The event, which involves two rounds of stroke play to set the top 16 players for a match play bracket, lasted four days, with Wood defeating Cummins, the Class 4A state champion, 3 and 2. Earlier in the day, Wood defeated Norman North’s Thomas Johnson in the semifinals 3 and 2, while Cummins beat Edmond Memorial’s Jacob Bishop 4 and 2.

In the girls bracket, it was a showdown of future teammates, with Choctaw’s Anna Mikish edging Oktaha’s Kailey Campbell 2 and 1. Both players have signed to play for NAIA national champion Oklahoma City University.

Piedmont’s Dustin Hasley won the 14-15 boys age bracket, defeating Lane Wallace of Yukon in 20 holes.

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

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

The Oklahoma Coaches Association announced its All-State tennis teams Tuesday. The OCA All-State tennis event will be held July 30 at Tulsa Union.

BOYS
EAST
Jayden Black, Henryetta
Josh Ellis, Ada
Chase Gordon, Jenks
Levi Kerr, Grove
Andreas Kutt, Tulsa Union
Cameron Schuessler, Durant
John Stour, Ada
J.T. Tasker, Metro Christian

WEST
Andrew Ahshapanek, Anadarko
Oakes Arceneaux, Heritage Hall
Tanner Chambers, Edmond North
Riley Hale, Bishop McGuinness
Seth Moore, Yukon
Nathan Roper, Edmond North
Matt Taber, Carl Albert
Sylvester Yo, Westmoore

GIRLS
EAST
Mariah Burke, Jenks
Olivia Charvat, Metro Christian
Reynolds Chew, Metro Christian
Courtney Coon, Broken Arrow
Piper Huey, Jenks
Abby Jordan, Cascia Hall
Margo Martin, Ada
Lauryn Sullins, Perry

WEST
Samantha Cassidy, Duncan
Alexandra Dick, Enid
Kathryn Dillingham, Enid
Alex Morales, Ardmore
Ann Pepper, Edmond North
Shali Schoepflin, Edmond Memorial
Brittany Toone, Duncan
Lacie Unah, Anadarko

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association released the state tournament brackets Monday and Tuesday.

CLASS 6A
At Shawnee
Thursday
Tulsa Kelley at Norman North, 11 a.m.
Jenks vs. Yukon, 1:30 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Owasso, 4 p.m.
Edmond North vs. Broken Arrow, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Tulsa Kelley/Norman North winner vs. Jenks/Yukon winner, 4 p.m.
Edmond North/Broken Arrow winner vs. Edmond Santa Fe/Owasso winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, 6 p.m.

CLASS 5A
At Edmond Santa Fe
Thursday
Noble vs. Deer Creek, 11 a.m.
Guthrie vs. Coweta, 1:30 p.m.
Carl Albert vs. Pryor, 4 p.m.
Chickasha vs. Claremore, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Noble/Deer Creek winner vs. Carl Albert/Pryor winner, 4 p.m.
Guthrie/Coweta winner vs. Chickasha/Claremore winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

CLASS 4A
At Edmond Memorial
Thursday
Piedmont vs. Byng, 11 a.m.
Tuttle vs. Weatherford, 1:30 p.m.
Plainview vs. Catoosa, 4 p.m.
Berryhill vs. Dewey, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Piedmont/Byng winner vs. Plainview/Catoosa winner, 4 p.m.
Tuttle/Weatherford winner vs. Berryhill/Dewey winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Shawnee
Championship game, 3:30 p.m.

CLASS 3A
Thursday
At Deer Creek
Verdigris vs. OCS, 11 a.m.
Stroud vs. Vian, 1:30 p.m.
Salina vs. Spiro, 4 p.m.
Marlow vs. Kingston, 6:30 p.m.

At Edmond Santa Fe
Friday
Verdigris/OCS winner vs. Salina/Spiro winner, 11 a.m.
Stroud/Vian winner vs. Marlow/Kingston winner, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, noon

CLASS 2A
Thursday
At Dolese Park
Dale vs. Alva, 11 a.m.
Caney Valley vs. Latta, 1:30 p.m.
Colbert vs. Tushka, 4 p.m.
Silo vs. Ketchum, 6:30 p.m.

At Shawnee
Friday
Dale/Alva winner vs. Colbert/Tushka winer, 11 a.m.
Caney Valley/Latta winner vs. Silo/Ketchum winner, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, 1 p.m.

“Ralph was really dedicated, just a tireless worker who put his heart and soul into trying to improve our program the last five years,” Yukon athletic director David Fisher said. “It wasn’t an easy task when you’re playing in the toughest conference in the state. But he did everything with high energy and integrity.”

The Millers were 2-18 this season, their worst record in Nigro’s five years. The season ended last Friday with a playoff loss at third-ranked Putnam City.

Fisher said the search process for Yukon’s next coach will begin after the state tournament, which concludes March 9.

Tulsa and Texas State both came in with offers for the 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle, and interest continues to grow from other schools as well. He has an upcoming visit to Baylor scheduled as well.

In case you missed it, here’s the first Super 30 list for the class of 2014.

Meanwhile, his Miller teammate, defensive end Andre Dowuoana-Hammond, 6-2, 235, continues to draw interest from a variety of Division I programs. He and Bowling were both invited to junior day at Oklahoma State last month.

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

Yukon catcher Jonathan Denney has impressed professional scouts with his performances at showcase events during the offseason.

After a whirlwind summer, Yukon catcher Jonathan Denney signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Arkansas last week.

Of course, the right-handed hitter has also made a significant impression in front of big-league scouts with performances in national events, particularly at the Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Baseball America recently listed the 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior as the No. 10 prep prospect for the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.

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

Friday night in Tulsa, Norman North made school history by earning its first-ever state championship game berth.

The Timberwolves also carry a burden greater than their own in the game. They carry the flag for all West-side teams. No West-side team has won the state title since Midwest City did it in 1995. That was also the last time a team other than Jenks or Union won the title.

Norman North is the first West-side team to make the 6A championship game since 2005 (Enid made it in 2006 but the Plainsmen are considered, at least by the OSSAA, to be East). Here’s a look at the other West-side teams that have made the title game during the streak and how the title games turned out:

2005: Tulsa Union 33, Mustang 7 at Owen Field, Norman
2003: Jenks 17, Edmond Santa Fe 10 at Owen Field, Norman
2001: Jenks 38, Putnam North 28 at Lewis Field, Stillwater
1997: Jenks 56, Yukon 8 at Lewis Field, Stillwater
1996: Jenks 28, Midwest City 17 at Lewis Field, Stillwater

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

Yukon receiver Codey Sanchez and the Millers are one win away from sealing up their fourth straight playoff appearance.

Yukon coach Todd Wilson has always desired to build the Millers into a regular playoff team. Heading into Friday’s home game against U.S. Grant, Yukon needs just one win to lock up a postseason berth for the fourth straight year under Wilson — a significant achievement for the program.

Yukon went to the playoffs three straight years from 1996-98, including a state runner-up finish in 1997. But the team hasn’t been to four straight postseasons in more than 40 years, the last such stretch coming under coach Rene Huckaba in 1966-69.

The Millers are coming off last week’s win over Midwest City, the team’s first defeat of the Bombers since 1997.

After starting 1-5, Yukon has revived its season with a balanced offensive attack. Running back A.J. West has rushed for 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns on 150 carries, and quarterback Hayden Somerville is nearing the 2,000-yard passing mark. Receiver Codey Sanchez has been one of the top receivers in the state this season with 944 yards and 10 TDs on the season with an average of 17.5 yards per catch.

The Millers host U.S. Grant this week, and close the regular season at Putnam City North, which could be a battle for the third seed in District 6A-3.

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

That one ended 27-0 after a strong defensive performance from the Huskies, and ironically, the game was some of the first meaningful varsity action for then-sophomore quarterback Hayden Somerville of Yukon, who filled in after All-Stater Corben Jones was injured.

Second-ranked Edmond North is out to show itself as one of the best teams on the west side of the state, with strength on both sides of the ball. The offense has scored at least 34 points in all but one game, and the defense has allowed less than 14 in all but one as the Huskies compiled their 5-0 record.

Three Points

1. Triple-speed. Yukon has faced some good running teams this year, but not one like Edmond North. The Huskies have three backs — Ezel McIntee, Marque Depp and Michael Farmer — each with at least 344 yards, four touchdowns and an average of seven yards per carry. Containing the Huskies’ run game will be critical for the Millers. Yukon can answer with a solid run game of its own, though it’s more of a one-man show. A.J. West has been a pleasant surprise after sitting out of football for the last couple years. He has rushed for 662 yards and five scores so far.

2. Miller Air. West’s run game will be important to keeping the passing attack open for Somerville, one of only a handful of 6A quarterbacks to pass for more than 1,000 yards to this point. He has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,182 yards with 13 TDs and six interceptions. He has developed a strong connection with WR Codey Sanchez, who has caught more than one-third of Somerville’s completions, with 37 grabs for 446 yards and six TDs.

3. Future focus. Regardless of what happens to Yukon tonight, the Millers have to keep a positive focus on the future. A loss tonight puts them at 1-5 on the season, but if you take all the 1-5 teams after this week, and rate their percentages of getting to the playoffs, Yukon would probably top the list. The schedule gets significantly easier from here out, and not only could they get in, but they could earn the No. 3 seed. Of course, a win tonight puts them in the running for the No. 2 seed and a home playoff berth for the third straight year. Don’t count that out.

The Pick

Edmond North 28, Yukon 21. I think the Huskies go old-school to win this one. Defense and running game. Those two areas look to be a little stronger than what Yukon has to offer. They’ll be able to limit Yukon’s possessions and avoid too many big plays.

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

The Millers showed the offensive firepower that has made them a playoff team the last three years, with quarterback Hayden Somerville completing 28 of 33 passes for 340 yards and five touchdowns.

He found senior wideout Codey Sanchez 12 times for 186 yards and three scores.

“We had a tough non-district schedule and we felt we should’ve won a couple of those games,” Sanchez said. “We’ve been talking about how district wins are what get you to the playoffs. We’re trying to get there and we think we can do it. This was a good game to start district and I think it gave us some momentum.”

The Millers face a couple of tough road tests next, with games at Norman North and Edmond North in the next two weeks.

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

“Three Points and a Pick” will be my version of game preview blogs here on Varsity — three points of emphasis in the game, and a prediction. I’ll try to hit a couple big games from the West Metro and OKC schools each week. We’ll start with Canadian County Bedlam. This will be the first Yukon-Mustang game in Yukon’s new stadium, so I think we’ll find out just how many fans the new place will hold.

Unfortunately, I’ll miss out on Canadian County Bedlam for the first time in a few years, since I’ll be in Tulsa tonight for Douglass-Tulsa Washington. So, those of you on Twitter, help keep me updated, either with the #okpreps hashtag or directly at @ScottWrightOK. Now, let’s get to it:

Three Points

1. Yukon’s offensive line vs. Mustang’s defensive line. Honestly, I could probably stop after one point on this blog, because I think this will be the deciding factor in the game. Yukon is breaking in a lot of new guys up front, and Mustang has both experience and power on its defensive line. Guys like Jared Chance and Tucker Calmus will be tough to contain. If Yukon can block those guys, the Millers have a much greater chance of winning.

2. Run QB, Run. For two teams that have been heavily focused on spreading out and tossing the ball all over the yard the last few years, times are changing. Sure, both will still be running four and five receivers in the formation, but there will be a lot more QB run game — designed or not. Both offenses will look quite a bit different with that. Mustang’s Frankie Edwards has a few starts under his belt, while Hayden Somerville hasn’t been broken in quite as much. But this is the first CCB for both, and that’s a different atmosphere all together, so experience might not make a difference.

3. Yukon running backs. Again, this will partially come back to point No. 1, but the Miller RBs will be needed to take some pressure off the new QB. Chance Leggett is the returning starter, and A.J. West has been an August surprise for the Yukon coaches. He’s been in the school system, but decided to try football again as a senior.

The Pick

Mustang 31, Yukon 27: I’ve picked the Millers the last two years in this one and nailed it. But Mustang has too many returning starters. By the end of the year, I think these teams will be pretty evenly matched. But in Week 1, I see Mustang being a little farther along.

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

Yukon's Codey Sanchez, above, is among a group of talented returning skilled position players the Millers will count on this season.

The Yukon offense will have a new feel this season, though the look should be fairly similar to the spread offense that took the Millers to three straight playoff appearances.

The Millers lost four starting offensive linemen and their quarterback, but a strong group of returning receivers and running backs hope to carry the load as the group gels.

“It’s on us,” said receiver Codey Sanchez. “We love doing it, too. We love leading. The offense is pretty much the same, and we have good depth at running back, so we should be able to run the ball better, too.”

Head coach Todd Wilson shifted his own responsibility to defense, filling the void of Steve Chard, who left to become Enid’s head coach. Wilson is installing a simplified 4-3 defense.

“I feel like we’re a lot more confident, and we fly around,” linebacker Blake Biggs said. “Changing to the 4-3, it’s a lot more simple. Just fly around and play football.”

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

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

Large East

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

First baseman: Derrick Haworth (Durant)

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

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

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

Large West

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

First baseman: Michael Lowe (Jones)

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

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

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

Small East

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

First baseman: Jonathon Samuels (Rattan)

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

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

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

Small West

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

First baseman: Clayton Brewster (Cheyenne)

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

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

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

Friday
Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Oral Roberts
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A
At Tulsa Union
Thursday
Game 1: Shawnee vs. Claremore, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Skiatook vs. Carl Albert, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Guthrie vs. Durant, 4 p.m.
Game 4: McAlester vs. Deer Creek, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Oral Roberts
Championship game, noon

CLASS 4A
At Shawnee
Thursday
Game 1: Berryhill vs. Heritage Hall, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Anadarko vs. Tecumseh, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Hilldale vs. Byng, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Weatherford vs. Oologah, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner. 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, 5 p.m.

CLASS 3A
Thursday
At Edmond Memorial
Game 1: Marlow vs. Jones, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Henryetta vs. Metro Christian, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Salina vs. Plainview, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Verdigris vs. Spiro, 6:30 p.m.

At Shawnee
Friday
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, noon

CLASS 2A
At Dolese Park
Thursday
Game 1: Dale vs. Fairview, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Silo vs. Hennessey, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Ketchum vs. Tushka, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Oktaha vs. Wister, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Shawnee
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

Second team
106: Cody Logan, Yukon
113: Jordan Armstrong, Edmond North
120: Josh Breece, Edmond North
126: Parker Bohannan, Yukon
132: Frank Smith, Choctaw
138: Kaylob Klingler, Choctaw
145: Mason Stowers, Edmond Santa Fe
152: Taylor Gore, Putnam City
160: Hunter Smith, Edmond North
170: Cason Montgomery, Yukon
182: Walter Smith, Edmond Santa Fe
195: Andrew Brumage, Choctaw
220: Ragan Land, Edmond North
285: Lantz Parks, Yukon

Girls All-Metro Athletic Conference
Most Valuable Player: Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe
Offensive Player of the Year: Layton Hurley, Choctaw
Defensive Player of the Year: Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
Newcomer of the Year: Da’Jah Coffey, Putnam North
Coach of the Year: Karlie Free, Edmond North

First Team
Whitney Dunn, Mustang
Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
Layton Hurley, Choctaw
Kaitlyn Peterson, Edmond North
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe

Second Team
Haley Brown, Yukon
Da’Jah Coffey, Putnam North
Cameerah Graves, Edmond Santa Fe
Tamara Lee, Edmond Santa Fe
Jayden Oliver, Putnam City

Yukon defensive coordinator Steve Chard is expected to be named the head coach at Enid on Thursday.

Enid is expected to hire Yukon defensive coordinator Steve Chard as its new head coach, sources confirmed to The Oklahoman.

The Enid School Board called a special board meeting for 12:15 p.m. Thursday, with the vote to approve or disapporove the hiring of a football coach listed on the agenda.

Chard has been the Yukon defensive coordinator the last three seasons, helping the Millers to three consecutive playoff appearances.

Chard’s move to Enid, which was first reported by the Oklahoma High School Sports Express, will be his second head coaching job. He was the head coach at Chickasha from 2005-08. Before that, he spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Owasso, and also worked as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Deer Creek, where he helped the Antlers to the 2000 Class 3A state championship.

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

Bethany quarterback Ryley Claborn verbally committed to Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford. Yukon quarterback Corben Jones will sign with Emporia (Kan.) State, and Yukon offensive lineman Tyler Bush has committed to Southeastern State in Durant.

Claborn quarterbacked the Bronchos to the state semifinals and quarterfinals in his final two seasons. As a senior, he threw for 1,883 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 122 of 207 passes (58.9 percent).

As a three-year starter for the Millers, Jones guided the team to three consecutive playoff appearances, snapping a decade-long postseason drought. In his senior year, 1,999 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight picks with a completion percentage of 59.6 (140 of 235). He also rushed for 500 yards and nine touchdowns.

Bush anchored the line of an offense that has averaged 32.2 points per game the last two seasons.

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

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior verbally committed to the Topeka, Kan., school on Saturday.

Deeds, a second-team All-State selection by The Oklahoman, had 67 tackles and was among the best in Class 6A with seven interceptions in helping the Millers to a 7-4 season. He also had 46 receptions for 596 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for 270 yards.

Washburn coaches want to utilize him as a free safety.

“The facilities are awesome and the coaches are really cool,” Deeds said. “We definitely will have a chance to win it all.”

The Ichabods were ranked No. 11 in the final coaches’ rankings of 2011, the school’s highest final ranking since joining NCAA Division II.

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

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.

District 6A-1 All-District
Awards
Coach of the Year: Steve Huff, Midwest City
Most Valuable Player: James Flanders, Midwest City
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Corben Jones, Yukon
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian McDonald, Lawton Eisenhower
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Daniel Burton, Putnam North
Running Back of the Year: Dre Holman, Putnam North
Wide Receiver of the Year: Tae Douglas, Lawton Eisenhower
Defensive Player of the Year: Zeke Lewis, Midwest City
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Tyrone Beverly, Lawton Eisenhower
Linebacker of the Year: Taylor Lewis, Moore
Defensive Back of the Year: Derek Deeds, Yukon

All-District team
Choctaw: Luke Cotton, LB; Marcese Dickson, LB; Zac Reynolds, OL; Jared Nelson, OL; Jay Styers, WR.

Edmond Memorial: Matt Hickman, LB; Gavin Fouts, RB; Jon Scheihing, OL; Ry Huff, QB; Mac Wilsey, OL; Bryce Robinson, DB.

Lawton Eisenhower: Kacey Totte, LB; Kevin McClain, DB; Nick Shegog, DB; Grayden Gatlin, OL; Devante Baker, LB; Dee Simmons, DB; Dajon Reed, DL.

Midwest City: Ricky Reevs, DB; Zeke Lewis, LB; Ronnie Davis, DB; Austin Roberson, LB; James Flanders, RB; C.J. Smith, DL; Dakota Moran, OL; Chris Shannon, DL; Michael Wisby, WR; Devin Crisp, OL; Deonn McKay, LB; Antonio Martin, DB.

Moore: Brandon Eddins, LB; Grant Linstead, WR; Taylor Lewis, LB; Joe Haddox, LB; Jamal Carter, DL; Corey Reeves, QB; Dakota Gilbert, OL.

Norman North: Riley Nolan, C; Joe Toney, OL; Brad Birchfield, WR.

Putnam North: Daniel Burton, OL; Dre Holman, RB; Bray Humphreys, DL; Gaige Webster, WR; Vidale Grant, DB; Leigh Comfort, OL; J’mon Ratliff, OL.

