CPHS Football: Payton Scott named Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year

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In its 33rd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company announced Payton Scott of Charles Page High School as its 2017-18 Gatorade Oklahoma Football Player of the Year. Scott is the first Gatorade Oklahoma Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Charles Page High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Scott as Oklahoma’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December, Scott joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mitchell Trubisky (2012-13, Mentor High School, Ohio), Greg Olsen (2002-03, Wayne Hills High School, N.J.), Matthew Stafford (2005-06 Highland Park High School, Texas), Harrison Smith (2006-07 Knoxville Catholic High School, Tenn.), Latavius Murray (2007-08, Onondaga High School, N.Y.), Brock Osweiler (2008-09, Flathead High School, Mont.) and Leonard Fournette (2014-15 & 2012-13, St. Augustine High School, La.).

The 5-foot-5, 180-pound senior running back rushed for 2,597 yards and 33 touchdowns this past season, leading the Sandites to the Class 6A-II quarterfinals. In breaking the single-season rushing record in Class 6A, the state’s largest division, Scott averaged 31 rushing attempts and 236 yards per game and 7.6 yards per carry for the 5-6 Sandites. This fall, Scott broke school records for rushing yards and rushing TDs in a season, and also set new school marks for single-game yards (507) and single-game TDs (7). A finalist for the Shelter Insurance Mr. Football Award in Oklahoma, Scott ran for 5,826 yards and 71 touchdowns in prep career.

A state champion as a wrestler as well, Scott volunteers at the John 3:16 Mission homeless shelter while also coaching at youth wrestling and youth football camps. “I can say that unequivocally that Payton Scott is the best player I’ve seen in the state,” Bartlesville interim head coach Kyle Ppool said. “He is absolutely amazing on the field. We faced all those guys and he is the best of the group, and definitely most meaningful to his team.”

Scott has maintained a weighted 3.5 GPA in the classroom. He remains undecided on his collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Scott joins recent Gatorade Oklahoma Football Players of the Year Brandon George (2016-17, Jones High School), Mason Fine (2015- 16 & 2014-15, Locust Grove High School), Cameron Batson (2013-14, Millwood High School), Stanvon Taylor (2012-13, East Central High School), Andrew Hearon (2011–12, Metro Christian Academy), David Glidden (2010-11, Mustang High School), and Demarco Cobbs (2009-10, Central High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Scott will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter #GatoradePOY. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/.

CPHS Football: Sandites end season 47-12 at No. 2 Midwest City

The No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-6) saw their season come to an end Friday night in Midwest City as the No. 2 Bombers (10-1) secured their first semifinal berth since before the Class 6A split. The home team dominated with a 47-12 win that was nearly a shutout.

MWC 47 CPHS 12

1Q MWC 13-0
2Q MWC 21-0
3Q CPHS 12-6
4Q MWC 7-0

Passing: MWC 14-22-228-0, CPHS 3-8-20-2.
Rushing: CPHS 39-151, MWC 39-148.
Plays-Offense: MWC 61-376, CPHS 47-171.
First Downs: MWC 14, CPHS 9.
Penalties: 9-90.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 4-0, MWC 3-1.
 

This was the third quarterfinal meeting in four years between the two teams. The Sandites topped their higher-seeded hosts the first two times, but this time their record of three-straight semifinal appearances came to a close at the hands of the powerful District One Champions. This was also their first losing record since 2011, though it was a break-even regular season. The Sandites are currently on a school-record six-season streak of making the playoffs.

Things started out ugly for the Sandites who committed two false starts before ever running a play. Payton Scott had a nice fifteen yard run, but it wasn’t enough for a first down after the penalties and they punted away the opening possession. The Bombers scored on their first two possessions with a fourteen-yard pass from Preston Colbert to Dajon Sealey and a 42 yard run by Omari Johns. Elliot Janish’s first point-after kick was good, the second was blocked, and the home team held a 13-0 lead after the first quarter.

On the first drive of the second quarter the Bombers scored on a 25-yard pass from Colbert to Juwan Walker. The Sandites were held to a three-and-out, and the Bombers scored on the first play of the corresponding drive with a 44-yard endzone pass to Walker for the 27-0 advantage. Walker hauled in a twelve-yarder on the next drive to make it 34-0.

