2022 Player Of The Year Finalists

<!-- 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 2022 football season has come and gone. Once again, the football season has just flown by. A little over a week removed from the final football games of the 2022 season, we officially kicked off our postseason coverage earlier this week. We continue things today by announcing the ten finalists for this year's Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year award. These are the ten best players in Oklahoma this season. Finalists are decided based on several factors, including production, impact on the game and much more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the third season on Prep Redzone Oklahoma and we have the ten finalists, along with the history (yes it's short) of finalists and winners from the previous two years. The winner of this year's award will be announced on January 2nd! Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the next three weeks for more postseason coverage. From season in review features, to All State teams and plenty of awards, we'll have you covered!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["353410"],"_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":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e210 Carries | 2,278 Yards | 35 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e43-84 | 820 Yards | 9 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnThe only sophomore among this year's finalists is Wynnewood standout [player_tooltip player_id='353410' first='Caden' last='Knighten']. In fact, out of the 27 players that have been named finalists for this award, Knighten is only the second to do it as a sophomore. Cushing's [player_tooltip player_id='38715' first='Camden' last='Crooks'] is the other and we have more on him a little later. Knighten was arguably the best running quarterback in the state this season. While he does have some passing stats, when it comes to his game this season and what makes him a finalist, it's all about what he did on the ground. Knighten would run for nearly 2,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. He averaged over ten yards a carry and helped carry Wynnewood into the playoffs. Knighten is also already considered one of the top prospects in the state's 2025 class. He will be a big reason why Wynnewood is going to be one of the top teams to watch in Class A for the 2023 season.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["38715"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e72 Catches | 1,581 Yards | 23 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e67 Tackles | 4 Interceptionsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e7 Punt Return Touchdowns | 1 Kick Return Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnWe mentioned with Knighten that [player_tooltip player_id='38715' first='Camden' last='Crooks'] was coming up and here he is. Prep Redzone Oklahoma has only been around for three seasons and following every season of our existence, Cushing standout [player_tooltip player_id='38715' first='Camden' last='Crooks'] has been a finalist for our Player Of The Year award. Crooks has been one of the best players in Oklahoma for the last several years and he reached new heights this season. Helping lead the Tigers all the way to the 4A title game, Crooks was unstoppable on offense, finishing the year with over 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns receiving. He also added 67 tackles and four interceptions on defense. And then on special teams, he was a nightmare to defend. He finished off the year with seven punt return touchdowns and a kick return for a touchdown. Crooks has been one of the absolute best playmakers in Oklahoma and has earned his spot here yet again.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["98175"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e226 Carries | 2,745 Yards | 27 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnSimilar to Crooks at Cushing, Chandler senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='98175' first='Casmen' last='Hill'] has been an absolute playmaker since his freshman season. Hill ended his career as one of the all time leading rushers in Oklahoma with over 7,500 career yards. In his senior season, Hill would lead all 11-man players with well over 2,700 yards and also 27 touchdowns on the season. And he didn't even play in every game this year. Had he played in every game, we could be talking about a legitimate 3,000 yard season from the Chandler star. What was really impressive about Hill was how he played and carried the Lions towards the end of the season. In their final regular season game, along with their first two playoff games, Hill would run for nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns in those three games alone. Even as the Lions lost in the quarterfinals, Hill couldn't be contained as he finished with 181 yards in his final game.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["197183"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e135-184 | 1,925 Yards | 30 Touchdowns | 3 Interceptionsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e137 Carries | 1,023 Yards | 16 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnWe've said it before and we'll say it again here. You won't find many other players in Oklahoma that made a bigger jump than Bixby senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='197183' first='Connor' last='Kirby']. At this time last year, Kirby was a situational quarterback used only in running situations. This year, Kirby ended up winning the starting job at quarterback towards the end of the season and played some of his best football down the stretch as he helped lead the Spartans to another state championship. The evolution of Kirby as a quarterback was one of the best stories of this football season and Kirby's ceiling moving forward as a prospect is incredibly high. This year, Kirby threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns while adding over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. And again, he was splitting time at QB for the majority of the regular season. Imagine what those numbers look like if he was QB1 all season long.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["57158"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e230 Carries | 2,304 Yards | 36 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e19 Catches | 546 Yards | 7 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnFor the second straight year, Grove running back [player_tooltip player_id='57158' first='Emmanuel' last='Crawford'] finds himself as a finalist for Player Of The Year following another stellar season this year for Grove. As the Ridgerunners moved up from 4A to 5A this season, Crawford continued to elevate his game and found new ways to terrorize defenses this season. He was once again one of the best running backs in the state with just over 2,300 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground. But that wasn't enough. He also added nearly 550 yards and seven touchdowns on just 19 receptions this season. Crawford and the Ridgerunners ran into eventual champion Carl Albert in the semifinals but it was fitting that the final time Crawford touched the football, he would find his way into the end zone on his final carry. Crawford has been a highlight machine for several years now and he announced this week that he's headed to Arkansas.