Class 5A Quarterfinal Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   It's time for the quarterfinal round in Class 5A this week. It was pretty apparent earlier this year that Class 5A had the potential to be the fun class to watch. And we have some heavyweight match-ups this week. From games that are state title quality games and massive rivalry rematches, Class 5A has it all. In our quarterfinal preview, we'll take a look at each match-up with breakdowns on each team. We'll also take a look at some of the players to watch from each team. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the week for more playoff preview content!   #6 CLAREMORE (10-1) AT #4 ELGIN (11-0)   #4 Elgin remained unbeaten last week when they shut out Piedmont 20-0. The Owls have been one of the more dominant teams in Class 5A this season. With the exception of their week ten victory over Midwest City to clinch the district title, Elgin has won all of their games this season by at least 20 points. But Elgin is hungry for much more. This year's team is one of the best in school history and they can add to that history by punching their ticket to the semifinals for the first time in school history. For Claremore, it's a similar story to Elgin. This is one of the best seasons in recent memory. They are looking for their first semifinal appearance since 1987. Claremore survived a high-scoring classic against Sapulpa in the first round. The Zebras have bounced back from a week eight loss on the road to Bishop Kelley with some big wins over the last few weeks and now they need one more.   PLAYERS TO WATCH   Claremore has one of the best QB-WR duos in the state this season, regardless of class. Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='322948' first='Braxton' last='Etheridge'] and senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='584313' first='Gage' last='Deckard'] have been lights out throughout the season. The duo continued their dominant play last week in the first round win over Sapulpa. We've written about both of these standouts quite a bit over the last month and we're fired up to see what they do against an Elgin defense that has been stout.   Speaking of that Elgin defense, junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='915638' first='Colyn' last='Donnelly'] has become one of the better linebackers in 5A football this season. He and the Elgin defense will look to get pressure on the Claremore backfield. On offense, they have a balanced attack but they can run opponents into the ground with a two-headed monster at running back. But senior standout [player_tooltip player_id='449039' first='Matt' last='Lund'] became the school's all-time leading rusher earlier this season and has been one of the best in the state.   #3 GUTHRIE (10-1) AT #2 DEL CITY (10-0)   This is without a doubt the game of the week in Oklahoma, regardless of class or round. #2 Del City will host #3 Guthrie on Friday night in a game that is worthy of a state championship match-up and we're seeing it in the quarterfinals. #2 Del City and their high-powered offense will go up against Guthrie and one of the top defenses in the state. The Eagles rolled to an easy first round win over Pryor. They dominated their way through the regular season, winning every game by at least two touchdowns. They're in for a fight this week. The Blue Jays rolled to a 49-21 win over Lawton MacArthur last week in the first round. Guthrie has shut out seven of their eleven opponents this season. And just like Del City, the Blue Jays have one of the best running backs in the state. We can't stress enough how good this match-up looks and it's a shame that one team will end their season Friday.   PLAYERS TO WATCH   For Del City, we have to start the conversation with senior running back and Oklahoma State commit [player_tooltip player_id='393974' first='Rodney' last='Fields'] on offense. Nobody has been able to really run the ball on the Blue Jays this season but Fields is one of the very best in the state. Something will have to give. But also look for fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='215200' first='Ladainian' last='Fields'] to have an impact in all three phases of the game. Whether it's at wide receiver, defensive back or as a return specialist, Fields can take instantly take over a game.   Guthrie will look to continue their dominance on defense and senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='994657' first='Eli' last='Moroney'] has been a big part of that. Moroney had double digit sacks by week five and has been a tackling machine over the last month of the season. He and the Blue Jays will look to contain Del City. On offense, senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='448519' first='Jaylen' last='Harper'] is coming off the best game of his career and the best game of any Guthrie running back. He had nearly 350 yards and five touchdowns last week.   #7 COLLINSVILLE (9-2) AT #1 CARL ALBERT (11-0)   In this quarterfinal match-up, we get a unique game featuring the last two state champions in Class 5A. In 2021, Collinsville beat Carl Albert in the semifinals and then went on to win their first state championship in school history. Last year, Carl Albert would raise the gold ball and they appear to be the favorites to do it again this year. Carl Albert is ranked atop the 5A rankings and have been all season. They continued their perfect season last week by beating up on El Reno. It was a complete game from start to finish as the Titans rolled on. For Collinsville, the Cardinals won't back down from a fight and they are just coming off one in the first round. They traveled to Coweta and trailed for the majority of the game. But they would stun the Tigers with a field goal as time expired to advance to this week's quarterfinal round. Collinsville might look like an underdog here but they won't feel like one.   PLAYERS TO WATCH   You have quite a few options for Carl Albert but we're starting it off with senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='360239' first='Xavier' last='Robinson'] coming into this week. Robinson turned into a different animal in the playoffs last year and he can flip that switch at any moment. On the defensive side of the ball, junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='353419' first='Caden' last='Davis'] is coming off a two-week stretch that is one of the best from the position. He set the school's single-game record for tackles with 30 two weeks ago and had 21 tackles last week.   Fresh off their win over Coweta, sophomore wide receiver and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='805100' first='Ben' last='Daniels'] is a player to watch this week. Daniels made a massive play late on a 70+ yard touchdown reception and he gives the Cardinals another big play threat on offense. Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='375220' first='Jack' last='Keith'] and the Cardinals will look to control the ball. Keith is similar to Robinson at Carl Albert where he can be a power runner that shoulders the load offensively but he's not alone in the backfield.   #9 BISHOP McGUINNESS (7-3) AT #5 BISHOP KELLEY (9-2)   There's not many things that are better than a classic high school football rivalry match-up taking place in the playoffs. #5 Bishop Kelley will look to sweep their rival Bishop McGuinness and have ultimate bragging rights until next season. The Comets beat the Irish back in week two with a 24-7 win. That win would actually kick off a nine-game winning streak for Bishop Kelley after starting the season with back to back losses. Bishop Kelley has been playing good football and they took care of business last week against McAlester. On the other side, the Irish have gone through a roller coaster season this fall. They were once again in one of the toughest districts in the state and had to fight for their playoff spot. Last week they were dominant from the start in a win over Midwest City. This will be the third time these two teams have met in the 5A playoffs since 2018 with each team getting a win.   PLAYERS TO WATCH   When we look at Bishop Kelley, the strength of the defense is along the defensive line and they have several players of note there. But senior [player_tooltip player_id='360241' first='Sam' last='Rhoades V'] is an absolute disruptive force coming off the edge. He was great when we saw him in person last month and will look to dominate again. Offensively, the Comets like to be balanced but senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='911901' first='Stice' last='Smith'] makes the Bishop Kelley offense go and he can beat defenses in multiple ways.   On the other side, Bishop McGuinness junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='922869' first='Damon' last='Cochran II'] has been a breakout star this fall. The Missouri baseball commit has done a great job this season as a passer and runner and was lights out last week in their first round win over Midwest City. Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1088229' first='JP' last='Spanier'] has been another player that might have been flying under the radar before the season but it didn't take long for him to become an impact player for McGuinness this fall.

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!