The game will be played July 24 at Oral Roberts (Small school 4:30 p.m., large school 7 p.m.)

Large East

Pitchers: Gabe Coldwell (Stilwell), Jacob Evans (Broken Arrow), Alex Hackerott (Sand Springs)

First baseman: Derrick Haworth (Durant)

Infielders: Donovan Walton (Tulsa Kelley), Mason Mantle (Metro Christian), Brenton Washausen (Claremore), Carter Cumbie (McAlester)

Outfielders: Dylan Helms (Eufaula), Corey Hassel (Stillwater), Adam Boyd (McAlester), J.P. Seifried (Claremore)

Catchers: Kylar Robertson (Sand Springs), Josh Whisler (Owasso)

Large West

Pitchers: Ty Hensley (Edmond Santa Fe), Jordan Watson (Edmond Santa Fe), Carson McPherson (Ardmore)

First baseman: Michael Lowe (Jones)

Infielders: Alex Polston (Carl Albert), Colt Pickens (Yukon), Tanner Dearman (Anadarko), Joe Robinson (Edmond North)

Outfielders: Greg Bruno (Midwest City), Luke Davis (Guthrie), Christian Thaxton (Duncan), T.J. Turner (Lawton MacArthur)

Catchers: Taylor Hawkins (Carl Albert), Dakota Shadoan (Norman North)

Small East

Pitchers: Evan Sanders (Hartshorne), Jacob Lux (Wyandotte), Dillon Proctor (Caddo)

First baseman: Jonathon Samuels (Rattan)

Infielders: Dusty Henry (Afton), Kaleb Matthews (Wellston), Landon Coon (Dale), Ty Miller (Caddo)

Outfielders: Caleb Hill (Wister), Brennon Fuser (Afton), Asa Thomas Manship (Dale), Zach Burns (Tushka)

Catchers: Cash Miller (Coleman), Eddia Lomas (Roff)

Small West

Pitchers: Brett McNaughton (Pioneer), Austin Kretchmar (Okarche), Stetson Buller (Timberlake)

First baseman: Clayton Brewster (Cheyenne)

Infielders: Jason Johnson (Arnett), Brady Baugh (Hennessey), Kent Callison (Lookeba-Sickles), Cameron Nix (Carnegie)

Outfielders: Josh Jackson (Amber-Pocasset), Dillon Almaguer (Granite), Jeff Jackson (Amber-Pocasset), Aaron McCandless (Shattuck)

Catchers: Cody Hunter (Arnett), Landon Larue (Crescent)

Friday
Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Oral Roberts
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A
At Tulsa Union
Thursday
Game 1: Shawnee vs. Claremore, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Skiatook vs. Carl Albert, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Guthrie vs. Durant, 4 p.m.
Game 4: McAlester vs. Deer Creek, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Oral Roberts
Championship game, noon

CLASS 4A
At Shawnee
Thursday
Game 1: Berryhill vs. Heritage Hall, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Anadarko vs. Tecumseh, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Hilldale vs. Byng, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Weatherford vs. Oologah, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner. 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, 5 p.m.

CLASS 3A
Thursday
At Edmond Memorial
Game 1: Marlow vs. Jones, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Henryetta vs. Metro Christian, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Salina vs. Plainview, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Verdigris vs. Spiro, 6:30 p.m.

At Shawnee
Friday
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, noon

CLASS 2A
At Dolese Park
Thursday
Game 1: Dale vs. Fairview, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Silo vs. Hennessey, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Ketchum vs. Tushka, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Oktaha vs. Wister, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Shawnee
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

Pete Papahronis, who coached Guthrie to back-to-back boys state championships in 2008 and 2009, is moving over to coach girls basketball at the school.

Guthrie will start a search for a new boys coach immediately, a release form the school said.

The boys went 17-11 this season, making the semifinals of the 5A tournament.

Papahronis coached Guthrie’s boys for nine seasons, leading the Bluejays to five state tournament appearances.

Papahronis takes over for Terry Carris, who resigned earlier this year after five years in his latest stint at Guthrie.

Carris had taken the Bluejays to the 1985 and 1986 state tournaments during his first stint at Guthrie.

Monday, it was Gavin LaValley coming up big for Carl Albert against Chickasha.

Tuesday, it was Taylor Hawkins’ turn.

The Oklahoma signee was 4 for 4 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs in the Titans’ 16-0 win.

Alex Polston, an Oklahoma State signee, added a grand slam as Carl Albert bounced back from Monday night’s loss to Shawnee.

Class 5A No. 2 Carl Albert improved to 4-0 in District 5A-2 play. The Titans step outside of district play Friday when they play at No. 4 Guthrie at 4 p.m.

All-Suburban Conference Girls
Most Valuable Player: Kelsee Grovey, Shawnee
Defensive Player of the Year: Jalyn Jackson, Deer Creek
Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Cooper, Shawnee
Coach of the Year: Wendi Wells, Shawnee

First team
Kylie Boggess, Piedmont
Gioya Carter, Carl Albert
Ashley Gibson, Deer Creek
Antoinet Webster, Western Heights
Micaela Yu, Shawnee

Second team
Ashley Almond, Piedmont
Toni Cheadle, Carl Albert
Bailey Mack, Harrah
Melinda Murillo, Guthrie
Sheronica Swindle, Western Heights

Third team
Lauren Collyer, Harrah
Sierra Hamilton, Chickasha
Haley Hill, El Reno
Mikaela Murillo, Guthrie
Sarah Parker, Piedmont

All-Suburban Conference
Most Valuable Player: Carlbe Ervin, Carl Albert
Defensive Player of the Year: Raymond Little, El Reno
Newcomer of the Year: Cameron Peters, Piedmont
Coach of the Year: Pete Papahronis, Guthrie

First team
Garrett Hermanski, Deer Creek
Conner Haydon, El Reno
Dejoun Sanders, Shawnee
Jacobi Davis, Chickasha
Kai Callins, Guthrie

Second team
Tim Tullis, Western Heights
Cameron Peters, Piedmont
Rashaad Copeland, El Reno
Leland Palmer, Noble
Colin Jennings, Harrah

Third team
Darrain Winston, Carl Albert
Dondre Brookins, Carl Albert
Collin Bricker, Piedmont
Joel Blumenthal, Deer Creek
Dillion Mooreland, Shawnee

All-Defensive Team
Darrain Winston, Carl Albert
Shron Parker, Guthrie
Adrion Williams, Piedmont
Jose Bonilla, El Reno
Anthony Clark, Deer Creek

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

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

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

Tight ends
Matt Gallagher, Owasso
Zac Veatch, Broken Arrow

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

Punter/kicker
Tom Carwile, Tulsa Washington

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

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

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

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

WEST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Corben Jones, Yukon
Garrett Lorah, Elgin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First-team
Offense
Quarterback: Raymond Little, El Reno
Running back: Nathan Blakely, Ada
Running back: Darvonte Winston, Carl Albert
Tight End: Kyle  Kanady, Deer Creek
Wide receiver: Rashad Copeland, El Reno
Wide receiver: Alex Polston, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: RayShawn Cato, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: Cooper Davis, Guthrie
Offensive lineman: Steve Dunham, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: Matt Eppler, Ada
Offensive lineman: Hayden Seifert, Guthrie
Kicker: Easton Ramsey, Carl Albert
Punter: Sam McCann, Ada

Defense
Defensive lineman: Nolan Boyd, Deer Creek
Defensive lineman: Zack Brown, Guthrie
Defensive lineman: Willis Lusk, Carl Albert
Defensive lineman: Micah Tiger, Ada
Linebacker: John Clark, Guthrie
Linebacker: Kevin Jones, Carl Albert
Linebacker: Jermiah Reed, Carl Albert
Linebacker: John Whitlock, Noble
Defensive back: Tyliq Brazille, Southeast
Defensive back: Taylor Hawkins, Carl Albert
Defensive back: Darion Winston, Carl Albert

Second-team
Offense
Running back: Chase Bowker, Ada
Running back: Tyre LeBlanc, Carl Albert
Tight end: Clint Simek, Guthrie
Wide receiver: Hunter Dinkines, Deer Creek
Wide receiver: Hunter Long, Noble
Offensive lineman: Tristan Clark, Western Heights
Offensive lineman: Malachai Galbrath, Guthrie
Offensive lineman: Grant Oliver, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: Jacob Stein, El Reno
Offensive lineman: Craig Waters, Western Heights
Kicker: Esau Perez, Guthrie
Punter: Antonio Cueto, Southeast

Defense
Defensive lineman: Darren Colquitt, Carl Albert
Defensive lineman: Clint Edgeman, Deer Creek
Defensive lineman: Michael Holder, Southeast
Defensive lineman: Josh Raper, Western Heights
Linebacker: Austin Ferguson, El Reno
Linebacker: Devonte Henderson, Western Heights
Linebacker: Gumaro Murphy, Southeast
Linebacker: Ian Smith, Deer Creek
Defensive back: Trez Jackson, Carl Albert
Defensive back: Harley Dodd, Deer Creek
Defensive back: Donte Rocco, Western Heights

McAlester had a late lead on Guthrie before losing 28-25 in the semifinals in blustery winds that severely limited their high-powered passing game. That doesn’t mean anything in relation to Guthrie. The Bluejays won the game then went on to win the title. But when put up next to Lawton MacArthur’s 24-7 loss to Guthrie in the finals, I decided McAlester’s resume was better. It was awfully close but the Buffs get the edge. Tulsa Kelley gave Lawton MacArthur all it could handle in the second round and pushed McAlester to the brink as well. The Comets’ defense was very good. Tulsa East Central entered the season as the favorites but lost to Pryor midway through the season to finish second in their district. That led to a second-round matchup at eventual champion Guthrie. Guthrie won 20-14 in another nailbiter. Ardmore was a semifinalists but lost to Duncan late in the season. They did push McAlester but were blown out twice by Lawton MacArthur. The win over Carl Albert was clearly Ardmore’s high point. Pryor was also a playoff victim to Ardmore. Carl Albert, Duncan and Coweta remained in the bottom three spots. All of Coweta’s losses came to teams ranked ahead of them (And 4A champion Wagoner). They also beat Tulsa Central, so their resume was better than any team left out.

Given everything that has gone on in the last month, the Bluejays felt quite vindicated by Friday’s win. Here are some leftover quotes that didn’t make it into my story.

SENIOR LB LANDRY CHAPPELL

“I’m just glad that we got the chance to show off what we can do. We didn’t cheat, and I’m just glad we got the opportunity.

“It feels good to win. We still wish we had Clint (Simek) out there with us, but we did it for him and coach (Rafe) Watkins.”

SENIOR LB JOHN CLARK

“We just played with all our hearts because we had so much to play for.

“I believe that we deserve it, regardless of whatever the press and everybody else says.”

SENIOR RB LUKE DAVIS

“There’s never been a feeling like this. Everyone says that you have these types of feelings when a baby is born or when you get married; of course I haven’t done any of those things. It just feels like we’re on top of the world.

“It’s extra special. People doubted us. They called us cheaters, but we responded to that. We used that as motivation.”

SOPHOMORE WR/DB DONAVAN JORDAN

“We kept fighting. We shed our tears, but we wiped them away. We kept our heads up and did work.”

COACH RAFE WATKINS

“Lawton Mac is a tremendous football team. They’ve got D-1 talent all up and down their lines and their skill kids are incredible. But it’s hard to beat heart.

“It’s been a tough four weeks, but it’s been a blessed four weeks.”

(On his three championships)

“It’s hard to ever forget the first one. They all are special.

“The first, is your first. And no one expected us to do it. The second one was our first undefeated season. It was more of a relief state championship because everyone thought we’d win it from day one.”

“This year, with the ups and downs and the things we had to face and the adversity, yeah, it’s pretty special.

“They’re all different, and they’re all special.”

(On the job his coaching staff did in his absense)

“They’re the best staff in the state. I know every coach says that, but they are.”

Senior receiver Alvery Braxton, who had 1,049 yards receiving and 13 TD catches on the season, tore his meniscus earlier this week in what coach Bryan Pratt called a “freak,” non-football injury.

“That hurt us a little bit,” Pratt said. “We’re not here to make excuses, though.”

McAlester’s other star receiver, Tulsa commit Adam Boyd, was very impressive in Saturday’s loss. He had 38 yards rushing and 79 receiving, and was tough for Guthrie’s defenders to bring down on several occasions.

Another factor that hurt McAlester was the weather. It was very windy in Sapulpa on Saturday, which limited the Buffaloes’ ability to throw the ball around the field.

Quarterback Tony Kiefer entered Saturday’s game with 3,380 yards and 36 TD passes, as well as 1,439 yards rushing and 25 TDs, on the season. He scored three times on the ground, but only once through the air, and that was on a screen that was taken 43 yards for a score by Cody Lefors.

“The weather hurt us probably more than it did them,” Pratt said. “If we were playing in normal conditions without the wind, things might have gone differently.”

Kiefer was limited to 142 passing and 19 rushing yards by Guthrie’s defense.

Three first-half mistakes by McAlester potentially cost the Buffaloes three points, the final margin of defeat.

After Guthrie took an early 7-0 lead, McAlester marched down the field on an eight-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a four-yard TD run by quarterback Tony Kiefer.

The Buffaloes attempted a two-point conversion off a swinging gate play, but Kiefer’s pass fell imcomplete.

Two more times in the first half, McAlester either bobbled a snap on an extra point attempt or went for two and failed.

“Our kicking game hasn’t been the best as far as extra points and field goals,” said McAlester coach Bryan Pratt. “We knew it would come back and bite us at some point, and it did.”

McAlester only attempted one field goal all season, with Cody Lefors making a 32-yarder earlier this season.

Lefors did make an extra point in the fourth quarter after his own 43-yard catch-and-run touchdown on a screen from Kiefer. But it was the only PAT the Buffaloes got all day.

“We just had some bad breaks,” Pratt said. “We just didn’t have a lot go our way.”

The game featured some great highlights, and Van Shea Iven from Oklahoma High School Sports Express captured all the best ones in this YouTube video he uploaded today. The video is embedded below.

Guthrie’s toss pass play near the end of the game, which went for 50 yards in a completion to quarterback Bryan Dutton, is at 4:20. The play pretty much sealed the Bluejays’ win to advance to next week’s state title game against Lawton MacArthur.

You can catch Oklahoma High School Sports Express at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays on KOKH-25 in Oklahoma City.

Class 5A
1. Guthrie (1)#12-0
2. Lawton MacArthur (2)#12-0
3. McAlester (3)#12-0
4. Tulsa Kelley (4)#8-3
5. Ardmore (7)#8-4
6. Tulsa East Central (5)#10-2
7. Carl Albert (7)#9-2
8. Pryor (6)#9-3
9. Duncan (9)#8-4
10. Coweta (10)#6-5

The biggest challenge came after the top 3. I decided to keep Tulsa Kelley fourth. They lost to McAlester by one during the regular season and played Lawton MacArthur as close as any 5A team had this season. Ardmore leaped to No. 5. I considered keeping Tulsa East Central ahead of Ardmore as well but East Central fell to Pryor during the regular season while Ardmore was able to pull off the win at Pryor.

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

Overall:
Ryan: 80-31, 10-1
Jason: 77, 32, 8-3
Scott: 73-36, 9-2

Ryan
Jenks 28, Edmond Santa Fe 21
Midwest City 21, Owasso 17
Guthrie 34, Tulsa East Central 30
Lawton MacArthur 35, Tulsa Kelley 28
Sallisaw 28, McGuinness 26
Anadarko 35, Kingfisher 20
Seminole 28, Verdigris 7
Davis 26, Millwood 20
Woodland 21, Wynnewood 19
Timberlake 35, Temple 32
Lock of the week: Lawton MacArthur over Tulsa Kelley. Kelley’s defense is good but they haven’t faced an offense near as potent as Lawton MacArthur yet this season. Darius Graham and company pass the test to advance to the semifinals yet again.

Jason
Edmond Santa Fe 31, Jenks 23
Midwest City 31, Owasso 28
Guthrie 27, Tulsa East Central 17
Lawton MacArthur 38, Tulsa Kelley 24
McGuinness 28, Sallisaw 27
Anadarko 28, Kingfisher 21
Seminole 37, Verdigris 24
Davis 24, Millwood 14
Woodland 38, Wynnewood 34
Temple 35, Timberlake 31
Lock of the week: Anadarko over Kingfisher. This will be Anadarko’s first real test of the season, and I think they pass it. Sheldon Wilson won’t be able to run wild like he has all year, but he’ll still be too much for the Yellowjackets.

Scott
Edmond Santa Fe 28, Jenks 24
Midwest City 37, Owasso 31
Guthrie 28, Tulsa East Central 21
Lawton MacArthur 35, Tulsa Kelley 21
McGuinness 17, Sallisaw 14
Kingfisher 24, Anadarko 21
Seminole 30, Verdigris 20
Davis 31, Millwood 28
Woodland 28, Wynnewood 22
Timberlake 38, Temple 34
Lock of the week: Midwest City over Owasso. The Bombers are on a crash course with the title game, and their secondary is better than any Owasso has seen this year.

Charles Spence got in trouble during his English class at UCO for reacting to the news about Guthrie's appeal before the OSSAA. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN

GUTHRIE — Charles Spence, the huge Guthrie football fan who I wrote about in Friday’s Oklahoman, was devastated when the team was forced to forfeit eight of its wins two weeks ago.

“It broke my heart,” he said. “I know Guthrie is a clean program.”

Spence, like many Guthrie supporters, neglected other responsibilities to follow along with the school’s appeal hearing on Nov. 9.

He was sitting in his English composition, following the proceedings on social media.

“I got in trouble twice in class for screaming out loud,” he said with a laugh.

When Clint Simek’s appeal of his ineligibility was denied, Spence blurted out, “No freaking way!”

A little while later, when he saw Guthrie was back in the Class 5A playoffs, his reaction was a less angry, but equally loud “Yes!”

“My teacher told me I needed to step outside,” he said.

The Bluejays host Tulsa East Central at Jelsma Stadium on Friday in a Class 5A quarterfinal.

Watkins had lots of interesting things to say, so this is definitely worth a listen.

Watkins GSP by GuthrieSportsPage

In the six days now since the news broke that Guthrie would have to forfeit eight games, I’ve had discussions with plenty of people–coworkers, other high school writers, coaches–about how I would handle the Bluejays in the Class 5A rankings.

Before the ruling came down, Guthrie was No. 1. I left them No. 1 this week and imagine, barring something wild happening in the first round (assuming Guthrie isn’t reinstated), they’ll stay there next week. That will be my last rankings until after the playoffs are concluded.

