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

At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Class 6A
All games Wednesday, May 1
First Round
Westmoore vs. Southmoore, 10 a.m.
Tulsa Union vs. Muskogee, 10 a.m.
Moore vs. Jenks, 10 a.m.
Broken Arrow vs. Tahlequah, 10 a.m.
Semifinals
Westmoore-Southmoore winner vs. Tulsa Union-Muskogee winner, 12:30 p.m.
Moore-Jenks winner vs. Broken Arrow-Tahlequah winner, 12:30 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 3:15 p.m.

Class 5A
All games Wednesday, May 1
First Round
Cache vs. Seq. Tahlequah, 11:15 a.m.
Holdenville vs. Berryhill, 11:15 a.m.
Purcell vs. Bethel, 1:45 p.m.
Henryetta vs. Valliant, 1:45 p.m.
Semifinals
Purcell-Bethel winner vs. Cache-Seq. Tahlequah, 3:15 p.m.
Henryetta-Valliant winner vs. Holdenville-Berryhill, 3:15 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6:15 p.m.

Class 4A
All games Wednesday, May 1
First Round
Dale vs. Latta, 11:15 a.m.
Chisholm vs. Washington, 11:15 a.m.
Davis vs. Liberty, 12:30 p.m.
Tushka vs. Mangum, 12:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Dale-Latta winner vs. Davis-Liberty winner, 1:45 p.m.
Tushka-Mangum winner vs. Chisholm-Washington winner, 1:45 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 4:45 p.m.

Class 3A
All games Tuesday, April 30
First Round
Rattan vs. Rock Creek, 10 a.m.
Wayne vs. Fort Towson, 10 a.m.
Mooreland vs. Depew, 10 a.m.
Apache vs. Preston, 10 a.m.
Semifinals
Rattan-Rock Creek winner vs. Wayne-Fort Towson winner, 12:30 p.m.
Mooreland-Depew winner vs. Apache-Preston winner, 12:30 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 3:15 p.m.

Class 2A
All games Tuesday, April 30
First Round
Binger-Oney vs. Dewar, 11:15 a.m.
Okarche vs. Roff, 11:15 a.m.
Turner vs. Barnsdall, 1:45 p.m.
Pond Creek-Hunter vs. Soper, 1:45 p.m.
Semifinals
Binger-Dewar winner vs. Turner-Barnsdall winner, 3:15 p.m.
Pond Creek-Soper winner vs. Okarche-Roff winner, 3:15 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6:15 p.m.

Class A
All games Tuesday, April 30
First Round
Red Oak vs. Arnett, 11:15 a.m.
Tupelo vs. Asher, 11:15 a.m.
Eagletown vs. Hammon, 12:30 p.m.
Buffalo Valley vs. Leedey, 12:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Red Oak-Arnett winner vs. Eagletown-Hammon winner, 1:45 p.m.
Tupelo-Asher winner vs. Buffalo Valley-Leedey winner, 1:45 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 4:45 p.m.

Midwest City and Okemah won state powerlifting state titles last weekend at the Oklahoma Football Coaches Association’s state powerlifting meet at McLoud High School.

McAlester’s Caden Pratt earned the large class’ lightweight squatter, lightweight deadlifter and lightweight overall lifter titles. Wetumka’s Derrick Moore also earned a trio of individual honors in the small class, taking the heavyweight squatter, heavyweight bencher and overall heavyweight lifter titles.

The title was Midwest City’s sixth consecutive in the large-school class. The Bombers finished with 65 points, 22 more than second-place Blanchard. Morris, Prague and McAlester rounded out the top five.

In the small-school class, Okemah edge Mangum 68-66. Holdenville, Kiefer and Sharon-Mutual took the next three spots.

In the large school class, Pratt was joined by Westmoore’s Josh Morgan (heavyweight squatter, heavyweight overall lifter), Blanchard’s Braden Stringer (lightweight bencher), Bridge Creek’s Brett Morris (heavyweight bencher) and Durant’s Jacob Barnhart (heavyweight deadlifter)

The other outstanding lifters in the small school were Empire’s Stephen Price (lightweight squatter), Hartshorne’s Dallas Herring (lightweight bencher), Mangum’s Michael Gilmore (lightweight deadlifter) and Haskell’s Britt Williams (lightweight overall lifter).

Individual winners
Large school
123: Shane Delso, Morris
132: Caden Pratt, McAlester
145: Grant Neugin, Sequoyah-Tahlequah
157: Felix Depona, Edmond Santa Fe
168: Braden Stringer, Blanchard
181: Jesse Gregory, Tuttle
198: Jacob Barhart, Durant
220: Chase Mercer, Noble
242: Josh Morgan, Westmoore
275: Brett Morris, Bridge Creek
Heavyweight: Dalton Gillispie, Prague

Small school
123: Song Cha, Wyandotte
132: Samson Montalbo, Mangum
145: Zach McKimmy, Caddo
157: Michael Gilmore, Mangum
168: Carlos Herrera, Hollis
181: Britt Williams, Haskell
198: Derrick Moore, Wetumka
220: John Jones, Chouteau
242: Comanche Beaver, Okemah
275: John Custar, Sharon-Mutual
Heavyweight: Colton Pickett, Holdenville

LARGE EAST
P: Whitney Whitehorn, Owasso
C: Nicole Nease, Owasso
1B: Macklin Hitz, Jenks
2B: Sam Reiss, Broken Arrow
3B: Paige Luellen, Jenks
SS: Madison Vaughan, Coweta
OF: Hannah Stirton, Owasso; Britney Johnson, Tahlequah; Samantha Smith, Collinsville
P: Elena Gambill, Broken Arrow; Jessica Walker, Grove
C: Ashleigh Tramel, Grove
U-3B: Taylor Dodson, Grove
U-C: Allie Alvstad, Bixby; Theresa Collins, Broken Arrow
U-1B: Paige Gan, Muskogee
U-SS: Shannon Driggers, Collinsville; Taylor Perdue, Sand Springs
Coach: Shane Eicher, Owasso

LARGE WEST
P: Jordan Dixon, Edmond North
C: Shelbie Smith, Edmond Memorial
1B: Lindsay Littles, Edmond Memorial
2B: Haley Wells, Deer Creek
3B: Madi Ellis, Yukon
SS: Madisyn Long, Carl Albert
OF: Kierra Miles, Mustang; Abby Taliaferro, Edmond North; Rachel Cooper, Duncan
P: Maddy Ellis, Yukon; Summer Leitka, Norman
C: Braden Bradshaw, Southmoore
U-3B: Courtney Moore, Duncan
U-SS: Mariah Peace, Westmoore
U-2B: Caitlynn Hall, Moore
U-OF: Brianna McComas, Edmond Santa Fe; Courtney Chelf, Enid
U-1B: Hannah Lynch, Moore
Coach: Erin Regier, Deer Creek

MIDDLE EAST
P: Jayde Hansen, Perry
C: Kaci Trentham, Coalgate
1B: Anna Crawford, Adair
2B: Kara Lynch, Sequoyah-Tahlequah
3B: Brenna Vise, Poteau
SS: Taylor McElhaney, Oologah
OF: Shelby Standridge, Poteau; Kassi Yazel, Morris; Audrianna Hooks, Bristow
P: Madison Boyd, Chelsea; Jessica Bluebird, Sequoyah-Tahlequah
C: Shyanna Sigman, Tecumseh
U-SS: Sutv Meely, Tecumseh
U-P: Kylar Foshee, Valliant
U-2B: Bailey King, Morris
U-SS: Ashley Williams, Berryhill; Raven Campos, Adair; Ryan Martin, Beggs
Coach: Tommy Howard, Valliant

MIDDLE WEST
P: Andee Frazier, Little Axe
C: Jacie Stephens, Washington
1B: Shelby Robinson, Newcastle
2B: Megan Sanders, Weatherford
3B: Jordan Chism, Piedmont
SS: Samantha Leising, Little Axe
OF: Kaylin Taylor, Purcell; Nikki Horton, Cache; Emma Nelson, Piedmont
P: Shea Coats, Tuttle; Tate Landmark, Cache
C: Kaitlyn Holmes, Harrah
U-3B: Dani Warren, Cache; Tiphani Napier, Plainview; Annamarea Combs, Tuttle
U-OF: Bryanne Knox, Dickson; Ashley Savage, Newcastle
U-2B: Avery Walker, Marlow
Coach: Rodney DeLong, Cache

SMALL EAST
P: Jalissa Gum, Frontier
C: Casey Kelley, Roff
1B: Jadyn Gibbs, Rattan
2B: Cheyenne Been, Dewar
3B: Kelby Alexander, Drumright
SS: Samantha Berry, Dale
OF: Kelly Easterling, Oktaha; Sericca Rider, Red Oak; Sarah Morrison, Caney Valley
P: Kendra Coleman, Red Oak; Taylor Canida, Roff
C: Danielle Dockrey, Dale
U-SS: Kendra David, Caney Valley; Jill Shipman, Stroud
U-P: Taylor Eaves, Panama; Jill Roye, Red Oak; Jaimie Williams, Rattan
U: Victoria Stambaugh, Davenport
Coach: Casey Butcher, Red Oak

SMALL WEST
P: Peyton Walker, Hammon
C: Kori Barrios, Hammon
1B: Selika Shives, Binger-Oney
2B: Sydney Harrel, Leedey
3B: Danielle Hammons, Fort Cobb-Broxton
SS: Kayla Wilson, Mooreland
OF: Larissa Tate, Binger-Oney; Carly Farmer, Pond Creek-Hunter; Bailey Carnes, Merritt
P: Taya Haney, Leedey; Emily Wasinger, Frederick
C: Harli Ridling, Sentinel
U-3B: Jenna Trissel, Leedey
U-P: Ashton Lierle, Fort Cobb-Broxton; Jaci Booker, Cyril; Lakeyna Forsythe, Fletcher
U-SS: Olivia Mason, Fairview
U-2B: Casey Redus, Wayne
Coach: Scott Brewer, Wayne

Tecumseh’s Thornton hired as Norman basketball coach

Matt Thornton’s basketball coaching career is taking a trip along Highway 9.

The Tecumseh boys coach was hired by Norman this week, filling the void created when Jeff McCullough left after two years to return to Texas.

Thornton has been a head coach for five seasons at Tecumseh, reaching the state semifinals in 2011.

Thornton is originally from Moore, and worked as an assistant coach at Westmoore prior to becoming a head coach.

Tecumseh might not be a place you immediately think about for producing top-notch basketball coaches, but the school has turned out some good ones in the recent past.

Jenks’ Clay Martin was a head coach there, as was Del City’s Tim Stogsdill. In addition, Plainview head man Jeremy Stewart was an assistant for the Savages, as was former Edmond Santa Fe coach Shawn Schenk. Now, Thornton adds his name to the list after a successful five-year stint in T-Town.

He takes over a young but talented team at Norman, though the Tigers did lose some valuable, athletic players from last year’s team. On top of that, Thornton is taking over very late, meaning he missed summer leagues and won’t have a lot of time to get to know his new team.

Norman North picks Paul as new AD

In addition to the hire of Thornton, Norman Public Schools officials approved the hire of former Bethel football coach Eddie Paul as Norman North’s new site athletic director.

He will replace Jack Harvey, who has retired. Paul is a long-time coach in Oklahoma and Texas, spending the last two seasons at Bethel.

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

Westmoore basketball experienced a strong turnaround this season, and Kyle Lakin and Beau Palmer were a big part of that.

Now, both of them have solidified their college futures, each signing letters of intent in the last week.

Lakin, pictured on the left, will continue his basketball career at McPherson (Kan.) College, while Palmer signed with Hesston (Kan.) College, seen in the photo on the right.

Lakin, a point guard, averaged 7.6 points and nearly three assists per game in guiding the Jaguars’ strong turnaround under coach Scott Hodges this season. Palmer averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Jags, providing a strong presence all over the floor.

Westmoore nearly doubled its win total from a year ago, finishing 14-10 on the season.

Large East
Taylor Cooper, Shawnee
U’Knique Gaines, Tulsa East Central
Jodi Glover, Fort Gibson
Devaughn Gray, Tulsa Washington
Lashanda Green McAlester
Kelsee Grovey, Shawnee
Madison Mercado, Sapulpa
Lanesha Middleton, Stillwater
Caitlyn Spurgeon, Vinita
Miranda Taylor, Claremore
Coaches: Carl Treat, Stillwater; Matt Sweeney, Oologah

Large West
Kylie Boggess, Piedmont
Ashley Clark, Midwest City
Alie Decker, Edmond Memorial
Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
Rasheeda Kabba, Westmoore
Toni Smith, Del City
Kati Sullivan, Anadarko
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe
Antoinet Webster, Western Heights
Te’era Williams, Douglass
Coaches: Jeff Mahoney, Elgin; Dandy Peeler, Edmond Memorial

Small East
Courtney Backward, Salina
Kelsey Barnwell, Kansas
Megan Brown, Howe
Hayley Bryan, Copan
Courtney Cowan, Kansas
Pete Douglas, Oktaha
Charitee Evans, Red Oak
Shanna Harrison, Adair
Kenzie Solberg, Chandler
Brooke Watkins, Prague
Coaches: Brandon Lindly, Wright City; Mike Buntin, Verdigris

Small West
Jamie Brown, Chattanooga
Lexie Brown, Hammon
Casi Cornell, Thomas
Kori Fast, Fairview
Jordan Garner, Amber-Pocasset
Bailey McBride, Chattanooga
Lacey Paulk, Washington
Katelyn Richardson, Calumet
Jordynn Van Pelt, Snyder
Shayla Williams, Northeast
Coaches: Cherie Myers, Okarche; Kirk Harris, Marlow

All-Conference
First Team
Ashley Clark, Midwest City
Alie Decker, Edmond Memorial
Carolee Dillard, Midwest City
Taylor Ely, Norman
Bri Kuestersteffen, Norman North
Toni Smith, Del City

Second Team
Brittany Alavinejad, Westmoore
Serithia Hawkins, Southmoore
Sydney Hill, Edmond Memorial
Mariah Jackson, Del City
Kayla Tucker, Southmoore

Third Team
Bethany Cox, Norman
Jami Hensley, Westmoore
Rasheeda Kabba, Westmoore
Amanda Patterson, Moore
Haley Woodard, Norman North

Honorable Mention
Dionna Collins (Del City), Piper Kalthoff (Del City), Jenny Roy (Edmond Memorial),
Alyssa Hand (Edmond Memorial), Jasmine Gaddis (Midwest City), Jasauen Beard (Midwest City), Adrianna White (Midwest City), Reagan Widener (Midwest City),
Tori Thomas (Norman North), Kabria Harkey (Westmoore),

Defensive Players of the Year: Jordan Thomas, Edmond Memorial, and Cornell Neal, Midwest City

Offensive Players of the Year: Jordan Woodard, Edmond Memorial, and Rico Hogan, Norman

Coach of the Year: Shane Cowherd, Edmond Memorial

Newcomer of the Year: Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial

First Team
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial
Jordan Woodard, Edmond Memorial
A.J. Holland, Del City
T.J. Noel, Midwest City
Rico Hogan, Norman
Cornell Neal, Midwest City

Second Team
Brett Cannon, Del City
Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial
Connor Madole, Norman
Jordan Thomas, Edmond Memorial
Tripp Fuller, Westmoore

Third Team
Dorian Gigger, Moore
Chris Hobgood, Moore
Steffon Herd, Del City
Trey Ayala, Westmoore
Jamal Mosely, Del City

Honorable Mention:
Sam Kaplan, Norman North
Jourdan Bean, Southmoore
Maurice Davenport, Moore
Kyle Lakin, Westmoore
Beau Palmer, Westmoore
George Kittle, Norman
Daniel Harper, Norman
Keith Glover, Del City
Deonte Long, Del City
Devin Bockhaus, Midwest City
Daryck Jones, Midwest City
Torey Noel, Midwest City
Kesean Brown, Midwest City
Reggie Sloan, Edmond Memorial
Aaron Young, Edmond Memorial

The Oklahoma Coaches Association announced its 2012 class of inductees into the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame this week. The induction ceremony and banquet will take place at 6:30 p.m. July 22 at the Southern Hills Marriott in Tulsa.

