If the
Deer Creek (Edmond) football team wants to hang with big boys of Oklahoma football they get the King Daddy on Thursday while playing for a state 6A-II title. Without a winning season since 2015, the Antlers (10-2) tangle with a
Bixby squad that has the nation's second longest active win streak and is No. 19 in the MaxPreps Top 25 national rankings.
The Spartans (12-0) have won three consecutive state titles and 48 straight games, second only to Kirtland (Ohio) with 55. Bixby hasn't lost since a season-opening 28-14 setback to Jenks in 2018 and has dominated the competition since.
In 2018, the Spartans outscored foes 559-156, in 2019 (732-173), 2020 (538-171) and heading into Thursday's game, 731-130. They average just over 60 points per game, having hit the 70-point plateau four times with a high-mark of 81 in a 75-point win over Putnam City West (Oklahoma City).
How to watch
When: Thursday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Wantland Stadium, Edmond (Okla.)
Online streaming: NFHS Network
Leading the way offensively is is speedy 5-foot-7, 170-pound athlete
Braylin Presley, the state's No. 4 senior recruit, according to 247Sports. The Oklahoma State-bound ball of lightning has rushed for a team-best 947 yards on 95 carries with 14 touchdowns.
Coach Loren Montgomery spreads the ball beautifully among his many playmakers, that also include 6-2, 190-pound junior
Connor Kirby (732 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns) who is the also team's backup quarterback. The Spartans have had 16 different ball carriers this season, including
Aidan Hill and
Zach Blankenship, who have combined for more than 1,000 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.
The offensive is orchestrated by senior quarterback
Christian Burke, who completes nearly 70 percent of his passes for nearly 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns. Like the running backs, Bixby's receivers share the workload with four players hauling in at least 20 passes, led by Presley (50 catches, 632 yards, seven touchdowns), the 2020 MaxPreps State Player of the Year.
Besides a 23-15 win over Jenks on Sept. 2, no one has come within four touchdowns of the Spartans all season — the average margin of victory is 50 — so if Deer Creek can hang close, perhaps Bixby will rattle.
The Antlers have not lost a game in regulation, losing by identical 35-28 scores in overtime to Stillwater and Del City, the latter which started a current four-game win streak. Deer Creek, led by fifth-year coach Wade Standley, is accustomed to close games, including a 20-17 victory over Page (Sand Springs) to reach the title game.
Senior
Brett Pense, a 6-4, 180-pound quarterback, leads the Antlers. He's thrown for 2,234 yards and 28 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He's also rushed for 221 yards and seven scores. Oklahoma-bound tackle
Jake Sexton, the state's No. 7 senior recruit, helps protect Pense.
He spreads the ball around nicely and hands the ball often to junior
Deontaye Wilson, who has rushed for nearly 1,000 yards to go with 10 touchdowns. The Antlers have hovered around .500 most of the last four seasons — going 17-23 from 2017-2020. Meanwhile since 2013, Montgomery has led Bixby on a 93-18 mark.
Braylin Presley does it all for Bixby, which is going for its fourth straight title and 49th consecutive win on Thursday.
File photo by David Stacy
