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Crossings Christian on the move to Class 2A this season By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
In 2020, the Knights compete against the likes of After making the playoffs Jones, Millwood over the last few years in and Meeker in 2A, Class A, the Crossings District 2. Christian football team “We’re no embarks on a different chalstrangers to a lenge by stepping up a class tough district,” for the 2020 season. Keathly said, “but The Knights are schedwe have some uled to compete in Class 2A work to do to catch this year and have been up with Millwood assigned to one of the class’s Coach Jonathan Keathly and Jones.” tougher districts. The move up a “We feel very good with where class, however, hasn’t dampened our program is and confident that the Knights’ expectations for a good we can compete (in 2A),” coach season. Jonathan Keathly said. “Our program has gotten to the Last season, Crossings Christian point that we expect to make the played in District 3 of Class A playoffs every year,” the coach said. which featured powerhouses “We’ve had the biggest number of Cashion and Minco. kids come out than ever and we
have a good ly to be junior Mason Snyder District 2A-2 team nuclues.” who caught 36 passes for 401 A record 41 yards and 6 touchdowns last Pre-Season Rankings student-athseason. 1. Jones letes are on the Senior Will McMurphy 2. Millwood 2020 squad. expects to be the starting run3. Meeker Quarterback ning back after rushing for 4. Crossings Chr. Owen Crotts nearly 120 yards and a touch5. Prague returns for his down in a reserve role in 2019. 6. Chandler third year Senior Trevor Loomis 7. Kellyville starting at anchors the offensive line 8. Star Spencer quarterback to from his right guard position Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview lead the and has recorded 24 straight offense. starts over the last 2 seasons. The senior Senior Blake Meek seems threw for 1,503 yards and 25 touch- poised to lead the Knights defense downs to 10 interceptions in 2019. this season, following a stellar 2019 “Owen has gotten more and more with 83 tackles, 2 interceptions and comfortable each year,” Keathly a sack. McMurphy also had 82 said. “He really turned a corner last tackles from his linebacker spot, year and I’m expecting him to have while Snyder made 57 stops. a good year.” Following a bye week, Crossings His main receiving target is like- Christian visits OCS on Sept. 11.
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McGuinness remains committed to winning a state title offense into player,” District 5A-2 Pierce said. 2020 to start “He is one of at quarterPre-Season Rankings the top athRegarded as one of the back. 1. Carl Albert “We will letes in 5A.” most successful Class 5A 2. Piedmont put the Tarman’s programs over the last 3. McGuinness offense into primary decade, the McGuinness still 4. Guthrie receiver tarthe hands of chases an elusive state foot5. Woodward get is shapball championship and is Luke 6. Lawton-Eis. Tarman,” ing up to be among the favorites to make 7. Guymon senior receivcoach Bryan another deep playoff run. 8. Western Heights er Cole Pierce said. The Irish, which finished Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview Limber who 8-3 in 2019, worked their “He is a is a talented third-year way through the postseason Coach Bryan Pierce downfield starter and to another matchup against blocker and a crisp route runner. is a big playmaker on the field.” powerhouse Carl Albert in the As in previous seasons, the Irish The senior rushed for 1,228 state final at UCO, but fell 30-15 boast an experienced group on the yards last year and accounted for for another runner-up trophy. offensive line. 12 touchdowns, as he also shared This season, McGuinness opens Senior John Lopez anchors the at No. 7 in the VYPE magazine top much of the offensive load with 10 in 5A and is picked to finish Dominic Richardson who is playing O-line along with returning starter junior Key’Aras Randle and newat OSU this fall. third in District 5A-2. comer Brandt Haag, a 6-foot-3, “Luke is an extremely versatile Luke Tarman will lead the Irish By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
320-pound sophomore. On defense, McGuinness has implemented a 3-4 defensive scheme to highlight its stout linebacking corps and secondary. Senior Adam Wheeler collected 53 tackles last year from his safety spot. Senior Will Watts is slated to start at linebacker, while fellow senior Andrew Chambers anchors the defensive line for the Irish. With a bye week, McGuinness next plays Sept. 11 at Tulsa Kelley.
