for the class of 2012.

He will compete at an Elite 11 quarterback event April 9 at TCU. Oklahoma signees Kendal Thompson and Archie Bradley were both Elite 11 quarterbacks last year.

The next day Hamilton is going to head to SMU for a Nike quarterback camp where participants made it via invitation only.

In the last couple of weeks, coaches from Missouri and Virginia Tech have visited Beggs.

- As Scott Wright had in Tuesday’s paper, Douglass lineman Cayman Bundage has listed Arkansas as his favorite at this juncture. Bundage is No. 3 on the Super 30. His future is going to be at center at the next level.

I thought it was a little weird for him to come out and say that because I don’t think the interest in Bundage has reached its highest point yet. It will be interesting to see if Bundage commits anytime soon. I do feel schools are going to be busting down his door this summer, but we’ll see.

- A lot of attention for Norman goes to running back Donovan Roberts (No. 5 on the Super 30) but offensive lineman Foster Hare is really picking up some steam here in the last month.

Hare is listed at 6-3 and 300 pounds and is starting to get some interest from some Big 12 schools and smaller Division I schools. Another case where it will be interesting to see if Hare’s stock goes up in the next couple of months.

- Guthrie offensive lineman Blake Belcher is starting to get the attention figured was coming his way. He’s picked up offers from a couple of Pac-10 schools in Arizona and Oregon State. The Beavers, of course, have made some strong strides in Oklahoma with former Deer Creek star Dax Dilbeck, Booker T.’s Michael Doctor and the Lawton boys from last year, Jabral Johnson and Tyrequek Zimmerman.

- Casey Curtis was one of several local recruits to head to a Nike camp in Houston two weeks ago. Never too early to start hitting the camp circuit. Two years ago I would have said it doesn’t matter how many camps you go to because if you’re talented, you’ll be found.

Now? My advice (for whatever it’s worth) would be to go to as many as possible. Get people to know your name and show off the talents as much as possible.

- Quarterback Brent Wilson of Ponca City has also been busy making the rounds. His latest stop was at Kansas State, where he was one of only five quarterbacks in attendance.

Wilson is an interesting case because right now he could be a quarterback or athlete. And early signs are he is OK with being classified at either spot. He can definitely make some plays, though. He is right on the fringe of the Super 30, you could argue he deserves inclusion.

- McAlester athlete Adam Boyd sent me his highlight DVD from last year. I haven’t had an opportunity to watch it but definitely looking forward to it. Boyd is right on the edge and is another kid that I think has a good chance to move up the ranks.

- Any more news and info on the top kids? Let me know.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Saturday evening at the Big House was one of those for me. Simply seeing the State Fair Arena nearly full for the Douglass-Bridge Creek Class 4A boys title game was fantastic. Hearing the crowd screaming with every call, every shot, every rebound was a blast.

Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler simply tried to put his team on his back and carry them to a championship. He played point guard, wing and center. Handled the ball, drove to the basket, posted up, went to the boards, blocked shots, dished out assists.

He gave everything he could to will the Bobcats to the win. By the second quarter, he was exhausted. After halftime, he didn’t even bother warming up with his team. Just watched them from the bench, waiting for the third quarter to start.

But in the end, Douglass was just too much. Marquis Buxton-Hill and the Jenkins twins battled with Spangler all night. It was big-time basketball, and incredibly fun to watch.

Douglass sophomore Stephen Clark was cold from deep, but he kept at it, going to the bucket and doing other little things to help his team. DeVonte Smith showed why he’s one of the most underrated players around, getting to the rim with ease at times.

I still believe Douglass was the state’s best team in any class this season, though I’d love to see them play Tulsa Washington. And though there’s a debate to be had on the topic, I think Spangler might be the state’s best player.

It ultimately was a 12-point Douglass victory, but it was the most entertaining game I’ve watched in a long, long time.

Here’s our postgame video from the Douglass win:

Another great moment from the Big House Saturday night was the final game of the night, the Centennial boys winning the school’s first state title.

That was an fun one, too, with not only the students, but facutly members celebrating like 17-year-olds. One woman, who looked like an adminstrator, was clapping so hard that she broke one of the bracelets on her wrist, which broke into pieces and flew all over the court.

Here’s a link to my follow-up story on the Centennial victory, which also includes the postgame video.

Congrats to all the champions from the Big House the last two weekends. Lots of good basketball. Sad to see the season end.

Be on the lookout for our postseason awards, Super 5, Big and Little All-City, and all that good stuff in a few weeks.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Douglass lineman Cayman Bundage has received scholarship offers from Missouri and Arkansas.

It’s only the start, but Douglass offensive lineman Cayman Bundage has received his first two scholarship offers.

Missouri and Arkansas offered the 6-foot-2, 280-pound Bundage in recent days. Florida State, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Alabama have been among the other teams showing interest in the interior lineman.

A humble kid, Bundage has been a key piece of Douglass’ success since winning a starting job on the offensive line as a freshman three years ago. He was crucial on both sides of the ball in the Trojans’ run to the Class 4A state title.

“I told him about (the offers). He cracked a smile, then went back to class and back to work,” Douglass coach Willis Alexander said. “He’s always an even-keel kid. Everybody’s happy for him. He’s the inspiration and the tone-setter for our team. He’s the only one who’s been around playing for four years. Now he’s the big dog.”

Rated as the No. 3 prospect in the state in The Oklahoman’s Super 30 for 2012, Bundage played offensive tackle for the Trojans last fall, but was the starting center his first two seasons. He’s viewed as a center or guard at the next level.

Alexander said Tuesday that Bundage has slimmed down about 15 pounds to a “comfortable playing weight” of 280. Depending on what colleges want to do with him, that could change after next year, but with his strength and quickness, he could be scary good on both sides of the ball at the 4A level weighing 280.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

And I knocked off two things at once Saturday afternoon. One, I had never been to the Franklin-Spears Gym at Millwood. The placement of the doors on the baseline freaked me out at first.

Two, I had never seen the juggernaut that is the Douglass boys basketball team in action. The Falcons gave the Trojans everything they could have asked for and then some before eventually falling 66-64 on Saturday evening.

I don’t want to say it wasn’t competitive, but 66-64 is also a bit misleading. The Trojans missed a lot of free throws in the final two minutes and tip in at the buzzer by Michael Ervin for Millwood made it 66-64. However, that’s not to say Millwood shouldn’t be thumping its chest right now.

Scott Wright, who has seen the Douglass machine numerous times, said that was the worst first quarter he’s seen as Millwood led 11-8.

At one point, it was 15-10 in favor of Millwood, and then Stephen Clark and company got it going. So much so that at the beginning of the third quarter, it was now 35-22. I thought the rout was on.

No, Millwood hung tough, led by Delford Robinson. There aren’t too many people Robinson cannot take off the dribble. And there isn’t a shot that Clark has seen that he won’t take. He made his fair share of deep 3s before the post game really opened up with the Jenkins twins (Ramond and Romond) and Marquis Buxton-Hill.

Millwood was within striking distance in the fourth but never made that surge. But you add Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner (now focused on basketball) to go with the rest of those guys, hard to see a 2A team taking ‘em down.

As for Douglass, I know I didn’t see their best game, but I get why they’re so good. Look for a video with Clark on NewsOK this weekend.

If nothing else, it felt good to be out at gyms again instead of holed up in the apartment and calling players and coaches about delays.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

***

Millwood and Douglass to be played

Though most basketball games have been postponed or canceled from this week, the Oklahoma City Public Schools showdown between Douglass and Millwood is going to take place Saturday afternoon. The OKCPS announced Friday afternoon that the games will go on as scheduled.

The girls game is going to be played at 2:30, while the boys game will follow at 4 p.m. Saturday’s games between the OKC Storm and Star Spencer have been canceled.

The Douglass boys are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, while Millwood is ranked No. 1 in 2A.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Jordan Woodard and Edmond Memorial are up to No. 37 in this week's ESPN RISE Fab 50 boys basketball rankings.

Edmond Memorial made its debut in the ESPN RISE Fab 50 boys basketball rankings last week, and the Douglass Trojans have returned to the rankings again this week.

Douglass opened the season at No. 26 in the ESPN poll, but fell out after a November loss in Texas. At 11-4, the Trojans are back at No. 49.

After debuting in the top 50 at No. 42 last week, undefeated (as of this very moment, 25 minutes prior to tip against Edmond Santa Fe) Edmond Memorial is up to No. 37 in this week’s poll.

In the regional rankings, four state teams are in the Southwest Top 20, with Memorial at No. 9, Douglass at 13, Tulsa Washington at 16 and Midwest City at 18.

Here are links to the Fab 50 and regional rankings.

The carry-over from tournaments to Monday night has my week all jacked up, so I’ll get around to my usual Tuesday Power Poll on Wednesday this week. And it won’t hurt to see how that Memorial-Santa Fe game turns out first.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

The list was put together by NCSA Director of Football Recruiting Randy Taylor, along with former college recruiting coordinator Bob Chmiel and three former NFL players, Othello Henderson, Marcus Price and Ryan Neufeld.

Bundage has been on the radar of several Division I programs after strong performances at camps last summer, including one in Dallas and another at Florida State. The Seminoles, along with Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alabama, Miami, North Carolina, Cal and a few others have stayed in contact with Bundage as he prepares for his senior season.

Bundage started at left tackle for the Trojans in their run to the Class 4A state title last fall, but his college future is at center or guard. He was Douglass’ starting center as a freshman and sophomore, before the need increased for him to be on the edge.

Here is the NCSA’s top 25 players from the combine:

1 Chance Allen WR 6-2 180 Elkins High School
2 Vince Biegel LB 6-3 210 Lincoln High School
3 Ray Buchanan Jr. DB 5-10 165 Peachtree Ridge High School
4 Cayman Bundage OG 6-2 255 Douglass High School
5 Jason Croom WR 6-5 215 Norcross High School
6 Jordan Diamond OT 6-5 265 Simeon High School
7 Stefon Diggs WR 6-0 165 Good Counsel High School
8 Khaliq Gatson DB 5-10 160 William Penn High School
9 Xavier Grindle RB 5-10 170 East Marion High School
10 Mark Harrell OT 6-5 250 Charlotte Catholic High School
11 Marcus Holliday RB 5-9 165 Fairley High School
12 Nick James DT 6-3 310 Long Beach High School
13 Brian Kimbrow RB 5-10 165 Memphis East High School
14 Byron Marshall RB 5-10 195 Valley Christian High School
15 Michael McHugh WR 6-2 185 Kirkwood High School
16 Vincent Miller WR/DB 5-11 170 Henry Clay High School
17 Trenton Norvell QB 6-4 215 Seabreeze High School
18 Dorian O’Daniels LB 6-1 180 Good Counsel High School
19 Ondre Pipkins DT 6-2 295 Park Hill High School
20 Deaysean Rippy LB 6-2 200 Sto-Rox High School
21 Patton Robinette QB 6-4 190 Maryville High School
22 Anthony Smith DT 6-1.5 260 Westfield High School
23 Caleb Smith TE 6-5.5 215 Kentridge High School
24 Spencer Stanley DE 6-4 250 Trinity Valley High School
25 DJ White DB 5-11 180 Union Grove High School

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Titan Classic
At Carl Albert
Thursday
Boys
Lawton MacArthur vs. Guthrie, 11:30 a.m.
Millwood vs. Wichita North, 2:30
Carl Albert vs. Harvest Life, 5:30
Del City vs. HCYA – Houston, 8:30
Girls
Del City vs. Mustang, 10 a.m.
Carl Albert vs. Putnam City, 1 p.m.
Millwood vs. Stillwater, 4 p.m.
Midwest City vs. Douglass, 7 p.m.

The Trojans were handed their fourth loss of the season — all against out-of-state competition — in an 87-62 loss to Oak Ridge Military Academy, out of North Carolina.

Oak Ridge got 29 points from guard Chris Jones, who is headed to Tennessee.

Douglass’ Dorrian Williams gave his future home fans a good show with a team-high 16 points. Williams has signed with Missouri State, which hosted the three-day tournament at their arena. DeVonte Smith scored 11 for the Trojans in their lowest scoring game of the season.

