Stillwater Practice Report

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the best game in Class 6A-2 this week, #1 Stillwater will travel to Tulsa to face off with #5 Booker T Washington. The Pioneers are 4-0 and have looked really strong once again. Meanwhile, Booker T Washington stumbled out of the gate with two losses to tough competition but have bounced back with wins in their last two games, but Friday night will be the toughest test for either team so far this season. In this post, we take a look at the top-ranked Pioneers. How they've faired so far this season, where they stand in the big picture of 6A-2 and some of their top standouts through the first four games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pioneers opened the season in week zero with a win over Arkansas powerhouse Greenwood. After a bye week, the Pioneers returned to the field to dominate Yukon in week two. However, they would get a real test from Norman in week three but would prevail 36-33, their closest game of the season so far. Stillwater opened up district play last week with an 85-0 win over US Grant and now focuses on the playoff rematch with Booker T Washington. The Pioneers beat the Hornets last year in the quarterfinal round. This district is definitely going to be fun to watch play out and this is the first of several tough district games for the Pioneers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The offense has been outstanding so far this season. We figured it would be with all the firepower they were returning this season. Even taking away the 85 points they scored last week, this is an offense that is still averaging nearly 45 points per game. The Pioneers have had to deal with injuries to a few key pieces on that side of the ball. 2024 running back [player_tooltip player_id='215207' first='Holden' last='Thompson'] is out for the year with a knee injury. But that has opened the door for 2023 running back [player_tooltip player_id='199948' first='Noah' last='Roberts'] to take the majority of the carries and he's responded incredibly well. But as we mentioned above, the Pioneers going up against the Booker T Washington defense will be their toughest test to date. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the defensive side of the ball, they don't have as much star power but what they do have is an experienced unit that plays exceptional team defense. They'll need all three levels of that defense to be playing at their best as they go against a Booker T Washington offense that has some serious firepower. And that starts with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='69271' first='Lathan' last='Boone'], who threw for nearly 500 yards in their win last week against Bartlesville. Stillwater head coach Tucker Barnard was very complimentary of the Pioneer defense as a unit and his linebacker group might be one of the best in 6A-2. Despite losing Gabe Brown, who is now at OSU, the linebacker group has been playing outstanding so far. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below, we take a look at five standouts from Stillwater that are standing out so far after four games. We have a few stars on the offensive side of the ball, two emerging 2024 prospects and an offensive lineman who is the best in the state, but has been dealing with a nagging injury for a few weeks now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6336329b659ab","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["157517"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Stillwater senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='157517' first='Gage' last='Gundy'] has shown tremendous improvement over the last 12 months and has turned himself into one of the top quarterback prospects in the state. And that's amazing when you consider his story. He missed the majority of his sophomore season with an injury and before that, Gundy would play different positions because he was the most athletic guy on the team. But now that his focus has solely been on becoming a better quarterback, he's reaching new heights at the position. We've always said that Gundy arguably has the strongest arm of a very impressive 2023 quarterback class in the state. Right now, he's a top five QB prospect in the class and we think you could make the argument that he has the highest ceiling of the group. His best football continues to be ahead of him as he continues to develop and work at it.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-68a57e801ccdb"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633632b1659ac","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["215206"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The Pioneers were hoping that they would have the Thompson brothers terrorizing opposing defenses but unfortunately with Holden missing the season with the knee injury, it's been up to twin brother Heston to make things happen on the offensive side of the ball. Heston has not only stepped up in a big way, he's become Stillwater's leading wide receiver and should be a name to watch moving forward. Barnard mentioned he loved the versatility that Thompson provides the Pioneer offense. He can line up in a variety of spots but with his build and skillset, he's a perfect fit for the prototypical inside receiver that will rack up a ton of catches and do the majority of his damage after the catch. However, that doesn't mean that Thompson can't be a big play threat for Stillwater. He's proven that he can make big plays when the Pioneers need them the most over the last 12 months.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-68a57e801cd38"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633632c6659ad","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["50786"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"In week two against Yukon, senior offensive lineman and OSU commit [player_tooltip player_id='50786' first='JaKobe' last='Sanders'] went down with a lower leg injury. It didn't look good but the injury isn't season-ending, which is the good news. Sanders has missed the last two games but Barnard believes that Sanders will be available to go against Booker T Washington on Friday night. Sanders might not be 100 percent for a few weeks, but he will be able to return and lead the Pioneer offensive line. Sanders is the best offensive lineman recruit in the state and we've been very outspoken about how we think he projects at the next level. He's fit in nicely at the center position and if that's where he ends up playing at OSU, we think that he has NFL potential. And with him being just a high school senior, we don't throw around those three letters loosely. But we believe he has that level of talent based on the last four years.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-68a57e801cd8a"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633632d8659ae","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["349796"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Stillwater tight end and defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='349796' first='Josh' last='Ford'] is another 2024 prospect that you need to go ahead and buy stock in now. Ford absolutely looks the part and Barnard believes that as his game continues to improve on the field, he already has the measurables to be a power five prospect at the next level. We got a chance to see Ford briefly at one of the team camps back during the spring and he was arguably the most physically impressive prospect on the Stillwater roster. One of our other writers watched him in person earlier this season and made a note that he does have the physical numbers to be one of the higher rated prospects. The more we see of Ford on the field, the more we like and we think that he could end up being one of the top prospects in the state. It's still very early in the process but he's already outplayed his current ranking as a prospect.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-68a57e801cdd9"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633632ec659af","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["199948"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Last season, 2023 running back [player_tooltip player_id='199948' first='Noah' last='Roberts'] split time with 2024 back [player_tooltip player_id='215207' first='Holden' last='Thompson'] at the running back position. With Thompson out for this season, nearly all of the carries have gone to Roberts and he's made the most of his opportunity. Earlier this week, we mentioned Mustang quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='200526' first='Tristen' last='Russell'] being undersized but that it shouldn't matter because he's one of the best in the state. We're starting to feel the same way about Roberts and how dynamic he can truly be on the offensive side of the ball. Some schools have already pulled the trigger and offered so he will at least have some options to play at the next level. Roberts was one of the more consistent players that we saw throughout the offseason while playing for Sooner 7. And he's taken that and it's translated to this fall as Stillwater's leading rusher and he is also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit","anchor":"acf-block-68a57e801ce28"} /-->