Class 6A
1. Jenks (1)#10-0
Why they’re not lower: Because the Trojans are the only team to go 10-0 in Class 6A.

2. Tulsa Union (2)#9-1
Why they’re not higher: Because the Redskins lost head-to-head to Jenks.
Why they’re not lower: Because their only loss is to Jenks (a two-point win) and they beat Broken Arrow — and everyone else — on their schedule.

3. Broken Arrow (3)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: Because the Tigers only two losses came to Jenks and Tulsa Union.
Why they’re not lower: They beat everyone else, including Bartlesville last night. They also own wins over Owasso, Claremore and Tulsa Washington.

4. Southmoore (4)#9-1
Why they’re not higher: Because they’re the only team of these top four to lose to a lower-ranked team. The SaberCats have also found themselves in more close games than any of the top four.
Why they’re not lower: An impressive list of wins in non-district and 6A-1: Edmond Memorial and Midwest City in non-district and Del City, Lawton and Mustang in district play. Other than Jenks, Southmoore has the best list of wins.

5. Midwest City (5)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: The only thing keeping the Bombers this low is non-district losses to Del City and Southmoore and its hard to vault them over the SaberCats with their previously discussed credentials.
Why they’re not lower: They’ve gone through a relatively weak district and done exactly what a really good team should — destroy everyone. The Bombers closest district game was a 22-7 win over 6A-2 runner-up Edmond Memorial. None of the others were decided by less than 29 points.

6. Mustang (7)#7-3
Why they’re not higher: Losses to now-lower ranked Edmond North and Lawton.
Why they’re not lower: I originally had Mustang No. 7 before going back and doing a side-by-side comparison with Bartlesville. Mustang has wins over playoff teams Yukon and Putnam North and you’ve still got to consider their win over Del City as a good win. Since Daniel Farrow’s return, Mustang has been among the top teams in 6A, even considering last night’s close loss.

7. Bartlesville (6)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: Because other than their two losses, Bartlesville played just two playoff teams (Claremore and Enid) and the Enid game was close, as was the Muskogee game (35-30).
Why they’re not lower: The Bruins played Jenks and Broken Arrow respectably in losses and have wins over Claremore and Enid. The schedule might not have been super-tough outside of the two losses by the Bruins did what they needed to do.

8. Lawton (9)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: Back-to-back losses to Del City and Southmoore in the sixth and seventh weeks and, for better or worse, they beat Mustang before Daniel Farrow was eligible for the Broncos. That doesn’t change how I view Lawton and it was still a great win but it does change how I viewed the loss for Mustang, which affects the rankings as a whole.
Why they’re not lower: Wins over Mustang, Putnam North and Mustang (and 5A Lawton MacArthur, which has looked a lot more like the top-level 5A team they are recently). Finishing second in a brutal 6A-1 is enough to justify a top-eight ranking.

9. Edmond Memorial (10)#7-3
Why they’re not higher: A 1-3 start, with losses to Southmoore, Del City and Midwest City. The Bulldogs also haven’t shown the offensive explosion the teams ahead of them have, only scoring more than 28 points once — even with some teams on the schedule that should’ve turned into Memorial blowouts.
Why they’re not lower: Defense. Three shutouts, the only teams scoring 20 or more points against them were Southmoore and Midwest City and just some flat-out dominant defensive performances. Neither of those teams, though, scored more than 22. The Bulldogs will go as far as their defense takes them.

10. Putnam North (NR)#7-3
Why they’re not higher: The loss to Norman North, given the Timberwolves late-season struggles when they started playing the top part of 6A-1, holds the Panthers down.
Why they’re ranked: The Panthers turned right around from that loss to Norman North and pulled off the biggest upset of the season in 6A when they knocked off Southmoore 30-28. They also closed the season with a dominating performance in a 34-7 win over a Del City team that had been pretty good this season.

Others:
Owasso (6-4)
Why they’re not ranked: They probably would’v’e been back in the rankings if not for a 7-3 loss to Stillwater last night.

Del City (7-3)
Why they’re not ranked: Back-to-back losses to end the season including a blowout loss to Putnam North to end the season. The Eagles are, far and away, the best team not going to the playoffs.

Enid (6-4)
Why they’re not ranked: Losses to Owasso and Choctaw, with one win against playoff-bound teams (10-7 over Yukon) doesn’t make for a top-10 team.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (1)#10-0
Why they’re not lower: The Comets win over Tulsa Washington to begin district play was an eye-opener. That’s whne they vaulted to No. 1. But since, the Comets have kept things rolling, with wins over Bixby, Pryor and Tulsa Hale among their perfect record. And their 10-9 win over Class 4A McGuinness turned out to be a pretty good win as well.

2. El Reno (2)#10-0
Why they’re not higher: Hard to argue with El Reno’s resume. Kelley’s just wound up being a bit better with more wins over quality opponents. But the Indians did beat Guthrie (18-0), Lawton MacArthur (42-17) and Duncan (14-7 last night) so that does give me pause.
Why they’re not lower: 10-0. The blowout win over Lawton MacArthur turned out to be very impressive. El Reno’s defense is the toughest in 5A, having allowed no opponent to score more than 21 (and that was in a 47-21 win).

3. Shawnee (3)#10-0
Why they’re not higher: Part of it has to do with where Shawnee started the season ranked and that Tulsa Kelley turned in a signature win that vaulted them ahead of the Wolves. There’s certainly an argument to be made for Shawnee as No. 1 (and Tulsa Kelley and El Reno as well).
Why they’re not lower: Like El Reno, 10-0. With only one other Class 5A team with as many as nine wins, third is as low as you can justify the Wolves, especially with wins over Carl Albert and Guthrie on the resume.

4. Tulsa Washington (4)#5-5*
Why they’re not higher: Losses to Broken Arrow and Tulsa Kelley back-to-back earlier in the season. They then had to forfeit three more games that ended any playoff hopes.
Why they’re not lower: First of all, let’s address the forfeits. In each one of those games, Tulsa Washington would’ve won anyway. The player in question didn’t make the kind of difference that would’ve changed the outcome. That’s not to say the forfeits are unfair. They absolutely make sense and the rule as its written is the way to enforce it. To on-the-field performance, the Hornets started the season with a win over then-No. 2 Carl Albert and ended with a win over Bixby. They also handed Tulsa East Central its only loss of the season. The Hornets, even at 5-5, are deserving of a No. 4 ranking. They’re also deserving of the asterisk that goes along with the forfeits that are keeping them out of the playoffs.
*Record includes three forfeits of games won by Tulsa Washington.

5. Carl Albert (5)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: Losses to Tulsa Washington and Shawnee, plain and simple. If you take only on-the-field performance into the equation, as I’ve said I was doing with Tulsa Washington, fifth is the highest you can make an argument for Carl Albert.
Why they’re not lower: Wins over Duncan (38-6), Guthrie (40-7) and Ardmore (47-14), all playoff teams and none particularly close. The Titans weren’t challenged in any of their eight wins during the regular season. Just as an argument can’t be made for Carl Albert to be higher when you take BTW’s on-the-field performance into the equation, an argument can’t be made for the Titans to be lower. They did get beat soundly by Washington but led Shawnee late.

6. Tulsa East Central (6)#9-1
Why they’re not higher: A 28-7 Week 2 loss to Tulsa Washington. If the Cardinals find a way to win that game and everything else is the same, its probably East Central who sits atop the rankings. They did, though, also have close calls against Tulsa Central (trailed into the second half before they wore the Braves down), Tulsa Edison (17-6 final) and Ada (24-21).
Why they’re not lower: Wins over playoff-bound Tulsa Hale, Wagoner, Tulsa Central, Ada and McAlester. The Cardinals are also one of only five 5A teams to register nine or more regular-season wins.

7. McAlester (7)#9-1
Why they’re not higher: A 22-6 loss to Tulsa East Central. That’s the only reason.
Why they’re not lower: Wins over 4A Broken Bow and 5A playoff-bound Ardmore in non-district play and wins over Tulsa Central and Ada in district play helped the Buffaloes cap an impressive regular season.

8. Tulsa Central (9)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: A pair of close losses to teams ranked ahead of them — Tulsa East Central and McAlester.
Why they’re not lower: The Braves stayed close in both of their losses and beat Ada to finish third in their district. They also have one of the state’s top playmakers in Demarco Cobbs.

9. Bixby (8)#6-4
Why they’re not higher: The Spartans 6-4 record is by far the worst on-the-field record of the ranked teams. Bixby lose to Jenks, Glenpool, Tulsa Kelley and Tulsa Washington. Not a bad loss among them but they still lost.
Why they’re not lower: They did beat Claremore, Pryor and Tulsa Hale and played both Kelley and Washington close. Bixby is still a top 10 team.

10. Duncan (10)#8-2
Why they’re not higher: In the end, the resumes of Bixby and Tulsa Central wound up being slightly better. They also didn’t blow out some teams that maybe they should’ve, beating Altus by just one and Deer Creek by three. Like it or not, style points matter sometimes.
Why they’re ranked: The Demons beat Lawton MacArthur 35-34 and stayed closes than anyone against El Reno last night. I considered dropping them out but in the end, Duncan deserves to be in the top 10.

Others:
Lawton MacArthur (7-3)
Why they’re not ranked: The loss to Duncan wound up keeping the Highlanders out.

Guthrie (6-4)
Why they’re not ranked: Just one win over a playoff-bound team (Ardmore). The Bluejays were only blown out once (a 40-7 loss to Carl Albert) but lost all their key games other than the Ardmore win.

Ada (7-3)
Why they’re not ranked: Lost three of their last five games, all to ranked teams. Like Guthrie, Ada’s lone win over a playoff-bound team came against Ardmore.

Class 4A
1. Weatherford (2)#10-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: Easiest answer since Jenks. The Eagles are the lone undefeated team in 4A and won the district with the most serious title contenders in the state.

2. McGuinness (3)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked higher: Head-to-head loss to a Weatherford team that went undefeated.
Why they’re not ranked lower: The Irish beat Douglass head-to-head and had impressive wins over Guthrie and Millwood in non-district play. Even in the loss to Weatherford, McGuinness fell just one point short. The Irish’s only other loss was to 5A No. 1 Tulsa Kelley, also a one-point loss.

3. Douglass (4)#7-3
Why they’re not ranked higher: Head-to-head losses to Weatherford and McGuinness.
Why they’re not ranked lower: Their losses came 14-7 to the two top teams in 4A and by six to a Millwood team that then had Trayvon Henry, they beat Star Spencer 34-28 (which wound up being the tiebreaker for the third spot).

4. Star Spencer (6)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked higher: Non-district losses to Millwood and Douglass. That’s it. Since, the Bobcats have been nothing short of dominant.
Why they’re not ranked lower: 34-20 against Glenpool, ending the Warriors’ 23-game winning streak and scoring more than anyone had on Glenpool since 2006.

5. Glenpool (1)#9-1
Why they’re not ranked higher: See Star Spencer.
Why they’re not ranked lower: Wins over Bixby and Berryhill in non-district and an altogether dominating run through district play before running into Star Spencer.

6. Sallisaw (5)#9-1
Why they’re not ranked higher: A 35-16 loss to Wagoner in Week 9. Although Matt Oberste was injured early in the game, such a decisive win by Wagoner pushed Sallisaw way down.
Why they’re not ranked lower: The Black Diamonds did beat Poteau and Broken Bow to win another deep 4A district.

7. Broken Bow (7)#7-3
Why they’re not ranked higher: Three consecutive losses to McAlester, Metro Christian and Sallisaw early in the season. Can’t really make a an argument to go ahead of Sallisaw with the record disparity.
Why they’re not ranked lower: All of those losses were close (7 points in the first two and 13 to Sallisaw) and the Savages beat Wagoner in a close game and blew out Poteau.

8. Wagoner (8)#7-3
Why they’re not ranked higher: Losses to Tulsa East Central, Poteau and Broken Bow. The Poteau loss is what really pushed the Bulldogs down at the time.
Why they’re not ranked lower: They did hand Sallisaw its only loss, Matt Oberste injury or no. The losses, also, were all against good teams and the two district losses came by a combined four points.

9. Poteau (9)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked higher: Back-to-back blowout losses to Sallisaw and Broken Bow after the Pirates pulled off an impressive upset over Waoner.
Why they’re not ranked lower: 15-14 win over Wagoner. Its by far the Pirates’ signature win. Other than that, Poteau beat just one Oklahoma playoff bound team and that was 2A Spiro.

10. Oologah (10)#7-3
Why they’re not ranked higher: Oologah lost to eventual district-winner Jay 33-16. The other two losses were too damaging, as they lose to 6A playoff team Claremore and a pretty good 3A Sequoyah Claremore team.
Why they’re ranked: Wins over district rivals Collinsville, Catoosa and Grove. That and Jay’s shutout loss to Catoosa last week.

Others:
Jay (7-3)
Why they’re not ranked: Non-dsitrict losses to Gravette, Ark., and Pryor kept Jay out early and a 9-0 loss to Catoosa kept it from entering the rankings last week.

Tecumseh (8-2)
Why they’re not ranked: Tecumseh entered the rankinigs twice and prompty got throttled by a combined 89-6 by Glenpool and Star Spencer. No shame there but they did need overtime to beat Cleveland last night and played Noble, Harrah, McLoud and Seminole close. That’s way too many close calls to be ranked with the blowout losses.

Catoosa (7-3)
Why they’re not ranked: An overtime loss to Tahlequah, blowout losses to Tulsa Kelley and Oologah. None too devastating but combined with close wins over Skiatook, Collinsville and Grove and Jay and Oologah are better candidates for rankings in a tight 4A-3.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#9-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: The defending champions have been stellar this season, with only a Week 9 win over Sequoyah Claremore being decided by loss than 18 points.

2. Tuttle (2)#10-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: Perfect regular-season, including wins over Clinton, Elgin, Blanchard and Kingfisher.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Cascia Hall’s perfection.

3. Madill (3)#10-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: Dominating 10-0 season. They Bethany game was Madill’s only close game (17-10). No other even came closer than 24 points. They Wildcats three primary offensive threats are as good of a trio as any in the state regardless of class.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Cascia Hall and Tuttle’s perfection.

4. Metro Christian (4)#10-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: Metro beat Broken Bow, in non-district play, Checotah in district play and the two-point win over Roland doesn’t look as puzzling now as it did at the time. Hard to argue with 10-0.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Cascia Hall, Tuttle and Madill’s perfection.

5. Berryhill (5)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: Win over Sequoyah Claremore in Week 6. Its only losses came to then-5A No. 1 Glenpool and to 3A No. 1 Cascia Hall.

6. Clinton (6)#7-3
Why they’re not ranked lower: Two of the Red Tornadoes losses came to 4A No. 1 Weatherford and 3A No. 2 Tuttle (a one-point loss). The other was 32-24 to Anadarko without standout running back Delans Griffin. They did beat Elgin by 20 last week and blew out Chandler 28-0 in non-district play. Clinton now looks like a legitimate championship contender.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Even without Griffin, Clinton did lose to a non-playoff team. Only argument to be made would be Clinton over Berryhill but Berryhill’s win over Sequoyah Claremore was just more impressive than Clinton’s over Elgin.

7. Sequoyah Claremore (7)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: Only losses came to Berryhill and Cascia Hall. They beat Verdigris, Sperry and Oologah in non-district play and all relatively comfortably. There’s no mind-blowing wins in that list but they are all playoff teams in their classes.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Clinton’s 7-3 resume was a bit better than Sequoyah’s 8-2. They losses were close but Clinton played a slightly toughest schedule.

8. Elgin (9)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: They beat Plainview and Sulphur in non-district play and beat Blanchard 34-13 last night in a game that wound up being for a Top 10 spot. They also beat Anadarko by 19 midway through the season in what was at the time a high win in the district.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Their losses were slightly worse than Sequoyah Claremore’s. Elgin lost by 19 to Tuttle and 20 to Clinton. Sequoyah was at least close in its losses, which were against comparable quality teams.

9. Purcell (10#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: An impressive six-game winning streak to end the season, including wins over Bethany and Pauls Valley. The Lindsay and Washington wins to start the season also look pretty good now.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Back-to-back losses to Lexington and Madill early in the season where neither was particularly close. No shame in those losses, especially to Madill, but other than Clinton’s loss to Anadarko, no team ahead of Purcell had a loss to a now-unranked team in the class.

10. Blanchard (8)#7-3
Why they’re not ranked lower: Blanchard beat Bridge Creek and Lindsay in non-district games and Anadarko and Newcastle in district games. No knock-your-socks off wins but Blanchard did what it needed to do to stay in the top 10.
Why they’re not ranked higher: The Lions lost to all three other district playoff teams, with none being closer than 20 points.

Others
Checotah (8-2)
Why they’re not ranked:Back-to-back losses to Metro Christian and Roland. Both were close, by a combined five points. One was even in overtime, but if Roland isn’t ranked, Checotah won’t be either.

Roland (6-4)
Why they’re not ranked: A 1-4 tough start that included losses to Muldrow, Westville and Idabel. Roland played really well after the Idabel loss but it’s hard to overlook that start.

Bethany (7-3)
Why they’re not ranked: Ended the season losing three of five, including last night’s 19-14 loss to Pauls Valley.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#9-1
Why they’re not ranked lower: 413-59. That’s Lincoln Christian’s combined score against state competition this season. Their only loss was to Arkansas power Shiloh Christian in the season’s second week.

2. Davis (2)#10-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: 10-0. Wins over Heritage Hall, Sulphur and Plainview. Their resume demands a top two ranking.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Loncoln Christian’s resume is just a bit better, with absolutely dominant performances. There’s certainly an argument for Davis at No. 1, though. It’s far from clear cut.

3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (3)#10-0
Why they’re not ranked lower: 10-0 is 10-0. Since a 20-10 win over 4A Fort Gibson to open the season, the Indians haven’t really been challenged.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Competition. Lincoln Christian decimated its schedule, including some pretty solid playoff teams. Davis was perfect with several wins over fellow ranked teams. Sequoyah’s signature win is against Vian, with no non-district wins against playoff teams.

4. Millwood (6)#9-1*
Why they’re not ranked lower: Millwood’s only loss as it stands is a loss to Class 4A No. 2 McGuinness. The Falcons did lose to Jones on the field (more on that a bit later) but have been dominant since the return of Emilio Gatewood after injury problems kept him down. They’ve beaten Star Spencer and Douglass, two other top 4A teams.
Why they’re not ranked higher: They did lose to McGuinness by 22 and needed a late comeback to beat Lexington. The Falcons are a title contender, and a case can even be made to be No. 3 at this point.

5. Vian (4)#9-1
Why they’re not ranked lower: 9-1 with the only loss coming to Sequoyah Tahlequah.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Tradition power but with no signature wins this season. They were hurt by the fact Eufaula was down this year.

6. Kingfisher (5)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: The Yellowjackets beat John Marshall and Newkirk in district play and Watonga in non-district play.
Why they’re not ranked higher: Shutout loss to Heritage Hall and 21-point loss to Tuttle. No shame in either of those resulta but does keep them down against the five teams ahead of them.

7. Bridge Creek (7)#9-1
Why they’re not ranked lower: 9-1 is 9-1. And winning nine consecutive games to end the season, all scoring 30 or more points, is certainly a feat.
Why they’re not ranked higher. Strength of schedule wound up costing the Bobcats when compared against the six teams ahead of them.

8. John Marshall (10)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: The Bears upset Heritage Hall 12-7 last week and stuck with No. 6 Kingfisher before losing 21-14 three weeks ago.
Why they’re not ranked higher: An overtime loss against Newkirk kept the Bears from being ranked higher (probably just one spot higher, though, since they lost to Kingfisher).

9. Plainview (8)#8-2
Why they’re not ranked lower: In between season-opening and season-ending losses, Plainview went 8-0 with wins over Atoka and Sulphur.
Why they’re not ranked higher: They started the season with a loss to Elgin and ended with a loss to Davis.

10. Heritage Hall (NR)#6-4
Why they’re not ranked lower: The Chargers have a win over Kingfisher (17-0). Their three non-district losses came to 4A No. 1 Weatherford, 2A No. 2 Davis and a Casady team that started off strong before suffering some setbacks late in the season.
Why they’re not ranked higher: At 6-4, Heritage Hall has the most on-the-field losses of any ranked team (tied with several others, including Bixby and Laverne). The loss to John Marshall last week bumped them out although the Bears have looked more and more like a high-caliber team lately. They also were played close by Perry.

Others:
Pawhuska (8-2)
Why they’re not ranked: A 10-7 loss to Verdigris last week kept Pawhuska from the rankings.

Valliant (8-2)
Why they’re not ranked: Valliant lost to Stigler and Hugo and didn’t beat — well, didn’t play — a ranked team all season.

Jones (2-8)*
Why they’re not ranked: I know the question I’m going to hear: Why did Jones fall out of the rankings while Tulsa Washington’s status was unaffected? The player ruled ineligible for Jones made a huge difference for them. Would they have missed the playoffs without him? Probably not. But the Longhorns would certainly have not had the kind of season they wound up putting together. So, with that, Jones was dropped out while Millwood was elevated accordingly. That said, though, if — and that’s a big if — the decision to rule the player ineligible is overturned at Wednesday’s OSSAA board of directors, Jones will be reconsidered with the record they’ve earned on the field.

Class A
1. Tonkawa (1)#10-0
2. Ringling (2)#9-0
3. Hennessey (3)#10-0
4. Stroud (4)#10-0
5. Talihina (5)#10-0
6. Cashion (6)#10-0
7. Oklahoma Bible (7)#9-1
8. Central Sallisaw (8)#9-1
9. Watonga (9)#8-2
10. OCS (10)#8-2

Class B
1. Garber (1)#10-0
2. Canton (2)#9-1
3. Porter (3)#10-0
4. Ryan (4)#10-0
5. Davenport (5)#9-1
6. Depew (6)#8-2
7. Caddo (8)#8-2
8. Alex (10#7-3
9. Weleetka (9)#6-3
10. Laverne (NR)#6-4

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#10-0
2. Timberlake (2)#10-0
3. Temple (3)#9-1
4. Seiling (4)#9-1
5. Maud (5)#10-0
6. Deer Creek-Lamont (6)#8-2
7. Tipton (8)#8-2
8. Waynoka (9)#7-2
9. Covington-Douglas (10)#6-4
10. Boise City (7)#7-3

Westmoore (3-6, 2-4) vs. North (7-2, 4-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

Westmoore (W, Moore; L, Southmoore; L, Norman North; W, Putnam City; L, Midwest City; W, Putnam City West; L, Edmond Memorial; L, Norman; L, Lawton Ike)
Why the Jaguars can win: Westmoore has nothing left to play for but pride. But that means more to the Jags than most teams. Even at 3-6, Westmoore has a big group of seniors who can recall the glory days — Tanner Harper, Kevin Rodriguez, Brian Self, Stanley West  … among others.  Edmond North, meanwhile, wouldn’t be out of line to already have one eye on the playoffs. Possible recipe for an upset.

North (W, Santa Fe; W, Mustang; W, Yukon; W, Lawton Ike; W, Norman; W, Putnam City; L, Midwest City; W, PCWest; L, Memorial)
Why the Huskies can win: Because  ‘ol mo’ needs to come back to Jeremy Dombek’s club. At 6-0, looked like the sky was the limit. Dropping two of their last three, need to show the mental toughness to bounce back. Of course, being healthy would certainly help that cause.

Justin’s key matchup: Westmoore quarterback combo of Trevor Thompson and Fombe vs. Edmond North’s defense. Fombe took over the starting job after seven starts by Thompson, but the Jags utilize both. The tandem could create all kinds of problems for a defense, with the strong-running Fombe directing a rush-heavy attack and Thompson guiding the Jags’ spread passing game. Things haven’t clicked as planned just yet. But if it does, the two could be a great change-of-pace combination.

Boneman’s key matchup: North running game vs. Westmoore D. It’s been three straight weeks for Joe Aska Jr. without rushing for more than 100 yards. He’s too good for that to continue. Jared Benway should also find some holes in this one.

Justin’s pick: Westmoore 15, Edmond North 13. Going out on a limb with an upset pick here. This is it for the Jags until 2010. And facing an Edmond North team that is sluggish at best on offense and just needing to stay healthy for the start of next week’s playoffs, Westmoore could spring the trap.

Boneman’s pick: North 21, Westmoore 7. North is struggling offensively right now, so the score should be kept low. It also should never be in doubt. North is third in 6A-2 regardless of what happens.

With apologies to Moore, this will mostly be about Santa Fe. I had an anonymous e-mail sent this morning (seriously, who sends those type of things?).

Anyway, the gist of it was ragging on me for praising the Santa Fe kids for “doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”

Stuff like that irks me, really does. Some teams pick up their ball and go home the first time adversity comes their way. Santa Fe did not do that when it had plenty of reasons to do so.

I’ll tell you what was the clincher for me. It was the Del City game. A nearly perfect defensive outing by the Wolves, limiting to Chris McAlister and Donavan Dan as much as possible.

Santa Fe did almost everything right but lost 13-12. That was it. In my head, I had written “those kids won’t bounce back.” At that point, Bruce Gowen’s kids were 1-4 with two losses by one point (DC and North), another in OT (Mustang) and a 15-6 loss to Memorial.

They did bounce back, and that is a credit to their character and that starts with the seniors and the coaching staff.

I truly believe if Santa Fe was in 6A-2, this week’s game would have been all about playoff positioning. Think Santa Fe and North would be battling it out for third.

But that’s not the cards that were dealt. The kids never made excuses. They were honest about how tough it was to stay positive, but in the end, they did just that – stayed positive.

Santa Fe 34, Moore 14

Though a disappointing season (in terms of wins and losses), I didn’t see that on those kids’ faces after the game.

The seniors were too busy hugging each other and taking photos and soaking it all in. I think I even saw a smile on Gowen’s face.

Brian Mills scored twice and ran for 137 yards and Will Long threw for two touchdowns before calling it a night.

Mills’ final carry of his career put him over the 1,000-yard mark and was a touchdown. That is a cool way to go out.

Long took one snap in the second half and gave the reins to Ty Hensley. Long was greeted with hugs aplenty, so that’s when (being the genius I am) I realized he wouldn’t be back out there.

I focused on Mills and a video with him should be on NewsOK later today or this weekend, but all those seniors really didn’t quit on each other. From Matt Leavell to Tyler Shaw to Randy Mack and up and down the line.

Hopefully, Moore doesn’t get discouraged, either. The effort is there, just give ‘em a little time.

I’ll be back early next week with a Santa Fe season recap.

Memorial (6-3, 5-1) vs. Putnam City (3-6, 2-4)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: PC Stadium

Memorial (L, Southmoore; W, Santa Fe; L, Del City; L, Midwest City; W, PCWest; W, Norman; W, Westmoore; W, Lawton Ike; W, North)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Barring an emotional letdown, they’re the better team. The defense took center stage last week after lurking in the shadows the last couple of weeks. If Memorial causes turnovers, it will be a long night for the Pirates.

