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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brock is No. 2 at 103 pounds.

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

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

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

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

Coach of the Year: Shelli Brown, Sand Springs

Player of the Year: Macklin Hitz, Jenks

Co-Pitchers of the Year: Haley Squier, Edmond Memorial; Mallory Collins, Sand Springs

Freshman of the Year: Kennedy Salyers, Sand Springs

First team

P: McKayla Hendrix, Jenks; Brittney Lockett, Stillwater

C: Halley Randolph, Stillwater; Shelbie Smith, Edmond Memorial

1B: Lindsay Littles, Edmond Memorial; Jenny Scarbrough, Stillwater

2B: Abby Lee, Enid; Sadie Marino, Choctaw

SS: Taylor Purdue, Sand Springs; Kate Myers, Jenks

3B: Kacey Taylor, Edmond Memorial; Paige Luellen, Jenks

OF: Kasey Burgess, Sand Springs; Ashley Rankin, Sand Springs; Kylee Morgan, Choctaw; Courtney Chelf, Enid; Adrianna Canard, Jenks; Kayla Crutchmer, Tulsa Union

U: Ashley Reese, Choctaw; Kelsey Goodwin, Tulsa Union; Krissy Crow, Sand Springs; Kaitlin Bell, Enid; Lacy Hudson, Enid

Honorable mention

Choctaw: Jessica Fairly, Hanna Kohl, Hanna Poplum, Halley Poplum

Edmond Memorial: Laura McHam

Enid: Ally Lewis, Clara Andrews, Hayen Bay, Shalley Mueller

Jenks: Audrey Estes, Kenzie Carpenter, Tristan Kuhn, Brooke Estes

Putnam West: Ashleigh Rolling, Chelsey Collins, Ann Smith, Dionne Robinson, Angelique Chandler

Sand Springs: Jennifer Wolf, Kendra Franks, Hailey Andrews

Stillwater: Anna Fowler, Abby Jessell, Courtney Hughes

Tulsa Union: Maddie Van Burkleo, Emily Harrison, Alexis Murray, Michal Ibison, MacKenzie Ibison, Brianna Trujullo, Maddi McGraw, Kayla Patterson, Kylee Randall

That’s the question everyone wants to know, right after they ask how Stillwater got so good. Let’s discuss.

Three Points

1. Keeping it up. Is Stillwater for real, or is this just a super-hot start before they come back to earth? Considering the expectations for the Pioneers before the season, their blowout win over McAlester and upset of Midwest City have been a couple of the season’s biggest shockers so far, especially considering the amount of firepower this team lost from last year’s squad. But Tucker Barnard has proven that he’s a good coach. Remember, Stillwater went 8-3 under Barnard last year with all the same kids who went 1-9 without him the year before. So it seems fair to assume Stillwater is better than most of us expected, but just how good are they? That’s still unanswered.

2. Deeeee-Fense. Stillwater’s playing pretty darn well on that side of the ball, holding McAlester and Midwest City to 18 points apiece. And Mustang is coming off a shutout of Putnam City North, so the Broncos ain’t too shabby over there either. But both teams have shown they’re capable of posting big offensive numbers, too. So it’s likely to come down to big defensive plays. Whoever makes the most should win.

3.  Weather or not. Trying to predict Friday night’s weather is like… well, it’s like trying to be a weatherman in Oklahoma any other day (except July, when you only have to guess how many degrees over 100 the temperature will be). Friday night should be cold, it might be wet, and there’ll probably be a little wind. Just how much of each of the three we get will impact the game, and take some of the finesse out of both offenses. Adjusting to the conditions will be an instant advantage.

The Pick

Stillwater 38, Mustang 35: Maybe I’m getting sucked into going with the trendy pick here, but I have a feeling Stillwater is for real. I’m not saying the Pioneers are ready to knock off Union and take the district title, but they could get the No. 2 spot in that district and host a playoff game. Mustang is a playoff team, too, but their district is a little deeper at the top.

Linebacker Cory Irwins, No. 28 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 recruit rankings, has yet to play this season after aggravating a previous shoulder injury in the preseason.

Irwins, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, said he’s hopeful to be cleared by doctors to return to action Monday, and be in the lineup Friday. The Broncos (2-0) host a surprisingly unbeaten Stillwater team coming off a big win over McAlester and an upset of Midwest City in the first two weeks.

Stillwater moved into the top 10 at No. 9 in this week’s Class 6A rankings.

– 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.

Stillwater's Jesse Vester will likely begin his college football career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

STILLWATER — I ran into Jesse Vester at the Oklahoma State spring game Saturday. Vester, a standout receiver from Stillwater High School, double signed with OSU and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on signing day back in February.

Vester was still working on getting qualified academically in February, and he told me Saturday that he hasn’t quite gotten there yet.

He said he’s close to qualifying, but will in all likelihood begin his college career at NEO, stay there a semester and join the Cowboys next spring.

Vester (5-foot-10, 180 pounds), the kick returner on The Oklahoman‘s All-State team, scored 15 touchdowns and had 1,125 receiving yards as a senior.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bishop McGuinness was dealt a tough blow Monday in practice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Junior LaNesha Middleton led Stillwater with 17 points.

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

CARL ALBERT WINS AT HARRAH

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

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

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

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

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

MASSEY SCORES 33 AS CHRISTIAN HERITAGE TOPS JONES

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

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

Sophomore Teddi Homan led the Longhorns with 22 points.