Class 5A Top 10 1. Carl Albert 2. Collinsville 3. Tulsa Kelley 4. El Reno 5. Piedmont
6. Noble 7. McGuinness 8. Tulsa Edison 9. Tahlequah 10. L. MacArthur
Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview
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PC North drops down to Class 6A, Division II for 2020 By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
Panthers over and has District 6AII-1 only won at already posileast four tioned himPre-Season Rankings Since the inception of two games twice self among 1. Stillwater divisions in Class 6A, the PC in the 2013 the better 2. Del City North football team has and 14 seaprospects in 3. Midwest City competed in Division I. sons. 6A-II. 4. PC North For the 2020 season, howPC North Key 5. Lawton ever, the Panthers have has been receiving tar6. Deer Creek dropped down to the smaller assigned to gets include 7. U.S. Grant Division II. They have immeDistrict 1 senior tight 8. NW Classen diately jumped into a large with Fridayend Keyhon Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview group of possible contenders land rival Russell, a big for a state championship. Deer Creek. athletic playCoach Ryan Laverty “With the drop to 6A-II, The Panthers er in just his I’m excited to see how our team are also picked to finish fourth in second year of football, and junior will compete against our new comthe district and are ranked No. 8 in slot receiver L.B. Reeves. petition,” coach Ryan Laverty said. the early presason top 10 poll. All five offensive linemen have PC North finished 6-4 in 2019 For the first time in four years, started at least one season, includand missed the playoffs, after an PC North has a new starting quar- ing seniors Grady Keefer and improbable postseason berth and terback to run the offense, which Austin Emmert, along with juniors an 8-3 record two years ago. returns 7 starters. Jalen Allen, Tre Rusher and In the previous five seasons, the Sophomore Carson Laverty takes Teshane Edwards.
Eight starters also return on defense with valuable experience at linebacker. Senior Hunter Birmingham, who coach Laverty describes as “a throwback linebacker to the good old days,” leads the group. Key contributors include senior Riley Powell, junior Amaurion Norment and junior Haydn Thornton. PC North visits district-rival Putnam City on Sept. 4 to open the 2020 season.
Class 6A-II Top 10 1. Bixby 2. Stillwater 3. Del City 4. Muskogee 5. T. Washington
6. Choctaw 7. Midwest City 8. PC North 9. Lawton 10. Deer Creek
Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview
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Casady stays optimistic for a rebound year in 2020 By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
The senior played sparingly as a Coming off a difficult year sophomore in 2019, the Casady football but made team hopes to rebound this marked season with a chance to comimprovepete for the top spot in the ments durSouthwest Preparatory ing his junConference. ior season. “We felt like a matter of 3 Wilson of 4 plays last season kept eliminated our record from being many of his Coach Koby Scoville reversed of what it could bigger mishave been,” coach Koby takes in the Scoville said. passing game and seems poised to The Cyclones finished 3-6 last have a solid senior season. year but return the foundation of He’ll have two of his favorite tarseveral experienced players in the gets from last season, as receivers 2020 season. Cale Campbell and Lenny Kuehl Quarterback Denver Wilson return for their senior years. enters his third season at the helm Both players caught seven of the Casady offense. touchdowns each from Wilson in
2019. Kuehl’s bigger frame at Class 3A 6-foot-4 Casady and 230 Cistercian pounds Country Day gives him John Cooper the versaOakridge tility to St. Andrew’s line up St. Stephen’s outside or Trinity Valley as a tight Source: www.spcsports.org end in the Cyclones’ offense. The offensive line also boasts five returning starters, with senior Cruz Uhland leading the way at center. Also starting up front are senior Nihal Paddy, along with juniors D.J. Little, Tucker Jacobsen and Bo Naifeh. SW Preparatory Conference
Like players in many smaller schools, Uhland lines up on defense where he made nearly 100 tackles from his linebacking spot in 2019. Senior Brennan Wade, who played only defense last season, fills a big whole at linebacker, while Jacobsen and Naifeh are on the defensive line. Campbell also plays in the secondary where picked off four passes last year. Late last month the SPC announced that it had canceled the 2020 fall season, which includes all conference football games. Casady was able to salvage a season with six games against primarily teams in Oklahoma. The Cyclones open Sept. 4 at Oklahoma Bible in Enid, followed by a home game Sept. 11 against Holland Hall and a trip Sept. 18 to Crossings Chrisian.
