All right, so here’s the weekly rankings explanation/discussion. Class 6A was once again the toughest, although there were plenty of other interesting choices along the way.

CLASS 6A
1. Tulsa Union (3)#4-2
2. Jenks (5)#4-2
3. Broken Arrow (4)#3-3
4. Edmond North (2)#6-0
5. Owasso (6)#3-2
6. Edmond Santa Fe (7)#5-1
7. Sand Springs (9)#6-0
8. Southmoore (10)#5-1
9. Lawton (1)#5-1
10. Norman North (NR)#5-1

This is one I had to deconstruct completely yet again after the weekend’s results that included Southmoore’s win over Lawton, Putnam City’s win over Westmoore and Edmond North escaping against a now 1-5 Yukon team. I thought it would happen a few weeks ago and it has–Union is the best team in 6A again. The Redskins loss to Owasso looks like the bump in the road that it was last year as Union rolled to another title. Sand Springs gets a big test this week when it plays Union. Play the Redskins tight–even in a loss–and the Sandites move up next week. A win in that game and I’ll vault Sand Springs to No. 1.

CLASS 5A
1. Guthrie (1)#6-0
2. Tulsa East Central (2)#2-4
3. Deer Creek (3)#6-0
4. Bishop McGuinness (4)#6-0
5. Tulsa Kelley (5)#4-2
6. Claremore (6)#5-1
7. Coweta (7)#4-2
8. Del City (8)#4-2
9. Lawton MacArthur (9)#4-2
10. Tulsa Memorial (10)#6-0
*Tulsa East Central forfeited four wins.

This one wasn’t too difficult was Claremore’s 20-19 loss to Tulsa East Central was the only loss in the top 10. Claremore stays above Coweta and Del City because their game against East Central was closer. Claremore-Coweta, though, will get sorted out soon enough as the teams face off Oct. 26.

CLASS 4A
1. Wagoner (1)#5-1
2. Cascia Hall (3)#6-0
3. Anadarko (6)#6-0
4. Ada (4)#6-0
5. Clinton (2)#4-2
6. Douglass (5)#4-2
7. Sallisaw (7)#4-2
8. Fort Gibson (8)#6-0
9. Cleveland (9)#6-0
10. Catoosa (NR)#3-3

Anadarko’s big performance deserved to be noticed, and the Warriors move up three places to No. 3, ahead of Ada, Clinton and Douglass. The only other shuffle came in the final spot as Catoosa slips in ahead of Broken Bow and Poteau. Catoosa beat a ranked opponent (Tulsa McLain) and a few weeks ago nearly knocked off Fort Gibson. That puts Catoosa in even against teams with better records.

CLASS 3A
1. Kingfisher (1)#6-0
2. Tuttle (2)#6-0
3. Berryhill (3)#6-0
4. Seminole (4)#5-0
5. Blanchard (5)#6-0
6. Metro Christian (6)#5-1
7. Victory Christian (7)#6-0
8. Sequoyah-Tahlequah (8)#5-1
9. Verdigris (9)#5-1
10. Cushing (10)#5-1

Nice and easy yet again: Everyone wins.

CLASS 2A
1. Vian (2)#6-0
2. Davis (3)#6-0
3. Frederick (4)#6-0
4. OCS (7)#5-1
5. Millwood (1)#5-1
6. Hennessey (5)#4-2
7. Stroud (6)#5-1
8. Adair (9)#6-0
9. Lindsay (8)#4-2
10. Commerce (10)#5-1

The big mover on the positive side was OCS, who knocked off top-ranked Millwood. The Saints’ only loss so far is to Class 3A Jones. Millwood drops to No. 5, just behind OCS. I also flipped Adair and Lindsay after taking in the totality of their seasons to this point.

CLASS A
1. Wynnewood (1)#5-0
2. Wayne (2)#6-0
3. Thomas (3)#6-0
4. Ringling (4)#4-1
5. Texhoma (5)#5-0
6. Fairview (NR)#6-0
7. Cashion (6)#6-0
8. Crescent (7)#6-0
9. Kiefer (8)#6-0
10. Morrison (9)#5-1

None of the teams in the top 10 lost but I promised a reader I’d break down and reassess this class so I did. What I found, for the most part, is that I liked where I had teams. I feel comfortable in Ringling where they are with their one loss (to Davis) and Morrison with theirs (to Alva). I was OK leaving off Empire, Savanna, Talihina, Warner and Summit Christian even with undefeated records. But going over the rankings and results of the first six weeks, I couldn’t ignore what Fairview has done. Friday, they beat Hooker 71-18. So far, they’ve outscored opponents 303-56. Fairview played three opponents that other top 10 teams had played this year and the matchups were favorable for Fairview. It beat Pioneer 63-8 while Cashion beat Pioneer 52-20. It beat Okeene 49-6 while Cashion won 27-20 and Thomas won 26-6. And finally, it beat Hooker 71-18 on Friday, while Hollis won 45-21. I don’t always matchup scores like that because there are a number of factors that could skew things, but when you’re looking at that many games, I couldn’t ignore it. So Farview goes in at No. 10 while Hollis is the unlucky team to slip.

CLASS B
1. Laverne (1)#6-0
2. Wetumka (2)#6-0
3. Pond Creek-Hunter (3)#6-0
4. Fox (6)#6-0
5. Dewar (4)#5-1
6. Garber (5)#5-1
7. Davenport (7)#4-2
8. Rejoice Christian (8)#5-1
9. Covington-Douglas (9)#4-2
10. Alex (10)#5-1

Garber and Dewar both got beat, but they got beat by teams ranked above them. Fox leap-frogged the pair but everything else remains constant.

CLASS C
1. Tipton (1)#6-0
2. Cherokee (2)#6-0
3. Forgan (3)#5-0
4. Ryan (4)#6-0
5. Sharon-Mutual (5)#5-1
6. Thackerville (7)#4-1
7. Webbers Falls (8)#4-1
8. Maud (9)#4-1
9. Balko (10)#5-1
10. Temple (NR)#3-3

Things were just fine until Wesleyan Christian beat No. 6 Deer Creek-Lamont. The next four just move up one spot, but the No. 10 position gave me a bit of heartburn. Deer Creek-Lamont? It just lost to Wesleyan Christian by 22. Wesleyan Christian? It lost to Bluejacket by 36 just last week. Bluejacket? It lost to Deer Creek-Lamont by 16 a couple weeks ago. So welcome to the rankings Temple. Temple has three losses but they came to Class B No. 4 Fox, Class C No. 1 Tipton and No. 4 Ryan (30-20, Tipton’s closest game all season by 10 points).

Luetjen was medically retired from the Army because of a night vision issue after two years of school, and now, the former Hennessey football star has rejoined his younger brother, Derrick Luetjen, at Tulsa University.

“Matt took the summer to decide, and he talked with coach Bill Blankenship,” said his father Rick Luetjen, the new head coach at Hennessey. “He always wanted to play with Derrick again, so it will be a good deal. It’s a good fit for him.”

