5A Season In Review

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The 2020 season has come to an end but that doesn’t mean we’re done having content every day here at Prep Redzone Oklahoma. In fact, we’re just heating up and continuing our postseason series today. Be sure to check back every day for new postseason content from our season in review series to All-State teams and much more! On Monday, we released our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/12/final-team-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Final Team Rankings</a> for the 2020 season. Tuesday, we announced the ten finalists for our first-ever <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/12/2020-player-of-the-year-finalists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year</a> award. Wednesday, we kicked off the season in review series with a look back at the 2020 season in <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/12/6a-d1-season-in-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Class 6A-D1</a>. Yesterday, we continued that series with a look back at the season in <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/12/6a-d2-season-in-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Class 6A-D2</a>. Today, we will rewind and review 2020 for Class 5A. STATE CHAMPION - CARL ALBERT TITANS Carl Albert came into 2020 as 4-time defending Champions in class 5A looking to make it 5 straight. Like most of the state, we had Carl Albert at the top of the 5A rankings for most if not the whole season, and they showed why each and every week. The Titans opened up 2020 on fire with blowouts wins over Guymon, and Midwest City, and a close, one-score win over Del City. Then in week 4, due to cancellations, Carl Albert and Bixby were left without an opponent for the week, which set the stage for the battle of the dynasties between the Spartans and the Titans. The hype for the game was bigger than just about any I’ve ever been to in Oklahoma, but the hype was about as exciting as it would get as the Spartans would rush for over 400 yards on the Titans in a 56-14 beatdown. Losing to Bixby is nothing to hang your head-on, the Spartans have won 6 of the last 7 State Titles in 6A-2, but it was heavily concerning to lose by such a wide margin for a team that was looking to make another run at a Gold Ball in their respective class. Many people, including us, began to question if the dynasty was coming to an end for Carl Albert as they looked very vulnerable on defense and had some struggles on offense to that point in the season. However, as all great teams do, the Titans learned from their mistakes against Bixby, regrouped, and went on another great run. From the Bixby game on, Carl Albert ran the table, winning 4 straight in the regular season and 4 more in the playoffs, where they outscored Ardmore, Bishop Kelley, Collinsville, and Bishop McGuinness (in that order) by a combined score of 163-83 on their way to a historic 5th state championship in as many years. PLAYER OF THE YEAR [player_tooltip player_id="38557" first="Luke" last="Tarman"] - Quarterback - Bishop McGuinness Carl Albert may have gotten the best of everyone in 5A this year, but the MVP of the class this season was without a doubt the Irish’s Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id="38557" first="Luke" last="Tarman"]. Tarman was an electric dual-threat QB this season, finishing with over 2100 yards passing, 2300 yards rushing, and 53 total touchdowns, a feat that has not been done many times if ever in the state of Oklahoma. In a year that was expected to be a rebuild for McGuinness due to the youth of their roster, Luke stepped up, had the best season of his career, and willed the Irish to their 4th state championship game in the last 5 years. They would end up finishing just short of their ultimate goal, but the efforts of Tarman should not go unnoticed as he had one of the best seasons we’ve seen from a dual-threat QB in some time. He is going to make one hell of a ballplayer at the next level regardless of what position he plays or what school he goes to. BREAKOUT STARS [player_tooltip player_id="51256" first="Andrew" last="Carney"] - Quarterback - Collinsville Similar to Tarman, Carney had a great season as a dual-threat QB, rushing and passing for over 1500 yards with a combined 47 touchdowns in 2020. Carney helped lead a young Collinsville offense to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the state semifinals. Watch out for Carney and the Cardinals to come back hungry as ever in 2021 as they will return most of their offensive stars. Erik McCarty - Running Back - McAlester Had it not been for [player_tooltip player_id="38557" first="Luke" last="Tarman"], Erik McCarty may have been our POTY in 5A. The sophomore back exploded onto the scene this season, with over 1600 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground. He was certainly not a player we had on our radar to begin the year or at midseason when we updated rankings, but he will absolutely be near the top of the 2023 class come next season as he ran all over 5A, especially in the playoffs where he was on our players of the week list nearly every round as he ran all the way to the semifinals before falling to Tarman and the Irish. I heard a lot about Erik as the season progressed, and after watching him in the semis against McGuinness, I see why because he is the real deal. [player_tooltip player_id="38581" first="William" last="McGuire"] - Athlete - East Central Without a doubt one of the breakout stars of the 2020 season was East Central’s [player_tooltip player_id="38581" first="William" last="McGuire"]. While the Cardinals have struggled for the majority of this decade, they were more competitive this season and McGuire is a huge reason why. He became a three-phase standout for the Cardinals and impacted just about every game he played in. He was one of the best return men in the state with six touchdowns on kick returns. He also stood out as a wide receiver. McGuire is a senior and should be on every area college’s short list for athletes in the state’s senior class. OTHER TOP PLAYERS [player_tooltip player_id="38534" first="Ben" last="Harris"] - Quarterback - Carl Albert By now you’ve heard all the stats on [player_tooltip player_id="38534" first="Ben" last="Harris"], 51-2 as a starter, 4 state titles, etc. However, we’d be remisced if we left off the most decorated QB in state history off this list. He has done nothing but lead and win since he stepped in as a freshman in 2017 and he closed it all out with another gritty win where he had to take on a lot of the load in the air and on the ground. Harris is truly a special player who has accomplished some feats that we may not see again for a long, long time. [player_tooltip player_id="38570" first="Ben" last="Ward"] - Quarterback - Pryor After transferring