By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Times are changing. The economy is not in good shape. Gas prices peaked out at nearly $4 per gallon before falling back to more normal levels. Technology allows you to hold 5,000 songs in the palm of your hand.
In Oklahoma high school football, the more things change the more they stay the same.
Shame on the pundits – including yours truly in some cases – for picking against the likes of Tulsa Union, Bishop McGuinness and Clinton in the second round of the Oklahoma state playoffs.
So maybe yours truly is the only one that picked against Tulsa Union. Union – ranked No. 1 at the end of the regular season in Class 6A – completed a show of force mission against preseason top-ranked Norman North. The Redskins pounded the upstart Timberwolves 49-14 to advance to the state semifinals.
Bishop McGuinness faced its toughest opponent since Week 2 of the regular season against upstart Sallisaw. McGuinness, the two-time defending champions in Class 4A, scored a late touchdown to turn back the Black Diamonds, 33-30. The Fighting Irish won their 10th straight game after dropping its first two of the season to Guthrie and Tulsa Bishop Kelley, and needed some luck of the Irish to advance.
With 30 seconds remaining, a pass attempt from McGuinness quarterback Ryan Randolph deflected off a Sallisaw defender and into the arms of Oklahoma verbal Gabe Ikard. The tight end muscled his way 75 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Ikard finished with three receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Ikard’s heroics erased a furious Sallisaw comeback. Trailing 26-10 entering the fourth quarter, the Black Diamonds scored 20 fourth quarter points and took the lead with 50 seconds left when Matt Oberste hit Phillip Lefler on a 32-yard touchdown pass.
Clinton had a rough task on paper heading into a battle against unbeaten Checotah. Checotah, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, entered the second round 47.8 averaging per game while posting five shutouts this season. Clinton took offense to being the underdog according to most, walloping Checotah 70-12 to move on to the Class 3A semifinals.
Guthrie made Tulsa Washington work three overtimes to pry the title of Class 5A state champions away from the Bluejays in a 34-27 second round thriller. Tulsa Washington, unbeaten against 5A competition this season and considered the favorites, halted Guthrie on the 1-yard line on fourth down in the third extra session to come away with the victory. Booker T. Washington is searching for its first title since 1984.
Midwest City entered the quarterfinals without having been tested in its 11-0 start. It appeared on paper that the Bombers would roll past Stillwater in the same fashion as the Pioneers entered the contest with a 7-4 mark. However, the Bombers needed a 39-yard touchdown pass from Jace Chilcoat to Kevin Gaddis with 28 ticks remaining on the clock to survive with a 35-28 win.
Stillwater’s Chris Perry rushed for four touchdowns and overshadowed Midwest City speedster Tim Flanders in a losing effort with 227 rushing yards, albeit on 47 carries.
West Side Big Boys Head East
If either of the unbeatens from the west side of Oklahoma are to bring the Class 6A state title back to the Oklahoma City area, they will have to go to the Tulsa metro area in the semifinals to do it.
Mustang will travel to Broken Arrow to face two-time defending champion Jenks on Friday night. Ironically, the Broncos defeated Broken Arrow 28-23 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinal round and a shot to dethrone the perennial Oklahoma powerhouse.
Midwest City survived a stiff test from Stillwater and is “rewarded” by facing Tulsa Union – winners of 11 straight games – in Sand Springs on Friday.
In Class 5A, top-ranked Tulsa Washington will take on El Reno in Sand Springs on Saturday afternoon to avoid the potential conflict with the highly-anticipated Oklahoma/Oklahoma State Bedlam showdown on Saturday night.
Carl Albert will attempt to make it 12 straight victories following a loss to Tulsa Washington to open the season by taking on Lawton MacArthur at Harve Collins Stadium in Norman on Saturday afternoon.
This and That…
Star Spencer nearly ended Grove’s dream unbeaten season had it not been for a failed field goal attempt with 30 seconds remaining in a 15-14 loss. The Bobcats suffered a penalty with 12 men on the field, making Star Spencer attempt a 34-yard kick… Kingfisher sophomore quarterback Nathan Patterson tallied 201 total yards and four touchdowns as the Yellowjackets turned away Washington and Josh Zimmer, 39-19. Nathan Grabow added 155 rushing yards for Kingfisher, which needed 26 fourth quarter points and help erase a 13-7 halftime deficit. Washington’s Zimmer rushed for 179 yards and a score and finished his senior campaign with 1,885 yards on the ground… El Reno continued its surprising campaign by recovering a fumble in the end zone with six seconds remaining to pull off a 14-7 win over upstart Miami. Miami was attempting to take a knee to send the game into overtime, but a botched snap into the end zone allowed Austin Feddersen to become the hero for the Indians. El Reno moved to 10-2 on the season after finishing 3-7 in 2007…
Playoff Week 2 Large-School Player of the Week
Jeremy Smith, Tulsa Union – After having a respectable regular season campaign, Smith made huge headlines as Tulsa Union moved one-step closer to the gold ball with a 49-14 thumping of Norman North. Smith, who rushed for 18 touchdowns in the regular season, visited the end zone three times in the first half en route to five touchdowns in the victory.
