Kelly Gregg, center, talks to Edmond North football coach Jeremy Dombek, left, after Gregg's jersey was retired Tuesday. PHOTO BY JASON KERSEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

EDMOND — Kelly Gregg was back in his hometown Tuesday night to be honored at a halftime ceremony during Edmond North’s boys’ basketball game.

Gregg’s Jersey No. 71 was retired by the school.

The longtime NFL veteran and former Oklahoma Sooner said he hasn’t officially announced it yet, but will likely retire after spending the 2011-12 season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent the vast majority of his career with the Baltimore Ravens.

After Tuesday’s ceremony, he talked about his high school career, his pro career and using his doubters as motivation in a video.

A note about the video: During the ceremony, it was announced that Gregg had the longest NFL career of any former Sooner, and I asked him about it on the video. After doing some research, that isn’t exactly correct. The length of time from when his career began to when it ended is the longest, but he spent a couple years on Baltimore’s practice squad and wasn’t an active-roster player. Tony Casillas played more seasons on an active NFL roster.

Choctaw soccer player Caitlin Bond, seated center, signs her letter of intent with the University of Central Oklahoma with her mother, Cynthia White, and father, Ron White at her side. Standing on the back row from left are coach Donnie Hughes, Bond's competitive league coach, and Choctaw High School coach Chris Maggart.

Though she received recruiting attention from a wide range of programs all around the country, Choctaw soccer player Caitlin Bond found the best fit close to home, signing with Central Oklahoma.

Bond, who scored 15 goals for Choctaw as a junior last season, signed with the Bronchos as part of a class heavy on top talent from around the metro area, including Cierra Allen of McGuinness, Tyler Barajas of Mustang, Meghann Combs of Yukon and Ciara Mitchell of Carl Albert.

“Caitlin is very dynamic and exciting to watch and should be able to create in several positions for us right away,” UCO coach Mike Cook said.

“We’re really excited about this class of recruits. Their soccer knowledge is very high and it’s a very athletic group. We feel like we addressed some areas of need and definitely have added depth to a lot of positions. This recruiting class along with our returning group of players should make for an exciting 2012 season when we look forward to making an impact in the MIAA.”

The Bronchos went 15-4 last fall in making it to the national playoffs as an independent and will join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association next year.

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

T.J. Noel, left, and Midwest City will play rival Del City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

The top-10 boys and girls basketball games between Del City and Midwest City will be played Saturday afternoon instead of Tuesday, as they were originally scheduled.

The girls will play at 1 p.m., and the boys will follow at Del City High School.

The last time these schools met in mid-January, the games were also moved to Saturday afternoon.

Del City girls coach Karri Sears said the rescheduling was made by district administrators and that it is a “safety issue.”

The rescheduling will mean a quick turnaround for both schools, which each have games Friday night.

Del City’s boys and girls host Moore on Friday, and Midwest City travels to Westmoore.

Despite the inconvenience of playing back-to-back games, coaches agree that it is good preparation for the playoffs.

“It’s one of those things where Del City is in the same situation,” said Midwest City girls coach Art Bode.

“And when it comes to the state tournament, you need to be ready for a quick turnaround.”

Sears said: “It’s gonna be tough on our kids, but it’ll prepare us for the playoffs.”

Midwest City’s girls (21-0) are ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, and have beaten Del City (14-7), No. 6 in 5A, both times they’ve played this season.

On the boys’ side, Del City (16-5) is ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, and Midwest City (16-5) is No. 6 in 6A. The Bombers won the season’s first meeting at the Del City/Midwest City Holiday Invitational, and Del City won in the regular season at Midwest City.

When the Eagles won on Jan. 14, it was the first time they’d beaten Midwest City in more than a decade.

Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen is playing basketball after recovering from a groin injury. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen got his first college football scholarship offer from Missouri at the school’s Junior Day last weekend, but he isn’t planning on making any decisions anytime soon at all.

The Missouri offer is likely the first of dozens Hansen will receive.

As a sophomore and first-year starter in 2011, Hansen was a force through the air and on the ground as the Wolves went 10-2 and were district champions.

“I’ve got two years,” Hansen said. “I want to go through the ride and see what all happens.”

Hansen grew up an Oklahoma fan, and his dad Dusty was on the Sooners’ 1994 national championship baseball team. He said he dreamed of playing football at OU when he was younger, but now OU isn’t a team he is sitting around waiting for.

“OU isn’t really favored at all,” Hansen said. “I want to weigh all the options I get and go where I can excel the most.”

He said he’s received letters from several schools, but hasn’t had more contact than that with any program except Missouri.

MORE ON THE OFFER

Hansen wasn’t expecting anything more than a campus tour when he accepted an invitation to Missouri’s Junior Day.

But Pinkel made Missouri the first school to offer a scholarship to Hansen, who

“It was pretty crazy,” Hansen said. “I just figured I’d go up there and look around; I didn’t expect anything like that.”

Hansen said Pinkel had seen film of some of the Wolves’ games from last season. The sophomore quarterback added that he thinks the Tigers’ recruitment of defensive end Michael Onuoha, who signed with OU, helped him get noticed.

“I think because they had been breaking down film of Mike, they got interested,” he said.

After Pinkel made the offer, he took in the Tigers’ mens’ basketball game win over Baylor and met with current Missouri quarterback James Franklin.

“I talked to him for a while,” Hansen said. “He was a great guy.”

PLAYING THROUGH PAIN

Hansen admitted that he finished last season with a groin injury, and played through it “the last few weeks of the season.”

Weeks would start out painful on Mondays, and the groin would gradually get worked out throughout the week as he practiced.

Then, the process would start over.

“At first, they were thinking it was a hernia,” he said. “It was probably a pretty bad pull or a slight tear.”

Hansen missed the first part of basketball season because of the injury, but is now back at full strength.

“It’s another game you have to compete for,” Hansen said of playing hoops, adding that the constant running in basketball is helping him stay in shape.

He is pretty fired up, though, to return to the gridiron. The Wolves were 1-9 in 2010, but made a drastic turnaround in Hansen’s first year under center.

“That was the funnest football season I’ve ever played in,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back in there, build on that and see what we can do this next year.”

Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen picked up a Missouri offer on Saturday. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen picked up his first college football scholarship offer from Missouri during a visit there Saturday, he said in a text message to The Oklahoman.

Hansen was one of the state’s top sophomores in 2011 and was a key part of Edmond Santa Fe’s turnaround from 1-9 in 2010 to 10-2 this season.

As a sophomore and first-year starter, Hansen threw for 2,558 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 529 yards and eight scores.

Hansen’s offer came during Missouri’s Junior Day, which he was invited to even though he is a sophomore.

Hansen is widely considered one of the state’s top prospects for the class of 2014.

If you haven’t seen the video of Vinita’s full-court alley-0op off a made free throw with one second left, it’s definitely worth it to click below and check it out. Garret Maxey throws the inbounds pass, which bounces once, into perfect position to hit Jake Bullard in stride for the slam.

Now, when I initially heard the story, I was told it was also a game-winning dunk, which would have made it the play of the decade. But Vinita actually won the game 54-40. Still, a phenomenal play. And Class 4A folks around the OKC metro area will want to keep an eye on Vinita anyway. After reaching the state semis last year, they returned virtually everyone and will be one of the top contenders to end Douglass’ run of two straight titles.

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark received a scholarship offer from Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger on Monday.

Add Oklahoma to the list of college basketball programs seeking the services of Douglass point guard Stephen Clark.

Clark was invited to the Sooners’ game against Missouri on Monday night, and head coach Lon Kruger offered the 5-foot-10 junior a scholarship, as first reported by ESPN.

“Coach Kruger told us he wanted Stephen as a Sooner,” said Dorshell Clark, Stephen’s mother. “So maybe we can begin building a relationship with him and the other coaches.”

Oklahoma joins more than a dozen other programs pursuing Clark, along with the likes of Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri, Memphis and Marquette.

Clark is the third in-state player the Sooners have offered a scholarship, along with Edmond Memorial point guard Jordan Woodard and Tulsa Washington shooting guard Juwan Parker.

If you’re looking for some extra reading on Clark, here’s a quick look at his 65-point game in January.

Here’s a story from December about Clark’s transition to point guard.

And here’s Monday’s piece on Clark and the rest of the state’s star-studded 2013 recruiting class.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deer Creek's Kooper Ruminer correctly picked the final score of Super Bowl XLVI. PHOTO PROVIDED

Out of 28 high school football players who participated in my Super Bowl XLVI picks challenge, Deer Creek linebacker Kooper Ruminer is the only one who correctly picked the New York Giants’ winning score of 21-17.

The Giants were the underdog in these picks; 16 of the 28 guys who participated picked the New England Patriots to win. Besides Ruminer, those who picked the Giants to win were:

Joel Blumenthal (Deer Creek); Landry Chappell (Guthrie); Casey Curtis (Putnam City); James Flanders (Midwest City); Justice Hansen (Edmond Santa Fe); Ry Huff (Edmond Memorial); Blake Jarwin (Tuttle); Jared McElhany (Blanchard); Tyler Melton (Anadarko); Jesse Vester (Stillwater); Josh Way (Wayne).

A big thanks to everyone who participated. That was fun, and I plan to do it again next year. Although next year, I won’t wait until the night before to contact players! Hopefully in the future we have a lot more pickers.

Ruminer was No. 19 on The Oklahoman‘s first Super 30 for the Class of 2013, which ranks the top 30 college football prospects in the state. He led Deer Creek with 125 tackles and 10 sacks as a junior.

Tom Brady, right, and Eli Manning will face off in the Super Bowl on Sunday night. AP PHOTO

It’s Super Bowl Sunday which, in my opinion, is the greatest day of the year.

Since I’ve got Super Bowl Fever, I decided to contact some Oklahoma high school football players and get their predictions for the big game.

I got several responses, so I’ll add new responses to this post as I get them up until gametime. Some gave reasons for their picks and others just gave scores.

As it stands, the Patriots lead the picks 16-12 among the high school players.

And for the record, I’m taking the Giants 27-17.

Blake Belcher, Guthrie: Patriots 34-31

Graham Bennett, Casady: Patriots 24-17
“I love the Giants … but once (Tom) Brady gets going there’s nothing you can do.”

Jared Benway, Edmond North: Patriots 28-21
“Tom Brady is too good.”

Joel Blumenthal, Deer Creek: Giants 28-17
“(The Giants) have a better D and I don’t really like Tom Brady too much.”

Austin Brooks, Oklahoma Christian School: Patriots 21-17
“Tom Brady will have a big game and the defense will step up. Also, being a Cowboys fan, I just can’t stand to see the Giants win.”

Kai Callins, Guthrie: Patriots 35-24
“Tom Brady has too many options.”

Landry Chappell, Guthrie: Giants 28-24

Casey Curtis, Putnam City: Giants 31-27

Joel Davis, Midwest City: Patriots 35-24
“The Giants haven’t really seen a big powered offense with tons of formations. That’ll keep them off balance. The only way the Giants will have a shot is if their front four can get consistent pressure to keep Brady moving.”

Luke Davis, Guthrie: Patriots 27-21
“Brady is too wise for the Giants D.”

Hunter Dinkines, Deer Creek: Patriots 38-27
“I think it’s gonna be a good game for New England. The game is in the hands of the Giants D line. But I think Victor Cruz and Welker/Gronkowski should be fun to watch.”

James Flanders, Midwest City: Giants 31-24
“(The Giants) have a great quarterback and a wonderful defense.”

Justice Hansen, Edmond Santa Fe: Giants 27-20
“If Hernandez and the Gronk are going out for passes, I think Justin Tuck and the boys up front will cause problems. And if they stay in, that will kill the Patriots’ offense. Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw will have a big game!”

Ry Huff, Edmond Memorial: Giants 27-24

Blake Jarwin, Tuttle: Giants 34-27
“I don’t think the Patriots O Line can handle the Giants for four quarters. And I think that Eli Manning plays just as well in this game as he does in any other game and will lead them to their second Super Bowl win against the Patriots!”

Jared McElhany, Blanchard: Giants 23-20
“It will be an exciting and close game. I just wanna see Eli (Manning) pass his brother with Super Bowl rings! I’m a Steelers fan.”

Tyler Melton, Anadarko: Giants 31-27
“The Giants got hot at the right time and are rolling. I think a big key will be that D line of theirs disrupting New England’s offense. … Also, my dad and their D-line coach, Robert Nunn, are good friends.”

Brandon Nguyen, Bishop McGuinness: Patriots 28-17
“Defense wins championships and New York just doesn’t have it.”

Marc Robinson, Millwood: Patriots 24-21
“Tom Brady is raw and unstoppable in the air.”

Kooper Ruminer, Deer Creek: Giants 21-17
“(The Giants’) D is getting better every game and I think it’s a little to much for Tom Brady to handle.”

Magnus Scott, Coyle: Patriots 27-24
“Sounds crazy, but I would like to see (Chad) Ocho Cinco get a ring even though he’s been quiet this year. … I feel the Giants have been on lucky status so far. (New England) took my Ravens so they better come with it.”

Tylor Seabolt, Jones: Patriots 31-17
“(The Patriots’) passing attack is nearly unstoppable with Gronkowski and (Wes) Welker. They also have a very underrated defense that always seems to come through for them in key situations.”

Quinn Shanbour, Heritage Hall: Patriots 30-17
“I’ve studied a lot of film over the last two years, and Tom Brady is bar none the best quarterback in the league. I figure New York will try to run it with (Ahmad) Bradshaw and (Brandon) Jacobs, but a good lead for New England will spoil that plan and make Eli (Manning) win it himself. I don’t think that’ll happen.”

Quintaz Struble, Heritage Hall: Patriots 35-28
“That boy Brady is a beast.”

Camden Tharp, Bishop McGuinness: Patriots 27-24
“The Giants have a great defense, but the NFL is a quarterbacks’ league and I take Brady any day of the week. Plus, he has redemption on his mind. Patriots all the way.”

Zac Veatch, Broken Arrow: Patriots 24-20
“The reason can be summed up in three words: Gronkowski and Hernandez!”
(It should be noted that Veatch plays tight end).

Jesse Vester, Stillwater: Giants 38-35
“New York’s defense will come through and force a turnover late to seal the victory.”

Josh Way, Wayne: Giants 24-20

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark has been selected to compete for the Junior Olympic team in Germany later this year. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

A good season keeps getting better for Douglass junior Stephen Clark.

The Trojans’ point guard has been shooting the lights out virtually every time he steps on the floor, college scholarship offers are rolling in, and now, he has been selected to play for the USA junior team that will compete in Germany later this year.

The team will compete in Mannheim, Germany, from April 3-14 in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, an event with teams from 15 other countries, including Argentina, Australia, China, Serbia and Spain.

Because of NCAA recruiting rules, the players must pay the cost of the flight to and from Germany on their own.

Recruiting has remained steady for Clark as well. Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger was up to see him at practice and in a game earlier this week, and according to Clark’s mother, Dorshell, a Baylor coach was in attendance on Friday night when he scored 18 points in a win over Capitol Hill.

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

Edmond Memorial's James Woodard had 22 points in a win over Del City on Friday.

Edmond Memorial senior James Woodard knows that as the season goes on, he’s going to be asked to play inside at times, and help to power the team’s rebounding efforts. As one of the tallest players on the team at 6-foot-3, he draws the job almost by default.

His athleticism and long arms help the cause, too. But more than any of those things, it was his pure effort that made the difference on Friday night. He was going to the boards hard on both ends of the floor, and his offensive game was on point, as well.

