Picks: Week 8
Ryan had a big week last week, picking up three games on Jason and four on Scott after picking Kingfisher, Hennessey, Lawton Eisenhower and Weatherford correctly. All three of us missed out on Stillwater’s win over Owasso and Tulsa Kelley’s over Tulsa Washington.
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.
Picks: Week 6
Ryan lost a game to Jason and Scott last week with his pick of Commerce over Colcord. Everybody missed Broken Bow and Hilldale, but Ryan locked Broken Bow to lose his first lock of the week.
Last week
Jason: 8-2, 1-0
Scott: 8-2, 1-0
Ryan: 7-3, 0-1
Overall
Ryan: 37-13, 4-1
Scott: 37-13, 4-1
Jason: 37-13, 3-2
Ryan
Cascia Hall 14, Berryhill 7
Millwood 28, Jones 26
Norman North 28, Putnam North 24
Edmond North 35, Putnam City 34
Tulsa Union 38, Owasso 16
Tulsa East Central 27, Tulsa Central 20
Lincoln Chr. 28, Vian 26
Comanche 26, Washington 20
Elk City 20, McGuinness 17
McAlester 38, Tulsa Kelley 20
Wynnewood 28, Rush Springs 14
Lock of the week: Wynnewood over Rush Springs. As things keep progressing in this district, I’m more and more convinced that the Wynnewood-Wayne matchup will determine the district champion.
Scott
Cascia Hall 21, Berryhill 14
Millwood 38, Jones 34
Putnam City North 24, Norman North 21
Putnam City 52, Edmond North 48
Tulsa Union 31, Owasso 21
Tulsa East Central 27, Tulsa Central 24
Lincoln Christian 35, Vian 31
Comanche 27, Washington 24
Elk City 28, McGuinness 27
McAlester 24, Tulsa Kelley 14
Lock of the Week: Cascia Hall over Berryhill. Cascia looks like a team on a mission, still stinging from last year’s loss to Bethany in the playoffs. I think they move to 6-0 this week.
Jason
Cascia Hall 21, Berryhill 10
Millwood 31, Jones 24
Norman North 23, Putnam North 17
Edmond North 42, Putnam City 35
Tulsa Union 42, Owasso 24
Tulsa East Central 35, Tulsa Central 21
Lincoln Chr. 31, Vian 28
Washington 20, Comanche 17
Bishop McGuinness 23, Elk City 20
McAlester 35, Tulsa Kelley 17
Wynnewood 24, Rush Springs 21
Lock of the week: Norman North over Putnam City North. Both of these proud programs are struggling this season, but I like the Timberwolves because of their running game. Norman North running back Bryan Payne has been good this season, and the Panthers’ run defense has been an Achilles’ heel.
Scott’s Weekend Rewind: Putnam City, Clinton show strength; Del City, Piedmont show promise
Putnam City's Casey Curtis has rushed for 1,016 yards and 21 touchdowns during the Pirates' 5-0 start this season.
I had the chance to cover a couple of interesting games over the weekend — one that felt like a blowout, but turned out to be a decent game, and one that looked like a blowout but felt much closer.
The Del City offense kept the Eagles in the game against Putnam City, which went on to win 56-34, while Piedmont’s defense kept the Wildcats close until Clinton got the snowball rolling in the fourth quarter and put the game away, 41-10.
What We Learned: Putnam City-Del City
Well, if you didn’t already know Casey Curtis was really good, you’re behind the game. How many high school running backs would like to have this stat line right now: 616 yards and 12 touchdowns. That’s Curtis’ total for TWO of his five games this year. In all, he has 1,016 yards and 21 scores on just 105 carries.
But like I said, you should’ve already known Curtis could play. So here’s what I learned watching the Pirates on Thursday.
The offensive line isn’t big, but they do their jobs well. Teams are going to be loading the box against them all year, and the opponents just keep getting tougher. But the goal for the blockers is to keep their guy occupied long enough for Curtis to find a gap, then go look for somebody else. They don’t have to be overpowering, just technically sound.
