Atoka Team Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   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 Atoka Wampus Cats. Atoka finished the 2021 season strong and look to continue that into 2022.   Atoka Wampus Cats   The Atoka Wampus Cats did finish the season strong in 2021 after a slow start and that, combined with bringing back nearly everyone has Atoka thinking they could contend in Class 2A this fall. The slow start really hurt the Wampus Cats in the playoff picture as they finished fourth in their district and ran into Vian for the second straight year. Because of that, they went 5-6 and were bounced in the first round. Atoka started the year 1-5, including losing four in a row at one point. They would respond by winning the final four games of the regular season but that wasn't enough to climb the district standings to avoid that fourth seed. But they did make another playoff appearance and with 18 starters returning for this year, the Wampus Cats believe that they have what it take to make a run in Class 2A.   In addition to Atoka returning 18 starters, the district is also going to be wide open this season. The Wampus Cats find themselves in a new district this fall and none of the district teams they lost to last year are in their district. Nine starters return on the offensive side of the ball and we really like the skill players they bring back on that side. This is going to be a team that can run the football with several different weapons in the backfield that all bring different things to the field. That versatility will keep defenses on their toes. And Atoka's defense will also be very experienced coming into this season with nine starters returning on that side of the ball, including several players who have been starting or receiving major minutes since they were freshmen. The combination of experience and district schedule should set up Atoka for contending for the district championship.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   2021 Results (5-6 Record - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round)   Aug. 27 - Lost To Ringling 48-0 Sept. 3 - Beat Coalgate 41-7 Sept. 17 - Lost To Marlow 42-10 Sept. 24 - Lost To Hugo 14-0 Oct. 1 - Lost To Antlers 22-13 Oct. 8 - Lost To Eufaula 49-0 Oct. 14 - Beat Hartshorne 30-13 Oct. 22 - Beat Valliant 35-7 Oct. 29 - Beat Wilburton 20-0 Nov. 5 - Beat Idabel 34-19 1st Round - Lost To Vian 61-0   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   Players To Watch   [player_tooltip player_id='157519' first='Andrew' last='McCall'] - 2023 Running Back/Linebacker The first of three standouts in the Atoka backfield is 2023 running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='157519' first='Andrew' last='McCall']. Last season, McCall finished with nearly 600 yards on the ground and he has the chance to have even more production this season. But on defense, that's where McCall is most valuable at the linebacker position. He finished with 62 tackles last season and has emerged as one of the better linebacker prospects in the state's 2023 class. McCall is a linebacker to keep an eye on as he's a physical back who can absolutely fly all over the field. He's a 2023 prospect to keep an eye on who can blow up in a big way this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='56223' first='Kollin' last='Ritchie'] - 2023 Quarterback/Defensive Back Atoka's 2023 standout [player_tooltip player_id='56223' first='Kollin' last='Ritchie'] has been on our radar since his freshman season when he was one of the top ball hawks in Oklahoma. He continues that this fall but will also be lining up at quarterback for the Wampus Cats. Last season, he threw for nearly 700 yards and added nearly 500 yards on the ground. But it's his defense that is so important to what Atoka does in defending the pass. He has 18 career interceptions and five of those picks ended in the end zone. We like Ritchie as a defensive back prospect but baseball is in his future as he's been committed to OSU for baseball.   [player_tooltip player_id='393345' first='Tyrell' last='Hill'] - 2023 Running Back Another 2023 running back to watch out for is [player_tooltip player_id='393345' first='Tyrell' last='Hill']. He'll look to add some more playmaking ability to the Atoka backfield. But just like with the other two players to watch, Hill also brings plenty to the defensive side of the ball. He finished with over 50 tackles and three sacks last season and is listed as a defensive lineman on the player breakdown. The combination of Hill, McCall and Ritchie in the Atoka backfield is going to be a problem for opponents this fall. They'll have one of the best rushing attacks in Class 2A and it wouldn't be surprising if all three flirt with 1,000 rushing yards this fall.   More Names To Know   Jace Jackson - 2023 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Karson George - 2023 Offensive/Defensive Lineman Noah Sherrill - 2023 Tight End/Linebacker Sean Allen - 2023 Defensive Lineman   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   2022 Schedule/Games To Circle   Sept. 2 - Ringling - Atoka's non-district schedule will be incredibly tough this year as all three of their opponents had strong seasons a year ago and will provide excellent tests to get the Wampus Cats ready for what will be a wide open district. They host Class A's perennial powerhouse Ringling in the season opener and they are looking to turn things around against a Blue Devil team that has had their number in recent years. Ringling has a lot to replace off last year's Class A Runner Up team. Meanwhile Atoka brings back nearly everyone. A win here in week one could provide the Wampus Cats a ton of momentum. Sept. 9 - Lindsay Sept. 16 - AT Antlers Sept. 23 - AT Kingston - Class 2A is going to be incredibly competitive this year and this district will be very wide open. Atoka opens up district play on the road against Kingston, who will arguably be their toughest district opponent. As it stands right now, there are no 2A-4 teams within the top ten of Class 2A but that won't last very long. You can make the case for Atoka, Davis and Kingston as the top three teams within this district. So facing off with Kingston in the district opener will be big for Atoka as they look to control their own destiny within this district. A win here will put them in a great position moving forward. Sept. 30 - Marietta Oct. 7 - AT Holdenville Oct. 13 - Lexington Oct. 21 - AT Davis Oct. 28 - Tishomingo Nov. 4 - AT Coalgate   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   Notable   Atoka is looking to make it back to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season and they'll want to avoid Vian as much as possible. The Wolverines have eliminated the Wampus Cats in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two years and it hasn't been very close in each year. They've lost by a combined score of 107-7 in their last two playoff meetings and Atoka is looking to turn things around once they get to the postseason. The Wampus Cats have just one playoff win since the 1977 season where they made a run to the semifinals. 2001 was the last time they won a playoff game and they've lost their last five first round match-ups. They're hoping that they turn that streak around in 2022 and if they can help it, avoid another run in with the Wolverines from Vian.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   Championship History   0 State Championships

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!