He and little brother Jordan Woodard put on quite a show, especially in the second half, when they accounted for all but four of the Bulldogs’ points to put Del City away.

Here’s what I wrote about the game for Saturday’s newspaper:

With their team in a tight ballgame against the only team to beat them this year, second-ranked Edmond Memorial’s brother duo of James and Jordan Woodard took control.

The brothers combined for 25 of the Bulldogs’ 29 points in the second half Friday night on the way to a 60-48 win over Class 5A’s No. 1 team, Del City.

“It’s almost tournament time, so coach (Shane Cowherd) preaches to us every day that everybody’s got to elevate our game right now,” said Jordan Woodard, who had 18 points. “We’re just trying to click every game from now on, until the championship game.”

Del City defeated the Bulldogs in December, and Memorial didn’t want to experience that again. James Woodard had 22 points and worked hard going after rebounds.

“When we lost to them, rebounding hurt us,” he said. “We knew we had to play harder than them and hustle harder than them to get rebounds, because that’s how we win.”

Sophomore Brett Cannon led Del City with 15 points.

After the game, Jordan Woodard was scheduled to leave for an unofficial visit at the University of Memphis. The Tigers, along with Oklahoma and San Francisco, have offered the junior a scholarship.

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger has been out to see Jordan play multiple times, keeping a close eye on one of his prime in-state targets, and Kansas coach Bill Self continues to show strong interest.

Other than the eight-hour car ride in the middle of the night, Jordan was looking forward to the opportunity to check out Memphis, which hosts Xavier on Saturday.

“We’ve been planning this trip for a long time, but the season has been hectic,” he said. “This is the perfect opportunity for me to get out there. It’s gonna feel good going out there after a win. I’m pretty excited.”

Self was in town to see Woodard score 29 points in a win over Edmond Santa Fe two weeks ago. Though Kansas hasn’t offered a scholarship yet, Self told Woodard that he would continue to keep in touch with him, and he wants Woodard to schedule a trip to the campus as well.

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

Bethany's Garrett McGrady (82) has accepted an offer to grayshirt at Arkansas State.

The recruiting process got a little hectic at the end, but Bethany tight end/defensive end Garrett McGrady ultimately landed a Division I opportunity.

McGrady accepted an offer to join the Arkansas State football program as a grayshirt, he told The Oklahoman on Friday night. That means he will enroll as a full-time student at the school in January 2013.

Sidelined much of the 2011 season because of injury, McGrady caught three touchdown passes and had three quarterback sacks, despite playing in only four games.

He visited the Arkansas State campus in late January, but didn’t receive an offer as the coaching staff waited to see what transpired with some of their prospects on signing day. The grayshirt offer came and McGrady committed on Thursday morning.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound McGrady is a three-sport star at Bethany, also excelling in basketball and as a thrower on the track team.

He was recruited to Arkansas State by defensive coordinator Keith Patterson, and is being projected as a defensive end when he gets on campus next year. However, first-year coach Gus Malzahn has told him he could end up in a variety of spots, either on the defensive line, at tight end or offensive tackle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The amount of talent NEO signed has Wilson thinking title.

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

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

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

Luther defensive lineman Justin Wilson, The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Defensive Player of the Year, will sign with Emporia State today.

Wilson (6-foot-1, 315 pounds) had 65 tackles and six sacks as a senior after moving back to the area from Georgia.

Here’s our Little All-City story on Wilson: Luther’s Justin Wilson is linemen king

9-9:30: Ryan Aber, high schools writer
10-10:30: Travis Haney, OU writer
11-11:30: Scott Wright, high schools writer
1-1:30: Jason Kersey, high schools writer
2-2:30: Ryan Aber, high schools writer
3-3:30: Jenni Carlson, columnist
4-4:30: Gina Mizell, OSU writer

Austin Garner and Centennial came up with a big win at John Marshall on Tuesday night.

I can’t remember a night during the regular season with so many great boys basketball games. Someone on Twitter told me I should have been at Edmond Santa Fe vs. Putnam City North, and he was right. And I should have been at Centennial vs. John Marshall, which turned out to be less of a game than I expected. And I should have been at Douglass-Southeast, which turned out to be more of a game than I expected. And I could have seen Deer Creek, Carl Albert, Del City, Northwest Classen, Westmoore and a few other teams pull out valuable victories as playoff seeding draws near.

And if I had been at any of those games, I would have missed No. 2 Edmond Memorial pull out a narrow win at No. 5 Midwest City.

Simply put, it was a phenomenal night of basketball in the city and around the state. Here’s a look at some of the best action in the OKC metro area from Tuesday night, with some additional analysis.

Edmond Memorial holds on at MWC

In an intense, if not artistic, battle between top-five teams, second-ranked Edmond Memorial came away with a hard-fought 48-46 win at No. 5 Midwest City Tuesday night.

After a first half highlighted by a flurry of 3-pointers from both teams, grinding, defensive basketball won out in the second half as Memorial rallied from seven points down late in the third quarter to win its 10th straight game.

“We’ve got to take these games and apply it in the future, like for the state tournament, because it’s gonna get tougher from here on out,” said Bulldog senior James Woodard, who had a game-high 12 points. “We didn’t play very well, but we gutted it out and got the win.”

Midwest City made seven 3-pointers — three by junior Daryck Jones — in the first half to take a 33-29 lead, but Memorial’s balanced scoring was too much in the second half.

Terrell Savala and Jordan Thomas combined for 11 of the Bulldogs’ 18 second-half points.

Jones and Torey Noel led Midwest City with 11 points apiece.

Scott’s take: As I tweeted during the game, I thought there was some questionable officiating. I think both teams had some legit gripes about calls throughout the game, including a couple late calls that could have had an impact on the end of the game.

That is not to be taken as a vague commentary on the non-call on Midwest City’s shot in the final seconds. From my spot on the scorer’s table, I was partially blocked from the play, so I couldn’t tell you with any kind of certainty if there was enough contact to warrant a foul call or not. In general, I’m a fan of officials letting the game play out, unless there is an obvious foul.

Midwest City has grown up a lot in the last 4-6 weeks, and they’ve got the talent to be right back at the Mabee Center for the state tournament once again.

Memorial’s balance is more impressive every time I see them. Reggie Sloan and Aaron Young made two 3-pointers apiece in the first half, and as I wrote, Thomas and Savala each came through with big buckets in the second half.

This was two totally different games. The teams were up and down the floor in the first half and combined for 12 3-pointers between them. But the second half was defense and more defense. Intense and fun to the end.

Anderson’s layup lifts Santa Fe

Edmond Santa Fe guard Aaron Anderson raced the length of the floor for a layup at the buzzer to lift the fourth-ranked Wolves to a 59-57 overtime win at No. 11 Putnam City North.

Shaquille Morris led the Wolves with 23 points. Anderson, a Fresno State signee, finished with seven points.

T.J. Jones and Joe Summers had 15 points apiece and John Robert Simon had 14 for the Panthers, who erased a 20-point deficit to force overtime.

Scott’s take: Obviously, Santa Fe did a good job of exploiting the size advantage of Morris inside, and Anderson did a great job of making a play on the spot with the game on the line. After Jones tipped in a game-tying bucket, Anderson took the inbounds pass and went coast to coast for the winner. Pure instinct and reaction.

This game certainly would have been an amazing way for PC North coach Rick Harris to get his 200th win, but he’ll have to wait. The Panthers are at Mustang on Friday.

Smith lifts Douglass

The scoring rampage came from a different player this time, but the result was still a victory for Class 4A No. 1 Douglass.

Sophomore De’Angelo Smith scored 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Trojans to a 73-67 win over Southeast.

William Brewer scored 25 points to lead Southeast, and Rashawn Thomas had 24.

Scott’s take: Southeast had a three-score lead in the third quarter, so that issue of closing out a win returned for the Spartans. Coach Walt Brewer talked a lot about that when I spoke with him at the Shawnee Invitational two weeks ago.

As for Douglass, if they start getting this kind of contribution from other players — especially on nights when Stephen Clark isn’t dropping 30 — it’s only going to make them more dangerous than they already are. Other than Clark and Dydrell Post, no one on this roster had played any varsity ball until this season, so it’s no surprise that those players are starting to show up a little more now. This was Smith’s second straight 20-point game.

CHA upsets Dale

An 18-2 second-half run lifted Christian Heritage to a 49-46 upset of fifth-ranked Class 2A Dale, which missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Each playing a key role down the stretch, Sammy Dowds and Adam Curtis finished with 13 points apiece for CHA.

Scott’s take: As big as this win was for CHA, it would have had a much more valuable impact a week ago — and in the same way, it would have been more damaging for Dale. But since 2A postseason ranking votes are already in, it’s mostly just a morale boost for CHA as the postseason nears. Playoff pairings for 2A, 3A and 4A come out later this week, so be on the lookout for those.

Sanders, Shawnee escape

Western Heights’ Tim Tullis scored 29 of his 31 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to beat Shawnee, which got a game-winning jumper from Dejoun Sanders in the closing seconds of a 63-61 victory.

Sanders finished with 24 points and Dillion Mooreland had 21 for the Wolves.

Scott’s take: That’s a good win, and a needed win for Shawnee, but another tough loss for Western Heights. That team has been through a lot this year, which I wrote about a couple weeks back. To keep working as hard as they have says a lot about the kids and coach Dusty Walden.

Centennial snaps John Marshall win streak

John Marshall’s eight-game winning streak, which began with an 18-point win over Centennial, ended against the same opponent.

Centennial got 16 points from Nick Burnett in the 58-42 revenge win over John Marshall. The Bison put the game away by outscoring John Marshall 21-9 in the fourth quarter.

James Pendleton led the Bears with 16 points.

Scott’s take: Centennial is a much younger team this year, but it’s clear the Bison still have a lot of talent. Scott Raper did an amazing coaching job last year to get this team from outside the top 15 to state champs, and the Bison will be back in the mix come March.

John Marshall seems a little underrated in my opinion. I think they’re a state tournament team, even after a tough loss Tuesday. 

Tip-ins

Garrett Hermanski had 21 points to lead Deer Creek to a 64-61 win over Harrah… Trell Harris’ 18 points led four Northwest Classen players in double-figures as the Knights defeated Millwood 75-66… Three Carl Albert players had at least 15 points in a 71-57 win over Guthrie… Brett Cannon’s 18 points led Del City past Norman, 54-49… Colin Adney scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to help Mount St. Mary to a 68-59 win at Crooked Oak… Bethany defeated Purcell 61-56 in overtime behind 19 from Ryley Claborn.

Scott’s take: It’s amazing to see so many good games left at the end of the roundup. Frustrating, too, because they all deserved a little more space in the paper.

Deer Creek is looking like a serious ballclub. They’re putting together some good wins the last few weeks.

That Carl Albert-Guthrie showdown could be a playoff preview — on the east side of the bracket, oddly enough. The Titans and Blue Jays were sent east to slim down the power struggle on the west side. Capitol Hill will also be going east, which gives the west a great chance at having more than half of the teams in the state tournament. The east side in 5A was really hurt by Tulsa Washington and Edison getting bumped to 6A this year, and it only made the west side stronger with Del City coming down.

Bethany and Mount St. Mary are right there with a large group of 4A teams hoping to get their shot at Douglass. They’re both teams that have good balance and can do damage in multiple ways, and that’s what it’s going to take to knock off the Trojans.

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

Deer Creek's Hunter Dinkines will sign with Southwestern Oklahoma State on Wednesday. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Deer Creek receiver Hunter Dinkines, who will sign with Southwestern Oklahoma  State on Wednesday, discovered his interest in SWOSU in an unusual way.

Dinkines was on an unofficial visit to Henderson State in Arkansas on Sept. 17, when the Reddies were hosting Southwestern.

The Deer Creek receiver watched the Bulldogs pull the upset and came away impressed with Southwestern’s intensity.

“I just saw how bad they wanted to win the game,” Dinkines said. “It just kinda kicked in; I thought maybe I should look into Southwestern.”

So Dinkines came back home and e-mailed Bulldogs coach Dan Cocannouer, who quickly replied and invited him to visit Weatherford the next weekend, when SWOSU beat Central Oklahoma.

He went back to see Southwestern play a third time — a 23-20 home win over Arkansas Tech on Nov. 5.

Two weeks ago, Dinkines went on an official visit, came home and decided to commit.

“I think the future is gonna be bright with SWOSU,” Dinkines said. “I just knew it was the place for me.”

Dinkines’ relationship with Cocannouer goes back further than his recruitment this season, though.

Dinkines went to Cheyenne Middle School in Edmond, and went through Edmond Santa Fe’s offseason program during the summer leading to his freshman season while Cocannouer was still the Wolves’ coach. Dinkines and his family moved to the Deer Creek school district just before his freshman season started.

“I wasn’t able to be coached by him, but I knew who he was,” Dinkines said. “I got a good feel for how he was as a coach.”

Dinkines is impressed with Cocannouer’s success at Southwestern so far. The Bulldogs went 5-6 this season, and the former Edmond Santa Fe coach seems to have his alma mater moving in the right direction.

Cocannouer was 70-26 in eight seasons as the Wolves’ coach.

“You can really tell where he wants the football program to be,” Dinkines said. “I have a good feeling about it.”

As a senior, Dinkines had 711 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns for the Antlers, who finished the season 7-4 with a playoff berth.

Dinkines father, Bill, was a standout player for Putnam City West when it finished 14-0 and won the Class 4A state championship in 1981.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“A couple people were looking at me like I had something on my face,” the Edmond Santa Fe senior said. “I was like, ‘Why are they staring at me?’”

Finally, one Missouri player spoke up.

“Hey dude, you look like Aldon Smith,” the player said.

Onuoha wasn’t exactly sure who Smith was, but looked him up. After deciding he looks nothing like him — “I think I look like Michael, not Aldon Smith” — he realized what they were talking about.

Smith came to Missouri in 2008 raw, fairly thin and with long arms after getting a late start in his high school football career because basketball was his first love. Just like Onuoha.

In 2011, as a rookie for the San Francisco 49ers, Smith recorded 37 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and 14 sacks

Onuoha (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) visited Oklahoma this weekend, and said he is “50-50″ on which offer he will sign on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

“I’m from Oklahoma,” Onuoha said. “Everybody that i met down there said it’s a great place, and said I should stay in Oklahoma because I’m an Oklahoman.”

Onuoha burst onto the recruiting scene after a strong performance at Oklahoma’s summer camp. He didn’t play much his junior year because of an injury.

As a senior, Onuoha recorded 87 tackles and six sacks.

He got his first offer in early December from Missouri, then the Sooners offered just after the new year.

Missouri and Oklahoma each have two current defensive ends commitments in their classes of 2012

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

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

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

That’s exactly what Millwood’s Mandrell Dean did in junior high.

The footage is here, in a video I recorded with Oklahoman sports editor Mike Sherman, who covered Mandrell as a high school beat writer in the early 1990s.

We talk about Dean, his legacy, and his son, Heritage Hall’s Quintaz Struble.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seminole quarterback Garrett Clark became the first player from the 2012 class to commit to Oklahoma Baptist University.

Clark threw for 2,330 yards and 24 touchdowns with nine interceptions as a senior. He also rushed for 556 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“His work ethic has been phenomenal,” Chieftains coach Mike Snyder said. “He has so much upside to him on the field and off the field. I refer to him as the high school Tim Tebow because of the way he carries himself.”

Clark was a four-year starter at Seminole.

He visited Northwestern Oklahoma State also but felt OBU was the right fit.

The Bison are scheduled to play their first varsity game since 1940 in 2013.

