Class 3A Playoff Preview
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The 2022 regular season has come to an end and it’s time to start taking a look at the playoffs! Prep Redzone Oklahoma will be your home for the playoffs from now until the last state champion is crowned in Edmond. In this post, we’re taking a complete look at the Class 3A playoffs. From the favorite to all of the contenders and match-ups to keep an eye on, we have you completely covered. Keep it locked in for a Players To Watch feature later on today and throughout the next week for more class breakdowns!
PLAYOFF BRACKET
TEAM TO BEAT
Lincoln Christian Bulldogs (9-1)
Coming into this season, Lincoln Christian was our preseason number one team in Class 3A and nothing has changed as we transition to the playoffs. The Bulldogs went 9-1, with their only setback coming against Arkansas power Shiloh Christian. Not only have the Bulldogs been perfect against Oklahoma teams, they’ve been dominant, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Lincoln Christian has to be on the shortlist for top defensive units in Oklahoma this season. The Bulldogs have five shutouts this season, including four in the last five weeks of the season. In fact, Lincoln Christian’s defense hasn’t given up a touchdown since September 23rd when they gave up just one touchdown to Berryhill. The only other touchdown allowed since was a kick return touchdown from Muldrow. Lincoln Christian also has an incredibly balanced offense and that, combined with the defense makes Lincoln Christian a heavy favorite to not only make it back to Edmond, but to be lifting the gold ball. Lincoln Christian is searching for their fourth straight trip to the state title game and second title during that stretch. They won in 2019 and lost to Holland Hall in each of the last two years.
TOP CONTENDERS
Heritage Hall Chargers (9-1)
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has followed football in Oklahoma over the last decade. Heritage Hall is routinely one of the best teams in the state and this year is no different. The Chargers come into the playoffs at 9-1 with their only loss coming to defending 4A champion Clinton back in September. Heritage Hall has been on an absolute roll over the last two months and the combination of offense and defense makes them a very balanced team and tough to beat. On offense, the Chargers have some legitimate speed and power in the skill positions. On defense, they’ve been able to limit some of their best opponents this season. A decent amount of the points the Chargers have given up to district foes came against non-starters for Heritage Hall. The Chargers are determined to contend for the gold ball once again. And it’s been a few years. From 2014-2018, the Chargers won four championships in five seasons. But since then, they’ve lost each year in the semifinals to Lincoln Christian. Now they’re on opposite sides of the bracket and that’s one less team to stop Heritage Hall from Edmond.
Metro Christian Patriots (10-0)
The only unbeaten team in Class 3A this season is Metro Christian after the Patriots went 10-0 on the season as they returned to Class 3A this season after being in Class 2A the last several years. In addition to being unbeaten, the Patriots were dominant and the only game this season that was decided by less than 20 points was a an early season road game against 4A powerhouse Poteau. The Patriots would stun the Pirates on the road in the final seconds of the game, winning a road game in a place that’s not very easy to win. The Patriots come into the playoffs with plenty of momentum and they definitely have to be taken seriously as a contender in Class 3A. As the #2 team in our 3A rankings, it looks like we’ll see the top two teams in Class 3A face off in the semifinals if the bracket plays out the way many would predict. The Patriots and Bulldogs appear destined for a semifinal clash. If that happens, it would be the first time the Tulsa schools faced since 2005, although they are very familiar with one another.
Verdigris Cardinals (9-1)
The Verdigris Cardinals feel like they have some unfinished business after coming up short in the semifinals a year ago. In fact, this is a team and a community that is hungry to punch their ticket to Edmond. They have a senior class that is arguably the best in the history of this football program and they want to go out on top. They’ve won a lot of games in their careers and won’t be satisfied with another semifinal appearance and coming up short of the championship game. The Cardinals are 9-1 on the season with their only blemish on the record coming in a low-scoring affair to Bristow in early October. Since then, the Cardinals have been lights out, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Whenever you have a small town football program, every now and then you get a special class come through and that’s what Verdigris has with their 2023 group. After making two semifinal appearances in the last three seasons, the Cardinals are ready to take the next step and punch their tickets to Edmond this season.