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Mount St. Mary making progress in rebuilding program By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
along with perennial playoff contenders in Despite enduring two Perkins-Tryon tough seasons in 2018 and and Anadarko. 2019, the Mount St. Mary “Our players football team feels it’s have gotten a litmaking progress in tle older and rebuilding the program. tougher over the “We’re still rebuilding last two years,” but I feel like we’re moving Alexander said. “I forward,” coach Willis feel we’ve been Coach Willis Alexander Alexander said. “We will realistic with setput our heads down and go ting goals that to work.” are attainable. But we’re not judgThe Rockets finished 1-9 last ing our progess by just purely wins season with its lone win against and losses.” Crooked Oak. Offensively, Mount St. Mary They also compete in arguably returns nine starters from last the most difficult district in Class year’s squad. 3A, featuring powerhouses like Senior Luke Wagner returns for Heritage Hall and Kingfisher, his seoncd season as the starting
quarterback. sive line. District 3A-1 Wagner The Rockets also boast accounted for some young talent on Pre-Season Rankings 1,300 yards of defense. 1. Heritage Hall offense and 10 Junior linebacker 2. Perkins-Tryon total touchJackson Conroe is among 3. Kingfisher downs as a the defensive leaders after 4. Anadarko junior. making 47 tackles and one 5. Bridge Creek Joining him defensive touchdown last 6. McLoud 7. Douglass in the backseason. 8. Mount St. Mary field is senior Sophomore linebacker Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview running back Jesse Hamilton is expected Garrett Hanke, to be a key contributor, who ran for 4.2 while junior Jaxyn Ward yards per carry last season. and sophomore Diante Palmer lead Junior wide receiver Salvador the defensive secondary. Jackson could become Wagner’s Ward had 24 tackles and broke primary target after scoring three up seven passes last year. touchdowns and averaging 14 Mount St. Mary hosts Capitol yards per reception. Hill on Sept. 4 in the first-ever Three-year starter James “Shartel Showdown” at Father Wildes, a senior, anchors the offenFulton Field.
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Deer Creek after elusive playoff berth since joining 6A By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
No. 10 in the 6A-II presason top Thanks to some key 10 poll. wins down the stretch, the Two-time Deer Creek football team defending found itself on the verge of state chama first-ever playoff berth pion Bixby since joining Class 6A, sits atop the Division II. poll, folUltimately, the Antlers lowed by came up one spot short of Stillwater Coach Wade Standley the postseason with a fifthand Del place finish in district play. City. Deer Creek once again will be Six starters return on offense for chasing a spot in the playoffs durthe Antlers, which finished 5-5 last ing the 2020 season. season. The Antlers retained their spot Senior Gavin Houska embarks in District 1, joined by Fridayland on his third season as the starting rival PC North. quarterback. He has garnered They are also picked to finish praise as an experienced player sixth in the district and are ranked and solid leader in the backfield.
Senior Logan Ward is Pre-Season Rankings also poised 1. Stillwater to have a 2. Del City good sea3. Midwest City son at tight 4. PC North end, while 5. Lawton also han6. Deer Creek 7. U.S. Grant dling the 8. NW Classen punting Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview and placekicking duties. Ward nailed a 55-yard field goal against Lawton to force overtime and won the game with another 25-yard field goal. Senior Jake Sexton anchors the offensive line. On defense, senior Reed Eden set the pace with a quick rush from
District 6AII-1
his defensive end spot, along with fellow lineman senior Minke Compton, and can cause problems for the opposing offense. Also key in the Antlers’ 3-4 defensive scheme are linebackers Asher Blue, a senior, and junior Eli Dunn. Junior Jevion Jones provides leadership in the secondary. Deer Creek visited Southmoore on Thursday.
