Week Nine 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this weekend's games

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 2016 season has seen more parity than any year in recent memory. There is no longer a single team in Class 6A-II without a district loss. To make matters more difficult, there are teams with multiple losses to low-ranking teams and multiple wins over high-ranking teams. Looking at you, Choctaw. The number one team has fallen for the second week in a row, and now we'll try to sort out the mess.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 2) vs No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (15)

Muskogee (6-1, 3-1) has the worst of their schedule behind them now and, after taking a bye week to recover from their 26-25 loss to Sand Springs, they'll close out the regular season with the bottom two teams. 

Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4) picked up their first win of the season with a 31-27 upset over Ponca City (1-7, 0-5). The Chieftains dominated the Wildcats offensively, doubling them on total yardage, but gave up a pick six to keep the score close. 

The pick: Muskogee 56, Sapulpa 10.

No. 2 Sand Springs Sandites (1) vs No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

Charles Page High School (5-3, 3-1) may have lost to Booker T. Washington on the field, but on paper they destroyed the Hornets 267 yards to 124 and 15 first downs to 9, forcing 7 punts. The Hornets got lucky with 9:32 in the fourth quarter when Sandite QB Hunter Greathouse was unable to haul in a bad hike and the Hornets got the recovery at the 3 yard line. From there the Booker T. defense was able to stop three Sandite possessions for the win. Were it not for that one mistake, Sand Springs would still be undefeated in the district. 

The Bartlesville Bruins (4-4, 3-2) had a tough road match at Bixby (5-3, 3-1) and were throttled 63-14. They tried to keep up offensively and posted 342 yards on 79 plays, but the Spartans were explosive for 504 yards on 53 plays. 

The pick: Sandites 43, Bartlesville 32.

No. 3 Booker T. Washington Hornets (4) vs No. 4 Bixby Spartans (3)

The Hornets won their battle with Sand Springs on a fumble, and lost their game with Muskogee on turnovers after matching them offensively. The Spartans actually outperformed Muskogee offensively, but gave up two interceptions and a fumble. Against mutual opponents, the Hornets have the better defense and the Spartans have the better offense. Theoretically, this game should be fairly equally matched with the winner being decided on turnovers. 

The pick: Bixby 37, BTW 35.

No. 5 Midwest City Bombers  (5) vs No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (8)

The Bombers (5-3, 4-1) won an important district game Friday against Putnam City (3-5, 1-4) to continue to their quest for the district title in the district with the most parity. It was a low-scoring 7-0 affair made possible by the incredible Bomber defense.

The Plainsmen (3-5, 2-3) are coming off a 35-10 loss to Stillwater (4-4, 2-3). They gave up five turnovers, but forced three of their own. 

The pick: MWC 28, Enid 7.

No. 6 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6)

The Patriots (6-2, 4-1) may not be the indisputable head of the district any more, but they're still in contention for the Title after a 27-17 win over Edmond Deer Creek (2-6, 2-3). The Pats have given up only two losses this season, 29-24 to the Sandites, and 21-16 to Midwest City. They have another big test at Lawton.

The Wolverines (4-4, 3-2) rode three straight wins with three close losses to quality teams. That changed Thursday with a 52-26 beat down from Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) to seriously damage their shot at a district title. With the incredible amount of upsets in the district, they're not out of contention yet, but they can't afford a loss. A win over Putnam will put them second only to Midwest City. 

The pick: PCW 26, Lawton 24.

No. 8 Choctaw Yellowjackets (12) vs No. 12 Deer Creek Antlers (10)

It's beginning to look like Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) can only win games they're picked to lose. The Yellowjackets have three wins against top-tier teams in Sand Springs, Midwest City, and Lawton, and upset losses to Enid, Putnam, and Stillwater.  

After their most recent 52-26 stunner over Lawton, they'll be looking to bring down Deer Creek and Putnam West to clinch a playoff berth. The Yellowjacket's high-powered offense averages 34 points per game while Deer Creek averages only 19 and gives up 35. The Antlers (2-6, 2-3) most recently went down 27-17 to Putnam City West.

