By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
How good has Bishop McGuinness been over the past two seasons?
28 games, 28 victories, 16 shutouts.
Entering 2007, it appeared the Fighting Irish had more questions than answers on paper. Wrong. Nine shutouts last season, including six straight, an average of 4.4 points per game allowed.
Over the past two seasons, McGuinness has averaged 276 yards per game on the ground. The Irish would stuff it down the throat of the opposing team using a stable full of running backs.
McGuinness lost two running backs to graduation from last year, but Alex Valle is an outstanding athlete and is ready to inherit the bulk of the load. Valle averaged 10.3 yards per carry and rushed for 497 yards and three touchdowns in 2007.
McGuinness’ passing game has been methodical in nature over the past two campaigns. In 2006, Joseph Krenger threw for 17 touchdowns and one interception, willing his team through every roadblock it faced.
Then last season, head coach Kenny Young installed arguably McGuinness’ best athlete in Ryan Randolph. The result? Randolph threw for 12 touchdowns and no interceptions as a junior. Randolph is back this season and may throw even more.
And arguably the most highly-praised player in the world of recruiting is a senior this season. Tight end/ defensive end Gabe Ikard is a monster on both sides of the football and has offers from major colleges, including Notre Dame and UCLA.
The gap between McGuinness and the rest of 4A may have closed over the summer. Glenpool lost its two games by a combined eight points last season to McGuinness in the 4A state final and Bixby in week two, the 5A runner-up. Junior Marco Nelson is the horse for the Warriors, coming off a season where he had 27 rushing touchdowns.
Star Spencer is loaded with athletes and Douglass joins the Bobcats to make it two Oklahoma City Public Schools with a serious shot in 4A. Oklahoma City Public Schools have not won a state title in football since 1995 when John Marshall won 5A.
Shawn Jackson and Tulsa McLain were relieved to get out of the toughest district in the state last season in 5A. Their reward? A district in 4A that includes Grove, Vinita, Oologah, and Catoosa. Catoosa is another school down from 5A that is anxious to make noise.
McLoud running back Cody Phipps returns from injury and immediately becomes one of the top backs in 4A. Quarterback Wayland Moore is prospect creating a lot of buzz for the Redskins.
Will it be all McGuinness once again? Or, can somebody step up and knock the Fighting Irish off its perch?
Either way, parity will be the order of the day in 4A.
Scott Hansen’s 2008 Class 4A Ratings
1.) Bishop McGuinness Fighting Irish
Head Coach: Kenny Young
2007 Record: 14-0 (7-0)
2007 Off. Average: 40.1
2007 Def. Average: 4.4
2007 Playoff Result: Defeated Glenpool to win the Class 4A state championship, 14-9.
2008 Make or Break Game: Oct. 17 at Douglass
Douglass has athletes spread all over the field, enough to give McGuinness problems. Douglass would love nothing more than to get a signature win on its recently opened home turf.
Overview
November 11, 2005. That is how far you have to go back to find McGuinness’ last loss in football. The Fighting Irish are 28-0 since losing to Lawton MacArthur in the 5A playoffs, 13-6.
Offense
Over the past two dominant years, McGuinness has been known to ram the ball down the heart of a defense with an array of different running backs. The depth chart may be thinner, but Alex Valle was one of those weapons in 2006 and 2007. Valle will get the bulk of the carries this year. Last season, Valle averaged over 10 per carry and rushed for three touchdowns.
Quarterback Ryan Randolph (879 passing yards 12 TDs, 0 INTs) might be the best athlete on this team. Last season, Randolph was steady and reliable. Tight end Gabe Ikard (5 TD receptions) is the most highly-touted player during the title years. Ikard has been offered by Notre Dame and UCLA to name a few.
Defense
McGuinness has had a championship-winning defense each of the past two years. The Irish have shutout 16 of its past 28 opponents. Ikard (69 tackles) leads the defense. Junior Sam Crabtree (3 INTs) bolsters the secondary while fellow junior Jay Lester (65 tackles) is back. Travis Cunningham (92 tackles, 2 INTs), sophomore Dakota Leftwich, junior Kyle Ahmad are players to watch on this unit.
The Skinny
Just when the experts thought McGuinness’ defense couldn’t get any better from allowing just 79 total points in 2006, it did. McGuinness allowed just 62 last season. That is an average of five points per game over the winning-streak.
2.) Glenpool Warriors
2007 Record: 12-2 (7-0)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 30.4
2007 Defensive Ave.: 6.8
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Bishop McGuinness in 4A state championship, 14-9.
2008 Make or Break Game: Nov. 7 at Star Spencer.
This is a game that could very easily decide who wins the 4A-2 district title.
