Who should be No. 1 in Class 6A?

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

Most weeks, I post my rankings here and try to explain my reasoning for who I ranked where in each class. I haven’t done that–yet–for this week, simply because I agonized over Class 6A. Every class gets careful consideration each week but most weeks in most classes there are clear reasoning for one team over another. Owasso’s 41-38 win over Tulsa Union last week threw that into a tailspin.

There are several teams that have legitimate arguments to the top spot. Here are their resumes, their arguments for being No. 1 and the opinions of Jason Kersey and Scott Wright. Disagree with one of us? Disagree with all of us? Feel free to chime in at the bottom.

Broken Arrow: This was my top pick. Broken Arrow’s only loss came 21-14 to then top-ranked Tulsa Union on Sept. 16 on the road. They’ve beaten Owasso (48-20), Odessa (Texas) Permian (68-26) and Sapulpa (52-19). The Tigers took a healthy Union team down to the wire and showed they could hang. The argument against them is: they’ve lost a game, which a couple other teams we’ll mention later haven’t, and they needed overtime to beat Muskogee, who is 1-5 this season.

Edmond North: The Huskies are undefeated, one of just two Class 6A teams without a loss. They’ve scored 40 or more points four times this season and next allowed more than 13. They beat Southmoore 42-10 to open the season and thrashed a previously unbeaten Putnam City team 35-0 last week. The downside for the Huskies is Southmoore was banged up when they met, Mustang isn’t what it once was and it’s still not clear how good Putnam City is. The Pirates’ hot start could’ve been indicative  of a weak schedule. These drawbacks aren’t the fault of the Huskies–they’ve taken care of business–and Edmond North will have plenty of chances to turn around those perceptions in the next three weeks with Westmoore, Lawton and Edmond Santa Fe on the schedule.

Jenks: The Trojans were No. 2 in my poll before last week but I reevaluated and bumped Broken Arrow ahead of the Trojans. Jenks also holds a win over Owasso (49-27) and has blown out every team it has faced other than Union. The argument against the Trojans is simple: they got beat 41-19 by Union. It’s hard to write off Jenks right now after their continued dominance.

Midwest City: Like Edmond North, the Bombers have topped the 40-point mark four times this season. Their closest game was a 21-point win over Edmond Santa Fe in Week 3. The Bombers defense, once again, is among the toughest around and their offense shows unusual balance for a Bombers team that has long relied on the run. James Flanders is giving the Bombers what they expected and more on the ground and junior quarterback Joel Davis is improving steadily and giving Midwest City a solid passing game. The argument against Midwest City is their schedule to this point. The Bombers’ opponents have won just 12 games this season, with five of those coming from Santa Fe. They play Norman North to end the season but the Bombers’ really don’t figure to be tested until at least the first round of the playoffs.

Owasso: To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and Owasso did that Friday night with a stunning upset of the Redskins. Owasso’s non-district schedule is as tough as any around and although Owasso went 1-2 in that stretch, they did manage to score 47 points combined in losses to Broken Arrow and Jenks. The Rams have probably the top QB/WR combo in the state with Kason Key and Keon Hatcher. The argument against the Rams is simple: their big losses in non-district should keep them out of the top spot.

Tulsa Union: Union? After that loss? Yes, there’s an argument to be made. The Redskins have win over Jenks and Broken Arrow and they led Owasso big before their quarterback and running back went down with injuries that kept them out of the second half against Owasso. If those two guys get back soon, Union could very well still be the top dog in 6A.

There are the arguments for and against each time. I weighed all of them (and more) before settling on Broken Arrow as the top team with Jenks, Midwest City and Edmond North not far behind. I’m going to continue to reevaluate things week by week but right here, right now, this is where I stand.

Here’s what Jason and Scott have to say about who should be No. 1.

Jason’s pick: Edmond North

I think — at this point — Edmond North is Class 6A’s best team.