Quarterback Devin White isn’t being asked to throw for 300 yards a night, and he runs the team well. He can run the ball, and throw when he needs to, which is the big key for taking a little pressure off Curtis, especially with the tougher schedule ahead.
Del City is more talented than its 0-5 record suggests, but some inconsistencies on both sides of the ball seemed to hinder them. They’d stop Curtis on four or five straight runs, then he’d break free untouched for 79 yards. The passing game would get going for a while, then a few throws would fall incomplete and take the momentum away.
But that type of stuff is typical of a young team, which Del City is. As they develop past those issues, the Eagles could be pretty good.
Piedmont's Cassius Calhoun gives the Wildcat offense a big-play threat in the backfield.
What We Learned: Clinton-Piedmont
Clinton is a complete team. Good balance on offense, with a rushing and passing attack that can hit big plays. The run game has both quickness and power. The defense has talent at all levels, with some good size up front and speed in the back.
How good can they be? Hard to say right now. I think Ryan Aber’s ranking of No. 4 in Class 4A is just about right, though they aren’t far off from what Douglass and Wagoner have shown.
Piedmont is one of the best teams around with only two wins right now. Christian Foster might be one of the best receivers you haven’t heard of, and keep an eye on Darius Burris.
Foster is only a junior, and made several big catches on Friday, including the Wildcats’ only TD. Burris is just a sophomore, and he’s probably a little undersized as a defensive lineman, but the kid just makes plays. He was all over the place making tackles on Friday. Very impressive.
When you add that talent to a solid offensive line, good running back with Division I potential in Cassius Clay, and a great leader at QB in Collin Bricker, you’ve got the makings of a playoff team. The district is tough, but this is a team that could make some noise. They’ll only keep getting better in coach Craig Church’s new system.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Rankings preview: Oct. 1
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#5-0
2. Jenks (2)#4-1
3. Midwest City (3)#5-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#4-1
5. Norman (5)#5-0
6. Edmond North (7)#5-0
7. Putnam City (9)#5-0
8. Edmond Santa Fe (NR)#4-1
9. Owasso (8)#3-2
10. Lawton (6)#3-2
A couple of times a year I throw out my rankings and start fresh, take an overall look at the season and don’t constrain myself with past rankings. This is one of those weeks and while their figures to be other classes that are more drastically affected, there is a bit of that here. The biggest questions in my mind were where to place Edmond Santa Fe (and Lawton) and what to do with Putnam City. I considered dropping Broken Arrow a spot but the Tigers still stand as the only team to really challenge Union this season and I’ll give them their small bump Friday. Edmond Santa Fe goes from just outside to No. 8 after their win at Lawton. The Wolverines drop to No. 10. Owasso stays in at No. 9 but has a tough test this week against Union.
Rankings preview: Sept. 24
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#4-0
2. Jenks (2)#3-1
3. Midwest City (3)#4-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#3-1
5. Norman (5)#4-0
6. Lawton (6)#3-1
7. Edmond North (7)#4-0
8. Owasso (9)#2-2
9. Putnam City (10)#4-0
10. Stillwater (NR)#3-1
With Westmoore falling out from No. 8 after its loss to Edmond Santa Fe, there were two logical candidates to take the spot: Edmond Santa Fe, who was ranked before its loss to Midwest City the week before, and Stillwater. I chose the Pioneers based on their recent performances but just barely. Santa Fe gets a tough test next week at Lawton. A good performance there, win or lose, gives the Wolves a chance to move back in.
Putnam City focused on getting healthy as district play starts
Putnam City's Desmond Tilly is close to returning to game action after suffering a preseason knee injury.
I had a chance to swing by Putnam City’s practice earlier this week, and you could tell Desmond Tilly was glad to have the pads on again. After spraining his LCL in the final preseason scrimmage, Tilly just got cleared to return to practice this week, and he might even get in the game Friday against US Grant.