It’s not a protest vote. Far from it. I considered what I’d seen from Guthrie this year and even with the exclusion of the player ruled ineligible, the Bluejays would not only be undefeated but would still be my pick to win 5A. Their defense is outstanding, especially in the front seven. Their offense is balanced and they get excellent play from the quarterback spot.

Not everyone agreed with that stance, though many did. In The Associated Press poll of writers and broadcasters, just two of eight voters left Guthrie off their ballots. The other six voted the Bluejays No. 1. Barry Lewis from the Tulsa World also left Guthrie atop Class 5A.

Here’s the complete top 10 in 5A:

1. Guthrie (1)#2-8*

2. Lawton MacArthur (2)#10-0

3. McAlester (3)#10-0

4. Carl Albert (4)#10-0*

5. Tulsa Kelley (5)#7-2

6. Tulsa East Central (7)#9-1

7. Pryor (6)#8-2

8. Coweta (9)#6-4

9. Duncan (NR)#7-3

10. Tulsa Central (NR)#8-2

*Guthrie forfeited eight games, including win over Carl Albert, pending Wednesday appeal.

Had I dropped Guthrie out and needed another team to fill my top 10, I would’ve gone with Ardmore (6-4) over Ada (7-3). That decision would’ve been easy. Not only did Ardmore beat Ada head to head, 28-0, on the road to start the season but they played Carl Albert and McAlester much closer than Ada did.

“We just feel like it’s not in our best interest,” Watkins said. “That place is going to be a media circus anyway, you’re not going to get inside and there’s really not room in the parking lot.”

The Bluejays were forced to forfeit eight games after the OSSAA ruled that senior receiver/safety Clint Simek never make a bona fide move from Prague.

Guthrie’s appeal is on the agenda for the OSSAA’s board of directors meeting Wednesday. The meeting starts at 9 a.m., but Guthrie’s appeal likely won’t be heard until the afternoon.

Guthrie senior Clint Simek (2) was ruled ineligible by the OSSAA. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Guthrie’s appeal of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association’s ruling on Clint Simek is on the agenda for Wednesday’s board of directors meeting.

Simek was ruled ineligible Thursday after the OSSAA found that his move from Prague was not “bona fide.”

Simek’s family moved to Guthrie in February, but still owned their previous home in Prague and another family member had been living there.

The Bluejays went undefeated and won District 5A-1 before Simek was ruled ineligible. The ruling forced Guthrie to forfeit eight wins, which made its record 2-8. Carl Albert, Ada and Deer Creek all moved up in the district standings and El Reno entered the playoffs as the fourth seed.

Wednesday’s board of directors meeting begins at 9 a.m., but Simek’s hearing may not come until the afternoon. Guthrie’s appeals make up the last two items on the agenda’s “School Problems” section, the fourth section on the agenda. Items on the “School Problems” section of the agenda don’t have times attached to them, but the last item on the preceding section is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Guthrie’s football team is proceeding as if they have a game on Friday. Had Simek not been ruled ineligible, the Bluejays would have opened the playoffs at home Friday against Durant. The Bluejays broke down Durant film on Saturday and will practice Monday and Tuesday.

Guthrie was forced to forfeit eight of its 10 wins this season and will, pending an appeal with the OSSAA’s board of directors on Wednesday, miss the Class 5A playoffs.

Watkins didn’t go too much into it, but he did talk some with The Oklahoman after the game, and also did a radio interview with the Guthrie Sports Pages’ Casey Porter. The interview with Porter is embedded below.

Guthrie quarterback Bryan Dutton runs during his team's 48-0 win over Southeast on Friday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

GUTHRIE — The one upside to the last few days, Guthrie junior quarterback Bryan Dutton said, was the team’s new black jerseys that it broke out for Friday’s game. The team wore the jerseys with black pants.

The jerseys were ordered several weeks ago and weren’t expected to get in until the second round of the playoffs. But when they came in early, coach Rafe Watkins decided to let the team wear them Friday given the OSSAA’s ruling.

“Not knowing if we were going to make it to the playoffs, he wanted to let our seniors wear it,” Dutton said.

“These last 24 hours have been up and down, and more down than up. I guess the new uniforms were the only up to it. I feel really bad for our seniors. If they turn it around, we can make a run.”

Guthrie players prepare to take the field before Friday's 48-0 win over Southeast. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

GUTHRIE — Now what?

No. 1 Guthrie, as expected, routed Southeast 48-0 Friday at Jelsma Stadium, but now the Bluejays are left wondering what their future holds.

Guthrie, which finished the regular season unbeaten, has been forced to forfeit eight of its 10 wins because the OSSAA ruled that Clint Simek, a move-in from Prague, is an ineligible player.

Guthrie now doesn’t qualify for the playoffs with an official record of 2-8.

Guthrie and the Simek family will appeal the decision before the OSSAA board of directors on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what is about to happen,” junior quarterback Bryan Dutton said of Wednesday’s appeal. “I hope they get it right, because we really didn’t do anything wrong. Clint is one of my best friends, and just to see all the hard work we’ve put in go to waste like this, it’s a shame.”

The Guthrie players remained upbeat after Friday’s game, though, and most said they are optimistic about the team’s chances for a ruling reversal.

“We are undefeated, and getting that news was a big blow to us,” senior running back Luke Davis said. “But we’re keeping our heads up and hoping for the best, and we’ll see what happens Wednesday.

“The glass is half full. If we’re able to play, then this is all the motivation we need. I think our guys are pretty focused right now.”

Senior linebacker Landry Chappell, the team’s unquestioned leader on defense, said he goes back and forth on how he feels the appeal will go.

“Sometimes I think we’re gonna get it and sometimes I don’t,” he admitted.

Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins said the Bluejays will be in the film room, watching Durant, the team the Bluejays would face if they are successful in their appeal, on Saturday morning. Watkins said his team will practice Monday and Tuesday like they have a game on Friday.

Even if the board doesn’t rule in Guthrie’s favor on Wednesday, that isn’t necessarily the end of the road. Guthrie could file for an injunction to stop the Class 5A playoffs before they begin.

Watkins indicated that could be a possibility.

“We’ll go down and have our appeals, and we’ll see how it goes,” he said. “And if we have to go further, we’re gonna go further.”

Stunning news came down Thursday night that Guthrie, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, would be forced to forfeit eight of their nine wins. The forfeits would knock the Bluejays out of the playoffs and turn the 5A bracket upside down.

Guthrie will appeal the OSSAA’s decision but, barring a reversal by the Board of Directors next week, here are the ramifications:

El Reno and Noble would be alive in the playoff race, with El Reno holding the upper hand. An Indians win over Western Heights would put them in the postseason. Noble’s playoff scenario is very slim. They’d need a win over 8-1 Carl Albert and a loss by El Reno to 1-8 Western Heights to advance.

But although El Reno’s season figures to be extended by a week, the real beneficiaries figure to be the loser of Friday’s Deer Creek-Ada game. That team was slated to go on the road to face District 5A-2 champions Lawton MacArthur, who enter Friday’s game at Northwest undefeated. Instead, the winner of that game will host Ardmore while the loser will go on the road to a Duncan team that stands 6-3 entering the season finale. That sets up a much better draw for the loser.

Carl Albert will go from having to play Pryor on the road in the second round as the No. 2 seed (assuming both teams win their playoff openers) to a likely second-round matchup with Tulsa East Central. That game, though, would be played at Carl Albert. It also puts the Titans on the opposite side of the bracket from Lawton MacArthur.

This is the second time in three years that the 5A playoffs have been thrown into turmoil shortly before the postseason began. In 2009, Tulsa Washington had to forfeit two games initially and then had a third added shortly thereafter. The forfeits left the Hornets out of the playoffs. Tulsa Washington won the Class 5A title in 2008 and again in 2010.

Guthrie's Jelsma Stadium is the best Oklahoma City-area football stadium. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

GUTHRIE — We finally made it to No. 1 in our rankings of Oklahoma City-area high school football stadiums.

As we announced in Thursday’s edition of The Oklahoman, our pick as the top area stadium is Guthrie’s Jelsma Stadium.

Here is a link to the story I wrote for Thursday’s paper about Jelsma. It was a fun story to report on because of how passionate Guthrie people are about their stadium — as they should be.

Jelsma is a special place. For the reasons why it is on the list, read my story. I’m going to use this blog post to share some quotes about Jelsma that we didn’t have room for in it.

GUTHRIE JUNIOR QB BRYAN DUTTON

“It’s a lot of fun; it’s really loud. There’s people grilling before the game — it’s got that small college atmosphere to it. The stands are real tight. The whole community gets involved. It’s a real great place to play.

“When I see people that I play against at the mall or wherever, one of the first things they want to talk about is the rock wall and the baseball field. It’s just different; there aren’t a whole lot of places like it.”

FORMER GUTHRIE STANDOUT KEATON CALLINS, NOW PLAYING AT FORT HAYS STATE (KAN.)

“It was always loud.  The Rock was always something special. There was always excitement.
“My junior year, when we won state, we played Shawnee and Tucker Brown in the second round of the playoffs. It was so loud. Just a back-and-forth game.
“In little league, the championship game was always there. I remember all of us saying, ‘If we win, we get to play at Jelsma.’

“It’s a big thing for Guthrie. I think little kids are probably just like we were, going there and watching the high school team play. It’s just a fun place to be at.”

GUTHRIE COACH RAFE WATKINS
“It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles. It doesn’t have a jumbotron; it doesn’t have artificial turf. But as far as atmospshere goes, it doesn’t get any better.
“Before we played Ada, I was painting on Thursday morning, and there was a couple from California that was going through it. They asked if it was the high school stadium and wanted to know about it. Visitors just can’t get over the uniqueness of Jelsma.”

(Watkins said he wasn’t aware of Jelsma Stadium when he was interviewing for the Guthrie head coaching job before the 2001 season).

“It was just a quaint feel. I noticed how the people in this town cherish it. When we were able to remodel it, that added even more to it.”

For all of our stadium-ranking blogs, click here.

Last week
Ryan: 7-4, 1-0
Scott: 5-6, 1-0
Jason: 7-4, 1-0

Overall
Ryan: 44-17, 5-1
Jason: 44-17, 4-2
Scott: 42-19, 5-1

Ryan
Guthrie 21, Carl Albert 17
Kingfisher 14, Bethany 10
Owasso 41, Stillwater 35
Tulsa Washington 17, Tulsa Kelley 14
Metro Chr. 28, Seq. Tahlequah 21
Hennessey 22, Oklahoma Chr. 14
Lawton MacArthur 40, Duncan 20
Weatherford 13, Blanchard 8
Lawton Eisenhower 28, Edmond Memorial 22
McGuinness 28, Elgin 13
Lock of the week: Hennessey over OCS. Hennessey took some lumps in the non-district schedule but is still among the top teams in 2A. Tonight is their chance to prove that against a solid OCS team.

Jason
Guthrie 24, Carl Albert 16
Bethany 21, Kingfisher 17
Owasso 38, Stillwater 35
Tulsa Washington 24, Tulsa Kelley 17
Metro Christian 24, Seq. Tahlequah 10
Oklahoma Christian 24, Hennessey 23
Lawton Eisenhower 21, Edmond Memorial 13
Lawton MacArthur 31, Duncan 13
Bishop McGuinness 35, Elgin 14
Blanchard 16, Weatherford 9
Lock of the Week: Guthrie over Carl Albert. Both teams are fantastic, and both teams are legitimate Class 5A contenders. But at this point in the season, Guthrie’s defense is just too good for Carl Albert’s still-developing offense.

Scott
Guthrie 21, Carl Albert 20
Bethany 35, Kingfisher 31
Owasso 45, Stillwater 42
Tulsa Washington 21, Tulsa Kelley 14
Sequoyah-Tahlequah 35, Metro Christian 28
Hennessey 30, Oklahoma Christian 21
Lawton MacArthur 48, Duncan 31
Blanchard 14, Weatherford 12
Edmond Memorial 20, Lawton Eisenhower 17
McGuinness 28, Elgin 21
Lock of the Week: Lawton MacArthur over Duncan. Ever since watching the Highlanders in the preseason scrimmage at Mustang, I’ve had a strong feeling that these guys could win it all in 5A. I needed to see some results in the regular season first to support my gut feeling, and they’ve done that — even while battling some nagging injuries. There are a lot of factors left to be determined regarding the gold ball, but I definitely think Mac wins this week.

Guthrie's Demarko Jones, left, brings down Carl Albert's Herman Burge in the Bluejays' win on Oct. 19, 2001. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

The Oct. 19, 2001 Carl Albert-Guthrie game did two things: It created an intense rivalry that still exists today, and it put Class 5A on notice that a new power was budding.

Guthrie beat the then-four time defending champion Titans 23-22 on a late field goal. Carl Albert would still go on to win their fifth straight championship, but wouldn’t beat Guthrie again until 2004.

Here is Oklahoman correspondent Murray Evans’ game story from that night.

GUTHRIE — If the Guthrie Bluejays keep this up, these kind of football games won’t be considered upsets much longer.

The unranked Bluejays probably won’t be that way for much longer after they knocked off Class 5A’s No. 2 team, Carl Albert, by a 23-22 count on Friday night before a capacity crowd at Jelsma Stadium.

Russell Rush’s 30-yard field goal with 17 seconds left lifted the Bluejays to their biggest win since they upset then-4A No. 1 Duncan 30-6 on Sept. 20, 1991. That was also the last year Guthrie beat Carl Albert.

“I’ve tried to tell people all year long, when we play to our capabilities, we’re a pretty talented football team,” first-year Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins said. “There have been times that we sure haven’t shown it… but we’re getting better. We’re coming along.”

Guthrie is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in District 5A-2. The Titans fell to 5-2 and 3-2, and the four-time defending 5A champions likely will face a road trip in the first round of the playoffs.

“You’ve got to give (the Bluejays) credit, because they played a great game,” Carl Albert coach Gary Rose said. “But if we don’t make the mistakes we made, they don’t win the game. I’m not sure we deserved to win the game, as it is, but we did what we wanted to do well. But our tackling was atrocious. Our ball security was atrocious. We’ve just got to go back and get better.”

The Titans led 22-13 after a 59-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andre Daniel to Brandon Smith with 11:34 left. Daniel, who completed 11 of 15 passes for 151 yards, called an audible at the line of scrimmage to take advantage of Guthrie’s 1-on-1 coverage of Smith.

Guthrie needed just six plays to score. A 78-yard pass from quarterback Michael Hayes to Andrew Knight set the Bluejays up at the Carl Albert 2. Two plays later, Hayes hit Jason Shoemaker on a 3-yard touchdown pass, making it 22-20 with 8:48 left. Hayes finished 7 of 14 passing for 211 yards.

The Bluejays re-gained possession at the 4:30 mark, and marched 57 yards in 11 plays before Rush’s field goal. Guthrie did face fourth-and-8 at its own 32, but Carl Albert’s Marcus Allen was flagged for roughing Rush as Rush punted, giving the Bluejays a first down.

Rush’s kick, out of Hayes’ hold, split the uprights.

“I was a little bit worried,” Rush said. “I just went out there and hit it. I tried not to think about it.”

On Carl Albert’s first play after the ensuing kickoff, Guthrie defensive end Robert Harmon hit Daniel as he threw, and fellow lineman Kyle Smith intercepted the pass on a play reminiscent of Roy Williams’ hit on Chris Simms and Teddy Lehman’s interception for Oklahoma in its win over Texas.

Guthrie struck on the game’s first play. The Bluejays lined up with five receivers, and Hayes hit Demarko Jones – who also plays QB at times — on an 80-yard touchdown pass. Thirteen seconds in, the Bluejays led 7-0.

“We drew that up last week,” said Jones, who had three catches for 114 yards. “We were going to come out and get right on top. That’s what it did for us. It opened up the game.”

Carl Albert coach Gary Rose.

Since Rafe Watkins became Guthrie’s coach in 2001, the team’s annual game against coach Gary Rose and Carl Albert has become one of the state’s top rivalries.

The Bluejays (No. 1 in Class 5A) and the Titans (No. 3) meet Friday at Guthrie’s Jelsma Stadium in Week 7′s top Oklahoma high school football game. Here is a quick year-by-year look at the rivalry since 2001.

2001 (at Guthrie): Guthrie 23-22
2002 (at Carl Albert): Guthrie 22-19, OT
2003 (at Guthrie): Guthrie 28-21
2004 (at Carl Albert): Carl Albert 25-7

Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins

2005 (at Guthrie): Guthrie 33-14
2006 (at Guthrie): Carl Albert 26-21
2007 (at Carl Albert): Guthrie 24-21
2008 (at Carl Albert): Carl Albert 16-13
2009 (at Guthrie): Carl Albert 40-7
2010 (at Carl Albert): Guthrie 32-14

Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins won his 100th game at the school last week. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

GUTHRIE — With last week’s win over Ada, Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins has won 100 games at the school.

“I said after the game that it just goes to show that we have tremendous athletes here at Guthrie,” Watkins said.

“It’s a milestone, and to have it at one school is pretty special.”

In his time leading the Bluejays, he has won two state championships and been to the state semifinals five times.

Guthrie has only missed the playoffs once in his tenure.

Chris Evans at the Guthrie Sports Page broke down Watkins’ 100 wins. For example, Guthrie under Watkins is 61-11 in district games and 16-7 in playoff games.

Watkins has never lost to 16 teams and has a losing record against just three (Tulsa Washington, 1-2; Douglass, 2-3; Lawton MacArthur (0-1).

Another interesting fact: Guthrie has won 100 games under Watkins, but won just 114 in the 23 years before he arrived.

Head over to the Guthrie Sports Page and check out Evans’ analysis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ryan Aber

From left to right, Luke Davis, Landry Chappell, Bryan Dutton, and Blake Belcher have Guthrie eyeing a Class 5A championship in 2011. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

EDMOND — A huge District 5A-1 battle is The Oklahoman’s top-ranked high school football game in the state, and I’m fortunate enough to be covering it.

Deer Creek will host Guthrie tonight at 7:30 p.m. in one of the state’s tougher district’s first big game.

Adding to this game’s intrigue is the rivalry aspect. These schools aren’t terribly far apart and several of the players on opposing teams are friends.

Guthrie leads the all-time series 4-2.

Both teams are also extremely well-coached. Deer Creek’s Grant Gower and Guthrie’s Rafe Watkins, who has led the Bluejays to two state titles, are two top-notch coaches.

WHEN GUTHRIE HAS THE BALL

Guthrie has the ability to strike from the air or on the ground. Junior quarterback Bryan Dutton has started since he was a freshman, and put up huge numbers last year as a sophomore. But so far this season, the Bluejays have relied more on the ground game.

Senior Luke Davis has rushed for 306 yards and three touchdowns, averaging just over 7.2 yards a carry. But Dutton has also been a force carrying the ball, as has sophomore Kai Callins.