Quote:

Our season didn’t end last week. We still have a lot to keep playing for. We want to keep our momentum.” – senior Blake Umberham

Putnam City
Why PC can win: The Pirate offense is really just starting to get all facets of its game together, with a rushing attack to go with the spread passing scheme. If they can keep clicking, the defense should be able to keep them in the game, as they’ve done in all but a couple games.

Boneman’s key matchup: Memorial offense vs. PC defense. This needs to be that bust out game for the offense. You know the defense isn’t going to slip up, but if Justin Merideth’s club is going to make a strong run (which I think it can), the offense needs to be more consistent, especially the passing game.

Scott’s key matchup: PC defensive front vs. Edmond Memorial run game. The Pirates have to be able to contain power back Cale Olbert and QB Kameron Doolittle when he uses his legs. When the Bulldogs run well, they usually win.

Boneman’s pick: Memorial 24, Putnam City 6. Think it might take a while for the Bulldogs to wake up, but once they do, should be on their way to sixth straight victory.

Scott’s pick: Memorial 24, PC 17. Memorial’s size will give them too much of an advantage at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

Deer Creek (4-5, 3-3) vs. Lawton MacArthur (6-3, 4-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Cameron Stadium, Lawton

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont; L, Shawnee; L, Woodward; W, NWClassen; W, WHeights; L, Duncan; L, El Reno; W, Chickasha; L, Altus)
Why the Antlers can win: Because sometimes when a team has been hit with so many key injuries like this team, the younger kids decide it’s their time to step up and play WAY over their heads for one night. For one night, these kids have to be a special.

Quote:

In my 26 years as a coach, I’ve never had a year like this with the injuries. We’ve run out of tape, but we haven’t run out of fight.” – coach Grant Gower

Lawton Mac
Why the Highlanders can win: Because on paper, they are the better team. The 6-3 record is actually surprising to me as I thought LM would be playing for a district championship. Offensive is explosive, averaging nearly 37 points per outing.

Key matchup: Deer Creek QBs vs. Lawton Mac defense. Hunter Dinkines will make his first start at QB. How will he do? Will he have the poise to lead the team. Will freshman Joel Blumenthal make an appearance? A lot of questions on this one.

The pick: Lawton Mac 21, Deer Creek 10. DC is going to run out of bodies and after a tight first half, just won’t have anything left in the tank. DC and LM fans, the Boneman would appreciate Twitter updates tonight on this one @BPrzybylo.

SANTA FE 34, MOORE 14 – FINAL

Moore’s Vova Razryvin scored twice for the only points of the second half. A 65-yard pass to Chase Carter as well as a 7-yard run, both in the fourth.

I focused on the ‘never say die’ attitude of Santa Fe and most notably Brian Mills. Class acts all the way. I’ll have much more to say about this one in the Friday Morning Quarterback.

SANTA FE 34, MOORE 0 -HALFTIME

8:43 – Senior night is exactly what Santa Fe was hoping for. Brian Mills has rushed for two touchdowns and has put himself over the 1,000-yard mark. Will Long has thrown two touchdown passes (to Matt Leavell and Conner Bays) while Antonio Stayton has an interception return for a score and we are Santa Fe 34, Moore 0.

Turnovers have plagued the Lions. Besides the INT for a TD, there was an INT on 4th and goal and there was also a fumble when Moore was driving.

I’ve been impressed with the speed of Moore QB Vova Razryvin. He’s got some wheels on him, but it’s been tough for Moore to sustain success.

6:19 – Here at a nearly empty Wantland Stadium. Well, at least for now (is pretty early now that I think about it). Wantland will be tough to duplicate after that that North and Memorial atmosphere last week.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Wolves. In fact, five weeks. I’ve called in to check in, but this will be the first time I see the boys again.

It’s senior night, so that adds to the emotion of everything.

Either way, for updates, follow me on Twitter @BPrzybylo and follow fellow chum @ryaber for all the updates from Putnam North and Del City and the rest of the Thursday night slate.

Courtesy of ace reporter Ryan Aber:

Deer Creek: Third with win and Chickasha win. Fourth with win and Altus win where Deer Creek gains 10 or more district points on Altus. Fourth with loss and Chickasha win where Deer Creek gains 10 or more district points on Altus.

***

So if you’re an Antler fan, put on your Chickasha hat and cheer on Chase Rodgers and the Chicks.

Deer Creek is in a tough spot in having to go to Lawton Mac this week as banged up as Grant Gower’s boys are.

If the offense stumbles early, I fully expect Joel Blumenthal to come in and try to save the day. I’ve actually had a couple of people compare him to former Tulsa QB Paul Smith. We’re not going to put the weight of the world on his shoulders yet, but the whispers have me curious about his talent.

DC’s best bet is that final scenario, if you ask me. It’s going to be tough to pull out, but it should make for an interesting night of scoreboard watching.

Moore (0-9, 0-6 6A-1) at Edmond Santa Fe (2-7, 1-5 6A-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Wantland Stadium

Santa Fe (L, North; L, Memorial; W, PCWest; L, Mustang; L, Del City; L, Southmoore; L, PCNorth; L, Lawton; W, Norman North)
Why the Wolves can win: Because they are on a roll. The Wolves are on a winning streak for the first time since week 3 and coming off their first district triumph. What’s more, standout running back Brian Mills said the Wolves played their best game of the season last week in a win over Norman North and has finally put it all together on both sides of the ball, special teams and confidence. And, of course, because Santa Fe has a stronger team than winless Moore.

Quote:

It’s senior night, so we’re definitely going to be excited about that. This might be the final time we play for some of us.” – senior Will Long

Moore
Why the Lions can win: Moore avoided a winless season a year ago with a win over Southmoore. Granted, a 1-9 record is far from what Moore players expected, but closing a tough season with a victory would be a tremendous emotional lift and provide an optimistic outlook for 2010. So, an upset over a two-win team isn’t out of the question. Plus, a victory would allow the Lions to escape the district basement as they would swap places with Santa Fe.

Boneman’s key matchup: Santa Fe defense. The Wolves gave up 28 points in the slop at Southmoore and 31 to Lawton with a bunch of bad special teams play and 38 to Mustang and well, who doesn’t give up points in bunches to that club. This defense has a lot of pride and would love to close out with a big statement.

Justin’s key matchup: Moore’s Chris Clark vs. Edmond Santa Fe’s Will Long.
Given that Clark is a hard-hitting linebacker who leads the Lions in tackles with 105, it may seem like his performance vs. ESF stud running back Brian Mills would be the key. However, Moore will sell out to stop the run just like Norman North did against the Wolves last week. With the box jammed packed with defenders, Clark will have a lot of company in clogging Mills’ running lanes.
But in that same circumstance last week, Long dusted off Santa Fe’s passing game playbook and did in Norman North through the air. Clark will have triple duty in regards to trying to keep Long in check. First, he’ll have to keep track of Long, who is a capable runner. If the Santa Fe QB decides to tuck and run, Clark is the likely candidate to track him down. Second, he’ll have to drop into coverage and try to keep Santa Fe receivers such as Matt Leavell from turning short receptions into long gainers. Third, Clark is adept at blitzing and could catch Long by surprise with his timing and speed.

Boneman’s pick: Santa Fe 42, Moore 10. It wasn’t the season Santa Fe fans were hoping for. But back-to-back wins to finish the year should end things on a positive.

Justin’s pick: Edmond Santa Fe 38, Moore 24. The Lions have scored a combined 44 points in their last two games, which is 12 more points than they scored in the first seven games total. So, the offense is managing to put points on the board. It will be a tough task, however, to put up enough to win.

Here is some info on a great cause as the second annual Heather Harkness Memorial Volleyball Tournament will take place at Santa Fe on Saturday.

Harkness, a student and volleyball player for the Wolves, died last year.

The Edmond Santa Fe High School DECA Chapter, in partnership with the Edmond Santa Fe girls volleyball team, are proud to present the 2nd Annual Heather Harkness Memorial Volleyball Tournament.

The tournament is Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Santa Fe High School Gymnasiums. We have created this event as a means to celebrate and honor Heather’s life.

Heather served as Santa Fe DECA Historian as well as starting varsity volleyball player.

The Heather Harkness Memorial Volleyball Tournament proceeds will be used to create a permanent school memorial, establish a perpetual Memorial Volleyball Tournament in Heather’s name and assist in defraying costs associated with events in honor of Heather.

Last year more than 700 people were in attendance and this year promises to be an even bigger event. More info can be found on the Heather Harkness Memorial Volleyball Tournament fan page, by emailing forheather12@yahoo.com, or by following @HHvolleyball on Twitter.

***

I won’t be able to make it out there in person, but if anyone wants to send me some photos from the event, don’t hesitate.

It’s easy to have fun when you’re winning and putting up big numbers. Someone’s true character comes out when it’s not always rosy.

Santa Fe definitely didn’t come into this season thinking a 2-7 year was on the horizon. A lack of experience early combined with some tough breaks in early district games put Bruce Gowen’s team behind the eight ball early and often.

But anytime I’ve talked to those seniors, from Will Long to Brian Mills to Matt Leavell, they’ve never given me an indication that they quit on each other or the coaching staff.

The Wolves put it together in a 24-7 win at Norman North, and Long was pretty honest about why he was able to throw the ball so well.

Norman North really stacked the box and wanted to stop the run. That gave me an opportunity to make some plays.” – Long

And now the kids have one more chance. It will surely be an emotional senior night for those kids Thursday against Moore (0-9, 0-6).

Long and Mills have said it best. They hope the way they’ve faced this season and all its trials and tribulations will serve as inspiration to some of the younger kids. The younger kids have definitely had examples to look up to.

Tape and braces is all that is keeping up together at this point.” -  coach Grant Gower

It’s been one big injury after another for Deer Creek. And needing a win at Lawton MacArthur, there couldn’t be a worse time for all this.

Star-in-the-making RB Colten Sander is already out for the season. In the second quarter vs. Altus, QB Alex Christensen breaks his hand.

Gower switches from being under center to nothing but pure shotgun, but it’s too painful for Christensen.

Tyson Wade comes in and breaks his collarbone soon after, so the Antlers are down their top running back and top two quarterbacks.

Sander’s replacement, Tyler Price, tears ligaments in his thumb, so he’s banged up.

Hunter Dinkines is now in at quarterback. Or is he? For now, Gower plans on going with Dinkines in this spot.

But there have been whispers that freshman sensation Joe Blumenthal (hope I spelled that right)  (Boneman’s note: It’s Joel Blumenthal. Thanks, DC followers) might make an apperance. Joel led the freshman team to a perfect 9-0 season and opposing coaches and DC parents have been wondering if Joel would see some time.

Ideally, Gower would like to not have to use Joel in such a big spot. But because Dinkines is such a big contributor as a wide receiver, he hasn’t ruled it out.

Wouldn’t that be something if a freshman quarterback in his first varsity game leads the charge in a hostile environment and puts the Antlers in the playoffs?

I’m getting ahead of myself at this point, but it’s a possibility.

I had been thinking about writing this piece for a while. But after talking to Kameron Doolittle and Nelson Medeiros, it cinched it for me.

When Blake Umberham was benched earlier this season, he could have become a total distraction to the team. But the way he has handled the situation is something he should be proud of.

It’s not like he was a two-way starter, so he could now concentrate on defense. Being a quarterback is what he is. If he’s not that, he’s not out on the field. I’ve been amazed by how he’s handled it.

And I can tell coach Justin Merideth has been, too. When I talked to Merideth about this Saturday morning, the tone of his voice changed. It went from like a way a coach talks to a reporter about a game to a way a friend talks about another friend. That type of sincerity, and it really stood out to me.

Anyway, if you didn’t get a chance to read today’s piece, here is the link to it. Umberham may not be throwing touchdowns, but his leadership has been vital in the five-game winning streak.

Some weeks you’re scrambling to find that player of the week. Um, last week wasn’t one of those times.

It was a great week in Edmond sports, and I don’t want to single out a defensive star here or a runner there, so I’m giving the honor to Memorial’s defense and the North girls’ cross country team as Teams of the Week.

We’ve covered Memorial and its defense at this point in the 10-0 win vs. North. The Bulldogs have given up 17 points in the last five games, earned hosting a first-round playoff game, etc.

I’ve written it before, not much to add at this point. Strong at every line of defense and Nelson Medeiros is a stud no matter where he’s playing.

North was hoping for the clean sweep in cross country, but the boys placed second. The girls were dominant all year, led by Meredith Farley (6th) and Anna Kimsey (8th).  North was 21 points better than second-place Westmoore.

Two of the top eight is impressive, four of the top 12 is insane as Ashley Webb was 11th and Hannah Helker finished 12th.

Memorial and Santa Fe were pretty solid, too. The Bulldogs placed fourth in both while the Wolves were seventh in both competitions.

Other contenders (and winners any other week)

- Taler Buck, Deer Creek, Cross Country: This is how stout Edmond was this week. Buck won the 5A state championship and helped pace the Antlers to a second-place finish. He was 12 seconds better than anyone else. Crazy. Aaron White was third for DC.

- Tara Lewis, Memorial, Cross Country: She finished a superb season by placing fourth in the 6A event. She was .45 away from placing third as her time was 12:03.74 while Jenks’ Paige Barnes was at 12:03.30.

- Adam Godwin, North, Cross Country: Best finisher for the Huskies, placing fifth while the team took second.

- Will Long, QB, Santa Fe: It’s been a trying year for the senior, but he played his best game of the season in a 24-7 win at Norman North. He threw two touchdowns and didn’t have an interception.

- Colton Byford, DE, North: The North defense certainly didn’t lose that game and Byford was all over the field during Edlam.

While I spent part of Friday afternoon hunkered down at Edmond North, the night belonged to Edmond Memorial.

And more specifically, the defense. It was an unbelievable atmosphere that I’m thrilled I had the honor to be a part of.

The game was clinched by an interception return for a touchdown by Memorial senior Nelson Medeiros in a 10-0 win.

I had a chance to catch up with Medeiros after the game and to shoot the pure insanity that was Edlam.

Oh, and I was mighty impressed by the Memorial sign. It was pretty clever. A little long but worth the read.

To say I have no high school pride at all is putting it nicely. I have no intentions on going back to my Ohio HS anytime soon.

But if my school did things like this Edmond North pep rally before the Memorial game, maybe it might be different.

I mean this was a show. All I remember is cheerleaders, some streamers and introducing the team, followed by some lame game at my HS.

Not something like this. This was fun to watch. And for those wondering, that is Xavier Smith scoring the touchdown and then dunking the ball.

After all that emotion, interesting to see what is left in the gas tank for the rest of the season. Special thanks to the entire North administration for letting me shoot the rally.

You mean there were other Edmond games besides Edlam? Really, you don’t say. A big win by Santa Fe coupled with maybe a just as big loss by Deer Creek makes the last week interesting.

Memorial (6-3, 5-1)
Well, what more can I say about the Bulldogs’ 10-0 win vs. North? I’m about talked out about that one. It was a performance for the ages that I really think you had to be there to appreciate.

The big thing is how Memorial bounces back. There has to be an emotional letdown. It’s not that there might be, but there has to be.

That team poured its heart and soul into that one. If Memorial looks sharp against Putnam City, this might say as much about how good of a coach Justin Merideth is than anything.

And blatant plug alert: look for a big story on senior QB Blake Umberham in Monday’s paper.

North (7-2, 4-2)
Health is my biggest question for this team. Qua’Don Henderson is banged up. Travis Townsend attempted to gut it out but just didn’t have it.

What is this team’s psyche right now? In the two games that they were admittedly fired up, it’s been a 42-13 loss to Midwest City and a 10-0 loss to Memorial.

I saw a lot of positives with the defense from Friday. If the D continues to play like that, going on the road for the playoffs is going to be doable. It’s not preferred, but it’s what they’re going to have to do.

The Huskies close it out with senior night vs. Westmoore. Get healthy and bouncing back is in order.

Santa Fe (2-7, 1-5)
I don’t like just flat out cheering for a kid, but I’m happy for quarterback Will Long. He has taken some serious flak this whole season. I mean some of the e-mails I’ve received have been astounding.

But in pulling off the 24-7 upset at Norman North, it was Long who came up big. He threw two touchdown passes (to Patrick Hinton and Matt Leavell) and didn’t throw an interception.

Of course, the defense deserves some props. The Wolves forced four turnovers and shut out the Timberwolves through three quarters.

Santa Fe has its senior night Thursday against Moore. I will be there.

Deer Creek (4-5, 3-3)
Ooh boy, the Antlers just made their life difficult. A 21-7 home loss to Altus was not what the doctor ordered. It was up for grabs as it was scoreless at halftime.

Deer Creek couldn’t get its running game going and had four turnovers. That is not a good recipe for Grant Gower’s club.

Alex Christensen had the lone touchdown on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Deer Creek is at Lawton MacArthur and needs a win and some help. It might be one of those weird night of scoreboard watching and district point calculations.

I’ve talked to Jordan Marczewski, Blake Umberham, Adrian Shoecraft and Nelson Medeiros. They’re all in agreement. That was the best defensive performance they’ve ever been a part of.

Alright, well maybe that was just the heat of the moment. So I called head coach Justin Merideth and asked the same thing. Since he was the defensive coordinator all those years, knew he would have some perspective.

Nope, all in agreement. With what was on the line (Edlam, city championship, second place in the district), Merideth cannot remember a better outing. In a game those Memorial kids will remember, the defense played lights out in a 10-0 win against North.

Memorial 10, North 0

I’ve praised the defense and will continue to do so, but I want to talk about what I thought was key.

Memorial took over at its own 5-yard line with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter. North didn’t see the ball again until the three-minute mark. A nearly eight-minute drive that really only got to midfield, but it drained the North defense.

The Bulldogs had three third down conversions on the drive. It finally stalled once Josh Sierra was banged up, and Cale Olbert had to move to fullback instead of running back.

But the damage was done. North earned one first down before Travis Townsend’s pass sailed into the arms of Medeiros, who went down the sidelines for the game’s only touchdown.

I thought the first half was sloppy and said so in the game blog. But the second half was all defense. One big stick after another, both ways. It’s going to get lost in Memorial’s outing, but North gave up less than 100 yards of total offense.

It wasn’t Kameron Doolittle or Joe Aska Jr. It was Colton Byford and Jared Chambers. Those were the difference makers. Chambers changes the game with his sack of Townsend. Townsend throws three interceptions after that sack.

And Will Conant. He boomed that 44-yard field goal into the wind like nothing. Austin Brasher couldn’t return the favor on his field goal attempt. Both were solid on kickoffs as was expected.

It was fitting that the defense ended up scoring the only TD.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- I won’t second-guess coach Jeremy Dombek as he knows his players, but I thought Danny Rossi should have been in at QB in the second half. I just didn’t see Townsend with any strength to throw. It was all arm throws in the final 24 minutes.

- I will give Doolittle credit for this. When nothing was there, he accepted it. That was key. Take the sack or short loss and punt. Don’t turn it over. You don’t worry about individual stats in a game like that.

- Memorial OL Matt Hall said the team that had the least mistakes would win. Sure enough, it was exactly that way.

- That celebration scene was, for the lack of a better term, awesome. The raw emotion that came out from the players and coaches is why we do what we do. And Medeiros being hoisted on the shoulders, c’mon, priceless stuff.

Final analysis: In the five-game winning streak, Memorial has given up 0, 7, 3, 7 and 0 points. Yep, 17 points in five games. That’s why the Bulldogs will be hosting a first-round playoff game, and that’s why Ryan Aber (and of course, myself) have ‘em in the top 10 for the first time this season.

North has some injury issues. Townsend with the ankle and Qua’Don Henderson’s ankle issue. And Aska seems like he is wearing down a little. He hasn’t rushed for more than 100 yards in the last three weeks. The defense played as well as it possibly could, so I’m not getting off the bandwagon yet.

Up next: Memorial (6-3, 5-1) is at Putnam City to close out the regular season while North (7-2, 4-2) will have its senior night against Westmoore. North is guaranteed to place third in the district.

Look for videos galore on NewsOK this weekend. I was at North’s pep rally, and that black light party was fun. And then, of course, I was all over the Memorial mob scene at the end and talked with Nelson Medeiros once again. Also, look for a big story on Blake Umberham in Monday’s paper. You’ll see why once you read it.

Class 6A
1. Jenks (1)#9-0
2. Tulsa Union (2)#8-1
3. Broken Arrow (3)#7-2
4. Southmoore (4)#8-1
5. Midwest City (6)#7-2
6. Bartlesville (7)#8-1
7. Mustang (9)#7-2
8. Del City (5)#7-2
9. Lawton (10)#7-2
10. Edmond Memorial (NR)#6-3

The main shift here came with Del City dropping three spots to No. 8. Midwest City and Bartlesville move up a spot each, while Mustang jumps up two spots. Edmond North drops out after losing for the second time in three games, and not looking particularly impressive in the one win during that stretch. Lawton moves up a spot to No. 9. Edmond Memorial makes its debut. I considered Owasso for that spot, and went back and forth but Memorial’s streak and the way the Bulldogs’ defense has played this season, even in losses, wins out over the Rams.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (1)#9-0
2. El Reno (2)#9-0
3. Shawnee (3)#9-0
4. Tulsa Washington (5)#5-4*
5. Carl Albert (6)#7-2
6. Tulsa East Central (7)#8-1
7. McAlester (4)#8-1
8. Bixby (8)#6-3
9. Tulsa Central (9)#7-2
10. Duncan (10)#8-1
*Two games forfeited.

Some shuffling here with Tulsa East Central’s win over previously undefeated McAlester. I also thought long and hard about what to do about Tulsa Washington after they were forced to forfeit two games for using an ineligible player. From what’s been confirmed right now, with just one player being mentioned, I’m keeping them ranked where they would be anyway. That player wouldn’t have made the difference in games against Pryor and Tulsa Hale. But, if more ineligible players are found to have played — and it appears very possible that could happen — I will reconsider. So Tulsa Washington, Carl Albert and East Central each move up one spot. McAlester drops to No. 7. The rest of the top 10 stays the same.

Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#9-0
2. Weatherford (3)#9-0
3. McGuinness (4)#7-2
4. Douglass (5)#6-3
5. Sallisaw (2)#8-1
6. Star Spencer (6)#7-2
7. Broken Bow (7)#6-3
8. Wagoner (9)#6-3
9. Poteau (NR)#7-2
10. Oologah (NR)#6-3

Sallisaw slips to No. 5 after getting beat 35-16 to Wagoner. The Black Diamonds lost quarterback Matt Oberste hurt his collarbone on the game’s first play. The three highly ranked 4A-1 teams — Weatherford, McGuinness and Douglass — all moved up a spot. Wagoner moved up one spot to No. 8, while Poteau and Oologah moved into the rankings. Jay (loss to Catoosa) and Tecumseh (To Glenpool) dropped out.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#8-0
2. Tuttle (2)#9-0
3. Madill (3)#9-0
4. Metro Christian (4)#9-0
5. Berryhill (5)#7-2
6. Clinton (6)#6-3
7. Sequoyah-Claremore (7)#7-2
8. Blanchard (8)#7-2
9. Elgin (9)#7-2
10. Purcell (10)#7-2

No movement here at all. The only loss among the top 10 was by No. 7 Sequoyah-Claremore and the Eagles stayed within seven of No. 1 Cascia Hall so a dropping isn’t warranted.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#8-1
2. Davis (2)#9-0
3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (3)#9-0
4. Vian (4)#8-1
5. Kingfisher (6)#7-2
6. Millwood (7)#7-2
7. Bridge Creek (8)#8-1
8. Plainview (9)#8-1
9. Jones (10)#7-2
10. John Marshall (NR)#7-2

Not much movement here with one big exception. Heritage Hall drops from No. 5 to out after losing to John Marshall while the Bears move into the rankings for the first time. It came down to those two for the last spot. Heritage Hall would’ve been the only four-loss team ranked in any class and John Marshall has been in every game its played this year and allowed more than 19 points just once (21 by Kingfisher). I’ll re-evaluate next week but this week at least John Marshall is more worthy of ranking than Heritage Hall.

Class A
1. Tonkawa (1)#9-0
2. Ringling (2)#8-0
3. Hennessey (3)#9-0
4. Stroud (4)#9-0
5. Talihina (5)#9-0
6. Cashion (6)#9-0
7. Oklahoma Bible (7)#8-1
8. Central Sallisaw (9)#8-1
9. Watonga (10)#7-2
10. OCS (NR)#6-2

The only top 10 team to lose this week was Salina, which was beaten by Foyil 28-20 for its first loss of the year. Even though it was only one, Salina falls out. It just didn’t have a marquee win. So OCS is back in, after beating Crescent 55-14 to improve to 6-2. The Saints have a big win, beating Sulphur in the season opener by 17, and their losses — by one to Watonga and two to Cashion — have been mitigated by the seasons those teams have turned in. Pawnee and Okeene are the first teams out here.

Class B
1. Garber (1)#9-0
2. Canton (2)#8-1
3. Porter (3)#9-0
4. Ryan (4)#9-0
5. Davenport (5)#8-1
6. Depew (6)#7-2
7. Kiefer (7)#8-1
8. Caddo (8)#7-2
9. Weleetka (9)#6-3
10. Alex (10)#6-3

I wanted to make changes here, I really did. But I just couldn’t justify it in my mind. I still think Canton is the second-best team in Class B and believe the playoffs will bear that out, so Canton stays in the second spot. I like Porter and Ryan but they’re not quite at that level yet. Nos. 3-8 stay the same as all win. Then we come to the final two spots. Both Weleetka and Alex lost. So I went through and picked Fox and Laverne as the two likely replacements. That’s where the problems came in. Fox’s losses came to Ryan and Alex. Ryan hasn’t lost while Alex’s only losses came to Ryan, No. 8 Caddo and Class C No. 3 Temple. So hard to jump Fox over them when Alex hasn’t slipped up against a team they should’ve beaten. Weleetka’s losses have come to Depew, Davenport and Kiefer, so they also haven’t lost to anyone they flat out should’ve beaten. Laverne, on the other hand, slipped up a couple weeks ago against Geary. So the status quo remains in the final two spots.
Fox
Laverne

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#9-0
2. Timberlake (2)#9-0
3. Temple (3)#8-1
4. Seiling (4)#8-1
5. Maud (5)#9-0
6. Deer Creek-Lamont (6)#8-1
7. Boise City (7)#7-2
8. Tipton (10)#7-2
9. Waynoka (NR)#6-2
10. Covington-Douglas (NR)#5-4

I said a few weeks ago that I thought Covingon-Douglas still might be a top 10 team and they’ve played like it the last two weeks. Still will interesting to see how it all plays out but they’re in the last spot for now. The top seven all stay the same. Waynoka also makes an appearance in the poll after beating Wesleyan Christian. Sasakwa and Thackerville dropped out.

MEMORIAL 10, NORTH 0 – FINAL

Wow. Wow. Wow.

It deserves three of them. What a defensive outing by Memorial. Wow, OK, a fourth.

Nelson Medeiros clinches the game with a 49-yard INT return for a touchdown with 2:21 left in the game.

That defense is a bad man, I tells ya, holding North 75 total yards and picking off Travis Townsend three times.

Medeiros was lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates in a truly great visual (and video) moment as I havta eat crown on this one. Look for another vid with Medeiros this weekend.

