Class 6A-2 Preview
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We are now less than two weeks away from the opening games kicking off as the 2023 football season in Oklahoma is right around the corner. And Prep Redzone Oklahoma will have you covered from start to finish. Since July 1st, we’ve been in preview mode and we’ve been pumping out a ton of preview content with over 100 team previews. If you missed any of them, you can check them out RIGHT HERE. Last week, it was all about the individuals with Preseason All State teams as well as comeback players and freshmen to watch. Now, it’s time to take a big picture approach with class by class previews.
In this post, we’re taking a look at Class 6A-2. From our preseason rankings (including links to each team’s preview) to our All Class teams and much more, we’re getting you ready for the 2023 football season in 6A-2. Stillwater is your reigning state champion but do they have enough to make it back to Edmond? Muskogee and Choctaw have reloaded and they sit atop the preseason rankings. Let’s dive in.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
5) SAND SPRINGS
6) BARTLESVILLE
ALL 6A-2 TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Jamarian Ficklin Jamarian Ficklin 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Muskogee | 2025 State OK – Junior – Muskogee
RB – Kenneth Page Kenneth Page 6'0" | 200 lbs | RB Sand Springs | 2024 State OK – Senior – Sand Springs
RB – PJ Wallace PJ Wallace 6'1" | RB Muskogee | 2025 State OK – Junior – Bartlesville
WR – Heston Thompson Heston Thompson 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR Stillwater | 2024 State OK – Senior – Stillwater
WR – Kayden McGee Kayden McGee 6'1" | WR Muskogee | 2024 State OK – Senior – Muskogee
OL – Brooks Barron Brooks Barron 6'4" | OL Owasso | 2026 State OK – Sophomore – Booker T Washington
OL – Darian Melendez Darian Melendez 6'5" | 315 lbs | OL Booker T. Washington | 2024 State OK – Senior – Booker T Washington
OL – Ryley Kester Ryley Kester 6'4" | 265 lbs | OL Charles Page | 2026 State OK – Sophomore – Sand Springs
OL – Toran Smith Toran Smith 6'2" | OL Deer Creek | 2024 State OK – Senior – Deer Creek
OL – Wesley Harvey Wesley Harvey 6'8" | 270 lbs | OL Muskogee | 2024 State OK – Senior – Muskogee
DEFENSE
DL – Devin Gillespie Devin Gillespie 6'0" | 285 lbs | DL Choctaw | 2025 State OK – Junior – Choctaw
DL – Hudson Haas Hudson Haas 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Ponca City | 2024 State OK – Senior – Ponca City
DL – Will Smith Will Smith 6'4" | 240 lbs | DL Choctaw | 2024 State OK – Senior – Choctaw
LB – Anthony Harris Anthony Harris 5'10" | LB Booker T Washington | 2025 OK – Junior – Booker T Washington
LB – Easton Costa Easton Costa 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Choctaw | 2024 State OK – Senior – Choctaw
LB – Jared Kappenman Jared Kappenman 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Edmond North | 2025 State OK – Junior – Deer Creek
LB – Tae Bulock Tae Bulock 6'3" | LB Choctaw | 2024 State OK – Senior – Choctaw
DB – Beckett Robinson Beckett Robinson 6'2" | 170 lbs | DB Tahlequah | 2025 State OK – Junior – Tahlequah
DB – Jayden Swanson Jayden Swanson 6'0" | DB Muskogee | 2024 State OK – Senior – Muskogee
DB – Jordan Sells Jordan Sells 6'3" | DB Booker T Washington | 2024 State OK – Senior – Booker T Washington
DB – Mykel Ford Mykel Ford 5'11" | 160 lbs | ATH Putnam City West | 2025 State OK – Junior – Putnam City West
KICKER/ATHLETES
K – Bodee Jimerson Bodee Jimerson 6'0" | K Tahlequah | 2024 OK – Senior – Tahlequah
ATH – Anthony Watson Anthony Watson 6'0" | 220 lbs | ATH Muskogee | 2024 State OK – Senior – Muskogee
ATH – JuJu Smith JuJu Smith 5'8" | ATH Choctaw | 2025 State OK – Junior – Choctaw
ATH – Lane Whitworth Lane Whitworth 6'0" | 180 lbs | DB Piedmont | 2025 State OK – Junior – Piedmont
ATH – Talon Kendrick Talon Kendrick 6'2" | ATH Stillwater | 2024 State OK – Senior – Stillwater
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
September 1st – Edmond Memorial AT Deer Creek
In week one, a big non-district game in Edmond takes place as Deer Creek plays host to Edmond Memorial. The Antlers have aspirations of becoming the top team in 6A-2 and they want to finish off the season in Edmond, competing for a state championship. The Antlers will host an Edmond Memorial team that is ranked in 6A-1 and this match-up also features two of the best quarterbacks in the state’s 2025 class. Deer Creek plays a challenging non-district schedule but it should prepare them to make a run when the competition ramps up in district play and into the playoffs.
