Metro Christian 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 Metro Christian Patriots. Metro is moving up to Class 3A after dominating in Class 2A. Metro Christian Patriots (3A Preseason Ranking: #4) After four seasons of dominance in Class 2A, Metro Christian is moving up to Class 3A this season. The Patriots are in 3A football for the first time since 2013. They spent 2014-2017 in Class 4A and then had a lot of success in Class 2A over the last four seasons, including state championships in 2019 and 2020. Last season, the Patriots went 8-4 and were handled by Eufaula in the second round of the playoffs. However, despite the early playoff exit, moving up a class and seeing new competition, the Patriots are still considered one of the top teams in Class 3A. They come in at #4 in the preseason rankings in Class 3A and have to be considered one of the top contenders for a deep run towards a potential state championship. A big reason behind the ranking is the nine starters that they bring back on the offensive side of the ball. The Patriots, when healthy, could have one of the best offenses in the state. They’re led by one of the top quarterback prospects in the state and Metro will be one of the higher scoring teams in Class 3A. You flip it over to the defensive side of the ball and the Patriots bring back seven starters on that side of the ball. Metro Christian got the short end of the stick on the redistricting shuffle, and because of that, they will be in a district primarily made up of west side teams. Despite that, we look for the Patriots to potentially run the table in the regular season and go into the playoffs as one of the top teams. <hr /> 2021 Results (8-4 Record - Lost In Class 2A 2nd Round) Aug. 27 - Beat Checotah 41-21 Sept. 3 - Beat NOAH 46-17 Sept. 17 - Lost To Holland Hall 37-7 Sept. 24 - Beat Okmulgee 50-14 Oct. 1 - Beat Henryetta 44-0 Oct. 8 - Lost To Beggs 24-22 Oct. 14 - Lost To Victory Christian 62-7 Oct. 22 - Beat Morris 35-0 Oct. 29 - Beat Kiefer 38-12 Nov. 5 - Beat Haskell 42-12 1st Round - Beat Sperry 41-7 2nd Round - Lost To Eufaula 56-21 <hr /> Key Losses To Graduation Caleb Connor - Offensive Lineman Dax Dancer - Linebacker Dempsey Gillman - Defensive Lineman JJ Shelby - Wide Receiver <hr /> Players To Watch [player_tooltip player_id="370229" first="Isaac" last="Penland"] - 2023 Defensive Lineman One of Metro Christian’s top defensive players from last year’s team was defensive lineman Dempsey Gillman and he was one of the breakout stars from last season. The Patriots will look to 2023 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="370229" first="Isaac" last="Penland"] to somewhat replace that production but they’ll more than likely need more than just one player to step up. But we like Penland as a defensive lineman prospect on the rise and he could be another breakout star for the Patriots this fall. Penland is an impressive athlete to watch. [player_tooltip player_id="192621" first="Jaxson" last="Grimes"] - 2024 Athlete The first of two very versatile athletes that Metro Christian will lean on this fall is 2024 standout [player_tooltip player_id="192621" first="Jaxson" last="Grimes"]. On offense, Grimes is a standout wide receiver and on the defensive side of the ball he’s a defensive back. The majority of his production last season came on the defensive side of the ball. The majority of prospects returning for Metro Christian are 2023 prospects but Grimes might be their top 2024 prospect. Grimes will be a huge part of the future but he’s going to play a very important role this fall as well. [player_tooltip player_id="38790" first="Kirk" last="Francis"] - 2023 Quarterback Metro Christian has one of the top quarterback prospects in the state with 2023 QB [player_tooltip player_id="38790" first="Kirk" last="Francis"]. His breakout season came in 2020 when he helped lead the Patriots to their second consecutive state championship. Francis put up impressive numbers again last season when he threw for nearly 3,000 yards and nearly 30 touchdowns. With almost everyone returning this season, we like Francis to be one of the state’s leaders in passing, regardless of class. And with another impressive season, Francis and his recruitment should skyrocket. [player_tooltip player_id="38802" first="Tagg" last="Campbell"] - 2023 Athlete Another versatile athlete that Metro Christian will look to unleash this fall is 2023 standout [player_tooltip player_id="38802" first="Tagg" last="Campbell"]. On offense, Campbell is primarily a running back but he can also line up at wide receiver. Then you look at Campbell on defense and he can line up at linebacker or even safety in the secondary. Campbell is one of the more versatile athletes in Oklahoma and his recruitment should take off with another productive season this fall. We like him to be a defensive prospect at the next level. More Names To Know Breck Nauman - 2023 Wide Receiver Corley Wagner - 2024 Running Back Eason Wagenblatt - 2025 Wide Receiver Jack Michalcik - 2024 Offensive/Defensive Lineman Kaedon Goodman - 2025 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back <hr /> 2022 Schedule/Games To Circle Aug. 25 - NOAH Sept. 2 - AT Poteau - Metro Christian will hit the road for the first time this season and they’ll be on the road quite a bit this season. Metro will be a top five team in Class 3A and they’ll be facing off with the Pirates, who are in the top five team in Class 4A. Both teams have state championship aspirations in their respective classes. It will also be a clash of styles as Metro Christian tries to take down the Pirates and their strong running game and attacking defense. The Patriots will counter that with a really good passing game behind Francis and some of the other returning Patriots on offense. A win here will give the Patriots momentum going into district play. Sept. 16 - AT Praire Grove, AR. Sept. 23 - AT Mount Saint Mary Sept. 30 - Perkins-Tryon Oct. 7 - McLoud Oct. 13 - AT Kingfisher Oct. 21 - Mannford Oct. 28 - Anadarko - Metro Christian is in a district that will feature quite a few miles as the majority of district opponents are on the other side of the state. But one of their toughest district match-ups will come in week nine as they host Anadarko. These two teams are the top ranked teams within the district coming into the 2022 football season. If everything plays out the way the rankings are right now, the district championship could be on the line when Metro hosts Anadarko. The Patriots will get challenged from other teams like Perkins-Tryon, McLoud and Kingfisher on the road but if they’re unbeaten in district play by week nine, they can all but lock up the district title with a win. Nov. 4 - AT North Rock Creek <hr /> Notable Metro Christian is moving up to Class 3A and it’ll be their first time in 3A since the 2013 season. However, the Patriots did not get done any favors when it came time to put teams in districts. Metro Christian is not close to just about any of their new district opponents. Mannford is the closest district foe and they are 35 minutes away. The benefit this year is that the majority of their district games will be at home but Metro will have to travel further than just about anyone in Class 3A when the match-ups flip and they have four road games. The Patriots will have to be road warriors this season but they’re ready to make a run and compete in Class 3A, no matter who is in their district. <hr /> Championship History 2 State Championships 2020 – Beat Washington 48-37 2019 – Beat Vian 42-34