The pick: Choctaw 42, Deer Creek 20.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (9) vs No. 10 Stillwater Pioneers (11)

The Putnam City Pirates (3-5, 1-4) put up a valiant effort against Midwest City before falling 7-0 while the Pioneers (4-4, 2-3) picked up a 35-10 win over Enid. Stillwater holds two-straight wins and all four of their losses were by a touchdown or less. A potential playoff berth is on the line and they're unlikely to leave their A game at home.

The pick: Stillwater 33, Putnam 23.

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (14) vs 6A-I Norman Tigers

Barring a miracle, the Ponca City Wildcats (1-7, 0-5) are unlikely to get a win against Muskogee (6-1, 3-1) in week ten, so their last real shot at padding their record comes in their home-finale against 6A-I Norman (1-7, 1-4). The same can be said for the Tigers.

Ponca gave up a 31-27 upset to Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4) last week, while Norman went down 35-7 to Broken Arrow (4-4, 3-2). The Wildcats have been competitive all season, averaging 17 points per game, while the Tigers have scored 15. Norman gives up an average of 44 points and Ponca gives up 40, but Norman plays in a far tougher division and district. 

The pick: Norman 28, Ponca 26. 

Week Eight 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this week's games

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

No. 1 Sand Springs Sandites (Last week No. 4) vs No. 4 Booker T. Washington Hornets (3)

While last week's game was against the number one team, this week could arguably be even bigger for the Sandites (5-2, 3-0) as they set out to prove whether their upset over the Roughers (6-1, 3-1) was a fluke or a sign of the season to come. By now, just about everybody in the country has heard of the Sandites' SportsCenter #1 play on a two point conversion scramble to top the previously undefeated Roughers in the final seconds of a Thursday night game in the Indian Bowl. 

Sand Springs proved their aerial game was every bit as good as their ground game as they utilized Hunter Greathouse's arm for 221 yards and three touchdowns, marking the first time they've used the pass for more than 60% of their offense this season. That's not to say they were stopped at all on the rush as Payton Scott finished his seventh straight game in triple digits. Their defense put up their second-straight remarkable game, forcing multiple turnovers, racking up nearly thirty yards in tackles for loss, and registering half a dozen pass break-ups.

Booker T. (4-3, 3-1) is coming back from a bye-week after recovering from a 23-7 beatdown by Muskogee. That game couldn't have been any closer offensively if they had been playing themselves. Both teams completed 11 first downs, both teams were within three yards of each other in both passing and rushing. The difference-maker was turnovers, as the Roughers pulled out four fumbles and an interception.

The Hornets clearly have the high powered offense that should make for an interesting showdown against the stout Sand Springs defense, and the Sandites will need to force turnovers if they're to hold on to their undefeated district record. 

The Pick: Sand Springs 29, Booker T 24

No. 2 Muskogee Roughers (1) 

The formerly undefeated Muskogee Roughers (6-1, 3-1) will take a bye week after their upset loss to the Sandites to regroup before finishing out the season with what should be a pair of easy wins against Sapulpa and Ponca City, respectively.

No. 3 Bixby Spartans (2) vs No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

The Spartans will no doubt be reinvigorated after a dominating 60-6 win over Ponca and the Sandites' upset over Muskogee has put a district title back within reach for the two-time back-to-back State Champions.

The Bruins (4-3, 2-1) are riding a three-game win streak after a 51-28 win at Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4). They split the game equally between air and ground with Garrett Meidl at QB throwing 16-32-222-1 for three touchdowns. Meidl added another score on the ground while Joe Lard led with 105 yards and two scores and Deandre Young tacked on another. 

Bixby had zero difficulty in limiting the Wildcats to a mere 11 first downs and 42% passing rate while picking off a pair of passes and a fumble recovery. Tanner Griffin was 17-22-317 with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Tucker Pawley and Braden Roller combined for a pair of scores and just under 200 yards on the ground. 

The Pick: Bixby 62, Bartlesville 12

No. 5 Midwest City Bombers (6) vs No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (9)

Midwest City (4-3, 3-1) won a crucial battle last week to remain in contention for the District One title, pulling off a 21-16 win over Putnam City West (5-2, 3-1) in come-from-behind fashion. The Bombers outscored Putnam West 21-6 in the second half for the win. 