from Cleveland to Pryor in the off-season, Ward closed off his high school career with another solid season, passing for over 1800 yards and 23 TDs while completing 57% of his passes. Ward is a fun QB to watch as he has a live arm and can fit the ball into some tight windows. He currently has offers from a number of division 2 schools and is beginning to gain interest from the likes of schools such as Yale because of his accomplishments in the classroom as well as on the field. [player_tooltip player_id="38684" first="Buddy" last="Bizzell"] - Running Back - Carl Albert Carl Albert has boasted an elite running game the past few seasons thanks to their nice duo of [player_tooltip player_id="38684" first="Buddy" last="Bizzell"] and [player_tooltip player_id="38487" first="Javion" last="Hunt"]. While Hunt is still committed to Arkansas and had a great season, Bizzell definitely had the better of the two in 2020. As the "Thunder" in Carl Alberts thunder and lightning duo, Bizzell powered his way to another 1000 yard season and upped his touchdowns from 18 in 2019 to 21 this year. Bizzell is one of the top Junior backs in the state and is primed for a monster season in 2021 as he will be the face of the offense with [player_tooltip player_id="38487" first="Javion" last="Hunt"] and [player_tooltip player_id="38534" first="Ben" last="Harris"] graduating. [player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"] - Athlete - Piedmont Our next athlete, [player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"], is just that, an athlete. Hendren was a difference-maker in all 3 phases for the Wildcats this year as a WR, DB, and returner. It still shocks me that he hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves as a WR, but that may be in large part to Piedmont’s offense that did not throw the ball all that much. Regardless, Hendren will be one of the biggest steals of the 2021 recruiting cycle with his ability to thrive on offense, defense, and special teams. [player_tooltip player_id="38688" first="Dorian" last="Plumley"] - Quarterback - El Reno We have Dorian listed at QB here, but it really should say "football player". Plumley has been one of the most electric playmakers through the air and on the ground over the last few seasons and has been an incredible leader for El Reno. He helped lead the Indians to their first district title and playoff win since 2009. He may not be a QB at the next level, but he absolutely has the athleticism to play at the college level. [player_tooltip player_id="38687" first="Gage" last="Hamm"] - Quarterback - Coweta Gage had a breakout season as a sophomore a year ago and continued his success this year as a Junior. in 2020, Hamm threw for over 2100 yards and 21 touchdowns, and added over 700 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Watch for Hamm and Coweta, who return a lot of weapons on offense, to make a big splash in 5A in 2021. [player_tooltip player_id="51871" first="Michael" last="Taffe"] - Running Back - Bishop McGuinness As a freshman, Taffe played as a dual-threat QB for Millwood before transferring to McGuinness to play RB where the transition has been pretty smooth, to say the least. In 2020, Taffe compiled over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns combined and was one of [player_tooltip player_id="38557" first="Luke" last="Tarman"]’s go-to guys. Taffe will have a much heavier workload next year with Tarman graduated, maybe a transition back to QB is on the Horizon. [player_tooltip player_id="38532" first="Nasir" last="Kemper"] - Athlete - Lawton MacArthur Whether you consider him a running back, receiver, or returner, [player_tooltip player_id="38532" first="Nasir" last="Kemper"] has been one of the most versatile and productive playmakers in 5A for the last couple of years. Unlike some athletes, Kemper has true position flexibility and could play wherever a team wants him at the next level. Similar to Hendren and Plumley, he is going to make a college coach very happy for the next few years, regardless of where he ends up. [player_tooltip player_id="64382" first="Oscar" last="Hammond"] - Wide Receiver - Collinsville You can make the argument that Collinsville’s [player_tooltip player_id="64382" first="Oscar" last="Hammond"] was even more of a breakout star than teammate [player_tooltip player_id="51256" first="Andrew" last="Carney"]. Hammond literally grew six inches in the last year and emerged as one of the top receivers in 5A football. He became Carney’s number one threat in the passing game and has emerged as a prospect that colleges will need to look out for at the wide receiver position. Hammond is a player to to watch out for going into the 2021 season. [player_tooltip player_id="38548" first="Owen" last="Heinecke"] - Running Back/Linebacker - Bishop Kelley Heinecke has been one of the most underrated players in the state for some time now. The Senior played both ways for Bishop Kelley over the last 2 seasons but projects better as a linebacker where he has flashed some great burst and always seems to be around the ball. He currently holds some offers from Army, Navy, and a few others, but make no mistake, this is a division one player. TOP STORYLINE [player_tooltip player_id="38534" first="Ben" last="Harris"] Goes Out 51-2 As QB1 Of The Titans What else can be said about Ben at this point that has not already been said by us or the rest of the state? He came into this season with 3 state titles and one lone loss in his career and came out of 2020 with another title and only one more loss to cap off his incredible career. From day one as a Freshman to his final game as a Senior, Harris has been a model of consistency, leadership, and hard work for the Titans and will now be immortalized in Oklahoma high school football history as one of the most decorated players of all time. No matter what college he ends up at, Harris should be remembered forever as one of the best leaders and winners to come through the state. EARLY LOOK AT 2021 While they have proved us wrong year in and year out, the dynasty may come to an end in 2021 for Carl Albert as they will lose some key playmakers on both sides of the ball. However, they will remain the team to beat until someone can take them down. Some of the early favorites next year include Collinsville with Carney and the rest of their offense, Coweta, led by [player_tooltip player_id="38687" first="Gage" last="Hamm"] and [player_tooltip player_id="57163" first="Mason" last="Ford"], and McAlester, led by Erik McCarty and a mix of young playmakers who will be hungry as ever after coming up just short in the semifinals this season. Additionally, 2021 could see the emergence of a few new teams such as Ardmore, and Tahlequah. Overall, 5A should be pretty deep once again in 2021, but until they are dethroned, the Carl Albert Titans will be the Gold Standard in the class.