DARK HORSE
Holland Hall Dutch (5-5)
It’s hard to consider a team that is coming off back to back state championships as a “dark horse” heading into the playoffs. But that’s where we are this year with reigning 3A champion Holland Hall. The Dutch captured back to back titles but they knew coming into this season that they wouldn’t be as dominant as we’ve seen over the last two years after losing a truly special senior class. However, the Dutch are back into the playoffs and are playing some of their best football right now with the playoffs beginning. The Dutch began the season 0-5 but a lot of that was because the first half of their schedule was just tough. The other part of that slow start was all the new faces the Dutch were working into the lineup. But as the two-time champs open up the playoffs this week on the road against Stigler, they have some confidence after winning five in a row. Holland Hall is always a team to keep an eye on but if you judge them by their 5-5 record and think that they’ll be a pushover this season, that’d be a mistake.
MARQUEE MATCH-UP
Muldrow (8-2) AT Cascia Hall (8-2)
Other than Class 5A, Class 3A might have the best selection of first round match-ups from an intrigue point of view. This class has quite a few match-ups that would qualify here, especially on the bottom half of the bracket. But we’re giving the edge to Cascia Hall hosting Muldrow in a battle of two teams that are 8-2. We’ll get to see Muldrow’s high-powered rushing attack go up against Cascia Hall and their “Blue Swarm” defense, that is at their best when they’re stopping the run. Cascia Hall also has a pretty dominant running game so if you plan on attending this one, you might get there early because it’s probably going to be one of the shorter games of the first round round. Muldrow is coming off a loss to top-ranked Lincoln Christian in the regular season finale but that came in week nine. The Bulldogs actually had last week off to get healthy and ready for the playoffs. Meanwhile Cascia Hall’s offense has been on a roll since getting shut out by Verdigris in mid-October.
HISTORY LESSONS
Cascia Hall Streak Continues
Death, taxes and Cascia Hall making the playoffs. The Commandos are back into the playoffs for the 36th consecutive year. Yes, that is correct. The last time the Commandos did not make the playoffs in football, in 1986, Ronald Reagan was entering his second term as President of the United States. It is not often that we see stability like this at any high school program, much less at one in Oklahoma that has never played higher than Class 4A. When they made the playoffs last fall, Cascia Hall broke a tie with Davis for the longest streak of consecutive playoff appearances in state history. For the Commandos, their stability and success since the turn of the millennium starts at the top with Head Coach Joe Medina. Cascia’s man in charge has won over 200 games and led them to four state championships, all while never missing the playoffs once.
New Playoff Blood
The 2022 season brought a new district cycle as new teams entered Class 3A and we’ll see quite a few teams that entered the class end up making the playoffs. All in all, five of the seven new teams in Class 3A made the playoffs this season. Bristow, Cascia Hall, Marlow, Metro Christian and Muldrow are all new to Class 3A this season and all made massive impacts, making it to the playoffs. For Metro Christian, they had a perfect regular season and are one of the top contenders. Marlow captured the Class 2A state championship a season ago and despite losing a truly special senior class, the Outlaws have moved up to Class 2A and are still a playoff team and one to watch this month. Bristow, Cascia Hall and Muldrow are all teams that could make a run behind strong running games.
Private School Dominance
This is without a doubt one of the biggest storylines in Oklahoma, regardless of class but it’s a massive one in Class 3A. The “Private VS Public” debate has been a longtime topic among Oklahoma high school football fans. Once again, some of the top teams in Class 3A are private schools as four of the top five teams in the 3A rankings are private schools, including Lincoln Christian, Metro Christian and Heritage Hall, who make up the top three teams. We’ve had back to back seasons where two private schools faced off against one another for the state championship. There is a growing belief and momentum around the state that private schools should be separated and compete against only private schools. While we could very well see that in the future, that’s not the case this season and there’s a good chance we see one, if not two private schools in Edmond next month.
CRYSTAL BALL
Lincoln Christian Over Heritage Hall
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Lincoln Christian and Heritage Hall have met in the semifinal round in each of the last four seasons. After the redistricting shuffle, they are now on opposite sides of the bracket and because of that we see them meeting for the fifth consecutive year but this time in Edmond with the gold ball on the line. Both teams will be tested on the way to the state title game but you can make the argument that these two teams have been the two best teams in Class 3A this season. Metro Christian will certainly have something to say about that. But in the end, we’re going with a Lincoln Christian-Heritage Hall rematch in a game that will be highly anticipated after the way last year’s semifinal ended with some controversy. But when it comes down to making a pick, we’re giving the edge to Lincoln Christian. The Bulldogs have been on top of Class 3A all season, they have a dominant defense and a high-scoring offense. It’s hard to find many flaws with the Bulldogs so they get the edge here.
Keep it locked in for a Players To Watch feature later on today and throughout the next week for more class breakdowns!