The Trojans (11-4) reached the finals with a 78-62 win over Nixa, Mo., Friday night. Stephen Clark scored 26 in the semifinal rout, with Ramond Jenkins and Dorrian Williams adding 14 apiece, and Dominique Manuel chipping in 12.

Douglass fans interested in catching the replay of Saturday’s title game, it will be televised at 8:30 p.m. Monday night by CBS College Sports, Cox Digital channel 249.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

DeVonte Smith scored a team-high 17 points, Romond Jenkins had 16 and Stephen Clark had 11. The Trojans got out to an early lead and maintained it all the way through.

Douglass had a busy night trying to contain GAC senior Malcolm Brogdon, a 6-foot-5 swingman who is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 102 prospect in the country. The Virginia commit had 27 points and 13 boards.

Douglass will be in action late tonight, with its semifinal tipoff against Nixa, Mo., set for 9:30 p.m. Branson, Mo., faces Chicago-based De La Salle in the other semifinal.

After getting a big ovation during introductions, Douglass senior and Missouri State signee Dorrian Williams had three points and three assists, playing in the gym he’ll call home starting next year. Coach Terry Long felt Williams was forcing things, hoping to put on a good show for his future fans.

“Dorrian was pressing to do too much because everyone wanted to see him play,” Long told the Springfield News-Leader.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Been making the rounds with some of the kids that participated in the US Army National Combine in San Antonio. Here are some of their thoughts and impressions on last weekend:

Cayman Bundage, OL, Douglass

Douglass junior offensive lineman Cayman Bundage doesn’t have any official offers, but he turned a lot of heads at the U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio.

Bundage, 6-foot-2 and 293 pounds, was a reason why the Trojans won their first state football championship since 1976.

Recruiting experts said Bundage was light on his feet and had one of the best techniques in pass blocking.

Bundage became a name to watch last summer after a strong performance in a Florida State camp. The Seminoles have continued to show interest in him. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alabama and several others have been in contact with Douglass coach Willis Alexander regarding Bundage.

“Cayman has been ready to play since he was in the ninth grade just because of his quickness, his footwork and his understanding of how to play the game,” Alexander said. “He’s getting a lot of interest from BCS conference schools. He’s a center or guard in college, even though we’re playing him at tackle.”

Sterling Shepard, WR, Heritage Hall

There is no question that Heritage Hall junior wide receiver Sterling Shepard showed this season he is among the best in the state.

But at the U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio last weekend, Shepard said he learned he can compete with other elite athletes from across the nation.

“I was really happy with the way everything turned out,” Shepard said. “They taught me a few things when it came to technique.”

Shepard said interest has increased dramatically. Shepard picked up his first offer from Oklahoma State in December and said Missouri, Alabama and UCLA are also showing strong interest.

Shepard also said it appears most schools have him pegged as a wide receiver. Defensive back was once an option but not too many schools are looking at Shepard there anymore.

Derek Deeds, WR/DB, Yukon

Deeds said, much like Shepard, the combine really helped him realize he can compete with some of the other top talents in the nation.

Deeds is a veteran of these all-star competitions as it feels like he was at just about every one imaginable in the summer.

The Millers star said three schools have heavy interest in him: Oklahoma State, Missouri and Tulsa.

Hunter Dinkines, Deer Creek

Dinkines has a rather odd story. Somewhere along the way this season, Dinkines broke his pinky finger.

From his father, Bill: “The week of playoffs against Tulsa Washington, he shows it to me and he can not straighten it out.  We taken him to the doctor and they enlighten us that not only is it broken but it had already healed.”

Dinkines had to have surgery to re-break the finger so that it could be put back properly. However, he was cleared to participate at the combine.

Barry J. Sanders, RB, Heritage Hall

Still recovering from foot surgery, Sanders did not participate in the 2011 combine. However, he did announce he will be playing in the 2012 US Army game.

Sanders has listed Alabama, Oklahoma State, UCLA and Florida State as his four early favorites and said the next couple of months he will be focusing a lot more on his recruiting.

***

I sent feelers out to some of the top recruits I knew were there. If they respond, I’ll have a Part II update. If you’re one of them, hey, drop me a line.

Ramond Jenkins and his Douglass teammates used strong defense to set up plenty of layups in a 104-27 win over Star Spencer Tuesday night.

I can’t remember exactly the last time I was at a game when a team scored 100. Pretty sure it would have been the 07-08 season when I was covering Jeff Capel’s boys — Blake Griffin among them.

Five minutes into the Star Spencer at Douglass game Tuesday night, the thought hit me that I might see triple-digits from the Trojans.

They pulled it off with a bucket from DeAngelo Clark with just under two minutes to play, finishing with a 104-27 win over Star Spencer.

It’s kind of tough seeing such a powerful rivalry be so one-sided, but that’s just the state of the two programs this season. It’s not that Star Spencer is as bad as the score might suggest, or that Douglass is 75 points better. It’s just that Star has some young and inexperienced players on the perimeter, and Douglass’ ball pressure was at its best Tuesday night.

Star is in the middle of a rebuilding year, after sending all five starters to college programs last season. And you know coach Patrick Cudjoe will have the Bobcats back to being postseason contenders in no time. Douglass is just a bad matchup for them right now.

The Trojans took advantage of the several turnovers it forced with fast-break buckets or open jumpers on the other end. The Trojans didn’t really shoot the ball incredibly well, but the size with the Jenkins twins and Marquis Buxton-Hill was another big advantage. All three big men finished with double-figure points and they were all over the glass.

Defense was the key, however. And after some lackluster defensive performances earlier in the year, the Douglass players feel like they’re getting things together on that end of the floor. It was a strong win to send Douglass into some tough competition in the Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., starting Thursday.

“Defense carries over to the next game,” DeVonte Smith said. “All we’ve been talking about in practice is defense. Defense wins games.”

Douglass opens with Greater Atlanta Christian, which finished fifth in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., two weeks ago. Douglass finished fourth in the BBC, and both teams beat Rice (NY). Douglass knocked them off 87-63 in the quarterfinals and Greater Atlanta beat them 73-49 in the fifth-place game. The Trojans take on Greater Atlanta Thursday at 9:30 p.m.

The tournament will be the first of many games in Springfield for Douglass guard Dorrian Williams, who signed to play for Missouri State, which plays its home games at the same arena hosting the tournament. Here’s a story the Springfield paper wrote about Williams.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Varsity writer Robert Przybylo says Guthrie's Kentrell Brothers was the best player in the state

You’ve been on pins and needles, admit it. You’ve been wondering what my top 10 players in the state ballot would look like.

Well, wonder no more. We’ve named Aliston Cobb, Brandon Swindall, Donovan Roberts and Kentrell Brothers as Players of the Year in one form of another. David Glidden captured the NewsOK.com honor. Now here’s the even more ‘prestigious’ Boneman Award.

10. Alex Ross, RB, Jenks

Ooh, this was tough. Between Ross and QB Sawyer Kollmorgen, one of the Trojans was getting on this list. But after watching some Jenks’ games on Cox onDemand (hey, blatant plug), Kollmorgen had the consistency, but Ross had the wow factor. Where did this kid come from? Excited for his senior year.

9. Tyrequek Zimmerman, WR/DB, Lawton

For most of the year we didn’t really get to see what he could do. The Wolverines dominated the district. However, when the playoffs came around, Zimmerman was on full display on both sides of the ball. Zimmerman is headed to Oregon State (joined by teammate Jabral Johnson).

8. Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman

Take what I said about Ross and paste it here. Tremendous size, great speed, future is incredibly bright for the Tigers RB. Workhorse, doesn’t fumble, scores and gains yards against some of the toughest teams in the state. It may not be possible, but I think he might be even better next season.

7. Aliston Cobb, RB, Douglass

Not much more needs to be said about Cobb’s record season for the Trojans. All I point to is his two TDs against Wagoner. He gets hurt, team doesn’t get another first down. Now that’s an impact on a team.

6. Brandon Swindall, WR/DB, Millwood

Cannot believe schools aren’t busting his door down with offers. Some might say playing in 2A helps his numbers. I say if he was playing against bigger classes, he would have no problem adapting his game and have just as big an impact. All the great ones adjust.

5. Derrick Alexander, DL/LB, Booker T.

You could make a great argument that Alexander was the best defensive player in the state this season. The Hornets were loaded with incredible talent all over the place, but Alexander stood out. I mean you always knew where Alexander was on the field.

4. David Glidden, WR/DB/KR, Mustang

Always loved watching Glidden play. Week 2 against Edmond North last season — I was officially on the bandwagon. He was a little banged up at times this season so I don’t think we saw his full potential, but it does hurt when you’re trying to rank his season. We’ll see his full potential at Oklahoma State.

3. Christian Hood, WR/DB, Union

Now this is a kid I wish I could have seen on a weekly basis. Love the way he plays the game. And what can you say about his performance against Jenks in the championship? Another great prospect teams are sleeping on.

2. Sterling Shepard, QB/RB/WR/DB/KR, Heritage Hall

I won’t say too much here (haven’t I said enough at this point). When a play had to be made, Shepard did it — no matter what. Won’t forget that Kingfisher outing anytime soon.

1. Kentrell Brothers, RB/WR/DL, Guthrie

If I didn’t know Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins and his staff so well, I would venture to say they don’t know how to figure up stats. Those couldn’t be real numbers, right? Brothers is legit in every way, shape and form. He should make a fine transition to LB at Missouri, and I agree with Watkins who said in his All-State nomination form, “Kentrell is the best player in the state.” He was.

He jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Mustang’s David Glidden has always been a popular fella, and he proves it on these polls. He’s a likable kid who busts his butt off on the football field. Glidden easily won the first ever NewsOK.com Player of the Year, with Kentrell Brothers in second and Sterling Shepard right behind him.

Looking forward to great things from Glidden at Oklahoma State.

For Scott Wright’s All-State story on Glidden, here ya go.

Poll results for NewsOK.com Player of the Year:

1. David Glidden, Mustang – 597 votes, 32.7 percent
2. Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie – 480 votes, 26.3 percent
3. Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall – 466 votes, 25.5 percent
4. Aliston Cobb, Douglass – 164 votes, 9 percent
5. Brandon Swindall, Millwood – 117 votes, 6.4 percent

The Varsity staff would like to thank everybody for their participation. It was great discussion on the blogs, and 1,824 votes were tallied. I’ll be back Monday with my personal top 10 players of the year.

The Douglass sophomore has made 15 3-pointers through two games at the Beach Ball Classic at Myrtle Beach, S.C.,  carrying the Trojans to a pair of victories in the national tournament.

Douglass routed a local SC team, Socastee, 90-46 in the opener on Monday with Clark pouring in seven 3s in 20 attempts. Dorrian Williams hit three 3s and finished with 20 points and Romond Jenkins logged a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

In Wednesday’s second round, the Trojans got 27 from Clark, with an 8-of-12 mark from 3. Williams scored 20 points again, and Jenkins had 15 with eight boards. DeVonte Smith is running the show well, too, averaging 9.5 assists per game.

Douglass will be back in action Thursday at 6 p.m. OKC time against Miller Grove (Ga.), which is ranked No. 3 in the USA Today Super 25 national rankings and No. 7 in the ESPN RISE Fab 50. Miller Grove outscored Washington D.C.-based Gonzaga High 8-0 in overtime for a 67-59 win in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

You can follow the action — including a live webcast of each game — at this link.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Still a week left to vote for the first ever NewsOK.com Player of the Year. David Glidden of Mustang has a commanding lead over Kentrell Brothers of Guthrie as we come down the stretch.

Starting Monday, Scott Wright and myself will write about one candidate per day and why that player should win.

As of Sunday morning, the percentages are as follows:

David Glidden, Mustang — 552 votes, 35.4 percent
Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie — 446 votes, 28.6 percent
Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall — 236 votes, 20.9 percent
Aliston Cobb, Douglass — 133 votes, 8.5 percent
Brandon Swindall, Millwood — 102 votes, 6.5 percent

Voting is open until Friday.

In the Christmas spirit, we asked some of our All-State football players for their favorite Christmas memories.

Here’s what some of them had to say.