“He’s realistic about things and can understand the bigger picture,” Snyder said of Clark’s decision to go to a program where there would be no games next year. “He was comfortable and familiar with OBU and that was where he wanted to go.”

Snyder said new Bison coach Chris Jensen contacted Clark soon after taking the job earlier this month.

A day after Jensen’s hiring, 2011 Jones graduate Tyler Bayless signed with the Bison.

Clark’s parents are both OBU graduates.

Millwood legend Mandrell Dean's son, Quintaz Struble, is a senior at Heritage Hall. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

Five years ago today, an Oklahoma high school legend died.

Mandrell Dean is one of the greatest athletes in Millwood — and Oklahoma high school — history.

His 85 total touchdowns — including a stunning 28 on kick returns — had college football programs flocking to eastern Oklahoma City to recruit him.

He committed to Oklahoma in January 1993, but never signed with the Sooners because of academic issues.

After touring the country playing for semipro and arena teams, Dean returned home, became involved with the wrong people and was shot and killed while allegedly committing a home invasion.

His son, Quintaz Struble, is a senior at Heritage Hall and is on the verge of a college football career his father didn’t have.

This story was originally supposed to run two weeks ago, but we held it to gather more information and plan for a big presentation. I posted a blog about it then, but took it down when we decided to hold off on the story. I apologize for jumping the gun back then, but I think you’ll see this weekend that it was worth the wait.

Heritage Hall senior Quintaz Struble's father is Millwood legend Mandrell Dean. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

Pick up a copy of The Oklahoman on Sunday to read the inspiring story of a young man with some of his father’s talent, but few of his personal burdens, and the mother who sacrificed everything to make him who he is today.

Also Sunday, on NewsOK.com, we’ll have lots of photographs, a video interview with Quintaz Struble about his dad and video highlights of Mandrell Dean.

I’ve been working on this story since October, and I’m so excited for you all to read the final product.

Reeves took a visit to the school last weekend and made the decision to commit after the trip.

An Oklahoman All-State defensive back, Reeves (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) had 61 tackles and six interceptions as a senior and scored three rushing and a receiving touchdown on offense.

Linebacker Zeke Lewis is making a trip to the school this weekend. Lewis, also an all-stater, had a 6A-best 169 tackles and added six sacks and an interception.

Reeves joins James Flanders (Tulsa), Dakota Moran (Northeastern State), Devin Crisp (NSU) and C.J. Smith (Emporia State) as Midwest City players committed to play in college. Several others could decide between now and signing day, Feb. 1.

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 award recognizes outstanding athletic performance as well as academics and character. The award puts him up for Gatorade’s National Boys Runner of the Year award.

Satterthwaite won the Class 6A state championship as a junior, and finished fourth at the state meet as a senior, helping Norman claim the 6A team title.

He was Oklahoma’s best finisher at the 2011 Nike Cross Nationals South Regional championships, placing 26th. He also won the Oklahoma Meet of Champions and the Oklahoma-Arkansas All-Star Cross Country Meet.

Satterthwaite remains undecided on a college choice.

Moran was the anchor of the Bombers offensive line that helped Midwest City rush for nearly 3,500 yards this season. Midwest City was 11-1.

NSU was 7-5 last season, its last in the Lone Star Conference. NSU joins the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association next year.

Putnam City's Desmond Tilly verbally committed to play football at Langston next season.

I was standing on the sideline in the final minutes of Putnam City’s preseason scrimmage against Southmoore when PC running back/linebacker Desmond Tilly tore his ACL.

Saw him writhing in pain on the field. Saw the look on his face when they helped him off.

It was a crushing blow. In one quick moment, Tilly went from a kid who appeared to be on the verge of a breakout year to a spectator. That moment, and a similar one involving Northwest Classen’s Terry Arnold, inspired the story I wrote about the two injured seniors in November.

On Saturday, Tilly verbally committed to play football at Langston next year, a much-deserved opportunity for a hard-working kid.

Langston sees Tilly as a safety/outside linebacker hybrid, which seems like a perfect fit for the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder.

Earlier in the week, PC running back Casey Curtis committed to NEO, and other Pirates like Elie Rushing could be getting some college opportunities as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Putnam City running back Casey Curtis announced that he has verbally committed to NEO on Thursday.

Putnam City running back Casey Curtis made his college decision final on Thursday. He told The Oklahoman that he verbally committing to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college in Miami.

Curtis rushed for 1,805 yards and 28 touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry as a senior at Putnam City.

Curtis is excited about the opportunity, especially with Thursday’s news that Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson also plans to attend NEO as well. The two will be competing for playing time in the fall.

“I’m excited to play with somebody like that,” Curtis said. “I love to compete. That’s life. YOu compete with people all the time.”

Curtis, who ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash last summer, hopes the junior-college program will help him continue his quest to receive an NCAA Division I scholarship. He was being recruited by multiple D-I schools last year.

Curtis said Oklahoma State coaches stayed in contact with him and expect to recruit him again after his two seasons at NEO.

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

His switch was first reported by Rivals.com.

Copelin was a jack of all trades for Broken Arrow as a senior. He intercepted eight passes, blocked four kicks and scored 12 total touchdowns, the last of which was a 40-yard reception in the Class 6A state championship loss to Tulsa Union.

He committed to Houston in October, and said in December that he was keeping his options open after Kevin Sumlin left the Cougars to become Texas A&M’s coach. Then, he said that “other opportunities” were weighing heavy on his conscience.

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

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

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

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark is averaging 51 points per game in his last three games and 42.4 for the month of January.

Sitting at dinner on Friday night, I still hadn’t decided which basketball game I would be attending. Should I go see the intense rivalry game between Putnam City and Putnam City West, or go see if Douglass PG Stephen Clark would go off again, and drop some ridiculous number on Millwood?

Ultimately, I chose what I thought would be the better game over the better individual performance. Here are all the details in Friday night’s roundup:

PC West holds off Putnam City rally

Coming off three frustrating losses, Putnam City West was ready for something positive to happen.

The Patriots’ good fortune almost ran out in the second half, but with some clutch free throw shooting in the fourth quarter, they hung on for a 72-68 win over visiting rival Putnam City Friday night.

Seniors Kevin House and Tavionne Pennon combined to go 12-of-14 at the free throw line down the stretch to close out the victory.

“We fought hard in practice all week, and we came out and got the win,” House said. “This was a big win. We lost three straight, and that wasn’t good.”

Putnam City had a fierce second-half rally that included a 19-5 run, eventually cutting a 21-point deficit to 70-68 with six seconds to play. Junior David Bush sparked the rally, scoring 16 of his team-high 20 points in the second half.

But PC West was able to get to the line when it counted, and convert the free throws.

“We worked very hard to get this win,” sophomore Omega Harris said. “We work on free throws every day, and we know we can hit those free throws.”

Harris, a 6-foot-2 guard, was key in building the Patriots’ big lead. He made three first-half 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 26 points.

Scott’s take: I remember standing next to Omega Harris at this time a year ago, and he appeared to be about 5-foot-10. I know he was shorter than me, and I’m 6 feet on a good day. Interviewing him after the game on Friday night, I can tell you he’s a legit 6-foot-2 — 6-5 if you count that hair. Only a sophomore, he should keep growing, too.

But his height isn’t what makes him impressive. He has the full range of skills. He can score from anywhere on the court, handles the ball well, incredible vision. I was impressed with him last year as a freshman at Midwest City, and he was hardly asked to score on that team. Now, he’s showing all of his offensive tools.

Add in his athletic ability and strong work ethic, he could be on his way to top 100 stature in the recruiting world. Kansas and Oklahoma are among the programs already showing interest in him.

All that said, it was House and Pennon who locked up the win on Friday. Free throws were huge, and Pennon had some big boards as well, finishing with 10 in all.

Watching the PC3 battle it out this year has been, and will continue to be, tons of fun. To recap, PC beat PC North, PC North beat PC West and PC West beat PC. And there’s still more to come.

Moore bounces back

Three nights after having its six-game win streak snapped by Midwest City, Moore got back in the win column with a 44-38 defeat of Southmoore.

Moore’s Chris Hobgood scored a game-high 17 points and Dorian Gigger added nine for the Lions, who have won seven of their last eight games and moved into the top 20 in the coaches’ rankings this week.

Scott’s take: On my list of biggest surprises so far this season, Moore probably makes the top three. Maybe top two. I think Stillwater currently has the top spot locked up, but the Lions are right there. I knew Gigger was a solid player, but the team performance so far, especially bouncing back from an 0-2 start, has been really good.  

Douglass cruises behind Clark’s 37

Douglass guard Stephen Clark continued his red-hot January, scoring 37 points in the Trojans’ 88-66 win over Millwood.

Clark is averaging 51.0 points per game over the last three games, and 42.4 per game for the month.

Scott’s take: Just for fun, our Thunder beat writer Darnell Mayberry took in Clark’s performance on Friday, and based on his Twitter reaction, he was impressed. Douglass plays Northeast on Saturday, then it’s off to New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Basketball Classic. There will be some tough competition down there, and Clark will be asked to do a lot of scoring once again. So keep an eye out for more big numbers.

Deer Creek tops Piedmont

Continuing a string of solid performances, Deer Creek defeated Piedmont 49-33 for its fifth win in six games.

The Antlers were led by Garrett Hermanski, who scored a game-high 22 points. Deer Creek’s stout defense allowed only 18 points through the first three quarters.

Scott’s take: These guys are playing well of late, and they seem to be especially good at winning the ugly ones. Piedmont is a talented, athletic team with good size and the ability to put up some points. So holding them to 18 through three quarters is solid work.

Tip-ins

Carlbe Ervin scored 17 points as Carl Albert defeated Chickasha 63-58… Southeast knocked off star Spencer 75-70 in overtime, despite 29 points from Star’s Symon Smith… Jesse Nixon scored 22 points in Washington’s 65-45 win over Purcell… Capitol Hill had three players score at least 17 points in an 80-39 rout of the OKC Knights, with Nicco Meadows leading the way with 22.

Scott’s take: That’s two straight good scoring performances in victories from Ervin, who is very athletic. Carl Albert relies a lot on balanced offense and tough defense, but when Ervin has his offensive game going, he’s fun to watch.

A 41-point win doesn’t tell us much about Capitol Hill, but I think they are going to be a team to watch down the stretch. A young team grew up a lot last year, and by March, they could be ready to take the next step.

In a bit of news that didn’t make the roundup, apparently Edmond Memorial’s James Woodard had a nasty dunk in the Bulldogs’ easy win over Norman North. They’re promising video will be posted online sometime Saturday, and I’ll share it on the blog. I don’t know if any dunk can live up to the Twitter hype this one was getting on Friday night, but still, I can’t wait to see it.

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

Defense
DL: Justin Wilson, Luther
DL: Aaron Johnson, Morris
DL: Blake Gordon, Stroud
LB: Chris Humphrey, Jones
LB: Marc Robinson, Millwood
LB: Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
LB: Taylor Bilyeu, Jones
DB: Orlando Pina, Hennessey
DB: Hunter Eubank, Lindsay
DB: Justin Walton, Wyandotte
DB: Brandon Long, Coalgate
P: Nolan Fanning, Coalgate

Offense
QB: Cameron Nix, Carnegie
RB: Josh Way, Wayne
RB: Willie Zackery, Woodland
RB: Jacob Smart, Minco
WR: Chandler Pettit, Carnegie
WR: Jacob Overton, Minco
OL: Carrie Farmer, Minco
OL: Adam Kelley, Wynnewood
OL: Bryan Lynch, Quinton
OL: Clinton Horn, Carnegie
OL: Talon Miles Satepauhoodle, Hominy
K: Erick Nunez, Texhoma
KR: Seth Hamby, Dibble

Defense
DL: Kale Groff, Wayne
DL: William Lint, Wynnewood
DL: Ryan Schulze, Woodland
LB: Corey Mooney, Sayre
LB: Payton Marsh, Thomas
LB: Patrick Bartlett, Woodland
LB: Trey Knowles, Wynnewood
DB: Joe Lane, Gore
DB: Jeremy Reynolds, Wewoka
DB: Bret Wardlaw, Okeene
DB: Khalil Johnson, Hollis
P: Cade Baade, Minco

Eight-Man
Offense
QB: Colin Larkins, OSD
RB: Connor Kirby, Deer Creek-Lamont
RB: Mike Miller, Davenport
RB: Aaron Holden, Temple
WR: Ty Miller, Caddo
OL: Landon Wilbanks, Davenport
OL: Cody Lee, Dewar
OL: Jacob Mount, Welch
K: Braden Neill, Sharon-Mutual
KR: Magnus Scott, Coyle

Defense
DL: Rylan Miller, Caddo
DL: Carlos Capehart, Kiefer
LB: Andrew Troyer, Corn Bible
LB: Garrett Thompson, Temple
LB: Brady Krittenbrink, Pond Creek-Hunter
DB: Dillon Proctor, Caddo
DB: Aaron McCandless, Shattuck
DB: Matt Miller, Davenport
P: Jerry Johnson, Paoli

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.

Matt Christiansen and Bishop McGuinness had a fight on their hands with Stillwater Tuesday night.

Tons of good basketball action on Tuesday night… too  much to fit into the roundup for Wednesday’s paper, but I did my best. Here’s a look at some of the games I touched on, along with a few extra thoughts.

Douglass’ Stephen Clark scores 51 on Star Spencer

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark picked up where he left off in Louisiana.

In his first game since scoring 65 points at a tournament in Bossier City, Clark had 51 points in a 114-71 win over Star Spencer on Tuesday night.

Clark, who already has scholarship offers from more than a dozen Division I colleges, didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter, with Douglass holding a 31-point lead. It wasn’t just a scoring barrage for Clark. The junior finished with 15 assists and eight steals as well.

The Trojans have a busy weekend, visiting Millwood on Friday and hosting Northeast on Saturday, before heading back to Louisiana next week. Douglass will take part in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Basketball Classic in New Orleans Jan. 19-21.

Scott’s take: There is not thesaurus big enough for me to keep coming up with adjectives to describe Clark’s performance this season. If you combine his second half from Bossier and first half from Tuesday, he scored 81 points in four quarters. The kid is for real. We get to watch him for another year-and-a-half, so if you haven’t seen him yet, pick a game and get out there.

McGuinness holds off Stillwater in OT

In a game when Bishop McGuinness struggled from the free throw line, it’s ironic that foul shots are how Tuesday’s 38-33, overtime win over Stillwater was sealed.

Joe Edmonds’ two late free throws in overtime gave the Irish a four-point lead, and Matt Christiansen added another as McGuinness eeked out a close victory over Stillwater (9-2), which continues to surprise given its lack of returning experience.

McGuinness missed nine of its 17 free throw attempts in the game.

“It came back and bit us, but we won,” said Edmonds, who himself missed a late free throw in the fourth quarter.

Christiansen and Edmonds, both seniors and San Francisco signees, scored 15 and 10 points, respectively, for McGuinness.

Junior John Holcomb led Stillwater with 13 points. Holcomb was the Pioneers’ leading returning scorer from last year, averaging just under three points in 2010-11.

“They’re a good team,” said McGuinness coach Tondrell Durham. “They’re a tough team, and we are very fortunate to win this game.”

Scott’s take: Gracias to Jason Kersey for doing the work on this one. McGuinness is a team full of guys who don’t mind doing the dirty work, and that’s a great quality to have. Beating Norman last week was impressive, and taking down Stillwater — one of the hottest teams around right now — was as well.

Stillwater might be the biggest surprise of the season so far. Hardly anyone with significant experience returning, but Michael Davis has them playing at a high level already. Keep an eye on the Pioneers the rest of the way. Jason is working on a VERY interesting story about what is at the heart of their team chemistry. You won’t want to miss it.

