Perkins-Tryon Demons OK 2023 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the month of July and that means it's preview time! Throughout the month of July and into August, we are publishing well over 100 in-depth team previews to get you completely ready for the 2023 football season. This is something that began in 2021 and has continued to get bigger every single year. We're looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state. From defending champions, to top contenders and plenty of dark horses, we'll have complete coverage every single day with new teams from Class 6A, all the way down to the addition of 8-man coverage this year with Class B and C. In this post, we take a look at the Perkins-Tryon Demons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Perkins-Tryon Demons&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #4<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perkins-Tryon came into the 2022 season as a borderline top ten team in Class 3A and was just on the outside looking in. However, for the second straight year, they would finish within the top ten and go 9-3 with a loss in the quarterfinals. The Demons were tripped up early on in a showdown with 4A's #1 Cushing. But they would give the Tigers their toughest game of the year before they lost to Wagoner in the 4A state championship game. They would also lose on the road in district play to Metro Christian and fall to the 2 seed coming out of district play. But they would shut out Marlow in the first round and fall to Verdigris in the quarterfinals. For the second straight year, they found their season ending in the quarterfinal round with a 9-3 record. We mentioned in last year's preview that the Demons were a team that might have been on the outside looking in on the preseason top ten but they were absolutely a team that could make a run. This year, we're saying it right from the start, this is going to be a good team and one to watch in Class 3A.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Demons will bring back 12 starters from last year's team and a lot of those players are bringing back multiple years of starting experience. The offense is going to return six starters and the biggest question mark is going to be the quarterback position. For the third straight year, the Demons have to replace their starting quarterback coming into the season. But this is still an offense that has playmakers at the running back and wide receiver position. So the quarterback's job is going to be a little easier right from the jump. The defense also brings back six starters from last year's team. And some of those top playmakers on offense will turn around and be some of Perkins-Tryon's most valuable players on defense. Football is not a game that's played on paper so preseason predictions don't mean a lot for the most part. But having said that, the Demons appear to be the favorite within their district. It should be much more competitive this season but Perkins-Tryon might be the most experienced and talented team of the bunch. A district championship is the first goal and contending for that state championship will follow.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2022 RESULTS (9-3 Record - Lost In Class 3A Quarterfinals)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 2 - Beat Tecumseh 28-7<br>Sept. 9 - Lost To Cushing 43-27<br>Sept. 16 - Beat Marlow 34-21<br>Sept. 23 - Beat Kingfisher 14-3<br>Sept. 30 - Lost To Metro Christian 63-28<br>Oct. 7 - Beat Anadarko 34-20<br>Oct. 13 - Beat Mount Saint Mary 49-16<br>Oct. 21 - Beat North Rock Creek 48-7<br>Oct. 28 - Beat McLoud 34-0<br>Nov. 4 - Beat Mannford 56-6<br>1st Round - Beat Marlow 49-0<br>Quarterfinals - Lost To Verdigris 35-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Key Losses To Graduation</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Braxton Lightfoot - Wide Receiver/Linebacker<br>Dax Edwards - Defensive Back<br>Harry Jackson - Offensive Lineman<br>Jayden Tackett - Offensive Lineman<br>Tanner Dawes - Quarterback</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players To Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["896151"],"_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":"We mentioned the quarterback position being a question mark with a new starter after the graduation of Tanner Dawes. Well, the Demons are going to have some experience back there, but in a different way. 2024 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='896151' first='Beck' last='Smith'] has started for the Demons since he was a freshman but was on the defensive side of the ball as a defensive back. But now, he's going to be QB1 for the Demons this season. And as you'll see with our next few players to watch, he's going to have plenty of talent around him. Smith is also going to benefit from having several offensive linemen that have started for multiple seasons. As we mentioned before, this is a Perkins-Tryon team that is incredibly experienced. Not only do they bring back starters, they bring back guys that have been starting since they were freshmen.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["393579"],"_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":"Simply put, Perkins-Tryon 2024 standout [player_tooltip player_id='393579' first='Cutter' last='Greene'] is one of the best athletes in the state when he's on the football field. The numbers don't tell the whole story of the type of athlete Greene is at the wide receiver and defensive back positions. Last year, as a junior, Greene had a little over 400 yards and five touchdowns receiving. He would turn around and have over 40 tackles and four interceptions as well. But you have to watch Greene in person to know what we're talking about. You don't even need to watch him play football. Watch him jump out of the gym in basketball and then it makes sense when he climbs the ladder and makes a spectacular catch over everyone when the pads come on. Greene is one of the best hidden gems in Oklahoma's 2024 class and he should have an outstanding senior season.