Favorite Performances Witnessed In 2022

<!-- 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 begin our postseason coverage. We continue things today by taking a look back at some of the favorite performances we covered in 2022. I take a look back at ten of the best individual performances I witnessed while covering games this season. These are in no particular order, other than alphabetical. If you want to check out the top five games we covered this season, check that out <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/12/favorite-games-covered-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RIGHT HERE</a></strong>. 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:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>DISCLAIMER.</em></strong>&nbsp;The following performances are from games that I covered from start to finish this season. It does not include games that I did not cover in person as we saw so many great performances across the state. But these ten are just from the games covered in person this season. Another disclaimer is we are limiting this to one performance per player. For example, [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson'] had several marquee performances that we watched in person. But we're picking our favorite out of the batch instead of listing all of them. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["157515"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 1 Against Cascia HallrnSTATS: 11-18 | 305 Yards | 2 Touchdowns | 102 Rushing Yards | 3 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnWe begin this feature with a player who was red hot to start the 2022 season and that was Rejoice Christian senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='157515' first='Chance' last='Wilson']. In a week one win on the road over Cascia Hall, Wilson could not be stopped as the Eagles rolled to an easy win. He would finish with over 300 yards passing and two touchdowns while also adding over 100 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He threw for over 300 yards while completing just 11 passes on the night. It was big play after big play for Wilson and the Rejoice offense. Unfortunately, Wilson would get injured about a month after this game and would miss the second half of the season and was simply not the same when he came back in the first round of the playoffs. It's definitely one of the u0022what ifu0022 questions we have about the 2022 season.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["197183"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e6A-1 Championship Game Against OwassornSTATS: 16-25 | 205 Yards | 4 Touchdowns | 86 Rushing Yards | 2 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnAs Bixby captured their eighth state championship in the last nine seasons by beating Owasso in epic proportions with a 69-6 win, senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='197183' first='Connor' last='Kirby'] went out on top. The story of Kirby and his rise to becoming one of the top players in Oklahoma is one to tell and we will in the next few weeks. But his performance in the title game when he and the Bixby offense simply could not be stopped had to have a spot on this list. Kirby would throw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns and he also added nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Kirby came into this season being known as simply a running quarterback who only had a handful of meaningful passes last season as a junior. Kirby would eventually win the starting job and backed up that decision with his performance throughout the playoffs.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["57158"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 8 Against CollinsvillernSTATS: 24 Carries | 338 Yards | 4 Touchdowns | 3 Catches | 21 Yardsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnOne of the most electric players we saw this season was in week eight when Grove running back [player_tooltip player_id='57158' first='Emmanuel' last='Crawford'] ran up, down and around the field in Collinsville as the Ridgerunners beat up on the defending 5A state champions. Crawford would finish with well over 300 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the night and sent a reminder on why he truly is one of the top overall players in the state. Crawford's performance was incredibly impressive to watch that night and it was just one of many that he had this season and even back to last year. He's a truly special talent that is so tough to bring down. He reminded me that night of some of the more elusive backs in history and the phrase u0022you couldn't tackle him in a phone boothu0022 kept popping into our mind. He's that slippery of a player with the ball in his hands.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["374628"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 10 Against BixbyrnSTATS: 7-10 | 130 Yards | 1 Touchdown | 175 Rushing Yards | 2 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnIn one of the biggest games of the 2022 season, Jenks would go on the road and end Bixby's 58-game winning streak. In our article yesterday, looking back at the u003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://prepredzone.com/2022/12/favorite-games-covered-in-2022/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003efive best games I covered this seasonu003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e, that game came in at #2 on the list. The Trojans would stun the Spartans 38-35 in a game that was nationally televised and ended up being a fantastic representation of Oklahoma high school football. But leading the way for Jenks was their senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='374628' first='Ike' last='Owens']. He would have one of the best performances of his career against the Spartans. He threw for 130 yards and a touchdown on 7-10 passing. But he tormented the Bixby defense with his ability to run the ball, finishing with 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. This was without a doubt one of the best performances we watched in 2022.