Guthrie, which has averaged 263 rushing and 115 passing yards a game, isn’t choosing to run more because they can’t throw; rather, the Bluejays have a giant offensive line — anchored by left tackle Blake Belcher (6-foot-5, 280 pounds), a Tulsa commit —  that bullies opposing defensive fronts. And with runners like Davis, Dutton, Callins, and others, why would you need to throw?

But if forced to, the Bluejays absolutely could shred opposing secondaries. Dutton has thrown seven touchdown passes through three games and no interceptions. Sophomore Donovan Jordan has caught three TD passes and senior tight end John Clark can make plays in the air game as well. And don’t forget senior move-in Clint Simek, who has quickly made his presence felt for the Bluejays with two TD catches.

But don’t sit on Deer Creek’s defense. The Antlers are extremely talented on that side of the ball — especially up front. Austin Loomis, Kooper Ruminer, Alec James, Clint Edgeman, Nolan Boyd and Ian Smith have all played extremely well for a defense that is allowing just 59 yards rushing per game.

But the Antler defense did collapse in the fourth quarter of a 38-31 win over Piedmont in Week 1 — a game Deer Creek led 38-14 at the end of the third. The Antler defense was great in Weeks 2 and 3, but the opponents (Shawnee and Tecumseh) were teams they should have dominated.

Deer Creek quarterback Joel Blumenthal has thrown six touchdowns this season. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

WHEN DEER CREEK HAS THE BALL

Deer Creek’s offense is much more balanced than it was last year.

I guess that’s what happens when you lose Alex Christensen (1,725 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010).

But the Antlers might be better on offense this year, and it’s because of that balance.

Quarterback Joel Blumenthal, a junior, has thrown for 558 yards and six touchdowns in his first full year as a starter. And he’s got some big-time receivers to throw to, starting with senior Hunter Dinkines, who has caught two TDs. Junior Jared Rayburn, who caught my eye and just about everyone else’s at the Top of the World Classic scrimmage in Norman, is a huge threat who has also caught two TDs.

Blumenthal also has a reliable tight end in senior Kyle Kanady, who has one TD catch this season.

And in the ground game, the Antlers are doing just fine. Junior Brennan Miyake has rushed for 395 yards and six TDs on the season.

The Deer Creek ground game is going to be interesting to watch, because, as Guthrie senior linebacker Landry Chappell said, Deer Creek will be the first team that will try to run the ball on the Bluejays’ defense. Every other opponent Guthrie has faced has been a pass-first team.

Not that it has mattered. The Bluejays have been absolutely dominate on the defensive side of the ball, allowing an average of just over 98 yards a game and a total — that’s right, a three-game total — of seven points all season.

The Bluejays are flat-out stacked at every position, leaving the Antlers with very few safe places to go. And it all starts with Chappell, the unquestioned leader and heart and soul of the Guthrie defense.

Up front, the Bluejays have big size and speed in Trevor Blassingame, Zac Brown, Richard Brothers and Vincent Norris. Not only do these players help stuff the run game, but they will also look to get pressure on Blumenthal — pressure he hasn’t seen yet this year.

Guthrie’s secondary is dangerous as well. One player to watch there is Callins, who started as a freshman at cornerback last year, intercepting five passes, and has only improved.

PREDICTION TIME

Deer Creek is a really good team. The Antlers will make noise in the district and are a shoo-in for a playoff spot. But Guthrie is a great team, a state title contender and will be too much for the Antlers to handle. Guthrie 28, Deer Creek 17.

Last week:
Scott: 9-1, 1-0
Ryan: 8-2, 1-0
Jason: 8-2, 0-1

Overall:
Ryan: 22-8, 3-0
Scott: 22-8, 2-1
Jason: 21-9, 1-2

Ryan
Guthrie 28, Deer Creek 14
Clinton 21, McGuinness 17
Norman 35, Sapulpa 30
Wagoner 27, Vinita 14
Ryan 22, Thackerville 18
Purcell 28, Sulphur 26
Seq. Tahlequah 20, Verdigris 13
Westmoore 21, Edmond Santa Fe 17
Seminole 14, Valliant 7
Midwest City 28, Yukon 9
Guthrie 34, Deer Creek 28
Lock of the week: Norman over Sapulpa. Sapulpa will score points on Norman but the Tigers defense has the potential for some big stops in this one that will prove to be the difference.

Scott
Clinton 21, McGuinness 17
Norman 38, Sapulpa 28
Wagoner 28, Vinita 21
Thackerville 42, Ryan 35
Purcell 33, Sulphur 28
Seq. Tahlequah 49, Verdigris 31
Edmond Santa Fe 21, Westmoore 14
Seminole 35, Valliant 24
Midwest City 27, Yukon 24
Lock of the week: Guthrie over Deer Creek. Deer Creek has a lot of talent, and is close to breaking through as a great team. But Guthrie is already there. This will be a close one, but I’ll take the Bluejays’ big-game experience to win out.

Jason
McGuinness 21, Clinton 14
Norman 35, Sapulpa 27
Wagoner 28, Vinita 21
Ryan 35, Thackerville 31
Purcell 38, Sulphur 24
Seq. Tahlequah 31, Verdigris 21
Edmond Santa Fe 27, Westmoore 24
Seminole 34, Valliant 24
Midwest City 35, Yukon 17
Guthrie 28, Deer Creek 17
Lock of the week: Edmond Santa Fe over Westmoore. 
I watched Edmond Santa Fe play Midwest City, and while they clearly weren’t better than the Bombers, they showed that they can play with almost anyone. I think the 2-1 Wolves get back on track by winning their district opener at home.

Guthrie Mayor Chuck Burtcher declared Sept. 6 as “Landry Chappell Day” and Sept. 7 as “Bryan Dutton Day,” the Guthrie Sports Page’s Chris Evans reported.

Burtcher made the promise after the two won wrestling state championships in February. Both Chappell and Dutton are three-sport stars in wrestling, baseball and football.

Dutton, the Bluejays’ junior quarterback and offensive leader, and Chappell, Guthrie’s senior linebacker and defensive leader, open their 2011 football season tonight at Duncan.

Read more about the proclamations on the Guthrie Sports Page.

Guthrie's Blake Belcher committed to Tulsa on Thursday. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

Guthrie lineman Blake Belcher committed to Tulsa on Thursday, Bluejays coach Rafe Watkins confirmed to The Oklahoman.

Belcher held offers from several schools, including Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State and Iowa State.

“He decided to stay close to home, and I think it is great,” Watkins said.

Watkins said Belcher came into his office this morning and said, “I think I’m gonna call and commit to Tulsa today.”

Watkins also said that “there is not a finer man to play for” than TU coach Bill Blankenship.

“It is a wonderful fit for both him and the school,” Watkins said.

Guthrie's Bryan Dutton threw 29 touchdowns last year. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

I visited Guthrie last night (or is it this morning?) for their midnight practice for the first day of full pads.

You can tell that the Bluejays are good and fired up for the 2011 season, as they should be. Guthrie enters the season as one of the favorites in Class 5A with 15 starters back off last year’s 11-2 team that lost in the state semifinals.

Junior quarterback Bryan Dutton is back after throwing for 2,408 yards and 29 touchdowns a year ago. Senior left tackle Blake Belcher (6-foot-5, 280 pounds) is a three-year starter with offers from Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State, Tulsa and Iowa State.

Defensively, the Bluejays bring back eight starters, including senior linebacker Landry Chappell, who has 423 career tackles and 15 career sacks, and senior safety Luke Davis, who made 107 tackles and picked off two passes in 2010.

The practice ended with the “Okie Drill,” which consists of two step over dummies on each side, parallel to each other to create a field that is five yards wide. There are two three-player teams, with each team getting three plays on offense. Last night, the losing team did 25 push-ups, and both teams did them if there was a tie.

The practice was a blast to watch, and I’m very excited to see the Bluejays in action once the season starts.

Guthrie flag will be waving proudly once again this year.

Driving home from the 7-on-7 passing league at Edmond Santa Fe, and the bank monitor tells me 100 degrees. Yep, 100 degrees at 8:15 p.m. I will say 6-7 p.m. was a heck of a lot worse than 7-8.

Tuesday was more of a feeling out process. Wanted to see what teams were there. The same eight teams will be back at Santa Fe on Thursday night (as will yours truly).

Edmond Santa Fe, Edmond North, Deer Creek, Midwest City, Guthrie, Putnam City North, Westmoore and Douglass.

It was a great opportunity to pick the brain of one of my favorite coaches around in Guthrie’s Rafe Watkins. And it’s pretty clear what the Bluejays need: wide receivers.

When Kentrell Brothers is on the same team, it’s easy to be overlooked, but I think Devonte’ McCully was just as important to last year’s success.

In fact, that was the first thing Watkins said: ‘We don’t have anybody 6-6 that can just go up there and get it.’

But don’t you dare feel sorry for Guthrie. If the team is lacking at WR (big IF), it’s the only spot where don’t have some of the best in the class.

Quarterback? Bryan Dutton, yep. Running back? Luke Davis, yep (watch out for him). Lineman? Blake Belcher, you betcha. And then a stud like Landry Chappell at linebacker. Man, Chappell is right up there among the most productive players around.

Really like the make up of this Guthrie team. No longer the young pups that made a surprise trip to the semis in 2009. Fueled by the disappointment of losing to Booker T. in the semis last season, ready to get back the gold ball.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

2011 Suburban Conference

All – Conference Team

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Sr. Brian Anderson- Deer Creek­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Sr. Michael Fulmer- Deer Creek­­­­­­­­­­­­

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Fr. Gavin Lavalley- Carl Albert

COACH OF THE YEAR

Ron Moore- Deer Creek

Lawton sophomore defensive end D.J. Ward picked up his first offer as Texas A&M offered Ward earlier this week.

Ward was helped out in getting notice with how deep and talented last year’s Wolverines squad was. Lawton went 12-1 and lost to eventual champion Tulsa Union in double overtime in the semifinals.

Ward is 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds.

Belcher with five offers

Guthrie football coach Rafe Watkins knew it was only a matter of time before the recruiting interest started to pick up for offensive lineman Blake Belcher.

Watkins was right. Belcher has picked up two offers in the last week to give him five from three different conferences.

The Pac-10 has been the biggest supporter of Belcher as Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona have offered the junior.

Belcher, 6-foot-6 and 271 pounds, has also been offered by Iowa State and Tulsa. He is No. 6 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 for 2012.

Top area recruiting camp returns

OkVarsity.com will have two separate all-state combines for the first time. The website, the Oklahoma high school site in the Rivals.com network, has always had an Oklahoma City area venue but has added a Tulsa one, too, for the top football recruits

The first combine is May 21 at Yukon, while Broken Arrow is the site for the combine May 28.

Check-in for offensive players participating will begin at 8:30 a.m. for both combines. Defensive players’ registration will begin at 9:30.

Recruits will be tested in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, vertical leap, kneeling power ball toss and bench press.

The combine costs $45 at the event, but recruits can register on the website for $35 through the day of the event.

Players that shine can participate in an invitation-only all-state showcase in the summer. For more information, visit OkVarsity.com.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Thursday
Edmond North vs. El Reno, 10 a.m.
Westmoore vs. Guthrie, 1 p.m.
Noble vs. Norman North, 4 p.m.
Deer Creek vs. Miami, 7 p.m.

Friday
Miami vs. Noble, 10 a.m.
Miami vs. Norman North, 1 p.m.
El Reno vs. Guthrie, 4 p.m.
Edmond North vs. Westmoore, 7 p.m.

Saturday
Times and teams to be decided later based on all teams participating.

Crazy to think Deer Creek and Norman North will play each other. I’ll be there for that one as it’s No. 1 in 5A vs. No. 4 in 6A. Should be fun.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

After giving up football last year, former Guthrie phenom Kye Staley is back with OSU.

It was a different scene for yours truly Saturday. Initially had plans to cover the finals of the Bill Tipton VII baseball tournament at Carl Albert, I was asked instead to help cover the Oklahoma State spring football game.

And I gotta say, it was great to see former Guthrie star Kye Staley back out there. He looked great in his 11 carries for 55 yards. The Tulsa World’s Bill Haisten had a great line about Staley: ‘he should be wearing green pants.’

Quarterback Brandon Weeden was wearing a green jersey to identify that he wasn’t to be hit. Well, with all the problems Staley has had with his knee, the green pants sounded appropriate.

Staley didn’t wear green pants, however. He took some big shots to the knee. But he bounced right back up. Staley is a big boy now. He’s more fullback than running back at this point. He’s about 215 pounds, and you can see that his desire and love of the game is back.

It was tremendous to see and you can also tell how happy his teammates are for him and for the team that Staley is back.

After giving up the sport before last season, Staley’s confidence is back. And that is a good thing for the Cowboys. For my story on Staley, here ya go.

Other spring game thoughts

- They’re all wearing the orange and black of OSU, but to me, they’ll all be known as ‘former (high school) star’ when it comes to the in-state products.

- Former Carl Albert star Daytawion Lowe made a couple of nice plays. He was also beat on a touchdown by Tracy Moore, but Lowe had an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown and had a couple of nice hits.

- Speaking of Moore, the former Tulsa Union star has become a much better college player than I thought he’d be. He is definitely among the top four receivers for the Cowboys. Moore got open a couple of times and had four grabs for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

- Like Moore, former Redskins star Jeremy Smith continues to impress me. I loved watching him play in high school and that hasn’t gone away in college. He had a great touchdown run on a spin move and also caught a touchdown pass. He said his biggest improvement this spring was in the passing game.

- Lo and behold, was that Joe Aska Jr.? Yep, the former Edmond North star running back had a couple of attempts and scored a touchdown. With that loaded backfield, cannot imagine Aska seeing too much time, but it was great to see him land on his feet.

- OK, I do admit Brandon Weeden (Santa Fe), Justin Blackmon (Plainview) and Josh Cooper (Mustang) are known more as Cowboys at this point. They’ve earned it.

- But by far, the biggest change was not having to keep my own stats. I was lost. I still did, but then I was handed a packet of everything you could ask for. And it was nice to be working with fellow chum Brandon Chatmon (@BChatmon on Twitter) again. All ‘n all, a fun way to spend a Saturday.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that said, more news and notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Guthrie star Kentrell Brothers completed one of the more intriguing recruiting stories in the last year. The Bluejays star, who has signed with Missouri to play football, wasn’t shy to take as many different recruiting trips possible.

One Brothers down and here comes another. Sophomore Richard Brothers will be joined by Deer Creek sophomore quarterback Joel Blumenthal at the Under Armour combine in Dallas this weekend.

Richard Brothers had 83 tackles last season. Blumenthal has been a name to watch for the Antlers since his freshman season. He saw spot duty at QB last year but should be the starting quarterback for Deer Creek in 2011.

- As already reported, Norman’s Donovan Roberts nabbed two more offers with Iowa State and Arizona joining Michigan and Indiana. He’s going to get overlooked because of Jenks’ Alex Ross and Heritage Hall’s Barry J. Sanders, but Roberts is the real deal. The offers are starting to roll in, and I don’t think they’re going to stop anytime soon.

- Fellow chum Matt Baker of The Tulsa World says Cascia Hall stud LB Conner Sherwood has earned his first offer as Tulsa has offered the Commando junior. I like Sherwood and definitely think the next couple of months will see him on more people’s radar.

- Jenks defensive tackle Ashton Henderson also made news with receiving an offer from Louisville. Looking at the measureables (is that a word?), you have to like Henderson. I’ve never seen the 320-pounder play so I can’t comment too much on him. I know DT is becoming more and more important in today’s game.

- Very intrigued what is going to happen with Edmond Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley. I think he’s a solid as they come when you’re talking about a baseball prospect. However, he is not letting go of football. Might he be in the same spot as Broken Arrow’s Archie Bradley? Is it something where he’s looking for football and baseball? Hensley is getting looks in both sports, but baseball remains the sport where there is more interest.

- Anadarko’s Sheldon Wilson continues to be bombarded by schools showing interest. No official offers, but he’s getting letters from schools all over the nation. Very intrigued to see how Anadarko (as a community) handles the attention. It’s going to be a wild ride for the Wilson and the Warriors in the next 6-9 months.

- As I always say, you got news, ship it this way.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

1. Josh Turner, Millwood (Texas) — A great fit. One of the most selfless, unassuming top prospects I’ve ever met. Ready to make a name for himself.

2. Kendal Thompson, Southmoore (Oklahoma) — Already got a leg up and has enrolled with the Sooners. He’ll play somewhere at OU, unsure if it will be QB.

3. Dylan Dismuke, Duncan (Oklahoma) — Great senior season to send him off to Norman. Lifelong dream come true for the big man.

4. Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie (Missouri) — Took his time and made the right call for himself. Felt he was the best player in the state this year.

5. Tyrequek Zimmerman, Lawton (Oregon State) — Zimmerman and Jabral Johnson are headed to Corvallis and should make a big impact for the Beavers.

6. Domonique Petties, Duncan (Arizona) — Petties was extremely busy making the rounds. He is double-signing with Arizona and NEO. Freakish talent, for sure.

7. Garrett Gladd, Sallisaw (Tulsa) — Switched from Stanford to Tulsa and seems really pleased with his decision. Would have been a force anywhere.

8. Kevonte Richardson, Millwood (Hutchinson, Kan.) — An all-around talent for the Falcons. Can do a little bit of everything on the field on both sides of the ball. Could be QB or could be DB, good at both.

9. Jamelle Naff, Del City (TCU) — Naff will join teammate Chazten Gonzales with the Horned Frogs as team makes leap to Big East. Both are pumped about it.

10. Austin Beck, Nowata (Arkansas) — Tried to early enroll with Razorbacks but was denied. Shouldn’t adversely affect him at all.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

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

By the time he’s done at Guthrie, I guarantee it will feel to me all I’ve written about is Bryan Dutton. A three-sport star, the sophomore improved immensely at QB this year.

And his wrestling season has been nothing short of stellar so far. Despite battling sickness, he was able to earn the 140-pound championship at the Carl Albert Invitational.

Here’s a short video with Dutton following the win:

In his first competition of 2011, Edmond Santa Fe’s Gunnar Nixon showed he has started right where he left off in 2010.

Nixon had an impressive showing at the Arkansas Invitational, bringing home two individual championships.

The Wolves star won the high jump by eight inches and also posted a personal best time of 7.99 in the 60-meter hurdles to claim the gold.

Edmond Memorial’s Chase Sammons won the shot put competition by more than eight feet.

In fact, it was a double championship for the Bulldogs in the shot put as Gloria Mosely of Memorial also took home the girls individual championship.

