Tuesday, October 7, 2014

This week's AP prep poll and how I voted

Here is The Associated Press' Oklahoma high school football poll with first place votes in parentheses, records, points and ranking in last week's poll, records through October 6. Points for classes A through 6A based on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring. Points for classes B and C based on 5-4-3-2-1 scoring.
Class 6A
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Union (10)
(4-1)
118
1
2. Owasso (2)
(5-0)
109
2
3. Westmoore
(5-0)
90
3
4. Booker T. Washington
(5-0)
88
4
5. Jenks
(3-2)
73
5
6. Lawton
(4-1)
57
6
7. Midwest City
(4-1)
51
7
8. Bixby
(4-1)
31
10
9. Stillwater
(4-1)
17
8
10. Mustang
(4-1)
14
9
Others receiving votes: 11, Broken Arrow 8. 12, Choctaw 2. 12, Sand Springs 2.
Class 5A
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. McAlester (7)
(5-0)
114
1
2. Guthrie (5)
(5-0)
113
2
3. Lawton Mac
(5-0)
93
3
4. Shawnee
(4-1)
73
5
5. Ardmore
(5-0)
72
4
6. Carl Albert
(4-1)
63
6
7. Pryor
(4-1)
54
7
8. Memorial
(5-0)
29
9
9. Skiatook
(4-1)
28
8
10. Collinsville
(4-1)
14
10
Others receiving votes: 11, Altus 4. 12, Tahlequah 2. 13, Tulsa Edison 1.
Class 4A
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Anadarko (12)
(5-0)
120
1
2. Cascia Hall
(5-0)
104
2
3. Fort Gibson
(5-0)
93
3
4. Ada
(4-1)
81
4
5. Newcastle
(5-0)
76
5
6. Metro Christian
(4-1)
58
6
7. Oologah
(3-2)
40
9
8. Weatherford
(4-1)
37
8
9. Woodward
(3-2)
22
7
10. Tuttle
(3-2)
9
NR
Others receiving votes: 11, Poteau 5. 11, Cleveland 5. 13, Broken Bow 2. 13, Cache 2. 13, Sallisaw 2. 13, Wagoner (1-4) 2. 13, Harrah 2.
Class 3A
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Locust Grove (11)
(5-0)
118
1
2. Seminole
(5-0)
98
3
3. Kingfisher
(4-1)
89
5
4. Douglass
(4-1)
86
2
5. Heritage Hall (1)
(4-1)
77
6
6. Berryhill
(5-0)
53
7
7. John Marshall
(5-0)
47
8
8. Beggs
(4-1)
35
9
9. Victory Christian
(4-1)
31
4
10. Eufaula
(4-1)
5
NR
Others receiving votes: 11, Idabel 4. 12, Hilldale 3. 12, Blanchard 3. 12, Purcell 3. 15, Lincoln Christian 2. 15, Lone Grove 2. 17, Marlow 1. 17, Spiro 1. 17, Checotah 1. 17, Bethany 1.
Class 2A
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Davis (10)
(5-0)
118
1
2. Adair (2)
(5-0)
106
2
3. Oklahoma Christian School
(5-0)
96
3
4. Vian
(4-1)
82
4
5. Nowata
(5-0)
63
5
6. Hennessey
(4-1)
51
6
7. Lindsay
(5-0)
44
7
8. Colcord
(5-0)
33
8
9. Millwood
(3-2)
31
9
10. Stroud
(5-0)
9
NR
Others receiving votes: 11, Hartshorne 7. 12, Kingston 6. 13, Wyandotte 5. 13, Henryetta 5. 15, Christian Heritage Academy 3. 16, Chisholm 1.
Class 1A
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Hollis (10)
(5-0)
109
1
2. Talihina (1)
(5-0)
97
2
3. Wynnewood
(5-0)
85
3
4. Kiefer
(5-0)
75
4
5. Apache
(4-0)
63
5
6. Cashion
(5-0)
59
6
7. Thomas Custer
(5-0)
49
7
8. Ringling
(3-1)
31
9
9. Stratford
(5-0)
26
10
10. Morrison
(4-1)
6
8
Others receiving votes: 11, Central Sallisaw 1. 11, Cordell 1. 11, Healdton 1. 11, Velma-Alma 1. 11, Afton 1.
Class B
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Laverne (10)
(4-0)
50
1
2. Dewar
(5-0)
42
3
3. Davenport
(5-0)
29
4
4. Pond Creek-Hunter
(4-1)
17
2
5. Alex
(5-0)
16
5
Others receiving votes: 6, Kremlin-Hillsdale 5. 7, Maysville 3. 8, Keota 2. 9, Depew 1.
Class C
School
Total
Points
Prv
1. Cherokee (10)
(5-0)
54
1
2. Tipton (1)
(5-0)
45
2
3. Balko
(4-1)
24
5
4. Fox
(4-1)
18
4
5. Shattuck
(3-1)
10
3
Others receiving votes: 6, Cave Springs 8. 7, Bluejacket 3. 8, Coyle 1. 8, Grandfield 1. 8, Mountain View-Gotebo 1.


