Week Eight Top Performers
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Week eight is in the books and every Sunday, Prep Redzone Oklahoma will take a look across the state and put a spotlight on some of the best individual performances from the week of games. Whether it was a stat sheet stuffing performance or a clutch moment in one of the state’s biggest games, we’re putting a spotlight on more kids and their accomplishments on the field than ever before! Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the season and check back every Sunday for another breakdown on the state’s top performances. And if you have a nomination, send it to us on Twitter @PrepRedzoneOK or email Michael@PrepRedzone.com.
We kick off this week’s top performers with one of the best players in the state of Oklahoma this year. Heritage Hall senior quarterback Andy Bass Andy Bass 6’0″ | 195 lbs | ATH Heritage Hall | 2024 State OK was at it again as the 3A defending champs remained unbeaten in a runaway win over Plainview. Bass gave another example of why he’s one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state today and he’s just as dangerous in the run game as he is with his arm. In the win, Bass accounted for eight touchdowns on the night. He threw for 371 yards on 21-30 passing and five touchdowns. Then he added 11 carries for 123 yards and three touchdowns. From the first game of the year, it was clear that Bass was going to be one of the best players in the state this season and he gets another chance to show it against #3 Sulphur on Friday.
Highlights
From one dominant dual-threat quarterback to another as Victory Christian senior signal caller Ayden Hamilton Ayden Hamilton 6’1″ | 180 lbs | QB Victory Christian | 2024 State OK continues to pad his stat line week after week. The Conquerors were in a fight with Sperry but remained unbeaten in district play with a blowout win and Hamilton was a big part of that. He threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns on 10-15 passing. And then he turned around and added an eye-opening 344 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries. Hamilton has been putting up monster numbers in the passing and running categories all season. He has a legitimate shot to join the exclusive “2K2K” club with 2,000 passing and rushing yards. But there’s no doubt that the last two weeks are big as they’ll face #10 Kansas and then #6 Kiefer to wrap up the regular season.
Piedmont senior standout Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6’1″ | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK has been mentioned plenty of times on this website as one of the best two-way players in the state. He had another example of excellent play on both sides of the ball as the Wildcats returned to the field with a shutout win over Shawnee. On offense, as a running back, Wood would finish the game with 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries. He would also once again be one of the team’s leaders in tackles with 12 tackles and a tackle for loss on the defensive side of the ball. Earlier this month, we added Wood to our PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year watchlist and he continues to elevate his game each week. The Wildcats will need him to perform at his best in an absolutely loaded Class 5A playoff field in a few weeks.
Highlights
Edmond North took another step towards punching their ticket to the playoffs with a strong win over Yukon in week eight. The Huskies were once again led by their senior running back Dev Mathews Dev Mathews 6’0″ | RB Edmond North | 2024 State OK as he continues his breakout season. In the win, Mathews ran for just over 300 yards and six touchdowns on a workhorse performance. He finished with 34 carries on the night and it was the second time this season that Mathews eclipsed 300 yards and six touchdowns in the same game. He did it earlier this season when the Huskies got a big win over rival Edmond Memorial. The Huskies have Mustang and Union in the final two weeks of the regular season. But the Huskies are in good shape to make the playoffs and once they are in, they’ll have one of the best running backs in the 6A-1 field.
The defending 6A-2 champions continue to roll as Stillwater won their sixth game in a row after an 0-2 start. As they rolled on by Putnam City West, senior wide receiver Heston Thompson Heston Thompson 5’11” | 175 lbs | WR Stillwater | 2024 State OK had one of his better performances on offense this season. Thompson is also doubling as a defensive back and has been an impact player on there as well as special teams this season. But in the win over PC West, Thompson finished with over 150 yards receiving and two touchdowns on six receptions. It was Thompson’s season-high in yards and touchdowns this fall. And the Pioneers will need their senior standout to continue playing like that down the stretch. There’s a showdown with top-ranked Muskogee for the district championship and momentum heading into the playoffs looming in week ten.
Week after week, Cushing continues to prove that they aren’t even close to taking a step back in Class 4A and the Tigers are going to still be contenders when the playoffs begin in a few weeks. The Cushing offense absolutely rolled as they beat Cleveland with ease in week eight. Quarterback John Hilligoss John Hilligoss 6’0″ | QB Cushing | 2024 State OK was perfect in the win and there’s no other word to describe his performance. He went 13-13 for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown on the ground and an interception return for his sixth total touchdown in the win. His night was over by halftime as the Tigers ran away with the easy win. Cushing jumped up into the 4A rankings over the weekend and they show no signs of slowing down as we get closer to the playoffs beginning in November.
4A’s top-ranked and defending champion Wagoner remained unbeaten with a dominant win over McLain on Thursday. Junior quarterback Kale Charboneau Kale Charboneau 6’0″ | 210 lbs | ATH Wagoner | 2025 State OK had another stellar night throwing the ball and he put up some big numbers in the passing game. Charboneau threw for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Charboneau is also a standout on the defensive side of the ball and he came down with an interception that he returned for his fifth total touchdown on the night. We’ve written this before, but Wagoner head coach Dale Condict warned us before the season that his junior quarterback was going to air it out more than we’re used to seeing from Wagoner quarterbacks. That’s been the case as the Bulldogs look to defend that 4A crown with the playoffs around the corner.
Highlights
After a three-game skid, Broken Arrow bounced back in a big way on the road by beating up on Enid 44-20 in week eight. The offensive side of the ball was incredibly efficient and junior wide receiver Kayleb Barnett Kayleb Barnett 5’10” | WR Broken Arrow | 2025 State OK was very impressive in the win. He led the Tigers in receiving with 175 yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions. Barnett is an absolute burner on the field and he got the opportunity to showcase his speed a few times in Enid. It’s been a tough season for Broken Arrow but having a speedster like Barnett on the outside gives the Tigers something to build on as we close out the regular season. And despite the 2-6 record, Broken Arrow is very much in the playoff hunt because those two wins came in district play. Barnett and the Tigers could give teams fits in November.
It was the game of the week in week eight and it lived up to all the hype and then some. #1 Carl Albert survived a trip to “The Rock” and beat #3 Guthrie 24-21 in the final minute. Junior quarterback and OU commit Kevin Sperry Kevin Sperry 6’2″ | 190 lbs | QB Denton Guyer | 2025 TX had arguably the grittiest performance we’ve seen all season. The final stats won’t blow you away but it’s what he did all night and at the end that lands him here. Sperry threw for nearly 150 yards and two touchdowns and also added 41 yards on the ground. But that last touchdown pass came on fourth and goal with less than a minute to play and Carl Albert trailing 21-17. It would win the game for the Titans and keep the defending champs unbeaten. Sperry was beat up all night long by a stout Guthrie defense and came up big when it mattered most.
We go from one clutch performance by a 5A quarterback to another with senior signal caller Stice Smith Stice Smith 6’3″ | ATH Bishop Kelley | 2024 OK following Bishop Kelley’s 42-41 win over Claremore. Smith and the Comets handed the Zebras their first loss of the season and they rallied from a 41-28 fourth quarter deficit to get the win. Just like Sperry at Carl Albert, it felt like Smith put the Superman cape on at times to make sure the Comets wouldn’t fall short on Friday night. He finished with 133 passing yards and three touchdowns and also added 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. But after going down 41-28, Smith immediately led the Comets on a 3-play drive and scored his second rushing touchdown of the night to make sure the Comets wouldn’t go anywhere. Smith impressed from start to finish.