Playoff roundup and Week 12 rankings

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

If there was any doubt that District 1 teams were the only real contenders for the title, it's been laid to rest after solid beatdowns in the first round of the playoffs this weekend. 

#1 Booker T Washington (10-0, 7-0) District 1 Champions

#9 Choctaw (5-6, 2-5) District 2

No surprise here, OSU-commit Justice Hill exploded for 189 yards and five touchdowns in a home quarterfinal performance. The yellowjackets never really had much of a chance against the #1 rungame in the state. 

The pick: BTW 52, Choctaw 17.

Results: BTW 47, Choctaw 17. 

#3 Charles Page (6-4, 5-2) District 1

#8 Stillwater (5-6, 3-3) District 2

It was more-or-less granted that Sand Springs would win, but the real surprise here is just how badly they beat the Pioneers. It wasn't so much the Pioneer's faults--they actually completed more passes than in their last game and had a standard night. It was the Sandites who showed up better than ever and completely out-athleted the home team. The Sandite secondary held the Pioneers to zero first downs in the first quarter and only five per-quarter to follow, not to mention 10 tackles-for-loss and a blocked kick that resulted in a safety. Hunter Greathouse had his first perfect night passing, completing all 11 of his throws for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lane Lettich and Payton Scott combined for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.

The pick: CPHS 27, Stillwater 3

Results: CPHS 49, Stillwater 14. 

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#4 Bixby (7-4, 4-3) District 1

#5 Lawton (8-2, 6-0) District 2 Champions

The only game that was expected to be close this week was anything but close. The Spartans have had a rough time these last few weeks, getting hammered by Booker T, barely squeezing past Muskogee in overtime, and being shut out by Sand Springs. They put a stop to that streak Saturday at Lawton, handing the wolverines their first loss of the season by a large margin. Bixby completed 20 first downs and held Lawton to a staggering low 4 while doubling the wolverines' total yardage.

The pick: Bixby 35, Lawton 28

Results: Bixby 36, Lawton 6.

#2 Bartlesville (10-1, 6-1) District 1

#6 Midwest City (6-4, 4-2) District 2

Midwest City made probably the biggest effort at upsetting it's District 1 opponent, and were it not for a 1-yard line fumble to end a 79 yard drive, it may have been a lot closer. As it were, the Bombers failed to stop Colton Penrod's aerial assault that ended up tallying 279 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The pick: Bartlesville 42, MWC 35

Results: Bville 35, MWC 14.

The rest of the rankings

• #7 Muskogee
• #10 Ponca City
• #11 Sapulpa
• #12 Eisenhower
• #13 Putnam City West
• #14 Enid
• #15 Claremore

My Record

• Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
• Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
• Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
• Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
• Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
• Week 9: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 10: 6-1 (.857)
• Week 11: 4-0 (1.00) 
• Overall: 78-16 (.829)

Week 10 Roundup

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The last week of regular-season football was no less exciting than the rest of the season, and the rankings haven't changed much going into the playoffs.

#1 Booker T Washington (9-0, 7-0) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-7, 3-4) District 1

The Roughers never really had much of a chance to stop the Hornets from a perfect season--not after Bixby, Bartlesville, and Sand Springs failed to. But they certainly played with heart. Without lead running back Molijah Gilbert, the Roughers resorted to an aerial offense and senior quarterback Quintahj Cherry managed to surpass the 2000 yard mark for the season. It was nowhere near enough to overcome OSU-commit Justice Hill, however. The soon-to-be Cowboy ran up 135 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 9 carries before retiring to the bench after the first half. 

The pick: BTW 56, Muskogee 14

Results: BTW 46, Muskogee 21

#2 Bartlesville (9-1, 6-1) District 1

#15 Claremore (2-8, 0-7) District 1

The Zebras actually managed to lead the Bruins, briefly. Then Colton Penrod dropped touchdown bombs of 65, 65, and 55 on his way to a 237 yard finish. The run game was strong as well as Jarron Hilger picked up 124 rushing yards and scored on the first Bruin drive. 

The pick: Bville 48, Claremore 13

Results: Bville 56, Claremore 22

#3 Charles Page (5-4, 5-2) District 1

#4 Bixby (6-4, 4-3) District 1

Sand Springs got their payback against the Spartans for last season. Bixby was dealt their first shutout in seven years and was held to negative rushing yards by the top defense in the state which ran up 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. 

