3A Playoffs: Players To Watch

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The 2021 regular season has come to an end and it’s time to get cranked up for the playoffs! Prep Redzone Oklahoma will be your home for the 2021 postseason as we’ll have wall to wall coverage. From playoff previews, to the most in-depth state championship coverage you’ll find anywhere, we’ll have you covered. Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day for more preview content throughout the week. In this post, we take a look at the players who will be making an impact on the 3A playoffs. To check out our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/11/class-3a-playoff-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3A Playoff Preview, Click Here!</a> GAME CHANGERS [player_tooltip player_id="48197" first="Chase" last="Burke"] - Running Back - Berryhill Berryhill is back as a contender in Class 3A after last year’s up and down season and the Chiefs have once again relied on running back [player_tooltip player_id="48197" first="Chase" last="Burke"] to help carry the offense. The scouting report on Burke is pretty simple. He’s an undersized running back that will absolutely torch you if you underestimate him. Plenty of teams have seen Burke and assumed they’ve had him bottled up and he’s made them pay. With the Chiefs playing really good football going into the postseason, we imagine Burke will have a pretty good run. [player_tooltip player_id="155258" first="Easton" last="Rogers"] - Running Back/Linebacker - Lincoln Christian Lincoln Christian running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="155258" first="Easton" last="Rogers"] runs into the problem that few other players on this list run into. They share the backfield with arguably one of the best players in the state. Because of that, Rogers isn’t as well known as his quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="52787" first="Max" last="Brown"] but that doesn’t mean Rogers isn’t a vital part of Lincoln’s playoff run. Rogers has been a consistent player from start to finish and his versatility on offense and defense is a big reason why we like Lincoln Christian to be the favorite going into the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="119092" first="Gunnar" last="Thrash"] - Quarterback - Perkins-Tryon Perkins-Tryon is back into the postseason and they’re there in large part to senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="119092" first="Gunnar" last="Thrash"]. After sitting behind Austin Mages for several years, it was finally Thrash’s turn to lead the Demon offense and he was absolutely ready for the moment. Not only are the Demons in the playoffs, but they have a home game in the first round. Thrash and the Demons were also the closest team to stunning Heritage Hall in district play. The senior has made the most of his opportunity and his stock has gone way up in our books. [player_tooltip player_id="38782" first="Morgan" last="Pearson"] - Wide Receiver - Plainview The perfect description of Plainview junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="38782" first="Morgan" last="Pearson"] is "game changer" and that’s exactly where we have him as the Indians come into the playoffs as the dark horse, ready to make a run. Pearson is arguably the best college prospect in Class 3A today and if he takes over a game, there isn’t much an opposing team can do to slow him down. On a breakdown like this, you have to include a player like Pearson because of his abilities at the receiver position. He can completely change a game in the blink of an eye. [player_tooltip player_id="38787" first="Parker" last="Jenney"] - Linebacker - Holland Hall Holland Hall junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="38787" first="Parker" last="Jenney"] is on the short list for breakout star of the year in Class 3A and honestly the state overall. We had no idea that this guy was coming and he’s been one of the best linebackers in the state. And what’s scary is he’s only a junior. We’ve already made this comparison, but if Jenney has a strong offseason, he’s going to be next year’s version of Owen Ostroski during his senior year. We see that type of potential from the Dutch backer. He could be an absolute game changer next year. [player_tooltip player_id="38813" first="Reese" last="Roller"] - Linebacker - Verdigris Verdigris linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="38813" first="Reese" last="Roller"] doesn’t have the prototypical size that some linebackers have in the state’s junior class but he has better production than just about anyone at his position. Last year, he had a breakout season and was among the state’s best at getting to the quarterback. All he’s done this year is back those numbers up with another strong junior season. If Verdigris makes a decent run, Roller is going to have more opportunities to terrorize opposing backfields. Just a junior, he’ll be back for more next year as well. [player_tooltip player_id="155875" first="River" last="Faulkner"] - Running Back/Linebacker - Heritage Hall On a team that also features [player_tooltip player_id="48668" first="Gavin" last="Freeman"], it’s easy to overlook some of the key glue guys to this Heritage Hall undefeated season. However, we knew coming into the season that junior running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="155875" first="River" last="Faulkner"] would have the chance to be a breakout star for the Chargers this season and he’s absolutely answered that call. Faulkner is the workhorse back in the Charger offense and he also turns around and wrecks shop on defense. Faulkner is yet another player who’s stock has soared after this season. <hr /> STAT SHEET STUFFERS [player_tooltip player_id="38767" first="Caden" last="Pickens"] - Linebacker - Plainview We could also put down running back for Plainview senior [player_tooltip player_id="38767" first="Caden" last="Pickens"] because he’s been just as productive on the offensive side of the ball as he has on defense. But when you watch Pickens, whether it’s on film or in person, you can see pretty quickly that this kid is a linebacker at heart. He even plays offense like a linebacker as it seems like he seeks out contact and powers through opponents. Pickens and the Indians come into the playoffs as district champs and there isn’t enough talk about them. They’re a dangerous team and will be a tough out. [player_tooltip