SBLive Oklahoma Top 25 football rankings: After dominant 6AI title win, Bixby solidly No. 1

By Christian Potts 

Photograph of Bixby’s Jakeb Snyder by Michael Kinney

Historical past was made and legendary standing cemented as six colleges wrapped up state championships on the soccer subject final weekend.

Simply six groups stay now, taking part in for the state titles in Courses 2A, A and B this weekend.

This week, the SBLive Oklahoma High 25 rankings combine these six squads that already are in with state title winners in addition to different groups that placed on nice performances all through the common season and the playoffs.

The Class B ultimate options defending state champion Laverne taking over Seiling, at 7 p.m. Friday at Northwestern Oklahoma State College in Alva.

In Class 2A, Washington seems to cap its unbeaten season with a take a look at from Oklahoma Metropolis Millwood, at 1 p.m. Saturday on the College of Central Oklahoma.

The Class A ultimate follows later that day and pits a pair of squads with excellent 14-0 squads. Gore and Fairview have taken down all comers and play for the championship at 7 p.m. at UCO.

As we talked about all the best way again earlier than the season began, these rankings examine groups partially primarily based on how they’ve fared inside their respective divisions. It is robust to match a Class A and a Class 6AI squad, as a result of maybe each 6AI squad would defeat each A squad, so we’re looking for a mixture of groups who excelled at their stage.

Having stated that, this is a have a look at 25 of Oklahoma’s prime applications in 2022 and a few highlights on every.

1. Bixby (13-1, 6AI state champions)

The entire season was just about a spotlight for Coach Loren Montgomery’s Spartans, as they made their entry into Class 6AI this season a memorable one, having one of the vital dominant seasons in historical past, avenging their solely loss to Jenks within the semifinals, then pounding Owasso, 69-6, within the championship recreation.

2. Stillwater (14-0, 6AII state champions)

The Pioneers capped their run with the Gundy household main the best way at quarterback with their first state championship in 55 years, as Gage Gundy led Stillwater previous a proficient Choctaw squad, 26-21, whereas his father – Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy – appeared on. Gage’s brother Gunner, now at OSU, was the earlier QB for Stillwater.

3. Midwest Metropolis Carl Albert (12-2, 5A state champions)

As dominant as Bixby was in its title win, the Titans have been nearly as sharp, crusing previous McAlester, 49-7, to assert their sixth gold ball in seven years. Maybe no participant returning to the highschool fields subsequent season is any extra dominant than junior operating again Xavier Robinson, who completed the season with 2,598 dashing yards.

4. Washington (14-0, 2A state finalist vs. OKC Millwood)

The Warriors are one win from perfection after taking down Jones, 49-14, within the semifinals. At a college with all of the custom Washington has, this nonetheless would go down as a season that stands out from nearly all of the others if they’ll take down Millwood within the championship contest this Saturday.

5. OKC Heritage Corridor (13-1, 3A state champions)

The Chargers made historical past, placing up 72 factors within the 3A championship recreation and placing an eighth gold ball within the trophy case on the north aspect of Oklahoma Metropolis. And so they’ll have one of many state’s prime quarterbacks subsequent 12 months as starter Andy Bass, who had an enormous evening within the title recreation, returns for his senior 12 months.

6. Wagoner (11-3, 4A state champions)

Probably the most thrilling second of the Bulldogs’ season was the final one, as Ethan Muehlenweg’s subject aim as time expired gave Wagoner its sixth state championship, 24-21, in opposition to Cushing. The Bulldogs avenged a 42-point defeat to the Tigers within the common season within the first championship weekend’s most unbelievable end.

7. Cushing (13-1, 4A state runner-up)

Take nothing away from the greatness of this staff from that one recreation. Cushing had a historic season.

A proficient group of seniors led by defensive stalwart Riley Matheson, quarterback Blaze Berlowitz and receiver/defensive again Camden Crooks, will ceaselessly be remembered as main among the best courses at school historical past.

8. Tulsa Union (11-1, 6AI semifinalist)

The Redhawks got here up on the dropping finish of 2022’s wildest recreation, a six-overtime, 50-47 semifinal defeat to Owasso. The phrase “what may have been” could also be uttered rather a lot for a staff that was proper on the heels of the dominating Bixby squad all 12 months, however finally by no means even received a shot on the Spartans.

9. Choctaw (11-2, 6AII runner-up)

The Yellowjackets fought onerous however got here up simply quick within the championship recreation to Stillwater. That is pretty much as good a run as the college has ever had, reaching the title contest in two of the final three years, thanks largely to this 12 months’s senior group, led by quarterback Steele Wasel, tight finish R.J. Jackson and speedster Jax Smith.

10. Tipton (14-0, C state champions)

The Tigers cemented extra of their legacy as an 8-man powerhouse, rolling previous Waynoka, 62-36, to assert their eighth state championship at school historical past. Working backs Prince Dweh and Dakota Sheffield pounded the Railroaders for 454 dashing yards and 7 scores within the contest.