Memorial boys relay teams fared well, winning the 800 relay and placing second in the 3,200 relay. Santa Fe won the 3,200. Memorial also received a second-place finish from Isaiah Duke in the 400.

Guthrie’s Emmanuel Robinson was second in the 60-meter dash and third in the 60-meter hurdles. Memorial’s John Teeters placed third in the 60 dash though his prelim time of 7.00 is the ninth best in the nation. He was a tad off at 7.03 in the championship round.

For the second year in a row, McGuinness is king at its own tournament.

51st McGuinness Classic
Saturday
McGuinness 77, NW Classen 61 (championship)
Norman North 64, Deer Creek 58 (third place)
Norman 57, Edmond North 41 – consolation championship
Guthrie 49, Yukon 47 – OT – seventh place

McGuinness 77, NW Classen 61

Um, picked the right teams in the final, wrong winner. And I mean WAY off. Figured NW’s athleticism would cause problems for the Irish. However, when you shoot the way Tondrell Durham’s club did this night, not an issue.

It started in the second quarter after a crisp first eight minutes by both clubs. The second quarter was all McGuinness.

And though Matt Christiansen was clearly leading the way, this was a team effort, no doubt. Everybody was playing a part. Matt Morrissey and Miles Newcomb were draining 3s. Joe Edmonds was taking it to the hole. The defense was stellar. Best all-around performance by the Irish I’ve seen in five games this year.

And the dunk Christiansen had at the end of the first half was incredible. That got everyone up. Strong move and the finish and the foul. Shouldof had my camera working.

At one point it was actually 54-23 in the third quarter. That won’t happen again, believe me. NW is too dang good. Jamil Donovan had a big night as did Keandra Nelson but slow start doomed this one from the beginning.

Christiansen was named MVP. Quinton Hardwick lost a tooth in the fourth quarter on a drive by Edmonds but should be just fine.

Norman North 64, Deer Creek 58

Really liked this game. Two pure scorers in NNorth’s Patrick Schaefer and Deer Creek’s Garrett Hermanski. And did they ever put on a show.

However, Schaefer also had big-time assistance from Matt Southard in the post. Add it up and TWolves walk out with third.

Coach Butch Roberts was very pleased with this weekend. “If you can’t win the championship, you wanna be able to say you went 2-1. We did.”

Just an off night for the Antlers. Managed to hang around and keep it close but didn’t see the comeback coming in this one. Just took too long for Jalen Burnett and Joel Blumenthal to get in a rhythm.

Norman 57, Edmond North 41

That first half was a clinic on passing, I tells ya. Norman isn’t flashy but this team executes well and plays hard under first-year coach Jeff McCullough.

The Tigers were up 15-1 after the first quarter and kept that margin the rest of the way. Interesting team because nobody jumps out at you. Connor Madole is a solid player. Like what George Kittle brings to the table. Brandon Southern is steady.

North’s bad start was just too much to overcome. Coach Jeff Tanner is seeing some good things, especially from the likes of Ed Baker and Brandon Rolfes-Lopez. Unfortunately, it won’t get any easier with Santa Fe coming to the Siberian Gym on Tuesday.

Guthrie 49, Yukon 47 – OT

A game not worthy of a seventh-place battle. Both teams gave tremendous effort in a tight game throughout. This was finally the day where I got to see what makes D’Anthony Perkins such a threat for the Millers. He was rolling with 24 points. He’s going to be quicker than just about everybody else out there.

However, this was also the day why I believe Guthrie is still a legit state tournament-worthy club. There is too much talent for this team to not put it together.

If you have a five of Kentrell and Richard Brothers, Kai Callins, Tim Zupo and Codee Gross – you should win some games.

Balance will be key for this team, and coach Pete Papahronis said shot selection will go a long way in determining what happens with his team. On this day, Kentrell, Gross and Callins (just a freshman) all scored 11 points. That’s what you want.

All-Tournament Team: MVP – Matt Christiansen, Irish. Team – Mikey Wilson and Joe Edmonds, Irish; Jamil Donovan and Quinton Hardwick, NW Classen; Patrick Schaefer, NNorth; Garrett Hermanski, Deer Creek; Connor Madole, Norman; Brandon Rolfes-Lopez, Edmond North; Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie; D’Anthony Perkins, Yukon.

Boneman’s Super 5: Matt Christiansen, Irish; Patrick Schaefer, Norman North; Garrett Hermanski, Deer Creek; Jamil Donovan, NW Classen; Joe Edmonds, Irish.

With Heritage Hall junior running back Barry J. Sanders and the rest of the top juniors in the area in San Antonio for a national combine, I sure didn’t expect Sanders to play a role in my coverage of the 51st McGuinness Classic.

However, he sure did. More on that in a minute. Here’s your basketball results.

51st McGuinness Classic
Friday
McGuinness 54, Norman North 50
NW Classen 67, Deer Creek 56
Edmond North 65, Guthrie 55
Norman 28, Yukon 22
Saturday
Seventh place: Yukon vs. Guthrie, 1:30
Consolation champ: Edmond North vs. Norman, 3 p.m.
Third place: Deer Creek vs. Norman North, 6 p.m.
Championship: NW Classen vs. McGuinness, 7:30

Well, when the brackets were released, I told anyone that would listen (who listens to me?) that the final would be NW Classen vs. McGuinness. And sure enough, it is. This should be a great one as the last three games between the two have been decided a grand total of five points.

NW Classen 67, Deer Creek 56

This was funny because even though the Antlers got off to a good start, their transition defense was a question mark. And the Knights took full advantage.

Garrett Hermanski had another dynamite game for Deer Creek. He scored 17 in the first half and 11 more in the second for a game-high 28 points. However, the team lost some steam in the third quarter.

NW coach Leroy Combs said, ‘our players realized we were going to have to play some defense to win this one. They did.’

Junior guard Jamil Donovan once again led the way with 13 points, and he made some really nice passes in tight quarters.

DC led 23-16 before being outscored 37-14 in the second and third quarters.

McGuinness 54, Norman North 50

He was 3-of-15 through three quarters. So what? That just doesn’t mean much when it comes to the potential of McGuinness forward Joe Edmonds.

Edmonds scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to stop Patrick Schaefer and the Timberwolves. This was a crisp game, went by extremely fast.

A lot of threes in this one. Schaefer was raining ‘em down. Miles Newcomb had four for the Irish, while Matt Morrissey added three more treys.

Schaefer was incredible on this night, really had his shooting eye on and finished with a game-high 24 points. However, Matt Christiansen won the battle against Matt Southard in the paint and the Irish did a good job of dictating play.

Norman 28, Yukon 22; Edmond North 65, Guthrie 55

Wish I could tell you something about these games, but I was working on my Barry Sanders/Nick Saban story during these two encounters. In fact, I got in touch with Sanders at halftime of DC/NWC and missed the third quarter of that one, too.

Was it a violation by Saban? Maybe, but I don’t think it was a big one. And it’s not something that will play a role (I don’t think) in the recruitment of Sanders. But it might be an eye-opener to us for about what’s to come as it pertains to Sanders in the next 12 months.

Sanders said he had a few people ask about Saban’s visit in San Antonio and teammates Sterling Shepard and Markus Wakefield were asked about it. All three had no idea this was going to become a big deal.

A lot of people point to the photo of Sanders and Saban with no sign of defensive coordinator Mark Adams. Sanders said Adams was right next to them and continued their conversation after Sanders and Saban said ‘hey.’

Ready to conclude the McGuinness Classic on Saturday. And for my story on the Sanders/Saban saga, here ya go.

51st McGuinness Classic
At Bishop McGuinness
Thursday
Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49
NW Classen 58, Norman 57
McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38
Norman North 48, Guthrie 38
Friday
Semifinals
Deer Creek vs. NW Classen, 6 p.m.
McGuinness vs. Norman North, 7:30
Losers’ Bracket
Yukon vs. Norman, 1:30
Edmond North vs. Guthrie, 3 p.m.

I got spoiled. The first set of games Thursday were a couple of good ones. I thought they’d all be like that. Didn’t quite happen like that, but a good start to the McGuinness Classic.

Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49

Scott Wright told me the Millers like to make/shoot 3s. Um, I didn’t realize what that actually meant until I saw it in person. Yukon had nine 3s through the first three quarters, but the Antlers were doing enough to stay tied.

Great call by Deer Creek assistant Michael Garbutt to go to a box-and-one on Yukon’s Matthew Burton. Burton is a threat as soon as he crosses half court. With him shut down, the Millers looked a little confused as to how to attack the Antlers defense.

Another strong game by Deer Creek’s Garrett Hermanski. If he is hitting early, he’s going to have a great night. He plays with a lot of confidence when he’s rolling (though who doesn’t?). Big contribution off the bench from Joel Blumenthal.

It feels like Blumenthal should start, but he’s in the perfect role of that sixth man who comes in and lights the spark.

Miller games I imagine don’t take too long. When you’re hoisting up threes, you’re not going to get to the foul line. I’m intrigued to see how Ralph Nigro’s team responds against Norman…

NW Classen 58, Norman 57

This was one of those weird games. Though Norman led nearly the entire way, you had that feeling the Knights were going to pull it out.

With players like Jamil Donovan and T’aries Taylor, I just cannot in good conscience count this team out, not even when it was 51-40 at the end of the third quarter.

Jeff McCullough is doing a great job of getting his kids to believe in his system and executing it. Tigers got a little tight in the fourth, and NW pushed the tempo. Paco Jones ended up scoring the game-winner with 15 seconds left.

Excited to see Donovan against Deer Creek’s Jalen Burnett in the point guard battle Friday night.

McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38

Nice to see Joe Edmonds back. Still not 100 percent and cramping in the fourth quarter, Edmonds energized the Irish faithful with eight points in the second quarter.

I’ll be honest, thought the Irish were going to run away with this one in the third quarter. North coach Jeff Tanner did a good job of keeping his kids’ head in the game, and Matt Christiansen picking up his fourth foul in the third quarter for the Irish certainly helped the Huskies out.

Still, North was down 37-29 in the fourth before Ed Baker tied it up with a 3 at 38-38 with 40 seconds left. Dean Fitzpatrick scored on a nice feed and North was unable to take care of the ball.

Cameron Haley came alive in the fourth for North, but I was scratching my head about the first three quarters. He needs to be a big part. We’ll see what this team brings Friday.

Norman North 48, Guthrie 38

Oy. Not all wins are pretty. But at 24-20 at the end of the third quarter, it was tough to try to paint this into something positive.

Timberwolves’ guard Patrick Schaefer had a big night as did forward Matt Southard. Guthrie had no rhythm and too many times it was just Kentrell Brothers trying to force something in the paint.

Guarantee both teams will have a better showing Friday.

Boys

Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49

Northwest Classen 58, Norman 57

Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49

Deer Creek*15*11*17*14 — 57

Yukon*13*13*13*10 — 49

DC — Hermanski 23, Blumenthal 10, Burnett 8, Caudill 5, Blanchard 4, Clark 4, Wayant 3.

YHS — Burton 17, Perkins 11, Williams 10, Koontz 5, Craig 4, Nicholson 2.

Northwest Classen 58, Norman 57

Norman*13*16*22*6 — 57

Northwest*15*8*17*18 — 58

NHS — Madole 15, Southern 14, Saxon 10, Long 7, Kittle 5, Edington 4, Murray 2.

NWC — Donovan 16, Taylor 14, Hardwick 13, Jones 7, Arnold 4, Nelson 4.

McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38

Norman North 48, Guthrie 38

McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38

Edmond North*9*8*6*16 — 38

McGuinness*8*15*6*14 — 43

EN — Baker 11, Haley 8, Rolfes-Lopez 7, Peterson 4, Ruben 3, Carver 3, Sanders 2.

BM — Edmonds 11, Christiansen 9, Wilson 9, Fitzpatrick 6, Morrissey 5, Newcomb 3.

Norman North*3*11*10*24 — 48

Guthrie*4*8*8*18 — 38

NN — Schaefer 19, Southard 12, Roberts 11, Kaplan 6.

GHS — K. Brothers 14, Callins 7, Gross 7, R. Brothers 6, Zupo 2, McFadden 2.

It’s that time of year again. Last year’s Love’s Travel Stops McGuinness Classic final between Carl Albert and Bishop McGuinness was one of my favorite moments from last year.

Another stacked field, and I’ll be out there all three days for all 12 games.

McGuinness Classic
Thursday
Game 1: Yukon vs. Deer Creek, 1:30
Game 2: NW Classen vs. Norman, 3 p.m.
Game 3: McGuinness vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.
Game 4: Guthrie vs. Norman North, 7:30
Friday
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1:30
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 3 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7:30
Saturday
Game 9: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 1:30
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 7:30

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

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

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

10. Alex Ross, RB, Jenks

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

9. Tyrequek Zimmerman, WR/DB, Lawton

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

8. Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman

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

7. Aliston Cobb, RB, Douglass

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

6. Brandon Swindall, WR/DB, Millwood

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

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

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

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

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

3. Christian Hood, WR/DB, Union

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking forward to great things from Glidden at Oklahoma State.

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

Poll results for NewsOK.com Player of the Year:

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

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

Is Guthrie's Kentrell Brothers the NewsOK.com Player of the Year?

Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie
Class: Senior
Team record: 11-2 (5A semifinals)
Stats: 63 catches for 1,304 yards and 18 touchdowns. 18 carries for 171 yards, TD. One touchdown pass. 100 tackles and 19 sacks.

The case: Watch him just one time and try to tell me Brothers is not the best player in the state. I dare ya. If you’ve never seen Brothers, you knew who he was within five minutes of watching him play.

It’s always interesting to hear what The Tulsa World says about the kids they normally don’t get to see. I got to watch the Booker T. and Guthrie game with Matt Baker. In what was arguably Brothers’ worst game of the season, Baker still came away totally impressed.

Imagine if Baker had seen Brothers against Duncan? You know, where he caught three touchdowns and had five sacks. Or what about Carl Albert? An epic outing of seven catches for 150 yards and four touchdowns and eight tackles. Coweta wasn’t too bad. You remember that game, don’t ya? Two receiving touchdowns, one rushing score and even a touchdown pass.

Brothers dominated in every game he was in that coach Rafe Watkins simply wasn’t impressed anymore. He just knew what to expect. Watkins wasn’t alone as your jaw may have dropped for one of those games. But if you’d seen more just like it, eh, you didn’t flinch because you knew you were watching the best player in the state.

He was a two-way starter for three years, nearly unheard of at such a high-level program like Guthrie. Watkins said in Brothers’ all-state nomination form that Brothers is the best football player in the state. You know what? Watkins isn’t wrong on that one.

Brothers had the ability to snag the jump ball on passes by Bryan Dutton. He wasn’t afraid to go over the middle to make the big first down catches. And on defense, well, it was feeding time for the Bluejays defense with Brothers leading the charge and making life miserable for opposing offenses.

Brothers attracted attention from all over the nation, finally deciding Missouri was where he was taking his talents. At Missouri, he’s projected to be a linebacker. There aren’t going to many linebackers with Brothers’ raw natural ability.

And his character is just as high off the field as his play is on the field. Watkins was always quick to point out what a great leader and student Brothers had become. It didn’t overshadow what he did on the field, but it did complement him well. And he’s blossomed into one of the best and most versatile talents in the state.

And we still get to watch him in basketball for one more season.

Voting for the first NewsOK.com Player of the Year is open until Friday. Every day this week Varsity writers Robert Przybylo and Scott Wright will tell you why a certain player should win the award. The winner will be announced Jan. 2, the same day The Oklahoman’s All-State team comes out.

Monday: Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall (Przybylo)
Tuesday: David Glidden, Mustang (Wright)
Wednesday: Brandon Swindall, Millwood (Wright)
Thursday: Aliston Cobb, Douglass (Wright)
Friday: Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie (Przybylo)

Thursday’s Results
Girls
Ardmore 58, Lawton 45, seventh place
Northwest Classen 64, Putnam City West 50, girls fifth place
Mustang 68, Southeast 50, third place
Fort Smith-Northside 54, Yukon 32, championship

Boys
Guthrie 45, Southeast 40, seventh place
Midwest City 62, Ardmore 58, fifth place
PC West 82, Carl Albert 67, third place
Del City vs. Yukon, 7 p.m., championship

4:05 p.m.: The Mustang girls have a 22-point lead on Southeast in the girls third-place game with just under two minutes left to play. More exciting, however, we’re running pretty well on time after a dreadfully long day yesterday that ended around midnight.

5:07 p.m.: After holding a 10-point halftime lead, Putnam City West has started the second half fast and leads 54-35 on Carl Albert midway through the third quarter in the boys third place game.

5:15 p.m.: One thing we’ve learned this week: PC West is for real. They didn’t get lucking in a couple big wins. This is a good basketball team. Kyndall Dudley has hit six 3-pointers. He and Dante Lewis could each go for 20 in this game. The Pats are up 21 as we near the end of the third quarter.

5:40 p.m.: PC West takes third in the boys tournament with an 82-67 win over Carl Albert. Dante Lewis finished with 28 and Kyndall Dudley had 25 for the Pats. The girls title game is a few minutes away.

6:07 p.m.: Northside leads Yukon 8-4 at the end of the first quarter.

6:24 p.m.: Impressive run by the Millerettes gets them a brief lead late in a wildly exciting, fast-paced second quarter, but Northside finishes strong for a 21-17 advantage at the break.

6:50 p.m.: Big third quarter from Northside for a 39-22 advantage heading into the fourth.

7:14 p.m.: Northside takes the girls title, 54-32, over Yukon. The boys title game between Yukon and Del City will get going in about seven minutes.

Here is your girls All-Tournament team: Whitney Dunn, Mustang; Mackenzie York, Yukon; Jade Hardy, Yukon; Mannasha Bell, Northside; Taylor Green, Northside; MVP: Chauntel Terry, Northside.

7:40 p.m.: The first quarter goes to Yukon with a 15-10 advantage on Del City. Yukon’s D’Anthony Perkins has shown he is as athletic as just about any guard in the city area.

7:55 p.m.: A late rally for the Millers gives them a 25-21 edge at halftime. Del City led 21-18 with under two minutes to play in the half.

8:16 p.m.: Del City keeps scoring, and Yukon keeps answering, particularly with 3-pointers — one apiece from Shon Willilams, D’Anthony Perkins and Matt Burton, while Jordan Brown added a three-point play inside. Yukon leads 43-33 after three quarters.

8:32 p.m.: Yukon pulled out to a 49-38 lead, but seven straight points from the Eagles has it down to a four-point game with just over three minutes left to play.

8:47 p.m.: It came down to free throws, and the Millers held on for a 55-52 win.