The pick: CPHS 41, Bixby 35

Results: CPHS 20, Bixby 0

#5 Lawton (8-1, 6-0) District 2

#9 Choctaw (5-5, 2-4) District 2

The Wolverines were without their leading defensive player, and it showed, but they were still able to hold off the Yellowjackets for their third consecutive undefeated district championship. 

The pick: Lawton 48, Choctaw 24

Results: Lawton 33, Choctaw 25

#6 Midwest City (6-3, 4-2) District 2

Midwest City elected not to play a fourth non-district game and took a week off before the playoffs.

#8 Stillwater (5-5, 3-3) District 2

#12 Eisenhower (1-9, 1-5) District 2

The Eagles didn't fail to impress, but they did fail to bump the Pioneers down from the #2 seed. It was a battle royale at Pioneer Stadium as Ike tied things up 21-21 late in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Jace Brownlee ran in a 61 yard touchdown on the ensuing drive to take the final lead. 

The pick: Stilly 35, Ike 21.

Results: Stilly 33, Ike 27.

#10 Ponca City (3-6, 2-5) District 1

#11 Sapulpa (2-7, 1-6) District 1

The Chieftains had a rough start this year, but managed to work their way up a few spots due to some solid late-season performances. This loss came down to the first ever field goal miss of Sapulpa kicker Paige McCracken, but considering what Sapulpa had to overcome from last year, they should all be proud.

The pick: Ponca 35, Sapulpa 21

Results: Ponca 30, Sapulpa 28.

#13 Putnam City West (4-6, 2-4) District 2

#14 Enid (2-8, 2-4) District 2

The Patriots' post-season dreams came to an end, but they still won three more games than anyone thought they would. It looks like the losing-streak for PCW may finally be reaching its end, so District 2 better keep a wary eye going into next season. Enid narrowly pulled off the upset to avoid the bottom ranking in the division.

The pick: PCW 47, Enid 35

Results: Enid 49, PCW 42

My Record

• Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
• Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
• Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
• Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
• Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
• Week 9: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 10: 6-1 (.857)
• Overall: 74-16 (.822)

Week 10 Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (8-0, 6-0) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-6, 3-3) District 1

Don't expect any surprises here. Muskogee's a far better team than they've been in recent years, but after being knocked out of playoff contention there's little likelihood that they'll find the motivation to upset the #1 undefeated team. Expect OSU-commit Justice Hill to rush for a couple hundred yards as usual and Dakari Willis will probably look to stretch his arm out a bit before the playoffs.

The pick: BTW 56, Muskogee 14

#2 Bartlesville (8-1, 5-1) District 1

#13 Claremore (2-7, 0-6) District 1

Bartlesville consistently gives up points, but also consistently scores substantially more. It'll be a blow out, but I doubt it'll be a shut out. The Zebras have had a rough time this season with injuries, but they've still got heart and won't go down without a fight. Between Colton Penrod and Jarron Hilger, however, it should be a clear Bruin victory.

The pick: Bville 48, Claremore 13.

#3 Charles Page (4-4, 4-2) District 1

#4 Bixby (6-3, 4-2) District 1

Bixby has fallen quite a bit from their early season performance and barely edged by Muskogee last week in overtime while Sand Springs was close to upsetting top-ranked Booker T. On paper, this should be a clear pick. However, there's a lot of bad blood between the Sandites and Spartans after Bixby injured several Sand Springs players last year and beat them twice--once in the regular season and once in the semifinals. Muskogee's players hadn't even made it home yet before Twitter was blowing up with Sandite tweets calling out Bixby last week. The playoffs are locked up for both teams, but they'll be battling for the #3 seed so it should be a shootout, just like last year's 34-31 week 10 game. Bixby has one of the best runningbacks in the state in Nic Roller and Sand Springs has the best defense so it should be a great matchup.

The pick: Sand Springs 41, Bixby 35.

#5 Lawton (7-1, 5-0) District 2

#11 Choctaw (5-4, 2-3) District 2

The Wolverines wrapped up a district championship last week against Midwest City and their only loss was a rivalry matchup against the undefeated #1 team in 5A. Choctaw is coming to do battle, however, as they need a win to hold onto a playoff berth. 

The pick: Lawton 48, Choctaw 24

#6 Midwest City (6-3, 4-2) District 2

Midwest City elected not to play a fourth non-district game and is taking a week off before the playoffs.