Yukon: Corben Jones, QB; Derek Deeds, DB; Austin Bevill, WR; Tyrell Barker, DL; Lantz Parks, C; Sheldon Kearby, DL; Hunter Meyn, DB; Tyler Bush, OL; Will Paddock, OL; Zach Hazebaker, OL; Jansen Jarrett, LB.

Last week:
Ryan: 7-3, 1-0
Scott: 7-3, 1-0
Jason: 6-4, 0-1

Overall:
Ryan: 72-29, 9-1
Jason: 69-32, 7-3
Scott: 67-34, 8-2

Ryan
Midwest City 35, Westmoore 21
Owasso 21, Norman 17
Edmond North 21, Yukon 19
Tulsa East Central 32, Tulsa Washington 20
Tulsa Kelley 28, Coweta 14
Duncan 14, Ada 7
Glenpool 35, Piedmont 27
Harrah 21, McGuinness 20
Sequoyah Tahlequah 28, Berryhill 27
Lawton 21, Norman North 14
Lock of the week: Tulsa East Central over Tulsa Washington. East Central won the regular-season matchup at they’ll win again here as their defense slows down the Hornets while their offense continues to roll.

Jason
Midwest City 31, Westmoore 24
Owasso 21, Norman 14
Edmond North 27, Yukon 14
Tulsa East Central 23, Tulsa Washington 14
Coweta 27, Tulsa Kelley 21
Duncan 24, Ada 14
Glenpool 31, Piedmont 17
McGuinness 17, Harrah 13
Sequoyah Tahlequah 35, Berryhill 24
Lawton 31, Norman North 17
Lock of the week: Edmond North over Yukon. Yes, Yukon is fired up because of the way last year’s game ended. But that won’t be enough to make up for the Huskies’ talent. Edmond North wins and moves to a showdown at Tulsa Union.

Scott
Midwest City 35, Westmoore 21
Owasso 28, Norman 17
Yukon 21, Edmond North 20
Tulsa East Central 35, Tulsa Washington 24
Tulsa Kelley 28, Coweta 24
Ada 28, Duncan 24
Glenpool 33, Piedmont 27
Harrah 21, McGuinness 17
Sequoyah Tahlequah 38, Berryhill 28
Lawton 28, Norman North 21
Lock of the Week: Owasso over Norman. Norman RB Donovan Roberts is a game-changer. If he’s able to play, it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be at full speed after the ankle injury he suffered last week. And the Tigers need him to be effective to keep the offense balanced. Without that X-factor, Owasso should put this one away.

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.

Running back Chance Leggett and the Yukon Millers hope to go into the postseason on a winning note with Friday's regular-season finale at Edmond Memorial.

Last year at this time, Yukon was heading into the final week of the regular season on a five-game winning streak. Just like this year.

The Millers were taking on an Edmond Memorial team playing to keep its postseason hopes alive. Just like this year.

And that’s where Yukon wants last year’s similarities to end. Memorial won at Yukon, and that hiccup in momentum carried over to the first round of the playoffs — a home loss to Edmond North.

“This is a big game on Friday, because we won’t want to limp into the playoffs like last year,” said senior Derek Deeds, who is among Class 6A’s top defensive backs with seven interceptions.

“We want to keep that momentum. It’s Memorial’s senior night and they have to win to have a chance at the playoffs, so we know we have to play our hardest.”

The Millers’ season has taken quite a turn since starting 1-3, with losses to Midwest City, Edmond Santa Fe and Stillwater — all teams ranked in the top 10, and potentially all district champions. The Millers have won five in a row, coming off a 70-point outing from the offense in a rout of Choctaw last week.

The Millers could finish either second or third in District 6A-1, the difference between a home playoff game or going on the road in the first round. In either case, the possible opponents for Yukon in the playoffs would be Lawton, Edmond North or Westmoore.

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

Yukon was without senior Corben Jones in the second half of last Friday’s 42-14 loss to Midwest City after he suffered a concussion.

His availability for this week’s game at Norman North is uncertain, but Hayden Somerville was solid in his place. The sophomore completed six of 12 passes for 119 yards and two TDs with one interception.

Putnam City North could be without starter John Robert Simon for a couple of weeks, including this week’s game at No. 3 Midwest City, after he sprained his MCL in the 31-24 loss to Edmond Memorial. Starting safety Alex Clark will step in for Simon behind center.

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

Yukon is looking for its first win at the new Miller Stadium.

A year ago, Yukon started the season 8-1, and the only loss came at Midwest City, so you know the Millers have been looking forward to this game. If you’re going to win District 6A-1, you’re doing to have to beat the Bombers, so this is a big game for Yukon.

“We know they’re good, and we haven’t come through as a team the last couple weeks,” Yukon senior lineman Tyler Bush said. “We know that line play will be a key factor in the game, so we’ll have to be ready.”

Of course, Midwest City isn’t interested in giving up that district crown, and they have to believe Yukon is arguably the top challenger to the throne.

It’s only the first week of district play, but I’m expecting an all-out brawl between these two teams tonight in Yukon.

What to watch for: Midwest City

I’m excited to see the Bombers, because I haven’t seen them live since the first scrimmage of the preseason. And that night, I came away unimpressed. I knew the talent they had, and I knew coach Steve Huff would have them ready to go when the real games started — and he did.

I figured the Bombers would be the best of the west in 6A, and it looks that way so far. Keep an eye on RB James Flanders tonight. The last time I saw Yukon in action against Edmond Santa Fe, they had some difficulties tackling in space. If that is an issue tonight, Flanders will make them pay.

What to watch for: Yukon

With the 1-2 start, Yukon is reeling just a little bit, so the fresh start of district play is important. They could put all of that behind them with a win tonight, which would be the first one in the new house.

Yukon will need to get the run game going, because MWC has too much talent in the secondary to let them sit on the pass. You have to make them think you can run the ball.

There are a couple of Division I prospects in the MWC secondary, so seeing the battle between them and Yukon QB Corben Jones — a D-I prospect himself — will be a fun one to watch.

The Pick: Midwest City 27, Yukon 24. Though the 1-2 start has been frustrating for Yukon, I don’t take it as a sign that they’re significantly worse than last year’s team. They should be able to keep this one close, but the Bombers have just a little too much. Keep an eye on MWC linebacker Zeke Lewis. I think he could play a pivotal role in limiting Yukon’s run game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At least over the last few years, Canadian County Bedlam has rarely left the fans feeling shorted in intensity and excitement. Friday was no different, with Yukon going into Mustang and coming away with a 44-31 win.

Now, the Millers move to next week when they will open their new stadium, and you can bet everyone will be juiced for that as Edmond Santa Fe visits.

Mustang heads to Putnam City North, where a pair of teams coming off rivalry losses will try to avoid an 0-2 start.

Here are a few random observations that didn’t make it into my game story from Yukon’s win:

-I probably didn’t talk up the Yukon defense enough in the game story. Considering that they were starting eight new guys, and had some schematic changes — three-man front — that really impacted the game, defensive coordinator Steve Chard and his boys probably deserved a little more credit. I don’t say that to take anything away from the receivers. They made big play after big play, often in situations when the Millers had to have them.

-The Yukon run game didn’t necessarily show a lot, but it didn’t have to, either. The passing attack was so smooth, it didn’t matter what the committee of running backs produced. Still, you see some talent there, though I still don’t think there’s going to be one guy who gets the bulk of the work over the season. Interestingly, sophomore Austin Roberts scored a 6-yard touchdown on his first carry. Doesn’t mean anything regarding the RB battle, but it’s a pretty cool memory.

-Brandon Taylor’s shoulder looked fine, and his feet were working, too. He did a great job of moving around to avoid pressure, rolling out and scrambling when needed to keep plays alive. He’s always seemed more comfortable standing in and unloading the ball just before the hit comes, but on Friday, he moved well around the pocket and outside of it.

-Travis Mitchell could be the Broncos’ big breakout star this year. He’s a very athletic receiver with good hands and good ball skills from what I’ve seen. He had an impressive 76-yard catch that set up a late TD when the Broncos tried to rally.

-Defensively, the Broncos were missing a couple of guys, but two guys seemed to keep showing up a lot — Tucker Calmus and Cory Irwins. Calmus is ideal for the middle linebacker spot, and Irwins was flying around making plays from the outside linebacker position. Jared Chance at defensive tackle was solid again as well.

I’ll see both of these teams again next week, so I’m curious to see how they each progress. Yukon has to find a way to keep the momentum going and not fall off, while Mustang must keep moving forward. They seemed to get more and more comfortable as the game went on, and they need to build on that.

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

Quarterback Corben Jones will lead Yukon into hostile territory against rival Mustang Friday night.

A year ago at this time, when Yukon hosted Mustang in one of the final games at the old Miller Pride Stadium, an overflow crowd surrounded the field and brought a playoff atmosphere to a Week 1 ballgame.

I expect a similar feeling tonight at Bronco Stadium — the first game against Yukon since the new bleachers were built last year. A Mustang administrator said they expect around 13,000 fans for Canadian County Bedlam tonight, and I don’t doubt it. It’s a huge game between two schools that continue to grow in size and football prowess.

What to watch for: Mustang

Keep an eye on the offensive line. That group will be the biggest key to Mustang’s success, not only against Yukon, but all season. If they can protect QB Brandon Taylor, the Mustang offense will move up and down the field the way it has been accustomed to the last few years. But if Taylor spends too much time on the seat of his pants, it could be a long night for Bronco followers.

Defensively, Mustang has some experience, and the secondary must avoid mistakes. Keeping the Millers’ unproven run game in check will be a big help.

What to watch for: Yukon

This is purely speculation on my part, but I wonder if QB Corben Jones will go back to running more, like he did as a sophomore? Last year, he was able to get rid of the ball quickly to one of his deep, talented receiving corps. He has a lot of new guys at receiver this year, and a new running back as well. So I’m curious to see just how often he tucks it and takes off.

One area to keep an eye on will be Yukon’s cornerbacks. Both are new starters, and there’s no tougher first test than Mustang. Even though the Broncos are sending out a new crop of receivers, the offense and the routes are tough to keep up with, and Taylor can pick a secondary apart if given the time.

The Pick: Yukon 30, Mustang 20. This will be my third straight year covering Canadian County Bedlam, and I haven’t seen a bad one yet. Don’t expect to see one tonight, either. I think either of these teams could be ready to make a run at their respective district titles, and winning this game would be an early boost of confidence to help get that done.

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

-PC linebacker/running back Desmond Tilly hurt his left knee in the final few minutes of the game. Pirate folks don’t seem to think it’s serious, but it will likely require an MRI once the swelling goes down. The Pirates don’t have a ton of depth, so losing Tilly for any significant amount of time would be bad. He was flying around making plays at outside linebacker and is a great complement to MLB Elie Rushing. Tilly was also running the ball hard backing up Casey Curtis. With Curtis and Tilly each playing both sides of the ball, you need them both at RB to help keep the other fresh.

-Yukon fans might have noticed that Derek Deeds was icing his shoulder at the end of the night. He told me afterward that it was nothing more than a muscle spasm and he’d be fine. Just like Tilly, Deeds is a guy Yukon wouldn’t want to lose. They’re so young at receiver that his presence there is valuable. And he’s an anchor on the back end of the defense as well.

-In other injury news, Southmoore RB Andrew Long sat out Friday’s action, but only as a precaution, coach Chris Jensen said. Essentially, the SaberCats know what they’re going to get from Long, so there was no need to risk getting him hurt.

-On a sidenote to that, Friday was my first chance to see Karltrell Henderson. The junior had a couple big games at the end of last season to climb up over the 1,000-yard mark. He’s a beast of a runner. Punishes people and has decent moves to go along with it. It’ll be fun to watch those two guys share a backfield this year.

-I know Southmoore QB Tre Edwards has some doubters simply because of his height — probably 5-10 if you count the mohawk — but the kid is a confident player who throws the ball well. He can run the offense, move in the pocket and find the open man. He might not make D-I coaches drool, but he’s going to win a lot of games at Southmoore.

-Speaking of short guys, Yukon is running out some little dudes at receiver this year as they try to replace four of their top five from last season. But QB Corben Jones was excited with their performance Friday, especially when protection broke down. They were making good decisions in situations the team hasn’t worked on yet in practice, and Jones was happy to see that.

-The Millers are auditioning about four different players at running back, and might use multiple guys throughout the season. It was tough to tell a lot Friday, because Yukon only had a couple of regular starters available on the offensive line. The replacements held their own, but with their regular starting five, Yukon will have one of the better O-lines around, and that will certainly make life easier for the RBs.

-Lastly, I was impressed in my first chance to see PC quarterback Devin White in live action. Seeing him at practice last week, he certainly looks the part of a good high school quarterback at about 6-1 and probably 195 pounds. On Friday, he showed that he has a good, accurate arm, and he moves really well. Combine that with Curtis — who had some crazy good runs Friday — and the Pirates should be in good shape offensively. They are using a lot of new guys on the O-line, but they seemed to hold up well.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Yukon held its first practice of the season at its new stadium, which was part of an $82 million project to build an entirely new school, including all athletic facilities.

There’s newly laid sod lining the outer edges of the stadium, blueprints draped across a table in the weight room, men on ladders working in the ceilings around the coaches’ offices.

With the exception of the locker room, most everything at Yukon’s new football stadium still smells new.

Excitement is high at Yukon, with a new stadium and locker room, a scoreboard with a big-screen display, and several other new toys.

And it only adds to the mood as they try to follow up on the school’s best season in more than a decade.

Practice started Tuesday morning for the Millers and everyone else, and while workers put the finishing touches on Yukon’s new home, football must go on.

“People keep telling me they can’t wait to see us play in the new facilities,” senior lineman Lantz Parks said. “Everywhere, everyone is talking about it.

“Some of the stuff isn’t finished, but the locker room is really nice. I like the new field and the stadium. It’s all really nice.”

Of course, fancy stuff only takes you so far. The Millers are motivated to keep building on back-to-back playoff appearances that included last year’s 8-3 mark with a home playoff berth.

“We have a lot of young guys coming in who are showing a lot of talent,” Parks said. “If just one or two guys can step up, we can get back in the same spot, maybe even better.”

Parks along with Will Paddock and Tyler Bush return to make up three-fifths of an offensive line that was the team’s strong point last season.

“We have three returning starters up there, and all that means this early in camp is that you have a chance to be a good group,” coach Todd Wilson said. “We lost a lot of good skill guys, so sometimes those guys made the line look good.

“So hopefully those guys are prepared to replace the two linemen we lost and then create better depth. We don’t want to just have five guys. We want to have nine or 10 who can go do that for us.”

Yukon also has an interesting new assistant coach, former Oklahoma State defensive back Jamie Thompson. Thompson spent a couple of years playing pro ball, then became a graduate assistant at OSU. He spent last season as an assistant at Hoover, Ala., coaching for the football powerhouse under defensive coordinator Sean Raney — ironically, a former Yukon assistant himself.

I’ll tell Thompson’s unique story in-depth at some point this season, but the players seem very excited about having a high-caliber Big 12 player who also got some NFL experience out there coaching them up.

I’ll also have more on the stadium, including a video interview with senior Derek Deeds, as well as the season outlook for the Millers here on the blog and in Wednesday’s Oklahoman.

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

A healthy Cole Swayze is a dangerous Cole Swayze for Purcell.

Well,  if you love quarterbacks, assume you have enjoyed the last few days of The Oklahoman’s Super 30 for the class of 2012.

And we’re not done yet for a mini-spoiler alert. But first, a look back at Nos. 25-22.

25. Markus Wakefield, DL, Heritage Hall
I don’t have much to add on Wakefield than what I’ve already said. He’s such a smart player who understands the game so well. His quick feet will also make him a name to watch in the future. You know how much he’s valued by how nice Barry J. Sanders and Sterling Shepard treat him. Always treat the big boys well who are leading the way for ya.

For my story on Wakefield, go here.

24. Corben Jones, QB, Yukon
Among the incoming seniors I’ve seen in person, Jones is the best pure quarterback I’ve seen. The qualifier to that, of course, is we don’t get to see a lot of Tulsa area kids as much as we used to, but Jones is about as good quality as they come. With a new stadium and a bevy of weapons to choose from, this year should just build on a solid 2010 season.

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

23. Cole Swayze, QB/ATH, Purcell
Tempted to remove the ‘QB’ tag from Swayze. Pure coincidence that Swayze wears No. 23 in football and basketball, and he’s No. 23 on the countdown. Scott Wright raved about his time with Swayze, said he was one of the best kids he’s talked to. The elephant in the room is his health. Coming off yet another major injury, Swayze has to show he can do it for a full season. Still holds an offer from Oklahoma State and appears ready to put past injuries behind him and come up big in the fall.

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

22. Adrian McDonald, QB/ATH, Lawton Eisenhower
OK, the ‘QB’ label should be taken away from McDonald. You watch him in the open field, yea, that’s not a quarterback, my friends. McDonald forced us to take notice of him with how well he played last season in leading Eisenhower to a quality season. Sometimes that ‘tweener’ label of being good at so many spots can hurt a kid so we’ll just have to see how it all plays out.

For Tariq Lee’s story on McDonald, go here.

Who is No. 21? It’s another quarterback is all I’m going to say. Find out in Monday’s Oklahoman. And if you’ve missed out on any of the previous installments, the Super 30 page is here.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Putnam City's Casey Curtis star was on full display with a 4.32 effort in the 40-yard dash Saturday.

Is he really that fast? Yep, Putnam City running back Casey Curtis really is that fast. After posting a sub 4.40 40-yard dash in his first attempt, people were wondering if it was faulty timing.

So the Pirates star lined up and did it again. Five different people were timing him, and bam, 4.32. Yep, 4.32 for Curtis in the 40-yard dash Saturday morning at the OkVarsity.com combine at Yukon’s Miller Pride Stadium.

Fellow chum Scott Wright has been high on Curtis for a long time. I haven’t doubted it, but it was great to see it with my own eyes. We have Curtis currently ranked No. 20 on our Super 30 recruits for the 2012 class. A new list will come out within the next month so it might change.

Curtis was actually a little disappointed with his shuttle run time, but all I had to do was remind him 4.32 and his smile came back.

The 40-yard dash was one component of multi-part combine presented by OkVarsity.com, the Oklahoma high school site of Rivals.com. Players also participated in the power ball toss, shuttle run, vertical leap and had the option of participating in the bench press.

Other thoughts and observations

- First time to see Ponca City quarterback Brent Wilson. This combine isn’t really a skills showcase, but Wilson fared well from what I saw. And like some others, just good to see who some of these kids are after reading so much about him. Wilson said he’s excited about this year because a lot of the Wildcats have grown up.

- This was in Yukon’s backyard so no shock to see plenty of Millers there. However, Valliant and Forgan? Huh? Valliant brought a good chunk of kids and coach Brett Jones was more than happy to make the trek for his kids to get some recognition and get tested.

- Santa Fe’s Trevan Smith had a really good 40 time as well. I wanna say 4.37 but don’t quote me. Wolves brought a good chunk of kids. Tellin’ ya, a lot of talent for Lance Manning and company to mold into a cohesive force.

- Power ball toss just sounds like a World’s Strongest Man competition. A lot of the kids had trouble with the first toss because either had never done it before or were too busy trying to get it high. The key to power ball toss is to chuck that thing forward and not so much about the height. Heritage Hall’s Markus Wakefield said it was weird, at first, because he’d never done anything like that before. I thought he fared well in both tosses.