Boys All-Tournament Team: Kyndall Dudley, PC West; Steffon Herd, Del City; Brett Cannon, Del City; Shon Williams, Yukon; Jacob Koontz, Yukon; MVP: D’Anthony Perkins.

For the Millers, this will be their first time playing for a tournament championship since the current seniors were freshmen.

“It’s gonna be good,” said senior guard Shon Williams, who led the Millers with 16 points Wednesday. “We’ve been working hard, working together for the last four years. We think we can win this, so we’re gonna go out and try our hardest to play well and se if we can win it.”

Added coach Ralph Nigro: “I think it means a lot (to play for a title). We have seven seniors and they’ve been through some bad times. Last year, we won, what, five games? The year before, we won six. So it means a lot to them. I’m happy for them. I’m happy to see them smiling and winning. It’ll be a tough game tomorrow, though.”

Mike Nicholson had 13 points for Yukon, while D’Anthony Perkins and Matt Burton added 10 apiece and Jacob Koontz had nine. Kyndall Dudley led the Patriots with 15 points and Dante Lewis added 14. Kevin House had 11, hitting three of the Pats’ eight 3-pointers.

Here’s the Ardmore Holiday Classic schedule and results, with more game-by-game updates below:

Wednesday’s results
Girls
Northwest Classen 41, Lawton 38
PC West 49, Ardmore 41
Yukon 47, Southeast 28
Fort Smith-Northside 58, Mustang 39

Boys
Midwest City 63, Guthrie 41
Ardmore vs. Southeast, 3 p.m.
Del City 52, Carl Albert 46
Yukon 58, Putnam City West 48

Thursday’s games
Girls
Ardmore vs. Lawton, 11:30 a.m., seventh place (at middle school gym)
Northwest Classen vs. Putnam City West, 11:30 a.m., fifth place
Southeast vs. Mustang, 2:30 p.m., third place
Yukon vs. Fort Smith-Northside, 5:30 p.m., championship

Boys
Guthrie vs. Southeast, 1 p.m., seventh place (at middle school gym)
Midwest City vs. Ardmore, 1 p.m., fifth place
Carl Albert vs. PC West, 4 p.m., third place
Del City vs. Yukon, 7 p.m., championship

Updates below…

4:55 p.m.: Today’s winners so far are the Northwest Classen and Putnam City West girls, who will meet in the fifth-place game Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Midwest City’s boys rolled past Guthrie and Ardmore is up on Southeast 33-26 midway thorugh the third quarter.

5 p.m.: Ardmore standout Nino Jackson is sitting out again today. When I spoke to coach Mark Wilson after the game Tuesday night, he expected Jackson to play today, so I’ll see what the situation is after this game concludes. Ardmore leads 42-32 at the end of the third quarter.

5:15 p.m.: Southeast coach Walt Brewer already had one guard out with a broken foot and he lost another in Tuesday night’s game, so he has had to turn to 6-foot-5 forward Trai Jordan as one of his primary ball-handlers — and he’s doing well. It’s a tough situation for a team with a lot of talented pieces to work with. They’ve got good outside shooters, led by William Brewer, and (when he’s in the paint, not at the point) a strong post presence with Jordan. A floor general with handles is all this team really needs to make a significant jump.

5:57 p.m.: Word out of the Ardmore locker room was that Nino Jackson’s absence today was related to an illness that had him feeling pretty bad at morning shoot-around. Ardmore won by 15. Yukon has an eight-point lead on Southeast in girls winner’s bracket action right now.

6:35 p.m.: Yukon holds a 37-21 advantage on Southeast in the girls semifinals entering the fourth quarter. More stout defense today from Kelly Clarke’s Millerettes.

7:37 p.m.: Mustang trailing Fort Smith-Northside 25-16 late in the first half. We’ll need a Bronco rally if we’re going to get Canadian County Bedlam in the Ardmore final. Of course, the two teams play in Yukon next Tuesday anyway.

8:27 p.m.: FS-Northside up 16 with under a minute left to play, so it’ll be Northside vs. Yukon in the girls final Thursday night at 5:30. We should be underway with the 7 p.m. boys game between Del City and Carl Albert in 15 minutes or so.

8:56 p.m.: Del City grabs the early 13-7 lead on Carl Albert at the end of the first quarter. Six points for Anthony Holland for the Eagles.

9:19 p.m.: Carl Albert pulled back in it to give us a tight one at the break. Del City is clinging to a 25-23 lead. Dondre Brookins has three 3-pointers for the Titans and Holland has nine points for the Eagles as well.

9:50 p.m.: Del City extends its lead to 39-30 at the end of the third. Del City freshman Brett Cannon had a pair of big buckets in the third and has 11 points for the game.

10:05 p.m.: CA and DC all tied up with two minutes to play.

10:15 p.m.: The Eagles take the Mid-Del battle, 52-46. Anthony Holland finishes with 14 points to lead the way. Yukon and PC West are about to get started in our final game of the night.

10:54 p.m.: Yukon takes a 28-18 lead on PC West to halftime. Del City is waiting for the winner in the finals, set for Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s games
Girls
Southeast 34, Lawton 28
Yukon 45, Northwest Classen 36
Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside 69, Putnam City West 30
Mustang 66, Ardmore 27

Boys
Putnam City West 70, Midwest City 62
Yukon 41, Guthrie 34
Carl Albert 66, Ardmore 59
Del City 54, Southeast 35

Wednesday’s games
Girls
Loser’s bracket
Lawton vs. Northwest Classen, 11 a.m.
PC West vs. Ardmore, 12:20 p.m.
Winner’s bracket
Southeast vs. Yukon, 4:20 p.m.
Fort Smith-Northside vs. Mustang, 5:40 p.m.
Boys
Loser’s bracket
Guthrie vs. Midwest City, 1:40 p.m.
Ardmore vs. Southeast, 3 p.m.
Winner’s bracket
Carl Albert vs. Del City, 7 p.m.
Putnam City West vs. Yukon, 8:20 p.m.

Updates below…

2:30 p.m.: Shola Adebayo scored 20 of Southeast’s 34 points on the way to a win over Lawton. The Yukon girls played some good defense down the stretch to hold off a NWC rally. Jade Hardy led Yukon with 17 points. Meshelle Parker had 11 for the Knights and Alysia Whitaker added 10. We’re nearing halftime in the first boys game, where PC West is hanging with Midwest City, trailing 24-23. Cortrael Colbert already has 13 for the Bombers.

2:40 p.m.: PC West closes the first half with a 15-4 run to take a 27-24 lead at the half on Midwest City. Kyndall Dudley leading the Patriots with 12 points.

3:35 p.m.: PC West pulls off the upset, 70-62. Kyndall Dudley hit a pair of huge 3s down the stretch and finished with 24 points. Tavionne Pennon added 16, spoiling Cortrez Colbert’s 27-point outing for the Bombers.

4:12 p.m.: Speedy first half from Yukon and Guthrie. The Bluejays lead 13-10 at the break.

4:53 p.m.: The Millers pull away in the fourth for a 41-34 win. It’ll be Yukon and PC West at 8:20 Wednesday night in the boys semifinals.

5:20 p.m.: Not pretty in the third girls game of the day. Fort Smith-Northside leads PC West 20-2 after one quarter.

6:13 p.m.: Northside takes it 69-30 over PC West. The final girls game of the night, Ardmore vs. Mustang, is just a couple minutes away.

7:10 p.m.: Mustang girls out to a 50-20 lead midway through the third quarter. A win would put Mustang against Fort Smith-Northside Wednesday. Yukon faces Southeast in the first semifinal at 4:20 p.m.

8:20 p.m.: Ardmore and Carl Albert tied at the half, 33 apiece. Nino Jackson has not seen the floor for Ardmore so far.

8:45 p.m.: Carl Albert takes a 45-44 lead to the fourth quarter on top-ranked Ardmore.

9:32 p.m.: Sorry for the delayed update, but Carl Albert pulled off the upset of No. 1 Ardmore, 66-59. Ardmore standout Nino Jackson was held out of action by coach’s decision. He is expected to play in Wednesday’s loser’s bracket game against the Del City-Southeast loser.

9:55 p.m.: Del City boys out to a 30-14 lead on Southeast in the final game of the night.

10:38 p.m.: Del City finishes off the night with a 54-35 win over Southeast. We’ll do it all again tomorrow.

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

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

As of Sunday morning, the percentages are as follows:

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

Voting is open until Friday.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours from the Varsity staff. I’ma go back to being Uncle Bob to my niece and nephew here in Kansas.

Here’s the final installment with an all-best of the rest. Basically, teams in the OKC area that aren’t in one of the set zones.

Here ya go:

All-Best of the Rest
Offense
QB — Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek
RB — Devin Campbell, Bethany
RB — Blake Riojas, Newcastle
WR — Caden Locke, Bridge Creek
WR — Abraham Luna, Santa Fe South
WR — Travis Carroll, McLoud
OL — Landon Chappell, Newcastle
OL — Caleb Craig, Harrah
OL — Blake Belcher, Guthrie
OL — Dexton Robertson, Cashion
OL — Gonzalo Delatorre, Kingfisher

K — Nathan Lee, Jones
P — Derek Patterson, Kingfisher

Defense
DL — Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie
DL — Darren Davenport, Bethany
DL — Micah Thompson, Jones
DL — Derrick Luetjen, Hennessey
LB — Kenny Dennison, Blanchard
LB — Landry Chappell, Guthrie
LB — Jeremy Seaton, Cashion
DB — Tanner Koons, Tuttle
DB — Tylor Seabolt, Jones
DB — Orlando Pina, Hennessey
DB — Mike Miller, Davenport

KR — Jeremy Smith, Kingfisher

Offensive Player of the Year: Derek Patterson, Kingfisher
Defensive Player of the Year: Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie
Coach of the Year: Shannon Watford, Hennessey

Kinda get a glimpse into a lot of our Little All-City team with this list. I’ll have much more to say when the LAC team comes out Thursday, Dec. 30.

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

Your candidates are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010 District 5A-1 All-District Team

Player of the Year—Kentrell Brothers – Guthrie

Offensive Player of the Year—Alex Christensen – Deer Creek

Defensive Player of the Year—Quincy Johnson – Carl Albert

Lineman of the Year—Kyle Croak – Carl Albert

Coach of the Year—Rafe Watkins – Guthrie

Offense

First Team                                                                  Second Team

QB-Kenneth Mayfield – W Hts                                    QB-Ridge Gargasz – ER

RB-Kenton Whittington – Carl Albert               RB-Derrik Kelly – Guthrie

RB-Devonte Moore – ER                                             RB-Anthony Frazier – SE

WR-Dwight Dobbins – Carl Albert                               WR-Christian Johnson-Ada

WR-Deonte McCully – Guthrie                         WR-Gage Anderson-Noble

TE-Austen Roselius-Carl Albert                                 TE-Payton Patton-Ada

OL-Colin Walker-Carl Albert                                       OL-Pat Elliott-Carl Albert

OL-Bryce Sullivan-Guthrie                                           OL-Andrew Scribner-Ada

C-Anthony Frazier-Carl Albert                         C-Braden Young-ER

OL-Ross Stracke-Deer Creek                                      OL-Jacob Cardenas-Noble

OL-Caleb Clary-Ada                                                   OL-Paul Kim-Deer Creek

Defense

First Team                                                                  Second Team

DL-Randy Armstrong-Ada                                           DL-Shawn Hudson-SE

DL-Feliz Scott-Guthrie                                     DL-Ryan Vick-Ada

DL-Brent Bozarth-ER                                                  DL-Tanner Dyer-Ada

DL-Cale Russell-Ada                                                   DL-Ryan Thomas-Noble

LB-Isaiah Byrd-Deer Creek                                         LB-Trey Jones-Noble

LB-Tavin Deloney-SE                                      LB-Evan Elder-Deer Creek

DB-Marcus Ware-Guthrie                                            DB-Nick Anderson-Ada                DB-A.J.Wilson-Carl Albert                                                DBEric Mahoney-Deer Creek

DB-Ronald Lucas-Ada                                     DB-Nelson Williams-SE

DB-Jay Gogue-SE                                                       DB-Diontee Albert-Ada

DB-Michael Coleman-Deer Creek                               DB-Dylan Abner-ER

DB-Travis Brown-

K-Shawn McLaws-Deer Creek

P-Brady Bowers-Ada

I don’t feel that bad about picking Guthrie over Booker T. Washington. But on this particular night, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Hornets dominated this game nearly the entire way in earning another opportunity for a gold ball

Booker T. 38, Guthrie 11 – for my story on the game, go here.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- Speed, speed and more speed. Guthrie simply had now answers for how fast the Hornets were. If it wasn’t Isaac Bennett, it was Tyler Lockett. If it wasn’t Lockett, it was Dante Barnett. It was one after another with the skilled kids, and it quite the sight to see.

- BTW quarterback Jordy Albert is the real deal. Why Albert and Dominique Sells alternate series at times is beyond me. I won’t question coach Darrell Hall, but Albert had the team rolling just about every time he was the man in charge.

- Really thought after Kai Callins returned that blocked field goal for a touchdown for Guthrie to make it 14-8 that the Bluejays were going to wake up. Coach Rafe Watkins said the same thing, but the energy and emotion simply was not there. Very strange to be so flat in the semifinals.

- Bennett was the best player on the field in this game. Guthrie overpursued too much and didn’t stay in their lanes. Bennett simply outran the defense to the outside and smoked ‘em time and time again. Had him unofficially for 201 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

- Kentrell Brothers made some nice plays for Guthrie but even he was a little off on this night. His muffed punt hurt in the first half. But the thing is with Brothers and Luke Davis and others is they were so tired from having to play both ways and tracking those burners down for the Hornets.

- Loved the honesty from Watkins after the game. He said he didn’t have a ‘losing’ speech prepared. “I honestly really liked our chances in this one so no I didn’t say anything to that great group of seniors. We’ll do that Monday.”

- Booker T. plays East Central for the championship Saturday afternoon at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Guthrie (11-1) vs. Booker T. Washington (11-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Pioneer Stadium, Stillwater (I’ll be there)

Guthrie
Why the Bluejays can win: Because like I’ve said before, I don’t see a weakness with this team. It has ton of playoff experience so it won’t crack under pressure. The Jays have the playmakers so they should compete athletically with Booker T. Gonna be a wild one.

Quote:

They’ve had a lot of their stars injured, but they’re back now. They’re going to be fresh, but our defense has been doing this all year.” – coach Rafe Watkins

Booker T.
Why the Hornets can win: Because they are healthy, or at least getting there. When you’ve got skilled kids like Jordy Albert, Isaac Bennett and Tyler Lockett and Dante Barnett, you’re always going to be in the game. And not giving up a point in two playoff games doesn’t hurt.

Key matchup: BTW offense vs. Guthrie defense. Is this the team that breaks through that crazy-good rush defense? If it is, Booker T. is playing for the gold ball. I’m very excited to see Bennett and Lockett in person.

The pick: Guthrie 19, Tulsa Washington 16. I would love to say it’s going to be a high-scoring track meet…but it won’t. This will be physical. It’s gonna be cold, and it’s gonna be tight throughout before Kentrell Brothers changes the game.

Boneman’s Guthrie prediction record: 10-2
Boneman’s BTW prediction record: 12-0.

Guthrie (11-1) vs. Tulsa Washington (11-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Stillwater HS (I’ll be there)

I’ve written a lot on sophomore quarterback Bryan Dutton. Spent an equal amount of time on his wide receiver studs Devonte McCully and Kentrell Brothers.

But if the Bluejays are going to beat Booker T. (as I’ve said they will), it’s all about the defense. And when you’re talking about the defense, it starts with Landry Chappell.

The junior linebacker has a ridiculous 161 tackles and is the anchor. Chappell also has four sacks and two interceptions.

John Clark has quietly become another key contributor. Also just a junior, Clark has 114 stops and nine sacks. Brothers leads the team with 18 sacks.

It shouldn’t shock me, but Kai Callins has developed a lot faster than I thought he would. The freshman leads the team with five interceptions, while J.T. McFadden has three.

It’s going to be a challenge going against the bevy of stars for the Hornets. If Booker T. is able to run the ball, good night for Guthrie. Nobody is able to run the ball against Rafe Watkins’ boys. It’s reached a point where 50 yards is a huge achievement.

On the flip side, Watkins believes this is the best defense his club will face. BTW hasn’t given up a point in the playoffs yet and Derrick Alexander is a stud. One more night to game time.

Guthrie (11-1) vs. Booker T. Washington (11-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Stillwater HS (I’ll be there)

Here ya go, it’s your 2007 champions (Guthrie) going against the 2008 champions (Booker T.).

And how did the Hornets get there? By beating Guthrie in an epic three-overtime battle in Tulsa two years ago in the quarterfinals.

“That kick, that kick is what I remember from that game,” Guthrie’s Devonte McCully said. “We have not forgotten about that.

What is McCully talking about? Here’s a blast from the past via fellow chum Ryan Aber, who was there on that day.

TULSA — Tulsa Washington’s players weren’t sure it was ever going to end.

Guthrie’s players thought it was over before much of the drama started.

Washington’s defense stopped Guthrie quarterback Keaton Callins just short of the goalline on the second possession of the third overtime to seal the Hornets’ 34-27 Class 5A playoff win Saturday afternoon at S.E. Williams Stadium.

“After every play I prayed,” Washington defensive lineman Calvin Barnett said. “And I’m not someone who takes that lightly.

“I still can’t believe it.”

It was a wild end for a football game that was a defensive struggle for much of regulation.

The Hornets needed a fourth-down score from quarterback Eric Bennett to extend the game into a third overtime.

Guthrie, though, couldn’t come up with a similar score.

While Washington celebrated the win, Callins lay on the field, frozen just short of the goalline.

Guthrie, last season’s 5A champion, finished 10-2. The Hornets are 11-1 heading into next week’s semifinal meeting with El Reno.

The Bluejays thought they’d won the game on the final play of regulation, as Hank Hudson’s 32-yard field goal attempt sailed over the upright and was called wide left.

Tulsa Washington had to use an “all-hands-on-deck” approach defensively, as its top two tacklers, among others, were gone with injuries.

“We just kept running a lot of people out there,” lineman Keenan Taylor said. “We were just throwing bodies out there, and it worked.”

Even Bennett, the Hornets quarterback, saw significant time defensively.

“I’m tired,” Bennett said after running for three touchdowns and throwing for another. “It was a long game.”

In the end, though, Bennett wanted the ball in his hands. He carried the ball on six of the Hornets’ eight overtime plays.

Now the Hornets are two wins away from their first football title since 1984.

“It’s tough when arguably the four best teams in the state played each other today with us and Guthrie and Carl Albert and Bixby,” Jimmerson said. “But we just kept playing tough.”