Derrick Alexander, Tulsa Washington

I received the gift of getting into Booker T. Washington. It was one of the best decisions of my life. It just made everything better.”

Dylan Dismuke, Duncan

A four-wheeler I got a couple of years ago. It’s been a way to go off and have fun away from sports all the time.”

Aliston Cobb, Douglass

A football when I was a little boy.”

Austin Beck, Nowata

My parents gave me some GI Joes when I was younger. GI Joes are my ultimate favorite toy.”

David Glidden, Mustang

It’s not just one, but every year in elementary school, I would buy everyone in my family at least one gift and the feeling of giving just made it better than receiving.”

Trevon Lewis, Midwest City

The best gift I received was a big wheel truck. I wanted one so bad when I was a kid, and I woke up one morning for Christmas, and it was sitting in my living room.”

Trent Martin, Jenks

Spider-Man web shooter. I was the biggest Spider-Man fan.”

Tyrequek Zimmerman, Lawton

A go-cart back in the younger days was the best present and also a BB gun.”

Devin Randall, Bartlesville

My favorite Christmas present was the first generation iPod that I received in fifth grade (Boneman’s note: That makes me feel old) This gift was the start of my love for music in my life.”

The Oklahoman’s All-State football team comes out Jan. 2 (Sunday), the same day when the NewsOK Player of the Year will be announced. The Big All-City team comes out Dec. 29 (Wednesday), with the Little All-City team Dec. 30 (Thursday). Voting for the NewsOK Player of the Year is open until Dec. 31.

Pretty big day for Douglass yesterday. From the football championship ceremony in the morning to the thrilling win in basketball at night…Are there any Trojans in the house???

For Scott Wright’s story, go here. And here is the championship video with coach Willis Alexander dancing.

The Millwood-Douglass thriller probably was the most exciting football game I saw all season. On Friday night, I walked out of a gym thinking I’ve just seen the best basketball game I’ll see all season, and we haven’t even made it to Christmas yet.

Douglass won with a last-second tip-in by Romond Jenkins, topping Grace Prep of Arlington, Texas, 68-67, Friday night in the Phil Ingersoll TASK Classic at Southern Nazarene University.

Was Jenkins’ tip before or after the buzzer? In real time, I couldn’t tell, and I haven’t had the benefit of a video replay — at least not yet. So I’ll have to go with the officials’ call. And the guys in the stripes said it was good.

But that was only a fraction of the whole story Friday night. The battle between 6-foot-9 Douglass center Marquis Buxton-Hill and Grace Prep’s 7-footer, Isaiah Austin, was fun to watch all night long. It started under the hoop, and by the fourth quarter, both had stepped outside for a few jumpers.

Austin knocked down a 3-pointer and Buxton-Hill drained a pair of 15-footers. But it was inside where Buxton-Hill got his biggest shot of the night. He went up strong and banked in a baby hook with less than 20 seconds left to put the Trojans up 66-65.

Grace Prep’s Jamal Branch took the inbound pass and went the length of the floor for a layup with eight seconds left, and Douglass’ DeVonte Smith drove back down the court for a last-shot layup. It bounced off the front of the rim and Jenkins tipped it in for the win.

The lead changed 12 times in the fourth quarter, including the final five baskets of the night after a 63-63 tie. And each team had at least a four-point lead at some point in the fourth. It was a wild, wild finish.

It’ll be hard for a game to top that drama, and it’ll be even harder for two teams to put that much D-I talent on the court together. Douglass has one player (Dorrian Williams) who has already signed with a D-I program and at least four others with D-I offers. Grace Prep has two who are committed to Big 12 programs, and at least one more who will be highly recruited as he gets older.

The underlying story of the night was the young talent each team has. Obviously, everyone around here knows about Stephen Clark, Douglass’ sharpshooting sophomore who led the Trojans in scoring as a freshman last season during their 29-0 run to the 4A title.

But we got a look at a standout freshman for Grace Prep, Emmanuel Mudiay. In fact, you needed a program to know that hte 6-foot-3 guard was only a ninth-grader. He didn’t look the part physically or in his game. Very confident, very controlled. He did all of his scoring by getting to the rim, finishing with 15 points.

Clark is capable of scoring in bunches, and he did it in a crucial stretch in the second quarter. Trailing 17-11, Clark went to work, hitting a pair of 3s, two more layups and a free throw for a quick 11 points. He added a 3 in the second half for his 14-point total.

This was a big performance for the Trojans, getting back to playing their type of basketball after a not-so-hot showing in Texas over Thanksgiving weekend. They lost their first game since March 2009 down there, and coach Terry Long was glad to see them get back to playing the way they’re capable of Friday night.

“At that time, we were not prepared, didn’t play very well,” Long said. “More than anything else, we were a little complacent. We weren’t as hungry. We took the ‘L’ and we figured out what that felt like again. And we hooked up and started playing better.

“We’re still not where we need to be, but it’s early in the season. But to get a win like this is great.”

On Saturday, Grace Prep and Bossier will open the action at SNU at 1 p.m., with Douglass vs. Chicago-Marshall in the finale of what has to be viewed as a successful inauguration for the Phil Ingersoll TASK Classic.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

A video will be up soon on NewsOK. Scott Wright will have a story in Saturday’s paper. But the sight of coach Willis Alexander dancing…well, that has to go up NOW!!

Great scene at Douglass this morning as the football team was honored for winning the school’s first state championship in 34 years.

Douglass coach Willis Alexander getting the crowd pumped at the championship pep rally.

And one more…the gold ball:

Scott Wright and myself have made our selections, but now we want to hear from you. Who did you feel was the best player in the state in the greater Oklahoma City area?

Your candidates are:

* Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall – Shepard did a little bit of everything for the Chargers. From passing to running to receiving to intercepting to returning kicks, he became THE MAN for Heritage Hall when Barry J. Sanders went down.

* David Glidden, Mustang – As said before, a lot of pressure on Glidden to produce after committing to Oklahoma State last winter. He delivered in every way possible on both sides of the ball. Named Gatorade Player of the Year.

* Brandon Swindall, Millwood – With all the talk of teammate Josh Turner, Swindall had one of the most eye-popping stat lines of the year. He had 17 interceptions and returned a national record eight of them back for TDs and was always a force at wide receiver.

* Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie – What didn’t the Missouri commit do for the Bluejays? He could take over a game at wide receiver where Bryan Dutton would just throw it up to Brothers and watch him work. Or he could dominate the game from the defensive line. Pick your poison.

* Aliston Cobb, Douglass – I expected big things from Cobb this year but not this big. He became the ultimate clutch performer in leading the Trojans to the state championship. Against Douglass’ toughest foes, Cobb was at his best, a true mark of a leader and great player.

The voting is open now and will be open until Dec. 31. The winner will be announced Jan. 2, here on the Varsity blog, the same day as when our All-State Football package will run in The Oklahoman.

2010 District 4A-2

Player of the Year
Marcus Caddell – Douglass

Offensive Player of the Year
Aliston Cobb – Douglass

Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Walters – Glenpool
DeVante McKinney – Douglass

Special Teams Player of the Year:
Lane Davenport – McLoud

Receiver of the Year
Travis Carroll – McLoud
Cy Stallard – Cleveland

Offensive Lineman of the Year
Caleb Craig – Harrah
Jason Rice – Glenpool

Quarterback of the Year
Jameson Ballinger – Santa Fe South
Kyle Fowler – Tecumseh

Offensive Back of the Year
Billy Danna – Harrah

Tight End of the Year
Jared Bass – Cushing

Defensive End of the Year
Ravi Riley – Douglass
Robert Lemoine – Glenpool

Defensive Tackle of the Year
Cole Craig – Harrah
Hunter Montgomery – Tecumseh

Inside Linebacker of the Year
Chance Tiffin -Tecumseh
Josh Covert – Santa Fe South

Outside Linebacker of the Year
Landon Ferguson – Cleveland
Layne Ferguson – Cleveland

Safety of the Year
Isaac Maselera – Glenpool
Chandler Martinez – Tecumseh

Cornerback of the Year
Riley Norton – Cleveland
Derek Baez – Harrah

Kicker of the Year
Nick Pugh – Harrah

Coach of The Year
Willis Alexander – Douglass
Greg Willis – Harrah

All District

Cleveland
Brandon Wrobbel – DE

Cushing
Michael Griffin – WR
Matt Cook – LB/FB
Kyle Johnson – FB
Regi Cook – DB

Douglass
Erik King – LB
Ian Robinson – LB
Donnell Ward – DB
Shon Bridges – QB

Glenpool
Victor Cervantes – LB
Cody Davis – DL
Brad Agee – DL
Ty Cleveland – OL
Julian Rose – OL
Cody McIntosh – TE

Harrah
Ryan Brashier – LB
Gary King – OL

McLoud
Tanner Johnson – OL
Robbie Gray – DB

Sante Fe South
David Olivas – DB
Sergio Cardiel – DB
Pedro Briones – OL

Tecumseh
Jordan Moery – OL
Francisco Hukill – WR
Josey Brown – WR

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 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

It could have been Aliston Cobb, with his 240 rushing yards and two TDs. Or Donnell Ward and Marcus Caddell for the passing connection on the winning TD, as well as their stout pass defense, including Ward’s two interceptions. Or Erik King for his interception in overtime to seal the victory. Or the offensive line for their run blocking. Or the defensive front for their seven sacks. Or…

OK, so you get it. A state championship is a team effort, and that was truly the case for the Trojans Saturday night. Everyone played well, and they all get the honor as the OKC Player of the Week… though I’m sure the gold ball is all the congratulations they needed.

Other contenders

Kevonte Richardson and Brandon Swindall, Millwood football: Richardson, the Falcon QB did all he could, overcoming two early interceptions to have a strong performance, despite the loss. Swindall had six grabs for 120 yards and a TD, as well as another interception — his state-leading 18th on the year.

Marquis Buxton-Hill, Douglass boys basketball: The 6-foot-9 senior poured in 27 in the Trojans’ rout of US Grant in the All-City Conference opener.

Eric Peabody, Northeast boys basketball: Peabody had 28 points as the Vikings pulled out a 70-67 win over Wichita Falls-Hirschi.

DeQuante Taylor, John Marshall boys basketball: Taylor scored 18 to lead the Bears to a season-opening win over Heritage Hall.

Nico Meadows, Capitol Hill boys basketball: Scored 23 and 18 points as the Redskins opened the season with a pair of wins.

Te’era Williams, Douglass girls basketball: Williams had 22 in the opener, a 42-point win over US Grant.

Tona Edwards and Brianna Pendleton, Northeast girls basketball: Scored 15 and 14 sports, respectively, in NE’s rout of Wichita Falls-Hirschi.

D’Carla Kirk and Kebrina Hartfield, Centennial girls basketball: Kirk had 16 and Hartfield 14 in the Bison victory over ASTEC.

– Send POW nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

So I’ve had a blast following Douglass through the playoffs, because they reeled off the kind of numbers that make my job fun.

All last week, I pounded into you the line about not allowing a rushing play of more than six yards. That streak ended in the third quarter Saturday night, but how’s this: over the final three games — all against teams ranked in the top six and two with outstanding rushing attacks – Douglass allowed 1.1 yards per rushing attempt.

Then there’s the numbers Aliston Cobb put up. He averaged better than 200 yards per game and 2.5 touchdowns in the Trojans’ four playoff wins. His “worst” game of the four was a 15-carry, 138-yard performance against Oologah in which he scored two touchdowns.

To recap, Cobb had three 200-yard games by himself in the postseason, and Douglass opponents had one 200-yard game in total offense (Elk City, 218 yards).

I could go on all day, but instead, I’ll tell you how impressive it was to watch a team so fully motivated by one goal — a state championship — and to actually achieve it.

For the sake of comparison, here’s the first thing I wrote about Douglass this season, after visiting practice on the opening of two-a-days in August:

Douglass among 4A favorites again 

Falling short of the gold ball last year isn’t a forgotten feeling at Douglass, where the Trojans are among the top contenders in Class 4A once again.

With an improved passing game led by quarterback Shon Bridges and a defense anxious to prove itself, the Trojans took the field for Tuesday’s first practice with purpose.