Smith – committed to Oklahoma State – rushed for 180 yards on 27 carries and opened the scoring with a 16-yard scamper in the first quarter to give the Redskins an early lead. Smith would add rushing scores of 18, 1, 5, and 2 yards in the victory for the top-ranked Redskins.
Past Honorees
Playoff Week 1 – Trent Turner, Miami
Week 10 – Eric Bennett, Tulsa Washington
Week 9 – Tramaine Thompson, Jenks
Week 8 – Brady May, McAlester
Week 7 – Jerrod Green, Broken Arrow
Week 6 – Kyle Webster, Mustang
Week 5 – Shawn Jackson, Tulsa McLain (for one week, 4A was lumped in with large schools)
Week 4 – Soda Waltman, Owasso
Week 3 – Timothy Flanders, Midwest City
Week 2 – Javon Harris, Lawton MacArthur
Week 1 – Eric Bennett, Tulsa Washington
Playoff Week 2 Small-School Player of the Week
Shawn Walls, Morrison – For years, Morrison was arguably the most dominant eight-man football program in the country. Led by Walls, the Wildcats have made a seamless transition to 11-man football. In the second round of the Class A playoffs, Walls was unstoppable while leading his team to a 41-7 triumph over Stroud.
Walls rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns in the rout. Walls added 111 passing yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats, including an 11-yard strike to Cale James to give Morrison a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. With Morrison ahead 7-0 after one period of play, Walls broke free on an 86-yard touchdown scamper to kick start a 21-point second quarter for Morrison. Walls’ other touchdown runs covered 2, 5, 3, and 2 yards.
Past Honorees
Playoff Week 1 – Ethan Biddy, Tuttle
Week 10 – L.T. Pfaff, Atoka
Week 9 – Matt Mitchell, Sallisaw
Week 8 – Cole Swayze, Purcell
Week 7 – Kyle Coleman, Checotah
Week 6 – Jake Love, Tonkawa
Week 5 – L.T. Pfaff, Atoka
Week 4 – Dylan Taylor, Vian
Week 3 – Jack Gray, Chandler
Week 2 – Bryce Moore, Tuttle
Week 1 – Delans Griffin, Clinton
Honorable Mention
Beau Blankenship, Norman North – 21 carries, 239 yards, 78-yard TD run in 49-14 loss to Tulsa Union.
Ethan Biddy, Tuttle – 6 carries, 157 yards, 2 TDs in 49-6 win over Metro Christian.
Jack Bowers, Timberlake – 380 passing yards, 7 total TDs in 62-22 win over Corn Bible.
Chas Clemens, Christian Heritage – 5 rushing TDs, 1 TD reception in 49-24 victory over Maysville.
John Conaway, Ringwood – 265 rushing yards, 5 TDs in 57-12 win over Copan.
Josh Daugherty, Lincoln Christian – 24 carries, 203 yards, 3 total TDs in 58-26 win over Eufaula.
Delans Griffin, Clinton – 149 rushing yards, 5 total TDs in 70-12 win over Checotah.
Gabe Ikard, Bishop McGuinness – 3 receptions, 135 yards, 2 TDs including 75-yard game-winner in 33-30 win over Sallisaw.
Ryan John, Lawton MacArthur – 30-of-41 passes, 429 yards, 5 TDs in 45-35 win over Coweta.
Augie McCulley, Hennessey – 329 rushing yards, 5 TDs in 35-6 win over Snyder.
Bryce Moore, Tuttle – 23 carries, 152 yards, 4 TDs in 49-6 win over Metro Christian.
Tracy Moore, Tulsa Union – 10 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD in 49-14 win over Norman North.
Marco Nelson, Glenpool – 28 carries, 239 yards, 4 TDs in 26-7 win over Wagoner.
David Oku, Carl Albert – 198 rushing yards, 3 TDs in 44-6 win over Bixby.