The inductees:
David Brese, Durant
Laura Clay, Westmoore
Nate Harris, Tulsa Washington
Richard Lemler, Stillwater
Jim Mathews, Wewoka
L.J. Powell, Chickasha
Mike Tyson, Thomas
C.L. “Cotton” Wade, Norman
Jim Walling, Earlsboro
Ted Younts, Ardmore
Distinguished service: George Hauser, Southwestern Oklahoma State

106: Markus Simmons (Broken Arrow) defeated Blake Dauphin (Tuttle)
113: Gunnar Woodburn (Claremore) defeated Ladigo Williams (Rio Rancho, New Mexico)
120: Jake Goodwin (Bishop Lynch, Texas) defeated Gunner Laffoon (Tuttle)
126: Kyle Garcia (Choctaw) defeated Colby Powers (Lawton Mac)
132: Brian Crutchmer (Tulsa Union) defeated Clay Archer (Broken Arrow)
138: Chase Ferman (Broken Arrow) defeated Dakota Head (Tuttle)
145: Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow) defeated Daniel Carrillo (Rio Rancho, NM)
152: Keilan Torres (Altus) defeated Kyle Ash (Tulsa Union)
160: Ricky McCarty (Lawton Mac) defeated Donaven Roberts (Randall, Texas)
170: Zachary Beard (Tuttle) defeated Drake Martel (Altus)
182: Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union) defeated Joel Dixon (Edmond North)
195: Andrew Dixon (Edmond North) defeated Seth Calvert (Broken Arrow)
220: John Finn (Westmoore) defeated Josh McNaughton (Del City)
285: Kyle Factor (Westmoore) defeated Jose Chavez Del Real (Mustang)

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.

Tulsa Union won the title even with a loss to Owasso. Broken Arrow’s only two losses were to Tulsa Union while Jenks’ losses were to Broken Arrow and Union (twice). Owasso had the most impressive wins of the year (Tulsa Union and in quadruple overtime vs. Midwest City) but lost to Broken Arrow (twice), Jenks and Stillwater. Midwest City’s only loss came to Owasso in the second round. The Bombers beat Edmond Santa Fe, whose only other loss was to Jenks in the playoffs.

District 6A-2 All-District
Awards
Coach of the Year: Lance Manning, Edmond Santa Fe
Player of the Year: Casey Curtis, Putnam City
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Trevor Thompson, Westmoore
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Jarion Tudman, Edmond North
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Crouch, Edmond Santa Fe
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Factor, Westmoore
Linebacker of the Year: Brendon Pitzer, Edmond North
Co-Defensive Back of the Year: Conner Bays, Edmond Santa Fe
Co-Defensive Back of the Year: Archie Ocloolee, Westmoore
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Patrick Diaz, Lawton
Offensive Back of the Year: Jesse Mathews, Edmond North
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: Brandon Dewitt, Lawton
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: Cole Parsons, Edmond North
Co-Wide Receiver of the Year: Austin Bowling, Westmoore
Co-Wide Receiver of the Year: Tre Kelly, Edmond Santa Fe
Special Teams Player of the Year: Michael Ryan, Mustang

All-District team
Del City: Stephon Herd, WR; Josh McNaughton, DL; Jerel Jeten, DB; Larry Long, DB.

Edmond North: Jarion Tudman, RB; Jared Benway, RB; Cole Parsons, OL; Troy Davis, TE; Jesse Mathews, QB; Russell Sivard, DL; James Duncan, DL; Christian Contreass, DB; Regan Land, LB; Bryndan Pitzer, LB; Christian Peterson, DB.

Edmond Santa Fe: Tre Kelly, WR; Taylor Ashcraft, LB; Chris Carter, DL; Conner Bays, DB; Josh Crouch, DL; Zach Birts, DB; Michael Onuoha, DL; Brandon Roberts, OL; Chad Reitz, OL; Ryan Frazier, LB; Matt Freeman, K; Allston Hadley, OL.

Lawton: Brandon Bartlett, DeMarious Littles, Freddie Taito, Vincent Thomas, Corey Pilgrum, Adam Castro, Jacquan Beck, Dometreas Pyfer, Jordan Gouge.

Mustang: Arron Smith, OL; Derek Garvin, WR; A.J. Ashman, RB; Michael Ryan, K.

Putnam City: Casey Curtis, RB; Rontez Smith, TE; Anthony Hogg, DB; Damion Brown, DL; Elie Rushing, LB; Derrick Rovers, DL; Conner Nichols, TE; Jeff Tanner, DL.

U.S. Grant: Christian Nicholson, DE; Jacob Tavares, OL; Cory Hooks, RB; Derrick Young, DB.

Westmoore: Kyle Factor, DL; Trevor Thompson, QB; Austin Bowling, WR; Archie Ocloolee,. DB; Dalton Craig, WR; Preston Higgins, DL; Blake Martin, DB; Corey Lassiter, OL.

No rankings in the paper this week but I do a final ranking after the season ends. But I’ll update my top 10 in each class on the blog beginning with 6A:

Class 6A
1. Broken Arrow (2)#11-1
2. Tulsa Union (3)#11-1
3. Jenks (5)#10-2
4. Owasso (7)#9-3
5. Midwest City (1)#11-1
6. Edmond Santa Fe (4)#10-2
7. Lawton (6)#9-3
8. Edmond North (8)#9-3
9. Stillwater (9)#8-3
10. Westmoore (10)#7-4

Tuesday, at least two more Class 6A games were pushed up 30 minutes: Westmoore at Midwest City and Lawton Eisenhower at Edmond Santa Fe.

This isn’t a surprise as most 6A games on this side of the state start at 7 p.m. during the regular season.

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.

Going to do it a little different this week, breaking out at least Class 6A into a separate blog. Tell me why I’m right. Tell me why I’m wrong.

1. Midwest City (3)#8-0

If you don’t look at my rankings every week, this might be a little surprising. But it’s consistent with what I’ve done all along: re-evaluating things each week and not be afraid of looking back at the totality of the season with what we know now. I’ll explain Broken Arrow (and Jenks’) fall shortly but it’s as much about what Midwest City has done as about what those teams haven’t. The Bombers have absolutely put it to teams recently. Their “slip” game was a 26-point win against Moore. Their 21-point win over Edmond Santa Fe looks more impressive each week. Thy’ve held seven opponents to seven or fewer points. James Flanders continues to perform in their running game. They make plays on special teams. I’m not saying I’m picking them to win a state championship yet–I’ve made my feelings about that know with respect to Jenks and Union–but right now, they’re the top team.

2. Broken Arrow (1)#7-1

When I saw Broken Arrow put it to Southmoore two weeks ago, I felt pretty comfortable with the Tigers as my top team. But Broken Arrow struggled on the road against a Norman team that Southmoore throttled, needing a late field-goal block to come away with the win. I still really like Broken Arrow, and am leaning toward picking them against Jenks this week, but that’s the second game they’ve barely pulled out against an opponent they should’ve beaten soundly.

3. Jenks (2)#7-1

The Trojans haven’t been pushed much other than their 41-19 loss to Tulsa Union, but their main test is this week when they play at Broken Arrow. Losing Alex Ross really hurts Jenks. Although they’ve put up big offensive numbers in recent weeks, they haven’t played a defense that’s very good since that Union game in Week 2.

4. Edmond Santa Fe (4)#7-1

The Wolves might not be the top team in the state but they might be playing better than anyone right now. Lance Manning has turned around Santa Fe in a hurry. A win this week over Edmond North and Santa Fe goes from 1-9 to district champs in one year.

5. Tulsa Union (6)#7-1

Ask me to pick the state champion right now and I probably go with Union. I still have them here because they do have to prove that their offense has rebounded form the injuries that resulted in Owasso’s comeback. The Redskins probably jump back up steadily the next few weeks but right now, they’re No. 5.

6. Lawton (7)#6-2

Losing Ivan Thomas is a near-backbreaker for them but the Wolverines didn’t seem to hurt without him against a previously unbeaten Edmond North team.

7. Edmond North (4)#7-1

The Huskies have the size up front to compete with anyone. But speed on the edges on either side is going to be a thorn in North’s side. The problem: Santa Fe is another speedy team and could give North problems this week in a game that will go a long way toward deciding who wins that district.

8. Stillwater (8)#7-1

Their offense deserves to be higher than No. 8. The defense, though, probably wouldn’t be in the top 10. The Pioneers have given up 27 or more points five times already and they still have Union on the schedule in a game that will, one way or another, determine the district champion.

9. Owasso (9)#5-3

The Rams have the signature win in 6A this season, beating Union. But they followed that with a home loss to Stillwater. Like the Pioneers, offense isn’t a question. But the Rams have to be able to slow good teams down to make a run and they haven’t been able to do that much.

10. Westmoore (NR)#6-2

The Jaguars pushed Edmond North in Week 7 before the Huskies pulled away in the second half, then beat a one-loss Putnam City team this week to take the Pirates’ spot in the rankings. Their defense has been solid all year and their offense, especially the passing component, continues to come along, lifting Westmoore into the top 10.

Just outside: Norman (6-2)

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.

Edmond North coach Jeremy Dombek and his team bow their heads in a moment of silence to remember Ryan Smith before Friday's game against Westmoore. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

MOORE — The overall goodness of people never ceases to amaze me, especially in the wake of a tragedy.

Friday, Edmond North beat Westmoore 27-13 at Moore Stadium. The Huskies were playing with heavy hearts, as Ryan Smith, their sophomore defensive lineman, died late Wednesday night.

The Westmoore football booster club put buckets at entrance gates and concession stands to collect donations to help Ryan’s family with burial costs.

By halftime, $900 had been raised. And after the game, Westmoore presented Edmond North with $900, and that was just from the donations collected at the gate and at Westmoore-side concession stands. Money donated on the Edmond North side of the stadium had yet to be counted.

This has by far been the toughest assignment I’ve had in my career. Dealing with death is never easy, especially when it is someone as young as Ryan was.  And by all accounts, he was a great kid.

I talked with a few of Ryan’s friends from the Edmond North team last night after the game. Here are their thoughts about their fallen friend.

JUNIOR DAVION WOODFORK

Junior running back Davion Woodfork, who, like Smith, transferred from Edmond Santa Fe before this school year, was one of Smith’s close friends.

“We came over at the same time,” Woodfork said. “We used to always talk about being in the NFL, and he used to be like, ‘I’m gonna block for you.’

“(The win) was good. It was all for him.

“He was a very good friend. He was always motivated. He loved football. He was always there for me.

“He will never be forgotten.”

SOPHOMORE TAEVYON WARREN

Taevyon Warren, also a sophomore on the Huskies’ team and also a first-year Edmond North student, wore a tribute to his friend on Friday.

Warren wasn’t suited up for the game, but wore a white T-shirt with “R.I.P. Ryan Smith #67” written on the back in black marker.

“It’s a tribute,” Warren said of the t-shirt. “We’ll never forget him, and this is my way of showing my respect.”

Warren said Ryan was a great friend and a good listener.

“With both of us being new, we just bonded,” Warren said. “Just his presence, just him being around would make your day.

Warren also raps, and he and his friends recorded a song Thursday dedicated to Smith’s memory.

“We did a remix of a song, talking about how life is short and how you never expect it to end,” Warren said. “We just talked about Ryan and how good a person he was.”

SOPHOMORE LANCE DIXON

Lance Dixon, a sophomore Edmond North football player and wrestler, is out with a bad shoulder injury.

He stood on the sideline during Friday’s win over Westmoore and recalled a fond memory of Ryan Smith from earlier this school year.

He had just been injured, and he and Ryan sat together in the wrestling room and talked while Dixon was a little loopy from the pain medication he had been prescribed.

“We just sat there in the wrestling room,” Dixon said. “He sat there with me and we just talked for an hour about football and about how good our wrestling team was gonna be.

“It’s unbelievable that he’s gone now.”

Dixon said the sophomore class took the news especially hard.

“A lot of sophomores on our team tried to hold it in,” he said, “but almost every single sophomore football player was crying the day that they told us.”

Dixon said he thought it was important that the Huskies played their game Friday against Westmoore.

“I think it was important to play this game to get our minds off of it,” he said. “A lot of people were hit hard by this, and most people didn’t understand why it would happen to such a good person.”

SENIOR TROY DAVIS

Senior Troy Davis said he thinks Ryan Smith helped the Huskies get back on track after a rough first half Friday.

Edmond North trailed 6-3 at halftime, but scored 17 third-quarter points to build a comfortable lead.

“In the second half, it just felt right,” Davis said.

“We felt like we had to go out and do this for him. It picked up the team and brought us closer together. We needed it.”

Davis said he still can’t believe that it happened to one of his teammates.

“It’s just one of those things that you think is never going to happen to you or your teammate, and then out of the blue it just happens,” he said. “It’s surreal. He’s gonna be missed.”

There will be collections taken at the Moore Stadium gate and at concession stands for Smith’s family to help with burial costs, Edmond North football booster club president Lisa Molinsky said.

Smith died Wednesday night, one day after suffering a broken leg during football practice.

You can also send a donation to the Ryan Smith Memorial Fund at:

Ryan Smith Memorial Fund
Citizen’s Bank
Attn: Coffee Creek Branch
P.O. Box 30
Edmond, OK 73083

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.

The biggest difference second-year Westmoore coach Billy Langford sees in his team this year is in the development of the passing game.

“Last year, we were more worried about what the routes were and now, it’s about running them better and adding things,” Langford said.

The second-year coach has been particularly impressed with the continued development of senior quarterback Trevor Thompson.

Thompson threw for 1,191 yards as a junior.

“He’s really gained a lot of confidence in the position,” Langford said.

Thompson will have plenty of targets, with Dalton Craig and Austin Bowling on the outside and Jhames West and Lexus Lee on the inside.

“Last year, we pretty much just did the basics of the system,” Langford said. “This year, we’re able to go into a little more depth and just add some things to it.”

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

Thursday
Edmond North vs. El Reno, 10 a.m.
Westmoore vs. Guthrie, 1 p.m.
Noble vs. Norman North, 4 p.m.
Deer Creek vs. Miami, 7 p.m.

