Wariboko, at 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, has begun picking up steam on the recruiting scene this spring behind strong performances at the U.S. Army National Combine and the Rivals/Under Armour Camp.

Lawton offensive lineman Jalin Barnett was the first 2015 player in the state to be offered. Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas State and Oregon State have all offered him.

– By Jacob Unruh, junruh@opubco.com

The Oklahoma Coaches Association released its All-State baseball rosters Monday. The OCA All-State games will be played July 30 at Oral Roberts in Tulsa. The small schools game will start at 4:30 p.m., followed by the big school game at 7 p.m.

Large East
Catchers: Cody Ziegler, Broken Arrow; Jake Golden, Sapulpa
First baseman: Austin O’Brien, Owasso
Infielders: Trae Bobo, Owasso; Landon Decker, Vian; Trey Michaelczewski, Jenks
Outfielders: Grant Maxey, Jenks; Jacob Teague, Claremore; Hunter Heath, Bethel
Pitchers: Zach Jackson, Berryhill; Blake Battenfield, Verdigris; James Teague, Bartlesville
Designated hitter: Jon Pendergraft, Tulsa Union
Utility: Casey Bowlan, Shawnee
Coach: David Warburton, Cascia Hall

Large West
Catchers: Jon Denney, Yukon; Cameron Knight, Westmoore
First baseman: Russell Mithlo, Anadarko
Infielders: Bryan Dutton, Guthrie; Joel Davis, Midwest City; Tre Edwards, Southmoore
Outfielders: Landon Eason, Yukon; Chevin Noone, Carl Albert; Cole Lindley, Deer Creek
Pitchers: Holden Lyons, Edmond North; James Bowker, Plainview; Francisco Alvarez, Woodward
Designated hitter: Austin Brooks, OCS
Utility: Daniel Herrin, Norman North
Coach: Kelly Gaunt, Clinton

Small East
Catchers: Cade Carter, Colbert; Tye Rambo, Moss
First baseman: Dylan Fazekas, Red Oak
Infielders: Jake Collins, Latta; Cory Bogle, Ketchum; Cade Clay, Rattan
Outfielders: Cullen Mack, Rattan; Zach Fowler, Asher; Hunter Stephens, Silo
Pitchers: Evan Anderson, Dale; Duane Knight, Caney Valley; Wyatt Dodd, Central Sallisaw
Designated hitter: Taylor Smith, Dale
Utility: Devan Crose, Red Oak
Coach: Ryan Cordell, Rattan

Small West
Catchers: Dillon White, Sterling; Barrett Newell, Lookeba-Sickles
First baseman: Kolton Brown, Union City
Infielders: Drew Ward, Leedey; Leno Ramirez, Dover; Tyler Mannering, Thomas
Outfielders: Sam Grellner, Okarche; Seth Housley, Sentinel; Rocklin Pankhurst, Cordell
Pitchers: Bryant Hodge, Christian Heritage; Weston Cole, Sentinel; Devin Dixon, Lookeba-Sickles
Designated hitter: Walker Hines, Leedey
Utility: Dave Keil, Verden
Coach: Ryan Nightengale, Fairview

The Oklahoma City Area Baseball Coaches Association will play its annual all-star game at 6 p.m. Thursday at Palmer Field at Dolese Park.

An all-star team made up from these two rosters will play a Tulsa-area all-star team in a doubleheader at noon Saturday at Bishop McGuinness. OCS’ Ken McQueen and Tecumseh’s Chad Trahan will coach the Oklahoma City team.

NORTH
Starters
Pitchers: Brock Stuber, Piedmont; Parker Rigler, Edmond Memorial; Kyle Stephens, Edmond North
Catchers: Mike Hale, Putnam City North; Jon Denney, Yukon
First baseman: Cody Daylor, Edmond North
Second baseman: Daniel Costello, Edmond Santa Fe
Third baseman: Bryan Dutton, Guthrie
Shortstop: Dalen Edgar, Piedmont
Outfielders: Landon Eason, Yukon; Jack Hale, Edmond Memorial; Cole Lindley, Deer Creek
Utility: Austin Brooks, OCS
Desgnated hitter: Jacob Jerome, Edmond Santa Fe

Reserves: Chiante’ McKee, Star Spencer; Bradley Fitch, Bishop McGuinness; Reed Brooks, Putnam City; Jonathan Sergent, Classen

Coaches: Ken McQueen, OCS; Kory Williams, Piedmont

SOUTH
Starters
Pitchers: Alexander Svetgoff, Westmoore; Gage Trahan, Tecumseh; Nick Ward, Southmoore
Catchers: Lane Paul, Tuttle; Cameron Knight, Westmoore
First baseman: Dylan Mauk, Blanchard
Second baseman: Daniel Herron, Norman North
Third baseman: DJ Gasso, Norman North
Shortstop: Tre Edwards, Southmoore
Outfielders: Chevin Noone, Carl Albert; Hunter Heath, Bethel; Quade Nelson, Blanchard
Utility: Damion Orr, Midwest City
Designated hitter: Joel Davis, Midwest City

Reserves: Cooper Owens, Putnam City West; Colin Webb, Moore; Matt Foster, Norman; Casey Bowlan, Shawnee; Jovanny Hernandez, U.S. Grant; Zack Howry, Capitol Hill; Landon Vodka, Mustang.

Coaches: Chad Trahan, Tecumseh; Travis Owen, Tuttle

Last night, Mount St. Mary’s girls clinched a spot in the Class 4A state tournament with a win over Heritage Hall. You can read about that here.

Here’s the video of the last moments of the game, including Aimee Rischard’s 3-pointer that put the Rockets ahead for good:

Class 6A
BOYS
EAST
At Tulsa Rogers
Friday
Winner’s Bracket
Owasso vs. Broken Arrow, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Stillwater vs. Bixby, 8 p.m.

At Catoosa
Winner’s Bracket
Tulsa Union vs. Jenks, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Tulsa Washington vs. Bartlesville, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Catoosa
Stillwater/Bixby winner vs. Owasso/Broken Arrow loser, 8 p.m.
Tulsa Washington/Bartlesville winner vs. Tulsa Union/Jenks loser, 6:30 p.m.

WEST
At Choctaw
Friday
Winner’s Bracket
Midwest City vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Edmond North vs. Putnam City

At Norman North
Winner’s Bracket
Edmond Memorial vs. Putnam City West, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Putnam City North vs. Lawton Eisenhower, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Norman North
Putnam City North/Lawton Eisenhower winner vs. Edmond Memorial/Putnam City West loser, 6:30 p.m.
Edmond North/Putnam City winner vs. Midwest City/Edmond Santa Fe loser, 8 p.m.

GIRLS
EAST
Thursday
At Catoosa
Winner’s Bracket
Muskogee vs. Tulsa Washington, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Jenks vs. Tulsa Union

At Tulsa Rogers
Loser’s Bracket
Broken Arrow vs. Mustang, 6:30 p.m.
Winner’s Bracket
Bartlesville vs. Bixby, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Catoosa
Broken Arrow/Mustang winner vs. Bartlesville/Bixby loser, 1:30 p.m.
Jenks/Tulsa Union winner vs. Muskogee/Tulsa Washington loser, 3 p.m.

WEST
Thursday
At Choctaw
Winner’s Bracket
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Putnam City, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Norman vs. Southmoore, 8 p.m.

At Harrah
Loser’s Bracket
Lawton Eisenhower vs. Choctaw, 6:30 p.m.
Winner’s Bracket
Norman North vs. Edmond Memorial, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Harrah
Lawton Eisenhower/Choctaw winner vs. Norman North/Edmond Memorial loser, 1:30 p.m.
Norman/Southmoore winner vs. Edmond Santa Fe/Putnam City loser, 3 p.m.

CLASS 5A
BOYS
EAST
Friday
At Bixby
Winner’s Bracket
Tulsa Memorial vs. Tulsa Kelley, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Chickasha vs. Guthrie, 8 p.m.

At Sapulpa
Winner’s Bracket
Coweta vs. Tulsa Edison, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Skiatook vs. Noble, 8 p.m.

At Bixby
Saturday
Skiatook/Noble winner vs. Coweta/Tulsa Edison loser, 6:30 p.m.
Chickasha/Guthrie winner vs. Tulsa Memorial/Tulsa Kelley loser, 8 p.m.

WEST
Friday
At Edmond North
Winner’s Bracket
Bishop McGuinness vs. Lawton MacArthur, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Del City vs. Capitol Hill, 8 p.m.

At Edmond Memorial
Winner’s Bracket
Carl Albert vs. Southeast, 6:30 p.m.
Western Heights vs. Piedmont, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Edmond Memorial
Western Heights/Piedmont winner vs. Carl Albert/Southeast loser, 6:30 p.m.
Del City/Capitol Hill winner vs. Bishop McGuinness/Lawton MacArthur loser, 8 p.m.

GIRLS
EAST
Thursday
At Bixby
Loser’s Bracket
Chickasha at Tulsa Edison, 6:30 p.m.
Winner’s Bracket
Tulsa East Central at Collinsville, 8 p.m.

At Sapulpa
Winner’s Bracket
Tahlequah vs. Tulsa Memorial, 6:30 p.m.
Loser’s Bracket
Grove vs. Tulsa Kelley, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Sapulpa
Grove/Tulsa Kelley winner vs. Tahlequah/Tulsa Memorial loser, 1:30 p.m.
Chickasha/Tulsa Edison winner vs. Tulsa East Central/Collinsville loser, 3 p.m.

WEST
Thursday
At Edmond North
Loser’s Bracket
Del City vs. Ardmore, 6:30 p.m.
Winner’s Bracket
Shawnee vs. Piedmont, 8 p.m.

At Edmond Memorial
Loser’s Bracket
El Reno vs. Lawton MacArthur, 6:30 p.m.
Carl Albert vs. Deer Creek, 8 p.m.

Saturday
At Edmond North
El Reno/Lawton MacArthur winner vs. Carl Albert/Deer Creek loser, 1:30 p.m.
Del City/Ardmore winner vs. Shawnee/Piedmont loser, 3 p.m.

Chancellor, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds, will head to Oklahoma as a preferred walk-on, McGuinness coach Justin Jones said Wednesday.

Chancellor turned down an opportunity at Ohio, which was offering a scholarship starting in January 2014. And he was being recruited by a variety of other schools, including some in the Ivy League.

Oklahoma State was also pursuing him, and came close to offering him after receiver Fred Ross of Tyler, Texas, flipped his commitment the night before signing day.

A long-time OU fan, Chancellor settled on the Sooners. An Oklahoman All-State selection, he finished the year with 1,397 yards and 21 touchdowns on 61 catches in helping the Irish to the Class 5A semifinals.

He made a big splash in Week 5 when he had 359 receiving yards and four touchdowns on six catches in a 42-32 win over Carl Albert, all while wearing a half-cast to protect his broken left hand.

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

Jeffreys, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound linebacker, finished the season with 185 tackles in 13 games, helping the Irish reach the Class 5A semifinals. He also had six quarterback sacks and an interception, earning a spot on The Oklahoman’s Big All-City first team.

Known as the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel is located in Charleston, S.C., and plays in the FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA.

Mount St. Mary boys soccer coach Francois Boda was named the Southwest Sectional Coach of the Year

Mount St. Mary boys soccer coach Francois Boda was named the Southwest Sectional Coach of the Year, the school learned this week.