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

EDWARDS LEADS NORTHEAST PAST MILLWOOD

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

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

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

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

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

TIP-INS

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

EAST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Andrew Hearon, Metro Christian
Tony Kiefer, McAlester

Running backs
Dakota Biswell, Stroud
Caleb Muncrief, Madill
Cole Scheulen, Catoosa
Willie Zackery, Woodland

Wide receivers
Levi Copelin, Broken Arrow
Michael Fraley, Adair
Ty Miller, Caddo
Victor Williams, Muskogee

Tight ends
Matt Gallagher, Owasso
Zac Veatch, Broken Arrow

Linemen
John Connor, Tulsa Kelley
Jeremy Iron, Pawhuska
Lance Kloker, Owasso
Talon Miles-Satepauhoodle, Hominy
Montana Poorboy, Catoosa
Sam Sabin, Jenks
Chris Wallace, Sperry

Punter/kicker
Tom Carwile, Tulsa Washington

DEFENSE
Linemen
Hunter Hart, Cascia Hall
Orion Jones, Jenks
Gcory Rahmings, Broken Bow
Travis Sandlin, Vian
Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
Gary Wilson, Sand Springs

Linebackers
Patrick Bartlett, Woodland
Jevonte Cross, Tulsa East Central
Aaron Dolan, Berryhill
Connor Sherwood, Cascia Hall
Blace Walser, Tulsa Union

Defensive backs
Kent Booze, Spiro
Adam Boyd, McAlester
Kevin Peterson, Wagoner
Dillon Proctor, Caddo
Jermy Reynolds, Wewoka
Jesse Vester, Stillwater

Coaches
Mike Mobra, Catoosa; Eddy Scott, Pawhuska; Kevin Harmon, McAlester; Darren Melton, Lincoln Christian.

WEST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Corben Jones, Yukon
Garrett Lorah, Elgin

Running backs
Casey Curtis, Putnam City
James Flanders, Midwest City
Josh Way, Wayne
Sheldon Wilson, Anadarko

Wide receivers
Gage Diffee, Bethany
Javis Flynn, Watonga
Tre Kelley, Edmond Santa Fe
Tylor Seabolt, Jones
Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall

Linemen
Blake Belcher, Guthrie
Daniel Burton, Putnam North
Brandon Dewitt, Lawton
Devin Dobbins, Millwood
Carrie Farmer, Minco
Adam Kelley, Wynnewood
Cole Parsons, Edmond North

DEFENSE
Linemen
Josh Crouch, Edmond Santa Fe
Patrick Diaz, Lawton
Kyle Factor, Westmoore
Markus Wakefield, Heritage Hall
Braylon Freeman, Lawton MacArthur
Ricky Rodriguez, Clinton

Linebackers
Landry Chappell, Guthrie
Zeke Lewis, Midwest City
Payton Marsh, Thomas
Brandon Nguyen, McGuinness
Wes Satoe, Anadarko
Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass

Defensive backs
Rashaad Copeland, El Reno
Jared Griffin, Duncan
Rico Hogan, Norman
Aaron Holden, Temple
Aaron McCandless, Shattuck
Ivan Moreno, Hennessey
Michael Thomas, Lawton MacArthur

Coaches
Bob Ward, Thomas; Curtis Lorah, Elgin; Tracy Scott, Blanchard; Jeremy Dombek, Edmond North.

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

All-District Team
Quarterbacks: T.J. Eckert, Bixby; Darrack Harger, Sand Springs; Brent Wilson, Ponca City.
Running backs: Andrew Minter, Stillwater; Luke Owens, Sand Springs; Jack Wiseman, Bartlesville.
Wide receivers: Derrick Ewing, Ponca City; Mitchell Foote, Enid; Corey Hassell, Stillwater; Ryan Mischler, Tulsa Union.
Tight ends: Matt Gallagher, Owasso; Matthew Herman, Tulsa Union; Tyler Wilson, Ponca City.
Offensive linemen: Grant Christian, Tulsa Union; Taylor Craig, Stillwater; Kollin Gregory, Tulsa Union; Lance Kloker, Owasso; Daniel Murray, Bixby; Chance Russell, Owasso; Hal Trentman, Bartlesville.
Defensive linemen: Carlos Bustillos, Enid; Garrett Davenport, Stillwater; Bonner Hoge, Tulsa Union; Taylor Long, Bartlesville; Gary Wilson, Sand Springs; Paul Wilson, Stillwater.
Linebackers: Alex Aucoin, Owasso; Kyle Crutchmer, Tulsa Union; Spencer Haff, Sand Springs; Chakota Mays, Bartlesville; Jake McGill, Bixby; Jordan Wynans, Sand Springs.
Defensive backs: Ross Catlin, Ponca City; Josh McGlothlin, Bixby; Austrin Schwalk, Owasso; Thomas, Tulsa Union; Sawyer Vaclaw, Bartlesville.
Punter: Mason Briggs, Bixby.
Kicker: Dulton Swearingen, Sand Springs.

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

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

Stillwater's Jesse Vester said he will play Friday against Tulsa Union. Vester sat our last week's win over Bartlesville with a shoulder injury. PHOTO BY MICHAEL WYKE, TULSA WORLD

STILLWATER — Stillwater’s Jesse Vester, one of the top athletes in Class 6A, will play in Friday’s showdown with Tulsa Union, he said Thursday.

Vester sat out last week’s 55-41 win over Bartlesville with a shoulder injury, and coach Tucker Barnard told the Tulsa World that Vester will suit up and be a gametime decision.

But Vester insisted that he is playing in the game at Pioneer Stadium that will decide the District 6A-4 championship.

“I’m for sure playing,” Vester said.

Vester said he suffered the injury in his team’s 52-28 win on Oct. 20 against Enid.

“The coaches thought it was best for me to sit (against Bartlesville),” Vester said. “So that’s what I did.”

Stillwater (8-1) and Tulsa Union (8-1) are playing in what Vester called “probably the biggest game any of us have ever played in our lives.”

If Stillwater wins, it clinches the district championship and could host two playoff games. Tulsa Union finishes third with a loss.

If Union wins, it will win the title and Stillwater likely will drop to third place, forcing the Pioneers on the road for the first round of the playoffs.

“This game is even bigger than sixth grade, when we were playing for the league championship,” Vester said with a laugh.

“Theres not gonna be any district championship if we don’t win. We control our own destiny.”