Friday
Miami vs. Noble, 10 a.m.
Miami vs. Norman North, 1 p.m.
El Reno vs. Guthrie, 4 p.m.
Edmond North vs. Westmoore, 7 p.m.

Saturday
Times and teams to be decided later based on all teams participating.

Crazy to think Deer Creek and Norman North will play each other. I’ll be there for that one as it’s No. 1 in 5A vs. No. 4 in 6A. Should be fun.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Wednesday
At Memorial
Choctaw 16, Checotah 2
Norman North 7, Choctaw 4
Edmond Memorial 5, Southmoore 3
Edmond Santa Fe 17, Latta 2
At North
Moore 13, Norman 5
Westmoore 5, Moore 2
Edmond North 8, Westmoore 5

Thursday
At Memorial
Checotah vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Choctaw, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Norman, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 2:30
Latta vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Latta vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Friday
At Memorial
Southmoore vs. Norman North, noon
Edmond Memorial vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Checotah, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Moore, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 2:30
Norman vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Saturday
At Memorial
A5 vs. B5, noon
A3 vs. B3, 2:30
A1 vs. B1, 5 p.m.
At North
A4 vs. B4, 2:30
A2 vs. B2, 5 p.m.

Wednesday
At Memorial
Choctaw vs. Checotah, noon
Choctaw vs. Norman North, 2:30
Edmond Memorial vs. Southmoore, 5 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Latta, 7:30
At North
Norman vs. Moore, 2:30
Moore vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Westmoore vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Thursday
At Memorial
Checotah vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Choctaw, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Norman, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 2:30
Latta vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Latta vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Friday
At Memorial
Southmoore vs. Norman North, noon
Edmond Memorial vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Checotah, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Moore, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 2:30
Norman vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Saturday
At Memorial
A5 vs. B5, noon
A3 vs. B3, 2:30
A1 vs. B1, 5 p.m.
At North
A4 vs. B4, 2:30
A2 vs. B2, 5 p.m.

The last two years, the Mayor’s Cup between the three Edmond and three Moore high schools has been a regular event at the ballpark now known as RedHawks Field at Bricktown.

This season the schedule of games at the park expands with 17 high school and one college game scheduled for the park during April.

The 2011 Mayor’s Cup will be played Saturday with Edmond North and Moore at 11 a.m., Edmond Santa Fe and Westmoore at 2:30 and Edmond Memorial and Southmoore at 6 p.m. (Boneman’s note: I will be at The Brick for the Saturday games).

Crowder and Stuart will play at 7 p.m. Friday to start the series.

World Baseball Outreach will hold a baseball equipment drive during the Mayor’s Cup. Fans are asked to bring new or gently used baseball and softball equipment to help the organization provide equipment to at-risk youth in the state.

Other than the Mayor’s Cup, the other games in the series are free to the public.

Schedule (gates open an hour before game time):

Friday: Crowder vs. Stuart, 7 p.m.

Saturday: Edmond North vs. Moore, 11 a.m.; Edmond Santa Fe vs. Westmoore, 2:30 p.m.; Edmond Memorial vs. Southmoore, 6 p.m.

Tuesday: UCO vs. USAO, 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Amber-Pocasset vs. Cashion, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 7: Yukon vs. El Reno, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 8: Sterling vs. Elgin, 4 p.m.; Purcell vs. Sayre, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 9: Kansas vs. Westville, 5 p.m.

April 23: Stroud vs. Wellston, 2 p.m.; Cushing vs. Lone Grove, 5 p.m.

April 26: Carnegie vs. Clinton, 4 p.m.; Holdenville vs. Konawa, 7 p.m.

April 27: Carl Albert vs. Shawnee, 7 p.m.

April 28: Jenks vs. Choctaw, 7 p.m.

April 30: Midwest City vs. Muskogee, 2 p.m.; Comanche vs. Velma-Alma, 5 p.m.

Player of the Year:  Obi Emegano (Edmond Memorial)

Defensive Player of the Year:  Trez Colbert (Midwest City)

Offensive Player of the Year: Tilford Thornton (Southmoore)

Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Woodard (Edmond Memorial)

Coach of the Year: Shane Cowherd (Edmond Memorial)

1st Team
Obi Emegano  (Edmond Memorial)
Tilford Thornton  (Southmoore)
Brandon Lucas  (Southmoore)
Trez Colbert  (Midwest City)
Trael Colbert  (Midwest City)
Patrick Schaefer  (Norman North)

2nd Team
James Woodard  (Edmond Memorial)
Dorian Gigger  (Moore)
A.J. Holland  (Del City)
Jared Jobe  (Edmond Memorial)
Jordan Woodard  (Edmond Memorial)

3rd Team
Conner Madole  (Norman)
Greg Austin  (Midwest City)
Matt Southard  (Norman North)
Blake Pullium  (Westmoore)
Drew Smith  (Del City)

Honorable Mention
Brandon Southern  (Norman)
Jacques Murray  (Norman)
Jordan Thomas  (Edmond Memorial)
Gabe Bonzie  (Norman North)
T.J. Noel  (Midwest City)
Kody English  (Moore)
Beau Palmer  (Westmoore)

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Westmoore cross country runner Noemi Hernandez saved her best performance for her final one.

Ranked in the top five all season, Hernandez won the Class 6A state individual championship and was named the Gatorade/ESPN RISE Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year for Oklahoma.

“She was important to our success in more ways than just her athletic abilities,”  coach Laura Clay said. “She has such a positive outlook on her running, life and work ethic. Family and respect are very important to her, and you can see that in the way that she carries herself.”

Westmoore finished third as a team. Hernandez has signed with Oklahoma Christian.

6A – 2 All-District Selections

Coach of the Year:            Randy Breeze            Lawton
Offensive Player of the Year:        David Glidden            Mustang
Defensive Player of the Year:        Carter Grigg            Lawton
Offensive Back of the Year:        Deaquan Wojciechowski    Lawton
Offensive Receiver of the Year:    Tyrequek Zimmerman    Lawton
Offensive Lineman of the Year:    Jamelle Naff            Del City
Defensive Lineman of the Year:    Tyler Newton            Westmoore
Linebacker of the Year:        Cody Cates            Westmoore
Defensive Back of the Year:        Brent Bowles            Lawton
Special Teams Player of the Year:    Randy Johnson        Del City

Greg Johnson            RB                    Del City
Chazten Gonzales        QB                    Del City
Bryce Freeman        DB                    Del City
Drew Smith            DB                    Del City
Quintrell Boykins        LB                    Del City
Jamelle Naff            OL                    Del City
Ismael Bueno            OL                    Del City
Ryan Adams            LB                    Edmond North
Kyle Aschenbreuer        DE                    Edmond North
Evan Whitt            DL                    Edmond North
Brayden Prough        DL                    Edmond North
Travis Townsend        QB                    Edmond North
Lex Rosson            OL                    Edmond North
Hunter Crutsinger        WR                    Edmond North
Don Quay Hammons        WR                    Edmond North
Phillip White            OL                    Edmond North
Tyrequek Zimmerman    WR                    Lawton
Daquan Wojciechowski    RB                    Lawton
Lee Pigrum            DB                    Lawton
Brent Bowles            DB                    Lawton
Carter Grigg            LB                    Lawton
Kyle Fultz            TE                    Lawton
Eugene DeLoach        LB                    Lawton
Jabral Johnson            LB                    Lawton
Michael Dempsey        Center                    Lawton
Diondrick Tawkoyty        DB                    Lawton
Adam Lambert        Tackle/Punter                Lawton
Cody Inger             Kicker                    Lawton
David Glidden            WR                    Mustang
Jon Luckey            DB                    Mustang
Tyler Webster            RB                    Mustang
Jacob Strassle            WR                    Mustang
Michael Anderson        WR                    Mustang
Cale Witter            DB                    Mustang
Elliot Malanca            OL                    Mustang
Zac McKay            LB                    Mustang
Justus Elliott            OL                    Mustang
Cole Kimmell            DB                    Putnam City
Caleb Lee            QB                    Putnam City
Cody Minor            LB                    Putnam City
Josh Gershon            LB                    Putnam City
Zach Moore            TE                    Putnam City
Caleb McFarland        Center                    Putnam City
Mike McClendon        Tackle                    Putnam City
Allen Zimmerman        DB                    Putnam City
Nate Robertson                            Santa Fe
Brady Bell                                Santa Fe
Patrick Hinton                                Santa Fe
Brandon Reece                            Santa Fe
Lee Glossett                                Santa Fe
Able Blaker                                Santa Fe
Tyler Newton            DL                    Westmoore
Cody Feuerborn        RB                    Westmoore
Cody Cates            LB                    Westmoore
Bryan Norris            LB                    Westmoore
Zack VanDyke        DB                    Westmoore
Justin Smith            OL                    Westmoore
Jake Woods            DL                    Westmoore
Ricky Balogun        DB                    Westmoore
Jordan Davis            OL                    Westmoore

Owasso Rams (7-4) at Westmoore Jaguars (6-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Schools Stadium, Moore

Owasso (7-4)
Why the Rams can win: Assault. The aerial variety, I mean.  The Rams have their deep threat: Joe Lindsey, nearly 18 yards per catch and 13 touchdowns — second most in Class 6A. They’ve got their possession receiver: Keon Hatcher, 14 yards per catch and 57 receptions — fourth most in 6A. The Rams have the fifth-most passing yards in 6A as well (2124 yards)

Westmoore (6-5)
Why the Jaguars can win: Confidence. Wouldn’t you have a little after beating a team nobody else had? There’s nothing that fuels defense more than confidence. More than offense, defense is an emotional game. Westmoore’s victory against Midwest City should fuel and already exceptional defense. The Jaguars believe they can win.

Key matchup: Owasso’s passing attack vs. Westmoore’s secondary. It couldn’t get more straightforward than this. Owasso leans on its passing game and Westmoore secondary has been improving since the first snap this season.

The pick:  Owasso 24, Westmoore 13. I hate to pick against the Jags again, but the Rams offense may be too much.

By Justin Hite

Senior running back Cody Feuerborn has been the most important part of Westmoore’s offense this season. He’s carried it as few as six times in one game, but as many as 40 to start the season. He’s scored in seven of the ten games he’s played in this season and gone over 250 yards twice.

“He’s been a workhorse for us,” Westmoore coach Billy Langford said. “However many times we ask him to carry it, he’ll do it. From the first game for 50-some times, he’ll handle whatever we need him to.”

The Jaguars (6-5) will need Feuerborn to be their workhorse once again. Facing Owasso (7-4) this week in the Class 6A quarterfinals, Westmoore will need to keep control of the ball.

Feuerborn has rushed for 1,095 yards and 13 touchdowns.

***

The secondary has always been the weak link of the Westmoore Jaguars’ defense. It’s not because they aren’t strong, it’s because the Jaguars’ front seven are exceptional.

Defensive backs coach Joseph Ross thinks the back four are starting to catch up. It’s because of an ever-growing comfort level.

“I think that they’ve learned to rely on each other a little bit more as the year goes on and kind of trust one another to be in the right place at the right time,” Ross said. “… I think we’ve developed a little bit of cohesion and they are playing good now.”

Westmoore (6-5) returned the same front seven from last year, but only one member of the secondary even started a game last year. Zach VanDyke only started twice. Junior Archie Ocloolee is one of those new faces in the secondary.

“It makes it a lot easier because we have more communication and we know what each of us are doing,” he said. “We don’t have a miscommunication so we are all on the right page, the same page.”

While the Westmoore run defense is still stronger than its pass defense, the gap between the two that was there early in the year is all but gone.

“They are peaking at the right time and have played really well the last few weeks,” Westmoore coach Billy Langford said. “I think right now, it’s a good time for us to catch somebody who throws it quite a bit.”

The Jaguars secondary caught Mustang — an overwhelmingly pass-heavy offense — off guard a few weeks ago and last week the back four shut down Midwest City’s passing attack. The Bombers averaged 155 yards per game but Westmoore held them to only 93 yards in the air.

Owasso (7-4) will be a different challenge. Owasso possess two very talented receivers and the Rams average nearly 200 yards per game in the air.

Owasso (7-4) at Westmoore (6-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium (Justin will be there)

The Westmoore Jaguars dispatched the Midwest City Bombers last week in a thrilling 14-13 overtime victory. This week they’ll get a similar opponent in the Class 6A quarterfinals.

Owasso is tough defensively and has a potent offense. The only difference is while the Bombers’ offense is mostly a ground attack, the Owasso Rams (7-4) will attack Westmoore’s secondary.

“There’s a lot of similarities,” Westmoore coach Billy Langford said. “They are a little more pass-oriented compared to Midwest City. That’s alright with us.”

Owasso boasts a pair of wide receivers that both have more than 40 catches and 700 yards. Only one pair of wide receivers in Class 6A have more yards than Keon Hatcher and Joe Lindsey, but none have more than their combined 19 touchdowns.

“They are both really good players,” Langford said. “We will have to play, especially in the pass part of it, really well.”

Welcome to this edition of Saturday Morning Quarterback…Today it’s Westmoore vs. Midwest City.

This was one of those games that you just wanted to be a part of. It was a defensive war that was exciting the entire time. The battle between Cody Feuerborn and James Flanders was just as exciting. Each running back picked up more than half of his team’s total yardage.

What happened? Well, we all know Westmoore upset Midwest City 14-13 to move on to the Class 6A quarterfinals. We know Midwest City was undefeated — and now isn’t. We all knew that Westmoore’s defense had to come up huge for the Jaguars to win. They did exactly that. But this game really came down to one play and it was way before overtime.

The Jaguars had just been stopped in Midwest City territory on third-and-one and fourth-and-one and it looked like the air might come out of a Westmoore defense that had held the Bombers scoreless for the last two quarters. Two plays later, Westmoore linebacker Bryan Norris caught my eye. And you know when you get that feeling like a player is going to make something special happen.

Norris gave me that feeling.

He approached the line, like he was going to blitz, but then dropped back in coverage. Midwest City quarterback Greg Austin’s pass was tipped at the line and intercepted by a waiting Bryan Norris.

What it meant? It meant a revitalized Westmoore Jaguars football team. On the very next play, Trevor Thompson connected with Zach VanDyke on a 39-yard double-move touchdown pass. It was probably the only time all game that Westmoore went deep.

It proved once again that if Westmoore doesn’t hurt itself, it could compete with nearly anybody in the state — anybody on the west side of the state at least.

Midwets City (10-1) could do nothing to keep from falling into the overtime trap. The momentum was so far in Westmoore’s favor that there seemed to be nothing the Bombers could do. Great field position turned into a three-and-out in the final quarter.

I got that strange feeling one more time before the end of the game. With Midwest City kicker Steward Bortey lined up for an extra point attempt in overtime, I was ready to tweet the resulting score: 14-7. But I stopped. I’d heard that Bortey was a strong kicker, but still I waited.

We all know what happened next.

Up next: Westmoore hosts Owasso next Friday in the Class 6A state quarterfinals.