The undefeated Huskies really have no weak spots on either side of the ball. Edmond North smacked previously unbeaten Putnam City 35-0 on Friday, holding star running back Casey Curtis to 65 yards on 20 carries.

The Huskies’ offensive dominance all starts up front. Edmond North’s offensive line is huge, which is what gets it noticed, but it’s about more than size. The line is also very strong and athletic.

The line opens up holes for the backfield duo of Jarion Tudman and Jared Benway, who give Edmond North a tough 1-2 punch of speed and strength.

And North couldn’t ask for a better field general. Senior Jesse Mathews, in his first year as a starter, has been nothing short of fantastic through six games. He has shown an ability to make plays with both his arms and legs.

Edmond North’s schedule hasn’t been the toughest, but the Huskies will be tested in their next three games, with Westmoore, Lawton and Edmond Santa Fe in consecutive weeks. If the Huskies emerge from that gauntlet unscathed, there might be no stopping them.

Scott’s pick: Midwest City
First of all, this pick comes with a caveat. I still think Jenks and Union are the top two favorites for the Class 6A gold ball. To quote the great prophet Ric Flair, if you want to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man. But this question isn’t about state championship favorites, it’s about who should be No. 1 right now, in Week 7 of the football season — only the halfway point for those teams that will eventually play for the state title.

So I’m picking Midwest City, with Broken Arrow and Jenks close behind. For all the fancy, exciting spread offenses out there that put up crazy numbers and fly up and down the field, football is still won with defense and run game. And through six games, Midwest City has shown the capability to dominate good teams in those two facets of the game.

A lot of people are probably making the argument for the Bombers at No. 1 because they think they’re the best undefeated team, and an undefeated team should be ranked ahead of a team with one loss, like Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow or Owasso. But this isn’t college football, and basing your argument solely on records is drastically oversimplifying the process.

I’m picking the Bombers as my No. 1 team right now, because I’ve been impressed with what they’ve accomplished on the field, the consistency they’ve displayed, and the overall talent of the team. They have some question marks, like their offensive diversity, but there isn’t a team out there this season that doesn’t appear to have flaws, whether it’s talent-related, injury-related, or whatever. Right now, this week, Midwest City should be No. 1.

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The following comments are archived from the original publication of this post

