Class 4A Semifinal Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong><em><strong>Get 50% off your subscription by entering BlackFriday2023 in the coupon code area for our special Black Friday Deal. Enjoy!</strong></em></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's officially Thanksgiving week and we're down to the final four teams in Classes 6A-1, 6A-2, 5A, 4A and 3A. We're taking an in-depth look at every single semifinal match-up and the teams that are preparing for them. In this post, we're taking a look at Class 4A as the top three teams are all still alive. We have one semifinal featuring a perennial power and a historical power. And another semifinal that is a championship-quality match-up. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#1 WAGONER (12-0) VS #7 ADA (11-1)<br>Friday - 7PM - Southern Nazarene Univ.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>THE MATCH-UP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top-ranked and defending champion Wagoner has been on top of Class 4A all season and they'll look to punch their ticket to the state championship game to defend that title on Friday night. The Bulldogs might have been the underdog last season when they stunned Cushing in the title game with a field goal as time expired. But they have been the favorite to win another gold ball all season. Instead of the hunter, Wagoner has had a big target on their back and they've responded every week. They have been very impressive to watch this season and they have once again elevated their play in the playoffs. They are coming off a dominant 30-0 win over #4 Tuttle last week. On the other side of this match-up, you have an Ada team that came into this season at #8 in our preseason rankings and had a good blend of experienced leadership and young but very talented players. The Cougars have also been in some absolute fights this season. They played in four games during the regular season that were decided by seven points or less and won all four. And they definitely come into this week's game with Wagoner having built some confidence. They went on the road and took out Clinton 21-9 to punch their ticket to the semifinal round. And they'll look to take out the defending champs and get a little revenge in the process. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>ADA PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["911940"],"_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":"Ada might have a star in the making with sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='911940' first='Brock' last='Boyles'] but he's going into a game against a Wagoner defense that has multiple players that will be playing college football. Boyles was calm, cool and collected last week when he led the Cougars to a big road win over Clinton in the quarterfinal round. He'll look to keep that composure this week as he faces a Wagoner defense that has done a good job this season against quarterbacks who can sling it. Boyles had an efficient night last week but he finished the game with less than ten pass attempts. That number will go up on Friday.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["628151"],"_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":"We mentioned earlier how Ada has a good blend of young talent to go with veteran leadership. Boyles is the young talent, senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='628151' first='Fisher' last='Marr'] is the veteran leader. And there's not a better example of that than last week when Marr led the Ada defense as they completely shut down Clinton's offense in the second half. Marr finished the game with nearly 20 tackles on the night. Marr has been one of the top linebackers in Class 4A all season and he gets another opportunity to shine on Friday night. In addition to being lights out on defense, don't overlook Marr getting into the game on offense as a power runner.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-655e693868a8a"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>WAGONER PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["294262"],"_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 said that Wagoner has players on defense that are going to be playing at the next level. Leading that crew is junior defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='294262' first='Alex' last='Shieldnight'] and he's the best of the bunch. Earlier this season, Shieldnight became the school's all time leader in sacks and he accomplished that at a program like Wagoner halfway through his junior season. Shieldnight is an absolute monster coming off the edge. Head coach Dale Condict has made no secret about his standout defender. He believes that Shieldnight is the best college prospect he's ever had. He has an opportunity to shine yet again in the semifinals.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["268445"],"_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":"While Shieldnight is the best prospect on this Wagoner team, senior [player_tooltip player_id='268445' first='Witt' last='Edwards'] has the ability to completely take over a game. At 6'6, Edwards is the team's leading receiver and he's a match-up nightmare when the Bulldogs get close to end zone. Edwards has ten touchdown receptions on the season this year. The rest of the team combined has ten touchdown catches. Edwards is also a problem on the defensive side of the ball. It doesn't matter where he lines up, he has the ability to create problems for an opposing offense. Look for Edwards to have a big role once again on Friday.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-655e693868b33"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>HISTORY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday's semifinal clash between Ada and Wagoner will be just the fifth time that these two have shared the field together. Coincidentally, it's also the fifth time that they've met in the playoffs. All four of the previous meetings have been playoff match-ups. Ada won the first two while Wagoner has won the last two. Last season, the Bulldogs shut out Ada 31-0 in the first round, on their way to capturing the 4A state championship. You know that the Cougars haven't forgotten about that. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>EXPERIENCE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ada:</strong> The Ada Cougars sit on top of Oklahoma with the most state championships in state history with 19. But despite leading the state in gold balls, it's been nearly three decades since their last state title. Nevertheless, they find themselves one win away from a trip to Edmond and a shot to capture state title number 20. Friday's game against Wagoner will be the 33rd semifinal appearance in school history and the Cougars are 24-9 all time in this round. But Ada has only made three semifinal appearances in the last two decades and the last one came in 2017. They won before falling to Heritage Hall in the state title game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wagoner:</strong>&nbsp;It's safe to say that Wagoner expects to be a team practicing on Thanksgiving year after year at this point. This season marks the 16th time in school history that the Bulldogs are among the final four teams still alive. And since Dale Condict took over this program nearly two decades