Westmoore Jaguars (5-5) at Midwest City Bombers (10-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Darnell Stadium, Midwest City

Westmoore (5-5)
Why the Jaguars can win: Defense. The Jaguars will have to lean on this unit. It’s getting better every week and doesn’t have a real weakness — other than great speed. If Westmoore wants to make it back to the second round for the first time in three years, it’ll have to do it without the ball.

Quote: “It’ll be a big challenge. They are 10-0 for a reason but our kids aren’t going to be scared or intimidated.” — Westmoore coach Billy Langford said.

Midwest City (10-0)
Why the Bombers can win: Simply put because this team is better. The offense has more weapons. The defense is more stingy. This is a team that should be poised for greatness. The first step begins tonight.

Key matchup: Westmoore’s offense vs. Midwest City’s defense. The Jaguars have to move the ball, keep possession and grind out the clock if they want a chance to win Friday. The only problem is that the Bombers’ defense is riding a wave of confidence after three shutouts in its last five games and is pretty good.

Justin’s pick: Midwest City 31, Westmoore 17. Midwest City just has too many playmakers on offense and the Jaguars might be too banged up to keep up with the Bombers’ speed.

Boneman’s pick: Midwest City 42, Westmoore 14. The sleeping giant wakes up in a big way as Bombers show they belong in 6A conversation.

Boneman’s MWC prediction record: 10-0.

Westmoore (5-5) vs. Midwest City (10-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Rose Field at Jim Darnell Stadium

There may be nothing more important for Westmoore this Friday than keeping hold of the ball. Well…coach Billy Langford says there’s one thing that might be more important.

“It’s more important than just hanging on to the ball,” he said. “We have to do something with it when we get it. If we can do that and keep their offensive guys off the field and score a few points along the way it should be good game.”

Westmoore’s offense has slumped the last two weeks, scoring only 14 combined points. Two weeks ago, Westmoore lost No. 1 receiver Daulton Craig, who hasn’t returned. Last week, running back Cody Feuerborn missed the loss to Lawton because of a knee injury.

If the Jaguars want to keep the ball and do more than just run three plays and kick it back to Midwest City, they’ll have to have at least Feuerborn back.

“It’s going to be really important to keep their offense off the field, keep driving ourselves down and eat up as much of the clock as we can,” Feuerborn said. “Play smart and hold on to it and keep the drives going. Only long drives, no short drives.”

Westmoore (5-5) at Midwest City (10-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Rose Field at Jim Darnell Stadium, MWC (Justin will be there)

Justin Hite: The Bombers haven’t played a meaningful game in almost five weeks and haven’t been in a tight one in just as long. Will Midwest City be able to bring it together quickly enough?

Robert Przybylo: Midwest City does a great job of living up to the moment. The moment was Week 9 at Lawton Eisenhower. This was it. District on the line against a hot team. Bombers shut ‘em out 28-0 to clinch the title. People look at their 28-0 win vs. Choctaw and 33-17 win vs. Norman North and say ‘they’re not that good.’ Wrong, it’s all about preparing for the playoff run. Once you reach that 15-point plateau, does it really matter how much you win by?

Hite: Midwest City running James Flanders has become one of the best backs in the state. Will he be ready Friday and what happens if he doesn’t?

Przybylo: That’s the beauty of the Bombers this year. They don’t need Flanders to rush for 200 yards and three touchdowns. It’d be nice if he did, but it’s not necessary. Quarterback Greg Austin has great size and can make the big throws. And seriously, the defense can win a game just as fast via interceptions and fumbles and field position.

Hite: Midwest City has shut out three of its last five opponents. Has the defense surpassed the offense?

Przybylo: It’s all relative. If the offense gets pushed, it will come alive. If the defense is tested, it will rise up to the challenge. Trevon Lewis, Cameron Hishaw have been saying the same thing: ‘it’s all about the gold ball. Nothing else matters.’ I’ve said it all year that despite all the big losses from last year’s defense, this year’s group might be better…maybe.

Westmoore (5-5) at Midwest City (10-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Rose Field at Jim Darnell Stadium, MWC (Justin will be there)

Robert Przybylo: The Jaguars could have won the district championship with wins vs. Mustang and Lawton. How have back-to-back blowout losses changed things, if at all?

Justin Hite: Coach Billy Langford said Monday that he hopes they learn from it. After Westmoore beat Putnam City, Langford said that all the praise that the Jaguars received might have gone to some of their heads. They might have started reading their own press clippings. Westmoore will never win if it hurts itself. The Jags hurt themselves the last two weeks, so we’ll see if that puts a spotlight on one simple fact — protect the football.

Przybylo: Running back Cody Feuerborn is such a big part of this offense. If he’s not producing, where is Westmoore going to find yards and points?

Hite: We’ll have to find out, because that’s the ultimate question after Feuerborn missed last week a a knee injury. He should be back by Friday, but receiver Daulton Craig could miss Friday’s game. He was injured against Mustang and didn’t register a catch against Lawton. Quarterbacks Lionard Fombe and Trevor Thompson can both run, but Fombe has given the Jaguars’ offense a spark since returning form injury. Fombe’s twin brother, Lionel, has shown some ability at receiver, but without Craig the Jags lack a go-to option.

Przybylo: Bryan Norris and Cody Cates have combined for almost 200 tackles. Tyler Newton has eight sacks. What’s the strength of this Jaguar defense?

Hite: The front seven. No question. Six of the front seven are seniors, which is the main reason for the success. None have exceptional speed, but all seem to recognize and breakdown plays very well. Cates has a nose for the ball and is in on every tackle and Newton is a handful one-on-one for any tackle in Class 6A — even more so now that he’s playing just one side of the ball. Archie Ocloolee and Ricky Balogun have given the Jags presence in the back four and upgraded a unit that was the weak link early in the season.

***

Back Wednesday with three questions on Midwest City.

With junior running back Andrew Long out of action for Southmoore’s regular season finale, some might though the SaberCats’ ground game would take a hit.

Running back Karltrell Henderson made anyone watching think otherwise. On Friday night against Putnam City West, he rushed for 344 yards on only 18 carries and scored three times.

In his final two games, Henderson rushed 42 times for 530 yards — more than a 10-yard per carry average — and scored six times.

Henderson is just a sophomore and gives Southmoore a great running back duo for next season behind quarterback Tre Edwards.

Others in consideration:

Kendal Thompson, Southmoore football: Thompson made his final game as a high school player a memorable one. Thompson threw four touchdowns on only seven passes. He also ran for 59 yards, the most he’d had in almost two months.

Ricky Balogun, Westmoore football: Balogun led the Jaguars with 14 tackles in a loss to Lawton. He was also a star on special teams, returning two punts for 70 total yards.

Westmoore Jaguars (5-4) at Lawton Wolverines (9-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Lawton

Westmoore (5-4)
Why the Jaguars can win: Destiny. Right now, the Jaguars control theirs. Win and the Jaguars have secured the No. 3 seed in the state playoffs. Lose and Westmoore needs some help to stay third. The Jaguars were a game away from playing for the district title this week, so we’ll have to wait and see how well they bounce back.

Lawton (9-0)
Why the Wolverines can win: Defense. Even more so than Westmoore, Lawton is pushed to the top of the state by its stout unit. The Wolverines have the best defense in Class 6A. They allow both the fewest points and fewest yards. In fact, they allow the four-fewest points and the 11^th fewest yards in the whole state, regardless of class.

Key matchup: Westmoore defense vs. Lawton defense. Sure, these units will never face each other but whichever one is better should lead its team to a victory. Maybe not even that. The Jaguars have to have the better defense to have a shot at the upset.

The pick: Lawton 31, Westmoore 17. Lawton’s defense is just too good. Not to mention, the Wolverines have a few playmakers on offense too.

Few performances would have outranked the return of Southmoore quarterback Kendal Thompson. But Westmoore cross country runner Noemi Hernandez did.

In 11:26, Noemi Hernandez not only set a new career-low in the last race of her career but also won the Class 6A girls’ state cross country championship. She is the first Jaguar to do so since Summer Suchy won in 1998.

Hernandez defeated Mustang’s Emily Helms for the first time all year and has now made the All-State team in back-to-back years.

Hernandez spent two years behind Katelin Cherry and Taylor Painter. Despite accomplishing something neither of them did, Hernandez still feels that they will always be superior.

“I think, in my mind, they are always going to be better than me,” she said. “It feels pretty awesome. I feel like I gave everything to my school and I represented really well.”

Others in consideration:

Kendal Thompson, Southmoore football: After missing six straight weeks, Thompson returned triumphantly. He threw a touchdown on his first play and scored twice in only three drives. Southmoore scored every drive he was in the game.

The Lions’ offense, Moore football: The Lions put up more points than they had in the previous four weeks combined despite falling 42-40 to Putnam North last Friday. After 8 losses, kudos goes to an offense that still pushed hard until the very end.

FIRST TEAM MID-STATE CONFERENCE
Del City = Kayla Rogers, Rachel French
Edmond Memorial = Lindsay Littles, Alexis Bracaglia, Sommer Peterson
Midwest City = Brooke Hand, Brittany Hand, Shianne Hughes
Moore = Brianna Nunley, Hannah Coker, Raegan Sampson, Caiti Hall
Norman = Caitlyn Cosme, Summer Leitka
Norman North = Andrea Smith, Shelby Tiller
Southmoore = Haley Strawn, Chelsi Hill
Westmoore = Kendra Pierce, Taylor Green, Melaney Anderson

HONORABLE MENTION
Edmond Memorial = Rachel Baker, Charli Kroeker
Midwest City = Tiana Jordan, Carly Suellentrop, Ashlee Gesell
Moore = Hannah Lynch, Tianna Gutierrez, Qiana Harrison, Stephanie Couser
Norman = Catherine Lesser, Sami Alberts
Norman North = Jacy Glover, Michaela Smith, Tanner Moody
Southmoore = Hartley Tyler, Jackie Hilterbran, Katelyn Brown
Westmoore = Destinie Lookout

Welcome back to the Saturday Morning Quarterback…This edition: Mustang vs. Westmoore

What happened: As Saturday morning’s story might have told, David Glidden happened. Westmoore double-covered Glidden from most of the game, but there’s a reason the receiver is headed to Oklahoma State.

Westmoore’s offense just couldn’t get enough going to take any pressure off its defense. After multiple three-and-outs, the Jaguars were just too worn out defensively. The Jaguars also lost three players to injury. Running back Cody Feuerborn and Zach VanDyke both returned to the game after missing limited time, but receiver Daulton Craig, Westmoore’s best deep threat, was injured on his first catch and never returned. Coach Billy Langofrd said it might be a collarbone injury, but wasn’t sure.

Westmoore possessed the ball for nearly five more minutes that Mustang in the first half, but the Broncos showed just how explosive their offense can be. Mustang moved the ball well in the first half and the Jaguars gave points away.

“We have to stop killing ourselves and quit giving things away,” Westmoore coach Billy Langford said. “Make people earn it instead of giving it away. We’re working to do that and we are making progress still.”

In the second half, Mustang earned its points and Westmoore’s defense had worn out.

What it means: Nothing really. This whole season Westmoore has been a little bit of a surprise to Class 6A. We all knew that Mustang and Lawton would be the class of 6A-2, with Lawton a little ahead of the Broncos. We knew that Mustang could throw the ball, and they did against Westmoore. If anything, the Westmoore secondary might have proven it’s not a detriment to its front seven. Instead, it surprised Mustang — Glidden included — and showed it can be an asset to one of the best front sevens in Class 6A.

Mustang earned a playoff home game and Westmoore has all but clinched a playoff berth. There wasn’t a whole lot to learn from this one — other than the fact that both teams are just about where we thought.

Up next: Westmoore travels to Lawton for the season finale with a chance to secure the No. 3 seed in the state playoffs. Meanwhile, Mustang travels to Del City looking to close its season with six straight wins.

Westmoore Jaguars (5-3, 4-1) at Mustang (6-2, 4-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Bronco Stadium, Mustang

Why the Jaguars can win: Defense. There aren’t many teams in Class 6A that allow fewer points than the Jaguars. Loaded with one of the best front seven in 6A, Westmoore has only allowed more than six points once in the last five weeks.

Quote: “The winner of this one will host a home playoff game for sure. After that, if we get a win this week, we’re playing for a district title next week.” — Westmoore coach Billy Langford.

Why the Broncos can win: Offense. Obviously, this is a battle of strengths, and typically, you’d rather have the good defense. But Mustang has been in this situation a ton over the last half-dozen years. Offensively, they’re not going to feel pressure to go out and score. It’s been a while since Westmoore has faced an offense that scores at the pace of Mustang.

Justin’s key matchup: Trevor Thompson vs. Broncos’ defense. More than any other team, Westmoore’s success is predicated on how well Thompson plays. If he turns the ball over, the Jaguars have no chance. If he protects it, Westmoore has a shot any week.

Scott’s key matchup: Westmoore defense vs. the big play. Mustang will score, but the key for Westmoore will be forcing them to drive the field and use the clock. If the Broncos are able to hit some quick strikes, it will make it tougher on the Jags offense to keep pace.

Justin’s pick: Mustang 31, Westmoore 21. The good thing for Mustang is that Westmoore is weaker in the secondary than it is up front. The Broncos can throw the ball and they will Friday.

Scott’s pick: Mustang 38, Westmoore 31. I was very impressed by Westmoore’s defense last week against Putnam City, but Mustang is a different animal. The Jags will get their points, but outscoring Mustang is too much to ask.

Westmoore set a lot of goals this season. I caught up with coach Billy Langford as he prepared for Friday’s game against Mustang and we talked about those goals.

They are as follows:

Beat Moore … Check.

Beat Southmoore … Missed

Get to the playoffs … Just about check

Host a home playoff game … We’ll find out this week

Win the district … Still in the Jaguars’ control

“We had goals that we set early, when I first got here and those have been the goals the whole time,” he said. “Are we surprised? No. Are we glad the way it’s worked out so far? Sure we are. We’re not surprised. We think we’re as good as anyone around.”

I tend to think the same thing. And I’m not the only one. Scott Wright saw the Jaguars play for the first time last Friday and he seemed to come away quiet impressed.

http://blog.newsok.com/highschoolsports/2010/10/23/smq-everything-goes-right-for-westmoore/

The Jaguars play defense just as good as any other team in Class 6A outside of Jenks and Union. Their running game is very strong and as long as they don’t hurt themselves there’s no reason to think they can’t make a run in the playoffs.

But with everything ahead of them the only people that might be in the way is themselves. This is new ground for Westmoore. Last year, this team only won 3 games.

“This senior group hasn’t won a whole lot of games, to be honest with you,” Langford said. “They are just enjoying it. The coaches are enjoying it. We’re still trying to get better and still have a lot of young kids.”

Westmoore is getting better. In order to accomplish all their goals, the Jaguars will have to peak in the next two weeks.

The Westmoore cross country team tries to run at Mitch Park in Edmond any time there is an event at that course. All those attempts are for this Saturday when the Class 6A cross country championship is held that the same course.

“A course that we ran already, a course that we try to run as many times as they have meets there so we are more familiar with it,” Westmoore coach Laura Clay. “The great thing is, it’s a course that we really like. It’s one thing to run a course over and over every time you are there. Mitch Park is a course that my kids really enjoy running.”

