McLoud Team Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! 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">RIGHT HERE</a>. Overview (Class 3A Preseason Ranking: #10) The memories of the 2019 season are quickly being erased for the McLoud Redskins. In 2019, McLoud suffered through an 0-10 season, something no program wants to have happen. 2020 was the first step to erasing that memory and the Redskins believe 2021 is the year that they not only return to the playoffs, but become a serious threat in Class 4A. Last year, McLoud would finish the year at 5-5. They would earn their way into the playoffs after a tough district schedule. They won their last two games of the year to earn their way in and would square off with Plainview in the first round. It was a blowout as the more experienced Indians sent McLoud home packing. It was the first playoff appearance since 2016 and so impressive coming off a winless season the year before. Now, McLoud is going to use that as a stepping stone to even more in 2021. They come in as the #10 team in our preseason rankings as they bring back eight starters on offense and another seven starters on the defensive side of the ball. This is a McLoud team that will be one of the top rushing attacks, not only in Class 3A, but in the state overall. The reason behind that is their offensive line and running back. They have one of the best 2023 running backs in the state and a few offensive linemen that will be playing at the next level. And all five linemen have playing experience, which will give them plenty of confidence coming into the year. The two biggest hurdles that McLoud will have to overcome is the district and buying in. They have to believe that they're one of the best teams in 3A and that will help them in a district that is going to be one of the tougher ones to navigate in Class 3A. <hr /> 2020 Results (5-5 Record - Lost In Class 3A 1st Round) Sept. 4 - Beat U.S. Grant 38-6 Sept. 11 - Lost To Bethel 28-22 (OT) Sept. 18 - Beat Hartshorne 34-33 Sept. 25 - Lost To Heritage Hall 35-8 Oct. 2 - Beat Mount St Mary’s 48-20 Oct. 9 - Lost To Kingfisher 21-13 Oct. 15 - Lost To Anadarko 56-22 Oct. 23 - Game VS Perkins-Tryon Cancelled Oct. 30 - Beat Bridge Creek 42-28 Nov. 6 - Beat Douglass 44-28 1st Round - Lost To Plainview 41-6 <hr /> Players To Watch [player_tooltip player_id="99770" first="Clint" last="Campbell"] - 2023 Running Back/Linebacker For the statewide media, McLoud junior [player_tooltip player_id="99770" first="Clint" last="Campbell"] is about to become an absolute star. For me, he had his breakout year last year as a sophomore. He’s a strong running back that has the ability to be a gamechanger. However, when it comes to the next level, he looks more like a linebacker, despite never playing defense. That will change and Campbell will be utilized as McLoud’s best athlete and moved all over the defense. We believe he’ll be a two-way star for the Redskins this fall and put up monster numbers as a running back. Campbell’s offensive line will be one of the best in 3A football which will pave the way for a big year. [player_tooltip player_id="38783" first="Tryce" last="Lewis"] - 2023 Offensive/Defensive Lineman Sticking with the talented 2023 class, and a big reason why Campbell will have a good season is offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38783" first="Tryce" last="Lewis"]. We’ve seen Lewis a couple times in person this offseason and have also seen his last two years of work on the offensive line. He plays much bigger than his listed height and weight. That’s where his power comes in. Based on size alone, Lewis might be considered undersized but when you throw on the tape and watch him manhandling opponents, you forget about any questions you may have had about size. Lewis is also going to be an impact player on the defensive line, giving McLoud yet another two-way star. More Names [player_tooltip player_id="38724" first="Ethan" last="Isenhower"] - 2022 Offensive Lineman Rylan Hall-Norton - 2022 Athlete Zakhilen Osborn - 2023 Athlete <hr /> Notable As mentioned earlier, McLoud made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 last season. For a lot of teams, they were able to snap playoff droughts because any team that wanted to play in the playoffs could play. McLoud finished fourth in their district and earned their spot in the postseason. It was a quick trip, losing to Plainview in the first round. And unfortunately, that continued a trend of playoff losses for the Redskins when they get there. McLoud has lost six straight first round games, dating back to 2007. The year prior, in 2006, McLoud won their first round game and it was only the second playoff victory in school history. This year’s team certainly has the talent to not only make it back to the playoffs this fall, but to win a game or two and surprise some of the higher ranked teams. The district is certainly one of the tougher ones in the state, regardless of class, but the Redskins are ready, and more importantly, they’re talented enough for that challenge. <hr /> 2021 Schedule/Games To Watch Aug. 27 - Classen SAS Sept. 10 - AT Bethel Sept. 17 - AT Harrah Sept. 24 - AT Heritage Hall - McLoud starts out the district schedule with their toughest game of the year as they'll travel to Oklahoma City to face perennial powerhouse Heritage Hall. The Chargers won the 2020 meeting against the Redskins with ease and they come into this season as heavy district favorites and rightfully so. They have won 49 consecutive district games, dating back to 2013. They have gone unbeaten in district play for seven consecutive seasons now and the last district loss came in 2013. The Chargers are the kings of this district and they're once again the favorites coming into this year. Expect a very physical game here between these two. Oct. 1 - Mount St Mary’s Oct. 8 - AT Kingfisher Oct. 15 - Anadarko - There's no secret that Heritage Hall is the heavy favorite in this district but another team that will be challenging for that spot at the top is Anadarko. It's been a few years since Anadarko was a true contender in Class 3A and 2021 might be the year that they change that and get back to what we saw from them about a decade ago. After having four of five games on the road, McLoud gets this one at home and they'll need all the advantages that they can get. Similar to the Heritage Hall match-up, we expect this game to be very physical with both teams relying on the running game and playing stout defense. A win or loss here could provide the difference in hosting a playoff game in November. Oct. 22 - Perkins-Tryon Oct. 29 - AT Bridge Creek Nov. 5 - Douglass <hr /> Championship History 0 State Championships