• Ryan Aber on Oct 23, 2011 @ 7:44 pm
  I haven't been looking for anything, though can't speak for the other people talking here. Although depending on the Union-Stillwater result, the bracket could set up some pretty wild early round matchups. I think the problem for Stillwater, for me, is their defense. They've given up 185 points, more than 50 fewer than Union and more than 20 more than Sand Springs even. The Midwest City criticism has some validity. That's been one of their big issues in the past is not being able to throw the ball when they needed to. I think Joel Davis has done a pretty good job at QB for them, though, and they do have a bit of WR depth they haven't had in the past. Is that enough? I'm not sure. Jenks' defensive line is certainly very impressive. After watching Broken Arrow manhandle Southmoore a couple weeks ago, I was feeling pretty good abotu having the Tigers No. 1 but Steve Spavital talked afterward about their lack of size and if that's going to hurt them this year, that would be the game where it would.
• Toy Caldwell on Oct 23, 2011 @ 7:35 pm
  Something else. I've seen the Stillwater team at Owasso. If you guys want to talk about a DARKHORSE in 6A, I'd think they are worth mentioning. With those receivers they've got, they could be scary on a givin night. Where I think Midwest City and some of the other favorites you have up there are too one dimensional to really have a shot at going all the way. You guys ranked Stillwater a distant 8th in all of this. Look for Union to go down there and have their hands full in that last regular season finally for the district title. Also the Broken Arrow game this friday against Jenks could be interesting. Jenk's massive defensive line has some new looks and will be the difference in that one I feel. If Jenks were to lose somehow, it would throw the playoff brackets in the tailspin you guys have been looking for up there. But I still think the END results will be the same...
• Ryan Aber on Oct 23, 2011 @ 7:28 pm
  My name's Aber. If you had read what I said either here or on the other post, you wouldn't need to ask those questions. I fully expect Jenks and Union to be right there in the end. I've been saying for years that I won't pick against Jenks and Union (as a group) in the playoffs until they're both eliminated. They've proven over a period of 15 years that their programs are head and shoulders abover the other 30 in 6A. There are a ton of factors that go into that. It might be boring to have Jenks and Union playing for the title every year but that's been the realty of things, for the most part. Until they get knocked off and somebody (whether it be a West-side team or a Broken Arrow or Owasso) else wins a title, there will always be the talk over whether another team has the chance to make that happen.
• Toy Caldwell on Oct 23, 2011 @ 7:20 pm
  KD11 and Abner, While your rankings and debate offer interesting speculation, in the end it's all just lip service. Do you guys really think that Midwest City is the best football team in the state of Oklahoma??? Lets come down to reality guys, Union and Jenks are LOADED!! Jenks always has a completely rebuilt team from week 2 to week 10. They get Ross back for week 12,LOOK OUT! And it's just not all about Ross. As usual they've got some new studs and looks. Union, they'll be healthy by week 10. Look back over the last 15 years and zoom in on what's going to happen Again, in 6A. I'll agree, it's all fun to talk about, but you if you were down here looking at these 2 schools week in and out for years, you really start to realize how hard it's going to be to dislodge EITHER of them. Ranking teams ahead of them just makes them mad and more determined and Union has enough of that already. I agree boys it's BORING but it's reality...
• KDTII on Oct 22, 2011 @ 5:37 pm
  Sounds good Ryan.
• Ryan Aber on Oct 22, 2011 @ 5:26 pm
  KDTII, I think you'll be happy after seeing my top 5. I'll post it a bit later with my rationale.
• KDTII on Oct 22, 2011 @ 5:11 pm
  OK, Aber, I am anxiously awaiting your rankings this week after seeing Broken Arrow struggle with Norman. Here is my top 5: 1. Midwest City (only team without a loss after Edmond North goes down) 2. Jenks (only loss is to Union) 3. Broken Arrow (good but not great) 4. Edmond Santa Fe (only loss is to MWC) 5. Union (loss to Owasso looking like a fluke)
• Ryan Aber on Oct 19, 2011 @ 9:14 pm