#8 Putnam City West (4-5, 2-3) District 2

#14 Enid (2-7, 1-4) District 2

It's down to the wire for PCW. The Patriots are already experiencing their best record since 2000, but after a big time upset by Eisenhower last week it still remains to be seen if they'll clinch their first playoff appearance since 1996. On paper, it should be locked up. But if Enid overcomes PCW like Ike did, then Choctaw will take the bottom seed in the playoffs.

The pick: PCW 47, Enid 35

#9 Stillwater (4-5, 3-2) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (1-8, 1-4) District 2

It's too late for Ike to reach the playoffs, but it's not too late for them to bump Stillwater down to the bottom seed and at least move up from the bottom rank of the division. The Eagles will be flying high after their 50-28 dominating upset @ PCW last week.

The pick: Stilly 38, Ike 35

#10 Ponca City (2-6, 1-5) District 1

#12 Sapulpa (2-6, 1-5) District 1

The Chieftains pulled off a narrow 1 point win last week against Claremore in the lowest scoring game of the season for 6A-II, but it was their first win since week 2 and it was an upset. Expect Dae Williams to cross the 1500 season rushing mark. Ponca doesn't have any huge stars like Williams, but they have a better talent-spread among the players. Keep your eyes on QB Conner Larson and the RB/WR combo of the Arita brothers. 

The pick: Ponca 35, Sapulpa 21

My Record

• Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
• Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
• Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
• Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
• Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
• Week 9: 6-2 (.750)
• Overall: 68-15 (.819)

Week 9 Roundup and Week 10 Rankings

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (8-0, 6-0) District 1

#3 Charles Page (4-4, 4-2) District 1

The Hornets held off Sand Springs with a last minute field goal to further their series lead to 12-6, but it was the Sandites who were the stars of the show. Not only was SS the only team this season to lead the Hornets, but they thoroughly dominated offensively, beating the home team by 112 yards. The loss came down to two plays. First, Sand Springs had a 31 yard field goal nullified due to having only 10 players on the field, and the retry was fumbled due to the rain-slicked ball. Then, the visitors tried for a fourth and goal touchdown pass from the four instead of kicking a field goal.

The pick: BTW 43, CPHS 24.

Results: BTW 17, CPHS 14. 

#2 Bartlesville (8-1, 5-1) District 1

#10 Ponca City (2-6, 1-5) District 1

The Wildcats managed to draw first blood with a first quarter field goal but four minutes later Bartlesville took the lead once and for all. Colton Penrod, the #3 quarterback in the state, passed for 228 yards and Jarron Hilger picked up 147 yards rushing. Ponca went down with all pistons firing, however, and Darrell Arita put up a valiant effort with 133 rush yards. 

The pick: Bartlesville 56, Ponca 28.

Results: Bartlesville 42, Ponca 23. 

#4 Bixby (6-3, 4-2) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-6, 3-3) District 1

The Spartans edged out Muskogee by a hair as Cade Cabbiness blocked what would have been a game-winning PAT to force overtime. Nic Roller scored on a 1-yard run for Bixby, and Connor Walker had an endzone-interception to seal the victory and secure a Spartan playoff berth.  

The pick: Bixby 42, Muskogee 27

Results: Bixby 48, Muskogee 41.

#5 Lawton (7-1, 5-0) District 2

#6 Midwest City (6-3, 4-2) District 2

The top team in District 2 emerged to an 18-0 half time lead before Jacob Reed got the Bombers on the board with a 1-yard carry. Brendon Brown front flipped into the endzone to even things out to 18-13, before the Wolverines pulled ahead for the win.

The pick: Lawton 35, MWC 27.

Results: Lawton 24, MWC 13. 

#8 Putnam City West (4-5, 2-3) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (1-8, 1-4) District 2

The Eagles pulled off a major upset to avoid a win-less season, but in a district where everybody has losses to teams they should have beaten hands-down, I'm unable to bump Ike up from the bottom position unless they manage to do it again against Stillwater. They managed to hold the Patriots back from their first winning record in 15 years, which is unfortunate for PCW, but it doesn't eliminate them from playoff contention. So long as Lawton beats Choctaw and PCW defeats Enid, they'll still get their first post-season appearance since 1996. 

The pick: PCW 42, Ike 14.

Results: Ike 50, PCW 28. 