- Piedmont’s Cassius Calhoun was on hand. The Wildcats running back is making the move from Casady to Piedmont. And Piedmont has a new coach in former Stillwater assistant Craig Church. Calhoun said he is ready to show what he can do. He’s a lot more comfortable and ready to be a leader for Piedmont.

- Missed out on Jared Benway from Edmond North. He was finishing up as I was still getting a grasp on the format of the day. Very excited to see a healthy Benway. The Huskies are one of my destinations for the second week of spring practice.

- Results, according to OkVarsity.com’s Justin Mitchell, will be available either Sunday or Monday. When I get ‘em, I’ll post them. Good camp, hope the kids took advantage of their opportunity. The Tulsa side is next Saturday at Broken Arrow. Also, look for plenty of videos on NewsOK.com in the upcoming day(s). Able to talk and meet with a lot of kids.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Thursday
At Carl Albert
Duncan vs. Carl Albert, 11 a.m.
Clinton vs. Carl Albert, 1:30
Altus vs. Clinton, 4 p.m.
Altus vs. Weatherford, 6:30
At Shawnee
McGuinness vs. OKC Broncos, 11 a.m.
McGuinness vs. Ada, 1:30
Yukon vs. McAlester, 4 p.m.
Lawton Mac vs. McAlester, 6:30

Friday
At Carl Albert
Blanchard vs. Altus, 9:30 a.m.
Blanchard vs. Weatherford, noon (I’ll be there)
Duncan vs. Weatherford, 2:30
Duncan vs. Clinton, 5 p.m.
Carl Albert vs. Altus, 7:30
At Shawnee
McAlester vs. Ada, 9:30 a.m.
OKC Broncos vs. Ada, noon
OKC Broncos vs. Lawton Mac, 2:30
Lawton Mac vs. Shawnee, 5 p.m.
Shawnee vs. Yukon, 7:30

Saturday
Games at both sites at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m. Championship game is at Carl Albert at 4 p.m.

After a junior season that put him on the recruiting map, Putnam City running back Casey Curtis is working the camp circuit in hopes of landing some scholarship offers. Curtis, a 5-foot-9 speedster who has bulked up to 182 pounds this spring, was in Houston for a combine in early March, and he’ll be double-dipping in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this weekend.

He’ll be traveling with Yukon prospects DB Derek Deeds and QB Corben Jones as several state players head to Dallas for a Nike combine on Saturday. And Nike is also sponsoring a camp in Fort Worth on Sunday.

“It’s pretty fun,” Curtis said of the camp circuit. “It’s interesting to meet all the different people. I’ve been invited to summer camps at OSU and Missouri, so I’m looking forward to those.”

Curtis said most colleges are still recruiting him as an athlete. He rushed for 1,659 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and started as a slot receiver for the Pirates as a sophomore. He also hopes to show that he could play cornerback at the next level if necessary.

Deeds is staying busy himself. He was in Las Vegas over spring break for a 7-on-7 camp and made a stop at the Arizona State campus to meet the football coaching staff on the drive home.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

But what he did Monday in a 16-7 victory against Putnam North, arguably the hottest team around, was even more impressive.

He turned in one great play after another at shortstop. Yukon took a 10-2 lead, but the Panthers slowly crawled their way back into it.

Then we were stuck at 11-7 for two innings because Gibson made all the routine plays and then added a little something extra and made some top-notch quality plays.

It allowed Conner Sayers to throw a complete game, and it kept PCNorth at bay. Yukon’s bats woke up one more time with a five-run seventh inning and there ya go, 16-7.

Huge day at the plate for Jon Denney. Started the game with an RBI single. Next at bat was a three-run double. And then punctuated it with a three-run triple that all but iced the game.

Interesting dynamic with the wind in this one. I don’t think I saw the best of either team because of the conditions, but I’m glad I went out. Obviously way too windy for a video so apologize, Denney. You’re owed a video one of these days.

Also impressed by the play of Cooper Biggers for PC North. Slotted in the two-hole, had three hits, but I was surprised at his speed. Didn’t think he would be that fast.

The win by Yukon snaps the 10-game winning streak for PC North. Of course, with baseball, one game is nothing to get too worked up about. The teams play again Tuesday at Yukon, and the Panthers’ slate is full the rest of the week at the Shawnee Showdown.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

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.

Good to get back out there to cover baseball. I’m going to be all over the Oklahoma City area to cover as many different teams and games as I can in the next two months.

My first stop was Monday at Edmond Santa Fe for the Wolves and Yukon. Santa Fe won 4-1. Senior pitcher Easton Mitchell, in his first start this year, was brilliant. Not overpowering, but he had great command of his pitches and let his defense do the rest.

Oklahoma signee Clayton Blackburn added a solo homer and an RBI single to pace the offense. Yukon’s Kyle Gibson actually pitched pretty well, IMO. After a rough start, he battled through it and only gave up two hits and no runs in the final three innings.

For my story on the game, go here.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Coach of the Year: Alan Green – Mustang

Most Valuable Player: Josh Richardson – Santa Fe

Offensive Player of the Year: Dominique Raney – Putnam City

Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Berry – Mustang

Newcomer of the Year: Tavionne Pennon – Putnam City West

1^st Team
Dominique Raney – Putnam City
David Glidden – Mustang
Armon Provo – Putnam City North
Kyndall Dudley – Putnam City West
Ben Berry – Mustang
Aaron Anderson – Santa Fe

2^nd Team
RonQuis Lewis – Putnam City
Joe Summers – Putnam City North
Dante Lewis – Putnam City West
Michael Onuoha – Santa Fe
Matt Burton – Yukon

3^rd Team
D’Anthony Perkins – Yukon
Deonta Samilton – Choctaw
Terrell Savala – Santa Fe
Jacob Strassle – Mustang
Kevin House – Putnam City West

Honorable Mention
Trey Thomas – Putnam City, Zac Grismer – Mustang, Keipher Hotella – Choctaw, Ed Baker – Edmond North, Ricco Smith – Putnam City North, JR Simon – Putnam City North, Zac Brown – Choctaw

MVP- Elizabeth Donohoe- Edmond North­­­­­

Offensive- Courtney Walker- Edmond Santa Fe

Defensive- LaShawn Jones- Putnam City

Newcomer- Mallory Brothers- Mustang

Coach of the Year- Paul Bass- Edmond Santa Fe

1^st Team All Conference:
1.  Elizabeth Donohoe- Edmond North­­­­­
2.  Courtney Walker- Edmond Santa Fe
3.  LaShawn Jones- Putnam City
4.  Joh’vonna Mitchell- Putnam City North
5.  Layton Hurley- Choctaw

2^nd Team All Conference:
1.  TaNita Dewberry- Edmond North
2.  Mallory Brothers- Mustang
3.  Jade Hardy- Yukon
4.  Whitney Dunn- Mustang
5.  Anna Kimsey- Edmond North

Honorable Mention:
1.  Alexis Watson- Putnam City North
2.  Daisha Gonzaque- Edmond Santa Fe
3.  Sydney Wyatt- Choctaw
4.  Cameerah Graves- Edmond Santa Fe
5.  MacKenzie York- Yukon
6.  Sarah Magness- Putnam City West
7.  Allison Altman- Putnam City West
8.  Kelsey Abraham- Putnam City North
9.  Jamie Moore- Putnam City
10.  Jasmine Sievert- Choctaw
11.  Kiersten Deckard- Yukon
12.  Jamiece Nelson- Putnam City
13.  Amanda Biorato- Mustang

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

103 First Team: Cooper Finch (Yukon)
103 Honorable Mention: Nick Cosgrove (PC West) 

112 First Team: Lloyd Crownover (Yukon)
112 Honorable Mention: Jordan Armstrong (Ed North) 

119 First Team: Derek White (Ed North)
119 Honorable Mention: Brett Dunning (Santa Fe) 

125 First Team: Kyle Garcia (Choctaw)
125 Honorable Mention: Hunter Bright (Ed. North) 

130 First Team: Tanner Hamilton (Mustang)
130 Honorable Mention: Brandon Coleman (Putnam City) 

135 First Team: Connor Adams (PC North)
135 Honorable Mention: Jacob Armstrong (Ed North) 

140 First Team: Weston Slater (Mustang)
140 Honorable Mention: Bryce Hendricks (Ed North) 

145 First Team: Blake Lawson (Choctaw)
145 Honorable Mention: Chris Nelson (Ed North) 

152 First Team: Marshall Dickson (Choctaw)
152 Honorable Mention: Ted Baker (Putnam City) 

160 First Team: Lance Dixon (Ed North)
160 Honorable Mention: Logan Thomas (Yukon) 

171 First Team: Marcese Dickson (Choctaw)
171 Honorable Mention: Mitch Wilson (Putnam City)

189 First Team: Austin Schafer (Ed North)
189 Honorable Mention: Carson Mathews (Yukon) 

215 First Team: Andrew Dixon (Ed North)
215 Honorable Mention: Elie Rushing (Putnam City)

285 First Team: Hunter Davis (Choctaw)
285 Honorable Mention: Lantz Parks (Yukon)

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

And Norman took full advantage.

The Tigers ignited a 16-0 run that covered nearly 10 minutes of the third and fourth quarters as they turned a 41-30 deficit into a 46-41 lead. They went on to win 50-49 in a thriller.

While Yukon was firing in 3-pointers through the first two-and-a-half quarters, Norman’s Connor Madole hit a few of his own to help keep the game close. His length and ability to play inside or out made for a tricky matchup against the Millers, and he used that mismatch well. He hit five treys on his way to 21 points, but his biggest shot came at the free throw line with 10 seconds left to give the Tigers the final margin.

The Tigers get Edmond Memorial Saturday night in the regional winner’s bracket final. Two weeks ago, the Bulldogs knocked off Norman 71-36, so the Tigers will try to change their fortunes against the state’s top-ranked team.

I’ll have a video interview with Madole coming soon, so check back for that.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Been making the rounds with some of the kids that participated in the US Army National Combine in San Antonio. Here are some of their thoughts and impressions on last weekend:

Cayman Bundage, OL, Douglass

Douglass junior offensive lineman Cayman Bundage doesn’t have any official offers, but he turned a lot of heads at the U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio.

Bundage, 6-foot-2 and 293 pounds, was a reason why the Trojans won their first state football championship since 1976.

Recruiting experts said Bundage was light on his feet and had one of the best techniques in pass blocking.

Bundage became a name to watch last summer after a strong performance in a Florida State camp. The Seminoles have continued to show interest in him. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alabama and several others have been in contact with Douglass coach Willis Alexander regarding Bundage.

“Cayman has been ready to play since he was in the ninth grade just because of his quickness, his footwork and his understanding of how to play the game,” Alexander said. “He’s getting a lot of interest from BCS conference schools. He’s a center or guard in college, even though we’re playing him at tackle.”

Sterling Shepard, WR, Heritage Hall

There is no question that Heritage Hall junior wide receiver Sterling Shepard showed this season he is among the best in the state.

But at the U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio last weekend, Shepard said he learned he can compete with other elite athletes from across the nation.

“I was really happy with the way everything turned out,” Shepard said. “They taught me a few things when it came to technique.”

Shepard said interest has increased dramatically. Shepard picked up his first offer from Oklahoma State in December and said Missouri, Alabama and UCLA are also showing strong interest.

Shepard also said it appears most schools have him pegged as a wide receiver. Defensive back was once an option but not too many schools are looking at Shepard there anymore.

Derek Deeds, WR/DB, Yukon

Deeds said, much like Shepard, the combine really helped him realize he can compete with some of the other top talents in the nation.

Deeds is a veteran of these all-star competitions as it feels like he was at just about every one imaginable in the summer.

The Millers star said three schools have heavy interest in him: Oklahoma State, Missouri and Tulsa.

Hunter Dinkines, Deer Creek

Dinkines has a rather odd story. Somewhere along the way this season, Dinkines broke his pinky finger.

From his father, Bill: “The week of playoffs against Tulsa Washington, he shows it to me and he can not straighten it out.  We taken him to the doctor and they enlighten us that not only is it broken but it had already healed.”

Dinkines had to have surgery to re-break the finger so that it could be put back properly. However, he was cleared to participate at the combine.

Barry J. Sanders, RB, Heritage Hall

Still recovering from foot surgery, Sanders did not participate in the 2011 combine. However, he did announce he will be playing in the 2012 US Army game.

Sanders has listed Alabama, Oklahoma State, UCLA and Florida State as his four early favorites and said the next couple of months he will be focusing a lot more on his recruiting.

***

I sent feelers out to some of the top recruits I knew were there. If they respond, I’ll have a Part II update. If you’re one of them, hey, drop me a line.

So I wanted to take a minute to hit some of the highlights, school-by-school, and look ahead to some potential big moments in the near future as we get ready for what could be a wild second half of the season.

Yukon

Let’s start with the Millers, who have had a roller-coaster 2011. Coming into the year with the momentum of a tournament championship in Ardmore, the Millers lost at home to rival Mustang, then lost three at the McGuinness Classic. But things turned up on Tuesday when Micole Nicholson scored 21 points in an upset of No. 5 Putnam City. Their tournament schedule is complete, but they’ve got big games against Choctaw and Edmond Santa Fe coming soon.

The Millerettes also face Choctaw and ESF before opening tournament play in Moore as Kelly Clarke’s girls try to get back in the top 20. Outside of an ugly loss to Mustang, Yukon has been playing well, and they showed their ability to defend inside by holding LaShawn Jones to nine points in an 11-point win over Putnam City on Tuesday.

Mustang

Sitting at No. 6 in the polls this week, the Broncos are showing that they’re legit. Avenging the loss to PC North from the Duncan tournament final with a 14-point win on Tuesday was a big statement behind 18 points from Robert Shaw and 14 from Ben Berry. Following Edmond North and Choctaw on the schedule is the Deer Creek tournament, which signaled the turnaround for this team last year, when they surprisingly went from No. 7 seed to tourney runner-up.

The Bronco girls looked like they had turned a corner wit the 20-point win at Yukon on Jan. 4, and that might still be the case, even though they’ve lost four straight. There’s not a bad team in the bunch among those four losses, though it certainly hurts confidence, especially the fourth-quarter performance at PC North, getting outscored 9-1 in an eight-point loss. But Robert Foreman will get his team to bounce back, though the schedule doesn’t get much easier, with Edmond North, Choctaw and the ultra-loaded Carl Albert Tournament coming up.

PC North

A tough couple of weeks for the Panthers as they wait to get coach Rick Harris back from his medical issues. Having traded text messages with Harris, I can tell how frustrating it is for him that his recovery hasn’t gone as fast as he’d like and that he isn’t back on the court with his players yet. And there’s no time to rest, with a showdown at PC West coming Friday.

On the girls side, it’s been hard to figure out the Panthers, but Tuesday’s win over Mustang was solid. They’ve got an interesting mix of big wins (or strong performances in defeat) and ugly losses. But with three straight wins and potentially four heading into a big game with Edmond North, we might have seen this team get everyone on the same page. Both PCN squads will be at Deer Creek for tourney play next week.

Putnam City

A.D. Burtschi’s Pirates are one 18-foot jumper away from a three-game losing streak, and they’re still trying to build some consistency. They played well at the PCI, despite losing to Midwest City in the finals, but the loss to Yukon Tuesday was painful. Making things worse, they don’t have what you would consider an “easy” game until February, starting with a top-five showdown against No. 3 Edmond Santa Fe on Friday.

The girls’ schedule is just as dangerous, if not moreso, because they’ve got the Carl Albert tourney in the middle, and as I’ve said, that field is packed with talent. The Chickasha tourney title was big after such a rough start that was in large part a product of a super-tough schedule.

PC West

The Patriots are no fluke. They’ve got four guys who have shown they can go for 15 any night, and Kyndall Dudley continues to put up big games. They’ve got back-to-back PC rivalry games, first PCN then PC, prior to the Bartlesville Tournament next week, so there are a few more chances to make some noise on a large scale.

Offense seems to be coming around for the PCW girls, having scored 48 or more in two of the last four games, and with a couple of rivalry games on tap, this could be the chance to build some momentum. They’ve also got the Deer Creek tournament ahead, where they will see some good competition as well.

Players from tournament finalists Yukon and Midwest City, as well as Stillwater, are part of the film that was made during the regional qualifier in Stillwater and the championship tournament at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

The screening will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the Warren Theater in Moore. Admission is free and limited to the first 200 guests.

For the second year in a row, McGuinness is king at its own tournament.

51st McGuinness Classic
Saturday
McGuinness 77, NW Classen 61 (championship)
Norman North 64, Deer Creek 58 (third place)
Norman 57, Edmond North 41 – consolation championship
Guthrie 49, Yukon 47 – OT – seventh place

McGuinness 77, NW Classen 61

Um, picked the right teams in the final, wrong winner. And I mean WAY off. Figured NW’s athleticism would cause problems for the Irish. However, when you shoot the way Tondrell Durham’s club did this night, not an issue.

It started in the second quarter after a crisp first eight minutes by both clubs. The second quarter was all McGuinness.

And though Matt Christiansen was clearly leading the way, this was a team effort, no doubt. Everybody was playing a part. Matt Morrissey and Miles Newcomb were draining 3s. Joe Edmonds was taking it to the hole. The defense was stellar. Best all-around performance by the Irish I’ve seen in five games this year.

And the dunk Christiansen had at the end of the first half was incredible. That got everyone up. Strong move and the finish and the foul. Shouldof had my camera working.

At one point it was actually 54-23 in the third quarter. That won’t happen again, believe me. NW is too dang good. Jamil Donovan had a big night as did Keandra Nelson but slow start doomed this one from the beginning.

Christiansen was named MVP. Quinton Hardwick lost a tooth in the fourth quarter on a drive by Edmonds but should be just fine.

Norman North 64, Deer Creek 58

Really liked this game. Two pure scorers in NNorth’s Patrick Schaefer and Deer Creek’s Garrett Hermanski. And did they ever put on a show.

However, Schaefer also had big-time assistance from Matt Southard in the post. Add it up and TWolves walk out with third.

Coach Butch Roberts was very pleased with this weekend. “If you can’t win the championship, you wanna be able to say you went 2-1. We did.”

Just an off night for the Antlers. Managed to hang around and keep it close but didn’t see the comeback coming in this one. Just took too long for Jalen Burnett and Joel Blumenthal to get in a rhythm.

Norman 57, Edmond North 41

That first half was a clinic on passing, I tells ya. Norman isn’t flashy but this team executes well and plays hard under first-year coach Jeff McCullough.

The Tigers were up 15-1 after the first quarter and kept that margin the rest of the way. Interesting team because nobody jumps out at you. Connor Madole is a solid player. Like what George Kittle brings to the table. Brandon Southern is steady.

North’s bad start was just too much to overcome. Coach Jeff Tanner is seeing some good things, especially from the likes of Ed Baker and Brandon Rolfes-Lopez. Unfortunately, it won’t get any easier with Santa Fe coming to the Siberian Gym on Tuesday.

Guthrie 49, Yukon 47 – OT

A game not worthy of a seventh-place battle. Both teams gave tremendous effort in a tight game throughout. This was finally the day where I got to see what makes D’Anthony Perkins such a threat for the Millers. He was rolling with 24 points. He’s going to be quicker than just about everybody else out there.

However, this was also the day why I believe Guthrie is still a legit state tournament-worthy club. There is too much talent for this team to not put it together.

If you have a five of Kentrell and Richard Brothers, Kai Callins, Tim Zupo and Codee Gross – you should win some games.

Balance will be key for this team, and coach Pete Papahronis said shot selection will go a long way in determining what happens with his team. On this day, Kentrell, Gross and Callins (just a freshman) all scored 11 points. That’s what you want.