  KDTII, I can certainly understand that. It was just about reevaluating the totality of the season when Union went down. And when I did that, Broken Arrow's season was the most impressive. I felt even better about the pick after watching the Tigers play Southmoore last week. That said, it wouldn't surprise me for Jenks, Midwest City, Union or Edmond North to beat the Tigers down the road. Broken Arrow is No. 1 but it's not a strong No. 1 right now with the rest of those teams right there. I'll continue to evaluate it week by week. Gamma, I won't say tight ends are never vertical threats but in general, they aren't and I don't think Gallagher is. He's a nice underneath option and a matchup problem for most teams but when I think of vertical threats, I think of guys who are threats to score from anywhere on the field. It's just a terminology difference more than anything I guess.
• KDTII on Oct 19, 2011 @ 9:06 pm
  Aber I respect your position, I just don't see how you jumped Broken Arrow from 4th to 1st after a victory over a so-so opponent, over Midwest City and Jenks, who both won as well.
• WESTSIDE CONNECTION on Oct 16, 2011 @ 8:00 pm
  @ GAMMA. THE CONVERSATION WAS IF YOU HAD ANOTHER VERTICLE THREAT OTHER THAN HATCHER. TE'S ARE NOT VERTICLE THREATS TO SPEED. HE MAY BE ABLE TO EXTEND SOME DRIVES UNDERNEATH HOWEVER. VEATCH AT BA IS BETER, AND MORE VALUABLE. I GUESS WE CAN PUT OWASSO AS A TOP TEAM TO BED WITH THE LOSS TO STILLWATER. 4-3 ISNT IMPRESSIVE ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT ANYMORE. LIKE I SAID. HATCHER IS A GREAT PLAYER, THAT IS ALL.
• Gamma2188 on Oct 14, 2011 @ 4:40 pm
  Ryan- Gallagher won't be streaking for any 40-50 yd plays, but he is big and strong enough that he is a nightmare for defensive coordinators. He caught an 18-yd TD against Union last week. No, he's not a deep ball threat but I would say he's a huge vertical threat. I would venture to say he is more valuable to Owasso than any other TE in the state is to his respective team. Like I said earlier, a big, strong TE with good hands is so rare in high school football these days, they are a nightmare to match up against.
• Ryan Aber on Oct 14, 2011 @ 4:18 pm
  CD, I don't think Union leaves its starters in any longer than it normally would or anything like that. I just think they'll come out very focused tonight.
• CD on Oct 14, 2011 @ 4:00 pm
  To the extent their subs can score points, Union will score a bundle, but only to the extent Coach Fridrich can hold it down. I'd be surprised if the Union staff and leadership feel they need to take it out on Ponca - they are pretty confident and know where they sit. Now if they had that chance versus Jenks or BA (or now Owasso), it might be a different story (re this years Backyard Bowl :-). I would imagine they'll take the approach tonight like Santa Fe did last night and get their wounded some rest. Westside, there's no doubt about the Bomber's talent, and that remains unchanged year after year. What seems to have gotten MWC for the past few years when the playoffs come around (as evidenced in the first half of the Moore game) is a lack of team discipline when the game got tough, and from what appears to be some pretty mediocre coaching that had a hard time adjusting. We’ll see if that changes. Remember, last year MWC was hyped only to fall apart before they ever got to the east teams, and if I remember right an average Stillwater team should have held on the year before. We’ll see. Lots of games and variable like injuries and weather that can have an impact as well. At least it isn’t BCS!
• Ryan Aber on Oct 14, 2011 @ 3:21 pm
  Gamma, True on your last point. I don't think of Gallagher as a huge vertical threat although he is a very good TE that gives them a good short to midrange option with the ability to occasionally go deep when they get him in a mismatch situation. I could be wrong on him, since I haven't seen him play but in one scrimmage before the season, but that's the impression I got. Very valuable to have, though, for sure.
• Gamma2188 on Oct 14, 2011 @ 3:02 pm
  Ryan- Union could do to Ponca what OSU did to Turner Gill last week.
• Gamma2188 on Oct 14, 2011 @ 3:00 pm
  Westside- Your TE argument is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Jason Witten, Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Gonzalez dominate secondaries every week in the League. TE is one of the most undervalued positions at the high school level, and when you have a kid with D1 size and the ability to catch, it is an invaluable asset to a team. The Tulsa World has Gallagher as a top player to watch this week. Deet- I think you need to take a step back and get your facts straight before you post again. Midwest City IS on the West side. West side teams absolutely DO NOT have an intimidation factor over the East side... I'm not sure where you got that logic.
