Class 4A Championship Preview

<!-- 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>The Class 4A state championship game is set for Saturday night at 7PM in Edmond as #1 Cushing squares off with perennial power and #6 Wagoner. These two met back in week six and they'll meet again this week with a state title on the line. In this post, we're taking a more in-depth look at this match-up. From how they got here to the biggest keys to the game and even a championship pick, we'll get you ready for Saturday's showdown. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 4A state championship content before, during and following the game on Saturday night!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>IN CASE YOU MISSED IT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/class-4a-title-first-look/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/class-4a-title-first-look/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">- 4A Title First Look</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/4a-state-cushing-players-to-watch/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/4a-state-cushing-players-to-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">- Cushing Players To Watch</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/4a-state-wagoner-players-to-watch/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepredzone.com/2022/11/4a-state-wagoner-players-to-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">- Wagoner Players To Watch</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>HOW THEY GOT HERE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#1 Cushing Tigers (13-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 2 – Beat Bristow 63-20<br>Sept. 9 – Beat Perkins-Tryon 43-27<br>Sept. 16 – Beat Berryhill 54-3<br>Sept. 23 – Beat Miami 54-13<br>Sept. 30 – Beat Catoosa 63-7<br>Oct. 7 – Beat Wagoner 42-0<br>Oct. 13 – Beat McLain 63-8<br>Oct. 21 – Beat Cleveland 70-7<br>Oct. 28 – Beat Oologah 70-21<br>Nov. 4 – Beat Skiatook 75-0<br>1st Round – Beat Broken Bow 48-0<br>Quarterfinals – Beat Blanchard 42-7<br>Semifinals – Beat Elk City 56-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cushing came into this season as the number one team in our 4A preseason rankings with nearly everyone returning from last year's team. Granted, they were number one in our preseason rankings last season and got upset in the first round of the playoffs. So this year's Cushing team came into this year with something to prove. Behind arguably the strongest senior class in school history, the Tigers would go unbeaten during the regular season. Their closest game was a 16-point win over Perkins-Tryon back in September. They would win a 1 VS 2 showdown with Wagoner in week six with a 42-0 victory. The 42 points against Wagoner was a season-low from an offense that averaged nearly 60 points per game. They won their first three playoff games by an average margin of 48.6-7, including a 56-14 win over Elk City in the semifinals, the same team that upset in them in the first round a year ago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#6 Wagoner Bulldogs (10-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 2 – Lost To Coweta 9-7<br>Sept. 9 – Beat Tahlequah 43-3<br>Sept. 16 – Lost To Grove 28-20<br>Sept. 23 – Beat Skiatook 66-0<br>Sept. 30 – Beat Oologah 36-0<br>Oct. 7 – Lost To Cushing 42-0<br>Oct. 13 – Beat Cleveland 56-0<br>Oct. 21 – Beat McLain 58-6<br>Oct. 28 – Beat Catoosa 63-6<br>Nov. 4 – Beat Miami 42-7<br>1st Round – Beat Ada 31-0<br>Quarterfinals – Beat Tuttle 13-10<br>Semifinals – Beat Poteau 30-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right behind Cushing in the preseason rankings this year was Wagoner at #2 in Class 4A. The Bulldogs remained there until dropping that 42-0 decision to Cushing in a 1 VS 2 battle back in week six. That would put the Bulldogs at 3-3 on the season after close losses to 5A contenders Coweta and Grove in non-district play. Wagoner was in both of those games all the way until the end. But against Cushing, the Tigers got after the Bulldogs and were able to score the most points and have the most success against a Wagoner defense that became one of the best units in Class 4A this season. The Bulldogs come into this week's championship game with five shutouts on the season, including shutout wins over Ada and Poteau in the playoffs. They would go on the road in the quarterfinals and take down a fellow perennial power in Tuttle. They followed that up with the shutout loss of Poteau last week. They are playing with a lot of momentum and confidence right now. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>HOW THEY MATCH UP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anytime you make it to a state championship game, it's not by accident. Both teams are playing some of their best football right now and we anticipate this game being much closer than the 42-0 decision that Cushing had back in week six. The Tigers definitely come into this game as the favorite to win the state championship, but Wagoner isn't going to back down for a fight and they have the championship history on their side. Wagoner knows what it takes to win in this scenario while Cushing is playing for their first state title in nearly a decade.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But as we mentioned before, this senior class at Cushing might be the best senior class in school history. Their QB-WR duo of [player_tooltip player_id='54349' first='Blaze' last='Berlowitz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='38715' first='Camden' last='Crooks'] is one of the best in the state. Wagoner head coach Dale Condict said that Berlowitz is the best quarterback he's coached against while Crooks might be a top five player he's coached against. And this is a coach who's one of the best in the last 25 years. The Tigers will have a simple game plan coming into Saturday. Change nothing. What has worked for them for the last 13 games will work for them on Saturday. It seems like this senior class is destined to bring home a gold ball to Cushing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Standing in the way is a Wagoner team that believes competing for championships is their right. Even in down years, the Bulldogs come into every season believing they can make a run in Class 4A and raise a gold ball in December. This year's team came into this season with high expectations and have lived up to them for the most part. With the exception of the Cushing loss, Wagoner's defense has been one of the best in the state, regardless of class. They have a great mix of senior leadership and young talented players that should make for an entertaining game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wagoner will look to pick up where they left off last week against Poteau. In the third quarter, they milked nearly all 12 minutes and shortened the game to the point where Poteau couldn't mount a comeback. Keeping Cushing's offense off the field will be priority number one. For the Tigers, they won't know how many possessions they'll get on offense because they know the Bulldogs are not going to want to get into a shootout. So taking advantage of their opportunities on offense will be important because they might not get very many of them. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>MATCH-UP HISTORY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There isn't much of a history between Cushing and Wagoner and all of it has taken place in the last few years. The two teams met back in week six this season with Cushing getting the best of the Bulldogs 42-0. This was the first year that Cushing and Wagoner were in the same district after the Tigers moved over to one of the east side districts this season in Class 4A. That week six meeting was just the second time that these two teams have met. The first time came just two seasons ago when they met in the semifinals and Wagoner won 40-14, before capturing the state championship a week later. A lot of the players that are now stars for Cushing were young sophomores during that semifinal match-up. There's no doubt that they still have memories of their season coming to an end as the Bulldogs would go on to win the state title. Now they face off with the gold ball on the line Saturday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CRYSTAL BALL</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cushing Over Wagoner</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a reason why these two teams were the top two teams in our preseason rankings back in June. They've been the top two teams in Class 4A and they are playing like it right now. Now when it comes down to making a pick, Cushing was the pick back in the summer and it's hard to pick against them right now. Even if you throw away the 42-0 win over Wagoner back in the regular season, this still has been the most dominant team in Class 4A as nobody has been able to slow them down. But as we mentioned before, Wagoner should not only feel confident this week, they should feel at home because they know what it takes to win championships. That could be the one advantage that they have on Saturday night. But as far as a pick to win it, we can't go against a team in Cushing that seems destined to raise the gold ball on Saturday night in Edmond. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->