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["231981"],"_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":"2024 running back and defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='231981' first='Tre' last='Stevenson'] is going to come into this season as one of the best two-way players in Class 3A. On offense, Stevenson is a bowling ball of a running back that is nearly impossible to bring down in a 1 on 1 situation. Last season, Stevenson finished with over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He's run for 32 touchdowns in the last two seasons alone. But he also turns around and is their most disruptive player within the front seven from the defensive end position. And after watching Stevenson in person a few times, we still don't know what his most natural position is for the next level. All we know is that he is a next level player and is going to help a football team. We just don't know what side of the ball or what position he's going to be playing when he does it.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":3,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64a7364b5c80b"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>More Names To Know</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1056544' first='Braiton' last='Applegate'] - 2025 Running Back/Linebacker<br>Bryce Lightfoot - 2024 Offensive Lineman/Linebacker<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1369768' first='Corbin' last='Reedy'] - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1094894' first='Dylan' last='Davidson'] - 2024 Kicker<br>Hagen Cundiff - 2024 Running Back/Linebacker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 Schedule/Games To Circle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 1 - AT Tecumseh<br><strong>Sept. 8 - AT Cushing</strong><br>- One of the first big tests of the 2023 football season comes in week two when Perkins-Tryon goes on the road to face Cushing. Now, this is a Cushing team that is reloading after losing the majority of their talent to graduation. They only have seven starters returning but they will still provide a test for the visiting Demons. Perkins-Tryon has lost three in a row in this series to the Tigers and they're going to be hungry to turn things around. And this is going to be the last game before a month featuring marquee games almost every single week that will be must watch.<br><strong>Sept. 15 - Marlow</strong><br>- Following the Cushing test, Perkins-Tryon will have their home opener and the only home game in the first four weeks of the season. They host Marlow, another team that's in our preseason rankings for Class 3A and they're a team that the Demons saw twice last season. Last year was the first year they met in non-district play and the Demons won 34-21. But they also squared off in the first round of the playoffs and that was a first round knockout for Perkins-Tryon. They beat Marlow 49-0 so the Outlaws have had this one circled for a while.&nbsp;<br>Sept. 22 - AT Kingfisher<br><strong>Sept. 29 - Metro Christian</strong><br>- It's without a doubt the marquee district game on the schedule this season and it happens in week five as Perkins-Tryon will host Metro Christian, another team in the Class 3A preseason rankings. The Patriots had their way with the Demons last year as Perkins-Tryon fell 63-28. The Demons could not slow down the Metro passing attack but they are the more experienced team heading into this season. Even though the Patriots are once again near the top of the district, the Demons come into this season as the preseason favorites. A win here should put them in the driver's seat for the district crown.&nbsp;<br>Oct. 6 - Anadarko<br>Oct. 12 - AT Mount Saint Mary<br>Oct. 20 - North Rock Creek<br>Oct. 27 - McLoud<br>Nov. 3 - AT Mannford</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Notable</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perkins-Tryon has made 13 consecutive trips to the playoffs as they've become one of the more consistent 3A programs over the last decade-plus. However, they're still looking to take the next step as a program. During this latest stretch, they've made it to the quarterfinal round on four occasions, including three times in the last four seasons. But they haven't made it to the semifinals since 2000 and that was the only year they've ever made it to the final four. The Demons are tired of being bounced out in the quarterfinal round and they want to join some of the other top programs in the tradition of practicing on Thanksgiving. But in order to do that, they have to make the semifinals first. But as the 2023 season begins, the Demons are in a good position, squarely in the top ten of the Class 3A preseason rankings. And they are one of the favorites within their district. They'll be tested in the regular season but we think this team has what it takes to finally break through and make it to the semifinals. And once they're there, anything can happen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Championship History</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>0 State Championships</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->