Wow, OK, a fifth time.

MEMORIAL 3, NORTH 0 – HALFTIME

8:32 – It’s almost at a point where if it’s a five-yard gain, everyone is getting excited. Some great defensive plays combined with some bad plays on offense, and this is what you have.

Right now, the teams are stalling themselves. Just when either team looks like it’s getting momentum, a negative play happens and the drive is done.

The only scoring came on an impressive 44-yd FG by Memorial’s Will Conant. Boomed that sucker through. North’s Austin Brasher missed a 45-yarder in the second quarter.

Memorial’s Jared Chambers sacked Travis Townsend, and Townsend hasn’t been the same since. In his second pass after the sack, he threw his first INT of the season as Jordan Marczewski picked it off in the final minute.

Memorial couldn’t cash in as Kameron Doolittle was picked off by Brandon Downing on the final play of the half.

North has 32 total offensive yards while Memorial has 69. Cale Olbert has 57 of those yards with 52 rushing yards and five receiving yards.

I’m thinking Danny Rossi has to play QB in this half. Townsend can’t get anything on his throws because of the ankle problem.

Both coaches have stuff to be fired up about. Interesting to see what adjustments are made. As always, follow me on Twitter for more updates.

7:08 – We’re truckin’ along here. Senior night festivities are under way here at Wantland. Took a bunch of B-Roll video footage (including Memorial’s rather long but cool sign).

6:05 – It’s going to be a fun one tonight. We’re a little less than 90 minutes away, and there are already tons of people in the stadium. It’s an electric atmosphere right now and should be for the next five hours.

5:50 – Yea, got here a little earlier than normal for North and Memorial. Wanted to beat the traffic. Safe to say, I did. Can’t believe I forgot to mention this, but North quarterback Travis Townsend will be starting tonight.

Was at North’s pep rally this afternoon (look for a video on NewsOK later this weekend), and coach Jeremy Dombek confirmed RB Qua’Don Henderson will not play in this one.

I’ve written more than enough on this one. You’ve heard more than enough about this one. It’s just about time for Edlam.

To keep in touch on everything that is happening tonight, follow me on Twitter @BPrzybylo. I’ll also be back here at halftime with analysis and all those other good things.

Edmond Santa Fe (1-7, 0-5) vs. Norman North (4-3, 2-3)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Harve Collins Field, Norman

Santa Fe (L, North; L, Memorial; W, PCWest; L, Mustang; L, Del City; L, Southmoore; L, PCNorth; L, Lawton)
Why the Wolves can win: Both of these teams are struggling right now, and if Norman North is hanging its head at all, Bruce Gowen’s boys are going to walk out with a win. The defense is right up there with the rest of 6A-1. A break or two for the Wolves, and the losing streak is done.

Norman North
Why the Timberwolves can win: Edmond Santa Fe’s offense is run first, run second, run if possible third, pass fourth. And why not? The Wolves have a star in Brian Mills. But the teams that have hurt Norman North have done so mainly through the air. The T-Wolves stuff the run.

Boneman’s key matchup: Santa Fe running game vs. North defense. If there’s been one constant this season, it’s been the Santa Fe running game, led by Brian Mills. Another solid outing is crucial.

Justin’s key matchup: Norman North linebackers Nick Canavan and Jon Johnson vs. Brian Mills. Canavan will be the first linebacker Mills has seen this season who will be his athletic equal and Johnson is a gap plugger, who lives for contact. But Mills is fast and shifty. Two against one is pretty good odds, though.

Boneman’s pick: Santa Fe 21, Norman North 17. I said last week Santa Fe was going to win out. Just think this team is too good to have suffered the setbacks its gone through and not see some positives happen.

Justin’s pick: Norman North 36, Edmond Santa Fe 18. Norman North averages 33.2 points per game and Santa Fe allows an average of 22.1. That’s a great combo for the T-Wolves.

As I’m sure you all know by now that Friday Night Lights teaser was all about Edmond North senior Kaden Guerra.

Guerra is in Chicago today and is fighting the good fight against paralysis. With his positive attitude and the support of family, friends and basically the whole Edmond community, he’s truckin’ along.

Before he left for Chicago, I had a chance to speak with Kaden and his father, Joe, for nearly two hours Sunday afternoon. And while all of us were admittedly keeping tabs on the Vikings and Steelers, it was a real emotional interview.

Unfortunately, weren’t able to take some high-quality photos, so the photos in today’s story are from when Kaden was at the North-Santa Fe game.

Here’s a short interview I took with Kaden with an update on his progress and giving a message to both the North and Memorial teams heading into Edlam.

For the story, go here. For the video, see below. I want to thank the whole Guerra family for their assistance and look for a big photo gallery and more info on Guerra’s battle in a blog Saturday afternoon/night.

North (7-1, 4-1) vs. Memorial (5-3, 4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium (I’ll be there)

North (W, Santa Fe; W, Mustang; W, Yukon; W, Lawton Eisenhower; W, Norman; W, Putnam City; L, Midwest City; W, PCWest)
Why the Huskies can win: The reasons are about the same for both teams. Seniors who want to make one last impression and to do it in Edlam would be the best way ever. Xavier Smith has been quiet. Think he’ll make a game-changing play.

Quote:

This is about as big as it gets. We thought two weeks ago against Midwest City was a big one, but this is something different. And we want to show we can do it in a big game.” – senior defensive lineman Colton Byford

Memorial (L, Southmoore; W, Santa Fe; L, Del City; L, Midwest City; W, PCWest; W, Norman; W, Westmoore; W, Lawton Eisenhower)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because they’ve been the best Edmond team in the last month. This team has made some serious strides. The return of D’Juan Brooks just adds more depth to the offense. Oh, and it just so happens to be senior night, too.

Quote:

Us seniors have never had a chance to win the city championship. That would be something we could always remember. We have to get the job done.” – senior Nelson Medeiros

Key matchup: After dissecting this all week, I am convinced this game is going to be won or lost on the legs of Joe Aska Jr. Jared Benway will get some touches, but this is Aska’s stage to have a memorable showing.

The pick: North 22, Memorial 20. I’ve alienated half the readers with this one pick. Think North has another gear that it can go to. There is still potential there while I feel Memorial is playing just about as well as it is going to (which is dang good, for the record). Should be a classic. And you know I don’t have trouble admitting I’m wrong, so I’ll be the first to eat crow late Friday-early Saturday. Follow me on Twitter @BPrzybylo for all the updates.

Altus (3-5, 2-3) vs. Deer Creek (4-4, 3-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Deer Creek HS

Altus
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because you talk about a team that has had its share of hard-luck losses, that definitely describes Altus. Altus needs to play with a sense of desperation as a loss here all but eliminates any chance at making the playoffs.

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont; L, Shawnee; L, Woodward; W, NWClassen; W, Western Heights; L, Duncan; L, El Reno; W, Chickasha)
Why the Antlers can win: Because DC must play with almost that same type of desperation. This is senior night and a chance to leave the best impression possible. I’ve said it before, but 4-2 compared to 3-3 in district is huge.

Quote:

They’re a play or two away from being one of the top teams in the class. We know it’s going to be a battle, expect nothing less.” – coach Grant Gower

Key matchup: Alex Christensen’s health. He’s been a workhorse, that’s for sure. How much is left in that tank? He’s been asked to carry more than his fair share of the load because of injuries. Can he hold up?

The pick: Deer Creek 22, Altus 10. When you’ve lost so many close ones like Altus, you either get down on yourself or pump yourself up. Antlers take early lead and let the doubt creep in.

There are many crucial matchups to Friday’s Memorial and North game. One of the bigger ones is the North front seven against Memorial’s offensive line.

The Memorial O-Line is powerful while North relies more on its athletic ability, so it’s definitely a contrast of styles.

One of the anchors of Memorial’s line is senior Matt Hall. One of the anchors of North’s front seven is senior Dakota Lambeth. Caught up with both earlier this week for their take on Edlam.

Vs.

North (7-1, 4-1) vs. Memorial (5-3, 4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium (I’ll be there)

We’ve looked at the offense and defense for both teams. Now let’s take a look at the special teams.

Special teams
I think it’s a wash when it comes to this part. North’s Austin Brasher is only 2-of-7 on his field goals, but some of his attempts have been from real long distance. And he’s made a 48-yarder, so I don’t see him as a weak link.

Memorial’s Will Conant has one of the best legs in the state. He is 6-of-9 with a long of 41 yards. But if Memorial fans can help me out here, is it “Conant” or “Connant?” I started with two Ns until a roster had one N. But our stats, which are imported by the school, has two.

While Brasher will resume all kicking duties, I wouldn’t be shocked if Camden Bohnert stays on at punter. In two games, Bohnert has booted five balls for a 45.6-yard average. Not bad.

Brasher has had 29 punts for just under 32 per kick. And I can’t remember off the top of my head too many kickoffs that haven’t been touchbacks with Brasher booming those suckers.

Conant does it all for the Bulldogs. The junior has had 29 punts with an average of just under 37 yards. He is a cool customer.

It’s actually refreshing to watch these two kickers as they’re two of the better ones I’ve seen in the last two years.

Friday: Yep, it’s time. What is my prediction (and should you care?). Don’t answer that second question.

I have looked at just about every Edmond North player at this point, one way or the other this week.

But there’s one I’m saving. He hasn’t played a down this season but might be the biggest inspiration to the team.

To find out more about who he is and his story, check out Friday’s paper with our Friday Night Lights series.

***

It’s been a great fall sports season for Edmond schools. Softball had North and Santa Fe reach the state tournament. Volleyball had all three schools in the semis and Memorial winning the championship.

Now this weekend is Edlam to the extreme with not just the football game b/w North and Memorial. But also a tight race for state cross country supremacy as all three schools will be battling it out for individual honors as well as team honors. And not just the boys as both the girls and boys teams are among the best.

Tellin’ ya, a fun time to be associated with the Edmond sports scene.

North (7-1, 4-1) vs. Memorial (5-3, 4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

If I were a script writer, D’Juan Brooks has the perfect story for Friday night. Think about it for a second.

A senior who was supposed to carry the Bulldogs to the promised land. For one reason or another, his career hasn’t turned out the way he thought and hoped for.

He suffers a stinger and some nerve damage Week 3 vs. Del City (in a gut-wrenching 19-18 loss). He’s supposed to be out until at least Week 10.

Now it’s Week 9, and it’s Edlam week vs. North. He’s coming back. Tellin’ ya, it’s a nice story. But I don’t North is going to care about that Friday.

Anyway, caught up with Brooks for a short video this week.

North (7-1, 4-1) vs. Memorial (5-3, 4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium (I’ll be there)

Memorial offense
Passing: Blake Umberham, 42-87 for 449 yards, 3 TDs, 8 INTs; Kameron Doolittle, 27-45 for 378 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs.

This is, of course, where the biggest change to this team has happened. Doolittle has moved to quarterback with Umberham guiding him along the way the last few weeks.

Monday’s practice was the first time I actually saw Doolittle throw like he wanted to, and he look good. Much better arm than I thought.

I think it’s true both ways that the defenses are going to crowd the box and make the QBs beat ‘em with their arm.

Rushing: Doolittle, 733 yards, 3 TDs; Cale Olbert, 549 yards, 6 TDs; D’Juan Brooks, 104 yards.

That’s a scary trio right there. Olbert has shown more explosiveness this season than I ever gave him credit for. With Brooks returning for this one, he’ll start making some plays once he gets his feet wet again.

Either way, it’s a real credit to the offensive line that as all these changes keep being made, their effectiveness hasn’t dipped. Justin Merideth said before the season that the O-Line would tell him where this team was going. Well, should be going pretty far if they keep playing like they’ve been.

Receiving: Jacob Stivers, 17 rec., 215 yards, 2 TDs; Nelson Medeiros, 9 rec., 158 yards, 1 TD; Olbert, 7 rec., 109 yards, 1 TD; Jordan Marczewski, 12 rec., 108 yards, 1 TD; Josh Sierra, 9 rec., 86 yards, 2 TDs.

Six different receivers have caught touchdowns (Jake Weatherford is the other one). That makes it tough to try to key in on one or two receivers. Stivers has stepped up to become the No. 1 (in my opinion), but any of these guys are capable of making the game-changing play.

Through seven games, Memorial was good for 157 rushing yards per game and 100 yards through the air for 257 total. The Bulldogs are averaging just under 18 points per game.

North defense
Tackles: Dakota Lambeth, 106; Brandon Downing, 89; Virgil Walker, 85; Colton Byford, 77; Brian Whitley, 72; Mitch Bertrem, 57; Ryan Adams, 50.

Sacks: Byford 9; Walker, Whitley, 3; Dylan Eddelman, Lambeth 2.

Interceptions: Xavier Smith, Rickey Lawyer, 2.

This defense is so quick, so athletic that it gambles a lot. I’ve seen it first hand where these kids know if they guess right, they’ve made a huge play. And if they didn’t, they know they can get back in time to still make the play (almost every time).

Byford and Lambeth were the two names I circled in my head before the season started. I figured if North was going to make a run, it had to be because of these guys. They’ve delivered.

The lack of interceptions is a little disturbing, especially with talents like Smith and Lawyer. Just figured they would have more. One thing about the secondary, and especially Downing, they like to hit people. They don’t just dive at someone’s feet and hope they got ‘em. They go after ‘em.

The numbers are a little alarming for such a strong group. North is giving up 138 yards per game on the ground and 140 passing yards for 278 total. This defense is better than that and has an opportunity to prove it Friday.

Thursday: Special teams and some videos.

You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to know it’s been a rough season for Santa Fe under first-year coach Bruce Gowen.

Bad breaks, injuries and an inability to pull out the close one has made what could be a 5-3 or 4-4 team at 1-7 and searching for the first district win.

A win Friday at Norman North won’t do anything to help Santa Fe’s playoff chances, but it would be enough to end Norman North’s bid.

I’m not sure if playing the spoiler is what these Santa Fe kids envisioned for this season, but it’s something they can do.

The effort has been there, and the seniors have not quit on this team. I’m just waiting for the perfect moment to write a bang-up story on RB Brian Mills.

Most of my colleagues have seen him more than I have and say what I already knew: how special a talent Mills is.

It’s also been a big season for senior WR Matt Leavell. He has 25 catches for 382 yards and five touchdowns and blossomed into a solid No. 1 threat.

Defensively, senior Randy Mack has gone a little under the radar. He leads the team with 60 tackles and five sacks.

This season wasn’t what these seniors wanted. But by playing hard in these final weeks, they’re teaching the younger kids what character is all about.

Here’s a few I’ve come up with. Let me know, either through a comment here or an e-mail (raber@opubco.com), if you have any others.

I’m sure there are plenty more I’ve missed but here are a few:

- Morrison and Shattuck’s 90-game winning streaks in football
- Tulsa Union’s and Jenks’ stranglehold on the 6A football title
-Asher and Owasso baseball dominance
-McGuinness girls cross country
-Bethel girls basketball state tournament streak
-Bartlesville boys swimming
-El Reno wrestling
-McGuinness girls tennis
-Cascia Hall boys tennis

North (7-1, 4-1) vs. Memorial (5-3, 4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

North offense
Passing: Travis Townsend – 61-106, 786 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs; Danny Rossi – 6-16, 64 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.

This is obviously the biggest wildcard of the Edlam showdown. If Townsend can go, it will give the Huskies a big lift. If you ask me, Townsend will definitely be out there Friday.

If not, last week’s game is the biggest blessing for Rossi. He got the jitters out and should be able to execute better.

Rushing: Joe Aska Jr. – 818 yards, 10 TDs; Qua’Don Henderson – 310 yards, 4 TDs; Jared Benway – 247 yards, 6 TDs.

Aska has been held under 100 yards in back-to-back games, and I expect him to be on a mission Friday night. This is his statement game.

Henderson will do all he can to be on the field, but that high ankle sprain didn’t look good. If he’s out, Benway will get more carries and with the North offensive line leading the way, it will look to overpower Memorial.

Receiving: Jon McNeill – 22 rec., 365 yards, 1 TD; Blake Gatewood – 6 rec., 124 yards, 1 TD; Jared Benway – 11 rec., 123 yards, 5 TDs.

McNeill has emerged as the No. 1 target for the Huskies. Not exactly the most flashy of receivers, but a steady and consistent player that can surprise people.

Nearly half of Benway’s catches go for touchdowns. If he gets out in open space, you’re not going to bring him down. Not when he gets all that momentum going.

North is averaging just under 28 points per game, so give the O-Line some credit despite all its injuries (esp. in the last couple of weeks). The Huskies are earning 169 yards per contest on the ground and 111 through the air for 280 yards of total offense.

Memorial defense
Tackles: Adrian Shoecraft, 80; Jordan Marczewski, 65; Jeremy Langston, 47; Jared Chambers, 43; Connor Myers, 39.

Sacks: Myers, Eddie Murphy, 3; Chambers, 2.

Interceptions: Nelson Medeiros, Mike Stevenson, Hunter Dawson, Langston, 2.

The numbers aren’t jaw-dropping, but that tells you just how much this team executes its plan.

They don’t rely on getting turnovers. They don’t need that to turn the tide in a game. Their game plan is good enough to sway things. They just put the pressure on the opposing offense to be on their best at all times.

Shoecraft leads the crop and was about as loose as anyone can be Monday with a big rivalry game coming up Friday.

I didn’t realize how many tackles Marczewski had, but then I started thinking back to the times I’ve seen the Bulldogs this season, and yea, he was a big part of everything.

Medeiros is one of the most intelligent players I’ve seen in the last couple of seasons. Something tells me he’s going to make a big play Friday.

Through seven games, Memorial was giving up a mere 65 yards per game on the ground and only 107 through the air. The defense has allowed 84 points this season, 10.5 per contest. But like I’ve said, last four games: 0, 7, 3 and 7. Not a coincidence that all four were Ws.

Wednesday: We switch it with Memorial’s offense vs. North’s defense.

Even though this feels like it’s been a season of ‘what might have been’ for Deer Creek, the Antlers are definitely still alive in the postseason race.

Grant Gower’s club has been decimated by injuries and a lot of adjustments have had to be made. I’m not saying it’s a miracle the team is 4-4, but it’s been a great job by the staff this season.

One reason has been the play of senior Tyler Price lately. With Colten Sander out, he’s been the one who is starting to get some carries to go along with the Edmond Player of the Week Alex Christensen.

While Gower has been impressed with Price’s running ability, he said his biggest contribution has been on defense. Price has moved from linebacker to defensive back.

Price and the rest of the seniors will have one more night in front of their fans Friday against Altus.

That’s the great thing about this district. You can’t dwell on one loss too much because the next game is coming up, and you can’t celebrate a win that much for the same reason.” – Gower

In other words, the big road win at Chickasha won’t mean nearly as much if the Antlers don’t take care of business against a snake-bitten Altus team.

A victory here might all but guarantee a playoff spot, especially if Lawton MacArthur takes out Chickasha on Thursday.

Busy making the rounds around the Edmond schools today. Saw the first 45 minutes of North’s practice and caught around the last hour of Memorial’s practice.

North

- Kicker Austin Brasher will be back to doing all duties Friday night. It was a team issue for why he wasn’t kicking the FGs and PATs last week. There is nothing physically wrong with him.

- Uh oh, another high ankle sprain. This time it’s Qua’Don Henderson. He was explaining to me when it happened last week, and I knew exactly what play he was talking about. It was on a screen pass, knew it as soon as he was describing it. He told me he’s playing Friday. “I don’t care what anyone says, I’m playing.”

- Quarterback Travis Townsend was throwing the ball around. Taking drop backs and throwing different types of passes. Coach Jeremy Dombek said he really doesn’t know right now because “it’s going to be a matter of what Travis can do. That will decide if he plays and how much he plays.”

- His counterpart, Danny Rossi, was in the role of Kameron Doolittle today. Tough to duplicate the skills, but he wasn’t doing a bad job.

- The energy and intensity was picking up when I left. Team looked ready. Shot video with senior Dakota Lambeth, so that will be on NewsOK sometime this week.

Memorial

- I don’t repeat what coaches say to the kids after practice, but man, even I was fired up after hearing Justin Merideth’s talk to the boys. Those kids follow their leader and Merideth is a doggone good one.

- RB D’Juan Brooks was back today. He told me he had a bad practice, but that’s a moot point for someone who was supposed to be out longer with his stinger injury. Brooks couldn’t stop smiling the whole time I was talking to him, good to see him back out there. He’ll be ready come Friday. Brooks was injured in Week 3 vs. Del City.

- Cale Olbert is a beast. Sometimes it doesn’t register until you see someone like that up close. Most impressive.

- Though early in the week, the intensity was good. It’s going to pick up, that’s for sure. But it sure didn’t feel like a Monday practice.

- Shot a lot of video, have a lot of editing to do. When I get around to it, look for video of Brooks, Nelson Medeiros and Matt Hall on NewsOK sometime this week.

As we head into Friday’s mega-showdown at Wantland Stadium between North (7-1, 4-1) and Memorial (5-3, 4-1), here is a look back at how this series has gone so far.

Memorial vs. North Edlam History
2008: Memorial 35-3
2007: North 9-6
2006: Memorial 18-13
2005: North 39-14
2004: North 38-21
2003: North 21-12
2002: North 31-0
2001: North 17-14
2000: North 17-12
1999: North 21-0
1998: Memorial 25-24
1997: Memorial 25-22
1996: Memorial 25-8

Edmond City Champs
2008: Santa Fe
2007: Santa Fe
2006: Santa Fe
2005: Santa Fe
2004: North
2003: North
2002: Santa Fe
2001: North
2000: North
1999: North
1998: Tie (everyone went 1-1)
1997: Memorial
1996: Memorial

Edmond City Champs
Santa Fe – 5
North – 5
Memorial – 2
Nobody – 1

Tuesday I’ll start breaking down the matchups. Also heading to each team’s practice today to shoot some video.

Back-to-back losses to Duncan and El Reno had Deer Creek reeling. Going on the road to Chickasha to face the explosive offense led by Chase Rodgers certainly wasn’t a picnic.

It was as close to a must-win game for the Antlers as possible. And having to try to win such a crucial game without a vital component again (Colten Sander), well, the task seemed daunting.

But with each passing game, quarterback Alex Christensen has matured and looked more natural at the position.

Christensen’s never played bigger than what he did Friday in a 26-16 win and earns Edmond Player of the Week honors.

Christensen ran for more than 200 yards and a touchdown while also throwing for another score.

It’s not just the 200 rushing yards by Christensen, it’s the way he did. He’s a tough, physical kid that just wasn’t going to take no for an answer in this district battle.

Deer Creek has Altus coming up this week. With a win, the Antlers, despite all their injuries, have put themselves in solid playoff position.

Other contenders

Virgil Walker, LB, North: The Huskies needed a bounce back game vs. PCWest after the Midwest City loss, and Walker was there to do it. He had two sacks and four additional tackles for loss in a 36-6 win.

Jacob Stivers, WR, Memorial: When Memorial needed a big play, it was Stivers that delivered, catching the eventual game-winning touchdown in the third quarter of a 14-7 win vs. Lawton Eisenhower.

Brian Mills, RB, Santa Fe: Senior continues to show there is no give up in this team. Rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Other winners

We are coming down the stretch of the cross country season, and the Edmond teams were three of the first five for the boys at regionals and three of the first four for the girls.

Adam Godwin, North: Placed second individually and helped North the narrowest of regional victories, topping Norman by one point.

Eric Talbert, Memorial: Placed fifth overall and helped Memorial to solid third-place finish.

Arya Bahreini, Santa Fe: Solid outing, leading the Wolves with a 10-th place finish and the team took fifth.

Tara Lewis, Memorial: Bulldogs may have placed third in the team race, but nobody was better than Lewis individually.

Meredith Farley, North: Farley (5th) and Anna Kimsey (6th) paced North to regional title.

Rachel Davis, Santa Fe: Top finisher for Wolves at 12th while Santa Fe finished respectable fourth.

Taler Buck and Aaron White, Deer Creek: First and second in 5A regional as Antlers cruised to regional win.

We’ve looked at what Memorial has done this season, now here’s how North (7-1, 4-1) has fared so far.

And here’s a link to today’s piece about how big this Edlam showdown really is this year.

Non-District: Started season with thrilling 14-13 win vs. Santa Fe but showed they were for real with victory vs. Mustang.

First true road test was at Yukon, one North passed beautifully to close up shop at 3-0.

Results: W, Santa Fe, 14-13; W, Mustang, 38-28; W, Yukon, 24-14.

District: It hasn’t always been pretty as the Huskies have been taken to the limit time and time again. Needed a 27-point fourth quarter to beat Lawton Eisenhower.

Putting up 42 points against Norman, in retrospect, is pretty dang good, but the Putnam City squeaker isn’t holding up.

The loss to Midwest City was crucial on so many levels. Respect being one of them but the loss of QB Travis Townsend was more important.

Coach Jeremy Dombek won’t get into whether Townsend will play this week as of now. A couple of days of practice might clear it up.

And as if it hasn’t all season, the defense carried the day in a 36-6 win against Putnam West.

Results: W, Lawton Ike, 36-13; W, Norman, 42-28; W, Putnam City, 20-16; L, MWC, 42-13; W, PCWest, 36-6.

Boneman’s Breakdown: Joe Aska Jr. has been the heart of this team, but Jared Benway has been the surprise of the team. He is so quick to make his decisions.

Jon McNeill has become North’s No. 1 wide receiver while still think TE Blake Gatewood is about ready for that bust out game.

Defensively, what’s not to like? Colton Byford leads the group upfront, but anybody from Virgil Walker to Dakota Lambeth to Ryan Adams can and will make a huge play.

The secondary has been gushed about enough as Rickey Lawyer and Xavier Smith practically beg teams to throw their way, so they can make a play.

Biggest question that can’t be answered is will it Danny Rossi or Townsend? We might all have to wait on that one.

Love Austin Brasher’s leg. Was interesting to see him not kicking field goals and extra points this last week. Something I’ll inquire about this week.

I’ll be out at North’s and Memorial’s practice Monday for some videos and maybe I’ll get an answer on the QB situation.

As we head into Friday night’s showdown between Memorial and North, wanted to take a look back at the season it’s been for both teams.

Let’s start with Memorial (5-3, 4-1).

Non-district: A brutal slate with an Edlam rivalry game sandwiched between battles with Southmoore and Del City.

The Bulldogs were competitive in all three (and won vs. Santa Fe) but were still looking for the right ingredients on how to finish a game.

Results: L, Southmoore, 20-12; W, Santa Fe, 15-6; L, Del City, 19-18.

District: Had Midwest City reeling until James Flanders introduced himself to the rest of the state. Bombers have been rolling ever since behind that great defense and the emergence of Greg Austin.

Coach Justin Merideth said the biggest change has been simplifying the offense and simply playing better. No magic touch here, just playing and executing better in the last four games.

Kameron Doolittle was moved from RB to QB in an effort to get the most-skilled kids out there as possible. With Doolittle and Cale Olbert both out there, it’s added balance to the team.

It doesn’t just help them as it’s allowed the WRs like Nelson Medeiros and Jacob Stivers to play a bigger role. Stivers has made some big plays in big moments for the ‘Dogs.