The award was given by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Boda was also in the running for the organization’s National Coach of the Year award for boys soccer, which was given to Shawn Brower of Tennessee.

The Southwest Sectional award includes the states of Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

“Coach Boda’s tireless energy, professionalism, mentoring and leadership of our young student-athletes has been recognized big-time and Rockets everywhere are so proud,” Mount St. Mary athletic director John Keilty said.

Last year, Boda coached the Rockets to the Class 4A state championship. He also serves as head coach of the girls team.

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

Trier, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, has already been on the national map for a while, with offers from top programs from all over the country, and the athletic ability he shows here is only part of the package. He can shoot, handle and defend.

Considering he shot a TV commercial with Carmelo Anthony and was featured in a New York Times story all before he reached seventh grade, he’s used to the spotlight.

Originally from Seattle, Trier moved to Oklahoma in eighth grade, when he was already considered one of the top national prospects at his age. He’s still viewed as one of the top players in the 2015 class nationally, and one of the most pursued recruits in the state in any class.

Here’s the dunk:

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

Stillwater sophomore Kaid Brock leads a group of 10 state wrestlers ranked by WIN magazine in its national preseason rankings.

Brock is No. 2 at 103 pounds.

Two other state wrestlers are in the top in their weight, Tuttle’s Zach Beard, No. 4 at 182, and Altus’ Keilan Torres, No. 5 at 160.

Berryhill’s Davey Dolan is No. 12 at 138, Heritage Hall’s Ethan Walker is No. 13 at 195 and Stillwater’s Joe Smith is No. 20 at 120.

At 113, Broken Arrow’s Markus Simmons is No. 17 while Collinsville’s Davion Jeffries is No. 18.

Two state wrestlers are also ranked at 220, with Edmond North’s Andrew Dixon at No. 13 and Chickasha’s Jacoby Brown at No. 15.

Norman North sophomore defensive lineman Stelen Covel, the son of country music star Toby Keith, was one of four state players selected for the 2013 Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl.

The fifth-annual game will be played Jan. 6 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The other players selected were Heritage Hall’s Luther Harris, a lineman, and running back/linebacker Terrell Love Jr. and Jenks defensive back Austin Quillen. All three are freshmen.

Love is the son of former U.S. Grant and Star Spencer coach Terrell Love.

The four will play for the USA Under-15 team against a team from Canada. The team is coached by former Oklahoma assistant David White.

The four will be presented with their jerseys Saturday at Keith’s restaurant in Bricktown during halftime of the Oklahoma-Iowa State game.

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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

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

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

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

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

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

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

—
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.

—
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.

—
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.

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

—
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.

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

—
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.

I haven’t done this the first two weeks because the rankings have been a mess. It’s hard to tell how much a win means through the first couple of weeks of the season. But here it is for this week. Disagree? Think I’m nuts for putting a team too high or too low in your mind? Let me know. The only thing I ask is for a reason why your team should be higher or another team should be lower.

I’ve never been one to conform to the way some rankings change. If a team in the class loses to No. 1 and No. 2, they could still very well be No. 3.

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

Stillwater and Norman North fall out after losses this week, replaced by newcomer Mustang, who throttled Stillwater and Westmoore, who dropped out last week after losing to Southmoore. Lawton moves up one spot after Edmond North beat Edmond Santa Fe, while North moves up two spots to No. 5. Owasso is 0-2 officially but should be 1-2 after they were handling Muskogee 28-0 before the game was called in Week 2. The Rams are still one of the best teams in the state but had a difficult non-district schedule. Same goes for Broken Arrow and Jenks.

CLASS 5A
1. Guthrie (1)#3-0
2. Tulsa East Central (2)#3-0
3. Lawton MacArthur (3)#2-1
4. Deer Creek (4)#3-0
5. Bishop McGuinness (6)#3-0
6. Tulsa Kelley (NR)#1-2
7. Coweta (5)#2-1
8. Carl Albert (9)#1-2
9. Claremore (NR)#3-0
10. Tulsa Memorial (NR)#3-0

The top four all remain the same. The only loss in the top 5 is Lawton MacArthur’s loss last week to Lawton, one of the top teams in 6A. McGuinness continues to impress in its first season in Class 5A, with a blowout win over Weatherford before it opens district play next week vs. El Reno. Carl Albert justified its continued ranking despite its record with a 31-10 win over previously No. 8 Duncan. Tulsa Kelley, who had losses to Class 6A Bartlesville and to McGuinness coming in, knocked off Coweta to move back into the rankings. Coweta stays in at No. 7, a spot ahead of Carl Albert. Claremore makes an appearance after knocking off McAlester in overtime, while Tulsa Memorial also slides in after its 3-0 start. McAlester, Duncan and Ardmore slide out though all three could find their way back into the top 10 soon.

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

The top part here remains the same after the top seven all won this week. No. 8 Broken Bow fell to 3A Metro Christian, opening things up for a new entrant. Poteau takes the spot by virtue of its wins at Durant and at Van Buren, Ark., especially. The Pirates just edge Tulsa McLain, who got by Tulsa Central this week. Glenpool picked up its first win, starting to justify its continued ranking with a 27-7 win over Sperry. Glenpool had lost to Berryhill and Cascia Hall to start the season.

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

Easy at the top, tough on the bottom. The top four teams won and Sequoyah-Claremore sliding up past Sequoyah-Tahlequah was a no brainer. After that, though, things get complicated. Blanchard jumps Metro Christian for the overall strength of their resume to this point, having won three games pretty handily so far. Victory Christian moves into the rankings after their stunning come-from-behind win over Sequoyah-Tahlequah. The Indians fall four spots to No. 9, just behind Victory. Verdigris is the other newcomer, winning out over other candidates like Lincoln Christian (2-1), Plainview (2-1), Purcell (2-1), Jones (2-1) and others based on the way they’ve blown out each of their opponents thus far. Perkins dropped out after its loss to Verdigris.

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

Let’s start at the bottom first. When I put together last week’s rankings, the score in front of me included Commerce getting hammered. Turned out, the score was reported backwards, and Commerce blew away its opponent. They did the same thing last night to yet another out-of-state opponent. They finally play an Oklahoma team this week when they take on Wyandotte. Hennessey’s loss to Kingfisher isn’t anything to be ashamed of as the Yellowjackets are No. 1 in 3A. They are passed, though, be Frederick, which has scored at least 55 points in each game and has outscored its opponents 194-34 through three games. Stroud and Lindsay move up one spot, jumping OCS. The Saints remain at No. 8 after falling to Jones by one point. Caney Valley, Coalgate, Haskell, Hinton are undefeated and just outside the top 10.

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

Ringling’s going to be all right but after starting 0-2 with a bye week, it had to fall out of the rankings. There’s simply too many solid teams in Class A not to. Texhoma, Cashion, Crescent, Morrison, Minco and Hollis each move up a spot after wins. The newcomer is Kiefer, which has three shutouts to start the season, winning by a combined 104-0. Talihina, Okeene and Ringling are just outside the top 10.

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

The question here was how far Davenport fell after losing to Wetumka. Dropped them below the other undefeated ranked teams. Through about keeping them ahead of Fox but the Foxes have a more impressive resume to this point. Rejoice Christian moves in for the first time after a big win over Coyle. Rejoice Christian’s lone loss came to No. 4 Dewar by just 10 points. Rejoice also beat Coyle by a larger margin than Covington-Douglas did earlier, earning them the No. 8 spot. Ringwood could move into the rankings soon after pushing Pond Creek-Hunter.

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

The biggest heartburn here came in the last spot, where it came down to 1-2 Timberlake and 3-0 Maud. Maud has been impressive, but giving up 50 points to Bowlegs in its opener was a bit concerning. But Maud earns the spot after Timberlake fell to Deer Creek-Lamont. Timberlake has a chance to move back in but a pair of blowout losses in its first two opened things up for Maud. Shattuck falls to No. 8 after losing to Forgan. Not much shifting here outside of those teams.

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.

—
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.

Tim Flatt, the executive director of the National Christian Homeschool Championships, which oversees the national homeschool championship tournament, told HSLive365.com that Monday night Trier’s mother intends to move to Tulsa, which would make the sophomore shooting guard eligible to play for Tulsa Northeast Oklahoma Association of Homeschools (NOAH) in the coming season.

After playing the last two seasons for the homeschool Oklahoma City Storm, Trier moved to Tulsa with a family friend, but his transfer request to join the NOAH Jaguars was denied last week, because his mother, Marcie, still lived in Oklahoma City.

“After confirming the move of the Trier family to Tulsa, Allonzo Trier will be eligible to play for Tulsa NOAH during the 2012-13 basketball season,” Flatt said. “This has really been a good process for the NCHC. We are happy that NOAH made a proper appeal, the Eligibility Advisory Board made a ruling based on the guidelines, NOAH accepted the EAB ruling and Marcie Trier was able to make a huge sacrifice and move to Tulsa to meet the NCHBC guidelines.”

Trier averaged 24.5 points per game last season and became the first freshman homeschool player in the country to surpass 1,000 points. After a strong summer with the OKC-based Athletes First AAU team, Trier received several scholarship offers, including all four in-state schools and other top programs around the region.

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

Class 4A state champion Trent Mewbourn of Heritage Hall is headed to Tulsa after a late offer changed his college plans.

Trent Mewbourn’s college plans encountered a late change.

Originally, the Heritage Hall golfer planned to go to school at Oklahoma, and possibly walk on with the golf team.

But a late offer from Tulsa has him on his way to the next level with a roster spot in hand.

Mewbourn finished his senior season strong, winning the Class 4A regional and state championships. Out of his 11 tournaments, he had five first-place finishes and was second three more times, with an overall stroke average of 71.2.

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

Trier already has offers from Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Oral Roberts, Houston and a few others. He said he plans to make visits to OU, OSU and Tulsa in the coming weeks, as the start of his sophomore season nears.

An Oklahoman Little All-City selection last season, Trier averaged 24.5 points per game for the Oklahoma City Storm, leading them to the homeschool national championship game.

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

Now, coach Andy Bogert is going back to basics in his coaching with Tuesday’s first practice.

“We’re young and inexperienced,” Bogert said. “We can’t assume these guys know what the guys in the past knew. So we’re doing a lot of teaching early, and it’s a good time to teach, since we’re not in pads. We’re working on our basics and getting our terminology down.”

To emphasize Bogert’s point about the Chargers’ youth, there are 41 players on the team currently, and 19 of them are freshmen.

“We have a really nice freshman class, a really good group,” Bogert said. “But as far as getting on the field, there will only be a few of them that will get a chance. So we’re basically playing with 22 or 23 kids.”

And there’s no rush to get to the regular season. Clinton, Davis and Kingfisher — all state championship contenders in their respective classes — are on the Chargers’ schedule in the first four weeks.

OKC Storm guard Allonzo Trier, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard who will be a sophomore in the fall, has received scholarship offers from Oklahoma State and Tulsa.

OKC Storm sophomore-to-be Allonzo Trier has never lacked for motivation to make himself a better basketball player, and his first two college scholarship offers aren’t going to change that.

In fact, they might push him even harder.

Trier, rated as one of the nation’s top players in the class of 2015, received offers from Oklahoma State and Tulsa on Wednesday, the first of many to come for the young player.

“The offers are great, but it’s nothing special and doesn’t mean I made it yet,” Trier said. “It just means it’s time for me to continue to get better and improve, and if I do that, more offers will come.”

