Darwin Franklin, the son of Millwood’s Hall of Fame boys basketball coach Varryl Franklin, was hired to lead the football team, a move that became official Monday night.

“As a former student at Millwood, we welcome him and think he will be a great addition to our staff,” Griffin said. “It will be a joy to have him and his father working together.”

Darwin Franklin is currently on staff at Centennial High School, where he served as a football assistant in the fall. Varryl Franklin has been Millwood’s basketball coach since 1978, leading the team to 12 of its state-record 15 championships.

Franklin replaces Tony Henry, who stepped down last month after he and his wife accepted teaching jobs on an oil base in Saudi Arabia.

“I’m not giving up coaching, I’m just taking a break,” Henry said. “I enjoyed my time at Millwood and I wish them the best.

“My wife and I are excited for this opportunity. The benefits are great. Our three kids will get the chance to travel and see the world, so they’re excited, too.”

Henry will be working for Saudi Aramco, teaching the children of the oil company’s employees.

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

First-year Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury extended an offer to the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Batson, who was No. 24 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 list ranking the 2014 class of football recruits.

The offer came less than two weeks after one of Kingsbury’s mentors — former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, now at Washington State — offered Batson a scholarship as well.

Batson is also gaining interest from Texas A&M, which has invited him to campus this weekend. Oklahoma State, California and Ohio are among the other programs actively recruiting Batson.

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

Washington State extended an offer on Wednesday, which was initially reported by Rivals.com.

Washington State’s only interaction with Batson, 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, was viewing his game tape, which Millwood coaches sent to Cougars coach Mike Leach.

“They like me as a receiver,” Batson said. “A lot of the schools I’m hearing from see me as a receiver, but some are looking at me as an athlete.”

Batson did a little bit of everything for the Falcons last season. He was among the state’s leaders with nine interceptions as a cornerback, and had 598 receiving yards on just 26 catches, for an average of 23.0 yards per catch. He also rushed 26 times for 347 yards, over 13 yards per carry, and spent time at quarterback, completing 8 of 12 passes for 76 yards and two TDs.

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

The spread offense might be — for lack of a better term — spreading throughout the state, but it hasn’t reached Davis yet, where coach Jody Weber’s Wolves are still running the wishbone to perfection.

So as Millwood prepares for its second-round Class 2A playoff game at Davis Friday night, its players are talking about assignments and toughness, two key components to containing the ‘bone.

“We’ve been playing a lot of teams that have been passing a lot, but I like this kind of game,” Millwood junior linebacker Larry Lambeth said. “I like games that are physical. We’ve just got to have everyone do their one job, stay on their assignment, so the man behind you can do his job.

“If you get greedy, that’s when they beat you.”

Millwood went to Davis in last year’s second round as well, coming away with a 20-7 win. While that game provided good experience for the young Falcons, they know they can’t expect this year to be easier.

“We know since we won last year, they’ll be twice as hungry and twice as eager to beat us,” junior defensive back Cameron Batson said. “So we’ve got to be twice as hungry and twice as eager also. But if we prepare like we should, I think we can go out and do it.”

The toughness aspect is a quality the Falcons especially want to show. Regarded as a fast defense, they want everyone to know they can play physical football, too.

“We’ve got to show that we can play with them, and that they won’t be more physical than us,” junior defensive back Alfonso McMillan said. “We know we’re probably the underdogs going into this game, but we’ll show up.”

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

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).

Cashion’s Cayden Cochran ran for 70 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 173 yards and a score in Valdosta State’s 58-10 win over Edward Waters.

Early in the second quarter, Cochran broke off a 59-yard run.

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Ohio kept its hopes of being a BCS buster alive with a 37-34 win over UMass at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Former Norman North standout Beau Blankenship ran for a career-high 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win. Both of Blankenship’s touchdowns came in the fourth quarter. The first tied the game while the second put Ohio ahead by 10.

Blankenship tied a school records with 43 carries and his 269 yards is the third-highest in school history.

After missing last week’s game, Norman North’s Tyler Tettleton threw for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tettleton has not thrown an interception in 156 attempts dating back to last year.

Guthrie’s Donte’ Foster had four catches for 55 yards.

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Sam Houston State didn’t need huge numbers out of Midwest City product Timothy Flanders in a 50-6 win over Texas Southern.

Flanders had 10 carries for 49 yards and caught two passes for six yards in the win.

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Millwood’s Josh Turner had seven tackles, four solo, in Texas’ 41-36 win over Oklahoma State.

Tulsa Central’s Demarco Cobbs had three tackles for the Longhorns, getting the start at SLB.

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Carl Albert’s Christian Smith had two tackles and a pass breakup and Jenks’ Orion Jones had a tackle for a loss in Toledo’s 37-17 win over Western Michigan.

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Lawton’s Cornelius Douglas had  two interceptions and three tackles as Texas Tech’s surprising defense helped the Red Raiders to a 24-13 win over Iowa State.

Douglas returned his second interception 40 yards to the Iowa State 9 with the Red Raiders up by one. Two plays later, Texas Tech extended the lead.

Carl Albert’s Tre’ Porter had four tackles and a pass breakup

Owasso’s Jacques Washington led Iowa State with 12 tackles and had an interception.

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Millwood’s Davion Pierson, making the start at defensive tackle, had three tackles in TCU’s 24-16 win over SMU.

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Former Jenks quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen threw for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Northern Iowa’s 33-21 loss to North Dakota State.

Del City’s Tim Clark had a pair of tackles.

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Carl Albert’s Joe Stoner had three tackles and a 47-yard fumble return as New Mexico nearly pulled off an upset of Boise State before falling 32-29.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Stoner picked up the fumble and returned it to the Boise State 1. Two plays later, New Mexico scored to pull to within three. The fumble recovery was Stoner’s seventh of his career.

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Lawton’s Tyrequek Zimmerman had eight tackles, Oregon State’s 38-35 win over Arizona.

Tulsa Washington’s Michael Doctor added two tackles.

Douglass’ Cayman Bundage had a tackle for Arizona.

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Lincoln Christian’s Roman Wilson had a 44-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter of Princeton’s 33-6 win over Columbia.

Wilson had three catches for 73 yards.

Tulsa Kelley’s Mark Hayes had a six-yard reception.

Edmond Santa Fe’s Brian Mills had two tackles.

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Muskogee’s Vernon Scott ran for 26 yards in Missouri State’s 17-7 loss to South Dakota State.

Edmond Santa Fe’s Tre Kelley had a five-yard reception.

Norman North’s Nick Canavan had five tackles while Star Spencer’s Jason Fitch added four. Tulsa Union’s Howard Scarborough had three and a fumble recovery.

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Sequoyah-Tahlequah’s Nathan Stanley threw for 187 yards and a touchdown in Southeastern Louisiana’s 31-21 win over Lamar.

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Glenpool’s Codey Zickefoose led Arkansas Tech with seven tackles in the Wonder Boys’ 41-20 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Zickefoose also had a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.

Claremore’s Greg Dicks also had one tackle, while Glenpool’s Tim Van Orsdol started on the offensive line.

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Edmond Santa Fe’s Randy Ponder had three tackles, one for a loss, in Missouri’s 21-16 win over Central Florida.

Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers had a special teams tackle as well.

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Owasso’s Nick Rosa had an 11-yard touchdown reception for Drake in its 35-7 win over Campbell.

Rosa had seven catches for 92 yards to lead Drake in receiving.

Edmond North’s Cam Bohnert had a pair of punts for a 32.5-yard average.

Holland Hall’s Seth Hedman had four tackles.

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Ponca City’s Brent Wilson had eight carries for 20 yards and threw for 42 yards on four completions in Emporia State’s 37-26 win over Lincoln (Missouri).

Muskogee’s Shjuan Richardson had seven catches for 66 yards and Ponca City’s Adam Schlitz had two catches for 36 yards. Richardson also had a pair of kickoff returns.

Midwest City’s Kevin Gaddis returned a kick 27 yards.

McGuinness’ Chris Poston had five tackles. Del City’s Jeff Richards had an interception, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Luther’s Justin Wilson had one tackle.

Norman North’s Lance Uhles and Collinsville’s Trey Rodgers started on the offensive line for Emporia State.

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Bartlesville’s Kirby Schoenthaler had a pair of catches for 14 yards and Muskogee’s Victor Williams had an eight-yard reception in Dartmouth’s 28-21 loss to Penn.

Schoenthaler also returned three kicks for 72 yards.

Verdigris’ Cohle Fowler started on the offensive line for Dartmouth.

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Norman North’s Beau Traber had eight tackles in Bucknell’s 15-10 loss to Cornell.

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Metro Christian’s Rylan Hess had five tackles in Colorado School of Mines’ 54-28 loss to Western New Mexico.

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Tulsa Union’s Terrell Williams had six tackles and Muskogee’s Robert Thomas had one in Arkansas’ 58-10 loss to Texas A&M.

Broken Arrow’s Alvin Bailey started on the offensive line for the Razorbacks.

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Carl Albert’s David Oku ran for 79 yards and  had three catches for 27 yards in Arkansas State’s 26-13 loss to Western Kentucky.

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McGuinness’ Kris Parham ran for 36 yards and had four catches for 25 yards in Weber State’s 37-13 loss to UC-Davis.

Parham also returned four kickoffs for 76 yards.

Edmond Memorial’s Anthony Morales led Weber State with 11 tackles, including one for a loss. Edmond Santa Fe’s Willie Okwuonu had eight tackles, Edmond Memorial’s David James added four, Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers had three. Edmond Santa Fe’s Trevor Pletcher had two tackles and a quarterback hurry.

Jenks’ Devin Pugh had a pair of tackles and an interception and Putnam City’s Robbie Diamond had one tackle.

Putnam North’s Josh Booker had one carry. Edmond Santa Fe’s Alex Land started at right guard for Weber State.

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Midwest City’s Ricky Reeves had three tackles and a pair of pass breakups in South Dakota’s 34-31 loss to Illinois State.

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Broken Arrow’s Rowdy Harper started on the offensive line in Houston’s 35-14 win over Rice.

Houston had 608 yards of total offense.

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Marlow’s Colt McCauley started on the offensive line in Southeast Missouri State’s 31-16 win over Jacksonville State.

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Bixby’s Michael Nelson started at wide receiver but had no catches in Missouri Southern’s 35-10 loss to Central Missouri.

One-third of Ohio’s Oklahoma connection missed the Bobcats’ game against Norfolk State on Saturday.

Former Norman North quarterback Tyler Tettleton, who had thrown for 781 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception in Ohio’s first three games, was held out with an undisclosed injury.

USA Today reported that Tettleton’s injury was to his abdomen.

With Derrius Vick in Tettleton’s place, though, the Bobcats didn’t skip a beat.

Norman North product Beau Blankenship ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in Ohio’s 44-10 win over Norfolk State. Blankenship ran for 109 yards, topping 100 yards for the fourth consecutive game.

Guthrie’s Donte’ Foster caught five passes, tying a career high, for 69 yards and two touchdowns, including Ohio’s first less than three minutes into the game. Blankenship’s 24-yard touchdown catch came just three minutes later.

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Carl Albert’s David Oku ran for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Arkansas State’s 56-0 win over Alcorn State. Oku also had a five-yard reception.

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Sequoyah-Tahlequah’s Nathan Stanley hit freshman tight end Taylor Jenkins for a three-yard touchdown pass with 2:39 left to give Southeastern Louisiana a 25-24 upset win over FCS No. 17 McNeese State.

Stanley, a transfer from Ole Miss, was 21 of 35 with 247 yards passing. Stanley also rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown and had a 42-yard punt.

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Millwood’s Davion Pierson, a redshirt freshman, had two tackles and a fumble recovery in TCU’s 27-7 win over Virginia.

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Tulsa Washington’s Michael Doctor had a team-high nine tackles–eight solo–in Oregon State’s 27-20 upset of then-No. 19 UCLA.

Doctor, starting at weakside linebacker, had one tackle for a loss.

Lawton’s Tyrequek Zimmerman, who started at strong safety, added four solo tackles in the upset.

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Midwest City’s Timothy Flanders kept up his big production for Sam Houston State against Central Arkansas.

Flanders ran for  125 yards and a pair of touchdowns and had one reception in the Bearkats’ 24-20 loss in Conway, Ark.

The 100-yard game was Flanders’ 17th of his career at Sam Houston State. He also moved to No. 5 in Southland Conference history in career rushing touchdowns with 39. The conference record is 52.

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Owasso’s Nick Rosa caught a 16-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to put Drake ahead for good in its 28-25 win over Morehead State. Rosa finished with two catches for 22 yards and an eight-yard kick return.

Edmond North’s Cam Bohnert had three punts for a 34-yard average, including one inside the 20.

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Carl Albert’s Christian Smith had four tackles, including a sack, and Jenks’ Orion Jones had three tackles in Toledo’s 38-28 win over Coastal Carolina.

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Muskogee’s Shjuan Richardson had an 11-yard touchdown catch with less than four minutes left to help seal Emporia State’s 30-20 win over Northeastern State. Richardson had three catches for 53 yards and a 23-yard kick return in the win.

Ponca City’s Adam Schlitz had a three-yard reception, Midwest City’s Kevin Gaddis had 44 return yards and Del City’s Jeff Richards had a 23-yard kick return.

McGuinness’ Chris Poston had eight tackles, Alva’s Derek Lohmann, Gaddis and Richards had five each and Luther’s Justin Wilson had two as the Hornets improved to 4-0.

Piedmont’s Jordan McAdoo, Norman North’s Lance Uhles and Collinsville’s Trey Rodgers started on the offensive line, which helped Emporia State post 452 yards of total offense.

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A week after being part of Pittsburgh’s upset over Virginia Tech, the Panthers rolled to a 55-10 win over Gardner-Webb.

Tulsa Washington’s Isaac Bennett scored Pitt’s final two touchdowns in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Bennett ran for 52 yards.

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This one has been covered a bit but Tulsa Washington’s Tyler Lockett had four catches for 37 yards and Jenks’ Tramaine Thompson had three catches for 49 yards in Kansas State’s 24-19 upset at Oklahoma.

Thompson had a third-down reception for a first down on each of Kansas State’s final two drives.

Thompson and Lockett each had one rushing attempt as well as a kickoff return each.

Tulsa Washington’s Dante Barnett had one tackle, while fellow Hornet Keenan Taylor started on the offensive line.

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Carl Albert’s Joe Stoner had four tackles in New Mexico’s 27-14 win over rival New Mexico State. Stoner also recovered a fumble and had a pass break up. The recovery was the sixth of Stoner’s career.

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Glenpool’s Israel Maselera returned a punt for a touchdown to start Pittsburg State’s 59-17 win over Lincoln.

Sand Springs’ Darrack Harger ran for 12 yards and threw for 34 yards.

Sand Springs’ Tyler Smith started at left guard.

Defensively, Tulsa East Central’s Dino Teague had five tackles, Tulsa Washington’s Aries Herrion and Catoosa’s Joe Uzzel had two each. Sand Springs’ Matt Anderson and Maselera had one tackle.

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Tulsa Kelley’s Mark Hayes had a 10-yard touchdown reception but Princeton fell 21-20 to Georgetown. The catch was Hayes’ only reception.

Lincoln Christian’s Roman Wilson had two catches for a team-high 62 yards.

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Heritage Hall’s Turner Petersen scored on a 30-yard run in the first quarter of Rice’s eventual 54-51 loss to Marshall in double overtime.

Petersen had 16 carries for 76 yards on the ground and caught a pair of passes for 20 yards.

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McGuinness’ Kris Parham is a running back but his biggest play in Weber State’s 32-26 loss to Eastern Washington was a pass.

Parham threw a 33-yard completion in the second quarter. He finished with 31 yards rushing on three carries and had a pair of kick returns. Putnam North’s Josh Booker had a single four-yard carry.

Edmond Santa Fe’s Trevor Pletcher caught a late two-point conversion pass.

Defensively, Edmond Memorial’s Anthony Morales led the Wildcats with 16 tackles, three for loss. Another former Bulldogs standout, David James, added six tackles, as did Jenks’ Devin Pugh. Pletcher also had three tackles.

Putnam City’s Robbie Diamond, Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers and Edmond Santa Fe’s Alex Land had a tackle each.

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Lawton’s Sonny Puletasi had a pair of tackles, including a sack for 11 yards, in Wyoming’s 40-37 overtime win over Idaho.

Puletasi’s sack came in the closing seconds of the first half and he both forced and recovered a fumble on the play.

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Midwest City’s Ricky Reeves had a tackle in South Dakota’s 38-7 loss to Northwestern.

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Edmond Santa Fe’s Randy Ponder had seven tackles in Missouri’s 31-10 loss to South Carolina.

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Verdigris’ Cohle Fowler started on the offensive line for Dartmouth in its 13-10 win over Holy Cross. Bartlesville’s Kirby Schoenthaler had one two-yard reception in the win.

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Tulsa Union’s Terrell Williams had 12 tackles, one for a loss, in Arkansas’ 35-26 loss to Rutgers.

Muskogee’s Robert Thomas added four tackles and Tulsa Washington’s Eric Bennett three.

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Glenpool’s Codey Zickefoose had five tackles in Arkansas Tech’s 31-24 loss to Ouachita Baptist. Glenpool’s Tim Van Orsdol started on the offensive line for the Wonder Boys.

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Tonkawa’s Jake Love and Tulsa Washington’s John Williams had two tackles each in Kansas’ 30-23 loss to Northern Illinois. Owasso’s Gavin Howard started on the offensive line.

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Muskogee’s Vernon Scott had 14 yards rushing and a reception in Missouri State’s 14-6 loss to Southern Illinois.

Norman North’s Nick Canavan had five tackles and Tulsa Union’s Howard Scarborough had four in the loss.

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Norman North’s Beau Traber had four tackles–assisting on a sack–in Bucknell’s 20-14 loss to Lafayette.

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Idabel’s Kevin Rucker had a tackle in Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s 24-21 win over Alabama State.

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Metro Christian’s Rylan Hess had three tackles and a pass breakup in Colorado School of Mines’ 42-37 loss to New Mexico Highlands.

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Marlow’s Colt McCauley started on the offensive line for Southeast Missouri State in its 41-38 overtime win over Tennessee Tech.

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Mustang’s Kyle Webster had two pass attempts with no completions and had 16 yards rushing in Missouri Southern’s 16-13 loss to Southwest Baptist. Bixby’s Michael Nelson had one carry for a seven-yard loss.

A look at how Oklahoma high school alums fared in out-of-state college action over the weekend:

A week before Kansas State comes to Norman, a couple of former Oklahoma high school stars turned in big performances in the WIldcats’ 35-21 win over North Texas on Saturday night.