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["157517"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e185-270 | 2,410 Yards | 30 Touchdowns | 1 Interceptionu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e106 Carries | 555 Yards | 10 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnWhen we talked about Bixby's [player_tooltip player_id='197183' first='Connor' last='Kirby'] and the jump he made this year, another guy in that same conversation is Stillwater senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='157517' first='Gage' last='Gundy']. The Stillwater signal caller had about as perfect of a season as you can ask for. First, he helped lead the Pioneers to a perfect record and their first state championship in decades. Then you look at the numbers. He threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns and also added well over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. And he only had ONE turnover all season and that came on some miscommunication on a pass route. Gundy was flawless throughout the season and he did whatever he had to do to help the team win. In the state title game, he had less than five completions because the Pioneers committed to the running game. What's scary is that Gundy's best football continues to be in front of him and he's already grown so much in two years.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["386581"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e141-207 | 2,146 Yards | 22 Touchdowns | 5 Interceptionsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e179 Carries | 1,925 Yards | 33 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e75 Tackles | 5 Interceptions | 5 Punt Return Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnThere's no doubt that Hominy junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='386581' first='Jaxon' last='Woods'] might have been the most productive player in Oklahoma this season. Just look at the numbers. The dude was busy. The only thing he didn't do was sell popcorn at the concession stand or play in the band. On offense, Woods was a legitimate threat to be the latest u00222K2Ku0022 member with 2,000 passing and 2,000 rushing yards. He came up 75 yards short on the ground but accounted for 55 touchdowns on offense. Then he turned around on defense and had 75 tackles with five interceptions. And as if that wasn't enough, Woods would also take five punts back for touchdowns. We knew that Woods had this kind of versatility coming into the season after a breakout sophomore year. But he reached new heights this fall. And it seemed like some of his best performances came in the biggest games. He will have Hominy contending again in 2023.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["38790"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e284-407 | 4,384 Yards | 58 Touchdowns | 6 Interceptionsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnArguably the best passer this season in Oklahoma was Metro Christian senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='38790' first='Kirk' last='Francis']. The senior would help lead Metro Christian back to the state championship game and they would finish with a 13-1 record and Francis played some of his best football in the semifinal and championship games. In those two games alone, he threw for over 1,000 yards combined. Francis would finish off the season with nearly 4,400 yards and 58 touchdowns. He definitely benefitted from playing in a Metro Christian offense where they threw the ball the majority of the time on offense. But Francis was also one of the more efficient quarterbacks while putting up some absolutely monster numbers. Francis' senior season will go down as one of the better single seasons from a quarterback in recent memory. Francis has been one of the top quarterback prospects for several years now and he showed why this fall.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["155875"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e139 Carries | 1,231 Yards | 25 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e65 Tackles | 8 Sacksu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnOut of the ten finalists on this breakdown, Heritage Hall senior running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='155875' first='River' last='Faulkner'] doesn't have some of the numbers the others do. But when you dive into the game breakdowns and his season as a whole, you figure out why pretty quickly. This season, Faulkner would go over 1,200 yards and 25 touchdowns and also led the team with eight sacks on defense. Faulkner only played in nine games this season for Heritage Hall and the majority of the regular season games, his night was done by halftime as the Chargers had most of the games wrapped up after just two quarters. Faulkner would also have the best game of his senior season as he went for over 200 yards and five touchdowns in Heritage Hall's championship win over Metro Christian. Faulkner has been one of the best two-way players in the state for the last two seasons and finished off his career with a gold ball.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["360239"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e276 Carries | 2,594 Yards | 39 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnCarl Albert junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson'] was one of the absolute breakout stars of the 2022 season and he helped carry the Titans to another state championship, their sixth in the last seven seasons. In the process, Robinson rewrote the record book at Carl Albert for running backs and had some of his best performances in Carl Albert's biggest games of the year. Robinson would finish with nearly 2,600 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground this season. Robinson is a big running back and it's easy to assume that he's just a power runner. But as many opponents found out this season, Robinson could run away from opponents just as easily as he could run them over. Robinson not only became one of the top players in Oklahoma this season, but he became one of the top overall prospects in the 2024 class. He was the complete package for the Titans as they captured another title.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":10,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63a4dbcfbb164"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2021 Player Of The Year Finalists</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ben Harman - Quarterback - Cashion<br>Braylin Presley - Running Back - Bixby<br>Caden Powell - Quarterback/Linebacker - Clinton<br>[player_tooltip player_id='38715' first='Camden' last='Crooks'] - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Cushing<br>[player_tooltip player_id='157515' first='Chance' last='Wilson'] - Quarterback - Rejoice Christian<br>[player_tooltip player_id='57158' first='Emmanuel' last='Crawford'] - Running Back - Grove<br>[player_tooltip player_id='91049' first='Erik' last='McCarty'] - Running Back/Defensive Back - McAlester (2021 Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year)<br>Gavin Freeman - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Heritage Hall<br>Jace Gilbert - Quarterback/Kicker - Marlow<br>Max Brown - Quarterback - Lincoln Christian<br>Zane Woodham - Running Back/Linebacker - Holland Hall</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2020 Player Of The Year Finalists</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andrew Carney - Quarterback - Collinsville<br>Braylin Presley - Running Back - Bixby (2020 Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year)<br>Bryce Drummond - Quarterback - Pawhuska<br>Caden Harrell - Running Back/Linebacker - Cashion<br>[player_tooltip player_id='38715' first='Camden' last='Crooks'] - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Cushing<br>Carson May - Quarterback - Jones<br>Jayden Patrick - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Jenks<br>Luke Tarman - Quarterback - Bishop McGuinness<br>Owen Ostroski - Defensive Lineman - Holland Hall<br>Qwontrel Walker - Running Back - Stillwater</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->