Trier also is being recruited by Oklahoma and a several other programs across the country. A strong summer performance has helped Trier grab even more attention.

In addition to playing with the Athletes First AAU squad, he was rated as a top-10 player at the Nike Elite 100 camp earlier this month.

Trier, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 24.5 points per game and helped the OKC Storm to a runner-up finish in the National Homeschool Tournament as a freshman. He finished the year with more than 1,000 total points, setting the national homeschool record for scoring by a freshman.

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

New Mt. St. Mary coach Andy Fisher with the Rockets' seniors-to-be

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

A day after officially getting the job as Mount St. Mary head boys basketball coach, Andy Fisher met with his new team.
“I can’t wait to get started,” Fisher said. “It’s a great opportunity and Lenny (Hatchett) did a great job here.”
Fisher replaces Hatchett, who led the Rockets to three consecutive state tournaments from 2009-2011. Hatchett recently left to take the job at Edmond Santa Fe.
“We had numerous candidates for this position and after visiting with coaches throughout the state of Oklahoma, Andy Fisher’s name came to the forefront,” Mount St. Mary principal Talita DeNegri said in a release announcing the hire Friday. “Once I sat down with him, he had a special presence about him and a distinct insight into who we are and what we are all about at The Mount.
“He has an extreme passion for kids, an incredible knowledge of the game of basketball and he has the leadership skills to continue to enhance the tradition of Rocket basketball.”
Fisher was an assistant for seven years under Tondrell Durham. The Irish won four state titles during his time there including this year’s Class 4A title.
“I’m really going to miss those guys,” Fisher said Thursday. “I had a great time there and learned a lot. It just felt like the time was right.”

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

Large East

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

First baseman: Derrick Haworth (Durant)

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

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

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

Large West

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

First baseman: Michael Lowe (Jones)

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

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

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

Small East

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

First baseman: Jonathon Samuels (Rattan)

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

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

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

Small West

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

First baseman: Clayton Brewster (Cheyenne)

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

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

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

Foot Locker Foundation and DoSomething.org partnered to honor students who demonstrate academic excellence and show their strength of character and devotion to their sports and communities.

Helms plays field hockey, soccer and runs track. She founded Knitting for Troops, a project where she uses scarf proceeds to create care packages for Oklahoma soldiers stationed overseas.

Heritage Hall’s baseball team made the semifinals last year and had most of its starters returning.

But an ambitious schedule and some uneven performances at the plate early in the season led to an under .500 record going into last weekend’s I-40 Classic.

But the Chargers put it all together, beating Class B No. 4 Lookeba-Sickles, Bethany, Class 4A No. 6 Weatherford and No. 2 Anadarko to win the tournament.

The Chargers (12-9) did it with four complete-game performances, including junior Tyler Huber’s no-hitter in a 4-3 win over Lookeba-Sickles.

Chad Nelson nearly no-hit Weatherford, allowing just a bloop single in a 3-2 win.

Freshman Ryan Huber got the win in an 8-2 victory over Bethany and Nathan Bowker went the distance against Anadarko in a 5-4 championship-game win.

“Our pitching has been strong all year but we’re just now starting to swing the bats as well,” Heritage Hall coach Pat Wasson said.

Among those bats coming on strong is Barry J. Sanders, who started in a bit of a slump but has heated up lately.

The Chargers are scheduled to play at Casady at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

OKLAHOMA TENNIS COACHES RANKING
CLASS 6A
Boys
1. Edmond North
2. Jenks
3. Tulsa Union
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Broken Arrow
6. Tulsa Kelley
7. McGuinness
8. Enid
9. Muskogee
10. Edmond Santa Fe

Girls
1. Jenks
2. Edmond North
3. Enid
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Tulsa Kelley
6. Broken Arrow
7. Tulsa Union
8. McGuinness
9. Bixby
10. Owasso

CLASS 5A
Boys
1. Metro Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Carl Albert
4. Oklahoma Christian
5. Cascia Hall
6. McAlester
7. Shawnee
8. Durant
9. Duncan
10. Ardmore

Girls
1. Duncan
2. Heritage Hall
3. Cascia Hall
4. Tulsa Washington
5. Tahlequah
6. Ardmore
7. Deer Creek
8. Carl Albert
9. Shawnee
10. Altus

CLASS 4A
Boys
1. Anadarko
2. Ada
3. Henryetta
4. Byng
5. Clinton
6. Elk City
7. Oologah
8. St. Mary
9. Seminole
10. Okmulgee

Girls
1. Ada
2. Metro Christian
3. Elk City
4. Perry
5. Midway  
6. Byng
7. Beaver
8. Seminole
9. Oklahoma Christian
10. Anadarko

Casady’s Casey Roberts was named first-team All-Southwest Preparatory Conference while two teammates were also honored.
Jason Shelley also made the All-SPC team while Graham Bennett earned honorable mention honors.
Roberts averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 4.1 assists for the Cyclones.
Shelley led Casady with 11.3 points per game, while added 8.8 rebounds.
Bennett averages 8.0 points and 10.4 rebounds.

Bishop McGuinness' Elyse Hight goes between Deer Creek's Shae Scheffler, left, and Jayln Jackson during the Irish's win Saturday in Norman. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

NORMAN — Early in the season, Bishop McGuinness girls coach Shawn Clark told freshman Gabby Grubb he didn’t need her to be great … yet.

“March is when I need you,” Clark told her.

Grubb came off the bench to score a career-high 18 points Saturday at Norman High School in the Irish’s 64-49 win over No. 3 Deer Creek.

Bishop McGuinness (21-6) now advances to the Class 5A state tournament, where it will defend its 2011 championship.

“It’s awesome,” Grubb said of Saturday’s game. “The team just really pulled it together and played our best.”

Saturday’s win paints a stark contrast to where this team was just two and a half months ago.

On Dec. 16, McGuinness played the Antlers in the Deer Creek Festival and lost 53-38. Senior forward Elyse Hight scored 30 of her team’s points that night.

Hight still led the team Saturday with 20 and 10 rebounds, but she got much more help than she was getting early.

The senior said part of her team’s growth throughout the year had to do with her 10-game absense in the middle of the year with a hip injury.

“A lot of girls had to step up, and I think that helped us,” Hight said. “It helped a lot of girls get their confidence up.”

Not the least of which was Grubb, who has been waiting all year for an opportunity like she got Saturday.

And largely because of her contribution, the Irish will get a shot at back-to-back titles.

“It feels like everything is coming together,” Hight said. “They’d better be ready for us at state.”

Senior guard Kelsee Grovey and Shawnee look poised for a run at the Class 5A state championship. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

Here is the second edition of my large-school girls’ basketball power poll.

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

1. Edmond Santa Fe (6A, 22-0)
Edmond Santa Fe did nothing to deserve a drop in ranking. The defending 6A champion Wolves’ schedule hasn’t been very tough — their smallest margin of victory this season is 15 — so when they get challenged it will be interesting to see how they respond. But there is no reason to believe Santa Fe would have an off night, and it remains the odds-on favorite to bring home the gold ball again.
Record vs. this poll: 2-0
Last week: No. 1
Next up: Regionals vs. U.S. Grant, Thursday, 8 p.m.

2. Shawnee (5A, 23-0)
The Wolves wrapped up a perfect regular season and are Class 5A’s clear No. 1 team. Big wins this season over Edmond Memorial, Carl Albert and Deer Creek allow Shawnee to edge Midwest City again at No. 2 in this power poll.
Record vs. this poll: 3-0
Last week: No. 2
Next up: Regionals vs. Noble, Thursday, 8 p.m.

3. Midwest City (6A, 23-0)
Midwest City got impressive back-to-back wins over Westmoore and Del City last week. The Bombers are peaking at the right time and are Edmond Santa Fe’s chief competition in Class 6A. No reason at this point to expect anything other than a Santa Fe-Midwest City rematch in the Class 6A tournament championship game.
Record vs. this poll: 3-0
Last week: No. 3
Next up: Regionals vs. Moore, Thursday, 8 p.m.

4. Tulsa East Central (5A, 22-3)
The Cardinals wrapped up their season with an impressive 14-point win at Tulsa Washington. Two of the Cardinals’ losses were to out-of-state teams in a season-opening tourney in Tennessee, and the other came to Jenks on Jan. 20. But East Central has also beaten Jenks this season.
Record vs. this poll: 1-1
Last week: No. 4
Next up: Regionals vs. Tulsa Central, Thursday, 8 p.m.

5. Edmond Memorial (6A, 17-5)
All five of Edmond Memorial’s losses are to teams ranked higher than it in this power poll (Twice to Santa Fe, twice to Midwest City, once to Shawnee). Memorial and Midwest City are lined up for a possible third game in areas.
Record vs. this poll: 1-5
Last week: No. 5
Next up: Regionals vs. Putnam City West, Thursday, 8 p.m.

6. Deer Creek (5A, 20-3)
The Antlers bring a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs. Deer Creek seems to be peaking at the right time and seems poised for a run at state.
Record vs. this poll: 2-1
Last week: No. 7
Next up: Regionals vs. Ardmore, Thursday, 8 p.m.

7. Muskogee (6A, 17-6)
The Roughers’ two-spot jump is the biggest of the week. Muskogee finished the regular season on an eight-game winning streak, including an overtime win over Jenks last week. Muskogee also has wins over Tulsa Union and Bixby, and has beaten Sapulpa twice.
Record vs. this poll: 1-1
Last week: No. 9
Next up: Regionals vs. Westmoore (at Bixby), Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

8. Carl Albert (5A, 18-5)
The Titans had to rally from a halftime deficit to beat Western Heights in their regular-season finale. Carl Albert often goes through shooting dry spells, which cost it in home losses to Deer Creek and Shawnee. The Titans got a break in their playoff position, though, and are still expected to be a state tournament team.
Record vs. this poll: 0-2
Last week: No. 8
Next up: Regionals vs. Capitol Hill, Thursday, 8 p.m.

9. Jenks (6A, 18-5)
The Trojans finished their regular-season with a dud — a 22-point loss at Broken Arrow. Jessica Washington still isn’t 100 percent healthy, and Jenks brings a two-game skid into its playoff opener. Record vs. this poll: 2-3
Last week: No. 6
Next up: Regionals vs. Sand Springs, Thursday, 8 p.m.

10. Bishop McGuinness (5A, 18-5)
The Irish has lost just twice since Dec. 17 and finished the regular season on a seven-game winning streak. The defending 5A champs got off to a rough start this season with several new starters and a new coach, but looks like a strong contender to return to the state tournament.
Record vs. this poll: 0-2
Last week: No. 10
Next up: Regionals vs. Guymon, Thursday, 8 p.m.

Courtney Walker, left, and Edmond Santa Fe are the best girls' basketball team in the state. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Here is my first girls’ basketball power poll. This one just covers the large schools (6A and 5A). Tomorrow, I’ll have one for 2A-3A-4A.