The Sandites finally got close to the red zone late in the first half thanks to a 31-yard kick return by Scott and an eleven-yard pass from Caden Pennington to Daren Hawkins, but Tramon Jackson beat out a Sandite receiver for an endzone interception on the next play. The Bombers ran the clock and took a knee for the first-half shutout.

The Sandites got their first defensive stand on the opening possession of the second half, forcing a punt from their 36. The offense picked up a pair of first downs from Scott, but a sack, forced fumble, and recovery from Elijah Manuel led to a one-yard touchdown run by Astin Anderson just five plays later. The visitors got a slight moral victory with a blocked point-after kick by Joel Mackey, but the Bombers were still up 40-0 with more than a quarter to play.

The Sandites finally hit paydirt on their next play with a fifty-yard march by Scott, capped by a two-yard run. The two point play fell apart, but at last the visitors were on the board.

Then came the defensive heroics. Senior lineman Gage Fain forced fumbles on back-to-back plays. The Bombers recovered the first and were drilled for a loss of twenty by Jerry Lyons. Kris Edwards recovered the second and two plays later Scott punched in a 26-yard run. The two-point pass play was unsuccessful, but the Sandites were finally threatening.

That would be the end of their good fortune, however. Their next possession was held to a single play as Jackson picked off his second interception of the night and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Janish's kick was the final point of the game. The Sandites fumbled their next possession, the teams exchanged punts, and Midwest City marched to the Sandite redzone before letting the clock run out. 

Scott ended the night with 174 yards on 27 carries, bringing his season total to a school-record 341 carries for 2,482 yards and 33 touchdowns. In his career he is 844-5412 rushing with 63 scores, plus 31 receptions for 449 yards and three touchdowns. He also recorded his first pass on a short shovel to Ben Nortey for eight yards. 

Midwest City will advance to the semifinals and will take on the three-time defending State Champions from No. 5 Bixby (7-4) who trounced No. 4 Stillwater (8-3) 41-14. No. 1 Booker T. Washington (10-1) defeated No. 6 Putnam City (7-4) 56-21 and will take on No. 3 Lawton (9-2) who defeated No. 7 Muskogee (5-5) 57-36. 

CPHS Football Preview: No. 2 Midwest City hosts No. 8 Sand Springs

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Current Pittsburg State freshman defensive end Delvin Jordan pressures Bomber quarterback Preston Colbert in the 2016 quarterfinals. (Photo: Virgil Noah).

For the third time in the past four years, the No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-5) will travel to No. 2 Midwest City (9-1) for the first round of the Class 6A-II playoffs. The Sandites won their last two bouts with the Bombers, but this will be their toughest match yet.

In 2014 the Sandites made the playoffs for the third-straight year and notched their first playoff win since 1997 when they topped Midwest City 29-28 in overtime. The No. 4 Bombers (7-3) were the favorite to win, but No. 5 Sand Springs (8-4) sent the game into overtime with a field goal and won with a defensive stand on a two-point conversion attempt. The Sandites were defeated 41-14 by Bixby in the semifinals. 

In 2016 the No. 3 Sandites (7-5) topped the No. 4 Bombers (7-4) 23-14 for their fifth-straight playoff appearance and third-straight quarterfinal win. Hunter Greathouse was 13-20-159-2 passing while Payton Scott ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns. The Sandites were defeated 35-21 by Bixby in the semifinals. 

With only two meetings in school history, you wouldn't think there'd be much rivalry in the series, but Midwest City will be out to prove themselves after failing to win a playoff game since 2013 before the 6A split. 

The Bombers have had a stellar season thus far, with their only loss coming 27-24 in overtime against No. 1 Booker T. Washington (9-1). They defeated No. 3 Lawton 41-35, No. 4 Stillwater 35-21, No. 6 Putnam City 32-14 and No. 7 Muskogee 26-20.

The Sandites have had several impressive outings that fell short in the final stretches. They led No. 9 Choctaw 20-7 before falling 21-20. They led Muskogee 34-30 before falling 40-34. They were tied 21-21 with No. 5 Bixby in the fourth quarter before falling 42-21. 