Derrick, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound redshirt freshman, is a second-string defensive lineman.

Matt will have three years to play his final two seasons of eligibility. The 6-foot, 205-pounder was listed as a fullback on the Army roster, but could play a variety of positions at Tulsa.

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

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.

Hennessey coach Shannon Watford hugs running back Ivan Moreno after the Eagles won their second straight Class 2A state championship in December. Watford is leaving Hennessey to become Purcell's coach. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Shannon Watford didn’t have a great day Wednesday, when he told his Hennessey players he was leaving to become Purcell’s football coach.

“It’s been the toughest decision of my career,” Watford said. “Not because I didn’t want to go to Purcell, but because of not wanting to leave Hennessey because of what we’ve been able to do here.

“I’ve had a lot of players hugging and crying in my office today.”

Watford, who led Hennessey to back-to-back Class 2A state championships in 2010 and 2011, will replace Mike Wilson, who retired after 12 seasons as the Dragons’ coach. Wilson was 98-43 during his time at Purcell.

While the decision was tough, Watford knows it was the right one. He is from Tuttle, still lives there and has made the 1 hour, 15-minute drive to Hennessey every day for the past five years.

“It was time to get close to home,” Watford said. “Purcell is a wonderful town in a great location. The program is one that has been successful and will continue to be successful.”

The job also will allow Watford to reunite with Don Schneberger, Purcell High School’s principal and an assistant coach at Tuttle when Watford played there.

Purcell has been to the playoffs the last 11 years, and is coming off a 9-2 season in 2011.

Defense
DL: Justin Wilson, Luther
DL: Aaron Johnson, Morris
DL: Blake Gordon, Stroud
LB: Chris Humphrey, Jones
LB: Marc Robinson, Millwood
LB: Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
LB: Taylor Bilyeu, Jones
DB: Orlando Pina, Hennessey
DB: Hunter Eubank, Lindsay
DB: Justin Walton, Wyandotte
DB: Brandon Long, Coalgate
P: Nolan Fanning, Coalgate

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.

Hennessey and Jones are pretty clear 1-2. Stroud and Millwood are virtually interchangeable but Millwood’s wins are a bit more impressive with the Falcons beating former No. 1 Davis and Lincoln Christian in the playoffs. Davis drops to No. 5 with its only losses coming to Heritage Hall and Millwood. Vian, which lost to eventual state champ Hennessey, 18-7, on the road, drops two spots to No. 4 while Lincoln Christian holds at No. 7. Lindsay, a semifinalist, checks in at No. 8. Lindsay was flat blown out by Jones, 63-6, on a neutral field and had a favorable draw to reach the spot with much of the class’ powers concentrated on the top part of the bracket. Frederick and OCS, two teams Lindsay did beat, remain No. 9 and 10.

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.

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

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

Overall
Ryan: 14-6, 2-0
Jason: 13-7, 1-1
Scott: 13-7, 1-1

Ryan
Midwest City 21, Edmond Santa Fe 14
Jenks 28, Owasso 7
McAlester 35, Ardmore 14
Tulsa East Central 35, Tulsa Washington 10
McGuinness 21, Millwood 13
Heritage Hall 42, Davis 17
Bethany 28, Washington 13
Kingfisher 14, Hennessey 12
Ryan 22, Coyle 18
Tipton 33, Thackerville 22

Lock of the week: Kingfisher over Hennessey
This is a tough one for me because there was a lot I was impressed with last week when I watched Hennessey play Jones. But Kingfisher has the depth to wear down Hennessey a bit by the end of the game and the athleticism to not let Ivan Moreno and Levi Hill wear their defense down. The Eagles will be better for having played this game once district play begins but Kingfisher gets it done.

Jason
Edmond Santa Fe 21, Midwest City 20
Jenks 45, Owasso 24
McAlester 27, Ardmore 14
Tulsa East Central 24, Tulsa Washington 14
Bishop McGuinness 28, Millwood 17
Heritage Hall 35, Davis 10
Bethany 31, Washington 17
Kingfisher 24, Hennessey 21
Coyle 30, Ryan 27
Tipton 35, Thackerville 30

Lock of the week: Bishop McGuinness over Millwood
The Falcons have a tough power running game that will be tough for future opponents to slow down, but not the Irish. McGuinness’ defense — especially with their outstanding linebacking core of Brandon Nguyen, Danny Krenger and Nick Jeffries. Last season, Millwood won a shootout 48-41, but expect a more low-scoring game this time. Bishop McGuinness 28, Millwood 17

Scott
Midwest City 28, Edmond Santa Fe 24
Jenks 35, Owasso 24
McAlester 35, Ardmore 21
Tulsa East Central 30, Tulsa Washington 21
McGuinness 21, Millwood 20
Heritage Hall 41, Davis 17
Bethany 38, Washington 28
Kingfisher 21, Hennessey 20
Coyle 30, Ryan 27
Tipton 28, Thackerville 27

Lock of the week: McAlester over Ardmore.
Sitting in a press box in El Reno two years ago during the Class 5A semifinals, I began to take note of a talented McAlester team. Then I noticed the amount of young players on the roster, and I realized this was a team that would only keep getting better. Now we’re seeing it come to fruition, and I think this week will be another sign of things to come for the Buffs.

Hennessey quarterback Trey Leu is one of a large group of returning starters from last season's 2A title team.

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

Defending Class 2A state champions Hennessey didn’t get much time off before Tuesday’s practices began.

Like many schools now, Hennessey’s summer weightlifting program ran through last week, leaving just a weekend of down time before preseason workouts officially kicked off.

So to get his team’s mind off football at least briefly, Eagles coach Shannon Watford took his team out Friday for a day of relaxation. The players went to White Water Bay before going for a team dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.

“It’s just to kind of get them together for some fun times before the storm,” Watford said.

In past years, the team has gone to RedHawks games and floated the Illinois River.

Tuesday, though, the team was all business.

“It went really well for the first day,” Watford said. “The cooler weather helped but our kids are in good shape.”

Hennessey looks to duplicate this championship moment in 2011.

Hennessey is no longer the ‘little team that could.’ No sir. Under coach Shannon Watford, the Eagles haven’t had to take a backseat to anybody in terms of how successful the program has been.

That’s the good news. But what comes with that now is expectations. And this year it’s not just expectations, it’s a big ol’ target pointed squarely on Hennessey’s back.

The Eagles who made most of us media gurus look stupid last year in the semifinals (vs. Millwood) and championship (vs. Davis) are now going to find out that it’s one thing to win a championship, and it’s completely another to try to defend the crown.

“We realize we aren’t going to be under the radar anymore,” Watford said. “But this is the position you want to put yourself in.”

And don’t feel sorry for the Eagles. Winning the title has interest at an all-time high. Watford said he has gone from 38 lockers to 58 lockers this spring. But replacing Derrick Luetjen will be no easy feat.

Watford had to laugh when thinking about Luetjen as a freshman. Luetjen was 217 pounds and playing wide receiver. He finished his career at nearly 300 pounds, being one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the game and signing with Tulsa.