The Mean Green took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when former Tulsa Washington standout Tyler Lockett returned the kick 96 yards to tie the game up.

The next two Kansas State touchdowns were scored by former Jenks standout Tramaine Thompson–one from 38 yards out and the other from 21.

Thompson finished with five catches for 102 yards. Lockett added another 23-yard kick return and a six-yard catch.

Tulsa Washington’s Keenan Taylor started on the offensive line for Kansas State. Dante Barnett (Tulsa Washington), Andre McDonald (Choctaw) and Zach Trujillo (Deer Creek) played but didn’t record any stats in the win.

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This is becoming a weekly staple but once again the Oklahoma connection paid off for Ohio. Norman North’s Tyler Tettleton threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 35 yards, former Timberwolves standout Beau Blankenship ran for 102 yards and Guthrie’s Donte’ Foster had three catches for 30 yards in the Bobcats’ 27-24 come-from-behind win over Marshall.

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Former Tulsa Washington standout Isaac Bennett had two rushes for eight yards and two catches for 14 yards in Pittsburgh’s 35-17 upset of Virginia Tech.

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Not much positive came out of Arkansas’ 52-0 blowout at the hands of Alabama.
Former McGuinness standout kicker Cameron Bryan came up with a nice play on special teams, sprinting down and downing a punt inside the 5 in the first half.

Bryan handled kickoff duties in eight games for Arkansas in 2009 but after Zach Hocker continued to solidify himself in the kicker roll just prior to the season, Brayn asked to be given a chance to play on kick coverage.

You can read more about him here: http://newsok.com/mcguinness-product-cameron-bryan-joins-arkansas-kickoff-coverage-team/article/3707537

Tulsa Washington’s Eric Bennett had six tackles, Tulsa Union’s Terrell Williams had one and Muskogee’s Robert Thomas had a pair of quarterback hurries.

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Former Tulsa Central standout Demarco Cobbs had four tackles and Millwood’s Josh Turner had three tackles in Texas’ 66-31 win at Ole Miss. Cobbs got the start at strongside linebacker.

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Former Carl Albert star David Oku ran for 44 yards and had 11 yards receiving in Arkansas State’s 42-13 loss to Nebraska.

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Carl Albert’s Christian Smith had three tackles and Jenks’ Orion Jones had one in Toledo’s 27-15 win over Bowling Green.

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Metro Christian’s Rylan Hess had four tackles in Colorado School of Mines’ 42-19 win over Black Hills State. Hess also had a blocked pass.

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NCAA Division II No. 1 Pittsburg State beat Southwest Baptist 52-9 on Saturday with the help of a few Oklahomans.
Catoosa’s Joe Uzzel had three tackles and Israel Maselera and Dino Teague (Tulsa East Central) had two tackles. Teague had a sack. Darrack Harger (Sand Springs) was 2-for 3 with 18 yards passing and rushed for -6 yards.
Uzzel started at defensive end, while Collinsville’s Chance Riley started at tight end and Sand Springs’ Tyler Smith at left guard.

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Former Millwood star Davion Pierson continues to impress at Texas Christian. Pierson started and had five tackles–1.5 for loss (0.5 sacks)–in TCU’s 20-6 win over Kansas.
Tulsa Washington’s John Williams had three tackles for Kansas. Owasso’s Gavin Howard started on the offensive line for the Jayhawks.

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Timothy Flanders, a former Midwest City star, scored a touchdown late in the first half as Sam Houston State built a lead on Baylor. But the Bears came back to win 48-23. Flanders ran for 84 yards and had another 56 yards receiving in the loss. Former Norman North standout K.J. Williams played for SHSU as well.

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Lawton Sonny Puletasi usually starts for Wyoming at defensive end but made a mark on the other side Saturday, catching a two-point conversion pass in the second quarter of the Cowboys’ game against Cal Poly. It wasn’t enough, though, as Wyoming fell 24-22. Puletasi had three tackles, while Tulsa Washington’s T.J. Smith saw time for Wyoming as well.

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Cayman Bundage, a freshman out of Douglass, didn’t start but saw playing time in Arizona’s 56-0 blowout of South Carolina State. Owasso’s Trent Spurgeon played for the Wildcats as well.

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Brandon Swindall, a Millwood product, played for Utah State as the Aggies nearly pulled off a second consecutive upset, before falling to Wisconsin 16-14.

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McGuinness’ Kris Parham ran for 23 yards and Putnam North’s Josh Booker ran for 9 in Weber State’s 35-21 loss to McNeese State. Parham also had 72 kickoff return yards on three chances. Edmond Santa Fe’s Willie Okwuonu led Weber State with nine tackles–all solo–in the loss. Edmond Memorial’s Anthony Morales had 6.5 tackles, Edmond Memorial’s David James had three, Edmond Santa Fe’s Trevor Pletcher had two, and Putnam City’s Robbie Diamond, Jenks’ Devin Pugh and Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers had one each.

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Bartlesville’s Kirby Schoenthaler had three catches for 27 yards in Dartmouth’s season-opening 35-7 win over Butler. Muskogee freshman Victor Williams had a carry for three yards and two catches for five yards. Tulsa Union’s Corbin Stall had a sack. Verdigris’ Cohle Fowler started on the offensive line.

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Former Muskogee standout Shjuan Richardson had seven catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns in Emporia State’s 42-14 win over UCO. Ponca City’s Adam Schlitz had four catches for 48 yards and Ponca City’s Brent Wilson had two runs for eight yards in the win.

McGuinness’ Chris Poston had three tackles and an interception, Alva’s Derek Lohmann and Midwest City’s Kevin Gaddis each had five tackles and a forced fumble, Del City’s Jeff Richards had five tackles and Luther’s Justin Wilson had a pair of tackles. Norman North’s Lance Uhles, Collinsville’s Trey Rodgers and Piedmont’s Jordan McAdoo all started on the offensive line as Emporia State racked up 538 yards of total offense. Northwest’s Andre Maupin and Broken Arrow’s Josh Moses also played.

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Lincoln Christian’s Roman Wilson caught a two-point conversion pass with about five minutes left to lift Princeton to within three but Princeton fell to Lehigh 17-14. Wilson had four catches for 40 yards to lead Princeton in receiving and added a 23-yard catch. Tulsa Kelley’s Mark Hayes started at tight end for Princeton while fellow Comet Michael Major saw action.

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Muskogee’s Vernon Scott ran for 46 yards and a touchdown, caught one pass and returned a kick in Missouri State’s 28-23 loss to Murray State. Norman North’s Nick Canavan had seven tackles and Tulsa Union’s Howard Scarborough added three in the loss. Jenks’ Ryan Boatright, Star Spencer’s Jason Fitch and Edmond Santa Fe’s Tre Kelley also saw time for Missouri State.

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Former Heritage Hall star Turner Petersen ran for 47 yards and had 13 yards receiving in the Owls’ 56-37 loss to Louisiana Tech.

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Carl Albert’s Joe Stoner had five tackles in New Mexico’s 49-14 loss to Texas Tech. Another former Titan, Tre’ Porter, played for Texas Tech but did not record any statistics.

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Norman North’s Beau Traber had six tackles in Bucknell’s 19-3 loss to Delaware.

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Owasso’s Jacques Washington had a pair of tackles in Iowa State’s 37-3 win over Western Illinois. Washington started at free safety. Jenks’ Bob Graham also saw time on the offensive line.

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Edmond Santa Fe’s Randy Ponder had five tackles in the Missouri’s 24-20 win over Arizona State. Edmond North’s Xavier Smith had one. Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers also saw time.

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Owasso’s Nick Rosa scored on a seven-yard touchdown pass and finished with five catches for 60 yards in Drake’s 27-10 loss to Indiana State. Holland Hall’s Seth Hedman had five tackles.

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Bixby’s Michael Nelson had a nine-yard catch in Missouri Southern’s 21-14 win over Lincoln (Mo.). Norman North’s Riley Nolan also played in the win.

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Broken Arrow’s Rowdy Harper started on the offensive line for Houston in the Cougars’ 37-6 loss to UCLA. Norman’s Zach Johnson also saw time.

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Marlow’s Colt McCauley started at left guard for Southeast Missouri in its 35-14 loss to Southern Illinois.

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Glenpool’s Codey Zickefoose, who started at linebacker, had a tackle in Arkansas Tech’s 73-34 loss to Henderson State. Glenpool’s Tim VanOrsdol started at left tackle.

Know someone I missed? Let me know in the comments or with an e-mail.

Sanders brings his 0-2 team to town coming off a 48-30 loss to Bishop Dunne. Millwood, on the other hand, has knocked off two of its top rivals, Star Spencer and Douglass, to start the season.

Three Points

1. Who is Winning? In case you missed it, Sanders said his team’s mascot is Winning, for what that’s worth. But regardless, it had to be tough for Millwood to scout these guys much. With only two games behind them, Prime Prep is a significant unknown at this point. Millwood’s ability to react to the unexpected will be a major determining factor in the game.

2. Larry or no Larry? The Falcons’ top linebacker and power running back, Larry Lambeth, hasn’t played since injuring his foot in the first game of the season. He could return tonight, or coach Tony Henry could hold him out another week or two. Millwood has another non-district game next week, so it’s most important to have Lambeth healthy for all six district games and beyond. That said, Lambeth’s strong running style would be a big benefit if the weather gets nasty tonight.

3. To the air. Millwood had plenty of success throwing the ball against Douglass last week, but if the weather turns wet, that could be an issue. Still, if QB London Potts can be on point with his shorter throws, his receivers have the ability to turn those into big plays. The key is not giving the ball away, which Potts was very good about last week.

The Pick

Millwood 35, Prime Prep 28: This is really a blind stab in the dark. It’s impossible to know what to expect from Prime Prep, but I’ve seen Millwood up close, and they know how to win.

NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the co-coach of the football team at the Dallas-area school he created, Prime Prep Academy, will bring his squad to Millwood for a game at 7 p.m. Friday.

Prime Prep has come under scrutiny over its eligibility to play in games governed by the UIL, Texas’ version of the OSSAA. The school enrolled players from outside its proper boundaries who would not be considered eligible in the first year of the school’s existence, according to reports.

That’s why Prime Prep scheduled Millwood, which originally had a bye this week. Prime Prep had to find opponents outside the UIL, since it could not compete in district play. It opened with a 50-6 loss to Dallas Parish Episcopal on Aug. 31.

Here’s some reading on Prime Prep, in case you’re curious:

Some coaches and players had a run-in with a TV reporter.

The school pulls out of varsity district games in some sports. 

Deion says the team’s nickname is “Winning”

Opposing coach talks to Prime Prep players after beating them 50-6 

Regardless of the circumstances, the Falcons are excited to play in a game that is drawing significant attention in Oklahoma and Texas.

“It’s gonna be a big game,” Millwood junior Quincy Dotson said. “People are gonna be paying attention to it. We’re gonna try our best to be ready for it.”

Millwood coach Tony Henry doesn’t know if he’ll have one of his best players in running back/linebacker Larry Lambeth, who suffered a foot injury in the season opener against Star Spencer.

At the latest, Lambeth hopes to be back for the start of district play in Week 5. The Falcons’ final non-district game is Sept. 21.

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

A look back at the weekend in college football involving Oklahoma athletes playing out of state:

Former Carl Albert and Tennessee running back David Oku found a new home at Arkansas State just before fall practices began. Once former Auburn standout Michael Dyer was denied a request for immediate eligibility, Oku immediately shot to the top of the Red Wolves’ depth chart.

Saturday in a 33-28 win over Justin Fuente-coached Memphis, Oku ran for 130 yards and a touchdowns–the game-winner.

Oku also had an 8-yard reception while former Oklahoma signee Josh Jarboe had 101 yards receiving for Gus Malzahn’s team.

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Former Midwest City standout Timothy Flanders became Sam Houston State’s career rushing leader, running for 120 yards and a touchdown in a 54-7 win over Incarnate Word. Flanders now has 2,709 yards for the Bearkats. He also extended his school record for rushing touchdowns to 37. Both of Flanders’ touchdowns came in the first quarter.

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Once again, Oklahoma high school products dominated a win by Ohio, this one a 51-24 win over New Mexico in the Bobcats’ home opener after they beat Penn State a week earlier.

Norman North grad Beau Blankenship rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns, fellow Timberwolves product Tyler Tettleton threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns and Guthrie’s Donte’ Foster had a team-high five catches for 57 yards and a score.

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A pair of former state standouts played big parts in Oregon State’s 10-7 upset over Wisconsin. Lawton’s Tyrequek Zimmerman had seven tackles, tied for a team high, while Tulsa Washington’s Michael Doctor had three tackles in the win. Both started on defense, Doctor at linebacker and Zimmerman at strong safety. Another Lawton product, Jabral Johnson, saw action for the Beavers.

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Former Tulsa Central star Demarco Cobbs had five tackles and former Millwood standout Josh Turner had two in Texas’ 45-0 win over New Mexico. Carl Albert’s Joe Stoner had three tackles for New Mexico.

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Millwood product Brandon Swindall had a pair of catches for 16 yards in Utah State’s 27-20 win over rival Utah. Another former Falcons standout, Cameron Sanders, had a tackle in the win.

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Tulsa Washington’s Tyler Lockett continues to emerge as a star for Kansas State. Lockett had three catches for 59 yards in the WIldcats’ 52-13 win over Miami. He also had two rushes for 14 yards and returned two kicks for 54 yards. Deer Creek’s Zach Trujillo had a 58-yard catch late in the blowout while Jenks’ Tramaine Thompson had three catches for 57 yards and a 12-yard punt return. Choctaw’s Andre McDonald and Tulsa Washington’s Dante Barnett also saw time.

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Former Millwood standout Davion Pierson started at defensive tackle and had a tackle for a loss in TCU’s 56-0 win over Grambling State. Del City’s Jamelle Naff also saw action for the Horned Frogs. Both are redshirt freshmen.

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Owasso’s Jacques Washington, starting at free safety for Iowa State, had six tackles and a 26-yard interception return in the Cyclones’ 9-6 win over Iowa. Jenks’ Bob Graham also saw time for Iowa State.

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Former Heritage Hall standout Turner Petersen ran for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Owls’ 25-24 win over Kansas. Petersen also had a 14-yard reception. Owasso’s Gavin Howard started on the offensive line for Kansas, while Tonkawa’s Jake Love and Tulsa Washington’s John Williams also saw action.

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Carl Albert product Christian Smith had five tackles, including two for a loss (one sack) in Toledo’s 34-31 win over Wyoming. Jenks’ Orion Jones also saw action for Toledo. Lawton’s Sonny Puletasi started at defensive end for the Cowboys while Tulsa Washington’s T.J. Smith saw action.

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Missouri didn’t have much luck in its SEC opener, losing 41-20 to Georgia but Edmond Santa Fe product Randy Ponder had four tackles. Edmond North’s Xavier Smith and Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers also saw action.

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Houston lost again, this time 56-49 to Louisiana Tech but Broken Arrow’s Rowdy Harper started on the Cougars’ offensive line that produced 693 yards of total offense.

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Weber State didn’t do much scoring in its 45-13 loss at BYU but both touchdowns came courtesy of Oklahoma products. Putnam City North’s Josh Booker and McGuinness’ Kris Parham each found the end zone on 1-yard runs. Booker finished with 64 yards rushing, while Parham had 15. Booker also had 17 yards receiving while Parham added a 9-yard catch. Parham also had 5 kick returns for 93 yards, including one for 34 yards. On defense, Edmond Santa Fe’s Willie Okwuonu had eight tackles, Jenks’ Devin Pugh had five, Putnam City’s Robbie Diamond had five, Edmond Memorial’s David James had three, Edmond Memorial’s Anthony Morales had two, Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers had one and Edmond Santa Fe’s Trevor Pletcher had a pass breakup. Edmond Santa Fe’s Alex Land also started on Weber State’s offensive line.

Three Points

1. Trojan blocking. Douglass’ young offensive line got all it could handle from Tulsa Washington last week, but Millwood won’t be able to bring that kind of size in the front seven. However, Millwood might have a little more speed up there, so it will be a different kind of task for the Trojans. They need to establish the run game and protect freshman QB Patrick McKaufman when he tries to throw. They were inconsistent in those areas last week, and it slowed the offense.

2. Falcons in the air. With London Potts at QB, Millwood has a better passing attack this year, to go with a lot of athletic ability at receiver. But the Douglass secondary is one of its strongest areas. If Potts can hit a few big passes early, it will open up the run game for a talented group of RBs.

3. Soul-mentum. The thing that regularly makes the Soul Bowl so great is that neither team can gain enough momentum to get a big lead and put the game away. The opponent always has an answer. If either team should find the strength to do it today, it would surprise me.

The Pick

Douglass 35, Millwood 34: Both teams have more balanced offenses than a year ago, when this was a slugfest of running backs. Look for big plays both on the ground and in the air from each side, and once again, a Soul Bowl Thriller.

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

NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders will bring his Prime Prep Academy football team to Oklahoma City to face Millwood on Sept. 14.

Millwood’s football schedule had an open spot in Week 3, and Prime Prep Academy of the Dallas area has suddenly found itself in need of opponents.

So it was a perfect pairing for the two teams, which have agreed to meet at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Millwood, according to Falcons coach Tony Henry.

Prime Prep, a charter school co-founded by NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was told by the University Interscholastic League, which oversees high school sports in Texas, that it could not field a team for varsity athletics in its district.

Because the game at Millwood is not a District 11-3A game, the UIL ruling has no bearing. The UIL’s decision to ban Prime Prep from varsity district games was based on the school’s use of players from school districts outside the proper parameters.

Prime Prep draws students from 19 school districts, but only those who reside in the Dallas Independent School District are allowed to play varsity sports in the first year of the school’s existence.

According to reports, Prime Prep is expected to open its season Aug. 31 against Parish Episcopal of Dallas, which plays in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, not governed by the UIL.

Millwood, which is in the winner’s bracket of the All-City Preview scrimmages Friday night at Douglass, will open the season Aug. 31 at home against Star Spencer, then head to Douglass for the Soul Bowl Sept. 8.

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

Millwood junior Larry Lambeth will be a central figure as a running back and linebacker.

One glimpse of Millwood linebacker Larry Lambeth and you can tell he’s ready to wreak havoc on Class 2A ball-carriers.

A starting linebacker since he was a freshman, Lambeth is in the best condition of his career at a rock-solid 235 pounds.

In order to get the best defensive players on the field, Lambeth could play outside linebacker at times, rather than his customary middle spot.