The defense hasn’t been a question mark all season as Jeremy Langston and Adrian Shoecraft lead one of the best in the state (yeah, I said it). Matt Hall leads the stout OL.

And Memorial has one of the better kickers in Will Conant. That’s quite a little security blanket that most high school teams don’t have.

Results: L, MWC, 22-7; W, PCWest, 48-0; W, Norman, 28-7; W, Westmoore, 26-3; W, Lawton Ike, 14-7.

Boneman’s Breakdown: Think a lot of people went to sleep on this team after the 1-3 start. But losses to Southmoore (No. 4), Del City (No. 5) and MWC (No. 6) are nothing to hang your head about.

While Santa Fe was a big emotional win, the best win is actually looking like a 28-7 win at Norman. Greg Nation has turned things around for the Tigers with two big wins against Putnam City and Westmoore.

Memorial should also get another weapon back as Merideth told me D’Juan Brooks should return for Friday night’s battle. Brooks and Olbert behind that line is a scary thought (well, unless you’re a Memorial fan).

The playoff picture is starting to come into focus for the Edmond schools with only two weeks left in the regular season.

North (7-1, 4-1)
The Huskies weren’t 100 percent, physically or mentally. It took them a while to get rid of the bad mojo from the Midwest City loss. But it did happen and North settled down.

The running attack led the way and QB Danny Rossi was able to find Jared Benway for two of his three TD passes.

But the key in the 36-6 win vs. Putnam West was the defense, most notably Virgil Walker and Colton Byford.

Now’s a little game coming up we call Edlam. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Memorial (5-3, 4-1)
Coach Justin Merideth wasn’t sure if his was team was overlooking Lawton Eisenhower, but he did give the Eagles a ton of credit for the way they played in Memorial’s 14-7 road win.

Once again it was the defense that stepped up in this one. Haven’t allowed more than seven points in the last four games. That’s how a 1-3 start becomes 5-3 real quick.

The way Memorial has played the last week, I’m not sure who you would consider the ‘favorite’ Friday night. Either way, it should be one that all involved will remember.

Santa Fe (1-7, 0-5)
I honestly thought the Wolves were going to sneak up on Lawton, but Wolverines senior Sonny Puletasi just didn’t let it happen.

He did just about everything possible on the defensive side of the ball in a 31-6 win to get Lawton back on track.

Still think Santa Fe can win its final two games. At this point, ruining Norman North’s playoff chances is what the Wolves can play for.

Deer Creek (4-4, 3-2)
Knew it would be a battle with Chase Rodgers and Chickasha and sure enough, it was. Huge 26-16 road win to put the Antlers in a good spot for the third or fourth playoff spot.

Grant Gower said Tyler Price has stepped up in a big way with Colten Sander out the last couple of games. And Gower gave a lot of credit to the defensive game plan DC had for Rodgers.

Another winnable, yet tough game on the docket as Altus comes to Deer Creek for senior night. Don’t have to tell you how crucial a win here is. Difference between 4-2 and 3-3 when the final game is at Lawton MacArthur is quite significant.

We weren’t able to run any photos last week when Edmond Memorial won the Class 6A state volleyball championship. But thanks to Memorial fans, my inbox has been littered with photos. So here ya go with a gallery of shots from last week’s championship.

I thought I might be the most excited for the Edmond North and Edmond Memorial game coming up Friday until I started making the rounds and calling North and Memorial players. I’m excited, but I don’t hold a candle to what those kids are feeling right now.

I’ll do my best to keep up, though. I have stuff planned all week, starting with a Sunday front page story: “Is this the biggest Edlam regular season game EVER?”

From there, I’ll be posting daily blogs sizing up the matchups, who to watch, statistical leaders, Edlam history, videos from practices. Whatever you want to know about North (7-1) vs. Memorial (5-3) this week, the Boneman is the man with the plan.

So sit back, relax and let Edlam week begin.

The top seven stay the same here. Bartlesville still No. 7 after a loss? Yes. The Bruins did score 40 points on Jenks, the first team to do that in regulation since Tulsa Union scored 44 early in the 2005 season (Jenks won that game 48-44). Bartlesville lost but still put together a good showing. They do need to blowout Tulsa Memorial next week, though, and at least hang with Broken Arrow to keep that spot. Edmond North and Mustang move up a spot each. I think Mustang would beat Edmond North head-to-head now, but I’m not going to leap the 2-loss Broncos over a 1-loss Edmond North when the Huskies won the head-to-head earlier this season. It came down to Owasso and Lawton for the final spot, and I even had Owasso written in at one time, but went back and looked at both team’s schedules. Lawton has 2 losses; Owasso has 3. The Wolverines’ most impressive win was a 27-14 victory over Mustang. The Rams was … a 30-8 win over Choctaw? 20-0 over Muskogee? 19-13 over Enid? Not a whole lot to be blown away by there. The Rams are playing much better than they were before the season but Lawton has impressed more to this point. Putnam North was the team that fell out of the rankings after their 46-14 loss to Mustang.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (1)#8-0
2. El Reno (2)#8-0
3. Shawnee (3)#8-0
4. McAlester (4)#8-0
5. Tulsa Washington (5)#6-2
6. Carl Albert (6)#6-2
7. Tulsa East Central (7)#7-1
8. Bixby (8)#5-3
9. Tulsa Central (9)#6-2
10. Duncan (NR)#7-1 

Not Much movement here either as the top 9 all won. The only loss was Ada falling 24-21 to Tulsa East Central and I seriously contemplated leaving Ada there but after looking at Duncan’s resume, I slid them in. Their only loss came against Carl Albert early in the season. They’ve played a couple close games in district but keep finding a way to win. They travel to El Reno to end the season in a game that will decide 5A-1.

Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#8-0
2. Sallisaw (2)#8-0
3. Weatherford (3)#8-0
4. McGuinness (4)#6-2
5. Douglass (5)#5-3
6. Star Spencer (6)#6-2
7. Broken Bow (7)#5-3
8. Jay (8)#6-2
9. Wagoner (10)#5-3
10. Tecumseh (NR)#7-1 

The top eight here all stay the same. No. 5 Douglass sticks there for the second consecutive weeks after a loss but they lost by seven points to a higher-ranked team both weeks so there’s no reason to drop them, especially considering they hold a head-to-head win over No. 6 Star Spencer. No. 9 Poteau drops out after losing big to Broken Bow. Wagoner moves up a spot while Tecumseh, by virtue of its 19-14 win over Seminole, moves back into the rankings. Not sure about Tecumseh, but hard to argue to keep them out at this point.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#7-0
2. Tuttle (2)#8-0
3. Madill (3)#8-0
4. Metro Christian (4)#8-0
5. Berryhill (8)#6-2
6. Clinton (9)#5-3
7. Sequoyah-Claremore (10)#7-1
8. Blanchard (5)#6-2
9. Elgin (NR)#7-1
10. Purcell (NR)#6-2 

There’s a lot of shake ups here after Nos. 5-6-7 and went down, two to unranked teams. Blanchard lost to Clinton, sending Blanchard from No. 5 to No. 7. No. 6 Checotah lost to Roland in OT and dropped completely out. No. 7 Bethany lost 35-14 to unranked Purcell and also dropped all the way out. Taking their place was 7-1 Elgin (Only loss came to Tuttle) and 6-2 Purcell (Lost to Lexington and Madill back-to-back early but have won four consecutive games). The big movers were Berryhill, up three spots to No. 5, Clinton and Sequoyah-Claremore.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#7-1
2. Davis (2)#8-0
3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (3)#8-0
4. Vian (4)#7-1
5. Heritage Hall (5)#5-3
6. Kingfisher (6)#6-2
7. Millwood (7)#6-2
8. Bridge Creek (9)#7-1
9. Plainview (NR)#7-1
10. Jones (NR)#6-2

The top seven are easy as each won Friday night. Bridge Creek jumps a spot to No. 8 while Plainview (7-1,  won 7 in a row after season-opening loss to Elgin) and Jones (6-2, wins over Millwood and Lexington in district play) move into the rankings. Lexington drops out, as does Pawhuska. Pawhuska has a chance to move back in soon, though, but hard not to drop them after losing 48-0. 

Class A
1. Tonkawa (1)#8-0
2. Ringling (2)#7-0
3. Hennessey (3)#8-0
4. Stroud (4)#8-0
5. Talihina (5)#8-0
6. Cashion (6)#8-0
7. Oklahoma Bible (7)#7-1
8. Salina (9)#8-0
9. Central Sallisaw (NR)#7-1
10. Watonga (NR)#6-2 

Again, the top seven stay the same as all win. After that, though, things get a bit dicey. Salina moves up a spot with a win and Central Sallisaw and Watonga enter the rankings. Central Sallisaw’s only loss came to No. 5 Talihina. Watonga’s losses came to Class 2A No. 6 Kingfisher by eight to start the season and No. 6 Cashion by seven last week. Okeene drops out after losing for the second time in three weeks and needing triple overtime to beat Texhoma earlier this season. OCS drops out after 12-10 loss to Cashion. That’s a tough break but hard to put OCS in and keep Watonga out now, after Watonga won the head-to-head.

Class B
1. Garber (1)#8-0
2. Canton (2)#8-0
3. Porter (3)#8-0
4. Ryan (4)#8-0
5. Davenport (7)#7-1
6. Depew (8)#6-2
7. Kiefer (6)#7-1
8. Caddo (9)#6-2
9. Weleetka (10)#6-2
10. Alex (NR)#6-2 

The top four stay undefeated and stay in their spots. Fox’s loss to Alex drops the Foxes out from No. 5 as Alex moves in at No. 10 at 6-2. Alex’s only two losses this year came to No. 8 Caddo and Class C No. 3 Temple. Davenport and Depew each move up two spots. Kiefer drops one after its loss to Depew. Caddo and Weleetka move up one behind Kiefer and Alex moves back into the rankings.

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#8-0
2. Timberlake (2)#8-0
3. Temple (3)#7-1
4. Seiling (4)#7-1
5. Maud (5)#8-0
6. Deer Creek-Lamont (6)#7-1
7. Boise City (9)#6-2
8. Sasakwa (10)#7-1
9. Thackerville (7)#5-3
10. Tipton (NR)#6-2 

Top six stay the same here. Boise City leaps up two spots after winning for the sixth consecutive game after an 0-2 start (losing at Springfield, Colo., and at Shattuck). Sasakwa also moves up two after a 66-18 thrashing of No. 8 Claremore Christian. Thackerville falls two spots to No. 9 after a loss to Class B No. 8 Caddo. Replacing Claremore Christian in the rankings this week is Tipton (6-2, only losses to Geary and Temple).

You could see North trying to shake off what happened last week in the first quarter of this game. The Huskies weren’t real sharp before finding their footing and pulling away.

The telling moment in this game was in the first quarter when North QB Danny Rossi was rolling out and had Jared Benway open in the flat for what looked like an easy touchdown. Rossi also could have ran the ball for about 15 yards.

He was off the mark bad to Benway. Same situation, now in the third quarter. A beautiful pass by Rossi to Benway who scored. That’s the maturity that Rossi displayed as the game went on. After he got over those nerves, he did what he needed to do.

North 36, Putnam West 6 – Final

The injury bug is not being kind to the Huskies right now. Sure it’s like that across the board in the state, but North looks a little out of sorts right now.

RB Joe Aska Jr. ran hard, but he looked a little gimpy. Not sure if he was just tired, but he was moving slow. Qua’Don Henderson didn’t see the ball in the second half and looked like he might be out with a leg injury, and the O-Line is already banged up.

Putnam West surprised North a couple of times, especially Johnny Smith. Smith had a great game for John Jensen’s club. Not only was he able to stretch things out wide, he was also able to use his speed and outrun a lot of the Huskies in going for 124 yards and the touchdown.

It was tough sledding for QB Ray Young for PCW. North was in his earhole seemingly all night. He had a couple of drops, too, that didn’t help the cause.

After trying maybe too hard to try to force things with Rossi, North got on track because of its ground game. I don’t think the Huskies had a run of more than 20 yards all night, but it was a good, sustained attack.

Obviously in my opinion, the stars of this game were Virgil Walker, Colton Byford and the rest of the front seven for North.

Walker was telling me how he couldn’t really put it into words how much the team wanted to get back out there after last week’s loss to Midwest City.

They set the tone early, and then the offense caught up.

Putnam West just doesn’t have the depth right now. Those kids play extremely hard on every play but get worn down.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- If Travis Townsend can’t play next week vs. Memorial, Rossi is going to have to find TE Blake Gatewood. He’s such a big target, seems only natural.

- Just a junior, Smith has given Patriot fans something to look forward to. He ran hard, but he’s also pretty dang quick.

- ‘Look what I found’ had to be what North sophomore Ragan Land was thinking after recovering the blocked punt for a TD. It was loose among all those bodies, and he scooped it up.

Final analysis: Though sloppy at times, coach Jeremy Dombek said it best: “always happy with a win.” A good bounce back effort heading into what now might be the biggest game of this senior class’ career. A win vs. Memorial might guarantee hosting a playoff game. A loss and to the road you go.

Up next: North (7-1, 4-1) takes on Memorial while PCW (0-8, 0-5) has its own rivalry game with Putnam City on tap.

Memorial (4-3, 3-1) vs. Lawton Eisenhower (2-5, 1-3)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Cameron Stadium

Memorial (L, Southmoore; W, Santa Fe; L, Del City; L, Midwest City; W, PCWest; W, Norman; W, Westmoore)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because though coach Justin Merideth feels the team has ways to go still, this team is light years better than it was last month. The best defense you’ve never heard of combined with the emergence of Cale Olbert as a running force has this team over .500 for the first time this season.

Lawton Ike
Why the Eagles can win: Because they’re coming off a good win vs. PCWest and will look to build on that momentum. If Lawton Ike has any chance at the postseason, an upset win here is needed.

Key matchup: Cale Olbert vs. Ike defense. The key to Memorial is the balance it is showing right now. Kameron Doolittle might be able to win the game by himself (or at least it feels like it), but boy, having Olbert carry the rushing load with a stout O-Line certainly makes Memorial’s life easier.

The pick: Memorial 31, Lawton Ike 10. Memorial might be the best Edmond team, definitely playing the best right now. I don’t think it will look past the Eagles with the showdown vs. North next week on the horizon. Adrian Shoecraft and Matt Hall will make some big plays in this one.

Lawton (5-2, 2-2) vs. Santa Fe (1-6, 0-4)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

Lawton
Why the Wolverines can win: Because the brutality that is 6A-1 has gotten to Randy Breeze’s club lately, but they’re facing a team that though talented, just hasn’t gotten any breaks this year. It’s tough to run on Santa Fe, but QB Cody Miller might be ready for another good one.

Santa Fe (L, North; L, Memorial; W, PCWest; L, Mustang; L, Del City; L, Southmoore; L, PCNorth)
Why the Wolves can win: Because if Lawton is at all feeling sorry for itself, this is one team that will not care. Not after all it’s been through. The question is will sophomore Ty Hensley start taking more snaps for Bruce Gowen’s club. The defense has been gritty, and Brian Mills has made himself one of the best runners in 6A.

Key matchup: Lawton passing game vs. Santa Fe defense. The Wolves shut down the Del City offense and is pretty dang good when it executes. The question is how much motivation is left for Santa Fe after a rough season that would have even the most positive people a little down.

The pick: Santa Fe 20, Lawton 17. I feel it. This is the week. If Lawton gets off to a tough start, the Wolves’ confidence is going to grow. I think Santa Fe can win its last three games.

Deer Creek (3-4, 2-2) vs. Chickasha (3-4, 2-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Chickasha

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont; L, Shawnee; L, Woodward; W, NWClassen; W, Western Heights; L, Duncan; L, El Reno)
Why the Antlers can win: Because the next two weeks will decide the fate of the season as it’s basically playoff elimination games against Chickasha and Altus. Back-to-back losses have Grant Gower’s club reeling, so this will be just as much a mental test as it will be a physical encounter.

Chickasha
Why the Chicks can win: Because quarterback Chase Rodgers is one of the most exciting players in 5A, if not the state. The problem is while Rodgers can make the big plays (14 TDs), he can just easily give ‘em back (14 INTs).

Key matchup: Deer Creek running game vs. Chickasha defense. Deer Creek is going to want to shorten this game through its running attack. If Alex Christensen and Colten Sander can get things going, the Antlers are going to pick up a huge road win. (Boneman note: Thought Sander would return, but it turns out he is still injured.)

The pick: Deer Creek 21, Chickasha 20. Antlers get up early, but Chicks don’t go down without a fight.

10:51 – NORTH 36, PUTNAM WEST 6 – FINAL

Solid outing by the defense. Offense made some plays but definitely had some miscues. Think a lot of the attention was already turned to Memorial.

Putnam West’s Johnny Smith rushed for a touchdown while North’s Danny Rossi threw two more TD passes in the second half, finding Jared Benway again as well as Blake Gatewood.

North looks a little banged up right now, so it’ll be interesting what this week does for him. Much more on this one Friday in the FMQ.

8:41 – NORTH 20, PUTNAM WEST 0 – HALFTIME

It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Huskies are getting the job done right now. Danny Rossi has looked ‘rushed’ at times in his head. The game hasn’t slowed down for him yet.

Qua’Don Henderson has looked solid for North as has Jared Benway. But the story of the first half was North’s defense. After allowing a 37-yard run to PCWest’s Johnny Smith, the defense has put the clamps on the Patriots.

Your scoring plays: Jared Benway 10 pass from Danny Rossi; Qua’Don Henderson 2 run; Ragan Land 10 fumble return off a blocked punt.

North spent most of the first quarter trying to get Rossi into a groove. It hasn’t worked so far, but that’s OK when you have the type of running attack the Huskies have.

North definitely has some things to work on, so second half will be interesting to see if this starts to look like the powerhouse I think it can be.

6:25 – Back to my home away from home for Edmond North and Putnam West at Wantland Stadium. North’s MO this season has been to win but not look overly impressive. With Memorial looming next week, is this the game it comes together for the Huskies?

Putnam West gives about as much effort as any team but success has not been easy to come by for John Jensen’s club. I’m interested to see if the Patriots come after Danny Rossi and try to fluster him early. Rossi makes his first start at QB tonight for North.

Either way, I’ll try to update here as much as possible, but I’ll definitely be keepin’ ya posted on Twitter @BPrzybylo. And follow @ryaber for all the night’s updates in the HS football world.

Putnam West (0-7, 0-4) vs. Edmond North (6-1, 3-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium (I’ll be there)

PCW
Why PC West could win: There’s the hope that Edmond North’s crushing loss to Midwest City last week could have the Huskies so demoralized that they are lacking effort tonight, and PC West will be able to capitalize. But it’s likely to work the other way, in that the Huskies will be ultra-motivated to whip up on somebody. In that case, the Patriots will have to find a way to neutralize Edmond North’s power, and try to attack with speed on the edge. PC West has found some defensive success against the I-formation at times this year.

North (W, Santa Fe; W, Mutang; W, Yukon; W, Lawton Ike; W, Norman; W, Putnam City; L, Midwest City)
Why the Huskies can win: Because since last week’s game ended, all Jeremy Dombek’s boys have wanted to do is get back out there. Despite missing quarterback Travis Townsend, the running game should come back to life this week. Whether it’s Joe Aska, Jared Benway or Qua’Don Henderson, the Huskies should be able to pile up the yards.

Quote:

Midwest City was the better team on that night, for sure. Now we have to regroup. We still have a lot to play for and can still accomplish a lot of our goals.” – Dombek

Scott’s key matchup: PC West offense vs. the chains. If the Pats are going to keep themselves in this one, they need to control the ball and run the clock. That will fall on the shoulders of running backs Dominique Taplin and Roland Russell, who have shown flashes of talent throughout the year. If they can run the ball and move the chains, it should open up opportunities for a big play in the passing game.

Boneman’s key matchup: North’s passing game vs. PCW secondary. Or should I say I’m more or less wondering if North will use a passing game? I want to see how the Huskies look without Townsend, but this might not be the game to test the waters. It’ll be interesting if PCW stacks the box and forces North to throw.

Scott’s pick: Edmond North 35, PC West 14. I’d look for the Huskies to try to overpower PC West at the line of scrimmage, which will probably result in a lot of run plays and not a lot of clock stoppage.

Boneman’s pick: North 28, Putnam West 0. The defense is fired up after giving up 42 points (not all on the D), and I expect this to be a short one with the Huskies trying to shorten the game with their potent ground attack.

The Edmond teams are definitely among the best cross country clubs in the state, both the boys and girls teams.

And with the state meet approaching next week, here’s a short Q&A with one of Santa Fe’s best runners, senior Alyssa Nale.

What was your “welcome to Varsity” sports moment?

Nale: Running cross country at state during my freshman year and experiencing all the excitement.

Other than you, who is the best athlete in the family?

Nale: My older brother because sports just come so natural for him. He was a great football, basketball and baseball player. He was blessed with the natural ability of being athletic.

Bucket List time. What are some of the things you want to do?

Nale: Go skydiving, marry a “future” Olympic decathlete, go on a cruise and graduate from college.

If you could trade places with one person, who would it be and why?

Nale: Shawn Johnson because she is cute, sweet and small, and I would to be able to experience the world of gymnastics and to be an Olympic gold medalist at the age of 17.

I knew persistence would pay off. Finally able to get in touch with Edmond North coach Jeremy Dombek to check in on things, and it’s not good regarding junior quarterback Travis Townsend.

Townsend will be out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. He’s wearing a boot right now, and Dombek said he is not sure when Townsend can come back.

I think ‘high ankle sprain’ is starting to become one of those dreaded terms because that could take 4-6 weeks, if not longer, to fully become healthy.

When I heard Jesse Mathews was the QB last week, I figured it was because Danny Rossi hadn’t been taking snaps at QB all season.

Sure enough, sounds like the case. Rossi was sharp as the QB on Monday in practice, Dombek said. Dombek is not sure if Rossi will start, but if he practices well today and Wednesday, it’s a pretty good bet.

I wondered if the Huskies put too much emphasis on Midwest City. Dombek told me to not quit my day job. Kidding. Seriously, he said there really wasn’t a way to try to downplay what the game meant. But on that night, Midwest City was definitely the better team, Dombek said.

Huskies are very lucky Memorial is not this week. Trying to break in a new quarterback against that defense? Good luck to you, sir.

As for Jesse, Dombek was pleased with his outing. Some snap exchange issues but to be expected.

Either way, seeing who is at QB and how he plays just gives you one more reason to check out Putnam West and the Huskies on Thursday.

Saturday night in Sapulpa seems like it was one special scene for the Edmond Memorial volleyball squad.

After the huge disappointment from last year, the Bulldogs club was squarely focused on this year.

And led by arguably the best player in the state, junior Micha Hancock, Memorial was able to outlast Tulsa Union in a five-game slugfest to take back the Class 6A championship.

Hancock is one of the hardest hitters and saved her best stuff for when it mattered most.

Though Hancock is getting the Edmond Player of the Week, all of Edgar Miraku’s girls deserve the recognition.

Memorial and Union both went through the quarterfinals and semifinals without losing a game.

But the final was a classic back-and-forth affair with Memorial coming out on top 25-12, 18-25, 19-25, 25-20 and 18-16. Junior Caitlin Scott landed the winning kill.

It is Memorial’s third championship in five years.

For more, fellow chum Scott Wright had this to say in Sunday’s paper.

Other contenders

- Kameron Doolittle, RB, Memorial: There’s that man again. Doolittle rushed for 109 yards and threw two touchdowns in a 26-3 win against Westmoore.

- Brian Mills, RB, Santa Fe: And there’s that man again. Mills has been phenomenal in every way possible despite a 1-6 record. He rushed for 127 yards and a score in a 17-14 loss to Putnam North.

- Tyler Price, RB, Deer Creek: Six turnovers killed Grant Gower’s club, but Price was able to score the lone touchdown on a direct snap in a 30-7 loss to El Reno.

- Joe Aska Jr., RB, North: Aska was bottled up most of the night but scored two times in a 42-13 loss at Midwest City.

Other winners

- Sierra Bronkey, Santa Fe, Softball: Guts to the nth degree for the senior, who laid everything on the line to try to put the Wolves in the hunt for a title.

- Abby Taliaferro, North, Softball: Hit a two-run home run vs. Santa Fe but wasn’t enough for the young Huskies at the state tournament.

-  Taler Buck, Deer Creek, Cross Country: Was the top Oklahoma finisher at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Ark.

- Tara Lewis, Memorial, Cross Country: Second-highest Oklahoma finisher at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Ark.

Wasn’t able to see any games this week because of softball, but here is some second-hand analysis on this last week. Back in the saddle Thursday night with Edmond North and Putnam West.

North (6-1, 3-1)
It was statement week for the Huskies, and it obviously wasn’t the statement the team was looking to make.

One thing I’m going to pose to coach Jeremy Dombek when I speak with him this week is was there too much emphasis on this game? Maybe it was built up too much that the kids were tense.

Either way, a 42-13 loss at Midwest City left a horrible taste in everybody’s mouths for the last couple of days.

Up next is the aforementioned battle with Putnam West (0-7, 0-4).

Memorial (4-3, 3-1)
I’m tellin’ ya if I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least three or four times. Memorial has the best unknown defense in the state. The last three games: 0, 7 and 3 points allowed. Last week was a dominant 26-3 win against Westmoore.

Kameron Doolittle has found a groove and this team is really clicking right now. I’ve gushed about him enough, really don’t have anything new to add on that front.

The Bulldogs travel to Lawton for a battle with Lawton Eisenhower. The Eagles are coming off a win and should be feeling good. Will Memorial be looking ahead to Week 9 and the Edlam battle with North?

Santa Fe (1-6, 0-4)
I don’t know one person who doesn’t believe Santa Fe is better than its record. But their record is what it is.

Santa Fe was three points short in a 17-14 loss to Putnam North. Add it to the ledger of points lost by: 1 (twice), 3, 7 (OT), 9 and 16.

And of course in 6A-1, it doesn’t get easier. Lawton has lost two in a row and desperately needs a win to keep pace.

Is this the week Brian Mills and company manage to pick up a W?

Deer Creek (3-4, 2-2)
The Antlers had to go through a brutal stretch of Duncan and El Reno. The offense just hasn’t been able to get going against some of the best defenses in 5A right now.

Deer Creek gave host El Reno a game for a half, but the Indians got it going in a 30-7 victory.

It’s back to the road for Grant Gower’s club as Deer Creek is at Chickasha this week. Can the Antlers stop Chase Rodgers?

Or as I like to call it “how bad did I do?”

I don’t remember all of my calls, but I know I missed a bunch. I’m hoping I got two of the state softball champions right. In my defense, there were a few real unexpected winners this year.

Very interesting that not one No. 1 team won the title. Says a lot about the depth in each class and maybe some about the pressure of being No. 1 the whole season.

Teams like Mustang (6A), Catoosa (4A), Purcell (3A), Washington (2A), Fletcher (A) and Moss (B) had the targets on their back nearly the whole way.