Though a big piece of the team is gone with Luetjen, Hennessey returns a lot of experience…and a lot of talent. Running backs Ivan Moreno and Levi Hill are back. They only combined for 3,000 rushing yards last year.

Quarterback Trey Leu has a year under his belt and the Pina boys (Orlando and Octavio) also return. I admit I haven’t put much thought into my 2A rankings just yet, but I cannot see how Hennessey could be any lower than a top 5-7 team.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

One big reason, of course, was the play of Derrick Luetjen. His dream was to play for Oklahoma State but staying in-state isn’t too shabby.

Here is Luetjen making it all official, signing to play for Tulsa.

Derrick Luetjen of Hennessey signs to play football at Tulsa.

***

Luetjen switches to Tulsa

The last week has been a crazy time for Hennessey senior Derrick Luetjen. But he’s confident that he has made the right choice.

The Eagles star defensive tackle has switched his commitment from Louisiana-Monroe to Tulsa, Luetjen said Sunday night.

“It was a great visit, loved everything about it,” Luetjen said.

Luetjen said he had nothing bad to say about Louisiana-Monroe, but the advantage of Tulsa being so close to Hennessey was something he could not pass up.

Luetjen has been one of several defensive tackles on Tulsa’s radar. Reports came out last week that Tulsa was looking for defensive tackles and Luetjen was one of the prospects they were looking at.

Luetjen, 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, had a phenomenal senior season for Hennessey, helping lead the team to its first state championship. He was named first-team Little All-City and second-team All-State by The Oklahoman.

***

Luetjen was confident with his choice of the Warhawks. But Tulsa has always been on his wish list. He knew if he received an offer, he would be good to go.

It’s been an insane week for Luetjen. He kept his options open after learning Tulsa was searching out defensive tackles. They don’t come much better than Luetjen.

“It’s been absolutely crazy,” Luetjen said. “Cannot believe all of this is happening for me.”

More than his play on the field, I’ve always been impressed by Luetjen’s leadership. I saw it first hand against Davis in the 2A championship game. He was not going to be denied, and he made sure the rest of the team was following his lead.

Still a couple days away from Signing Day so who knows what’s in store?

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

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.

There were only three games last weekend yet there was still a lot of drama, a lot of fun and a lot of me scratching my head.

Record: 2-1 (Right: Heritage Hall over Kingfisher, Woodland over Stratford. Wrong: Davis over Hennessey).

Heritage Hall and Kingfisher went about the way I thought. Woodland over Stratford is so nuts when compared to Union and Jenks. The Redskins and Trojans combined for 97 points. The Cougars and Bulldogs netted six and needed overtime to do it. Ya just never know what you’re gonna get in the championships.

Speaking of which, cannot say enough about Hennessey’s defense. Now Cole Weber not being 100 percent played some role in things, but Hennessey was just a team possessed Saturday.

Week 5: 2-1
Week 4: 7-4
Week 3: 15-7
Week 2: 31-13
Week 1: 65-23
Overall record: 120-48.

Your champions:

6A – Union 50, Jenks 47
5A – Booker T. 32, East Central 3
4A – Douglass 20, Wagoner 13 – OT
3A – Heritage Hall 28, Kingfisher 21
2A – Hennessey 14, Davis 0
A – Woodland 6, Stratford 0 – OT
B – Cherokee 62, Wetumka 32
C – Deer Creek-Lamont 28, Shattuck 0

From watching Hennessey and hearing about the Eagles the last couple of weeks, how did this team lose three times? With that defense? Really?

It was an incredible display against another physical team like Davis where the defense almost held the Wolves under 100 yards of total offense in winning their first championship in a 14-0 victory.

The defense starts with Derrick Luetjen. He sticks out like a sore thumb when you’re watching Hennessey play. Who knows, perhaps he’ll be back at Boone Pickens Stadium as a member of Oklahoma State?

One thing Hennessey did a tremendous job of was tackling. Whenever Davis had open space and it turned into a 1-on-1 situation, the Eagles always made the stop. That’s how 3 and 4-yard runs don’t turn into 10, 15 and touchdown runs.

Coach Shannon Watford not only drew up a masterful game plan but coached the game of his life Saturday. Big call after big call turned out right. He would go for it on fourth down on the first drive to set the tone. It worked. He went for it inside his own 20. Right again.

In the second half, QB Trey Leu got the running game going and quarterback run late in the fourth quarter iced the game. A great effort by a gritty bunch of kids. Oh yea, Hennessey also won the academic achievement award, too.

Other contenders

Ivan Moreno, Hennessey: Needed a little offense to win that sucker, too. Moreno rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles.

Kingfisher football: The seniors may have left Friday without the championship, but what they’ve done for Yellowjacket football has been incredible. Three final appearances and gave us everything they possible could in a classic battle with Heritage Hall.

Devante Moore, El Reno: Moore notched 30 points as the Indians held off Norman North 56-55 in the finals of the Western Heights Tournament.

Hennessey celebrates its first championship with a dominant 14-0 win against Davis in the Class 2A state final.

A defensive performance for the ages leads to Hennessey’s first state championship. The Eagles (12-3) were dominant on both sides of the ball to earn a 14-0 victory against Davis in the Class 2A final.

Wow is really all I can say. It was every bit the hard-hitting, physical battle that I (and most others) thought it would be. Big hits all over the place.

Hennessey had touchdown runs by Ivan Moreno on the first drive and Trey Leu added one in the fourth quarter. The defense did the rest.

Who said Davis 26-24? It would have taken a near miracle for anybody to score 26 points on this Eagle defense on this day. A heck of an effort.

I was down on the sidelines so look for a video on NewsOK with Derrick Luetjen, Ivan Moreno and the rest of the Eagles celebrating.

My boy Scott Wright is working on the masterpiece right now.

Final week (tear). Only three games, here we go:

Class 3A championship: Heritage Hall (14-0) vs. Kingfisher (10-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Boone Pickens Stadium

Score: Heritage Hall 28, Kingfisher 23

Breakdown: Going with this year’s history on this one. I’ve loved what the Yellowjackets have done in the postseason. But every time I’ve felt Heritage Hall is going to get that test or lose, coach Andy Bogert has had the recipe for success. I’m not betting against him in this one. Gonna be a battle. Turnovers, obviously, could play a huge role. A big defensive play by the Chargers ends up being the difference.

Class 2A championship: Hennessey (11-3) vs. Davis (12-1), 1 p.m. Saturday, Boone Pickens Stadium

Score: Davis 26, Hennessey 24

Breakdown: Oh, this is going to be fun. Two teams who know what their identities are going after it. Cannot wait for this one. The Eagles have looked great in the playoffs, while Davis’ only setback is against Heritage Hall. Ironically, the 3A finalists beat the 2A finalists in Week 3 this year (Kingfisher won at Hennessey, Heritage won at Davis). Cole Weber does enough to secure the gold ball.