Clay said that her team likes many things about the course. They like that it’s downhill at the start and that it’s very open.

 “That’s real good because I can get to where I can talk to them at five or six different points,” Clay said. “That’s beneficial for us. They can see the competition really well because there’s a lot of straight-aways so they can actually look and see quiet a distance in front of them. When they turn, they can come back and glance. That’s on of the reason we like it. And we run really well there, that might be another reason they like it.”

The Westmoore girls’ team finished second at the Norman regional, while the boys’ team finished sixth. Both qualified for Saturday’s race.

The Moore Player of the Week was going to a Westmoore Jaguar this week. Whether it would be a football player or a track star was the only question. After Friday night, the only question was which football player.

Five turnovers and a big loss is a lot to come back from for a young quarterback only a few games into his starting career. But that’s exactly what Westmoore junior Trevor Thompson did Friday against Putnam City in a 30-6 victory for the Jaguars.

Thompson went 11-for-18 for 108 yards and two touchdowns to lead Westmoore (5-3, 4-1) back into the win column after a horrendous game against Edmond North seven days ago.

For that, Thompson is this week’s Moore Player of Week. He’s also given the Jaguars a shot at the 6A-2 title.

Others in consideration:

Cody Feuerborn, Westmoore football: The powerful running back took a lot of pressure off Thompson on Friday but also put a lot of pressure on Thompson for the PoW award. Feuerborn ran for 258 yards on 33 carries and had two touchdowns, one of which was an 82-yard score — surprisingly long for the big back.

The Jaguars’ defense, Westmoore football: One week after giving up 38 points, the Jaguars held Putnam City to its lowest point total of the season. Senior linebacker Cody Cates was the leader with 10 tackles, but Addison Staggs picked off a pass and Brad McKay recovered a fumble. The team also forced a safety in the fourth quarter.

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore cross country: Hernandez finished third in the Class 6A regional cross country meet Saturday in Norman. Edmond North edged the Jaguars by two points for the regional title. Hernandez ran in a time of 12:02.

Westmoore breakdown: This was my first time to see the Jags, and it was very impressive. Cody Feuerborn runs hard for a 175-pound guy. Heck, he runs hard for a 195-pound guy. The offense was running smoothly, chruning out tough yards, hitting the occasional big play at the right time, and keeping drives alive to milk the clock and keep the Pirates off the field.

Defensively the front four are as good as I’ve seen in person this season. Granted, I haven’t seen everyone, but the Jags were impressive. PC came in averaging 36 points and 352 yards per game and finished with six points and 282 yards — 78 of which came on one play. So on the 47 other plays, PC had barely 200 yards and no points.

DE Tyler Newton has D-I size and athletic ability. He’s getting serious looks from a number of programs, though he says he hasn’t scheduled any official visits yet.

At 4-1 in District 6A-1, the Jags are still in the hunt for a home playoff berth, with Mustang and Lawton left on the schedule — both on the road. Next week’s game at Mustang will be interesting. Coach Billy Langford admitted he’s very excited about the idea of playing the team he helped coach the last four seasons.

Langford was the Broncos’ offensive line coach and also coached running backs while he was there, so he knows the offense well. It’ll be a matchup of strength vs. strength with high stakes.

PC breakdown: Casey Curtis had 183 yards and he earned them all. He was getting hit behind the line of scrimmage, or dodging guys three yards deep. The Westmoore defense was making it tough on the Pirates all night, disrupting run plays and flushing Caleb Lee out of the pocket on pass plays.

In the second half, the Pirates started shooting themselves in the foot. QB sacks, a fumble, a bad punt snap that resulted in a safety. They just never got any momentum going after halftime.

But the Pirates can’t sit around thinking about what went wrong. They’ve got undefeated Lawton at home next week, then a road game at Edmond Santa Fe in which the Pirates’ playoff lives could be on the line.

Friday’s loss is damaging to the Pirates’ playoff hopes, because they are tied with Edmond North at 2-3. But North has remaining games against Edmond Santa Fe and US Grant — two teams with one win combined, that coming when Santa Fe beat Grant last week.

So PC has to assume Edmond North will win out, and thus, finish at 4-3. So the Pirates need to do the same to get in. With three losses in the last four games, the Pirates need to turn things around quickly.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Putnam City (5-2, 2-2) at Westmoore Jaguars (4-3, 3-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Why the Pirates can win: Casey Curtis and the offensive line. This PC run game has been ultra-productive, especially lately with Curtis pounding out three straight 200-yard games. The only team to truly stop Curtis was PC North in Week 1, but the Pirates still did enough to win. Curtis was yanked early in blowout wins over PC West and US Grant, or we might be talking about six straight 200-yard games. With his speed, he’s a threat to crib it every time he touches it.

Why the Jaguars can win: Defense. The Jaguars allowed 38 points last week, but most of those points came from their own offense. If Westmoore’s offense doesn’t hurt itself, the Jaguars have one of the best defensive units in District 6A-2. In four district games, excluding last week’s loss to Edmond North, Westmoore only allowed 26 points. That’s barely a touchdown per game.

Scott’s key matchup: PC vs. the scoreboard. Regardless of what Curtis does, this game could very possibly come down to the PC defense. Opponents have scored 121 points on the Pirates the last three weeks, but their defense is better than that. Still, they need to get back on track, create turnovers and limit the Jaguars’ big plays.

Justin’s key matchup: Trevor Thompson vs. himself and the Putnam City defense. Thompson hadn’t hurt the Jaguars all season, until last week when he turned the ball over five times. If the Jaguars are going to get back on the right track towards the playoffs, they need Thompson to right his own ship.

Scott’s pick: PC 28, Westmoore 24. These are two teams that are fired up to be in the middle of the playoff hunt after frustrating seasons a year ago. This will be an all-out brawl.

Justin’s pick: Putnam City 31, Westmoore 25. Putnam City has a go-go offense and scores at a high rate. I don’t know if the Westmoore offense can keep up and I’m not sold on them after last week’s debacle.

Westmoore senior Noemi Hernandez has waited patiently. She’s seen the success of her predecessors. She watched Katelin Cherry and Taylor Painter go before her and lead the Jaguars to conference, regional and state championships.

Now, it’s her turn.

“For this to be her standout year, it’s been really exciting for her and for us,” Westmoore coach Laura Clay said.

Hernandez is fresh off a Mid-State Conference individual title and is ranked as the fifth-best Class 6A runner by OHStrack.com. She’s never finished worse than sixth in a race this year, Despite this being her first win of the season, Hernandez has finished second three different times. What makes this year that much more impressive for the 2009 all-stater is that she’s getting better.

Hernandez has dropped time in each of the last six races including a career-low 11:37 in her conference championship run.

“Ever since we ran at Mustang, she broke 12 and hasn’t looked back,” Clay said. “It’s been real exciting for her. She’s a very coachable kid. She’s gaining confidence in herself and believing in herself.”

This week’s Moore player of the week choice was a tough one. On one hand, there was an athlete accomplishing something she’d never done before. On the other hand, there was an athlete who chose to do something I’d never seen before.

It was tough, but in the end I had to go with Noemi Hernandez of Westmoore.

Hernandez won the individual Mid-State Conference championship while leading the Jaguars to a team title by one point. Westmoore edged Edmond Memorial 47 to 48. It was Westmoore’s fourth-straight conference championship.

Hernandez finished with a time of 11:37, a career-best.

Others in consideration…

Vova Razryvin, Moore football: Razryvin jumped back behind center when starting quarterback Corey Reeves went down with an injury and threw for three touchdowns and 181 yards. He also ran for 82, but Moore still lost to Norman North.

More importantly, when Norman North’s D.J. Hicks was injured and being driven off in an ambulance, it was Razryvin that quickly organized a game-wide prayer at midfield.

“I go church every Sunday and every Wednesday I get a chance to,” Razryvin said. “I saw that hit and it didn’t look good. I just thought, ‘Hey, we can’t do anything but God can.’ And just prayed for him.”

Andrew Long, Southmoore football: In a 56-28 loss to Broken Arrow, Long rushed for three touchdowns and 154 yards against a tough Tigers’ defense. He also caught three passes for 15 yards. Long has been key for the SaberCats as quarterback Kendal Thompson continues to miss games.

Caleb McKee, Westmoore cross country: McKee finished in fourth at the Mid-State Conference meet and led the Jaguars for a third place finish. He ran in a time of 17:05.

Moore softball: Raegan Sampson’s game-winning hit Thursday looked like a sign of good things to come. However, the Lions were bounced by Jenks and finished another great season.

Westmoore Jaguars (4-2) at Edmond North (2-4)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: UCO’s Wantland Stadium

Westmoore (4-2)
Why the Jaguars can win: Development. On both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, the Jaguars are getting noticeably better. Defensively, it’s obvious. Offensively, not nearly as obvious. Quarterback Trevor Thompson has made huge leaps in six weeks behind center with the way he throws the football and the decisions he makes. The biggest leap is he hasn’t hurt Westmoore yet.

Quote: They’ll give our defensive guys a lot of problems. … They throw a lot of formations at you. — Westmoore coach Billy Langford.

North (L – Southmoore; W- Choctaw; L- Memorial; W- Del City; L- Mustang; L- Putnam City)
Why the Huskies can win: Because if they don’t, well, let’s not go with that line of thinking just yet. This is about as must-win a game as you can have at this point in the season. Jarion Tudman needs to come up big, and the defense needs to stop the potent Westmoore ground attack.

Key matchup: Edmond North’s attack vs. Westmoore’s defense. Edmond North is chewing up nearly 400 yards of total offense per game while Westmoore is only allowing 266 yards. Both team’s banner units will have to show which is better.

Justin’s pick: Westmoore 27, Edmond North 24. This one should be tight until the end. Edmond North will score more points than Westmoore has allowed in four weeks, but the Jaguars’ defense will come up big when it needs to.

Boneman’s pick: Westmoore 23, Edmond North 19. Better bring your big boy pads to this one. This is going to be a hard-hitting, physical affair.

Boneman’s North prediction record: 4-2.

Westmoore quarterback Lionard Fombe was in full pads and practicing at full speed Monday. He hasn’t played since the Jaguars’ Week 2 loss to Southmoore, but he may have lost more than a chunk of his senior season.

Then again, when you back-up shows the growth that Trevor Thompson has shown in the last four weeks, there’s not much you can do. Fombe and Thompson were splitting time when Fombe was injured late in the loss.

“Trevor is doing great things taking care of the ball and he’s thrown it really well at times,” Westmoore coach Billy Langford said.

Thompson hasn’t been asked to win games for the Jaguars, but has done what he’s been asked. Thompson hasn’t turned the ball over much in the last few weeks and when Westmoore was set up for a big play last week against Del City, Thompson made the right read and delivered.

“He’s earned the right to be the starter and be the guy and earn most of the playing time,” Langford said.

The word brotherhood is tossed out excessively to describe football teams. Family is another one of those words. They are just used too often.

After Westmoore’s victory against Del City, defensive back Zach VanDyke used the word brotherhood to describe the Jaguars’ defense. The defense has been improving over the last three weeks — six total points allowed — and it could be true.

But was it just another overuse of the word to attempt to describe the closeness of the team? Coach Billy Langford didn’t think it was an overuse, but if what he says is true, it might be used.

“Those guys are a brotherhood,” Langford said. “… Out of the 11, there are probably 8 of them that are a really pretty tight group and hang out with each other on the weekends.”

There are always collections of friends on football teams, but if 8 of the 11 starters on defense are that close, it seems like a big number. Whether it’s true or not, it’s shown on the field.

Westmoore has risen to the top of Class 6A on the defensive side of the ball. Heading into a showdown with Edmond North on Friday, the Jaguars rank in the top ten in every major defensive category. In Class 6A, the Jaguars a ninth in run defense and total defense. They are eighth in pass defense and fourth in scoring defense, allowing 15 points per game.

It may be because of the brotherhood the defense has become. It could also be because of the extraordinary number of seniors they have on that side of the ball — six of the front seven are in their fourth year. Then again, those two could be one in the same.

“They’ve played together since they were in little league,” Langford said. “They’ve just kind of grown up with each other and been around each other for so long. They spent a lot of time together and have developed some of that. I think they have some of that naturally.”

Westmoore’s defense showed on Friday that it is big-time. The Jaguars held Del City to only 6 points, but forced six-straight turnovers to end the game. One of the key forces on that defense is Tyler Newton, who is the Moore Player of the Week.

Newton finished the game with 9 tackles and two recovered fumbles. The second of the two fumbles was also the first touchdown of his career. He also gets the award for being one of the leaders on the defense.

To go along with Newton, Ricky Balogun, Bo Hurst, Cody Cates and Bryan Norris all had double-digit tackles.

Others in consideration:

Andrew Long, Southmoore football: Long rushed for 140 yards and scored three touchdowns in a loss to Norman. What makes this performance standout is that the junior almost led his team to a come-from-behind win. Two of his three touchdowns came in the fourth quarter. He also had one catch for 41 yards.

Zach VanDyke, Westmoore football: VanDyke factored into Westmoore’s victory in two ways. He returned a punt for a touchdown in the first half and intercepted a Del City pass in the second half as the Jaguars took control off the game. He also had 6 tackles out of the secondary.

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore cross country: Hernandez set a new season-low as she finished fourth at the Edmond Pre-State meet. Hernandez ran in a time of 11:54.27 as Westmoore edge Jenks to win the event by less than two seconds.

Caleb McKee, Westmoore cross country: McKee finished seventh overall at the Edmond Pre-State 5k and posted a 16:43.33. It bettered his previous season-best by nearly 10 seconds.

Moore softball: What a shock (not really). Stephanie Riley’s girls are headed back to the state tournament, and it’s a wide open field

Welcome to the Friday Morning Quarterback….Today’s edition: Del City vs. Westmoore

Westmoore 30, Del City 6

I was standing on the field last night, listening to coach Billy Langford’s post-game speech, and I realized something. This was a huge win for Westmoore. The Jaguars are now 3-0 in their district and have a chance to go 4-0. Not only that. After winning three games last season, they’ve already won four and have a chance to ensure a .500 record only 7 games in to the season.

But what might be the biggest sign of good things to come is the way the Jaguars are winning.

Westmoore breakdown: Westmoore wins on defense and special teams. Most high school teams win games with a spectacular offense, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s something to be said when your offense manages only 62 yards of offense in the first half and 268 in the entire game.

That 268 doesn’t sound nearly as good when four plays netted 202 yards. But back to the bright spots.

Westmoore opened the game with a beautiful punt return. Zach VanDyke had to make one player miss, but had a caravan of blockers after that to escort him into the end zone after that. Westmoore’s Bryan Norris blocked the very next punt, which the Jaguars converted it into three points. Late in the game, when it seemed like Westmoore needed one more stop to break the Eagles’ back, they got it on special teams.

Tyler Painter stuck the punt on the 2-yard line. Three plays later defensive end Tyler Newton recovered a fumble in the end zone.

Defensively, Westmoore allowed less than 70 yards in each of the final three quarters. The article in Friday’s paper told most of the story about the defense. This was a special performance, and one that outshined the Jaguars’ two previous shutouts.