#9 Stillwater (4-5, 3-2) District 2

#14 Enid (2-7, 1-4) District 2

Enid took the lead as Stillwater struggled defensively in a shootout that both teams needed to reach the post season. The Pioneers didn't take the lead till midway through the fourth, but managed to haul in the win and clinch a playoff berth. 

The pick: Stillwater 38, Enid 20.

Results: Stillwater 48, Enid 37.

#11 Choctaw (5-4, 2-3) District 2

US Grant (2-6)

The Yellowjackets took an easy 20-0 lead on Grant in a dominating bye-week from district play.

The pick: Choctaw 47, Grant 12

Results: Choctaw 58, Grant 8

#12 Sapulpa (2-6, 1-5) District 1

#13 Claremore (2-7, 0-6) District 1

The Chieftains finally found a district win thanks to SMU-commit Dae Williams's 211 rushing yards and sole Chieftain touchdown. 

The pick: Claremore 35, Sapulpa 27

Results: Sapulpa 7, Claremore 6.

My Record

• Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
• Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
• Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
• Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
• Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
• Week 9: 6-2 (.750)
• Overall: 68-15 (.819)

Week 9 Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

These next two weeks hold a lot of post-season-implication for District 1. While the dust is mostly settled down South, the North still has four teams battling it out for playoff berths and you can expect that none of them will go quietly into that good night.

#1 Booker T Washington (7-0, 5-0) District 1

#3 Charles Page (4-3, 4-1) District 1

Easily the biggest game of the week for 6A-II, and the biggest game of the year for Sand Springs, this will be the deciding game on if the Sandites have a real shot at the state title. If CPHS can pull off the upset here then they'll have a guaranteed ride to the playoffs. On paper, the Hornets should have no problem fending off Sand Springs, but a storm is brewing and the Sandites are hungry. Booker T is a predominately run-oriented offense while Sand Springs has a pretty even pass-rush split. BTW has the home field advantage, but with rain on the way, anything can happen. Booker T leads the series 11-6, but Sand Springs has won 2 of the last 3 and the last 2 were both big-scoring shootouts.

The pick: BTW 43, CPHS 24

#2 Bartlesville (7-1, 4-1) District 1

#10 Ponca City (2-5, 1-4) District 1

Not much to see here, the Wildcats will be easily tamed by the Bruins' stellar air raid. Colton Penrod just passed the 8000 mark on career-passing yards and is third in the state this season. 

The pick: Bartlesville 56, Ponca 28

#4 Bixby (5-3, 3-2) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-5, 3-2) District 1

Muskogee's last real hope for a playoff berth comes down to this game. The Spartans are still one of the top teams in the state, but they have fallen on hard times. Bixby is coming off a devastating loss to BTW and Muskogee gets the home field advantage in what's sure to be a thrilling game. The Spartans have a lot to prove in this game if they want to be a real contender for the title. 

The pick: Bixby 42, Muskogee 27

#5 Lawton (6-1, 4-0) District 2

#6 Midwest City (6-2, 4-1) District 2

Probably the second-most exciting game of the week is the Title game for District 2. The Bombers put up a great effort in a week 1 loss to BTW, then got upset majorly by Stillwater. Was the Pioneer loss a fluke or are the Wolverines truly the best team down South? 

The pick: Lawton 35, MWC 27

#8 Putnam City West (4-4, 2-2) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-8, 0-4) District 2

The Patriots came into the season as the bottom-ranked team in the division and haven't had a winning record since 2000, and haven't seen the playoffs since 1996. The current lineup has put an end to that era and is headed to the playoffs, so long as they aren't upset by the two worst teams in the state. 

The pick: PCW 42, Ike 14

#9 Stillwater (3-5, 2-2) District 2

#14 Enid (2-6, 1-3) District 2

The Pioneers won't have a winning record, but they should make the playoffs with the bottom seed, at least. Enid's only true win was a 3-point win against Ike last week. Sand Springs had to forfeit a 33-7 victory after a player was deemed ineligible. 

The pick: Stilly 38, Enid 20

#11 Claremore (2-6, 0-5) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-6, 0-5) District 1

The pick: Claremore 35, Sapulpa 27

#12 Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) District 2

US Grant (2-5) 

The Generals finally broke a 6-game losing streak and officially have their best record since 2003. Don't expect them to tie that magical 4-6 season, however. 