September 8th – Carl Albert AT Muskogee
In another marquee non-district game, top-ranked Muskogee is going to host 5A’s top-ranked Carl Albert in one of the best non-district games of the 2023 season. And just like the Deer Creek-Edmond Memorial match-up, this game will feature two more outstanding 2025 quarterbacks who are battling for the top spot in the state’s 2025 rankings. Muskogee went on the road and knocked off the Titans last year and that’s when they got everyone’s attention following a 2-8 season in 2021. When we look at the non-district slate across all classes, this is one of the top games we’re looking forward to.
October 6th – Choctaw AT Deer Creek
When you look at the west side district in 6A-2, there are just two teams in that are in the top seven of our preseason rankings. And that’s #2 Choctaw and #4 Deer Creek. These two teams look like they are the cream of the crop when you look at this district and the Antlers will be hosting the Yellowjackets in week six. Choctaw was able to beat Deer Creek last season and that’s what allowed them to lock up the district championship. And in this class, being the district champion is going to allow them to have an easier path in the playoffs. It’s hard to imagine the district title not being decided here.
October 19th – Bartlesville AT Sand Springs
A lot of attention in 6A-2 will be on defending champion Stillwater and the preseason number one team in Muskogee. But they are going to have plenty of company in the district and Bartlesville and Sand Springs are at the top of the list. These two teams are going to square off in week eight when the Sandites host the Bruins. Both teams have a wealth of young and talented players so we should see these two teams in contention this year and beyond. The winner of this game is going to stay in the hunt for a home playoff game and much more. The loser will have some work to do.
November 3rd – Muskogee AT Stillwater
We can only hope that the 2023 football season plays out like the 2022 season when it comes to this match-up. In the final week of the regular season, it was unbeaten Stillwater going on the road and facing unbeaten Muskogee. The Pioneers would win that contest and capture the district championship on their way to a perfect season and a state championship. Now, the roles have reversed and it’s the Roughers that find themselves on top of the 6A-2 preseason rankings and they expect to win the district and state championships this fall. Just like with Choctaw and Deer Creek, the district title could be on the line here.
NOTABLE STORYLINES
Change Is Coming
In late July, the OSSAA announced the updated ADM and in the last week, the new districts and class lineups were approved by the state association and Class 6A-2 is about to look dramatically different. Keep in mind, these changes won’t go into effect until the 2024 season but for several teams, this will be their last run in 6A-2 for at least the next two years. Notable 5A teams Bishop McGuinness, Lawton Eisenhower and Piedmont are all moving up to the state’s second largest class. Preseason ranked teams Booker T Washington and Tahlequah will be moving down to Class 5A starting in 2024. And this class is going to have a lot of west side flavor as the majority of schools are west of I-35 and either in Oklahoma City or the surrounding area. Sand Springs will be the only 6A-2 team within 30 minutes of Tulsa. While it’s not a storyline that has an impact on this season, it will be something to keep in mind moving forward.
Gauntlet District
For the second straight season, we’re looking at a wide open race in 6A-2 but once again, the east side district in this class is going to be an absolute gauntlet. And for the second straight season, four of the top six teams in our preseason rankings and five of the top seven if you expand it are all in the same district. Last season, this district was one of the toughest in the state as Muskogee and eventual state champion Stillwater were able to run the table in the regular season and met each other in week ten with perfect records. This season, those two teams expect to be in similar situations but they are going to have plenty of company with other serious contenders like Bartlesville, Booker T Washington and Sand Springs. Whoever wins this district is going to earn it and with that, comes an easier path to make it to Edmond. Nothing is going to be easy in 6A-2 this fall and especially in this gauntlet district.
Ten Year Anniversary
The 2014 season brought the first season in which Class 6A was split into two divisions. The first eight seasons in 6A-2 were absolutely dominated by Bixby as they went to eight consecutive state championship games and they would capture seven gold balls. Last fall, they moved up to 6A-1 and the ninth season finally had a championship game that did not feature Bixby on either sideline. 2023 brings the tenth season with the 6A split and it appears to be as wide open as ever before. While the majority of the top ten teams might be in the east side district, you can make the argument that 6A-2 is going to be more competitive than we’ve seen in the past. The top four teams in the preseason rankings all made it to the semifinals a year ago and they appear ready to make another deep run into November. But they will have plenty of company throughout the season and when the playoffs begin.