Putnam City (3-4, 1-3) isn't out of playoff contention yet. With all the circular losses in District One, it's still anybody's bet on who will make the final four. However, after a 20-14 overtime loss to Deer Creek last week, the Pirates desperately need to find a win against the Bombers. They barely broke 200 yards as a team in their last game, completed only 42% of passes, and didn't register a single interception or fumble recovery.

The Pick: Midwest City 24, Putnam City 13

No. 6 Lawton Wolverines (7) vs No. 12 Choctaw Yellowjackets (10)

Lawton (4-3, 3-1) made a huge statement Friday against Enid (3-4, 2-2) with an incredible 51-3 victory, showing they not only have the infamous District One defense, but are able to perform at the Distict Two offensive level as well. 

QB Zach Hanna was 12-13-226-0 with four touchdowns while the ground game was split between Stephen Silas with 10 carries for 151 yards and Tre Curry with 9 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns. 

Their defense will be far more pressed to stop Choctaw (3-4, 1-3), however, as the Yellowjacket air raid has picked apart some of the best teams in the State, including Sand Springs and Midwest City. 

Choctaw is coming off a 28-21 upset by Stillwater (3-4, 1-3) that saw two pick-sixes to shut down their onslaught. The Yellowjacket run game is practically nonexistent, leaving the offense held to their third lowest output this season. 

The Pick: Lawton 36, Choctaw 22

No. 7 Putnam City West Patriots (5) vs No. 10 Edmond Deer Creek (11)

The Patriots lost their seat at the top of the District One hierarchy after a 21-16 battle with Midwest City (4-3, 3-1), but it wasn't the kind of loss that makes their season any less impressive. Last season saw Sand Springs lose to Booker T in the regular season and beat them in the semifinals, while Bixby lost to Sand Springs in the regular season and beat them in for the State Title. The Patriots are still on their best season in decades and are still putting out impressive performances. 

Deer Creek (2-5, 2-2) continues to be hit or miss, and this week they were hit. The Antlers secured their second win of the season with a 20-14 overtime upset of Putnam City (3-4, 1-3). QB Hunter Freese continues to lead his team well through the air, completing about 60% of passes. 

The Pick: Putnam West 27, Deer Creek 16

No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (8) vs No. 11 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

These two teams were headed in opposite directions last week as Enid (3-4, 2-2) secured wins over Choctaw and Deer Creek, while Stillwater (3-4, 1-3) dropped three-straight to Deer Creek, Putnam West, and Lawton. After Friday though, it's either team's ball game as the Plainsmen were decimated 51-3 by Lawton and the Pioneers secured their first district win 28-21 over Choctaw. 

The Pick: Enid 27, Stillwater 20.

No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14) vs No. 15 Sapulpa Chieftains (15)

At long last for both teams, one of them will walk away with their first district win of the season. For the Chieftains it would be their first win all-together. 

Ponca (1-6, 0-4) hasn't seen a win since a 9-0 victory over Guthrie (4-3, 2-2) in week three, while Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4) hasn't had a win since week nine of last year. Ponca is coming off a 60-6 beatdown by Bixby, while Sapulpa fell 51-28 to Bartlesville. 

Double threat QB Cameron Elder leads Sapulpa in the air and on the ground and completes 62% of passes, but holds as many interceptions as he does aerial touchdowns. He's been responsible for all fourteen offensive touchdowns of the season for Sapulpa. 

Ponca QB Brice McDougal is about 50% passing with twelve scores and ten interceptions from 1400 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent in Ponca with four running backs combining for less than 300 yards and only one touchdown. 

The Pick: Ponca City 40, Sapulpa 37. 

Week Seven 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 6A-II rankings just got a whole lot weirder as District One continues to duke it out with no clear top-dog, save for Putnam City West. With the exception of the Patriots, every team in District One has a loss to someone they shouldn't have, causing a big confusing circle. Even District Two isn't immune to the mess. 

