5A Quarterfinal Preview
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The playoffs are in full swing and our coverage continues today with a look at Class 5A as the teams move into the quarterfinals. Last week,…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!
The playoffs are in full swing and our coverage continues today with a look at Class 5A as the teams move into the quarterfinals. Last week, most of the first round games went the way most would figure with nearly every higher-seeded team advancing. With the exception of Bishop McGuinness going on the road and knocking out Ardmore. In this post, we take a look at all four quarterfinal match-ups
#10 PRYOR (9-2) AT #5 LAWTON MACARTHUR (10-1)
Pryor will be making the lengthy trip south to Lawton to take on the Highlanders on Friday night. Pryor took care of Bishop Kelley last week while Lawton MacArthur had a close call with Piedmont. The Highlanders were a short field goal away from being undefeated but they lost to Ardmore in week ten and the perfect season came to an end. Meanwhile, Pryor’s two losses this year came to 4A’s #5 Grove and then Collinsville near the end of the season. The Highlanders certainly come into Friday night as the favorite but after losing in week ten and then the close call last week, it’s safe to say they’re vulnerable. These two teams have met only one time in their history and that came in the quarterfinal round back in 2013. Lawton Mac edged out Pryor in a close victory.
#6 GUTHRIE (10-1) AT #1 McALESTER (11-0)
This match-up might be close to the game of the week in Class 5A. Top ranked McAlester will host a Guthrie team that is hungry to get back to contending for the 5A title year after year and they’re currently knocking on the door. The Buffaloes have been our top ranked team in 5A all season and have looked strong week in and week out. Guthrie has been stellar as well with their one loss coming in the final minute to reigning champ Carl Albert. The Blue Jays are winning games with a dominant defense and a steady running game. The same can be said about the Buffaloes as well. Guthrie ranks #2 in 5A in points allowed with McAlester right behind them at #3. Both teams dominated in the first round with McAlester beating up Sapulpa and Guthrie shutting out Noble.
#3 COWETA (10-1) AT #4 CARL ALBERT (9-2)
This one is right there with Guthrie-McAlester for top game as five-time defending champ Carl Albert hosts Coweta. The Tigers come into this contest as one of the top teams in Class 5A and they get their shot at doing something nobody has done since 2015 and that’s beat the Titans in the playoffs. Their one loss this season came in October to top ranked McAlester and the Tigers dominated Tahlequah last week in the first round. Meanwhile, Carl Albert has completely flown under the radar in Class 5A which feels incredibly odd considering they are five-time champions. However, the Titans began the year 0-2 and they were not the favorite coming into the season. But they’ve won their last nine, blew out El Reno in the first round and appear to be the same ‘ol Titans now that it’s playoff time.
#9 BISHOP McGUINNESS (7-4) AT #2 COLLINSVILLE (11-0)
Bishop McGuinness began their pursuit of a fifth championship game appearance in six years by stunning Ardmore in the first round. That was one of the bigger surprises of last week. Not that the Irish won, but that they went to Ardmore and dominated the way they did. This week’s test will no doubt be tougher as they head east to take on a Collinsville team that has been perfect this season. The Cardinals have the top scoring offense and the top scoring defense in Class 5A and the closest game they had this year was a 24-point victory over Claremore. The Cardinals continued their domination into the playoffs last week by beating up on Shawnee and ending their season. Now the Cardinals turn their attention to Bishop McGuinness. Both teams have plenty of momentum coming into this week. Something has to give.