Continuing on, here is 5A:

GUTHRIE BLUEJAYS
Record: 11-1
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Rafe Watkins, 10th season at Guthrie
Previous state titles: 2002 (5A), 2007 (5A)
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Durant 35-6, beat Coweta 27-3
2009 record (playoffs): 8-5 (Beat Duncan 20-12, beat Tulsa East Central 25-24, lost to Bixby 27-20)
Last week: Guthrie held Coweta to just 58 yards on the ground and got big offensive numbers out of versatile Kentrell Brothers, quarterback Bryan Dutton and tailback Derrik Kelly to advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive season.
Player to watch: Kentrell Brothers, Ath. It’s hard to pin one position on Brothers, especially after his performance last week. The Missouri commit caught a touchdown pass, threw a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown in the Bluejays win. He has more than 1,200 yards receiving, nearly 90 tackles on defense and has 18 sacks.
Notable: Have held nine opponents to seven points or less, including both in the playoffs and four of the last five. … Dutton, just a sophomore, has thrown for more than 2,200 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions. … Kelly is the Bluejays’ leading rusher with about 650 yards and 10 touchdowns.

TULSA WASHINGTON HORNETS
Record: 11-1
Ranking: No. 1
Coach: Darrell Hall, first season at Washington
Previous state titles: 1967 (3A), 1968 (3A), 1969 (3A), 1971 (4A), 1973 (4A), 1984 (5A), 2008 (5A)
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Claremore 23-0, beat Deer Creek 23-0
2009 record (playoffs): 5-5 (none)
Last week: The Hornets scored a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to take control and advance to the semifinals. Washington held the Antlers to just 135 yards of total offense.
Player to watch: Isaac Bennett, RB. The senior missed the Hornets first playoff game but came back from the ankle injury that had bothered him most of the second half of the season to run for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 carries last week.
Notable: Quarterback Jordy Albert also returned from injury last week, throwing for a touchdown after missing the win over Claremore with a hand injury. … The Hornets have shut out seven opponents this season, including four consecutive in district play. … Washington’s only loss came to Class 6A Broken Arrow 32-17 on Sept. 10. … Hall coached Star Spencer to the Class 4A title last season before taking over the Hornets. … Tulsa Washington missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1997 after having to forfeit three district games.

LAWTON MACARTHUR HIGHLANDERS
Record: 10-2
Ranking: No. 5
Coach: Brett Manning, second season at Lawton MacArthur
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Ada 35-0, beat McAlester 48-8
2009 record (playoffs): 7-4 (Lost to Carl Albert 51-19)
Last week: MacArthur put up 378 yards of total offense in the first half, blowing out McAlester at home on Saturday. Darius Graham rushed for two scores while Dylan Warner threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, all in the first half.
Player to watch: Dylan Warner, QB. The Highlanders senior has more than 1,300 yards through the air and more than 200 rushing.
Notable: Have won nine consecutive games after dropping games to Lawton and Lawton Eisenhower in non-district play. … Austin Payne, a junior, leads the Highlanders in tackles with more than 105. … Daniel Schwarz is 4 of 6 on field-goal tries with a long of 50. … Darius Graham has more than 700 rushing yards. … Lawton MacArthur’s last meeting with Tulsa East Central was in 2005, when East Central won 21-13 in the second round. The teams also met in the 2003 semifinals.

TULSA EAST CENTRAL CARDINALS
Record: 11-1
Ranking: No. 3
Coach: Travis Hill, 13th season at Tulsa East Central
Previous state titles: 2005 (5A)
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Skiatook 30-8, beat Carl Albert 21-14
2009 record (playoffs): 10-2 (Beat Pryor 31-7, lost to Guthrie 25-24)
Last week: Daunte Burge ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries to help the Cardinals overcome a second-half deficit to beat the defending 5A champions.
Player to watch: Ashton Dandy, DE. The big-time defender does plenty to disrupt the offensive flow for opposition and is among the top defensive linemen in the state.
Notable: Lone loss came to Tulsa Washington, 27-24, on Sept. 16. … John McDavid threw for a touchdown last week and has more than 800 yards passing. … Dino Teague is the Cardinals’ leading receiver. He’s scored in 10 of the Cardinals’ 12 games. … Tulsa East Central beat Lawton MacArthur 21-13 in the second round in 2005 and lost to the Highlanders, 49-14, in the 2003 semifinals. … Four of East Central’s wins have come by seven points or less.

I don’t even know if what Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers did last week is in the top 3 of his performances this season, but it came at the right time.

Against a gritty Coweta team, the Bluejays weren’t really having that much offensive success. But when you have Brothers, you’re never out of it.

Brothers ended up with three touchdowns in the 27-3 win, and he did it in three different ways. He caught one, threw another and rushed for a score. Big-time players come up big when it matters most, and Guthrie is going to need that for sure this week against Tulsa Washington.

You can read more on Brothers’ partner in crime, WR Devonte McCully in Tuesday’s paper. Sorry, Devonte, the secret is out on you.

Other contenders

Tyrequek Zimmerman, Lawton: With the game in the balance at 20-14 vs. Broken Arrow, Zimmerman scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give the Wolverines the huge win.

Zeke Zimmer, Washington: It’s a different Warrior every week. Zimmer notched three touchdowns in an impressive 35-0 victory at Crooked Oak.

Darian Bennett, Crescent: Just another day at the office for Bennett. Coach J.L. Fisher said Bennett rushed for 270 yards in the first half and four touchdowns in the win at Carnegie. Look for more on Bennett in Thursday’s paper.

Jeremy Seaton, Cashion: Another familiar face here. Seaton accounted for three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ tough victory against a good Ringling team.

Coweta (9-2) at Guthrie (10-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jelsma Stadium

Coweta
Why the Tigers can win: Coach Bubba Burcham was pretty pumped about this team entering the year, and now we know why. The defense has been exceptional in the last month, led by Deontay Wilson. It was the defense that carried the day at the goal line against Bishop Kelley last week.

Guthrie
Why the Bluejays can win: Because right now, I don’t know what the strength of the team is…and that’s a good thing. Is it the incredible defense, especially against the rush? Is it the incredible accuracy of sophomore quarterback Bryan Dutton? Or is it simply the overall threat of Kentrell Brothers? You’re not wrong no matter what you say.

Quote:

Coweta is an extremely physical team, and they’re a team that is going to be able to adapt to whatever the situation is.” – coach Rafe Watkins

Key matchup: Coweta offense vs. Guthrie defense. I think the Bluejays offense can score when they’ll need to. The Tigers offense, hmm, not so sure. If they can attack this defense, I’ve really been underestimating them.

The pick: Guthrie 33, Coweta 14. I really like this Bluejays team, and I’ma be hard-pressed to pick against them the rest of the way. I did pick them to win it all as we all know.

Boneman’s Bluejays prediction record: 9-2.

It was just THAT week for Bridge Creek quarterback Ryan Spangler. Two days after signing with Gonzaga to play basketball, he threw for four touchdowns in a rout of Purcell in the first round. You couldn’t stop him on this week.

Spangler has thrown more than four touchdowns in a game, but in the crazy conditions Friday, no performance may have been more impressive for him.

He only finished with 139 yards, but he got ‘em when they mattered. It was the quick start that doomed Purcell.

Spangler had a little help from running back Blake Henderson. The senior rushed for three touchdowns as well to set the stage for Bridge Creek at Heritage Hall on Friday (I will be there).

Other contenders

The Miller boys, Davenport: Mike and Matt combined for all five touchdowns as Bulldogs won a thriller, 32-28 vs. Seiling.

T.J. Martin, Cashion: That’s how you make sure you are not victim of an upset. Martin returned two kicks for touchdowns in the 55-31 win against Turpin.

Guthrie defense: Just another brilliant outing, this time against Durant. Lions had -37 rushing yards. Bluejays forced four turnovers to cruise to the 35-6 win.

Steven Howard, Washington: Warriors are rolling right now. Howard was sensational scoring five touchdowns in victory against Tishomingo.

Deaquan Wojciechowski, Lawton: I was there to witness his brilliance. Two rushing touchdowns, a punt return for a score in a fun, well-played 28-13 win vs. Edmond Memorial.

The OU-Missouri game sealed the deal. You kinda knew Guthrie star Kentrell Brothers was going to wind up at Missouri, just a matter of time.

The time was Wednesday morning as Brothers verbally committed to the Tigers on fellow chum Chris Evans’ GuthrieSportsPage.com

Brothers really developed a bond with Missouri assistant coach Josh Henson after Brothers’ friend, Jared Yost, died last month. The death really hit Brothers hard, but he was trying to move on and cope.

Brothers’ top 5: Missouri (obviously), Washington, Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Arizona State. Congrats to Brothers on his commit and congrats to all other kids who signed today.

***

- OSSAA notes: If Union and Broken Arrow play in the semifinals, the neutral site will not be Tulsa University. David Jackson said he found out Wednesday morning that the stadium is not available.

- No word on the neutral sites. Jackson said he is pleased with where things are going, but it’s still a wait-and-see process.

- Porum was denied the right to be independent in football for next year. Porum is in Class A, but its numbers have been hit. Since it cannot move to B or C for next year’s districts, the program was hoping to be independent. It was denied by a close 7-5 vote.

- About to hit some signing day stuff at McGuinness and Deer Creek. Apologize to Edmond North’s Elizabeth Donohoe. Would have been there for her signing ceremony but dang OSSAA meeting. You are officially owed a video.

Some really good options in this category on this week. Several players came up with big outings in the final week of the regular season.

But I liked what Dylan Coppenbarger of Tuttle did. The Tigers were coming off a tough, hard-fought loss against undefeated Anadarko and needed to show there was no hangover.

Mission accomplished. The Tigers rushed for 376 yards in a 41-7 dominating win against Marlow. Leading the charger Coppenbarger.

He finished with four touchdowns and hopes to do more of the same when Tuttle visits Madill in one of the more intriguing first round matchups Friday.

Other contenders

Tylor Seabolt, Jones: He scored one rushing touchdown, one receiving touchdown and took a punt back for a score as Jones continues to roll.

Darian Bennett, Crescent: What can you say about him? Twelve carries for 361 yards and five touchdowns to go with an INT return for a touchdown. Incredible month.

Levi Hill, Hennessey: Another team able to overcome a spirited loss. Hill notched three touchdowns as Eagles took care of Centennial.

Bryan Dutton, Guthrie: Not shocking that Bluejays defeated Southeast, but Dutton was perfect in passing and threw for three more touchdowns.

Guthrie star Kentrell Brothers is ready to end the wait. The senior hasn’t spoken much about the recruiting process since the season has started but said he will announce where he is committing Wednesday.

Brothers entered the year as one of the top prospects in the state. And if possible, he has actually been better than advertised.

Brothers has been one big reason why the Bluejays are one of the favorites to win the Class 5A state championship and why Guthrie earned the District 5A-1 title.

Brothers has 46 receptions for 1,061 yards and 15 touchdowns. Brothers is being recruited on defense, though. He has 77 tackles and 17 sacks.

He has 14 offers from several Big 12, SEC and Pac-10 schools but neither Oklahoma nor Oklahoma State have offered the Bluejays star.

***

The announcement will happen on GuthrieSportsPage.com. Chris Evans does a phenomenal job of running the site. Brothers e-mailed this morning to let me know. Hey, he’s got loyalty to Evans, nothing wrong with that.

If I had to pick, I’d say Brothers will be going to Missouri. Gut feeling on that. The Tigers have shown tremendous interest in Brothers the entire way. Just speculating, though. We’ll find out Wednesday.

Like there could have been another winner? Honestly, on the biggest stage of the season thus far, these two (Bryan Dutton, Kentrell Brothers) played the game of their lives in the 32-14 win at Carl Albert.

Dutton, a sophomore, was 17-of-20 for 233 yards and five touchdowns.  His main target? Brothers – 8 catches, 156 yards and four touchdowns. Not to mention all he did on defense.

The Bluejays went through the ringer of Deer Creek (41-7), Ada (13-7) and Carl Albert (32-14) and are in firm control for a district championship.

It was sweet redemption for Dutton, Brothers and the rest of Rafe Watkins’ boys. The key, of course, is to not dwell on this one and forget about the rest of the year. Have no fears that Guthrie will be ready for El Reno on Friday night.

Other contenders

Blake Henderson, Bridge Creek: “Best game he’s played this year,” said coach Jerry Wallis. Guess so. He rushed for 240 yards and six touchdown in a rout of Marlow.

Louis Durant, Lawton Eisenhower: Break up the Eagles! Lawton Ike has quietly gone 5-2 and Durant had three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a 35-0 blowout of Edmond Memorial.

Robert Rhynes, Washington: Pressure? What pressure? Rhynes nailed a game-winning 37-yard field goal to complete the comeback in a 24-21 win against Frederick.

Harrah offensive line: Panthers rushed for more than 400 yards in a 48-7 win against Santa Fe South. Now for a showdown with Douglass.

Guthrie's Kentrell Brothers made his case for Player of the Year with 8 catches, 156 yards and 4 TDs vs. Carl Albert.

Anybody else get caught in that horrible traffic on I-40E trying to hit up the Carl Albert and Guthrie football game. After nine hours of softball (including Colin White’s CA girls), I was trying to get to Jim Harris Field.

Oy. But eventually walked through the gates at 7:20, and all my bitterness went away with the atmosphere for the Titans and Bluejays.

Bitterness was gone, replaced by egg on my face as Guthrie was a team possessed in winning against Carl Albert to maintain the best 5A team on the west side (at least).

Guthrie 32, Carl Albert 14

This game turned on one play, I tells ya. On fourth down in the first quarter, Taylor Hawkins overshot Alex Polston for what would have been an easy touchdown. It was a great call, but Hawkins was too fired up.

In fact, it was pretty incredible that Guthrie was up 6-0 at halftime. Carl Albert started three possessions in Guthrie territory and didn’t score.

Luke Davis’ 73-yard run on the first play of the second half was a sign of things to come. Then it became the Kentrell Brothers and Bryan Dutton show.

Dutton was on target all night. No play personified the game more than Dutton’s third touchdown pass, this one to Devonte’ McCully.

I wanna say it was Carl Albert’s Darren Colquitt who was inches away from a sack/fumble. Instead, Dutton hit McCully for the score and a 19-0 advantage.

And those who were there will not forget the performance of Brothers. Is that what you Bluejay fans get to see every week? Lucky. Brothers had eight receptions for 156 yards and four touchdowns. Three of them he just jumped higher and wanted it more.

He also had his first six carries of the season. I had him for 59 yards, GHS had him for 60, still impressive. On defense, he registered at least two sacks, more than 10 tackles and had a fumble recovery. He admitted he was playing his heart out. No kidding.

Hawkins found Polston for a touchdown to make it 19-7, but the Titans couldn’t stop the Jays on this night. Derrik Kelly didn’t end up with huge numbers, but he was effective running the ball in the second half.

CA couldn’t get that vaunted rushing attack going and then was forced to play catch up the rest of the second half. Still loved the atmosphere even if it did give me my first LOCK loss of the season.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- McCully is a stud. First time I’ve seen him. Wow, Dutton has the ‘easiest’ job in 5A. Just throw it up to McCully and Brothers. Honestly though, Dutton has matured so much from last year.

- Kenton Whittington couldn’t break the big for CA. He had a lot of solid runs but never that getting the crowd into it 30 or 40-yard run that could have turned the tide.

- Maybe the play of the game was after CA’s touchdown that made it 19-7. Guthrie faced a 3rd-and-1 from its 29. Play action, Dutton to Brothers, 71 yards later, touchdown.

- Guthrie defense is better than what I anticipated. Bluejays have to feel like they’re in the driver’s seat with wins over Deer Creek, Ada and Carl Albert.

- Here’s a link to my video with Dutton (17-20 for 233 yards, 5 TDs). And for coverage of the game, here ya go.

- Up next: Carl Albert takes on Ada. Guthrie welcomes El Reno.

It’s here!!!

No. 2 Guthrie (5-1) at No. 3 Carl Albert (5-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Harris Stadium, CA
TV: Cox 3

Guthrie
Why the Bluejays can win: Because they remember last year and frankly, they might be the better team this year. Luke Davis does all the little things on offense. Landry Chappell is a star on defense and Richard Brothers is a star in the making on defense.

Quote:

This won’t be like last year, I guarantee you that. We’re older and more mature. You hear the name Carl Albert, and it’s time to go to work.” – Kentrell Brothers

Carl Albert (L – Booker T.; W – Ardmore; W – Duncan; W – Western Heights; W – El Reno; W – Southeast)
Why the Titans can win: Because the last couple of weeks were crucial in terms of the passing success QB Taylor Hawkins had. You add that to a great running attack and the ‘Death Squad’ defense, and that’s a recipe for success every single time.

Quote:

Losing Dillan really hurt, but Taylor’s been great. We have all the confidence in him and know he will get the job done.” – senior Dwight Dobbins

Key matchup: CA running game vs. Guthrie LBs. If Kenton Whittington, Darvonta Knight and company get on track against Chappell, Brothers and John Clark, could be a long night for the Jays. For CA, Titans secondary should get a workout tonight with the improved Bryan Dutton at QB for Guthrie.

The pick: Carl Albert 30, Guthrie 29. No surprise here as it’s my LOCK. Cannot wait for the atmosphere and intensity of this game. Should be a memorable one.

Boneman’s CA prediction record: 6-0.

For even more on this game, check out my piece from Wednesday’s paper. It was really fun watching Kentrell Brothers and Dwight Dobbins interact for our photoshoot. Two days away.

No. 2 Guthrie (5-1, 3-0) at No. 3 Carl Albert (5-1, 3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Harris Stadium, CA (I’ll be there)
TV: Cox 3

How good has this rivalry been since Rafe Watkins took over at Guthrie in 2001? Watkins is 5-4 against Carl Albert coach Gary Rose, and we’ve seen some dang good games and memorable moments:

2009: Carl Albert 40, Guthrie 14
Guthrie has not forgotten about this beatdown in its backyard. Tre’ Porter had four touchdowns for the Titans, who led 33-0 at halftime.

2008: Carl Albert 16, Guthrie 13
“The Jersey Switch.” Daytawion Lowe, who normally wore No. 8, came out in No. 85 for the first play and caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Realmuto for Carl Albert.

2007: Guthrie 24, Carl Albert 21
Carl Albert’s David Oku and Guthrie’s Kye Staley headlined the show, but it was the efforts of Keaton Callins and Clayton Smith that gave the Bluejays the win.

2006: Carl Albert 26, Guthrie 21
Carl Albert quarterback Joe Stoner converted a fourth-and-one from CA’s own 28-yard line in final minute to preserve victory.