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

1. Edmond Santa Fe (6A, 21-0)
No brainer at No. 1. Texas A&M signee Courtney Walker and company are the clear favorites to win their second straight 6A title. The Wolves’ smallest margin of victory is 15. The biggest question mark surrounding this team is its strength of schedule. The Wolves haven’t really been tested this season.
Record vs. this poll: 2-0

2. Shawnee (5A, 21-0)
The Wolves lost Tulsa signee Caitlyn Ramirez to an ACL tear before the season, but it hasn’t seemed to affect them much at all. Move-ins Taylor and McKenzie Cooper obviously helped ease the blow, and guard Kelsee Grovey, another Tulsa signee, has shown herself to be one of the best players in the state.
Record vs. this poll: 3-0

3. Midwest City (6A, 21-0)
Two and three were tough to choose, because I think Midwest City has a terrific team and, I think, is the only team right now in 6A with a legitimate shot at beating Santa Fe. I watched the Bombers and Shawnee scrimmage in the preseason and it was a good matchup. After watching both teams play, I like the Wolves just a little better right now.
Record vs. this poll: 3-0

4. Tulsa East Central (5A, 21-3)
Shawnee’s chief competition in Class 5A. Two of the Cardinals’ losses were to out-of-state teams in a season-opening tourney in Tennessee, and the other came to Jenks on Jan. 20. But East Central has also beaten Jenks this season.
Record vs. this poll: 1-1

5. Edmond Memorial (6A, 16-5)
The Bulldogs five losses are: Twice to Santa Fe, twice to Midwest City and once to Shawnee. Memorial and Midwest City are lined up for a possible third game in areas.
Record vs. this poll: 1-5

6. Jenks (6A, 18-4)
Jessica Washington has returned from an injury but isn’t 100 percent. The Trojans lost in overtime to Muskogee on Tuesday.
Record vs. this poll: 2-3

7. Deer Creek (5A, 19-3)
Since a one-point loss to 4A Piedmont on Jan. 13, the Antlers have reeled off nine straight wins, including a big win at Carl Albert. Deer Creek is peaking at the right time and seems poised for a run at state.
Record vs. this poll: 2-1

8. Carl Albert (5A, 17-5)
The Titans go through rough shooting stretches, which cost them in recent home losses to Deer Creek and Shawnee. CA got a break in their playoff position and should be considered a lock for the state tournament.
Record vs. this poll: 0-2

9. Muskogee (6A, 16-6)
Since losing to Stillwater in the finals of the John Nobles Tournament in Moore on Jan. 21, the Rougers have reeled off seven straight wins, including Tuesday’s overtime upset of Jenks. Muskogee also has impressive wins over Tulsa Union and Bixby, and has beaten Sapulpa twice.
Record vs. this poll: 1-1

10. Bishop McGuinness (5A, 18-5)
Irish got off to a rocky start to the season after losing several starters, and adjusting to a new head coach, Shawn Clark. But the team has been on a roll, losing just twice since Dec. 17. Both of those losses — three points to Cascia Hall and in overtime to PC North — came with top scorer and rebounder Elyse Hight hurt.
Record vs. this poll: 0-2

McGuinness' Elyse Hight returned from a hip injury and scored 23 points Saturday. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Bishop McGuinness senior Elyse Hight, who tore muscles in her hip in practice on Jan. 9, returned to action Saturday in the Irish’s 51-45 win over Tulsa Bishop Kelley and led all scorers with 23 points.

Hight, who missed 10 games with the injury, helped lead the Irish to the Class 5A championship last season as a junior.

This season, she was averaging over 20 points a game before the injury.

She was on crutches for about a week after injuring her hip, and then began an intense rehabilitation regimen.

The McGuinness girls, who are 16-5 and ranked No. 6 in 5A, went 8-2 in Hight’s absense and said they dedicated their performance to her.

“That pushed me to work so much harder to get back into it,” Hight said. “To hear them say they played for me when I was having a hard time was really uplifting.”

Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson is part of an impressive Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Class of 2012. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson isn’t used to competing for playing time.

After signing Wednesday with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, he’ll have to put in extra work as he fights for carries with other top backs the Norsemen signed.

“I’m gonna love that,” Wilson said. “I’ve never really had to compete for carries, so getting pushed and competing every day will make me better.”

Putnam City running back Casey Curtis, who rushed for 1,805 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior, signed with NEO on Wednesday, as did Edmond North’s Jared Benway and Broken Bow’s Eric Dockins.

Wilson rushed for 3,335 yards and set state records with 57 rushing and 64 total touchdowns as a senior on Anadarko’s first state championship football team.

After the season, he was named The Oklahoman’s 2011 All-State Offensive Player of the Year.

Dale Patterson first recruiting class in his second stint as NEO’s coach was impressive beyond running backs.

NEO signed three top Oklahoma high school quarterbacks in McAlester’s Tony Kiefer, Owasso’s Kason Key and Mustang’s Brandon Taylor.

Four Edmond North seniors — Benway, tight end Troy Davis and offensive linemen Trevor Barron and Will Wiedenmann — also signed with NEO.

Other city-area prospects who signed with the Norsemen include Midwest City defensive back Ronnie Davis, Oklahoma Christian School kicker Keegan Carter and Kingfisher offensive lineman Hunter Endres.

The amount of talent NEO signed has Wilson thinking title.

“Looking at these guys, we might be able to win a little championship up there,” Wilson said.

Wilson will be joined at NEO by two of his Anadarko teammates, offensive lineman Randy Martinez and linebacker Wes Satoe.

“That’s really cool to go up there with teammates I know,” Wilson said. “I don’t have to go up there and feel like I don’t know anybody.”

Heritage Hall's Markus Wakefield committed to Howard on Monday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall lineman Markus Wakefield committed play his college football at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon on his official visit to the school.

“The first thing was the top level education,” Wakefield said of his commitment. “Then I fell in love with the people.

“I also like coach (Gary) Harrell and the direction they were going with the program.”

Howard, which plays in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision, finished 5-6 last season, its first under Harrell.

Wakefield (6-foot-1, 280 pounds) was a first-team offensive lineman on The Oklahoman‘s 2011 All-State team, but he was key to the Chargers’ success on both sides of the ball.

Heritage Hall coach Andy Bogert said in November that his team, which featured Stanford commit Barry J. Sanders in its backfield, would “probably have trouble running the ball” without Wakefield.

Bogert said he designed the Chargers’ offensive scripts each week with Wakefield in mind on each play.

Wakefield will sign with Howard on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

Former Edmond Memorial basketball coach and athletic director Mike de la Garza will be honored at halftime of Friday's Mount St. Mary boys basketball game. De la Garza graduated from St. Mary and began his coaching career there. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

Mount St. Mary will honor Mike de la Garza at halftime of its boys basketball game against Oklahoma Christian School on Friday.

De la Garza, who was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame last July, is a 1964 Mount St. Mary graduate. He began his coaching career as the Rockets’ boys basketball coach in 1969 before going on to coach at Edmond for more than 20 years.

He led the school to the 1993 state championship, and was Edmond Memorial’s athletic director when it took home its next boys basketball state title in 2011. He retired in May.

St. Mary will host a reception at 7 p.m. in the school’s Mollman Fitness Center for all of de la Garza’s former Rockets players and classmates.

But he also knows well the lessons of Mandrell Dean‘s tragic demise.

Check out this video interview with Quintaz, where he talked to me about his dad, his mom and his family’s legacy.

(Note: This interview was filmed well before his official visit to Arkansas State, where he committed Sunday, was planned).

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.

Heritage Hall's Quintaz Struble committed to Arkansas State on Sunday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall’s Quintaz Struble will do Wednesday what his father couldn’t nearly 20 years ago — sign with an NCAA Division I college football program.

Struble committed this morning to Arkansas State on his official visit, he said.

He held offers from some smaller, non-Division I schools, and Wyoming wanted him to “grayshirt,” meaning he’d join the program next January as part of its class of 2013.

Struble’s commitment to a Division I program is significant because of his father’s legacy. Mandrell Dean, considered one of Oklahoma’s greatest high school athletes ever, committed to Oklahoma out of Millwood but couldn’t qualify academically.

I wrote a feature in this morning’s Oklahoman about Struble and the lessons of his father. Struble found out late last month that he had qualified academically for D-I football.

Struble joins a Red Wolves team coming off a 10-3 season and an appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Former Auburn, Tulsa and Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is entering his first season as Arkansas State’s head coach.

After his senior season, Struble was named to The Oklahoman’s elite, 25-man All-State football team.

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.

Edmond North's Jared Benway has committed to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

The number of Oklahoma high school football standouts committing to begin their college football careers at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M continues to grow.

Edmond North running back Jared Benway and tight end Troy Davis both committed to the Miami, OK, junior college on Saturday.

Benway, who lost his entire junior season to a torn ACL, shared the backfield with speedster Jarion Tudman as a senior. Much of his role was a blocking one, but he also rushed for 574 yards and six touchdowns.

Davis caught 31 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Edmond North finished the season 9-3 with a tough, 17-16 loss in the Class 6A quarterfinals to eventual state champion Tulsa Union.

Edmond North's Troy Davis will also start his college career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Benway and Davis’ commitments come after news that Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson, The Oklahoman‘s 2011 Offensive Player of the Year, and Putnam City running back Casey Curtis were also both committing to NEO.

Oklahoma Christian School kicker Keegan Carter is also starting his college career at the junior college.

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: Quintaz Struble, Heritage Hall
DL: Hunter Hart, Cascia Hall
DL: Grant Hamilton, Idabel
DL: Brett Gilstrap, Bethany
LB: Connor Sherwood, Cascia Hall
LB: Wes Satoe, Anadarko
LB: Justin Tomlinson, Berryhill
DB: Kyle Bert, Anadarko
DB: Cade Shearwood, Stigler
DB: Tanner Dearman, Anadarko
DB: Adam Dolan, Berryhill
P: Jake Blair, Kingfisher

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.

The awards honor 21 coaches in 10 boys sports, 10 girls sports and one other sport that isn’t included in those categories. Doherty won for boys golf while Villaflor won for girls tennis.

Coaches are awarded state and sectional (Oklahoma is in a group with Texas, Arkansas, Colorado and New Mexico) awards before reaching the national level. The NFHS Coaches Association advisory board, consisting of a chair and eight sectional representatives chooses the sectional and national winners.

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

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

All-District
Cache: Tanner Bartlett, Chris Cody, Alfred Fraser, John Valdez.
Clinton: Aaron Lantz, Trey McKinney, Austin Rennels, Payne Veazey.
Elgin: Kevin Brown, Keith Jones, Jared Owens.
Elk City: Aaron Cromer, Kyle Luke, Chris Mancuso, Marcus Wiseman
Guymon: Dakota Harris, McCully Kirby.
McGuinness: Austin Augustus, Duncan Branum, Chip Daniel, William Jewell, Chris Johnson, Tyler Konarik, Drew Neuberger, Jeffery Pozo, Sam Shadid.
Piedmont: Dylan Broyles, James Green, Jacob Harris, Hunter Kirton, Blake Robinson, Jared Slaveus.
Woodward: Nolan Kline, Colbey McEwann, Connor McEwann, Daniel Nelson, Ulises Polacio, Jace Snider, Alex Stewart.

Honorable mentions
Cache: Charles Baker, Camero Fenner, Jonathan Thode
Elgin: Carlos Dominguez, Mason Hulbert, Garrett Thomas, Jon Ware
Guymon: Genaro Barrera
Piedmont: Bubba Bailey, Austin Ray, Zach Tucker.
Woodward: Austin Cook, Corbin Kline

Metro Christian quarterback Andrew Hearon was named the Gatorade Oklahoma Football Player of the Year on Thursday.

Hearon threw for 3,695 yards, 42 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions this year, helping the Patriots to the Class 3A quarterfinals.

Metro Christian lost at Anadarko last week and finished 12-1.

The award recognizes athletic excellence as well as academic achievement and high character on and off the field.