Here’s how I voted…
Class 6A
1. Union 
2. Owasso
3. Booker T. Washington
4. Westmoore
5. Jenks
6. Midwest City
7. Lawton
8. Stillwater
9. Bixby
10. Mustang

Class 5A
1. Guthrie
2. McAlester
3. Carl Albert
4. Lawton Mac
5. Pryor
6. Shawnee
7. Skiatook
8. Ardmore
9. Memorial
10. Altus

Class 4A
1. Anadarko
2. Cascia Hall
3. Fort Gibson
4. Metro Christian
5. Ada
6. Newcastle
7. Tuttle
8. Oologah
9. Woodward
10. Weatherford

Class 3A
1. Locust Grove
2. Seminole
3. Douglass
4. Kingfisher
5. Heritage Hall
6. Berryhill
7. Victory Christian
8. Beggs
9. John Marshall
10. Eufuala

Class 2A
1. Davis
2. Adair
3. OCS
4. Hennessey
5. Millwood
6. Vian
7. Nowata
8. Lindsay
9. Kingston
10. Colcord

Class A
1. Hollis
2. Talihina
3. Kiefer
4. Wynnewood
5. Cashion
6. Apache
7. Thomas
8. Stratford
9. Ringling
10. Morrison

Class B
1. Laverne
2. Dewar
3. Davenport
4. PC-Hunter
5. Alex

Class C
1. Cherokee
2. Tipton
3. Balko
4. Shattuck
5. Fox

Friday, October 3, 2014

State tournament volleyball - 3A/4A times and locations

Class 4A state tournament
Friday - at Community Christian School
Game 1: Christian Heritage vs. Berryhill, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Bethany vs. Lincoln Christian, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: Mount Saint Mary vs. Catoosa, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Oklahoma Bible Academy vs. Cache, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday - at Westmoore High School
Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 9 a.m.
Game 6: Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 10:30 a.m.
Game 7: Championship, 4 p.m.

Class 3A state tournament
All matches played at Westmoore High School
Friday
Game 1: Regent Prep vs. Oklahoma Christian School, noon
Game 2: Union City vs. Rejoice Christian, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Salina vs. Cement/Cyril, 3 p.m.
Game 4: Community Christian vs. Oklahoma Union, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, noon
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Championship, 6:15 p.m.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

High school football picks - Week 5

Week 1: 21-4
Week 2: 19-11
Week 3: 15-12
Last week's results (Week 4): 24-5
Overall record: 79-32

This week

Thursday
- Broken Arrow at Putnam City - Still hard to figure BA out. What's easy to figure out is Broken Arrow's ultimate season end: not the state championship. The pick: BA 39, PC 22.
- Fort Worth Country Day (Texas) at Holland Hall - Dutch need to patch holes. The pick: HH 27, FWCD 20.