The Sandites have finished three-straight seasons with quarterfinal wins and have had winning records for five-straight years. Both are school records. They'll have to win the State title to end with a winning record, but they can finish at an even 6-6 if they at least win this quarterfinal. 

MWC Average Box

Scored: 40
First Downs: 17
Fumbles-Lost: 2-1
Penalties: 12-99
Passing: 14-21-237-0
Rushing: 35-157
Plays-Offense: 56-394

Allowed: 19
First Downs: 15
Fumbles-Lost: 2-1
Penalties: 7-58
Passing: 13-23-141-2
Rushing: 39-119
Plays-Offense: 62-260
 

CPHS Average Box

Scored: 28
First Downs: 14
Fumbles-Lost: 1-1
Penalties: 3-28
Passing: 5-11-63-1
Rushing: 44-270
Plays-Offense: 55-333

Allowed: 27
First Downs: 17
Fumbles-Lost: 2-1
Penalties: 6-49
Passing: 16-25-187-1
Rushing: 36-192
Plays-Offense: 61-379

Sand Springs vs. Midwest City History

2016: Sand Springs 23-14 (A, Quarterfinals)
2014: Sand Springs 29-28 OT (A, Quarterfinals)

Sand Springs Season Statistic Leaders

Passing

47-104-584-5 Pennington, 5 TD
1-2-45-0 Foster, 1 TD

Receiving

11-148 McCallie, 1 TD
9-144 Scott, 1 TD
11-88 Millican
2-61 Hawkins, 2 TD
2-47 Fleischman, 1 TD

Rushing

314-2308 Scott, 31 TD
28-240 Nortey, 2 TD
68-66 Pennington, 1 TD
10-28 McCallie
13-31 Jones

PAT

33/37 Weiser

Field Goals

1/2 Weiser, Long 25

Punting-Avg

36-31 Smith
1-48 Pennington

Kicking-Avg

27-35 Weiser
22-38 Cox
1-51 Smith

Punt Return

Kick Return

10-182 Denton
7-113 Bratcher
3-91 Scott
4-38 Millican
3-15 McCallie

Tackles

92 Cramer
59 Fleischman
48 Edwards
40 Fain
33 Finch
33 Lyons

For Loss

12-36 Finch
9-26 Fain
7-35 Edwards
6-32 Lyons
6-26 Cramer

Sacks

4-30 Lyons
3-31 Edwards
3-15 Fain
3-11 Finch
1-12 Fleischman
1-12 Cramer

Interceptions

4-31 Askew
2-13 Cramer
1 Cartwright
1 Lyons

Breakups

5 Cramer
4 Bratcher
4 Mackey
3 Denton
3 Edwards
3 Lyons

Fumble Recoveries

3-2 Edwards
2 Askew
1-24 Mackey
1 Bratcher
1 Cramer

Forced Fumbles

1 K. Adcock
1 Cartwright
1 Finch
1 Lyons
1 Mackey

Week Eleven 6A-II rankings and playoff predictions; a look at this weekend's games

The final eight were already decided going into last week's games, and now we have the final seeds for the fourth installment of the 6A Division Two playoffs.

No. 1 Booker T. Washington Hornets (Last Week No. 1) vs. No. 6 Putnam City Pirates (6)

The District Two Champions from Booker T. Washington (9-1, 6-0) will host Putnam City (7-3, 4-3). The Hornets won a relatively close (by their standards) 42-13 battle in Bartlesville (1-8, 1-5) while the Pirates won a solid 52-14 tuneup game in Enid (3-7, 1-6).

Washington's only loss this season was a 30-21 out-of-state exhibition with West Monroe, Louisiana (10-0). They even topped Midwest City 27-24 in overtime.

Putnam City played the tougher district and fell only 27-21 to Lawton and 39-32 to Stillwater but was dominated 32-14 by Midwest City. In their regular season finale AJ Newsome passed for 246 yards and four touchdowns with 38 yards on the ground for two touchdowns, all in the first half. 

The pick: BTW 46 Putnam 21.

No. 2 Midwest City Bombers (2) vs. No. 8 Sand Springs Sandites (8)

The District One Champions from Midwest City (9-1, 7-0) won a solid 35-21 outing with Stillwater (8-2, 5-2) almost entirely on the ground. The Bombers combined for 151 rushing yards while Preston Colbert was 18-22-234-1 by air. They gave up 95 yards in penalties and had one fumble. The Bombers have lost only one game this season, by an overtime field goal to the top-ranked Hornets. 

