Class A Quarterfinal Preview
In this article:
Get 50% off your subscription by entering BlackFriday2023 in the coupon code area for our special Black Friday Deal. Enjoy! It’s Thanksgiving week and a lot of the attention this week is on the larger classes as they are in…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 50% off your subscription by entering BlackFriday2023 in the coupon code area for our special Black Friday Deal. Enjoy!
It’s Thanksgiving week and a lot of the attention this week is on the larger classes as they are in the semifinal round. For Classes 2A, A and B, they are into the quarterfinal round. And we’re taking an in-depth look at every single quarterfinal match-up to give you a complete breakdown heading into the games on Friday. In this post, we’re putting the spotlight on Class A. Seven of the eight teams remaining are in the Class A top ten rankings.
#2 FAIRVIEW (12-0) VS #10 STROUD (10-2)
Friday – 7PM – Moore HS.
Defending state champion Fairview continues their pursuit of another state championship on Friday night in Moore against #10 Stroud. The Yellowjackets have been led by junior quarterback Jax Bernard Jax Bernard 5'11" | 170 lbs | QB Fairview | 2025 State OK all season and he’s reached new heights as a quarterback this season. Fairview is unbeaten once again and are looking for their 28th consecutive victory. And on the other side of the match-up you have a Stroud team that feels like this season has been deja vu. They lost their first two games this season and haven’t lost since. And they have been without a doubt one of the best teams in Class A during this ten-game winning streak. But they face a Fairview team that beat them in the quarterfinal round last season.
#4 WOODLAND (11-1) VS #9 DIBBLE (10-2)
Friday – 7PM – Putnam City HS.
#4 Woodland comes into this week’s quarterfinal round with a ton of momentum after knocking off #3 Colcord in the second round last week. Because Woodland was the district runner up, they had a much more difficult path in the playoffs. But senior two-way star Jackson Rhodes Jackson Rhodes 6'3" | 185 lbs | LB Woodland | 2024 State OK has been outstanding all season and he’ll look to continue that this week against Dibble. The Demons won their tenth game of the season last week against Walters and running back Jag Norman Jag Norman 6'0" | RB Dibble | 2024 State OK has been one of the best running backs in the state. He has put up some monster numbers all season and he’ll look to do it again on Friday night. After an 0-2 start, Dibble is one win away from their first semifinal appearance since 1986.
#1 HOMINY (12-0) VS #7 APACHE (10-1)
Friday – 7PM – Kingfisher HS.
This top ten clash features two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the class. Top-ranked Hominy is headlined by senior standout Jaxon Woods Jaxon Woods 6'0" | ATH Hominy | 2024 State OK and he’s been one of the best players in the state for three seasons now. He has once again led the Bucks to an unbeaten season and they aren’t going to be satisfied unless they make a trip to Edmond and compete for that gold ball. Apache has been led by several players but the emergence of junior Houston Herrin Houston Herrin 5'11" | 170 lbs | ATH Apache | 2025 State OK at the quarterback position has been fun to watch this season. He’s just as likely to run for 200 yards as he is to pass for 200 yards. We should see plenty of fireworks when these two teams square off on Friday night in Kingfisher.
#8 CENTRAL SALLISAW (12-0) VS HOOKER (10-2)
Friday – 7PM – Newcastle HS.
Out of the four quarterfinal match-ups, this one might have been the most unlikely match-up back in the preseason. #8 Central Sallisaw is in the middle of a season to remember. They’ve never made it to the semifinal round and it’s been well over a decade since they’ve even won a playoff game. Now, they’re one win away from playing for a spot in the state championship game. For Hooker, the Bulldogs have been playing some of their best football right now. They began the season with a 2-2 mark and fell to defending champion Fairview in the district opener. They haven’t lost ever since. Quarterback Kleat Martens Kleat Martens 6'0" | ATH Hooker | 2025 State OK has been outstanding all season and they made plenty of noise last week by beating an unbeaten Minco squad.