2005: Guthrie 33, Carl Albert 14
It was the Bryce Gates show as the Guthrie quarterback threw for four touchdowns and rushed for more than 100 yards.

2004: Carl Albert 25, Guthrie 7
Titans scored all 25 points after halftime to end three-game losing streak to Guthrie. The win marked Gary Rose’s 100^th victory at Carl Albert.

2003: Guthrie 28, Carl Albert 21
Guthrie backup quarterback Josh Chappell threw for 265 yards and four touchdowns in the upset win.

2002: Guthrie 22, Carl Albert 19, OT
Guthrie kicker Russell Rush did it again. Rush converted field goal in overtime, and Kyle Smith recovered a fumble on Carl Albert’s overtime possession.

2001: Guthrie 23, Carl Albert 22
Guthrie kicker Russell Rush became a legend for the Bluejays. He booted a 30-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to give the unranked Bluejays the win in coach Rafe Watkins’ first season. It was Guthrie’s first win over the Titans since 1991.

State championships

The rivalry isn’t just big from a district and pride standpoint. Guthrie and Carl Albert have combined to win six of the last nine Class 5A state championships.

Carl Albert – 2009, 2006, 2004, 2001
Guthrie – 2007, 2002

Alright, Bluejay fans, give me your best shot

Cannot wait for this game.

No. 2 Guthrie (5-1, 3-0) at No. 3 Carl Albert (5-1, 3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Harris Stadium, CA (I’ll be there)
TV: Cox 3

Oh boy, here is where my pride is going to lead to my downfall. I really don’t want to lock this game, but it’s kinda been my tradition to LOCK Carl Albert and Guthrie.

It stems back to 2007 when I locked the Bluejays over the Titans. I just felt that Kye Staley was that rare kind of athlete that could do special things. It’s a dang shame that Staley’s legs didn’t cooperate with his skill and heart at Oklahoma State.

Anyway, Guthrie won that game. In fact, it was that game that began my whole tradition of viewing LOCKs as one of the best games out there but still making a definitive selection.

This week? Uhhh, well, I’m going with Carl Albert in an instant classic. And it won’t be a classic just because I’m there. This has all the combustible elements to be something truly memorable.

Who’s going to make the big play? Taylor Hawkins? Kenton Whittington? Darvonta Knight? Dwight Dobbins? Quincy Johnson? I don’t know, but somebody will.

The Bluejays are going to be incredibly pumped up, especially after last season. Bryan Dutton is much improved (obviously) from last year. And you know Kentrell Brothers is stoked and will wanna make a big impression on this type of stage.

In the end, I guess I’m gonna see another classic Gary Rose gamble come through. Rose isn’t afraid of putting complete trust in his boys to get the job done.

In 2006, it was Joe Stoner who got the call on a 4th-and-1 and converted. This year, behind that incredible offensive line, Whittington picks it up…and the huge win.

The pick: Carl Albert 30, Guthrie 29

LOCK record: 6-0 (Guthrie over Duncan, Heritage Hall over Clinton, Purcell over Lexington, Midwest City over Yukon, Jones over Morris, Norman over Southmoore).

No. 2 Guthrie (5-1, 3-0) at No. 3 Carl Albert (5-1, 3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Harris Stadium, CA (I’ll be there)
TV: Cox 3

The Guthrie offense has been incredibly efficient this season. Quarterback Bryan Dutton has matured so much. Luke Davis has become a solid running back.

And then, of course, there is wide receiver Kentrell Brothers. And if you try to blanket him, well, Dutton will just look to Devonte McCully.

So how do you stop them?

Oh, we’re ready for this, no doubt. This is a challenge, but it’s a challenge that we’re definitely not afraid of.” – defensive back Dwight Dobbins

At Carl Albert, they call ‘em the ‘Death Squad.’ And through six games, the group has been incredible, giving up a mere eight points per game.

Leading the way has been Kevin Jones, A.J. Wilson, Quincy Johnson and Darren Colquitt. Jones leads the team in tackles with 42 while Colquitt has the most sacks with four.

Even when the Titans were defeated by top-ranked Booker T., it sure wasn’t the fault of the defense. BTW only tallied 12 points, but it was enough on that night.

Since then, Ardmore (6), Duncan (10), Western Heights (6), El Reno (14) and Southeast (0). In the five consecutive wins, 255-36. Yea, Titans are ready.

No. 2 Guthrie (5-1, 3-0) at No. 3 Carl Albert (5-1, 3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Jim Harris Stadium, CA (I’ll be there)
TV: Cox 3

After an 0-2 start last year, Guthrie was rolling heading into the showdown with the Titans. Then what happened? An all-out blitz by Carl Albert.

Before you could blink, it was 33-0 at halftime en route to a 40-14 win that Guthre coach Rafe Watkins said “wasn’t even close to being that competitive.”

So as we head into another CA-GHS showdown, what’s Guthrie’s mentality toward that beatdown?

We’ve worn that film out. All spring, all summer, that’s what we watched. How easy that was for Carl Albert – it made us sick.” – Watkins

Quarterback Bryan Dutton was just a freshman in that one, and you know he wants this game. But might there be some deer-in-the-headlight looks Friday?

The Bluejays are starting three freshmen on defense. And as Watkins said, you can’t duplicate the atmosphere that will be Friday night.

But then again, Guthrie also has stars like Kentrell Brothers and Landry Chappell. Those kids are leaders, and they’re going to make sure it’s not a 26-point blowout this season.

Little Axe softball won its first title Saturday night.

This could have gone to any number of the Little Axe girls on the softball team. I remember meeting with coach Mike Bread in August talking about his team. You could tell he was excited, but he didn’t want to seem too overconfident.

Well, turns out he was right. Led by an incredible group of seniors, the Indians won their first state softball championship Saturday night.

The Player of the Week honor could have gone to Bread, for sticking it out with Little Axe the last six years. To Lacey Williams for battling back from two torn ACLs. To Peyton Watson for setting the tone with HRs in the quarters and semis. To Amanda Edmundson for driving in three runs in the championship. To Andee Frazier for being a sophomore who didn’t crack under pressure.

So instead, it goes to the team and its 35-2 record.

Other contenders

Tanner Koons, Tuttle: Wow,what a Friday for Koons. Three passing TDs, three rushing scores, and all were needed in a double overtime win against Blanchard.

Haskell Browning, Luther: In a huge win against Lexington, Browning accounted for three touchdowns to give the Lions the upset victory.

Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie: His time to shine could be this week, but he added another three touchdowns in the rout of Noble.

Is Class 3A the land of the running backs? From Devin Campbell (Bethany) to John McCracken (Blanchard) to Blake Riojas (Newcastle) to Barry J. Sanders (Heritage Hall), the list goes on and on.

But you know what? With all those names being mentioned, the best back in the class might reside in Anadarko. Sheldon Wilson has been putting up video game-like numbers through the first four games.

Wilson scored six touchdowns as the Warriors improved to 4-0 this season. And frankly I think I grossly underrated this team initially.

Not anymore. I’m not sleeping on this group any longer. I moved Anadarko up to No. 4 in the class and that sounds about right.

Other contenders

Cole Swayze, Purcell: Not a ‘running back’ in title, but Swayze has been a beast on the ground, too. He scored five touchdowns on the ground in the Dragons’ win against Sulphur.

Corey Bennett, Choctaw: The Choctaw running back notched two touchdowns in helping the Yellowjackets to their second win of the season.

Jerame Littell, Stillwater: Littell was finally able to get things rolling, throwing for 462 yards and five touchdowns in the Pioneers’ first win.

Devonte McCully, Guthrie: Kentrell who? Just kidding, but McCully has become a formidable option for Bryan Dutton, too, scoring three times in a rout of Deer Creek.

Deer Creek (2-1) at Guthrie (2-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jelsma Stadium, Guthrie

Deer Creek (W – Piedmont 35-14, L – Shawnee 33-26, W – Tecumseh 35-13)
Why the Antlers can win: Because a single piece lost in their puzzle won’t make them crumble this year. This team has more depth. The loss of Colten Sander is big, but not like it was last year. Alex Christensen will continue to play a huge role, and I look for Brennan Miyake to become a name DC fans get quite accustomed to.

Quote:

Is there a better way to start district? These are the type of games you want to play. It’s a typical Guthrie team, and we have a our work cut out for us.” – coach Grant Gower

Guthrie
Why the Bluejays can win: Because they’re angry about the loss at Enid. It’s a game they let slip away. Quarterback Bryan Dutton is emerging as a top signal-caller. Kentrell Brothers is still doing his thing. And defensively, Landry Chappell is going to shadow Christensen all night long.

Key matchup: Guthrie running game vs. Antlers front seven. Deer Creek isn’t the only the team with a lost RB. Guthrie’s Alphonso Wilcots is expected to miss this game and that’s huge. Wilcots has come up with big plays this season. His absence in the second half played a role in last week’s game.

The pick: Guthrie 37, Deer Creek 28. I like both defenses, but I’m seeing a shootout of some sorts for some reason in this one. Brothers’ size should give him a lot of chances in the passing game to put up some pretty big numbers.

Boneman’s Deer Creek prediction record: 3-0.

When you have a top recruit like Kentrell Brothers of Guthrie, the attention gravitates toward him. And when you score three touchdowns like he did, more attention is given.

But you don’t score three touchdowns without an accurate quarterback, and that’s why the Best of the Rest Player of the Week is Guthrie quarterback Bryan Dutton.

Dutton missed one pass. Check that, had one incompletion. It wasn’t an actual miss as he was throwing it out of bounds. He was 12-of-13 for 203 yards and had two of those scores to Brothers.

A lot of teams made statements in Week 1, but the 25-0 win against the Demons is arguably the biggest one made in the state.

Other contenders

Travelle Pelkey, Lexington: Bulldogs didn’t have much time with new coach Waymon Scott but made it count. He rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a win against Sulphur.

John McCracken, Blanchard: McCracken had four touchdowns in a 32-29 win at Bethany. This was easily one of the best games of the opening week.

One of these days I’ll figure out how to clone myself and go to all these games at the same time. Until then, I’ll just lament about having to miss a game like Guthrie and Duncan.

Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins is raving about Duncan’s Dylan Laurens. The focus is always on the ‘other Dylan’ in Dylan Dismuke, but Laurens is an impressive player as well.

“He’s outstanding,” Watkins said. “He’s got great feet to go with his size. He’s the ‘smaller’ of the bunch at 6-foot-4 and 274 pounds. This is by far the best offensive line we’re going to see.”

Guthrie got a taste of what Duncan has last year in the playoffs and that should make this one even more exciting. I don’t see too much of a feeling out process going on in this one. Both teams know what to expect and both teams have the players to execute their plan.

If you’re going to combat that OL, it’s gotta be Kentrell Brothers and Landry Chappell. No doubt the Jays will need others to step up, but they have to take their cues from their leaders.

I’m interested in how the Bluejays running game fares against Dominique Petties and company. Watkins is extremely high on RB Alfonso Wilcots and also said Luke Davis is going to get about 10 carries per game. Wilcots could be a dark horse for one of the top backs in 5A.

The stage is set for what should be a good one between the Jays and the Demons on Friday night at Jelsma Stadium.

Every week I will try to have this post up by Sunday or Monday where I’ll tell you the three biggest questions I have for the week in the greater Oklahoma City area.

There are SO many questions with week 1, but here are the three that are standing out the most.

1. How much more will we know about Class 5A by this time next week?

This is the top thing on my mind this week. IMO, we have the top four teams playing against each other with both games in our backyard.

No. 1 Booker T. is at No. 2 Carl Albert while No. 4 Duncan is at No. 3 Guthrie. Both games are Friday night.

The first is a battle of the last two state champions. The Hornets never got a chance to really defend their title last season after all the forfeitures. However, when both teams were at full strength, BTW got the best of the Titans in Week 1 last year.

Carl Albert looks nothing like the team from last year. Dillan Dansby is small but quick compared to the big, rugged J.T. Realmuto. RB Kenton Whittington should have a huge season behind a solid offensive line.

It’s also a quasi-homecoming for BTW coach Darrell Hall, who won the 4A title with Star Spencer last year. Also interesting to see what the Hornets do without QB Jordy Albert, who must sit out two games.

Go north a little bit and head to Jelsma Stadium for the Bluejays and Demons. It’s being billed as Kentrell Brothers vs. Dominique Petties, but it’s a lot more than that.

How is Duncan going to handle the expectations that come with this season? How much has Guthrie QB Bryan Dutton matured?

2. Has Norman caught up to Norman North?

New Norman blogger James Corley will be at Owen Field on Thursday for Norman and Norman North, and he’s being introduced to a very intriguing matchup.

Loved what I saw from the Tigers last Thursday against McAlester. Zach Long might be a little young at quarterback, but when you have RB Donovan Roberts and WR Jaime Myers, life gets a little bit easier.

Timberwolves have all the tools for a memorable year. Daniel Davis is sensational, and I’m expecting big things from QB Brad Valentino and RBs Raymond Demby and Emilio Gatewood.

I still give the edge to the Timberwolves, but really like what Greg Nation is doing with the Tigers.

3. Will it be two years in a row for Del City over Midwest City?

The tension was there a couple of weeks ago when the Bombers were in attendance for Del City’s scrimmage at Carl Albert, so you know it’s going to be nuts Friday.

The Eagles surprised MWC last year. With this game at Midwest City, definitely expect the Bombers to be even more fired up.

I don’t know if this game is as simple as the Midwest City defense against the Del City offense matchup, but it will go a long way to determining the victor.

So you wanna be a high school sportswriter, huh? If your answer to that was a resounding yes, then last week was your dream. Few weeks are better than the start of football practice. And my answer was yes, and I had a heckuva time.

There are more important weeks, but the second week in August tells ya ‘it’s time to get back to work.’

And for me (and fellow chum Scott Wright), that’s exactly what we did.

While Scott was back in his old stomping grounds of the West Metro and getting acquainted with OKCPS schools, I went wherever the wind blew me.

OK, that’s not true, but here’s a short account of the week that was for The Boneman:

Tuesday
- Got things started at midnight at Star Spencer. Good food, great energy, a lot of fun. For a short video with Stevo Henderson, here ya go.

- An OSSAA meeting took up most of the day but did hit Heritage Hall at night. Those sophomores are now juniors and getting bigger every time. For a short video with Sterling Shepard, here ya go.

Wednesday
- Started with a trip to Millwood for our HS cover photo shoot with Josh Turner and Brandon Swindall. Always good to talk with those boys. For a short video with Turner, here ya go.

- From there, time to hit the Mid-Del area and Midwest City. Love the speed, love the talent on this teams, hated the 2 p.m. start. For a short video with Ricky Reeves, here ya go.

- Closed up the day with a trip to Bishop McGuinness. Coach Kenny Young can talk your head off, but it’s always entertaining. For a short video with Quinn Shanbour, here ya go.

Thursday
- Started at Edmond Memorial. The atmosphere under second-year coach Justin Merideth is incredible, love watching the ‘Dogs. For a short video with Cale Olbert, here ya go.

- Went straight from Memorial to Guthrie and catching up with Rafe Watkins and the boys. And it was starting to get a little hot around this time. For a short video with Bryan Dutton, here ya go.

- Up next was my first trip to Santa Fe South for a photo shoot with Abraham Luna, the best WR you haven’t heard of. Like this team’s attitude. For a short video with Jameson Ballinger, here ya go.

- After a trip to Heritage for a photo shoot with Barry Sanders, time for another midnight practice. Edmond North does it right. You get da pads, let’s go at midnight. For a short video with Jared Benway, here ya go.

Friday
- First time to Cashion. Not to sound elitist, but I was very impressed with the facilities at Cashion. No video with Jeremy Seaton because it was incredibly windy but look for a future story.

- Wanted to go to Deer Creek, signals got crossed. Instead, went to Edmond Santa Fe. Bruce Gowen’s boys are young, but they’re going to be good – just a question of how soon? For a short video with Patrick Hinton, here ya go.

- And concluded the week with a stop at Casady for the Blue-White scrimmage. Only three seniors, but coach Koby Scoville has done a good job with the Cyclones. For a short video with Garrison Lee, here ya go.

And then all day Saturday and all day today (Sunday), just working on the football preview. Back to the grind Monday as I still wanna hit Deer Creek (always feel better after talking to Grant Gower) and Del City, among other spots.

Always love a chance to see Guthrie coach Rafe Watkins and how his Bluejays are doing. Simple assessment: they’re doing just fine.

Got to the second part of Guthrie’s practice, it was a little weird set up. There wasn’t very much actual plays going on, a lot of instructions and how the defense should run.

However, still pretty easy to find Landry Chappell and Kentrell Brothers in a crowd. With them leading the defense, Jays should be fine.

On the flip side, excited to see how the Guthrie offense goes. Able to talk with sophomore quarterback Bryan Dutton following practice. Look for much more on Dutton in Friday’s paper.

I still can’t get over that he was just a freshman trying to lead one of the best 5A teams. And truth be told, he didn’t do that bad of a job.

Everyone involved is counting down the days to that Guthrie-Duncan showdown. Ooh boy, is that, not only going to be fun, but it will also tell us a lot about where some of the balance of power is in that class. Carl Albert-Booker T. is on the same night, unbelievably enough.

Look for a video with Dutton on NewsOK sometime later on Thursday afternoon.

Next stop: Santa Fe South. Saints might just surprise some people, especially with WR Abraham Luna.

It’s not a shocker to keep hearing these three names excel. The surprising thing is that Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers and Tulsa Edison’s John-Philip Hughes still aren’t getting the recognition.

According to Barry Every, a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, Myers, Hughes and Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers were all very impressive at the National Underclassmen Combine two weekends ago at the University of Oklahoma.

I especially liked what he wrote about Myers because I’m in total agreement about it. Every said it’s tough for Myers to get noticed because he’s playing a position (defensive tackle) that’s tough for colleges to find. Myers has offers from Air Force and Weber State, feels like he should have more.

Not much more you can say about Brothers. The Bluejays star has racked up one big honor after another the entire summer, and the ball feels like it’s in his court at this point.

Hughes came out of nowhere this summer, and I’m glad he’s getting some recognition. He looks clunky out there, but he’s extremely gifted and should start to get some offers and interest.

For Every’s full report, including the top names for 2012 and 2013, here ya go.

The crazy summer for Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers is not over just yet. Brothers will be joined by Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers and Tulsa Edison’s John-Philip Hughes as the three senior representatives from Oklahoma at the National Underclassmen Combine Ultimate 100 Top Prospect camp.

The two-day events runs at OU on Saturday and Sunday. There is no testing as it is strictly competition-based. Saturday runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. while Sunday is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be position drills, 1-on-1 drills, 7-on-7 competitions.