Sand Springs (5-5, 3-3) fell 42-21 to the defending State Champions from Bixby (6-4, 5-1) but it was all knotted up at 21-21 going into the fourth quarter. They tied 7-7 in the first, the Spartans won a second quarter 14-0 shutout, and the Sandites did the same in the third. Caden Pennington was 3-12-19-1 by air while Payton Scott carried 29 times for 148 yards and all three Sandite touchdowns. 

The pick: MWC 33 CPHS 19.

No. 3 Lawton Wolverines (3) vs. No. 7 Muskogee Roughers (7) 

Last year's State Runners-Up made their way to the finals with a 35-28 semifinal victory over Muskogee. The Roughers (5-4, 4-2) will get a rematch this year, and they'll need to bring their A-game. The Wolverines (8-2, 6-1) are coming off a dominant 56-28 victory in Deer Creek (4-6, 2-5) that started with a 42-7 lead by the second period. Alihas Hopper was 21-26-238 passing with five touchdowns. Miles Davis had 203 yards and two touchdowns on eighteen carries.

Muskogee rediscovered their typically potent offense after a lackluster 27-14 win in Sapulpa (1-9, 1-5), drubbing Ponca City (1-9, 1-5) 51-19 on the road. Jacob Medrano was 16-18-305 with five touchdowns by air and Kristian Hillmon carried 11 times for 93 yards They gave up 115 yards in penalties, but had no turnovers. 

The pick: Lawton 48 Muskogee 35.

No. 4 Stillwater Pioneers (4) vs. No. 5 Bixby Spartans (5)

The three-time defending State Champions (6-4, 5-1) pulled out a winning season and home playoff game with their 42-21 fourth-quarter stand against the Sandites (5-5, 3-3) but they'll have their work cut out for them against Stillwater (8-2, 5-2) whose season has looked far cleaner and more consistent. 

There have been two Bixbys this season. One Bixby beat Jenks 35-18, Muskogee 38-23, Ponca 68-7, and Sand Springs 21-0. The other Bixby lost three-straight including a 37-35 upset in Putnam City. They only beat Bartlesville 37-21, and they were shutout 21-0 by Booker T. Washington. In their regular season finale they squandered a 21-7 lead and allowed the Sandites to tie it up with a third-quarter shutout before rallying in the fourth. Staton King was 19-29-212-1 passing and Tucker Pawley ran for 229 yards and five touchdowns on 41 carries. 

There's only one Stillwater and they can be counted on to show up. The Pioneers started on a five-win streak before falling 43-29 to Lawton, then went on another three-win streak before falling 35-21 to Midwest City. In their regular season finale they went down swinging with a 263-yard running performance and three touchdowns from Tyler Disidore. They also fumbled three times, turning over two of them.

The pick: Bixby 38 Stillwater 32

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (9) 

Choctaw (6-4, 3-4) once again missed the playoffs by a hair with a winning record and solid season. They went 3-0 outside of their district, including an impressive come-from-behind 21-20 win against Sand Springs. They shut out Enid 37-0 and drilled Putnam West (1-9, 0-7) 45-17 in the season finale. 

Avg Score: 26-23

No. 10 Deer Creek Antlers (10)

Deer Creek (4-6, 2-5) notched wins against 6A-I Southmoore and Edmond Memorial, as well as a 38-24 district win against Enid and a 34-7 performance against Putnam West. Their season finale was a 56-28 home loss to Lawton. 

Avg Score: 25-34

No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)

Enid (3-7, 1-6) won their opening two games 34-23 over Guthrie and 61-34 against Ponca City, and made headlines with a 49-42 double-overtime comeback win against Putnam City West who led 42-7 after three quarters. Despite a potent offense, that would be their only district victory and they closed the season with six-straight losses and a 52-14 finale against Putnam City. AJ Newsome passed for 246 yards and four touchdowns with 38 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the loss. 

Avg Score: 30-44

No. 12 Putnam City West Patriots (12)

Putnam West (1-9, 0-7) won their season-opener 16-15 against Duncan, but wouldn't notch another win this year. They had a few solid performances, putting up 42 points against Enid and only falling 21-11 to Putnam City, but ended the year with a 45-17 loss to Choctaw. 