All-Tournament Team: MVP – Matt Christiansen, Irish. Team – Mikey Wilson and Joe Edmonds, Irish; Jamil Donovan and Quinton Hardwick, NW Classen; Patrick Schaefer, NNorth; Garrett Hermanski, Deer Creek; Connor Madole, Norman; Brandon Rolfes-Lopez, Edmond North; Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie; D’Anthony Perkins, Yukon.

Boneman’s Super 5: Matt Christiansen, Irish; Patrick Schaefer, Norman North; Garrett Hermanski, Deer Creek; Jamil Donovan, NW Classen; Joe Edmonds, Irish.

51st McGuinness Classic
At Bishop McGuinness
Thursday
Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49
NW Classen 58, Norman 57
McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38
Norman North 48, Guthrie 38
Friday
Semifinals
Deer Creek vs. NW Classen, 6 p.m.
McGuinness vs. Norman North, 7:30
Losers’ Bracket
Yukon vs. Norman, 1:30
Edmond North vs. Guthrie, 3 p.m.

I got spoiled. The first set of games Thursday were a couple of good ones. I thought they’d all be like that. Didn’t quite happen like that, but a good start to the McGuinness Classic.

Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49

Scott Wright told me the Millers like to make/shoot 3s. Um, I didn’t realize what that actually meant until I saw it in person. Yukon had nine 3s through the first three quarters, but the Antlers were doing enough to stay tied.

Great call by Deer Creek assistant Michael Garbutt to go to a box-and-one on Yukon’s Matthew Burton. Burton is a threat as soon as he crosses half court. With him shut down, the Millers looked a little confused as to how to attack the Antlers defense.

Another strong game by Deer Creek’s Garrett Hermanski. If he is hitting early, he’s going to have a great night. He plays with a lot of confidence when he’s rolling (though who doesn’t?). Big contribution off the bench from Joel Blumenthal.

It feels like Blumenthal should start, but he’s in the perfect role of that sixth man who comes in and lights the spark.

Miller games I imagine don’t take too long. When you’re hoisting up threes, you’re not going to get to the foul line. I’m intrigued to see how Ralph Nigro’s team responds against Norman…

NW Classen 58, Norman 57

This was one of those weird games. Though Norman led nearly the entire way, you had that feeling the Knights were going to pull it out.

With players like Jamil Donovan and T’aries Taylor, I just cannot in good conscience count this team out, not even when it was 51-40 at the end of the third quarter.

Jeff McCullough is doing a great job of getting his kids to believe in his system and executing it. Tigers got a little tight in the fourth, and NW pushed the tempo. Paco Jones ended up scoring the game-winner with 15 seconds left.

Excited to see Donovan against Deer Creek’s Jalen Burnett in the point guard battle Friday night.

McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38

Nice to see Joe Edmonds back. Still not 100 percent and cramping in the fourth quarter, Edmonds energized the Irish faithful with eight points in the second quarter.

I’ll be honest, thought the Irish were going to run away with this one in the third quarter. North coach Jeff Tanner did a good job of keeping his kids’ head in the game, and Matt Christiansen picking up his fourth foul in the third quarter for the Irish certainly helped the Huskies out.

Still, North was down 37-29 in the fourth before Ed Baker tied it up with a 3 at 38-38 with 40 seconds left. Dean Fitzpatrick scored on a nice feed and North was unable to take care of the ball.

Cameron Haley came alive in the fourth for North, but I was scratching my head about the first three quarters. He needs to be a big part. We’ll see what this team brings Friday.

Norman North 48, Guthrie 38

Oy. Not all wins are pretty. But at 24-20 at the end of the third quarter, it was tough to try to paint this into something positive.

Timberwolves’ guard Patrick Schaefer had a big night as did forward Matt Southard. Guthrie had no rhythm and too many times it was just Kentrell Brothers trying to force something in the paint.

Guarantee both teams will have a better showing Friday.

Boys

Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49

Northwest Classen 58, Norman 57

Deer Creek 57, Yukon 49

Deer Creek*15*11*17*14 — 57

Yukon*13*13*13*10 — 49

DC — Hermanski 23, Blumenthal 10, Burnett 8, Caudill 5, Blanchard 4, Clark 4, Wayant 3.

YHS — Burton 17, Perkins 11, Williams 10, Koontz 5, Craig 4, Nicholson 2.

Northwest Classen 58, Norman 57

Norman*13*16*22*6 — 57

Northwest*15*8*17*18 — 58

NHS — Madole 15, Southern 14, Saxon 10, Long 7, Kittle 5, Edington 4, Murray 2.

NWC — Donovan 16, Taylor 14, Hardwick 13, Jones 7, Arnold 4, Nelson 4.

McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38

Norman North 48, Guthrie 38

McGuinness 43, Edmond North 38

Edmond North*9*8*6*16 — 38

McGuinness*8*15*6*14 — 43

EN — Baker 11, Haley 8, Rolfes-Lopez 7, Peterson 4, Ruben 3, Carver 3, Sanders 2.

BM — Edmonds 11, Christiansen 9, Wilson 9, Fitzpatrick 6, Morrissey 5, Newcomb 3.

Norman North*3*11*10*24 — 48

Guthrie*4*8*8*18 — 38

NN — Schaefer 19, Southard 12, Roberts 11, Kaplan 6.

GHS — K. Brothers 14, Callins 7, Gross 7, R. Brothers 6, Zupo 2, McFadden 2.

It’s that time of year again. Last year’s Love’s Travel Stops McGuinness Classic final between Carl Albert and Bishop McGuinness was one of my favorite moments from last year.

Another stacked field, and I’ll be out there all three days for all 12 games.

McGuinness Classic
Thursday
Game 1: Yukon vs. Deer Creek, 1:30
Game 2: NW Classen vs. Norman, 3 p.m.
Game 3: McGuinness vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.
Game 4: Guthrie vs. Norman North, 7:30
Friday
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1:30
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 3 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7:30
Saturday
Game 9: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 1:30
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 6 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 7:30

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

Thursday’s Results
Girls
Ardmore 58, Lawton 45, seventh place
Northwest Classen 64, Putnam City West 50, girls fifth place
Mustang 68, Southeast 50, third place
Fort Smith-Northside 54, Yukon 32, championship

Boys
Guthrie 45, Southeast 40, seventh place
Midwest City 62, Ardmore 58, fifth place
PC West 82, Carl Albert 67, third place
Del City vs. Yukon, 7 p.m., championship

4:05 p.m.: The Mustang girls have a 22-point lead on Southeast in the girls third-place game with just under two minutes left to play. More exciting, however, we’re running pretty well on time after a dreadfully long day yesterday that ended around midnight.

5:07 p.m.: After holding a 10-point halftime lead, Putnam City West has started the second half fast and leads 54-35 on Carl Albert midway through the third quarter in the boys third place game.

5:15 p.m.: One thing we’ve learned this week: PC West is for real. They didn’t get lucking in a couple big wins. This is a good basketball team. Kyndall Dudley has hit six 3-pointers. He and Dante Lewis could each go for 20 in this game. The Pats are up 21 as we near the end of the third quarter.

5:40 p.m.: PC West takes third in the boys tournament with an 82-67 win over Carl Albert. Dante Lewis finished with 28 and Kyndall Dudley had 25 for the Pats. The girls title game is a few minutes away.

6:07 p.m.: Northside leads Yukon 8-4 at the end of the first quarter.

6:24 p.m.: Impressive run by the Millerettes gets them a brief lead late in a wildly exciting, fast-paced second quarter, but Northside finishes strong for a 21-17 advantage at the break.

6:50 p.m.: Big third quarter from Northside for a 39-22 advantage heading into the fourth.

7:14 p.m.: Northside takes the girls title, 54-32, over Yukon. The boys title game between Yukon and Del City will get going in about seven minutes.

Here is your girls All-Tournament team: Whitney Dunn, Mustang; Mackenzie York, Yukon; Jade Hardy, Yukon; Mannasha Bell, Northside; Taylor Green, Northside; MVP: Chauntel Terry, Northside.

7:40 p.m.: The first quarter goes to Yukon with a 15-10 advantage on Del City. Yukon’s D’Anthony Perkins has shown he is as athletic as just about any guard in the city area.

7:55 p.m.: A late rally for the Millers gives them a 25-21 edge at halftime. Del City led 21-18 with under two minutes to play in the half.

8:16 p.m.: Del City keeps scoring, and Yukon keeps answering, particularly with 3-pointers — one apiece from Shon Willilams, D’Anthony Perkins and Matt Burton, while Jordan Brown added a three-point play inside. Yukon leads 43-33 after three quarters.

8:32 p.m.: Yukon pulled out to a 49-38 lead, but seven straight points from the Eagles has it down to a four-point game with just over three minutes left to play.

8:47 p.m.: It came down to free throws, and the Millers held on for a 55-52 win.

Boys All-Tournament Team: Kyndall Dudley, PC West; Steffon Herd, Del City; Brett Cannon, Del City; Shon Williams, Yukon; Jacob Koontz, Yukon; MVP: D’Anthony Perkins.

The Yukon boys and girls are both in the finals at the Ardmore Holiday Classic, where I have been camped out the last three days. The Millerettes face Fort Smith-Northside in what should be a good battle of two teams with good size inside and shooters on the perimeter.

The Millermen face Del City in a matchup of two different but equally well-coached squads. Del City is more athletic and

And the Mustang and Putnam City North boys will square off for the title at the Duncan Invitational, pitting two undersized but extremely athletic squads against each other — and two teams off to very good starts with state tournament goals ahead of them.

Should be a fun day, and I’ll try to keep you updated on as much of it as possible.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

For the Millers, this will be their first time playing for a tournament championship since the current seniors were freshmen.

“It’s gonna be good,” said senior guard Shon Williams, who led the Millers with 16 points Wednesday. “We’ve been working hard, working together for the last four years. We think we can win this, so we’re gonna go out and try our hardest to play well and se if we can win it.”

Added coach Ralph Nigro: “I think it means a lot (to play for a title). We have seven seniors and they’ve been through some bad times. Last year, we won, what, five games? The year before, we won six. So it means a lot to them. I’m happy for them. I’m happy to see them smiling and winning. It’ll be a tough game tomorrow, though.”

Mike Nicholson had 13 points for Yukon, while D’Anthony Perkins and Matt Burton added 10 apiece and Jacob Koontz had nine. Kyndall Dudley led the Patriots with 15 points and Dante Lewis added 14. Kevin House had 11, hitting three of the Pats’ eight 3-pointers.

Here’s the Ardmore Holiday Classic schedule and results, with more game-by-game updates below:

Wednesday’s results
Girls
Northwest Classen 41, Lawton 38
PC West 49, Ardmore 41
Yukon 47, Southeast 28
Fort Smith-Northside 58, Mustang 39

Boys
Midwest City 63, Guthrie 41
Ardmore vs. Southeast, 3 p.m.
Del City 52, Carl Albert 46
Yukon 58, Putnam City West 48

Thursday’s games
Girls
Ardmore vs. Lawton, 11:30 a.m., seventh place (at middle school gym)
Northwest Classen vs. Putnam City West, 11:30 a.m., fifth place
Southeast vs. Mustang, 2:30 p.m., third place
Yukon vs. Fort Smith-Northside, 5:30 p.m., championship

Boys
Guthrie vs. Southeast, 1 p.m., seventh place (at middle school gym)
Midwest City vs. Ardmore, 1 p.m., fifth place
Carl Albert vs. PC West, 4 p.m., third place
Del City vs. Yukon, 7 p.m., championship

Updates below…

4:55 p.m.: Today’s winners so far are the Northwest Classen and Putnam City West girls, who will meet in the fifth-place game Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Midwest City’s boys rolled past Guthrie and Ardmore is up on Southeast 33-26 midway thorugh the third quarter.

5 p.m.: Ardmore standout Nino Jackson is sitting out again today. When I spoke to coach Mark Wilson after the game Tuesday night, he expected Jackson to play today, so I’ll see what the situation is after this game concludes. Ardmore leads 42-32 at the end of the third quarter.

5:15 p.m.: Southeast coach Walt Brewer already had one guard out with a broken foot and he lost another in Tuesday night’s game, so he has had to turn to 6-foot-5 forward Trai Jordan as one of his primary ball-handlers — and he’s doing well. It’s a tough situation for a team with a lot of talented pieces to work with. They’ve got good outside shooters, led by William Brewer, and (when he’s in the paint, not at the point) a strong post presence with Jordan. A floor general with handles is all this team really needs to make a significant jump.

5:57 p.m.: Word out of the Ardmore locker room was that Nino Jackson’s absence today was related to an illness that had him feeling pretty bad at morning shoot-around. Ardmore won by 15. Yukon has an eight-point lead on Southeast in girls winner’s bracket action right now.

6:35 p.m.: Yukon holds a 37-21 advantage on Southeast in the girls semifinals entering the fourth quarter. More stout defense today from Kelly Clarke’s Millerettes.

7:37 p.m.: Mustang trailing Fort Smith-Northside 25-16 late in the first half. We’ll need a Bronco rally if we’re going to get Canadian County Bedlam in the Ardmore final. Of course, the two teams play in Yukon next Tuesday anyway.

8:27 p.m.: FS-Northside up 16 with under a minute left to play, so it’ll be Northside vs. Yukon in the girls final Thursday night at 5:30. We should be underway with the 7 p.m. boys game between Del City and Carl Albert in 15 minutes or so.

8:56 p.m.: Del City grabs the early 13-7 lead on Carl Albert at the end of the first quarter. Six points for Anthony Holland for the Eagles.

9:19 p.m.: Carl Albert pulled back in it to give us a tight one at the break. Del City is clinging to a 25-23 lead. Dondre Brookins has three 3-pointers for the Titans and Holland has nine points for the Eagles as well.

9:50 p.m.: Del City extends its lead to 39-30 at the end of the third. Del City freshman Brett Cannon had a pair of big buckets in the third and has 11 points for the game.

10:05 p.m.: CA and DC all tied up with two minutes to play.

10:15 p.m.: The Eagles take the Mid-Del battle, 52-46. Anthony Holland finishes with 14 points to lead the way. Yukon and PC West are about to get started in our final game of the night.

10:54 p.m.: Yukon takes a 28-18 lead on PC West to halftime. Del City is waiting for the winner in the finals, set for Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s games
Girls
Southeast 34, Lawton 28
Yukon 45, Northwest Classen 36
Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside 69, Putnam City West 30
Mustang 66, Ardmore 27

Boys
Putnam City West 70, Midwest City 62
Yukon 41, Guthrie 34
Carl Albert 66, Ardmore 59
Del City 54, Southeast 35

Wednesday’s games
Girls
Loser’s bracket
Lawton vs. Northwest Classen, 11 a.m.
PC West vs. Ardmore, 12:20 p.m.
Winner’s bracket
Southeast vs. Yukon, 4:20 p.m.
Fort Smith-Northside vs. Mustang, 5:40 p.m.
Boys
Loser’s bracket
Guthrie vs. Midwest City, 1:40 p.m.
Ardmore vs. Southeast, 3 p.m.
Winner’s bracket
Carl Albert vs. Del City, 7 p.m.
Putnam City West vs. Yukon, 8:20 p.m.

Updates below…

2:30 p.m.: Shola Adebayo scored 20 of Southeast’s 34 points on the way to a win over Lawton. The Yukon girls played some good defense down the stretch to hold off a NWC rally. Jade Hardy led Yukon with 17 points. Meshelle Parker had 11 for the Knights and Alysia Whitaker added 10. We’re nearing halftime in the first boys game, where PC West is hanging with Midwest City, trailing 24-23. Cortrael Colbert already has 13 for the Bombers.

2:40 p.m.: PC West closes the first half with a 15-4 run to take a 27-24 lead at the half on Midwest City. Kyndall Dudley leading the Patriots with 12 points.

3:35 p.m.: PC West pulls off the upset, 70-62. Kyndall Dudley hit a pair of huge 3s down the stretch and finished with 24 points. Tavionne Pennon added 16, spoiling Cortrez Colbert’s 27-point outing for the Bombers.

4:12 p.m.: Speedy first half from Yukon and Guthrie. The Bluejays lead 13-10 at the break.

4:53 p.m.: The Millers pull away in the fourth for a 41-34 win. It’ll be Yukon and PC West at 8:20 Wednesday night in the boys semifinals.

5:20 p.m.: Not pretty in the third girls game of the day. Fort Smith-Northside leads PC West 20-2 after one quarter.

6:13 p.m.: Northside takes it 69-30 over PC West. The final girls game of the night, Ardmore vs. Mustang, is just a couple minutes away.

7:10 p.m.: Mustang girls out to a 50-20 lead midway through the third quarter. A win would put Mustang against Fort Smith-Northside Wednesday. Yukon faces Southeast in the first semifinal at 4:20 p.m.

8:20 p.m.: Ardmore and Carl Albert tied at the half, 33 apiece. Nino Jackson has not seen the floor for Ardmore so far.

8:45 p.m.: Carl Albert takes a 45-44 lead to the fourth quarter on top-ranked Ardmore.

9:32 p.m.: Sorry for the delayed update, but Carl Albert pulled off the upset of No. 1 Ardmore, 66-59. Ardmore standout Nino Jackson was held out of action by coach’s decision. He is expected to play in Wednesday’s loser’s bracket game against the Del City-Southeast loser.

9:55 p.m.: Del City boys out to a 30-14 lead on Southeast in the final game of the night.

10:38 p.m.: Del City finishes off the night with a 54-35 win over Southeast. We’ll do it all again tomorrow.

But when it all shook out, the Putnam City West victory over Edmond Santa Fe was the biggest win. And senior guard Kyndall Dudley had the biggest impact down the stretch, so POW honors go to him.

It was hard to overlook what Mustang accomplished last week, beating No. 2 Putnam City and winning the Harrah Panther Classic. But I had higher expectations for Mustang than a lot of people, and I knew they’d pull off some wins like beating PC. There were a lot more questions around PC West, so to make that kind of statement in the first week of December was huge.

Dudley hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and two more in overtime of the Patriots’ 55-51 win at ESF last week. He finished with 17 points. Dante Lewis and Deonte Ogles both played key roles in the win as well.

Interestingly, the two teams leading the upset charge last week will face off tonight when Mustang hosts PC West.

Other contenders

Armon Provo, PC North boys basketball: It was hard to deny Provo yet again after he poured in 34 in the Panthers’ second game of the year against Choctaw. Provo tore it up over the summer and he has carried it into the season.

Ben Berry and David Glidden, Mustang boys basketball: Glidden scored 20 in the upset of PC, and Berry was the leading scorer in all three of the Broncos’ victories at Harrah, including a 23-point effort in the opener. Over the three games, he averaged 17.3 per game.

D’Anthony Perkins, Yukon boys basketball: Perkins scored 14 points in Tuesday’s 21-point rout of Edmond North, leading four double-figure scorers.

Ron’Quis Lewis, Putnam City boys basketball: Lewis scored 24 in the loss to Mustang. At 6-foot-6, Lewis already has an offer from Western Kentucky and his stock will continue to climb with games like this.

Ashley Callahan and Amanda Biorato, Mustang girls basketball: Callahan scored 16 and Biorato 15 in the overtime win over Putnam City.

LaShawn Jones, Putnam City girls basketball: Jones had 24 in the loss to Mustang and 34 total over two games at the Harrah tournament.

Joh’Vonna Mitchell, PC North girls basketball: Averaged 14.5 points over four games last week, including 21 in an eight-point win over Durant Friday.

Sorry, wrestling fans, still getting used to being the wrestling writer. Matt Patterson did such a good job, I’ll do my best. And I’ll definitely be hitting wrestling a lot more once football is over.

