High school football - state championship picks
Championship game prediction: Union 27, Norman North 23.
6AII: Bixby — At the time, Tucker Pawley only rushed for 132 yards against Muskogee on Sept. 30. That seems like chump change compared to what Pawley is doing now for the Spartans. Add in seasoned quarterback Tanner Griffin and Bixby is in a good position to atone for a nail-biting loss to Muskogee earlier this season.
Championship game prediction: Bixby 38, Muskogee 34.
5A: Bishop McGuinness — The quarterback-wide receiver combination of Jarrett Lewis and Rubell Goe is dynamic, but the Irish’s defense is as good as it gets. Bishop McGuinness hasn’t allowed more than 16 points in any game this season. Lawton MacArthur and Ardmore will have their say before it’s over, but in the end, Irish on top.
Championship game prediction: Bishop McGuinness 20, Carl Albert 13.
4A: Wagoner — At some point you have to wonder if Malcolm Rodriguez will ever lose. The senior quarterback will attempt to guide the Bulldogs to their third straight state championship. All Rodriguez has done is throw for 1,275 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading Wagoner with 840 yards and 10 touchdowns on 86 carries. And what’s scary is he’s not doing it along. Guys like Scottie Patton, Nikia Jones, K.J. Lee, Chris Murray and Cameron Dumond have all played vital roles in Wagoner’s success. Bottom line, 4A will be a tremendous race to the finish. Heritage Hall, Tuttle, Hilldale and Oologah will provide plenty of hurdles for one another.
Championship game prediction: Wagoner 33, Hilldale 22
3A: Berryhill — Jacob Bailey is a flat out stud. His 2,522 passing yards and 30 touchdowns is eye-popping stuff. The Chiefs have coasted all year long, beating Cushing by 16 points to represent Berryhill’s closest game of the season. Make sure to mark Nov. 25 on your calendar: Berryhill vs. Jones will be an epic showdown in the 3A quarterfinals.
Championship game prediction: Berryhill 39, Cushing 32
2A: Millwood — Not going to lie, not super impressed with Millwood’ schedule. The Soul Bowl against Douglass is an annual staple, so it offers a quality opponent, and a non-district game against 4A’s Cascia Hall was bold venture. But everything else — Southeast and Star Spencer mixed in among district games against Meeker, Luther and Christian Heritage — is less than stellar (but, of course, you don’t get to pick your district opponents). Where I’ll give Millwood credit is its impressive defense, limiting opponents to 10.4 points per game. That defense will get tested against the likes of Vian, Adair and possibly Chisholm in the championship game, but the Falcons appear poised to break through for their first championship in 10 years.
Championship game prediction: Millwood 26, Chisholm 24.
A: Hominy — Just like Millwood being in a loaded half of its bracket, Hominy shares the same fate. Apache, Minco, Afton and Cashion are all among the top half of the Class A bracket. That’s brutal. Luckily for Hominy, it has Tulsa commit Zaven Collins. Also, the Bucks’ defense has only allowed an opponent to reach double digits in points this year, and that was 12 to Porter while Hominy was busy scoring 70 points itself.
Championship game prediction: Hominy 32, Talihina 19.
B: Davenport — The Bulldogs ended a 41-year title drought by winning last year’s Class B championship. This time, Davenport will only have to wait slightly more than 365 days (would be less if Class B hadn’t added an extra round to the playoffs). Davenport is dynamic on both offense and defense, and that’s a gnarly combination in Class B.
Championship game prediction: Davenport 44, Shattuck 32.
C: Tipton — Sure seems like Tipton and Pond-Creek Hunter are on a collision course for the Class C championship game. At that point, it may be a coin flip. I’ll go with the Tigers.
Championship game prediction: Tipton 33, Pond-Creek Hunter 30