Vester added that while he is aware of Tulsa Union’s storied history — the Redskins are the three-time defending state champion — he isn’t intimidated.

“Everybody knows they’re a good football team, but we just have to go out there and do our assignments,” Vester said. “You can’t worry about who is on the other side of the ball.”

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

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

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

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

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

Tulsa Union plays at Stillwater on Friday in a game that could decide District 6A-4.

Redskins coach Kirk Fridrich confirmed Holmes’ suspension to the television station but wouldn’t disclose the reason. He added that Holmes could be welcomed back to the team at a later date.

Holmes, a junior, has missed time this season with an ankle injury, but has rushed for 933 yards and 16 touchdowns.

If Tulsa Union wins, they will likely finish first in District 6A-4. If they lose, Stillwater will win the district and the Redskins will finish third.

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

1. Midwest City (3)#8-0

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

2. Broken Arrow (1)#7-1

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

3. Jenks (2)#7-1

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

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

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

5. Tulsa Union (6)#7-1

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

6. Lawton (7)#6-2

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

7. Edmond North (4)#7-1

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

8. Stillwater (8)#7-1

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

9. Owasso (9)#5-3

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

10. Westmoore (NR)#6-2

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

Just outside: Norman (6-2)

Last week
Ryan: 7-4, 1-0
Scott: 5-6, 1-0
Jason: 7-4, 1-0

Overall
Ryan: 44-17, 5-1
Jason: 44-17, 4-2
Scott: 42-19, 5-1

Ryan
Guthrie 21, Carl Albert 17
Kingfisher 14, Bethany 10
Owasso 41, Stillwater 35
Tulsa Washington 17, Tulsa Kelley 14
Metro Chr. 28, Seq. Tahlequah 21
Hennessey 22, Oklahoma Chr. 14
Lawton MacArthur 40, Duncan 20
Weatherford 13, Blanchard 8
Lawton Eisenhower 28, Edmond Memorial 22
McGuinness 28, Elgin 13
Lock of the week: Hennessey over OCS. Hennessey took some lumps in the non-district schedule but is still among the top teams in 2A. Tonight is their chance to prove that against a solid OCS team.

Jason
Guthrie 24, Carl Albert 16
Bethany 21, Kingfisher 17
Owasso 38, Stillwater 35
Tulsa Washington 24, Tulsa Kelley 17
Metro Christian 24, Seq. Tahlequah 10
Oklahoma Christian 24, Hennessey 23
Lawton Eisenhower 21, Edmond Memorial 13
Lawton MacArthur 31, Duncan 13
Bishop McGuinness 35, Elgin 14
Blanchard 16, Weatherford 9
Lock of the Week: Guthrie over Carl Albert. Both teams are fantastic, and both teams are legitimate Class 5A contenders. But at this point in the season, Guthrie’s defense is just too good for Carl Albert’s still-developing offense.

Scott
Guthrie 21, Carl Albert 20
Bethany 35, Kingfisher 31
Owasso 45, Stillwater 42
Tulsa Washington 21, Tulsa Kelley 14
Sequoyah-Tahlequah 35, Metro Christian 28
Hennessey 30, Oklahoma Christian 21
Lawton MacArthur 48, Duncan 31
Blanchard 14, Weatherford 12
Edmond Memorial 20, Lawton Eisenhower 17
McGuinness 28, Elgin 21
Lock of the Week: Lawton MacArthur over Duncan. Ever since watching the Highlanders in the preseason scrimmage at Mustang, I’ve had a strong feeling that these guys could win it all in 5A. I needed to see some results in the regular season first to support my gut feeling, and they’ve done that — even while battling some nagging injuries. There are a lot of factors left to be determined regarding the gold ball, but I definitely think Mac wins this week.

Stillwater's Pioneer Field. PHOTO COURTESY OF STILLWATERFOOTBALL.COM

STILLWATER — Here is the fifth installment in our weekly series on the top 10 high school football stadiums in the Oklahoma City area.

The rankings were produced by myself and Ryan Aber. We based our choices on facilities, uniqueness and home-field advantage.

We will unveil a new stadium every Tuesday, wrapping up with our pick as the top area high school football stadium on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

No. 6 on the list is Stillwater’s Pioneer Stadium, which first opened its gates on Sept. 4, 2009.

Why it’s on the list: Pioneer Stadium is one of the newest and nicest places to watch a high school football game in the state. The home side seats 4,000 fans and the visiting side seats 2,000.

The scoreboard, located on the stadium’s north end, is a 32-foot by 24-foot Daktronics unit, which includes a 31-foot by 11-foot LED video display.

The field is made up of artificial turf (FieldTurf).

How to get there from downtown OKC: Take I-40 East to I-35 North. Take Exit 174 towards Stillwater. Turn left onto S. Western Road, and continue on W. Hall of Fame Ave. Turn left onto N. Main St., and continue on N. Boomer Rd. Turn right onto N. Husband St.

Stillwater’s 2011 remaining home schedule
Oct. 7: Ponca City, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 28: Bartlesville, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 4: Tulsa Union, 7:30 p.m.

With Westmoore falling out from No. 8 after its loss to Edmond Santa Fe, there were two logical candidates to take the spot: Edmond Santa Fe, who was ranked before its loss to Midwest City the week before, and Stillwater. I chose the Pioneers based on their recent performances but just barely. Santa Fe gets a tough test next week at Lawton. A good performance there, win or lose, gives the Wolves a chance to move back in.

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

Ardmore and Tulsa Washington still in the rankings at 1-3? Absolutely. I’ve never understood why teams drop in rankings after they lose to a high ranked opponent (in most cases). While Tulsa Washington has plenty to work on, the Hornets are still very talented, especially on the defensive side. They lost to Carl Albert, Abilene, Texas, and Tulsa East Central. They’re going to be right there at the end, regardless of what their record now is. Ardmore is similar. They beat Ada to start the season before running into the murderer’s row of Carl Albert, McAlester and Lawton MacArthur the last few weeks. They shouldn’t lose the rest of the way. Speaking of Lawton Mac, I think next week is the week I totally deconstruct my rankings in this class especially and build from scratch. I think the Highlanders might be the best team in the class right now, although I think all five of the top teams are very good. The team I hate to leave out is Tulsa Central, who is 4-0 going into next week’s game against Grove.