Friday
- Norman North at Union - A westside team with an Oklahoma State commit at quarterback is still no match for the likes of Union, Jenks or Owasso. The pick: The U, 44, NN 13.
- Southmoore at Owasso - If Owasso scores 30-plus a game, it may very well roll to the gold ball. The pick: Rams 32, Southmoore 3.
- Westmoore at Edmond Santa Fe - Norman gave Westmoore a wakeup call. Jenks will give the Jaguars more than that next week. The pick: Westmoore 29, ESF 28.
- Putnam City North at Mustang - Broncos every bit as good enough to finish third in 6AI-II. The pick: Mustang 41, PCN 22.
- Jenks at Norman - Jenks may be down this season. Hard to tell against teams like Norman. The pick: Jenks 43, Norman 14.
- Bixby at Bartlesville - Spartans just tuning up for Booker T. Washington in a couple of weeks. The pick: Bixby 33, Bartlesville 9.
- Sand Springs at Claremore - Claremore's high point total this season: 17. Yikes. The pick: Sand Springs 22, Claremore 12.
- Midwest City at Stillwater - Bombers eying Halloween matchup with Lawton. The pick: MWC 33, Stillwater 17.
- Booker T. Washington at Sapulpa - Wasn't pretty in a preseason scrimmage. Won't be pretty again this time. The pick: Hornets 43, Sapulpa 8.
- Muskogee at Ponca City - Flip a coin. The pick: Ponca 10, Muskogee 8.
- McAlester at Bishop Kelley - Dalton Wood does his thing. The pick: Buffs 39, Comets 10.
- Tahlequah at Collinsville - If Tahlequah wins, it sets up an intriguing game against Pryor next week. The pick: Cville 28, Tahlequah 24.
- Coweta at East Central - A combined 0-8. Both teams better than their winless marks. The pick: Coweta 32, East Central 27.
- Shawnee at Skiatook - Skiatook's chance to make a splash. The pick: Skiatook 20, Shawnee 19.
- Grove at Pryor - Grove's getting better. Just not Pryor's kind of better. The pick: Pryor 31, Grove 12.
- Wagoner at Cascia Hall - Better matchup on paper than in real life. The pick: Cascia 27, Wagoner 3.
- Catoosa at Cleveland - Have yet to figure Catoosa out. The pick: Cleveland 27, Catoosa 26.
- Fort Gibson at Broken Bow - Chris Walker is putting up ridiculous numbers. The pick: FTG 24, Broken Bow 20.
- Woodward at Newcastle - Boomers vs. Racers. Take your pick. The pick: Newcastle 22, Woodward 20.
- Metro Christian at Poteau - Metro's true introduction to 4A-4. The pick: Metro 23, Poteau 21.
- Kingfisher at Cushing - Cushing needs Gage Stallworth back for this one. The pick: Kingfisher 42, Cushing 20.
- Berryhill at Verdigris - Chiefs quietly rolling. The pick: Berryhill 29, Verdigris 17.
- Hulbert at Salina - Hulbert's first real test. The pick: Salina 37, Hulbert 19.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

High school volleyball - 5A-6A regional pairings

Class 3A and 4A will begin - and complete - regional tournament play this week. Now 5A and 6A teams know where they'll be heading next week for the playoffs.
Here are the 5A and 6A regional assignments:

5A
1. No. 3 Heritage Hall (14-9), Guymon, Del City, Capitol Hill
2. No. 4 Elgin (20-12), No. 15 Carl Albert, MacArthur, Chickasha
3. No. 6 Deer Creek (13-15), No. 13 Duncan, Piedmont, NW Classen
4. No. 7 Eisenhower (24-6), No. 12 Southeast, El Reno, Noble
5. No. 1 Tahlequah (27-8), No. 13 Shawnee, Wagoner, McAlester
6. No. 2 Victory Christian (23-9), No. 11 Cascia Hall, Claremore, Memorial
7. No. 5 Coweta (20-13), No. 10 Edison, Tecumseh, Hale
8. No. 8 Skiatook (20-8), Collinsville, East Central, Glenpool
* The No. 1 seed in each region is listed first. All eight No. 1 seeds will host, too.