“We’re working just as hard as the team we were last year, maybe even harder because we want it so bad since we fell short last year,” linebacker Erik King said. “We’re a brotherhood right now and we want to transfer that to the field. We’ve got to make it happen, make plays. We’re working toward getting that gold ball.”

And I’ll leave you with a sneak-peak at the story that will be in Monday’s paper:

One year ago, Douglass football coach Willis Alexander stood silently on the turf of Boone Pickens Stadium watching the Star Spencer Bobcats celebrate wildly as they accepted the Class 4A state championship trophy.

“That’s where we want to be,” Alexander said then.

Mission accomplished. The Trojans were the ones being given the gold ball Saturday night in Stillwater with a 20-13 overtime defeat of Wagoner.

Alexander and his players won with class.

“There were two championship teams on this field tonight,” the coach said. Then he halted his team’s celebration to applaud the Wagoner players as they exited the field.

In football terms, the Trojans won with defense.

Douglass committed 11 turnovers in the final three games of the year — at least three in each game — against teams ranked No. 6, No. 1 and No. 2.

You don’t beat good teams in the playoffs when you turn the ball over like that. Unless you play phenomenal defense.

Out of those 11 turnovers, only two resulted in points on the opponent’s next possession, a field goal by Oologah and a touchdown by Wagoner. And both scoring drives started inside the Douglass 30.

The Trojans held Wagoner to 181 yards of offense Saturday night, more than 200 yards short of their season average.

Bulldog quarterback Prince McJunkins was tackled for a loss nine times, at least seven of which would be quantified as true quarterback sacks in which he dropped to pass and got hit by Devante McKinney, Erik King, Jas’sen Stoner, Ravi Riley or another of the Trojans’ daunting front seven.

“They tried to attack us, but guys just stepped up and made big plays,” defensive back Marcus Caddell said.

Behind a powerful offensive line, running back Aliston Cobb certainly made his contributions. The senior tailback rushed for 827 yards and 10 touchdowns on 87 carries in the four playoff wins.

When he broke loose on a 57-yard TD run that made it 13-0 Saturday night, it looked like the Trojans were taking control of the game. But his pulled hamstring at the end of that run halted Douglass’ offensive momentum.

“What he has meant to this team is unbelievable,” Alexander said. “All of those kids. It’s just great for them.”

King, one of four seniors who has been on the team since Alexander took the job four years ago, came up with the biggest play at the biggest time, intercepting Wagoner’s reverse-pass in the end zone to seal the state title win and complete the rebirth of Trojan football.

“I just wanted to get the drive over with. I wanted the ‘W,’” King said. “The ball came my way and I just made the play. We sealed the deal. State champs.

“This hasn’t happened at Douglass for nearly 40 years, since 1976. For us to bring that back, my senior year — we did it for all the people in those stands cheering for us. We did it for them.”

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

How they got here: So far, neither of these teams has been truly tested in the playoffs. Wagoner has easy victories over Fort Gibson (55-7), Glenpool (46-0) and Catoosa (41-10). Douglass has blowout victories over Elk City (30-14), Oologah (41-3) and Broken Bow (38-0).

Why Douglass could win: Defense and run game. The two biggest keys in playoff football and Douglass does both well. They’re averaging 322 rushing yards per game and holding opponents to 61. It’s not fair to expect the Trojans to hold Wagoner without a touchdown, as they’ve done to their last two opponents, but the defense should pose a test like Wagoner hasn’t seen in a while. Wagoner has scored at least 29 points in every game and at least 41 in the last six.

Why Wagoner could win: Prince McJunkins. The Bulldog quarterback is a difference-maker on the field. He can throw and run, and he manages the offense well. He and RB Kevin Peterson are a dangerous backfield combo that will put pressure on the Douglass defense and test their speed. And the Wagoner ‘D’ can’t be forgotten, either. The Bulldogs have allowed 165 yards and nine points per game this year with four shutouts.

Quote: We can play on concrete if you want to. It’s just the game of football. We’re gonna play our game.” – Linebacker Erik King on the difference in playing on FieldTurf after playing on grass all season.

Key matchup: McJunkins vs. Douglass linebackers. I’ve discussed this matchup earlier in the week, and I think it’ll be the biggest turning point in the game. If King, Ian Robinson and Jas’sen Stoner play well, control the run game and don’t let McJunkins have his way, I think Douglass wins. If McJunkins plays his game the way he wants, it could be bad news for the Trojans.

The pick: Douglass 24, Wagoner 21. A thriller to the finish. These are clearly the two best teams in the class, so it’s only right that they meet here, and it’s going to be a classic, whichever way it ends up.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

In speed and talent, Wagoner is on a higher level than Oologah and Broken Bow, so it should be a fun battle of strength vs. strength. And the matchup of Douglass’ linebackers vs. Wagoner QB Prince McJunkins could make for quite a showdown.

McJunkins is probably a kid not a lot of people around the OKC metro know a ton about, but he’s quite an athlete, with scholarship offers from a few mid-level D-I programs, like UL-Monroe and New Mexico State.

McJunkins’ father, Prince McJunkins, was a quarterback at Wichita State, where he became the first NCAA player to rush for 2,000 yards and pass for 4,000 in a career.

The younger McJunkins has rushed for 680 yards this season, adding the perfect complement to speedy running back Kevin Peterson, who leads the team with 711 yards on just 86 carries.

Complicating matters, McJunkins has thrown for 1,966 yards with 32 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 73.8 percent of his passes.

“We have to make sure we execute the game plan and make plays,” Douglass linebacker Erik King said. “It’s got to be the whole defense. If the line is doing their job, then the linebackers will be able to do our job. And if we’re holding up, the DBs can cover, and hopefully they won’t have anywhere to go.”

The Trojans (11-2) face Wagoner (13-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater.

Class 6A – Jenks (13-0) vs. Tulsa Union (12-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Boone Pickens Stadium at Oklahoma State

Score: Jenks 39, Union 23

Breakdown: There is a good history of the winner of the regular season matchup losing in the championship, but I’m not seeing it here. Alex Ross might be the breakout star of the state (Sheldon Wilson and Sterling Shepard are up there, too) and has become an all-state-caliber RB for the Trojans. Not much is said about the defense, but when they’ve needed to step up, they have. I look for Tulsa commit Trent Martin to have one heck of a night as Jenks completes dominant undefeated season.

Class 5A – Booker T. Washington (12-1) vs. Tulsa East Central (12-1), 1 p.m. Saturday, Boone Pickens Stadium at OSU

Score: Booker T. 31, East Central 19

Breakdown: Another case of a championship being a rematch of an early-season matchup. Hornets looked so good last week against a great Guthrie team. If this is close, edge goes to the Cardinals with kicker Antonio Escobedo, but I think Jordy Albert, Tyler Lockett and Dante Barnett prove to be the difference. And if not, there is always running back Isaac Bennett. Darrell Hall gets his second championship in as many years with a different team.

Class 4A – Wagoner (13-0) vs. Douglass (11-2), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Boone Pickens Stadium at OSU

Score: Wagoner 25, Douglass 18

Breakdown: Ooh, I am torn about this one. The Bulldogs have been so dominant this year. Blowing out 4A teams like nothing. Beating two 5A playoff teams. But Douglass is playing as well as anybody right now. Eleven straight wins is nothing to sneeze at. The running game behind Aliston Cobb has been incredible and QB Shon Bridges gives enough balance to the offense. Ultimately, Prince McJunkins does it one more time for Dale Condict’s club.

Class B – Cherokee (13-0) vs. Wetumka (11-2), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Stillwater’s Pioneer Stadium

Score: Cherokee 36, Wetumka 16

Breakdown: Comparative scoring can get you in trouble, but Cherokee beat Dewar 46-12 in the semifinals. That same Dewar team 45-pointed Wetumka in Week 10. Does it mean anything? I don’t know. What I do know is that Cherokee defense was extremely impressive and that I’ve never seen an eight-man team have so many different weapons at running back like Chiefs have. Wetumka’s Derrick Moore is the wild card.

Class C – Deer Creek-Lamont (12-0) vs. Shattuck (11-1), 1 p.m. Saturday, Stillwater’s Pioneer Stadium

Score: DC-Lamont 26, Shattuck 20

Breakdown: DC-Lamont is another team that feels like it has been destined for this moment. The Eagles, of course, ended Shattuck’s winning streak last season. It’s a chance for Shattuck to end DCLA’s dream season and earn another title of its own. Just don’t see it happening. Every time I’ve doubted DCLA, the Eagles have made me look stupid. Simply put: lesson learned on my part.

Thursday: 3A-A semifinal games.

I picked Douglass to win it all from the start of the playoffs and I’m sticking with it, but in talking to people and looking at what I know about these two teams, I really think this is a toss-up — as it should be at this point in the season. Nobody wants a title game where one team is expected to win by 50.

The one thing that everyone points to in this game is speed. Both teams have it and lots of it. From the sound of it, they’re pretty equal in that department, and I think it’s been a while since Douglass has seen anyone who matches up with their speed — probably back to Week 2 vs. Millwood in the Soul Bowl.

I don’t see much more than entertainment in comparative scores, so just for fun, Wagoner and the Trojans each played Oologah and Glenpool. Wagoner thumped Glenpool 46-0 and edged Oologah 29-14 in its lowest scoring game of the season. Douglass topped Glenpool 20-18 and routed Oologah 41-3 in the quarterfinals. So there doesn’t seem to be a lot you can tell from that.

Wagoner QB Prince McJunkins is the big question mark in my mind. He’s the guy who can swing this game one way or the other. It’ll be up to the Douglass linebackers to keep him contained when he runs, but not give up on pass coverage when he looks to throw. But the Trojans’ trio of linebackers — Jas’sen Stoner, Erik King and Ian Robinson — are all solid players.

I’ve mentioned this stat a couple of times this week, but I’ll bring it out again, just because I think it’s that impressive: In the last two games against Oologah and Broken Bow – two teams that run the ball pretty well – Douglass has not allowed a rushing play to go for more than six yards. If they keep that streak intact, hand them the gold ball on Saturday night.

I was out at Douglass Tuesday when the players were getting out of class and heading in for film study, and there seems to be a sense of looseness around that team right now. I don’t think they’re overconfident, but I think they’re feeling comfortable here this year. I wasn’t around them last year, so I don’t know if that was the case before the Star game or not. But I think it’s a positive sign.

Last thing, I have a question for you, Douglass fans. What does it mean to you to have one of your own — Douglass grad Willis Alexander — coaching your team? There’s pride with every football team at every school in the state, but there’s something unique at Douglass, something special about being a Trojan. Tell me what it means to have a Trojan coaching your team. A little something to look forward to — I’ll be writing about that topic in the paper later this week.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

CLASS 4A
DOUGLASS TROJANS
Record: 11-2
Ranking: No. 3
Coach: Willis Alexander fourth season at Douglass
Previous state titles: 1956 (2A), 1961 (B), 1976 (3A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Elk City 30-14, beat Oologah 41-3, beat Broken Bow 38-0
2009 record (playoffs): 10-4 (Beat Glenpool 14-0, beat Wagoner 14-0, beat Weatherford 22-6, lost to Star Spencer 34-21)
Last week: The Trojans blew out previously undefeated Broken Bow to advance to the state championship game for the second consecutive season. Douglass’ defense allowed just 92 total yards and forced five turnovers.
Player to watch: Aliston Cobb, RB. Cobb went past 2,200 yards with last week’s 235 yard, three-touchdown performance. He’s averaging around 10 yards per carry.
Notable: Dion’Tay Washington has more than 800 yards rushing. … Shon Bridges has thrown for more than 1,200 yards. … Bridges threw a 97-yard touchdown pass and ran for touchdowns of 74 and eight yards last week. … Jas’sen Stoner leads the Trojans in tackles with more than 120. … Stoner recovered two fumbles in last week’s win. … Donnell Ward had two interceptions against Broken Bow. … Marcus Caddell has 11 interceptions. … Scored 30 or more points in all but three games this season. … Losses came in their first two games, to McGuinness (9-7) and Millwood (36-31).