***

Make it 2-0 for Andy Schneider in the battle of the brothers.

Schneider’s Edmond North squad defeated Yukon, coached by Joe Schneider, on Tuesday. The Huskies also defeated the Millers last year in the first battle of the brothers.

The Huskies won nine of the 14 individual matches but only ended up with a 29-24 victory.

“I would have expected to win the dual by more than five points (winning nine matches) but credit Yukon,” Andy Schneider said. “They were in good shape and in the matches they lost, they never gave up a fall. In only two matches out of the nine wins did we get bonus points.”

The Huskies clinched the win with a major decision victory by Austin Schafer at 215 pounds.

Edmond North is wrestling in the Tulsa Union Tournament this weekend.

Edmond North 29 Yukon 24
103 lbs. Cody Logan-Yukon fall 2:14 Justice Minter-EN
112 lbs. Cooper Finch-Yukon dec. 8-6 OT Jordan Armstrong-EN
119 lbs. Derek White-EN dec. 6-4 Lloyd Crownover-Yukon
125 lbs. Hunter Bright-EN dec. 5-2 Parker Bohannon-Yukon
130 lbs. Jacob Armstrong-EN dec. 6-4 Austin Blanton-Yukon
135 lbs. Jason Ellerbee-Yukon dec. 6-4 OT Sean Scruggs-EN
140 lbs. Hunter Smith-EN dec. 4-2 Bradyn Meyer-Yukon
145 lbs. Bryce Hendricks-EN major dec. 10-0 Cody Powers-Yukon
152 lbs. Chris Nelson-EN dec. 3-2 Dillon Laden-Yukon
160 lbs. Logan Thomas-Yukon fall 5:37 Ragan Land-EN
171 lbs. Joel Dixon-EN dec. 7-2 Garrett Henshaw-Yukon
189 lbs. Andrew Dixon-EN dec. 7-2 Carson Matthews-Yukon
215 lbs. Austin Schafer-EN Major dec. 8-0 Josh Houle-Yukon
HWT Lantz Parks-Yukon fall 1:55 Kevin Orduna-EN

No. 1 Edmond Memorial rallies from 13 down in the fourth quarter to knock off No. 3 Midwest City on its home floor, hitting four of four free throws in the final 13 seconds to avenge the overtime loss to the Bombers in the first round of the state tournament (well, sort of, though let’s not equate December wins to March wins).

Had to be the biggest drama of the night, right?

Wrong.

Three metro-area games go overtime, with Shawnee nipping Western Heights, Norman North taking down Southmoore and the big one — Putnam City West winning 55-51 at No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe.

That’s a huge win for the Patriots, simply to show themselves and the rest of Class 6A that just because Tyler Neal and Amric Fields are gone, the Pats aren’t going to be a doormat.

Guard Kyndall Dudley hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime to spark the win and Dante Lewis had 10 boards and three blocked shots as the pair of seniors carried PC West to the victory.

“All our kids stepped up and made big plays,” first-year PC West coach Lenny Bert said. “They left their heart on the floor. After the game in the locker room, it wasn’t some big celebration. It was like we were supposed to win. It’s good to get that feeling early, because it showed us we can beat a legitimate team and gives us the belief that we can be good if we do what we’re supposed to do.”

Mustang didn’t need overtime to take down No. 2 Putnam City at PC. David Glidden scored only six points in a loss last week, so I wondered if maybe the ankle he injured in the final football game was still an issue. Then he busts out for 20 against the Pirates. Robert Shaw added 14 and Zac Grismer had 13 in the win.

Back to Memorial-MWC… these are two really good teams who will be hanging around in March. Memorial’s Obi Emegano is a horse, but we all knew that. The Bulldogs play some tough defense, too.

Sophomore Jordan Woodard is a budding star who will only get better. For such a young kid to step to the free throw line with 6.1 seconds left and a one-point lead and be able to hit two free throws — he was 2-of-4 at the line before that — was very impressive. He and his brother, James, are both very athletic and will make it tough for teams to figure out how to defend the Bulldogs this year, especially with Emegano.

“It’s hard to guard (Emegano) one-on-one,” Memorial coach Shane Cowherd said. “And if you foul him, he’ll make you pay at the line.”

He certainly did Tuesday, hitting 14 of 16, including two with 12.9 seconds left.

The Bombers look about the same as last year. Not huge inside but very tough on defense to create easy offense, and they can get going on some serious 3-pointer streaks. They might even have a little better depth than last year, too.

There was plenty more drama around the metro area last night, and a few big performances as well. Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler had 46 points, 26 rebounds, seven assists and six blocked shots in a rout of Crooked Oak. Armon Provo had his second straight 30-point game, scoring 34 against Choctaw, and his night ended when the Panthers held a 33-point lead after three quarters. And Deer Creek’s Garrett Hermanski scored 38 in a win over Chickasha.

We’re only two weeks into the season. How much better can this year get?

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Dominique Raney got off to quite a start himself, scoring 30 in the Pirate victory. The athletic 6-foot-5 senior will be asked to do a lot more on this team, which doesn’t have the interior presence of last year’s squad. He’ll handle the ball a lot more and he’ll be asked to lead the offense.

Raney said he’s letting his father and coach A.D. Burtschi handle most of his recruiting right now so he can focus on the season, but he’s got a chance to be the state’s top recruit this year — especially if he keeps putting up numbers like this.

Other contenders

Armon Provo, PC North boys basketball: Had the Panthers been able to pull off the upset, here’s your POW. Provo poured in 35 in the loss to PC.

Mackenzie York, Yukon girls basketball: York was the only player in double-figures as Yukon opened with a 15-point win over PC West.

Alexis Watson and Joh’Vonna Mitchell, PC North girls basketball: Watson scored 15 and Mitchell had 14 as the Panthers won a thriller in overtime against rival Putnam City.

LaShawn Jones, Putnam City girls basketball: The Oklahoma State-bound Jones scored 18 in the narrow defeat to PC North.

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

If you have All-District teams, go ahead and send ‘em.

6A – 1 All-District Selections

Coach of the Year:            Steve Huff        Midwest City
Offensive Player of the Year:        Louis Durant        Lawton Ike (RB)
Co-Defensive Player of the Year:    Connor Myers        Edmond Memorial (DT)
Co-Defensive Player of the Year:    Dan Davis        Norman North (LB)
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year:    Justin Durham        Lawton Ike (OG)
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year:    Jesse Venzor        Midwest City (OG)
Defensive Lineman of the Year:    Brad Ross        Putnam City North (DT)

Tanner Hessman        QB                Choctaw
Corey Bennett            RB                Choctaw
Aaron Fournier        DB                Choctaw
Hunter Davis            DE                Choctaw
Brandon Drain            DE                Choctaw
Connor Myers            DT                Edmond Memorial
Jared Chambers        DE                Edmond Memorial
Kameron Doolittle        QB                Edmond Memorial
Jacob Wright            OL                Edmond Memorial
Jeff Balkenbush        DB                Edmond Memorial
Will Conant            Kicker/Punter            Edmond Memorial
Connor McElveen        DB                Edmond Memorial
Grant Bohuslavicky        LB                Edmond Memorial
Cale Olbert            RB                Edmond Memorial
Logan Ezell            OL                Lawton Ike
Nathan Locker            RB                Lawton Ike
Wayne  Tanner            OL                Lawton Ike
Adrain Woodard        WR                Lawton Ike
Dillon Pulliam            LB                Lawton Ike
Marty Northern        DL                Lawton Ike
JR. Hernandez            DL                Lawton Ike
Baccari Jackson        DB                Lawton Ike
Deshon Whartley        DB                Lawton Ike
Taylor Scott            DB                Lawton Ike
David Cowan            LB                Moore
Ryan Crain            DL                Moore
Vova Razryvin        QB                Moore
Kevin Ross            OL                Moore
Trystyn Kirby            OL                Moore
Greg Austin            QB                Midwest City
Trevon Lews            DE                Midwest City
Cameron Hishaw        DE                Midwest City
Carlos Morales        LB                Midwest City
Cortrez Colbert        WR                Midwest City
Jesse Venzor            OL                Midwest City
Landen Carson        OL                Midwest City
Cajun Cox            RB                Midwest City
Cortrael Colbert        WR                Midwest City
Ryan Wright            WR                Midwest City
Claude Donald        WR                Midwest City
Dan Davis            LB                Norman North
Raymond Demby        RB                Norman North
Caleb Cline            OL                Norman North
Daniel Moses            LB                Norman North
Derek Morton            DL                Norman North
Emilio Gatewood        DB                Norman North
Zac Pierce            LB                Norman North
Covin Conrady        WR                Putnam City North
Sam Wolfe            RB                Putnam City North
Brad Ross            DL                Putnam City North
Abe Almatasem        DE                Putnam City North
DeQuantae Colbert        DB                Putnam City North
Jace James            QB                Putnam City North
Billy Prater            DB                Putnam City North
Andy Bates            OL                Putnam City North
Eric Granado            WR                Yukon
Kaiden Horn            WR                Yukon
Kollin Retter            WR                Yukon
Jake Doyle            DE                Yukon
Terry Jones            RB                Yukon
Jordan Edwards        DB                Yukon
Ty Garza            DB                Yukon
Carson Mathews        LB                Yukon
Jake Henderson        LB                Yukon
Andrew Edwards        DE                Yukon

Putnam City girls basketball player LaShawn Jones signed with Oklahoma State.

At 6-foot-4, Jones has been on the radars of college programs for a while, and she was glad to get her decision made early. Jones signed with Oklahoma State last week, noting that she enjoy’s Kurt Budke’s coaching style. But Jones is still focused on her senior season with the Pirates after averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds last year.

“I really want to improve on my footwork this year,” she said. “We’re ready to make a playoff run.

“I think offense is our strength. We have a good inside-outside game.”

Congrats to all of the West Metro athletes who signed with colleges during the early signing period. Here are the ones I know about. If there are more, e-mail me at swright@opubco.com.

Baseball
Brian Brightwell, Putnam City (Oklahoma)

Girls basketball
LaShawn Jones, Putnam City (Oklahoma State)

Softball
Kayla Kingsley, Putnam North (Missouri)
Kylie Lang, Yukon (Southern Nazarene)

Volleyball
Tori Cox, Putnam City (Baylor)

Yukon receiver/safety Kaiden Horn, playing what turned out to be his final game as a Miller, Horn had 132 receiving yards and a touchdown, and his final catch set up Yukon inside the 5 before the game-ending fumble.

Horn has been playing through an injury for the second half of the season, and his effort has never been questioned. Friday was a very impressive performance.

Horn finished the year with 576 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Other contenders

David Glidden, Michael Andersen and Brandon Taylor, Mustang: Glidden, also playing through pain, caught eight passes for 87 yards and two TDs. Andersen grabbed a huge 47-yard TD to give the Broncos one last shot in the final two minutes. And Taylor threw for 281 yards and four scores while rushing for another in the 42-34 loss to Lawton Ike.

Carson Mathews and Jake Henderson, Yukon: The two linebackers were the strength of the Yukon defense Friday night. They both spent a lot of time in the Edmond North backfield, chasing down the running back and pressuring the quarterback. Mathews finished the season averaging better than nine tackles per game and was the only Miller to total more than 100 stops on the year.

Edmond North (5-5) at Yukon (8-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Miller Pride Stadium, Yukon (Scott will be there)

North (L- Southmoore; W – Choctaw; L – Memorial; W – Del City; L – Mustang; L – Putnam City; W – Westmoore; L – Lawton; W – Santa Fe; W – US Grant)
Why the Huskies can win: Because they’ve answered the challenge of their coach. They have a tremendously balanced offense. When Travis Townsend is on, he is absolute money with all his targets. RB Ryan Hammons has become a good second banana to Jarion Tudman.

Quote:

It’s all about creating a winning tradition. Last year’s club started it, this one has continued it. Now we need to make that next step.” – coach Jeremy Dombek

Yukon (W – Mustang, W – Edmond Santa Fe, W – Stillwater, L – Midwest City, W – Norman North, W – Lawton Ike, W – PC North, W – Moore, W – Choctaw, L – Edmond Memorial)
Why the Millers can win: The double-threat offense. Whether it’s Corben Jones and his bevy of talented receivers, or Terry Jones and the Miller O-line, a.k.a. the Pit Crew, Yukon can find ways to move the ball. The Edmond North defense has been susceptible to both at times this year. Terry Jones’ ankle is getting closer and closer to 100 percent, and I’d look for Miller Pride Stadium to be rockin’ for the first home playoff game in Yukon since 1998.

Key matchup: North secondary vs. Yukon passing game. Scott hit the nail on the head earlier this week when asking about the secondary. This will be a big game for Christian Peterson and the rest of the Huskies defensive backs to come up big when it matters most.

Boneman’s pick: Yukon 35, North 20. I have a hard time seeing the Millers not show up and bring their best in this one, especially after being blanked in the second half last week.

Scott’s pick: Yukon 35, North 31. If the Huskies can hold Yukon below 35, it gives them a much better chance at the upset, but it’s not an easy task. Only Midwest City and Edmond Memorial have done it this year.

Boneman’s North prediction record: 7-3.

2010 Metro Athletic Conference Freshman Football All Conference Players

Putnam City — Offense: Gerrell Murray, Davion Wisby. Defense: Jamie Flowers, Jeremiah Hall, Kris Dorsey.

Santa Fe — Offense: Charles Wade, Cameron Westbrook, Chris Morgensen, Jon Wynn. Defense: Justice Hansen, Chase Hillmon, Marshawn Mills.

Choctaw — Offense: Derrick Briggs, Dallas Hamlin. Defense: Dalton Fittro, Caleb Shimp.

Mustang — Offense: Franklin Edwards, Colton Hadlock, Jaden Ray, Garreth Ballard, Joey Snodgrass. Defense: Josh Head, Tristin Hill, Logan Reed.

Edmond North — Offense: Josh Garbrecht, Blake Snow, Ezel McIntee, Lindell Tate, Joel Dixon. Defense: Mark Piatt, Noah Johnston, Lance Dixon, Andrew Dixon.

Yukon — Offense: Shawn Anderson, Tyler Bowling, Logan Parks. Defense: Josh Bedell, Andre Dowuona-Hammond, Bradyn Meyer.

Standings: 1. Edmond North; 2. Mustang; 3. Santa Fe; 4. Yukon; 5. Putnam City; 6. Choctaw; 7. PC West. 8. PC North.

Edmond North beat Westmoore in the Bi-Conference championship aka the X Game.

Edmond North (5-5) at Yukon (8-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Miller Pride Stadium, Yukon (Scott will be there)

Scott Wright: What sparked the mid-season turnaround for this team that enabled them get to the postseason?

Robert Przybylo: A challenge and a change in philosophy by coach Jeremy Dombek. He’s never really believed in having two-way starters. But he started to after the Putnam City loss. And it’s not so much about players like Jarion Tudman or Kyle Aschenbrenner going both ways as much it woke up the players in practice. It got them to practice harder and start looking over their shoulder. They knew that from that point on, they had to bring it every day…and they have.

Wright: The run game is obviously the key to the offense, but can the passing game carry them if they get behind?

Przybylo: I’d argue the running game is the key. They would like it to be the key, but Troy Davis has been injured. Ryan Hammons didn’t play early. Tudman has been injured and has dropped the ball. If Tudman doesn’t fumble, this team is a different animal. If he does, the game is in Travis Townsend’s hands. And that’s OK because he has SO many options to hit. Want the big play — hit DonQuay Hammons. Want the sure hands — hit Garrett Molinsky. Great options for the Huskies.

Wright: With Yukon’s love of the pass, who are the key players to watch in the Huskies’ secondary?

Przybylo: A couple of names to watch are Camden Bohnert and Christian Peterson. Especially Bohnert. He is someone who is starting to really hit his stride. Secondary has been the question mark for this team all year so the Millers attack is definitely going to push these kids. The key will be for Ryan Adams, Aschenbrenner and company to get some pressure on Jones.

Edmond North (5-5) at Yukon (8-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Miller Pride Stadium, Yukon (Scott will be there)

Robert Przybylo: Did last week’s loss give a recipe of how to beat this team? Is team at all concerned about Corben Jones throwing two interceptions in the second half?

Scott Wright: I don’t think the interceptions are a concern. The team was extremely flat in the second half. Maybe the early lead got them feeling a little too comfortable. As for a recipe, I suppose if you can have two guys rush for 319 yards on 32 carries, that’s probably a good start. The Millers are still two-dimensional on offense and the defense is good enough to get the job done. I don’t think last week’s game changes anything.

Przybylo: Speaking of the Jones family, what’s the status of Terry Jones? Is he 100 percent again? If he’s not, what kind of role will Derek Deeds play?

Wright: Hard to say if Terry Jones is back to 100 percent, but he’s had 188 yards total the last two weeks since coming back from that ankle injury. He’s the guy they like to feed in the run game, but Corben Jones will run some, and look for Deeds to get in on the rushing act with some Wildcat — Wild Miller? — snaps.

Przybylo: We hear all the time about how explosive this offense has been. What can you say about the defense at this point of the season?

Wright: The defense got hit for some big plays last week, and they’ve had a couple of other second-half lapses this season, vs. Midwest City and PC North. But overall, they’ve been solid. The line can pressure the quarterback. Their linebackers, Carson Mathews and Jake Henderson, are hard hitters, and the five-man secondary has good speed. Watch out for linebacker/safety hybrid Eric Granado on the blitz.

With another strong performance from the offensive line, RB Casey Curtis posted his fifth 200-yard game of the season. He went for 236 and three scores in the 33-12 win over Santa Fe, which sported one of the better defenses in the district.

Curtis concluded his junior season with 1,659 yards and 21 touchdowns. He has started to gain some recruiting attention from some big schools. His top-end speed and strength in his 5-foot-8, 175-pound frame will keep him on the radars of D-I programs through the offseason.

Other contenders

Jon Luckey, Mustang: The senior WR/DB had TDs of 60 and 50 yards early for the Broncos before Del City pulled away. Luckey bulked up prior to the season and he’s been playing well on both sides of the ball. He’ll be key in run support from his safety position in Friday’s playoff game against Lawton Eisenhower.

Kollin Retter, Yukon: Retter had eight catches for for 129 yards and two touchdowns, though the Millers go into the playoffs on a sour note after the 38-21 loss to Edmond Memorial.

Dre Holman, Sam Wolfe and the PC North defense: The pair of running backs powered the Panther offense to a solid outing and the defense did what it needed to do in order to give the Panthers a shot at the postseason, but they didn’t get the help they needed from Yukon.

Edmond Memorial (6-3) at Yukon (8-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Miller Pride Stadium, Yukon (Scott will be there)

Memorial (W – Santa Fe; W- Stillwater; W- EdNorth; L – PCNorth; W – Moore; W – Choctaw; L – Ike; L – MWC; W – NNorth)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because if they don’t…uh oh, leaving their fate in somebody else’s hands. A lot of talk about the return of Kameron Doolittle, but it’s going to have to be the defense in this one. They have to find a way to stop this high-powered Millers offense. Memorial cannot get in a shootout.

Quote:

We know what we have to do. We still have our goals. We have to leave everything out there.” – Doolittle

Yukon (W – Mustang, W – Edmond Santa Fe, W – Stillwater, L – Midwest City, W – Norman North, W – Lawton Ike, W – PC North, W – Moore, W – Choctaw)
Why the Millers can win: A 9-1 regular season means a lot to this team. Sure, there’s nothing left to gain in postseason terms, but going 9-1 is a big deal. RB Terry Jones returned from an ankle injury last week with a 120-yard performance, so the Jones boys are back in action in the Miller backfield.