Overview
Glenpool came out of nowhere to make a run to the 4A title game in 2007. They played 5A runner-up Bixby tight and fell 3-0, it’s only other loss of the season.
Offense
Junior RB Marco Nelson (1,973 yards, 27 TDs) is the catalyst behind the Glenpool attack. QB Israel Maselara (641 passing yards, 8 TDs; 4 rushing TDs) is the returning starter and the trigger man for the Warriors. OL’s Dalton Howeth (6-3, 280) and Clint Morgan (6-3, 270) are in charge of paving the way for Nelson.
Defense
Bishop McGuinness gets some well-deserved headlines for its dominant defense, but Glenpool's performance on defense in 2007 deserves mention. The Warriors allowed just 6.8 points per game and gave up 86 yards a game against the run, posting five shutouts at the same time. DE B.J. Herring (93 tackles, 8 sacks) moves outside from his DT spot a year ago. 20 sacks this season is not out of the equation for Herring. LB’s Cody Zickefoose (72 tackles, 2 sacks) and Derek Pressler (55 tackles, 1 sack) lead the linebacking corps. DB Adrian Hawkins (55 tackles, 4 INTs) leads the secondary.
The Skinny
The gap created over the past two years for McGuinness has closed significantly. Glenpool makes it a two-horse race in Class 4A.
3.) Star Spencer Bobcats
2007 Record: 8-4 (5-2)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 33.1
2007 Defensive Ave.: 16.3
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Wagoner in Class 4A quarterfinals, 46-12.
2008 Make or Break Game: Oct. 31 at Mannford
The Bobcats lost to Mannford 14-8 last season. This starts a two-game road swing that includes Glenpool to finish the regular season.
Overview
Star Spencer started 2-0 in 2007 and then lost three straight by a combined 13 points. The Bobcats are loaded with speed and quickness on both sides of the ball and are a very dangerous team.
Offense
Junior RB Darwin Rideau (987 yards rushing, 20 TDs) is the best player in Oklahoma nobody has heard of. QB Josh Childers (762 yards rushing, 10 TDs) is another lightning fast player for the Bobcats. Junior RB Terrance Olds (665 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 9.8 yards per carry) compliments Rideau in good fashion.
Defense
Rideau (56 tackles, 6 INTs) continued to show his beastlike qualities on defense as a sophomore. Olds (35 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 INTs) and LB Jeremy Harris (74 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 sack) can find the football. The leader on the entire unit, however, might be DE Money Davis (64 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 INT). Davis strikes immediate fear into the opposing quarterback with relentless pressure.
The Skinny
No team in 4A can match Star Spencer’s production at the skilled positions. An inexperienced Bobcats team took 4A by storm last season. Bigger things are in store in 2008 for Star Spencer.
4.) Tulsa McLain Titans
2007 Record: 3-6 (2-5)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 26.0
2007 Defensive Ave.: 23.7
2007 Playoff Result: Missed Class 5A playoffs.
2008 Make or Break Game: Sept. 26 at Grove.
Tulsa McLain gets a rude welcome to Class 4A with a road trip to highly-touted Grove. What a test.
Overview
McLain was in the ‘District of Death’ in 2007, which included Ada, McAlester, Durant, Shawnee, and Bixby. The Titans got out of the toughest district ever assembled and dropped to 4A this season. Unfortunately for the Titans, they were handed a district similar in toughness with Grove, Vinita, Oologah, and Catoosa in 4A-3.
Offense
QB Shawn Jackson (1,164 passing yards, 9 TDs; 1,269 rushing yards, 16 TDs, 5-foot-10, 240 pounds) runs like a fullback with rockets attached to his cleats. He might be the best all-around player in the state regardless of classification. WR Jerrick Ruble (538 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 20.7 yards per reception) is a vertical threat in the passing game. Five offensive linemen are back with experience and average about 257 pounds per man.
Defense
LB Jackson (78 tackles) knows how to find opposing running backs, too. DL Lamar Jones (48 tackles, 2 sacks) and junior DB Tony Hooks (46 tackles) must step up to replace a grocery list of players that graduated from last season’s unit.
The Skinny
The drop to 4A should do the Titans a world of good. McLain would have been a playoff team in any other district in 5A last season- period. Jackson is a threat to go for 2,000 yards in passing and rushing with the extra playoffs games this season. He is that good.
5.) Wagoner Bulldogs
2007 Record: 11-2 (7-0)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 34.0
2007 Defensive Ave.: 11.9
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Bishop McGuinness in 4A semifinals, 35-13.
2008 Make or Break Game: Oct. 16 at Broken Bow
A brutal road trip for the Bulldogs against a team with a lot of questions heading into 2008. Broken Bow has a lot of pride and they will not let Wagoner come into its house for a victory without a dog fight.