• Ryan Aber on Oct 14, 2011 @ 2:48 pm
  Appreciate it, Westside. I love Midwest City's defense and think they're going to give everybody fits this season, including the big boys from the East. After watching Broken Arrow play last night, I'd love to watch that matchup between MWC's defense and BA's offense. There are arguments to be made for any of these teams right now, which is why I brought it up in the post instead of just putting it in the paper Sunday and moving on. It's a legitimate discussion that's worth having and I love the feedback all around. That said, I'll be going to a 5A game tonight, Carl Albert at Guthrie, but looking forward to a few 6A games that will shape the rankings for next week: Stillwater at Owasso: Two great WR/QB combos featured here but I think the Rams avoid a letdown and come out with the win. Edmond North at Westmoore: It's been a tough few days for Edmond North but this is a crucial battle for them against a pretty good team, especially defensively. I picked Edmond North to win this one by a couple touchdowns. Midwest City at Choctaw: Moore played Midwest City close for awhile last week before the Bombers turned it on. I don't look for Choctaw to hang close very long in this one. Jenks at Sapulpa: Sapulpa's offense has the ability to put a lot of points on the board. I still look for Jenks to win without Ross but I'll be interested to see how the Trojans' defense reacts against the best offense they've seen since playing Owasso. Tulsa Union at Ponca City: I expect the Redskins to take out some frustrations in this one. I don't look for it to be close at all.
• Deet on Oct 14, 2011 @ 2:32 pm
  You all still seem to forget that the Bombers did go up against Union in their scrimmage early in the season. Union did not score, nor were they ever close to. MWC was on the 5 yard line when time ran out. The did not score either but certainly shows they can hang with the westside teams. The biggest thing the westside teams have over the east side teams is the "intimidation factor!" Having won the gold ball in dominant numbers the past few years can do that. If the Bombers can cut down their penalty yardage, and it has been ALOT, they WILL surprise all the doubters in the playoffs. They have had several key players injured this season, and has still managed to win every game. They certainly have the depth, and will make a strong stand in postseason. Eliminate the stupid penalties, and the Bombers will make it to the championship game.
• WESTSIDE CONNECTION on Oct 14, 2011 @ 2:21 pm
  @ CD. THE POINT IS NOT WHAT UNION LOST OFFENSIVELY TO INJURY. 38 WITH 4TH TEAM TAILBACK SHOWS HOW TERRIBLE OWASSO'S DEFENSE IS. 41 IS WHAT SHOWS UNION IS BAD IN THE SECONDARY IF THE PRESSURE DOESNT GET THERE FOR THE FRONT 7. MOORE HAD 19 YARDS AT HALF VERSUS MWC LAST WEEK AT HALF, AND MWC WON BY 4 TD'S. WOULDNT CALL THAT SQEAKIN BY. LOST IN THE MWC SCORES ARE THAT THE DEFENSE(WHICH ABER WHO HAS SEEN THEM WILL TELL YOU AND HAS SEEN THEM ALOT) IS WHAT MAKES MWC A POSSIBLE TITLE CONTENDER. THE ONE D HAS GIVEN UP ONE TD IN THE LAST 5 WEEKS AND THAT WAS TO SANTA FE. SPECIAL TEAMS BLOCKS PUNTS FOR TD'S AT A VERY HIGH RATE AND THE KICK RETURN GAME IS THE MOST DANGEROUS IN OKLAHOMA. SOO , UNION AND JENKS ARE THE KING OF THE HILL UNTIL SOMEONE KNOCKS THEM OFF, BUT DONT DISCOUNT SOMEONE WITH DEFENSE , SPECIAL TEAMS AND THE TOP RUSHER IN 6A WITH 1132 YARDS IN JAMES FLANDERS. THAT RECIPE WORKED PRETTY WELL FOR THE RAVENS AND BEARS!!! @GAMMA, TE'S ARE ONLY MATCH UP PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE WHO DONT HAVE OLB'S THAT RUN 4.5 40's. GLORIFIED TACKLE VERSUS SPEED! @KDTII, GLAD YOU LOVE YOUR BOMBERS BRO, BUT LAY OFF ABER. THAT DUDE IS GREAT TO MWC FOOTBALL. LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF COVERAGE HE PROVIDES THEM. IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS I HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS ARTICLES ON BOMBER PLAYERS, SPECIAL TEAMS AND DEFENSIVE UNITS, COLLEGE RECRUITING INTEREST IN MWC'S PLAYERS, ECT, ECT. MIKE LEACH NEVER PLAYED FOOTBALL EITHER FOR THE RECORD. U DONT NEED ATHLETIC GENETICS TO UNDERSTAND AND BE A FOOTBALL GURU. I PLAYED IN COLLEGE SO I HAVE NO BBIAS EITHER WAY. WHILE I DONT AGREE WITH BA BEING NUMBER ONE I CAN SEE THE ARGUMENT. 6A IS FUN AGAIN THIS YEAR BECAUSE THERE FINALLY IS A DISCUSSION OVER WHO IS BEST AND NOT JUST OF WHO IS BETTER OUT OF JENKS OR UNION LIKE MOST YEARS. THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO FOR MWC AND HS FOOTBALL ABER!