Avg Score: 15-38

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

Bartlesville (1-8, 1-5) found their lone win in game six, 9-2 against Sapulpa. They also defeated McAlester 30-25 in the season debut, but forfeited the game later due to an ineligible player. After the suspension, then resignation of their former head coach, the Bruins were in a holding pattern under interim coach Kyle Ppool. 

Avg Score: 16-39

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

Sapulpa (1-9, 1-5) started the season with seven-straight losses before trouncing Ponca City 42-14. They had several solid performances, including a 27-20 game against Choctaw, and a 27-14 loss to Muskogee, but never could cross the finish line. They ended the year with a 54-13 loss to Broken Arrow and managed 132 rushing yards against 6A-I powerhouse team. 

Avg Score: 13-34

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

Ponca City (1-9, 1-5) edged out Bartlesville 14-12 in week five to avert a winless season and ended the year with a 51-19 battle against Muskogee. Justin Andrews was 20-44-254-1 passing for both Wildcat touchdowns. 

Avg Score: 14-44. 

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
Overall: 68-18 (.791)
Last Week: 8-0 (1.00)
Last Year: 48-21 (.695)

Virgil Noah
Staff Writer
Overall: 58-15* (.794)
Last Week: 8-0 (1.00)
Last Year: 43-26 (.623)

*Virgil missed the first week of picks.

CPHS Football: Sandites fall 42-21 to No. 6 Bixby on Senior Night

The No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-5, 3-3) suffered a 42-21 defeat in their regular season finale Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The three-time defending State Champions from No. 6 Bixby (6-4, 5-1) won their fourth-straight encounter with the Sandites to clinch a home playoff game, sending the Sandites to take on the District 1 Champions next week.

BHS 42 CPHS 21

1Q All 7-7
2Q BHS 14-0
3Q CPHS 14-0
4Q BHS 21-0

Passing: BHS 19-29-212-1, CPHS 3-12-19-1.
Rushing: BHS 42-232, CPHS 43-159.
Plays-Offense: BHS 73-444, CPHS 55-178.
First Downs: BHS 23, CPHS 15.
Penalties: BHS 4-40, CPHS 4-32.
Fumbles/Lost: BHS 0/0, CPHS 0/0.

The Sandites’ opening drive could not have been more perfect. Luke Bratcher picked up the longest kick return of the season at 45 yards, then the talented Offensive Line paved the way for Payton Scott to march the remaining 52 in only nine plays. The drive was capped by a three-yard run and Jaden Weiser kick for the 7-0 lead.

It was the Spartans’ show from there. They scored on their first possession with a ten-yard run from Tucker Pawley to conclude a seventy-yard twelve-play drive.

The Sandites punted their next possession, the Spartans turned the ball over on a fourth-down pass attempt broken up in the red zone by Lucas Adcock, and the first quarter ended 7-7.

The second quarter was a 14-0 shutout on the part of the visitors. They scored a four-yard run by Pawley on a seven-play 54-yard march. The teams exchanged punts and the Spartans marched 63 yards in eight plays with a one-yard scoring run from Pawley. Reis Vernon was three-for-three on point-after kicks, but bounced a thirty-yard field goal attempt off the uprights shortly before halftime.

After some halftime adjustments, the Sandites came out ready for action and a third-quarter shutout. Kaiden Cox’s onside kick was recovered by Garrett McCallie and the Sandites scored soon after on a four-yard run from Scott. Hayden Cramer picked off a pass on the Spartans’ drive and the Sandites scored once again on a twenty-yard run from Scott to tie the game.

The visitors went right back to work in the fourth with a shutout of their own to sabotage the Sandites' Senior Night. Pawley scored on a one yard run, Staton King sent a 47-yard touchdown pass to Cade Cavendar, then Pawley scored his fifth and final touchdown from seven yards out. 

Pawley led all offensive players with 229 yards and five touchdowns, all on the ground. King was 19-29-212-1 by air and Scott was 29-148 rushing with all three Sandite touchdowns. Cramer led the Sandite defense with thirteen tackles, closely followed by Dash Fleischman with eleven. 