Overview
Wagoner lost a huge amount of firepower from 2007. Wagoner has lost three games over the past three seasons, two of them to Bishop McGuinness in the state semifinals, and has a ton of confidence thanks to its recent success.
Offense
RB Gus Jones (975 yards, 15 TDs) was the thunder to Everett Shaver’s lightning over the past two seasons. Jones will get a huge amount of carries in 2008 with Shaver graduating. RB Aubrey Richardson (171 yards, 1 TD) showed flashes of excellence last season. Watch out for sophomore QB Prince McJunkins to make a huge splash this season running the Bulldogs offense.
Defense
LB Jones (170 tackles, 5 sacks) has committed to the University of Oklahoma for his play on defense. Junior LB Chris Ramey (153 tackles, 2 sacks) has a chance to follow in Jones’ footsteps into a Division I prospect. Bobby Reynolds (72 tackles, 4 sacks) and Curtis Travis (53 tackles, 4 INTs) bolster the defense even more. Jason Emmons (3 INTs) leads the returnees in the secondary.
The Skinny
Wagoner will have an outstanding defense in 2008. If the Bulldogs can find a quarterback and some speed, they will be in excellent shape.
6.) Douglass Trojans
2007 Record: 6-4 (3-4)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 21.5
2007 Defensive Ave.: 21.4
2007 Playoff Result: Missed Playoffs.
2008 Make or Break Game: Sept. 13 vs. Millwood.
Okay, so it’s not a make or break game necessarily. But the ‘Soul Bowl’ is one of the top high school rivalries in the state. It is played on a Saturday afternoon at a neutral field and features some of the top athletes anywhere in Oklahoma.
Overview
Douglass made a huge turnaround last season with its 6-4 record, a year after finishing 1-9. Expect the upward trend to continue in 2008.
Offense
One thing is for certain, the Trojans need to figure out how many different ways to get Destin Stewart (467 receiving yards, 6 TDs) the football. Expect him to be used all over the field in 2008. All five offensive lineman, led by Ricky Snead (6-1, 270), played significant roles in 2007.
Defense
DL Rayvon Johnson (111 tackles, 3 sacks) was all over the place last season. LB Stewart (62 tackles, 4 sacks), junior LB Corey Stewart (83 tackles, 2 sacks), Stanley Johnson (59 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT), DB Kevin Coulter (38 tackles, 3 INTs), and junior DB Quinton Neil (64 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 defensive TDs) all make this a very promising unit on paper.
The Skinny
Douglass will have athletes all over the field and is expected to make a deep run in 2008. Especially keep an eye on its defense, which could be one of the top units in 4A this season.
7.) Grove Ridgerunners
2007 Record: 10-2 (6-1)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 32.2
2007 Defensive Ave.: 14.9
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Glenpool in Class 4A quarterfinals, 38-24.
2008 Make or Break Game: Oct. 16 at Oologah.
Oologah seems to be the biggest roadblock in the way of Grove in district play.
Overview
Grove went to the Class 4A state title game in 2006 and was expected to be in the title discussion last season. The 10-2 record was a disappointment for Grove. They will be ready to make amends in 2008.
Offense
RB Corey Davenport (1,139 total yards, 13 TDs) often got lost in the shuffle with other offensive stars, but Davenport will have a breakout season in 2008. Davenport could be the QB for Grove this season. WR Dusty Gehrke (592 receiving yards, 11 total TDs) was one of the top players over the past two years for the Ridgerunners.
Defense
DB Gehrke (110 tackles, 6 INTs, 1 sack) was everywhere as a junior on defense. One name to remember for the future is sophomore LB Bobby Harris (68 tackles, 5 sacks). Laramie Raymond (67 tackles, 2 sacks), Randon Ritchie (65 tackles), and Davenport (57 tackles, 4 INTs) form a dangerous unit for this season.
The Skinny
If Davenport works out at QB, Grove’s standing could move way up as the season goes on. Everything Davenport has touched has turned to gold thus far, so this is a team to keep a serious eye on this season.
8.) Catoosa Indians
2007 Record: 5-6 (4-3)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 22.3
2007 Defensive Ave.: 28.5
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Bixby in Class 5A first round, 41-0.
2008 Make or Break Game: Sept. 26 vs. Collinsville.
Catoosa drops to 4A this season and hosts a solid Collinsville program. Last season the two locked heads in non-district action with Catoosa winning, 14-7.
Overview
Offense
QB Spencer Hobbs (1,962 yards passing, 19 TDs; 499 rushing yards, 6 TDs) is more than adequate to run the offense. RB Justin Duvall (4 TDs rushing) is a scat back for the Indians. WR Stormy Robertson (3 receiving TDs) gives Hobbs a deep threat in the passing game. OL Cody Goins is one of the top linemen in 4A-3.
