McAlester QB Brady May has Buffaloes on a roll; Norman North, Lawton Mac respond after two straight losses
By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Week 7 Large-School Player of the Week
Brady May, McAlester – May has McAlester on a roll, winning four straight games after losing four to start the season. May rushed for 257 yards and four touchdowns and added 157 passing yards and another score in a 52-31 victory over Tahlequah.
The highlight of May’s night was a 79-yard touchdown scamper on a play fake to running back Caleb Carney to give the Buffaloes a 20-3 lead with 9:02 left in the second quarter. May opened the night with his only touchdown strike of the night and followed it up with a touchdown run to give the Buffaloes a 13-3 lead after the first quarter.
Past Honorees
Week 7 – Jerrod Green, Broken Arrow
Week 6 – Kyle Webster, Mustang
Week 5 – Shawn Jackson, Tulsa McLain
Week 4 – Soda Waltman, Owasso
Week 3 – Timothy Flanders, Midwest City
Week 2 – Javon Harris, Lawton MacArthur
Week 1 – Eric Bennett, Tulsa Washington
Honorable Mention
Cody Crabaugh/ Trent Braden, Edmond North – Crabaugh completed 17-of-19 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-17 victory over Putnam City West as the Huskies essentially clinched a playoff spot in Class 6A. Braden caught 11 passes for 145 yards to pace Edmond North (4-4, 4-1).
Cameron Craig, Tulsa Bishop Kelley – Craig, regarded as one of the top kickers in the state, caught six passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-7 win over Pryor. Craig tacked on a 36-yard field goal and hit all five of his extra-point attempts in the win.
Dax Dilbeck, Edmond Deer Creek – The Oregon State verbal totaled five touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Chickasha. Dilbeck rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns and added two touchdown passes in the win.
Brad Harmon, Lawton MacArthur – The Mac Attack obviously didn’t take kindly to dropping back-to-back games. The Highlanders were ranked as high as No. 3 in 5A this season until dropping losing to El Reno and Duncan. The response? A 49-7 romp over last week’s No. 10, Altus. Harmon caught six passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, both MacArthur school records. Harmon and quarterback Ryan John hooked up for scoring daggers of 58, 58, 66, and 27 yards in the victory.
Dalton Irvin, Bixby – Much to the dismay of the Class 5A field, Bixby’s offense is coming around. Irvin, a junior, rushed for three touchdowns in a 46-13 victory over Skiatook. Irvin’s touchdown runs all came in the first half as the Spartans took an 18-6 halftime lead.
Chris Perry, Stillwater – Perry continued to lead the resurgent Pioneers in a 43-12 thrashing of Yukon. Perry rushed for five touchdowns in the victory to bring his season total to 22.
J.T. Realmuto, Carl Albert – The junior quarterback completed 8-of-9 passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-7 triumph over Ardmore. Realmuto hit Dwight Dobbins on strikes of 26 and 76 yards, Trevante Porter on bullets of 63 and 80 yards, and hit Ozell Littleton on a 35-yard scoring pass. Realmuto also added a 23-yard touchdown run in the victory for the Titans.
Justin Skillens, Tulsa Washington – Skillens, a Tulsa verbal, caught two touchdown passes of 71 and 29 yards from quarterback Shamiel Gary in a 66-8 win over Tulsa Rogers. Skillens also had two punt returns for touchdowns of 54 and 44 yards.
Kyle Wormington, Norman North – Norman North got back on the winning track after two straight losses with a 52-21 victory over injury-depleted Southmoore. Wormington returned punts of 88 and 48 yards for touchdowns in a 42-point second quarter explosion for Norman North.
Chris Williams, Tulsa East Central – In a 37-28 victory over Ada, East Central went to the air often. Williams caught nine passes for 225 yards as quarterback Keith Ross threw for 253.
Week 7 Storylines
Playoff Race Offers Interesting Scenarios in 6A, 5A
In Oklahoma, there are still two games to go before the playoffs kick off. If the season were to end today, mouth-watering first round games would fill the two largest classes in the Sooner State.
Half of the 32 teams from Class 6A through 3A will qualify for the postseason. Teams are separated into four, eight-team districts. District 1 and 2, comprised of teams from western and central Oklahoma, will lock heads in round one. The same holds true for east side teams occupying Districts 3 and 4.
Using the figures as of Oct. 25, preseason No. 1 Norman North would be a No. 3 seed out of District 6A-2, which means the Timberwolves would travel to face 6-2 Edmond Memorial. Another battle that stands out in the west would be another ‘Edlam’ showdown between Edmond Santa Fe and Edmond North.
In the east, a rematch of the 2006 Class 6A state title game would loom. Jenks would host Enid, which would be a four-seed out of District 6A-4 despite its 6-2 overall record. Owasso, winners of four straight after losing four straight to open the season, would travel to the Indian Bowl to face 6-2 Muskogee. Top-ranked Tulsa Union (7-1) would face offensive juggernaut Sand Springs (5-3).
In Class 5A, it gets even better. In District 5A-1, Lawton MacArthur would get the playoff spot as the fourth seed over Duncan, which beat MacArthur in Week 7. MacArthur and Duncan both have 3-2 district records, but MacArthur would advance due to having more district points (acquired by margin of victory up to 15 points). MacArthur in the first round would face Carl Albert.