Chris Perry, Stillwater – 47 carries, 222 yards, 4 TDs in 35-28 loss to Midwest City.
Ryan Randolph, Bishop McGuinness – 190 passing yards, 109 rushing yards in 33-30 win over Sallisaw.
Cameron Sanders, Millwood – 3 TD receptions, 90-yard INT return for TD in 53-28 win over Lindsay.
Ethan Sharp, Eufaula – 22-of-40 passing, 339 yards, 2 TDs in 58-26 loss to Lincoln Christian.
Dylan Taylor, Vian – 32 carries, 378 yards, 3 TDs in 31-13 win over Beggs.
Jack Taylor, Laverne – 5 rushing TDs in 76-28 win over Davenport.
Kent Warren, Lincoln Christian – 3 TD passes, 2 TD runs in 58-26 win over Lincoln Christian.
Kyle Webster, Mustang – 310 total yards, 2 TDs in 28-23 win over Broken Arrow.
Cody Wilson, Lincoln Christian – 10 tackles, 41-yard interception return for TD, fumble recovery, TD reception in 58-26 win over Eufaula.
Class 6A Pairings/Results
Scott Hansen’s Selections in Bold
First Round
Mustang 42, Westmoore 0
Broken Arrow 32, Owasso 0
Jenks 45, Enid 28
Edmond Santa Fe 36, Putnam City 0
Midwest City 41, PC North 13
Stillwater 16, Muskogee 9 (OT)
Tulsa Union 70, Sand Springs 21
Norman North 31, Edmond Memorial 0
Quarterfinal Results
Mustang 28, Broken Arrow 23
Jenks 24, Edmond Santa Fe 3
Midwest City 35, Stillwater 28
Tulsa Union 49, Norman North 14
Semifinal Pairings
Midwest City (12-0) vs. Tulsa Union (11-1) at Sand Springs – Friday (7:30 p.m.)
Mustang (12-0) vs. Jenks (11-1) at Broken Arrow – Friday (7:30 p.m.)
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 7-1
Quarterfinals: 2-2
Total: 9-3
Class 5A Pairings/Results
Scott Hansen’s Selections in Bold
First Round
El Reno 27, Durant 18
Miami 35, Tulsa East Central 28 (OT)
Tulsa Washington 46, Ada 14
Guthrie 35, Deer Creek 0
Carl Albert 48, Altus 0
Bixby 25, McAlester 3
Coweta 44, Tulsa Bishop Kelley 14
Lawton MacArthur 34, Shawnee 0
Quarterfinal Pairings
El Reno 14, Miami 7
Tulsa Washington 34, Guthrie 27 (3 OT)
Carl Albert 44, Bixby 6
Lawton MacArthur 45, Coweta 35
Semifinal Pairings
El Reno (10-2) vs. Tulsa Washington (11-1) at Sand Springs – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Lawton MacArthur (10-2) vs. Carl Albert (11-1) at Norman – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 7-1
Quarterfinals: 3-1
Total: 10-2
Class 4A Pairings/Results
Scott Hansen’s Selections in Bold
First Round
Bishop McGuinness 42, McLoud 7
Sallisaw 40, Oologah 6
Grove 50, Muldrow 8
Star Spencer 35, Elk City 7
Glenpool 37, Woodward 6
Wagoner 49, Collinsville 28
Broken Bow 21, Tulsa McLain 6
Douglass 42, Seminole 6
Quarterfinal Pairings
Bishop McGuinness 33, Sallisaw 30
Grove 15, Star Spencer 14
Glenpool 26, Wagoner 7
Broken Bow 27, Douglass 18
Semifinal Pairings
Grove (12-0) vs. Bishop McGuinness (10-2) at Bixby – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Glenpool (12-0) vs. Broken Bow (12-0) at McAlester – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 8-0
Quarterfinals: 2-2
Total: 10-2
Class 3A Pairings/Results
Scott Hansen’s Selections in Bold
First Round
Tuttle 63, Pauls Valley 0
Metro Christian 35, Perkins-Tryon 19
Cascia Hall 41, Roland 7
Blanchard 43, Bethany 21
Purcell 21, Elgin 0
Sequoyah-Claremore 35, Hugo 0
Checotah 28, Dewey 0
Clinton 55, Madill 23
Quarterfinal Pairings
Tuttle 49, Metro Christian 7
Cascia Hall 34, Blanchard 14
Sequoyah-Claremore 34, Purcell 7
Clinton 70, Checotah 12
Semifinal Pairings