WAGONER BULLDOGS
Record: 13-0
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Dale Condict, sixth season at Wagoner
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Fort Gibson 55-7, beat Glenpool 46-0, beat Catoosa 41-10
2009 record (playoffs): 8-4 (Beat Jay 35-0, lost to Douglass 14-0)
Last week: Jordan Robinson caught four passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Catoosa for the second time this season to advance to the championship game for the first time since 2005.
Player to watch: Prince McJunkins, QB. McJunkins gives the Bulldogs a dangerous run-pass threat. He’s thrown for nearly 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns with just one interception and ran for nearly 700 yards and 12 scores. McJunkins threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 85 yards and two more scores against Caroosa.
Notable: Wagoner’s defense held Glenpool to less than 100 yards total offense, all on the ground in a second-round win. … Haven’t given up more than 14 points since district play began. … Scored 41 or more points in six consecutive games. … Kevin Peterson has around 700 yards on the ground. … Robinson is Wagoner’s leading receiver with more than 900 yards and 12 touchdowns. … Nick Cody leads the team in tackles. … Jimmy Carter had a pair of interceptions in the final two minutes of the first half in last week’s win. … Wagoner’s 46-point performance against Glenpool in the second round was the most points scored against Glenpool since 2004.

CLASS 5A
TULSA WASHINGTON HORNETS
Record: 12-1
Ranking: No. 1
Coach: Darrell Hall, first season at Washington
Previous state titles: 1967 (3A), 1968 (3A), 1969 (3A), 1971 (4A), 1973 (4A), 1984 (5A), 2008 (5A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Claremore 23-0, beat Deer Creek 23-0, beat Guthrie 38-11
2009 record (playoffs): 5-5 (none)
Last week: Isaac Bennett ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries as the Hornets blew out Guthrie to advance to their second championship game in three seasons.
Player to watch: Isaac Bennett, RB. The senior missed the Hornets first playoff game but came back from the ankle injury that had bothered him most of the second half of the season to run for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 carries against Deer Creek and an explosive performance last week.
Notable: Quarterback Jordy Albert also returned from injury against Deer Creek, throwing for a touchdown after missing the win over Claremore with a hand injury. … Guthrie scored just three points on offense against the Hornets. Their lone touchdown came on a blacked field goal return. … The Hornets have shut out seven opponents this season, including four consecutive in district play. … Washington’s only loss came to Class 6A Broken Arrow 32-17 on Sept. 10. … Hall coached Star Spencer to the Class 4A title last season before taking over the Hornets. … Tulsa Washington missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1997 after having to forfeit three district games. … The Hornets beat Tulsa East Central 27-24 on Sept. 16.

TULSA EAST CENTRAL CARDINALS
Record: 12-1
Ranking: No. 3
Coach: Travis Hill, 13th season at Tulsa East Central
Previous state titles: 2005 (5A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Skiatook 30-8, beat Carl Albert 21-14, beat Lawton MacArthur 30-15
2009 record (playoffs): 10-2 (Beat Pryor 31-7, lost to Guthrie 25-24)
Last week: Daunte Burge ran for 225 yards and two touchdowns, once again carrying the load offensively as the Cardinals advanced to the championship game for the first time since winning the title in 2005.
Player to watch: Ashton Dandy, DE. The big-time defender does plenty to disrupt the offensive flow for opposition and is among the top defensive linemen in the state.
Notable: The Cardinals forced seven turnovers in last week’s win, including three interceptions by Cody Colbert. … Antonio Escobedo hit three field goals last week, including one from 45 yards out. … Lone loss came to Tulsa Washington, 27-24, on Sept. 16. … John McDavid has more than 900 yards passing. … Dino Teague is the Cardinals’ leading receiver. He’s scored in 10 of the Cardinals’ 13 games. … Four of East Central’s wins have come by seven points or less. … Burge ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Carl Albert.  … The Cardinals last win over Washington came in 2005, when East Central won their regular-season meeting 31-22.

CLASS 6A
JENKS TROJANS
Record: 13-0
Ranking: No. 1
Coach: Allan Trimble, 15th season at Jenks
Previous state titles: 1979 (3A), 1982 (5A), 1993 (6A), 1996 (6A), 1997 (6A), 1998 (6A), 1999 (6A), 2000 (6A), 2001 (6A), 2003 (6A), 2006 (6A), 2007 (6A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Bixby 56-26, beat Lawton Eisenhower 57-7, beat Owasso 75-28
2009 record (playoffs): 13-1 (Beat Yukon 44-6, beat Edmond Memorial 28-14, beat Southmoore 44-26, lost to Tulsa Union 52-19)
Last week: Alex Ross ran for 262 yards and six touchdowns as the Trojans scored their most points in modern history and the most in a 6A playoff game.
Player to watch: Sawyer Kollmorgen, QB. The senior became Jenks’ career passing leader and threw for four touchdowns in the Trojans’ second-round win over Lawton Eisenhower. Last week, he threw for 197 yards and a touchdown.
Notable: Beat Tulsa Union 33-7 on Sept. 10. … Fourth consecutive season Jenks and Union have met for the Class 6A achampionship. … Allowed seven or fewer points in seven games, including a pair of shutouts. … Scored 50 or more points ten times. … Ross has more than 1,000 yards rushing, including 200-plus yards in all three Jenks playoff wins. … Zack Langer has more than 900 yards rushing. Langer ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries last week. … Last year’s state runner-up team was coached by now-Bixby coach Loren Montgomery. … Trojans have won 58 consecutive games against teams other than Tulsa Union. Their last loss to another team was Sept. 22, 2006 when Tulsa Washington beat Jenks 43-37 in three overtimes.

TULSA UNION REDSKINS
Record: 12-1
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Kirk Fridrich, fourth season at Union
Previous state titles: 1963 (C), 2002 (6A), 2004 (6A), 2005 (6A), 2008 (6A), 2009 (6A)

Road to 2010 finals: Beat Muskogee 56-7, beat Edmond North 58-17, beat Lawton 48-41 (2OT)
2009 record (playoffs): 13-1 (Beat Claremore 27-9, beat Lawton 63-25, beat Broken Arrow 24-13, beat Jenks 52-19)
Last week: Sebastion Robinson’s sack of Lawton quarterback Brandon Bartlett sealed the Redskins’ double-overtime win. Running back Jalen Hearron scored both overtime touchdowns and finished with 182 yards and four touchdowns.

Player to watch: Stephon Weaver, WR. The senior has more than 1,000 receiving yards for the season and averages around 18 yards per reception.

Notable: Scored 48 or more points in five consecutive games. … Only loss came to Jenks on Sept. 10, 33-7. … The Redskins held Edmond North to just 158 yards of total offense in the second round. … Hearron has more than 1,000 rushing yards. … Kale Pearson leads the Redskins in passing with more than 1,600 yards. … Pearson ran for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns in last week’s win. … Christian Hood intercepted three passes in the win over Lawton. … The Redskins ran for 346 yards in last week’s win. … The Redskins are in the championship game for the sixth time in seven seasons.

First, let’s take a look back at the semifinal win at Broken Bow last Friday.

In the quarterfinals against Oologah a week ago, I wondered how Douglass would handle the Mustangs’ unbelievable size. Honestly, the Oologah offensive line could be plugged in at Jenks practice and visually, no one would notice a difference.

Those guys were huge, but Douglass was able to use its speed on the defensive line as an advantage.

I figured Broken Bow would be smaller than Oologah, but I was surprised to see it was a pretty even size matchup. And that equals an advantage for the Trojans, because not a lot of teams can go 240-290 pounds across the line with the speed Douglass has.

And you knew Douglass would have the edge on speed at the skill spots. Only Millwood has been able to match up with the Trojans in that category this season, as far as I’ve seen. Next week, that might change, but we’ll discuss Wagoner more later in the week.

Ultimately, it was the big plays at crucial times that really swung the game. Marcus Caddell and Donnell Ward get the big credit in those respects.

Caddell had three huge plays. He had a long punt return to put Douglass inside the red zone early in the game. The drive didn’t produce points, but it flipped field position.

Then there was his 97-yard TD catch that came one snap after a B-Bow punt pinned the Trojans at the 3-yard line. Shon Bridges made a perfect pass to hit Caddell in stride, well behind his defender.

And after a third-quarter fumble could have swung momentum to the Savages, Caddell picked off a pass on first down, and B-Bow never made a serious threat after that.

Ward picked off two passes, including one amazing catch where he tipped the ball, turned and caught it as he fell to the ground.

Jas’sen Stoner recovered two fumbles. He and his fellow linebackers Ian Robinson and Erik King all played well behind the solid defensive line. Douglass has been ultra-impressive against the run the last two weeks playing two teams that love to run the ball and do it well.

Offensively, the line had some struggles early in opening running lanes, but they still found ways to move the ball. Aliston Cobb racked up 235 yards and three scores on 26 carries, which might have been a season high.

And Bridges completed his first three throws for 140 yards and he had a certain TD pass dropped in the second half.

We’ll take a look at Wagoner and how they match up with the Trojans as the week goes on.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Douglass defeated Richardson-Berkner on Friday and lost to Flower Mound-Marcus by four points Saturday night at the DFW Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas.

Some of you might be wondering if this means the Troajns won’t be as good, or if this is a sign of weakness in this team. Wrong on both counts.

Marcus might not have the depth of D-I talent the Trojans do, but they’ve got more top-line talent. They’ve got two of the top players in the 2012 recruiting class, and a junior point guard who could work his way into the recruiting rankings.

Douglass was No. 7 in the Rivals.com preseason national rankings and Marcus was No. 28. But in the ESPN RISE Fab 50, Douglass was No. 26 and Marcus was No. 16. So it’s fair to say this game should’ve been a toss-up.

There’s still no question that Douglass is the best team in the state. This out-of-state competition is good for them on two levels.

For one, when you’ve got the kind of talent they have, it’s good to push your team, put them against some of the best teams in the country. And it’s a good way to help your kids get noticed by recruiters. There were a ton of top prospects at the Hoopfest, and there are still five or six guys looking for scholarships, so these out-of-state trips are good.

Not to mention the fact that a lot of high school kids don’t get the chance to travel out of the state, especially to places like Myrtle Beach, S.C., where the Trojans will go later this season.

Douglass’ next big national test will come in the metro, with the Phil Ingersol TASK Classic Dec. 16-18 at Southern Nazarene. Among the teams coming in for the Trojans’ event are Grace Prep from Arlington, Texas, and Chicago-Marshall.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Why Douglass could win: This team has the total package. Tough defense, scary-good run game. They don’t throw it a ton, but when they do, it’s effective, and QB Shon Bridges is completing his throws nearly every time he goes to the air lately. Aliston Cobb should surpass the 2,000-yard mark this week, needing only 28 yards to get there. Cayman Bundage had a phenomenal game from his defensive tackle position last week and the defense as a whole is playing really well.

Why Broken Bow could win: Confidence. You don’t get to 12-0 without being a confident team. Even with one of its top players, RB Eric Dockins, sidelined since Week 9, Broken Bow has chugged along. The offense is still putting up points, and the defense isn’t allowing them. Only one team all year has scored more than 23 on B-Bow and nobody has gone for more than 13 the last five weeks.

Quote: The expectation is to come out and play at a high level, play like we coach them to play, every single rep, and things will take care of themselves. Sometimes we’re gonna be the dog and sometimes we’ll be the hydrant, but the program takes care of itself.” – Douglass coach Willis Alexander

Key matchup: Dockins vs. his thigh. This is one crucial piece of the puzzle that could swing this game. Dockins missed the last three games with a thigh bruise, and if he returns — and is healthy — he changes the look of the B-Bow offense. He rushed for nearly 1,200 yards in the first nine games. If he can’t go again this week, it makes the job of the Douglass ‘D’ a little easier.