Up next: Westmoore travels to Edmond North next Friday with a chance to win its fifth game and secure, at worst, a .500 record.

Del City (2-3) at Westmoore Jaguars (3-2)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Moore Stadium

Del City (2-3)
Why the Eagles can win: Heck, what are you listening to me for? I haven’t been able to figure this team out the entire season. I think last week was a season-saving victory and that this team could build off of it. But I’ve thought that before.

Westmoore (3-2)
Why the Jaguars can win: The Jaguars can play defense. Back-to-back shutouts are nothing to scoff at, no matter the opponent. Westmoore ranks eighth in points allowed in Class 6A and has given up fewer points each week since its Week 2 loss to Southmoore. Meanwhile, running back Cody Feuerborn is only one score away from his 10^th touchdown of the season.

Quote: “We’ll have to make sure we get the D lined up right and make the right reads because you make one mistake against these guys and they’ll take it to the house.” — Westmoore coach Billy Langford.

Boneman’s key matchup: Feuerborn vs. Del City defense. Eagles have not fared well against some good running attacks. Key to stopping the Del City offense is to never let that group on the field.

Justin’s key matchup: Westmoore defensive front vs. Del City running game. The Jaguars have been strong up front the last two contests, but will face talented runners in Chazten Gonzales and Greg Johnson.

Boneman’s pick: Del City 27, Westmoore 19. Eagles hold onto the ball and they’ll win. But the only thing consistent about this club is its inconsistency.

Justin’s pick: Del City 26, Westmoore 17. Both teams are defensive-minded and a key turnover could be the reason for victory or defeat. Del City has a little more speed than Westmoore, and at the end of the day, speed usually wins out. It should here too.

Boneman’s Del City prediction record: 1-4 (yea, that’s sorry).

The Westmoore Jaguars defense is gaining confidence just they prepare to face one of the fastest teams they’ll see all season in Del City on Thursday. After back-to-back shutouts, coach Billy Langford sees a lot of promise in his defense, no matter whom they face.

“I hope that gives them the confidence to know that if we go out there and everyone gets aligned properly and the D is in place, we have a chance to be really good defensively no matter who we going up against,” Langford said.

Westmoore (3-2) has faced plenty of opponents with speed. The Jaguars faced Southmoore in Week 2 and Langford ran two separate scout teams at his defense. This week, Langford is taking a few extra measures with his scout unit.

He’s stacking all of his fastest players, who aren’t on the first-team defense, on his scout team offense.

Against Southmoore, the Jaguars led and stayed with the SaberCats until late. They’ll have to hope they are as well prepared this week as they have in the past.

“We kind of just leave it up to the scout guys to give us a good look on defense,” defensive end Tyler Newton said. “We’ve played teams that are pretty fast, so we know kind of what to look for. We kind of know what to look for and know what it takes to stop them.”

As his quarterback continues to miss games, Southmoore running back Andrew Long does nothing but carry his team more and more. In a 51-27 victory against Sapulpa last Friday, Long rushed for 215 yards on 32 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 12 yards as he earned the Moore Player of the Week honor.

Long also eclipsed the 1,000-yard and 10-touchdown mark for the season and is averaging 11.3 yards per carry.

Others in consideration:

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore cross country: Hernandez led the Westmoore Jaguars to a second-place finish in Mustang last Thursday. With a time of 11:56.50, Hernandez finished in second place. It was also Hernandez’ best time of the season.

Hernandez has finish in the top-6 in all fives races this year and has finished in second place on three separate occasions.

Bryan Norris, Westmoore football: As the Jaguars earned their second-straight shutout, Norris hauled down 11 ball carriers. The senior linebacker led the team in total tackles as well as solo tackles — he had six.

Westmoore Jaguars (2-2) at U.S. Grant (0-4)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: U.S. Grant

Westmoore (2-2)
Why the Jaguars can win: It’s true. Westmoore has gone old school. The Jaguars love to pound the ball and play defense. The thing is…they do both pretty well. Aside from a Week 2 game against Southmoore, Westmoore has given up an average of less than 10 points per game. They shut out Edmond Santa Fe last week.

U.S. Grant (0-4)
Why the Generals can win: The new coaching staff put in an offense that was more complex than what any of these kids had run before, so they knew it would take some time to get everybody on the same page. But it will take a defensive performance from the Generals to get it done this week, because Westmoore’s defense is strong, so you can’t expect big points.

Justin’s key matchup: U.S. Grant running game vs. Westmoore front seven. Sure, it’s a tough matchup for U.S. Grant, but if the Generals are going to break through at all, it’s going to have to be here. The only problem is the Westmoore defensive front has gotten better every week.

Scott’s key matchup: In the trenches. Grant just doesn’t have the size a team like Westmoore can utilize, so they’ve got to find a way to neutralize that element of Westmoore’s game. If they let the Jags overpower them at the line of scrimmage on both sides, they can’t expect to pull off the upset.

Justin’s pick: Westmoore 24, U.S. Grant 0. Westmoore picks up its second-straight shutout, but more importantly gains a little bit of confidence in its passing attack.

Scott’s pick: Westmoore 34, Grant 14. The Generals have some playmakers in the backfield who I think will find a way to produce some points, but not enough to win.

The Westmoore Jaguars girls’ cross country team got its first taste of the teams in the western half of the state and they must have enjoyed it Saturday at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree.

The Jaguars finished third, but were the best Oklahoma finisher by 50 points. The second-best team, Jenks, is one of the Jaguars’ primary competitors for the Class 6A state title.

“We’ve finally seen all the schools that are the dominant schools in cross country, both male and female,” coach Laura Clay said. “Now, we know how we stack up and we know what we need to work on. We know what else we have to do to attain the goals that we had at the end of the season.”

Westmoore has won twice this season and the third-place finish last weekend is the worst finish of the season.

Santa Fe (0-3) at Westmoore (1-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium (Ryan Aber will be there)

Santa Fe (L – Memorial 14-0, L – Yukon 35-19, L – MWC 41-6)
Why the Wolves can win: Because the season starts anew with district play. Trevan Smith has become a big bright spot for the Wolves. The loss of Phillip Sumpter (who had surgery this week) is going to play a big role, but Tre Kelley has been cleared to return.

Westmoore (1-2)
Why the Jaguars can win: Westmoore has plenty of options to run the football and presents a nice change of pace with two quarterbacks behind center. The Jaguars have struggled through the air. After losing last week because of that, there’s no doubt this week’s practices were all about finding an aerial attack.

Boneman’s key matchup: Santa Fe passing game vs. Westmoore defense. This could be the stage for Santa Fe junior Ty Hensley to really get things rolling in the passing game. He’s got a great group of WRs, line just have to give him time to find them.

Justin’s key matchup: Westmoore running game vs. Edmond Santa Fe defensive front. The Santa Fe front has been beaten up for nearly 200 yards per game on the ground through the first three games and Westmoore loves to pound the ball. If the Jaguars can get the running game going early, they could control the clock.

Boneman’s pick: Santa Fe 18, Westmoore 15. Call it a hunch. See a lot of similarities between this year’s team and last year. A lot of hard-luck losses last year. See if this team can learn from those experiences and start pulling out these pick ‘em games.

Justin’s pick: Westmoore 20, Edmond Santa Fe 13. Edmond Santa Fe hasn’t scored more than 20 points yet this season and in a low scoring affair, Westmoore will try to control the clock. I expect them to be able to.

Boneman’s Santa Fe prediction record: 3-0.

The running game was supposed to be a staple for the Westmoore Jaguars this season. So far it is, but they need more.

In each of Westmoore’s first two games, the Jaguars ran for more than 200 yards on the ground, including more than 300 in Week 1 against Moore. But in Week 3, things changed.

Norman North shut down the run and challenged the Jaguars.

“They were just daring us to throw the football and we couldn’t complete enough passes to spread them back out,” Westmoore coach Billy Langford said. “When they’re sitting there playing 7 and 8 guys in the box and daring you to throw it, you’ve got to be able to throw it. We weren’t able to do that consistently.”

Westmoore (1-2) managed only 60 yards on the ground and, for the first time all season, threw the ball more than it handed it off.

“We weren’t able to run the football like we needed to and our passing game, at this point in the season, is not where it needs to be as far as being able to take advantage of people when they crowd the box,” Langford said. “… We didn’t really execute what we needed to do.”

Westmoore runs a pair of quarterbacks — senior Lionard Fombe and junior Trevor Thompson — behind center. They usually rotate between drives but that switch could still be affecting the rhythm of the passing attack.

As the district schedule begins Friday against Edmond Santa Fe, the Jaguars will have to find a way to take pressure off senior running back Cody Feuerborn and the Westmoore offensive line.

“That’s just something that’s going to be a work in progress all year long,” Langford said. “Hopefully, as we go through the season and we get put in those situations, the quarterbacks and receivers will respond and be able to take the pressure off the run game.”

An interesting game Thursday night at Moore Stadium between Norman North and Westmoore. I picked the Timberwolves to win it, and I was pretty sure of that pick when it was 14-0 in the second quarter.

But the Jaguars fought back. It wasn’t always pretty, but I loved the effort of both teams. And nobody impressed me more than Westmoore’s Cody Cates. He put on an impressive display of hitting.

However, Norman North never got rattled. And after shutting the Jags down in OT, needed two plays to scored the game-winner in a 20-14 victory. Raymond Demby went nine yards on the first carry. Zac Pierce did the rest on second down.

I like Lionard Fombe at quarterback for Westmoore. He played extremely hard and definitely had some moments back there.

North’s bread and butter is going to be the running game. Demby would not quit Thursday. Emilio Gatewood is explosive, of course, and made some big plays.

Here is a video with Demby, following the win:

Norman North Timberwolves (1-0) at Westmoore Jaguars (1-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Robert Przybylo will be there)
Where: Moore Stadium

Norman North (0-2)
Why the Timberwolves can win: Norman North brings a talented backfield and a strangely unique offense. The Power-I formation has almost evaporated from high school football, which makes the Timberwolves a difficult team to prepare for.

Westmoore (1-1)
Why the Jaguars can win: Westmoore was within striking distance last week against Southmoore and its change of mentality seems to be paying off. The Jaguars are averaging more than 200 yards on the ground per game and have shown the ability to score from anywhere on the field.

Key matchup: Westmoore running game vs. Norman North defensive front. The Timberwolves have given up 501 yards on the ground in their first two games and the Jaguars love to pound the football.

The pick: Westmoore 24, Norman North 17. It’ll be close, but an emerging Trevor Thompson at quarterback and running back Cody Feuerborn will be too much for the Timberwolves to slow down.

This week will be different for Westmoore. The Jaguars are finally finished with all versions of the Moore War.

After facing Moore and Southmoore in the first two weeks of the season, Westmoore will host Norman North on Thursday at Moore Stadium.

Westmoore coach Billy Langford went through his first Moore War this year and although he enjoyed it, he’s happy to get on with the rest of the season.

“We are ready to move on a put that all behind us,” he said. “We’ve had two good weeks. They were both fun weeks. … You don’t want to get too high or too low, but it’s difficult with the two Moore War games.”

There’s plenty of reason to be happy to be out of rivalry week. On the field, there’s still a game to be played. The difference is in a rivalry week is all that other stuff — speeches, pep rallies, hype and total involvement with the community. There’s a little bit of that in other weeks, but it’s nothing like during Moore War.

Langford and the Jaguars’ coaching staff will learn one thing this weekend though. Can Westmoore get up for a non-rivalry game?

“It’ll be different this week as far as not having a rival,” Langford said. “We just need to make sure we challenge our kids to not have a let down after two emotional weeks.”

His numbers may not be up to Player of the Weeks standards, but the feat Southmoore’s Tre Edwards pulled off earns him the spot. The sophomore quarterback filled in for Oklahoma-commit and senior quarterback Kendal Thompson midway through the third quarter and went on a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter to give the SaberCats a permanent lead.

Thompson led the SaberCats back against Westmoore and finished the game with 91 rushing yards and 108 passing yards. He ran for two touchdowns and three for a third in the 49-27 victory.

Others in consideration:

Tyler Thompson, Westmoore, Football: Thompson performed at a top level against one of the Jaguars’ toughest opponents of the season. In the Southwest Showdown, Thompson threw for 125 yards and rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown. He threw for two touchdowns.

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore, Cross Country: Finished second at the OK Runner Classic in Norman with a time of 12:43. She led the Jaguars to a second consecutive first-place finish.

Brianna Nunley, Moore, Softball: The Lions are roaring again under Stephanie Riley. Nunley is leading the charge in the circle.

Welcome to the Saturday Morning Quarterback….Today’s edition: The Southwest Showdown..

Southmoore 49, Westmoore 27

While I was only able to break down one key drive in Saturday’s article the real story coming out of Friday night’s Southwest Showdown was Kendal Thompson. Or the lack of Kendal Thompson.

There’s not need to worry though, I’ve already heard from him today. He went back in for more tests and the injury is still believed to be a left knee strain. Thompson believes he’ll be back in a few weeks but I tend to disagree. While most of the time athletes will underestimate their injuries because of a desire to get back on the field, Thompson may be overestimating here.

On the play, Thompson took no extra time to stand up and walked off on his own power. Had the SaberCats been ahead in the game, no one would have realized Thompson was injured. Personally, I’d be surprised to see him miss more than two weeks of action.

Southmoore breakdown: There was only one team on the field that could beat the Southmoore SaberCats on Friday night. And they almost did.

Southmoore turned the ball over on its first two drives and never punted in the game. Instead, they turned on the gas for less than three minutes in the first half to take the lead and held on. Granted, Southmoore looked ten times better in the second half than it did in the first, but the SaberCats nearly beat themselves.

At the end of the day, even after turning the ball over four times, Southmoore still came away with an impressive victory. It may not seem impressive on paper, but the SaberCats did come back from a deficit with a sophomore quarterback under center.

Any time a team loses its D-I commit quarterback and still manages to come from behind, there’s something to be said — even if they put themselves in the hole.

Up next: Southmoore faces Moore next Friday as the SaberCats look to win the city championship.

Westmoore breakdown: If nothing else, Westmoore took advantage of the gifts it was given. When the Jaguars got a short field Friday, they scored. When the ball was on the ground, 80 percent of the time, they got it. And they made big plays when they needed to.

It was a coming out party of sorts for sophomore quarterback Trevor Thompson. Thompson showed off his running ability with more than 100 yards on the ground including a 70-yard touchdown run where he showed good breakaway speed. Thompson struggled at times through the air but still managed to string together enough passes to take control of the Westmoore quarterback situation/battle/rotation/controversy/(or any other word you want to put in).

There were also plenty of injuries for both teams, but Westmoore took the brunt of what seemed like nearly a dozen players hobbling off with cramps. All of those players should be fine by Monday afternoon practice.

Up next: Westmoore plays its third straight game at Moore Stadium as the Norman North Timberwolves come to town next Thursday.

This rivalry should be a fun one to watch. Southmoore has dominated the rivalry in recent history and comes will plenty of talent. There’s a small collection of D-I on the other side of the football as well. The playmakers alone keep this one interesting.

