Week Ten's Ten Best Games

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   Every single Monday, we've been taking a look at the week's ten best games across the state. Disclaimer, these games are listed in alphabetical order. There is no specific order for the ten best games every single week. But they feature the best match-ups and all of the top teams and players. And ten wasn't enough so we have a few bonus games to keep an eye on as well. This week's games are headlined by district championship showdowns and plenty of head to head match-ups that have heavy playoff implications.   #1 BIXBY (9-0) AT #5 JENKS (6-3)   It's not on national television this year but it doesn't matter. Top-ranked Bixby will hit the road to face #5 Jenks in a rematch of last year's week ten clash that was on ESPN and featured the Trojans ending Bixby's state-record winning streak. Bixby got the last laugh a few weeks later in the semifinals when they beat the Trojans and would go on to win another state championship. There's no national audience or state-record winning streak but there is a district title on the line. Coincidentally, despite the loss to Jenks last year, Bixby was still the district champ. This year, Friday's game will decide the district champion. Both programs are very familiar with one another and we could be in for another instant classic on Friday night.   #4 CHOCTAW (6-1) AT #7 PONCA CITY (5-4)   When it comes to Class 6A-2, most of the attention will be on the district title showdown with Muskogee and Stillwater but it's not the only intriguing match-up this week. #7 Ponca City is hosting #4 Choctaw and for the second straight year, Ponca City has overcame an 0-4 start to make things very interesting as we get close to November. When they host Choctaw, they'll be playing to secure not only a home game but a first round bye. That's what's on the line here as Deer Creek has already secured the district title. But it's going to be tough for Ponca. Choctaw is starting to get things rolling offensively. Junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211555' first='Cash' last='Williams'] is coming off the best game of his career where he accounted for 500+ yards of total offense.   #7 COLLINSVILLE (8-1) AT #6 CLAREMORE (8-1)   The storylines in this Class 5A showdown are simple. Win, and you get a home playoff game in the first round. Lose, and the road to Edmond gets a lot bumpier. #6 Claremore will look to overcome some key injuries as they host #7 Collinsville. The one thing these two teams have in common is they fell to Bishop Kelley earlier this season in district play. That's the one loss on the record for both teams coming into this week. Both have outstanding QB-WR duos to watch. Claremore QB [player_tooltip player_id='322948' first='Braxton' last='Etheridge'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='584313' first='Gage' last='Deckard'] have been lights out and Collinsville will counter with QB [player_tooltip player_id='402384' first='Skyler' last='Moorman'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='375219' first='Hudson' last='Henslick'] on the other side of the match-up. Deckard and Henslick have been outstanding playmakers this fall.   #4 ELGIN (9-0) AT #8 MIDWEST CITY (6-3)   Another head to head showdown for the district crown takes place in Midwest City as the #8 Bombers will play host to #4 Elgin and this has been a game that we've had circled on the calendar since the two met last season. In 2022, these two met in the final week of the regular season with the district championship on the line. Elgin scored in the final two minutes to go ahead but the Bombers would strike back in the final seconds to steal the district title away from the Owls. This season, Elgin has been one of the best teams in the state from start to finish. Running back [player_tooltip player_id='449039' first='Matt' last='Lund'] has been one of the best overall players in the state. We can only hope that this year's match-up is even close to what we saw last year.   EUFAULA (7-2) AT #4 IDABEL (8-0)   #4 Idabel has been one of the best teams in Class 2A all season long and they have one more hurdle to get over before they can start thinking about contending in the 2A playoffs. Eufaula. These two teams met up in week ten with the district championship on the line and Eufaula got the best of the Warriors. But last season, those two teams were very evenly matched and this year, Idabel comes in with the expectations of winning. Led by star [player_tooltip player_id='479389' first='Matrail' last='Lopez'] who does everything for the Warriors, Idabel expects to win this game and roll into the playoffs. Eufaula has won six straight following a 1-2 start. This was a team that was young coming into the season but they have worked their way into contenders again.   #6 KIEFER (9-0) AT #5 VICTORY CHRISTIAN (8-1)   We could look it up to know for sure but it seems like Victory Christian has been playing for the district championship in week ten in each of the last three or four seasons. Whether it was against Beggs or Kiefer, it always comes down to the final game of the year. This year, the #5 Conquerors will host #6 Kiefer in a game that will not only decide the district title but it will give the winner a ton of momentum going into a gauntlet 2A playoff bracket. Both teams have outstanding senior quarterbacks that can beat defenses in different ways. Kiefer senior [player_tooltip player_id='898373' first='Jaxon' last='Worley'] has been lights out all season, leading the Trojans to an unbeaten record. Victory's [player_tooltip player_id='897801' first='Ayden' last='Hamilton'] has become one of the best players in the state.   #6 MARLOW (7-2) AT #1 HERITAGE HALL (9-0)   With one week to go before the playoffs begin, #6 Marlow will be desperate to turn things around before the first round of the playoffs. The Outlaws began the season 7-0 but have dropped back to back games and it doesn't get easier this week as they travel to OKC to face top-ranked and defending champion Heritage Hall. And unfortunately for Marlow, the Outlaws will have Heritage Hall's full attention after the defending champs were pushed last week against #3 Sulphur. The Bulldogs did a good job in that contest containing Heritage Hall's star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='207182' first='Andy' last='Bass'] but junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='434307' first='Barrett' last='Travis'] stepped up in a big way and had a monster game with nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns.   #1 MUSKOGEE (8-1) AT #3 STILLWATER (7-2)   To be the man, you have to beat the man and #1 Muskogee will try to do that on Friday night when they hit the road to face #3 Stillwater. The Roughers have the number one ranking in 6A-2 but the Pioneers are the defending state champions. They also beat Muskogee in week ten last season before going on that state championship run. Muskogee wants the 6A-2 crown and they'll get their first crack at proving they are the new top dogs on Friday night. Both teams have some of the best offensive weapons in the state. Stillwater senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='215207' first='Holden' last='Thompson'] has been on fire this year and he ran for 300+ yards last week. Muskogee junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] continues to show why he's one of the best QB's in Oklahoma.   #6 NEWCASTLE (7-2) AT #10 BETHANY (6-3)   The playoffs are coming early here in Class 4A as it comes down to the final week of the season to decide some things in 4A-2. #6 Newcastle and #10 Bethany will square off and the winner avoids having to play the 4A-1 district champion in the first round. Both teams come into this week after a loss to the top two squads in the district a week ago. Bethany fell to #3 Blanchard while Newcastle lost a close one to #4 Tuttle. There's no argument that this has been the best district in Class 4A and one of the best in the state. All four playoff teams have been ranked in the top ten every single week. And both of these teams have some legit firepower. The best overall player in the match-up might be Newcastle's [player_tooltip player_id='449184' first='TJ' last='Bradford'] at running back and corner.   #8 PAULS VALLEY (6-3) AT #7 LONE GROVE (6-3)   The Heritage Hall-Marlow game isn't the only one to check out this week from 3A-2. #7 Lone Grove will host #8 Pauls Valley in a contest that might as well be considered a playoff game. The loser of this one is out and the winner is going to have to wait and see their playoff fate based on the outcomes of two other district contests. We told you before the season that there were going to be some good teams in this district that get left out of the postseason. This could be one of those cases. Pauls Valley started the season 3-0, but then dropped their first three district games. But they have rebounded with three straight wins coming into this week. Lone Grove has also built some momentum over the last two weeks.   THREE MORE GAMES TO WATCH   #10 PIEDMONT (7-2) AT #1 CARL ALBERT (9-0)   #10 Piedmont is in bounce back mode after losing to Bishop McGuinness last week but it doesn't get easier this week. They hit the road to face top-ranked Carl Albert, who is coming off a much-needed bye week after beating Guthrie. Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson'] missed most of the Piedmont game last season and he's hungry for a big week this week.   PLAINVIEW (5-4) AT #3 SULPHUR (6-3)   We told you before the season began that this district would be wild. #3 Sulphur has another fight on their hands with a Plainview team that is fighting for their playoff lives. The Indians need to win to have a shot at the postseason and Sulphur is looking to get back on the winning side after pushing top-ranked Heritage Hall last week but coming up short.   TONKAWA (6-3) AT #4 WOODLAND (8-1)   Down in Class A, you have #4 Woodland locked into their playoff spot but they want to grab some momentum heading into the playoffs. They lost a brutal game with top-ranked Hominy on the road last week in the final minute. On the other side of the match-up you have a Tonkawa team that needs to win to keep their playoff hopes alive this week.

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