The pick: Douglass 28, Broken Bow 24. Ultimately, I think Cobb and the boys opening holes in the run game will be too much for the Savages.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Let’s continue on the semifinal journey to 4A:

CLASS 4A
DOUGLASS TROJANS
Record: 10-2
Ranking: No. 3
Coach: Willis Alexander fourth season at Douglass
Previous state titles: 1956 (2A), 1961 (B), 1976 (3A)
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Elk City 30-14, beat Oologah 41-3
2009 record (playoffs): 10-4 (Beat Glenpool 14-0, beat Wagoner 14-0, beat Weatherford 22-6, lost to Star Spencer 34-21)
Last week: The Trojans blew open what had been a close game, scoring on a blocked field goal return, an interception return and breaking off a pair of long touchdown runs in a four-minute stretch late in the third quarter to advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive season.
Player to watch: Aliston Cobb, RB. Cobb is closing in on 2,000 rushing yards for the season and averages better than 10 yards per run.
Notable: Dion’Tay Washington has more than 800 yards rushing. … Shon Bridges has thrown for more than 1,100 yards passing. … Jas’sen Stoner leads the Trojans in tackles with more than 120. … Marcus Caddell has 11 interceptions. … Scored 30 or more points in all but three games this season. … Losses came in their first two games, to McGuinness (9-7) and Millwood (36-31). … Broken Bow and Douglass played in the second round in 2008, with the Savages winning 27-18.

BROKEN BOW SAVAGES
Record: 12-0
Ranking: No. 1
Coach: Greg Werner, ninth season at Broken Bow
Previous state titles: 1972 (2A). 1973 (2A0, 1985 (4A), 1989 (3A),
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Vinita 29-8, beat Elgin 33-13
2009 record (playoffs): 8-4 (Beat Catoosa 31-7, lost to Weatherford 20-2)
Last week: The Savages jumped up 26-0 quickly on Elgin, then held on in the second half to return to the semifinals after missing out a year ago.
Player to watch: Eric Dockins, RB. Dockins hasn’t played yet in the playoffs with a deep thigh bruise but if he’s able to go, he’s among the best runners in the state. Through nine games, Dockins had 1,175 yards and 18 touchdowns on 183 carries.
Notable: Quarterback Payton Warner has thrown for more than 1,850 yards and 19 touchdowns and has more than 500 yards rushing. … Tory Wheeler and Trey Lee each have more than 600 receiving yards for the Savages. … Larry Maine is Broken Bow’s leading tackler and also leads the team in interceptions. … Only two teams have played Broken Bow within 20: Metro Christian (3) and Sallisaw (15). … Broken Bow and Douglass played in the second round in 2008, with the Savages winning 27-18.

CATOOSA INDIANS
Record: 10-2
Ranking: No. 7
Coach: Aaron Meier, second season at Catoosa
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Sallisaw 21-14, beat Clinton 21-19
2009 record (playoffs): 7-4 (Lost to Broken Bow 31-7)
Last week: The Indians were down 13-0 in the second quarter and 19-7 in the third quarter before scoring a pair of second-half touchdowns to beat the Red Tornadoes on the road.
Player to watch: Cole Scheulen, RB. The junior didn’t get into the end zone last week against Clinton but has had a steady impact on the Indians offense this season. He had 103 yards on 15 carries last week.
Notable: Indians quarterback Kalen Reimer threw for a touchdown and ran for the other two in last week’s win. … Ty Rainey had 86 yards and a touchdown receiving in the win over Clinton. … Matt Shepard’s interception with just less than two minutes left all but sealed Catoosa’s win. … Both of Catoosa’s playoff wins came on the road. … The Indians lost to Wagoner, 48-14, on the road Oct. 21.

WAGONER BULLDOGS
Record: 12-0
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Dale Condict, sixth season at Wagoner
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Fort Gibson 55-7, beat Glenpool 46-0
2009 record (playoffs): 8-4 (Beat Jay 35-0, lost to Douglass 14-0)
Last week: Prince McJunkins ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw for two more and Jordan Robinson ran for one and caught a touchdown pass as the Bulldogs scored more points than anyone had on Glenpool since 2004.
Player to watch: Prince McJunkins, QB. McJunkins gives the Bulldogs a dangerous run-pass threat. He’s thrown for 1,745 yards and 30 touchdowns with just one interception and ran for 595 yards and 10 scores.
Notable: Wagoner’s defense held Glenpool to less than 100 yards total offense, all on the ground. … Haven’t given up more than 14 points since district play began. … Scored 46 or more points in five consecutive games. … Kevin Peterson has nearly 700 yards on the ground. … Robinson is Wagoner’s leading receiver with 782 yards and 10 touchdowns. … Nick Cody leads the team in tackles with 113. … The Bulldogs beat Catoosa 48-14 on Oct. 21 at home.

Not so fast, my friend.

Millwood’s Josh Turner had a ridiculous night last week, but so did the Douglass defense. And considering the Trojan performance came against a top-five team with a semifinal berth on the line, I had to give them the edge.

Including a special-teams play by cornerback/receiver/everything senior Marcus Caddell, the Trojans made their two biggest plays when Oologah had the ball — Caddell’s blocked field goal, which he returned for a TD, and Devante McKinney’s 85-yard interception return TD.

Those two plays turned the game, but more than anything, the key was Douglass’ ability to stop Oologah’s run game. The Mustangs love the run, and Douglass shut it down. Not one single run play went for more than six yards all night. In all, 44 carries for 60 yards.

The passing game was able to hit for a few chunk plays, but they completed just 10 of 25 throws, of course, with the big pick-six. The defense was put in some tough situations, especially in the first half when Douglass had four of their five lost fumbles, but they held up each time.

It’ll take another big game from the Trojan D next week against a stout Broken Bow team, but these guys are on a gold ball mission, so I’m sure they’ll come out sharp.

Other contenders

Shon Bridges, Aliston Cobb and Donnell Ward, Douglass: Bridges completed all five throws he attempted, including the 36-yard TD to Ward, who also was a big part of that defensive performance. And Cobb had another standout performance, going for 138 yards on 15 carries, including two TDs.

Josh Turner, Kevonte Richardson and Brandon Swindall, Millwood: I mentioned Turner’s crazy night… here are the final numbers – 10 rushes for 142 yards and two TDs; three receptions for 121 yards. For the season, he’s over 700 rushing and receiving, shuffling back and forth between the two positions. He’ll probably be back at RB this week unless Shevin Patton is able to return. Richardson completed 11 of 20 passes for 307 yards and two scores, while rushing eight times for 50 yards. Swindall had six receptions for 130 yards, a TD, a two-point conversion and his 16th interception of the season.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

How they got here: Other than a 35-34 win over Catoosa in Week 6 and a 29-14 loss to Wagoner a week later, the Oologah schedule is full of double-digit victories, mostly blowouts like the playoff opener, a 51-26 rout of Hilldale. Douglass started 0-2 and has won nine straight, opening the playoffs with a 30-14 win over Elk City.

Why Oologah could win: The offense is flying high. Oologah has scored at least 43 points in each of the last four games, outscoring opponents 201-46, with the defense pitching two shutouts in that span. Douglass players are quick to point out how big Oologah is on the lines, which should make for some interesting showdowns at the line of scrimmage.

Why Douglass could win: Momentum. Douglass has nine straight wins and the understanding of what it takes to get to the title game, which can’t be forgotten. A lot of these players were major contributors or role players on last year’s 4A runner-up, so they’ve been through the playoff grind. The defensive line played a great second half against Elk City, and the offensive line has been good all year.

Quote: They’re real big up front, but hopefully we’ll be faster. This will be another good battle in the trenches.” – Douglass lineman Cayman Bundage

Key matchup: Oologah DBs vs. Douglass QB Shon Bridges. The primary focus of the Oologah defense has to be stopping RB Aliston Cobb, but stopping him doesn’t give you the automatic victory, as Glenpool found out a few weeks ago. If you’re good enough to stop the Trojan run game, you’d better also be ready to stop the big plays in the passing game with Bridges and WRs Marcus Caddell and Donnell Ward.

The pick: Douglass 24, Oologah 20. I’m looking forward to a whole bunch of pad-crunching Friday night at Moses Miller Stadium.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Patton had an ankle injury that slowed him for a few weeks early in the season, and the blowout victories has sent the starters to the sidelines early in a lot of games. But he’s had a few really good games, and that will be a key as the opponents get tougher.

We know the Falcons have the talent in the passing game, but they have proven they’ve got the weapons to run it more than effectively, too.

Other contenders

Aliston Cobb, Ian Robinson, Douglass linemen: Cobb broke the Douglass single-season rushing record, now at 1,832 with 25 touchdowns on the season. Robinson had a crucial interception returned for a touchdown. But the game was won in the trenches, where the Trojan O-line powered the run game, and the defensive line came through with six sacks. They’ve got a tough week ahead against a big, physical Oologah team this week.

Brandon Swindall, Kevonte Richardson, Millwood O-line: Swindall came up with two more interceptions — 15 on the year — and returned another for a TD, making eight in all. He also caught TD passes of 36 and 77 yards. Richardson threw two TD passes and rushed for another. And the offensive line powered the Falcons to 472 rushing yards on just 39 carries.

Why the Elks could win: The Air Show. Nobody on Douglass’ schedule throws the ball the way Will Davis and Elk City does. Davis has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, leading an offense that has scored at least 28 points eight times and at least 52 four times.

Why the Trojans could win: Power. With guys up front like Cayman Bundage, Devante McKinney and Ravi Riley, the Trojans will have the advantage in the trenches. Add in the run game of Aliston Cobb and Diontay Washington, and Douglass has two big keys to postseason success. And don’t forget about the effective passing attack of QB Shon Bridges.

Key matchup: Elk City’s Cody Lake vs. Douglass’ Marcus Caddell. Lake has more than 800 yards and 11 TDs receiving. Caddell has 10 picks, among the best in the state. These two will probably end up on the same side of the field quite often Friday night and it should be a fun matchup to watch. Elk City will need its top receiver to get heavily involved to knock off the 4A-2 champs.

The pick: Douglass 22, Elk City 17. Run game and ball control will get it done for the Trojans.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

I told you a few weeks ago about Douglass receiving a No. 7 national ranking from Rivals.com. This week, they come in at No. 25 in the ESNP RISE Fab 50.

Also making the list was Putnam City at No. 41.

Ironically, these are the two teams I’ve been out to watch practice this year, and both are very motivated to repeat as state champs. Plenty more to come in my season preview this weekend.

Here’s the full ESPN top 50.

His nine carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns propelled him to the school single-season record for rushing touchdowns, now with 22 on the year.

On top of that, he’s not far from breaking the school record for rushing yards, held by Quinton Neil at 1,648.

Cobb is at 1,598 yards, averaging 12.1 yards per carry for the season, so he’s likely to bust the record before halftime next week against Elk City.

His performance wasn’t the only impressive outing from the Trojans last Friday. QB Shon Bridges completed all nine of his pass attempts for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Donnell Ward caught five balls for 150 and three scores. RB Diontay Washington got two carries and went for 52 yards. Jas’Sen Stoner had 13 tackles, while Erik King and Cayman Bundage had 10 tackles and two sacks apiece.

In all, it was a strong showing for the Trojans as they head into the playoffs, trying to finish what they started last season.

Other contenders

Kevonte Richardson, Brandon Swindall, Shevin Patton and Michael Ervin, Millwood: Swindall had two more picks, and 13 for the season right now. Patton rushed for 88 yards and two scores, and he continues to get back to good health, adding just another weapon for the Falcons in the postseason. Ervin caught five passes for 104 yards, also rushing for 25 on two carries. But it was Richardson who really stood out. The QB was 17-of-23 for 240 yards, 86 rushing yards and a 65-yard interception return TD in the 35-7 win over Lexington.

Why Douglass could win: They showed last week that they don’t have to run the ball to win. QB Shon Bridges hit some big passes, proving that this is a two-dimensional offense. And the defense showed that it’s as tough as ever.

Why Cleveland could win: The Cleveland players know the two things they need to get in the playoffs, and No. 1 on that list is a win. They also need Santa Fe South to defeat Tecumseh, but nothing else matters if Cleveland doesn’t beat Douglass. 

Key matchup: Douglass run game vs. Cleveland defense. After a rough outing against Glenpool last week, I’d expect RBs Aliston Cobb and Diontay Washington to be super-motivated to get the ground attack going again. Those guys run hard anyway, and this week, I think they’ll be out to prove something — not that they need to, but it probably feels that way a little bit.