“We want to make sure we’ve got everybody that’s good at a spot they can play,” Lambeth said. “Outside linebacker is new to me, but I’m working hard to learn it. I’ve been coming out here with (starting cornerback) Cameron Batson working on pass coverage. Just doing whatever it takes to get it done.”

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

Millwood's Quira Demery, right, will play college basketball at Tennessee Tech,. PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN

Millwood senior basketball standout Quira Demery signed with Tennessee Tech, which plays NCAA Division I basketball in the Ohio Valley Conference, on Thursday.

Demery led Millwood to the Class 3A state championship as a senior, averaging15.9 points per game through the season.

In the state tournament, Demery averaged 16.7 points, including a 21-point, 11-rebound performance in the Falcons’ title-game win over Prague.

Demery’s performance helped Millwood snap a three-year streak of runner-up finishes.

Caitlyn Spurgeon, left, puts up a shot over Anadarko's Lakota Beatty in the first round of last year's Class 4A state tournament. Vinita has beaten Anadarko out of the state tourney in four straight seasons. PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN

Yesterday, I posted my large-school girls’ basketball power poll. Today, I present my poll for Classes 4A, 3A and 2A.

This one was obviously much harder to narrow down to 10 teams because of the added class.

I try to take the coaches’ rankings, strength of schedule and my own judgment to determine my poll. Much of this poll, you’ll find, is quite different from the coaches’ rankings. I try my best to explain why I ranked the teams the way I did.

As always, please leave comments or shoot me an e-mail with your thoughts.

1. Anadarko (4A, 21-1)
The Warriors’ only loss came to 5A No. 1 Shawnee. Lakota Beatty will be one of the top recruits in the state as a senior next season, and she’s been fantastic as a junior. Anadarko has been beaten out of the state tournament in the first round by Vinita (ranked fourth in this poll) in four straight seasons.
Record vs. this poll: 2-0

2. Fort Gibson (4A, 22-1)
The defending 4A state champions will enter the playoffs as a strong contender to return to state and bring home the gold ball. The Tigers’ only loss was to 5A No. 2 Tulsa East Central.
Record vs. this poll: 1-0

3. Northeast Academy (2A, 19-2)
Northeast is ranked No. 5 in the 2A coaches’ poll, and I can’t understand that for the life of me. A seven-point loss to 6A No. 2 Midwest City and a close loss to Holland Hall in the Stroud Tournament are the team’s only two setbacks over the course of a brutal schedule. Northeast’s resume includes a win over 5A No. 4 Carl Albert.
Record vs. this poll: 1-0

4. Vinita (4A, 20-3)
Hornets have won 12 straight since losing to Tulsa Washington and Jenks in a tournament over the holiday break. Senior Caitlyn Spurgeon, an Arkansas Tech signee, is one of the state’s top scorers.
Record vs. this poll: 0-0

5. Snyder (2A, 18-2)
The defending 2A champs’ two losses are both to No. 1 teams — 4A No. 1 Anadarko and A No. 1 Chattanooga. However, Snyder has beaten Chattanooga twice this year.
Record vs. this poll: 0-1

6. Kansas (3A, 19-2)
Only losses are to Fort Gibson and Class 6A Jenks, and both came during the Tournament of Champions in late December. The Comets have played a tough schedule.
Record vs. this poll: 0-1

7. Prague (3A, 21-1)
Red Devils’ only loss came to Jenks in the Tournament of Champions. Schedule includes impressive wins over Skiatook, Chandler and Perkins-Tryon.
Record vs. this poll: 0-0

8. Sulphur (3A, 21-1)
Only loss came to Anadarko, and wins over Mount St. Mary and Caddo are impressive. The Bulldogs haven’t played too tough a schedule on the whole, though.
Record vs. this poll: 0-1

9. Millwood (3A, 17-5)
Arnelia Spears’ team has played a tough schedule that includes losses to Carl Albert, Northeast, Bishop McGuinness and Dallas Skyline. Wins over Piedmont and Mustang give the Falcons credibility, plus, Millwood suffered through injuries early in the season.
Record vs. this poll: 0-1

10. Oktaha (2A, 25-0)
Oktaha and Amber-Pocasset are both unbeaten and ranked second and third, respectively, in Class 2A by the coaches behind Snyder. I give the slight edge to Oktaha right now, but neither school has played a tough schedule.
Record vs. this poll: 0-0

That’s exactly what Millwood’s Mandrell Dean did in junior high.

The footage is here, in a video I recorded with Oklahoman sports editor Mike Sherman, who covered Mandrell as a high school beat writer in the early 1990s.

We talk about Dean, his legacy, and his son, Heritage Hall’s Quintaz Struble.

Millwood legend Mandrell Dean's son, Quintaz Struble, is a senior at Heritage Hall. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

Five years ago today, an Oklahoma high school legend died.

Mandrell Dean is one of the greatest athletes in Millwood — and Oklahoma high school — history.

His 85 total touchdowns — including a stunning 28 on kick returns — had college football programs flocking to eastern Oklahoma City to recruit him.

He committed to Oklahoma in January 1993, but never signed with the Sooners because of academic issues.

After touring the country playing for semipro and arena teams, Dean returned home, became involved with the wrong people and was shot and killed while allegedly committing a home invasion.

His son, Quintaz Struble, is a senior at Heritage Hall and is on the verge of a college football career his father didn’t have.

This story was originally supposed to run two weeks ago, but we held it to gather more information and plan for a big presentation. I posted a blog about it then, but took it down when we decided to hold off on the story. I apologize for jumping the gun back then, but I think you’ll see this weekend that it was worth the wait.

Heritage Hall senior Quintaz Struble's father is Millwood legend Mandrell Dean. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Pick up a copy of The Oklahoman on Sunday to read the inspiring story of a young man with some of his father’s talent, but few of his personal burdens, and the mother who sacrificed everything to make him who he is today.

Also Sunday, on NewsOK.com, we’ll have lots of photographs, a video interview with Quintaz Struble about his dad and video highlights of Mandrell Dean.

I’ve been working on this story since October, and I’m so excited for you all to read the final product.

The 24 boys and girls selected to participate in the All-American Game will be announced at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 on ESPNU. This year’s games will be held March 28 in Chicago, with the girls game tipping off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 8:30.

Only Texas and Iowa had more nominations on the girls side than Oklahoma’s 26.

Boys
Nino Jackson, Ardmore
Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial
Austin Thrash, Cheyenne
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial

Girls
Kate Andrews, McGuinness
Kelsey Barnwell, Kansas
Ashley Clark, Midwest City
Taylor Cooper, Shawnee
Courtney Cowan, Kansas
Alie Decker, Edmond Memorial
Quira Demery, Millwood
I’Knique Gaines, Tulsa East Central
Mariah Gilliam, Tulsa Washington
Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
LaShanda Green, McAlester
Kelsey Grovey, Shawnee
Elyse Hight, McGuinness
Sydney Hill, Edmond Memorial
Shelley Knight, Wayne
Deena Manning, Wayne
Madison Mercado, Sapulpa
LaNesha Middleton, Stillwater
Bria Pitts, Tulsa East Central
Caitlyn Ramirez, Shawnee
Toni Smith, Del City
Caitlyn Spurgeon, Vinita
Jordynn VanPelt, Snyder
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe
Antoinet Webster, Western Heights
Adriana White, Midwest City

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

Carl Albert's Gioya Carter shoots over Harrah's Sydney Hessman during the Titans' win Tuesday. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Bishop McGuinness was dealt a tough blow Monday in practice.

Senior Elyse Hight, the Irish’s top scorer and rebounder, suffered a hip injury that will keep her sidelined for the indefinite future.

The defending state champion Irish, ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, won its fifth straight game 43-36 over Stillwater on Tuesday.

Senior Kate Andrews, who led McGuinness with 16 points, said the team played for Hight.

“I think anytime you’re challenged with adversity, you have to come out and show you can play with just as much passion,” Andrews said. “We played in honor of her tonight. We really used this challenge to us to pick each other up and grow together.”

Andrews said replacing Hight is much more than making up for her points and rebounds.

“So many people just see the tons of boards and tons of points she puts up, but it was the little things,” Andrews said. “The blocks, steals, energy and leadership were missed.

“But where we lacked with her absence, everyone else really picked it up.”

Junior LaNesha Middleton led Stillwater with 17 points.

Jason’s take: I can’t emphasize enough how important it was for Bishop McGuinness to get this win in its first game without Elyse Hight. The Irish had just gotten a lot of their early-season kinks worked out, and losing a player of her caliber might have caused some teams to crumble. But the Irish got going quickly, shooting the ball well on its way to an 18-point first quarter and, ultimately, a fifth straight win. With Hight out for the foreseeable future,  it’s encouraging for Irish fans to see the team performing well and beating a solid Stillwater team without her.

CARL ALBERT WINS AT HARRAH

Junior Gioya Carter scored 16 points and Class 5A No. 4 Carl Albert won at Harrah 49-35 on Tuesday.

The Titans (7-3) jumped out to a 22-8 lead after the first quarter and led 28-16 at halftime.

Junior Bailey Mack led Harrah (6-5) with 15 points. It was Harrah’s third straight loss.

Carl Albert plays next at Chickasha on Friday, while Harrah travels to Noble the same day.

Jason’s take: It was important for Carl Albert to win this one on the road after losing two of three games in the Westmoore tournament last weekend. For Harrah, it’s a third straight loss after a three-game winning streak. They should pick up a win over Noble, but then Class 5A No. 1 Shawnee looms on Jan. 17.

MASSEY SCORES 33 AS CHRISTIAN HERITAGE TOPS JONES

Junior Maclayn Massey scored 33 points as Christian Heritage held off Jones to win 66-65 at home on Tuesday.

Christian Heritage took a big lead after outscoring Jones 25-11 in the second quarter. But the Longhorns rallied, scoring 40 second-half points, including 24 in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Teddi Homan led the Longhorns with 22 points.

Jason’s take: An impressive performance by Massey, who was the Crusaders’ only returning starter from last year. Maybe the young Christian Heritage team is starting to gain some momentum with experience, and a win like this can only help the team going forward.

EDWARDS LEADS NORTHEAST PAST MILLWOOD

A run that started late in the third quarter gave Northeast enough cushion to hold off host Millwood 53-41.

Northeast’s T’ona Edwards sparked the run, scoring seven of her game-high 20 points in the third as the Vikings stretched a six-point advantage into a comfortable 20-point lead early in the fourth.

“(On Monday), we had practice without a basketball,” first-year Northeast coach Londaryl Perry said. “We had to have a reminder of who was in charge. I think it really brought us back together as a team instead of a bunch of individuals. I think that showed in how we played tonight.”

Shayla Williams scored 14 points and LaNesha Williams added 10 for Northeast. Millwood was led by Quira Demery with 14 points.

Jason’s take: Big thanks to Scott Wright for coverage of this game. Northeast got back on the right track after losing to Holland Hall in the finals of the Stroud Tournament. The Vikings are looking like they could be an awfully special team; their only other loss this year was a seven-point setback to Class 6A power Midwest City. Millwood lost its second straight after falling in the SNU/Bethany Classic finals to Norman North. The Falcons are still playing without junior starting guards Teanna Reid and Daneisha Threatt, who both have been injured all season.

TIP-INS

Senior Courtney Walker, a Texas A&M signee, scored 22 points and Class 6A No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe rolled past Putnam City West 83-30 at home. Santa Fe (12-0) plays at Yukon on Friday. … Class 5A’s top-ranked team, Shawnee, improved to 11-0 with a 55-24 home win over El Reno. Junior Micaela Yu led the Wolves with 18 points, and senior forward Taylor Cooper, an Oral Roberts signee, added 12. … Junior Kaitlyn Peterson scored 18 points and Edmond North (2-7) upset 6A No. 11 Putnam City North 40-37 on Tuesday. It was the Panthers third straight loss. … Senior Kenzie Solberg led Chandler with 28 points as it won 52-47 in overtime at Seminole.

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.

All-District Team
First team
Offense
Quarterback: Dametric Sanders, Millwood
Running backs: Andy Habib, Christian Heritage; Ben McCoy, Luther
Wide receivers: Andrwe Herzer, Jones; Caleb McGehee, Christian Heritage; TreVoyne Willis, Northeast.
Linemen: Terrance Artrip, Luther; Devin Dobbins, Millwood; Jon Knowles, Christian Heritage; Tyler McCully, Jones; Justin Woody, Northeast
All Purpose: Haskell Browning, Luther

Defense
Linemen: Jordan Bell, Jones; Steven Koonce, Jones; Gonzalo Vasquez, Crooked Oak; Bobby Wilkes, Millwood
Linebackers: Devion Battle, Luther; Chris Humphrey, Jones; Marc Robinson, Millwood
Defensive backs: Chris McGrew, Northeast; Malcolm Scales, Millwood; Ryan Southerland, Christian Heritage

Second team
Offense
Quarterback: Michael Thomas, Northeast
Wide receiver: Phillip Norman, Luther
Linemen: Nick Deyoe, Luther; Harvey Hightower, Millwood; Savaughn King, Jones

Defense
Linemen: Theo Coleman, Northeast; Demarcus Long, Northeast
Linebackers: Adam Curtis, Christian Heritage; Court Hendrickson, Christian Heritage; Savon Peevy, Northeast
Defensive backs: Aron Gaines, Northeast; Caleb Gentry, Christian Heritage

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.

Coach of the Year: Tony Henry, Millwood
Coach’s Special Recognition: Mark Ryan, Centennial
Player of the Year: Cayman Bundage, Douglass
Defensive Player of the Year: Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass
Offensive Player of the Year: Dametric Sanders, Millwood
Co-Special Teams Players of the Year: Quincy Rideau, Star Spencer; Juan Campos, Northwest Classen
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Bobby Wilkes, Millwood
Co-Linebackers of the Year: Marc Robinson, Millwood; Gumaro Murphy, Southeast
Defensive Back of the Year: O’Sha Clark, Douglass
Co-Offensive Linemen of the Year: Devin Dobbins, Millwood; Dale Burch, Star Spencer
Offensive Back of the Year: Luis Leyva, Capitol Hill
Receiver of the Year: Kameron Bryant, John Marshall

First Team Defense
Defensive Line: Christian Nicholson, U.S. Grant; Kevin Williams, John Marshall; Codie Nolan, Northwest Classen; Genaro Monter, Southeast; Justin Woody, Northeast
Linebackers: Derrick Ward, Star Spencer; Andrew Bailey, Douglass; Malcolm Scales, Millwood; Francis Taylor, Capitol Hill
Defensive Backs: TyLiq Braziell, Southeast; Brandon Morse, Capitol Hill; Derrick Young, U.S. Grant; Chris Compton, Douglass
Punter: Carlos Morales, U.S. Grant

First Team Offense
Quarterback: Christian Gorham, Northwest Classen; Michael Thomas, Northeast
Running Backs: Cory Hooks, U.S. Grant
Receivers: Trevon Willis, Northeast; Marvin Kerbo, Northwest Classen; Deonte Childs, Douglass
Offensive Line: Diamonte McClellan, Douglass; Charles Hayes, Star Spencer; Jacob Tavarez, U.S. Grant; Harvey Hightower, Millwood; Michael Holder, Southeast; David Johnson, John Marshall
Place Kicker: Antonio Cueto, Southeast

Honorable Mention
Capitol Hill: Maleke Dixon, Jerrad Fomin
Douglass: Davon Barber
Millwood: Marquise Kemp
Northeast: Savon Peevy, Demarkus Long
Northwest Classen: Marcus Ervin
Southeast: Nolan Payne, Michael McAnelly, Dominique Schweitzer, Nicholas Chamberlain
Star Spencer: Quintrae Kendrick
U.S. Grant: Eric Benevue, Javier Tarrazas

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

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

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

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

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

Douglass junior Stephen Clark and the two-time defending Class 4A state champion Trojans will be in action at the All-City Preview tournament, which begins on Tuesday night.

The All-City Preview, the preseason basketball tournament featuring the Oklahoma City Public Schools and Millwood, begins Tuesday evening at Northwest Classen and Capitol Hill. The tournaments will be concluded on Thursday with championship and third-place games, as well as loser’s bracket competition.

Each site will host seven games on Tuesday, between both boys and girls teams. All 11 schools from the All-City Athletic Conference will participate, including a pair defending champions, the Douglass and Centennial boys teams.

Here is the schedule for Tuesday’s games:
Girls
At Capitol Hill
5 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Centennial
6 p.m.: Classen SAS vs. Capitol Hill
7 p.m.: Northeast vs. Star/Centennial winner
8 p.m.: Douglass vs. Classen/Capitol Hill winner
At Northwest Classen
5:30 p.m.: US Grant vs. John Marshall
6:30 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Southeast
7:30 p.m.: Millwood vs. US Grant/John Marshall winner

Boys
At Northwest Classen
5 p.m.: Southeast vs. US Grant
6 p.m.: Millwood vs. John Marshall
7 p.m.: Northwest Classen vs. Southeast/US Grant winner
8 p.m.: Centennial vs. Millwood/John Marshall winner
At Capitol Hill
5:30 p.m.: Star Spencer vs. Classen SAS
6:30 p.m.: Capitol Hill vs. Northeast
7:30 p.m.: Douglass vs. Star/Classen winner

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

Last week
Jason: 8-2, 1-0
Scott: 8-2, 1-0
Ryan: 7-3, 0-1

Overall
Ryan: 37-13, 4-1
Scott: 37-13, 4-1
Jason: 37-13, 3-2

Ryan
Cascia Hall 14, Berryhill 7
Millwood 28, Jones 26
Norman North 28, Putnam North 24
Edmond North 35, Putnam City 34
Tulsa Union 38, Owasso 16
Tulsa East Central 27, Tulsa Central 20
Lincoln Chr. 28, Vian 26
Comanche 26, Washington 20
Elk City 20, McGuinness 17
McAlester 38, Tulsa Kelley 20
Wynnewood 28, Rush Springs 14
Lock of the week: Wynnewood over Rush Springs. As things keep progressing in this district, I’m more and more convinced that the Wynnewood-Wayne matchup will determine the district champion.

Scott
Cascia Hall 21, Berryhill 14
Millwood 38, Jones 34
Putnam City North 24, Norman North 21
Putnam City 52, Edmond North 48
Tulsa Union 31, Owasso 21
Tulsa East Central 27, Tulsa Central 24
Lincoln Christian 35, Vian 31
Comanche 27, Washington 24
Elk City 28, McGuinness 27
McAlester 24, Tulsa Kelley 14
Lock of the Week: Cascia Hall over Berryhill. Cascia looks like a team on a mission, still stinging from last year’s loss to Bethany in the playoffs. I think they move to 6-0 this week.

