Class 4A Championship Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   The Class 4A state championship game is set! #1 Wagoner will square off with #3 Blanchard in Edmond on Thursday at 7PM. The Bulldogs are back in Edmond and looking to defend their state championship from a year ago. The Bulldogs are also looking to finish off a perfect season as the wire to wire top-ranked team in Class 4A. For Blanchard, the Lions are hungry for that gold ball and have been playing great football, including a big semifinal win over #2 Poteau. In this post, we have everything you need to know about the 4A title game. From links to the “Players To Watch” articles for both teams, to a complete breakdown on the match-up, Prep Redzone Oklahoma has you covered! Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day for more championship preview content!   RELATED   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/11/class-4a-title-first-look-2/">– 4A Championship First Look</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/11/4a-state-blanchard-players-to-watch/">– Blanchard's Players To Watch</a>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/11/4a-state-wagoner-players-to-watch-2/">- Wagoner's Players To Watch</a>   HOW THEY GOT HERE   #1 WAGONER BULLDOGS (13-0)   Sept. 1 – Beat Coweta 24-7 Sept. 8 – Beat Tahlequah 34-13 Sept. 15 – Beat Grove 35-14 Sept. 22 – Beat Skiatook 60-13 Sept. 29 – Beat Oologah 24-0 Oct. 6 – Beat Cushing 15-14 Oct. 12 – Beat Cleveland 61-0 Oct. 19 – Beat McLain 36-12 Oct. 27 – Beat Catoosa 54-23 Nov. 3 – Beat Miami 48-14 1st Round – Beat Broken Bow 57-7 Quarterfinals – Beat Tuttle 30-0 Semifinals – Beat Ada 42-7   The Wagoner Bulldogs were in familiar territory as they came into this season. The Bulldogs were back on top in Class 4A as defending champion and they were the team to beat in Class 4A. After being the hunter in 2022, the Bulldogs turned into the hunted this season but were never taken down. They opened the season with dominant wins in non-district play. They would then see Cushing in week six in a rematch of last year's 4A title classic. It ended up being another classic with Wagoner holding on to win 15-14. That win would propel them to another district title.   The Bulldogs rolled in the second half of the season, with their closest win coming in week eight against McLain. They won by 24 points on that night. And ever since the playoffs began, the defending champs have hit that extra gear that not many programs have. They won their first round game over Broken Bow by 50 points. They would then square off with #4 Tuttle in the quarterfinals and pitched a 30-0 shutout to eliminate the Tigers for the second straight year. Wagoner punched their ticket to Edmond by beating Ada 42-7 in the semifinals last week. The Bulldogs come into this week's title clash with a ton of confidence that they are bringing home another title to Wagoner.   #3 BLANCHARD LIONS (12-1)   Sept. 1 – Beat Noble 61-18 Sept. 8 – Lost To Piedmont 21-7 Sept. 15 – Beat Shawnee 34-31 Sept. 22 – Beat Harrah 46-13 Sept. 29 – Beat Newcastle 28-13 Oct. 6 – Beat Tuttle 20-6 Oct. 12 – Beat Classen SAS 40-12 Oct. 20 – Beat Bridge Creek 40-10 Oct. 27 – Beat Bethany 27-7 Nov. 3 – Beat Tecumseh 42-0 1st Round – Beat Cache 27-0 Quarterfinals – Beat Sallisaw 55-28 Semifinals – Beat Poteau 26-14   #3 Blanchard came into this season in the #3 spot in Class 4A with the majority of their starters back on both sides of the ball. The Lions began the season against a non-district schedule made up completely of Class 5A teams. The only slip up would come in week two, when they fell to Piedmont 21-7. But that schedule would prepare them for a district gauntlet. Three other teams in Blanchard's district were in the top ten. The Lions beat them all. It began in week five, when they beat Newcastle 28-13.   Then came a home showdown with Tuttle in week six, featuring a battle of top five teams. And with massive winds out of the north, both teams struggled from start to finish. Blanchard won that game 20-6 without scoring a single point on offense. The Lions would clinch the district title in week nine by beating Bethany. That tough district slate would set them up for success in the playoffs. They shut out Cache in the first round. Then they took care of the cinderella story of the 4A playoffs in Sallisaw. And finally, the Lions beat #2 Poteau 26-14 to punch their ticket to Thursday night's title game. The Lions are the definition of "battle-tested" and are ready to go to battle one more time.   HOW THEY MATCH UP   These two teams have been two of the best in Class 4A all season so it seems fitting that they are going to face off in Edmond. Wagoner comes into this match-up as the favorite and that's exactly where they've been all season. But you can't count out a Blanchard team that has played arguably the toughest schedule in Class 4A on their road to the state championship game. These are two very evenly matched teams and we could see another instant classic in the 4A championship game.   For Blanchard, it's a simple formula. Do what you do. The Lions have won games in different ways all season. They have arguably the best quarterback in the class and they have one of the best passing attacks in the state. As we mentioned earlier, they won a game this season against Tuttle 20-6 without scoring a single point on offense. All of their touchdowns came from the defensive side of the ball. Last week, it was special teams that provided a spark in the return game to beat Poteau. On Thursday night, they'll need to take care of the football and make the most of their opportunities on offense.   On the other side, you have a Wagoner team that has reached new heights on the offensive side of the ball. While Blanchard's passing attack is one of the best in Class 4A, Wagoner's isn't far behind with their quarterback setting the school record for yards in a season. But the Bulldogs are always going to be built on defense and what they can do defensively will play a huge role. The front seven for the Bulldogs has some game changers and if they can put pressure on Blanchard's quarterback, they are going to be in a good position to make plays. But the weather forecast will also play a role as it looks like it's going to be rainy throughout the night.   BLANCHARD-WAGONER HISTORY   When Blanchard and Wagoner square off for the Class 4A state championship on Thursday night, it will be just the second time these two teams have ever faced off. And the first time was historic. Now, that could be considered a little hyperbolic but we don't think so. The two teams clashed in the 2017 4A quarterfinals and that ended with Blanchard leaving Wagoner with a 23-14 win. With the win that night, not only did they punch their ticket to the semifinals, they ended Wagoner's 48-game winning streak. Earlier in the 2017 season, Wagoner had set the record for longest 11-man winning streak in state history. The streak came to an end in the loss to Blanchard. Bixby would come along a few years later and become the new record-holder, extending it to 58 straight wins. It was only one meeting but it certainly was a memorable one.   CRYSTAL BALL   Wagoner Over Blanchard   It's hard to go against the defending champs here. Wagoner was the hunter last season and now they are the hunted. Blanchard might have the best offense that Wagoner has seen this season. But the Bulldogs have talent in the secondary and they have some game changers on the front seven that will cause a lot of problems for the Lions. We think this game will be incredibly close and it wouldn't be surprising if it ended up being a high-scoring affair considering the two offenses on the field. But Wagoner is looking for back to back titles and their third in the last four years. And they've won their last six appearances in the championship game. Dale Condict's teams are tough to beat when they make it to this point of the year.

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