The pick: Douglass 24, Cleveland 18. Look for the Trojans to run the ball and control the clock.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Caddell had three receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half as the Trojans built a 20-6 lead. He had three interceptions, all in Douglass territory and two in the red zone. And he returned a kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown.

Douglass QB Shon Bridges earns honorable mention for his big plays in the passing game, completing four throws for 108 yards and two scores. 

Other contenders

Kevonte Richardson, Mike Cole and Shevin Patton, Millwood: Richardson put on a show, throwing for 114 yards and three TDs, rushing for 71 yards and a score, and taking a kickoff 82 yards to the house. Cole caught four passes for 78 yards and two TDs. Patton rushed for 121 yards on six carries with a touchdown. And Brandon Swinall took another pick back for a score, making for seven on the year.

John Marshall Bears: The Bears needed a win and they got it with a crucial 21-20 victory over Weatherford, a good motivational boost for a team that has a chance to win again this week against SeeWorth Academy. That would get them to .500 for the season.

I was expecting a close one, but I wasn’t expecting 103 total rushing yards from Douglass. That would have spelled defeat in my opinion.

But Shon Bridges made a few great throws and Marcus Caddell made big play after big play, particularly the 76-yard kickoff return TD and three interceptions — two in the red zone. It was an unbelievably impressive performance, because the big plays came at the most needed times.

Glenpool didn’t help itself with some critical penalties at horrible times and interesting play calls — like the QB draw on fourth and 15 with 33 seconds left in the game.

Douglass sealed up the 4A-2 title and Glenpool will battle Harrah for the second spot next week.

Each of their opponents in the first round of the playoffs will be decided next week. There’s a tie for third place in 4A-1 between Elk City and McGuinness. Elgin and Elk City play each other next week, while McGuinness faces Guymon. 

Douglass OL/DL Cayman Bundage left in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a knee injury. Hopefully it’s not serious, because Bundage plays a crucial role on the line for the Trojans. I’ll check in with Alexander to see how Bundage is doing later in the week.

Douglass concludes its regular season with senior night against Cleveland, which will be big, because this is the group of kids who came in as freshmen when Willis Alexander became the coach.

Why Glenpool could win: There’s no doubt this team is for real. Outside of a shutout loss to Cascia Hall, the Warriors haven’t been held to fewer than 34 points and they’ve scored at least 54 the last three weeks. Alton Adkins is one of the few running backs in the state who can match Douglass RB Aliston Cobb’s statistics. Cobb: 109 rushes for 1,334 yards (12.2 per carry) and 19 TDs. Adkins: 125 carries for 1,382 yards (11.1 per carry) and 17 scores.

Why Douglass could win: The run game and defense seem to be peaking right now. Last week was an impressive performance — a 47-0 win at Harrah — in a matchup against a top 10 team on the road. Defense is the big key. Linebacker play of leading tackler Jas’Sen Stoner and Erik King has been sharp. Marcus Caddell leads a talented secondary and the D-line is as stout as any in 4A.

Key matchup: Alton vs. Aliston. We already broke down the numbers, but these are two teams that count on their RBs for big plays. So the one who makes the most probably pulls out the win. Others could help out, like RB Diontay Washington or QB Shon Bridges for Douglass, or QB Connor Ferrell for Glenpool. But in big games, you need your playmakers to stand strong.

The pick: Douglass 27, Glenpool 24. This game is as much of a toss-up as you’ll see in this big a game.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Looking good

Douglass (6-2, 5-0)
Remaining games: vs. Glenpool, vs. Cleveland
Prognosis: Win this week and it’s all over. Douglass will sew up the 4A-2 title with a win against Glenpool on Friday. That would put them against the No. 4 from 4A-1, where Woodward and McGuinness are currently tied.

Millwood (8-0, 4-0)
Remaining games: at Northeast, at Lexington
Prognosis: One more win is all it will take to assure the Falcons of a district title and a playoff opener against the No. 4 seed from 2A-1 (right now it would be OCS or Tonkawa). Of course, that’s not what they’re chasing. Their goals are focused in December.

Barely hanging on

Northwest Classen (1-7, 1-4)
Remaining games: at Durant, at Lawton MacArthur
Prognosis: Must win out and get some help. The Knights are sitting in seventh one game behind a three-way tie for the fourth spot.

Northeast (2-6, 1-3)
Remaining games: vs. Millwood, at Jones
Prognosis: The good news is the Vikings could win twice and potentially get in. The bad news is they have to play the two best teams in the district the final two weeks.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

On Thursday, QB Kevonte Richardson was 19-of-30 for 454 yards. That’s 15.1 yards per pass — not per completion, per attempt. Nearly 24 yards per completion. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in leading the Falcons to a 53-22 win over Crooked Oak.

Helping him out were Josh Turner (seven rushes for 51 yards and a TD, seven receptions for 98 yards and a TD), Brandon Swindall (five catches for 200 yards and two TDs) and Mike Cole (five catches for 102 yards, one TD and a two-point conversion)

Other contenders

Aliston Cobb, Diontay Washington and the Douglass defense: When Cobb took the first handoff of the game and went 48 yards for the TD, you could tell Harrah wasn’t ready for the Trojans’ speed in the 47-0 Douglass win. Cobb finished with 210 yards and two TDs, while Washington added 102 yards and three scores to back the defense’s shutout of the Panthers — holding them to negative yardage in the second half. Marcus Caddell came up with two big interceptions in the first half as well.

Trevyone Willis, Northeast: Had scores of 88 yards (interception return) and 99 yards (kickoff return) in Northeast’s loss to Oklahoma Christian.

Christian Gorham and the Northwest defense: Gorham threw four TD passes and the Knights’ defense registered its first shutout since 2004 in defeating Capitol Hill 40-0.

Send OKC Player of the Week nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Impressive performance by the Trojans on all levels. Aside from some occasional trouble getting the snap — which led to six fumbles (two lost) — Douglass did pretty much everything well.

On the other side, nothing seemed to go right for the Panthers, who suffered their first loss.

Harrah breakdown: It was just one of those nights. Positive yards on first down, positive yards on second down, high shotgun snap on third down that kills a drive. Stuff like that kept happening all night long. The Panthers are better than the score represents.

And in one of the more emotional plays of the night, senior running back Trey Tuggle sustained an ankle injury. He just returned after breaking his hand, and was still playing with the left hand in a cast. He played just two series before hurting the ankle. He was in a lot of pain, but the frustration of another injury seemed to bother him more. He came out of the pile pounding the ground with his fist and slammed his helmet into the ground as he was helped off the field.

The key for Harrah is bouncing back with as much confidence as they had during the first seven games of the season. Nothing is over for them. They still have Glenpool on the schedule in Week 10, which means — with a little help — they can forge a tie for the top spot in the district.

Defensively, the Panthers struggled to contain the Trojans’ speed, but they’re tough and physical. That and their ability to run the ball will make them a dangerous team in the postseason.

Douglass breakdown: For everything that went wrong for Harrah, just as many things went right for Douglass. Defensively, they were on top of their game at all three levels. The linemen were controlling  the line of scrimmage and busting into the backfield. The linebackers were all over the place. The secondary was covering the pass and helping on the run.

DB Marcus Caddell had two picks. Jas’sen Stoner, the team’s leading tackler, made plays in pass coverage and on blitzes, as well as lateral coverage of the run. There were guys all over making plays all night.

You can’t say enough about the offensive line and running backs. Aliston Cobb finisheds with 210 yards and two scores. Diontay Washington goes for 102 and three scores. And they were both a threat to score each time they touched the ball.

And QB Shon Bridges was on top of his game, too. He hit on seven of his 10 pass attempts with two TDs.

Next week becomes huge. Douglass can clinch the 4A-2 title with a win, but Glenpool can’t, because of the remaining game against Harrah. Big game and it should be a fun one. Unless something wild happens, I’ll be at Moses F. Miller Stadium for all the action next Friday night.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Last week: Blowouts all around. Douglass powered past McLoud 48-13 and Harrah rolled past Santa Fe South 48-7.

Why the Trojans could win: After four ho-hum games, the Trojans are likely very excited to get on the field in a top-10 matchup. Since losing the first two games of the season, Douglass has been as dominant as anybody around. Together, Aliston Cobb and Diontay Washington have averaged 11 yards per carry with 23 touchdowns on the season.

Why the Panthers could win: To rip off a line from Lil’ Wayne, confidence is a stain you can’t wipe off. It’s hard to imagine any team more confident than Harrah after exploding onto the scene this season. With a defense that has yet to allow more than 14 points, the Panthers are capable of beating anyone.

Key matchup: Harrah run game vs. Douglass defensive front. The Panthers can move the ball effectively on the ground, and they’ll have to keep that part of the offense going if they’re going to have a shot at the upset. With big, athletic players in the front seven, like Devante McKinney, Ravi Riley, Cayman Bundage and Erik King, the Trojans can fill up running lanes quickly.

The pick: Douglass 27, Harrah 17. Two good defenses and two good rushing attacks. This game will be played in a cloud of dust. It’ll be a good one, but last year’s 4A runner-up is just too strong for the upstart Panthers.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

But I can’t say that this team will win on Thursday night.

Yes, the Panthers are at home, where they’ve outscored 82-20 in three games. But they haven’t faced a defense or a run game like the Trojans will bring to town.

Aliston Cobb is averaging 11.6 yards per carry with more than 1,000 yards and 17 TDs on just 94 carries. And sophomore Diontay Washington is averaging 10 per carry with more than 500 yards on 56 carries.

The Douglass defense is playing well lately, too. Only Millwood has managed to score more than 18 points on them this season and no district opponent has had more than 13.

The Trojans have an even bigger game on the horizon, with a visit from Glenpool coming in Week 9, but the Trojans are ready to get on the field for a big game this week.

I’ve battled back to 3-4 on my locks of the week, so I’m looking for another victory to get me to .500.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Last week: Douglass powered past Cushing, 55-6. Despite its best offensive output of the season, McLoud lost to Cleveland, 54-34.

Why the Trojans could win: Reason No. 1, Aliston Cobb, who I wrote about earlier this week. He’s a powerful running back, and Diontay Washington is a dangerous backup. With its daunting run game and improving passing attack, the Trojans should be going strong when they meet up with currently unbeaten Harrah in Week 8.

Why the Redskins could win: It’s a tough task, but Eric Cardin’s kids are young. They’re growing up, and you never know when things might come together. Still, this team doesn’t appear ready to pull this kind of upset.

Key matchup: Douglass run game vs. McLoud defensive front. If the ‘Skins can’t stop Cobb and Washington, they can’t beat the Trojans.

The pick: Douglass 45, McLoud 14.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Cobb tacked on three more touchdowns this week in a rout of Cushing, bringing his season total to 14, which isn’t quite as impressive as Cobb’s 11.6 yard-per-carry average. Barring something unforseen, Cobb will go past the 1,000-yard mark next week.

For the year, he has 954 yards on just 82 carries. With Diontay Washington, Ian Robinson and Shon Green adding some punch in that backfield as well, then guys like Marcus Caddell at receiver, the Douglass offense is dangerous. And that’s good news, considering Willis Alexander is a guy that lives on defense. And the Trojans are pretty solid over there, too.

Other contenders

Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner, Millwood: Ridiculous, simply ridiculous. The numbers these guys are putting up, the big plays they’re making — amazing. Turner had TD catches of 43 and 81 yards. Swindall scored from 8, 33 and 74 yards, the last two in the fourth quarter to close out Millwood’s rally for a 45-38 win. Swindall finished with 189 yards receiving and Turner had 158.

Kody Stamm and Dejon Brison, John Marshall: Bruce Troxell was pleased with the play of guys like Denzelle Johnson, Kody Shields and Delante Scroggins, but it was his senior linemen who really stood out. Stamm and Brison led the way as the Bears got back in the win column.

Stevo Henderson, Star Spencer: Henderson had a 68-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, the lone offensive bright spot for the Bobcats in a 35-8 loss.

Send OKC Player of the Week nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Christian Gorham, Northwest Classen: The Knight QB tossed a pair of TD passes in NWC’s loss to Duncan.

