What Guthrie forfeits mean for Class 5A
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
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.
Picks: Week 7
So somehow last week, Jason and I wound up picking 11 games since I apparently can’t count to 10. In the interest of padding the win total, we’ll let that stand and give Scott credit for the extra game (Wynnewood over Rush Springs, which Jason and I picked correctly). Scott needed the help after picking Putnam North and Putnam City to come out with wins. Everybody went with Tulsa Union and Lincoln Christian, leading to losses.
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.
6A-4A softball state tournament brackets
At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Class 6A
Thursday
Field 3
Moore vs. Tulsa Union, 11 a.m.
Mustang vs. Broken Arrow, 1 p.m.
Owasso vs. Edmond North, 3 p.m.
Jenks vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 5 p.m.
Friday
Field 4
Mustang/Broken Arrow winner vs. Moore/Tulsa Union winner, noon
Owasso/Edmond North winner vs. Jenks/Edmond Santa Fe winner, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Field 1
Championship, 4 p.m.
Class 5A
Field 1
Thursday
Carl Albert vs. Coweta, 11 a.m.
McAlester vs. Deer Creek, 1 p.m.
Tahlequah vs. Shawnee, 3 p.m.
Lawton MacArthur vs. Grove, 5 p.m.
Friday
Carl Albert/Coweta winner vs. Lawton MacArthur/Grove winner, 2 p.m.
McAlester/Deer Creek winner vs. Tahlequah/Shawnee winner, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 1:30 p.m.
Class 4A
Thursday
Field 4
Blanchard vs. Bethany, 11 a.m.
Oologah vs. Purcell, 1 p.m.
Fort Gibson vs. Tuttle, 3 p.m.
Berryhill vs. Harrah, 5 p.m.
Field 1
Friday
Blanchard/Bethany winner vs. Oologah/Purcell winner, noon
Berryhill/Harrah winner vs. Fort Gibson/Tuttle winner, 2 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 11 a.m.
Rankings preview: Oct. 1
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#5-0
2. Jenks (2)#4-1
3. Midwest City (3)#5-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#4-1
5. Norman (5)#5-0
6. Edmond North (7)#5-0
7. Putnam City (9)#5-0
8. Edmond Santa Fe (NR)#4-1
9. Owasso (8)#3-2
10. Lawton (6)#3-2
A couple of times a year I throw out my rankings and start fresh, take an overall look at the season and don’t constrain myself with past rankings. This is one of those weeks and while their figures to be other classes that are more drastically affected, there is a bit of that here. The biggest questions in my mind were where to place Edmond Santa Fe (and Lawton) and what to do with Putnam City. I considered dropping Broken Arrow a spot but the Tigers still stand as the only team to really challenge Union this season and I’ll give them their small bump Friday. Edmond Santa Fe goes from just outside to No. 8 after their win at Lawton. The Wolverines drop to No. 10. Owasso stays in at No. 9 but has a tough test this week against Union.
Rankings preview: Sept. 24
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#4-0
2. Jenks (2)#3-1
3. Midwest City (3)#4-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#3-1
5. Norman (5)#4-0
6. Lawton (6)#3-1
7. Edmond North (7)#4-0
8. Owasso (9)#2-2
9. Putnam City (10)#4-0
10. Stillwater (NR)#3-1
With Westmoore falling out from No. 8 after its loss to Edmond Santa Fe, there were two logical candidates to take the spot: Edmond Santa Fe, who was ranked before its loss to Midwest City the week before, and Stillwater. I chose the Pioneers based on their recent performances but just barely. Santa Fe gets a tough test next week at Lawton. A good performance there, win or lose, gives the Wolves a chance to move back in.
Brandon Taylor’s injury and other thoughts from Mustang’s Pigskin Preview
Mustang quarterback Brandon Taylor will have X-rays Friday morning on his injured throwing shoulder.
At some point Friday morning, Mustang quarterback Brandon Taylor will find out just how bad he hurt his left shoulder on Thursday night. It could be as minor as a bruise, or as major as a broken collarbone, but it will be important news either way for the Broncos.
There are a lot of new receivers and some young offensive linemen, so they need Taylor’s leadership and experience to hold the offense together. That’s not to say sophomore Frankie Edwards won’t be a good fill-in. He’s a talented young kid, but he doesn’t have the experience of Taylor.
I’ll have the news on Taylor’s shoulder as soon as I hear something.
As for Thursday’s scrimmages, Mustang had some tackling issues on defense, and the offensive line is still growing up. At receiver, Travis Mitchell showed some impressive skills, and could be valuable at receiver.
Here are some other thoughts from the Pigskin Preview:
-El Reno showed some promise, and looked a lot better on offense than when I saw them at team camp in Yukon back in June. Rashaad Copeland and Ray Little are two very dangerous athletes who each made some big plays. Copeland has been drawing some college attention from OSU, Kansas and North Texas.
-Norman North is still looking for some offensive continuity at quarterback. Bryan Payne is a talented running back, but the two QBs — senior Chad Ehrhart and junior Peyton Gavras — had some ups and downs Thursday. Defensively, the Timberwolves were strong against Altus, and they’ll need to hang their hat on that side of the ball while the offense comes along.
