Ardmore Team Preview
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It’s the month of July and that means it’s preview time! Throughout the month of July, we are publishing 100 team previews to get you ready for the 2022 season. This is something that began last year and has become even bigger and better this year. We’re looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state. From defending champs, to top contenders and dark horses, we’ll have complete coverage every single day with new teams from Class 6A down to A. In this post, we take a look at the Ardmore Tigers. The Tigers are looking for another playoff team but they won’t be settling for just another postseason appearance.
Ardmore Tigers (5A Preseason Ranking: #8)
The Ardmore Tigers have been one of the more consistent teams in Class 5A over the last decade and the Tigers are once again one of the top teams in the class as they come in at #8 in our preseason rankings for Class 5A. Ardmore is coming off a great 2021 regular season that did not end the way they would like as they fell once again to Bishop McGuinness in the playoffs. Ardmore would start the season 8-0 and looked like one of the top teams in the state. Then they had two instant classics to close out the regular season. They lost to Noble in a 1-point overtime game in week nine. Following that, they beat Lawton MacArthur in a last second victory, again by one point in the final game of the regular season to finish 9-1. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they would fall to the Irish in a blowout the following week in the first round.
Nevertheless, Ardmore comes into the 2022 season as a top ten team once again and it’s hard to argue that they shouldn’t have a spot here. They bring back five starters on an offense that was really explosive last season. They will have to replace several skill players but they bring back a quarterback that is one of the best in the state. They’ll lean on him to be a leader on the offense this fall. On defense, the Tigers bring back three starters and will be very young in some areas. So Ardmore will hope that the offense can put up some points early on in the season while the defense gets broken in and those new starters are ready for district play. Ardmore is one of those teams that you just pencil into the top ten every single season and this year, they don’t want to settle for another playoff appearance. They want to become one of the main players in the class in the chase for the gold ball.
2021 Results (9-2 Record – Lost In Class 5A 1st Round)
Sept. 3 – Beat Ada 27-0
Sept. 10 – Beat Shawnee 42-14
Sept. 17 – Beat Ponca City 28-18
Sept. 24 – Beat Southeast 56-28
Oct. 1 – Beat Altus 61-0
Oct. 8 – Beat Duncan 28-21
Oct. 14 – Beat Capitol Hill 57-6
Oct. 22 – Beat El Reno 49-7
Oct. 29 – Lost To Noble 36-35 (OT)
Nov. 5 – Beat Lawton MacArthur 41-40
1st Round – Lost To Bishop McGuinness 56-21
Key Losses To Graduation
Dakaree Scott – Wide Receiver
Jackson Hedger – Tight End
Jalen Reed – Wide Receiver
Ricky Smith – Wide Receiver
Players To Watch
Cal Swanson
Cal
Swanson
6'2" | 175 lbs | QB
Ardmore | 2023
State
OK
– 2023 Quarterback
We mentioned Ardmore having one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 class and that’s
Cal Swanson
Cal
Swanson
6'2" | 175 lbs | QB
Ardmore | 2023
State
OK
, who’s been their starter since his sophomore season. Swanson has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in a 2023 class that is loaded at that position. Swanson completed nearly 70 percent of his passes but he’s much more than just a pocket passer. He had an excellent offseason on the track and can absolutely tuck it and run. As you see with the losses to graduation, the Tigers are going to need some new pass-catchers for Swanson this fall and that will be something to watch. But the Tigers will go into almost every match-up with the best quarterback in the game.
Eric Fields – 2023 Running Back/Linebacker
While Swanson is going to have to find some new wide receivers in a hurry this fall, one benefit he will have is the return of 2023 running back Eric Fields in the backfield. Fields is a big running back and linebacker prospect in the 2023 class and at this point, we don’t really know which side of the ball he’s more valuable on. On offense, he’s going to bring some familiarity with the offense while new wide receivers get worked in. On defense, Fields will be one of the returning starters on a defense that replaces almost every starter. Fields is going to be a two-way player to watch this fall.
More Names To Know
Eric Meely – 2024 Defensive Lineman
Gavin Lewis – 2025 Defensive Lineman
Kayden Blansett – 2023 Offensive Lineman
2022 Schedule/Games To Circle
Aug. 26 – Lawton Eisenhower
Sept. 2 – Ada
Sept. 9 – AT Shawnee
Sept. 23 – AT Noble
– These two teams played an instant classic last fall and they’ll meet in the district opener this season. Ardmore will travel to square off with Noble in week four and they should have some momentum after a manageable non-district schedule, along with a bye week right before district play begins. Ardmore and Noble went to overtime last season and they could very well play another close one this season. They’re the top two ranked teams in this district heading into the season and we could see some fireworks. Both teams have excellent 2023 quarterbacks.
Sept. 30 – AT Elgin
Oct. 7 – Lawton MacArthur
Oct. 14 – El Reno
Oct. 21 – AT Midwest City
– One of the new teams into this district and into Class 5A overall is Midwest City. The Bombers drop down to Class 5A for at least the next two seasons after being a perennial playoff team in 6A-2 over the last decade. The Bombers will be a solid road challenge for Ardmore late in the season and by the time week eight rolls around, the Tigers could be in a position to lock up the district championship. Ardmore is the favorite to win the district heading into the season and a win here, on the road in Midwest City will definitely help them take a step towards doing that.
Oct. 28 – Altus
Nov. 4 – AT Duncan
Notable
The Ardmore Tigers have made 13 consecutive appearances in the 5A playoffs and are looking for #14 this fall. They’ve been one of the consistently good teams in Class 5A over the last decade but they’re still looking to become one of the main contenders in Class 5A like Carl Albert and Bishop McGuinness have been over the last six seasons. Ardmore did make a championship game appearance in 2018 but they’ve won only one playoff game since then. In fact, Bishop McGuinness and Carl Albert have been the teams that have beaten Ardmore in the playoffs in each of the last four years. Both of those teams are the top two teams in our preseason rankings and if Ardmore makes it 14 straight playoff appearances, there’s a good chance they see one of them in November.
Championship History
3 State Championships
1992 – Beat Douglass 34-14
1990 – Beat Lawton MacArthur 41-0
1982 – Beat Bixby 14-7