Jason
Cascia Hall 21, Berryhill 10
Millwood 31, Jones 24
Norman North 23, Putnam North 17
Edmond North 42, Putnam City 35
Tulsa Union 42, Owasso 24
Tulsa East Central 35, Tulsa Central 21
Lincoln Chr. 31, Vian 28
Washington 20, Comanche 17
Bishop McGuinness 23, Elk City 20
McAlester 35, Tulsa Kelley 17
Wynnewood 24, Rush Springs 21
Lock of the week: Norman North over Putnam City North. Both of these proud programs are struggling this season, but I like the Timberwolves because of their running game. Norman North running back Bryan Payne has been good this season, and the Panthers’ run defense has been an Achilles’ heel.

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.

2. Class A No. 8 Elmore City (4-0) at No. 3 Wynnewood (4-0)
Two of the three undefeated teams in District A-5 go head-to-head.

3. Class C No. 3 Timberlake (3-0) at No. 5 Covington-Douglas (4-0)
A week after squeaking out a win over Tipton on the road, Covington-Douglass gets another big challenge.

4. Class 5A No. 1 Tulsa East Central (4-0) at No. 10 Coweta (2-2)
The Cardinals get another solid test in a rough schedule as the defending runners-up try to solidify their place in 5A-4. Coweta hasn’t won a game by more than six points or lost by more than four.

5. Class 3A No. 9 Seminole (4-0) at Stigler (4-0)
Seminole has scored 41 or more points in all four games thus far while Stigler has topped 42 in three out of four.

6. Class 4A No. 10 Hilldale (3-1) at No. 6 Broken Bow (3-1)
Big win over Poteau last week lifted Hilldale into the rankings while Broken Bow has shut out two opponents last season.

7. Edmond Santa Fe (3-1) at Class 6A No. 6 Lawton (3-1)
Both teams started district play with statement wins and this game will feature two of the best defensive ends in the state in Lawton’s D.J. Ward and Santa Fe’s Michael Onuoha.

8. Class B No. 6 Fox (3-1) at Paoli (4-0)
Fox has shutouts in each of its three wins while Paoli has topped 53 points three times and scored 42 in its other win.

9. Commerce (3-1) at Class 2A No. 8 Colcord (4-0)
Commerce has two shutouts and its only loss came to a Kansas school. Colcord has won games primarily with its offense (41-14 at Salina last week) and with its defense (8-0 vs. Haskell on Sept. 16).

10. Class 4A No. 4 Clinton (3-1) at Piedmont (2-2)
Clinton blew out McGuinness last week at home while Piedmont got a statement win over Elgin.

Other good bets:
Heritage Hall at Tulsa NOAH
Millwood at Luther
Mustang at Edmond North
Woodward at McGuinness
Yukon at Norman North

By Ryan Aber

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

Millwood's Marc Robinson runs during his team's 27-21 win over Bishop McGuinness on Friday. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

One of the first things Millwood coach Tony Henry said to me after his team’s incredible 27-21 win over Bishop McGuinness was, “We were your lock of the week, right?”

Yes, coach, you were. And I was wrong. It isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.

(Side note: Good to know he reads the blog!)

Henry was good-natured about it, of course, and I’m not at all surprised that he was in a good mood after the win at Pribil Stadium.

The blocked field goal and subsequent return for a touchdown on the last play was unbelievable — one of the best finishes to a football game that I’ve ever seen.

This is the only football game I can think of that I saw in person that had as memorable an ending.

In my view, the Falcons were clearly the better team Friday. They were able to move the ball pretty effectively on McGuinness’ defense — especially in the second half — and the Millwood defense was very impressive against the Irish offense.

Yes, it took a blocked field goal on the last play for the Falcons to win, but if not for a couple of silly mistakes, I think Millwood would have won fairly comfortably.

All three of Bishop McGuinness’ touchdown drives were 10 yards or less, and they came came as a result of bad Millwood turnovers.

The first two were results of bad long snaps on punts. The last one, in the fourth quarter, happened after a Millwood fumble on a bad exchange.

But it felt like every time something bad happened to the Falcons, they answered. After the Irish’s first touchdown in the second quarter, Millwood’s Dametric Sanders returned the kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.

Down 21-14 in the fourth quarter, Sheldon Bulock Millwood went for it on fourth-and-one from near midfield. But after the McGuinness defense stuffed running back, the Irish took over possession with just under five minutes left in the game and appeared to have it under control.

But on the very next play, Irish quarterback Camden Tharp was picked off by Millwood’s Marc Robinson, who returned it all the way to the McGuinness 10 to set up a tying touchdown.

I don’t want to take anything away from Bishop McGuinness. They did play a very good game — especially defensively.

The Irish linebackers — senior Brandon Nguyen and juniors Nick Jeffreys and Danny Krenger — did a remarkable job against an extremely tough Millwood rushing attack. Marc Robinson, Larry Lambeth and Bulock were pounding at the McGuinness defense all night, and the Irish held their ground for much of it.

Both of these teams are going to be forces in their respective classes. And both teams open district play next week (McGuinness is at Clinton; Millwood has Alva at home).

It was a fantastic game, and I’m glad to have been there to see it.

Millwood's Marc Robinson runs during last week's game against Douglass. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN

I’ll be at tonight’s Millwood-Bishop McGuinness game at Pribil Stadium.

Should be a great matchup between two very good teams. When these two teams met last season, Millwood won 48-41. But these teams are both different in 2011, which should make for a different result.

When Millwood has the ball

Millwood has two powerful running backs — Marc Robinson and Larry Lambeth — that will create plenty of problems for opponents throughout the season. Dametric Sanders is a very athletic quarterback and is a dual threat. Bishop McGuinness has a strong defense, and its linebacking core is especially strong with senior Brandon Nguyen and juniors Danny Krenger and Nick Jeffreys.

Millwood won’t face many teams going forward that will be able to slow its run game down, but Douglass last week and McGuinness this week are two teams that can.

“They’re two big, strong running backs,” Nguyen said.

“We have a couple adjustments for them, but the key this week is wrapping up and hitting the running backs low.”

When Bishop McGuinness has the ball

The Irish’s offense this season under new coach Justin Jones is much more spread out and pass-oriented than under former coach Kenny Young. So far, the change has worked out quite well. Quarterback Camden Tharp has several receivers that he can throw to, and the Irish scored 35 points on archrival Tulsa Bishop Kelley in a win last Friday.

Defensively, Millwood’s strong point is stopping the run with Robinson and Lambeth as linebackers. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the Irish probably won’t try to run the ball much.

Prediction time

The matchups are in Bishop McGuinness’ favor this year. Last season, Millwood won a high-scoring shootout, but I’m expecting it to be more low-scoring this year. Bishop McGuinness 28, Millwood 17

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.

The opening of Yukon's new Miller Stadium was one of many events during a busy weekend of football.

I can already tell this is going to be a long week. Since Sept. 1, I haven’t gone more than two days without covering a high school football game. Friday can’t get here soon enough.

And after the three games I covered this weekend, it’s going to be hard for the next 13 weeks of football to live up to the standard.

On Thursday night, I watched Putnam City North knock off Mustang in double-overtime when sophomore kicker Richard Gallegos booted through a 17-yard field goal to clinch it. Friday brought the debut of Yukon’s new stadium, and a late rally by Edmond Santa Fe to spoil the opener at the Millers’ new home. Then we had the usual amount of drama on Saturday afternoon at the Soul Bowl.

Here’s a look back at what we learned about the teams in those three contests, starting with the double-OT thriller at PC Stadium.

What we learned about Mustang: The Mustang offensive line is getting better, but defenses are still finding ways to attack that young group of players. Fortunately, they can battle through their growing pains in the non-district, and hopefully be ready by Week 4 when district games begin.

Brandon Taylor is doing well throwing on the run and moving the pocket when he needs to, but the experienced PC North secondary was able to give him trouble, coming up with four picks on Thursday. At running back, I’ve been impressed with A.J. Ashman early this season. Obviously, the Broncos toss the ball around a lot, so he doesn’t get a ton of carries, but he takes advantage of his opportunities and is viable in the passing game, too.

Putnam City North senior Dre Holman rushed for 201 yards Thursday against Mustang.

What we learned about Putnam City North: The run game is vital to the Panthers’ offensive focus, but their ability to stay balanced is what kept them alive on Thursday. Dre Holman’s 201 yards were huge, but the fact that John Robert Simon was 8-of-10 passing in the second half and overtime — with two touchdowns — was the turning point of the game.

Defensively, it’s clear that the Panthers’ strength is in the secondary, so I’ll be curious to see if teams try to focus on running the ball against them more, especially in the early part of the season until the new players in the front seven develop.

After the ugly fourth quarter in the opening loss to Putnam City, finishing strong against Mustang was valuable to this team. Getting back to the playoffs is a definite possibility for this team, based on the district schedule, but giving away very many fourth-quarter leads won’t get you past Week 10.

What we learned about Edmond Santa Fe: This team has battled through several close losses in the last two years, but I don’t think anyone — on the outside, at least — saw this strong start coming. With so much talent on both sides of the ball, along with a good mix of experience and youth, the Wolves are clearly a team that’s going to make some noise in 6A this year, and Friday’s 38-28 win at Yukon was a breakout moment.

People are quickly becoming familiar with guys like Justice Hansen, Trevan Smith and Phillip Sumpter. But here’s another name to keep an eye on: Khari Harding. He’s a big, athletic defensive back who could very well land at a Division I program. He’s only a junior now, so the Wolves get to enjoy him terrorizing opponents for a couple seasons.

I had heard a lot about Michael Onuoha coming into the game, and he’s an athletic specimen with a lot of talent. But the Wolves’ defensive line overall was very impressive. They were getting a good push most of the game, and getting into the backfield to disrupt the Yukon offense. With the amount of talent at the skill spots, the Wolves can really be a dangerous team if the lines start playing in a dominant fashion.

On a sidenote, you couldn’t help but feel for Tre Kelley on Friday. He’s an impressive player who twice seemed to have given his team the big play just when they needed it. First, he took a screen pass and zipped through the Miller defense for a 76-yard TD. But it was called back. A couple plays later, he got behind the defense and went the distance for a 74-yard score. Also called back. Moments later, he was the target again, but Yukon’s Derek Deeds stepped in front for the pick in what seemed to be a huge turning point in the game. But the Wolves recovered to rally for the win.

What we learned about Yukon: Tackling in space was the one big issue that haunted the Millers on Friday night. From the opening kickoff, which Smith returned 94 yards for a score, the Millers’ ability to keep Santa Fe ball carriers coralled was a problem. The Wolves accounted for more than half of their total offense on four big plays, including a 73-yard scramble by Hansen.

Other than the tackling, Yukon really played pretty solid. They were slow out of the gate, which might have had something to do with all the hype around the opening of the new stadium. Anyone who saw the Millers against Mustang in the opener could tell they were a little out of sync early, maybe pressing a little, hoping to put on a good show.

The running back by committee idea looks to be Todd Wilson’s focus. Not counting QB Corben Jones, eight different players got at least one rushing attempt Friday. And of the three players who carried the ball in the first half, none of them touched it in the second half.

Douglass' Chris High is one of three talented running backs in the Trojan arsenal.

What we learned about Douglass: As closely as I’ve followed this team the last couple of weeks, it’s hard to say I learned very much new information about them at Saturday’s 21-14 Soul Bowl win. They had a couple of players held out because of injuries suffered Monday against DeSoto, but otherwise, Saturday was a strong bounce-back game.

Chris Compton was able to show that he can be a threat throwing the ball. The way things went against DeSoto, it was hard to tell just what kind of passer he was going to be, but his 8-of-11 performance — including a couple of big throws at crucial times — showed that he’ll be ready to handle it when the team needs to throw. Coach Willis Alexander always says that he wants his offense to be able to throw when they want to, and Saturday, that seemed to be the case.

The run game will still be the Trojans’ bread and butter. With Dion’Tay Washington, Chavez Wyatt and Chris High, they’ve got a group of backs who can do a little bit of everything.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for Deondre Clark. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore came through with some big plays on Saturday, including the go-ahead touchdown on a 15-yard reception. He had to go down low to pull it in, then regained his balance to finish off the run.

What we learned about Millwood: When they start lining up against 2A competition every week, the Falcons are going to be dishing out some pain. Running backs Marc Robinson and Larry Lambeth give Millwood a power run game that not many teams can match up against. Unfortunately, Douglass was one of those teams, with Cayman Bundage and Diamonte McClellan in the middle. But the run will be much stronger for Millwood against different competition.

QB Dametric Sanders threw the ball better than I expected him to. He hit some big passes in the first half, and had a couple of good throws dropped. He’s a very athletic QB, and he’s not going to put up the kind of numbers Kevonte Richardson did last year. But he can be effective both throwing and running the ball for Millwood this year. And backup QB London Potts can toss it around, too, if needed.

Defensively, Millwood has some good size up front, and the duo of Robinson and Lambeth are the perfect pair at inside linebacker. Stopping the run will be their strength. Even with all the talent Douglass has in the run game, Millwood made them work for their yards, finishing with 186 on 43 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. I’d be surprised if anybody holds Douglass to those kinds of numbers in the run game the rest of the season.

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

Douglass won the All-City Preview championship once again on Friday night, but just like last year, the discussion turned to a much more important trophy than the one the Trojans claimed Friday.

It’s all about another state title for this team, which starts its season Sept. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, against DeSoto High School

It won’t be an easy game, and the Trojans know that. For the sake of comparison, DeSoto’s official enrollment is 2,750. Douglass’ is 495. If you moved DeSoto to Oklahoma, they’d be the fourth-largest school, right behind Jenks (2,843) and just ahead of Owasso (2,604).

I’ll get into the game a little more throughout the week, and I’ll be traveling down to Texas for the game as well.

Here are a few other thoughts from the semifinals and finals of the All-City Preview:

-Millwood still has a lot of talent, and even though they graduated so many Division I players from last year’s squad, I don’t expect to see a ton of drop-off. Dametric Sanders is a very athletic quarterback who is dangerous when he gets to the edge. Marc Robinson didn’t get to play in the scrimmage because of OSSAA rules as he completed his required one year of sitting out after transferring from Heritage Hall. He’ll be a big boost, especially on defense. He and Larry Lambeth will be one of the better linebacker pairs around.

-John Marshall is still young, even though some of those guys, like quarterback Devion Smith, got some good experience last year. Kameron Bryant is a tall, athletic receiver with good ball skills, and he could be in for a big breakout year. He’ll be a tough matchup for any cornerback in that district. Tyler Stamm provides a big, athletic tight end target as well, so look for the passing game to take a step forward this year. Defensively, the secondary is the strenght of the team, but the front seven seems to be coming together.

-Star Spencer coach James Harding always talks about making his players accountable, and he’s clearly going to be a man of his word. The Bobcats opened fall camp with 62 players but had fewer than 40 suited up Friday night. Players who missed practices or got in trouble at school were held out as Harding implements his value system in his new program. On the field, the Bobcats will rely on defense, especially with a couple of athletic, hard-hitting players in the front seven. Kenneth Davis and Derrick Ward are two good leaders and both — but Davis especially — can pop the pads.

Lastly, don’t forget that our state-wide, class-by-class season preview publication will be included in Sunday’s paper. Be sure to pick one up. We have everything from preseason rankings, all-state teams and feature stories on some of the best dynamic duos in the state. It’s a little different than in past years. Instead of having separate sections for OU, OSU and high schools, it’s all one big section together, so don’t miss it.

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

Midwest City's Marisha Wallace, left, will play in college at Northern Oklahoma College in Enid. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Midwest City star forward Marisha Wallace will play in college at Northern Oklahoma College in Enid, she said after Wednesday’s large-school girls All-State basketball game.

Wallace had a fantastic high school career that was marred by two major knee injuries. Six games into her junior season at Midwest City, she tore her ACL, MCL and LCL. Then, 15 seconds into last season’s Class 6A semifinals against Edmond Memorial March, Wallace tore her meniscus.

She was part of two state championship teams — her freshman year at Millwood and her junior year at Midwest City.

Wednesday was her first time back on the court since the meniscus tear. She scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in the West’s 73-50 win over the East at the Mabee Center in Tulsa.

Wallace said the knee “felt good” Wednesday and that she’s been working hard to rehab as she prepares to head to Enid for college ball.

Wallace had offers from some smaller NCAA Division I schools, but decided to go to junior college after the menicus tear.

“Coming off two knee injuries, I decided to go to juco because I wanted more options,” Wallace said.

The Wes Welker Foundation’s board of directors have approved $29,000 in grant money to four Oklahoma City-area schools, the organization announced Monday.
The grants were awarded to Star Spencer’s volleyball and athletic department, U.S. Grant’s football program, Putnam City West’s football and athletic department and Crooked Oak’s athletic department.

The foundation, founded by former Heritage Hall and current New England Patriots standout Wes Welker, was founded five years ago with the aim of helping underprivileged kids.

The foundation awards grants twice a year to schools and organizations in the Oklahoma City area. It also provides free sports camps for at-risk youth and a coach and leadership development program.

The foundation has given more than $192,000 in grant money in the past four years.

U.S. Grant is a two-time recipient.

Other organizations that have received the grants in the past have included Life Change Academy, Astec Charter School, Douglass High School, Memorial Park Boys and Girls Club and Western Village Academy.

Norman's George Kittle has gone from unknown to sought after commodity.

Saturday began our second annual summer series on the Super 30, a countdown of the top 30 football recruits for the class of 2012.

Last year we announced who they were before the series, not this year. If you wanna know who they are, keep yourself locked in at NewsOK.com/Varsity.

This is going to be a daily countdown until we reach No. 1 on July 24.

30. George Kittle, WR, Norman
Most sons of college coaches get some extra looks as a courtesy. And then when you see Kittle play, you realize it’s not a courtesy thing at all. He is Bruce Kittle’s son, but he’s a lot more than that. Kittle is the real deal on either side of the ball. At 6-4, he could be a wide receiver. He also has the intelligence to lead the defensive backfield. He was 6-0 after his sophomore season and is now 6-4 and close to 200 pounds.

For my story on Kittle, go here.

29. Marc Robinson, LB, Millwood
Just like a couple of guys last year, if Robinson was a couple of inches taller, he’d be in the top 10. No doubt in my mind about that. Nobody is going to play with a bigger chip on his shoulder than Robinson, who is getting back on the field after missing last season. A transfer from Heritage Hall, Robinson is ready to show everybody he still belongs among the elite.

For Scott Wright’s story on Robinson, go here.

And for No. 28, check out Monday’s Oklahoman.

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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Millwood star Brandon Swindall is headed to Utah State.

By now, most college football programs are deep into recruiting the class of 2012.

But Brandon Swindall is happy Utah State wasn’t finished with 2011 yet.