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["211556"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 4 Against Sand SpringsrnStats: 10-17 | 250 Yards | 6 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnMuskogee was one of the best turnaround stories of the 2022 season. After going 2-8 in 2021, the Roughers would turn things around in a big way in 2022 by making it all the way to the semifinals and finishing the year at 10-2. Leading the way for that turnaround was sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin']. We got a chance to see Ficklin quite a bit throughout the offseason and saw that the talent was there in the young quarterback. But in week four, we traveled to Sand Springs to see the Roughers open up district play against the Sandites. Ficklin and the Roughers made it look easy early on as he would throw for 250 yards and six touchdowns as they built a 27-0 lead after the first quarter and would win 48-26. With Ficklin returning in 2023, we like the Roughers as the very early favorite in Class 6A-2.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["268323"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 9 Against MuldrowrnSTATS: 18 Carries | 134 Yards | 3 Touchdowns | 7 Catches | 104 Yardsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnWe wrote this following the week nine game where Lincoln Christian went on the road and absolutely smashed Muldrow in dominant fashion. u0022I was fired up to check out the Lincoln Christian-Muldrow game to finally get a look at Muldrow's senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='287380' first='Trenden' last='Collins'] in person. Well, right position, but wrong player. Lincoln Christian senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='268323' first='John' last='Washington'] stole the show while the Lincoln Christian defense held Collins to a season-low in yards.u0022 Washington showed why he was arguably the best u0022dual-threatu0022 running back in the state when it comes to running and being a threat as a receiver. He finished with well over 100 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and also had over 100 yards receiving. Washington had performances like that all season and it was fun to watch one of them in person.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["38790"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e3A Semifinals Against Lincoln ChristianrnSTATS: 22-25 | 452 Yards | 5 Touchdowns | 41 Rushing Yardsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnIt was hard not to pick the championship game in which Metro Christian senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='38790' first='Kirk' last='Francis'] threw for 600+ yards and five touchdowns but we went with the game prior, when Metro punched their ticket to the title game. Francis torched a Lincoln Christian defense that had not been torched all season. He would throw for more than 450 yards and five touchdowns on 22-25 passing. An underrated athlete, Francis also added 41 yards on the ground. But it was what he did in the passing game that was amazing to watch in the semifinal round. Francis marched Metro Christian up and down the field and he made quarterbacking the Metro Christian offense look like it was a simple task as he led touchdown drive after touchdown drive. Then he kept it going to following week, putting up record numbers in the title game.rnrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["219074"],"_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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 6 Against McAlesterrnSTATS: 20-29 | 235 Yards | 4 Touchdowns | 11 Carries | 70 Yards | 1 Touchdownu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnIn one of the more surprising outcomes of the 2022 season that I witnessed was Coweta's 49-0 smashing of McAlester back in week six. We thought that the Tigers were the better team coming into the contest but we never would have predicted that 49-0 would be the final score as the Tigers were on a mission that night to make a statement to the rest of Class 5A. And leading the way was senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='219074' first='Na'Kylan' last='Starks'], who finished with over 200 yards and four touchdowns on 20-29 passing along with 70 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Starks stepped up to the plate of being QB1 for the Tigers when fellow senior Cason Laverty went down earlier in the season with a collarbone injury. In some of the biggest games of Coweta's season, it was Starks that ended up shining the brightest.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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003e3A Championship Game Against Metro ChristianrnSTATS: 27 Carries | 222 Yards | 5 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnRecords were shattered in the Class 3A state championship game and part of that record-breaking offensive performance was Heritage Hall senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='155875' first='River' last='Faulkner']. As the Chargers would beat Metro Christian in a 72-56 shootout, Faulkner and the Heritage Hall rushing attack could not be stopped. And Faulkner found his way into the end zone throughout the night as the Chargers lit up the scoreboard in Edmond. On the night, Faulkner would finish with over 200 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. We had written about Faulkner several times throughout the season, mentioning how he and quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='207182' first='Andy' last='Bass'] made up one of the more dangerous backfield duos in the state and they showed why in that title game. Between the two of them, they combined for nearly 500 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.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 u002du002du003ernrnu003cstrongu003eWeek 7 Against Bishop McGuinnessrnSTATS: 21 Carries | 214 Yards | 4 Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ernrnWe wrote about this again yesterday when I talked about the Carl Albert win over Bishop McGuinness being one of the best games I watched in person. And how we think that Carl Albert junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson']'s performance in this game was the his u0022coming outu0022 party to becoming truly one of the elite players in the state. Robinson is going to be one of the finalists for our Player Of The Year award and he has to be considered one of the favorites. And if you're looking for an equivilent to a u0022Heisman momentu0022 this is it. When he went for over 200 yards and four touchdowns, including what would be the game-winning touchdown with a little over a minute to play, it was clear to everyone in the stadium that night that he was one of the absolute best players in the state and he had a few more performances worthy of being on this list.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-63a35e9575162"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->