Douglass’ Cayman Bundage and Yukon’s Corben Jones lead the Oklahoma invitees for the junior class.

Senior invitees:
Kentrell Brothers, LB, Guthrie
Connor Myers, DL, Edmond Memorial
John-Philip Hughes, TE, Tulsa Edison

Junior invitees:
Brandon Cromp, LB, Jenks
Javon Bowler, CB, Union
Cayman Bundage, OL, Douglass
Corben Jones, QB, Yukon
Kasey Key, QB, Owasso
Brent Wilson, QB, Ponca City
Ashton Anderson, DL, Jenks
Derek Deeds, WR, Yukon (already in Virginia for another camp but will still attend)
Orion Jones, DL, Jenks

Good luck and congrats to all.

Back out in Edmond on Thursday night for a near three-hour 7-on-7 practice between a bevy of teams. Santa Fe was the destination this time. And though Midwest City and Edmond North didn’t show up, still very much worth the time.

The format wasn’t like last weekend as there were no points or tournament or anything like that.  Offenses rotated every play while defenses alternated every four plays.

Thoughts and observations

- Douglass is going to be able to throw this year. I sent Ryan Aber and Scott Wright the same text message that this was the No. 1 thing I learned Thursday. Antyoun Smith was fantastic for the Trojans but throwing wasn’t his specialty. Shon Bridges was bringing the goods last night. Douglass was tough because the team wasn’t wearing jerseys but had a good talk with coach Willis Alexander.

- Felt cheated when it came to Guthrie. I got to see the Bluejays for bits and pieces. However, I planned to watch them intently in the final station, but Rafe Watkins’ boys were gone. Apparently they go out to eat on the final day…d’oh. Was good to see Kentrell Brothers in action again.

- Big couple of weeks for Northwest Classen. This was the first time the Knights have done something like this, and it will be intriguing to see what these four days meant to them. Coach Anthony Robinson was very pleased with the two weeks and NW certainly competed hard.

- Also spent a little more time watching smaller schools like Hennessey and John Marshall. Hennessey has some players, and I like their wide receivers. Orlando Pina is going to be able to stretch out defenses while Zach Griffin has great hands. Unfortunately, didn’t get to chat with Bruce Troxell about the Bears.

- Didn’t know the Irish were going to be there but good to see McGuinness again. Now’s the time for Jamaal Whitney to make that jump up. He definitely has all the tools to be a special one. Irish are itchin’ to get out there for real as I’m sure most teams are at this point.

- My first look at Putnam City North and gotta say, liked what I saw. This format won’t bring out the best in someone like Dre Holman but felt Jace James made some real nice throws as did Joe Summers. However, what I took from the Panthers was how solid WR Covin Conrady. Scott Wright told me to be on the lookout for Conrady, and he was certainly right about that.

- Edmond Santa Fe, Deer Creek and Southmoore were also there. I admit I didn’t spend as much time on these three schools after watching them all last weekend. I will say Tre Kelley is carrying himself differently (that’s a positive) for the Wolves. Alex Christensen is being used as a TE a lot more with Joel Blumenthal at QB for the Antlers though the two are still alternating snaps. And I could watch Kendal Thompson throw all day. Southmoore also has some sharp practice jerseys.

- By the time everything ended, it was too dark to shoot video with some of the players I wanted to. However, there should be a video of some action that I shot during the night on NewsOK shortly.

- We’re getting closer and closer to Aug. 10. I’ll have much more on certain teams in the upcoming days.

I mentioned Edmond Memorial’s Kameron Doolittle participating in the Southwest’s Ultimate 100 last weekend in Duncanville, Texas.

However, he wasn’t the lone Bulldog or Oklahoman who made the trip. Memorial defensive stud Connor Myers had a very impressive day for the one-day showcase. He’s a beast, can’t say it enough. His size turns people away while his performance on the field makes people re-think their position.

Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers was named the top linebacker. I don’t know what else he can do to up his profile at this point. He’s done everything right this summer.

When it came to juniors, just as coach Willis Alexander said, Douglass OL Cayman Bundage had a brilliant outing. I’m very intrigued to get a chance to see the Trojans. They lost so much, but I’ve heard some real strong positive things from people that have seen them.

And I’ma give a shout out to OKVarsity.com guru Justin Mitchell. He turned my head toward Tulsa Edison’s John-Philip Hughes at the one-day event at LaFortune Stadium. He’s such a big, big man, about 6-4 and 240. Right now he’s playing tight end. If he’s got the hands, he’ll make one heckuva TE.

***

And in baseball recruiting news, Archie Bradley is going to have some company at Oklahoma as fellow Tiger pitcher Mason Hope committed to OU on Wednesday night, he confirmed via message.

Keeping track of the 2011 football recruits is hard enough but trying to keep tabs for 2012 is darn near impossible at this point.

Obviously there are some names that you’re going to be hearing a lot about for the next two years. Names like Barry Sanders of Heritage Hall and James Flanders of Midwest City and Conner Sherwood of Cascia Hall are going to become even more of household names.

However, I couldn’t include everyone in Monday’s piece. So here are just a few more names to keep an eye out for:

Cayman Bundage, OL, Douglass: Coach Willis Alexander said Bundage is already receiving heavy interest from top schools such as Florida State. Looking forward to seeing the Trojans later this week at the Santa Fe passing league event.

Ashton Henderson, DT, Jenks: Someone whose name I’ve heard a lot in the last month or so. He’s massive at 6-2 and 321 pounds, but I’ve been told his footwork is phenomenal.

Devin Dobbins, OL, Millwood: Yea, the cupboard isn’t bare just because this year’s crop of Falcons will be leaving the nest. Assistant coach Kevin Cox has been high on Dobbins and his 6-2 and 292-pound frame should have Millwood followers excited.

Jeremy Cunningham, DL, Dibble: A bond with Gerald McCoy has certainly helped his game. He’s a little raw right now, but coach Charley North said if Cunningham can apply himself consistently, there is no doubt he can play at the next level.

Blake Belcher, OL, Guthrie: With the spotlight squarely on Kentrell Brothers, recruits like Belcher will get a lot more looks. I don’t know if there’s any truth to it, but I’ve always believed it one or two good recruits will lead to more opportunities for other teammates.

I seriously could go on and on and on, but let me throw it out to you guys. Who have I missed? Who is going in under the radar right now? Sound off.

***

A couple of links from our friends at The Tulsa World.

First, Matt Baker and his piece on the unfortunate situation with K.J. Rucker at Idabel.

Second, Mark Foster chronicles how big of an influence Bill Allen had at Tulsa Webster and beyond.

Boy oh boy, are we getting close. We’ve reached the top five of the Super 30, and by this time next week, you will have learned a lot about some of the top kids for the upcoming year.

But before we do that, let take a look back at the week that was for the Super 30…

No. 11 Davion Pierson, Millwood: A quiet kid off the field, Pierson is a beast on it. His stock is soaring thanks in large part to getting in much better shape heading into his senior season. For Scott Wright’s story on Pierson, go here.

No. 10 Austin Beck, Nowata: This Arkansas commit is one of the most imposing figures in the state. He’ll be playing offensive line in college, a position he hasn’t played too much of in HS. For Justin Harper’s story on Beck, go here.

No. 9 Jamelle Naff, Del City: He’s still getting accustomed to the attention and playing the recruiting game. You can’t blame him as less than three months ago, he had zero offers. Naff has eight now. For my story on Naff, go here.

No. 8 Garrett Gladd, Sallisaw: Sometimes it just hits you when you least expect it. Gladd figured he would be staying in the area but became enamored with Stanford on his visit and committed to the Cardinal. For Scott Wright’s story on Gladd, go here.

No. 7 Kevonte Richardson, Millwood: It all started with Richardson a long time ago when he was offered by UNLV as a freshman. A lot has changed since, but he’s still a hot commodity and a leader for the Falcons. For Ryan Aber’s story on Richardson, go here.

No. 6 Dominique Petties, Duncan: He might be the best athlete in the state when it comes to athleticism, and Oklahoma certainly has taken notice. Petties is right at home on a loaded Duncan squad and has several offers. For my story on Petties, go here.

No. 5 Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie: Robert Frost has the ‘road not taken.’ Well, Brothers story is one where every road is being traveled. A leader on and off the field, Brothers has accumulated 15 offers. For my story on Brothers, go here.

For much more on the Super 30 kids, including stories, bios, analysis, videos and more good stuff, keep it locked here on NewsOK.com.

From one stop to the next, been a busy time for Guthrie's Kentrell Brothers. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman

I thought we could stop paying attention to Guthrie for a while. After the likes of Kye Staley and Donte’ Foster to go with talents like Keaton Callins and Kent McDonald, thought the talent well would run low.

No, sir.

Heard the rumblings early last year about ‘hey, watch out for this kid Kentrell Brothers.’ And after watching him play once in football and several times in basketball, amazing he went as long as he did without being pursued. And yea, you need to watch out for Brothers.

It started in December when Brothers earned his first offer from Missouri. OK, so he’s a Big 12 guy, what’s new? The second offer coming from Duke was an eye opener. And it’s trickled from there.

It’s been in the Big East with a team like Syracuse to multiple teams in the Pac-10, it’s really been one school after another.

Brothers is obviously going to make his name in college on the defensive side of the ball. But if he didn’t, we might be pumping him as one of the best wide receivers in the state.

Brothers had a crazy-good year as a wideout last year. And now that QB Bryan Dutton has a year under his belt, Bluejay fans gotta be pretty pumped up.

He’s done a tremendous job in marketing himself, but that was only half the battle. Once his name got out there, he’s made sure it hasn’t left with the way he’s performed at a variety of camps the last couple of months.

And just like I said about Petties, it’s tough to open up with a better first game than Guthrie and Duncan at Jelsma Stadium.

You want to know how I know Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers has been among the busiest people this summer? Because we can’t even coordinate a time when he can come in for a 30-minute photo, video session.

Seriously. I’ve tried three times to arrange something with Brothers as we continue our football recruiting series on the Super 30, and it keeps blowing up in my face. He’s everywhere, except Oklahoma.

Brothers found out Tuesday that it was time for a trip to California and USC. It’s just the latest of a long list of trips he’s made. Most of them have been on the west coast.

He’s been at Arizona, Arizona State, went to Disneyland one day, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State – he’s having fun with those Pac-10 schools.

Along the way, it seems he’s getting an offer at every stop. An offer from Disneyland would be impressive. Brothers is now up to 15 offers, and I’ll definitely be keeping tabs on what happens with this trip to USC. Offers are only for the select few for the Men of Troy, so we’ll see.

It’s pretty much agreed upon that Brothers is going to play at linebacker, but I was amazed at how impressive his receiving numbers are. I guess the season he and then-freshman QB Bryan Dutton had really went under the radar for me.

I remember when he got his first offer from Missouri, and then his second one from Duke, and it has just absolutely rolled downhill since with one school after another.

Guthrie just feels like one of those teams right now that is going to be a consistent contender on a yearly basis, and it’s tough to find a nicer coach than Rafe Watkins.

Hopefully, Brothers makes it back from USC  just fine, and we can finally knock out that media session with him. He certainly deserves the recognition.

You can call this a version of ‘Boneman’s Musings.’ Just some little things I’d like to pass on.

Weatherford
The news here is that stud pitcher Dillon Overton will not be a part of the Heartland Classic roster. I was able to talk to the left-hander Thursday afternoon, and he confirmed it.

Overton was originally on the roster, but he said he will be heading out to Boston in early July and wants to be ready. He will be visiting the Red Sox organization for a nice introduction. He was chosen by Boston in the 26th round of the MLB Draft last week.

He said the whole process was actually tense more than anything else as he thought his name would be called a couple of times but wasn’t.

The Heartland Classic runs in Norman from Monday night (opening ceremonies) through next Saturday.

Guthrie
It simply will never stop for star recruit Kentrell Brothers. His whirlwind summer tour continued this week and so did the offers. Brothers received an offer from Oregon State on Wednesday to bring his ridiculous total to 15.

Most impressive about Brothers is the variety of the offers from Duke and Syracuse on the east coast to a bevy of Pac-10 schools on the west side. He’s marketed himself beautifully.

Jones
The hype is pretty crazy for junior wide receiver Tylor Seabolt, but you know what? The Longhorns have a pretty dang good defensive tackle right now in Micah Thompson, who will be a senior.

He’s 6-5 and close to 300 pounds, and he has turned some heads this summer. Thompson already has an offer from Tulsa and was one of several recruits who stood out last week at the Oklahoma State camp.

Yukon
Fellow chum Scott Wright is going to be crazy-busy following the progress of Yukon QB Corben Jones. He’s only going to be a junior in the fall, but he has caught the attention of several top programs.

Jones has gotten bigger and stronger and can beat you with his legs as well as his arm. He was another one solid at OSU, and his stock grows with each passing day. And you know confidence will never be his problem.

Casady
Diver Shanna Schuelein continues to succeed. She was nominated for all-American status on the high school level, and she came in second place at a regional competition in both the springboard and platform events.

She will be back in action June 30-July 3. Schuelein is also a cheerleader for the Cyclones and was great during the winter in SPC competitions.

Team Oklahoma at the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic

First off, thanks to Airick Johnson of Del City for sharing some photos of the Oklahoma team that competed in the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic a week ago at the University of New Mexico.

The Okies came through with some strong performances, including gold medals for a couple of Ardmore kids.

Ryan Minkley won the shot put with a throw of 59-10 1/2 and JyWayne Allen won the 400 meters in a time of 47.86 seconds.

Claremore’s Dwayne Golbeck was second in the high jump at 7-0.  Tuttle’s Aspen Marical was third in the 300 hurdles at 44.37.

The podium of the 110-meter hurdles at the Great Southwest, with Del City's Airick Johnson in second place and Guthrie's Emmanuel Robinson in fourth.

Edmond Santa Fe’s Walter Henderson was second in the Elite 200 meters at 21.50 and sixth in the Elite 100 at 10.81. Johnson was second in the 110 hurdles at 14.14 and Guthrie’s Emmanuel Robinson was fourth in the same event at 14.30. Robinson also took sixth in the regular 100.

That barely touches on all the podium finishes and other standout performances by Oklahomans last week. Here are the full results from this year’s Great Southwest Track & Field Classic.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

It’s much ado about nothing at this point when it comes to conference realignments with the Big 12, Pac-10, Big Ten, SEC, etc.

Latest word on the street is Texas will make it official Tuesday about joining the Pac-10, and you would assume OU, OSU and Tech will follow its lead. A&M sounds like it might be headed to the SEC.

Then there was a report this morning about the 10 remaining Big 12 schools staying intact after finding a TV deal that appeases everyone. Who knows?

But it’s all speculation at this point. Fun speculation and crazy if you start believing every Tweet you read. And in talking to some of the top recruits (David Glidden, Daniel Davis and Kentrell Brothers), they’re in the same boat as the rest of us.

Glidden of Mustang is an OSU commit and said if OSU goes out west it won’t change a thing for him. In fact, he’s pumped about seeing the west coast. He said he’s been to New Mexico and Colorado back when he was much younger but has never been more west than that.

Sadly, I have him beat. I haven’t been west of Amarillo, Texas.

When Glidden first heard about this, his initial thought was there was no way this could happen. It just didn’t make any sense, but he’s OK with it.

Wanted to get some thoughts from Davis because it would give the Norman North product and Stanford commit a chance to play at home possibly (would depend on the schedule).

Davis admitted it might be good for his friends and family, but he’s pumped about playing at USC and UCLA and places like that. He’s been to OU and OSU his entire life, ready for something different.

When he first about the realignment plans, he thought it was a false write-up. “That’s a pretty big mistake if it’s not true.” He also said the 2011 recruits really shouldn’t be affected too much but future classes sure will be as the recruiting landscape might change.

Brothers, with 14 offers, has been on a cross country tour since his junior year at Guthrie ended. He’s got so many offers from Pac-10 and Big 12 schools that it was interesting to see what someone who hasn’t committed thought about everything.

It’s not changing anything for him, personally, as he is still looking to find the right fit. He understands that a lot of this is about money and TV exposure, but he’s just taking it in stride.

And why not? He hit the west coast this last weekend with visits to Arizona, Arizona State and Washington so he’s already starting to feel right at home.

All three will be featured in future Super 30 profiles as we continue our countdown of the top 30 football recruits for the Class of 2011.

Large East
Pitchers: Jonathon Gray, Chandler; Dillion Endecott, McLoud; Billy Waltrip, Fort Gibson
First baseman: Dusty Harper, Berryhill
Infielders: Jose Olazagasti, Collinsville; Colby Mitchell, Valliant; Griffith Roark, Stillwater; Joe McGee, Tulsa Washington
Outfielders: Ryan Wilson, Owasso; Cayle Shambaugh, Jay; Wade Ambrose, Tulsa Union; Saulyer Salxon, Shawnee
Catchers: Tyler Crabtree, McAlester; Mitchell Osburn, Broken Arrow
Coach: Shannon Dobson, Broken Arrow

Large West
Pitchers: Cale Russell, Norman North; Dillon Overton, Weatherford; Cale Coshow, Deer Creek
First baseman: Jaden Chappell, Guthrie
Infielders: J.T. Realmuto, Carl Albert; Jake Barrios, Weatherford; Dylan Morales, Plainview; Dillon Bryant, Cache
Outfielders: Alec Stand, Norman North; Jordan Lopez, Edmond Santa Fe; John Cotton, Guthrie; Tanner Rainey, Lawton MacArthur
Catchers: Caleb Hillman, Edmond Santa Fe; Tyler Palmer, El Reno
Coach: Ron Moore, Deer Creek

Small East
Pitchers: Cale Elam, Oktaha; Logan Oller, Silo; Tyler Reeves, Latta
First baseman: Wacey Henderson, Latta
Infielders: Dayne Parker, Roff; Brendan McCurry, Roff; Kaleb Hoffman, Ripley; Turner Coon, Dale
Outfielders: Aaron Chalk, Caney; Shane Leach, Oktaha; Dalton Streber, Dale; Zane Nelms, Soper
Catchers: Trevor Bowen, Silo; Dakota Knight, Red Oak
Coach: Chris Burt, Oktaha

Small West
Pitchers: Anthony Bo Hopkins, Granite; Brycen Shoaf, Arnett; Taylor Smith, Fletcher
First baseman: Jerico Rogers, Davis
Infielders: Kas Sandeers, Fletcher; Mason Toole, Mangum; William Caid, Granite; Corbin Nelson, Watonga
Outfielders: Marc White, Arnett; Trey Waldrop, Cordell; Mitchell Gardner, Dover; Jarred Stockton, Mangum
Catchers: Mitchell Brittain, Sterling; Zach Warner, Amber-Pocasset
Coach: Mike Wendt, Mangum