Norman Team Preview
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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 RIGHT HERE.
Overview
After back to back winning seasons in 2018 and 2019, the Norman Tigers took a step back in 2020, finishing off the year at 2-7 and losing to rival Norman North in the playoffs. The 2020 season was headlined by Covid cancellations and new players going through some growing pains as they stepped into new roles. However, the expectations around the Tigers should be high as they come into a new season. This is a team that has some talent that now has the experience to go along with it. Eight starters return on the offensive side of the ball and another six starters come back on defense. The Tigers bring back their starting quarterback Tias McClarty and that will certainly help as he has a year under his belt. He had the tough job of replacing Cade Horton at the quarterback position. Now going into his junior season, McClarty is ready to take the next step as Norman’s QB1. The Tigers have a really good chance to be explosive on the offensive side of the ball and they’ll need all the firepower they can get as the schedule will be brutal once again. The Tigers are in a district with defending state champ Jenks and two-time defending district champ Edmond Santa Fe. Throw in Broken Arrow and you have a three-headed monster at the top and several teams will be scratching and clawing for playoff positioning. In 2020, Norman wasn’t able to begin their season until week three against Mustang and that ended with a heartbreaking overtime loss. The Tigers are ready to erase the memory of the 2020 season completely and make a return trip back to the playoffs.
2020 Results (2-7 Record – Lost In Class 6A-D1 1st Round)
Sept. 3 – Game VS Norman North Cancelled
Sept. 11 – Game VS Moore Cancelled
Sept. 18 – Lost To Mustang 34-33 (OT)
Sept. 25 – Lost To Yukon 28-14
Oct. 2 – Beat Edmond Memorial 27-20
Oct. 8 – Lost To Jenks 42-13
Oct. 16 – Lost To Westmoore 39-35
Oct. 23 – Beat Enid 35-20
Oct. 30 – Lost To Broken Arrow 35-7
Nov. 6 – Lost To Edmond Santa Fe 42-31
1st Round – Lost To Norman North 42-34
Players To Watch
Cooper Alexander
Cooper
Alexander
6'4" | 205 lbs | TE
Washington | 2024
State
OK
– 2024 Tight End
Our first player to watch is the youngest and he’s the top prospect that Norman has as of right now. They have a few others that you need to keep an eye on, but sophomore tight end
Cooper Alexander
Cooper
Alexander
6'4" | 205 lbs | TE
Washington | 2024
State
OK
has the chance to be one of the best overall prospects in the state’s 2024 class. In fact, that’s how we have him rated right now in our 2024 rankings. Alexander already looks the part and he has three more years of high school ball. He will certainly give Norman a boost in the passing game but he’s not afraid to get physical and be an extension of the offensive line and help as a run blocker.
Tias McClarty – 2023 Quarterback
We’ve mentioned the starting quarterback for the Tigers already in junior QB Tias McClarty. The junior standout is your prototypical dual-threat quarterback as he’s as dangerous running as he is passing. As a sophomore, McClarty actually put up some big numbers, despite Norman’s 2-7 record. It wasn’t all bad with McClarty running this Norman offense. He ran for over 1,000 yards and threw for nearly 1,000 yards. He had double digit touchdowns in throwing and running as a sophomore. We think that not only can McClarty build on last season, he could end up being a breakout star in 6A-D1 at the QB position.
Xavier Mason
Xavier
Mason
6'0" | 230 lbs | DL
Norman | 2022
State
OK
– 2022 Defensive End
Every offseason, we see several players that are consistently working on their craft and doing what they have to do to get better. Norman senior defensive end
Xavier Mason
Xavier
Mason
6'0" | 230 lbs | DL
Norman | 2022
State
OK
is one of those players for us. We’ve seen him in person when he was at our camp in June and he’s been all over the place getting training and going through the camp process. We think Mason could end up being one of the best pass rushers in 6A-D1 this fall. As a prospect, he’s a little undersized compared to the prototypical defensive ends but we don’t care. Mason has several moves that gets him into the backfield in a hurry.
More Names
Edric Lambert – 2022 Running Back
Ethan Medina – 2022 Linebacker
Seth Wishon – 2022 Linebacker
Viliami Makahununiu
Viliami
Makahununiu
6'4" | 300 lbs | OL
Norman | 2022
State
OK
– 2022 Offensive Lineman
Notable
Norman and Norman North have been rivals since North opened their doors in the nineties and the town of Norman all of a sudden had two schools. They’ve kicked off each season against one another in week one, routinely meeting at Memorial Stadium on the campus of OU. With last year’s regular season game getting cancelled, it would end that streak of playing one another. As mentioned earlier, these two crosstown rivals would get a chance at each other later on in the season. With every team being able to participate in the playoffs, the Tigers were in and matched up against their rivals from Norman North. It was just the second time in the history of this match-up that the two rivals had met in the postseason. The other time was in 2006 and it was also a victory for the T’Wolves of Norman North. Coming into this season, both teams are very similar in the depth of talent that they have coming back and we could end up seeing them meet up in the playoffs yet again if everything goes to plan.
2021 Schedule/Games To Watch
Sept. 2 – AT Norman North
– We don’t need to break this one down as much when you consider what we saw last year an the overall rivalry itself. It’s the Crosstown Clash, these teams do not like each other. Last year’s meeting was cancelled due to Covid and then they ended up playing in the playoffs, with Norman North getting the victory, remaining undefeated against the rival Tigers in the postseason. As we mentioned right above, this game is going to be very important for both teams to get some momentum going as they both have playoff aspirations.
Sept. 9 – AT Moore
Sept. 17 – Mustang
Sept. 24 – AT Yukon
– The very first district game of the season might end up deciding who is in and who is out of the playoffs. We mentioned earlier how Broken Arrow, Edmond Santa Fe and Jenks are the heavy favorites in this district and because of that, we’ll see just one other spot remaining for the playoffs more than likely. Norman and Yukon, among a couple other teams will be scratching and clawing for that spot. The Tigers will need to get a win here on the road against the Millers, otherwise, they’ll be playing behind the eight ball for the rest of the season. They can’t afford too many other district losses if they were to fall here. It’s only week four, but it’s as a close to a “must win” as possible.
Oct. 1 – Edmond Memorial
Oct. 8 – AT Jenks
Oct. 15 – Westmoore
Oct. 22 – AT Enid
Oct. 29 – Broken Arrow
Nov. 5 – Edmond Santa Fe
Championship History
2 State Championships
1992 – Beat Lawton Eisenhower 17-14
1964 – Beat Capitol Hill 12-6