It’s an encouraging sign for coach John Wofford, who will need Tilly’s contributions down the stretch if the Pirates are going to get to the postseason. PC played one game without any of its three starting linebackers. Elie Rushing has returned, and Tilly should certainly be back by the Del City game next week. But Reed Brooks is sidelined by a concussion, so it’s hard to project when he might get back on the field.
Two guys who have essentially stayed healthy have been QB Devin White and RB Casey Curtis, thankfully for the Pirates. Those two, along with a solid offensive line, have anchored an offense that is averaging 51.3 points per game so far.
We knew Curtis would put on a show virtually every week, and he has, rushing for 591 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 68 carries. But White has been a pleasant surprise as a first-year starter at quarterback. The senior big and athletic, showing off his running ability with a couple of big TDs last week. And Wofford has been especially pleased with his decision-making through the first three games.
Getting to the playoffs is a big motivating factor for this team after getting so close last year. And they know that every game counts, so the next seven weeks will be intense, especially next Thursday’s home game against Del City, which I will be on hand for.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Game preview: Putnam City vs. PC North
Putnam City North's Dre Holman is looking forward to his first game against rival Putnam City after missing it the last two years because of injuries.
It feels a little weird trying to gather my thoughts to write the preview for the Putnam City-Putnam City North game, which kicks off tonight at 7 at Putnam City Stadium. And here’s why:
On the field tonight, you’re going to see a team that has a really good running back, a new starter at quarterback who looks pretty athletic, several new starters on the offensive and defensive lines, and a solid defensive backfield with some athletic, experienced players returning.
Which team is it? Take your pick. Both the Panthers and Pirates fit that mold. So trying to differentiate the keys to the game for each team is difficult.
But you can bet that those two running backs — Putnam City’s Casey Curtis and PC North’s Dre Holman — will have a lot to say about the outcome.
It pains me not to be able to see this game, because Curtis and Holman are two of my favorite backs to watch. One opposing coach who saw Curtis in the preseason says he’s the best back in the state, and I think Holman is on the verge of a big-time breakout year.
What to watch for: Putnam City
Putnam City North will have to find a way to keep a handle on PC's Casey Curtis tonight.
I think one of the biggest keys for the Pirates will be linebacker play. Elie Rushing is one of the better middle linebackers in the metro, but you can’t discount how much PC will miss outside ‘backer Desmond Tilly. His speed and playmaking skills would be valuable in this setting. I would expect him back in the next week or two from the sprained LCL, but he will be missed, especially in run support.
So the other outside linebackers and the safeties will be important in helping with stopping the run when Holman gets past the line of scrimmage. They’ll need to fill gaps and not let Holman get going downhill, because that’s when he’s most dangerous.
What to watch for: Putnam City North
I see the most important area for the Panthers tonight being on the offensive line. Left tackle Daniel Burton is one of the top linemen in the state, but most of the line is inexperienced. Keeping pressure off first-year starter John Robert Simon at QB will be crucial, especially early. Simon is a smart, talented athlete, and if he’s able to hit a couple throws early and build some confidence, it will carry him a long way.
Defensively, it’s all about clogging the running lanes. Curtis doesn’t need a big hole to scoot into the open field, and when he gets to the second and third levels of the defense, there aren’t a lot of guys who can wrap him up. So the key is not letting him find a crease.
The Pick: PC North 24, PC 20. I don’t have a good explanation why I think this will happen, it’s just a feeling. The biggest difference I see in the two teams is the extra depth PC North has in the trenches. Both teams have good players up front, but the Pirates will have to use most of their best linemen on both sides of the ball for much of the game. With the importance of the run game for both teams, I think that gives the Panthers the edge tonight.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Several stars on display at Southmoore, Yukon, Putnam City scrimmage
It was a fun night at Putnam City Stadium Friday watching the Southmoore/Yukon/Putnam City scrimmage. One of the better, more polished scrimmages I’ve seen in a while. I’ll have plenty of coverage in Saturday’s paper, but here are a few quick items that really stuck out to me.