Swindall, the Millwood receiver who earned a spot on the Parade All-America team after a stellar senior season, committed to Utah State on Friday, ending a surprisingly long, frustrating recruiting process.

“I can’t even tell you what it was like,” Swindall said. “But I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Everyone was relieved.”

Swindall started drawing college interest last summer and several big-name programs, like Houston, Arkansas and Nebraska, looked hard at him. Tulsa offered early, but fell off. And New Mexico came in later, but the coach who was recruiting Swindall got another job — at Utah State.

That coach was Sallisaw native and Utah State alum Matt Wells, who also spent a few years on the staff at Tulsa. He was brought in to be the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator for the Aggies, where he lettered in three seasons playing quarterback.

As the staff looked for the person to fill its final scholarship spot, Wells fought hard for Swindall, with the offer finally coming on Thursday.

“He was recruiting me for a long time when he was at New Mexico,” Swindall said. “Then he went to Utah State, so I had a good relationship with him. He called me a couple days ago and said they wanted to offer me.”

Swindall had more than 1,300 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches in helping the Falcons to the Class 2A semifinals last season. He set himself apart with his long body, leaping ability, good hands and knack for adjusting to the ball when it’s in the air.

He led the state with 17 interceptions as a cornerback and set a National Federation of State High School Associations record by returning eight picks for touchdowns.

And he’s the third player from last year’s Millwood team to go to a Division I program, along with Josh Turner (Texas) and Davion Pierson (TCU).

Swindall will join another former Falcon at Utah State. Cameron Sanders will be a third-year sophomore and is expected to challenge for a starting spot at cornerback next season after switching from wide receiver before last season.

Swindall also hopes to get on the field in the fall.

“They said I’ll have a chance to play my first year,” Swindall said. “I’ve just got to go down there and work. They throw the ball quite a bit, so it’s gonna be cool.”

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

First Team:
Dorrian Williams – Douglass, Stephen Clark- Douglass, Ramond Jenkins- Douglass, Romond Jenkins- Douglass, Tre Jordan- Southeast

Second Team:
Jamil Donovan- Northwest Classen, Marcus Johnson- Centennial, Marquis Buxton-Hill- Douglass, Nico Meadows- Capitol Hill, Dre’ Triplett- Millwood,

Third Team:
Korihon Jackson- Northeast, Dominique Manuel- Douglass, Craig Hackney- Centennial, DeSean Carolina- Centennial, DeMontrey Mitchell- John Marshall

Honorable Mention:
Capitol Hill-  Josh Thompson, Aaron Brown, Darrin Tucker
Classen- Cameron McClure, Anthony Bolar
Douglass- Darris Mitchell, DeAngelo Clark
U.S. Grant- Anthony Hartfield, G’vonte Bonds
John Marshall- Talmadge Lawrence, Tyler Harrison
Centennial- Darius Lacey, Austin Garner
Northeast- Eric Peabody, Gabe Houston,
NW Classen- Paco Jones, Anthony Hardrick
Southeast- William Brewer, Travis Morris, Jay Gogue
Star Spencer- Gary Ford, Symon Smith

And I knocked off two things at once Saturday afternoon. One, I had never been to the Franklin-Spears Gym at Millwood. The placement of the doors on the baseline freaked me out at first.

Two, I had never seen the juggernaut that is the Douglass boys basketball team in action. The Falcons gave the Trojans everything they could have asked for and then some before eventually falling 66-64 on Saturday evening.

I don’t want to say it wasn’t competitive, but 66-64 is also a bit misleading. The Trojans missed a lot of free throws in the final two minutes and tip in at the buzzer by Michael Ervin for Millwood made it 66-64. However, that’s not to say Millwood shouldn’t be thumping its chest right now.

Scott Wright, who has seen the Douglass machine numerous times, said that was the worst first quarter he’s seen as Millwood led 11-8.

At one point, it was 15-10 in favor of Millwood, and then Stephen Clark and company got it going. So much so that at the beginning of the third quarter, it was now 35-22. I thought the rout was on.

No, Millwood hung tough, led by Delford Robinson. There aren’t too many people Robinson cannot take off the dribble. And there isn’t a shot that Clark has seen that he won’t take. He made his fair share of deep 3s before the post game really opened up with the Jenkins twins (Ramond and Romond) and Marquis Buxton-Hill.

Millwood was within striking distance in the fourth but never made that surge. But you add Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner (now focused on basketball) to go with the rest of those guys, hard to see a 2A team taking ‘em down.

As for Douglass, I know I didn’t see their best game, but I get why they’re so good. Look for a video with Clark on NewsOK this weekend.

If nothing else, it felt good to be out at gyms again instead of holed up in the apartment and calling players and coaches about delays.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

And yes, I hope they do. Here’s my top 7 girls games in the OKC area that need to be made up:

1. Midwest City at Edmond Memorial – Assume this is No. 1 for both the boys and girls. Bombers are still undefeated, while Memorial has shown the ability to play with the big dogs but not yet beat MWC or Edmond Santa Fe.

2. Del City at Norman – Tigers have been lurking. Some early season losses may have had people forgetting about them. Del City was one of those teams to get Matilda Mossman’s girls early. Big statement game for either team.

3. Choctaw at Putnam North – As I’ve written about a lot the last couple of weeks, the Yellowjackets are coming on strong. But so, too, are the Panthers. Both teams are playing their best ball. Hope that delay doesn’t hurt them.

4. Millwood at Star Spencer – One more go-around for the OKCPS rivals. Millwood looks like the early favorite in 2A for the crown, while Sharane Campbell you know wants to lead one last run for the Bobcats.

5. Bethel at Dale – Ye old stompin’ grounds. Back in Shawnee, this was one of the big ones. And you know what? In the state, it’s still one of the big ones. Wildcats have rightfully earned top spot in Class 3A.

6. Shawnee at Carl Albert – Gioya Carter vs. Kelsee Grovey would be a nice matchup/shootout. But really, Tim Price’s club needs this win after losing three of its last four games.

7. Western Heights at Piedmont - Oh, another big Suburban Conference showdown. Dilan Webster is extremely talented, but I think she’s too unselfish for the Jets. Kylie Boggess has been big for the Wildcats.

Will they all get made up? I don’t know. I hope so, but we’ll have to wait and see. If you know of any confirmed makeup dates, please send ‘em this way.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

***

Millwood and Douglass to be played

Though most basketball games have been postponed or canceled from this week, the Oklahoma City Public Schools showdown between Douglass and Millwood is going to take place Saturday afternoon. The OKCPS announced Friday afternoon that the games will go on as scheduled.

The girls game is going to be played at 2:30, while the boys game will follow at 4 p.m. Saturday’s games between the OKC Storm and Star Spencer have been canceled.

The Douglass boys are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, while Millwood is ranked No. 1 in 2A.

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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

And if that’s the case, then it’s back to the hardwood with a full slate of games. I’ll admit that on paper, this doesn’t look like the most intriguing night of ball ever, but it should be interesting.

Still waiting on word about Tuesday’s games. That was a loaded schedule on both the boys and girls sides. Like I said before, just gonna be real tough to find a way to schedule these so close to the stretch run.

Back to Friday, there are a couple of big games to keep tabs on, but overall I’ll be looking for that whole rust vs. rest concept.

A lot of coaches felt this delay couldn’t have happened at a better time as a lot of the kids were sick in the last week. Not many teams were at full strength. A week later everybody should be good to go.

But it’s also been a week of no playing at all. Numerous kids on Facebook were expressing that cabin fever. “I need a gym now.”

Here are some of the top girls games Friday:

Millwood at Star Spencer
Ah, always good to see the longtime rivals go at it. Millwood has been every bit as good as anticipated. Great balance in terms of guard play and post presence. Love watching Teanna Reid play. Star is more than Sharane Campbell, but the Oklahoma signee is another player worth the price of admission.

Shawnee at Carl Albert
Don’t know if anybody is paying attention to the Wolves, but all they do is win. In fact, one of those wins was against the Titans in a 25-19 struggle. Micaela Yu came up big in a road win at Harrah last week. CA, led by sophomore Gioya Carter, is on a bit of a slide. Perhaps that week off did the team some good.

Choctaw at Edmond Santa Fe
Can you prove you’re for real in a loss? I thought that’s what Choctaw did in losing a competitive battle against Edmond North last Friday. I’m thinking about checking this one out myself. Santa Fe is still undefeated but doesn’t always look like it’s clicking on all cylinders.

Mt. St. Mary’s at OCS
I’m interested in seeing what makes this MSM team so good. I don’t know if OCS is the right gauge, but I’ve seen the Saints enough and know that with Dani Childress and Jordan Gooch, they’re never an easy out. The Rockets only have two losses but also (according to OKRankings) don’t have a win against a top-20 team.

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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

11. Davion Pierson, Millwood (TCU) — The other local boy (not on Del City) going to Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs. Pierson’s dedication to his conditioning was key this year.

12. Daniel Davis, Norman North (Pennsylvana) — Went his separate ways with Stanford and has found a home in the Ivy League. Comfortable with decision.

13. Archie Bradley, Broken Arrow (Oklahoma) — Such a great baseball prospect that I would be shocked to see Bradley on OU’s campus in the fall though he said he really wants to be there.

14. Tyler Lockett, Tulsa Washington (Kansas State) — Played the role of recruiter himself in getting teammate Dante Barnett to join him in Manhattan.

15. Kameron Doolittle, Edmond Memorial (Northeastern Oklahoma) — Coaching changes proved crucial at Colorado and Tulsa. Still has a very upbeat attitude about his future.

16. Cody Miller, Lawton (East Central University) — A steal for the Ada-based program. Miller is about as solid as they come. ACL injury hurt his prospects.

17. Hunter Davis, Choctaw (Kansas State) — A late change from Tulsa to KSU, said he felt really comfortable in Manhattan.

18. Trevon Lewis, Midwest City (Texas State) — Midwest City assistant Jason Sexton said Lewis should be signing with Texas State, he’s another late sleeper if you ask me.

19. David Glidden, Mustang (Oklahoma State) — Proving again size doesn’t matter, Glidden could become a household name in a couple of years for the Cowboys.

20. Jake Love, Tonkawa (Kansas) — A solid senior season removed any doubts about Jayhawks taking a chance on Tonkawa product.

Wednesday: Nos. 10-1.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

21. Connor Myers, Edmond Memorial (Weber State) — Hit the visit circuit hard this month before deciding on Weber State. A lot of Edmond products are there.

22. Trent Martin, Jenks (Tulsa) — Martin has also put on his recruiting hat in trying to lure some other Tulsa area products to the Golden Hurricane.

23. Emilio Gatewood, Norman North (Undecided) — Senior season didn’t go the way Timberwolves were hoping, but still a great talent.

24. Brayle Brown, Shawnee (Louisiana-Monroe) — What a story. Spends most of the year at WR because of labrum injury and will still play QB. Great heart.

25. Isaac Maselera, Glenpool (Oklahoma State) — Flirted with changing his commitment to Tulsa before deciding to stay with the Cowboys.

26. Derrick Alexander, Tulsa Washington (Tulsa) — A late change from Louisiana-Monroe to Tulsa, but a change you could see coming. On the field, there were few equals to Alexander this season.

27. John-Phillip Hughes, Tulsa Edison (Oklahoma) — A great senior year was taken away from him by injury but still a find at tight end. Said he plans to walk-on for the Sooners.

28. Jabral Johnson, Lawton (Oregon State) — Went from Arizona to Oregon State. Close friends with Zimmerman and two have found a home.

29. Brandon Swindall, Millwood (Undecided) — Nothing more Swindall could have done on a field to show he deserves a shot. Some school is receiving an incredible ‘get.’ Does have an offer from New Mexico, though.

30. Chazten Gonzales, Del City (TCU) — One of the best dual-threat QBs around, he’s been solid with TCU all year and having Naff join him is great for both and TCU.

Tuesday: Nos. 20-11.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Millwood defeated Wichita North 50-44 Friday without Swindall and Josh Turner, who was making his official visit to Texas. Turner has been committed to the Longhorns since the summer and there’s no doubt that he’s staying that way, but this was a chance for him to meet the new members of the coaching staff and spend some time with new defensive coordinator/DB coach Manny Diaz.

As for Swindall, the 6-foot-4, 170-pound receiver is weighing his options and waiting for offers. Arkansas has not extended a scholarship offer yet, but that could happen this weekend. Same goes for Houston, where he is scheduled to visit next weekend.

Swindall has an offer from New Mexico and visited the campus in late December, keeping them in the mix as the Feb. 2 Signing Day looms.

Swindall made a name for himself by intercepting a state-best 17 passes and returning eight of them for touchdowns, an NFHS record. But offensively, he went for more than 1,300 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. His height and long arms make him a big target, and his ball skills were among the best around this season.

– Scott Wright, swright@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.

Right now, the 6-foot-4 receiver who set a national record by returning eight interceptions for touchdowns last season, is looking hardest at New Mexico and Houston. He visited New Mexico before Christmas, and has scheduled a trip to Houston for Jan. 28.

He’ll make the trip with fellow Falcon Kevonte Richardson, projected as a QB, WR or DB at the next level. Richardson is the cousin of Cougar head coach Kevin Sumlin.

Swindall has an offer on the table from New Mexico, and Richardson is holding eight offers. But the scholarship situation at Houston is a little unclear at the moment, yet it should be cleared up by the time they make their visit in a couple weeks.

Arkansas has also been in the mix with Swindall, though they have yet to set up a date for him to visit the campus. Part of the hangup there could be the fact that Swindall is being recruited by Garrick McGee, who was a major player in the hunt for the Tulsa job. So now that Bill Blankenship has that gig, maybe things get back in motion with Swindall.

In other Millwood football news, Josh Turner plans to play in the USA vs. the World all-star game in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 2.

The game is held on signing day, so Turner will be close enough to hand-deliver his letter of intent to Mack Brown if he wants. But Millwood will hold a signing ceremony for Turner at the school on a later date after he returns.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

With a packed house at Northeast Saturday night, and two intense teams going at it, there was a playoff feel in the air for Millwood’s 61-55 win over the host Vikings.

Too bad Millwood dropped down to 2A this season, or we might have actually gotten to see this one at the state tournament. Millwood built an early lead, getting up by as many as 10, and Northeast, behind Caleb Crayton and Gabe Houston, fought back to take the lead a couple times early in the fourth quarter.

Kevonte Richardson scored 15 points for the Falcons, the top-ranked team in Class 2A. Drelan Triplett had 12, while Brandon Swindall and Michael Ervin added 11 apiece as Millwood moved to 9-2 on the season.

There won’t be many teams in 3A or 2A who will have seen the type of quickness and intensity these two teams play defense with. Both were pressing much of the game, trapping, forcing each other into turnovers, taking charges.

Millwood is incredibly balanced, which shouldn’t be a surprise, because that’s how they were last year, and it’s mostly the same cast of characters. Delford Robinson is a solid on-court leader, and guys like Swindall, Ervin, Richardson and Triplett all provide potential scoring punch. This isn’t a team that has to hope for 20 from one guy.

Eight players scored for the Falcons, and all of them were on the board in the first half. Northeast had eight guys get in the scoring column, too. Guys like Eric Peabody and Korihan Jackson add to the scoring threat behind Crayton and Houston, who finished with 18 and 19 points, respectively, Saturday night.

Okemah is still No. 1 in 3A, and Northeast lost at Okemah by six points earlier this year, so I don’t think there’s any doubt the fifth-ranked Vikings should be looked at as legitimate state title contenders.

In 2A, it’s hard to say Millwood isn’t the favorite. Talihina is certainly a good team, and Watonga and Pawnee are still unbeaten, but the Falcons’ speed and depth are going to be difference-makers.

Still, it’s going to be fun watching it all play out. Is it March yet?

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Del City offensive lineman Jamelle Naff and Millwood cornerback Josh Turner are two of the 45 seniors who have been selected for the Team USA U-19 football squad.

The club will play in the second Team USA vs. Team World game Feb. 2 in Austin, Texas.

Naff, 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, was a first-team selection to The Oklahoman’s All-State team and has committed to TCU. Turner, 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, has committed to Texas and was also a first-team All-State honoree.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances.

The US team will be coached by Darren Allman, the head coach of Westlake High in Austin, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $8.

***

Interesting concept, but I’m even more intrigued on having a big-time game like this on national signing day. Definitely going to see what Turner and Naff think about this.

Is it never not football season? In the middle of a crazy-busy basketball tournament week, we gots us some football news to take care of.

First, Wednesday night is the Under Armour game from St. Petersburg, Fla. Texas commit Josh Turner of Millwood and Oklahoma commit Kendal Thompson of Southmoore are the two Oklahoma representatives.

For more on that, you can read Justin Harper’s story on Thompson right here.

Then from there, we go from Florida to San Antonio for the US Army National Combine and All-American game. The combine begins Thursday and runs through Saturday and will feature 500 of the best high school juniors in the country.

From what I know, Anadarko’s Sheldon Wilson, Deer Creek’s Hunter Dinkines, Yukon’s Derek Deeds and Stillwater’s Jesse Vester and Davion Carter will be there. If you know more, please drop us a line. EDIT: A lot more kids are going. Norman’s Donovan Roberts. Casady’s Mac Katigan. Douglass’ Cayman Bundage. Heritage Hall’s Sterling Shepard and Markus Wakefield. Still, if you know more, drop us a line.

Following the combine, the kids are able to stay and watch the All-American game Saturday afternoon on NBC. Oklahoma actually does not have a representative in the game.

So in between basketball tournaments like the Putnam City Invitational and Lady Jag Classic, we still have some football to talk about.

***

Also, Brandon Swindall of Millwood was named 1st MaxPreps All-American, while Booker T’s Derrick Alexander was given second team honor. Juniors Donovan Roberts of Norman and Sheldon Wilson of Anadarko made the junior squad.

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

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

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

10. Alex Ross, RB, Jenks

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

9. Tyrequek Zimmerman, WR/DB, Lawton

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

8. Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman

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

7. Aliston Cobb, RB, Douglass

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

6. Brandon Swindall, WR/DB, Millwood

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

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

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

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

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

3. Christian Hood, WR/DB, Union

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking forward to great things from Glidden at Oklahoma State.

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

Poll results for NewsOK.com Player of the Year:

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

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

Brandon Swindall, Millwood
Class:

The case: You saw the part about the national record, right?

When the ball was in the air, nobody went and got it better than Swindall. He was a big play waiting to happen on both sides of the ball.

And he has a natural instinct of knowing where to be on the field at the right time, evident by the game-saving tackle on Douglass QB Shon Bridges at the 1-yard line on the final play of the Falcons’ 36-31 win in the Soul Bowl. He had a crucial pick to help Millwood try to come back in the semifinal game against Hennessey, as well as a huge fourth-down catch in triple-coverage to keep a scoring drive alive.