6A: I said Yukon and after Yukon lit up Broken Arrow the first time, felt very confident about that. That inspiration of playing for Dani Fox was too good of a story to not happen. But B.A. has been there so many times before and never looked rattled. I’m not sure if Mustang was rattled in the championship, but it looked like it. That wasn’t the team that was scoring at least 7 runs in every postseason game. And Megan Sullivan of Broken Arrow is the best player I didn’t get a chance to see until this weekend. Actual winner: Broken Arrow.

5A: Well, I got the final right. Then again, anyone who knows anything about this class could have gotten the final of McAlester and Lawton MacArthur. The Highlanders just looked so smooth at there, and you know I love those black jerseys. I don’t know if that’s the most McAlester star pitcher Taylor Dewbery has been hit, but it’s gotta be up there. Impressive performance by Lawton Mac in the finals. Word on the street is Lawton Mac stud Amanda McClelland might be heading to West Point. Actual winner: Lawton Mac.

4A: Was bankin’ on a Tuttle three-peat here, no doubt about it. Jerry Bates’ teams always find a way to win the nail-biters. But defense betrayed the Tigers and Blanchard took advantage. Big kudos to the Lions, who will have a bevy of returning starters. Said coach Brent Mitchell: “We plan on being in this exact same spot next year.” Actual winner: Blanchard.

3A: This was the shoo-in…at least I thought. No way Purcell was going to lose. But give all the credit in the world to Caney Valley for continuing to fight. Kayla Wyatt was as dominant as one could be in the first five innings before CV got things going. Purcell only has one senior, so the Dragons will be back. And if they can keep it together mentally, that championship is bound to come. Actual winner: Caney Valley.

2A: Once Washington was out in the first game of the day, all bets were off in this class. Then Ringling was out. And it was just a free-for-all. Because of the schedule, I didn’t get to see Maci-Brooke Lambert’s 25-strikeout performance for Healdton in the championship against Drumright. You know I would have raved about that one. Actual winner: Healdton.

A: Oh my, I got one. One. Put my trust in Fort Cobb-Broxton senior Adalynn Klugh, and she delivered. After FCB won the slowpitch crown last year, you could sense this team no longer felt snake-bitten. Hey, and I even picked ‘em beating Fletcher. Actual winner: FCB.

B: Sasakwa is now 6-0 in the state tournament and is now back-to-back champions. I said if Red Oak could get by Sasakwa that it would win. Well, RO couldn’t get by the Vikings. I’m not saying it’s true, but here’s my thought on Sasakwa’s season: It’s like a defending NBA champion. That next season, they’re cruising along. Maybe losing games they shouldn’t. But when the playoffs (state tournament) starts, bam, they’re able to turn it up a notch. Actual winner: Sasakwa.

That will do it from softball. Got some tough choices to make for All-City teams, but that’s why I get paid the big bucks.

Quite a day at Sapulpa’s Chieftain Center. Your 5A champion is Tulsa Kelley and Edmond Memorial takes home the 6A crown.

9:05 p.m.: Memorial trailed early in the fourth game, taking its first lead at 16-15, but ran away with it in the end. The 25-20 win forced a fifth set for the first time in either of the 5A or 6A state tournaments this weekend. Talk about saving the best for last.

8:40 p.m.: Memorial fought back to within 22-18, but Union escaped with the win in game three, taking a 2-1 advantage.

8:19 p.m.: Union out to a 10-0 lead in the third game, sucking all the momentum to their side of the net.

8:12 p.m.: Memorial tried to put together a late rally, but Union was able to close it out and even the match at a game apiece. No match all weekend in either class has made it to a fifth game. Maybe this is the one.

7:47 p.m.: Micha Hancock landed a few big kills and the Memorial Bulldogs jumped out to take the first game of the 6A state match, 25-12, over Tulsa Union.

7:27 p.m.: I see some navy blue and green amid the Memorial fans. Looks like some North and Santa Fe folks hung around to support their neighbors in the title match, which is about to begin.

6:33 p.m.: Chalk up a three-peat for Tulsa Kelley. With a 25-14 win in the third game, Kelley swept the final match over McGuinness to win the school’s ninth volleyball title in the last 12 years.

We’ll get going with Memorial-Union for the 6A title at 7:15 p.m.

6:12 p.m.: Kelley scored the final three points for a thrilling 28-26 win in the second game and a 2-0 lead in the match. Easily the best game of the entire state tournament in either class so far.

5:58 p.m.: The second game is looking like it’ll be a showdown to the final point as McGuinness found the answer it needed to get back in this match. We’re tied at 14 with both sides scoring big points.

5:41 p.m.: Tulsa Kelley scored the first eight points of the game and got itself out to a quick 1-0 lead wiht a 25-10 win to start the 5A title match. McGuinness will be looking to bounce back quickly, but they’ve got to do something to discard the frustration that swallowed them up early in the first game.

4:38 p.m.: Memorial coasted through the third game to take the match, advancing to the state final in 6A. They’ll face Union at 7:15 p.m.

An interesting move by Edmond North coach Tanna Smith midway through the final game. The first-year coach called a timeout with her team trailing 16-6. She immediately took her team down a hallway in the corner of the gym, out of the sight of fans, for the duration of the 60-second timeout, presumably to light a fire in her players. It worked somewhat. The Lady Huskies matched Memorial point-for-point the rest of the match, but that obviously wasn’t enough.

As for the next match, Bishop McGuinness lost in its only match against Tulsa Kelley during the season. The Irish did take a game, which is more than most Oklahoma teams can say. The Comets are 29-0 this season against in-state competition.

4:13 p.m.: Memorial had to play from behind in the second game, but still managed a narrow win and a 2-0 lead in this 6A semifinal match. The Lady Bulldogs look like a team on a mission.

3:45 p.m.: Edmond Memorial’s height and power at the net was too much for North in the first game, a 25-17 Memorial victory. We’ll see if North can find a way to combat that heading into the second game.

2:58 p.m.: A bit of a shocker, not that Union won, but that it only took three games. They finished off Edmond Santa Fe with a 25-17 third-game decision. The Lady ‘Skins jumped to a big lead in the third game and put away the Lady Wolves. It evened the season series between the two schools at 2-2, but Union got the big one.

Edmond Memorial and Edmond North will get going at about 3:15 p.m. to see who will take on Union tonight for the title. The 6A final is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. Memorial and Union split four matches during the season and Union was 3-0 against Edmond North.

As for this match, Memorial won all three regular-season meetings against North, but the Lady Huskies are playing at the top of their game right now.

2:32 p.m.: Union pulls away late to take the second game and a 2-0 lead. The Lady Redskins haven’t been able to gain any significant momentum, but they’re getting crucial points when they need them. They can earn their spot in the 6A final with a win in the third game, which is about to begin.

2 p.m.: If the first game is any sign, the Union-Santa Fe match will go the distance. Union took the first game 25-21. Santa Fe was left scrambling on some points, but made a lot of plays to stay in it.

1:10 p.m.: The third game goes to Kelley, so it’s the Comets vs. McGuinness at 5:15 p.m. Edmond Santa Fe and Tulsa Union to begin at 1:30 p.m. We’re officially back on schedule, but I’d anticipate some four- and five-game matches in these two 6A semifinals.

1 p.m.: Carl Albert is coming through with some big points, but can’t stay on top of Tulsa Kelley. The Comets are up 2-0 and hold a 12-10 lead in the third game.

11:50 a.m.: McGuinness advances with the 3-1 win over Tulsa Washington, setting up a possible Catholic showdown if favorite Tulsa Kelley advances in the next game, which will be underway in about 15 minutes. The 5A title game is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m.

11:30 a.m.: After seeing what the Boneman has been through with softball, I’m not about to complain about a long day, but we’re well underway here at Sapulpa’s Chieftain Center, and we’ll be here well into the night. The final match is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. and the first match of the day already has us behind schedule. But the excitement these games create makes it worth it.

Friday’s first-round games, except for the Edmond North-Jenks duel, was a fairly boring day, with seven of eight matches going 3-0. I don’t anticipate many of those today.

Bishop McGuinness is up two games to one and the fourth game is a tight one in today’s first 5A semifinal with Tulsa Kelley and Carl Albert on deck. Updates as warranted, though I can’t give you any information on Sam Bradford’s shoulder. Sorry.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

9:41 – Wow, not even 10 when this night ends. Ye softball gods look in favor as the one field that was crazy behind everyone (the Purcell, Tuttle) field, didn’t have a sixth game.

There will be an ‘if’ game in Class 6A as Broken Arrow came back to beat Yukon 10-5 to force the rubber match between the two squads at 9 a.m. Saturday.

If it’s B.A., I like the Tigers to ride that wave and beat Mustang. If it’s Yukon, all bets are off on one of the better rivalries in the state. Fatigue will play absolutely no role in that one.

Well, we’ve almost made it. One more day. Back Saturday.

9:25 – We are coming down the home stretch. Freshman Annie Combs lifts Tuttle to a 1-0 victory against Sequoyah-Claremore. McAlester, down 1-0 in the seventh, scores two to advance to the 5A final vs. Lawton Mac.

We’re down to one more game with Broken Arrow and Yukon. Night hasn’t been as long as previously thought, and definitely had our fair share of memorable moments.

7:45 – It’s all starting to come together here at ASA. It’ll be Healdton vs. Konawa in the 2A final. Mustang and Lawton Mac, wow, they’re good. Mustang 8-1 over Bartlesville. Lawton Mac 2-0 over Coweta. No ‘if’ games necessary when it comes to those teams.

6:05 – And it’ll be Fort Cobb-Broxton against Fletcher in the A final. FCB is a 2-1 winner against Davenport. Colinsville 2, Duncan 0.

5:27 – Blanchard is moving on to the Class 4A finals with a 4-2 victory over Cinderella Hilldale. We’re a good hour behind when it comes to that field, so it’ll be a while.

In 6A, Broken Arrow scored one in the first and the seventh and Jessica Turner did the rest in a 2-0 win to send Santa Fe home. The Wolves looked a little spent today. B.A. will play Yukon to try to stay alive.

4:32 – Couple of more scores to pass along as Coweta takes out El Reno with a 7-1 score while No. 1-ranked Fletcher in Class A eliminates last year’s champ, Depew, 3-1.

3:20 – A big-time effort by Jacey Punches has the upstart Bartlesville club playing Mustang again. Bartlesville eliminates Moore, 2-0. Moore just pick the wrong time to play its worst defense of the season.

2:48 – Just wanted to give some props to Lawton Mac’s Brooke Zukerman. She is the one that hit the walkoff HR to beat Coweta. Caney Valley blanked Bethel 3-0, so our 3A final is set: No. 1 Purcell vs. No. 2 Caney Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday.

2:19 – And defending champion Sasakwa takes out Red Oak, 8-5. We now have the B final: Roff vs. Sasakwa at 11 a.m. Saturday.

2:03 – Couple of more winners for ya. Yukon 6, Broken Arrow 3. B.A. can still come back tonight to force an ‘if’ game. McAlester 2, Collinsville 1. Collinsville also can come back to force an if game.

12:49 – Wow, what a first group of games. Lawton Mac wins on a walkoff HR in the 11th vs. Coweta, 1-0. Mustang scores six in the sixth to come back and beat Moore, 7-3. Roff scores 4 in the eighth to win 4-0. And Purcell scored two in the 10th to win 2-1 against Sequoyah-Tahlequah. I mean, take a breath.

Coweta and Moore will both have chances to play their way back into the hunt.

8:51 a.m. -If the OSSAA can have one giant session with all seven classes for softball, then the Boneman can have one giant blog to encompass everything.

I don’t know if I’m looking forward to this day the most or dreading it the worst. All I know is I’m a little more awake than I thought I’d be right now but probably won’t be saying that come, oh, 11 or midnight tonight.

Either way, same deal as always. I’ll try to update here as well as on Twitter @BPrzybylo.

Sit back, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Westmoore (3-3, 2-1) vs. Edmond Memorial (3-3, 2-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

Memorial (L, Southmoore; W, Santa Fe; L, Del City; L, Midwest City; W, PCWest; W, Norman)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because moving Kameron Doolittle to QB has put the most-skilled players on the field at one time for Memorial. The offense has been clicking, and Doolittle hasn’t looked overwhelmed in his new spot.

Westmoore (W, Moore; L Southmoore; L, Norman North; W, Putnam City; L, Midwest City; W, Putnam City West)
Why the Jaguars can win: Westmoore has a strong running game with Cody Feuerborn and Jonathan Rhodes. The Jags can control the ball and clock and pick their spots in the passing game.

Quote:

We’re just not hurting ourselves the last couple of weeks. We’ve been consistent, and we finally feel like we’re starting to play like we can.” – Doolittle

Boneman’s key matchup: Memorial defense vs. Westmoore offense. I’m the ringleader of the bandwagon when it comes to the Bulldogs’ defense. This a solid club that has held some of the best in 6A to their lowest outputs of the season.

Justin’s key matchup: Westmoore defensive end Tyler Newton vs. Doolittle. Newton puts heat on the QB from the edge or up the middle. Not a good player to face with a newcomer behind center.

Boneman’s pick: Memorial 28, Westmoore 13. The good times continue for Memorial, and it gets its third win a row. I’ma say Nelson Medeiros plays a big role in this one.

Justin’s pick: Westmoore 13, Edmond Memorial 12. Defenses and running games rule this one, which means the clock will be moving fast and points will be scarce.

A lot of shuffling here with Southmoore and Del City each moving up one spot and Midwest City, Bartlesville and Putnam North each bumping up two spots. The big fallers were Edmond North, dropping from No. 4 to No. 9 after losing 42-13 to Midwest City. Why so much? They hadn’t been convincing in wins they should’ve dominated and their schedule hadn’t been that strong to this point. So their first really big test was against Midwest City and the Bombers dominated, especially against Edmond North’s ground game. Norman North also fell big, going from No. 7 to out of the rankings after dropping a second consecutive game, this time to Del City 42-29. Norman North’s similar to Edmond North. The Timberwolves got a good win against Putnam North in the third week of the season but other than that hadn’t played a team considered among the top in 6A before two weeks ago and the got manhandled by Mustang and then beat by 13 to Del City on Thursday. So Mustang benefits from Norman North’s struggles of late. It’s not like the Broncos had a big test in beating Moore 42-6 but sometimes its just being in the right place at the right time. Lawton was also considered but after their offensive struggles last week, I’m certainly not going to move to Wolverines into the rankings after a loss. I’m still not too convinced on Bartlesville but 7-0 is 7-0. The next three weeks will tell the tale on them. I expect the Bruins to go 1-2, dropping games to Jenks and Broken Arrow, but if Bartlesville can at least stick tight in one of both of these games, it’ll show the Bruins aren’t just a product of their schedule.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (1)#7-0
2. El Reno (2)#7-0
3. Shawnee (3)#7-0
4. McAlester (4)#7-0
5. Tulsa Washington (5)#5-2
6. Carl Albert (6)#5-2
7. Tulsa East Central (7)#6-1
8. Bixby (8)#4-3
9. Tulsa Central (9)#5-2
10. Ada (NR)#6-1

Not much change here as the top nine stays the same. No real considertation to any moves as all but Tulsa Central won and Tulsa Central’s loss was by six to undefeated McAlester. Plus Ada is the team moving back into the rankings after a 35-6 win and Ada dropped out after losing to Tulsa Central last week.

Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#7-0
2. Sallisaw (2)#7-0
3. Weatherford (3)#7-0
4. McGuinness (4)#5-2
5. Douglass (5)#5-2
6. Star Spencer (7)#5-2
7. Broken Bow (9)#4-3
8. Jay (10)#5-2
9. Poteau (6)#6-1
10. Wagoner (8)#4-3

No teams moving in and out although I did give a close look to Oologah. Douglass doesn’t drop after a 14-7 loss to McGuinness. Two teams ranked that close should play close plus it wouldn’t make sense to drop them behind Star Spencer, after Douglass beat the Bobcats earlier this season. Broken Bow and Jay move up two spots. Poteau stays in front of Wagoner to fill the last two spots. I still think both of those teams are better than any teams I would’ve filled in those final holes with. Certainly Poteau has earned it at 4-3 and Wagoner’s losses are to Tulsa East Central, Poteau and now Broken Bow. And they have good wins with Grove and Fort Gibson.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#6-0
2. Tuttle (2)#7-0
3. Madill (3)#7-0
4. Metro Christian (5)#7-0
5. Blanchard (6)#6-1
6. Checotah (4)#6-1
7. Bethany (7)#6-1
8. Berryhill (8)#5-2
9. Clinton (9)#4-3
10. Sequoyah-Claremore (10)#6-1

Not much movement here as the only ranked team to lose was No. 4 Checotah by two points to No. 5 Metro Christian. Metro moves up a spot as does Blanchard. The decision was where to put Checotah. They’re obviously worthy of a top 7 ranking but in the end Blanchard ‘s resume, with wins over Bridge Creek and Anadarko, is slightly more impressive than Checotah’s. Ill revisit that from week to week though.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#6-1
2. Davis (2)#7-0
3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (3)#7-0
4. Vian (4)#6-1
5. Heritage Hall (5)#4-3
6. Kingfisher (6)#5-2
7. Millwood (7)#5-2
8. Lexington (8)#6-1
9. Bridge Creek (9)#6-1
10. Pawhuska (10)#7-0

Easy to figure out here as all the top 10 teams won. Everybody holds serve.

Class A
1. Tonkawa (1)#7-0
2. Ringling (2)#6-0
3. Hennessey (3)#7-0
4. Stroud (4)#7-0
5. Talihina (7)#7-0
6. Cashion (NR)#7-0
7. Oklahoma Bible (6)#6-1
8. Okeene (8)#6-1
9. Salina (NR)#7-0
10. Oklahoma Christian (10)#6-1

Some shuffling here after the top four as No. 5 Commerce crashes out of the rankings after a 22-14 lost to previously undefeated Salina. Salina had been slow to move up because of a relatively weak schedule to this point — and they shouldn’t be tested again in the regular season — but Salina certainly proved itself against Commerce. Cashion also moves in with a big win over a ranked opponent. Cashion stays undefeated by beating Watonga. Talihina moves up two spots, Oklahoma Bible drops a spot after losing to Hennessey, and Okeene and OCS hold steady.

Class B
1. Garber (1)#7-0
2. Canton (2)#7-0
3. Porter (4)#7-0
4. Ryan (5)#7-0
5. Fox (6)#6-1
6. Kiefer (7)#7-0
7. Davenport (8)#6-1
8. Depew (10)#5-2
9. Caddo (NR)#5-2
10. Weleetka (NR)#5-2

There’s a lot of shuffling here, due in large part to Geary’s big upset of No. 3 Laverne. Laverne drops all the way out after losing their third in four games. Not sure what’s going on with Laverne right now but it’s not good. And it doesn’t get any easier with No. 1 Garber traveling to Laverne this week. Alex also drops out with its loss to Caddo. It’s Caddo’s second week in a row to beat a ranked team. Caddo’s lone losses came to No. 4 Ryan and No. 5 Fox early in the year so they move into the rankings. It doesn’t get any easier for Caddo, though, as it hosts Class C No. 7 Thackerville this week. Looked at Geary but hard to move them in with two losses to unranked teams.

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#7-0
2. Timberlake (2)#7-0
3. Temple (3)#6-1
4. Seiling (4)#6-1
5. Maud (6)#7-0
6. Deer Creek-Lamont (7)#6-1
7. Thackerville (5)#5-2
8. Claremore Chr. (9)#5-2
9. Boise City (10)#5-2
10. Sasakwa (NR)#6-1

The top four stay the same. Maud and Deer Creek-Lamont move up a spot each while Thackerville falls two to No. 7 and No. 8 Covington-Douglas falls out completely after a loss to Deer Creek-Lamont. I still think C-D might be one of the top 10 teams in the class but they’re 3-4 right now and they really haven’t beaten one of the top 15-20 teams in the class. They could be good, you just don’t know. Sasakwa moves into the rankings after scoring 50 or more points for the fourth time this year in a win over OCA.

Before I head out, here ya go. Back Friday.

High School State Softball
At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium

Class 6A
Bracket A
Thursday
Game 1: Mustang 8, Bartlesville 3
Game 2: Moore 4, Tulsa Union 3
Game 3: Bartlesville 2, Tulsa Union 1
Friday
Game 4: Mustang vs. Moore, 10 a.m.
Game 5: Bartlesville vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 9 a.m.
Bracket B
Thursday
Game 1: Yukon 1, Edmond North 0
Game 2: Broken Arrow 1, Edmond Santa Fe 0 (11)
Game 3: Edmond Santa Fe 3, Edmond North 2
Friday
Game 4: Yukon vs. Broken Arrow, Noon
Game 5: Edmond Santa Fe vs. Game 4 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 9 a.m.
Finals
Bracket A winner vs. Bracket B winner, 1 p.m.

Class 5A
Bracket A
Thursday
Game 1: Coweta 2, El Reno 0
Game 2: Lawton MacArthur 2, Skiatook 0
Game 3: El Reno 2, Skiatook 0
Friday
Game 4: Coweta vs. Lawton MacArthur, 10 a.m.
Game 5: El Reno vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 9 a.m.
Bracket B
Thursday
Game 1: Collinsville 5, Carl Albert 1
Game 2: McAlester 2, Duncan 0
Game 3: Duncan 4, Carl Albert 1
Friday
Game 4: Collinsville vs. McAlester, Noon
Game 5: Duncan vs. Game 4 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 9 a.m.
Finals
Bracket A winner vs. Bracket B winner, 3 p.m.

Midwest City 42, Edmond North 7 9:04 remaining

Dillione Johnson finally finds the end zone after some impressive runs. A 20-yd run out of the Wildcats formation puts MWC up big.

Midwest City 35, Edmond North 7 10:10 remaining

Corey Lang blocks an Edmond North punt and Corey Mosley picks it up and takes it 40 yards for a TD.

Midwest City 28, Edmond North 7 3:31 left in the 3rd

Edmond North takes possession after a MWC punt and has 3rd and goal from the 2 but QB Jesse Mathews slips and loses 9. The FG attempt goes off the upright, giving MWC the ball back.

Midwest City 21, Edmond North 7 HALFTIME

Here’s a quick look at some halftime stats:

Rushing: EN 18 carries, 9 yards; MWC 20-89 yards

Passing: EN 8-12-0-115; MWC 4-8-0-66

First downs: EN4, MWC 7

Penalties: EN 3-26; MWC 3-20

Edmond North QB Travis Townsend left the field on crutches to end the half. It appears to be a right leg injury.

Just got some stats from MWC: Emmanuel Maxwell has 10 tackles, 7 solo, for Midwest City.

Not sure the reason but sophomore Jesse Mathews is in at QB for the Huskies.

James Flanders has an 8-yd TD run late in the second.

Midwest City 21, Edmond North 7 late second

Another big return by Dillione Johnson, this one on a punt. He brings it back to the EN 1 but a holding call brings it back. Big run by J.R. Head on the first play brings it into Edmond North territory. MWC goes for it on 4th and 1 at the EN 30 and pulls out all the stops, as Greg Austin finds Cole Eddy in the end zone.

Midwest City 14, Edmond North 7 4:15 remaining in the second quarter

MWC ’s Dillione Johnson returns the kick to the Edmond North 45 (51 yard return). But the Bombers drive doesn’t go anywhere and they’re forced to punt. And the Huskies punt the ball right back after a Dominique Jones sack on third down. And James Flanders fumbles on the first play and Dalton Lambeth picks it up and gets 15 yards. Huskies start at the MWC 27.

END OF FIRST: MIDWEST CITY 7, EDMOND NORTH 7 

Edmond North responds with a big play of its own, a 54-yard pass to Blake Gatewood. Huskies threatening. And Joe Aska runs it in from four yards out.

Midwest City 7, Edmond North 7 4:10 remaining in the first quarter

 James Flanders turns in the game’s first big play, a 33-yard run to give MWC the ball inside the EN 20. After a facemask penalty, MWC QB Greg Austin carries it in from 6 yards out to put MWC ahead.

Midwest City 7, Edmond North 0 6:27 remaining 1Q

All right, here we go. Edmond North to receive. Holding on the opening kickoff. North will start at their own 16. Huskies oncvert on 3-5 on a pass to Jon McNeill. Brandon Lewellen sacks Travis Townsend for a 9 yard loss and the Huskies are forced to punt.

Here at Jim Darnell Stadium for Midwest City-Edmond North. Should e a good one. I picked the Bombers to win by a couple touchdowns but this is a really hard game to read. Conditions look pretty good here. Getting colder here but at least it’s dry. I’ll keep updated as much as possible on here but will also be updating all the games I get info on at Twitter (@ryaber)

Class 5A (Friday at Tulsa Rogers, Saturday at Sapulpa)

McAlester vs. Carl Albert, noon

McAlester (13-19): Don’t let the record fool you, the Lady Buffs can play. And they’ve played some of the toughest competition around this season. Last year’s 5A runner-up will rely on its heavy hitters, particularly juniors Kati Wills and Lauryn Kirkhart. Setter Jinny Judge was all-tournament at state last year, too.

Carl Albert (23-8): The Lady Titans’ Sallie McLaurin might be the best individual in the 5A field. The 6-foot-2 hitter can crush it, and along with fellow senior Ashley Acklin, CA has a strong pair of hitters to go around Toni Cheadle in the middle. Cheadle is a sophomore playing her first year of volleyball, but she’s learning quickly. CA beat McAlester twice during the regular season, but the Lady Buffs took a game in each match.

Tulsa Washington vs. Tahlequah, 1:45 p.m.

Tulsa Washington (26-5): Ask any opposing coach about Booker T., and you’ll hear the name Tyler Cockrell. The athletic outside hitter is part of a group of seniors that make the Lady Hornets go, but she’s the star. She’ll get a test in the first round, though, against Tahlequah, which has a couple of strong blockers.

Tahlequah (35-5): The team that won more games — and played more games — than any team in the state hopes for just three more. And it’s hard to say Tahlequah won’t be in line for a rebuilding year after this weekend. Their roster includes 10 players, nine of which are seniors. Middles Sarah Nelson and Natalie Nowlin are the blockers mentioned above. The battle between them and Cockrell should be a good show.

Skiatook vs. Bishop McGuinness, 3:30 p.m.

Skiatook (22-12): Making its first state tournament appearance in 15 years, Skiatook is motivated to make some noise, but the first-round draw of McGuinness makes for a tough opener. Leslie Allred is a key component, both as a passer and hitter. Courtney Shoemake adds to the team’s defensive presence in the middle, and setter Arinee’ Thompson has more than 500 assists in her sophomore year.

McGuinness (20-6): If anyone has a shot at knocking off Tulsa Kelley, the Irish are atop the list. With Katie Harris at setter — “She can take a bad ball and make it good,” coach Kristy Ellis said — and junior Maddie Coffey at outside hitter, McGuinness can create offense. Coffey has a quick swing and is hard to block. The Irish defense is solid as well, all over the floor, which gives them a chance in any match.

Tulsa Kelley vs. Southeast, 5:15 p.m.