Recent state winners of the award include Mustang’s David Glidden (2010), Tulsa Central’s Demarco Cobbs (2009), Midwest City’s Timothy Flanders (2008) and Jenks’ Mark Ginther (2007).

With the award, Hearon is also a finalist for the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award, which will be announced in December.

District 2A-7 All-District
Coach of the Year: Eddy Scott, Pawhuska
District MVP: Connor Pulley, Newkirk
Offensive MVP: Cameron Kirk, Pawhuska
Defensive MVP: Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
Special Teams MVP: Alex Green, Lincoln Christian
QB: Caleb Captain, Chelsea
RB: Zack Simmons, Lincoln Christian
OL: Jeremy Iron, Pawhuska
WR: Curtis Foreman, Chouteau
DL: Hayden Delozier, Chelsea; Steven Robledo, Caney Valley; John Jones, Chouteau
DE: Ty Nelson, Pawnee
ILB: Michael Brakey, Newkirk
OLB: Lonnie Tharp, Chelsea
CB: Taurus Yorkman, Chelsea
Safety: Kyle James, Chelsea
Meritorious: Hudson Baab, Lincoln Christian; Trevor Summitt, Newkirk; Trent Soldier, Chouteau

All-District Per Team:
Caney Valley: Dillon Ward, John David Martin
Chelsea: Austin Gill, Logan Doles
Lincoln Christian: Alex Melton, Brennen Evans, Cole Warren, Ethan Scott
Newkirk: P.J. Butler, Nathan Dowell, Caleb McCammon, Brent Ballagh
Pawhuska:  Nate Myers, Alex Valencia, Jermie Tuller, Thatcher Taylor, Gene Bigsoldier, Max Pester, Norris Bighorse, Aaron Dove
Pawnee: Cody Roberts, Russ Toothman, Aaron Burns, Harley Brewer, Trey Kent

Honorable Mention:
Newkirk: Dylan Sprueill, Dalton Hasselbring

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Casady's Graham Bennett committed to play football at San Diego on Friday.

Casady defensive lineman Graham Bennett committed to San Diego on Friday.

Bennett was being recruited by several NCAA Division I schools.

“I came to camp here in the summer, and I really connected with the coaches,” said Bennett, who was in San Diego for the Toreros’ game Saturday against Marist.

Bennett added that he also picked San Diego for its academics, and in particular its business school.

Bennett recorded 37 tackles and eight sacks as a senior for the Cyclones.

Here are some of the players who are expected to sign this week:
BASEBALL
Blake Estep, Jones (Penn St.)
Isaac Hellbusch, Deer Creek (Arkansas)
Taylor Hawkins, Carl Albert (OU)
Ty Hensley, Edmond Santa Fe (Ole Miss)
Chase Stephens, Deer Creek (UCO)
Jordan Watson, Edmond Santa Fe (OSU)

BOYS BASKETBALL
Aaron Anderson, Edmond Santa Fe (Fresno St.)
Blake Blanchard, Deer Creek (Southwestern)
Matt Christiansen, McGuinness (San Francisco)
Joe Edmonds, McGuinness (San Francisco)
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial (Tulsa)
D’Andre Wright, Lawton Eisenhower (Tulsa)

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Kelsey Barnwell, Kansas (Missouri-Kansas City)
Ashley Clark, Midwest City (Tulsa)
Courtney Cowan, Kansas (Northeastern St.)
Ali Decker, Edmond Memorial (Wichita St.)
Toni Smith, Del City (Fresno St.)
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe (Texas A&M)

GOLF
Taylor Moore, Edmond Memorial (Arkansas)
Abby Thompson, Deer Creek (OCU)

GYMNASTICS
Keara Glover, Putnam North (Auburn)

SOFTBALL
Liz Broyles, Blanchard (Missouri-Kansas City)
Braxton Coil, Edmond North (Missouri St.)
Shalee Cordell, Newcastle (OBU)
Kaylin Hinshaw, Putnam North (Mid-America)
Leslie Miller, Blanchard (OU)
Kady Self, Edmond North (OU)
Caitlin Sill, Tuttle (Tulsa)
Bryana Wade, St. Mary (North Texas)
Brooke Zukerman, Lawton MacArthur (UCO)

TENNIS
Sarah Bowen, Heritage Hall (Hofstra)

VOLLEYBALL
Emily Belz, OCS (Henderson St.)
Sydney Fioretti, Edmond Santa Fe (OBU)
Hannah Holkum, Edmond Santa Fe (North Carolina St.)
Barbara Jackson, Edmond Santa Fe (OCU)

WRESTLING
Matt Manley, Perry (Missouri)

Heritage Hall senior Quintaz Struble, left, suffered a likely MCL tear during the Chargers' season finale against Kingfisher. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall senior tight end/defensive end Quintaz Struble sustained a likely medial collateral ligament tear during Friday’s regular-season finale against Kingfisher.

Struble has an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scheduled for Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury. At this point, it looks like he’ll be out three to five weeks, Chargers coach Andy Bogert said.

Struble (6-foot-1, 235 pounds) is being recruited by several NCAA Division I schools. He said in a text message on Saturday that he plans to return at some point during the playoffs, although he isn’t sure exactly when.

Heritage Hall opens the playoffs at home against Chandler on Friday, with a potential second-round matchup against either Tuttle or Madill ahead.

Large East
Sadie Schaffner, Bartlesville
Inky Ajanaku, Tulsa Kelley
Cat Roth, Tulsa Kelley
Sydney Eggers, Bixby
Cailyn Burd, Owasso
Aubrey Marsellis, Owasso
Alexa Knox, Tulsa Union
Kylie Johnson, Tulsa Union

Large West
Maddie Reddick, McGuinness
Skylar Conner, Edmond Memorial
Kristen Nashert, Edmond North
Heather Watson, Edmond North
Hannah Holkum, Edmond Santa Fe
Barbara Jackson, Edmond Santa Fe
Lexie Matthews, Norman North
Tori Thomas, Norman North

Small East
Kara Gleason, Lincoln Christian
Evette Allen, Lincoln Christian
Sunny Smarty, Oklahoma Union
Hayley Bryan, Copan
Aryn Dixon, Cascia Hall
Allie Murphy, Cascia Hall
Carolina Arnould, Victory Christian
Mayci Sparkman, Shawnee
Hannah McKenzie, Tulsa Wahsington
Morgan Allison, Catoosa

Small West
Dawnshate Blakes, Chickasha
Taylor Crismas, Oklahoma Bible
Bree Fritschow, Duncan
Danielle McGill, Big Pasture
Sydney Miles, Heritage Hall
Jessica Penner, Corn Bible
Jenny Pratt, Christian Heritage
Lindsey Smith, Big Pasture
Talie Stanley, Cache
Madison Ward, Cache

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

Overall:
Ryan: 65-26, 8-1
Jason: 63-28, 7-2
Scott: 60-31

Ryan
Heritage Hall 40, Kingfisher 14
Jenks 35, Norman 28
Tulsa Union 35, Stillwater 28
Lawton 26, Westmoore 21
Pryor 17, Tulsa Central 13
Deer Creek 34, Ada 7
Anadarko 42, Weatherford 7
Midwest City 42, Norman North 7
McAlester 35, Tulsa Washington 20
Blanchard 22, Bridge Creek 14
Lock of the week: McAlester over Tulsa Washington. The Buffaloes offense has been just too good this season and the Hornets have struggled at times offensively themselves. McAlester wins the district title and remains undefeated.

Jason
Heritage Hall 31, Kingfisher 17
Stillwater 42, Tulsa Union 38
Jenks 27, Norman 14
Westmoore 14, Lawton 10
Pryor 17, Tulsa Central 13
Ada 31, Deer Creek 28
Anadarko 45, Weatherford 14
Midwest City 42, Norman North 24
McAlester 24, Tulsa Washington 17
Blanchard 14, Bridge Creek 9
Lock of the week: Westmoore over Lawton. Westmoore’s defense has been
impressive all season  -  save for last week’s shootout with Mustang -
and I think the Jaguars can hold the Wolverines out of the endzone just
enough to come away with a win. A Westmoore win would likely throw the
2nd, 3rd and 4th playoff spots into a three-way tie between these teams
and Edmond North. All three teams are close in district points, so such
a scenario favors North, which ends its season with U.S. Grant.

Scott
Heritage Hall 31, Kingfisher 17
Tulsa Union 42, Stillwater 38
Jenks 28, Norman 24
Lawton 23, Westmoore 20
Pryor 28, Tulsa Central 22
Deer Creek 21, Ada 17
Anadarko 42, Weatherford 35
Midwest City 48, Norman North 21
McAlester 34, Tulsa Washington 28
Blanchard 12, Bridge Creek 8
Lock of the Week: Tulsa Union over Stillwater. Often, the loss of a key player at a key time — in this case, the suspension of RB Kendall Holmes, who was having a huge year – seems like it will be devastating for a team. And many times, it is. But many other cases, it becomes a unifying moment. This could have been the last poke the Redskins needed to wake up for a run to the state title.

Mount St. Mary, under first-year coach Chris Stiles, still has a slight chance to make the Class 2A playoffs. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

Mount St. Mary lost 54-21 Friday to Comanche, but is clinging to a slim chance of making the playoffs out of District 2A-3.

If St. Mary can beat winless Walters on Friday and Hobart beats Washington, it throws the district into a three-way tie and goes to district points.

First-year coach Chris Stiles is working to build a winning culture at St. Mary, which hasn’t experienced a winning football season in 26 years.

And Stiles isn’t going to let his team quit this week, not with a chance for the school’s first playoff berth in years at stake.

“Ask the St. Louis Cardinals,” Stiles said of the World Series champions who were 10.5 games out of the playoff hunt with 31 left to play.

“Just keeping playing. We’ve gotta keep our heads up and keep pressing on and see what happens on Friday.”

The Rockets would be in pretty good shape if they win and Hobart is able to beat Washington. St. Mary lost to Washington by five points and heat Hobart by 14.

St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Chamberlain, left, chases DeMarco Murray on his 91-yard touchdown run during the Rams' 34-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. AP PHOTO

ARLINGTON, Texas — Chris Chamberlain led Bethany to the Class 2A state championship as a senior quarterback in 2003, went on to play linebacker at Tulsa and is now starting for the 0-6 St. Louis Rams.

He is in his fourth NFL season and started his second game at outside linebacker in Sunday’s 34-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, recording four tackles.

After the game, he talked about his performance, finally getting to start and Bethany’s upcoming game against Heritage Hall.

How did you feel about today’s game?

“Obviously we are disappointed in the result of the game. I was excited to come in and play close to home in front of friends and family. Personally I didn’t play my best game and a lot of my teammates would say the same thing.”

How does it feel to finally be starting in the NFL?

“It’s my fourth year in the league and I’ve been working hard. I’m finally getting an opportunity to play more on defense. I didn’t play my best game, but I’ll keep working hard and learning from my mistakes.”

What’s it going to take for the Rams to get this thing turned around?

“Just small mistakes here and there. Like on that long touchdown run (DeMarco Murray’s 91-yard, first-quarter TD run), we had one guy out of the gap and you see what happens. At halftime it’s a 10-point game.

“It’s just always the little things. It’s the detail, the communication. Missing tackles was a big thing in this game; we tackled terribly. That’s what happens when you do that against these kinds of players. We’re not far off; we’ve just gotta put a complete game together.”