Northeast tops Millwood in OT

Northeast showed exactly how to win a game with free throws on Tuesday night.

The Vikings outscored Millwood 8-0 in overtime — all eight points coming at the line — to seal a 50-42 win.

Millwood rallied from an early double-figure deficit to take the lead in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter saw six ties and four lead changes.

Four Northeast players scored from the line in overtime, with senior point guard Gabe Houston making three of four as the Vikings closed out the win. Houston finished with a team-high 16 points and C.J. Jones had 11 as both teams struggled to make field goals.

“This is always a big rivalry game,” first-year Northeast coach Garland Parks said. “One of our goals is to do well in the conference, and Millwood is always tough, so this is a good win for us, especially on a night when we couldn’t put the ball in the basket. It was an ugly game, but we got the win.”

Wayne Jackson led the Falcons with 21 points, but he fouled out in the final minute of regulation.

Scott’s take: Glad I was finally able to catch a Northeast game. Once I saw they were dropping to 2A one season after playing for the 3A title, I knew that the time was right for them to strike. Garland Parks is a solid coach who seems to have a good handle on his new team.

The Vikings won this one without making many jumpers, and without a big contribution from senior Caleb Crayton, who spent much of his night battling inside with Wayne Jackson. Crayton is a very athletic 6-foot-3 swingman who will get a chance to play at a decent college next year. Houston Baptist was on hand to see him play Tuesday, and he has had some interest from some mid-major D-I programs as well.

Jackson was huge for the Falcons, but he fouled out on an interesting call late in regulation. He was whistled for an intentional foul. From my angle on the opposite end of the floor, it appeared the foul was because he got a little too rough during a tie-ball situation. Tough call to make at that situation of the game, especially with how physical the second half had been. Northeast tied the game with the free throws from the intentional foul.

Edmond Santa Fe fights off PC West

Aaron Anderson had a game-high 15 points and Edmond Santa Fe’s stout defense powered a 56-45 win over Putnam City West in a battle of top-10 teams.

The eight-ranked Patriots were led by Deontee Ogles with nine points. Phoenix Bills contributed 11 for fourth-ranked Santa Fe.

Scott’s take: Santa Fe hasn’t always looked pretty, but they have the talent to win big games. When they can get some decent point production, they are going to be tough to beat. The job they did on PC West’s top three scorers — holding each of them to eight or fewer — is impressive.

Trier’s 37 points power Storm

Freshman Allonzo Trier scored 10 of his game-high 37 points in overtime as the OKC Storm defeated Tulsa Central. Trier only had six points in the first half, but exploded to help the Storm rally from a 12-point halftime deficit.

The Storm’s Jacob Hammond, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, made a layup in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.

Tulsa Central was led by Revey Norton with 18 points.

Scott’s take: According to Barry Lewis of the Tulsa World, Central coach Eli Brown III called Trier the best guard his team has played all year. Based on the freshman’s performance in crunch time, it’s easy to see where that opinion originated. I’m going to be writing in-depth about Trier soon. He’s not your typical freshman, and his life story is going to be a fun one to tell.

Tip-ins

Conner Haydon scored 30 points to lead El Reno to an 83-72 win over Shawnee, which got 31 points from Dejoun Sanders… Heritage Hall’s Tanner Tepe scored 13 in a 50-49 win over Casady… Choctaw picked up a 60-51 win over Yukon behind 27 points from Reggie Wright… Carl Albert junior Carlbe Ervin had a game-high 26 points as the Titans downed Harrah 63-54.

Scott’s take: This should tell you how fun a night it was in high school hoops. These games had to be relegated to the “Tip-ins” section: Dueling 30-point scorers, a one-point Heritage Hall win, and a couple kids scoring in the upper 20s to lead their teams to important victories. It’s only the second week of January. This can only get better.

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

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

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

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

Douglass PG Stephen Clark scored 65 points on Friday night.

There was some confusion right around the time of our print deadline on Friday night as to exactly how many points Douglass point guard Stephen Clark had scored, but the number was nailed down overnight.

Clark scored 65 points, including a perfect 27-of-27 at the free throw line and an 8-of-14 performance from 3-point range in Douglass’ 106-92 loss to Airline High School of Bossier City, La., in the Bossier Invitational.

“He did it all,” Douglass coach Terry Long said. “He defended, he scored, hit 3s, penetration, dishing the ball. He left everything on the floor.

“He played a key role in just about every possession we scored on. It was a phenomenal show. I took him out at the end, and the entire crowd gave him a standing ovation.”

Clark scored 52 of the 65 points in the second half.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Clark said. “I was just worried about trying to win the game. We had a couple guys get in foul trouble, so I had to be the scorer.

“I just wanted to win, though. That’s all I care about at the end of the day. This was probably good for us, because we can figure out what we need to do to become a better basketball team.”

The loss eliminated the Trojans from the tournament, dropping their record to 4-3 with all three losses coming to out-of-state competition. They will be back in action at Star Spencer on Tuesday.

Long said the performance recalled memories from when he was younger, watching Larry Bird.

“It was one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen,” Long said. “It reminded me of one of those nights watching Larry Bird when he just couldn’t miss. It was phenomenal.”

Clark is only seven games into his junior season. Last week, I witnessed him score 34. Over Thanksgiving, he dropped 42 at a tournament in Texas, and now this. If you’re looking for a show, this might be the one to watch.

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

Here’s the roundup from Thursday night, along with some extra thoughts:

Putnam City pulls out OT win

Putnam City North made a late comeback in regulation, and nearly pulled off another in overtime, but Putnam City was able to hold on for a thrilling 64-62 overtime victory in the first round of the PC Invitational Thursday night.

Ronnie Boyce made a 3-pointer, then Putnam City got buckets from David Bush and Richmarr Smith to build an early lead in the overtime period. PC North’s rally fell short when Panther players missed their final three free throw attempts of the game.

PC North was led by T.J. Jones with 21 points, and Joe Summers added 17.

Juniors Boyce and Bush scored 14 points apiece to lead Putnam City, while sophomore Stephen Edwards had 10, eight of which came after halftime.

PC will face Midwest City in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Friday in a rematch of last year’s PCI championship game, which Midwest City won.

PC West downs Ike

With only one player on the roster taller than 6-foot-4, Putnam City West gained some confidence in Thursday’s 62-52 win over Lawton Eisenhower, which boasts 6-foot-9 Tulsa signee D’Andre Wright and 6-foot-7 freshman Douglass Moore.

Of course, it was still the Patriots’ talented collection of guards who did the most damage in their first-round game at the PC Invitational, with senior Kevin House scoring 17 points, while Omega Harris and Tavionne Pennon had 13 apiece.

At 6-foot-4, Pennon was asked to do most of the defensive work inside on Wright, who finished with 19 points.

“This win was important, going against one of the best big men in the state,” Pennon said. “It was about speed, getting back down the court and making sure we swarmed him when he touched the ball.”

Ultimately, it came down to free throws, with the Patriots hitting 10 of 12 tries in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

PC West will take on No. 1 Tulsa Union at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Every game of the PC Invitational is being streamed live online at www.zpreps.com.

Scott’s take: The PC trio can play some ball. All three of those teams are good, and the PCI field is incredible. Lawton Ike and PC North will both be playing in the loser’s bracket on Friday, and not because either of them were upset by inferior teams. The field is just that good.

PC West vs. Union in one semifinal, and PC-Midwest City in the other will make for a fun evening. PC West proved it can handle going against size with Lawton Ike on Thursday, but Union is a different animal. Lots of size everywhere, and good athletes who do things right. There’s a reason the ‘Skins are No. 1 in the coaches’ poll right now.

PC and MWC are two teams with a lot of young guards who play fast and with a lot of confidence. They’re both playing at a higher level than I expected of them this early in the season. You expect them to be good in the final month of the season, but I thought there would be some growing up to do for both of them, and they seem to have gotten that out of the way quickly.

Guthrie’s Parker sinks game-winner

A blown lead and a busted final play were all forgotten when Shron Parker’s last-second 3-point attempt swished through to give No. 9 Guthrie a 71-69 win over No. 8 Northwest Classen in the McGuinness Classic.

Guthrie led by as many as 18 points in the second half, before Northwest Classen rallied to take a 69-68 lead on Terry Arnold’s putback with seven seconds left.

As Guthrie point guard Jerrick Warren dribbled up the court, he found himself trapped by two Knight defenders about 28 feet from the basket. But he was able to find an open Parker, who launched the game-winner as the horn sounded.

“At first, all I was thinking was that the play wasn’t going to work,” Parker said. “I got open and just shot it, and it went in.”

Parker finished with 13 points. Guthrie was led by Codee Gross with 19 and Warren with 17. Paco Jones had a game-high 28 points for Northwest Classen and Jamil Donovan added 19.

McGuinness, Norman advance

Possibly on a crash course for a championship showdown, both Bishop McGuinness and Norman advanced with first-round wins at the 52nd annual McGuinness Classic.

McGuinness’ Matt Christiansen scored 12 points in the Irish’s 45-24 win over Yukon. The Irish scored the game’s first 13 points and never looked back, building a 28-8 lead by half.

Norman scored the last 11 points of the first half to turn a deficit into an eight-point lead by the break, beating Edmond North 52-40 at the McGuinness Classic. The Huskies led 24-21 before the barrage, which included five points from Rico Hogan.

Scott’s take: Thanks to Ryan Aber for the help in covering the night session at McGuinness. I think McGuinness and Norman have a slight edge on the rest of the field at the Classic, but don’t count out Guthrie. I really didn’t see them handling Northwest Classen, but they did, despite nearly letting it slip away.

Guthrie has an incredibly balanced offense, but they don’t have a lot of size, which McGuinness has plenty of — Christiansen at 6-foot-8 inside and Joe Edmonds at 6-foot-5 on the wing, for starters.

Norman seems to be playing with a lot of confidence lately, and I think they’re only going to keep getting better. They battled some health issues early, and they’re incorporating a talented new point guard in Rico Hogan (who you can read more about right here).

Douglass wins big in Louisiana

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark had 25 points, nine assists and four steals, sitting out the fourth quarter of the Trojans’ blowout win over Booker T. Washington of Shreveport, La., in the showcase portion of the Bossier (La.) Invitational. The actual tournament begins Friday.

Scott’s take: Umm… Stephen Clark is good. Really good. A college scout once described him to me as a more athletic version of Keiton Page. In other words, he can dribble, shoot and pass. Great basketball savvy. And he’s lightning-quick. In case you missed it, here’s my story from Dec. 26 on Clark’s transformation into a point guard.

There will be lots more coverage to come on Friday, and if you’re interested in keeping up with scores and other info as I travel around the metro for all the hoop action, I suggest following along on Twitter.

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

Edmond Santa Fe sophomore quarterback Justice Hansen is the 2011 All-Edmond Offensive Player of the Year. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

EDMOND — I have planned on putting together an All-Edmond football team for some time, but, for a variety of reasons, am just now getting to publishing it on the blog.

This was an extremely difficult team to put together because so many teams in Edmond had such terrific seasons. Edmond Santa Fe is obviously the team that stole most of the headlines because of its amazing turnaround from 1-9 to 10-2 and District 6A-2 champion, but Edmond North made a quarterfinal run and almost knocked off eventual state champion Tulsa Union at its place.

Deer Creek put up impressive offensive numbers and had some defensive standouts as well. Oklahoma Christian School is also well represented on this team.

And even though Edmond Memorial had a down year and missed the playoffs, the Bulldogs still had players like linebacker Matt Hickman and lineman John Scheihing that deserved recognition.

I apologize for this coming out so much later than the rest of our football postseason stuff. But here it is:

All-Edmond team
Offense
QB — Justice Hansen, Edmond Santa Fe
RB — Brennan Miyake, Deer Creek
RB — Jarion Tudman, Edmond North
WR — Hunter Dinkines, Deer Creek
WR — Tre Kelley, Edmond Santa Fe
TE — Troy Davis, Edmond North
OL — Nick Lovelace, Oklahoma Christian School
OL — Heath Newland, Edmond North
OL — Cole Parsons, Edmond North
OL — Chad Reitz, Edmond Santa Fe
OL — John Scheihing, Edmond Memorial

Defense
DL — Nolan Boyd, Deer Creek
DL — Josh Crouch, Edmond Santa Fe
DL — Michael Onuoha, Edmond Santa Fe
LB — Matt Hickman, Edmond Memorial
LB — Clyde Jasper, Oklahoma Christian School
LB — Brynden Pitzer, Edmond North
LB — Kooper Ruminer, Deer Creek
DB — Conner Bays, Edmond Santa Fe
DB — Christian Contreras, Edmond North
DB — Khari Harding, Edmond Santa Fe
DB — Logan Magill, Oklahoma Christian School

Special teams
K — Keegan Carter, Oklahoma Christian School
P — Camden Bohnert, Edmond North
KR — Trevan Smith, Edmond Santa Fe

Offensive Player of the Year: Justice Hansen, Edmond Santa Fe
Defensive Player of the Year: Brynden Pitzer, Edmond North
Coach of the Year: Lance Manning, Edmond Santa Fe

Second team
Offense
QB — Joel Blumenthal, Deer Creek
RB — Zak Anderson, Oklahoma Christian School
RB — Jared Benway, Edmond North
RB — Phillip Sumpter, Edmond Santa Fe
WR — Dale Jefferson, Edmond Santa Fe
WR — Garrett Molinsky, Edmond North
OL — Allston Hadley, Edmond Santa Fe
OL — Taylor Myers, Oklahoma Christian School
OL — Brandon Roberts, Edmond Santa Fe
OL — Will Wiedenmann, Edmond North
OL — Mac Wilsey, Edmond Memorial

Defense
DL — Chris Carter, Edmond Santa Fe
DL — Clint Edgeman, Deer Creek
DL — Russell Sivard, Edmond North
DL — Ian Smith, Deer Creek
LB — Ragan Land, Edmond North
LB — Austin Loomis, Deer Creek
LB — Jerremy Moore, Edmond Santa Fe
DB — Zach Birts, Edmond Santa Fe
DB — Luke Frankfort, Oklahoma Christian School
DB — Christian Peterson, Edmond North
DB — Caden Sander, Deer Creek

Special teams
K — Ken Bingham, Edmond North
P — Matt Freeman, Edmond Santa Fe
KR — Ottugo Ananaba, Deer Creek

Southmoore's Andrew Long verbally committed to play football at Air Force on Wednesday.

Southmoore running back Andrew Long is excited about the opportunity to play Division I football, but the chance to attend the Air Force Academy means far more.

Long verbally committed to the Air Force football program on Wednesday.

“The opportunity to play football and serve my country means a lot to me,” Long said. “When I thought about the opportunity to have a degree from there, it’s like graduating from Harvard. It sets you up for life.”

Long’s uncle and grandfather each served in the Air Force as well.

Long rushed for 1,084 yards and 11 touchdowns on 172 carries for Southmoore, concluding a career as a four-year starter. He is excited to be a part of the Falcons’ run-heavy, option attack.

“I should have the opportunity to run the ball or catch the ball,” he said. “I’ll play defense if that’s what they want me to do, but right now, they want me as a running back.”

Air Force offered a scholarship in April. Long was also considering Central Oklahoma and Washburn, among others. National Signing Day is Feb. 1.

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

Take a few minutes to watch the following five videos, and cast your vote.