Class 6A-II Top 10 1. Bixby 2. Stillwater 3. Del City 4. Muskogee 5. T. Washington
6. Choctaw 7. Midwest City 8. PC North 9. Lawton 10. Deer Creek
Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview
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Heritage Hall anxious for return to top of Class 3A touchdowns in 2019. Receiver Joe Pre-Season Rankings Washington is With a somewhat 1. Heritage Hall shaping up to be uncharacteristic lopsided 2. Perkins-Tryon Jobe’s primary loss in the Class 3A play3. Kingfisher target after offs last season, the 4. Anadarko catching 12 Heritage Hall football 5. Bridge Creek passes for 194 looks for another deep run 6. McLoud yards and five in the 2020 playoffs and a 7. Douglass touchdowns last possible sixth state cham8. Mount St. Mary year. pionship since 2010. Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview Senior Peyton “We have a tough Coach Brett Bogert Earnest and schedule early so it will be junior Gavin Freeman should proBogert said. good to see how we match up this The Chargers return six starters vide valuable contributions for the year,” coach Brett Bogert said. “Our on the offensive side of the ball, led Chargers. Freeman accounted for goal is another gold ball.” 179 yards and four scores as a by quarerback Jackson Jobe. The The Chargers finished 11-1 in sophomore. senior threw for 2,096 yards and 2019 and were eliminated in the Senior Melvin Swindle, who has semifinals with a 33-6 loss to even- 25 touchdowns last season. Jobe is joined in the backfield by started every game of his career, tual state champion Lincoln leads a talented and experienced senior tailback Jayden Williams, Christian. offensive line. who rushed for 620 yards and 11 Heritage Hall retains its usual By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
spot in District 1 against powerhouse Kingfisher and perennial playoff contenders in Kingfisher and new addition Anadarko. “It should be a competitive district with the addition of Anadarko,”
District 3A-1
On defense, seven starters return from last season’s squad. Senior linebackers Robert Mbroh and A.J. Sirls, Jr., anchor the middle of the defense. Sirls collected 77 tackles and four sacks, while Mbroh had 54 tackles and scored 5 touchdowns on offense. Other key defensive contributors include senior linebacker Landon Lahodny and senior lineman Omari Smith, who finished with 32 tackles and two sacks. Senior Davis Duncan helps lead the defensive secondary, and sophomore linebacker River Faulkner hopes to improve on an impressive freshman season where he made 28 tackles and a sack. Heritage Hall opens its 2020 season on the road Sept.4 at Class 2A power Millwood.
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Fridaylanders dot state college rosters A former standout at John Marshall and three others from McGuinness highlight a list of more than two dozen Fridayland athletes listed on state college football rosters for the 2020 season. Justin Broiles, who played for the Bears, is an up and coming defensive star at the University of Oklahoma. Zach Schmit, a former punter and placekicker for McGuinness, made the OU roster along with offensive lineman Ben Tawwater and linebacker Brynden Walker as incoming freshman. OU is scheduled to open its season Sept. 12 against Missouri State at Owen Field. Another former McGuinness star, Dominic Richardson, heads a pair of Fridaylanders listed on the roster at Oklahoma State University. Richardson ran for 1,719 yards and 17 touchdowns in helping lead the Irish to the state championship game last season. C.J. Tate, a PC North graduate, joins OSU after transferring from Tabor College. To open their 2020 season, the Cowboys host in-state rival Tulsa on Sept. 12 at Boone Pickens Stadium. A record number of nine local athletes are listed on the roster at Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford. Three former John
Fridaylanders on Campus Oklahoma Justin Broiles, John Marshall Zach Schmit, McGuinness Oklahoma State Dominic Richardson, McGuinness C.J. Tate, PC North Central Oklahoma D.J. Flowers, PC North Mekail Hall, John Marshall Will Taylor, PC North Southwestern Oklahoma State Trip Dlugonski, Crossings Christian Tucker Dlugonski, Crossings Christian Aaron Jeffreys, Mount St. Mary Lorenzo Jones, Mount St. Mary Jared Leviston, John Marshall Jarod Leviston, John Marshall Elian Morales, John Marshall Juan Macedo, PC North Kaden Romero, PC North Southern Nazarene Sam Bass, McGuinness Northwestern Oklahoma State Angelo Bell, PC North
Marshall players highlight the group, including redshirt junior wide receivers Jared Leviston and Jarod Leviston, along with freshman running back Elian Morales. Others on the SWOSU roster include: sophomore receiver Jamal Jeffers, sophomore defensive line-
man Juan Macedo and freshman linebacker Kaden Romero of PC North; redshirt sophomore lineman Tripp Dlugonski and freshman offensive lineman Tucker Dlugonski, of Crossings Christian; and redshirt sophomore tight end Aaron Jeffreys of Mount St. Mary. Like all the other programs in NCAA Division II, Southwestern’s college football season has officially been postponed due to continued COVID-19 concerns. Other state schools affected by the postponement are Central Oklahoma, Southern Nazarene, Oklahoma Baptist and Northwestern OSU. A pair of PC North alums in defensive lineman Will Taylor, a redshirt freshman, and freshman defensive lineman D.J. Flowers join John Marshall’s Mekail Hall, a junior wide receiver, on the UCO roster in 2020. McGuinness’ Sam Bass, a freshman linebacker, made the roster at SNU, while PC North’s Angelo Bell is a freshman wide receiver on NWOSU’s Signing Day roster. As of press time, Northwestern and Oklahoma Baptist had not posted full 2020 football rosters on their websites.
