Oklahoma
Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle to Prioritize Getting Veteran Wideout More Opportunities
The No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners have plenty of opportunities before them to make their losses to Mississippi and Texas feel like distant memories. A road matchup with the No. 14-ranked Tennessee Volunteers provides a great platform for a potential strong OU run to end their regular season.
In order to make that happen, Oklahoma must correct issues that seem simple in theory but have proven elusive in several games. Namely, get players like Deion Burks the ball.
It’s something that Ben Arbuckle wants to do.
“Deion’s a talented kid,” Arbuckle said during his Tuesday press conference. “Finding ways to get him the ball in space, he has the ability with his quick twitch and speed. Just have to keep working with him.”
Against the Michigan Wolverines in Week 2, Burks revealed the game-breaking ability that followed him from Purdue when he transferred to Norman during the 2024 offseason. Burks had seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Since then? 22 catches for 201 yards and no touchdowns. His back-to-back seven catch games in Oklahoma’s first two games have yet to show themselves since.
By now, Sooner fans are familiar with dozens of isolated plays over the last three weeks showcasing open receivers downfield — that Mateer either missed on throws or simply never looked their way. Burks has been a frequent star in those examples
Burks is looking at his lack of impact in the right way.
“Just know it’s football, man,” Burks said on Monday when asked about if he’s frustrated when he doesn’t get the ball. “Just know there’s more than me on the field. Never know really what’s going on behind the play. But no. Just next-play mentality. Just trying to get open again if I’m missed or anything like that.”
While Burks has been quiet, Isaiah Sategna III has blossomed. Since the Michigan game, Sategna has snagged 37 catches for 564 yards and five scores. If Oklahoma wants to have success on the road in the SEC, they cannot only rely on Sategna. They have to get Burks the ball to ensure the offense can hit its ceiling and reward its capable defense for stops.
Arbuckle knows how important Burks is to what the Sooners want to do.
“Just gotta keep working with him,” Arbuckle said. “There were times in that game where the ball should have found him.”
Both Arbuckle and Burks stressed that John Mateer cannot be expected to make every play, especially against great conference competition. “It’s not all on John,” Arbuckle relayed. But there’s no doubt that Oklahoma is leaving potential greatness on the field instead of on the scoreboard.
“John’s a leader,” Burks said. “He wants to be great so of course he’s in and out of this facility and we have our conversations but no conversation where it’s down in a sense. Just trying to bring each other up and how can we continue to get better each and every week.”
Arbuckle has been encouraged by Burks’ work ethic since the loss in the Cotton Bowl. That encouragement makes Arbuckle all the more hungry for getting Burks more involved to piggyback off of Sategna’s last month of play and to help his struggling quarterback.
“Dion’s a talented kid who honestly has had the best two weeks of practice from a technical standpoint and a straining to win standpoint,” Arbuckle said. “I’m really proud of the way he’s attacking practice.”
Oklahoma
Putnam City West moves to virtual learning after student incident
Putnam City West High School will shift to virtual learning on Tuesday after an incident involving two students prompted an investigation by the district and Oklahoma City police, according to Putnam City Schools.
District officials said administrators were alerted near the end of the school day Monday to an altercation involving two students in the school’s arena area.
Officials said the students left campus, and the case was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for investigation.
District officials said no students or staff were harmed and there is no ongoing safety threat related to the incident.
What we know
Putnam City West sent the following email to all families and staff at the school:
All PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st.
Today, an isolated serious incident involving two students occurred on school grounds. Near the end of the school day, administrators were alerted to an altercation between two students in the arena area. The individuals involved quickly left campus, prompting an initial fact-finding response by school administrators before the matter was turned over to Putnam City Campus Police and the Oklahoma City Police Department for further investigation. Because this is an active investigation involving students, no further information will be released at this time.
We understand this information may be concerning to students, staff, and families. Please know we are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. At Putnam City Schools, student and staff safety remains our highest priority. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and to allow for a thorough investigation, all PCW students and staff will transition to virtual learning for Tuesday, April 21st. Students will need to check Google Classroom for updates from teachers.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of PC West.
Putnam City Schools
All students and staff at Putnam City West will transition to virtual learning on Tuesday, April 21, while investigators continue their work, according to the district.
Students were told to check Google Classroom for instructions from teachers.
The district said it is withholding additional details because the case involves students and remains under investigation.
School officials have not said what triggered the incident or whether any arrests have been made.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as more information becomes available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma launches program letting adults use past credits, test scores to earn diplomas
TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — A new program in Oklahoma is giving adults another way to finish high school by allowing them to use past credits and test scores to earn a diploma, an option officials say could help thousands of people and strengthen the state’s workforce.
For years, adults in Oklahoma who did not finish high school largely had one main option: earning a GED. Now, Oklahoma CareerTech is rolling out the Career Readiness Diploma, a pathway designed to build on what students have already completed rather than requiring them to start over.
“So in Oklahoma right now, if you look at the demographics, we have about 279,000 people in our state without a high school diploma. So it’s almost 10% of our population doesn’t have a high school diploma,” said Lance Allee, an adult education and family literacy specialist with Oklahoma CareerTech.
Allee said the program allows adults to apply previously earned high school credit and combine different assessment scores into a single record to qualify for a diploma.
“It allows the student to use previously earned high school credit. So, it’s kind of like a portfolio where you can take multiple assessment scores and put them into one portfolio to get your high school diploma,” Allee said.
The program is open to adults 21 and older. In some cases, officials said, participants can finish in just weeks, depending on how many credits they already have.
CareerTech officials say the program is also aimed at improving job prospects for individuals while helping Oklahoma remain competitive when attracting employers.
“When you’re a company and you’re looking at moving into Oklahoma, you look at the demographics and say, is there a workforce there that we can employ? And you say, well, about 10% of the population doesn’t have a diploma, they may start looking at states that surround us. So, we definitely want to get as many diplomas out there as we can,” Allee said.
The program started issuing diplomas in recent weeks, and officials said dozens more people are already in the process. For more information or to sign up click here.
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Oklahoma
Cord Rager’s Return, Consistent Hitting Earns Oklahoma First SEC Sweep of Missouri
NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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