Are you going to watch Bethany’s game against Heritage Hall on ESPNU on Friday?

“I’m excited to be able to watch them. I know Heritage Hall is a great team; they’re pretty stacked. It’s gonna take a great effort, but I know they’re gonna give everything they’ve got. It’s a big-time rivalry and two really good teams. I’m excited to watch them and root them on.”

Last week:
Ryan: 8-2, 1-0
Jason: 5-5, 1-0
Scott: 4-6, 1-0

Overall:
Ryan: 52-19, 6-1
Jason: 49-22, 5-2
Scott: 46-25, 6-1

Ryan:
Wagoner 21, Catoosa 18
Douglass 20, Harrah 17
Deer Creek-Lamont 26, Timberlake 20
Pryor 20, Coweta 17
Weatherford 21, Tuttle 14
Broken Arrow 40, Norman 14
Lawton 21, Edmond North 20
Sallisaw 21, Hilldale 14
McGuinness 28, Piedmont 21
Putnam City 35, Westmoore 24
Lock of the week: Deer Creek-Lamont over Timberlake. DC-Lamont will finally get pushed but they come out on top in a possible state championship game preview.

Jason
Wagoner 31, Catoosa 21
Douglass 28, Harrah 21
Deer Creek-Lamont 42, Timberlake 30
Coweta 21, Pryor 14
Tuttle 17, Weatherford 10
Broken Arrow 42, Norman 28
Edmond North 24, Lawton 14
Hilldale 24, Sallisaw 20
McGuinness 31, Piedmont 28
Westmoore 27, Putnam City21
Lock of the week: Westmoore over Putnam City. The Pirates have faced one really strong defense all year, Edmond North, and were shut down offensively. Westmoore’s defense has shown itself to be tough all season, and I think they can keep Casey Curtis in check and come away with the win.

Scott
Wagoner 23, Catoosa 20
Douglass 21, Harrah 14
Deer Creek-Lamont 48, Timberlake 33
Pryor 20, Coweta 17
Tuttle 27, Weatherford 21
Broken Arrow 38, Norman 28
Edmond North 24, Lawton 21
Hilldale 28, Sallisaw 27
McGuinness 21, Piedmont 17
Putnam City 30, Westmoore 24
Lock of the Week: Wagoner over Catoosa. This should be one heck of a ballgame, but I think Wagoner has the leadership, the experience and the talent to get back to the title game this year, maybe win it all. Guys like Kevin Peterson and Jeremy Applegate, among others, have been around long enough to help keep the team composed in a big game — and this is a huge one.

The website has only presented Oklahoma high school football games, but tonight will have a live webcast of the McAuley Catholic vs. Joplin JV game.

ZPreps is partnering with Mount St. Mary and other Catholic schools in the Oklahoma City area for the charity event.

Spencer was raised in Miami, OK.

“I have always considered Joplin a home away from home,” Spencer said in a release on ZPreps.com. “I came up with the idea for this project because I wanted to give back, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get people together online for a few minutes and use the power of the internet/social media to help rebuild St. Mary’s Elementary.”

Donations began on Sept. 26 and will continue through Friday.

Spencer’s goal is to raise $5,000.

For more information or to donate, visit http://www.zpreps.com.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley presents an Army All-American jersey to Heritage Hall's Barry J. Sanders on Tuesday. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN

Barry J. Sanders was officially introduced as a participant in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Tuesday at Heritage Hall. Sanders has said that he will announce his college choice at the game, which is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2012 in San Antonio.

The ceremony itself was very cool. I’d have to say the highlight for me was the national anthem, which was performed beautifully by Heritage Hall’s choir.

I got a chance to talk with Barry after he was introduced by Army Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley.

Bishop McGuinness senior linebacker Brandon Nguyen wants another shot at Clinton.

Bishop McGuinness had a rough couple weeks.

In Week 3, the Irish lost on a last-second blocked field goal return for a touchdown to Millwood.

Then, Week 4 saw a devastating 42-7 loss at Clinton.

But last Friday, the Irish got back on track with a 32-6 home win over Woodward.

Irish senior linebacker Brandon Nguyen took a few minutes to chat with me about the most devastating loss in his career, how McGuinness is bouncing back and the rematch he hopes happens in the Class 4A playoffs.

Can you describe how you felt after the Millwood game?

“It was tough. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Our morale was so low; it really felt like being punched in the mouth.

“It’s probably the toughest loss I’ve had.”

Did that carry over into the Clinton game?

“No, I don’t think so. For Clinton, we had an amazing week of practice. We were feeling really good going into the game.

“I’m not sure what happened at Clinton. I guess we got psyched out. The last time we played them, they came to our home and beat us. We still had that in our mind.

“I think we beat ourselves that night. We didn’t play the game we wanted to play.”

Do you feel like your team is back on track after the Woodward game?

“Yeah definitely. That helped us get the ball rolling again.

“We got our confidence back. We’ve just gotta keep it rolling. We can’t have any more losses.”

Do you think you’ll get another shot at Clinton in the playoffs?

“I know I want another shot at Clinton. I’m 0-2 against them. The Irish defense doesn’t give up 42 points.”

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.

Heritage Hall's Barry J. Sanders will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7 in San Antonio. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall running back Barry J. Sanders will be officially announced as a participant in January 7′s U.S. Army All-American Bowl at a ceremony at Heritage Hall on Oct. 4.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley will announce Sanders’ selection.

Sanders, No. 1 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30, has said he will announce his college choice at the game, held annually in San Antonio.

His top four choices are Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma State and Stanford.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christin Jantz (Dobbs)

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

Former Putnam North softball player and current Heritage Hall softball coach Christin Jantz (formerly Christin Dobbs) is now in the NAIA record book.

Oklahoma Christian received notice this week that Jantz, who played for the Lady Eagles from 2008-10, is being included for her career batting average.

Jantz hit .414 in three seasons at Oklahoma Christian and one at Central Oklahoma. She had 292 hits in 705 at bats.

Jantz was a three-time All-Sooner Athletic Conference selection and in 2010 earned first-team All-America honors.

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.

Oklahoma City police officer Chad Peery will be honored at Friday's Mount St. Mary home football game. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Mount St. Mary will honor Oklahoma City police officer Chad Peery during their Friday night home game against Jones.

Peery, a 1995 graduate of the school, was partially paralyzed when he attempted to break up a bar fight while off duty. Both of his parents are also St. Mary graduates.

Peery, a former Rockets football player, will be honored during a halftime ceremony, and the school will collect a gift offering for Peery and his family during the second half.

“His family has a long history here,” Rockets coach Chris Stiles said. “It’s only appropriate that we honor his heroism with a special event.”

Running back Barry J. Sanders and Heritage Hall will face a tough test on Friday at Clinton. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

Class 3A No. 1 Heritage Hall may have easy disposed of rival Casady in its season opener last week, but a much tougher test awaits Friday.

Barry J. Sanders, Sterling Shepard and the star-studded Chargers play at Clinton, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, on Friday, facing a perennial power that is loaded with talent.

“It’s gonna be a tough one out there,” Chargers coach Andy Bogert said. “They’ve got a lot of speed at the skill positions, and their secondary is really good.

“And playing in the Tornado Bowl is intimidating in itself,” he added about Clinton’s well-known and unique stadium.

Clinton is coming off a 40-6, Week 1 win over its rival, Weatherford. Senior running back Jalee Rainge rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Is Heritage Hall mentally ready for such a challenge after last week’s easy, 49-8 win, which saw the Chargers up 42-0 early in the second quarter before pulling starters?

“They will be ready for this,” Bogert said. “They know Clinton’s tradition. We’ve very much stressed it.

“They’re locking in pretty good.”

Bishop McGuinness will travel to face its rival, Tulsa Bishop Kelley, on Friday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Bishop McGuinness, No. 5 in Class 4A, opened the season against Shawnee’s junior varsity squad after Douglass backed out of their scheduled Week 1 game to play DeSoto (Texas) at Cowboys Stadium.

The Irish beat Shawnee’s JV team 42-0, and the McGuinness players said it was a great way to start the season.

“It was a great morale booster for the beginning of the season,” senior lineman Charlie Evenson said. “Going out and shutting out a team is great, regardless of who they are.”

Senior linebacker Brandon Nguyen agreed, adding that it was good to have a season opener to get ready for this week’s game at Class 5A No. 10 Tulsa Bishop Kelley.

“We really just needed to figure out who we are, with a new coach (Justin Jones) and a new team,” Nguyen said. “We don’t have a ton of returning starters. We needed to show everyone in the state what kind of team we are.

“It’s a good thing that we had a game, so we didn’t have to go to Kelley and have no experience.”

McGuinness and Kelley are archrivals, and the schools play every year for a shillelagh, a wooden Irish fighting stick that serves as a traveling trophy in the rivalry.

“We have that right now hanging in coach Jones’ office,” Nguyen said. “It’s really important for us. You don’t ever want to go out and lose to Kelley your senior year.”

Heritage Hall senior cornerback Brent Gaddis tore his ACL during his team's rout of Casady last week. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall senior Brent Gaddis, who started at cornerback and saw lots of carries at tailback, is out for the season after tearing his ACL during last Thursday’s win over Casady, coach Andy Bogert said.

Gaddis was hurt when his knee buckled while lead blocking Thursday.

Bogert said they weren’t aware of the injury’s severity when it happened.

“He came off the field on his own,” Bogert said. “He just kind of limped off the field. We thought he just hyperextended his knee or something.”

Bogert said one possible solution on defense is to have starting quarterback Quinn Shanbour play safety and move receiving/safety Sterling Shepard to corner.

“We’re working all that out,” Bogert said.

Our man Jacob Unruh was at Heritage Hall’s 49-8 Polo Bowl win over Casady, and talked to quarterback Quinn Shanbour, receiver Sterling Shepard and running back Barry J. Sanders after the game. Enjoy!

Check out the above video, produced by Mount St. Mary media student Derek Miracle and teacher Greg Spencer to preview the upcoming football season.

Stiles has the school excited about football heading into the 2011 season. I wrote about his past success and the veteran coaching staff he’s put together a couple weeks ago.

The video itself is really cool and fun. But to see Stiles’ dance moves, you have to pay really close attention at about 0:25.

The Rockets open their 2011 season tonight at Crooked Oak. And I guess whether he dances like that tonight depends on how his team performs.

Bishop McGuinness senior linebacker Brandon Nguyen will play this week vs. Shawnee's JV team. PHOTO BY ZACH GRAY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Bishop McGuinness linebacker Brandon Nguyen (concussion) has been cleared to play this Thursday in the Irish’s season opener against Shawnee’s junior varsity team, coach Justin Jones told The Oklahoman.

Nguyen suffered the concussion on a helmet-to-helmet collision with Lawton MacArthur running back Darius Graham during the Irish’s first scrimmage on Aug. 18.

Nguyen had 117 tackles last season and is one of McGuinness’ top leaders on defense.

Quarterback Mac Katigan, left, and Casady face rival Heritage Hall next week. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

Casady senior quarterback and safety Mac Katigan saw a lot of positive in Friday’s season-opening loss, and is excited by his team’s potential.

The Cyclones lost 24-10 to All Saints (Fort Worth, Texas), but went up 10-0 early.

“In the first half, that’s the best I’ve seen us look,” Katigan said. “By coming out strong in that first half, I thought it showed what potential we have for this year. We’ve just got to learn how to finish.”