Class 4A
1. Douglass (1)#3-1
2. Wagoner (2)#4-0
3. Catoosa (3)#4-0
4. Clinton (5)#3-1
5. Harrah (6)#4-0
6. Broken Bow (7)#3-1
7. Elk City (8)#4-0
8. McGuinness (4)#2-2
9. Sallisaw (9)#2-2
10. Hilldale (NR)#3-1

McGuinness drops four spots after getting manhandled on the road at Clinton. They might be a better team than that but hard to tell right now as the only varsity team they’ve beaten to this point was Tulsa Kelley, another team I’m not sure what to think of through four weeks. I suspect McGuinness will climb up. Hilldale moves into the rankings after a big win over Poteau gave the Hornets back-to-back blowouts after playing Wagoner pretty tough in Week 2. Piedmont and Cleveland gave me pause in those spots, though. Piedmont because of its offense and Cleveland due to its defense. Cleveland has allowed just 33 points all season. Elgin dropped out after getting thumped by Piedmont

Class 3A
1. Heritage Hall (1)#4-0
2. Anadarko (2)#4-0
3. Cascia Hall (3)#3-0
4. Bethany (4)#4-0
5. Metro Christian (5)#4-0
6. Tuttle (6)#4-0
7. Purcell (7)#4-0
8. Kingfisher (8)#4-0
9. Seminole (10)#4-0
10. Berryhill (NR)#4-0

I’ve been looking to get Berryhill into the rankings for a few weeks but since no team in my top 10 had lost a game through three weeks, I couldn’t do it. Sequoyah Tahlequah finally broke that stretch this week with its loss to Verdigris. Everything else remains the same with Seminole moving up one slot. There are several other undefeated teams in the class right now as well.

Class 2A
1. Davis (1)#3-1
2. Millwood (2)#3-1
3. Lincoln Christian (3)#4-0
4. Jones (4)#4-0
5. Stroud (5)#4-0
6. Hennessey (6)#2-2
7. Vian (7)#4-0
8. Colcord (8)#4-0
9. Washington (9)#3-1
10. Talihina (10)#4-0

Nothing changes here as all of the top 10 teams won last week. Hennessey is ranked at No. 6 because their only losses came close against Jones and to 3A No. 8 Kingfisher.

Class A
1. Woodland (1)#3-0
2. Thomas (2)#4-0
3. Wynnewood (3)#4-0
4. Afton (4)#4-0
5. Minco (5)#4-0
6. Morrison (6)#3-1
7. Wayne (7)#3-1
8. Elmore City (8)#4-0
9. Mangum (9)#3-1
10. Okeene (10)#2-2

Nothing changes here either as all of the top 10 teams won.

Class B
1. Caddo (1)#4-0
2. Davenport (3)#4-0
3. Laverne (4)#4-0
4. Gans (NR)#4-0
5. Kiefer (5)#3-1
6. Fox (6)#3-1
7. Dewar (7)#2-2
8. Cherokee (8)#3-1
9. Seiling (9)#4-0
10. Wetumka (2)#3-1

It’s hard to figure out where to slot Wetumka in here after a previously unranked Gans team beat them 52-22 Friday. I slid Davenport and Laverne up a spot before slotting Gans at No. 4. As I kept going down, comparing schedules, I wound up with Wetumka holding on at No. 10. They might be a bit better than that but of the teams ahead of them, only Cherokee has had a blowout loss (at Laverne). Wetumka isn’t likely to be challenged until the final two weeks of the season when they get zcaddo and Dewar back-to-back.

Class C
1. Deer Creek-Lamont (1)#4-0
2. Shattuck (2)#4-0
3. Timberlake (3)#3-0
4. Temple (5)#4-0
5. Covington-Douglas (6)#4-0
6. Tipton (4)#3-1
7. Coyle (8)#4-0
8. Forgan (7)#2-2
9. Ryan (9)#2-2
10. Sharon-Mutual (NR)#2-2

Covington-Douglas moves up a spot after beating previously fourth-ranked Tipton. Tipton drops a couple of spots to six after the close loss. Coyle continues to move up the rankings to No. 7 but they’ll get a tough test this week with No. 1 Deer Creek-Lamont. Sharon-Mutual moves into the rankings, replacing Thackerville in the final spot.

By Ryan Aber

But you’d think wrong.

Stillwater quarterback Jerame Littell. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

New coach Tucker Barnard spent the last seven years as defensive coordinator at Shiloh Christian, an Arkansas powerhouse, and he isn’t OK with losing, and isn’t OK with his players being OK with it.

“We’re not going to accept the almost, the things we almost did,” Barnard said. “If we want to be a championship football team, we have to be able to finish, and we didn’t finish tonight. I’m not going to let them allow themselves to be happy with, ‘We almost did it; we played them tough.’ It’s awesome, and it’s a step, but it wasn’t good enough.”

You’ve gotta love that attitude. You can’t create a winning culture where there wasn’t one if you accept any losing, even when it is a close loss to a good opponent.

The Pioneers offense, however, is encouraging.

Back is quarterback Jerame Littell, who threw for 2,878 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. Also back is a stellar pair of receivers — seniors Cory Hassell and Jesse Vester, who combined for 2,070 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2010.

Vester was the Pioneers’ offensive star of the night Friday.

He scored all three of the team’s touchdowns — two long runs out of the backfield and one fantastic catch from Littell at the end of the scrimmage’s first half.

Barnard said he is experimenting a little with having Vester in the backfield. Based on what I saw Friday, the experiment is working. But what makes that even scarier is that the Pioneers also return a 1,000-yard rusher from last season — senior Davion Carter — and three starters on their offensive line.

