Atoka Team Preview

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day as we release more individual team previews as we get closer to the start of the 2021 football season. In case you missed it, you can check out our Preseason Rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/06/2021-preseason-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RIGHT HERE</strong></a>. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Overview</span> </strong>The <strong>Atoka Wampus Cats</strong> have been a team on the rise recently and 2020 was another step in the right direction for them. They started off the season with a pair of non-district wins before their original week 3 game against Marlow was canceled. The Wampus cats then hit a bit of a rough patch with 2 losses in 3 weeks by double-digits to 4A Hilldale and 2A power Eufaula. They were able to sneak away with a win against Antlers and recover from their loss to Eufaula with a 34-0 shutout over district opponent Hartshorne. However, the 2020 season was not the kindest to them as their season would hit a few speed bumps in October. They kept rolling against Wilburton but were unable to showcase their progress as the season advanced towards the end of the year due to cancelations against Valliant and Idabel. Still, Atoka was able to reach the playoffs for the second straight season, a feat they had not accomplished in quite some time. Though they were outmatched by Vian in their first-round matchup, the Wampus Cats had to be proud to even be there after their recent luck in Class 2A. Atoka will look to continue on their upwards trajectory this season as they return 8 starters on offense and 7 on defense. They have the experience and a few stars on both sides of the ball that are more than capable of carrying this team to some big wins in 2021. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2020 Results (6-3 Record – Lost In 2A 1st Round) </strong></span>Sept. 4 – Beat Coalgate 33-14 Sept. 11 – Beat Talihina 49-8 Sept. 18 – Game VS Marlow Canceled Sept. 25 – Lost to Hilldale 27-7 Oct. 2 – Beat Antlers 24-20 Oct. 9 – Lost to Eufaula 44-28 Oct. 15 – Beat Hartshorne 34-0 Oct. 23 –  Game VS Valliant Canceled Oct. 30 – Beat Wilburton 34-7 Nov. 6 –  Game VS Idabel Canceled 1st Round – Lost to Vian 46-7 <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Players To Watch</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="56223" first="Kollin" last="Ritchie"] - 2023 Athlete </strong>We have Kollin listed as a defensive back in our rankings. A top 10 defensive back for 2023 for that matter, but after his 2020 season, we’re not quite sure that he is locked in at any position for Atoka or at the next level. On defense, Ritchie has been one of the most productive safeties in the state with back-to-back seasons of 6 or more interceptions and 60 or more tackles. On offense, Kollin did a little bit of everything for Atoka in 2020 but made a lot of progress as a wide receiver, which is where we think he’ll do most of his damage in 2021. He has already proven to be a big-time player who can come up clutch in big moments. Atoka will need more of that from him if they want to take the next step towards contention in 2A. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="157519" first="Andrew" last="McCall"] - 2023 Running Back/ Linebacker </strong>Similar to [player_tooltip player_id="56223" first="Kollin" last="Ritchie"], [player_tooltip player_id="157519" first="Andrew" last="McCall"] is ranked as a running back but he will also double down as a linebacker for Atoka in 2021. As a running back, he did a good job of following his blocks in 2020 while also having the open field vision to navigate through some heavy traffic at times. Along with his vision, McCall did a great job of bouncing off and running through arm tackles last season and was a featured weapon in their passing attack. Running back looks like his more natural position at the moment, but with his size (listed at 6’1 200 Lbs.), speed, and toughness, we would not be surprised to see him make a switch to the defensive side of the ball in college. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>More Names</strong></span> <strong>Peyton Holland – 2022 Tight End/ Defensive Lineman </strong><strong> </strong><strong>Tyson Barrett – 2022 Quarterback/ Defensive Back</strong> <strong>Andre Cheadle – 2022 </strong><strong>Wide Receiver/ Defensive Back</strong> <strong>Jace Jackson – 2023 </strong><strong>Wide Receiver/ Defensive </strong><strong>Back</strong> <strong>Tyrell Hill – 2023 Running Back/Defensive End </strong> <hr /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Notable</span> </strong>If you told the Atoka fan base and players that they would come into 2021 as a dark horse contender back in 2016 they might have called you crazy. Atoka has had quite the journey to get where they are now. From 2016-2018 the Wampus Cats had a combined record of 2-27, a run which was capped off with a winless 0-9 season in 2018. Entering 2019 there was hope for Atoka but it’s safe to say not many people outside of their program expected to see the jump they were able to make in just one season. Nevertheless, they would come into the season with a fire lit underneath them and it paid off. The Wampus Cats went 7-3 in the 2019 regular season with their only losses coming at the hands of 7-3 Hugo, 9-1 Eufaula, and 9-1 Kingston. After falling in the first round of the playoffs that season, they aimed to get back to the playoffs in 2020 and push a step further. Atoka made it back to the playoffs in 2020 and there were flashes of greatness at times, but they were never able to truly find their rhythm due to some inconveniently timed cancelations at the end of the regular season. Fast forward to now and they have the majority of their 2020 roster back and ready to run things back. We’ve seen Pawhuska rise towards the top of Class A the last 2 years after going 0-10 in 2017, could Atoka be the next team to skyrocket up their class after hitting rock bottom? <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2021 Schedule/Games To Watch</strong></span> <strong>Aug. 27 – AT Ringling </strong>- There will be no easing into things for Atoka in 2021. They will have to travel out to Ringling and take on a team that will be motivated to get back to the Class A playoffs and finish what they started in 2020.  Additionally, Ringling has not allowed much of anything on the defensive side in recent years, so Atoka will have to come out firing or prepare themselves for a low-scoring struggle. Sept. 3 – Coalgate <strong>Sept. 17 – Marlow </strong>- After this game was canceled last year, Atoka will get another chance to prove themselves against another top contender in Class 2A. Marlow dominated their district a year ago and looked unbeatable at times. Their lone loss on the year came against Metro Christian by 4 points in the quarterfinals, which is a feat itself considering the Patriots wiped the floor with most of 2A in 2020 on their way to their 2nd title in as many years. Sept. 24 – Hugo Oct. 1 – Antlers <strong>Oct. 8 – AT Eufaula </strong>- Though the other 2 games we marked will be big tests for Atoka, this game is the one we have circled as the most important. It is a district matchup that has the potential to shift playoff seeding drastically. The Wampus Cats have not had much luck against Eufala in recent years, even with their improved 2019 and 2020 squads. A win here would be a potential program shifter for Atoka and would send them into the back half of their schedule with immense momentum and confidence. Oct. 14 – AT Hartshorne Oct. 22 – AT Valliant Oct. 29 – Wilburton Nov. 5 – AT Idabel <hr /> <strong>Championship History</strong> <em><strong> 0 State Championships</strong></em>