Cascia Hall (11-0) vs. Tuttle (12-0) at Yukon – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Sequoyah-Claremore (10-2) vs. Clinton (10-2) at Putnam City – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 7-1
Quarterfinals: 4-0
Total: 11-1
Class 2A Pairings/Results
Scott Hansen’s Selections in Bold
First Round
Heritage Hall 57, Bethel 7
Bridge Creek 32, Plainview 28
Prague 28, Hartshorne 14
Sequoyah-Tahlequah 33, Verdigris 11
Sulphur 34, Hobart 6
Lexington 30, Alva 27
Lincoln Christian 63, Keys 6
Eufaula 46, Valliant 21
Chandler 50, Heavener 6
Sperry 42, Westville 7
Millwood 39, Perry 10
Lindsay 30, Davis 17
Vian 41, Nowata 17
Beggs 27, Stigler 7
Washington 48, Tishomingo 22
Kingfisher 40, Jones 0
Second Round
Heritage Hall 56, Bridge Creek 24
Sequoyah-Tahlequah 43, Prague 21
Sulphur 20, Lexington 7
Lincoln Christian 58, Eufaula 26
Chandler 28, Sperry 10
Millwood 53, Lindsay 28
Vian 31, Beggs 13
Kingfisher 39, Washington 19
Quarterfinal Pairings
Heritage Hall (12-0) at Sequoyah-Tahlequah (11-1) – Friday
Vian (10-2) at Kingfisher (10-2) – Friday
Sulphur (11-1) at Lincoln Christian (11-1) – Saturday
Chandler (10-2) at Millwood (10-2) – Saturday
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 15-1
Second Round: 7-1
Total: 22-2
Class A Pairings/Results
Scott Hansen’s Selections in Bold
First Round
Okeene 43, Watonga 0
Velma-Alma 31, Hinton 20
Talihina 42, Wewoka 7
Woodland 48, Salina 6
Ringling 20, Sayre 0
Oklahoma Christian 28, Texhoma 13
Tonkawa 34, Foyil 6
Dewar 56, Gore 14
Stroud 27, Savanna 0
Morrison 51, Afton 22
Christian Heritage 13, Turpin 0
Maysville 46, Apache 12
Hominy 24, Commerce 23
Central Sallisaw 20, Stratford 6
Snyder 48, Elmore City 12
Hennessey 41, Cashion 14
Second Round
Okeene 48, Velma-Alma 13
Woodland 37, Talihina 8
Oklahoma Christian 26, Ringling 21
Tonkawa 26, Dewar 0
Morrison 41, Stroud 7
Christian Heritage 49, Maysville 24
Hominy 35, Central Sallisaw 0
Hennessey 35, Snyder 6
Quarterfinal Pairings (All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m.)
Okeene (12-0) at Woodland (10-2) – Friday
Hominy (9-3) at Hennessey (10-2) – Friday
Tonkawa (11-1) at Oklahoma Christian (10-2) – Saturday
Christian Heritage (10-2) at Morrison (11-1) – Saturday
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 15-1
Second Round: 6-2
Total: 21-3
Class B and C Pairings/Results
Class B First Round
Garber 49, Paoli 0
Depew 26, Porter 20 (OT)
Weleekta 28, Watts 8
Canton 42, Ryan 8
Laverne 44, Fox 12
Davenport 65, Welch 20
Copan 14, Kiefer 9
Ringwood 46, Alex 0
Quarterfinals
Garber 40, Depew 12
Canton 23, Weleekta 14
Laverne 76, Davenport 28
Ringwood 57, Copan 12
Semifinal Pairings
Garber (12-0) vs. Canton (10-2) at Enid – Friday (7:30 p.m.)
Laverne (8-4) vs. Ringwood (9-3) at Woodward – Friday (7:30 p.m.)
Class C First Round
Shattuck 56, Tipton 8
Deer Creek-Lamont 54, Midway 20
Timberlake 54, Sasawka 0
Corn Bible 42, Buffalo 22
Thackerville 54, Boise City 0
Covington-Douglas 46, Claremore Christian 0
Seiling 51, Maud 6
Temple 32, Waynoka 30
Quarterfinals
Shattuck 60, Deer Creek-Lamont 12
Timberlake 62, Corn Bible 22
Thackerville 52, Covington-Douglas 26
Temple 32, Seiling 27
Semifinal Pairings
Shattuck (12-0) vs. Timberlake (12-0) at Woodward – Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Thackerville (12-0) vs. Temple (8-4) at Bethany – Friday (7:30 p.m.)
Scott’s Picks
First Round: 13-3
Second Round: 3-5
Total: 16-8
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.