Defense
LB Shawn Thomas (144 tackles, 3 sacks) leads a linebacking corps that returns three starters, including Mike Lunsford (124 tackles) and David Mosley (89 tackles). DL’s Chad Day (41 tackles, 3 sacks) and junior Brode Gray (82 tackles) are proven commodities up front for Catoosa.
The Skinny
The timing of Catoosa’s move down to 4A couldn’t have come at a better time. There are playmakers on offense and plenty of experience on defense for the Indians to make a run in 4A.
9.) McLoud Redskins
2007 Record: 6-5 (4-3)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 23.6
2007 Defensive Ave.: 25.8
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Bishop McGuinness in 4A first round, 32-0.
2008 Make or Break Game: Oct. 16 at Glenpool.
McLoud has enough weapons on defense to crack Glenpool’s stingy defense.
Overview
McLoud got off to an impressive 5-1 start last season, reaching No. 5 in Scott Hansen’s ratings. McLoud lost three straight games giving it a tough road game in the playoffs against McGuinness. The Redskins have to avoid a similar slide in 2008.
Offense
The gunslinger of the McLoud offense is QB Wayland Moore (1,375 passing yards, 18 TDs, 3 INTs). RB Cody Phipps (687 yards, 5 TDs in five games) gives Moore a nice option out of the backfield and immediately becomes one of the best backs in 4A. WR Miles Bacon will be counted upon to replace Billy Compau.
Defense
LB Eric Orr (103 tackles, 1 sack) is the heart and soul of the defense for the Redskins. Bobby Wiley (41 tackles) and Phipps (25 tackles) will attempt to provide a spark to the defense that lacks experience.
The Skinny
A healthy Phipps brings McLoud to instant respectability. When he was in uniform, the Redskins were 5-1 last season. Without him, 1-4. That is how important he is to McLoud.
10.) Oologah Mustangs
2007 Record: 6-6 (5-2)
2007 Offensive Ave.: 23.2
2007 Defensive Ave.: 22.3
2007 Playoff Result: Lost to Bishop McGuinness in 4A quarterfinals, 49-0.
2008 Make or Break Game: Oct. 16 vs. Grove.
Last season at Grove, the Mustangs lost 42-26. Time for a little payback.
Overview
Oologah lost its first four games against brutal competition that should be ruled illegal by the OSSAA. You can’t fault Oologah for ducking teams in its non-district slate with Claremore, Coweta, and Sequoyah-Claremore before the district opener at Wagoner. Yikes.
Offense
QB will not be a problem for the Mustangs, especially with Jordan Barrett (1,419 passing yards, 14 TDs; 536 rushing yards, 9 TDs) running the offense. RB John Jarred (863 rushing yards, 6 TDs; 2 TD receptions) is more than capable than carrying the load in the backfield. WR Colten Barnes (679 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 20.6 yards per reception) could be the top receiver in 4A when 2008 is all said and done.
Defense
Junior LB Caleb Dunn (106 tackles, 2 INTs) was a super-sophomore. LB Lane Chapman (81 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT), junior Taylor Scott (76 tackles), junior LB Jordan Talley (67 tackles, 7 sacks) lead a young but experienced group to pace Dunn. Junior DB Ryan Kirkendall (53 tackles, 1 INT) leads the returnees in the secondary.
The Skinny
Oologah's talent needs no introduction for others in District 4A-4. The future is bright for the Mustangs, and that future is now.
All-4A Team
Offense
QB- Shawn Jackson- Tulsa McLain
RB- Marco Nelson- Glenpool (Jr.)
RB- Cody Phipps- McLoud
WR- Colten Barnes- Oologah
WR- Destin Stewart- Douglass
TE- Gabe Ikard- Bishop McGuinness
OL- Chance Taylor- Jay
OL- Ricky Snead- Douglass
OL- Trey Rogers- Collinsville
OL- Colbey Barnes- Tulsa Webster (Jr.)
OL- Derek Brewer- Sallisaw
Defense
DL- Austin Thomas- Seminole
DL- Rayvon Johnson- Douglass
DL- Money Davis- Star Spencer
DL- B.J. Herring- Glenpool
LB- Chris Ramey- Wagoner (Jr.)
LB- Gus Jones- Wagoner
LB- Cale Sawatzky- Weatherford (Jr.)
DB- Dusty Gehrke- Grove
DB- Alex Iglesias- Tecumseh
DB- Travis Cunningham- Bishop McGuinness (Jr.)
DB- Darwin Rideau- Star Spencer
Debate Scott Hansen's picks; email Scott at maxprepsok@sbcglobal.net