In week two, the Sand Springs Sandites were defeated by Choctaw, and that's their only in-state loss to date. In week three, the Sandites defeated Putnam City West, and that's the Patriots' only loss to date. While the Patriots are the only team out West without a district loss, Choctaw has sustained a pair of district losses to Putnam City and Enid. This Friday Choctaw upset Midwest City, who was previously undefeated in the district with wins over Lawton and Deer Creek. Lawton has wins over both Putnam City and Stillwater. Oh, what a tangled web they weave.

With every team out there having some claim over each other, there's bound to be some disagreement with the rankings, but nevertheless we shall try to make some sense out of it all.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 1) vs No. 4 Sand Springs Sandites (5)

It's the marquee matchup for the whole division as the only two undefeated teams in District Two go head-to-head. The Muskogee Roughers (6-0, 3-0) are a powerhouse team once again behind four-time State Championship winning coach Rafe Watkins, formerly of Guthrie. 

Muskogee and Sand Springs (3-2, 2-0) are fairly matched in the air, with both Hunter Greathouse and Jacob Medrano completing just over 50% of passes for right at 1,000 yards this season. Both teams employ a mess of solid multi-purpose players who can easily adapt to either the run or pass game as needed. Muskogee's stars include University of Tennessee commit Kamren Curl.

Sand Springs will need to rely heavily on their defense, who scored two touchdowns in their 56-35 win over Ponca City, to put up stops and force turnovers against the explosive Rougher offense. Muskogee has their own powerful defense though, with nine interceptions this season. They forced five turnovers against Booker T Washington Friday night. The two teams were perfectly matched on offense, but four fumbles and an interception paved the way for a 23-7 victory for Muskogee. 

The pick: Muskogee 45, Sand Springs 31.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)

The two-time defending State Champions (3-3, 1-1) had a rough start to district play, falling 45-42 to Muskogee, but got in the win column Friday in a 62-17 beat down against Sapulpa. The Spartans ran up 646 yards while holding the Chieftains to just over 200, and never once punted. QB Tanner Griffin is sitting around 1500 yards passing this season with 20 touchdowns by air. The Spartans also have a talented running back in Tucker Pawley who is just under 1000 yards this season. They also have a talented defense highlighted by Oklahoma State commit Brendon Evers. 

The Ponca City Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) proved Friday that they can hang with some of the best defenses in the State, passing for over 300 yards against the Sandites. They also struggled with turnovers, however, giving up two fumble returns for touchdowns and threw two interceptions. 

The pick: Bixby 66, Ponca 12.

No. 3 Booker T Washington Hornets (2) 

The powerful Booker T (4-3, 2-1) offense was stymied by Muskogee Friday night, and scored only once despite racking up nearly 300 yards of offense. They were plagued by penalties amounting to more than 100 yards. That, coupled with four fumbles and an interception were insurmountable. The Hornets will have a bye week before returning to action against Sand Springs.

No. 5 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 6 Midwest City Bombers (4)

This matchup would have been a lot bigger if the Bombers (3-3, 2-1) hadn't given up an upset to Choctaw last Friday, but regardless of district standings the two teams should still put on a quality show. The two teams boast the top two defensive squads in the district with each allowing less than 15 points per game. 

The Patriots (5-1, 3-0) are coming off a huge 42-10 rivalry win over Putnam City while Midwest City just dropped their first district game of the season to Choctaw. Putnam West has suffered only one loss this season, 29-24 to Sand Springs, and splits their offense pretty evenly between air and land. They hold one division one commit in Memphis-bound WR Nick Robinson. Midwest City has some impressive talent of their own in 6'2" safety Evan Fields, who's fielding offers from numerous Division One programs including several Big 12 schools. 

Midwest City's defense held tight against Choctaw, giving up only 14 points to a team that averaged 36 points per game going into the match. Unfortunately for the Bombers, they were plagued by penalties, miscues, and offensive inconsistency. They made three trips into the red zone and racked up 272 yards of offense while holding Choctaw to only 141, despite the loss. 

The pick: No consensus. Scott picks Midwest City 24-21, Virgil picks Putnam West 24-21.