Swindall wants to play receiver at the next level and he will get a chance to do it. He has offers from Tulsa and New Mexico — where he took an official visit last week.

But the fact that this kid isn’t rolling in major-college offers right now shocks me. He’s close to 6-foot-4 with long arms, good jumping ability and great hands. His body control and ball skills are hard to beat. His straight-line speed seems to be the only drawback for recruiters, but considering how skinny he is, a year in a college weight room should solve that problem.

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

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

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

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

As of Sunday morning, the percentages are as follows:

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

Voting is open until Friday.

A little more tired than I thought. Two long days of basketball at Bishop McGuinness. Here’s what you can read in Sunday’s paper:

Deer Creek boys basketball coach Matt Bailey doesn’t want to put too much importance into a win in mid-December, but Saturday gave him a taste of what his team is going to see the rest of the year.

On first glance, the Antlers are going to be OK. Facing the constant pressure of Millwood, Deer Creek stayed composed to earn a 61-38 victory at the McGuinness Festival.

“Our kids did a great job and that comes from the leadership of Jalen (Burnett) and Garrett (Hermanski),” Bailey said.

Deer Creek was coming off an emotional overtime loss to McGuinness and had to play only 15 hours after completing that contest.

Sophmore Joel Blumenthal bounced back after a poor shooting night against the Irish to lead the way with 17 points Saturday. Hermanski added 14.

Deer Creek trailed 9-8 after the first quarter but outscored Millwood by 10 in the second quarter and seized control.

Millwood’s Michael Ervin had 10 points, while Kevonte Richardson added nine.

McGuinness 58, Western Heights 39 (boys)

The Irish outscored Western Heights 32-14 in the second and third quarters to pull away from the visiting Jets and go 2-0 in the Festival.

Guard Miles Newcomb led the way with 22 points, including connecting on six three-pointers. Center Matt Christiansen added 17 points.

Western Heights made five three-pointers in the first quarter to take a 15-11 lead into the second, but the Irish scored the first 11 points of the second quarter to set the tone.

The Jets received 14 points from Kenneth Mayfield and 13 from Alton Whittaker.

McGuinness 71, Western Heights 36 (girls)

The Irish used their defense to turn a 14-11 game late in the first quarter into a blowout victory to go 2-0 at the McGuinness Festival.

Junior Elyse Hight scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half as McGuinness outscored Western Heights 25-4 in the third quarter.

Caroline Cameron added 13 points for the Irish, while Western Heights was paced by Antoninet Webster’s 10 points.

Millwood 50, Deer Creek 27 (girls)

Another big start paved the way to the Falcons going 2-0 at the McGuinness Festival. Millwood jumped out to a 15-4 lead after the first quarter to take control.

Deer Creek worked the margin down to 28-18 in the final minute of the third quarter, but the Falcons responded with a 14-3 run to close the third and start the fourth and put the game out of reach.

Millwood was led by Dayla Threatt’s 16 points, while Bayli Blanchard had eight points off the bench for Deer Creek.

I had a hunch heading into the McGuinness Festival. Just a hunch that the Deer Creek boys were going to walk in to Irish Country and pull off the upset.

Good hunch but not the right result. In a hard-fought game by both teams, McGuinness pulled out a fun 52-47 win in overtime Friday night.

Wasn’t exactly the most aesthetically pleasing game, but the effort was there 100 percent. Big players made big shots in a contest where neither team had a lead bigger than five points and there were five lead changes alone in the fourth quarter.

Deer Creek’s Jalen Burnett gave the Antlers a one-point lead in overtime, but then the Irish scored the next six to put some distance between the two teams.

It was all Matt Christiansen in the first half for the Irish. He scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half and was dominating the game. The Antlers had no answer for him inside.

Conversely, the Irish had their fair share of troubles with Garrett Hermanski. Much bigger since the last time I saw him on a basketball court, Hermanski didn’t fade down the stretch and led his club with 22 points.

McGuinness led 42-39 when Hermanski drained a 3-pointer to tie it with 15 seconds left. Miles Newcomb’s attempt at a game-winner was off and to OT we went.

However, it was a big fourth quarter and OT by Newcomb that spurred this effort. He scored 7 of his 12 points in the fourth and OT. Team just has to tread water until star Joe Edmonds comes back.

Get your licks in on McGuinness now because you won’t get a chance later in the season.

Very interesting to see how both teams come back Saturday. Deer Creek has Millwood at 12:30, while McGuinness welcomes the Jets of Western Heights at 3:30.

I could watch those two coaching staffs all day. Tondrell Durham and Andy Fisher at McGuinness and Matt Bailey and Michael Garbutt at Deer Creek. Fun to just observe those four doing what they do. Great atmosphere for a December game.

Back at ya Saturday night.

McGuinness 49, Deer Creek 23 (girls)

As a sophomore, McGuinness’ Elyse Hight showed what she can do off the bench. As a junior, she’s showing she is already one of the top players in the state.

Hight scored a game-high 23 points as the Irish rolled the Antlers.

The Irish defense paved the way as Deer Creek never scored more than nine points in any quarter, and McGuinness outscored the Antlers by at least five points in every quarter.

Caroline Cameron had nine points, while Alexa Lienhard pitched in with eight. Deer Creek was paced by Bayli Blanchard, who had six points.

Millwood 53, OCS 40 (boys)

Every time Oklahoma Christian had a run in it, Millwood’s Drelan Triplett had the answer.

Tripplett scored a game-high 19 points in leading the Falcons to the victory.

The Saints went on an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter to trim the lead to 41-31. Tripplett re-entered the lineup and scored two straight buckets to the push the lead back to 14 to silence the run.

OCS’s T.J. Holland led the Saints with 16 points.

Millwood 73, OCS 38 (girls)

Millwood’s defense sparked an early first quarter lead and the Falcons never looked back in cruising to victory.

Shamyia Johnson scored 16 points and Dayla Threatt notched 15 as Millwood had five players in double figures.

OCS’ Dani Childress had a game-high 19 points.

It’s been a great start to the season for the Deer Creek boys basketball team. The Antlers are 3-0 and are averaging nearly 80 points per game, led by junior Garrett Hermanski.

However, coach Matt Bailey’s club will face its biggest challenges of the season this weekend at the McGuinness Festival at Bishop McGuinness.

Deer Creek plays the Irish on Friday night and comes right back to play Millwood on Saturday afternoon.

Other teams involved in the boys and girls event include Oklahoma Christian School and Western Heights. There will be four games on Friday and Saturday. I’ll be there for all eight games.

McGuinness Festival
Friday
Millwood vs. OCS, 3 p.m. (girls)
Millwood vs. OCS, 4:30 (boys)
McGuinness vs. Deer Creek, 6 p.m. (girls)
McGuinness vs. Deer Creek, 7:30 (boys)

Saturday
Millwood vs. Deer Creek, 11 a.m. (girls)
Millwood vs. Deer Creek, 12:30 p.m. (boys)
McGuinness vs. Western Heights, 2 p.m. (girls)
McGuinness vs. Western Heights, 3:30 p.m. (boys)

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

Your candidates are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Knights took third place in a loaded field at the Edmond Open over the weekend, with T’aries Taylor leading the team in scoring in two of the three games.

Taylor scored 26 in the opener against Tulsa Central and followed it up with 19 in the third place game against Lawton Mac to earn all-tournament honors at the Edmond Open.

With Taylor providing a reliable scoring option alongside point guard Jamil Donovan, the Knights will be a team to watch in Class 5A this season. At 5-1 on the season, NWC is up to No. 4 in this week’s rankings.

Other contenders

Talmadge Lawrence, John Marshall: Lawrence averaged 18.5 points in a pair of wins over Star Spencer and Bethany last week. DeMontrey Mitchell also scored 19 against Bethany.

Caleb Crayton, Northeast: Scored 20 in a close win over Centennial, then he and Gabe Houston each had 18 in a win over Chickasha at the Harrah tournament. Crayton had 17, behind 24 from Eric Peabody, on Saturday in a close loss to Choctaw.

Delford Robinson and Michael Ervin, Millwood: Robinson led the Falcons in scoring twice at the Millwood tournament, including 14 in the opener. Ervin had a team-high 12 in the third-place game, an 18-point win over Capitol Hill.

Nico Meadows, Capitol Hill: Meadows had 24 points against US Grant as the sophomore continues to make an early impact for the Redskins.

Tona Edwards and Brianna Pendleton, Northeast: Edwards had 25 against Centennial and Pendleton had 19 in a win over Putnam City. Edwards had 15 against PC and scored 22 of the team’s 35 against Carl Albert. Pendleton led the team with 17 in the championship loss to Del City.

Sharane Campbell and LaKeitha Watson, Star Spencer: Campbell, an OU signee, had 25 in a win over John Marshall and 17 to help Star take third at the Millwood Invitational. Watson had a team-high 20 in the third-place game.

Meshelle Parker, Northwest Classen: Scored 19 points in a win over Classen last Tuesday.

Dayla Threat, Millwood:  Averaged 17.5 points over four games last week, helping the Falcons to a runner-up finish at their own tournament.

Te’era Williams, Douglass: Had a team-high 21 against Chickasha on Friday.

All-City Athletic Conference Football Team
Coach of the Year – Michael Branch, Southeast
Player of the Year – Marcus Caddell, Douglass; Brandon Swindall, Millwood
Defensive Player of the Year – Devante McKinney, Douglass; Davion Pierson, Millwood
Offensive Player of the Year – Aliston Cobb, Douglass; Kevonte Richardson, Millwood
Special Teams Player of the Year – Josh Turner, Millwood; Carlos Hudson, Star Spencer
Defensive Lineman of the Year – Clifford Lawrence, Millwood
Tri-Linebacker of the Year – Erik King, Douglass; Larry Seals, Millwood; Denzelle Johnson, John Marshall
Defensive Back of the Year – Jay Gogue, Southeast; Brison Currin, Centennial
Offensive Lineman of the Year – Ravi Riley, Douglass
Offensive Back of the Year – Kody Shields, John Marshall
Receiver of the Year – Tyrone Jones, Centennial; Michael Cole, Millwood

All-City Athletic Conference 1st Team Defense
Defensive Line – Dejon Brison, John Marshall; Shawn Hudson, Southeast; Tyrele Pendleton, Centennial; Markus Jackson, Southeast
Linebackers – Ian Robinson, Douglass; Tre Jones, Northwest; Allen Starks, Millwood; Tavin Deloney, Southeast
Defensive Backs – Donnell Ward, Douglass; Stevo Henderson, Star Spencer; Robert Bui, Northeast
Punter – Irving Roa, John Marshall

All-City Athletic Conference 1st Team Offense
Quarterback – Shon Bridges, Douglass
Running Backs – Ontinneil Zavala, Capitol Hill; Anthony Frazier, Southeast
Receivers – Johnny Do, Capitol Hill, Aljone Stringer, Centennial
Offensive Line – Michael Blackmon, Douglass; Kody Stamm, John Marshall; Spencer Davis, Centennial; Ramon Miller, Star Spencer; Kyvonta Smith, Douglass
Place Kicker – Tony Zamarripa, Northwest Classen

Honorable Mention
Capitol Hill – Deantre Williams, Brandon Johnson, Zack Dixon
Centennial – Charles Sebree, Chad Hester
Douglass – Jason Holloway
Millwood – Michael Ervin, Shevin Patton,
Northeast – Alvin Scott, Josh Ray, Justin Moore
Northwest Classen – Larry Mathis, Berkeley Lopez, Tarig Ismil
Southeast – Jovan Ramos, Nelson Williams, Jose Cardoza
Star Spencer – Marcus Singleton, Lashan Penny

It could have been Aliston Cobb, with his 240 rushing yards and two TDs. Or Donnell Ward and Marcus Caddell for the passing connection on the winning TD, as well as their stout pass defense, including Ward’s two interceptions. Or Erik King for his interception in overtime to seal the victory. Or the offensive line for their run blocking. Or the defensive front for their seven sacks. Or…

OK, so you get it. A state championship is a team effort, and that was truly the case for the Trojans Saturday night. Everyone played well, and they all get the honor as the OKC Player of the Week… though I’m sure the gold ball is all the congratulations they needed.

Other contenders

Kevonte Richardson and Brandon Swindall, Millwood football: Richardson, the Falcon QB did all he could, overcoming two early interceptions to have a strong performance, despite the loss. Swindall had six grabs for 120 yards and a TD, as well as another interception — his state-leading 18th on the year.

Marquis Buxton-Hill, Douglass boys basketball: The 6-foot-9 senior poured in 27 in the Trojans’ rout of US Grant in the All-City Conference opener.

Eric Peabody, Northeast boys basketball: Peabody had 28 points as the Vikings pulled out a 70-67 win over Wichita Falls-Hirschi.

DeQuante Taylor, John Marshall boys basketball: Taylor scored 18 to lead the Bears to a season-opening win over Heritage Hall.

Nico Meadows, Capitol Hill boys basketball: Scored 23 and 18 points as the Redskins opened the season with a pair of wins.

Te’era Williams, Douglass girls basketball: Williams had 22 in the opener, a 42-point win over US Grant.

Tona Edwards and Brianna Pendleton, Northeast girls basketball: Scored 15 and 14 sports, respectively, in NE’s rout of Wichita Falls-Hirschi.

D’Carla Kirk and Kebrina Hartfield, Centennial girls basketball: Kirk had 16 and Hartfield 14 in the Bison victory over ASTEC.

– Send POW nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

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

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.

Millwood writer Scott Wright will have more later today, but I just wanna get it out there that Millwood star defensive lineman Davion Pierson has committed to TCU on Tuesday, said Millwood offensive coordinator Kevin Cox.

Pierson, one of several Falcon stars receiving looks from Division I schools, has been a key component of the Millwood defense this season.

The Falcons (13-0) play Hennessey (10-3) in a Class 2A semifinal Saturday afternoon at Yukon’s Miller Pride Stadium.

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.

Why Stroud could win: Dakota Biswell. The junior running back powers a run-based offense that can put up points fast. He averages better than eight yards per carry and has more than 1,700 yards with 27 TDs on the season. And when you stop him, the ball goes to Levi Killman, who is nearing 1,000 rushing yards for the year. On the other side of the ball, the Stroud defense has yet to allow more than 24 points in a game this season.

Why Millwood could win: They’ve got weapons everywhere. The Falcons might not have faced a run game like Stroud presents, but they’ve got the tools to contain it with guys like Davion Pierson and Larry Seals in the box and plenty of speed on the back end. The offense might be without RB Shevin Patton once again, but WR Josh Turner has been exceptional in filling in for him.

Quote: Most of us on defense have been playing since our sophomore year. Now it’s our time to shine.” – Millwood senior defensive end Clifford Lawrence

Key matchup: Millwood passing game vs. Stroud secondary. The Tigers haven’t seen a lot of passing attacks this season, and Millwood isn’t afraid to go to the air often. QB Kevonte Richardson has thrown for more than 400 yards three times this year, and if the Falcons find success in the air, it’ll be hard for Stroud to keep up.

The pick: Millwood 42, Stroud 18. Look for some big numbers from Richardson and his receivers.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Not so fast, my friend.

Millwood’s Josh Turner had a ridiculous night last week, but so did the Douglass defense. And considering the Trojan performance came against a top-five team with a semifinal berth on the line, I had to give them the edge.

Including a special-teams play by cornerback/receiver/everything senior Marcus Caddell, the Trojans made their two biggest plays when Oologah had the ball — Caddell’s blocked field goal, which he returned for a TD, and Devante McKinney’s 85-yard interception return TD.

Those two plays turned the game, but more than anything, the key was Douglass’ ability to stop Oologah’s run game. The Mustangs love the run, and Douglass shut it down. Not one single run play went for more than six yards all night. In all, 44 carries for 60 yards.

The passing game was able to hit for a few chunk plays, but they completed just 10 of 25 throws, of course, with the big pick-six. The defense was put in some tough situations, especially in the first half when Douglass had four of their five lost fumbles, but they held up each time.

It’ll take another big game from the Trojan D next week against a stout Broken Bow team, but these guys are on a gold ball mission, so I’m sure they’ll come out sharp.

Other contenders

Shon Bridges, Aliston Cobb and Donnell Ward, Douglass: Bridges completed all five throws he attempted, including the 36-yard TD to Ward, who also was a big part of that defensive performance. And Cobb had another standout performance, going for 138 yards on 15 carries, including two TDs.

Josh Turner, Kevonte Richardson and Brandon Swindall, Millwood: I mentioned Turner’s crazy night… here are the final numbers – 10 rushes for 142 yards and two TDs; three receptions for 121 yards. For the season, he’s over 700 rushing and receiving, shuffling back and forth between the two positions. He’ll probably be back at RB this week unless Shevin Patton is able to return. Richardson completed 11 of 20 passes for 307 yards and two scores, while rushing eight times for 50 yards. Swindall had six receptions for 130 yards, a TD, a two-point conversion and his 16th interception of the season.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

How they got here:  After starting the season 0-3, Coalgate has won seven of its last eight, including a hard-fought 22-21 win over Frederick last week. Millwood has only played three games closer than 27 points in running up an 11-0 record. The Falcons opened the playoffs with a 59-28 win over OCS. 

Why Coalgate could win: They put together an impressive defensive performance to hold down a Frederick team that had scored 90 a week before, 72 a few weeks earlier, 61 in the second week of the season and 54 three different times. Frederick was averaging 50 a game when it got stopped by Coalgate last week, and it’s going to take an outstanding defensive performance to beat Millwood.

Why Millwood could win: Despite making a strong run through its district, Coalgate lost some head-scratchers early in the season and got handled pretty well by a strong Davis team. Davis and Atoka each put up 33 points — the most allowed by Coalgate in a game this season — which shows they can be scored on with the run or the pass. And Millwood can do both.

Key matchup: Coalgate offense vs. Millwood defense. Not only will it take a strong defensive performance to upset the top-ranked Falcons, you’re going to have to score some points, too. And the Millwood D is out to prove it is better than people have given it credit for.

The pick: Millwood 37, Coalgate 14. Survive and advance for the Falcons. No need for anything flashy.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Patton had an ankle injury that slowed him for a few weeks early in the season, and the blowout victories has sent the starters to the sidelines early in a lot of games. But he’s had a few really good games, and that will be a key as the opponents get tougher.

We know the Falcons have the talent in the passing game, but they have proven they’ve got the weapons to run it more than effectively, too.