Class A championship: Woodland (13-0) vs. Stratford (12-2), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Boone Pickens Stadium

Score: Woodland 30, Stratford 19

Breakdown: Rejoice, Stratford fans. I haven’t been right all postseason. I’ve also picked Woodland to win in all four weeks so something’s gotta give with this one. Loved the Stratford defense last week, but Woodland held a great Thomas team to 9 yards rushing and survived its scare against Velma-Alma. Joe Sindelar, in his first year, takes home the championship.

Hennessey (11-3) vs. Davis (12-1)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium (Scott and myself will be there)

Hennessey (11-3)
W — at Northeast, 40-0
L — vs. Jones, 21-0
L — vs. Kingfisher, 35-32
W — vs. Perry, 46-13
W — at Alva, 47-13
W — vs. Chisholm, 56-0
W — at OCS, 42-7
W — at Tonkawa, 24-0
L — vs. Watonga, 21-6
W — at Centennial, 55-6
W — vs. CHA, 22-6 (1st round)
W — at Lindsay, 36-13 (2nd round)
W — vs. Commerce, 49-17 (Quarterfinals)
W — vs. Millwood, 29-28 (Semifinals)

Davis (12-1)
W — vs. Ringling, 39-0
W — at Sulphur, 45-21
L — vs. Heritage Hall, 21-12
W — at Konawa, 49-0
W — vs. Marietta, 55-0
W — at Kingston, 42-6
W — vs. Tishomingo, 50-14
W — at Coalgate, 33-0
W — vs. Antlers, 61-7
W — vs. Hobart, 53-14 (1st round)
W — vs. Jones, 26-20 OT (2nd round)
W — at Lincoln Christian, 21-7 (Quarterfinals)
W — vs. Colcord, 40-7 (Semifinals)

CLASS 3A
KINGFISHER YELLOWJACKETS
Record: 10-3
Ranking: Unranked
Coach: Jeff Myers, seventh season at Kingfisher
Previous state titles: 2003 (3A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Perkins-Tryon 55-21, beat Tuttle 14-8, beat Beggs 49-21, beat  Metro Christian 33-6
2009 record (playoffs): 12-3 (Beat Lexington 24-3, beat Bridge Creek 33-32, beat Sperry 35-14, beat Millwood 27-12, lost to Lincoln Christian 35-0)
Last week: Landon Nault, a freshman, ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns as the Yellowjackets dominated to advance to the state title game for the third time in four seasons.
Player to watch: Derek Patterson, QB. The senior has more than 1,100 yards rushing and 1,700 yards passing. In the win over Beggs, he accounted for four touchdowns and more than 300 total yards. Last week, Patterson was 10 of 14 through the air for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Notable: Landon Nault ran for nearly 200 yards in the second half last week, including touchdown runs of 80 and 83 yards. He scored three touchdowns the previous week against Beggs. … Jeremy Smith and Logan Nault are the Yellowjackets leading receivers with more than 500 yards each. Smith is over 600. … Dustin Isom and Jake Blair are Kingfisher’s leading tacklers. … Patterson also handles the punting duties. … The Yellowjackets have scored 32 or more points in all of their wins this season but one, the second-round win at Tuttle. … Two of Kingfisher’s three losses came to fellow Class 3A semifinalists Bethany (27-12 on Oct. 15) and Heritage Hall (42-14 on Nov. 5). … Lost to Heritage Hall in the regular season in each of the last three seasons. … Last win over Heritage Hall came in 1984, when Kingfisher won 27-7 during the regular season. Kingfisher is 1-4 all-time against Heritage Hall. The teams’ other meeting came in 1985.

HERITAGE HALL CHARGERS
Record: 14-0
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Andy Bogert, sixth season at Heritage Hall
Previous state titles: 1998 (2A), 2008 (2A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Little Axe 27-7, beat Bridge Creek 34-0, beat Spiro 49-30, beat Bethany 28-14
2009 record (playoffs): 8-5 (Beat Meeker 35-0, beat Lindsay 48-8, lost to Pawhuska 34-20)
Last week: Chargers quarterback Cooper Cloud threw for two touchdowns but the big touchdown pass came courtesy of junior lineman Markus Wakefield. Wakefield, a big part of Heritage Hall’s defensive front, threw his first pass of the season, a 23-yard touchdown to Sterling Shepard, to set the tone in the win.
Player to watch: Sterling Shepard, WR. Shepard caught four touchdown passes in the win over Spiro and added a 61-yard touchdown run as he continued his comeback from injuries that limited him late in the season. Shepard has more than 1,000 yards receiving and averages around 18 yards per reception.
Notable: Barry J. Sanders, a junior, is out for the season after suffering a foot injury, but has more than 1,100 yards rushing. … Brent Gaddis is the Chargers’ leading rusher in Sanders’ absence. … Quarterback Cooper Cloud has thrown for more than 1,800 yards. … Cloud threw touchdown passes of 63, 39, 11 and 21 yards to Shepard against Spiro. … Ross Clifton and Markus Wakefield each have more than 120 tackles. … Wakefield and Quintaz Struble have double-digit sack totals. … Shepard has eight interceptions. … Beat Bethany 14-7 on the road Oct. 29. … Also beat Kingfisher 42-14 on Nov. 5. … Allowed more than 14 points just four times this season, two in the first two games of the season. … Beat Chandler, 37-7, to win the 2008 title and Tishomingo, 35-34, to win 1998 title.

2A
DAVIS WOLVES
Record: 12-1
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Jody Weber, 10th season at Davis
Previous state titles: 1979 (B), 1986 (2A), 1990 (2A), 1995 (2A)
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Hobart 53-14, beat Jones 26-20 (OT), beat Lincoln Christian 21-7, beat Colcord 41-7
2009 record (playoffs): 12-1 (Beat Hobart 55-14, beat John Marshall 20-13, lost to Lincoln Christian 24-21)
Last week: Logan Webb and Zac Maynard scored two touchdowns each as the Wolves blew out Colcord after a scoreless first quarter. All of Davis’ 427 offensive yards came on the ground as they attempted just three passes.
Player to watch: Cole Weber, QB. Weber has been a solid dual-threat quarterback for the Wolves this season. In a third-round win over Lincoln Christian, he hit Matt Burba for a 53-yard completion that set up Logan Webb for a touchdown run. Weber also ran for a score of his own.
Notable: Deaundre Carr and Matt Burba are Davis’ leading rushers. … Burba finished the win over Lincoln Christian with 118 yards on 15 carries and had 171 all-purpose yards. … Burba returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown in last week’s win. … Alec Heatherington is Davis’ leading receiver. … Only loss of the season came against Class 3A semifinalist Heritage Hall, 21-12, on Sept. 17. … Jones was the only team since Heritage Hall to score more than 14 points against the Wolves. … Davis is in the state championship game for the first time since 2005, when it lost to Chandler 40-7. … The Wolves state titles have come over Nowata (14-0, 1995), Cascia Hall (28-21, 1990), Newkirk (31-0, 1986) and Crescent (35-6, 1979). … In 1990, beat Hennessey in the second round, 26-3.