No. 1: Jones’ Tylor Seabolt won’t be stopped for a TD in the 2A state title game:

No. 2: In a 21-21 game, Millwood’s Marc Robinson blocks a potential game-winning field goal and Larry Lambeth returns it 90 yards for a TD on the game’s final play:

No. 3: Moore’s Corey Reeves hits Grant Linstead for a 99-yard TD on fourth-and-10 to force overtime vs. Yukon:

No. 4: OCS’ Clyde Jasper scoops up a blocked punt and returns it for a game-winning TD in the final minute:

No. 5: Woodward’s Garrett Roach returns a fumble 99 yards in the final minute for a game-winning TD in the playoffs:

Voting will end at 5 p.m. Jan. 7 and the results will appear in The Oklahoman on Jan. 8.

Smith, a 6-foot-2 junior, was the third different player to lead the Pirates in scoring during their three tournament victories. Junior Ronnie Boyce added 15 points and sophomore point guard Dexter Dean had 11 as the Pirates improved to 8-2 on the year.

The Pirates will be idle until the annual Putnam City Invitational, which Putnam City will host Jan. 5-7. PC opens up against rival Putnam City North in a tournament that includes six of the top 12 teams in the current Class 6A rankings.

In addition to all three Putnam City schools, Midwest City and top-ranked Tulsa Union are in the field.

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

The Anadarko senior, who rushed for 3,335 yards and a state-record 57 touchdowns during the Warriors’ state championship season, is featured in the Dec. 26 issue of Sports Illustrated as one of the magazine’s “Faces in the Crowd.”

Wilson also set the state single-season record for total touchdowns with 64.

The Warriors claimed their first-ever football state championship with a 35-18 win over Cascia Hall earlier this month. In the game, Wilson accounted for 286 total yards of offense and five touchdowns.

Guthrie's J.T. McFadden shoots over Harrah's J.J. Jaworski during Tuesday's game.

A short schedule means a short roundup on the last night of hoops before the holiday break for most teams. There are a lot of intriguing holiday tournaments coming up, but let’s not skip too far ahead. Let’s get right to Tuesday’s roundup:

Guthrie too quick for Harrah

Powered by a speedy, balanced lineup, Guthrie is beginning to show itself as a team to watch in Class 5A.

Led by Jerrick Warren with 19 points, five Bluejays scored at least eight Tuesday night in a 75-55 home win over Harrah to move Guthrie to 3-0 on the young season.

Senior Codee Gross scored 17 for Guthrie, while Kai Callins added 14, as the Jays’ short but quick lineup proved too much for Harrah.

“We’re not big, but we have some quickness with a lot of guys who work hard,” Guthrie coach Pete Papahronis said. “I’m very happy with where we’re at. Any guy on any night can step up and give us points.
“We believe we can compete. Time will tell how good we can be.”

Guthrie flashed its speed in building an early lead, which only grew the rest of the night. Harrah was able to hang around through the first half, thanks to the hot shooting of Adam Keiffer, who had 13 of his 17 points before halftime.

But Warren, a junior guard, went to work in the second half with 13 points, including 11-of-14 at the free throw line.

My take: With wins over El Reno and Piedmont — two teams that went to state last year — to open the season, I was curious about Guthrie, and they came through with another solid win. Gross will be the go-to guy when they need someone, but in general, their ability to get points from several different players will be key.

There are probably a couple teams at the top of 5A that are a notch above the rest of the field, but there’s not a lot of separation from 5-15 in the rankings. Guthrie is going to make some noise.

Memorial rolls in Edlam

Senior Terrell Savala scored 15 points and Class 6A No. 3 Edmond Memorial bounced back from its first loss last week to rout crosstown rival Edmond North 69-39.

The Bulldogs (7-1), the defending 6A state champions, lost to Class 5A’s top-ranked team, Del City, on Dec. 13.

“You always want to come back and play well after a loss,” said Memorial coach Shane Cowherd. “We learned from it.”

Brothers James and Jordan Woodard scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Memorial, which jumped out to a 23-8 lead after the first quarter.

Savala, who transferred this summer from Edmond Santa Fe, has added another dangerous weapon to the already stacked Bulldogs.

“He’s come in and worked hard,” Cowherd said. “He’s working to adapt to the Memorial culture.”

My take: Thanks to Jason Kersey for the coverage of Edlam in his first chance to see the Memorial boys. It was clear that the Bulldogs were anxious to get back on the court after last week’s loss to Del City and it didn’t take them long to get going. I think Quinn Wooldridge is a good guy for the Edmond North job, but this will be a tough year, win-loss-wise, as he tries to build his program.

PC advances to finals

David Bush and Ronnie Boyce powered Putnam City to a 70-61 win over Baldwin County (Fla.) in the semifinals of the Wildcat Holiday Classic in Pensacola, Fla., putting the young Pirates in the tournament finals.

Bush scored 26 points and Boyce had 20, with Orlando Goldsmith adding 11, as Putnam City erased a six-point fourth-quarter deficit. The Pirates outscored Baldwin County 22-7 in the final period.

Boyce also scored 20 in Monday’s first-round win, 84-45 over Pensacola-based Escambia.

The Pirates will play for the tournament title at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

My take: Not much to add here, beyond what I wrote about the Pirates in Monday’s paper. These guys are looking good so far.

Tip-ins

T.J. Jones scored 21 points as Putnam City North knocked off Yukon 67-47… Stroud had four scorers in double-figures in a 90-45 win over Jones… Christian Foster had a game-high 18 points in Piedmont’s 46-44 win over Woodard.

My take: PC North hit the Oklahoma sports trifecta with a visit from Justin Blackmon at Tuesday’s game. They had OU football players at last Tuesday’s game, then the Thunder scrimmaged before their win Friday at PC West, now the OSU star. Blackmon’s visit wasn’t just a coincidence. PC North’s Rick Harris coached Blackmon at Plainview.

Beating Woodward is a solid win for Piedmont. I’m still convinced the Wildcats are going to be one of the better teams in 4A, but they’re also very young, so that will play a factor in their early season development. Keep an eye on them in March and beyond.

– 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.

All-District Team
Offense
Quarterback: Tony Kiefer, McAlester
Running backs: Connor Appelberg, Skiatook; Alex Maguire, Tulsa Kelley
Wide receivers: Adam Boyd, McAlester; Alvery Braxton, McAlester; Jared Collins, Tulsa Washington; Cody Lefors, McAlester
Tight end: Kurt Byers, Tulsa Kelley
Linemen: Frankie Arndt, Tulsa Kelley; Nick Clark, Tulsa Kelley; John Connor, Tulsa Kelley; Jacob Jones, Skiatook; Nolan Moore, McAlester; Mason Sixsmith, Tulsa Washington.
Punter: Tom Carwile, Tulsa Washington.
Punt returner: Jared Collins, Tulsa Washington

Defense
Linemen: Jessie Lane, McAlester; Alex Lubarger, Tulsa Kelley; Brandon Massie, McAlester; Grant Patton, Collinsville.
Linebacker: Cole Binkley, Skiatook; Colton Craig, Tulsa Kelley; Brandon Elliott, Tulsa Kelley; Austin Harvanek, McAlester; Jarvis Hinson, Tulsa Washington.
Defensive back: Adam Boyd, McAlester; Jared Collins, Tulsa Washington; Aaron Gillman, Skiatook; Cody Lefors, McAlester; Alex Maguire, Tulsa Kelley
Kicker: Tom Carwile, Tulsa Washington
Kick returner, Aaron Gillman, Skiatook

Honorable mentions
Collinsville: Joe Crabb, LB; Isaac Dyer, DB; Tucker George, OL; Shane Goosen, WR; Patrick Harness, DL; Brad Peterson, OL.
McAlester: Josh Donato, WR; Aaron Farris, DL.
Skiatook: D.J. Barber, DB; Dylan Keys, DB; Chad Morrison, DL; Dakota Murillo, LB; Devon Poulson, DL.
Tulsa Hale: Demetrius Irvin, WR.
Tulsa Kelley: Spencer Brookover, DB; Jack Fischer, WR; Mark Grossman, WR; Riley Sloan, DB; Tommy Sullivan, DB; Donovan Walton, QB.
Tulsa Memorial: Patrick Jansen, TE; Chad Nichols, K; Calven Rosenthal, QB; Clyde Smith, OL Carson Wood, LB.
Tulsa Washington: Tate Andoe, LB; Dondre Daniels, OL; Dalshawn McFayden, RB; Jordan Peters, DL; Quantez Stuart, OL; Adonis Wiley, LB; Mitch Wilkins, OL.

All-District Team
First team
Offense
Quarterback: Dametric Sanders, Millwood
Running backs: Andy Habib, Christian Heritage; Ben McCoy, Luther
Wide receivers: Andrwe Herzer, Jones; Caleb McGehee, Christian Heritage; TreVoyne Willis, Northeast.
Linemen: Terrance Artrip, Luther; Devin Dobbins, Millwood; Jon Knowles, Christian Heritage; Tyler McCully, Jones; Justin Woody, Northeast
All Purpose: Haskell Browning, Luther

Defense
Linemen: Jordan Bell, Jones; Steven Koonce, Jones; Gonzalo Vasquez, Crooked Oak; Bobby Wilkes, Millwood
Linebackers: Devion Battle, Luther; Chris Humphrey, Jones; Marc Robinson, Millwood
Defensive backs: Chris McGrew, Northeast; Malcolm Scales, Millwood; Ryan Southerland, Christian Heritage

Second team
Offense
Quarterback: Michael Thomas, Northeast
Wide receiver: Phillip Norman, Luther
Linemen: Nick Deyoe, Luther; Harvey Hightower, Millwood; Savaughn King, Jones

Defense
Linemen: Theo Coleman, Northeast; Demarcus Long, Northeast
Linebackers: Adam Curtis, Christian Heritage; Court Hendrickson, Christian Heritage; Savon Peevy, Northeast
Defensive backs: Aron Gaines, Northeast; Caleb Gentry, Christian Heritage

“You can tell he’s a good coach from his record,” Bundage said. “Then when I met him, he’s a people person. We bonded real well and that was a plus. I think he’s gonna be good. We’re gonna have a productive season, I can tell.”

Bundage committed to Arizona in the summer and stayed committed after Mike Stoops was let go in October. But he was looking at other options until his trip to Tucson, Ariz., last weekend.

“There were some questions I had, and I got them answered,” said Bundage, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound interior lineman. “The O-line coach (Robert Anae) stayed on the staff, so I’ll still be playing for the same line coach.”

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

Del City's Jamal Moseley blocks the shot of Edmond Memorial's Jordan Thomas Tuesday night. Del City won the battle of No. 1s, 67-62.

Basketball season has started in a big way around the metro area and I got the chance to take in a No. 1 vs. No. 1 showdown at Del City, with Class 5A’s top team hosting 6A’s best, Edmond Memorial.

Here’s my roundup of some of Tuesday night’s top action, which will appear in Wednesday’s paper — along with some added analysis:

Del City takes down Edmond Memorial

The score hung on every wall of the Del City boys basketball locker room nearly all of last season — 69-29.

That’s how bad Edmond Memorial beat the Eagles on Dec. 14 of last year, and the score was posted as a reminder of how much better Del City needed to get.

Now, it can be viewed as a reference of how far the Eagles have come. Ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, Del City defeated Class 6A No. 1 Edmond Memorial 67-62 Tuesday night at John Smith Fieldhouse.

“We’ve matured,” senior guard A.J. Holland said. “We’re ready to play. We’re ready to go get a ring.”

Holland and Steffon Herd had 15 points apiece to lead the Eagles (6-0) to an important early season victory. Keith Glover scored 12 and Brett Cannon added 10 for Del City.

“Confidence-wise this is huge,” coach Tim Stogsdill said. “The kids believed they could do it, but until they saw that score — they see that the sky’s the limit as long as we come back from this, and stay focused and keep working.”

Memorial’s Jordan Woodard led all scorers with 21 points and James Woodard added 18 for the Bulldogs (6-1), who were coming off a championship at the Edmond Open on Saturday.

Scott’s thoughts: These two teams are No. 1 in their classes for a reason, and they’re going to be around until the end. Guard play is HUUUUGE in March, and they both have plenty. Very few times during the season will either of these teams face an opponent that has guards who are as good as theirs, but both faced that situation Tuesday night.

Del City won Tuesday’s battle, and if you like good guard play, I suggest taking in the rematch at Edmond Memorial Feb. 3.

With two-time defending 5A champion Tulsa Washington now in 6A, Del City is looking like the early favorite for the gold ball. They’re playing with a different level of confidence than they had last year — they expect to win games the way they did Tuesday night. That will pay off down the line.

Edmond Memorial was probably dealing with something of a hangover from a hard-fought championship at the Edmond Open over the weekend, and I don’t think this loss is a sign the Bulldogs are going to underachieve this season. They’re as good as advertised. But on this night, Del City was better.  

Santa Fe holds off winless Choctaw

Edmond Santa Fe’s coach Shawn Schenk wasn’t pleased with his team’s effort Tuesday, but he’ll take the win.

The No. 3 Wolves beat winless Choctaw 55-42, but it took a big fourth-quarter effort to move past the pesky Yellowjackets, who led at halftime and only trailed by three after the third quarter.

“It was a good win,” Schenk said. “But not a great effort on our part.

“I hope we learn from this, because we aren’t good enough to play half way.”

Choctaw, meanwhile, still seeks its first win. Senior forward Carson Clay rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter. It was a big loss for Choctaw, which was trying to hold off the Wolves’ tough interior attack.

Santa Fe junior forward Shaquille Morris finished with 13 points.

Coach Doug Armstrong said that wasn’t why his team lost.

“We were playing well, but we just couldn’t come up with some loose balls late in the game,” Armstrong said. “We’re still young and inexperienced, but that isn’t an excuse anymore.”

Scott’s thoughts: Thanks to Jason Kersey for the coverage of this one. As Doug Armstrong said, the ‘Jackets are young, but they’ve got some talent. It might not click this year, but they will continue to improve.

As for Santa Fe, you get the feeling that ugly wins like this are going to be their specialty. They’ve had a few this year so far, and their team makeup lends to that. Good size all over the floor and a lot of good defenders. They will miss Josh Richardson’s pure scoring ability at all levels.

Shaq Morris is a blossoming star inside with solid post moves and good rebounding ability as a 6-foot-7 junior who is already drawing major college attention. And the Wolves have guards with a variety of skills. So they might not be blowing people out every night, but they’re always going to be in games, and they have the crunch-time experience to come out on top a lot.

PC North opens new gym with win

The newly remodeled gym at Putnam City North got quite a christening. Not only were Oklahoma football players Tony Jefferson, Kenny Stills and a few others on hand for the opener, the Panthers won, too.

PC North defeated Mustang 64-54 behind 15 points from Alex Clark on five 3-pointers. Joe Summers added 14 points and Rodney Teal had 10. Up next for the Panthers is a visit to No. 6 Putnam City West on Friday.

Scott’s thoughts: Can’t wait to see all the new gyms around the metro at PC North, Yukon and Westmoore. Based on Twitter talk, OU’s Cali Trio — actually I think they’re calling themselves the California Hot Boys now — enjoyed themselves in the Zoo with the PC North students. And they got to see Alex Clark heat it up. Coach Rick Harris says Clark is playing with a lot of confidence lately.

The coaches’ rankings have PC North at No. 15, and I think they’re better than that. Not sure if they can go win at PC West or not, but the Panthers are at worst a borderline top 10 team.

Mustang is replacing last year’s senior class that played a huge role in building that program under Alan Green, especially David Glidden, who was a four-year starter at point guard. The team has some talent, but not a lot of experience, so look for improvement from the Broncos as the season goes along.