No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (10)

These two teams hold the same record both in and out of district, and their strength of schedule is still hard to determine. Enid's offense is coming in a lot hotter than in recent years, averaging 28 points per game.

Lawton (3-3, 2-1) isn't executing as well as they have in recent years, but they still boast some high powered athletes in QB Zach Hanna and RB Tre Curry. Friday saw the Wolverines gain the upper hand on Stillwater 21-14 in a low performance game that saw only 95 yards by air. The ground game was dominant for both teams and Curry racked up 121 yards on 13 carries.

Enid (3-3, 2-1) started off the season with a 22-19 loss to a Guthrie team that has long since ceased to be ranked. A 42-31 victory over Ponca City and a pair of losses after that pushed Enid towards the bottom of the rankings, but the Plainsmen have found their mojo for two straight district wins to prove they're not out playoff contention yet. After going down 35-10 to Putnam West, Enid got the edge on Choctaw in a 43-39 shootout and scored a major victory this week in a dominating 45-17 beat down of Deer Creek. The Plainmen picked off three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown, presenting just the kind of defense that could give Lawton fits. 

The pick: Lawton 27, Enid 21.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 11 Deer Creek Antlers (9)

A crucial match for both teams, Putnam (3-3, 1-2) started off the season with a series of big wins before giving up two straight to Lawton and Putnam West. Deer Creek (1-5, 1-2) started the season with a tough pre-conference schedule including three-straight losses to high-ranked 6A-I teams. They were expected to be a big contender for the district, but after a close 21-14 win over Stillwater they were blown out 35-0 by Midwest City and 45-17 by Enid. Both teams need a win this week to stay alive in playoff contention.

Putnam has struggled through the air this season, racking up over 1,000 yards but at a 38% completion rate. The defense has been effective, however, averaging 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery per game.

The Antlers employ a solid QB in Hunter Freese, who sits at 51% passing for over 1,200 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent with the whole team accounting for less than 500 yards.  

The pick: Putnam West 23, Deer Creek 17.

No. 10 Choctaw Yellowjackets (11) vs No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

Stillwater (2-4, 0-3) has lost four games this season, all by a touchdown or less, and they have two quality wins over 6A-I talent. While the playoffs are looking more and more unlikely for the team, they're not out of reach yet. Clearly the Pioneers have talent, especially in RB Josiah Castleberry who holds over 700 yards this season on 7 yards per carry. But they have struggled in the air, doing the quarterback shuffle after their starting senior missed the first half of the season. 

Choctaw (3-3, 1-2) has been hit or miss all season, relying on a powerful air raid offense that has rarely been stymied. After netting a pair of close shootout wins over Sapulpa and Sand Springs to start the season, they lost three-straight, all by a touchdown or less, to Putnam City, Putnam North, and Enid, before getting in the win column with a 14-7 upset of Midwest City. QB Dylan Weaver is right at 50% for nearly 1400 yards this season, but was held to under 100 for the first time against Midwest City. The run game has always been a factor with Choctaw, but they really proved how good it could be when they took on Enid and ran up 321 yards on 38 carries. 

The pick: Choctaw 42, Stillwater 21.

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13) vs No. 15 Sapulpa (15) 

This is a bigger game for Bartlesville (2-3, 1-1) than it is for Sapulpa (0-6, 0-3). While the Chieftains are technically still in playoff contention, they only have three district games left and don't stand much chance against undefeated Muskogee. Bartlesville, on the other hand, has the kind of aerial offense that could present an upset over Sand Springs. But first they need to get past Sapulpa. 

The Chieftains have a double-threat quarterback in Cameron Elder who is throwing 63% this season for right at 1,000 yards and also leads his team on the ground. They have six losses this season and only two could be described as close.

Bartlesville won a close one in their season opener then dropped three straight before getting back in the win column with a powerful 42-20 win over Ponca City two weeks ago. The Bruins are coming off a bye week and look to AJ Archambo, Garrett Meidl, and Deandre Young to lead them to victory.

The pick: Bartlesville 38, Sapulpa 17.