Champion Check In - Carl Albert Titans

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   We're deep into the offseason but spring football is right around the corner and it'll be good to get back on the field and seeing the pads come on. But we wanted to take a look around the state at some of the top programs in Oklahoma today. And who better to feature than the reigning state champions. This article is the third installment of what we're calling our “Champion Check In” as we check in with the reigning state champions across the state of Oklahoma. Up next is Class 5A state champion Carl Albert following their perfect season.   2022 SEASON RECAP   2021 was a “down” year for Carl Albert and when we say down year, we're talking about a team that won their district and lost in the semifinals. But that's what building a dynasty brings. Unimaginable expectations after winning five straight gold balls from 2016-2020. And coming into 2022, the Titans were ready to make it back to the mountain top in Class 5A. Carl Albert was the number one team in Class 5A when our preseason rankings were released back in late June. The Titans were the team to beat with nearly everyone returning on both sides of the ball. But the Titans would not have the start that they would have hoped for.   Facing one of the tougher non-district schedules in Class 5A, Carl Albert would begin the season 1-2 and things started off bad on the very first possession of the season. Facing Coweta on the road in a top five match-up in week one, starting quarterback Reed DeQuasie would go down with a broken collarbone. The Titans wouldn't be able to overcome the injury that week and fell to the Tigers 44-14. Two weeks later, Muskogee star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] couldn't be stopped as the Titans fell at home 35-28. From there, the Titans wouldn't lose again, despite being in arguably the toughest district in the state.   The Titans, in our opinion, began their journey to a state championship in week seven. They would go on the road and face rival Bishop McGuinness, who was unbeaten at the time. DeQuasie would come back from that collarbone injury and breathe new life into the Titans. Plus, junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson'] let the whole state know that he was one of the top players in Oklahoma with one of his many outstanding performances this year. The Titans would roll on from there. They beat up Guthrie the following week and then took care of Piedmont in the regular season finale to head into the playoffs as district champions once again and 8-2 on the season.   It was clear that Carl Albert was turning into a snowball going down the mountain and their momentum was only getting stronger and they would not be stopped in the playoffs. Of all the state champions this year, Carl Albert was one of the more dominant teams in the postseason. Their closest game was in the quarterfinals when they met rival Del City and pitched a shutout, winning 19-0. They would then move on to a showdown with unbeaten Grove in the semifinals and that turned into another blowout victory for the Titans as Carl Albert won 55-21. And in the title game, the Titans would have a complete performance on both sides of the ball as they punished McAlester for all four quarters, winning 49-7 to capture their sixth state title in the last seven seasons.   STATE OF THE PROGRAM   Over the last three decades, there are just a couple programs that are in the same conversation as Carl Albert as the top football program in the state of Oklahoma. The debate can range from Jenks and Union to Clinton and even Bixby with what they've done in the last decade. But Carl Albert is certainly in the argument for the best football program over the last three decades. So the state of the program for Carl Albert is pretty darn good right now and they show no signs of slowing down.   The Titans have won 17 state championships since 1989 and are tied with Clinton for the third most state titles in state history. Only Ada (19) and Jenks (18) have more. And Carl Albert also has one of the more ridiculous stats that we like to throw out whenever we get the chance. How dominant has Carl Albert been in the last three decades? This will give you an idea.   They won five consecutive titles from 1997-2001 and then six titles in the last seven seasons from 2016-2022. And here's the stat. The seniors on the 1988 football team were the last seniors that did not win a state championship during their four years of high school. Read that back one more time. It's been 35 years and the Titans have won at least one (and plenty of time more than just one) championship during any four year stretch.   In January of 2017, longtime head coach Gary Rose retired following yet another state championship season in 2016. Assistant coach Mike Corley took over the Carl Albert program and led it from 2017-2020 before stepping down in February of 2021. Corley took the reigns from Rose and led the Titans to new heights, with four consecutive state championships during his time as the man in charge. The Titans also enjoyed a 40-game winning streak with Corley in charge and Carl Albert was seemingly unbeatable during that stretch and they always seemed to reload year after year.   In 2021, Carl Albert alum Mike Dunn moved over from rival Del City to head up the Carl Albert football program, looking to continue their championship success. In his first season as head coach, Dunn led the Titans to the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Collinsville. In 2022, they had a rocky start but would dominate the Class 5A playoffs before eventually lifting the gold ball in December. And like we mentioned earlier, the Titans show no signs of slowing down, which brings us to our last spotlight as we look ahead.   A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE   Carl Albert will look to defend that state championship this fall and they'll come into the season as big favorites in Class 5A. Carl Albert loses a few key pieces on both sides of the ball but the talent they do return keeps them right at the top of the class. Those returning pieces are headlined by the reigning Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year in 2024 running back [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson']. But Robinson isn't alone as the Titans have a very special 2025 class, full of prospects that are going to end up playing at a high level.   That 2025 group features prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='294261' first='Trey' last='Washington'] and [player_tooltip player_id='598824' first='Trystan' last='Haynes'], who have exploded as power five prospects this offseason. That group also features 2025 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='353419' first='Caden' last='Davis'], who earned All State honors last season after becoming one of the top sack machines in the state, regardless of class. There are a few more 2025 names that are also waiting for their breakout moment, which could come this season.   The Titans will have some company at the top of Class 5A, so it won't be a cake walk to another gold ball. Rival Del City has completely reloaded throughout the offseason as they've gotten a few move ins that will make their offense one of the top units in the state, regardless of class. There are a few other 5A programs that will also give the Titans a run for their money. And we can't talk about Carl Albert without patting ourselves on the back for a statement from August, before the 2022 season. In our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/08/bold-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bold Predictions post prior to the 2022 season</a>, we predicted the Titans were about to win three straight state titles. They got the first one, they are the favorites heading into this fall and that prediction doesn't feel all that bold anymore.

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!