Other contenders

Aliston Cobb, Ian Robinson, Douglass linemen: Cobb broke the Douglass single-season rushing record, now at 1,832 with 25 touchdowns on the season. Robinson had a crucial interception returned for a touchdown. But the game was won in the trenches, where the Trojan O-line powered the run game, and the defensive line came through with six sacks. They’ve got a tough week ahead against a big, physical Oologah team this week.

Brandon Swindall, Kevonte Richardson, Millwood O-line: Swindall came up with two more interceptions — 15 on the year — and returned another for a TD, making eight in all. He also caught TD passes of 36 and 77 yards. Richardson threw two TD passes and rushed for another. And the offensive line powered the Falcons to 472 rushing yards on just 39 carries.

OCS (4-6) at Millwood (10-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: L.W. Good Stadium, MHS

OCS
Why the Saints can win: Gonna have to use the weather and get a down night from the Falcons to pull off the biggest upset of the season. Try to wear ‘em down with the running game of Chris Easterly and try to limit the big plays from the best big-play potential team in the state.

Millwood
Why the Falcons can win: This team has been waiting for the postseason to start since last December. They’ve won 10 straight games with only one 2A team playing them close, and now the intensity goes up a notch.

Key matchup: The start for OCS. The Saints haven’t seen anything like the skill and athleticism of Millwood. They cannot be in awe and cannot get in an early 21-0 hole before waking up. First quarter is going to go a long way to determine what happens in this one.

Boneman’s pick: Millwood 59, OCS 19. Falcons won’t slip up. Kevonte Richardson opens up the game early, and the rest of the team follows his lead to cruise to the first round win.

Scott’s pick: Millwood 38, OCS 12. Not sure what the weather will be like, but I’m betting on cold and wet. I would look for scoring to be slowed down because of it, but I don’t envision Millwood having too much trouble here.

His nine carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns propelled him to the school single-season record for rushing touchdowns, now with 22 on the year.

On top of that, he’s not far from breaking the school record for rushing yards, held by Quinton Neil at 1,648.

Cobb is at 1,598 yards, averaging 12.1 yards per carry for the season, so he’s likely to bust the record before halftime next week against Elk City.

His performance wasn’t the only impressive outing from the Trojans last Friday. QB Shon Bridges completed all nine of his pass attempts for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Donnell Ward caught five balls for 150 and three scores. RB Diontay Washington got two carries and went for 52 yards. Jas’Sen Stoner had 13 tackles, while Erik King and Cayman Bundage had 10 tackles and two sacks apiece.

In all, it was a strong showing for the Trojans as they head into the playoffs, trying to finish what they started last season.

Other contenders

Kevonte Richardson, Brandon Swindall, Shevin Patton and Michael Ervin, Millwood: Swindall had two more picks, and 13 for the season right now. Patton rushed for 88 yards and two scores, and he continues to get back to good health, adding just another weapon for the Falcons in the postseason. Ervin caught five passes for 104 yards, also rushing for 25 on two carries. But it was Richardson who really stood out. The QB was 17-of-23 for 240 yards, 86 rushing yards and a 65-yard interception return TD in the 35-7 win over Lexington.

Why Millwood could win: The Falcons have reached the cusp of an undefeated season, and even though this team has much higher goals, 10-0 is still a big deal. RB Shevin Patton has been hampered by an ankle injury much of this year, but he seems to be getting back to form, evident by his 121 yards and a TD on six carries last week.

Why Lexington could win: Travelle Pelkey. The running back got off to a fantastic start this season, and Lex looked like a top 10 squad. But the road got bumpy. Still, Pelkey is a strong runner and gives Lex a chance to move the ball. Four of their five losses are by nine points or fewer, and they snapped a four-game losing streak last week with an overtime win against Meeker.

Key matchup: Millwood defense vs. Pelkey. Pelkey powers the Lexington offense, but he will face a challenge in the middle this week. With linebackers Larry Seals and Larry Lambeth behind a line that includes DE Clifford Lawrence and DT Davion Pierson, the Falcons can pursue the ball well.

The pick: Millwood 45, Lexington 18.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Caddell had three receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half as the Trojans built a 20-6 lead. He had three interceptions, all in Douglass territory and two in the red zone. And he returned a kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown.

Douglass QB Shon Bridges earns honorable mention for his big plays in the passing game, completing four throws for 108 yards and two scores. 

Other contenders

Kevonte Richardson, Mike Cole and Shevin Patton, Millwood: Richardson put on a show, throwing for 114 yards and three TDs, rushing for 71 yards and a score, and taking a kickoff 82 yards to the house. Cole caught four passes for 78 yards and two TDs. Patton rushed for 121 yards on six carries with a touchdown. And Brandon Swinall took another pick back for a score, making for seven on the year.

John Marshall Bears: The Bears needed a win and they got it with a crucial 21-20 victory over Weatherford, a good motivational boost for a team that has a chance to win again this week against SeeWorth Academy. That would get them to .500 for the season.

Why the Vikings could win: They’re playing for their postseason lives and that’s great motivation. Migual Potts, London Potts and Trevyone Willis have been prone to make some big plays, but it’s going to take a lot to knock off No. 1.

Why Falcons could win: They’re the better team and they’re looking to prime up for the playoffs in a couple weeks. It’s getting close to winning time, so I wouldn’t look for the Falcons to be relaxing too much.

Key matchup: Falcon playmakers vs. Northeast defense. Defensively, the Vikes have allowed 40 or more six times this season, so stopping Millwood is asking a lot.

The pick: Millwood 52, Northeast 35. That Falcon offense just has too many weapons. Northeast will be able to score points, but not enough to win.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Looking good

Douglass (6-2, 5-0)
Remaining games: vs. Glenpool, vs. Cleveland
Prognosis: Win this week and it’s all over. Douglass will sew up the 4A-2 title with a win against Glenpool on Friday. That would put them against the No. 4 from 4A-1, where Woodward and McGuinness are currently tied.

Millwood (8-0, 4-0)
Remaining games: at Northeast, at Lexington
Prognosis: One more win is all it will take to assure the Falcons of a district title and a playoff opener against the No. 4 seed from 2A-1 (right now it would be OCS or Tonkawa). Of course, that’s not what they’re chasing. Their goals are focused in December.

Barely hanging on

Northwest Classen (1-7, 1-4)
Remaining games: at Durant, at Lawton MacArthur
Prognosis: Must win out and get some help. The Knights are sitting in seventh one game behind a three-way tie for the fourth spot.

Northeast (2-6, 1-3)
Remaining games: vs. Millwood, at Jones
Prognosis: The good news is the Vikings could win twice and potentially get in. The bad news is they have to play the two best teams in the district the final two weeks.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

On Thursday, QB Kevonte Richardson was 19-of-30 for 454 yards. That’s 15.1 yards per pass — not per completion, per attempt. Nearly 24 yards per completion. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in leading the Falcons to a 53-22 win over Crooked Oak.

Helping him out were Josh Turner (seven rushes for 51 yards and a TD, seven receptions for 98 yards and a TD), Brandon Swindall (five catches for 200 yards and two TDs) and Mike Cole (five catches for 102 yards, one TD and a two-point conversion)

Other contenders

Aliston Cobb, Diontay Washington and the Douglass defense: When Cobb took the first handoff of the game and went 48 yards for the TD, you could tell Harrah wasn’t ready for the Trojans’ speed in the 47-0 Douglass win. Cobb finished with 210 yards and two TDs, while Washington added 102 yards and three scores to back the defense’s shutout of the Panthers — holding them to negative yardage in the second half. Marcus Caddell came up with two big interceptions in the first half as well.

Trevyone Willis, Northeast: Had scores of 88 yards (interception return) and 99 yards (kickoff return) in Northeast’s loss to Oklahoma Christian.

Christian Gorham and the Northwest defense: Gorham threw four TD passes and the Knights’ defense registered its first shutout since 2004 in defeating Capitol Hill 40-0.

Send OKC Player of the Week nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Last week: Crooked Oak ran its win streak to four straight with a 32-28 win over Perry in a non-district game. Millwood coasted past Christian Heritage 52-12.

Why Crooked Oak could win: The Ruf-Nex were shaky out of the gate, but have been playing strong football of late. They’re a tough team to figure out, but the defense has had some good outings and the offense is averaging 38.8 points per game the last four weeks.

Why Millwood could win: No point in rattling off the full list of stars at this point in the season. But let’s focus on the defense, which got into a shootout with Jones, but otherwise has been stout in district play. With linebackers Larry Seals and Larry Lambeth playing behind Davion Pierson, one of the state’s top defensive tackles, this group has the ability to control the line of scrimmage.

Key matchup: Brandon Swindall vs. anyone in a Crooked Oak jersey. I’m not sure if anyone has tackled this kid in three weeks. Everything Swindall touches seems to turn into a TD. He had four last week — two on picks and two on passes from Kevonte Richardson — and he’s up to 18 total for the season.

The pick: Millwood 45, Crooked Oak 28. The Crooked Oak offense has shown the capability to put up some big numbers at times, but they’ve also had some hit-and-miss performances against good defenses. They will have to be on top of their game to outscore the Falcons.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Why the Crusaders could win: Andy Habib and Bryant Hodge are a formidable rushing duo, combining for more than 700 yards and 12 touchdowns. Moving the ball will be key, because no one has been able to stop the Falcons yet. So if you’re going to beat them, you’ll need to score.

Why the Falcons could win: Last week’s comeback win over Jones should have opened the Falcons’ eyes a little to let them know that the district schedule won’t be a cake walk. Going undefeated — no matter the level of competition — isn’t easy and requires a team to maintain focus every week.

Key matchup: Falcon WRs vs. CHA DBs. If you can’t stop Josh Turner, Brandon Swindall and Mike Cole, you can’t beat the Falcons.

The pick: Millwood 45, CHA 21. QB Kevonte Richardson is just playing too well and has too many weapons at his disposal right now.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Cobb tacked on three more touchdowns this week in a rout of Cushing, bringing his season total to 14, which isn’t quite as impressive as Cobb’s 11.6 yard-per-carry average. Barring something unforseen, Cobb will go past the 1,000-yard mark next week.

For the year, he has 954 yards on just 82 carries. With Diontay Washington, Ian Robinson and Shon Green adding some punch in that backfield as well, then guys like Marcus Caddell at receiver, the Douglass offense is dangerous. And that’s good news, considering Willis Alexander is a guy that lives on defense. And the Trojans are pretty solid over there, too.

Other contenders

Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner, Millwood: Ridiculous, simply ridiculous. The numbers these guys are putting up, the big plays they’re making — amazing. Turner had TD catches of 43 and 81 yards. Swindall scored from 8, 33 and 74 yards, the last two in the fourth quarter to close out Millwood’s rally for a 45-38 win. Swindall finished with 189 yards receiving and Turner had 158.

Kody Stamm and Dejon Brison, John Marshall: Bruce Troxell was pleased with the play of guys like Denzelle Johnson, Kody Shields and Delante Scroggins, but it was his senior linemen who really stood out. Stamm and Brison led the way as the Bears got back in the win column.

Stevo Henderson, Star Spencer: Henderson had a 68-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, the lone offensive bright spot for the Bobcats in a 35-8 loss.

Send OKC Player of the Week nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Christian Gorham, Northwest Classen: The Knight QB tossed a pair of TD passes in NWC’s loss to Duncan.

Last week: Millwood rolled past Luther 60-6 in its district opener. Jones knocked off Morris 29-8 in a district off week.

Why the Falcons could win: The list is long. Earlier this week, I wrote about how well QB Kevonte Richardson has been playing. Brandon Swindall has made as many big plays as anyone around. Larry Seals and Davion Pierson anchor the middle of the defense. And after losing to Jones last year before the ‘Horns had to forfeit, this is a growing rivalry that will provide the Falcons with plenty of motivation.

Why the Longhorns could win: There are a ton of good receivers on the field in this game, and Jones has the one with the most yards this season. Tylor Seabolt has 516 yards and seven TDs for the Longhorns. QB Michael Lowe has thrown for more than 900 yards with 13 touchdowns and just two picks. Jones has thrown a couple of shutouts this season, but no one has been able to stop the Millwood offense so far, so it’ll probably take a team outscoring them to beat them.

Key matchup: Millwood passing game vs. Jones DBs. Though they’ve had big leads in the last four games, Jones has only allowed 111 passing yards per game. So this game pits strength against strength right here. If Jones can slow the Falcon passing attack, it will make the upset easier to pull. But that’s no easy task.

The pick: Millwood 42, Jones 28. Someone will have to beat Millwood before I can pick against this team the way they’ve been playing this year. This is the toughest game the Falcons have left before the playoffs.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

But Millwood’s Brandon Swindall put up those numbers as a defensive back. The 6-foot-4 senior intercepted four passes and returned three of them for touchdowns of 18, 77 and 87 yards in Friday’s 60-6 win over Luther.

For the season, Swindall has nine total touchdowns — five receiving and four interception returns. He’s among the state’s top receivers with 423 yards, and he’s been a big-play threat all season.

It’s just a matter of time before recruiting explodes for this kid. He’s taller and faster than a year ago, and once teams get a good look at his senior game tape, they’re going to be lining up for him.

Other contenders

Aliston Cobb, Douglass: The senior RB rushed for 187 yards and scored four times as Douglass won its second straight blowout.

Trevyone Willis and London Potts, Northeast: Willis scored three times from 51, 63 and 94 yards in a loss to Christian Heritage. Potts threw to him for the 63- and 94-yard scores. Potts also rushed in for a two-point conversion.

Josh Turner, Millwood: The Texas commit had three TDs and more than 100 yards rushing in the 60-6 win over Luther.

Kody Shields, John Marshall: Shields had a 48-yard TD run as the SeBears pounded out 215 yards on the ground, despite losing to a powerful Kingfisher squad.

– Send OKC Player of the Week nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Last week: Luther was on the wrong end of a 48-28 decision agianst Crooked Oak. Millwood closed out the non-district schedule with a rout of Alva on the road.

Why Luther could win: The Lions have talent on offense, scoring at least 28 points every week so far. If they have to — and they probably will — they can try to keep up with Millwood’s high-scoring offense. But it won’t be easy. Luther might get some help if Millwood is looking ahead to the big showdown with Jones in Week 6.

Why Millwood could win: This just seems to be a team on a mission, scoring on anyone, making big defensive plays when they need them. After getting the extra non-district game out of the way, every game the rest of the season has meaning. QB Kevonte Richardson has been extremely sharp so far, running the offense extremely well.

Key matchup: Luther defense vs. the big play. Luther has allowed 40-plus points in two straight weeks, and 21 the week before that. You can’t survive against Millwood if you let their offense dictate the game. If Luther wants to pull off the upset, it’ll take some big defensive stops.

The pick: Millwood 48, Luther 28. Hard to pick against the Falcons right now.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Aliston Cobb rushed for 117 yards on 12 carries and Diontay Washington had 103 on 12 carries as the Trojans piled up 350 yards on the ground.

That run game even opened up some passing opportunities for QB Shon Bridges, who had his best game to date through the air. Bridges was 7-of-11 for 175 yards, including a 71-yard TD toss to Marcus Caddell.

Other contenders

Darion Bogus and Kenneth Davis, Star Spencer: Bogus had his best throwing week of the season, throwing for 157 yards on 6-of-12 completions in the victory over Chandler. Davis, a sophomore, forced two turnovers, scored a TD and had 16 tackles.

Kevonte Richardson, Millwood: Richardson’s season has been crazy good so far — more to come on that in Thursday’s paper — and Friday was no different. Richardson was 10-of-16 for 226 yards and three TDs. He also rushed five times for 46 yards.

Trevyone Willis and London Potts, Northeast: Willis scored twice as the Vikings fell to a top-10 team, lexington. Potts threw two TD passes, one to Willis and one to Aron Gaines.

Terry Arnold, Northwest: Arnold caught a 36-yard TD pass from Christian Gorham. Arnold has been one of the Knights’ most reliable weapons at receiver all year.

– Send POW nominations to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

So let’s take a look at what some of the OKC schools face as we get ready for the start of district play:

Millwood (3-0)

It’s going to be a while before the Falcons face a team as good as what they’ve seen the last two weeks in Douglass and McGuinness. Those are two of the best teams in 4A, and none of the competition in 2A-2 is going to exceed that.

Jones (Week 6) and Lexington (Week 10) are a couple of big games to look ahead to, but with easiejr competition, the key for the Falcons will be making sure not to let their guard down. They’ve got the talent to win every game they play. It’s just a matter of staying focused.

Week 4: The new seven-team districts in most of A-3A have led to some scheduling craziness. Millwood closes out the preseason portion of its schedule at Alva Friday night, then opens 2A-2 play at home against Luther the following week.

Douglass (1-2)

After finally getting into the win column, the Trojans are heading into district play on a high note. And in terms of west-side districts, 4A-2 is much more favorable than 4A-1, which has teams like McGuinness, Elgin, Elk City, Cache and Woodward. The Week 9 meeting with Glenpool (the two teams are 4 and 5 in the rankings this week) could be for the district title.

Though Douglass won last week, there was some difficulty, with coach Willis Alexander sending his starting QB, Shon Bridges, and RB, Aliston Cobb, to the bench at one point. But I’d expect Alexander to get everything sorted out.

Week 4: The Trojans open district play with a visit from Tecumseh, which lost 35-13 to Deer Creek last week. The Antlers hit some big plays with the run, so look for Douglass to try the same thing.

Star Spencer (0-3)

I paid a visit to Star Spencer practice on Monday, and there’s some sense of relief in the arrival of district play. After battling through a difficult preseason, the Bobcats are ready for a fresh start.

And district action gets off to a fast start, too. Friday’s game at home against Chandler pits the two teams who were viewed as the preseason favorites in 3A-4. Perkins is a team that has looked good in the first three weeks, and the Bobcats go there in Week 6.

Star gets its break from district action in Week 9 with a game against Victory Christian.

Week 4: As I said, it starts with Chandler this week. No one in the district is currently ranked in the 3A top 10, and these two teams would like to change that.

Southeast (3-0)

Michael Branch has his team off to a great start, but as we’ve discussed before, the Spartans are in possibly the toughest district around. Two top-three teams await in Guthrie and Carl Albert, as well as No. 7 Deer Creek. The move of Jay Gogue to running back seems to have inspired the running game, and the defense has been solid all year.

I won’t be surprised to see this team step up and upset someone at some point during the season.

Week 4: The district action begins with Ada coming to Southeast this Friday. This could be a more important game than it seems right now. These two teams could be battling for the final playoff spot in this district if things go well for Southeast.

John Marshall (2-1)

As expected, the Bears have been strong on defense so far this year. Even in their loss to Cache, they still only gave up 15 points. They’re stuck in a challenging district, with Heritage Hall, Kingfisher, Bethany, Newcastle and Centennial. So with opponents like that, a good defense will come in handy.