HENNESSEY EAGLES
Record: 11-3
Ranking: No. 10
Coach: Shannon Watford, fourth season at Hennessey
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Christian Heritage 22-6, beat Lindsay 36-13, beat Commerce 49-17, beat Millwood 29-28
2009 record (playoffs): 13-1 (Beat Luther 41-13, beat Carnegie 41-7, beat Talihina 26-14, lost to Tonkawa 24-22)
Last week: The Eagles jumped out to a 15-0 lead just six minutes into the game, then held on at the end to hand Millwood its only loss of the season. Ivan Moreno scored a pair of touchdowns, including on a 5-yard run early in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner.
Player to watch: Levi Hill, RB. Hall has more than 1,500 rushing yards to go with 20 touchdowns.
Notable: Ivan Moreno is the Eagles’ second-leading rusher with more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. … Quarterback Trey Leu has thrown for more than 1,000 yards. … Leu had a 26-yard touchdown run in last week’s win. … Orlando Pina is Hennessey’s leading receiver with more than 300 yards. He also leads the team in interceptions with 10, including one against Millwood that he returned 25 yards for a touchdown. … Raul Orozco leads the Eagles in tackles. … Derrick Luetjen has 10 sacks. … Losses came to Watonga, 21-6, on Oct. 29, Kingfisher, 35-32, on Sept. 17 and Jones, 21-0, on Sept. 10. … Scored 40 or more points seven times. … The Eagles have made the semifinals in each of the last two seasons but are in the finals for the first time since 1962. … That year, Hennessey lost the Class C championship game to Beaver, 20-6. … Last meeting with Davis came in the second round of the 1990 playoffs. Davis won 26-3 at home.

CLASS A
WOODLAND COUGARS
Record: 13-0
Ranking: No. 1
Coach: Joe Sindelar, first season at Woodland
Previous state titles: 1975 (B), 1976 (B), 1977 (B), 1986 (A)*
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Porter 40-0, beat Elmore City 40-8, beat Velma-Alma 38-22, beat Thomas 46-26
2009 record (playoffs): 7-4 (Lost to Commerce, 32-31 in double overtime)
Last week: Willie Zachary ran for 117 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Cougars undefeated and send them to the state title game for the first time since 2007. Zachary ran for all of the touchdowns, and a pair of two-point conversions, in the first half as the Cougars came back from an early deficit.
Player to watch: Patrick Bartlett, QB. Bartlett is primarily a passing threat, having thrown for 250 yards and three touchdowns in a second-tound win over Elmore City. He attempted just 16 passes last week but threw for a pair of touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions.
Notable: Held Thomas to just nine yards rushing last week. … Trailed Velma-Alma 22-16 in the fourth but scored 22 unanswered points in the final 8:36 to advance. … The Cougars had 282 totals yards, 184 rushing, in their third round win over Velma-Alma. … Woodland’s defense held Velma-Alma to just one second-half first down. … Scored 34 or more points in all but one game this season, a 20-7 win over Pawhuska on Oct. 29. … Gave up more than 18 points just three times this season. … Lost to Okeene, 31-0, in 2007 state title game. … Previous state titles came with wins over Dibble (7-2, 1986), Okeene (13-7, 1977), Thomas (36-15, 1976) and Ringling (20-14, 1975). … Fairfax (now Woodland) was undefeated in all but one of those seasons (lost to Ponca City B to start 1977 season).
*All of Woodland’s state championships came as Fairfax

STRATFORD BULLDOGS
Record: 12-2
Ranking: Unranked
Coach: Michael Blackburn, ninth season at Stratford
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 finals: Beat Quinton 40-0, beat Afton 21-14, beat Crescent 27-17, beat Morrison 33-14
2009 record (playoffs): 7-5 (Beat Gore 41-14, lost to Tonkawa 27-0)
Last week: The Bulldogs forced five turnovers in the second half to win their fifth straight game away from home in advancing to within a win of the school’s first-ever football state title. The game was tied 14-14 at halftime but three third-quarter turnovers by Morrison helped put Stratford ahead 27-14.

Player to watch: Chase Chamberlain, QB. Chamberlain had 194 yards passing and 67 yards rushing in the win over Crescent. For the season, the senior has more than 850 yards on the ground and more than 1,300 through the air. He ran for a pair of touchdowns in last week’s win.

Notable: Stratford has won 12 games for the first time in school history. … Tommy Lawson had three of Stratford’s four interceptions in last week’s win. … Lawson had three catches for 145 yards offensively and intercepted a pair of passes in the win over Crescent. He’s the Bulldogs’ leading receiver with more than 600 yards. … Regand Ardery ran for 169 yards, 120 in the second half, and three touchdowns in the win over Morrison. … Stratford ran for 298 total yards in the win. … Nick Cosby and Tyler Gaines lead Stratford in tackles with more than 100. … Losses were to Elmore City, 36-6, on Sept. 24 and Wayne, 26-0, on Oct. 21. … Scored 36 or more points eight times. … Stratford’s last semifinal appearance before this season came in 1971, when it lost to Fairland, 34-21, in the Class B semifinals. The Bulldogs advanced out of the first round that year on penetrations, 7-3, after tying Maud 20-20.

I’ve talked with Kingfisher coach Jeff Myers enough to know that Landon Nault has some talent. But I had no idea what the freshman could do until I saw him in person.

Nault was sensational in leading the Yellowjackets to a 33-6 dominating win against Metro Christian in the Class 3A semifinals.

Nault rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns that included touchdown runs of 80 and 83 yards in the second half.

With the win, Kingfisher finds itself with another opportunity for the gold ball, taking on Heritage Hall in the championship Friday night at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Other contenders

Derek Patterson, Kingfisher: Efficiency was the QB’s game. Patterson threw for two touchdowns and continues to be the team leader. Look for a HUGE Patterson story later this week.

Ivan Moreno, Hennessey: Need players to step up if you’re going to pull off the upset. Moreno did just that, scoring two touchdowns in the Eagles’ memorable 29-28 win against Millwood.

Bethany defense: Nothing to be ashamed of. After a brilliant outing against Cascia Hall, slowed down the Heritage Hall attack in a competitive 28-14 loss.

Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek: Welcome back to basketball. Spangler notched a triple-double in points, rebounds and blocks in his first game of the season.

Kendra Steward, Dale: In a good early season matchup, Dale dominated Washington 47-30 with Steward leading the way with 18 points.

Thankfully I wasn’t asked to make predictions here because I’m pretty comfortable in admitting that I would’ve been wrong. I would’ve gone with Millwood. But Hennessey jumped out to a big lead early and hung on, winning 29-28 at Yukon on Saturday to advance to next weekend’s Class 2A state championship game.

Hennessey upsets No. 1 Millwood in Class 2A

How did Hennessey pull it off?