• CD on Oct 14, 2011 @ 12:45 pm
  The way MWC will beat Union is the way Owasso did: one – hope that Union’s studs are not on the field (their first string tailback had over 140 yards midway in the 2nd when he got hurt, not to mention 2nd and 3rd string tailbacks, starting QB who is solid, starting top receiver, starting top linebacker, all in a one quarter period). With them they were well on their way to 60 plus points, without them they couldn’t keep up the pace. You should win with 38, but Owasso shows that its an offensive show these days, and besides, Jenks put 48 on them in the finals last year and Union overcame that level, and they most likely would have last Friday as well. Two – hope your offense plays their best game of the year. Three – don’t commit turnovers, and hope they do. Union lost two fumbles inside the Ram’s 5, both after drives led by their subs. Punch one of them in, or one Owasso turnover and its over. Four – hope Union makes drive continuing penalties on defense. Happened twice in the Rams final drive to keep it alive. Five – hope Union is overconfident. And THAT is what should scare the rest of 6A. With that loss, Union has their back against the wall and sober to the fact that a win isn’t guaranteed. When their starters come back (and they should, all those injuries while nagging weren’t season ending), they will be on a mission and hungry. And then there’s Jenks. Just because they’ve gone under the radar doesn’t mean they aren’t tough and ready to get the gold ball back, and that is STILL a program. That BA and Owasso are better this year doesn’t mean Union and Jenks are weaker, but that someone like MWC has an even bigger gauntlet to run, and they will have to play perfectly and hope for help from the football gods like Owasso got. As they say, “any given Friday night.” But come November, to put together a string of them against Union AND Jenks, not to mention Owasso and BA too, this year is just beyond comprehending. MWC had all they could handle for a lot of the game against an average Moore team, play like that in November and you’ll be Christmas shopping early (and BA sent a message last night with their thumping of Southmoore). The only hope really is someone from the other bracket from the Westside getting through without having to face Jenks or Union until the finals (and that’s if Jenks wins out over BA, and then you’d have to get through BA on that side as well) and the gods line up for that game. Not much of a positive proposition again on this side of the state.
• Gamma2188 on Oct 14, 2011 @ 8:44 am
  Westside- You clearly haven't seen Owasso play this season. Hatcher isn't the only vertical threat... Gallagher is a 6'5", 235 pound TE that is literally a HUGE downfield target. Yes, Owasso has given up 40+ points twice this season, but they were to a BA team that put up 60+ and nearly 800 yds on Permian HS (TX) and Jenks, both games on the road for the Rams in two of the toughest environments in high school football.

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  BY RYAN ABER

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  Ryan Aber has worked for The Oklahoman since 2006, covering high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the Oklahoma City Barons and OU football...

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  Ryan Aber has worked for The Oklahoman since 2006, covering high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the Oklahoma City Barons and OU football recruiting. An Oklahoma City native, Aber graduated from Northeastern State. Before joining The Oklahoman, Aber worked for the Muskogee Phoenix, Southwest Times-Record in Fort Smith, Ark., and the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas.
  

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  Jason Kersey became The Oklahoman's OU football beat writer in May 2012 after a year covering high school sports and OSU recruiting. Before joining the newspaper in November 2006 as a part-time results clerk, he covered high school football for the Newcastle Pacer. During his time with The Oklahoman, he has also coordinated Thunder coverage, worked on the copy desk and covered several NFL games, including Super Bowl XLV. A Noble High School and OU graduate, he lives in Norman.

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