Tulsa Kelley (29-3): Unbeaten against in-state competition this year, it’s hard to envision anyone beating the Comets this week. But upsets can happen. The Comets are well-coached and have talent all over the place, particularly in the middle with sisters Kitan and Inky Ajanaku.

Southeast (24-7): The first OKCPS representative at the state tournament since 1995, Southeast has a tall task opening against Kelley. But this is a team that isn’t afraid of anything. They had to go up against two higher ranked teams to win their regional, and they’ve got plenty of talent to pull off the shocker. Victoria Kappel and Shola Adebayo are the main players to keep an eye on.

Class 6A at Sapulpa

Tulsa Union vs. Bartlesville, noon

Union (27-5): The Lady Redskins don’t really have a star, but they’ve got loads of talent. Ironically, they’ve beaten every team in the 6A field this year, except for Bartlesville, because the two teams didn’t play. In 6A competition, only Edmond Santa Fe and Edmond Memorial have beaten Union this year. The Lady ‘Skins rely a lot on their setter, Laura Taylor, and libero, Jessica Powers.

Bartlesville (28-8): The only non-host team to advance from regionals, Bartlesville had to beat the defending 6A champs on their home court to get here. After knocking off Owasso, Bartlesville might be facing the top team in the class, so the leadership of Paige Smith and Kendra Schmidtlein will be crucial.

Edmond Memorial vs. Broken Arrow, 1:45 p.m.

Memorial (27-5): The strength of Edgar Miraku’s squad has been defense all year, and they’ve gotten a big boost from some younger players, especially in the sophomore class. Still, it’s the older players who lead the way. Micha Hancock can do a little bit of everything, and at 6-foot-3, Mattie Burleson has shown great leaping ability. Jaira Wilsey provides the senior leadership from her outside hitter spot.

Broken Arrow (11-21): Like McAlester in 5A, don’t be fooled by the win-loss record. Yes, BA only won nine matches. But not many teams played the level of competition they did. All 21 losses came to teams who reached the state tournament in their class. And it was BA that upset Edmond Memorial in the first round of last year’s tournament.

Stillwater vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 3:30 p.m.

Stillwater (18-14): A lot of teams get to state by being balanced, and Stillwater is no exception. They play defense on the back row as well as anyone, but they can be dangerous at the net, too. Outside hitter Anna Gentry can play all over the floor. Middle blocker Devin Kerns is a go-to girl on offense and Mary O’Neill covers the court the way a libero is supposed to do.

Edmond Santa Fe (28-4): Will Ethridge’s squad has been on the verge of really good things all year, and they’ve got to be considered one of the favorites this weekend. Tate Hardaker is an all-around player and good hitter from the outside spot. And if you’re looking for defense, Mindy Gowen is among the best in the state.

Edmond North vs. Jenks, 5:15 p.m.

Edmond North (18-14): Tanna Smith’s first year as the team’s head coach has been a work in progress, but North is peaking at the right time. Their bench goes as deep as any in the tournament, but their senior class is the team’s foundation. Kayley Earnst at libero sets up the offense, which is anchored by outside hitters Alli Hammer — the best name in volleyball, particularly for a hitter — and Torrie Flynn.

Jenks (26-6): There could be some revenge on the minds of the Jenks players, led by junior outside hitter Carissa Ophus. Edmond North went to five games with Jenks at the Stillwater Tournament in late September, with the Lady Trojans eventually losing the fifth game 17-15. So look for some fireworks in this first-round match.

Edmond North (6-0, 3-0) vs. Midwest City (4-2, 3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Rose Field, MWC

North (W, Santa Fe; W, Mustang; W, Yukon; W, Lawton Eisenhower; W, Norman; W, Putnam City)
Why the Huskies can win: Because the kids are only kids and maybe the last couple of weeks they’ve been waiting for this one. The records of North’s opponents so far: 13-23, so this is the chance for Jeremy Dombek’s club to show what they’re made of.

Quote:

This is the biggest game we’ve been a part of. We know that, and we don’t mind saying that. You want to be in these type of games.” – senior Rickey Lawyer

MWC
Why the Bombers can win: Because since James Flanders has started to blossom, the offense is looking like a well-oiled machine right now. Greg Austin isn’t making any mistakes, and the defense is the same as it’s been all season. In a word: dominant.

Key matchup: Joe Aska Jr. and the North running game vs. Emmanuel Maxwell and the MWC front seven. Aska has put up some gaudy numbers in the last five games. If he can do it against the toughest defense  the team has seen, on the biggest stage the team has ever seen, he’s in the conversation for MVP of the state.

Boneman’s pick: MWC 28, North 20. As North’s unofficial “No. 1 booster,” it’s weird to pick against the Huskies. I just don’t see the experience and killer instinct needed in a game like this.

Ryan’s pick: Midwest City 35, Edmond North 21: The Bombers offense is finally humming along and the defense is too good for a North team that hasn’t been tested as much as the Bombers have so far.

Putnam North (5-1, 2-1) vs. Edmond Santa Fe (1-5, 0-3)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

PCN
Why PC North could win: After a hard-to-swallow loss to Norman North three weeks ago, the Panthers are riding high with the last-second win over Southmoore and last week’s rout of Moore. The offense is continually improving as the offensive line and backfield get more comfortable with the new schemes. Jace James has become a very good manager of the offense in his first season at quarterback. He isn’t asked to pass a lot, but he’s effective when he does. And he has shown he can run well, too.

Quote:

Edmond Santa Fe is a lot better than their record shows. I know we’re gonna be in a dogfight Thursday night. They’ve beat us the last four years. They’re really sound on defense. Their linebackers drop really deep in coverage and play pass routes really well. ” – PC North quarterback Jace James

Santa Fe (L, North; L, Memorial; W, PCWest; L, Mustang; L, Del City; L, Southmoore)
Why the Wolves can win: Because running back Brian Mills hasn’t slowed down a beat in the last month. A turnover or two combined with a hefty dose of Mills and maybe PCN looking ahead to Mustang, and there is your recipe for an upset.

Boneman’s key matchup: The first quarter. When you have a team like Santa Fe that has been so snake-bitten, a good start is crucial to keeping the confidence. If the Wolves get down early, obviously that’ll be a tough road to hoe.

Scott’s key matchup: PC North linebackers vs. Edmond Santa Fe RB Brian Mills. The Panther secondary is strong enough to keep the passing game limited, unless the DBs are forced to provide run support. So if Mills gets going on the ground, it could open things up for Will Long to throw.

Scott’s pick: Santa Fe 21, PC North 17. Let me first say that I think PC North is the better team. Not by a lot, but better. Yet that doesn’t really matter a lot, especially in this district. Santa Fe might be 0-3 in district play, and it might be the seventh-best team in the district, but the Wolves are good enough to compete with anyone on any night. If they beat PC North, or any of the other top teams in the district, it shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Boneman’s pick: Putnam North 24, Santa Fe 19. Hate to say “another tough loss” for the Wolves, but that’s what I’m seeing. Very interesting to see Scott is giving the Wolves the edge, though.

Deer Creek (3-3, 2-1) vs. El Reno (6-0, 3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: El Reno

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont; L, Shawnee; L, Woodward; W, Northwest Classen; W, Western Heights; L, Duncan)
Why the Antlers can win: Honestly, this is going to be the biggest challenge of the season in every way possible. Deer Creek isn’t healthy, is coming off an emotionally draining 13-10 loss to Duncan and has to go to El Reno. Not at all what the doctor ordered for Grant Gower and company.

El Reno
Why the Indians can win: Because they’re one of the few teams where it looks like there isn’t a weakness. From Jakeil Everheart to Matt Pruitt to the Dauphin boys, whew, Tom Cobble’s team is something special this season.

Key matchup: Deer Creek secondary vs. Everheart. I’ve raved about Everheart’s improved ability to throw the ball and become a complete QB. The Antlers need to rattle him. Sadly, don’t know if that is really possible.

The pick: El Reno 31, Deer Creek 13. Indians simply have too much firepower for a shaky Antlers team. Even if DC was completely healthy, it would be a major uphill battle.

9:42 – What a good one between Edlam rivals North and Santa Fe. Maddie Martin’s two-run single propelled ESF to a 3-2 victory against North.

Abby Taliaferro had a two-run HR for North off of Martin. Sierra Bronkey came in relief to pick up the win.

I’ll say it now: Think Bronkey might the best and most valuable player in the state. Just throwing it out there. It’s amazing what she was able to do after throwing 11 innings the previous game.

Things got a little testy b/w the rivals when Bronkey hit one batter and nearly hit another (ruled it hit the bat). But cooler heads prevailed.

That wraps up Day 1 of 6A, 5A softball. Back Friday for Day 2 of B-6A, should be the longest day I’ve had in a long, long while.

7:51 – And our first team is eliminated as Carl Albert drops a 4-1 decision to Duncan. Colin White’s club is young and will see three seniors depart. It just wasn’t their day today. Duncan lives on to fight another day.

7:27 – Lawton Mac 2, Skiatook 0. Moore 4, Tulsa Union 3. The Moore game was a fun one and look for a story on the Lions in Friday’s paper. That team has been going under the radar all season but surprise, surprise, Moore is still around when it matters most. Moore will play Mustang at 10 a.m. Friday

4:43 – A bang-bang play at the plate goes to Broken Arrow and the Tigers win 1-0 against Santa Fe in 11 innings. Megan Sullivan got the hit. The throw to the plate look like it beat Sam Reiss, but the tag (maybe) wasn’t applied.

Tough to see from my vantage point, but Santa Fe’s Sierra Bronkey and coach Rhonda Lawson were none too pleased with the call. Another good one here at ASA.

Lawton Mac is up 2-0 on Skiatook in other action.

4:30 – Wow, what an effort by Broken Arrow’s Devyn Frazier to keep this epic battle scoreless with the Tigers and Edmond Santa Fe. Santa Fe’s Maddie Martin crushed one that bounced off the top of the wall and was caught by Frazier to hold Martin to a double. The next batter struck out. It’s now the bottom of the 11th. McAlester and Taylor Dewberry took care of Duncan, 2-0.

1:58 – Moving right along here as Mustang is a victor against Bartlesville, 8-3, and Coweta was able to best El Reno, 2-0. Kylee Rounsaville had a HR for the Broncos. Mustang was in ’simply taking care of business’ mode. The top two seeds advance in 6A with the top two in 5A getting ready to start.

12:13 – Collinsville scores four runs on back-to-back errors to beat Carl Albert 5-1 while Yukon gets an RBI ground out from freshman Morgan Wilcox to beat Edmond North 1-0. Nice pace so far.

9:12 – It’s colder than it’s been this week, but it’s not wet. I guess you can’t have it all, huh? As I did Monday, keep it here all day long for blog updates from everything that is happening in the 6A and 5A softball realm.

Also, in case I’m at the other field, look for Twitter updates @BPrzybylo.

As of right now, I’m the lone sap in the press box (wanted to get MY spot). I’ve stopped trying to figure out the weather. It’s dark and cold is my expert analysis.

Edmond North had never been 5-0, yet alone 6-0 before this season. Since a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Southmoore, Midwest City has been exceptional. Something’s gotta give Thursday night.

Some questions about the Huskies:

Aber: You asked where Austin came from, where did Travis Townsend come from? This wasn’t even a guy I thought would be starting for Edmond North when I watched the Top Gun Challenge this summer.

Przybylo: Exactly. Townsend and Danny Rossi were in a battle, and Townsend earned it. He is just been so poised this season. I thought back-to-back road games vs. Yukon and Lawton Eisenhower might rattle him a little. No, sir. He’s not a “game manager” because he’s made some pretty big plays. Right now, it’s his intelligence that is standing out. To not have an interception in six games (even if it is only 95 attempts) is impressive.

Aber: How will Edmond North react in a big-game atmosphere? I know they play Edmond Memorial and Edmond Santa Fe every year in Edlam and that’s big but this is a position the Huskies haven’t been in before, playing a big-time game, on the road, in an atmosphere that should be electric. You obviously can’t know for sure how they’ll react until they’re in that situation but do you think North is prepared for this test?

Przybylo: That’s the $1 million question right there. How does a team that has never been there before play in this type of environment? From talking to several North kids, they’ve been aiming for this one. Motto has been about the district championship all summer. This is where it gets won. The Huskies are ready. There are too many senior leaders to be scared of anything at this point.

Aber: How good is this Edmond North defense? They seem to have made plays when it counts but they haven’t had that “step-on-your-throat-and-shut-them-down” game yet, having allowed at least 13 points in all six games. Who are the leaders on that side and can the Huskies stop what has turn into a very efficient but not flashy Midwest City offense?

Przybylo: I’m with ya on this. Seems like there are some real head-scratchin’ plays in between moments of brilliance. In the secondary, you have to talk about Xavier Smith. One of the best corners in the state but not afraid to hit ya. However, this will be about the front seven. Can guys like Colton Byford and Dakota Lambeth (among others) stop the Bombers’ running game? If so, would not shock me to see the Huskies walk out with the biggest road win of the season. Coincidentally, it’s their final road game, too.

Arguably the biggest game this week is at Rose Field when the 6-0 Edmond North Huskies visit the traditional powerhouse Midwest City Bombers.

I’ll be at state softball, but Ryan Aber will be there on hand to give you all the details.

First, the Bombers:

Przybylo: Where did ‘this’ Greg Austin come from? He’s made this team become a force to be reckon with.

Aber: Your guess is as good as mine. It’s been a combination of Greg maturing a bit in the offense and not taking things too much on his shoulders and the coaching staff, without having a meeting and deciding to remove some of that pressure from his shoulders, scaling things back a bit and relying a bit more on the running game. Austin played a lot last year but was primarily in on running situations late in blowout games. That’s a big transition to be asked to win games/not lose them rather than just run out the clock.

Przybylo: The Bombers have been one of the more impressive teams since district play has started, what’s been the biggest difference the last couple of weeks?

Aber: The big difference, in addition to Austin’s more consistent, relaxed play has been the assertiveness of the Bombers running game. We knew their defense was going to be good, especially in the front seven. The offense was a big question, though. They don’t have the flash of a Timothy Flanders but J.R. Head and James Flanders have really established themselves as solid back who have the potential to break big plays. Another element there has been the steady improvement of the secondary. Midwest City coach Steve Huff has been very complimentary of the improvements made by Midwest City’s defensive backs the last 3-4 weeks.

Przybylo: Obviously, North’s strength is its running game. What can MWC do to try to stop it and make Travis Townsend have to play hero?

Aber: Well, what they do is stick with their strength. They’ve been good against the run this season and that’s no surprise when you’ve got linemen like they’ve got, led by Dominique Jones, and linebackers like Emmanuel Maxwell. Stopping the run has obviously been a big part of the Bombers game plan this week. They do want to force Edmond North to be successful through the air in order to win.

So hopefully we can conclude the softball season this weekend. If we do, I think it’s going to be an interesting dynamic to have all seven classes at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium for two days.

It’s a softball lover’s dream, and a recruiter’s dream. Just camp out there and watch who you want.

Looked at 4A-B last week, so let’s return the favor with a brief look at 5A and 6A. And here are the pairings from yesterday’s blog entry.

Class 6A
Defending champion: Broken Arrow
Outlook: All signs point to a Mustang and Yukon championship, which would be a ridiculous atmosphere for the two rival schools.

The Millerettes haven’t missed a beat since losing senior P Dani Fox for the season. But will they here?

Mustang is loaded, and coach Tim Wade has done a phenomenal job this season. I’m thinking Kayla Ratliff might play big role in something.

But if one of the two are knocked off, I could see any number of teams making a splash and ruining the party.

Broken Arrow and Moore with their tradition might be able to will themselves to the top spot. Not much has been talked about on the two schools because of how much each lost from last year. But surprise, surprise, here they are.

Edmond North is incredibly young, so maybe  they don’t feel the pressure and play a loose weekend. Look for a story on freshman P Jordan Dixon in Thursday’s paper.

The wild card is Edmond Santa Fe and Sierra Bronkey. She might just put the Wolves on her back and just carry ‘em home. She’s waited for this moment.

Prediction: Yeah, since I’ve done so well in this area (oy). My gut says Yukon is pulling it out this year.

Class 5A
Defending champion: Lawton MacArthur
Outlook: It’s possible when I write this preview again next year, the defending champion line is not going to be changing.

I’ve looked at the bracket and played it over in my head, and I just don’t see how this is not a Lawton Mac vs. McAlester championship.

McAlester sophomore pitcher Taylor Dewberry might be the best in the state. I just don’t see how a team will touch her up.

For Oklahoma City area teams, El Reno was a surprise (in my opinion) to be here for the third year in a row. Junior Maddie Stein is leading the way with her bat.

And Colin White and the Carl Albert Titans are back after a year away from it all. Whitney Robinson and Molly Davidson do a little bit of everything for that club.

Prediction: I like McAlester on a hunch.

Once again, kudos to the rankings. These almost worked out exactly like they were supposed to.

Class 6A: Mustang (1); Yukon (2); Broken Arrow (3); Moore (4); Union (5); Santa Fe (6); North (9); Bartlesville (10).

Class 5A: McAlester (1); Lawton Mac (2); Coweta (3); Collinsvile (4); Carl Albert (5); El Reno (7); Skiatook (8); Duncan (9).

Back Thursday for bloggin’, tweetin’ and all that other good stuff.

Normally, I’m not too hard on the whole ‘if necessary’ game. But this year, with ALL seven softball classes going on Friday and Saturday, kinda hoping the ‘if’ game isn’t necessary.

Class 5A and 6A officially finished up regional play Monday. So here ya go with the bracket. Look for a 5A & 6A preview blog Wednesday.

High School State Softball
At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Class 6A
Bracket A
Thursday
Game 1: Mustang vs. Bartlesville, Noon
Game 2: Moore vs. Tulsa Union, Noon
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 4 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 6 p.m.
Bracket B
Thursday
Game 1: Broken Arrow vs. Edmond Santa Fe, Noon
Game 2: Edmond North vs. Yukon, Noon
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 4 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 6 p.m.
Saturday
Finals
Bracket A winner vs. Bracket B winner, 1 p.m.

Class 5A
Bracket A
Thursday
Game 1: Lawton MacArthur vs. Skiatook, 2 p.m.
Game 2: El Reno vs. Coweta, 2 p.m.
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, Noon
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 8 p.m.
Bracket B
Thursday
Game 1: McAlester vs. Duncan, 2 p.m.
Game 2: Collinsville vs. Carl Albert, 2 p.m.
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, Noon
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), 8 p.m.
Saturday
Finals
Bracket A winner vs. Bracket B winner, 3 p.m.

I was starting to doubt what my eyes see on a weekly basis. Why was it that despite how talented Edmond Memorial’s Kameron Doolittle is, he couldn’t find the end zone?

Well, those days are behind us as the junior has been moved to quarterback and the Bulldogs have put the pedal to the metal.

Doolittle accounted for more than 200 yards of total offense and rushed for two touchdowns and threw another in a 28-7 victory against Norman and is easily the Edmond Player of the Week.

Doolittle is a freakish talent, and Memorial is just trying to find as many ways as possible for him to have the ball.

He was a quarterback as a freshman but has been primarily used as a RB since. Now back at quarterback, he (and the team) are finding their groove.

Doolittle has scored five touchdowns in the last two weeks and said much of his passing success can be attributed to senior QB Blake Umberham, who has helped him develop so much.

Other contenders

Jared Benway, RB, North: He had all three touchdowns in a 20-16 victory against Putnam City. The sophomore is one tough customer.

Cale Olbert, RB, Memorial: To coincide with Doolittle’s move has been the emergence of Olbert. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the last two games and also has five TDs in the last two games.

Brian Mills, RB, Santa Fe: Sticking with the RB theme here in Edmond this week as Mills continues to be a big bright spot for the Wolves.

Other winners

Jaci Wiist, Santa Fe, Softball: It was a strange week in softball with the rain, but Wiist came up HUGE with a two-run double in the regional elimination game vs. Midwest City to win 9-8. North also advanced to the state tournament.

Santa Fe, Memorial, North, Volleyball: I can’t single out one of these teams as all three are headed to Sapulpa and the state tournament.

Rachel Davis, Santa Fe, Cross Country: The freshman placed second while the team placed first at the Southwest Christian University Invitational last Monday.

As the “unofficial spokesman” for Edmond North, Friday night was quite the scare for the Huskies. Memorial continues to roll since making a change at quarterback while Deer Creek lost a tough one.

North (6-0, 3-0)
Sophomore Jared Benway scored all three touchdowns in a tough, come-from-behind 20-16 victory against Putnam City. Huskies trailed 16-7 before rallying in the second half.

Ryan Aber brought up something interesting in terms of North’s killer instinct. It’s something we’ve discussed before. Jeremy Dombek’s kids haven’t shown it yet, but is it necessary? If you win 14 games by 1 or by 20, it’s still a gold ball.

Up next: The showdown for the district as North travels to Midwest City (4-2, 3-0). The Bombers have looked beyond impressive in the first three district games. Interesting battle Thursday that wish I could be there, but I’ll be at softball.

Memorial (3-3, 2-1)
Moving Kameron Doolittle to quarterback was the best move Memorial has made this season. Talking to the coaches, it was all about finding a way to get Doolittle and Cale Olbert on the field at the same time.

Mission accomplished.

Doolittle told me QB Blake Umberham has been a huge help in his development and Olbert and Doolittle are in a zone right now. Each has scored five touchdowns in the last two games.

Up next: Crossroads battle with Westmoore (3-3, 2-1). Same record and in the same position. One of the better Friday games of the week.

Santa Fe (1-5, 0-3)
The bad weather didn’t help the Wolves, either. A bright spot was the way sophomore QB Ty Hensley looked in the rare times he had a chance to do something. He’s the future, that’s for sure.

Still love the way Brian Mills attacks the game right now. He’s going to make sure the Wolves don’t just pick up their ball and go home. A lot of 6A-1 coaches are talking about how much better Santa Fe is than its record.

If the kids can stay positive, no reason it won’t translate.

Up next: Surprise, surprise, another showdown in the wild, wacky and zany 6A-1. This time it’s Putnam North (5-1, 2-1) coming to Wantland Stadium on Thursday night.

Deer Creek (3-3, 2-1)
It hurt to be right about Friday’s game. I just think Duncan is ‘that much’ better than the Antlers. Losing 13-10 at home is tough, but no time to sulk with a trip to El Reno next on the docket.

Hopefully, DC builds off the Friday night effort. It showed it can compete with some of the best teams in the district. If any coach can rally his kids, it’s Grant Gower.

Up next: Like I said, a trip to 6-0 El Reno is next. Tom Cobble’s kids are among the best in 5A.

There seems to be about 12-13 teams that deserve to ve ranked in 6A but none outside the top 3 much deserve to be about 6-7. Save the outrage Edmond North fans. I was looking for the Huskies to really put a hurting on Putnam City tonight and they didn’t at all. They beat Mustang by 10 in the second week but outside of that, they really should’ve won by more in each of their other five wins. Now, 6-0 is 6-0 so Edmond North is No. 4 but not real confident in that. The Huskies need some more killer instinct and they’ve got to show it next week. Lawton drops out, mainly because no one else lost (besides Broken Arrow and the Tigers’ only losses are to Jenks and Tulsa Union) and Putnam North deserves a spot after beating Southmoore last week.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (1)#6-0
2. El Reno (2)#6-0
3. Shawnee (3)#6-0
4. McAlester (4)#6-0
5. Tulsa Washington (5)#4-2
6. Carl Albert (6)#4-2
7. Tulsa East Central (7)#4-1
8. Bixby (10)#3-3
9. Tulsa Central (NR)#5-1
10. Guthrie (NR)#4-2

The biggest addition here is Guthrie, which beat Harrah 35-0 and has contonied to look impressive since an 0-2 start. Debated between them and leaving Lawton Mac in but they both played El Reno, and Guthrie (while not scoring themselves) only allowed 18 points to the Indians while they dropped 42 on Lawton Mac on Friday night. And Guthrie’s defense is still just as good while its offense has gotten much better since then. Guthrie gets a test this week when Carl Albert comes to town. The other new entrant here is Tulsa Central, which beat previously undefeated Ada. Central nearly jumped in a couple weeks ago before a second-half meltdown led to East Central beating the Braves. Tulsa East Central plays Tulsa Edison on Saturday which could alter things if Edison wins but I don’t see that happening.

Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#6-0
2. Sallisaw (2)#6-0
3. Weatherford (3)#6-0
4. McGuinness (4)#4-2
5. Douglass (5)#5-1
6. Poteau (8)#6-0
7. Star Spencer (9)#4-2
8. Wagoner (6)#4-2
9. Broken Bow (10)#3-3
10. Jay (NR)#4-2

The top five here hold serve but there could be plenty of shuffling the next couple weeks as Douglass plays Weatherford and McGuinness the next two weeks. Poteau pulls off the upset of the night, beating Wagoner and switching spots with the Bulldogs. The battle for the No. 10 spot (vacated by Grove) came down to Collinsville and Jay. Collinsville has lost to Hilldale (2-4) and Catoosa (3-3) while Jay’s losses came to Gravette, Ark., and 5-1 Pryor. So Jay it is.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#5-0
2. Tuttle (2)#6-0
3. Madill (4)#6-0
4. Checotah (5)#6-0
5. Metro Christian (7)#6-0
6. Blanchard (10)#5-1
7. Bethany (6)#5-1
8. Berryhill (NR)#4-2
9. Clinton (9)#3-3
10. Sequoyah-Claremore (3)#5-1

Lots of shaking things up here as Sequyah-Claremore falls to Berryhill 24-14. But looking at Berryhill’s results so far maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised. They lost to Glenpool by 19 and Cascia Hall by 18, not exactly embarrassing margins against the top teams in 4A and 3A, respectively. Berryhill moves up to No. 8, Blanchard moves up to No. 6 while Bethany falls a spot after losing to Madill. Clinton stays at No. 9 and Sequoyah-Claremore drops seven spots to No. 10. Even though they lost, I think Clinton really showed they can still be a force in 3A after playing Tuttle within a point despite being without Delans Griffin. Anadarko also drops out after a big loss to Elgin.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#5-1
2. Davis (2)#6-0
3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (3)#6-0
4. Vian (5)#5-1
5. Heritage Hall (6)#3-3
6. Kingfisher (7)#4-2
7. Millwood (8)#4-2
8. Lexington (4)#5-1
9. Bridge Creek (9)#5-1
10. Pawhuska (10)#6-0

All of the shifting here happens because of one game, Millwood’s win over Lexington. Vian, Heritage Hall, Kingfisher and Millwood each moves up a spot while Lexington drops four to No. 8. I think Lexington and Millwood might be a little better than their spots but that’ll come out the next few weeks.

Class A
1. Tonkawa (2)#6-0
2. Ringling (3)#5-0
3. Hennessey (4)#6-0
4. Stroud (5)#6-0
5. Commerce (6)#6-0
6. Oklahoma Bible (10)#6-0
7. Talihina (8)#6-0
8. Okeene (1)#5-1
9. Watonga (9)#5-1
10. Oklahoma Christian (NR)#5-1

Big movings here as Okeene’s loss to Oklahoma Bible causes a re-think of the top spots. With seven undefeated teams in the class, all of those leapfrog Okeene, who drops all the way to No. 8. Watonga sticks where they were and Oklahoma Christian takes advantage of Woodland’s loss to Pawnee to move back in at No. 10. The Black Bears (4-2) were the other team strongly considered for that spot.