6A
1. No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (30-0), Putnam City, Midwest City, Southmoore
2. No. 2 Edmond North (25-5), Yukon, US Grant, PC West
3. No. 3 Edmond Memorial (25-4), Westmoore, Norman, PC North
4. No. 7 Norman North (18-10), Moore, Mustang, Lawton
5. No. 4 Jenks (20-9), Bartlesville, Muskogee, Choctaw
6. No. 5 Bishop Kelley (17-11), Union, Enid, Bixby
7. No. 6 Owasso (20-7), Booker T. Washington, Ponca City, Sand Springs
8. No. 8 Broken Arrow (15-13), Bishop McGuinness, Stillwater, Sapulpa
* The No. 1 seed in each region is listed first. All eight No. 1 seeds will host, too.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Memorial 44, Bishop Kelley 35 - postgame thoughts

- Bishop Kelley's first quarter drive
The Comets' 12-play touchdown drive to start the game was rather impressive. There was nothing flashy about it. Bishop Kelley converted on four third-down conversions, including the last which was Ryan Martin's 2-yard touchdown run.
The Comets melted six minutes, eight seconds off the clock, and it appeared Bishop Kelley was going to assert its dominance from the get go.
That didn't happen, though.

- Tre Knight responds rather quickly
Bishop Kelley's lead in the game lasted all of 15 seconds. The Comets would never get it back either.
Tre Knight is a special kind of quick, elusive and fast all rolled into one.
For his first kickoff return of the night, Knight caught the ball near the left boundary. He then ventured to the other side of the field, eventually making his way along the right sidelines. From there, he just outran everyone else.
That was only the start of Knight's night. He had a 78-yard TD run, and he was on the receiving end of a game-changing, 11-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Boone.
All told, Knight finished with 240 all-purpose yards.

- Ryan Martin's poor decisions
Bishop Kelley haphazardly possessed the ball to open District 5A-3 play. When Bishop Kelley would run the option and Martin had nowhere to run, he would automatically flip the ball to whomever was alongside him. Didn't matter if it was a Memorial or Bishop Kelley player.
That resulted in two lost fumbles, after putting the ball on the ground six times.
And late in the game, Martin was under heavy pressure form Memorial's Maleek Greenlee while Bishop Kelley was in the shadow of its own end zone. As Martin was being spiraled to the ground, Martin just threw the ball away. He was being wrangled down at the 5-yard line, and he managed to throw the ball out of bounds at the 2.
On the next play, fourth-and-18, Martin just heaved the ball into the air, and Dahquari Royal returned an interception 21 yards for the game's final touchdown.

- Keep an eye on Keyondre Huntley
Listed at 5 feet, 9 inches and 190 pounds, Huntley runs much more physical than that. Think almost Jeronme Bettis-ish.
He doesn't try to find the perimeter once the ball is placed in hits mitts. He just plunges straight ahead through the offensive line.
He may not make for a great college football running back, but there's no doubt he could throw some blocks, run a few times and maybe catch a pass or two at the next level.

- Terry Robinson is fun to watch
Robinson didn't have much of an impact in the first half. But late in the game, he spelled Huntley at times in the backfield, and his motor ran nonstop on defense.
Alongside Greenlee, the two made Martin run for his life most of the fourth quarter.

- Memorial could be for real
Boone has a laser for an arm.
Huntley can pick up tough yards.
Knight can pick up any kind of yards.
Robinson and Greenlee are relentless on defense.
Isaac Dake is a solid safety valve for Boone.
Royal, Juwan Johnson, Montre Hishaw and others are solid supporting pieces.
Add all of those factors together, and it's the making of a really good Class 5A football team.
The Chargers should be favored to beat Durant and Noble in their next two games. Then comes Skiatook, Shawnee and McAlester.
The final three will test Memorial. But if the Chargers snag one of the four playoff spots in 5A-3, look out.