Tip-ins

Behind 25 points from Stephen Clark, Douglass topped Centennial 73-59 in a battle of defending state champions… Guthrie got a put-back from Bailey Nichols — his only basket of the night — at the buzzer to defeat El Reno 43-41… Moore outscored Norman 23-9 in the fourth quarter for a 55-44 win… U.S. Grant’s Anthony Hartfield scored 27 points in a 63-38 win over the homeschool OKC Knights.

Scott’s thoughts: I spoke with a national recruiting analyst about Clark on Tuesday afternoon, and I’ll be sharing some of that conversation in a few days. But get ready for a lot of nights like this from Clark, now that he’s the only experienced scoring option on the floor. His speed, ball-handling and ridiculous range make him one of the top prospects in the country for 2013. Go check him out if you haven’t seen him yet.

That Guthrie win is just the base line of what to expect from many of the Suburban Conference games this year. There’s not a ton of separation in a lot of those teams, so there will be plenty of battles to come.

Big win for Moore, which is trying to build its program back up. I really think Norman will be a top-10 team at the end of the year, so this win could be a sign of good things for Moore.

Hartfield’s numbers aren’t a fluke. This kid is a legitimate Division I prospect, and an interesting story. He moved from Minnesota in the middle of last season, and he’s been putting up big numbers for the Generals ever since. He averaged nearly 25 a game last year, and he’s on the way to more of the same so far this season.

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

District A-1 All-District
Most Valuable Player: Payton Marsh, Thomas
Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Eck, Thomas
Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Ansley, Texhoma
Quarterback of the Year: Luis Chavez, Beaver
Co-Running Back of the Year: Trevor Green, Texhoma
Co-Running Back of the Year: Matt Mendoza, Turpin
Wide Receiver of the Year: Gavin Boyer, Fairview
Tight End of the Year: Willis Mallory, Fairview
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Roy Alvarado, Hooker
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Nick Volpe, Oklahoma Bible
Outside Linebacker of the Year: Sam Jones, Thomas
Inside Linebacker of the Year: David Rivera, Beaver
Defensive End of the Year: Trevor Smith, Hooker
Defensive Back of the Year: Bradley Kinser, Turpin
Special Teams Player of the Year: Erick Nunez, Texhoma
Coach of the Year: Bob Ward, Thomas

All-District
Offense
Quarterbacks: Joe Bean, Hooker; Brice Gregory, Mooreland; Grant Nightengale, Fairview; Jack Powers, Texhoma.
Running backs: Bryson Beattie, Texhoma; Taylor McBee, Hooker; Ryan Nash, Beaver; Chris Walker, Oklahoma Bible.
Wide receivers: Payton Bishop, Oklahoma Bible; Tyler Hessman, Beaver; Austen Reed, Beaver.
Offensive linemen: John Camp, Oklahoma Bible; Guerrero Garcia, Hooker; Hammons Hepner, Mooreland; Austin Moon, Thomas; Gus Olson, Oklahoma Bible; Tim Rigier, Fairview; Jordan Stull, Texhoma; Jairo Vazquez, Turpin.
Special Teams: Dylan Lipps, Fairview

Defense
Defensive linemen: Michael Case, Fairview; Kalen Gabel, Beaver; Alex Gonzalez, Texhoma; Noah Irvin, Mooreland.
Defensive ends: John Barnes, Turpin; Henry Lehr, Texhoma.
Inside linebackers: Kyle Bingham, Hooker; Lance Bland, Oklahoma Bible; Keiton Crawford, Mooreland; Jake Jiminez, Turpin.
Outside linebackers: Montana Harrelson, Thomas; Kevin Kim, Oklahoma Bible; Chance Meyer, Texhoma.
Defensive backs: Javier Alvarez, Turpin; Trey Judd, Fairview; Patton Pugh, Texhoma.

Coach of the Year: Andy Bogert, Heritage Hall
MVP: Sterling Shephard, Heritage Hall
Offensive Player of the Year: Barry J. Sanders, Heritage Hall
Defensive Player of the Year: Markus Wakefield, Heritage Hall
Back of the Year: Brett Gilstrap, Bethany
Co-Quarterback of the Year: Ryley Clayborn, Bethany
Co-Quarterback of the Year: Quinn Shanbour, Heritage Hall
Offensive Lineman: Hunter Endres, Kingfisher
Receiver of the Year: Cale Courtney, Heritage Hall
Defensive End of the Year: Quintaz Struble, Heritage Hall
Defensive Tackle of the Year: Willy Hanvold, Kingfisher
Outside Linebacker of the Year: Ross Clifton, Heritage Hall
Inside Linebacker of the Year: Colton Cheap, Kingfisher
Defensive Back of the Year: Grayson Haws, Bethany
Co-Kicker of the Year: Cole Rinke, Bethany
Co-Kicker of the Year: Ryan Ross, Newcastle
Special Teams Player of the Year: Gage Diffee, Bethany
Special Recognition: Mark Ryan, Centennial head coach
Injured Athlete Recognition: Brent Gaddis, Heritage Hall
Injured Athlete Recognition: Garrett McGrady, Bethany

First-team
Offense
Quarterback: Raymond Little, El Reno
Running back: Nathan Blakely, Ada
Running back: Darvonte Winston, Carl Albert
Tight End: Kyle  Kanady, Deer Creek
Wide receiver: Rashad Copeland, El Reno
Wide receiver: Alex Polston, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: RayShawn Cato, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: Cooper Davis, Guthrie
Offensive lineman: Steve Dunham, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: Matt Eppler, Ada
Offensive lineman: Hayden Seifert, Guthrie
Kicker: Easton Ramsey, Carl Albert
Punter: Sam McCann, Ada

Defense
Defensive lineman: Nolan Boyd, Deer Creek
Defensive lineman: Zack Brown, Guthrie
Defensive lineman: Willis Lusk, Carl Albert
Defensive lineman: Micah Tiger, Ada
Linebacker: John Clark, Guthrie
Linebacker: Kevin Jones, Carl Albert
Linebacker: Jermiah Reed, Carl Albert
Linebacker: John Whitlock, Noble
Defensive back: Tyliq Brazille, Southeast
Defensive back: Taylor Hawkins, Carl Albert
Defensive back: Darion Winston, Carl Albert

Second-team
Offense
Running back: Chase Bowker, Ada
Running back: Tyre LeBlanc, Carl Albert
Tight end: Clint Simek, Guthrie
Wide receiver: Hunter Dinkines, Deer Creek
Wide receiver: Hunter Long, Noble
Offensive lineman: Tristan Clark, Western Heights
Offensive lineman: Malachai Galbrath, Guthrie
Offensive lineman: Grant Oliver, Carl Albert
Offensive lineman: Jacob Stein, El Reno
Offensive lineman: Craig Waters, Western Heights
Kicker: Esau Perez, Guthrie
Punter: Antonio Cueto, Southeast

Defense
Defensive lineman: Darren Colquitt, Carl Albert
Defensive lineman: Clint Edgeman, Deer Creek
Defensive lineman: Michael Holder, Southeast
Defensive lineman: Josh Raper, Western Heights
Linebacker: Austin Ferguson, El Reno
Linebacker: Devonte Henderson, Western Heights
Linebacker: Gumaro Murphy, Southeast
Linebacker: Ian Smith, Deer Creek
Defensive back: Trez Jackson, Carl Albert
Defensive back: Harley Dodd, Deer Creek
Defensive back: Donte Rocco, Western Heights

Awards
Coach of the Year: Lloyd Wertman, Perkins
Co-Player of the Year: Lexus Jackson, Bethel
Co-Player of the Year: Shane Taff, Perkins
Offensive Player of the Year: Travis Battles, Perkins
Defensive Player of the Year: Kris Kelly, Prague
Co-Quarterback of the Year: Gage Auld, Prague
Co-Quarterback of the Year: Austin Hodge, Little Axe
Offensive Back of the Year: Justin Vermillion, Bethel
Co-Receiver of the Year: Sam Kinzie, Perkins
Co-Receiver of the Year: Charlie Lynn, Little Axe
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: Dale Burch, Star Spencer
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: Austin Maly, Prague
Co-Defensive Back of the Year: Justus Edwards, Perkins
Co-Defensive Back of the Year: Jay Woodberry, Bristow
Co-Inside Linebacker of the Year: Walter Lynn, Little Axe
Co-Inside Linebacker of the Year: James Russell, Prague
Co-Outside Linebacker of the Year: Bubba Grotheer, Perkins
Co-Outside Linebacker of the Year: Baruck Strickland, Prague
Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year: Cody Krug, Perkins
Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year: Gant Palmer, Prague
Co-Defensive End of the Year: Chance Bunch, Perkins
Co-Defensive End of the Year: George Chacon, Bristow
Specialty Player of the Year: Quincy Riedau, Star Spencer

All-District
Quarterback: Thomas Rouse, Cascia Hall
Running back: Hunter Hart, Cascia Hall
Wide receivers: Johnathon Buckley, Kellyville; Cole Courtney, Blackwell; Luke Moellers, Cascia Hall
Tight ends: Danny Brennan, Cascia Hall; Aaron Dolan, Berryhill
Offensive linemen: Aaron David, Berryhill; Chris Wallace, Sperry
Defensive lineman: Kevin Lowe, Dewey
Defensive ends: Derek Copeland, Kellyville; Jordan Fink, Dewey; Hunter Garrison, Berryhill
Inside linebackers: Tanner Holley, Kellyville; Austin Medford, Nowata
Outside linebackers: Rocco Driscoll, Cascia Hall; Jared Williams, Kellyville
Defensive backs: Michael Anderson, Kellyville; Baylor Boone, Cascia Hall
Kicker: Casey Bartholomew, Nowata
Kick returners: Phillip Choquette, Cascia Hall; Zane Washington, Dewey

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.

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

Not much here at the top that needs explaining as the top 4 are pretty clear. Sallisaw was clearly the best team not to make the semifinals. Hilldale pushed Wagoner early in the season although Sallisaw and Clinton beat them comfortably. Glenpool came back from an 0-3 start to finish second in its district and is at No. 7. Harrah, the only first-round loser in the top eight, pushed McGuinness in the first round before falling 14-7. Their other losses came to Glenpool and defending champion Douglass. Woodward upset Douglass in the first round on a wild finish but their resume, with losses to Weatherford and Piedmont made it hard to put the Boomers in the top eight. Douglass looked championship-caliber at times this season but also had inexplicable losses to Cushing and Woodward. So even with wins over Glenpool and Harrah, Douglass is at No. 10.

Fairly easy top three here with champion Anadarko having beat No. 2 Cascia Hall who beat No. 3 Heritage Hall. Metro Christian stays ahead of Berryhill despite losing to Anadarko a round later. Metro Christian played Anadarko slightly closer on the road than Berryhill did on a neutral field. Those could’ve gone either way, though. Seminole, whose only loss came to Heritage Hall, drops one spot to No. 6. Kingfisher likewise drops just one spot to No. 7 because the Yellowjackets had the unfortunate distinction of finishing second in their district to Heritage Hall. That meant a second-round game at Anadarko which proved to be too much. Kingfisher’s resume included wins over 2A champion Hennessey, Bethany and Bridge Creek. They also gave Heritage Hall a scare. Bethany follows Kingfisher, having won a pair of road playoff games.

Hennessey and Jones are pretty clear 1-2. Stroud and Millwood are virtually interchangeable but Millwood’s wins are a bit more impressive with the Falcons beating former No. 1 Davis and Lincoln Christian in the playoffs. Davis drops to No. 5 with its only losses coming to Heritage Hall and Millwood. Vian, which lost to eventual state champ Hennessey, 18-7, on the road, drops two spots to No. 4 while Lincoln Christian holds at No. 7. Lindsay, a semifinalist, checks in at No. 8. Lindsay was flat blown out by Jones, 63-6, on a neutral field and had a favorable draw to reach the spot with much of the class’ powers concentrated on the top part of the bracket. Frederick and OCS, two teams Lindsay did beat, remain No. 9 and 10.

This is where things get a bit more tricky because of the added round, which means a better chance top teams meet before the championship game or semifinals. Because of that Minco, which was beat out in the third round by eventual state champion Wayne, stays at No. 3 behind runner-up Woodland. Minco was the only team to beat Wayne this season and pushed the Bulldogs again in a 47-40 loss. Likewise Wynnewood remains at No. 4. The Savages pushed Wayne to the brink (on the road) in a 47-42 loss on Oct. 28. Wynnewood’s only other loss came to Woodland, who edged Wynnewood 18-12 in the second round. One of the other smeifinalists, Thomas, drops from No. 2 to No. 5. Thomas’ only loss was 32-7 to Woodland in the semifinals but the Terriers barely put away their first two playoff opponents, Crescent and Hollis. The other semifinal loser, Carnegie, dropped three games during the regular season and had a favorable draw. They do come from unranked to No. 7, jumping Foyil and Texhoma, two teams they beat in the playoffs.

Class B
1. Caddo (1)#14-0
2. Davenport (2)#13-1
3. Kiefer (3)#11-2
4. Laverne (6)#11-2
5. Welch (7)#10-2
6. Gans (5)#10-2
7. Fox (4)#10-2
8. Seiling (8)#9-3
9. Wetumka (9)#8-3
10. Pond Creek-Hunter (10)#8-3

Not much explanation needed here. The finalists are 1-2, the semifinalists are 3-4 and the quarterfinalists are 5-8. Wetumka and Pond Creek-Hunter proved to be the best teams that got beat out in the first round.

Class C
1. Shattuck (5)#12-1
2. Temple (3)#11-1
3. Tipton (7)#11-3
4. Timberlake (2)#9-2
5. Deer Creek-Lamont (1)#10-1
6. Sharon-Mutual (4)#10-3
7. Covington-Douglas (6)#9-3
8. Coyle (8)#7-4
9. Forgan (9)#6-5
10. Webbers Falls (10)#9-2

The biggest surprise here is Tipton, who lost to Shattuck, 26-6, in the championship game being No. 3. Tipton lost to Covington-Douglas and Temple (52-6) in the regular season and looking at overall resumes, I couldn’t justify moving them ahead of Temple (whose only loss came to Shattuck). I considered leaving Tipton at No. 4 behind Timberlake based on Timberlake’s 46-0 win over Covington-Douglas and Tipton’s close loss to C-D but Timberlake lost to Deer Creek-Lamont while Tipton beet DC-LA in a playoff game.

A few questions I’ve gotten in emails made me want to further research it. I found the Nov. 22, 1954 copy of the Daily Oklahoman, where the paper awarded what it called “mythical” state championships to teams in Classes A, B and C since there were no playoffs.

Here are the final Oklahoman rankings and records from the 1954 season for all three classes. The top-ranked team in each class was, obviously, the team the paper awarded the “mythical” state title.

Class A
Team (Record); PF; PA
1. Ada (11-0-0); 497; 100
2. Muskogee (9-0-1); 304; 82
3. Capitol Hill (8-1-0); 276; 72
4. Ardmore (10-1-0); 312; 121
5. Altus (10-0-1); 458; 132
6. Ponca City (9-1-0); 287; 81
7. Classen (9-2-0); 230; 115
8. Clinton (9-0-2); 287; 86
9. Midwest City (9-1-0); 322; 98
10. Barlesville (8-2-0); 306; 110
Second ten: 11. Wewoka (8-2); 12. Tulsa Rogers (6-2-1); 13. Broken Arrow (10-0-1); 14. John Marshall (9-1); 15. Poteau (7-1-1); 16. Wagoner (8-1-1); 17. Cushing (8-2); 18. Putnam City (8-2); 19. Sayre (7-2); 20. Alva (8-2)

Class B
Team (Record); PF; PA
1. Pawnee (10-0-0); 385; 127
2. Wilburton (8-0-2); 287; 75
3. Jenks (10-0-0); 304; 68
4. Marlow (9-2-0); 271; 86
5. Spiro (9-1-1); 269; 85
6. Okemah (6-1-2); 216; 85
7. Fox (10-0-0); 349; 13
8. Tulsa Marquette (9-1-0); 287; 61
9. Yukon (7-1-2); 188; 39
10. Lindsay (8-3-0); 257; 98
Second ten: 11. Picher (7-1-1); 12. Jay (8-2); 13. Chandler (9-2); 14. Collinsville (6-1-1); 15. Cleveland (7-3); 16. Garber (7-3); 17. Heavener (7-3); 18. Purcell (6-2-1); 19. Bethany (7-3); 20. Tecumseh (record unavailable).