Key matchup: Gavin Fouts vs. Yukon defense. With all the attention on Doolittle and Ry Huff, this might be a game where Fouts explodes. The Miller D has put together two good weeks since that second-half debacle against PC North that nearly let the game slip away in the final minutes.

Boneman’s pick: Yukon 19, Memorial 17. If this was at Wantland, I think I switch it. But Yukon, despite having nothing to play for, is incredibly focused and wants this game.

Scott’s pick: Yukon 28, Memorial 20. I think Yukon has only seen one defense better than Memorial, and that one — Midwest City — is the only team to hold the Millers below 35. I think the ‘Dogs can do that, but I don’t know that they can win at Yukon.

Boneman’s Memorial prediction record: 7-2.

Player of the Year – Kady Self, Edmond North
Newcomer of the Year – Kilee Halbert, Yukon
Coach of the Year – Rick Nordyke, Edmond North

First Team
Edmond North: Abby Taliaferro, Madison Nordyke, Jordan Dixon, Sheridan Bond, Braxton Coil
Yukon: Kylie Lang, Madi Ellis, Skylar Leathers, Jade Hardy
Mustang: Courtni Clark, Jamie Rateliff, Kayla Adams
Edmond Santa Fe: Maddie Martin, Karly Nevez, Breezy McComas, Catherine Rodarm
Putnam North: Kayla Kingsley, Taylor Harris, Dani Nissen
Putnam City: Grace Self, Amanda Stevenson, Tiffany Holt
Putnam West: Ashley Tiger, Allyson Hemby
Choctaw: Elizabeth Sandman, Casie Foust

Second Team
EN: Ashton Smith, Brooke Crutchfield. YHS: Amanda Madden, Whitney Ellis, Caitlyn Halbert. MHS: Kyndra Holasek, Kierra Miles, Shelbi Legg. ESF: Kayley Humann, Siara Price, Sydney Brennan, Carly Cowan. PCN: Alli Whittington, Madison Welch, Amy Reynolds. PCO: Kylee Webb, Amber McCullough, Andrea Walling. CHS: Kylie Morgan, Ashley Hopkins, Sadie Marino. PCW: Haley Hemby, Kaleigh Ferrell.

This Speed Read will take a look at what Week 10 means to the teams still alive in the playoff hunt and what will be in store for them in the postseason — you know, the “and beyond” part.

Yukon

Week 10: The No. 2 spot is sewn up, so the Millers are just playing for the gratification of a 9-1 season, and to keep their momentum going into Week 11. Their game still has an impact on the playoff race, but we’ll get to that in the PC North section.

… and beyond: If Edmond North wins at home against US Grant Thursday  night, the Huskies will come to Yukon for the first round of the playoffs. If North loses, it could be Westmoore, Del City or Putnam City visiting Miller Pride Stadium.

PC North

Week 10: Most importantly, the Panthers have to beat Choctaw. If they don’t nothing else matters. But if they do that, it’s time for some scoreboard watching. PC North needs Yukon to beat Edmond Memorial and Midwest City to beat Norman North. The last possible scenario to get the Panthers in requires them to win, Memorial to lose and a Norman North victory in which it gains fewer than seven district points on PC North.

… and beyond: A trip to Lawton would be waiting for the Panthers if they get in. They lost a heartbreaker there in Week 9 last season, and went down there for a scrimmage in August, just for the experience of traveling, because coach Bob Wilson knew there might be a road trip in their playoff future.

Mustang

Week 10: Like Yukon, the Broncos have a No. 2 seed and home playoff berth wrapped up with no chance of improving their situation. So Friday’s game against Del City won’t mean much. Just get through it healthy and move on.

… and beyond: Week 11 was a disaster for the Broncos last year, and being on the home field will be more comfortable this time around. Lawton Eisenhower, which came to Mustang for the Pigskin Preview in August, will be the opponent..

Putnam City

Week 10: The Pirates will know the night before their Week 10 game at Edmond Santa Fe whether they have anything more than pride on the line. US Grant must defeat Edmond North on Thursday night for PC to have a shot at the playoffs. Even if that happens, PC will need a win over Santa Fe and a Del City loss at Mustang with PC  also picking up 17 or more district points on Edmond North and 11 or more district points on Del City.

… and beyond: If all that happens and the Pirates get in as the No. 4 seed, a trip to Midwest City would be in line.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

He scored in each phase of the game, each of more than 70 yards, to help Mustang put away Westmoore and lock up a home playoff bid.

The Oklahoma State-bound Glidden earned POW honors with a 70-yard free kick return TD, a 70-yard receiving TD and a 96-yard interception return TD. He finished with 154 receiving yards and threw a 36-yard pass as well.

The Broncos are at Del City Friday to wrap up the regular season in a game that really doesn’t mean anything for the Broncos. They’ve got the No. 2 spot wrapped up. Del City will know Thursday night if the game has any meaning to them. If Edmond North defeats US Grant Thursday night at Wantland Stadium, the Eagles are out.

Other contenders

Kaiden Horn, Kollin Retter and Ty Garza, Yukon: Horn scored twice in Yukon’s big second half to seal up a home playoff berth. Garza and Retter each came up with a pick-6 to spur that second-half runaway.

Covin Conrady, Dre Holman and Brad Ross, PC North: Conrady and Holman came through with multiple big plays, and Ross scored twice as the Panthers stayed alive in the playoff hunt with a 42-40 win over Moore. 

Emily Helms and Andy Carroll, Mustang cross country: Helms finished second in the girls 6A state meet and Carroll was fourth in the boys race, but impressive accomplishments at the highest level.

Why the Millers could win: The offense has all the weapons. Run, pass, block. They do it all. RB Derek Deeds has been good filling in for Terry Jones while he’s hurt, and QB Corben Jones continues to be consistent and efficient in the passing game. And the defense has been solid outside of a couple hiccups.

Why the ‘Jackets could win: Suddenly, the playoffs aren’t so much of a long shot. Choctaw has the size and the toughness to match up with Yukon in the trenches, particularly with Tulsa commit Hunter Davis at D-end. And Tanner Hessman is an athletic QB who can make plays. He did nto play when Choctaw faced the Millers last season. 

Key matchup: Yukon run game vs. Choctaw defensive front. Whether Terry Jones is back from his ankle injury, or Derek Deeds filling in again, the Millers have been able to run the ball behind that strong offensive line. Their two-dimensional ability is what makes them so effective. If you’re going to beat them, you have to stop one, and the run game is Choctaw’s best chance.

The pick: Yukon 35, Choctaw 21. Yukon has scored 35 points in three of the last four games and four times this season. Seems like they have a knack for it.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Derek Deeds, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior, has been one of the Millers’ most reliable defenders at free safety and got the chance to show how dangerous he can be on offense the last two weeks while starting running back Terry Jones has been sidelined by an ankle injury.

Deeds, who had 11 receptions as a slot receiver in the first six games, has five rushing touchdowns the last two weeks. For the season, he has carried the ball 38 times for 211 yards, virtually all in the last two games.

He also had two interceptions, returning one 76 yards for a touchdown, in Thursday’s win over Moore that assured the Millers of a second straight playoff berth.

Other contenders

Andrew Madison, Mustang: The sophomore receiver had two interceptions and took both back to the end zone, only to have both called back by penalty. There are several sophomores like Madison, Jared Chance, Steven Fruit, Cole Williams, Dakota Warrington, Cory Irwins and Tucker Calmus getting the opportunity to help out the Broncos, and many of them are starting to come into their own.

Dre Holman, PC North: Holman finally broke loose, rushing for 189 yards and a TD (had another erased by penalty) in the loss to Lawton Ike.

Casey Curtis, Putnam City: Like Holman, Curtis had a strong rushing performance — 183 yards and a TD — go by the wayside in defeat at Westmoore.

Emily Helms, Mustang cross country: Won a 6A regional, winning by one second in 11:51. She will be among the favorites at state on Sunday.

Seems like a good time to break down playoff positioning for the five West Metro squads, so here we go:

Yukon, 6A-1
Record: 6-1, 3-1
Remaining games: vs. Moore; at Choctaw; vs. Edmond Memorial
The situation: Right now, this finishing schedule looks as easy as you could get in this district, but that could change with the return of Memorial’s Kameron Doolittle from injury. But still, these are three games the Millers will be favored to win. They’ll need help to get to the top spot because of the loss to MWC, but if they just take care of business, the No. 2 spot — and a home playoff berth — should be wrapped up.

Mustang, 6A-2
Record: 5-2, 3-1
Remaining games: at US Grant; vs. Westmoore; at Del City
The situation: That Westmoore game looks HUGE right now, and will be even bigger if Westmoore tops Putnam City Friday night, with the two teams tied for the No. 2 spot. Mustang’s wins over PC and Edmond North will be key should there be a tiebreaker in their future. Del City in Week 10 could be interesting, because the Eagles could be playing for their postseason lives at that point.

Putnam City, 6A-2
Record: 5-2, 2-2
Remaining games: at Westmoore; vs. Lawton; at Edmond Santa Fe
The situation: Not an easy road to finish the season, especially considering these are the three toughest defenses in the district — not counting PC itself — based on points allowed. The offense, and particularly the run game, will be tested to the max the last three weeks. The good news is that one win in the last three should be enough to get the Pirates into a tiebreaker for a playoff berth, and two wins probably locks them in.

Putnam City North, 6A-1
Record: 2-5, 1-3
Remaining games: vs. Lawton Ike; at Moore; vs. Choctaw
The situation: It’s not a stretch to imagine that the Panthers could win out and get to 4-3 in the district, which might be enough to lock them in and maybe even get them up to the No. 3 slot. But sitting in sixth right now is a tough spot to be in, because it looks like the district is destined for a tiebreaker. Every point counts.

Putnam City West, 6A-3
Record: 1-6, 1-3
Remaining games: at Muskogee; vs. Sapulpa; at Southmoore
The situation: If the Patriots win the next two, it’s possible they could find themselves in a tiebreaker. But it all hinges on beating Muskogee tonight, which won’t be easy. Otherwise the Roughers likely get to 4-3 and out of the Pats’ reach for the fourth spot.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Moore Lions (0-7) at Yukon (6-1)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Miller Pride Stadium, Yukon

Why the Lions can win: Similarity. When Moore coach Scott Myers throws on the film of Yukon, he sees a team very similar to his own. He sees a team with the same philosophy and a team that even runs some of the same plays. The Lions will need every advantage they can get Thursday to go along with an offense that appeared to click last week.

Quote: “I don’t see the superstars that a lot of other teams have. I see 11 really good football players on both sides of the ball that play with a lot of confidence in what they do and what they are trying to get done. They are having a lot of success with it.” — Moore coach Scott Myers on Yukon

Why the Millers can win: Other than a wild final few minutes, the Miller defense has been strong since the Midwest City loss. The run-pass threat has been there every week and that makes the offense hard to stop. And this is a team with big goals. They know they’ve got to win games they’re supposed to win to set themselves up for a home playoff game.

Key matchup: Yukon run game vs. Moore defensive front. With the Millers’ powerful offensive line opening holes, the Millers have had ground success against most everyone they’ve played. Even without top RB Terry Jones last week because of an ankle injury, Derek Deeds filled in and carried the load. QB Corben Jones has been ultra-efficient in the passing game, and the Lions will have to take away one facet of the offense and force Yukon to be one-dimensional.

Justin’s pick: Yukon 42, Moore 7. Moore’s offense clicked against a Norman North team that is a level below Yukon. Against the Millers, Moore will likely fall back in to familiar ground.

Scott’s pick: Yukon 35, Moore 6. As long as the Millers can stay focused, they should be able to control the game. With a few players banged up, staying healthy and getting their 15 district points will be the big keys.

Some weeks are easier than others when it comes to picking the West Metro Player(s) of the Week. This is one of those weeks.

The Yukon Millerettes rolled to the Class 6A state softball championship with an impressive performance.

Whitney Ellis, Madi Ellis and Skylar Leathers all had big RBIs in the title game, but it was a total team effort throughout the weekend to pull of the title. Here’s Robert Przybylo’s story on the finals.

Other contenders

Brandon Taylor, David Glidden and Cole Williams, Mustang: Taylor threw for 338 yards and six TDs, Glidden caught four TD passes and returned a kickoff 84 yards for a score, and Williams came up with two fumble recoveries to set up touchdowns as the Broncos exploded for 59 points in beating Putnam City.

Corben Jones and Derek Deeds, Yukon: Filling in for Terry Jones as he works his way back from an ankle injury, Deeds broke loose for four touchdowns and 91 yards on 17 carries to keep the Yukon offense balanced. Corben Jones was sharp as usual, throwing for 208 yards and completing 19 of 26 passes.

Casey Curtis and Putnam City offensive line: Curtis broke free for his third straight 200-yard rushing performance and his fourth of the year. Behind an offensive line with several seniors, this Pirate run game just keeps churning out big yards.

Jace James and Sam Wolfe Putnam City North: James had his second straight 300-yard passing game and led the offense to a near-comeback victory against Yukon. James threw one TD pass and rushed for another in the fourth quarter. Wolfe rushed for two TDs, including a 64-yarder that sparked the rally. 

Emily Helms and Andy Carroll, Mustang cross country: Helms won the girls race and Carroll the boys race at the Metro Conference meet — a good sign heading into regionals this weekend and state on Oct. 30.

Scott Massey, Yukon cross country: Finished fourth at the Metro Conference meet.

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

What an incredible couple of weeks for softball. Or at least the weather for softball. Could not have asked for anything better. Know what this means? We’re screwed in spring. Update as much as possible here and on Twitter.

Class 5A
Championship: Carl Albert 6, McAlester 4 – final

- McAlester pitcher Taylor Dewbery and Carl Albert pitcher Whitney Robinson are mowing ‘em up and mowing ‘em down through two innings.
- Carl Albert’s Molly Davison hits a HR…but ruled foul. Very close. It was definitely hooking foul but don’t know if it actually was. Ump was very definitive on it, though.
- CA’s Krista Waggoner hits a two-run HR. 2-0 CA bot 4th. That thing just kept carrying. Didn’t think it would get out of here, but it kept going. Hey, who knew?
- McAlester comes back. A couple of RBI singles and the Buffs take a 3-2 lead into the fifth.
- A no-doubt-about-it two-run homer by Madisyn Long gives CA 4-3 lead.
- Rayna Smith drives in her second run of the game to tie it up. McAlester 4, Carl Albert 4 – top 7th. CA with 2-3-4 coming up.
- Wow, was that jacked. Madisyn Long hits her second two-run home run. CA 6, McAlester 4 – top 7th.

Class 6A
Championship: Yukon 11, Jenks 6 – final

- Whitney Ellis had an RBI single in the first. Yukon 1, Jenks o – top 2nd
- Erin Miller plates two with a two-run double and Jenks’ hot bats continue. Jenks 3, Yukon 1 – top 3rd
- Yukon scores two on errors, then Whitney Ellis REALLY scores two with a home run. Yukon 5, Jenks 3 – top 3.
- Gaby Cepeda had a rough top of the third behind the plate. Boom, two-run HR, all is forgiven. Jenks 5, Yukon 5 – bot 3rd.
- The back and forth continues. Two-run single by Skyler Leathers and a two-run HR by Madi Ellis. Yukon 9, Jenks 5 – top 4th.
- And for the first time today, neither team scored in the inning. In the 6th, 9-6 Yukon.

Last week: The Millers got a key win over Lawton Ike. PC North suffered a difficult 21-13 loss to Norman North after falling behind 21-0.

Why the Millers could win: The offense has been hard to stop this season. Only Midwest City has held them below 35 points, and Corben Jones seems to be getting better with each week that goes by. Terry Jones is playing through an ankle injury, but the Millers still have plenty of weapons at receiver and a strong offensive line. Defensively, Yukon has been big in the second half the last couple weeks, led by linebacker Carson Mathews, who is averaging nine tackles per game.

Why the Panthers could win: The Norman North loss was ugly, but this is a good football team. When they don’t shoot themselves in the foot, they’re hard to beat. Jace James had one of his best games last week, and the run game is better than it showed last week with 14 carries for 40 yards. The defense has been strong all season, but got hit with a crushing run by Emilio Gatewood last week that put the game away. They’ll need to prevent the big play this week.

Key matchup: PC North O-line vs. Yukon D-line. The biggest issue for the Panthers last week was their struggle in moving the line of scrimmage to open up the run game. More so than many offenses, the Panthers thrive on balance and they will need to establish the run to be able to score enough points this week.

The pick: Yukon 38, PC North 28. Yukon has too many good receivers for the young Panther secondary to keep them all in check.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Putnam City at Mustang

Major playoff implications are on the line in Friday’s Putnam City-Mustang game, and regardless of what happens, the two teams are likely to keep statisticians busy.

Each team comes into the game with a junior producing impressive offensive statistics in recent weeks.

Mustang quarterback Brandon Taylor has thrown for more than 800 yards the last two games and is up to 1,784 for the season. He has completed 60.4 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Putnam City running back Casey Curtis is coming off back-to-back 200-yard rushing performances with seven total touchdowns in the last two games. For the year, the 5-foot-8, 175-pound speedster has 942 yards and 15 touchdowns on 123 carries.

The winner has a leg up on the No. 2 spot – and thus, the home playoff berth — in District 6A-2. And in Putnam City’s case, it puts them in good position to get in the mix for the district title, with the No. 4 Wolverines set to visit PC Stadium in Week 9.

Yukon at Putnam City North

Obviously, this would have been a bigger game had the Panthers not been upset by Norman North last week, but that still adds some drama, since PC North must bounce back to keep themselves in serious playoff contention.

Regardless, Yukon can’t let PC North’s loss impact their opinion of the Panthers. This is still a team that beat Edmond Memorial and took Midwest City to overtime — nearly beat the Bombers except for a controversial fumble call at the goal line.

Terry Jones gutted out 22 carries on a bad ankle last week, and more of the same will be asked of him against a tougher defense this week. A win here puts Yukon in great position for the No. 2 seed in District 6A-1.

Meanwhile, a win for PC North would be a huge boost heading into the final three weeks against Lawton Ike, Moore and Choctaw.

PC West at Norman

Coming off the first win since 2007, PC West is facing quite a challenge in a powerful Norman team looking for a 7-0 start.

The Pats are good against the pass, but stopping the run is an issue. And stopping Donovan Roberts has been an issue for everyone all year.

If Johnny Smith can run the way he did last week, this will be an entertaining matchup, with two powerful backs carrying the ball a bunch.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

With the help of a few key plays by other people, Smith essentially carried the Pats on his back to their first victory in three years. He ran for 196 yards on 29 carries, scoring five touchdowns. He pounded out the tough yards in the middle. He punsihed tacklers who got in his way and ran past the ones who didn’t.

Smith just kept making big play after big play, like his two interceptions, one of which he returned 74 yards to the 1 and plunged into the end zone two plays later.

Overall, just an incredibly impressive performance. And congratualtions to the Patriots on the victory.

Other contenders

Casey Curtis and Elie Rushing, Putnam City: Curtis, behind another strong effort from his offensive line, posted yet another 200-yard game as PC knocked off Edmond North Thursday night. Rushing came up with a key tackle inside the 1-yard line to prevent Edmond North from cutting it to a one-score game. The win sets up a huge game at Mustang on Friday night, with major playoff implications on the line.