-Justin Jones’ first preseason at McGuinness has been a rough one. He had five starters sidelined Thursday, including most of his linebackers. No major injuries, but still, those guys are missing valuable time under a new coach. QB Camden Tharp has a good skillset, and I’d look for him to have a good year. The Irish got a good performance from the offensive line, and that will be important as they try to develop the run game.
-Lawton MacArthur looks good. Really good. I know Tulsa East Central has a lot of star power. I haven’t seen them or any of the other top teams in 5A, but Mac has a lot of athletes all over the place, not to mention the best kicker in the state, which is always a nice feature. RB Darius Graham is a big, strong runner, and Michael Thomas is a beast at cornerback. When he gets in press coverage, his WR isn’t getting off the line of scrimmage most of the time. Most of Mac’s linemen are playing both ways, so that’s always an issue with stamina, but they’re going to be a dangerous team.
-Lawton Eisenhower looks vastly different with Adrian McDonald on the field. The athletically gifted quarterback sat out Thursday night’s scrimmage after suffering a rib injury last week. Coach Boone Copeland said he didn’t know when McDonald would be back, but he’s hoping to have him next week for the opener.
-Altus is obviously battling through a transition, like a lot of teams, but the Bulldogs have a more positive attitude than just about any team I’ve been around this year. Diquon Woodhouse — who is in my top five favorite names in HS football this year — made some solid plays, including a pick-six for Altus’ only TD. He doesn’t seem to have any lingering effects from the sprained MCL in spring ball, even though he still wore a brace for protection.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Lawton MacArthur’s Michael Thomas got physical against Bishop McGuinness
Lawton MacArthur's Michael Thomas has committed to Tulsa. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LAWTON CONSTITUTION
Lawton MacArthur cornerback Michael Thomas (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) is No. 11 on The Oklahoman‘s Super 30 and has committed to play in college at Tulsa.
He was in Oklahoma City on Thursday for a scrimmage at Bishop McGuinness, but we didn’t see much of his coverage skill. The Irish didn’t throw his way much, but Thomas created plenty of his own action with his physicality.
Thomas knocked Irish receivers around, which is what Lawton MacArthur coach Brett Manning said Thomas is best at.
Most receivers can’t really handle him when it comes to blocking. It’s going to take a really special receiver that’s really physically mature to handle him.”
Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @jasonkersey
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Bill Tipton VII Baseball Bracket
Bill Tipton VII
Wednesday
At Carl Albert
McAlester vs. OKC Broncos, 11 a.m.
Carl Albert vs. Weatherford, 1:30
Blanchard vs. Duncan, 4 p.m.
Blanchard vs. Clinton, 6:30
At Shawnee
Yukon vs. Lawton Mac, 11 a.m.
Yukon vs. Bishop McGuinness, 1:30
Shawnee vs. McGuinness, 4 p.m.
Shawnee vs. Ada, 6:30
Thursday
At Carl Albert
Duncan vs. Carl Albert, 11 a.m.
Clinton vs. Carl Albert, 1:30
Altus vs. Clinton, 4 p.m.
Altus vs. Weatherford, 6:30
At Shawnee
McGuinness vs. OKC Broncos, 11 a.m.
McGuinness vs. Ada, 1:30
Yukon vs. McAlester, 4 p.m.
Lawton Mac vs. McAlester, 6:30
Friday
At Carl Albert
Blanchard vs. Altus, 9:30 a.m.
Blanchard vs. Weatherford, noon (I’ll be there)
Duncan vs. Weatherford, 2:30
Duncan vs. Clinton, 5 p.m.
Carl Albert vs. Altus, 7:30
At Shawnee
McAlester vs. Ada, 9:30 a.m.
OKC Broncos vs. Ada, noon
OKC Broncos vs. Lawton Mac, 2:30
Lawton Mac vs. Shawnee, 5 p.m.
Shawnee vs. Yukon, 7:30
Saturday
Games at both sites at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m. Championship game is at Carl Albert at 4 p.m.
Titan Classic schedule…
By 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.
Edmond Open brackets…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I HATE the Edmond Open…hate it. It’s always that dang week in December where it’s the final week of football, and I can never see the basketball.
It’s that way once again. Busy with football this weekend but hoping that somehow I can see the boys final at 8 p.m. Saturday at Memorial. The girls bracket is dynamite, the semis are going to be insane.
Boys (At Memorial)
Thursday
Game 1: Edmond Memorial vs. Santa Fe JV, 3:30
Game 2: Tulsa Central vs. NW Classen, 6:30
Game 3: Lawton Mac vs. Edmond North, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Tulsa Rogers vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 8 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3:30
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 5 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6:30
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Game 9: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 3:30
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 5 p.m.
Game 11: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6:30
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 8 p.m.
Girls (At North)
Thursday
Game 1: Santa Fe vs. Tulsa Rogers, 3:30
Game 2: Bishop McGuinness vs. Edmond Memorial, 6:30
Game 3: Cache vs. Tulsa Central, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Edmond North vs. Southmoore, 8 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3:30
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 5 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6:30
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Game 9: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 12:30
Game 11: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 2 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 3:30
