Tahlequah 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>. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Overview (Class 5A Preseason Ranking: #10) </strong></span>Oklahoma’s Class 5A seems to be as top-heavy as it has been in recent memory coming into 2021, but the Tahlequah Tigers are a team that could fly under the radar and stir up some trouble this season. After back to back 9 win seasons and first-round exits from the playoffs, Tahlequah came into 2020 wanting to prove that they are more than just a regular-season team. Undeterred by their consecutive losses against Wagoner and McAlester to end non-district play, the Tigers went on a bit of a hot streak through the month of October where they won 4 out of their 5 games. That streak would end with a 25 point loss to Collinsville in early November but their efforts were still enough to get them into the playoffs. They were able to break their streak of first-round losses in 2020 with a close victory over Edison but they were unable to muster up much of anything against Bishop Kelley in their second-round matchup. With 5 starters returning on both sides including a few high-level prospects, as well as a favorable 2021 schedule, Tahlequah has the ingredients to rise back towards the top of their district and possibly beyond. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2020 Results (6-5 Record – Lost In 5A 2nd Round)</strong></span> <strong>Sept. 4</strong> <strong>– </strong>Beat McLain 28-2 <strong>Sept. 11</strong> <strong>–</strong> Lost to Wagoner 22-10 <strong>Sept. 18</strong> <strong>– </strong>Lost to McAlester 21-13 <strong>Sept. 25</strong> <strong>– </strong>Game VS Pryor Canceled <strong>Oct. 2 –  </strong>Beat Nathan Hale 72-0 <strong>Oct. 9</strong> <strong>–</strong> Lost to Sapulpa 34-24 <strong>Oct. 15</strong> <strong>–</strong> Beat Claremore 37-7 <strong>Oct. 23</strong> <strong>–</strong> Beat Glenpool 34-0 <strong>Oct. 30</strong> <strong>–</strong>  Beat Tulsa Memorial 47-0 <strong>Nov. 6 –</strong> Lost to Collinsville 55-20 <strong>1st Round – </strong>Beat Edison Prep 34-29 <strong>2nd Round –</strong>  Lost to Bishop Kelley 35-0 <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Players To Watch</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="114810" first="Eli" last="McWilliams"] - 2022 Linebacker </strong>After a breakout 2020 season where he was a tackling machine for the Tahlequah defense, [player_tooltip player_id="114810" first="Eli" last="McWilliams"] enters this season as a top 10 player for us at his position in the class of 2022 and as a top 40 player overall. Eli has great size at 6’2" 210 Lbs., was great at fitting the run on inside plays in 2020, and he has the athleticism and range to make plays outside the hashes. McWilliams committed to Tulsa earlier this year despite holding offers from a few Power 5 schools. With another year to showcase his abilities, we would not be surprised to see Eli earn himself a few more high-level offers before signing day. However, we’re sure the Golden Hurricane certainly wouldn’t mind it if he didn’t. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38766" first="Malik" last="McMurtrey"] - 2022 Running Back </strong>Tahlequah running back [player_tooltip player_id="38766" first="Malik" last="McMurtrey"] is a player we are very excited about heading into the 2021 season. Malik snuck his way into our latest rankings at 131 but we believe he could be much higher by season’s end. McMurtrey is a quick runner who is great in the open field thanks to his vision and cutback ability. He is more likely to run by or around defenders in the open field with a juke or cutback, but he is by no means afraid to lower the shoulder in one on one/open field scenarios when needed. Malik also has ideal size for the position with room to bulk up at 5’10" 180 Lbs. He currently holds one offer from in-state NSU, but that won’t be the case for long if he plays to his potential this season and can help lead Tahlequah on a deep playoff run. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>More Names</strong></span> [player_tooltip player_id="115220" first="Brody" last="Younger"] <strong>- 2024 Quarterback</strong> <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Notable</strong></span> Prior to the 2020 season, Tahlequah was one of the hottest teams in 5A through the regular season. They had a combined regular-season record of 31-9 from 2016-2019. However, once the Tigers reached the playoffs in each of those seasons, they could not finish the job. They were able to reach the quarterfinals in 2016 and 2017 but would fall short against Bishop McGuinness two years in a row. The Tigers then came into the 2018 and 2019 playoffs seeded much higher but were sent home after the first round in back-to-back seasons by a Coweta team that they had already defeated in the regular season on both occasions. Tahlequah has proven that they can win big games and compete for district titles in September and October. Will this be the year they break through and make a run through November and possibly into December? <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2021 Schedule/Games To Watch</strong></span> Sept. 3 – AT Tulsa McLain <strong>Sept. 10 –  Wagoner </strong>- The 2020 Wagoner Bulldogs were one of the most dominant teams in Oklahoma last season. They went 14-0 on their way to a 4A State Championship. However, Tahlequah still kept this game close in 2020 and Wagoner has to replace most of their team from last season. This will be an early test for both teams and should show us how each team might stack up in their respective classes. Sept. 17 – AT Sallisaw <strong>Sept. 24 – Pryor </strong>- This game was the only one that was canceled on Tahlequah’s schedule in 2020 but was just one of many for Pryor. Pryor went nearly a month without winning a game due to cancelations and a bump in the road against Lincoln Christian but they recovered nicely and ended their season at 8-3 with a trip to the second round of the playoffs. This will be one of the first steps towards a district title for Tahlequah and is a game that Pryor has been looking forward to for a couple of years after last year’s cancelation and the blowout loss they suffered to the Tigers in 2019. Oct. 1 – AT Tulsa Hale Oct. 8 – Sapulpa Oct. 14 – AT Claremore Oct. 22 – Glenpool Oct. 29 – AT Tulsa Memorial <strong>Nov. 5 – Collinsville </strong>- If both teams play as we expect them to in 2021 then this game has the potential to be <span style="font-size: 1rem;">one of the top week 10 matchups in the state. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Collinsville handled Tahlequah easily in 2020 but that shouldn’t stop the Tigers from giving them a run for their money in 2021 if they can start hot. This game is a long way away as we speak and a lot can change from now until November but hear us out. Two top ten teams if the preseason rankings hold, potential district championship on the line, and playoff seeding on the line. Oh, and the game is at Tahlequah on their Senior Night. What else could you ask for to end the regular season?    </span> <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Championship History</strong></span> <strong><em>0 State Championships </em></strong>