-Quick start: Just six minutes into the game, the Eagles led 15-0. Millwood was driving on its opening possession, including a long run by Kevonte Richardson and a long pass from Richardson to Brandon Swindall. But on third and goal from the 28 after a pair of long sacks, Hennessey’s Ivan Moreno intercepted Richardson’s pass near the goal line. Six plays later, Hennessey was on the board on a Moreno 10-yard run and on Millwood’s next play, Orlando Pina picked off Richardson and took it in for a 25-yard interception return for a score. Those swings wound up being the difference.

-Strong push: This started on that first drive, when the Eagles sacked Richardson twice to force Millwood into taking more chances down the field on third down. But it continued throughout the game. The Eagles consistently put pressure on Richardson and the Falcons run game. That disrupted the Falcons offense enough to where they had to continually take chances throwing quick jump balls that, although some worked, made a difference in the outcome.

-Hard-nosed running: Hennessey had success in the first half with keeping the ball in the hands of Moreno, quarterback Trey Leu and Levi Hill. They changed things up to start the second half and, although they stayed on the ground, the change led to a quick three-and-out that set up Millwood’s game-tying drive in the third quarter. The Eagles went back to their original set on the next drive and the result was a 16-play, 75-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes of the third and early fourth quarters. The drive not only put the Eagles back in front on the scoreboard but also gave them a shot in the arm confidence-wise.

Hennessey ran the ball on the first 14 plays of the drive, threw an incomplete pass, then went right back to the ground on third and goal.

-Big fourth down stops: Millwood had plenty of success on fourth down but their last two drives ended on fourth-down stops in Hennessey territory. First, the Eagles stopped Richardson short of a first down on fourth and 1 from the 41 with just more than four minutes remaining and then Richardson couldn’t connect on three consecutive passes, including a jump ball to Swindall in the end zone on third down, on their final drive.

-Missing man: Hennessey did a fantastic job of slowing down the Falcons normally high-powered offense but it’s hard to overlook the absence of Josh Turner as a factor. Turner, the Falcons WR/RB/DB that’s committed to Texas, missed the game after suffering an MCL strain a week before. Had Turner played, there’s certainly no guarantee the result wouldn’t have been different but it no doubt would’ve drawn additional attention off  of covering Swindall.

Other notes:

-Three of the touchdowns, all in the first half, came on fourth down. Millwood scored on fourth and goal from the 1 on Richardson’s sneak in the final seconds of the first, then Richardson hit Dametric Sanders for a 14-yard touchdown on fourth and 12 late in the first half. Hennessey’s Leu added some fourth-down dramatics of his own, running for a 26-yard touchdown on fourth and 2 early in the second.

Millwood was 4 for 4 converting on fourth down before the Eagles held the Falcons on two of their last three tries. Hennessey was 2 for 2 on fourth-down conversions, including a two-yard run on fourth and 1 that kept the Eagles long scoring drive alive in the third.

-Moreno started the game wearing No. 31 but after half, went back to his customary No. 25.

Hennessey (10-3) vs. Millwood (13-0)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Yukon’s Miller Pride Stadium (Ryan Aber will be there)

Hennessey
Why the Eagles can win: Because Millwood hasn’t seen this type of physicality from a team since probably the Jones thriller. The defense has never been a question for this team, but the offense has quietly become very consistent and very explosive, especially junior QB Trey Leu.

Quote:

We know not many people are giving us a chance. We’re going to show up. We’re going to be ready. And we’ll just see what happens.” – coach Shannon Watford

Millwood
Why the Falcons can win: Kevonte Richardson. People talk about Brandon Swindall, Josh Turner, Shevin Patton and all the other stars, but Richardson is the guy who makes the whole thing go. Whether it’s with his feet or his arm, he makes plays when his team has to have them, and I don’t expect anything different from him Saturday afternoon. And let’s not forget about the Falcon defense. I doubt there have been many times this year when Hennessey has seen the kind of defensive team speed Millwood has.

Quote: I saw how the seniors felt after we lost to Kingfisher (in the semifinals last year). They were really hurt because it was over. We don’t want to have that feeling this year.” — Millwood senior receiver Mike Cole

Boneman’s key matchup: Hennessey secondary vs. Millwood WRs. I look at this game and this is the one that just stands out. Heck, I could even just narrow this down to Brandon Swindall. How are the Eagles going to contain Swindall, who has been darn near unstoppable this season.

Scott’s key matchup: Millwood run game vs. Hennessey D-line. The Eagles are young up front for the most part, but they’ve been good against the run, led by DT Derrick Luetjen. Millwood probably won’t have Shevin Patton and might not have Josh Turner, so establishing the run game becomes a question. If the Falcons can run the ball, it makes it harder for Hennessey to double Swindall all day.

Boneman’s pick: Millwood 26, Hennessey 12. Really feel this is going to be like 18-12 midway through the fourth when Swindall makes a huge play and Millwood puts a little distance to earn the win.

Scott’s pick: Millwood 32, Hennessey 16. I expect big days from Richardson and Cole to carry the Falcons in this one.

Boneman’s Millwood prediction record: 13-0.
Boneman’s Hennessey prediction record: 11-2.

Do-everything senior Josh Turner is questionable to play in the Class 2A state semifinal game against Hennessey at 1 p.m. Saturday at Yukon High School.

Turner is obviously important at cornerback, where he is regarded as the top recruit in the state. But his biggest impact is on offense, where he has been one of the team’s top rushers and receivers, depending on where he plays. He has 14 touchdowns on the year: eight rushing, five receiving and one interception return.

Most likely, he would be at running back Saturday, with Shevin Patton expected to miss a third straight game because of what the team has called “personal issues.”

But Turner suffered a sprained MCL last week that could keep him out Saturday. If he can’t go, the running back position becomes a committee of guys, with Allen Starks — who played really well in a reserve role last week — freshman Larry Lambeth and Michael Ervin handing the duties.

Ervin is an interesting story. He joined the team in mid-September to help with kicking. He started returning kicks and getting a few snaps at receiver. Now, he’s getting a look as a backup running back, and with his speed — he’s got a chance to break the state 100-meter record in track season next spring — it’ll obviously be intriguing to follow.

And Ervin has his eye on three state titles as a senior. He won two, basketball and track, last year. And the Falcons are favored to repeat both of those this year. Obviously, Ervin wouldn’t be the only one to pull the triple, but the most interesting one because of his football story.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Hennessey (10-3) vs. Millwood (13-0)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Yukon’s Miller Pride Stadium (Ryan Aber will be there)
Story: Orlando Pina one of several juniors leading charge.

Another year, another game against the top-ranked team. It’s getting old for Hennessey coach Shannon Watford.

This is the Eagles’ third consecutive trip to the semifinals and the third time facing the No. 1-ranked team. In the other two games, Hennessey came up short. We shall see what happens Saturday.

I wanted to believe in this team all year. Love what Watford has done at Hennessey. But losses to Jones and Kingfisher had ‘em at 1-2, and I had to take them out of the rankings.

The Eagles went on a roll from that point as QB Trey Leu really started to blossom, but a loss to Watonga put Hennessey in second in the district.

The running game has been coming up huge. Led by Levi Hill and Ivan Moreno, the Eagles aren’t fancy, but they certainly are effective.