Class B
1. Garber (1)#6-0
2. Canton (2)#6-0
3. Laverne (3)#4-2
4. Porter (4)#6-0
5. Ryan (5)#6-0
6. Fox (6)#5-1
7. Kiefer (7)#6-0
8. Davenport (10)#5-1
9. Alex (9)#5-1
10. Depew (NR)#4-2

The top 7 here stay the same but Davenport’s win over Weleetka shakes up the bottom three spots. Davenport moves up two spots to No. 8, Alex stay No. 9 and Depew moves into the final spot, thanks to a head-to-head win over Weleetka.

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#6-0
2. Timberlake (2)#6-0
3. Temple (3)#5-1
4. Seiling (4)#5-1
5. Thackerville (5)#5-1
6. Maud (8)#6-0
7. Deer Creek-Lamont (7)#5-1
8. Covington-Douglas (6)#3-3
9. Claremore Chr. (9)#4-2
10. Boise City (10)#4-2

Just a bit of shuffling near the bottom here, although most of the winning came from other ranked teams. Maud moves up by staying undefeated while Deer Creek-Lamont and Covington-Douglas switch and drop down a spot as a block. Claremore Christian and Boise City stay where they were.

Edmond Memorial (2-3, 1-1) vs. Norman (2-3, 1-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Harve Collins Field

Memorial: L, Southmoore; W, Santa Fe; L, Del City; L, Midwest City; W, Putnam West)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because the confidence is back. The kinks have been worked out. Cale Olbert’s big game to go with Kameron Doolittle and Blake Umberham gives the offense even more weapons.

Norman
Why the Tigers can win: Because QB Chad Anderson is finding a groove, having thrown five touchdown passes in the last two games while Jaime Myers is becoming a big-play threat for Greg Nation’s club.

Key matchup: Memorial DBs vs. Norman passing game. It’s tough to run on the Bulldogs, so think Norman’s best chance is to try to catch ‘em napping and make a couple of big ones, especially the way Anderson has been playing.

Boneman’s pick: Memorial 24, Norman 10. The defense has not let up more than 22 points the whole season against some of the best in 6A. Might be most underrated D in the state.

Justin’s pick: Norman 21, Memorial 20. The field conditions play in the favor of Norman’s strength in RB Donovan Roberts.

Putnam City (2-3, 1-1) vs. Edmond North (5-0, 2-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

Putnam City
Why Putnam City could win: The Pirates finally got some good vibes going with the 41-10 win over Lawton Ike to end the three-game losing streak. But more importantly, they found a way to run the ball, using some creative backfield looks. The Pirates have shown that they must be able to run the ball to get the offense going. When they do, quarterback Caleb Lee has time and space to use his strong, accurate arm.

Quote:

These guys are big and physical. We’re gonna have our hands full.” coach John Wofford

North (W, Santa Fe; W, Mustang; W, Yukon; W, Lawton Eisenhower; W, Norman)
Why the Huskies can win: Because the team chemistry is incredible. The kids are all playing for each other, and it’s bringing the best out of everybody. And right now, there is no weakness to the team.

Quote:

We can’t overlook Putnam City. This is the big game this week. We’re not looking ahead because we’re not satisfied.” senior Xavier Smith

Scott’s key matchup: PC offensive line vs. Edmond North defensive front. When the Pirate offense is playing well, it’s often because the offensive line is giving the backs room to run, and Lee time to throw. When the line struggles, the run game shuts down and defenses pressure Lee into making throws he doesn’t want to make.

Boneman’s key matchup: PC offense vs. North defense. We’re in agreement here. While the Huskies have been spectacular, there have been a few lapses this season. If PC can catch ‘em off guard early, it’ll make it interesting.

Scott’s pick: Edmond North 24, Putnam City 17. I haven’t seen the Huskies live this year, but they’ve played two other West Metro teams (Yukon and Mustang), so I’ve gotten some first-hand accounts from coaches at those two schools. They see a lot of talent and size on both sides of the ball. Ultimately, that combo will be a little too much for the Pirates.

Boneman’s pick: North 38, Putnam City 17. And the team’s best start ever moves to 6-0. RB Joe Aska Jr. has been a man possessed this last month.

Duncan (4-1, 2-0) vs. Deer Creek (3-2, 2-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Deer Creek HS

Duncan
Why the Demons can win: Because if your only loss is to Carl Albert, then there is nothing to be ashamed of. Duncan has responded beautifully and has put itself right in the mix for the 5A-1 crown.

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont; L, Shawnee; L, Woodward; W, Northwest Classen; W, Western Heights)
Why the Antlers can win: Because like I said, the team has found their footing the last couple of weeks. QB Alex Christensen has come alive as has the running game. The defense has been solid all season, so nothing changes there.

Quote:

They’re big. They’re physical, and it’s going to be a real test and a test of where we’re at as a team.” coach Grant Gower

Key matchup: Deer Creek running game vs. Duncan D. Based on the weather, running games are going to be key all over the state. The Antlers feel that is their strength, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

The pick: Duncan 16, Deer Creek 14. This should be a real battle. It’s one that I’m not sure if Deer Creek is ready for after the last two weeks. A win here and DC has some real district aspirations.

All Edmond teams are serious contenders for the 6A state volleyball championship.

Thought Santa Fe was the favorite, but the way Memorial has played, it’s a lot closer than I thought.

Here is a short Q&A with Memorial junior Mattie Burleson.

What was your “welcome to Varsity” sports moment?

Burleson: The schedule is completely different. You have to juggle school work, work and late practices. It’s not easy.

What is your hidden talent?

Burleson: I remember everything. No joke. Anything that has happened to me since I was 6, I remember. (Boneman’s note: I got a pretty good memory, too. It’s weird for me, sometimes, to deal with people that don’t.)

What are the five favorite things in your life right now?

Burleson: The Harry Potter books, the perfect sweatshirt (Boneman’s note: I like that. Feeling comfortable goes a long way), iPod, chocolate and my car.

Who is one person you would want to trade places with and why?

Burleson: Angelina Jolie, so I could be married to Brad Pitt

Santa Fe (1-4, 0-2) vs. Southmoore (4-1, 1-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Moore Stadium, 300 N. Eastern

Santa Fe (L, North; L, Memorial; W, Putnam West; L, Mustang; L, Del City)
Why the Wolves can win: Because doesn’t this team deserve a break right now. I mean, c’mon. This will be about as big a mental test as it will be a physical one for the Wolves. If Brian Mills can get the running game going, Santa Fe has a shot.

Quote:

I believe we just have to keep working hard and good things will come. We just have to keep on encouraging each other.” – coach Bruce Gowen

Southmoore
Why the SaberCats can win: Because they’re hungry after last week’s last-second loss. It was a wakeup call that wasn’t needed, but it happened anyway. With all the talent on this team, now they know they’re not invincible and should come out hard right out of the gate.

Key matchup: Southmoore’s Nyko Symonds vs. Santa Fe defense. Symonds is having a banner year and has become the No. 1 playmaker for Chris Jensen’s club. Santa Fe stopped Del City’s passing attack, can it slow down another high-powered offensive machine?

Boneman’s pick: Southmoore 34, Santa Fe 14. The Wolves will give a good effort early before Southmoore wears ‘em down and earns another district win.

Justin’s pick: Southmoore 24, Santa Fe, 21. The SaberCats have been hit hard by illness the past two weeks, including several of the team’s most high-profile players. This one could be tougher than expected. Getting the W is all that matters. Style points will have to wait.

As a freshman, Edmond North softballer Kady Self set all kinds of school records. As a sophomore, hmm, hasn’t dropped one bit.

But this year the pitching has come back for the surprising Huskies as we enter regional play this week.

Here’s a short Q&A with the Edmond North slugger.

What do you do to get away from sports?

Self: I like to read when I have free time, but I’m busy a lot.

What was your “welcome to Varsity” sports moment?

Self: The first home game, and they called our names on the speaker. That’s when I knew it was real.

What is your hidden talent?

Self: I like to hunt.

What has been the biggest life-changing event for you so far?

Self: When my best friend in kindergarten asked me to play softball with her and our other friend. I’ve been playing ever since.

What are some of the things on your Bucket List?

Self: I would like to take a tour of Europe, go on a Safari trip in Africa, bungee jump off a suspension bridge and go to the White House.

Halfway home for the football season. The Boneman is a-bustin’ out his red pen for a short little report card for my teams.

Let’s start in Edmond.

North (5-0, 2-0)
You might call the Huskies the teacher’s pet as you know (if you’ve been reading this year) that I’ve been a huge believer in Jeremy Dombek’s team.

I said last week amongst the other writers that I think North could beat Southmoore for title of best team on the West side.

Ryan Aber has Norman North over the Huskies, but that’s his opinion.

This has been the year for Joe Aska Jr. He has put it together with more than 500 rushing yards and eight TDs in the last four games.

Junior QB Travis Townsend has been ridiculously efficient. I don’t even want to say “game manager” because if you never make a mistake, you’re doing a lot more than managing the game.

And the defense has been as good as advertised…when it needs to be. There have been some head-scratching moments, but when it counts, Xavier Smith and the boys have led the charge.

Biggest question: Handling success and answering the bell in Week 7 at Midwest City.

Final grade: Still waiting for that blowout, no-doubt-about-it game, so let’s go with an A-.
***
Memorial (2-3, 1-1)
If we’re being extremely generous, this team could be 5-0. Realistically, in his first year, coach Justin Merideth could/should be 4-1.

The 19-18 loss to Del City hurt but not as much as laying an egg in the second half against Midwest City.

Senior QB Blake Umberham has some grit, that’s for sure. After two rough weeks, he didn’t look scared at all against Putnam West.

The defense has been solid all season, not giving up more than 22 points this season. That’s good enough to win games.

Biggest question: Kameron Doolittle. Still waiting for that bust out game from the junior. Know it’s in there somewhere. Once he gets rolling, look out. Learning to finish games is going to be huge, too.

Final grade: The growing pains hurt, but the future looks good for Memorial, so I think they’re going to be OK. Let’s go with a B-.
***
Santa Fe (1-4, 0-2)
The best 1-4 team in the state, IMO. Unfortunately, that just doesn’t mean much right now.

After those first two games, I wasn’t sure what was in store for the Wolves. The team turned it around, but the breaks, well, they are not getting.

An overtime loss at Mustang and a one-point loss to Del City to start district play has hurt. Injuries have hurt, too.

I like where this team is going with Bruce Gowen, though, with Will Long and Brian Mills leading the way.

Biggest question: Confidence. It’s tough to remain upbeat through this whole ordeal. If they can do it, it might lead to a big second-half run.

Final grade: The last three weeks took ‘em out of the “D” category and into a healthy C.
***
Deer Creek (3-2, 2-0)
Hmm, can’t say much about the Antlers at this point. They’ve won the games they should and lost the ones figured they might.

They haven’t been healthy, but they got a couple of pick-me-up wins the last two weeks.

The OL’s health will play a big role in the next month as will how junior RB Colten Sander does as the No. 1 target.

And just for fun, here’s my story on QB Alex Christensen.

Biggest question: Can DC sneak out a win vs. Duncan, El Reno or Lawton Mac to improve its district chances?

Final grade: Grant Gower is the most positive person I know, and he’s still upbeat. So let’s say C+.

Heading into last Thursday’s game with Putnam West, it had to be a must-win for Memorial. If this wasn’t one, what would ever qualify?

The Bulldogs played like a desperate team, and it worked. Hmm, maybe desperate is the wrong word. Maybe they realized the time for the mental mistakes were over.

And when you get a game from Cale Olbert like Memorial did, you pretty much chalk up the W and look to next week. And give Olbert the Player of the Week.

Olbert, who I have called a beast before, played like one. He rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns and also had a 34-yard TD reception in the 48-0 victory.

The junior is taking advantage of the time he is seeing with D’Juan Brooks out right now. Olbert runs hard and doesn’t waste any time. He’s not going to initially stretch you wide, but you have your hands full trying to get him down.

After a couple of tough second-half losses, this was needed for Memorial.

Other contenders

Joe Aska Jr., RB, North: Another week, another Aska appearance. He ran for three touchdowns in the Huskies’ 42-28 victory against Norman.

Alex Christensen, QB, Deer Creek: Showing constant improvement, Christensen ran for two scores and threw for two more in a 42-7 win at Western Heights.

Rodney Mack, LB, Santa Fe: Defense carried the day despite the 13-12 loss to Del City. Mack had a couple of sacks and made sure the Eagles’ talented skilled kids didn’t break any tackles.

Other winners

Braxton Coil and Kelsie Fitch, Softball, North: Same stats in an 8-6 win vs. Memorial. Each had two hits, a double and two RBIs. Rick Nordyke’s girls have won eight in a row.

Micah Hancock, Volleyball, Memorial: Talk about momentum, winning nine straight matches, including the showdonw with No. 1 Heritage Hall last week. Hancock is leading the way.

Arya Bahreini, Cross Country, Santa Fe: He placed 16th at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree in the boys 5K run as the Wolves placed 13th at the ultra-competitive field.

Santa Fe product Reggie Smith and the San Francisco 49ers continue their fine start. SF bounced back from last week’s loss with a win against the Rams.

Here’s how some of the Edmond products did this week.

Caleb Prince, Central Oklahoma (Memorial): Prince had six tackles and one for a loss in UCO’s 31-23 loss to Southwest Baptist.

Steve Day, QB, Southwestern (Santa Fe): Day threw for 155 yards and a touchdown but also had two interceptions in a 33-10 loss to Southeastern.

J.R. Hammond, WR, SWOSU (Santa Fe): Hammond caught four balls but only for 11 yards as he wasn’t able to bust one free.

Jake Olivarez, OL, SWOSU (Santa Fe): Olivarez played but did not start for Southwestern this week.

Brad Morton, SWOSU (North): Morton was able to get some time in but did not record any stats.

Marquis Hamilton, WR, Iowa State (North): Hamilton had three catches for 47 yards in ISU’s 24-23 loss to Kansas State.

Daeshon Bufford, Tulsa (Santa Fe): Bufford played some in Tulsa’s 21-10 win against Rice but did not record any stats.

Jermain Mowarin, Southern Nazarene (Memorial): Mowarin had two tackles in SNU’s victory against Bacone.

We’re halfway home. Here’s a look at how the Edmond schools stand.

North (5-0, 2-0)
Almost everything is going right for the Huskies right now. A little concerned about winning by 14 vs. Norman because of that missed district point.

Senior running back Joe Aska Jr. is playing like an all-state back the last four weeks. Incredible stuff from him.

Still a good win as North played without Qua’Don Henderson (flu).

Up next: North hosts Putnam City (2-3, 1-1). Will the Huskies be overlooking PC with the showdown with Midwest City looming?

Memorial (2-3, 1-1)
Bulldogs led at halftime once again but didn’t let this one slip away. Cale Olbert was a beast in the 48-0 win at Putnam West.

Kameron Doolittle was also able to score his first touchdown of the season. A good confidence-building win that was sorely needed.

Up next: Memorial is at Norman (2-3, 1-1). Crossroads battle for both teams. Right now four teams are 2-3, 1-1 in 6A-2 (Westmoore and Putnam City are the other two).

Santa Fe (1-4, 0-2)
Boy oh boy, not much to add from what I’ve already written about Bruce Gowen’s club. Giving it all they got, that’s for sure.

It’s a tough district to be 0-2 already, though.

Up next: Speaking of which, the Wolves are at Southmoore (4-1, 1-1) on Thursday. Hmm, you don’t think the SaberCats want to make a statement after last week’s loss, do ya? Made a tough game that much more difficult for Santa Fe.

Deer Creek (3-2, 2-0)
Back-to-back blowout wins have the Antlers feeling good about themselves. They’re still not quite healthy as coach Grant Gower would like.

Alex Christensen has come on in the last couple of weeks at QB. Look for a story on him in Tuesday’s Oklahoman.

Big thing about last two weeks: getting the rhythm going on both sides of the ball.

Up next: Duncan (4-1, 2-0) comes to Deer Creek in a pivotal 5A-1 showdown. The four 2-0 teams (El Reno and Lawton Mac) all play each other this week.

So last week 5A was the rankings that gave me the most problems. This week it was 6A. Southmoore’s loss to Putnam North, Lawton’s win over Mustang, Edmond North’s allowing 28 points to Norman and Del City’s close win over Edmond Santa Fe all came into play here. Norman North looks like the team to beat in the West, especially after Southmoore’s surprising loss to Putnam North. Putnam North could very well be a top 10 team but Southmoore’s overall resume is better at this point. Southmoore beat Del City and Midwest City and those two wins give the SaberCats the resume to stay ranked. There will definitely be some shakeups here next week as well, with Lawton playing at Del City next week. Jenks is playing at Broken Arrow next week as well but I’d expect Jenks to win that and the top 3 not change. Though with the distractions for Jenks this week, who knows.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (1)#5-0
2. El Reno (2)#5-0
3. Shawnee (3)#5-0
4. McAlester (4)#5-0
5. Tulsa Washington (5)#3-2
6. Carl Albert (6)#3-2
7. Tulsa East Central (7)#4-1
8. Lawton MacArthur (8)#4-1
9. Ada (9)#5-0
10. Bixby (10)#2-3

After so much changing around last week, things remain exactly the same here. Two top 10 teams lost but I’ll defend Carl Albert and Bixby staying where they were, as both played close games with higher-ranked, undefeated opponents. Carl Albert lost by 3 to Shawnee and Bixby lost by 4 to undefeated No. 1 Tulsa Kelley. Carl Albert’s two losses have come to Tulsa Washington and Shawnee. Bixby has lost three times but those losses came to Class 6A No. 1 Jenks, Class 5A No. 1 Tulsa Kelley and Class 4A No. 1 Glenpool. I thin that’s a more impressive resume than Pryor’s 5-0 with close games against Skiatook (0-5) and Jay (3-2).

Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#5-0
2. Sallisaw (2)#5-0
3. Weatherford (3)#5-0
4. McGuinness (4)#3-2
5. Douglass (5)#4-1
6. Wagoner (6)#4-1
7. Grove (7)#4-1
8. Poteau (8)#5-0
9. Star Spencer (9)#3-2
10. Broken Bow (NR)#2-3

One change here with a couple teams losing. No. 4 McGuinness loses by a single point to No. 3 Weatherford on the road and No. 10 and previously unbeaten Tecumseh loses to No. 9 Star Spencer. McGuinness is easy to keep in the same position, although I did give consideration to flipping McGuinness and Douglass. Thought about leaving Tecumseh at No. 10 but the 40-0 blowout was too much to overlook. Fort Gibson and Muldrow were considerations but both lost big to top 10 teams this week. So Broken Bow re-enters the picture. Broken Bow’s three losses — Sallisaw, McAlester and Metro Christian — are all to quality opponents.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#4-0
2. Tuttle (2)#5-0
3. Sequoyah-Claremore (3)#5-0
4. Madill (4)#5-0
5. Checotah (5)#5-0
6. Bethany (6)#5-0
7. Metro Christian (7)#5-0
8. Anadarko (9)#5-0
9. Clinton (10)#3-2
10. Blanchard (8)#4-1

Pretty straightforward here as the top 7 stay the same, Anadarko moves up to No. 8 after improving to 5-0 for the first time since the 1920s. Clinton moves up a spot and Blanchard drops two to No. 10.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#4-1
2. Davis (4)#5-0
3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (5)#5-0
4. Lexington (7)#5-0
5. Vian (6)#4-1
6. Heritage Hall (8)#2-3
7. Kingfisher (3)#3-2
8. Millwood (2)#3-2
9. Bridge Creek (9)#4-1
10. Pawhuska (NR)#5-0

The big drop here is Millwood, who falls six spots to No. 8 after losing to Jones. Kingfisher also fell, four spots, to No. 7. Davis jumps up two spots to No. 2. Heritage Hall also moves up two spots. Pawhuska enters the rankings at No. 10 after Sperry’s loss to Verdigris.

Class A
1. Okeene (1)#5-0
2. Tonkawa (2)#5-0
3. Ringling (3)#4-0
4. Hennessey (4)#5-0
5. Stroud (5)#5-0
6. Commerce (6)#5-0
7. Woodland (7)#3-2
8. Talihina (8)#5-0
9. Watonga (9)#4-1
10. Oklahoma Bible (10)#5-0

No changes here as all of the top 10 won. Someone asked me last week about the possibility of dropping No. 1 Okeene and moving up No. 2 Tonkawa after Okeene needed overtime last week against Texhoma. I’ll be keeping an eye on those teams over the next few weeks but for right now, Okeene keeps the top spot.

Class B
1. Garber (1)#5-0
2. Canton (3)#5-0
3. Laverne (2)#3-2
4. Porter (4)#5-0
5. Ryan (6)#5-0
6. Fox (7)#4-1
7. Kiefer (NR)#5-0
8. Weleetka (8)#4-1
9. Alex (9)#4-1
10. Davenport (NR)#4-1

Another complicated one here with No. 5 Depew losing to unranked Davenport and No. 9 Alex beating No. 10 Allen. I dropped Depew out after its loss despite owning a win over No. 8 Weleetka earlier this season. Kiefer deserves to be in after beating Davenport in double overtime in the second week and staying undefeated. That was Davenport’s only loss so far.

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#5-0
2. Timberlake (2)#5-0
3. Temple (4)#4-1
4. Seiling (3)#4-1
5. Thackerville (5)#4-1
6. Covington-Douglas (6)#3-2
7. Deer Creek-Lamont (7)#5-0
8. Maud (9)#5-0
9. Claremore Chr. (NR)#4-1
10. Boise City (NR)#3-2

EDITED: Temple and Seiling switch places near the top after Seiling loses to Timberlake 52-6. Maud moves up a spot to No. 8 with a win over Sasawka, who drops out. Claremore Christian makes its debut, as does Boise City. Sasakwa and Waynoka falls out. falls out.

Norman (2-2, 1-0) vs. Edmond North (4-0, 1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Wantland Stadium

Norman
Why the Tigers can win: Because back-to-back wins have Greg Nation’s team believing in themselves again. Norman has looked solid the last couple of weeks and might be ready to pull off the upset.

North (W, Santa Fe; W, Mustang; W, Yukon; W, Lawton Eisenhower)
Why the Huskies can win: Because after back-to-back road tests, it’s home sweet home for North (and homecoming). QB Travis Townsend has been efficient while the OL has stepped up something huge since the first week of the season and creating all type of holes for the runners to go through.

Quote:

Keeping them level-headed hasn’t been too tough because we know we still have a lot of things to fix. We haven’t overlooked Norman at all. Greg does great things with his kids.” – coach Jeremy Dombek

Boneman’s key matchup: Norman passing game vs. North defense. Yea, we know the Huskies secondary is among the best in the state, but I’m looking for Colton Byford and Dakota Lambeth to really step up and make some plays with sacks and things of that nature.

Justin’s pick: North 28, Norman 21.

Boneman’s pick: North 42, Norman 17. Think this is a statement game for the Huskies. All games have been close in the fourth quarter, this one shouldn’t be. This where you put your stamp on it early and cruise.

You know, when it was 13-12, was kinda thinking Santa Fe’s best shot was trying to get another safety to win it.

I kid, but I’ve never seen a game where a team earned three safeties. I don’t know if I ever will again.

To me, that was a testament to the Wolves’ defense. They limited Del City offensively that one bad snap (or two) was enough to cause a safety. And I still don’t know what to say about the 70-yard punt by Matt Leavell. I think DC’s Julian Brockington was just surprised and wasn’t sure what to do. I know we were in the press box.

You want more than a one-point win for district points, but you want the win…period.

Del City 13, Santa Fe 12 – Final

The game-winner came on a 14-yard touchdown rush by Adrian Fletcher. It was his biggest gain of the night as if you take out that run and a 22-yard run by QB Chazten Gonzalez in the first half, Del City had 18 carries for 20 yards.

It was a game where when Santa Fe trailed 6-4 and kicked a field goal to take the lead in the fourth, the drive was eight plays for -1 yards because of penalties and sacks.

One of the toughest games in recent memory (for me) to get a handle on. Brockington may have made the play of the night when it looked like Will Long had a TD pass in the third that Brockington snatched out of the air. Definitely deflated the Santa Fe fans for a while.

Santa Fe was never able to mount a final-minute drive to make it interesting and Chris McAlister intercepted Long on the final play of the game. It was DC’s third pick of the night.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- What a game by Gonzalez. Took what the defense gave him. Very efficient. Wasn’t always pretty, but it worked.

- Tevin Doss provided a big spark for Santa Fe in the second half. The key to running on Del City is to go up the middle hard and hope you bust one. You WON”T get around the corner on the outside. Won’t happen, too much speed.

- Randy Mack had a big game for Santa Fe on defense. Had two sacks, stayed in his zone and never missed the sure tackle.

- Long made some mistakes, but I was impressed with the strength of his arm and his willingness to keep rifling them out there when it was needed.

- I told Ryan Aber (who was shooting video all night) to talk to Bryce Freeman after the game because he had at least two sacks that I could remember and was flying around the field. It’s not always McAlister and Donavan Dan (although they both were pretty good again). Nice well-rounded team.

- Says a lot about Del City to win this type of game and hurts just as much for Santa Fe to lose another game like this. Here’s my Santa Fe story that is a NewsOK exclusive.

Final analysis: You feel for Bruce Gowen and his kids. And a trip to Southmoore is not what the doctor ordered. Del City is now 2-0 on Edmond homecomings this year, winning by a grand total of two points. 19-18 vs. Memorial and 13-12 vs. ESF.

Up next: Santa Fe (1-4, 0-2) is at Southmoore while Del City (4-1, 1-1) has a huge showdown with Lawton that might get bigger if the Wolverines can beat Mustang.

Deer Creek (2-2, 1-0) vs. Western Heights (1-3, 0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Western Heights HS

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont; L, Shawnee; L, Woodward; W, Northwest Classen)
Why the Antlers can win: Because the team is getting healthy, and this is another game where they should be able to tinker around with their offense to see what works on a consistent basis. The line should control the contest for Deer Creek.

Western Heights
Why the Jets can win: Because Kevin Ball’s team is improved from last year, but the previous three weeks have not been kind after a Week 1 win. It’s a cliche, but time of possession and limiting turnovers will be critical.

Key matchup: Deer Creek QB Alex Christensen vs. WH defense. The problem is I don’t think Christensen will be forced to throw. But the senior has to get some good reps in with Duncan, El Reno and Lawton Mac coming up. Antlers have to see what kind of passing attack they have.

The pick: Deer Creek 45, Western Heights 13. A couple of big plays early with put the Jets in a bind, and the Antlers will cruise to their second district victory.

DEL CITY 13, Santa Fe 12 – Final

What a wild, wild game. Adrian Fletcher scores from 14 yards out with 5:04 to give Del City a strange 13-12 victory. Santa Fe scored on three safeties, yep, three.

Think this says a lot about Del City. Maybe it would have lost a game like this before. Much more Friday from me and Ryan on the game.