The pick: Choctaw 47, Grant 12

Week 8 Roundup and Week 9 Rankings

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (7-0, 5-0) District 1

#4 Bixby (5-3, 3-2) District 1

The Hornets continue to be the indisputable top team in 6A-II, slaughtering last year's State Champions to beat the spread by an astounding 40 points. Turnovers were the name of the game, as the Spartans gave up two fumbles and threw two interceptions. Despite 270 yards of total offense, Bixby only entered the endzone once on a 3 yard rush by Nic Roller. Washington relied on a predominately rushing offense for 375 yards against only 79 from the air, but don't count out their passing game against future opponents as QB Dakari Wilson was 8 for 11 with no interceptions. Sparta falls to fourth in the rankings, but despite a massive beatdown this week, Bixby's still a big favorite to make the playoffs where anything can happen.

The pick: BTW 35, Bixby 30

Results: BTW 52, Bixby 7

#2 Bartlesville (7-1, 4-1) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-6, 0-5) District 1

No surprises here, the Bruins rebounded excellently after a field-goal-loss to BTW to bring down the hammer on Sapulpa. A devastating air raid by QB Colton Penrod amounted to 430 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns against the Chieftains.

The pick: Bville 47, Sapulpa 20.

Results: Bville 56, Sapulpa 21.

#3 Charles Page (4-3, 4-1) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-5, 3-2) District 1

The Sand Springs Sandites swap places with the Spartans after a dominating defensive performance that outdid all expectations against the previously 6th-ranked Roughers. Muskogee has definitely improved as a team since last year, but the legendary Sandite secondary is better than ever and continues to develop as the season progresses. The O-line put up some massive blocks creating holes for Payton Scott and Lane Lettich to both cross the 500 rush-yard mark for the season and Hunter Greathouse easily surpassed 1000 passing yards. Jason Cooper picked off three Muskogee passes, one for a touchdown that was called back due to holding. 

The pick: CPHS 35, Muskogee 21.

Results: CPHS 34, Muskogee 10.

#5 Lawton (6-1, 4-0) District 2

TX #754 Triple A Academy (4-5)

The pick: Lawton 61, Triple A 7

Results: Lawton 51, Triple A 7.

#6 Midwest City (6-2, 4-1) District 2

#12 Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) District 2

The Bombers took a rough upset to Stillwater a few weeks ago, but it's looking like the Pioneers may have simply pulled a fluke because since then they barely edged out Choctaw and lost to PCW, both of whom were clearly defeated by MWC. District 2 seems to be having a hard time deciding who their best teams are besides Lawton, but I think we can count on the Bombers to put up a solid post-season performance. It wasn't the cleanest win of the season, but it sets up MWC for a district championship battle with Lawton next week. MWC jumps two spots.

The pick: MWC 27, Choctaw 13

Results: MWC 28, Choctaw 21.

#8 Putnam City West (4-4, 2-2) District 2

#9 Stillwater (3-5, 2-2) District 2

The Patriots have done an excellent job this season, already outdoing their previous season record by three wins with two winable games left. While they may not be in legitimate state title contention, they've got a lot to be proud of, climbing more since the preseason rankings than any other team to potentially make it to the playoffs for the first time since 1996.  PCW moves up one spot while Stillwater drops two.

The pick: Stillwater 38, PCW 36

Results: PCW 35, Stillwater 26

#10 Ponca City (2-5, 1-4) District 1

#11 Claremore (2-6 0-5) District 1

One of the closest games of the night, Ponca City pulled out the edge on Clarmore. Ponca trailed 347-333 in total offensive yardage and gained less yards-per-play, but completed more first downs. Ponca threw an interception, but Claremore recovered a Wildcat fumble. Both teams had about 70 yards in penalties. Claremore held a 24-16 lead deep in the third but Ponca rallied from behind and recovered a pooch kick to run the clock out.

The pick: Ponca 44, Claremore 33

Results: Ponca 29, Claremore 24.

#14 Enid (2-6, 1-3) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-8, 0-4) District 2

The Plainsmen picked up their first true win of the season, edging out the Eagles in a massive offensive shootout. Brian Banks caught for 109 of Enid's 262 passing yardage and Devin Pratt picked up a career-high 260 rushing yards for four touchdowns. Ike's Rico Bussey finished with 222 yards of total offense.

The pick: Enid 27, Ike 16.

Results: Enid 44, Ike 41.

My Record

• Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
• Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
• Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
• Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
• Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
• Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
• Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
• Overall: 62-13 (.826)