I focused on Orlando Pina because his special teams play has been sensational in the postseason, but he’s also a magnet for the ball on defense in the secondary.

Hennessey certainly has the whole ‘nobody believes in us’ mantra going. That’s alright, and I’m not even sure if they’re wrong.

Does anybody really expect this group of kids to beat the juggernaut that is Millwood? But then you remember that not many people gave Kingfisher a chance last year against the Falcons.

Hennessey will be disciplined. Hennessey will be physical. Hennessey has been tested lately. Millwood hasn’t. Will that come back to hurt the Falcons?

What’s going to happen if Millwood is forced to come up with a big play late?
If ever there was a ‘live’ underdog, I think this is it.

Class 3A – Heritage Hall (13-0) vs. Bethany (10-3), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Putnam City Stadium

Score: Heritage Hall 28, Bethany 16

Breakdown: I expect more scoring than the 14-7 slugfest in Week 9. Just figure both teams have some new wrinkles they’re ready to throw out. Chargers find a way to get Sterling Shepard involved in one way or another and Quintaz Struble and Markus Wakefield dominate the show on defense vs. a good Bronchos squad.

Class 3A – Kingfisher (9-3) vs. Metro Christian (10-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, Putnam City Stadium

Score: Kingfisher 24, Metro Christian 20

Breakdown: Don’t listen to me, I had both of these teams gone before the quarterfinals. This is the toughest game for me to pick, and I’m going more on the strength of Jeff Myers and the Kingfisher coaching staff than anything else. How will the Yellowjackets stop Andrew Hearon and the MC passing attack? Not sure, but somehow and someway…they will.

Class 2A – Davis (11-1) vs. Colcord (11-2), 1 p.m. Saturday, Bixby

Score: Davis 21, Colcord 9

Breakdown: Only way I see this being a real competitive battle is if the Wolves are too busy overlooking Colcord (like I’ve been) and aren’t focused. Davis is the right blend of a fantastic defense to go with its always solid rushing attack and moves on to the championship.

Class 2A – Millwood (13-0) vs. Hennessey (10-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, Yukon’s Miller Pride Stadium

Score: Millwood 26, Hennessey 12

Breakdown: I got a feeling this is going to be tight until the fourth quarter. The Hennessey defense is motivated, and the team is pumped with the ‘nobody believes in us’ attitude. And with Derrick Luetjen and Orlando Pina, good reason for the defense to be stoked. Brandon Swindall makes the big play late to solidify just how great he really is.

Class A – Stratford (11-2) vs. Morrison (10-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Moore Stadium

Score: Morrison 23, Stratford 19

Breakdown: Really intrigued by this one and excited to get to see it. Morrison went life and death with Wayne in the second round, another District A-5 team. How do you bet against Stratford, a team that won all three of its playoff games on the road? I like Jake Walls to make that game-changing play.

Class A – Woodland (12-0) vs. Thomas (12-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Enid

Score: Woodland 29, Thomas 21

Breakdown: I’m not betting against the Cougars. Sorry, just won’t happen. Beat too many good teams in the regular season and made them look bad. Took out previously undefeated Velma-Alma last week. Great first year for Joe Sindelar. But Thomas has been so good in its own right. Thomas forced to play catch up and runs out of time.

CLASS 2A
HENNESSEY EAGLES
Record: 10-3
Ranking: No. 10
Coach: Shannon Watford, fourth season at Hennessey
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Christian Heritage 22-6, beat Lindsay 36-13, beat Commerce 49-17
2009 record (playoffs): 13-1 (Beat Luther 41-13, beat Carnegie 41-7, beat Talihina 26-14, lost to Tonkawa 24-22)
Last week: Commerce kept things tight for most of the first half but the Eagles took control in the second, outscoring Commerce 28-7 after the break to advance to the semifinals for the third consecutive season.
Player to watch: Levi Hill, RB. Hall has more than 1,500 rushing yards to go with 21 touchdowns.
Notable: Ivan Moreno is the Eagles’ second-leading rusher with nearly 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. … Quarterback Trey Leu has thrown for more than 1,000 yards. … Orlando Pina is Hennessey’s leading receiver with more than 300 yards. He also leads the team in interceptions with nine. … Raul Orozco leads the Eagles in tackles. … Derrick Luetjen has 10 sacks. … Losses came to Watonga, 21-6, on Oct. 29, Kingfisher, 35-32, on Sept. 17 and Jones, 21-0, on Sept. 10. … Scored 40 or more points seven times.

MILLWOOD FALCONS
Record: 13-0
Ranking: No. 1
Coach: Tony Henry, fifth season at Millwood
Previous state titles: 1990 (3A), 2000 (2A), 2001 (2A), 2002 (2A), 2006 (2A)
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Oklahoma Christian 59-28, beat Coalgate 32-6, beat Stroud 31-7
2009 record (playoffs): 12-2 (Beat Newkirk 28-7, beat Washington 33-23, beat Verdigris 28-0, lost to Kingfisher 27-12)
Last week: The Falcons took control just before half, taking advantage of solid field position to score on Larry Lambeth’s 11-yard touchdown run, then held Stroud out of the end zone after the Tigers had first and goal at the Millwood 7 just before half. The Falcons controlled the second half to get back to the semifinals for the second consecutive season.
Player to watch: Brandon Swindall, WR. Swindall is one of the most electrifying players in the state at any position, averaging around 25 yards per reception and the Falcons trust him by regularly throwing up jump balls in the end zone. The brother of Texas Tech wide receiver and former Millwood standout Tramain Swindall, Brandon has more than 1,200 yards receiving.
Notable: Falcons receiver/defensive back Josh Turner, a Texas commit, suffered a knee injury in last week’s win but is expected back for the semifinals. Turner has more than 500 yards receiving and leads the Falcons in sacks. … Kevonte Richardson has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards. … Richardson also has more than 700 yards rushing. Turner has more than 600 yards on the ground. …Beat three Class 4A teams in non-district play, Star Spencer, Class 4A finalist Douglass and Bishop McGuinness. … Scored 31 or more points in every game this season. … Allowed seven or fewer points in six games.

DAVIS WOLVES
Record: 11-1
Ranking: No. 2
Coach: Jody Weber, 10th season at Davis
Previous state titles: 1979 (B), 1986 (2A), 1990 (2A), 1995 (2A)
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Hobart 53-14, beat Jones 26-20 (OT), beat Lincoln Christian 21-7
2009 record (playoffs): 12-1 (Beat Hobart 55-14, beat John Marshall 20-13, lost to Lincoln Christian 24-21)
Last week: Matt Burba had 171 all-purpose yards as the Wolves battled back from an early deficit to avenge last season’s quarterfinal loss to the Bulldogs.
Player to watch: Cole Weber, QB. Weber has been a solid dual-threat quarterback for the Wolves this season. In last week’s win, he hit Matt Burba for a 53-yard completion that set up Logan Webb for a touchdown run. Weber also ran for a score of his own.
Notable: Deaundre Carr and Matt Burba are Davis’ leading rushers. … Burba finished last week’s win with 118 yards on 15 carries. … Alec Heatherington is Davis’ leading receiver. … Only loss of the season came against Class 3A semifinalist Heritage Hall, 21-12, on Sept. 17. … Jones was the only team since Heritage Hall to score more than 14 points against the Wolves.