But Millwood’s Brandon Swindall put up those numbers as a defensive back. The 6-foot-4 senior intercepted four passes and returned three of them for touchdowns of 18, 77 and 87 yards in Friday’s 60-6 win over Luther.

For the season, Swindall has nine total touchdowns — five receiving and four interception returns. He’s among the state’s top receivers with 423 yards, and he’s been a big-play threat all season.

It’s just a matter of time before recruiting explodes for this kid. He’s taller and faster than a year ago, and once teams get a good look at his senior game tape, they’re going to be lining up for him.

Other contenders

Aliston Cobb, Douglass: The senior RB rushed for 187 yards and scored four times as Douglass won its second straight blowout.

Trevyone Willis and London Potts, Northeast: Willis scored three times from 51, 63 and 94 yards in a loss to Christian Heritage. Potts threw to him for the 63- and 94-yard scores. Potts also rushed in for a two-point conversion.

Josh Turner, Millwood: The Texas commit had three TDs and more than 100 yards rushing in the 60-6 win over Luther.

Kody Shields, John Marshall: Shields had a 48-yard TD run as the SeBears pounded out 215 yards on the ground, despite losing to a powerful Kingfisher squad.

– Send OKC Player of the Week nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Last week: Douglass coasted to a 62-7 win at Tecumseh. SFS was dealt a 43-20 loss at Cleveland.

Why Douglass could win: The Trojan run game is powering ahead in a dangerous way behind a stout offensive line that had to battle through injuries early in the year. But they’ve shown they’re still among the best offensive fronts in the class. And the defense is only allowing 213 yards per game.

Why SFS could win: The pass-and-catch duo of Jameson Ballinger and Abraham Luna is a big-play combo that they will try to utilize as often as possible. The offense is averaging 34 points per game. The defense has been up-and-down, giving up 40 or more in the two losses and 14 combined in the two victories.

Key matchup: Luna vs. Douglass DB Marcus Caddell. Caddell has shutdown cornerback talents, and if he prevents Luna from getting open deep, it will force Ballinger to utilize his other targets. Luna has five of the team’s 11 receiving TDs on just 16 catches, so when the ball goes to him, SFS is looking to score. It’ll most often be Caddell’s job to contain him.

The pick: Douglass 31, SFS 17. That Trojan ground attack of Aliston Cobb and Diontay Washington is just too much.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

There will be lots of interactive events for the fans, including a dunk contest, 3-point shootout and half-court shot contest. The team will be selling T-shirts, posters and their famous sweatsuits.

One player on the team, Dorian Williams, already has committed to Missouri State, and multiple others have scholarship offers as the Trojans try to follow up on last year’s 30-0 run to the Class 4A state championship.

Douglass coach Terry Long has put together an unbelievably tough schedule this season. Aside from hosting their own classic with some strong out-of-state teams coming in, the Trojans will play in the Dallas/Fort Worth Thanksgiving Hoopfest, the Beach Ball Classic at Myrtle Beach, S.C. the week after Christmas and the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., in early January. And of course, there’s that always tough All City Conference schedule.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Aliston Cobb rushed for 117 yards on 12 carries and Diontay Washington had 103 on 12 carries as the Trojans piled up 350 yards on the ground.

That run game even opened up some passing opportunities for QB Shon Bridges, who had his best game to date through the air. Bridges was 7-of-11 for 175 yards, including a 71-yard TD toss to Marcus Caddell.

Other contenders

Darion Bogus and Kenneth Davis, Star Spencer: Bogus had his best throwing week of the season, throwing for 157 yards on 6-of-12 completions in the victory over Chandler. Davis, a sophomore, forced two turnovers, scored a TD and had 16 tackles.

Kevonte Richardson, Millwood: Richardson’s season has been crazy good so far — more to come on that in Thursday’s paper — and Friday was no different. Richardson was 10-of-16 for 226 yards and three TDs. He also rushed five times for 46 yards.

Trevyone Willis and London Potts, Northeast: Willis scored twice as the Vikings fell to a top-10 team, lexington. Potts threw two TD passes, one to Willis and one to Aron Gaines.

Terry Arnold, Northwest: Arnold caught a 36-yard TD pass from Christian Gorham. Arnold has been one of the Knights’ most reliable weapons at receiver all year.

– Send POW nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

First off the list is 6-foot-2 guard Dorian Williams, who committed to Missouri State after a weekend visit to the Springfield campus.

Williams is a good ballhandler, probably a combo guard at the next level. He has a solid frame, plays strong defense and gets to the rim well. He averaged 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, starting much of the season on the Trojans’ 30-0 squad that won the Class 4A state title.

I hope to speak with Williams and Douglass coach Terry Long later today to talk about Williams’ commitment.

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

And though the numbers might not appear to make sense, I’m going with the Millwood defense as the Oklahoma City Players of the Week. Yes, the Falcon D gave up 41 points and 362 yards, but less than 100 of those yards came in the second half when Millwood needed their defense the most.

And the defense got takeaways on McGuinness’ first two possessions of the game — including the interception Clifford Lawrence took back 73 yards for a touchdown — to help the Falcons build a 20-0 lead.

Kevonte Richardson’s 200 passing yards and 144 rushing yards — including a 92-yard TD run — were ultra-impressive. Smae for Mike Cole’s three catches for three TDs. Brandon Swindall had multiple important catches and Shevin Patton averaged more than 10 yards per carry at running back.

And Millwood needed all of those contributions, but the top award goes to the defense, guys like Lawrence, Larry Seals, Josh Turner and Davion Pierson.

Seals was all over the place all night long, despite playing with a huge cast on one hand. Pierson battled dehydration throughout the night, but came up with two huge plays on McGuinness’ final offensive series, making a tackle in the backfield and sniffing out a screen pass to make another stop at the line of scrimmage.

That play came right before Swindall’s interception that sealed the victory.

Other contenders

Marcus Caddell and Diontay Washington, Douglass: Washington rushed for 60 yards on 10 carries, including two early TDs, and Caddell made the game’s biggest play, a 38-yard interception return for a score.

Jay Gogue, Southeast: Gogue led the Spartans to a third straight win, knocking off Capitol Hill. Gogue rushed for 165 yards and five TDs.

Brison Currin, Centennial: Coach Mark Ryan praised his quarterback for managing the offense well as the Bison head into Week 4 with a 2-1 record.

Aron Gaines and Migual Potts, Northeast: Each player had two TDs, with Gaines pulling in scoring receptions of 12 and 30 yards, and Potts rushing for scores of 48 and 54 yards as the Vikings defeated Riverside 38-6.

Send nominations for OKC Player of the Week to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Last week: Douglass lost a thriller to Millwood, 36-31, when QB Shon Bridges was knocked out of bounds a yard short of the goal line on the final play. Star Spencer was dealt a 27-14 setback to upstart Southeast.

Why Douglass could win: With their offensive line and running backs, the Trojans are going to be able to pound the ground attack on anyone. And just when you think that’s all they’re going to do, Bridges will toss a pass to Marcus Caddell or DeVante McKinney and hit you with a big gain. They aren’t throwing a lot, but when they do, it’s productive. 

Why Star could win: There’s a lot of pride on the line in this game. After beating Douglass for the gold ball last year, Star wants to show that they haven’t suffered a major dropoff. Star doesn’t have the depth of Douglass, but if they can find a way to establish the run game and avoid big mistakes, they should keep themselves in it.

Quote: “We set up this schedule to get us ready for November. That’s why you play tough games.” — Douglass coach Willis Alexander

Key matchup: Star QB Darion Bogus vs. Douglass secondary. Millwood was able to hit some big passes on the Trojans, but Star doesn’t have the same type of weapons in the passing game. Bogus will need to complete some throws and avoid mistakes to keep running lanes open for the Bobcat backs. Otherwise Douglass will load up on the run and make it a tough day for the Star offense.

The pick: Douglass 35, Star Spencer 21. Star is still building their way back after losing so many seniors last year, and they’ve been susceptible to big run plays in their first two games. I’d look for Douglass to grind this one out and wear Star down in the end. Douglass is probably the state’s best 0-2 team.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

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

Hours later, still kinda getting an adrenaline rush from seeing the highlights from the Millwood 36-31 win against Douglass. Just a sensational game.

Go ahead and laugh at me on the final play video. Here’s what happened: I was following the play, but then I started to watch it more with my eyes than the camera to see if Shon Bridges had scored. Brandon Swindall knocked Bridges out of bounds at the 1 yard line to preserve the win.

Then I remembered to try to shoot it. I get the tail end of it. And then the camera goes all funky because now I’m running across the field to get celebration shots. So yes, don’t quit my day job.

Wind and the PA announcer make it kind of tough, but here is what Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner had to say. And spliced in are thoughts from myself and Scott Wright.

Millwood celebrates after a memorable 36-31 win against Douglass in the Soul Bowl.

When it comes to Oklahoma high school football history, it’s safe to say I really don’t have much to look back on.

But in my three years of covering high school sports, and football in particular, nothing has matched the quality of play and drama witnessed Saturday at Moses F. Miller Stadium

For those that weren’t there, Millwood won 36-31. Star receiver Brandon Swindall knocked Douglass QB Shon Bridges out of bounds at the 1 or 2 yard line as time expired.

Wow.

Take a breath.

Wow.

I am humbled by the efforts of both of these teams. Millwood was clearly sucking wind from the second quarter on.

Taking a much bigger team with more kids on a Saturday afternoon, left those kids with nothing in the gas tank.

Swindall and Texas commit Josh Turner (among several others) could barely stand when it was all over. Most of the Falcons’ stars play both ways. And you don’t think about heat problems Friday nights. But man, you could feel the heat Saturday afternoon.

Turner scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:27 left, beating the Douglass secondary one final time.

I am humbled by a team that had every reason to pack it in when trailing 18-6 at halftime. But didn’t. Willis Alexander’s team never said die and took its first lead of the game on Aliston Cobb’s third touchdown of the game.

I will continue to harp about how great Cobb is. I really think he’s going to end up being one of the best backs in the state.

Bridges got off to a slow start but came on strong in the second half. It would have been the stuff of legends had he not been stopped by Swindall.

You want stars? You got ‘em. Millwood’s Kevonte Richardson threw for five touchdowns and rushed for another. Swindall, to go with the game-saving tackle, had three receiving touchdowns. Douglass’ Marcus Caddell had a kickoff return for a score. A little bit of everything in this instant classic.

My biggest question is what will these teams have left on a short week? It doesn’t get any easier for the Falcons as they welcome 4A No. 2 Bishop McGuinness. Douglass has one last rivalry battle with Star Spencer on its docket.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- Turner’s a tough dude. The Texas commit impressed me with how physical he was in this game. He made a big sack, stopped a two-point conversion and constantly stuck his head in the mix of all the big boys.

- How is Swindall not the best receiver in the state? You watch this game and tell me how. Lawton’s Tyrequek Zimmerman and Mustang’s David Glidden are special talents, but this was a dominant performance.

- Bridges showed incredible heart and poise. Two turnovers late in the first half had the Trojans in a horrible spot entering the second half. He was a lot sharper in the second half, and he made some big runs down the stretch.

- How about that atmosphere? That was just a fun game to be a part of. It was great to stand on the Millwood sidelines in the first half and Douglass sidelines in the second half and just soak it all in.

- Douglass is the best 0-2 team in the state, if that’s any consolation. The Trojans lost by two points at McGuinness and now this heartbreaker.

- Both teams don’t have a kicking game, and it gave us some weird scores and a lot of interesting possibilities. A lot of two-point conversions attempted.

- Anybody wondering, yes, that was a catch by Micheal Cole on fourth down in that final drive. I was right there looking at it. That was an incredible catch, but yes, definitely a catch.

- All you need to know:

“I don’t think a state championship could compare to this,” said Millwood’s Josh Turner, who caught the 27-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Kevonte Richardson with 1:27 left. “This means a lot, because this is tradition right here. We just made history.”

- Look for a ginormous video of this game on NewsOK this weekend. I shot a lot of video since I didn’t have to write about the game (that was Scott Wright’s job). And here’s what Scott wrote.

Up next: Millwood (2-0) at McGuinness (2-0). Douglass (0-2) at Star Spencer (0-2).