-PC linebacker/running back Desmond Tilly hurt his left knee in the final few minutes of the game. Pirate folks don’t seem to think it’s serious, but it will likely require an MRI once the swelling goes down. The Pirates don’t have a ton of depth, so losing Tilly for any significant amount of time would be bad. He was flying around making plays at outside linebacker and is a great complement to MLB Elie Rushing. Tilly was also running the ball hard backing up Casey Curtis. With Curtis and Tilly each playing both sides of the ball, you need them both at RB to help keep the other fresh.
-Yukon fans might have noticed that Derek Deeds was icing his shoulder at the end of the night. He told me afterward that it was nothing more than a muscle spasm and he’d be fine. Just like Tilly, Deeds is a guy Yukon wouldn’t want to lose. They’re so young at receiver that his presence there is valuable. And he’s an anchor on the back end of the defense as well.
-In other injury news, Southmoore RB Andrew Long sat out Friday’s action, but only as a precaution, coach Chris Jensen said. Essentially, the SaberCats know what they’re going to get from Long, so there was no need to risk getting him hurt.
-On a sidenote to that, Friday was my first chance to see Karltrell Henderson. The junior had a couple big games at the end of last season to climb up over the 1,000-yard mark. He’s a beast of a runner. Punishes people and has decent moves to go along with it. It’ll be fun to watch those two guys share a backfield this year.
-I know Southmoore QB Tre Edwards has some doubters simply because of his height — probably 5-10 if you count the mohawk — but the kid is a confident player who throws the ball well. He can run the offense, move in the pocket and find the open man. He might not make D-I coaches drool, but he’s going to win a lot of games at Southmoore.
-Speaking of short guys, Yukon is running out some little dudes at receiver this year as they try to replace four of their top five from last season. But QB Corben Jones was excited with their performance Friday, especially when protection broke down. They were making good decisions in situations the team hasn’t worked on yet in practice, and Jones was happy to see that.
-The Millers are auditioning about four different players at running back, and might use multiple guys throughout the season. It was tough to tell a lot Friday, because Yukon only had a couple of regular starters available on the offensive line. The replacements held their own, but with their regular starting five, Yukon will have one of the better O-lines around, and that will certainly make life easier for the RBs.
-Lastly, I was impressed in my first chance to see PC quarterback Devin White in live action. Seeing him at practice last week, he certainly looks the part of a good high school quarterback at about 6-1 and probably 195 pounds. On Friday, he showed that he has a good, accurate arm, and he moves really well. Combine that with Curtis — who had some crazy good runs Friday — and the Pirates should be in good shape offensively. They are using a lot of new guys on the O-line, but they seemed to hold up well.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Video roundup: Yukon’s Derek Deeds, Mustang’s Brandon Taylor and Putnam City’s Casey Curtis
In case you missed any of my video interviews from my visits to football practices in the West Metro this week, here they are, all in one place for your viewing convenience. Yukon WR/DB Derek Deeds talks about the new stadium. Mustang QB Brandon Taylor discusses his relationship with the Broncos’ new receivers. And Putnam City RB/DB Casey Curtis talks up the Pirate defense:
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Choctaw’s Kevin Jarvis excels in the bench press
Putnam City running back Casey Curtis wasn’t the only recruit to have an impressive showing at the OkVarsity.com combine Saturday at Yukon. Nobody showed their strength more than Choctaw’s Kevin Jarvis.
The Yellowjackets defensive lineman smoked the field in the bench press with 31 repetitions at 185 pounds. Westmoore linebacker Joshua Morgan had 29, while Edmond North’s Brock Byford did 27.
In the power ball toss, it was Edmond North’s Cole Parsons who stood out with the top toss of 40 feet, 3 inches. Nobody had a better vertical leap than Yukon’s Darius Owens. The Millers defensive back topped out at 38.6 inches. And Bryce Robinson of Edmond Memorial had the best 20-yard shuttle run time at 4.09 seconds.
Curtis of Putnam City had the fastest time in the 40-yard dash at 4.32 seconds. Another combine of the same format is Saturday at Broken Arrow.
***
Give me some time to digest the results, and I’ll come back later in the week with some other nuggets for ya.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