Westmoore Jaguars (1-0) vs. Southmoore SaberCats (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Westmoore (1-0)
Why the Jaguars can win: Westmoore has the offense to control a ball and win in three yards and a cloud of dust on almost every play. They’ll have to get a big push up front, but have a new offensive mentality. That mentality will have to be effective on Friday.

Quote: “We want our first city championship since the new school. We’re just trying to get that and we’re working really hard. It’d mean a lot to get it.” – Running back Cody Feuerborn.

Southmoore SaberCats (1-0)
Why the SaberCats can win: Southmoore showed last Friday that they can score from anywhere on the field. All they need is a small crack or seam and running back Andrew Long is taking it the distance or quarterback Kaleb Thompson is finding an open receiver.

Key matchup: Westmoore secondary vs. Kendal Thompson. Westmoore got beat up late last week through the air. Kendal Thompson is a step up from most quarterbacks in Oklahoma and Westmoore will have to step up its pass defense.

The pick: Southmoore 42, Westmoore 10. Southmoore had to come from behind last week, but this week they won’t. The SaberCats will be a step faster than the Jaguars almost everywhere on the field and Westmoore doesn’t have an offense fit for a comeback.

There should be a lot of tension at Moore Stadium on Friday night went Westmoore faces off against Southmoore. There will be a few serious enemies on the field.

“We are enemies on the field, but off the field we are really, really good friends,” Southmoore running back Andrew Long said.

There’s plenty to love above the Southwest Battle and most of that comes on the field. As a former athlete, I know there’s nothing better than beating you friend or “brother.” It’s strange to explain but the feeling of mutual respect after beating your best friend gives you a little something you don’t get from beating a hated rival.

Long is still good friends with Westmoore quarterback Trevor Thompson and many other Jaguars. But possibly the most intriguing “friendship” to watch Friday night will be between Westmoore defensive end/offensive tackle Tyler Newton and Southmoore quarterback Kendal Thompson. Newton and Kendal Thompson have played together since Newton was at Brink Junior High and Kendal was at Moore West.

And while Long and Trevor Thompson will never face each other directly, Newton and Kendal will.

As an option-read quarterback, there will be plenty of times when Kendal will have to read what good buddy Newton is thinking and try and react to his movement.

Playing against a friend and top-level athlete has Newton excited.

“Especially knowing how athletic and quick and how good a football player (he is), it drives me harder in practice knowing I’m going to have to compete against him,” Newton said.

The one-on-one matchup should be a fun one to watch Friday night. I’m sure it’ll happen more than once and I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

Westmoore: In need of additional playmakers

The Jaguars have two quality playmakers in their roster and on Friday night, they went to them consistently. Cody Feuerburn ran the ball 40 times — just less than 80 percent of the total carries. Daulton Craig caught 80 percent of the passes for 78 percent of the yards.

This week they’ll need to find more playmakers against Southmoore on Friday. Coach Billy Langford thinks they already have plenty; the others just didn’t need to make plays on Friday.

“We’ve got some young guys, a couple young guys that are developing,” he said. “Really our other guys didn’t have a big opportunity to make many plays the other night. We saw Dalton was open and we were throwing him the football quite a bit. We were able to run it with Cody so much that they didn’t really have an opportunity to step up.”

Westmoore: Langford’s “Bad Boy” ways

Westmoore’s coaching staff got a good laugh at the expense of head coach Billy Langford this past weekend. Langford played quarterback at Blanchard and the staff heard from Langford’s former coach about how physical he used to be on the field and how he used to take on linebackers.

Billy “Bad Boy from Blanchard” Langford is what they call him now.

“They are just busting my chops about it,” Langford said, joking that they’re all lies.

Coach, I’m sure there’s a little bit of truth to those “rumors.” It’s never a bad thing if your coach is fearless.

Westmoore: Getting ready for speed

In its first day of work, Westmoore spent the majority of practice getting ready for Southmoore’s offense. But they took a unique approach. They ran two different scout-team offenses against the Jaguars’ first-team defense.

By doing that, coach Billy Langford hoped his team would be ready for the fast-paced, no-huddle offense of the SaberCats. There are plenty of other ways to keep an offense off the field. Westmoore could try and control the ball and keep it away from Southmoore.

Langford that will happen Friday night.

“It’s going to be a challenge for our defensive guys,” he said. “Hopefully, offensively we can control the ball a little bit and give our defensive guys some breaks. That’s how we are going to combat it: Try to control the ball ourselves offensively and not have to put our defense out there every three plays.”

I asked Westmoore senior linebacker Cody Cates what it’s like dealing with such dynamic playmakers in a fast offense.

“I think if we keep them contained and on the inside then we’ll be alright. But if he gets on the edge, obviously it’s going to be a problem.”

But, which one Cody?

“Both.”

Southmoore running back Andrew Long and quarterback Kendal Thompson are both dynamic playmakers, who can, to say the least, make plays anywhere on the field. And it only takes one seam for a big play to be made.

“We have to get lined up right every time and get all the calls every single snap,” Langford said. “Because it only takes once out of alignment and one missed called and they are playing their fight song.”

With a weekend full of big runners, there was one that stood out the most. Westmoore Noemi Hernandez finished second at the 3.2-kilometer race at Edmond Santa Fe with a 12:24.00 and led the Jaguars to a first-place finish. Westmoore beat Edmond North by 21 points in the first recorded meet of the season.

Behind Hernandez, Westmoore picked up 5 of the top-15 spots against an extremely tough field. The race featured Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe and Edmond Memorial. Hernandez is the Moore Player of the Week.

Westmoore runs again on Friday in the OK Runner Classic in Norman.

Others in consideration:

Cody Feuerborn, Westmoore, Football: Feuerborn carried the Jaguars to a 21-14 victory in the Moore War and scored all three touchdowns.

Andrew Long, Southmoore, Football: With the SaberCats trailing by 13 through the first quarter, Long turned 28 first-quarter yards in a game total of 324 and three touchdowns. Behind touchdown runs of 75 and 80 yards, Long brought Southmoore back for a 40-19 victory.

Caleb McKee, Westmoore, Cross Country: As Westmoore finished in second place as a team, McKee’s 16:54.00 was good enough for a individual fifth-place finish.

Raegan Sampson, Moore, Softball: The Lions remain one of the top teams in the state and Sampson is a big reason why. She’s hitting .486 with 15 RBIs.

Jaguars get extra physical when it counts

Westmoore unveiled a special formation for the red zone on Friday against Moore. After running from a shotgun spread for the first 80 yards of the field, the Jaguars went big when they got inside the 20-yard line.

It looked a little like the Florida spread offense with two up backs in front of senior running back Cody Feuerborn. Behind a pair of blocking backs and left tackle Tyler Newton, Feuerborn scored on three of four trips into the red zone.

“I love it. It’s amazing,” he said. “Just having all those guys up front blocking for you makes a huge hole.”

Who wouldn’t love a formation like that?

The formation should get even more effective. On Friday, the Jaguars ran only one play out of the formation — an off tackle run behind Newton. Coach Billy Langford installed the formation because he wants the Jaguars to be able to force the run when it’s needed.

“I want us to be physical,” Langford said. “I don’t want us to have to be in shotgun and not have any blocking backs. I want us to be physical and be able to pound the ball when we need to. That’s that and we are going to have to add some wrinkles obviously. … We’ll add some wrinkles and we had some wrinkles (Friday), we just didn’t get to them. That’ll be a good set for us.”

It was effective on Friday, but could do plenty more with a running quarterback like Trevor Thompson behind center.

Welcome to the Saturday Morning Quarterback….Today’s edition: The Moore War.

Westmoore 21, Moore 14

This one had everything you could have possibly wanted in a season opener. There were plenty of big hits, big plays, great defense and even a Hail Mary in the final seconds that fell just a few yards short.

It also had everything you didn’t want in a season opener.

Seventeen combined penalties between the teams and 10 fumbles and amazingly none were lost. There were also a handful of key dropped passes and missed blocks. But hey, it’s the season opener, nobody was as sharp as they needed to be. Not even me.

Westmoore breakdown: The switch to a power running game sure works for Westmoore. The best part is they have a dynamic back to head the monster. Cody Feuerborn could be an elite level back in Class 6A by the time the season is done.

He finished with 40 carries, 274 yards and three touchdowns on Friday night. He didn’t display a great top-end speed, but a nice mix of power and lateral quickness let him accounted for 67 percent of Westmoore’s attack.

The Jaguars’ defense was stellar too. They didn’t allow a point until the fourth quarter, but didn’t allow the Lions into the red zone until halfway through the fourth.

Up next: The Moore War continues as Westmoore faces Southmoore in a game that was already being hyped in coach Billy Langford’s post-game speech.

Moore breakdown: There were plenty of positives for Moore despite a heart-breaking loss. The defense looked strong, even though they gave up an average of 6.2 yards per carry. The Lions set the tone early from a physical standpoint when linebacker Taylor Lewis snuck off the edge and laid a punishing hit on Westmoore quarterback Lionard Fombe.

The big hits continued and Moore seemed to wear down. Then came something more impressive than a 99-yard drive. It included a 99-yard drive, but that wasn’t it.

After being stopped in the red zone, Westmoore plowed back down the field and got to the one-yard line. Moore stopped them from taking a three-score lead and then proceeded to drive 99 yards to pull within a touchdown. The Lions recovered the onside kick and actually had a shot to tie it after being dominated for most of the game.

Coach Scott Myers was happy with his team’s resolve. I was down right impressed.

No one showed the turnaround better than quarterback Vova Razryvin. He started 6-for-18 for 94 yards, but then went 8 of 14 for 130 as Moore charged back.

Up next: Moore faces Norman next week looking to correct a few more issues and recover from a rivalry loss.

The 2010 version of the Moore War will come with an extra dose of power football. Moore already likes to keep the ball on the ground, but this season Westmoore should use force of will too. The first game of the season is a heated rivalry between two teams that like to pound the ball. I hope everyone comes out healthy.

Westmoore Jaguars (0-0) at Moore Lions (0-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Westmoore (0-0)
Why the Jaguars can win: The Jaguars will have a powerful running game this season and could very well impose their offense on the Lions. Despite running a spread-style offense, Westmoore has the ability to run right at teams and come out ahead.

Moore (0-0)
Why the Lions can win: When the game kicks off Friday night Moore might have the most electric offensive player on the field. Quarterback Vova Razryvin’s heart alone will give Moore a chance and that’s exactly what could tip this one in the Lions’ favor.

Key matchup: Vova Razryvin vs. Cody Cates. It’s not so much on either of these players to beat the other one, but instead how each leads his unit. Cates is the best playmaker on the Westmoore defense and Razryvin is a hard-nosed quarterback. These to will meet more than once on Friday and one of those times could be with the game on the line.

The pick: Westmoore 21, Moore 7. At the end of the day, Westmoore will just be too physical up front for the Lions.

Westmoore

Offensive outlook: So…the spread offense didn’t work last season, unless a 3-7 season is a success at Westmoore. It probably isn’t, and that’s why Billy Langford was brought over from Mustang. He was an offensive line coach there and what do offensive linemen love more than anything else? They love to run the football and that’s what Westmoore will do. That should bring a smile to senior running back Cody Feuerborn’s face. Behind Division-I prospect left tackle Tyler Newton, Feuerborn could run for well over 1,000 yards.

Determining the defense: This should be where Westmoore really shines. With Newton playing both sides and Kyle Factor in the middle of the defensive line, the Jaguars will be stout up front. Throw in returning linebacker Cody Cates in his third year as a starter as well as running mate Bryan Norris who had 80 tackles last season and the Jaguars will be difficult to run against. But how will the Jaguars do in the air? That’s really the only question on both sides of the ball.

Key game: Glancing over Westmoore’s schedule, there’s one pack of games that sticks out. U.S. Grant, Del City, Edmond North and Putnam City from Week 5 to Week 8 are all winnable games. The Jaguars might be favored in three of those games, but Edmond North is the strongest of the group. A four-game winning streak would go a long way to propelling the Jaguars forward, but they’ll have to get by Edmond North.

Bold prediction: Westmoore will control the clock and control both lines fairly often throughout the season. That’s usually good enough to get a team to a .500 record. One thing should be certain; Westmoore will be better than it was last year. Don’t be surprised to see at least a three-win improvement and a record over .500.

I’m not the only one new to the Moore War this year. Less than a week before the season starts, I spoke with new Westmoore coach Billy Langford for a quick question and answer session about his outlook on the season. He seemed as excited as I am to get the 2010 season underway. Here’s a little bit of our conversation:

Justin Hite: How does it feel to be back in charge as a head coach?

Billy Langford: It’s good. I already had a really good experience with coach (Ty) Prestidge at Mustang. He let (the assistant coaches) do a lot of things on our own and just let us do our jobs. That’s the kind of guy I want to be. Make sure everything gets done but let everyone do their job. I want to let my coaches be free and do their job.

JH: What challenges does coaching in Class 6A football bring that other classes don’t?

BL: There’s no doubt that when you are talking about a 6A football program, especially with Westmoore as a bigger school in Class 6A, just the numbers game is probably the most difficult thing to deal with as far as you’re talking about more coaches, obviously more players, more teachers in school to keep in contact with. … It’s all really just bigger. The kids are all about the same, there’s just more of them.

JH: As a former offensive line coach, what’s it like getting the chance to work with a D-I prospect like Tyler Newton?

BL: It’s good. He’s a really good kid on top of that. That’s what makes it really fun. You get a good athlete like him, as talented as he is, but he’s still a really humble kid. He’s one of the hardest working kids on the team. Every sprint that we have he’s trying for the most part to win, especially with the linemen group. He’s got a lot of talent and hopefully a lot of football left in him the next few years.

JH: I know it’s early but what are your general expectations this season at Westmoore?

BL: Who knows about those, but we want to obviously get back into the playoffs. Those are the expectations that we have for our program and that’s the tradition that’s been established there and that’s our job — to get the kids and the program back in the playoffs. Once you get in the playoffs anything can happen. That’s our main goal. … Moore War is a big deal this week coming up. That’s a really huge one for the kids and the coaches and the whole school as well.

JH: This is the first time you’ve been a part of the Moore War. Would you say you are more excited or nervous?

BL: I’m probably a little of both. I’m nervous as anybody. I’m sure before the game I’ll be more nervous, but at the same time I’ll be excited. Yesterday, we were watching film of last year’s game. Seeing all the people and the atmosphere that’s there, it’s neat to even see it on film. I’m excited just to be a part of it. I’d be lying to you if I said to you I’m not nervous as well. I’m excited for our kids to get on the field when it means something.

JH: In Week 9 you face your former team, Mustang. Do you have any secrets in mind?

BL: We obviously know each other really well. I know how they do things. I’m sure they are going to change a few things along the way as well. It’ll be fun to kind of go back there and see those guys. I’m really tight with all their staff and still with a lot of the kids there. … I hope they are undefeated and we are undefeated for that week.

JH: So you aren’t going to teach your defensive line their offensive line audibles or anything like that?

BL: Well, we’ll probably be practicing on those signals and those types of things. I’ll take every advantage I can get and I’m sure we’ll need it too. We’ll be well coached up.