player_id="231978" first="Dylan" last="White"] - Quarterback - Verdigris Verdigris has a wealth of young talent that has just gotten more experienced over the last two seasons. We first found out about Verdigris quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="231978" first="Dylan" last="White"] during his breakout season as a freshman. He helped lead the Cardinals and has been doing so ever since. We’ve written quite a bit about the young talent on this Cardinal team and how experienced they are as a group but it’s time for the Cardinals to make a run. They overcame the first hurdle by stunning defending champ Holland Hall in the regular season. Now they go chase after the gold ball. [player_tooltip player_id="231977" first="Jaxon" last="Watie"] - Quarterback - Berryhill Here’s another quarterback in Class 3A that has just continued to get better and better the more he’s gotten onto the field. Berryhill quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="231977" first="Jaxon" last="Watie"] has a few things going for him as he and the Chiefs enter the playoffs. His team is playing some of their best football right now, he has some serious weapons around him that can help him and this offense absolutely light up the scoreboard, and they’re hungry. After last year’s disappointing season, the Chiefs have been working to get back to the playoffs and prove they are still one of the powerhouses in 3A football. [player_tooltip player_id="206488" first="McKade" last="Peery"] - Quarterback - Stigler One of the breakout players for this season in Class 3A has to be sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="206488" first="McKade" last="Peery"] and it didn’t take long for him to make his presence felt on the football field. It was unclear how Stigler would be this season with a new head coach and plenty of new starters but Peery made it clear early on that the offense would be just fine with him leading the way. A dual-threat QB, Peery has been able to hurt opposing defenses in a variety of ways and will look to continue that throughout the playoffs. But it starts with a brutal first round game against Berryhill. [player_tooltip player_id="231981" first="Tre" last="Stevenson"] - Running Back - Perkins-Tryon Sticking with the sophomore breakout star theme, we go to Perkins-Tryon and their running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="231981" first="Tre" last="Stevenson"]. We knew that the Demons would be just fine this season with senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="119092" first="Gunnar" last="Thrash"] leading the way on offense but the Demons have been a top ten team this season and part of that has to be because of the breakout performance of Stevenson. The young sophomore has given Thrash a reliable weapon in the backfield and between the two of them, they’ve put up a lot of points this season. [player_tooltip player_id="133434" first="William" last="Paque"] - Quarterback - Heritage Hall Heritage Hall has weapons on both sides of the ball and several of those guys have gotten just about all of the headlines this season. However, leading this offense has been senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="133434" first="William" last="Paque"] and he’s been running this offense to near perfection. Yes, he has two All State-caliber players in the offense with him and it’s easy to just assume they’re doing all of the work but Paque has grown as a quarterback over the last year. He benefits from the talent around him but he’s put in the work to lead the Chargers in the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="38774" first="Zane" last="Woodham"] - Running Back/Linebacker - Heritage Hall We’ve said it time after time that Holland Hall’s [player_tooltip player_id="38774" first="Zane" last="Woodham"] was the most underrated piece to their championship run last season and it’s becoming clear now as we head into another playoff. Woodham has been an absolute star for the Dutch all season on offense and defense. On offense, he’s a workhorse running back and on defense, he’s a hard-hitting linebacker. With the Dutch missing their quarterback, more work will be put on Woodham’s plate but we have no doubt that he’s ready to answer the call and help lead his team to another title. <hr /> X-FACTORS [player_tooltip player_id="61135" first="Ethan" last="Roush"] - Athlete - Holland Hall Our first X-Factor is one of the more important ones to this playoff run in Class 3A as Holland Hall’s [player_tooltip player_id="61135" first="Ethan" last="Roush"] is moving positions. With the Dutch losing their starting quarterback in week nine, it appears that they’re going to look to Roush to fill that role throughout the playoffs. Last year and continuing this season, Roush has been an outstanding wide receiver and defenisve back for the Dutch. But this will obviously be a new role for him moving forward. However, he’s an outstanding athlete and we still think the Dutch can make another title run. [player_tooltip player_id="48668" first="Gavin" last="Freeman"] - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Heritage Hall Heritage Hall senior standout [player_tooltip player_id="48668" first="Gavin" last="Freeman"] might be the ultimate X-Factor, not only in the 3A playoffs, but in every playoff, regardless of class. Every time Freeman touches the ball, he has a chance to take it to the end zone. Not many players strike fear in the minds of opposing coaches quite like Freeman does. The Texas Tech commit might be hands down the best player in the 3A playoffs and if he plays like that, the Chargers might roll to a championship. We know the Chargers will get creative and find ways to put the ball in Freeman’s hands. [player_tooltip player_id="52787" first="Max" last="Brown"] - Quarterback - Lincoln Christian Lincoln Christian senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="52787" first="Max" last="Brown"] has grown a lot since the start of his junior season and has become one of the best playmakers in the state, regardless of class. Brown started his junior season splitting time with another quarterback and you fast forward to right now and he’s one of the most dangerous dual-threat QB’s in Oklahoma. He’s a complete X-Factor to Lincoln Christian and could help lead them to a second state championship in three years. Brown has weapons around him but he’s the ultimate weapon that can change the game in an instant.