Davis Wolves OK 2024 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the month of July and that means it's preview time! Throughout the month of July and even into August, we are publishing well over 100 of the most in-depth team previews that you'll find anywhere to get you completely ready for the 2024 football season. This is something that began for us at PRZ-Oklahoma in 2021 and it continues to get bigger and better every single year. We're looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state in every class. From defending champions, to the top contenders and plenty of dark horses and other teams to know, we'll have complete coverage every single day. There will be multiple previews dropping every single day! In this post, we take a look at the Davis Wolves!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Davis Wolves</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #2 In Class 2A-2<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #2 In Class 2A-2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Head Coach: Greg Parker - 7th Season - 41-24 Record At Davis</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 RESULTS (9-3 Record - Lost In Class 2A 2nd Round)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 1st - Lost To Pauls Valley 33-29<br>Sept. 8th - Beat Sulphur 15-14<br>Sept. 15th - Beat Wynnewood 49-6<br>Sept. 22nd - Beat Holdenville 30-14<br>Sept. 29th - Beat Lexington 53-0<br>Oct. 6th - Lost To Kingston 24-21<br>Oct. 12th - Beat Marietta 55-0<br>Oct. 20th - Beat Atoka 48-14<br>Oct. 27th - Beat Coalgate 51-6<br>Nov. 3rd - Beat Tishomingo 50-8<br>1st Round - Beat Lindsay 44-30<br>2nd Round - Lost To Jones 30-26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>2023 Offensive Scoring Average: 39.3 Points Per Game<br>2023 Defensive Scoring Average: 14.9 Points Per Game</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 Davis Wolves were once again a steady presence in Class 2A but they came up short on the district championship and a deep playoff run. The Wolves would go 9-3 on the season but they had some fantastic moments along the way. They lost a close season opener to Pauls Valley but bounced back immediately with a rivalry win over Sulphur the following week. That Sulphur win could be looked at as the best win of the year, not only because it's a rivalry but that Sulphur team would go on to be one of the better 3A squads. Davis won four in a row before&nbsp; losing a heartbreaker to Kingston. The Redskins would beat Davis 24-21 in the final two minutes and that would allow Kingston to go on to capture the district championship. Davis rallied to win five straight games before meeting up with Jones in the second round of the playoffs. And in another close game, the Wolves found themselves once again on the wrong end of a 30-26 decision. The Longhorns were powered by their star quarterback and Davis would threaten the Longhorns multiple times in the final quarter but came up short. The Wolves lost three games in 2023 by a combined 11 points and they are hopeful that their luck turns around in 2024 with a very experienced group that is ready to bring Davis back to that consistent contender in Oklahoma that we saw nearly a decade ago.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seven starters are back on the offensive side of the ball and the majority of their experience comes from the skill positions in the classic flexbone offense. That experience, combined with the fact that they're coming off a 2023 season where they averaged nearly 40 points per game makes them a fun unit to watch this season. The quarterback returns along with several key pieces in that running game. The biggest question mark on offense and on the team in general will be the line of scrimmage. They lost a lot up front but if those new guys come along and this team starts rolling, the Wolves could be up there in terms of total offense once again. On defense, they bring back six starters on that side of the ball. And it's a similar story with the defense as they look really good at the linebacker and secondary spots but the defensive front will be somewhat new. They run a 3-4 defense that looks to swarm to the ball and make things very difficult for opposing offenses. The Davis coaches are very excited about the senior leadership they have returning to go along with very good team speed and a group of players that has a ton of experience playing in big games. And they'll need that experience early on in the season as Davis will test themselves right out of the gate. Their non-district schedule features three games against three top ten teams in our 3A preseason rankings, including two of the top four teams in those rankings. But the Wolves are primed for a big 2024 season with the returning playmakers and the split in Class 2A vaulting them close to the top of the 2A-2 rankings.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kolten Rawls - Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Seth Knapp - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Tyson Moss - Running Back/Linebacker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1324250"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6689ca2e8dd42"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">As we've learned in football, the quarterback position is incredibly important. And when you run the flexbone offense, that position becomes as critical as it gets in football. And Davis relied on a freshman last season in [player_tooltip player_id='1324250' first='Dax' last='Owens'] at the quarterback position and after getting thrown into the fire, he's back for his sophomore season. Owens is your true dual-threat quarterback and we think that he could end up taking a giant leap forward this fall. With one year as QB1 under his belt and several key pieces returning in the skill department, we think Owens could be one of the more productive quarterbacks in Class 2A-2 this fall. We're looking forward to seeing the progress from year one to year two. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1324252"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6689ca2e8dd99"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We mentioned earlier in the preview how the biggest question mark with the offense would come on the offensive line. The Wolves will benefit from having senior offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1324252' first='Fisher' last='Smith'] returning and he brings a wealth of experience back for this Davis offense. The Wolves need some new faces to step up on the offensive line so Smith will definitely be a key piece early on in the season. Davis will be relying on Smith and his experience to set them up for success later on in the season when those new starters turn into veterans. Smith comes into this fall with multiple seasons as a starter under his belt and that should pay off in a big way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1324251"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6689ca2e8dde0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The Wolves do have a decent amount of firepower returning in the skill department and leading the way is senior [player_tooltip player_id='1324251' first='Trey' last='Melton'] at running back and several other positions. In addition to the impact Melton will have on offense, look for him to bring that same level of play to the defensive side of the ball in the secondary and on special teams as a return specialist. Melton, like Smith, is one of several players that have started for multiple seasons and are coming into this fall with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the Davis offense. Melton, along with several other running backs that will get playing time will also help operate things with Owens in the Davis backfield. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>MORE NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1573245' first='Brenden' last='Rawls'] - 2025 Running Back/Linebacker<br>Dakota Carter - 2025 Athlete<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1702589' first='Gage' last='Copenbarger'] - 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Jacob McClellan - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Landon Gibson - 2027 Tight End/Defensive Lineman<br>Luke Johnson - 2025 Offensive Lineman/Linebacker<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1573250' first='Wyatt' last='Fielding'] - 2025 Tight End/Defensive Lineman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 SCHEDULE/GAMES TO CIRCLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 6th - AT Pauls Valley<br><strong>Sept. 13th - AT Sulphur<br></strong>- This will be the second of three straight games against ranked 3A opponents to kick off the season. Davis will hit the road for their annual rivalry game against Sulphur and the Wolves will definitely be hungry to get another win in this one. Davis won a close, low-scoring affair against Sulphur last season and both teams are coming into this season as true state champion contenders. Whoever gets the win in this week two match-up is going to have a ton of momentum. <br>Sept. 20th - Plainview<br>Sept. 27th - Dibble<br><strong>Oct. 4th - AT Beggs<br></strong>- You can make the argument that three or four of the toughest games on the Davis schedule all come on the road. In week five, we reach the halfway mark of the regular season and arguably the toughest district contest. The redistricting shuffle in April sent Beggs down from 2A-1 to 2A-2 and now these two are district foes. Like Davis, Beggs is hoping to become an instant contender in the new Class 2A-2. These two are the top two teams from this district in our preseason rankings. <br>Oct. 11th - AT Tishomingo<br>Oct. 17th - Coalgate<br>Oct. 25th - Comanche<br><strong>Nov. 1st - AT Holdenville<br></strong>- Late in the season, Davis will again go on the road and face a Holdenville team that also has lofty expectations and these two teams are very similar to one another. Holdenville also runs that old school option offense and the number of combined pass attempts between these two could be in the single digits. The Wolves want to take home a district title before making a run in the playoffs. This week nine clash against Holdenville could end up deciding that district title. <br>Nov. 8th - AT Community Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're a decade removed from Davis making three straight trips to the 2A state championship game and winning back to back titles in 2013 and 2014. And since that 2014 state championship, the furthest Davis has gone in the playoffs was a trip to the 2017 semifinals. That was also the last time they made it out of the second round. But starting in 2024 and moving forward, there is reason to be optimistic that the Wolves can get back to contending for state championships every single season. As mentioned earlier, the Wolves now find themselves in the brand new Class 2A-2 and when you look at the latest enrollment numbers, they should stay there for a while. Class 2A has been a gauntlet ever since 2018 when Class 3A dropped down to 32 schools and quite a few consistent contenders fell down to 2A football. And whether it's a coincidence or not, that was when the Wolves started struggling to make those deep playoff runs. Now, with a new class and a ton of experience returning, we could see the return of the Davis dynasty from a decade ago.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>LAST FIVE SEASONS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 2A 2nd Round<br>2022 - 9-2 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2021 - 7-4 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2020 - 7-4 - Lost In Class 2A 2nd Round<br>2019 - 5-5 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>6 State Championships</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2014 - Beat Nowata 20-13<br>2013 - Beat Millwood 36-32<br>1995 - Beat Nowata 28-0<br>1990 - Beat Cascia Hall 28-21<br>1986 - Beat Newkirk 31-0<br>1979 - Beat Crescent 35-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->