2020 OU Schedule Sept. 12 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 21 Nov. 28 Dec. 5
vs Missouri State vs Kansas State @ Iowa State vs Texas (at Dallas) @ TCU @ Texas Tech vs Kansas vs OSU @ West Virginia vs Baylor
2020 OSU Schedule Sept. 12 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 @ Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 21 Nov. 28 Dec. 5
vs Tulsa vs West Virginia Kansas @ Baylor vs Iowa State vs Texas @ Kansas State @ OU vs Texas Tech @ TCU
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Horrocks leads John Marshall into Class 4A for 2020 know them and their backgrounds.” Horrocks served as offensive coordinator Turning around many for two years under foryears of futility, the John mer coach Rashaun Marshall football team has Woods and followed worked its way into the Woods to Enid before upper echelons of Class 3A deciding to look for a and culminated in a state job a little closer to championship in 2018. home. This season, however, the He takes over a proBears find themselves with gram that finished 7-4 a new challenge of competCoach Jeff Horrocks in 2019 and lost to ing in Class 4A and welcomPlainview in the first ing a new head coach for the round of the 3A playoffs. second time in as many seasons. Jumping into 4A this season, John Former JM offensive coordinator Marshall has been assigned to Jeff Horrocks takes over as coach for District 2 with powerhouse Tuttle the 2020 campaign after the sudden and perennial playoff contenders resignation of former OSU quarterBlanchard and Ada. back Aso Pogi. “I feel like I’ve got a pretty good “It’s been a good transition so far,” idea of what to expect in 4A,” the coach said. “I’ve coached most of Horrocks said. “We don’t have a lot of the players in our senior class so I By Jason Jewell Sports Editor
Scurra, Blake Millspaugh, depth this year but I District 4A-2 Blaine Patton and Johnny don’t feel like there Smith opening holes for are many teams that Pre-Season Rankings Johnson and protecting new have as many ath1. Tuttle starting quarterback Kane letes as we do.” 2. Blanchard Donovan. One of those ath3. Ada Like other smaller letes is senior Bryce 4. John Marshall schools in 4A, several John Stephens who has 5. Tecumseh Marshall players flip over to garnered accolades 6. Cushing compete on defense. as one of the best 7. Harrah Stephens is one such player, receivers in the 8. Classen SAS collecting 35 tackles and state. Stephens Source: VYPE Pigskin Preview five interceptions of which caught 25 passes for he returned four for touch570 yards and seven downs from his cornerback touchdowns last seaposition. son, while also gaining nearly 400 Junior linebacker Charles Carter yards as a punt and kick returner. and senior Aedren King-Clayton Senior Devon Johnson earned a should clog up the middle of the spot as the featured running back Bears defense. Carter had 32 tackles this season, after rushing for 331 yards and scoring four touchdowns as and King-Clayton added 30 tackles and two sacks. a sophomore. The Bears host Bethany Sept. 4 in The Bears boast a senior-laden their season opener at Taft Stadium. offensive line with seniors Malachi
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