Another positive? The Cyclones were able to hold All Saints quarterback T.J. Millweard, who has committed to play at Arizona State, to 72 yards and no passing touchdowns.

“We had that as our key, shutting down the passing game,” Katigan said. “Our secondary really stepped up.”

Next week, the Cyclones face defending Class 3A state champion and arch rival Heritage Hall.

“It’s gonna take everything we’ve got,” Katigan said. “Everybody knows that they’re one of the best teams in the state. We’re excited by the challenege. Everybody wants a shot at them. It will be good to see how we match up.”

Mustang quarterback Brandon Taylor will have X-rays Friday morning on his injured throwing shoulder.

At some point Friday morning, Mustang quarterback Brandon Taylor will find out just how bad he hurt his left shoulder on Thursday night. It could be as minor as a bruise, or as major as a broken collarbone, but it will be important news either way for the Broncos.

There are a lot of new receivers and some young offensive linemen, so they need Taylor’s leadership and experience to hold the offense together. That’s not to say sophomore Frankie Edwards won’t be a good fill-in. He’s a talented young kid, but he doesn’t have the experience of Taylor.

I’ll have the news on Taylor’s shoulder as soon as I hear something.

As for Thursday’s scrimmages, Mustang had some tackling issues on defense, and the offensive line is still growing up. At receiver, Travis Mitchell showed some impressive skills, and could be valuable at receiver.

Here are some other thoughts from the Pigskin Preview:

-El Reno showed some promise, and looked a lot better on offense than when I saw them at team camp in Yukon back in June. Rashaad Copeland and Ray Little are two very dangerous athletes who each made some big plays. Copeland has been drawing some college attention from OSU, Kansas and North Texas.

-Norman North is still looking for some offensive continuity at quarterback. Bryan Payne is a talented running back, but the two QBs — senior Chad Ehrhart and junior Peyton Gavras — had some ups and downs Thursday. Defensively, the Timberwolves were strong against Altus, and they’ll need to hang their hat on that side of the ball while the offense comes along.

-Justin Jones’ first preseason at McGuinness has been a rough one. He had five starters sidelined Thursday, including most of his linebackers. No major injuries, but still, those guys are missing valuable time under a new coach. QB Camden Tharp has a good skillset, and I’d look for him to have a good year. The Irish got a good performance from the offensive line, and that will be important as they try to develop the run game.

-Lawton MacArthur looks good. Really good. I know Tulsa East Central has a lot of star power. I haven’t seen them or any of the other top teams in 5A, but Mac has a lot of athletes all over the place, not to mention the best kicker in the state, which is always a nice feature. RB Darius Graham is a big, strong runner, and Michael Thomas is a beast at cornerback. When he gets in press coverage, his WR isn’t getting off the line of scrimmage most of the time. Most of Mac’s linemen are playing both ways, so that’s always an issue with stamina, but they’re going to be a dangerous team.

-Lawton Eisenhower looks vastly different with Adrian McDonald on the field. The athletically gifted quarterback sat out Thursday night’s scrimmage after suffering a rib injury last week. Coach Boone Copeland said he didn’t know when McDonald would be back, but he’s hoping to have him next week for the opener.

-Altus is obviously battling through a transition, like a lot of teams, but the Bulldogs have a more positive attitude than just about any team I’ve been around this year. Diquon Woodhouse — who is in my top five favorite names in HS football this year — made some solid plays, including a pick-six for Altus’ only TD. He doesn’t seem to have any lingering effects from the sprained MCL in spring ball, even though he still wore a brace for protection.

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

Heritage Hall's Markus Wakefield may have broken his thumb during Thursday's scrimmage at Oklahoma Christian School. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall lineman Markus Wakefield, an NCAA Division I recruit, suffered what is thought to be a broken thumb during Thursday’s scrimmage at Oklahoma Christian School.

Senior defensive end and tight end Quintaz Struble sat out the scrimmage after spraining his ankle last week.

Both are expected to be fine for next week’s opener against rival Casady.

Wakefield hurt the thumb on the Chargers’ first offensive series and sat out the rest of the scrimmage.

“Definitely,” he said when asked if he would play next week. “It’s my last Casady game.”

Junior quarterback Austin Brooks and OCS will host Heritage Hall in a scrimmage tonight. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

A big scrimmage is tonight in Edmond, as Heritage Hall and all its star power travels to take on Class 2A’s Oklahoma Christian School, which was 4-7 last year but returns lots of younger, but experienced, talent.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: OCS
Coach Derek Turner’s Saints return 16 starters — including nine on defense — from last year’s squad.

Junior quarterback Austin Brooks (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) is a player to watch for the Saints. He started last year as a sophomore when senior quarterback Jack Warren went down injured and gained good experience.

The OCS receivers took it upon themselves to improve this summer after a dreadful 7-on-7 camp in early June, during which Turner said they “dropped every other pass.” But when the same group arrived for two-a-days, their hands were much improved after hard work all summer with Brooks.

Senior wideout Logan Magill (6-2, 185) had 416 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Turner has cited the offensive line as a key unit for his team in 2011. The line returns three starters: Seniors Taylor Myers (6-4, 220) and Nick Lovelace (6-0, 250), and junior Jason Goff (6-6, 285).

The Saints’ leading returning rusher is senior Zak Anderson (5-11, 160 pounds). He ran for 257 yards and two touchdowns in 2010.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: HERITAGE HALL

If you’re coming to the scrimmage and expect to see OU commit Sterling Shepard catching passes, think again.

Shepard will play quarterback again this week while starter Quinn Shanbour awaits eligibility.

Shanbour will man the second-team offense, like he did last week against Holland Hall.

Running back Barry J. Sanders is obviously a player to watch. The big-time recruit had a huge scrimmage last week — Shanbour said his “shortest” carry was for about 11 yards.

But also watch for senior TE/DT Quintaz Struble (6-3, 240). Struble is another D-1 recruit who had 104 tackles and 15 sacks last season. That OCS offensive line will be tested in a big way with Struble and senior Markus Wakefield (6-1, 280), another D-1 prospect who also had 15 sacks in 2010.

Barry J. Sanders cheers during OSU's home game against Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN

The top high school football recruit in the state of Oklahoma has strong Oklahoma State ties, but will that lead him to commit there?

As everyone knows, Heritage Hall running back Barry J. Sanders, No. 1 on The Oklahoman‘s Super 30, is the son of former OSU Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. He has grown up a Cowboys fan (see picture at right).

But there have also been signs that Sanders may want to leave Oklahoma.

“I’ve said since my freshman year that it’s not just whether I want to go there or not, it’s also a big question of whether I want to stay in state,” Sanders told The Sporting News this summer. “I’ve lived in Oklahoma 17 years so the question is really would I want to stay here for another three or four years or do I want to go somewhere else? That’s what it’ll come down to and I’ll talk with my mom and dad and see what they think, and I’ll just go from there.”

Sanders holds offers from schools all around the country, but said last year that his four favorites were OSU, Alabama, Florida State and UCLA. He also has offers from Notre Dame, Auburn, Stanford and many others.

Sanders is taking his time in making a decision, and will take more visits this fall.

Bottom line? OSU is certainly a big possibility, but in no way a certainty.

Here’s the question:

My answer: In truth, it’s probably a coin flip. Because as I try to formulate my thoughts as to why I’m picking Sanders, my mind keeps taking me back to Shepard’s second-half performance in the Class 3A state championship game against Kingfisher last December — 169 rushing yards and four touchdowns. All in the second half, after his team fell behind 14-0. Truly incredible.

But my head still tells me it’s Sanders.

Strong body. Great speed. Filthy moves. Soft hands. Leadership ability. He’s the total package.

Sanders has a group of very vocal critics, too. I still can’t fathom what pushes some adults to speak so negatively on a personal level about a high school kid, but that’s a different discussion.

Let’s look at some of those critics’ ammunition:

No. 1: He’s injury-prone.

Sanders missed eight games last year with an ankle injury that required surgery after the season. He tried to play on it in the playoffs, but couldn’t. He didn’t miss a game as a sophomore, and played in nine games as a backup when he was a freshman.

He has carried the ball 398 times over the last three seasons for 3,617 yards and 50 touchdowns, averaging 9.1 yards per carry. Doesn’t sound too bad.

Besides, I remember back in 2006 when I was covering OU, hearing that Adrian Peterson was injury-prone and wouldn’t last in the NFL — probably even raised the question myself. But he seems to be doing just fine.

No. 2: Sanders plays in Class 3A and you can’t compare 3A talent to 6A talent.

Frankly, that argument is just tired. It will always exist, but if Troy Aikman, James Allen and Wes Welker aren’t enough to convince you that small-school kids can play big-time football, nothing will. And those are just three guys I came up with who played during my lifetime. I didn’t need to do any research to pull those names out.

Sure, there are a bunch of small-school players who didn’t make it. But there are a ton of 6A kids who flop just as hard.

No. 3: He only gets all that media attention and all those scholarship offers because of his name.

Regarding the media attention, this one is partly right. We’re in the business of writing things people want to read. And while the vocal minority will say they’re tired of him, they’re still the minority.

As for the scholarships, that’s goofy talk. Rick Neuheisel is fighting for his job at UCLA. Will getting Sanders committed save him if he only wins four games?

Does Nick Saban think Alabama will sell more tickets if Sanders is playing for the Tide next year?

Maybe North Texas or Louisiana-Monroe fire out an offer and hope for the best because of the impact it would have on their programs if they swooped in among a couple dozen of the country’s top programs and signed the son of the greatest running back to ever buckle a chinstrap.

But big-time football coaches want the best possible talent to put on the field to win games. They’re not interested in toying around with one of those 25 scholarships they can give out every year. Their jobs are kept or lost on talent evaluation, not gimmicks.

Whether his name is Barry Sanders or Barry Wright, the kid is getting all that attention for a reason. He can play.

Note: Be sure to check out Friday’s edition of The Oklahoman, which will include area-specific special sections for each of the metro area’s circulation zones, providing information on all of the city’s high school football teams. Our statewide season preview will be in Sunday’s Oklahoman, taking a look at some of the state’s best Dynamic Duos at OU, OSU and the high schools.

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

Heritage Hall's Sterling Shepard has committed to OU.

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

Barry Sanders or Sterling Shepard?

The answer is easy, yet difficult.

Choose one and either way you get a fantastic player. But the choice is agonizing.

Both are terrific players with terrific bloodlines.

But sometimes tough decisions have to be made.

So I’m going with Sterling Shepard. Sanders might wind up being the better college player (and possibly beyond) of the two. But if I’m starting a high school team and I have the No. 1 pick, I’m going with Shepard.

Coming to the answer was not easy. The reason Shepard wins out in the end, though, is. Versatility.

Need a big-time, game-breaking run? Shepard can deliver. Need a dazzling catch to win a game? He can do that too. Need an arm to throw that pass? Shepard’s got that covered. Need a playmaker to go up and keep the other team’s top receiver from pulling down that pass? By now you’ve figured it out. Shepard can just about do it all.

Just take a look at his stats from last year, when he stayed healthy after suffering through concussion issues as a sophomore. He ran for 575 yards and 10 touchdowns, had 1,015 yards receiving and 18 scores, he threw for three touchdowns and racked up 103 tackles and eight interceptions on the defensive side.

You can’t go wrong with making Sanders the choice. Some get Barry Sanders burnout because we’ve heard about him for so long but go watch him play and you know he’s legit. If he had any other last name, he might not be quite as highly publicized but he’d be every bit as deserving.