Edmond Deer Creek (6-2) would face Shawnee (6-2) at home while Durant (5-3) would get the fourth seed in 5A-2 to make for an interesting game with 5A-1 top-seed El Reno (6-2).
Maybe the best matchup on paper anywhere in the state takes place in the east side for 5A. District 5A-3 runner-up (by points as both teams are unbeaten in district play) Bixby would face Tulsa East Central.
Bixby was the Class 5A runner-up last season while Tulsa East Central has fallen in the state semifinals the last two seasons. The two met for the 2005 state championship, which East Central won 9-7.
No matter what you draw up on paper, everything will change after this weekend.
In 6A, Two Unbeatens Still Remain
Midwest City and Mustang have the inside track to host two playoff games as district champions from the west side of the state in Class 6A and look likely to enter the playoffs unbeaten.
Midwest City, ranked No. 3 this week, completed the regular season unbeaten last season before losing in the state semifinals to eventual champion Jenks. Mustang started last season 1-6 before winning its final three games to squeak into the playoffs. In the first round, the Broncos gave Midwest City all it wanted before falling 35-28.
Midwest City pounded Putnam City last week 49-7, handing the Pirates its worst loss in the series since falling 46-0 in 1958. Timothy Flanders rushed for three touchdowns and Jace Chilcoat threw for a pair of scores to lead the Bombers.
Mustang had its way with Putnam City North 38-14, knocking the Panthers out of the Class 6A Top Ten. Kyle Webster completed 19-of-29 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns while Hunter Smith rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns for the Broncos.
It’s Santa Fe, Norman North on Thursday
Norman North got back on the winning track with a 52-24 victory over Southmoore, snapping a two-game skid. The Timberwolves now must focus on Thursday’s battle against No. 5 Edmond Santa Fe in game that could decide who finishes second behind Mustang in District 6A-1.
Santa Fe has won four straight games following a 1-point overtime loss to Mustang to open the district campaign. Last season at Edmond’s Wantland Stadium, Norman North defeated Edmond Santa Fe by the final score of 30-14.
MaxPreps Oklahoma correspondent Scott Hansen will be at beautiful Wantland Stadium on the University of Central Oklahoma campus for the second straight season to take in the action.
Hansen’s Oklahoma 6A Ratings
Rank, Team, Season Record, District Record, Previous
1. Tulsa Union (7-1, 5-0, 1) – Defeated Ponca City, 61-0.
2. Jenks (7-1, 5-0, 2) – Defeated Bartlesville, 50-13.
3. Midwest City (8-0, 5-0, 3) – Defeated Putnam City, 49-7.
4. Mustang (8-0, 5-0, 4) – Defeated Putnam City North, 38-14.
5. Edmond Santa Fe (7-1, 4-1, 5) – Defeated Lawton, 24-0.
6. Muskogee (6-2, 5-0, 6) – Defeated Sapulpa, 35-0.
7. Broken Arrow (6-2, 4-2, 7) – Defeated Tulsa Memorial, 56-0.
8. Owasso (4-4, 4-1, 8) – Defeated Choctaw, 49-14.
9. Norman North (6-2, 3-2, 9) – Defeated Southmoore, 52-21.
10. Edmond Memorial (6-2, 4-1, NR) – Defeated Lawton Eisenhower, 32-3.
Dropped Out: Putnam City North (5-3, 2-3, 10) – Lost to Mustang, 38-14.
Top Contenders: Sand Springs (5-3, 3-2), Stillwater (5-3, 4-1), Enid (6-2, 3-2).
Top Week 9 Games
No. 9 Norman North (6-2) at No. 5 Edmond Santa Fe (7-1) – Thursday
No. 2 Jenks (7-1) at No. 6 Muskogee (6-2) – Friday
Hansen’s Oklahoma 5A Ratings
1. Tulsa Washington (7-1, 5-0, 1) – Defeated Tulsa Rogers, 66-8.
2. Carl Albert (7-1, 5-0, 2) – Defeated Ardmore, 49-7.
3. Guthrie (7-1, 4-1, 3) – Defeated Shawnee, 35-17.
4. Bixby (6-2, 4-0, 4) – Defeated Skiatook, 46-13.
5. Shawnee (6-2, 3-2, 5) – Lost to Guthrie, 35-17.
6. Coweta (6-2, 5-0, 6) – Defeated Stillwell, 55-12.
7. Tulsa East Central (6-2, 4-1, 7) – Defeated Ada, 37-28.
8. Tulsa Bishop Kelley (6-2, 3-2, 8) – Defeated Pryor, 38-7.
9. El Reno (6-2, 4-1, 10) – Defeated Western Heights, 42-0.
10. Lawton MacArthur (6-2, 3-2, NR) – Defeated Altus, 49-7.
Dropped Out: Altus (5-3, 3-1, 9) – Lost to Lawton MacArthur, 49-7.
Top Contender: Edmond Deer Creek (6-2, 4-1).
Top Week 9 Games
Edmond Deer Creek (6-2) at Altus (5-3) – Friday
Tulsa Central (5-3) at No. 6 Coweta (6-2) – Friday
No. 7 Tulsa East Central (6-2) at McAlester (4-4) - Friday
Contact Scott Hansen by email at maxprepsok@sbcglobal.net. Check out his new blog featuring his opinions about high school sports at http://maxprepsok.blogspot.com.