New Stillwater coach Tracy Barnard has senior quarterback Jerame Littell, right, on his team in 2011. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

New Stillwater coach Tucker Barnard is home, and he plans on sticking around.

Barnard, who is from Fairfax and went to college at Oklahoma State, spent the last seven years as defensive coordinator at Shiloh Christian, an Arkansas powerhouse. But coming back to Stillwater was always in the back of his mind.

So when the Pioneers’ head coaching job became available, Barnard applied. And during the application process, he was informed that the new football coach would also be athletic director.

“If I could finish out my career at Stillwater High School, that would be really exciting,” Barnard said. “It’s a great place. We have a great opportunity to win a lot of football games. Being athletic director, all around our athletic programs, we should be right there in the mix with everybody else.”

Jason Kersey
jkersey@opubco.com
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Back to the topic, the different format for the final day of the camp kinda makes doing scrimmage-by-scrimmage reports pointless. There were so many. If you saw me, I was basically anchored on the 50 yard line and kept my head on a swivel between the two fields.

Midwest City
Bombers had highlight of the day for me. In a hotly contested battle with Stillwater, the Bombers used some of that Bomber Magic on the final play.

Quarterback Ronnie Davis gave it to Cornell Neal, who chucked it into the end zone to Zeke Lewis for the scrimmage-winning score. What made the play, really, was the fact Midwest City got the snap off with 1 second left in the 10-minute scrimmage. But the snap did count.

If you ask me, Stillwater was the darling of this camp. Stillwater opened people’s eyes all three days. However, Midwest City also showed it’s still among the best. And though early indications are that Stillwater is going to be a player this season, the Bombers showed they’re not going away anytime soon, either.

Second highlight of the day: Ricky Reeves of Midwest City one-on-one against Stillwater’s Jesse Vester. How’s that for an early June battle between two of the best athletes in the state?

Stillwater
Like I said, no team impressed me more. Got a chance to talk with Jesse Vester and Jerame Littell during those first two days. Had a good chat with coach Tucker Barnard on this final day. I won’t spoil it because I’m writing a big Stillwater story for Monday’s paper. How’s that for a tease?

Bishop McGuinness
Irish were learning on the job in this camp, said coach Justin Jones. Not only are coach and players still trying to adjust to everything, but the Irish had maybe the least amount of practices coming into the event. Jones said because of dead week during finals, the Irish only had six practices. Or as he put it, ‘three offensive practices and three defensive practices.’ I’m not sold on the McGuinness offense yet, but ya gotta love that defense, especially those linebackers.

Deer Creek
Getting off the mat to finish the job. In a scrimmage against, ooh, I wanna say Stillwater, QB Joel Blumenthal tweaked his ankle on the final play. In the ensuing scrimmage against Bixby, Blumenthal found Hunter Dinkines for a touchdown on the final play. Came away really impressed with Brennan Miyake. He’s already a big boy. Deer Creek was missing some key linemen and had to battle 6A teams for those three days so not going to be too harsh. Coach Grant Gower was extremely pleased and that’s good enough for me.

Norman North
Enjoyed seeing Bryan Payne do his thing. He’s a little dude, but he’s got some game in him. Between him, Emilio Gatewood and Raymond Demby, that was a nice set of backs last year. Payne looks like he’ll have to be the man, but if he can endure the punishment, that’s OK. Coach Wade Standley said it was just Day 12 of the team and him together so like most coaches at this point, happy to get some good reps in.

Edmond North
I really like Luke Hoskins. I’m not sure how the X-and-Os battle is going between Jesse Mathews and Hoskins, but Hoskins has looked good. Also glad to see Jared Benway take some big shots and bounce back up. Really hope Benway can stay healthy. Jarion Tudman was also back in action Friday after being banged up Wednesday. This is another team that I’ll see a lot more of in the future so I didn’t critique the Huskies too much.

OCS
A lot of the names I’ve grown to love with the Saints are gone, but coach Derek Turner is extremely excited about this group. He admits they’re a young squad, but he said the talent in the freshman/sophomore class is some top notch stuff. Hope to see more of the Saints this summer.

- Edmond Santa Fe wasn’t there on the final day. That’s alright, know there will be plenty of other times I’ll catch up with Lance Manning and company…Little Axe coach Ted Dorrell is excited to be a head coach again, that’s for sure. The Indians took a big hit via graduation, but Dorrell has some real fire…McLoud coach Eric Cardin said his team is young, but a camp like this always helps out. Realistically, Redskins are one year away, but Cardin is pumped for the future…Didn’t get to meet with Tecumseh coach Greg George too long. He said he loved the camp, best camp his team goes to. Savages did OK from the action I saw.

- Some of these same teams are out at Boone Pickens on Saturday for the Red Bull Game Breakers. I won’t be there, but I have ‘correspondents’ who will fill me in.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

A couple in particular, Stillwater and Deer Creek, made goalline, last-second stands to preserve scrimmage victories. I guess if you wanna call them victories.

Stillwater vs. Edmond Santa Fe

Never had I anticipated a 20-minute scrimmage between two 1-9 teams more than what I did as the final scrimmage of the day. Santa Fe looked great against Bixby and Pioneers showed a lot against Midwest City.

This one was as good as I hoped. Midwest City and Edmond North was going on at the same time, but the intensity and battle was just a little bit better with the Wolves and Pioneers so that’s who I stuck with.

Big heart showed by Stillwater QB Jerame Littell. He took a nasty shot that led to an interception. On the next drive, aired it out to Jesse Vester for the touchdown.

Wolves bounced back. With big brother Reggie Smith watching, Trevan Smith showed his speed. Trevan is small, but he’s got a lot of wiggle to him and scored.

Littell led another touchdown drive to set the stage for the final minutes. Justice Hansen threw it in the end zone as time expired, and it was picked off. Big thing that Littell and coach Tucker Barnard stressed was the ability to finish.