Class C
Team (Record); PF; PA
1. Maysville (10-0-0); 292; 57
2. Laverne (11-0-0); 387; 65
3. Tipton (8-2-0); 308; 90
4. Morris (9-1-0); 351; 38
5. Talihina (9-1-0); 344; 61
6. Davis (8-2-0); 217; 102
7. Canton (8-0-1); 187; 37
8. East Central (8-1-1); 225; 67
9. Synder (9-1-0); 270; 93
10. Crescent (7-1-1); 316; 53
Second ten: 11. Lamont (6-2); 12. Deer Creek (6-1-3); 13. Beaver (6-2); 14. Jet (7-2-1); 15. Mooreland (5-3-1); 16. Erick (7-3); 17. Mooreland (5-3-1); 18. Yale (5-2-2); 19. Alex (6-3-1); 20. Braman (6-3-1)

Coach of the Year: Tony Henry, Millwood
Coach’s Special Recognition: Mark Ryan, Centennial
Player of the Year: Cayman Bundage, Douglass
Defensive Player of the Year: Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass
Offensive Player of the Year: Dametric Sanders, Millwood
Co-Special Teams Players of the Year: Quincy Rideau, Star Spencer; Juan Campos, Northwest Classen
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Bobby Wilkes, Millwood
Co-Linebackers of the Year: Marc Robinson, Millwood; Gumaro Murphy, Southeast
Defensive Back of the Year: O’Sha Clark, Douglass
Co-Offensive Linemen of the Year: Devin Dobbins, Millwood; Dale Burch, Star Spencer
Offensive Back of the Year: Luis Leyva, Capitol Hill
Receiver of the Year: Kameron Bryant, John Marshall

First Team Defense
Defensive Line: Christian Nicholson, U.S. Grant; Kevin Williams, John Marshall; Codie Nolan, Northwest Classen; Genaro Monter, Southeast; Justin Woody, Northeast
Linebackers: Derrick Ward, Star Spencer; Andrew Bailey, Douglass; Malcolm Scales, Millwood; Francis Taylor, Capitol Hill
Defensive Backs: TyLiq Braziell, Southeast; Brandon Morse, Capitol Hill; Derrick Young, U.S. Grant; Chris Compton, Douglass
Punter: Carlos Morales, U.S. Grant

First Team Offense
Quarterback: Christian Gorham, Northwest Classen; Michael Thomas, Northeast
Running Backs: Cory Hooks, U.S. Grant
Receivers: Trevon Willis, Northeast; Marvin Kerbo, Northwest Classen; Deonte Childs, Douglass
Offensive Line: Diamonte McClellan, Douglass; Charles Hayes, Star Spencer; Jacob Tavarez, U.S. Grant; Harvey Hightower, Millwood; Michael Holder, Southeast; David Johnson, John Marshall
Place Kicker: Antonio Cueto, Southeast

Honorable Mention
Capitol Hill: Maleke Dixon, Jerrad Fomin
Douglass: Davon Barber
Millwood: Marquise Kemp
Northeast: Savon Peevy, Demarkus Long
Northwest Classen: Marcus Ervin
Southeast: Nolan Payne, Michael McAnelly, Dominique Schweitzer, Nicholas Chamberlain
Star Spencer: Quintrae Kendrick
U.S. Grant: Eric Benevue, Javier Tarrazas

All-District Team
Quarterbacks: Hunter Collins, Jenks; Zac Mills, Broken Arrow; Tyler Williams, Sapulpa.
Running backs: A.J. Leinewebber, Putnam West; Andrew Long, Southmoore; Bradley McGee, Muskogee; Forest Myers, Norman; Cameron Ousely, Muskogee; Donovan Roberts, Norman;
Inside receivers: Trevor Hall, Sapulpa; Victor Williams, Muskogee.
Outside receivers: Will Armstead, Broken Arrow; Levi Copelin, Broken Arrow; George Kittle, Norman; Levi Pickering, Sapulpa; Quad Ware, Broken Arrow; Isaac Whitney, Southmoore.
Tight ends: Ryan Boatright, Jenks; Kenneth Dennis, Norman; Sam Laptad, Jenks; Zac Veatch, Broken Arrow.
Offensive Linemen: Samuel Ayeni, Southmoore; Massey Barnett, Sapulpa; Tyler Davis, Broken Arrow; J.T. Dotson, Jenks; Aaron Farris, Jenks; Alex Frazier, Broken Arrow; Gintrell Frazier, Shawnee; Blake Garrity, Putnam West; Foster Hare, Norman; Tyler Loudenback, Putnam West; Harrison Madden, Norman; Sam Sabin, Jenks; Caleb Stainaker, Southmoore; Chris Tabor, Broken Arrow; David Vogt, Sapulpa; Caleb Washington, Southmoore.
Defensive tackles: Jeremy Barrientos, Shawnee; Chase Duke, Sapulpa; Jeremy Gunter, Broken Arrow; Ashton Henderson, Jenks; Orion Jones, Jenks; Kyle Lewis, Muskogee.
Defensive ends: Matt Frazier, Broken Arrow; Chandler Heath, Muskogee; Jamel Ingram, Muskogee.
Inside Linebackers: Will McDonald, Broken Arrow; Derek Morris, Broken Arrow; Dominic Rossetti, Norman; Wes Starr, Muskogee; Kaleb Thompson, Southmoore
Outside Linebackers: Levi Jennings, Southmoore; Chris Ladd, Broken Arrow; Bryan Pisklo, Jenks; Colton Shackelford, Southmoore.
Safeties: Travis Burge, Southmoore; Brad Davis, Norman; Josh Fleak, Sapulpa; Sidtrel Grayson, Muskogee; Xavier Hunter, Muskogee; Matt Linscott, Jenks; Mason Mullings, Broken Arrow.
Cornerbacks: Levi Copelin, Broken Arrow; Aaron Fowler, Muskogee; Rico Hogan, Norman; Dalton Pridemore, Sapulpa; Jaylen Rayford, Norman; Torrence Reed, Jenks.
Purple heart awards: Chris Carpenter, Shawnee; Trevor Davison, Norman; Chase Duke Sapulpa; Andrew Long, Southmoore; Derek Morris, Broken Arrow; James Richardson, Muskogee; Alex Ross, Jenks.

Honorable mention:
Broken Arrow: Calvin Mann, OL
Muskogee: Ed Baker, RB; Mikel Smith, OR; Parker Wilkerson, Muskogee
Norman: Nick Gaines, DE; Dylan Stout, DE
Sapulpa: Kegan Fox, TE; Lane Youngblood, S
Shawnee: Dillon Garcher, ILB; Andrew Smith, OLB


Think about it for a minute before you skip ahead to read the answers. The first two should be easy.

Jenks and Tulsa Union are no-brainers. But the third is a little less obvious.

A hint, this team will be playing for a state championship this weekend.

You might have guessed one of these five programs, which have made the semifinals in three of the last four seasons: Guthrie, Lawton MacArthur, Heritage Hall, Cascia Hall and Shattuck.

And the winner is…?

The Hennessey Eagles, who will try to defend the Class 2A state championship against Jones at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, are the only other team to reach the semifinals the last four years.

“It’s something special,” Hennessey coach Shannon Watford said. “You’re talking about a program that floundered in obscurity. It’s really special, and it’s tough to get there. It’s a good group of kids, man. They’re fighters.”

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

Timothy Flanders

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

Former Midwest City star Timothy Flanders, a running back at Sam Houston State, was named to the American Football Coaches Association’s Football Championship Subdivision’s All-America team, announced Wednesday.
Flanders was one of just two sophomores named to the team. Indiana State running back Shakir Bell is the other.
Flanders, who was also named the Southland Conference’s player of the year, has 1,235 yards and 21 touchdowns rushing this season. He also has 404 yards and a pair of touchdowns receiving.
Sam Houston State, the top-ranked team in FCS, hosts Montana State at 11 a.m. Saturday in a quarterfinals matchup.

All-District
Quarterbacks: Travis Galbreath, Ardmore; Keaton Webb, Durant.
Running backs: Jordan Alesky, Duncan; Dom Nortonen, Altus; Ashton Perry, Ardmore.
Wide receivers: Jacobi Davis, Chickasha; Won Davis, Chickasha; Jace Hammock, Durant; Marvin Kirbo, Northwest; Josiah Reed, Ardmore.
Tight end: Christian Kneisel, Altus.
Offensive linemen: Michael Buben, Duncan; James Gibson, Duncan; Austin House, Altus; Christian Joy, Ardmore; Cameron Sralla, Ardmore; Cole Stamps, Lawton MacArthur.
Defensive linemen: Marcus Johnston, Durant; Evan McGee, Ardmore; Codie Noland; Northwest; Kaynon Sadler, Altus; Dwayne Sanford, Lawton MacArthur; Braxdan Turner, Chickasha.
Linebacker: Tyler Dixon, Ardmore; Austin Payne, Lawton MacArthur; Francis Taylor, Capitol Hill; Andrew Weaver, Durant.
Defensive backs: Jywayne Allen, Ardmore; Jeff Ervin, Duncan; Trey Fish, Ardmore; Tyler Henley, Durant; Daniel McCoy, Duncan; Jacob Warner, Lawton MacArthur.
Punter: Luis Leyva, Capitol Hill.
Kicker: Juan Campos, Northwest.

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

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

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.

Given everything that has gone on in the last month, the Bluejays felt quite vindicated by Friday’s win. Here are some leftover quotes that didn’t make it into my story.

SENIOR LB LANDRY CHAPPELL

“I’m just glad that we got the chance to show off what we can do. We didn’t cheat, and I’m just glad we got the opportunity.

“It feels good to win. We still wish we had Clint (Simek) out there with us, but we did it for him and coach (Rafe) Watkins.”

SENIOR LB JOHN CLARK

“We just played with all our hearts because we had so much to play for.

“I believe that we deserve it, regardless of whatever the press and everybody else says.”

SENIOR RB LUKE DAVIS

“There’s never been a feeling like this. Everyone says that you have these types of feelings when a baby is born or when you get married; of course I haven’t done any of those things. It just feels like we’re on top of the world.

“It’s extra special. People doubted us. They called us cheaters, but we responded to that. We used that as motivation.”

SOPHOMORE WR/DB DONAVAN JORDAN

“We kept fighting. We shed our tears, but we wiped them away. We kept our heads up and did work.”

COACH RAFE WATKINS

“Lawton Mac is a tremendous football team. They’ve got D-1 talent all up and down their lines and their skill kids are incredible. But it’s hard to beat heart.

“It’s been a tough four weeks, but it’s been a blessed four weeks.”

(On his three championships)

“It’s hard to ever forget the first one. They all are special.

“The first, is your first. And no one expected us to do it. The second one was our first undefeated season. It was more of a relief state championship because everyone thought we’d win it from day one.”

“This year, with the ups and downs and the things we had to face and the adversity, yeah, it’s pretty special.

“They’re all different, and they’re all special.”

(On the job his coaching staff did in his absense)

“They’re the best staff in the state. I know every coach says that, but they are.”

All-District Team
Running back: Michael Hazer, Purcell
Receivers/tight ends: Richard Barnard, Dickson; Skylor Betterton, Sulphur; Weston Coleman, Madill; Coleton Crockett, Lone Grove; Matt Embree, Purcell; Hunter Jackson, Madill; Chris Morales, Pauls Valley; Tyler Selfridge, Purcell.
Offensive linemen: Cole Castleberry, Madill; Dillon Christian, Purcell; Greg Higgs, Lone Grove; Josh Huckleberry, Plainview; Gilbert Luna, Purcell; Vytorio Torres, Madill; Dakota Whitewater, Sulphur.
Defensive linemen: Leroy Herrera, Purcell; Landon Riggle, Dickson; Buddy Tyner, Madill.
Defensive ends: Branson Barrick, Lone Grove; Mac Crowl, Madill; Cody Jones, Lone Grove; Austin Shobe, Purcell; Justin Walker, Dickson.
Linebackers: Briar Burns, Dickson; Tyler Cumpton, Madill; Brady Lee, Lone Grove.
Defensive Backs: Austin Ingram, Pauls Valley; Kory Kennedy, Plainview; Jake Vinson, Madill; Justin Willis, Lone Grove; Colton Wren, Purcell; Brett Zimmerman, Lone Grove.
Kicker: Evan Berry, Purcell

Honorable mention
Dickson: Lane Cantrell, Brendon Tucker, Willie Vance
Lone Grove: Dylan Morgan
Madill: Tony Ibarra, Shelby Salyer, Lukas Whitsett
Pauls Valley: Jonas Arroyo, Lakota Rickert
Plainview: Greyson McGill, Chris Schmersal
Purcell: Blake Croslin, Saul Ibarra, Hunter Know
Sulphur: D. Heskitt

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

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

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

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

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

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

District A-2 All-District
Most Valuable Player: Jacob Smart, Minco
Offensive MVP: Cade Baade, Minco
Defensive MVP: Jarod Cross, Okeene
Quarterback of the Year: Bret Wardlaw, Okeene
Running Back of the Year: Garret Wilson, Okeene
Wide Receiver of the Year: Steven Whalen, Minco
Tight End of the Year: Landon LaRue, Crescent
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: Carrie Farmer, Minco
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year: Justin Kessen, Crescent
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Tanner O’Kelley, Okeene
Linebacker of the Year: Britt Bosler, Cashion
Cornerback of the Year: Cody Day, Okeene
Safety of the Year: Hunter Mason, Cashion
Kicker of the Year: Tristen Lacey, Crescent
Coach of the Year: Clint Warren, Minco

Quarterbacks: Preston Walker, Crescent; Derek Gabrial, Pioneer
Running backs: Hayden George, Hunton; Michael Cronister, Crescent; T.J. Martin, Cashion.
Wide Receivers: Chase Carter, Okeene; Aaron Murray, Hinton; Jacob Overton, Minco.
Offensive Lineman: J.T. Lee, Minco; Zac Tarrent, Crescent; Kendall Boling, Hinton; Dexton Robertson, Cashion; Matt Schneider, Pioneer.
Tight End: Holden Hedges, Pioneer.
Defensive Linemen: Brandon Nixon, Cashion; Tidel Garrison, Hinton; Shakeal Jones, Crescent; Colby Ruthardt, Minco.
Linebackers: Mason Howe, Okeene; Dakota Bare, Minco; Justin Baker, Hinton.
Defensive Backs: Cris Henderson, Pioneer; Zach Miller, Crescent; Tyler Mitchum, Minco; Nathen Rackley, Okeene.
Kicker: Gabriel Rui, Hinton

Player of the Year: Dawson Myers, Cushing
Offensive Player of the Year: Eddie Reynolds, Harrah
Defensive Player of the Year: Cayman Bundage, Douglass
Special Teams Player of the Year: Chris Compton, Douglass
Receiver of the Year: Abraham Luna, Santa Fe South; Eric Delay, Cleveland
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Diamonte McClellan, Douglass; Blaine Atchely, Tecumseh
Quarterback of the Year: Ivan Zavala, Santa Fe South
Offensive Back of the Year: Alton Adkins, Glenpool
Tight End of the Year: Richard Griffin, Harrah
Defensive End of the Year: Brock Hubble, Cushing; Travis Johnson, Harrah
Defensive Tackle of the Year: Josh Smith, Glenpool; Dustin Malloy, Cleveland
Inside Linebacker of the Year: Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass; Brandon McDonald, Harrah
Outside Linebacker of the Year: Drake Stevens, Glenpool; Kyle Knight, Cushing
Safety of the Year: Phillip Spess, Cleveland; Tanner Shepard, Tecumseh
Cornerback of the Year: Jake Queen, Harrah
Kicker of the Year: Ben Henley, Cleveland
Special Recognition: Blake Murray, Cushing
Coaches of the Year: Barrett Shupe, Cushing; Jerry Braziel, Santa Fe South

All-District by team
Cleveland: Frankie Mackey, Kolton Hansen, Matt Gayle, Josh Casebott
Cushing: Marshal Dilley, Ben Loftis
Douglass: Andrew Bailey, O’Sha Clark, Deonte Childs, Camron Dizer
Glenpool: Zach Parnell, Tyler Harrison, Connor Ferrell, Austin Wills, Matt Lafitte, Matt Meeks, Trent Cleveland, Hunter Green, Tyler Dunn, Taylor Howell, Jordan Bullock, Matt Lena, Cody Marshall
Harrah: Tyler Humphrey, Corey Beder, Houston Ward
Sante Fe South: Daniel Gardado, Abel Hererra, Aaron Johnson
Tecumseh: Jacob Bender, Jackson Ryan

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

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

Honorable Mention:
Newkirk: Dylan Sprueill, Dalton Hasselbring

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

McAlester freshman quarterback Dalton Wood throws a pass during the Top of the World scrimmage in Norman on Aug, 26. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN

McAlester quarterback Tony Kiefer, who amassed over 12,000 total yards in his stellar career, played his last game as a Buffalo in Saturday’s semifinal loss to Guthrie.

