Playoff Weekend

November 14, 2008 05:26 pm

— By Jeff Latzke
AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Having avoided the perils of a late season upset, Oklahoma’s top high-school football teams head into the playoffs this week as the real march toward the state championship begins.
All eight of the state’s No. 1 teams won their final regular-season games last week, including three that got through tests against ranked opponents.
Union continues as the top team in Class 6A after beating No. 9 Enid 40-6, while Class 5A No. 1 Booker T. Washington beat No. 4 Bixby 28-14 and top-ranked Glenpool finished its undefeated regular season with a 35-6 defeat of No. 6 Star Spencer in 4A.
The other No. 1 teams in the state are still Cascia Hall in Class 3A, Heritage Hall in Class 2A, Okeene in Class A, Garber in Class B and Shattuck in Class C.
Heritage Hall, Okeene and Shattuck were the only three teams to make it wire-to-wire at No. 1 through the regular season, while Union dropped down after its season-opening loss but recovered to get back to the top.
All eight of the preseason No. 1s made the playoffs with Class B’s Laverne as the only one that won’t carry a top 5 ranking into the postseason.
There’s still plenty to be decided this year. Six of the state’s eight classes have multiple undefeated teams, and that includes Class 6A.
No. 3 Midwest City and No. 4 Mustang each carry 10-0 records as they try to end a 13-year stranglehold on the title by Union and Jenks. Midwest City was the last team other than the Tulsa-area powerhouses to win the title, back in 1995. The Bombers would have to get past Union in the semifinals while Mustang would meet Jenks in that round.
In Class 4A, No. 1 Glenpool, No. 2 Grove and No. 3 Broken Bow all take unblemished records into the postseason as they try to unseat two-time defending champion Bishop McGuinness.
There’s also a trio of undefeateds trying to keep No. 4 Clinton from winning its second straight state title in Class 3A: top-ranked Cascia Hall (9-0), No. 2 Tuttle (10-0) and No. 3 Checotah (10-0).
Heritage Hall has competition in Class 2A from No. 2 Chandler which capped its 10-0 regular season with a 66-27 rout of fifth-ranked Eufaula.
Okeene seeks its third straight Class A title with fellow unbeatens No. 2 Ringling, No. 8 Commerce and No. 10 Talihina in the mix. Shattuck goes for its sixth straight championship in Class C, needing to fend off No. 2 Timberlake and No. 3 Thackerville, which both also have 10-0 records.
Booker T. Washington, No. 2 Carl Albert and No. 3 Guthrie — the defending state champs — lead the way in Class 5A which doesn’t have an undefeated season at stake but still plenty of intrigue.
Then there’s a scramble in Class B to fill a gaping hole created when three-time defending champion Morrison moved up a class this season. Garber has made it through the season unbeaten to claim the role of the favorite with No. 2 Davenport and No. 3 Weleetka — the only team other than Morrison to win a title since 2001 — right behind.