When you’re 1-9, at least a few of those games are decided in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. You have to learn how to finish. That’s what the Pioneers are doing so far at Edmond North. Great physical battle.

Deer Creek vs. Bixby

The Antlers had already wrapped up the ‘scrimmage victory.’ Based on rules, Bixby shouldn’t have been allowed one more play. But Deer Creek coach Grant Gower told Bixby to go one more play. He wanted his kids to experience a fourth down-like atmosphere.

Deer Creek stopped the Spartans short of the end zone in a 7-0 victory.

Antlers defense was the star in this one. To go with the last-second stop, Deer Creek stopped Bixby on a fourth-and-one earlier in the scrimmage.

Deer Creek scored on its second play from scrimmage as QB Joel Blumenthal found RB Brennan Miyake cutting across the middle and Miyake did the rest.

Miyake said it was a big boost to be going against Edmond North and Midwest City earlier in the day. It made the Antlers ready for a team like Bixby.

Midwest City vs. Edmond North

Caught glimpses of this. After Christian Peterson picked off a MWC pass, it seemed like the Bombers settled down after that. A lot of stops for losses for Midwest City against Edmond North. Bombers also found the end zone a couple of times. Wish that hadn’t gone head-to-head with Stillwater and Santa Fe.

Norman North vs. Shawnee

Another one that I didn’t get to fully see. A lot of woofin’ in this one. Teams had to separated a couple of times. T’Wolves’ fans, who is No. 3? I’m enjoying watching him work, that’s for sure. I didn’t see either team score in the 10-12 minutes I was able to watch.

Bishop McGuinness vs. Altus

I tried to watch, but what I was really thinking was why was Altus in full pads? Every other team was wearing shorts, but the Bulldogs were padded up. It makes a big difference. The Irish were still able to win, but that was a strange sight to see.

- Got a chance to briefly talk with Little Axe coach Ted Dorrell. I told him I can’t keep track of all 15 teams. He told me ‘try learning your players’ names in an environment like this.’ Dorrell was an assistant at Jones last season.

- Interesting talking with Santa Fe defensive coordinator Kenny Young when Irish were playing. He admits he’s still cheering for McGuinness and always will be. Ten years doesn’t just disappear with a change in jobs.

- Windy as heck out there. Don’t know if videos with Littell and Miyake will be deemed salvageable. If not, just look for some isolated plays from the scrimmages.

- Format change for Friday. Teams will start at 8:30 instead of 8 a.m. Also, more scrimmages. 10-minute scrimmages will begin at 9:40 and go to about 11:30-11:45. Either way, I’ll be out there. My format changes, too. I try to talk with players Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, I’ll be asking coaches what they learned in the three days so probably won’t be any videos.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

The format was the same, too, thankfully. Teams go from station-to-station and then 20-minute scrimmages start at 11 a.m.

The first scrimmage I’m always going to be able to sorta give a better account. After that, it gets sketchy because I’m trying to track down players/coaches from the finished scrimmage and also watch the next set of teams.

Bishop McGuinness vs. Shawnee

Not the best start to this one for either team. In fact, that was kind of the general trend where teams started slow and then picked up the pace.

Irish turned the ball over first time in possession, and the Wolves capitalized. However, in final two possessions, Irish looked a lot better. The first was a sustained (well, as sustained as you can get going 40 yards) drive that ended in a Camden Tharp touchdown rush.

And then in the final minute, Tharp threw the ‘scrimmage-winning’ touchdown pass. He said it’s a lot different environment under coach Justin Jones as opposed to Kenny Young.

People are normally quick to say that’s bashing the former coach, but it’s not, if you ask me. Different doesn’t imply anything except that things are ‘different.’

Young was an in-your-face, no nonsense type of guy. Jones is a little more hands on, Tharp said. Tharp admitted it was tough initially in the scrimmage because the Irish were playing a lot of JV. To go from that to Shawnee is a leap, for sure. Gonna have to pick me up a Wolves roster for the next two days. Saying No. 2 and No. 12 had good days doesn’t amount to much, my fault.

Edmond Santa Fe vs. Bixby

This started the trend of things getting chippy. The Wolves are playing with a real chip on their shoulder, for the lack of a better term. The last two years have been tough to endure, and they’re looking to show things are going to be different right from the get go.

Leading that charge is wide receiver Tre Kelley. He was a-woofin’ and hollerin’ all scrimmage. He also backed it up. QB Justice Hansen looked good on a touchdown carry. Really excited to see what Phillip Sumpter and Trevan Smith can do in the open field.

But more than the offense, great day by the defense. Kenny Young has the team playing in a different tempo, swagger, and it showed in Day 1. I wanna say it was Santa Fe 14, Bixby 0 but don’t quote me on that one.

Midwest City vs. Stillwater

Ooh, pumped to see what is happening with the Pioneers right now. Cleaned house with the coaching staff, and the kids just look a little happier to go to work.

Obviously when you talk about Stillwater, it starts with QB Jerame Littell and WR Jesse Vester. Wednesday was no different as Vester made some outstanding plays, and Littell got to showcase his arm.

Stillwater made a nice late charge in this one. Not gonna judge the Midwest City offense too much because a lot of key players to replace. And this was a scrimmage that I was really scrambling to see. Hope to get a better look at the Bombers on Thursday or Friday.

Deer Creek vs. Altus

Deer Creek coach Grant Gower said he was really pleased with the team’s effort. Antlers scored on all three of their possessions.

When you’re talking about DC, Altus and the Irish, you’re looking at 5A teams that are going against 6A teams the entire time until this scrimmage portion. You get to see how much it helps to go against the speed of MWC, Edmond North, etc., when get back down to 5A.

- Look for videos with Tharp, Kelley and Vester on NewsOK. I’ll be keeping tabs on the health of Edmond North RB Jarion Tudman. He landed knee-first on the track on a tackle and had to ice his knee. Goal is to catch a better glimpse of Norman North, MWC, OCS and a couple of others on Day 2.