The Sandites will take the No. 4 seed in District Two, meaning they will travel to No. 2 Midwest City (9-1) for the playoff quarterfinals next Friday. Midwest City went undefeated in district play and their only loss this season was a 27-24 overtime battle with No. 1 Booker T. Washington (9-1, 6-0). Bixby will play host to No. 4 Stillwater (8-2). The winners of those two games will meet at a neutral location in the semifinals. 

Sand Springs Individual Statistics

Passing: Pennington 3-12-19-1.
Receiving: McCallie 3-19.
Rushing: Scott 29-148, 3TD. Pennington 9-8. McCallie 3-2. Nortey 2-1.
PAT: Weiser 3/3.
Kick-AVG: Cox 3-28, Weiser 1-30.
Punt-AVG: Smith 5-31.
Kick Return: Bratcher 2-51, Denton 1-10, McCallie 1-10.
Tackles: Cramer 13, Fleischman 11, L. Adcock 7, Finch 6, Askew 6, Edwards 5, Mackey 5, Fain 4, Lyons 3, Bratcher 2, Naugle 1, Krotzer 1, Mock 1, Cartwright 1, Denton 1, Moyer 1, Evans 1.
Tackles For Loss: Finch 2-5, Mackey 1-4, Cramer 1-3, Moyer 1-1. 
Interceptions: Cramer 1-7.
Breakups: Edwards 2, L. Adcock 1, Lyons 1, McCallie 1.

Bixby Individual Statistics

Passing: King 19-29-212-1, 1TD.
Receiving: Cavendar 3-70, 1 TD. Presley 7-50, Riddle 6-49, Calton-Wakins 2-33, Barbour 1-10.
Rushing: Pawley 41-229, 5TD. Roller 1-4, King 2-(-1).
PAT: Vernon 5/5.
Field Goals: Vernon 0/1.
Kick-Avg: Vernon 6-42.
Punt-Avg: Vernon 1-39.
Tackles For Loss: King 1-6, #99 1-5, Farley 1-2.
Sacks: #99 1-5.
Interceptions: Tillman 1.

Week Ten 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

It's the last week of the regular season, and the eight playoff-bound teams have all clinched their berths. From District One it'll be Midwest City, Lawton, Stillwater, and Putnam City. District Two will advance Booker T. Washington, Bixby, Muskogee, and Sand Springs. The teams still have one last game to try and improve their seed. 

No. 1 Booker T. Washington Hornets (Last Week No. 1) vs. No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)* District 2

Booker T. (8-1, 5-0) clinched the District 2 Championship last week with a 21-0 shutout of the defending State Champions from Bixby (5-4, 4-1). The Hornets held Bixby to 115 total yards, including 11 yards on 33 runs, thanks in part to seven sacks. Thomas Grayson ran 20 times for 131 yards and all three Hornet touchdowns came in the first half. Both teams gave up two interceptions apiece with no fumbles. 

Bartlesville (1-7, 1-4) was part of a record setting night, but at their expense. The Sand Springs Sandites (5-4, 3-2) dealt the Bruins a 55-13 loss, running for over 500 yards. Noah Sunday was 22-36-227-1 passing but their run game was held to 77 yards on 25 carries and they gave up one fumble. 

The pick: BTW 58 BHS 7.

No. 2 Midwest City Bombers (2) vs. No. 4 Stillwater Pioneers (5)* District 1

The Bombers (8-1, 6-0) are one step closer to a District title after scoring a 46-25 win over Enid (3-6, 1-5). Their defense was slow-starting as both teams scored on their initial drives before the Bombers jumped ahead with five-straight touchdowns. Preston Colbert was 11-16-222-0 passing and Austin Anderson carried 19 times for 186 yards.

Stillwater (8-1, 5-1) is still in contention for the title after a 39-32 win against Putnam City (6-3, 3-3), but they'll need some help to get there. Not only will they need to beat Midwest City, but they'll also need Lawton to lose. It's impossible for the Pioneers to pass the Bombers in point-differential, so even with a fifteen-point win, they'll need the Wolverines to win by less than two points for Stillwater to host a playoff game. Tyler Disidore ran 18-110, Qwontrell Walker ran 17-111, and Garrett Leming was 11-74 in the back-and-forth affair. 