Corben Jones, Yukon receivers and Carson Mathews: With brother Terry playing on a bum ankle, Corben Jones threw for 280 yards, including TDs of 25, 29 and 41 yards to Kaiden Horn, Jordan Edwards and Eric Granado to carry the Millers to another win. Granado, who hasn’t gotten much notice for his solid play on defense this season, recovered a fumble for a TD to give Yukon its final points. Mathews intercepted a pass that was a huge turning point in the second quarter. It set up the Millers for a TD to take the lead just before halftime.

Brandon Taylor, Jacob Strassle and Tyler Webster, Mustang: Taylor was impressive again, throwing for 366 yards. He hit Strassle twice for TDs and Strassle also converted his first two field goals of the year, from 27 and 37 yards. Webster has been a huge part of the offense lately, accounting for 179 all-purpose yards in Friday’s win over Edmond Santa Fe, including some QB action in the second half.

Jace James and Covin Conrady, PC North: Conrady had another big week at receiver. He’s up to 638 yards and four TDs after grabbing a 47-yarder this week. And James was asked to throw a lot more than usual as PC North only ran the ball 14 times in Friday’s loss. James threw for 310 yards on 28-of-39 passing.

Mustang and Yukon softball teams: No point in singling out individuals here. When you make it to state, it’s a team effort. Yukon won the regional it hosted, while Mustang went to Midwest City as the No. 2 seed and came out on top.

Scott Massey, Megan Wilkerson and Alex Moore, Yukon cross country: Massey finished third in the boys race, while Wilkerson and Moore each finished in the top nine of the girls race at Southwestern Christian last week. Both teams finished third.

Andy Carroll, Mustang cross country: Carroll finished 10th in the pre-state meet in Edmond.

Last week: Ike rolled Choctaw, 41-14. Yukon trailed Norman North in the second half, but put the T-Wolves away, 35-17.

Why Ike could win: RB Louis Durant and QB Adrian McDonald are a dangerous duo in the backfield. One Yukon coach made the comment to me this week that Lawton Ike “runs the pistol the way it’s supposed to be run.” The defense has come up with a couple big performances as well, and Yukon might be without RB Terry Jones who injured his ankle last week.

Why Yukon could win: Whether Terry Jones plays or not, the Millers still have a stout offensive line that will give them a chance to run the ball. And QB Corben Jones, with his long list of dangerous receivers, will keep the passing game going.

Key matchup: Ike run game vs. Yukon linebackers. The biggest challenge for Yukon will be keeping up with the Eagles’ speed, so guys like Kollin Retter and Eric Granado — linebacker/safety hybrid type players — will have to utilize their speed as outside linebackers at the line of scrimmage to limit the speed option and zone read plays to prevent Ike from controlling the ball and the clock.

The pick: Yukon 27, Ike 24. There’s still a lot to be decided in District 6A-1, and every win will be valuable in this playoff race.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

However you describe it, Brandon Taylor was on fire Friday night. His first half alone would have been a great full-game performance — 22-of-25 for 354 yards and three TDs. He finished 30-of-38 for 442 and four TDs as Mustang coasted to a 56-34 win over Edmond North.

Taylor wasn’t alone in his special performance. The offensive line gave him plenty of time virtually all night. David Glidden pulled in 10 passes for more than 220 yards. Jon Luckey made some big catches and had an interception return TD. Tyler Webster kept the ball moving both running and catching the ball. And Stephen Fruit got his name called a lot on defense, making a lot of tackles.

When the Mustang offense is working like that, it’s fun to watch. Taylor is a big, strong lefty who throws the ball well and he’s starting to get more comfortable with his receivers other than Glidden and Luckey — guys like Michael Andersen, who had a TD Friday, Jacob Mersman and Jacob Strassle.

The offense will get another test this week against a stout defensive team at Edmond Santa Fe.

Other contenders

Covin Conrady, PC North football: If the Panthers had pulled off the upset of Midwest City, Conrady is your POW. The senior receiver had nine catches for 230 yards and a score. In case you missed it, here’s the game story.

Casey Curtis, Putnam City football: Curtis isn’t the type of back you’d expect to be a workhorse type who gets 30-plus carries, but he handled it well, rushing 33 times for 204 yards and four TDs.

Corben Jones, Yukon football: With his brother, Terry, sidelined by an injury, Corben Jones picked up the offense and turned a 17-14 deficit to a 35-17 win. He threw TD passes to Kollin Retter and Eric Granado, and rushed for a 20-yard score as well. He threw for 260 yards.

Jamie Rateliff and Kayla Adams, Mustang softball: The two seniors hit back-to-back home runs to finish off a 12-4 win over Choctaw.

Madi Ellis, Yukon softball: Ellis leads the Millerettes into regionals this week after driving in four runs in a rout of PC West.

Emily Helms and Andy Carroll, Mustang cross country: Helms won the girls race and Carroll was fourth in the boys race at the Mustang meet.

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

Last week: Norman North fell 27-20 to Lawton Eisenhower. Yukon built a 21-6 lead at Midwest City before the tide turned and the Bombers scored 42 straight for a 48-21 win.

Why the T-Wolves could win: Those offensive weapons — primarily RBs Raymond Demby and Emilio Gatewood, and tight end Dan Davis — are going to get on track eventually. They’re too good not to. With 20 points in back-to-back weeks, it’s possible that they’re coming together. Demby, Gatewood and Davis are also key defensive players who give the T-Wolves a chance on that side of the ball.

Why the Millers could win: After last week’s second-half performance, you’d expect this team to be ready to take out some frustrations, and a Norman North squad off to a slow start is just in the wrong spot. The Miller offense was virtually unstoppable in the first half last week, and if they play even close to that level, they can put up points on anyone. MWC started scoring and the snowball couldn’t be stopped, so don’t look at that 48 points allowed and discredit the defense. That’s still a good unit, too.

Key matchup: NN quarterback Brad Valentino vs. Yukon secondary. Valentino has been up and down this year, completing 44 percent of his passes with two TDs and two picks. He’ll need to be sharp to keep the Millers from loading up on the run. And Yukon has some playmakers on the back end as well.

The pick: Yukon 31, Norman North 17. I can’t understand why this Norman North team can’t get it going, and maybe this is the week they turn things around. But I think Yukon is just too much.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Putnam City

I didn’t know what to expect from Putnam City at the start of the season. The district wasn’t too tough, but they lost a lot of key players on the defensive side of the ball and on the offensive line. But once they got past PC North in Week 1, you could see the potential for this 4-0 start.

But at the start of the season, Del City looked like a really strong team, especially with all the talent they’ve got on offense. Now, they’re the team that has some uncertainty surrounding it. So this becomes a winnable game for Putnam City. With Edmond North, Mustang, Westmoore and Lawton coming in the four weeks after this, the Pirates would greatly benefit from a win Friday night.

This PC team is playing with a lot of confidence right now, especially with that run game going the way it is, and Friday night should be a thriller.

PC North

We’ve been talking about it for a few weeks now, but it looks like running back Dre Holman will be back in action this week. That’s what he says. And the impact of his return can’t be understated. Sam Wolfe is a good back, and the addition of Holman gives the Panther offense a ton of options. One back, split Wolfe and Holman, put Wolfe in the slot, where he has been a strong receiver this season. Endless choices.

And Holman provides the team a pounding back who can get the tough yards. Wolfe’s game is based more in his quickness, so the two backs work perfectly together. An improved running game will make the team’s defense that much more valuable, and it should give them some more time to rest on the sideline as well.

PC West

Tough time being the Patriots right now. Broken Arrow last week and top-ranked Jenks this week. So, let’s look at this in a positive light — there’s no way PC West faces a team as tough as these two weeks the rest of the year. It only gets easier.

I still think the Pats win a game this season, but it won’t be this week. The biggest key is coming through Friday night without any major injuries, then get ready for the final five weeks of the season.

Mustang

The offensive line has really come together for the Broncos, and that’s been a big key for the improvement of the offense. Last week was different, because Lawton’s defensive front is stronger than most. But the Broncos still found a way to give Brandon Taylor time to throw, and opened some holes for Tyler Webster in the run game.

But with the 0-1 start in district play, there isn’t much room for error the rest of the way. The district is very hard to predict, but it looks to be very competitive in the middle. So if Mustang puts together a string of wins, they could re-emerge as a favorite for the second home playoff berth behind Lawton.

Yukon

This week is just as important as last week at Midwest City. Norman North has had some struggles early this season, so that might seem like an overstatement, but I really don’t think it is. Losing to MWC didn’t hurt the Millers’ credentials. The Bombers are really good.

But a loss or a lackluster win could hurt their image and take away from what they’ve done to this point in the season. It will start to raise questions again. The Millers are a top 10 team, but it’s important that they play like it this week, or people will stop thinking they are one. Considering the way the offense has moved the ball against everyone, and the defense’s strong play for 3 1/2 games, I don’t think it will be an issue.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

That’s why they’re the collective West Metro Players of the week. Memorial had 223 total yards, mostly coming on the ground, and the Panther D even poked in a touchdown on Daniel Grimes’ 39-yard fumble return.

After the 0-2 start, the Panthers certainly look to be getting things together. Don’t be discouraged by only scoring 10 offensive points against the Memorial defense — they’re legit.

After turning the ball over nine times in the first two games, the Panthers didn’t turn it over once on Friday, which was huge. And the long TD connection between Jace James and Rico Griffin should be a welcome sight. Griffin is an inexperienced receiver who is very talented and could give the passing game a boost by providing an option opposite Covin Conrady.

Other contenders

Brandon Taylor and Tyler Webster, Mustang football: Taylor threw for 300 yards in the second straight game and Webster kept the offense rolling with an effective run game, though the Broncos fell 30-29 at Lawton.

Casey Curtis, Putnam City football: Curtis got the Pirates off to a strong start in their fourth straight victory. He scored two early touchdowns on the way to PC’s rout of US Grant.

Yukon football team (first half version): The whole Miller football team gets noticed for their performance in the first half of the 48-21 loss at Midwest City. That team was unstoppable. Unfortunately that team didn’t show up for the second half.

Emily Helms and Andy Carroll, Mustang cross country: Helms finished third — first among Oklahoma girls — and Carroll was sixth in the boys meet at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater.

Madi Ellis, Yukon softball: Ellis had three RBIs in the Millerettes’ 6-5 win over No. 1 Edmond North last Tuesday.

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

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for Yukon. It was the exact opposite for Midwest City. And given the choice, I’m sure Midwest City’s way is preferred.

Before we get to the team-specific breakdowns, here’s a stat line to illustrate how well Yukon controlled the first half, and how well the Bombers handled their business in the second: 25-of-32 for 307 yards and six touchdowns. That’s the result when you combine Corben Jones’ first half (16-of-20 for 174 yards, 3 TDs) and Greg Austin’s second half (9-of-12 for 133 yards and 3 TDs). Both were extremely sharp, one half at a time.

I can’t remember covering a 27-point game that was as close as this one. MWC got things rolling its way in the second half and Yukon started forcing things, and the score got out of hand in a hurry. But this was a good football game.

Yukon breakdown: The Millers were obviously crushed by the end result Friday night, but they had a lot of good moments to take away from the game.

Jones hit seven different receivers, three of them scoring touchdowns. Kaiden Horn had seven catches for 81 yards and Kollin Retter had seven for 94 yards, each scoring a TD. Retter had a couple of amazing grabs, including a one-hander on the opening drive of the night. Jordan Edwards kept his TD-to-reception ratio high. For the year, he has three touchdowns on five catches — that’s effectiveness.

Corben and Terry Jones both ran the ball well in the first half, but the run game was basically obsolete after the Bombers got control of the game. And just like the offense, the Yukon defense looked brilliant for a half.

Midwest City breakdown: First off, my apologies to Greg Austin for shorting him 100 passing yards in the paper today. He threw for 256 Friday night. My bad, Greg. It started with a typo when I transferred the stats from my notebook to the computer after the game, and I referenced the typed stats rather than the notebook when I wrote the story. The online version will be fixed, if it hasn’t been already.

Austin was on point with just about every throw he made in the second half, and that opened up things for James Flanders, who rushed for 94 of his 108 yards after halftime. Flanders gave big props to his offensive line for playing a far more physical second half.

Defensively, Midwest City’s speed didn’t seem to be a huge factor until late in the game. The pressure started getting to Corben Jones better, and the DBs were making more plays on the back end. The three interceptions were huge, especially the first one by Cortrez Colbert. That enabled the Bombers to score two TDs in a span of 17 seconds, with Colbert making a TD grab one play after the pick.

Austin made good use of his receivers. Four guys caught at least one pass, and each of them had at least a 23-yard catch. Ryan Wright had two TD catches in the second half. Claude Donald had a 49-yard TD in the first half and the Colbert twins combined for seven catches for 114 yards.

One more stat to illustrate the tale of two halves: MWC rushed 10 times for minus-four yards in the first half and 20 times for 150 yards in the second.

Up next: Yukon (3-1) will try to get back on the winning track at home against a struggling Norman North squad. Midwest City (4-0) has to go on the road to play Putnam City North, which pulled off an upset of No. 7 Edmond Memorial Friday.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Yukon (3-0) at Midwest City (3-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Darnell Stadium, MWC (Scott Wright will be there)

Yukon (W – Mustang 43-28, W – Edmond Santa Fe 35-19, W – Stillwater 42-24)
Why the Millers can win: Balanced offense and solid defense. The Millers can run when they need to run and throw when they need to throw. The defense has talented players at all three levels. This team is for real, and tonight we find out just how real.

Midwest City (W – Del City 35-13, W – Enid 34-27, W – Santa Fe 41-6)
Why the Bombers can win: Because being in a big game is nothing new to Midwest City. In fact, the Bombers have already been through one gut-check against Enid and passed. The speed is tough to match and James Flanders has become an unquestioned star.

Scott’s key matchup: Yukon vs. themselves. This is a pretty big game for Midwest City. It’s a GINORMOUS game for Yukon. Will the Millers play tight? Will they be afraid to make mistakes? How will they react if they get behind 14-0? The season opener against Mustang had a big-game atmosphere, but once it got between the lines, Yukon controlled the game form the kickoff. Tonight will be a different animal.

Boneman’s key matchup: The Joneses (Corben and Terry) vs. MWC defense. If Corben and Terry do what they normally do, I’ma be eating some crow Saturday morning. I don’t think Yukon has seen this type of speed in this type of environment yet. That takes a bit to adjust to.

Scott’s pick: Midwest City 35, Yukon 34. It won’t surprise me at all to see Yukon win this game, but I just can’t convince myself to pick the Millermen. The Bombers’ athletes had the advantage during summer 7-on-7 when they beat Yukon in Stillwater, but maybe some heavy rain is an equalizer for MWC’s speed. Either way, I’m ready for a shootout.

Boneman’s pick: Midwest City 38, Yukon 27. Frankly, I’m sick of talking about it. I’m jealous my boy Scott Wright will be there. Anxiously looking forward to all the updates tonight. Hope it lives up to the No. 1 game of the week.

Scott’s Yukon prediction record: 3-0
Boneman’s MWC prediction record: 3-0.

Took a look at how Yukon stacks up against Midwest City. How will the Bombers fare against the Millers?

Scott Wright: Looking at the Bomber offense, RB James Flanders is the first thing you notice, but Greg Austin quarterbacked this team to a 7-on-7 title in the Oklahoma Showdown. Is this offense more balanced than it gets credit for, and who is Austin’s go-to guy when he throws?

Robert Przybylo: Without question this team is balanced. I thought the passing game was actually going to be more ahead of the running game. However, Flanders has become something special sooner than I thought. Austin’s two big targets are Trez Colbert and Claude Donald. Colbert has three touchdowns and Donald has one.

Wright: The Yukon offensive line has been stout so far this year. Other than Trevon Lewis, who are the players in the Midwest City defensive front Yukon will need to get a helmet on to make the run game effective?

Przybylo: Lewis will be a handful, but he’s not alone. Carlos Morales leads the team in tackles and Zeke Lewis has also played a pretty big role so far. And don’t forget about LB Cameron Hishaw. He’s someone who might thrive in this type of environment.

Wright: How much of a factor will Midwest City’s team speed play on Friday night?

Przybylo: I think it will be a difference early. Believe it should take some time for the Millers to adjust to it and they’ll be in a hole early. After that, they’ll settle down. But it’s not just the team speed on both sides of the ball, Steve Huff’s boys are also tough. It’s been that perfect blend year-in and year-out that has made the Bombers one of the most consistent programs in the state.

From what we see, it doesn’t get much bigger than Friday night’s showdown between Midwest City and Yukon. Two 3-0 teams looking to make an early statement toward a district championship.

Robert Przybylo: Is Yukon ready for this moment? Bombers have an attitude of ‘been there, done that.’ How about the Millers?

Scott Wright: That’s the big question. Looking at last year, Yukon’s biggest games were in a much different setting. The road game at Choctaw in Week 10 was a must-win, but it was also a game they should have won. And the playoff game at Jenks was a game they shouldn’t have won. This is a big game that they can win if they play on top of their game, or a game that they will lose if they are shaky. It’s probably the biggest game in Yukon football since Richard Schwarz was taking on Rocky Calmus and company in the 1997 state title game. The experience of this game, win or lose, will be beneficial, because there are more to come this season if the Millers plan on staying in the top 10.

Przybylo: The Millers offense is among the most explosive in the state. But what about the defense? Who should we be watching?

Wright: This week in particular, the linebackers will be key in stopping the run. Jake Henderson and Carson Mathews are both returning starters. Terry Jones and Kollin Retter spend some time in a hybrid linebacker/safety role, and will be important there as well. Free safety Derek Deeds has been playing well in a new position, and he’ll be important both in pass coverage and coming up to help on the run.

Przybylo: Corben and Terry Jones get a lot attention, but who is the X factor? Who’s a playmaker that must step up to get this win?

Wright: There’s not really one guy. The offensive line needs to keep establishing the line of scrimmage like they have so far this season, and the receivers need to be ready to make big plays when they get the chance, whether it’s Retter, Deeds, Jordan Edwards, Kaiden Horn. One guy who hasn’t been getting a lot of attention is senior WR Eric Granado. He’s a big guy with good speed who has been a big-play target for Corben Jones. He has 14 catches for 206 yards and three TDs — all team highs.

This week’s Speed Read takes a look at what lies ahead in district play for Yukon, Mustang and the PC3.

Yukon (3-0)

The 6A-1 schedule is still brutal, even though Norman North is struggling at the star of the year. There are still five playoff teams from last year doing battle, and the fight for the two home playoff games between Midwest City, Edmond Memorial and the Millers will be wild.

The Millers’ hot start won’t be diminished by a loss to Midwest City this week, and neither will their chances of getting one of those home playoff games.

Week 4: It doesn’t get any bigger than the Bombers and Millers. I’m pumped for this one. To paraphrase the ESPN line — Is is Friday yet?

Putnam City (3-0)

Everything we thought we knew about 6A-2 is scrambled up entering the first week of district games, and at a pretty solid 3-0, the Pirates are right in the mix for the postseason. The key will be the defense, which has been solid all year. There are a few really good offenses in the district and the Pirates will need to knock one of those teams off to move up in the pecking order.

Week 4: The Pirates open with US Grant at home, and if they take care of business, they should be looking at a 1-0 start to district play. And the confidence of a 4-0 start overall could produce more happy results down the line.

Mustang (2-1)

There’s a lot up in the air in this district because of Mustang’s scattered performances to begin the year, and Lawton losing its QB, Cody Miller, to a torn ACL. So that makes this week’s district opener that much more crucial.

Week 4: The Broncos seemed to get the offense back on track last week against Bixby, but doing that against the Lawton defense will be more difficult. The defense will have quite a task, not only trying to contain all of Lawton’s playmakers at running back and receiver, but also preparing for a quarterback they’ve never seen.