ago, he made semifinal appearance a regular occurrence. This will be the 14th time the Bulldogs played for a spot in the title game in the last 19 seasons. Friday's game will also be the fourth semifinal appearance in the last five years. With a win on Friday night, the Bulldogs will head to the title game to defend their title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#2 POTEAU (12-0) VS #3 BLANCHARD (11-1)<br>Friday - 7PM - Catoosa HS. </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>THE MATCH-UP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the other semifinal clash, you have #2 Poteau facing off with #3 Blanchard in a battle of two teams that have been top five squads all year. Poteau has been perfect this season. They were tested early in the season with a tough non-district slate and passed with flying colors. The Pirates then ran away with another district championship and locked up a perfect regular season. The closest game in district play was a 28-13 win over Sallisaw. The formula hasn't changed much for the Pirates this season. They rely on a dominating running game with multiple standouts and a defense that is as stingy as they come in the state. But they'll be tested on Friday. #3 Blanchard came into this season as a top five team and had high expectations to contend in Class 4A. We've written quite a bit about their district of 4A-2 and how it's one of the best in the state. Three teams from 4A-2 made it to the quarterfinal round and four teams were consistently ranked in the top ten all year. Despite that, the Lions had no problems going 7-0 in district play and running away with the district title. They were tested by a tough district and a non-district schedule made up only of 5A teams. And those tests have certainly helped. Blanchard has been dominant in all phases of the game in the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>BLANCHARD PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["363852"],"_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":"Blanchard senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='363852' first='Carson' last='Cooksey'] has been one of, if not the best quarterback in Class 4A this season. He has put up monster numbers all season and more than that, he's been incredibly efficient throughout the season. The only game we saw Cooksey in person was the game against Tuttle where both teams had massive problems with the wind. Despite that, Cooksey was putting the ball on a rope to his receivers. And the Lions are going to need their senior quarterback to be at his best this week. Poteau has one of the best defenses in the state and not just in Class 4A so points will come at a premium.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1094507"],"_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":"Blanchard has a few players in the 2025 class that we're going to keep an eye on moving forward. Two-way star [player_tooltip player_id='1094507' first='Hudsen' last='Periman'] is one of them. At wide receiver, he's one of Cooksey's biggest targets. He's also one of three receivers to have at least 500 yards this season. But Periman is a massive threat in the red zone with his size. And he leads the team in touchdown receptions with ten on the season. Like we mentioned with Cooksey, the Lions are facing a stout Poteau defense. If they get good field position, they have to be able to take advantage of it. And Periman will be a big key to getting points on the board.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-655e693868bc7"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>POTEAU PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["215196"],"_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":"Poteau senior and Tulsa commit [player_tooltip player_id='215196' first='Dax' last='Collins'] is one of the best overall players in the state. It doesn't matter where you line him up on a football field, he's going to have the ability to have an impact in a major way. On offense, he's a dynamic running back but now he's not alone in the backfield, so the Pirates are going to be able to pick and choose their spots for the dynamic playmaker. On defense, he's a ball hawk defensive back that can absolutely lay the hammer down in the open field. And finally, he's a threat as a return man in special teams. Like we said, it doesn't matter where he is on the field, he's capable of making a big play.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["522126"],"_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":"It's not very often in Class 4A or lower that a team gets healthier as the playoffs move on. But the Pirates have gotten a major boost with the return of senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='522126' first='Jackson' last='Sommers'] to the lineup. Sommers was one of the breakout stars in Class 4A from last season but he missed the first half of this season with an injury. However, Sommers is back to looking like he did last season. He's coming off a performance in the quarterfinal round where he ran for nearly 200 yards. With Sommers back in the lineup and putting up those kinds of numbers, this Poteau offense is going to be tough to stop.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-655e693868c55"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>HISTORY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to the Ada-Wagoner match-up, this semifinal clash features two teams that have only met each other when it was win or go home. Blanchard and Poteau have met two times and they've come in the last six seasons. And they both came in the quarterfinal round so Friday's game will be the first time where the winner moves on to the state championship game. The Pirates got the best of Blanchard in their only two meetings. They beat the Lions 45-14 in 2021 and 36-14 in 2018. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>EXPERIENCE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Blanchard:</strong> Out of the four semifinal teams, it's safe to say that Blanchard can be considered the "new kid on the block" in terms of 4A semifinal appearances. Friday's game will be just the seventh semifinal appearance in school history but the majority have come since 2012. In the last 12 seasons, they've made four trips to the semifinals, winning their first two in 2012 and 2013 and falling short in 2017 and 2020. With a win on Friday night, the Lions would punch their ticket to the state championship game for the first time while competing in Class 4A. They are 3-3 all time in the semifinal round but 0-2 while in 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Poteau:</strong>&nbsp;The Poteau Pirates are back into the semifinals for the third straight year and for the fifth time in the last six seasons. All together, the Pirates are into the semifinals for the 18th time in school history. But unfortunately for the Pirates, this round hasn't always been kind to the Pirates. They hold a 4-13 record all time in the semifinals and in recent history, they are just 1-3 in semifinal games with their only win coming before their 2019 state championship victory. After having the last two seasons come to an end in the semifinal round, the Pirates are ready to turn things around and punch their ticket to Edmond. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->