All-City Preview basketball tournaments begin Tuesday
Douglass junior Stephen Clark and the two-time defending Class 4A state champion Trojans will be in action at the All-City Preview tournament, which begins on Tuesday night.
The All-City Preview, the preseason basketball tournament featuring the Oklahoma City Public Schools and Millwood, begins Tuesday evening at Northwest Classen and Capitol Hill. The tournaments will be concluded on Thursday with championship and third-place games, as well as loser’s bracket competition.
Each site will host seven games on Tuesday, between both boys and girls teams. All 11 schools from the All-City Athletic Conference will participate, including a pair defending champions, the Douglass and Centennial boys teams.
Here is the schedule for Tuesday’s games:
Girls
At Capitol Hill
5 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Centennial
6 p.m.: Classen SAS vs. Capitol Hill
7 p.m.: Northeast vs. Star/Centennial winner
8 p.m.: Douglass vs. Classen/Capitol Hill winner
At Northwest Classen
5:30 p.m.: US Grant vs. John Marshall
6:30 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Southeast
7:30 p.m.: Millwood vs. US Grant/John Marshall winner
Boys
At Northwest Classen
5 p.m.: Southeast vs. US Grant
6 p.m.: Millwood vs. John Marshall
7 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Southeast/US Grant winner
8 p.m.: Centennial vs. Millwood/John Marshall winner
At Capitol Hill
5:30 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Classen SAS
6:30 p.m.: Capitol Hill vs. Northeast
7:30 p.m.: Douglass vs. Star/Classen winner
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Picks: Week 9
Ryan picked up another game on Jason and Scott last week on the strenght of his pick of Lawton over Edmond North and Sallisaw over Hilldale. Only Scott missed his lock last week, missing on Wagoner-Catoosa.
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.
Picks: Week 8
Ryan had a big week last week, picking up three games on Jason and four on Scott after picking Kingfisher, Hennessey, Lawton Eisenhower and Weatherford correctly. All three of us missed out on Stillwater’s win over Owasso and Tulsa Kelley’s over Tulsa Washington.
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 OL Cayman Bundage still committed to Arizona, but monitoring changes
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
Rankings preview: Oct. 1
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#5-0
2. Jenks (2)#4-1
3. Midwest City (3)#5-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#4-1
5. Norman (5)#5-0
6. Edmond North (7)#5-0
7. Putnam City (9)#5-0
8. Edmond Santa Fe (NR)#4-1
9. Owasso (8)#3-2
10. Lawton (6)#3-2
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.
Rankings preview: Sept. 24
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#4-0
2. Jenks (2)#3-1
3. Midwest City (3)#4-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#3-1
5. Norman (5)#4-0
6. Lawton (6)#3-1
7. Edmond North (7)#4-0
8. Owasso (9)#2-2
9. Putnam City (10)#4-0
10. Stillwater (NR)#3-1
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.
Scott’s Weekend Rewind: PC North, Edmond Santa Fe, Douglass with big wins in Week 2
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.
Gameday for Douglass in DFW (with link to live stats)
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
Scott Wright on the road with the Douglass Trojans
I can’t remember the last time I went out of town on Labor Day weekend, but that’s the life of a sportswriter in Oklahoma. So I’m really looking forward to the next two days.
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
Douglass sells more than 1,000 tickets for game at Cowboys Stadium
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