Mustang is putting a lot of miles on the buses lately. Bixby last week, Lawton this week — just the way it worked out with the district shuffle this season, making the Broncos go down to Cameron Stadium two years in a row.

Putnam City North (1-2)

For as well as I thought I knew this team before the season, I found out I really knew very little about them. We’ll see if they get it together and come back to the level I expected them to be at — a fringe top 10 team and definite playoff team.  

The Panthers still have a good shot of getting to the postseason, though right now, it looks like three spots are spoken for in 6A-1, with Midwest City, Edmond Memorial and Yukon. But Dre Holman’s return should provide the offense with a spark, and the defense has been reliable all year.

Week 4: The Panthers are at No. 7 Edmond Memorial Friday night, a defense that will pose a challenge for the shaky Panther offense. But the Memorial offense is having its own issues with QB Kameron Doolittle bothered by a bum ankle. So I’d be looking for a defensive slugfest in this one.

Putnam City West (0-3)

The toughest thing for PC West entering district play isn’t the strength at the top of their district. At the beginning of the year, 6A-3 looked top-heavy, with Jenks, Broken Arrow and Southmoore. But some of the other teams are stepping up and making it look like a pretty loaded district.

Shawnee is a good team, and Norman looks to be the real deal, especially with a strong defense and run game. So it’s a tougher future ahead for the Pats than we might have thought at the start of the season.

Week 4: Tulsa Union is about the only team in the state that could go through what  PC West will face the next two weeks and come out with a victory. In fact, Union went 1-1 against this same schedule earlier in the month. PC West hosts Broken Arrow Friday, then travels to Jenks next week.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

For the first three innings, the story of the softball game was Edmond North’s Abby Taliaferro. For the last three innings, it was Yukon’s Madi Ellis.

But nothing trumps a crazy, somewhat controversial ending as second-ranked Yukon rallied from a 5-0 hole to beat No. 1 Edmond North 6-5 on Tuesday night in Yukon.

Stay with me here. Ready? The game was tied 5-5 and Yukon had the bases loaded with one out. Edmond North pitcher Jordan Dixon hit Lindsay Buckley with a pitch.

Game over, right? Not so fast. Instead of going to first base, Buckley takes off her helmet and starts walking toward the pitcher’s circle. I thought she was going to charge at Dixon, at first, had no idea what was going on.

Edmond North coach Rick Nordyke said because Buckley took off her helmet and didn’t go to first base, she should have been out (from what I gathered that’s what it appeared to be what North wanted).

The umpires were as confused as I was. They left the field of play for a good 10 minutes to get a ruling. It was ruled Yukon was issued a conduct warning, but the hit-by-pitch still stood. So 15 minutes later, Yukon was allowed to celebrate its victory.

And kinda an improbable win at that. Never thought when it was 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth that the Millerettes were going to come back and win.

Senior ace Amanda Madden was chased out early as the Huskies were timing her stuff well. Braxton Coil started it with an RBI double. Taliaferro added a two-run double of her own in the third inning.

But freshman Kilee Halbert weathered the storm. She gave up a two-run single to Genevie Lopez in the fourth and then retired nine in a row.

Ellis pushed one home in the fourth on an RBI groundout. But she woke the team (and myself, quite frankly) up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth. Coach Jennifer Leonard said after the game that the team started to be more patient against Dixon and looked for their pitches to hit.

Dixon battled back in the sixth to set the stage up for the seventh. With one out and a runner on first, Yukon’s Kylie Lang ripped it deep to center for an RBI triple. The throw got away from Coil and Lang tried to score. Dixon had Lang out as she ran to make the tag but dropped the ball. It was a violent collision that I’m still kinda wondering how neither player ended up injured.

A single, double and walk later led up to the Buckley situation.

This was high quality stuff despite the wacky ending. I enjoyed it. Wanted to shoot video with Ellis, but I lost her in all the hoopla of trying to get confirmation of what happened. Sorry, Madi, you’re owed a video next time I’m out there. I shot some short game video stuff and then Yukon celebrating so that should be on NewsOK on Wednesday.

Yukon 6, Edmond North 5
EN*012*200*0 – 5 runs, 9 hits, 1 error
YHS*000*102*3 – 6 runs, 10 hits, 1 error
W – Halbert. L – Dixon.

When I looked at the schedule for Week 4, never expected to say Yukon at Midwest City would be one of the top 10 games of the week. But now in my opinion, not only is it one of the best games, I see it as the No. 1 game of the week.

What a difference three weeks make, huh? I admit I underrated the Millers early. Todd Wilson’s club had way too many pieces returning this season to not make a run. So mea culpa on that one.

And now with district play beginning for most of the state, we’re going to find out how good teams like Yukon really are.

I don’t think Yukon has faced a defense as fast and physical as the Bombers group. Carlos Morales and Trevon Lewis have been absolutely dominant. Lewis leads the team with six sacks.

Add in Cameron Hishaw and DBs like Ronnie Mathenia and Ricky Reeves, and I feel this defense is going to find a way to contain the Jones boys: Terry and Corben.

Can Yukon stop MWC? Hmm, good question. Junior James Flanders has stepped up to the plate and has become one of the best backs in the state. He’s been sensational the last two weeks.

Quarterback Greg Austin has a lot of weapons to choose from with his receivers, namely Trez Colbert and Claude Donald.

Think Midwest City jumps out to an early lead. MWC is at home and is eager to show it is still the top dog. Millers fight back, but it’s not enough.

Boneman’s pick: Midwest City 38, Yukon 27.
Last week: 1-0 (Purcell over Lexington). Overall: 3-0 (PHS over LHS, Heritage Hall over Clinton, Guthrie over Duncan).

Bored on a Tuesday night? Come join me and other softball fanatics for one of the best late-season matchups you’re going to find.

Tuesday night features No. 1 Edmond North at No. 2 Yukon. Really, does anything else need to be said? Both of these teams were expected to be among the best. Neither has disappointed.

Between the two, they have a combined six losses (Yukon 3, EN 3). They’ve both been ranked No. 1 in the class. The Huskies are entering their second week atop the perch.

They both have loads of talented players. Yukon – take your pick. From Amanda Madden to Kylie Lang to Whitney Ellis to Madi Ellis, good luck with that group. North has been paced by the pitching of Madison Nordyke and Jordan Dixon. Hitting, it’s been Abby Taliaferro and Kady Self anchoring everything.

The teams met nearly a month ago (Aug. 24) with North eking out a 1-0 win. I was knee-deep in football preview stuff and didn’t make it out there. That won’t be the case this time.

Is this a rematch of the state championship? Powers like Broken Arrow and Moore will have something to say about that, but this is one heckuva matchup for a Tuesday night. Should be fun.

Had to wait for the new OKRankings to come out at midnight just to confirm it’s No. 1 vs. No. 2. Yep, it is.

This time around, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound junior lowered the boom on Choctaw, rushing for more than 200 yards in Thursday’s 42-22 defeat of the Yellowjackets.

He had three touchdowns and four runs of 20 yards or more, incluing his last two touches before heading to the bench for a well-deserved break.

Honorable mention to PC’s offensive line, and Curtis’ backfield runningmate, Desmond Tilly, who surpassed the 100-yard mark on Friday as well. The run game will be a big part of what the Pirates do as they try to make a run at the postseason, starting this week with a Thursday home game against US Grant.

Other candidates

Brandon Taylor and the Mustang offensive line: The Bronco front five gave their quarterback ample time to throw, and the result was 25 completed passes in 30 attempts for 313 yards. And give credit to senior receiver Michael Andersen, who had seven catches for 117 yards, providing Taylor with a reliable target as teams try to take away David Glidden.

Sam Wolfe, Putnam City North: Another strong week from Wolfe has him among the top rushers in Class 6A with 417 yards on 54 carries (an average of 7.7 yards per carry) with two TDs.

Yukon’s Jones brothers, Terry and Corben: Running back Terry Jones exploded for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns behind another stout effort from the Miller offensive line, and QB Corben Jones completed 14 of 24 passes for 232 yards, including scoring tosses of 51 (Eric Granado), 64 (Kollin Retter) and 18 yards (Jake Doyle). He also rushed for a TD in the win over Stillwater.

Tori Cox, Putnam City volleyball: The Baylor commit anchored the Pirates’ run to the finals of the Bartlesville Bruin Invitational.

Andy Carroll, Oscar Barcenas and Lucas Goble, Mustang cross country: All three runners finished in the top 11 at one of the metro area’s top meets, the Edmond Dog Pack, on Friday. The trio each finished between 17:12 and 17:24.

Emily Helms, Mustang cross country: A contender for the 6A girls state individual title, Helms was second at the Dog Pack. She finished the 3,200-meter run in 11:59, just 14 seconds off the winning pace.

Scott Massey, Tyler Baxter and Thad Dies, Yukon cross country: The Millers dominated the PC North meet at Woodson Park, with Massey winning gold, Baxter the bronze and Dies finishing foruth. Clay Mattox and Kelby Watson also finished in the top 10 for the Millers.

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

Last week: Terry Jones and the offensive line carried the Millers to a 35-19 win at Edmond Santa Fe. Stillwater suffered a 38-15 setback to Edmond Memorial.

Why Yukon could win: The Millermen seem to be solid in all areas. No one has been able to exploit any part of what they do on either side of the ball. With an offense than can run or pass, and a hard-nosed defense, it’s hard to pick against them.

Why Stillwater could win: With the 0-2 start, this is a team looking for some momentum. The Pioneers have a dangerous passing game — one of the best in the state if QB Jerame Littell keeps it up. They’ll test the Miller secondary like it hasn’t been tested yet this season. Santa Fe didn’t throw a lot, and Mustang was a little unpolished in the opener, so this will be a different look for the talented Yukon secondary.

Key matchup: Stillwater defense vs. Yukon run game. Yukon’s ability to run the ball has been the biggest key this season. Against Mustang, provided just enough balance to let QB Corben Jones go to work and throw for 346 yards and four TDs. Against Santa Fe, it overpowered the Wolves and put the game away in the fourth quarter. If Stillwater can’t stop the run, it’ll be hard for them to win the game.

The pick: Yukon 35, Stillwater 20. The Pioneers will be able to get some yards and some points in the passing game, but I don’t think it will be enough to win. The only danger is if the Millers are looking ahead to next week’s top-10 showdown with Midwest City. But I don’t think Todd Wilson will let that happen.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Putnam City

Putnam City is off to a 2-0 start with wins over its two sister schools, PC North and PC West, so morale is peaking for the Pirates. But with a physical Choctaw team visiting Putnam City Stadium tonight, they know they have to stay focused.

The defense has allowed just seven points and fewer than 400 yards through two games, but Choctaw brings a potent backfield with three players — running backs Corey Bennett and Aaron Fournier, and QB Tanner Hessman — who have rushed for more than 100 yards apiece so far this season. And Hessman can throw it around, too. He’s 16-of-36 for 224 yards and two TDs.

Yukon

Yukon is at Stillwater Friday night in the kind of game that should scare Miller fans a little bit. You avoided the post-Mustang letdown, and there’s a HUUUUUGE game — and a huge opportunity to prove yourselves as one of the west side’s top teams — waiting in Week 4 with the district opener at Midwest City.

The Millermen beat Stillwater 17-14 last October in Yukon. Based on the first two weeks, it looks like the Pioneers are about the same team as last year, while the Millers have shown some serious improvement. So it’s a game Yukon folks probably think they should win — and accurately so. In Vegas, they call it a trap game. Will the Millers fall into the trap?

Putnam City North

Some good news on the injury front for the Panthers, who learned on Tuesday that backup QB Joe Summers would miss only 4-6 weeks with a partial tendon tear — not a torn ACL. And running back Dre Holman could return this week from mid-August surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee after suffering the injury on the first day of practice. But I wouldn’t expect him to be used full-time for at least a game or two.

Holman’s presence would not only aid the rushing attack, but also give the Panthers the chance to use Sam Wolfe in the slot more often. He was dangerous there last week at Mustang, catching six passes for 72 yards while rushing for 104.

Mustang

The Broncos are still growing up. They had two really good offensive series and only one big mistake — the Pick-6 at the end of the first half — in the win over PC North. The run blocking was outstanding at times and Tyler Webster ran hard, pounding out 93 yards on 26 carries.

You’re going to see gradual improvement from this team every week, with so many young players and first-time starters on the field. And they need some other receivers to step up as well. Jacob Mersman and Michael Andersen made some good catches last week, as did Jacob Strassle. Derek Garvin and Corey Irwins could be back from injuries this week or next, and that will help, because getting the ball in David Glidden’s hands has been tough so far, with secondaries keying on stopping him.

Putnam City West

I paid a visit to Patriot practice early last week, and there was a sense that the focus wasn’t there. The frustration in the coaches’ faces was obvious, and you just got a feeling that things might not go well against Putnam City. The 44-0 loss — which was actually more competitive than the score would suggest — probably didn’t surprise some of the coaching staff, despite the great week of work the Patriots put in before the opener against Choctaw, and the positive results it produced in defeat.

So this week, I would expect better effort from the Patriots in practice and on Friday night against PC North. PC West has a strong senior class of leaders, so look for those guys to get the team refocused.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

PS: Here’s a link for those of you too young to know who the Micro Machines Man was.

Jones returned the opening kickoff 82 yards for a TD, and that gave the Millers a quick burst of momentum, making sure there would be no post-Mustang letdown. From that point on, Jones and his blockers worked in tandem to finish off Edmond Santa Fe with the power run game that produced two straight TDs in the fourth quarter after Santa Fe pulled within 21-19.

Jones finished with 148 rushing yards and four total TDs, nearly five until he fumbled into the end zone and it was recovered by Parks.

Other contenders

David Glidden and Jacob Strassle, Mustang football: Glidden was quiet much of the night as he has become the No. 1 focus of opposing defenses. But the OSU commit came up with the game’s biggest play, intercepting a pass and returning it 92 yards for a TD to seal the Broncos’ win over Putnam City North. Strassle continues to make major progress in his first season of football — ever. He caught a TD pass that put Mustang ahead in the fourth quarter.

Covin Conrady, Sam Wolfe and DeQuante Colbert, PC North football: Conrady is among the state leaders in receptions this year with 18 for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He had eight catches Friday, accounting for 66 yards and the Panthers’ only offensive touchdown. Wolfe rushed for 104 yards and had six receptions for 72 yards out of the backfield. Colbert, a key player in the young secondary, had an interception which he returned for a TD just before halftime that gave the Panthers the lead.

Casey Curtis and Desmond Tilley, Putnam City football: The junior running back duo powered the Pirates to 286 rushing yards in a 44-0 rout of Putnam City West, moving PC to 2-0 entering Thursday night’s game against Choctaw.

Emily Helms, Mustang cross country: The sensational sophomore won one of the biggest meets of the young season at Norman last week. She finished the course in 12:28, 15 seconds ahead of her closest follower. Only four runners finished under 13:00.

Scott Massey and Megan Wilkerson, Yukon cross country: Both runners earned gold medals in their division at the Putnam City meet at Dolese Park last week.

Madi Ellis, Kendal Smith and Skyler Leathers, Yukon softball: The trio was among several Yukon hitters who powered the Millerettes to five wins in six games last week.

– To nominate an athlete for West Metro POW, e-mail Scott Wright at swright@opubco.com

Terry Jones scored four touchdowns and rushed for 148 yards in Yukon's 35-19 win.

Before we get to the Friday Morning Quarterback observations of Yukon’s 35-19 win at Edmond Santa Fe, here’s the game story.

Now, looking back on Thursday night, there were a few things that stood out that didn’t make it into that story.

Edmond Santa Fe breakdown: A couple of youngsters made some big plays. Sophomore Trevan Smith had two interceptions that not a lot of kids could have made, jumping and falling backward to grab the ball. And Phillip Sumpter went for more than 100 yards in the second half alone, and really kept the Wolves in the game.

Sumpter finished with 21 carries for 132 yards and had runs of 18, 21, 13, 20 and 10 in the second half. Another sophomore, Khari Harding, caught a TD pass, and was in the process of making another big play early in the fourth quarter before he fumbled at the 5. Of course, that set up Brandon Reece for his punt return TD after a Yukon 3-and-0ut. Senior Patrick Hinton had a great first half, with four catches for 61 yards, but the pass game weakened after a hot start.

The quarterback rotation added an interesting dynamic. Ty Hensley started the game and came out early in the third quarter, being replaced by Paul Bronson in the middle of a series, and he led the Wolves to a TD.

But the TD throw to Harding was the only pass he completed, and Hensley came back in later in the quarter. Again, the switch was made in the middle of a series, and again, the new QB led a touchdown drive. Granted, Sumpter was doing most of the work on both scoring drives, but it was an interesting twist.

Hensley actually started the game really well, both rushing and throwing. He completed five of his first six passes for 69 yards and rushed 10 times for 49 yards, including the 10-yard TD, in the first half. But he only completed two of his final 13 passes.

Yukon breakdown: We’ll start with the defense since the offense got all the pub in the paper. I’m sure defensive coordiantor Steve Chard was unhappy with the 203 rushing yards allowed, especially with all the big plays Sumpter had in the second half. But the defense didn’t really play a bad game.

They adjusted well after Santa Fe started strong. The Wolves only had to go 45 yards for their first TD after an interception. In the third quarter, the defense forced a 3-and-out, but a roughing the kicker penalty kept the drive alive, and Santa Fe was able to capitalize.

And the final TD came on a punt return after the Yukon defense had forced a red-zone turnover.

“That’s what’s disappointing,” coach Todd Wilson said. “You do those things that put your defense out there when they just got a stop. They just got a great stop and they’ve got to go back out there. That’s demoralizing to those guys. They played hard.”

The defensive front was getting good pressure again and the secondary was getting hands on a lot of passes, even though they didn’t come away with a pick.

As for the offense, the passing game wasn’t as smooth as it was last week against Mustang, but it was more than enough to keep the Wolves honest. And QB Corben Jones did a great job of getting the big play when he needed one, for instance, the 31-yard completion to Eric Granado in the fourth quarter with the Millers up 21-19.

That’s what will make this offense dangerous all season — the ability to run or throw when the situation calls for it. The big question will be whether they can win with just one of them, should they run into a defense that can truly shut down one facet of the offense. But when you can do both well, it makes it that much harder to take one away.

In all the talk about Yukon’s great receivers, their strong tight end got lost in the mix. Jake Doyle made his presence known on Thursday, catching three passes for 33 yards. He’s a good weapon, especially when the receivers are attracting attention and he can slip out unnoticed, like he did Thursday. He also blocks well.

On that topic, lots of credit once again to the offensive line of seniors Travis Hening and Logan Schantz, with juniors Will Paddock, Tyler Bush and Lantz Parks. Those guys deserve a lot of praise for their play in the first two weeks. They’re a big reason the Millers are 2-0.

Up next: Edmond Santa Fe gets another stiff non-district test, and the first away from Wantland. The Wolves will be at Midwest City next Friday, then it’s time for district play with the opener at Westmoore Sept. 24. Yukon goes on the road again, this time at Stillwater, which was a crucial district game last year. It’s non-district this year, but the Millers seem to enjoy being undefeated, and want to keep it that way. District play opens at Midwest City, so the extra momentum of a 3-0 record will help Yukon in that one.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

*Note: My apologies to Travis Hening for spelling his name wrong a half-zillion times over the last two seasons. And to anyone else out there who has seen your name spelled wrong, tell us about it. We trust that the team rosters provided to us at games are correct, and if they’re not, we won’t know about it unless you tell us. If a kid does something worthy of getting mentioned in a story, he deserves to have his name spelled correctly, too. -Scott