The question will be whether the young offense can come along and put up enough points to win some big games.

Week 4: The Bears open with Bethany Thursday night at Taft Stadium. It should be a good test for the JM defense. Bethany brings a balanced offensive attack with QB Ryley Claborn and RB Devin Campbell.

Centennial (2-1)

No sense in waiting around, and that’s the case for Centennial, which opens district play with one of the hottest teams in the state, No. 3 Heritage Hall.

It’s a tough district, and there are a couple of key games waiting in next few weeks, with games against Newcastle and John Marshall. Both of those games will go a long way toward separating the middle of the district. The Bison are one of the teams who got stuck with Week 10 as its district off week. They’ll close out the season against 2A Hennessey.

Week 4: The opener against Heritage Hall on Friday night will be a big test for the Bison defense, which struggled to slow down Anadarko — certainly no shame in losing to a team like the Warriors, but like Anadarko, Heritage Hall has a strong running game that few have been able to slow down.

Other OKC teams

US Grant opens district play Thursday night with the suddenly scary Putnam City Pirates, who are 3-0 and routed Choctaw last week… Capitol Hill begins district action against one of 5A’s best teams, Duncan, on Thursday… Northeast, also in 2A-2 with Millwood, will try to build on last week’s success in its district opener against a Lexington team that has earned its spot in the top 10… Altus visits Northwest Classen on Friday night for the 5A-2 opener.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

And though the numbers might not appear to make sense, I’m going with the Millwood defense as the Oklahoma City Players of the Week. Yes, the Falcon D gave up 41 points and 362 yards, but less than 100 of those yards came in the second half when Millwood needed their defense the most.

And the defense got takeaways on McGuinness’ first two possessions of the game — including the interception Clifford Lawrence took back 73 yards for a touchdown — to help the Falcons build a 20-0 lead.

Kevonte Richardson’s 200 passing yards and 144 rushing yards — including a 92-yard TD run — were ultra-impressive. Smae for Mike Cole’s three catches for three TDs. Brandon Swindall had multiple important catches and Shevin Patton averaged more than 10 yards per carry at running back.

And Millwood needed all of those contributions, but the top award goes to the defense, guys like Lawrence, Larry Seals, Josh Turner and Davion Pierson.

Seals was all over the place all night long, despite playing with a huge cast on one hand. Pierson battled dehydration throughout the night, but came up with two huge plays on McGuinness’ final offensive series, making a tackle in the backfield and sniffing out a screen pass to make another stop at the line of scrimmage.

That play came right before Swindall’s interception that sealed the victory.

Other contenders

Marcus Caddell and Diontay Washington, Douglass: Washington rushed for 60 yards on 10 carries, including two early TDs, and Caddell made the game’s biggest play, a 38-yard interception return for a score.

Jay Gogue, Southeast: Gogue led the Spartans to a third straight win, knocking off Capitol Hill. Gogue rushed for 165 yards and five TDs.

Brison Currin, Centennial: Coach Mark Ryan praised his quarterback for managing the offense well as the Bison head into Week 4 with a 2-1 record.

Aron Gaines and Migual Potts, Northeast: Each player had two TDs, with Gaines pulling in scoring receptions of 12 and 30 yards, and Potts rushing for scores of 48 and 54 yards as the Vikings defeated Riverside 38-6.

Send nominations for OKC Player of the Week to Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Bishop McGuinness (2-0) at Millwood (2-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: L.W. Good Stadium (Scott Wright will be there)

McGuinness (W – Douglass 9-7, W – Kelley 14-7)
Why the Irish can win: Because though the Falcons are mentally tough and incredibly fast, McGuinness should be physically tougher after battles with the Trojans and Comets. The Irish could wear the smaller Millwood club down with the balance of Camden Tharp and LaRone Richardson.

Millwood
Why the Falcons could win: There aren’t a lot of defenses that can slow down all the offensive weapons Millwood throws at you, and we’ve yet to see how McGuinness will handle a heavy passing attack. The Falcons will need to keep the run game going and they’ll need to get their kicking game worked out before it comes back to bite them. It nearly got them last week, when they scored six TDs and failed to convert an extra point or two-point conversion.

Scott’s key matchup: Irish RB LaRone Richardson vs. Millwood run-stoppers. Ball control could really swing this game. If Richardson and the Irish are able to run the ball, not only will it keep the ball away from Millwood, it will keep some of the Falcons’ offensive playmakers busy in defensive run support. McGuinness has the depth to wear down the Falcons, with most of their top players going both ways.

Boneman’s key matchup: Tharp vs. Millwood secondary. It’s incredibly tough to find a weakness in the Millwood secondary with Josh Turner and Micheal Cole. However, Tharp has to start keeping teams honest in the run-pass game. And we know from last year Tharp is not a bad QB. Maybe the offensive playbook will be more open this week.

Scott’s pick: Millwood 21, McGuinness 17. Ultimately, the Falcons have too much talent, and they know how to get them all involved.

Boneman’s pick: Millwood 30, Irish 26. I’m getting more and more hesitant with this pick. However, this is what ran in the paper, so I’ll go with it. Starting to think the Falcons are going to be too beat up.

Boneman’s Irish prediction record: 2-0.

One place to go Friday night, where would you head? A lot of people will be joining Scott Wright at L.W. Good Stadium for Millwood and Bishop McGuinness.

Scott Wright: It’s obvious the McGuinness defense is pretty stout, but they haven’t faced a team that throws the ball like the Falcons. How do you see the Irish secondary standing up to the test?

Robert Przybylo: Ding ding ding. That is the No. 1 question I have coming into this game. Brandon Swindall was so impressive last week. I don’t know if any teams have a secondary that can shut that down. The key will be for Nick Callaway, Brandon Nguyen, Dakota Leftwich and company to pressure QB Kevonte Richardson. Irish haven’t seen this type of passing attack in the first two weeks. Don’t give Richardson the time to find Swindall and Josh Turner.

Wright: How has quarterback Camden Tharp progressed since becoming the starter two weeks ago?

Przybylo: Tharp is not a question mark for this team. He was more than serviceable as a sophomore in this spot. If you remember, the Millwood game last year was Tharp’s first start. Tharp knows this offense. He is an effective runner, and he has the support of his teammates.

Wright: How important will it be for the Irish to get a strong performance from LaRone Richardson this week, in hopes that the run game could help keep Millwood’s offense off the field?

Przybylo: I don’t know if Millwood will allow Richardson to go off. He had six touchdowns in this game last year, and you don’t forget that. This has to be the game that Jamaal Whitney plays a big role for the Irish. The balance has to start to be there with the running and passing.

Here we go again. This should be a good one at Millwood when the Falcons welcome Bishop McGuinness (Scott Wright will be there.)

Robert Przybylo: How in the world can this team physically and mentally come back after such a draining game vs. Douglass?

Scott Wright: It won’t be easy at all, especially from a physical standpoint. Those Millwood kids were worn down to the extreme on Saturday, some of them vomiting on the field during the game. I’m sure the Millwood coaches tried to take it easy on them in practice Monday to let them have a little extra rest, but it’s hard to judge how close to 100 percent ready they can be. Kids aren’t used to playing that many plays in the heat of the afternoon, so their bodies took quite a beating.

Przybylo: What’s the status of RB Shevin Patton? The offense wasn’t quite the same without him on the field in the second half.

Wright: Coaches say he’ll be fine, but for a shifty back like him, any injury to the knee or below will have an impact. The run game is important for the Falcons, because not only does it help keep the secondary honest, it gives QB Kevonte Richardson more openings to run the ball as well. And when they have both running threats and the passing game, they’re dangerous.

Przybylo: How much does last year’s game at McGuinness still sting for this team? Is revenge a factor?

Wright: They certainly haven’t forgotten. That loss was the Falcons’ only one until Kingfisher knocked them out of the playoffs (because of the Jones forfeit). And when you’re talking about high school kids, I think revenge is always a factor. I’m sure the coaches have been playing up the idea all week.

It was hard enough narrowing the field down to three guys, and that’s why Millwood quarterback Kevonte Richardson and receivers/defensive backs Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner must share the honor of Oklahoma City Player of the week.

Richardson threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 40 more yards and a score. Turner had five catches for 117 yards, including grabs of 32 and 27 yards on the final drive, the latter accounting for the game-winning touchdown. And Swindall had five receptions for 161 yards and three scores, with his shortest catch of the day going for 19 yards. Oh, and he had the game-saving tackle at the 1-yard line on the final play of the 36-31 victory.

So, yeah, they were kind of a big deal on Saturday.

A few other Millwood players who earned recognition Saturday: Nose guard Stanford Rice, linebacker Larry Seals and receiver Dametric Sanders, who had a 79-yard TD catch.

And Douglass had their share of playmakers, too. RB Aliston Cobb had 202 rushing yards and three TDs, and Diontay Washington running behind a powerful offensive line all day. DeVante McKinney was stirring up trouble at defensive end. Erik King and the linebackers were running to the ball well. QB Shon Bridges made his share of plays, though he wishes he could’ve picked up one more yard on that last play. And Marcus Caddell who made several plays, including a 90-yard kickoff return TD that kept the Trojans in the game in the third quarter.

Other POW contenders

Jay Gogue, QB/RB, and Micah Hunter, QB, Southeast football: The Spartans are 2-0 with Gogue leading the way. He has played quarterback and running back this season as coach Michael Branch looks for the best way to utilize his dangerous runner.  Hunter threw a TD pass in Thursday’sd 27-14 win over Star Spencer, helping keep the Spartans from becoming one-dimensional.

Christian Gorham and Terry Arnold, Northwest Classen football: Gorham threw five touchdown passes, hitting Arnold for three of them, on his way to a 279-yard performance on just 12-of-19 passing. Arnold pulled in scoring catches of 15, 23 and 21 yards, and also returned a kickoff 86 yards for a score as Northwest edged Northeast 40-34.

Trevyone Willis and Michael Thomas, Northeast football: Thomas threw a touchdown pass to Willis and caught another himself in the tough loss to NW Classen. Willis had the 22-yard TD catch and rushed for TDs of 20 and 37 yards.

Nico Durham and Tyrone Jones, Centennial football: Durham and Jones combined for all three Bison touchdowns in Friday’s loss to Anadarko.

GaVonte Bonds, US Grant football: Bonds rushed for 116 yards on 14 carries against Capitol Hill.

Irving Roa, John Marshall cross country: Roa won the John Marshall meet at Lake Hefner last Thursday, finishing the 4,800-meter course in 16:55.

– To nominate an OKC athlete for Player of the Week, e-mail Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Hours later, still kinda getting an adrenaline rush from seeing the highlights from the Millwood 36-31 win against Douglass. Just a sensational game.

Go ahead and laugh at me on the final play video. Here’s what happened: I was following the play, but then I started to watch it more with my eyes than the camera to see if Shon Bridges had scored. Brandon Swindall knocked Bridges out of bounds at the 1 yard line to preserve the win.

Then I remembered to try to shoot it. I get the tail end of it. And then the camera goes all funky because now I’m running across the field to get celebration shots. So yes, don’t quit my day job.

Wind and the PA announcer make it kind of tough, but here is what Brandon Swindall and Josh Turner had to say. And spliced in are thoughts from myself and Scott Wright.

Millwood celebrates after a memorable 36-31 win against Douglass in the Soul Bowl.

When it comes to Oklahoma high school football history, it’s safe to say I really don’t have much to look back on.

But in my three years of covering high school sports, and football in particular, nothing has matched the quality of play and drama witnessed Saturday at Moses F. Miller Stadium

For those that weren’t there, Millwood won 36-31. Star receiver Brandon Swindall knocked Douglass QB Shon Bridges out of bounds at the 1 or 2 yard line as time expired.

Wow.

Take a breath.

Wow.

I am humbled by the efforts of both of these teams. Millwood was clearly sucking wind from the second quarter on.

Taking a much bigger team with more kids on a Saturday afternoon, left those kids with nothing in the gas tank.

Swindall and Texas commit Josh Turner (among several others) could barely stand when it was all over. Most of the Falcons’ stars play both ways. And you don’t think about heat problems Friday nights. But man, you could feel the heat Saturday afternoon.

Turner scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:27 left, beating the Douglass secondary one final time.

I am humbled by a team that had every reason to pack it in when trailing 18-6 at halftime. But didn’t. Willis Alexander’s team never said die and took its first lead of the game on Aliston Cobb’s third touchdown of the game.

I will continue to harp about how great Cobb is. I really think he’s going to end up being one of the best backs in the state.

Bridges got off to a slow start but came on strong in the second half. It would have been the stuff of legends had he not been stopped by Swindall.

You want stars? You got ‘em. Millwood’s Kevonte Richardson threw for five touchdowns and rushed for another. Swindall, to go with the game-saving tackle, had three receiving touchdowns. Douglass’ Marcus Caddell had a kickoff return for a score. A little bit of everything in this instant classic.

My biggest question is what will these teams have left on a short week? It doesn’t get any easier for the Falcons as they welcome 4A No. 2 Bishop McGuinness. Douglass has one last rivalry battle with Star Spencer on its docket.

Boneman’s Breakdown

- Turner’s a tough dude. The Texas commit impressed me with how physical he was in this game. He made a big sack, stopped a two-point conversion and constantly stuck his head in the mix of all the big boys.

- How is Swindall not the best receiver in the state? You watch this game and tell me how. Lawton’s Tyrequek Zimmerman and Mustang’s David Glidden are special talents, but this was a dominant performance.

- Bridges showed incredible heart and poise. Two turnovers late in the first half had the Trojans in a horrible spot entering the second half. He was a lot sharper in the second half, and he made some big runs down the stretch.

- How about that atmosphere? That was just a fun game to be a part of. It was great to stand on the Millwood sidelines in the first half and Douglass sidelines in the second half and just soak it all in.

- Douglass is the best 0-2 team in the state, if that’s any consolation. The Trojans lost by two points at McGuinness and now this heartbreaker.

- Both teams don’t have a kicking game, and it gave us some weird scores and a lot of interesting possibilities. A lot of two-point conversions attempted.

- Anybody wondering, yes, that was a catch by Micheal Cole on fourth down in that final drive. I was right there looking at it. That was an incredible catch, but yes, definitely a catch.

- All you need to know:

“I don’t think a state championship could compare to this,” said Millwood’s Josh Turner, who caught the 27-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Kevonte Richardson with 1:27 left. “This means a lot, because this is tradition right here. We just made history.”

- Look for a ginormous video of this game on NewsOK this weekend. I shot a lot of video since I didn’t have to write about the game (that was Scott Wright’s job). And here’s what Scott wrote.

Up next: Millwood (2-0) at McGuinness (2-0). Douglass (0-2) at Star Spencer (0-2).

Why Millwood could win: With the talent this team has, there’s no game they can’t win. That’s not saying they will win every game, but there’s not a team in the state with more talent at the skill positions. And both the offense and defense exploded out of the gate in last week’s 42-0 win over Star Spencer. Douglass will be a tougher game, but if the focus is the same, the result should be positive.

Why Douglass could win: The Trojans showed last week that they’re right back on the edge of being ready to make a run at the 4A title, so logically, it seems they should be able to handle the 2A Falcons. But it’s not that easy. Douglass will need to be on top of its game at all spots, primarily the defensive back seven, where they’ll be asked to stop Millwood’s receivers and running back Shevin Patton. But Willis Alexander’s defense showed last week that they can play some stiff ‘D.’

Key matchup: Douglass running backs vs. Millwood linebackers. Millwood’s offense will score points, but if the Falcons are going to knock off the 4A Trojans, it’ll take stopping Aliston Cobb and the Douglass run game. Davion Pierson will help clog the middle, but it’ll be up to the LBs to run to the ball. If Douglass can run the ball successfully, it’ll open up space for QB Shon Bridges to throw the ball. He didn’t throw a lot last week, but was productive when he did. And if Douglass finds balance, they’ll be hard to stop.

The pick: Millwood 28, Douglass 27. I’ve debated this one in my head all week, and I still can’t say I feel strongly about it. This game could go either way and it’ll be a battle of wills to the final horn.

But the headline of this blog doesn’t refer to me. It’s about the actual players in the game.

There’s a real buzz in northeast OKC as this game approaches. Millwood is buzzing to get back on the field and build on last week’s 42-0 win over Star Spencer. Douglass is buzzing to get back on the field and erase memories of last week’s 9-7 loss to McGuinness.

The Douglass defense, which allowed only 150 total yards in the loss, will be put to the test against an equally strong Millwood offense.

Millwood had 351 yards of offense — on just 48 snaps — in the win over defending 4A state champion Star Spencer on Friday. Most of Millwood’s yardage came before the middle of the third quarter, when many of the starters went to the bench.

The Trojans defense held McGuinness to just six first downs; Millwood churned out 16 in its game vs. Star.

I’ll have more on this game as it approaches.

One last note… I got the chance to visit with Millwood’s Marc Robinson last Thursday and he seems to be handling the OSSAA denial of his hardship waiver in a mature way. He plans on using his junior year at Millwood to make sure his grades and test scores are in line with NCAA requirements, while learning all the details of Millwood’s offensive and defensive schemes so that he’s ready to be a leader in the offseason.

His freshman and sophomore performances at Heritage Hall were enough to get him on the radar of some college programs, and summer camps next year will help to further that. Then he’ll still have his senior season to prove he’s a big-time prospect.

Until then, he’ll be wearing out opponents in junior-varsity games — which is a scary thought.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

The senior had 156 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries, and barely touched the field in the second half of a 42-0 win over Star Spencer Friday night.

Former Millwood running back Emilio Gatewood, now at Norman North, said Patton was the team’s most dangerous player with the ball in his hands, even last year, when Gatewood was busy rushing for more than 2,000 yards at Millwood as a junior.

Other contenders

Douglass defense and RB Aliston Cobb, football: It was the defense that truly gave Douglass a chance to win on Thursday, holding McGuinness to 150 yards in the 9-7 loss. And Cobb anchored a strong backfield that had 160 yards on 36 carries in all.

Davion Smith, John Marshall football: The freshman quarterback stepped into his first varsity football game and accounted for two TDs, one passing and one rushing (a 30-yarder) as the Bears topped Northwest Classen 27-9.

Clifford Lawrence and Brandon Swindall, Millwood football: Aside from his solid play at receiver, Swindall had a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown. Lawrence had three sacks in the win over Star.

Edgar Velasco, US Grant cross country: Velasco finished seventh, just more than a minute off the winning pace Friday at Edmond Santa Fe.

– To nominate an OKC player of the week in any of the fall sports, e-mail Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com.