The pick: MWC 38 SHS 29.

No. 3 Lawton Wolverines (3) vs. No. 10 Deer Creek Antlers (10)* District 1

Lawton (7-2, 5-1) is still in the running for the district title, but it's almost entirely out of their hands. Even with a fifteen-point win over Deer Creek (4-5, 2-4), they'll still need Stillwater to upset Midwest City by at least eight points. Last week they throttled Putnam City West (1-8, 0-6) 44-7. Deer Creek is coming off a 34-21 loss to Choctaw (5-4, 2-4).

The pick: LHS 47 DC 14.

No. 5 Bixby Spartans (4) vs. No. 8 Sand Springs Sandites (8)* District 2

The three-time defending State Champions (5-4, 4-1) suffered a 21-0 shutout at the hands of Booker T. (8-1, 5-0). Staton King was 7-21-104-2 passing and Tucker Pawley was held to 38 yards on 19 carries. All 21 of the Hornets' points came in the first half. The Spartans will clinch a home playoff game with a win. 

Sand Springs (5-4, 3-2) did what they do best and fed the ball to Payton Scott all night long against Bartlesville (1-7, 1-4). The senior star ran for 506 yards and seven touchdowns in the 55-13 beat down. The Sandites won the turnover battle with one pick and one fumble. The Sandites can still earn a home playoff game with an upset of Bixby and a Ponca City upset of Muskogee. 

The pick: BHS 38 CPHS 29.

No. 7 Muskogee Roughers (6) vs. No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (14)* District 2

Muskogee (4-4, 3-2) is coming off a lackluster 27-14 performance against Sapulpa (1-8, 1-5). Jacob Medrano was 18-27-203-0 passing and the Roughers were 37-139 on the ground. They'll clinch third place with a win and a Sandite loss, but if the Sandites upset Bixby it'll come down to point-differential and the Roughers have the lowest spread of the four post-season qualifiers. 

Ponca City (1-8, 1-4) is effectively out of contention, but they could still play the spoiler when it comes to post-season seeding. The Wildcats are coming off a 28-14 loss to Norman (1-8) and should theoretically be an easy win for the Roughers. However, the Wildcats have had some impressive offensive outings this season, scoring 34 against Enid and 21 against Booker T. 

The pick: MHS 39 PoHi 19.

No. 6 Putnam City Pirates (7) vs. No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)* District 1

Putnam City (6-3, 3-3) lost a 39-32 heart-breaker in Stillwater to seal them in at fourth in districts. The Pirates are bound for Booker T. in the post-season, but first they get a tuneup game against Enid (3-6, 1-5). A.J. Newsome was 19-33-268-0 passing while Keylhan Henderson led the ground game with 109 yards on 17 carries.

Enid (3-6, 1-5) is coming off a 46-21 loss to Midwest City (8-1, 6-0). Mason Skrimager was 27-37-191-2 passing.

The pick: PHS 40 EHS 23.

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (9) vs. No. 12 Putnam City West Patriots (12)* District 1

Choctaw (5-4, 2-4) won a 34-21 bout with Deer Creek (4-5, 2-4), but is out of playoff contention and shooting to end the year with a winning record. Putnam City West (1-8, 0-6) is coming off a 44-7 beat down from Lawton (7-2, 5-1) and is just hoping to avoid a winless district record.

The pick: CHS 35 PCW 21.

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (15) vs. Broken Arrow Tigers

Sapulpa (1-8, 1-5) wrapped up their district season with a 27-14 loss to Muskogee (4-4, 3-2) and will end the year against 6A-I Broken Arrow (5-4). The Chieftains were 24-106 on the ground and 8-16-76-1 by air against the Roughers. Broken Arrow is coming off a 49-7 victory over Edmond Memorial (1-8) led by Noah Cortes with 231 yards on the ground and Kejuan Tolbert with 173. 

The pick: BAHS 56 SHS 10.

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
Overall: 60-18 (.769)
Last Week: 7-1 (.875)
Last Year: 48-21 (.695)

Virgil Noah
Staff Writer
Overall: 50-15* (.769)
Last Week: 8-0 (1.00)
Last Year: 43-26 (.623)

*Virgil missed the first week of picks.