11. Gore (14-0, Class A state finalist vs. Fairview)

The Pirates continued their torture of Class A, ripping up beforehand unbeaten Hominy, 48-12, within the semifinals. Now coach Brandon Tyler and his star operating again, Gunner Dozier, have their sights on a state title, with solely a fellow unbeaten in Fairview standing in the best way.

12. OKC Millwood (13-1, 2A state finalist vs. Washington)

Keep in mind the title Rickey Hunt Jr.

Although taking part in in a smaller class, he is one in every of Oklahoma’s most efficient and proficient offensive gamers, win or lose, on this weekend’s championship recreation in opposition to Washington. If his title is named rather a lot on massive performs, it is an important signal for coach Darwin Franklin and the Falcons.

13. Fairview (14-0, Class A state finalist vs. Gore)

Like their foe this week, Gore, the Yellowjackets needed to defeat one other undefeated squad to get by the semifinal spherical final week. And so they did so, taking down Colcord, 38-22, behind Jax Bernard, who threw three landing passes and in addition booted his third subject aim within the final two weeks.

An enormous kick received the 4A recreation final weekend, and it is a man that might ship one as properly.

14. McAlester (10-4, 5A state runner-up)

The Buffaloes’ Erik McCarty had an unfair ending to his highschool profession.

An damage within the staff’s second-round playoff recreation ended his exceptional run at McAlester, however he watched his teammates push all the best way to the title recreation with out him. He’ll subsequent be a part of coach Brent Venables’ efforts to rebuild the College of Oklahoma program.

15. Jenks (10-3, 6AI semifinalist)

The Trojans overcame a rash of early-season accidents and stretches the place at occasions they needed to win ugly earlier than turning up the warmth in November in hopes of a 3rd straight state title.

Finally, their semifinal loss to Bixby left the Trojans uncharacteristically watching championship weekend from the stands.

16. Tulsa Metro Christian (13-1, 3A state runner-up)

The Patriots’ huge run got here up one recreation quick, as they misplaced within the highest-scoring championship recreation in 11-man state historical past, 72-56, to Heritage Corridor.

So ends an unbelievable senior season for quarterback Kirk Francis, who threw for 626 yards within the title recreation and completed with 58 landing passes on the season.

17. Owasso (9-5, 6AI state runner-up)

Invoice Blankenship has performed many an important teaching job in his storied profession. However bringing this Rams staff again from a 1-4 begin to a state championship recreation, successful an unreal six-overtime recreation the week earlier than in opposition to an undefeated arch-rival, will rank up there with any of his efforts.

18. Seiling (13-1, B state finalist vs. Laverne)

This seems like a staff on a mission. The Wildcats solely have misplaced as soon as, and so they avenged that defeat with authority within the semifinals, crushing Oklahoma Bible Academy, 46-0.

Now, they will search for state championship quantity three this weekend in opposition to defending champion Laverne.

19. Coweta (11-1, 5A quarterfinalist)

The whole lot was going proper for the Tigers till immediately it wasn’t. After 11 straight wins and looking out like possibly the staff to beat in 5A, OKC Bishop McGuinness derailed all of it within the quarterfinals, 35-28.

The Tigers have to switch an important senior class, that includes the likes of all-around skills like Mason Ford, Na’Kylan Starks and Carson Flanary.

20. Grove (12-1, 5A semifinalist)

Talking of groups rolling after which immediately being performed, the Ridgerunners have been nearly unstoppable till operating into Carl Albert within the semifinals and falling, 55-21.

Working again Emmanuel Crawford capped his profession with 2,438 dashing yards and 43 touchdowns on the season, together with a rating on his final carry.

21. Tulsa Lincoln Christian (11-2, 3A semifinalist)

The Bulldogs appeared like possibly the staff to beat after back-to-back runner-up finishes in 3A. However Metro Christian’s highly effective offense knocked them down and out within the semifinal spherical, main to a different shut name however a bitter end for the Tulsa faculty.

22. Waynoka (13-1, C state runner-up)

The Railroaders had an emphatic reply for everybody on their schedule till championship weekend, when Tipton simply had an excessive amount of for them.

Nonetheless, it is one other nice run for a college with two state championships and now 5 title recreation appearances. It is their second runner-up end up to now 4 seasons.

23. Laverne (12-1, B state finalist vs. Seiling)

The Tigers search for a repeat this weekend, getting there after a hard-fought, 52-36 win within the semifinals in opposition to Velma-Alma.

Their title hopes could hinge on the play on the line of scrimmage, the place Seiling has been battering opponents and seemingly getting higher week by week. Seiling defeated Laverne, 40-38, method again in Week 2.

24. Muskogee (10-2, 6AII semifinalist)

Be careful for the Roughers the following few years. They have been total the youngest of the contenders in Class 6AII this 12 months, led by their excellent sophomore quarterback Jamarian Ficklin, and so they may soar to the highest because the staff to beat within the class as quickly as subsequent season.

25. Hominy (13-1, Class A semifinalist)

The Bucks had their method in opposition to all comers till the semifinals, when Gore’s highly effective offense proved to be an excessive amount of.

Hominy received an exceptional season out of many gamers, led by their versatile quarterback Jaxon Woods, a run-pass risk who produced week after week for coach Caleb Christian.