- And for the record, the 15 teams: Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe, Midwest City, Bixby, Norman North, Stillwater, Deer Creek, McGuinness, Shawnee, Altus, OCS, Meeker, McLoud, Tecumseh, Little Axe.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Player of the Year – Jordan Pound, Stillwater
Coach Of the Year – Michael Davis, Stillwater

All-Conference Team
Alex Budke, Stillwater
Austin Brinker, Stillwater
Zack Brown, Lawton Eisenhower
Dominique Perkins, Lawton Eisenhower
Mitchell Foote, Enid
Alex Patterson, Enid
Brent Wilson, Ponca City
Cole Hibler, Ponca City
Kendall Suttles, Lawton
Richard Sheperd, Lawton

Honorable Mention All–Conference
Josh Pierre, Stillwater
Connor Lamb, Stillwater
Delvonte Pierre, Lawton
Jalon Jackson, Enid
Brandon Wilcoxson, Ponca City
Sherief Stafford, Lawton Eisenhower

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Heritage Hall junior running back Barry J. Sanders isn’t any closer to making a commitment, but he did earn another honor.

Sanders was named the 10^th best recruit for the class of 2012 by Tom Lemming as Lemming released his top 100 recruits Tuesday.

Lemming has spent more than 30 years evaluating recruits. Sanders was the only player from Oklahoma in the top 100. Dorial Beckham-Green, the Springfield, Mo., wide receiver, was ranked the top prospect.

I’ve admit that I’m bias toward the Oklahoma kids, but I was amazed that Alex Ross of Jenks, Cayman Bundage of Douglass, Sterling Shepard of Heritage Hall and Donovan Roberts of Norman didn’t sniff the list. Feel people are sleeping on this class still.

- Edmond Santa Fe junior Ty Hensley said he wants to keep his options open for football. Meanwhile, the baseball honors continue to roll in for the star pitcher.

Hensley has been invited to participate in the Under Armour All-America baseball game Aug. 13 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Hensley is one of 36 players invited and is the lone Oklahoman on the roster. The game will be televised live on MLB Network (Cox 264). The players participating were chosen by a committee of Baseball Factory scouts.

The game will punctuate a four-day event for the players that will include a formal workout for MLB scouts, a home run derby and a meet-and-greet with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

- Sand Springs quarterback Darrack Harger was among one of the top performers at the Under Armour combine in Dallas last weekend.

Harger, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, has added 15 pounds since the end of last season and was said to be the best quarterback in the bunch by Rivals.com

Harger doesn’t have any official offers but is receiving interest from several Big 12 schools, including Oklahoma State.

Top QB prospect is going to be a battle. The four early favorites: Harger, Kason Key of Owasso, Ramsey Hamilton of Beggs and Corben Jones of Yukon. It feels like every week that is something different to report on at least one of them.

- A name to watch is definitely Stillwater wide receiver Jesse Vester. He’s been just as busy as anybody else, attending Tulsa, OSU and KU Junior Days. His April is going to be pretty busy, too. And with new coach Tucker Barnard officially in Stillwater and QB Jerame Littell, Pioneers will definitely have a different look.

- Southmoore has produced one top talent after another in the last couple of years and don’t look for that to stop in this upcoming season. Running back Andrew Long is definitely the gem of the SaberCats, but linebacker Jackson Stallings is starting to come on the radar. Neither have any official offers, but coach Chris Jensen has done a great job of getting his kids noticed.

- Any news or notes you wanna contribute? Drop me a line, appreciate it.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Former Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.) assistant Tucker Barnard was approved by the Stillwater Board of Education on Monday night to become the school’s head coach in football and the athletic director. His duties as athletic director will begin next school year.

Former coach Rusty Atkins resigned following a 1-9 season in 2010. Athletic director Butch Lingenfelter said he is going to retire after this school year.

Barnard was a coordinator for the Arkansas powerhouse Shiloh Christian for the last seven years and spent the last six as the defensive coordinator. Shiloh Christian won four state championships in Barnard’s tenure, including the last three years.

Barnard graduated from Woodland High before graduating from Oklahoma State in 1998.

Barnard’s duties won’t officially begin until March 21.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Good call. One great atmosphere after another. I wrote about Cody Coyle in Saturday’s paper because he was the head-scratcher, but the Irish don’t come anywhere close to a 77-70 overtime win without Matt Christiansen.

With his running mate, Joe Edmonds, in foul trouble (had four in the third quarter) Christiansen did everything in his power to keep McGuinness in the game. He had 12 points in the first half, 17 in the second half and three in overtime for 32 points.

However, have to give credit to Connor Lamb of Stillwater. Every time it looked like the Irish faithful could relax, Lamb hit another huge three.

The first came with 1:05 left in the fourth to tie the game at 56-56. Then with 26 seconds left, it was 60-56 for the Irish and boom, Lamb hit another.

That set the stage for Austin Brinker to tie the game with about two seconds left at 61 to send us into overtime.

In OT, Christiansen had the place rockin’ with a dunk to make it 66-62. Was thinking game over at that point when Lamb hit another three-pointer. However, that’s when Coyle made his name.

Coyle, primarily a defensive stopper, was on the floor because of the injury to Miles Newcomb. The Irish were up 68-65 and just had a defensive stop. OK, slow it down, pass it around and wait for the foul. Or if you’re Coyle, bomb a three from the corner and send the place into a frenzy. Not sure what would have happened had he missed it, but he doesn’t have to worry.

McGuinness hit its free throws to earn a big win. Coach Tondrell Durham was a little more excited than I thought he’d be for this one, the win meant a lot to him.

Lamb finished with 21 points, while Alex Budke had 16 for Stillwater. Edmonds had 14 for the Irish. Look for a video with Coyle on NewsOK this weekend.