Regular Norman and Moore blogger Justin Harper is having to leave for personal reasons and temporarily won’t be able to clue you in with what’s going on for the Tigers, Timberwolves, Lions, Jaguars and SaberCats. We wish Justin the best during this tough time.

Starting this week, we have a couple of new bloggers to try to fill the void. For all your Moore information, Justin Hite is going to be your guy. For news from Norman, OU student James Corley will be the man in charge. Here they are in their own words.

Justin Hite, Moore blogger:

The first game I ever covered was between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers in 1994. I mean, I was only 8 years old and it was actually a video game I had just played on SEGA Genesis, but it was a start.

I grew up in northern Virginia and I graduated from Elon University in North Carolina. After covering the NBA, NFL, PGA Tour as well as high school and college sports, I came to Oklahoma to pursue my career. I spent 17 months in Stillwater and then moved to Oklahoma City where I did freelance work for The Oklahoman and the Associated Press.

Now, it’s time for a little high school football. Everything about Moore, Southmoore and Westmoore, you can find here. From the Moore War to the Class 6A state playoffs, I’ll be there.

James Corley, Norman blogger:

You might say football is an obsession of mine. It basically has to be because of how I was raised.

My parents never fought when I was growing up except for one day out of the year: OU-Nebraska. Mom was a Husker and Dad was a Sooner. Eventually I would have to choose sides.

I studied journalism at both schools and worked for both school papers. Now I live in Norman and work for The Oklahoman.

I’ll be all over Norman and Norman North football this season, anything Tiger or Timberwolf. Football’s an obsession and it starts on Friday nights (Boneman’s Note: Or in this week’s case, Thursday

Heard a lot of rumblings the last few days about allegations against Southmoore in terms of ‘stealing’ kids from Moore as apparently five athletes from Moore have transferred to Southmoore in various sports.

But it’s not illegal, not with the new transfer policy passed by the Moore Schools in the spring. It’s only now people are starting to become aware of what this policy is actually saying:

“It allows students who live in one school’s district to transfer to another school without penalty for non athletic reasons.”

It’s a slippery slope, but so far, nothing illegal has been done. I talked to OSSAA executive secretary Ed Sheakley about this last week, and he said the OSSAA doesn’t have to do anything about this.

He’s right. It’s the district’s policy, has nothing to do with the Association. Much like Putnam City has changed its enrollment policy.

Obviously, not everybody likes it, but it’s what was passed.

In talking with Moore Schools AD Carl Franks, he said this was to give kids in the district more freedom and give them more of a choice.

He also said something heard a lot when it comes to OSSAA hardship appeals:

“When we look at any transfers, it’s not based on from what school to what school. We’re trying to determine if the reasons for the request meet the policy guidelines.”

It’s about meeting the criteria.

You could argue that Moore and Putnam City West (though it’s not exactly the same situation) are going to be the two schools affected by this the most, both now and in the future. It will be very interesting to see how the enrollment numbers fluctuate for those two programs in the future.

And Michael Kinney must have heard some rumblings, too, as here is his piece from The Moore American.

Langford was intense, but direct. He says and does things in a way that kids understand, and that’s why I think he’ll have some success at Westmoore. It’ll take some time as the school tries to rebuild from what it lost by the district addding a third high school, but Langford is a good coach, and he’ll get the job done.

And I think his leadership will pay dividends for Jaguar lineman Tyler Newton, who I got to visit with last week when he came to our office for our usual preseason photo day. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Newton has begun to attract college attention as an athletic lineman prospect.

Newton will play both offensive and defensive line for the Jags, and because of his physical tools, he could play on either side in college.

So far, colleges have been split as to which side of the ball they’d prefer him on.

“I think it depends how my body develops,” Newton said. “Some teams have talked to me about playing defense and some have talked to me about playing offense. Some even talked about tight end.”

Langford believes Newton is athletic enough to play tight end, but Newton admits it would be a new experiment.

“I’ve never played tight end before, but I think I could do it,” Newton said.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Moore and Westmoore are nearly forgotten with the way Southmoore is dominating the headlines these days. But Tyler Newton may change that.

Newton is a name that is gaining steam this summer and should be dynamite at the defensive end spot for the Jaguars.

He just looks like a physical freak so it will be intriguing to see his development. He’s got a great motor and can run the 40 in a 4.7.

His size makes him perfect for the next level at 6-4 and 243 pounds. And what do I always say, must pass the eye test.

He passed my eye test Saturday at the OKVarsity.com camp. His interest list is getting bigger and bigger but no official offers just yet.

Here’s a short video with Newton during the camp.

REGION III US Youth Soccer Championships
Baton Rouge, LA
Friday’s games involving Oklahoma teams

BOYS
U14: Lonestar (TX) 96 Red 3, TSC-96 Red (OK) 0
U15: Brentwood (TN) 95 Premier 1, OFC 95 (OK) 0
U16: TSC 94 Black (OK) 3, Dallas Texans San Antonio 94 Red (TX) 0
U17: Celtic 93 Green (OK) 4, KFC Crush 93 Blue (TN) 1; TSC 93 Red (OK) 1, DFW Tejanos 93 Premier (TX) 0
U18: 92 Louisiana Fire Red (LA) 2, Celtic 92 Green (OK) 1; OFC 92 (OK) 6, Dallas Texans Houston 92 Red (TX) 1
U19: Tulsa Soccer Club (OK) 2, Louisiana Fire (LA) 2

GIRLS
U14: East Lake Arsenal (FL) 3, OFC 96 (OK) 0
U15: Hurricane 95 Rhein (OK) 2, BUSA 95 Elite (AL) 0
U16: Solar Red 94 (TX) 2, North OKC OFC 94 (OK) 0
U17: Hurricane FC 93 Shubert (OK) 4, Mandeville Lakers (LA) 0
U18: 91 TFC Navy (NC) 4, Hurricane FC 92 Cussen (OK) 1

She’s already one of the best golfers in the state, but Westmoore’s Jade Staggs still felt like she had something to prove at the OJGT All-Star Classic.

Stop worrying, Jade.

She was phenomenal as being the only girl to post under par rounds in the two-day event, beating Kingfisher’s Bethany Darrough by two strokes.

Staggs is headed to Oklahoma State.

Where have my young legs gone? After walking the John Conrad Golf Course in Midwest City all day Monday, I feel 36, not 26.

But I (as well as chum Scott Wright) saw some great golf. I mean THIS is what an All-Star Classic is supposed to be, one big shot after another.

In the end, it was Oklahoma Christan School’s Jackson Ogle edging Edmond North’s Austin Fuller by one stroke (Ogle – 137; Fuller – 138) for the boys title while Westmoore’s Jade Staggs was two shots better than Kingfisher’s Bethany Darrough.

Staggs’ drives are sights to see. You’d have three of the four girls bunched up, and then you’d go another 30 yards and find Staggs. Such power.

But Darrough battled the whole way. The girls started the day tied as both shot a 70 in the first round Sunday. However, through the front nine, Staggs had a three-shot advantage.

We (myself and Scott) missed holes 10-12 as we badly needed food and drink. Darrough made a great charge and got to as close as one stroke after 15 holes (I think).

But Staggs was steady and closed out the show as the only girl to shoot under par in both rounds, compiling a 141 in the two days.

For the boys, now that was fun. Red numbers were a-plenty in the afternoon. Nobody had a better round than Chickasha’s Taylor Williams. After a disappointing 74 on Sunday, he had a tournament-best 66 on Monday.

But the showdown for the title was between Ogle and Fuller with Putnam North’s Zach Tucker just a stroke behind.

Only got to watch the final four holes because of tracking the girls, but what a final four it was as the two were tied. Both just missed birdies on 15. Ogle had a tap-in birdie at 16 to give him the lead.

Then No. 17 was incredible. Thought Ogle wrapped it up with a near 30-foot birdie putt, but Fuller came right back and sank about a 15-footer for birdie as well.

And on No. 18, Fuller nearly holed out on his third shot, prob fell just inches from falling in. Ogle calmly made his par and claim the championship.

I can’t play golf worth a lick so it’s fun watching those that know how to put on a show.

Scott will have the write-ups in Tuesday’s paper. Look for videos on NewsOK with Staggs, Darrough and Ogle (couldn’t find Fuller or would have grabbed him, too).

Great stuff, glad the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour put this on.

For full results, go here.

“It was between Duke and Stanford,” said Self, who also was a starting fullback and linebacker for the Jaguars’ football squad. “So, either way I was going to be going a long way from home.”

Duke started recruiting Self late last summer and he decided on the Blue Devils after a campus visit. Self will wrestle at 187 or 194 in college.

“It depends on how big I get this summer,” he said.

Former Oklahoma football standout Antonio Perkins will be on hand to sign autographs.

The blood drive will be held at Dimensions Academy (1101 E Main St.) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To donate contact Donny Griffits at 579-1880 or at donaldg@norman.k12.ok.us.

Edmond North is off to a good start in its Class 6A state golf championship defense on Monday at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course. The five-time defending champs shot a first-round 301 for a four-stroke lead over Edmond Santa Fe. Host Norman North is six back.

Edmond Memorial’s Taylor Moore finished his first round with a 2-under-par 70, one of two golfers under par in the opening round. The other was Edmond North’s Austen Fuller at 71.

Santa Fe’s Cody Reed and Norman North’s Bryce Barnard came in at 73; Tate Williamson, the No. 5 man from Broken Arrow, shot 74, along with Norman North’s Jett Johnson and Shawnee’s Dillion Mooreland, who is playing as an individual. At 75 were Broken Arrow’s Brent Williamson, Edmond North’s Alec Heinen 75, Bixby’s Jack Fiscus and Norman’s Kyle Raberding 75.

Everyone will play between 19 and 28 holes on Tuesday, with the first groups reaching No. 18 in the second round before play was halted. The last group was on the No. 9 tee.

The damage to holes 5-8 could impact play. About one-fourth of the groups still have all or some of those holes to play, because they started their rounds on No. 10.

There was a large tree uprooted on No. 7, which could change the thought process of how a player attacks the hole. Talking to some of the players, the tree prevents many players from hitting driver off the tee, because you need an accurate tee shot to have an open look at the green. Anything on the left side of the fairway was trouble. But without that tree, the hole becomes easier… basically a fairly open, straight par 4, and one of the shorter ones on the course.

But whether or not the Jimmie Austin folks can get the tree removed from the course in time for Tuesday’s action is questionable. That’s not an easy chore, so we’ll have to see what it looks like when everyone returns to the course on Tuesday morning.

Here are the team scores through the first round:

1. Edmond North 301
2. Edmond Santa Fe 305
3. Norman North 307
4. Edmond Memorial 310
5. Tulsa Union 312
6. Broken Arrow 313
7. Bartlesville 315
8. Jenks 318
T9. Putnam City North 321
T9. Stillwater 321
11. Owasso 325
12. Choctaw 326

And here’s the updated first-round individual scoring:

Top Individuals
70 — Taylor Moore, Edmond Memorial
71 — Austen Fuller, Edmond North
73 — Cody Reed, Edmond Santa Fe; Bryce Barnard, Norman North
74 — Dillion Mooreland, Shawnee; Tate Williamson, Broken Arrow; Jett Johnson, Norman North
75 — Brent Williamson, Broken Arrow; Alec Heinen, Edmond North; Jack Fiscus, Bixby; Kyle Raberding, Norman

Others
Edmond North: Eli Armstrong 77, Chase Griggs 78, Caleb Meyers 79
Edmond Santa Fe: Matt Helms 77, Landon Morgan 77, Max McGreevy 78, Brandon Stewart 78
Norman North: Drew Wright 80, Alex Newell 80, Matt Krutz 80
Edmond Memorial: Rex Greene 78, Mason Wright 81, Connor Kurtz 81. Bobby Todd 85
Tulsa Union: Bobby Goben 76, Garrett Hagood 77, Brodie Hinkle 78, Ryan Allen 81, Brady Richardson 89
Broken Arrow: Julian Rom 80, Sam Greenleaf 84, Nathan Swisher 88
Bartlesville: Brad Hager 78, Brandon Wong 78, Braxton Clopp 79, Josh Strimple 80, Clint Jones 81
Jenks: Colton Staggs 77, Brandon Jelley 79, Aaron Davis 81, Will McDonald 81, Hunter Miller 82
Putnam City North: Zach Tucker 76, Tripp Walcher 76, Sawyer McKaughan 84, Conrad Walcher 85, Terry Wiles 89
Stillwater: Tyler Grantham 76, Taylor Onley 76, Parker Dolezal 80, Skyler Patton 89, Brice Clark 91
Owasso: Zach Enzbrenner 79, Austin Clark 80, Ryan Hunninghake 81, Brad Kershaw 85, Cole Morgan 86
Choctaw: Drew Posada 77, Luke Fesner 80, Hunter Eisenhour 83, Heath Vessels 86, Taylor Gossett 93
Lawton: Russell Cozad 79
Lawton Eisenhower: Cullen Stahl 83, Tyler Jimenez 88
Moore: Ryan Harris 84
Muskogee: Stephen Allen 81
Sand Springs: Cole Stephenson 90
Sapulpa: Brody Moses 79
Southmoore: Iain Tesney 86
Westmoore: Garrett Cooley 83, Cory Montgomery 85
Yukon: Adam Cooper 79

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Third-ranked Mustang topped the Jags 2-0 to advance to the 6A semis. The Broncos will face Tulsa Union Tuesday for a berth in the finals.

With Lauren Vabolis and Mia Vabolis leading the way, Westmoore overcame a 1-4 start to the season by winning seven of nine games prior to Friday’s loss. Two of Westmoore’s three losses since the month of March came to the powerful Mustang squad and the other was by the narrowest of margins to Norman North in a shootout. The Jags close out at 8-7, but exit as one of 6A’s hottest teams at the end of the year.

Lauren Vabolis and Mia Vabolis each ended the season with a team-best tying 12 goals. Mia added a team-high eight assists. Chelsea Swisher added eight goals and five assists for the Jaguars.

The Moore cheer and pom squads will perform at the event and patrons will have the opportunity to make a $2 donation at the gate. All proceeds will go to benefit the Special Olympics.

Game 1: Putnam North vs. Putnam West, 1 p.m.

Game 2: Westmoore vs. Edmond North, 4 p.m.

Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 7 p.m.

Thursday

Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.

Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 7 p.m.

Friday

Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.

Game 7: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 7 p.m. (if necessary)

Jade Staggs, Westmoore

Girls golf

Even while playing in swamp-like conditions and heavy winds, Staggs won the Mid-State Conference championship. Staggs carded a 1-under par 70 at Westwood Park Golf Course and ran away with the title by 10 strokes.

FRIDAY

Soccer: Edmond Memorial at Westmoore, girls at 6 p.m.; boys at 8 p.m.

Softball: Purcell at Westmoore, 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

Baseball: Westmoore at Broken Arrow, 12 p.m.

MONDAY

Baseball: Moore at Westmoore, 6:30 p.m.

Softball: Wayne at Westmoore, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Putnam City at 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Baseball: Westmoore at Moore, 6:30 p.m.

Soccer: Mustang at Westmoore, girls at 6 p.m.; boys at 8 p.m.