DEL CITY 6, SANTA FE 2 – HALFTIME

Not a pretty first half by any stretch of the imagination. Santa Fe scored on a fluke safety while Del City scored on a long TD pass on a busted assignment.

We’ve had a couple of fumbles, a couple of interceptions. Either way, neither Bruce Gowen nor Nick Warehime should be pretty happy about things.

After a scoreless first quarter, Santa Fe’s Matt Leavell booted a 70-yard punt in the air. Del City’s Julian Brockington picked it up at the 3 and walked into the end zone. He was tackled, and it was correctly ruled a safety.

But on the ensuing drive, ESF’s Brian Mills fumbled the ball, giving Del prime field position. And then on a 3rd and 10, it was Chazten Gonzalez to Chris McAlister from 34 yards out.

Santa Fe’s total yards: 82. Del City: 118. Gonzalez has been accurate, but Santa Fe has done a good job of keeping Donavan Dan and McAlister in front of them (minus the busted TD coverage).

6:38 – Once again camped out at UCO’s Wantland Stadium. I should just set up a little cot and stay here all week. You know I’m going to say this game is interesting anyway, but I REALLY am interested in this one.

On one hand, you have Santa Fe. After a rough two weeks, the Wolves have come around. Have they come so far that they can beat one of the best 6A teams in Del City?

And then you have the Eagles. After being humbled (maybe not the best word) by Southmoore, can Del City return to its form that it had in the first three weeks?

Ryan Aber has joined me to shoot some video (not just those postgame videos I produced). I’ll be keeping up with the game all night on Twitter @BPrzybylo. Ryan will keep ya posted on what’s up in the rest of the state @ryaber. Back at halftime (or whenever I get a chance) for some thoughts.

A showdown so big that both of us will be there. Well, we will both be there but for different reasons.

Del City (3-1, 0-1) vs. Santa Fe (1-3, 0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Wantland Stadium

Del City
Why the Eagles can win: Because what they lack in execution at times, they more than make up for with freaky athleticism. The running game has gotten going as well with Adrian Fletcher leading the charge.

Santa Fe (L, North; L, Memorial; W, PC West; L, Mustang)
Why the Wolves can win: Because they’re no longer hoping they can compete. A tough overtime loss at Mustang may have said more about the team than anything else this season. Will Long is growing comfortable in the pocket and Brian Mills has been busting out big ones the last couple of weeks.

Quote:

It’s just been about execution and believing in each other. If we execute our plan, we feel very confident we can do what we need to do.” – Mills

Key matchup: Santa Fe DBs vs. Del City WRs. It sounds like a broken record to say how good Chris McAlister and Donovan Dan are for Del City. But it’s true. Conversely, Santa Fe is young and inexperienced in the secondary. Not a good combo for Santa Fe fans.

Ryan’s pick: Del City 27, Santa Fe 14. Del City figures to bounce back from disappointing showing last week.

Boneman’s pick: Del City 31, Santa Fe 23. You can stop Chazten Gonzalez for nine plays, but on that 10th, Dan or McAlister will bite ya. That’s just the way it is right now. Think it’ll be closer than the score will indicate.

The top reason for the resurgence for Edmond Santa Fe has been this man, senior RB Brian Mills.

Resurgence might be too strong of a word, but after the first two games, I thought it was going to be a LONG season.

It still might be, but it’s not because the team has quit or doesn’t have the talent. The seniors realize what’s on the line here.

Quite a little story with Mills playing his heart out for Damon Johnson. Anyway, caught up with Mills for a short video as we examine Thursday’s matchup with Del City.

Edmond Memorial (1-3, 0-1) vs. Putnam West (0-4, 0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: PC Stadium

Memorial (L, Southmoore; W, Santa Fe; L, Del City; L, Midwest City)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because if it’s not now, then it might be a LONG season for Justin Merideth and company. Memorial has had the lead at halftime in back-to-back games, so it knows it can compete. Now it has to finish.

Putnam West
Why the Patriots can win: It’s only a matter of time. This team is making too much progress to go 0-10 again. They’ve got plenty of talented athletes. They’ve just got to find a way to compensate for a lack of size in the trenches.

Boneman’s key matchup: Memorial QB Blake Umberham vs. himself. Six picks in the last two games would be enough to rattle anyone’s confidence. How is he going to look tonight? Will he still be in control of the team? You know he has the tools. Now we’ll see what he’s mentally made of.

Scott’s key matchup: Memorial run game vs. PC West defensive front. If the Bulldogs try to win the game with power, they’ll have some success, particularly with the strength of running back Cale Olbert as a bruiser out of the backfield. The only way the Pats pull an upset is to slow down the run game and force Memorial to throw. That will give PC West a chance to utilize its defensive strength in the secondary.

Boneman’s pick: Memorial 31, PC West 10. I look for little wrinkles to get Umberham in a groove, and then Kameron Doolittle will shine and find the end zone for the first time this season.

Scott’s pick: Memorial 28, PC West 14. Ultimately, the ‘Dogs have too many weapons.

The cross country battles almost become simply another version of Edlam as all three Edmond schools (Memorial, Santa Fe and North) have solid programs.

And it’s not just the boys or the girls. The Edmond girls are three of the top seven (No. 1 North, No. 3 Memorial and No. 7 Santa Fe) while the boys are the top 3 (No. 1 North, No. 2 Memorial and No. 3 Santa Fe).

One of those star runners for Memorial is Aubree Young. Here is a short Q&A with her.

What was your “welcome to Varsity sports” moment?

Young: The timetrial my freshman year was in 100+ degree heat. I was running for the 6th or 7th spot on Varsity, and right before the finish I blacked out, fell down, and barely crossed the line. One of my coaches knelt down next to me, lying there only half conscious. I felt her pat my shoulder and heard her say “You got your spot on varsity.”

Other than you, who is the best athlete in your family?

Young: I look up to my aunt as a triathlete, and my uncle as a cyclist.

Who is one person you would like to trade places with and why?

Young: A missionary helping out in a really underpriveledged area. They do such amazing work helping others and I would love to be able to have contributed a little help to someone.

What do you do to get away from sports?

Young: It’s part of who I am.. how could I get away from that, and why would I want to?

Making the rounds this week. Was at Santa Fe on Monday, heading out to Heritage Hall later today and Bishop McGuinness on Wednesday.

First thought from Santa Fe: Will Long is in control of this team now. He’s more assertive, more confident and all those other good things.

His struggles in those first two games had me wondering if a change was right around the corner, but he’s proven his grit.

Also had a chance for a real nice talk with senior Brian Mills (and video, too). After an 0-2 start, I asked if there was a senior-only meeting.

Said Mills:

There kinda was. Bascially, all the seniors came together, and we realized we needed to get the younger kids up to play. We can’t do it by ourselves.

That’s been one of the differences as sophomores and juniors have started to make some big plays for the Wolves.

Mills has been a man possessed since the second half of the Memorial game, and he said it’s all because of Damon Johnson.

Johnson tore his ACL in the first half of that game, and it’s inspired Mills like you wouldn’t believe.

I have to play for two of us out there. He’s one of my best friends, and we’ve been playing together on the same team ever since I moved to Edmond in eighth grade.

Santa Fe lost a tough 38-31 overtime game to Mustang but has scored 86 points in its last two games.

The Wolves (1-3, 0-1) take on Del City (3-1, 0-1) on Thursday night at UCO’s Wantland Stadium (I’ll be there as will Ryan Aber).

After scoring three points in six quarters, Deer Creek was hoping for an offensive explosion against Northwest Classen.

It happened, thanks in large part to junior running back Colten Sander. Ironically, Sander had a huge game against the Knights last year, too.

Sander rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns for the Antlers in a 42-10 victory.

A healthy Sander was finally able to produce the way he is capable of. Sander is one of the most dangerous threats in 5A, and this should be a sign of even better things.

With Sander, QB Alex Christensen can relax. The Antlers, of course, lost a lot of weapons, but there is still a lot to worry about for opposing defenses.

Deer Creek has a chance to put up some more gaudy numbers this week against Western Heights.

Other contenders

Brian Mills, RB, Santa Fe: Rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns in a heartbreaking 38-31 overtime loss at Mustang.

Joe Aska Jr., RB, North: Scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and as coach Jeremy Dombek said: “Decided he wasn’t going to be stopped.”

Other winners

Sierra Bronkey, Santa Fe, Softball: A HUGE week for Rhonda Lawson’s team. Bronkey was crucial in victories against Edlam rivals. At the Yukon Tournament, Wolves were also able to defeat Lawton MacArthur.

Memorial, Volleyball: Someone sent me an attachment, but I couldn’t read it from the Stillwater Tournament. Didn’t drop a game and beat four of the top 8 teams in 6A (Union, Santa Fe, North and Stillwater). Wow.

Adam Godwin, North, Cross Country: Godwin won the 5K run at Mustang last week and helped Huskies hold off Memorial for the victory. Godwin won by eight seconds.

Want to make a nomination? Drop me a line.

Oh, heartbreak hotel for Santa Fe’s Reggie Smith. The 49ers lost on a last-second TD pass to the Minnesota Vikings. Same as always, if you know someone, drop me a line.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State (Santa Fe): Taking advantage of mop-up time, Weeden was 4-of-7 for 77 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 13 yards in the Cowboys’ blowout victory vs. Grambling State.

Matt Jackson, WR, Central Oklahoma (Santa Fe): It was an unusually small day for Jackson who had two catches for 15 yards in UCO’s tough 27-23 loss at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Caleb Prince, DB, UCO (Memorial): A game for the ages with six tackles, two of them for loss. Oh yeah, those three interceptions might be noteworthy, too. Huge game for Caleb.

Jake Olivarez, OT, Southwestern (Santa Fe): Started at left tackle in a 66-3 defeat to Tarleton State.

Steve Day, QB, SWOSU (Santa Fe): Rough outing for Day, who was 14-of-32 for 117 yards and three interceptions.

J.R. Hammond, WR, SWOSU (Santa Fe): Had minus 2 rushing yards but did have three receptions for 27 yards.

Daeshon Bufford, Tulsa (Santa Fe): In limited time, Bufford had two tackles in Tulsa’s rout of Sam Houston State.

Jared St. John, Tulsa (Santa Fe): Saw his first action of the season but didn’t record any stats.

Jermaine Mowarin, Southern Nazarene (Memorial): Mowarin had two stops in SNU’s loss to Olivet Nazarene.

Marquis Hamilton, WR, Iowa State (North): Continues to be bright spot for Cyclones and leads team with 15 catches for 266 yards and 2 TDs.

Zopon Williams, Missouri Southern (Santa Fe): Williams had two tackles in a 44-36 loss. Santa Fe’s Steven Sumpter did not play.

Since district play has started and every game means something, I’ll be posting weekly recaps for the Edmond and private schools and how what they did will affect their playoff chances.

North (4-0, 1-0)

The Huskies won 36-13 at Lawton Eisenhower. The gods favor North as it has seven games at Wantland Stadium. A win over Norman on Friday would mark the first 5-0 start in team history.

North has been 4-0 twice before, only to lose to Tulsa Union on both occasions. Down 13-9, North went crazy in the fourth quarter with 27 straight points, sparked by two TDs by Joe Aska Jr. and an INT return for a score by Xavier Smith.

Memorial (1-3, 0-1)

Right now, the Bulldogs just can’t finish the job. I’ll maintain they’re the best 1-3 team in 6A, but that doesn’t mean much after the 22-7 loss to Midwest City.

What may play a significant role is the last-second FG by the Bombers to get the max 15 district points.

Memorial has a chance to right its ship with a battle at Putnam West on Thursday.

Santa Fe (1-3, 0-1)

Two heartbreaking losses (North, Mustang) quickly turn 3-1 into 1-3. The Wolves are clicking now, though. I think Mustang would have drilled the Week 1 Santa Fe club.

Brian Mills is turning into a special, special runner while Will Long is maturing and getting that confidence needed.

Tough to bounce back after the OT loss at Mustang, but Bruce Gowen’s boys have to with Del City coming to Wantland Stadium on Thursday (myself and Ryan Aber will be there).

Deer Creek (2-2, 1-0)

Every now and then I get one right. I said look for a big night from Colten Sander, and he delivered. Sander rushed for a season-high 153 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-10 win against Northwest.

Holding the Knights to a mere 25 rushing yards certainly helped the cause.

The Antlers have another very winnable battle coming up with Western Heights on Friday.

For a while there, thought I was about to write the Cale Olbert story for Edmond Memorial. This was a night for tough running. Not saying Memorial’s Kameron Doolittle and Midwest City’s JR Head aren’t tough runners, but they just weren’t effective in this one.

Eventually, there was no stopping the MWC defense that stymied the Bulldogs all night. And once the MWC running game got going with the help of sophomore James Flanders, that was all she wrote for Memorial.

MWC 22, Memorial 7 – Final

It was kinda an auspicious start as two of the game’s biggest stars, Doolittle and MWC’s Emmanuel Maxwell, each had a lost fumble in the first four minutes of the game. Maxwell more than made up for it with a sensational  defensive showing.

Give huge credit to senior Cory Mosley, who simply would not let Doolittle get out wide and try to break one long. Mosley was icing his legs after the game, but it was a job well done.

Olbert’s touchdown made it 7-0, but the Bombers took over in the second half. Flanders scored from 43 yards out. Greg Austin had the passing game working in the second half and he scored from 1 yard out. And finally, Trevon Lewis took a batted pass and intercepted it for a touchdown.

The Bombers also tacked on a late FG that had some Memorial fans upset. It’s all about district points. Steve Huff’s club was just going for the 15 points, nothing more and nothing less.

Solid effort by the Bombers.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- Lewis, Maxwell and Dominique Jones owned this game in the second half. They disrupted everything. Memorial QB Blake Umberham threw three interceptions for the second straight game.

- Flanders is something special, even now. Can’t wait to see how he develops. He was bent over pretty good in the fourth, but he said his knee is fine.

- Just wasn’t a good night for Doolittle. Couldn’t get the running game going. Had trouble fielding kicks all night, just one he would like to forget.

- It’s gut-check time for Memorial. At 1-3 and 0-1 in 6A-2, can’t afford any more backward steps.

Final analysis: Impressed with the grit Midwest City showed. That first half, they looked like they were walking in mud. Greg Austin missed a lot of open WRs early but settled down. The strength is obviously the run game, and it came to play in the second half. For Memorial, another game where it was winnable but don’t know how to finish yet. Interesting to see where Umberham’s confidence is at this point.

Up next: MWC (2-2, 1-0) takes on Westmoore on Friday while Memorial (1-3, 0-1) is at Putnam West on Thursday.

Class 6A
1. Jenks (1)#4-0
2. Tulsa Union (2)#3-1
3. Broken Arrow (3)#3-1
4. Southmoore (4)#4-0
5. Edmond North (6)#4-0
6. Mustang (7)#3-1
7. Norman North (8)#3-0
8. Del City (5)#3-1
9. Midwest City (9)#2-2
10. Bartlesville (NR)#4-0

Not a whole lot of shuffling here with just two of the top 10 losing, and both of those dropping games to higher-rated teams. I dropped Del City three spots to No. 8 and moved Edmond North, Mustang and Norman North up a slot. Del City stays just above Midwest City, whose losses came to Southmoore and Del City. Bartlesville, which beat Muskogee 35-30 to improve to 4-0, enters the rankings for the first time. Considered leaving PC North ranked but looking at the teams they’ve beaten in the context of the first four weeks, Bartlesville appears to be the better candidate. Also thought about Lawton for that spot but the only win that stands out for them looking back at things is the win over Lawton MacArthur. But the Wolverines will get their chance to move into the rankings in a big way this week when they host Mustang.

Class 5A
1. Tulsa Kelley (9)#4-0
2. El Reno (3)#4-0
3. Shawnee (4)#4-0
4. McAlester (10)#4-0
5. Tulsa Washington (1)#2-2
6. Carl Albert (2)#3-1
7. Tulsa East Central (5)#3-1
8. Lawton MacArthur (6)#3-1
9. Ada (7)#4-0
10. Bixby (8)#2-2

OK, here’s the one that gave me the most heartburn this week. The only team to lose was Tulsa Washington but their loss to Tulsa Kelley forced me to go through and rethink the entire rankings in 5A. Kelley moves up to No. 1 all the way from No. 9. The Comets’ overall resume is the most impressive. El Reno and Shawnee each move up a spot as Carl Albert, despite its 69-12 win over Capitol Hill, drops to No. 6 because of Washington’s loss. The Hornets beat Carl Albert handily in the season-opener. McAlester also makes a big jump. These rankings are likely to experience some wild shuffling in the next few weeks. Next week’s premier battle in the class comes with Carl Albert traveling to Shawnee. Tulsa Central fell to East Central but likely would’ve been ranked if any other ranked team had slipped up.

Class 4A
1. Glenpool (1)#4-0
2. Sallisaw (2)#4-0
3. Weatherford (3)#4-0
4. McGuinness (4)#3-1
5. Douglass (5)#3-1
6. Wagoner (6)#3-1
7. Grove (7)#3-1
8. Poteau (8)#4-0
9. Star Spencer (NR)#2-2
10. Tecumseh (NR)#4-0

The top 8 remain the same as all won in Week 4. Star Spencer moves back in the rankings and Tecumseh enters the rankings for the first time this season after a 4-0 start. It came down to Tecumseh and Fort Gibson for the last spot. Fort Gibson is 3-1 but has looked impressive since an opening-week loss to Sequoyah Tahlequah. Broken Bow and Muldrow fall out of the rankings. Broken Bow has lost three games in a row to really good teams they’ve got to prove they can play at that level. They’ve got Hilldale next week, then what should be a comfortable win over Tulsa Webster before finishing up with a brutal stretch that starts at Wagoner, then at Poteau, at home vs. Muldrow and finishing the season at home against Fort Gibson.

Class 3A
1. Cascia Hall (1)#3-0
2. Tuttle (2)#4-0
3. Sequoyah-Claremore (3)#4-0
4. Madill (5)#4-0
5. Checotah (6)#4-0
6. Bethany (7)#4-0
7. Metro Christian (8)#4-0
8. Blanchard (9)#4-0
9. Anadarko (NR)#4-0
10. Clinton (4)#2-2

This is another one that took me a little while to decide how to rank the teams. Clinton obviously had to drop behind Anadarko after getting beat by the Warriors on Friday night (Even if Delans Griffin didn’t play). The big question was what to do about Clinton. It came down to Clinton, Newcastle, Dickson, Berryhill and Bristow for the last spot. Looking at all of the teams resumes, I eliminated Newcastle, Dickson and Berryhill. That left me with Bristow and Clinton. Both have played Chandler, with Clinton winning 28-0 and Bristow winning 7-0. That was partially the tiebreaker. I also still think Clinton’s going to be really good if Delans Griffin comes back healthy.

Class 2A
1. Lincoln Christian (1)#3-1
2. Millwood (2)#3-1
3. Kingfisher (3)#3-1
4. Davis (4)#4-0
5. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (5)#4-0
6. Lexington (7)#4-0
7. Vian (6)#3-1
8. Heritage Hall (8)#1-3
9. Bridge Creek (9)#3-1
10. Sperry (10)#3-1

The only change here to speak of is the flip-flop of Lexington and Vian after Lexington beat SeeWorth 62-8 and Vian lost to No. 5 Sequoyah-Tahlequah 49-28. I did seriously consider switching Kingfisher and Davis. I’m still not sure I made the right call on those two but I’m leaving them where they are for now.

Class A
1. Okeene (1)#4-0
2. Tonkawa (2)#4-0
3. Ringling (3)#3-0
4. Hennessey (4)#4-0
5. Stroud (6)#4-0
6. Commerce (7)#4-0
7. Woodland (8)#2-2
8. Talihina (9)#4-0
9. Watonga (NR)#3-1
10. Oklahoma Bible (NR)#4-0

Another difficult one here after OCS’ loss to Watonga on Friday night. The top four stayed the same, with 6-9 each moving up a spot. The newcomers this week are Watonga and Oklahoma Bible. Watonga’s only loss came to Class 2A No. 3 Kingfisher to start the season. Oklahoma Bible is undefeated, with a 15-0 win over Texhoma two weeks ago. Texhoma took No. 1 Okeene to triple overtime this week. OCS and Apache dropped out.

Class B
1. Garber (1)#4-0
2. Canton (3)#4-0
3. Laverne (2)#3-1
4. Porter (4)#4-0
5. Depew (5)#3-1
6. Ryan (10)#4-0
7. Fox (6)#3-1
8. Weleetka (7)#3-1
9. Alex (8)#3-1
10. Allen (NR)#4-0

A little bit of shuffling ere with Canton and Laverne traded spots. Didn’t give much thought to dropping Laverne lower (specifically below Porter) because I believe that B-1 is the toughest district around at the top. I still think Garber, Canton and Laverne are the top three teams in the class. Allen moves into the rankings.

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#4-0
2. Timberlake (2)#4-0
3. Seiling (3)#4-0
4. Temple (4)#3-1
5. Thackerville (5)#3-1
6. Covington-Douglas (6)#2-2
7. Deer Creek-Lamont (7)#4-0
8. Waynoka (9)#4-0
9. Maud (10)#4-0
10. Sasakwa (NR)#4-0

The only ranked team to lose was Corn Bible, who fell to Tipton. Waynoka and Maud moved up a spot and Sasakwa into No. 10. Considered Tipton for that spot and will keep an eye on them but, for now, undefeated wins out.

MWC 22, Memorial 7 – Final

The second half was all about that name that is revered in MWC: Flanders. James Flanders, a sophomore, came alive and sparked the team and let the defense do the rest.

He had a 43-yard TD run, a 30-yard run on the next drive that led to a Greg Austin TD. And Memorial was stuck in mud for the second straight week in the second half.

The Bombers capped a great defensive showing with a 16-yard INT return by Trevon Lewis.

Much more to say about this one Saturday.

MEMORIAL 7, MIDWEST CITY 0 – HALFTIME

That was one of the quickest halves I’ve seen. You know that means: I’m in for a long one in the second 24 minutes.

Memorial got on the board with a 1-yard TD rush by Cale Olbert. Olbert is leading all runners with 48 yards on 10 carries.

Kameron Doolittle and Emmanuel Maxwell traded fumbles in the first three minutes. Maxwell also had a beautiful blocked punt that set up MWC inside Memorial’s 15 yard line.

However, a 22-yard FG attempt was missed wide left in the final minute of the half.

Maxwell and Dominique Jones have been as good as advertised defensively. Each has six tackles (thanks MWC staff for the stats).

The start and stoppin’ of Doolittle hasn’t been effective, but the hard running by Olbert is working just fine for Memorial. QB Blake Umberham threw a pick but shook it off and has been on target.

Memorial will get the ball to start the second half.

6:53 – Back here at UCO’s Wantland Stadium for another game blog. This time it’s Edmond Memorial and Midwest City to kick off District 6A-2 action.

Definitely looks like rain is going to be coming our way. That’s fine as long as the lightning stays away.

Both teams are coming off tough, emotional losses. Memorial lost by one point to Del City while the Bombers were edged in double overtime against Southmoore.

We’re about 30 minutes away from action. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @BPrzybylo and follow @ryaber for all the HS action in the state tonight.

Santa Fe (1-2) vs. Mustang (2-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Bronco Stadium, Mustang

Santa Fe (L, North, 14-13; L, Memorial, 15-6; W, Putnam West, 55-21)
Why the Wolves can win: Because that train is moving now. It’s no longer stalling. A chance to get away from Edmond and its rivals allowed Santa Fe to simply play its game and have a singular focus. Brian Mills is really turning into something special.

Mustang
Why Mustang can win: The Bronco offense is smoking hot right now, with Jacinto Biorato developing quite a connection with slot receivers David Glidden and Braden Wiseley. And the defense is playing better, too. After giving up 85 points the first two games, Mustang shut down Putnam City.

Quote:

It’s all about stopping the run this week. That should be a lot of tackles. That’s exciting.” — Mustang senior and leading tackler Braden Wiseley

Boneman’s key matchup: Mustang passing game vs. Santa Fe secondary. Entering the season, the Wolves’ secondary was the biggest question mark. No team has really exploited or tested it. If there is a team to do it, it’s Mustang.

Scott’s key matchup: Santa Fe O-line vs. Mustang defensive front. The Bronco secondary played its best game last week against Putnam City, thanks to a ton of help up front as Mustang overpowered PC’s offensive line. Alex Dowty leads the charge up there for the Broncos, where he has already registered six sacks this season.

Scott’s pick: Mustang 31-24. The Broncos’ big-play offense will be just a little too much for the Wolves.

Boneman’s pick: Mustang 28, Santa Fe 17. If Santa Fe stops the passing game, this game gets real interesting real fast. But right now there is no stopping Jacinto Biorato and David Glidden for the Broncos.

Midwest City (1-2) vs. Edmond Memorial (1-2) (Boneman will be there)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

Midwest City
Why the Bombers can win: The question about this team was the offense coming in. Scoring 35 points against Southmoore has definitely answered some of those questions. QB Greg Austin has gotten more comfortable and has plenty of weapons at his disposal.

Memorial (L, Southmoore, 20-12; W, Santa Fe, 15-6; L, Del City, 19-18)
Why the Bulldogs can win: It’s seems as though they’ve been one play here, one play there away from being 3-0. Jordan Marczewski is becoming a bigger part of the offense and D’Juan Brooks provides some power in the running game, which will be needed against the Bombers.

Quote:

We’ve made some mental errors than can easily be fixed. Midwest City is aggressive and fast. If you want to win the district, it starts with this one.” – coach Justin Merideth

Key matchup: Blake Umberham vs. MWC defense. Umberham looked great in throwing two touchdown passes in the first half in a loss to Del City. But after three interceptions in the second half, how will he respond? He’s a senior, the team will follow his lead.

Boneman’s pick: Memorial 19, MWC 15. One last time with the ‘Dogs. From looking at them on paper and watching them in person, just can’t see this team being 1-3. It’s possible, but think Kameron Doolittle and the boys will find a way to get it done.

Ryan’s pick: MWC 34, Memorial 20. The Bombers’ offense seems to be coming around. That makes them just a little too tough for Memorial.

Northwest Classen (0-3) vs. Deer Creek (1-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Deer Creek HS

Northwest Classen
Why the Knights can win: It’s been a rough start for Northwest, but the effort has never been an issue. With all the injury issues for Deer Creek and the lack of offensive execution the last two games, anything is possible.

Deer Creek (W, Piedmont, 19-0; L, Shawnee, 46-19; L, Woodward, 21-3)
Why the Antlers can win: Because any chance of making some real noise in the district begins with this one. Alex Christensen has had three games to get comfortable, now is the time to put a solid offensive outing in the books.

Quote:

They don’t have a lot of experience, but those kids are tough and are being taught well.” – coach Grant Gower

Key matchup: Deer Creek offense vs. NW defense. Antlers defense has not been the issue through the first three games. Deer Creek has to show it has some offensive firepower and can make the big plays.

The pick: Deer Creek 38, Northwest 6. Antlers need a game like this. Expect Christensen to get rolling and for Colten Sander to bust a couple.