McGuinness 53, Stillwater 31 (Girls)

Did not see this one coming. McGuinness’ defense was stifling all night, limiting a good Stillwater team to 17 points through the first three quarters.

Coach Jennifer Burch said it was all about defense. Against Putnam North on Monday (lost at the buzzer), the defensive breakdowns led to the Panthers getting back in it.

Not the case in blowout wins against Ponca City and the Pioneers. One big thing, too, was having Kate Andrews back against Stillwater. In the first game (a narrow 50-46 win at Stillwater), Andrews did not play. Though she only scored seven points, she made a huge difference on defense.

An 11-0 run in the first quarter got the Irish rolling and Stillwater never mounted a run. It was a comfortable margin the rest of the way.

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

Titan Classic
At Carl Albert
Thursday
Boys
Lawton MacArthur vs. Guthrie, 11:30 a.m.
Millwood vs. Wichita North, 2:30
Carl Albert vs. Harvest Life, 5:30
Del City vs. HCYA – Houston, 8:30
Girls
Del City vs. Mustang, 10 a.m.
Carl Albert vs. Putnam City, 1 p.m.
Millwood vs. Stillwater, 4 p.m.
Midwest City vs. Douglass, 7 p.m.

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.

The final two games of the night were decided by two points or less, one with a (controversial) game-winner going in with 1.8 seconds left, and another with the potential game-winner bouncing off the rim just before the buzzer.

Here’s a look at Friday’s scores and Saturday’s schedule:

Friday’s results
Putnam City North 85, John Marshall 53
Stillwater 61, Lawton Eisenhower 48
Putnam City 58, PC West 56
Midwest City 44, Tulsa Union 43

Saturday’s games
John Marshall vs. Lawton Eisenhower, noon (seventh place)
Putnam City North vs. Stillwater, 1:30 p.m. (fifth place)
Putnam City West vs. Tulsa Union, 4:30 p.m. (third place)
Putnam City vs. Midwest City, 6 p.m. (championship)

First, let’s discuss the end of the PC-PC West game. If you were there, I know you have an opinion about it, and feel free to share in the comments section. For those who weren’t, PC’s Dominique Raney drove toward the top of the key, there was contact between he and PC West defender Dominique Carrasco, and Raney pulled up for an open 18-foot jumper that won the game.

Did he push off to create some separation? Certainly possible. Raney didn’t deny it after the game. “It was what it was. I’ll just say that,” he told me.

For a better visual, think back to June 1998, Michael Jordan’s last game as a Chicago Bull. Did he push off on Utah’s Bryon Russell for the winning jumper in Game 6? If you think so, you probably think Raney pushed off, too.

There are really three ways to look at the play:

1) The PC West view — definitely a push-off.

2) The PC view — maybe a little nudge, but not enough for a foul call.

3) The Bad News Bears view (Let them play!) — you’re the person who wants to see a game decided by the players, not the refs, in the final seconds.

Groups 2 and 3 left the gym feeling good Friday night. For Group 1, all I can offer is this: the rest of us should stop being surprised when your Patriots are beating/playing close with really good teams. Three wins over top 10 teams and nearly a fourth? OK, time to accept that these Pats can play. And it’s not a one-man show.

Kyndall Dudley wasn’t scoring like he had been of late, but Kevin House, Dante Lewis and Tavionne Pennon added plenty on the offensive end to keep the Pats in the game.

As for the Pirates, Raney admits that sometimes — like in the second quarter when PC fell behind by 10 — he tries to do too much on his own. The team is much better when he’s getting everyone involved, like he did in the second half. The Pirates have other capable scorers, and getting Raney off the ball helps him get open more often as well.

The biggest thing that came out of Midwest City’s win was another knock against the value of size in 6A this season. Union is a lot bigger than the Bombers, but Midwest City — like several 6A teams around the metro — are quick and can score, even against height.

Putnam City isn’t huge, and their bigs are inexperienced, so Saturday’s title game should be a thriller. Last year’s state final was great, and I think the teams are pretty evenly matched once again.

The third- and fifth-place games won’t be too shabby, either, with a top-10 matchup in the fifth-place game between Stillwater and PC North, followed by Union vs. PC West. This tournament has clearly lived up to the hype.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

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.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I’m at my brother’s house in Kansas getting to play Uncle Bob for a couple of days. Be back Friday in time for Guthrie and Booker T.

Until then, here are some more signing day photos. Enjoy:

Midwest City's Kaylon Williams signs with Oklahoma to play basketball.

And a couple of Oral Roberts signees. First, Delaney Scrivner of Tuttle:

Tuttle's Delaney Scrivner signs with Oral Roberts to play basketball.

Joining Scrivner is Emma Gade of Stillwater:

Emma Gade of Stillwater signs with Oral Roberts to play basketball.

Is Class 3A the land of the running backs? From Devin Campbell (Bethany) to John McCracken (Blanchard) to Blake Riojas (Newcastle) to Barry J. Sanders (Heritage Hall), the list goes on and on.

But you know what? With all those names being mentioned, the best back in the class might reside in Anadarko. Sheldon Wilson has been putting up video game-like numbers through the first four games.

Wilson scored six touchdowns as the Warriors improved to 4-0 this season. And frankly I think I grossly underrated this team initially.

Not anymore. I’m not sleeping on this group any longer. I moved Anadarko up to No. 4 in the class and that sounds about right.

Other contenders

Cole Swayze, Purcell: Not a ‘running back’ in title, but Swayze has been a beast on the ground, too. He scored five touchdowns on the ground in the Dragons’ win against Sulphur.

Corey Bennett, Choctaw: The Choctaw running back notched two touchdowns in helping the Yellowjackets to their second win of the season.

Jerame Littell, Stillwater: Littell was finally able to get things rolling, throwing for 462 yards and five touchdowns in the Pioneers’ first win.

Devonte McCully, Guthrie: Kentrell who? Just kidding, but McCully has become a formidable option for Bryan Dutton, too, scoring three times in a rout of Deer Creek.

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