Tahlequah 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 Tahlequah Tigers. Tahlequah will be challenged this season as they move up from Class 5A to 6A-2.   Tahlequah Tigers (6A-2 Preseason Ranking: #10)   The Tahlequah Tigers are one of several teams that are moving into a new class during the redistricting shuffle and despite that, they come in at #10 in our preseason rankings. Tahlequah finds themselves at #10 as they head into a new future in 6A-2 after being in Class 5A for years. They had success in Class 5A with eight straight playoff appearances and things just got a little more difficult as they move into a class and specifically a district that will be one of the toughest in the state. The Tigers went 7-4 last season and made it to the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. They would start off the year with a 2-2 record but would win five straight before losing to eventual state champion Collinsville in week ten. That would put the Tigers on the road for the first round of the playoffs where they would fall to Coweta. Now, Tahlequah moves up to 6A-2 and the competition is going to be much tougher than what they experienced last season in Class 5A. But Tahlequah does bring back the majority of their starters and that's a great starting point for the move up to 6A-2.   Despite that move up to a new class and the challenges with that are obvious, the Tigers do have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Eight starters return on the offensive side of the ball while seven starters return on the defensive side of the ball. We start on offense and you have to begin the conversation with the big men up front for the Tigers. The Tahlequah offensive line is absolutely massive and they bring back so much talent along the line and that will certainly help the rest of the offense, whether it's paving the way for the running game or protecting their new quarterback. Speaking of the new quarterback, he'll benefit from the line and he'll also benefit from the Tigers returning three of their best wide receivers from last season. On the defensive side of the ball, the secondary is going to be rather special and they'll definitely need that when they face some of the quarterbacks that they're going to face in district play. The Tigers will have a tall task contending in this new district but they have a great mix of talent and experience that will help them throughout this transition to Class 6A-2.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   2021 Results (7-4 Record - Lost In Class 5A 1st Round)   Sept. 3 - Beat McLain 49-0 Sept. 10 - Lost To Wagoner 21-7 Sept. 17 - Beat Sallisaw 42-14 Sept. 24 - Lost To Pryor 31-14 Oct. 1 - Beat Hale 61-6 Oct. 8 - Beat Sapulpa 21-14 Oct. 14 - Beat Claremore 21-14 Oct. 22 - Beat Glenpool 47-13 Oct. 29 - Beat Memorial 55-0 Nov. 5 - Lost To Collinsville 55-13 1st Round - Lost To Coweta 42-14   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   Players To Watch   [player_tooltip player_id='211566' first='Beckett' last='Robinson'] - 2025 Defensive Back We've written about Tahlequah 2025 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='211566' first='Beckett' last='Robinson'] a few times already this offseason. He's been on our radar since about halfway thru last season. We first found out about Robinson when one of Tahlequah's coaches last season reached out and let us know that this prospect had the chance to be the real deal. This is a coach who played in the secondary at the D1 level in college so we definitely take that seriously. Tahlequah's biggest strength on the defensive side of the ball will be in the secondary with players like Robinson and some others. Robinson is already on the 2025 rankings and with a strong sophomore season, he could go up even higher and is considered a top five DB prospect in the 2025 class.   [player_tooltip player_id='115220' first='Brody' last='Younger'] - 2024 Quarterback Tahlequah 2024 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='115220' first='Brody' last='Younger'] first got on our radar during the offseason before the 2021 football season. Younger was one of the better young quarterbacks that we watched play 7v7 football and he definitely looked the part physically. Last season, Younger sat behind senior quarterback Tyler Joice and now it's expected that Younger will be the guy for the Tigers. And he's stepping into a position where the passing game can be a real strength for the Tigers. Tahlequah will have to replace their top two running backs but they do bring back their top three wide receivers. Combine that with one of the bigger offensive lines blocking for him, and Younger could become one of the top passers in 6A-2 this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='219072' first='Dylan' last='Leep'] - 2023 Defensive Back One of the more underrated defensive backs in the state's 2023 class is Tahlequah's [player_tooltip player_id='219072' first='Dylan' last='Leep']. He's one of several defensive backs in the state's 2023 class that might be playing baseball at the next level as he's an outstanding baseball prospect as well. Last season, Leep led the Tahlequah secondary on the field and on the stat sheet. He finished the year with six interceptions and he'll be looking to be one of the top ball hawks in the state once again this season. We mentioned this with Robinson above, but the Tahlequah secondary is very talented and they will need that this fall when you consider some of the quarterbacks that they'll be facing off with this season. Leep's football recruitment could take off this fall with another big year.   More Names To Know   Braxton Rooster - 2023 Offensive Lineman Brayden Northington - 2024 Linebacker Kale Shankle - 2024 Offensive Lineman Tate Whitmore - 2023 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='915044' first='Vernon' last='Buckner'] - 2025 Offensive Lineman   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   2022 Schedule/Games To Circle   Sept. 2 - AT Sapulpa Sept. 9 - Wagoner - So we mentioned Tahlequah's district schedule and how it's going to be a big step up from what they're used to in Class 5A. However, before we get into district play, a good measuring stick game for the Tigers will come in week two when they host Wagoner. The Bulldogs will come in as one of the top teams in Class 4A and will give Tahlequah a big challenge. Before Tahlequah goes into district play in week four, we're going to know exactly where the Tigers are at when it comes to being a contender in Class 6A-2. Last season, the Tigers fell to Wagoner in a competitive game. They'll look to knock off the Bulldogs and take plenty of momentum into the rest of their September schedule. Sept. 16 - AT Sallisaw Sept. 23 - Putnam City West Sept. 30 - AT Sand Springs - Tahlequah's district opener comes in week four when they host Putnam City West. But the first real challenge for the Tigers will come in week five when they hit the road and take on Sand Springs. The Sandites made it all the way to the 6A-2 semifinals, despite finishing fourth in the district. And they're expecting to make it back there again this fall. If Tahlequah is going to continue their playoff streak in the first year that they are in 6A-2, these are games that they'll have to win. It also begins a tough three week stretch where they play Sand Springs, Booker T Washington and Muskogee. Those are three teams all ranked in the top six of the preseason rankings. A loss here will put the Tigers in must win territory the rest of the year. Oct. 7 - Booker T Washington Oct. 13 - AT Muskogee Oct. 21 - US Grant Oct. 28 - AT Stillwater Nov. 4 - Bartlesville   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   Notable   Arguably the biggest storyline with Tahlequah football this year is the move up to 6A-2. Class 6A was split in half back in 2014 and during the last eight seasons, Tahlequah has played only in Class 5A. During those eight seasons, the Tigers made the Class 5A playoffs every year. They've made eight straight trips to the playoffs dating back to 2014. The previous playoff appearance before that streak was 2001 when they were in Class 6A. The Tigers are hoping that they don't run into a playoff drought like that with their move up to Class 6A-2. But in all honesty, it's going to be tough. We think that the Tigers are a good football team with all the talented players they bring back, especially on the offensive line and defensive side of the ball. But they are in one of the toughest districts in the state, regardless of class. Four of the top six teams in the preseason rankings are all in Tahlequah's district. It's going to be a tough road for the Tigers but if they can keep that playoff streak going, they would have to look at this season as a success.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />   Championship History   0 State Championships

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