COLCORD HORNETS
Record: 11-2
Ranking: Unranked
Coach: Bud Simmons, ninth season at Colcord
Previous state titles: None
Road to 2010 semifinals: Beat Pawhuska 48-7, beat Talihina 29-28, beat Washington 48-36
2009 record (playoffs): 6-5 (Lost to Verdigris 48-14)
Last week: Chance Staneart’s blocked field goal on the final play of the first half turned the momentum around and boosted the Hornets to a come-from-behind win. Washington was attempting a 27-yard field goal that would’ve put the Warriors up by 10 at the break but Staneart got his hands on it and Canaan Sherrell took the block back 90 yards for a touchdown, instead putting Colcord down by just a point going into the break. After Washington scored to start the second, Colcord scored four consecutive touchdowns to take control.
Player to watch: Rusty James, WR. James had five catches for 100 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion catch in last week’s win. He’s consistently been one of the stars for Colcord’s offense.
Notable: Colcord is in the semifinals for the first time since 1998. … Canaan Sherrell completed 9 of 14 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns plus rushed for three scores in last week’s win. … Have not faced Davis before. … Only losses came to Commerce, 35-14 on Oct. 1 and Gentry, Ark., 12-6, on Sept. 3. … Scored 40 or more points eight times this season.

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.

Why Hennessey could win: The Eagles will be missing last year’s quarterback, Matt Luetjen, but they still have a lot of talent, with guys like RB Ivan Moreno, who got plenty of action on last year’s Class A semifinalist. Linebacker Raul Orosco returns after leading the team in tackles last year. Even with the move up to 2A, Hennessey is a strong player in the postseason discussion.

Why Northeast could win: Last year’s 1-9 record might sound bad, but Northeast played eight teams ranked in the top 20 of their respective classes, including 5A Tulsa Central. The Vikings should turn things around with the move down to 2A, which lost some good teams who made the move up to 3A. The situation is ripe for coach Tim Thomas and the Vikings to build some momentum and put a few more marks in the win column this season.

Key matchup: The trench battle. Hennessey has good size and talent up front, so Northeast must find a way to contain the Eagle defensive line and not get overpowered by their blockers on offense.

The pick: Hennessey 28, Northeast 20. Ultimately, Hennessey’s size and depth advantages will be too much for the Vikes.

The Luetjen family is dominating things at Hennessey lately. Matt was a star who is already in the middle of boot camp at West Point. Derrick is a star in the making with an offer from Army.

However, the Eagles are a lot more than the Luetjen clan. Hennessey will hang its hat on its defense this year, but I was impressed with some of their wide receivers this summer.

Zach Griffin isn’t going to blow by you with his speed, but he definitely has some set of hands. If he can touch it, he can snag it in.

As just a sophomore, Ivan Moreno was named as one of the team’s captains, and this should be the year that people start to know his name.

Also looking for big things from Orlando Pina. He’s the one that will be stretching the field for the Eagles and showed signs of that in the 7-on-7 stuff at Santa Fe.

Under Shannon Watford this team has become one of the more consistent teams around. I don’t think that the consistency is going to go away in 2010.

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.

This feels like ages ago after Millwood’s Josh Turner committing to Texas for football and Edmond Memorial’s Drew Dahlberg committing to Oklahoma for baseball all in the same time period.

But a ‘long’ time ago (try Saturday early afternoon), I was pumped about the one-day camp that OKVarsity.com held at LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa.

For the record, that was my first time at the Stadium, not bad. More than 50 players participated in the three-hour event.

Without question, the quarterbacks were the story of the day. Not necessarily because of their performances (though they were good), but because six top QBs were there: Del City’s Chazten Gonzales, Jenks’ Sawyer Kollmorgen, Shawnee’s Brayle Brown, Yukon’s Corben Jones, Booker T.’s Jordy Albert and Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler.

That was the first time I’ve seen Jones and Albert so now I get it. Albert was one of the QBs in the Steve Clarkson Dreammaker Tour while Jones is just going to be a junior at Yukon. Spangler is so tall – something you really can’t appreciate until you see him. It will be interesting to see if his future is in football or basketball.

I kinda strayed away from the usual suspects as took this opportunity to get to know some of the Tulsa-area kids who I won’t get to see too often.

Tulsa East Central had a couple of real standouts in WR Dinazzio Teague and DE Ashton Dandy. I felt Teague had one of the best camps of anybody there. But keep in mind, I didn’t get to pinpoint all 50 kids, and it was easier to gauge how the QB/WRs were doing than anybody else.

What impressed me most about Teague wasn’t so much his speed (though he is fast), but it was his ability to get separation from the defenders. Teague is receiving interest from Texas Tech, among others.

Dandy will be playing DE for the Cardinals but looks more suited to be at linebacker in college. Very impressive physically (passed the eye test) and also had a strong day.

Muskogee already has one top DB for this year in Kyler Harris, but I was impressed by the work ethic and ability of junior Victor Williams. For my money (which isn’t much, by the way), Williams and Teague’s battles were the highlight of my day.

Over at Tulsa Edison, it was John Phillip Hughes who caught my eye. He’s a big boy, about 6-4 and 230 pounds or so, but he showed some real good movement.

Some of your Super 30 kids were in attendance: It was good to see Derrick Alexander of Booker T. and Trent Martin of Jenks. Steven Carpenter of Jenks was there but did not participate. He may have stolen the show if he’d been healthy.

Caught some linemen drills, not too much. I admit I couldn’t identify most of the Tulsa-area ones, but it was good to see Westmoore’s Tyler Newton and Bethany’s Darren Davenport and Hennessey’s Derrick Luetjen again. Newton has a real motor to go with his nice size.

There were 15 juniors there, and I paid close attention to Midwest City’s James Flanders and Putnam North’s Dre Holman. Really think before the end of this year those two names are going to be mentioned at all times when talking about the best of 2012.

Special thanks to OKVarsity.com publisher Justin Mitchell for orchestrating the event and all his assistance.

Look for videos with Westmoore’s Tyler Newton, Del City’s Chazten Gonzales and Yukon’s Corben Jones on NewsOK in the next day or two.

Ready for another Luetjen? Hennessey supporters know what these boys can do and the rest of the state will get a lot more familiar with Derrick Luetjen this year.

Derrick is the younger brother of Matt Luetjen, who will be attending West Point in the fall. Derrick has received offers from West Point and Dartmouth so far.

Derrick’s college future is at defensive end but for now, it’s all about helping the Eagles. Hennessey has made tremendous strides under coach Shannon Watford. This year doesn’t look to be any different.

Following Thursday’s events at the Edmond North team camp, caught with Derrick on how things are going.