But in the high school game, where creativity and versatility can get you a long way, I’ll take Sterling Shepard.

Lincoln Christian's Jordan Masterson won the Lincoln Christian Cross Country Meet on Saturday in Tulsa. PHOTO BY CORY YOUNG, TULSA WORLD

Cross country action was limited across Oklahoma last week, but Lincoln Christian junior Jordan Masterson is The Oklahoman‘s Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the week of August 14-20.

Masterson won the two-mile Lincoln Christian Cross Country Meet on Saturday with a time of 10:30.35.

Last season, Masterson finished fifth as an individual in the Class 3A state meet, and the team finished fifth overall.

Action picks up this week, with 10 meets across the state.

Heritage Hall's Sterling Shepard, an Oklahoma commit, played quarterback with the Chargers' first team during last week's scrimmage against Holland Hall. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

Heritage Hall won’t display the full effect of its first team until Week 1 of the regular season.

Quarterback Quinn Shanbour, who is being recruited by several NCAA Division I schools, is ineligible to scrimmage with the Chargers’ first team because he transferred from Bishop McGuinness before the start of last season, so he worked with the second team during last week’s scrimmage against Holland Hall.

Senior receiver Sterling Shepard, an Oklahoma commit, was the signal caller for the first team.

The same arrangement will be necessary during Thursday’s scrimmage at Oklahoma Christian School.

Shanbour participated in both of McGuinness’ scrimmages last season and transferred before the opener. The OSSAA rule says that Shanbour has to sit out the same number of varsity contests he participated in last year.

Shepard said he will play quarterback some this season, like he did last year, in Wildcat-type formations.

“I hadn’t been practicing it at all,” Shepard said of quarterbacking. “I just went into the scrimmage dry. But I did OK. I completed most of my passes.”

Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @jasonkersey
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Bishop McGuinness senior linebacker Brandon Nguyen suffered a concussion during last week's scrimmage against Lawton MacArthur. PHOTO BY ZACH GRAY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Bishop McGuinness linebacker Brandon Nguyen suffered a concussion during his team’s first scrimmage last Thursday against Lawton MacArthur and will sit out this week at least, he said Sunday.

Nguyen suffered the injury on a helmet-to-helmet collision with MacArthur running back Darius Graham near the goal line on the Irish’s first defensive series.

This Thursday, McGuinness will take part in the Pepsi Pigskin Preview at Mustang.

Nguyen, who made 117 tackles last season and is one of the Irish’s returning leaders on defense, said he hopes to be back and ready for McGuinness’ first game against Shawnee’s junior varsity squad on Thursday, Sept. 1.

Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @jasonkersey
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Lawton MacArthur's Michael Thomas has committed to Tulsa. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LAWTON CONSTITUTION

Lawton MacArthur cornerback Michael Thomas (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) is No. 11 on The Oklahoman‘s Super 30 and has committed to play in college at Tulsa.

He was in Oklahoma City on Thursday for a scrimmage at Bishop McGuinness, but we didn’t see much of his coverage skill. The Irish didn’t throw his way much, but Thomas created plenty of his own action with his physicality.

Thomas knocked Irish receivers around, which is what Lawton MacArthur coach Brett Manning said Thomas is best at.

Most receivers can’t really handle him when it comes to blocking. It’s going to take a really special receiver that’s really physically mature to handle him.”

Jason Kersey
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Bishop McGuinness is working on picking up the pace on offense. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Under new coach Justin Jones, Bishop McGuinness is trying to pick up the pace on offense.

Thursday night’s scrimmage against Lawton MacArthur proved that it’s still a work in progress.

“They’ve gotta learn now what that game speed is,” Jones said of the young players on his team. “Our motors have gotta be running full tilt every time we’re on the field.”

Lawton MacArthur is known for its speed, and it was on fully display Thursday.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better opponent,” Jones said. “They’re very well coached. They get after it. That’s what you want from a scrimmage — you want to learn under fire, but you also want it to be a scrimmage situation where it doesn’t count.”

Senior offensive lineman Charlie Evenson said: “We’re getting the pace as the days go by. This team was a great scrimmage for us since we are working on our pace and they are such a fast-paced team.”

Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @jasonkersey
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Bishop McGuinness linebacker Brandon Nguyen, right, left Thursday's scrimmage against Lawton MacArthur after suffering a head injury early. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Bishop McGuinness senior linebacker Brandon Nguyen, the team’s top returning tackler and a leader on the Irish defense, suffered what appeared to be a concussion during the team’s scrimmage at home against Lawton MacArthur on Thursday.

Nguyen went helmet-to-helmet with MacArthur running back Darius Graham on the goal line, stopping him for a three-yard loss, but came off the field after the play and didn’t return.

“He made a great play down there on the goal line to save the touchdown, but got his bell rung a little bit,” Irish coach Justin Jones said.

“He’ll be out a couple weeks and we’ll reevaluate and try to get him back before the first game.”

Jones said Nguyen was showing signs of a concussion.

“Seeing someone like Brandon go down is the worst thing to see,” senior cornerback Duncan Branum. “Even though he’s concussed — he’s out right now — he’s still begging to stay on the field. I’ve played around him all four years, and he’s always that guy that never wants to come out.”

Nguyen had 117 tackles and an interception in 2010.

The Chargers will host the Bronchos Friday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPNU.

That will be the series’ second stop in Oklahoma. Tulsa Union hosts Louisiana’s Evangel Christian in the season opener on Sept. 2, which will also be broadcast on ESPNU.

Heritage Hall and Bethany met twice last year. In Week 9, Heritage Hall won at Bethany 14-7 in a game that sealed the district title for the Chargers. The two teams met again in the Class 3A semifinals, with the Chargers taking a 28-14 decision and going on to win the state championship over Kingfisher the next week.

The chance to play on ESPNU is an exciting one for the players.

“It’s gonna be incredible,” Bethany quarterback Ryley Claborn said. “It’s a great chance for the guys on the team that haven’t been looked at by colleges, especially. It’s a great way to get exposure for our players and our school. It’ll be fun to have that feeling, then go home and watch the game and know you’re on national television.”

Fifteen of the 16 games for the ESPN series were announced Thursday and include 30 teams from 13 different states. Here’s the full schedule.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Bishop McGuinness varsity and freshmen players are practicing together. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Practices are a little more crowded at Bishop McGuinness this year under new coach Justin Jones.

Unlike in past years, Jones has freshmen practicing with the varsity team. Senior quarterback Camden Tharp likes having more guys on the practice field because it gives the team more scout team players.

“It just gives you more to work with,” Tharp said. “Last year, when it was just sophomores through seniors, it was kind of hard to always get every spot on the scout team filled.”

For most of the early practices, Jones said he has kept freshmen and varsity players separated for initial evaluations. But he isn’t ruling out a freshman getting playing time on Friday nights.

“When we get into scrimmages, we see what they do against their level,” Jones said. “If their head is above their level, or there is a need for us at the varsity level, we would certainly look at those guys. I think if a freshman is good enough, if he’s one of the best 11, he’ll play.”

The Irish’s first scrimmage is Thursday at home against Lawton MacArthur.

I visited Mount St. Mary’s football practice on Tuesday and shot the above video. Coach Chris Stiles, who has previously had success at Lawton Eisenhower and Westmoore, is the new football coach and he has enlisted the help of former Oklahoma high school head coaches Mark Little and Dale Brown.

Here is the story that will appear in Monday’s newspaper about the team.

– JK
Follow @jasonkersey on Twitter

Bishop McGuinness quarterback Camden Tharp stands during football practice on Wednesday, August 10. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

It took a practice for McGuinness senior quarterback Camden Tharp to adjust to his new coaches’ style.

During early practices under new coach Justin Jones, the Irish is running a scripted team offense, meaning Tharp has to be on his game. Under former coach Kenny Young, the coach called the plays during practice, Tharp said.

“(Tuesday) was sluggish, a little bit, but that was on me” Tharp said. “It’s supposed to be 40 plays in 20 minutes. (Tuesday) we did about 32, but (Wednesday) we did about 45.”

Tharp said the Irish will run a no-huddle offense some of the time this season, so the quickly paced team offense is meant to, in part, prepare for that.

Heritage Hall receiver Sterling Shepard already has good chemistry with his new quarterback, Quinn Shanbour. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

I wrote for Wednesday’s Oklahoman that new Heritage Hall quarterback Quinn Shanbour, who sat our last season after transferring from Bishop McGuinness, is getting comfortable in his role as the Chargers’ starting quarterback.

Receiver Sterling Shepard, an Oklahoma commit who had 1,015 yards and 18 touchdowns a year ago, said he’s a surprised with the chemistry he and Shanbour already have on the field.

“It was just crazy because at (7-on-7 camps), it didn’t take us that long to get chemistry,” Shepard said. “Usually you’d think it would be hard for a quarterback and a receiver to get chemistry but it didn’t take us long at all.”

Shanbour had a busy summer and is getting noticed nationally after attending the invite-only Top Gun All-Star Camp in Williamsburg, Va., last month, as well as DeBartolo Sports University’s Elite Quarterback Camp in Tampa, Fla.

Calhoun’s appeal upheld

Piedmont running back Cassius Calhoun will be eligible for his senior season after all. The OSSAA had initially denied his application for a hardship waiver after he transferred from Casady.

But on Wednesday, the Board upheld his appeal of the ruling after the family provided greater detail surrounding the reasons for his transfer during executive session.

“I didn’t really think I had a chance,” Calhoun said. “It was a real emotional process, but my parents, my athletic director, my coaches, my teammates all supported me through all of it.

“I knew I was gonna make it through, whether they said yes or no, but I’m glad they approved it.”

Davis brothers’ appeal delayed

The hardship appeal case of Tulsa Union’s Kendal and Joshua Davis had to be tabled after the family presented a significant amount of new information to the board. It is possible that the OSSAA staff could make a determination on the new information prior to the September board meeting.

Kendal Davis will be a senior and Joshua will be a sophomore after transferring from Sapulpa. Kendal, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound receiver has gained recruiting interest from some Big 12 programs.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

I watched Heritage Hall’s morning practice today, and it’s clear that Shanbour is not only well acquainted with the offense but also has strong rapport with his teammates.

But how was it for Shanbour last season, having to watch the Chargers’ firepower while knowing he’d be part of it as a senior?

“It was like watching a highlight reel all day long,” Shanbour said. “It was like flipping on ESPN and watching the best guys in the nation. That’s what we have here.”

Heritage Hall players Markus Wakefield, Barry Sanders and Sterling Shepard. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

Happy first day of practice, Oklahoma high school football fans!

Fall practices begin today for Oklahoma high schools, and I, along with my fellow high school writers Scott Wright and Ryan Aber, will be out and about all week visiting practices around the Oklahoma City area.

My Tuesday begins by checking out Barry Sanders, Sterling Shepard and the defending Class 3A state champion Heritage Hall Chargers. I’ll then head to Edmond Memorial to check out quarterback Ry Huff and the Bulldogs, and wrap up my day of practices with an afternoon visit to new coach Chris Stiles and the Mount St. Mary Rockets.

I’ll also be calling coaches all day to check in, so be sure to stay with this blog and NewsOK.com, and to follow these Twitter accounts: @jasonkersey, @ryaber, @ScottWrightOK, @HSVarsity and @NewsOKSports. Also, be sure to like our high school coverage on Facebook.

- JK

Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @jasonkersey