The Buffaloes will certainly miss Kiefer’s production, but waiting in the wings is another potential great one.

Freshman Dalton Wood (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) was impressive in a preseason scrimmage in Norman, where he ran McAlester’s offense with poise and efficiency in a half-game against Deer Creek, which ended in a 28-28 tie. Wood was playing in Kiefer’s place while he recovered from a minor injury.

Wood is still only 14 years old; he won’t turn 15 until late December.

“He’s still gotta mature some, but he’s got all the tools,” said McAlester coach Bryan Pratt.

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.

This cartoon appeared alongside Daily Oklahoman sports editor John Cronley's column on Nov. 3, 1953. The column lambasted the Oklahoma Highschool Athletic association's decision to abolish high school playoffs for the 1954 season. FROM THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

What started as research for a story turned into a fascinating look into one odd year in Oklahoma high school football.

In October 1953, the Oklahoma Highschool Athletic association voted to abolish football playoffs.

The playoffs had been around for nine seasons, and would go on as scheduled for 1953. But in 1954, there were no crowned state football champions.

On the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities’ Association website, on the page where it lists past football state champions, 1954 says, “No championship due to membership vote of ‘too much football.’ Had regular season games only, but were reinstated the next year.”

According to Daily Oklahoman archive stories, common reasons given to abolish the playoffs were 1) too much emphasis on winning; 2) increased pressure on coaches; 3) a longer season.

The vote was taken the association’s annual business meeting, but, according to reports, representatives from a large number of schools weren’t present at the meeting.

A Nov. 3, 1953 Daily Oklahoman column by sports editor John Cronley reported, “with more than 200 schools playing the grid game, only 122 votes were cast.”

The official vote was 78-44, in favor of abolishing the playoffs.

Cronley’s column went on to lambaste the association’s decision. Here are some excerpts:

… Where is the harm in giving the boys something extra to play for, a giant goal each year, an added incentive to strive for, an objective of which to be so proud if achieved?”

Why not decide on the field of battle just what teams are supreme? Isn’t that the basic aim of all sports?

Now it will be back to that ‘mythical’ business, with nothing settled entirely to the satisfaction of all.

(That remind you of anything?)

It all makes for more youngsters playing a better brand of football, and in some places the big kid program is sold primarily on the grounds of being something for the after school hours rather than roaming of streets.

Now ask yourself, what is the youths’ goal from grade through highschool if it isn’t the hope of some day being able to claim he played on the best darn prep team in the country?

So it may be that the die is cast permanently. If so, let the voters answers these queries — If a moderate helping of football is good for a boy, is more of it bad, and if football playoffs are undesirable, why allow to stand such practices in basketball and baseball?

The playoffs were abolished with a simple majority vote, but to reestablish the playoffs would take a three-fourths vote, which was considered all but impossible.

The association tried something different in December 1953 that was as confusing as it was unlikely to work.

The association’s secretary, Lee K. Anderson, and the board of control devised a plan that would have schools vote on having playoffs by classes.

Here was the catch, though: If a majority of schools in any class voted to reestablish playoffs for their class, another vote was conducted of all football playing schools, and that vote would require a three-fourths majority.

A Dec. 8, 1953 Daily Oklahoman article read: “Anderson said the board took the view that most school administrators would take action to give any class the playoffs if schools in that class indicated they wanted the championship series.”

Some classes did vote to reestablish their playoffs, but the wider vote failed, and there were no playoffs in the 1954 season.

Polls and the general sentiment of Oklahomans at the time were firmly for a playoff system.

A Nov. 15, 1953 column by Daily Oklahoman sports writer Lew Johnson said: “In our travels around the state, and during chats with coaches, players and fans, we have found the people to be angry and disgusted with the association.”

Here are excerpts from a Nov. 8, 1953 letter to the editor from Ada resident W.A. Hubbard:

Personally, I am of the opinion that the playoff system was the most progressive move made by the Oklahoma Highschool Athletic Association in the past 20-odd years and its abolition the most retarding.

With the playoff setup, every, the players, student body, and fans, had something to anticipate: competition, honor to be gained and a goal to be reached. Without the playoffs, what’s left? A conference title over a small portion of the state; a rearrangement of schedules; a mythical championship, perhaps, which proves nothing.

Momentum began building to bring back the playoffs between the 1953 and 1954 football seasons.

And by the Oct. 29, 1954 business meeting, the restoration of the playoffs in Classes A, B and C was No. 1 on the agenda.

(Class 2A schools remained firmly against a playoff and didn’t have one again until the 1956 season).

A Ray Soldan Daily Oklahoman column, which ran five days before the board meeting, listed six reasons why the playoffs should be restored:

1) The players themselves want the playoff
2) Fans favor them
3) A better brand of football is produced under the playoffs because there is an added incentive for coaches and players alike
4) Clear-cut state champions are determined
5) It actually shortens the season for all schools except the playoff participants. And those schools certainly don’t mind a lengthened campaign
6) Other assets include financial gains for the schools and increased salaries for the coaches.

Morris superintendent John B. Turner led the charge, speaking passionately at the meeting before the balloting. Turner first began lobbying for a playoff system in 1943.

Saying he represented the fans and student-athletes that weren’t present, Turner went into a impassioned plea for the playoffs while blasting the “slovenly approaches to football players in Oklahoma,” according to a Oct. 30, 1954 Daily Oklahoman article.

He went on to blast school officials for, “not supporting coaches who sweat for two hours every day, and thereby hold your jobs and get raises in pay for you by producing winning teams.”

He continued, saying that playoffs are, “a full expression of democratic process,” and that adding “manly competition in football stops juvenile delinquency.”

After Turner’s speech, Classes A, B and C voted to restore football playoffs for the 1955 season.

In a Dec. 5, 1954, football postseason column, Soldan called the lack of playoffs that season the “Disappointment of the year.”

“With fans, players and coaches like rallying to the defense of the playoff system, the highschool officials saw the error of their previous decision and overwhelmingly voted the football championships back in for the 1955 season,” Soldan wrote.

The 1955 season would be memorable for two reasons — the return of the playoffs, and the first season where black and white athletes played together in many schools, according to Soldan’s Sept. 4, 1955 column.

Then, at the association’s business meeting in October of that year, Class 2A playoffs were restored.

So there is your Oklahoma high school football history lesson for the day.

I love history, so once I started to realize how interesting this was, it became my Sunday evening.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip back in time. I sure did.

Pick one of the five selections from the poll below, or write in your own candidate in the comments section, where you can tell us why your choice deserves Player of the Week honors.

The results of the poll will appear in Wednesday’s Oklahoman. Voting ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

So cast your vote, discuss and debate the best performance from Week 3 of the playoffs:

Bryan Dutton, QB, Guthrie
Scored a rushing touchdown and threw for two more TDs to help seal Guthrie’s spot in the Class 5A state championship game with a 28-25 win over McAlester on Saturday.

Hennessey defense
Vian came in having scored at least 34 points in every game, and at least 47 in eight of their last nine, but Hennessey gave up just over 200 yards and just seven points to advance to the Class 2A semifinals.

Michael Lowe, QB, Jones
Threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score, both in the fourth quarter of Jones’ 29-28 comeback win over Stroud in the Class 2A quarterfinals. Lowe also had another rushing TD earlier in the game.

Marc Robinson, RB/LB, Millwood
Rushed 16 times for 105 yards and three touchdowns, while also helping the Millwood defense shut down the Lincoln Christian run game in a 40-14 Falcon win in the 2A quarterfinals.

Barry J. Sanders, RB/DB, Heritage Hall
Sanders got it done on both sides of the ball, scoring from the running back position, and also with a pick-six as the Chargers routed Seminole 49-20 on Friday to advance to the 3A semifinals.

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark averaged 32.5 points per game at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas.

Douglass point guard Stephen Clark would have preferred a victory, but he did everything he could to get one at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas.

Clark scored 42 points in a 90-80 loss to Dallas-Kimball on Saturday night at an event that included teams from Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina.

The Trojans went 0-2 on the weekend, falling in a tight game to Tulsa Washington on Friday. Tulsa Washington’s Juwan Parker and Phabian Glasco each scored 22 in the 68-59 win. Clark had a game-high 23.

Team-wise, the weekends went very differently for Clark and Parker (the Hornets won twice), but both nationally known recruits took advantage of the big stage to show their skills. Each player has more than a dozen scholarship offers already, and both were impressive at Hoopfest.

In particular, Clark showed his ability to run his team from the point guard position, which he wasn’t asked to do for the Trojans the last two seasons.

“As he develops his feel for the position, Clark should expand his playmaking and he looks to be on his way to being a viable option at the point for high majors,” wrote Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Eric Bossi.

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

Senior receiver Alvery Braxton, who had 1,049 yards receiving and 13 TD catches on the season, tore his meniscus earlier this week in what coach Bryan Pratt called a “freak,” non-football injury.

“That hurt us a little bit,” Pratt said. “We’re not here to make excuses, though.”

McAlester’s other star receiver, Tulsa commit Adam Boyd, was very impressive in Saturday’s loss. He had 38 yards rushing and 79 receiving, and was tough for Guthrie’s defenders to bring down on several occasions.

Another factor that hurt McAlester was the weather. It was very windy in Sapulpa on Saturday, which limited the Buffaloes’ ability to throw the ball around the field.

Quarterback Tony Kiefer entered Saturday’s game with 3,380 yards and 36 TD passes, as well as 1,439 yards rushing and 25 TDs, on the season. He scored three times on the ground, but only once through the air, and that was on a screen that was taken 43 yards for a score by Cody Lefors.

“The weather hurt us probably more than it did them,” Pratt said. “If we were playing in normal conditions without the wind, things might have gone differently.”

Kiefer was limited to 142 passing and 19 rushing yards by Guthrie’s defense.

Three first-half mistakes by McAlester potentially cost the Buffaloes three points, the final margin of defeat.

After Guthrie took an early 7-0 lead, McAlester marched down the field on an eight-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a four-yard TD run by quarterback Tony Kiefer.

The Buffaloes attempted a two-point conversion off a swinging gate play, but Kiefer’s pass fell imcomplete.

Two more times in the first half, McAlester either bobbled a snap on an extra point attempt or went for two and failed.

“Our kicking game hasn’t been the best as far as extra points and field goals,” said McAlester coach Bryan Pratt. “We knew it would come back and bite us at some point, and it did.”

McAlester only attempted one field goal all season, with Cody Lefors making a 32-yarder earlier this season.

Lefors did make an extra point in the fourth quarter after his own 43-yard catch-and-run touchdown on a screen from Kiefer. But it was the only PAT the Buffaloes got all day.

“We just had some bad breaks,” Pratt said. “We just didn’t have a lot go our way.”

The game featured some great highlights, and Van Shea Iven from Oklahoma High School Sports Express captured all the best ones in this YouTube video he uploaded today. The video is embedded below.

Guthrie’s toss pass play near the end of the game, which went for 50 yards in a completion to quarterback Bryan Dutton, is at 4:20. The play pretty much sealed the Bluejays’ win to advance to next week’s state title game against Lawton MacArthur.

You can catch Oklahoma High School Sports Express at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays on KOKH-25 in Oklahoma City.

Last week:
Ryan: 6-4, 1-0
Jason: 7-3, 1-0
Scott: 5-5, 0-1

Overall:
Ryan: 86-35, 11-1
Jason: 84-37, 9-3
Scott: 78-43, 9-3

Ryan:
Broken Arrow 28, Owasso 21
Tulsa Union 35, Jenks 33
McAlester 26, Guthrie 24
Clinton 31, Catoosa 28
Wagoner 21, McGuinness 14
Anadarko 34, Metro Christian 21
Vian 36, Hennessey 28
Millwood 27, Lincoln Christian 20
Jones 21, Stroud 13
Wayne 27, Minco 22
Lock of the week: Broken Arrow over Owasso. The Tigers have shown some inconsistency at times this season but with a Class 6A title-game berth on the line, Broken Arrow comes out with a huge win over Owasso. It won’t be by the same margin as the regular-season game but the Tigers advance.

Jason:
Tulsa Union 27, Jenks 20
Broken Arrow 35, Owasso 17
Guthrie 24, McAlester 20
Clinton 27, Catoosa 21
Wagoner 26, McGuinness 21
Anadarko 41, Metro Christian 29
Vian 14, Hennessey 13
Millwood 31, Lincoln Christian 24
Jones 10, Stroud 7
Minco 31, Wayne 21
Lock of the week: Anadarko over Metro Christian. Metro Christian ruined
Anadarko’s unbeaten season in this same round of the playoffs last year.
This year, the Sheldon Wilson and the Warriors are too tough.

Scott:
Tulsa Union 34, Jenks 31
Broken Arrow 27, Owasso 24
McAlester 35, Guthrie 28
Catoosa 28, Clinton 27
McGuinness 24, Wagoner 21
Anadarko 48, Metro Christian 35
Hennessey 22, Vian 18
Millwood 27, Lincoln Christian 21
Jones 35, Stroud 28
Wayne 41, Minco 38
Lock of the Week: Millwood over Lincoln Christian. Millwood’s offense is clicking at its best right now, but more impressively, the defense has yet to allow more than 21 points in any game this season. Not only does that include games against 2A powers like Jones and Davis, it also includes games against 4A opponents Douglass and McGuinness. Defense will get the job done again this week, and Millwood moves on to the semifinals.