Pocola Indians OK 2024 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</em></strong></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 Pocola Indians!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Pocola Indians</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #5 In Class A-1<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #9 In Class A-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Head Coach: Jason Parker - 7th Season - 22-40 Record At Pocola</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 RESULTS (7-4 Record - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 24th - Lost To Heavener 33-32<br>Sept. 2nd - Beat Hackett, AR. 42-26<br>Sept. 8th - Beat Spiro 56-7<br>Sept. 22nd - Beat Canadian 64-0<br>Sept. 29th - Lost To Central Sallisaw 58-30<br>Oct. 6th - Lost To Gore 37-22<br>Oct. 13th - Beat Panama 50-6<br>Oct. 19th - Beat Haskell 60-16<br>Oct. 27th - Beat Porter 68-6<br>Nov. 3rd - Beat Talihina 76-27<br>1st Round - Lost To Colcord 50-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>2023 Offensive Scoring Average: 47.3 Points Per Game<br>2023 Defensive Scoring Average: 24.2 Points Per Game</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pocola Indians came into the 2023 football season looking to improve on what they did in 2022. They won one more game than in 2022 and punched their ticket to the playoffs for the third consecutive season. And that note would be a historical one for the Indians, but more on that later on in the preview. Pocola opened the season with a one-point loss to Heavener in week zero. They followed that up with three straight wins and they looked outstanding in each. A week five loss to Central Sallisaw was followed up the next week by a loss to Gore. That put Pocola in a position where they couldn't afford another loss the rest of the way or they would be in danger of missing out on the playoffs. They would win four straight games to finish off the regular season and they were never threatened during that stretch. They scored at least 50 points in each of the last four games and punched their ticket to the postseason. They met up with Colcord in the first round and the Hornets were just too experienced and they walked away with a 50-20 victory. Colcord was our preseason number one team in Class A coming into the 2023 season so it wasn't exactly an easy draw in the first round. Pocola went 6-5 in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. They improved to 7-4 in 2023 and now they're ready to take that next step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pocola has the firepower returning in 2024 to take that next step and not only contend for the district championship, but they could certainly do much more than that. They come into this season as a top five team in our Class A-1 preseason rankings and the expectations are high. And it all starts on the offensive side of the ball. The Indians bring back seven starters on that side of the ball and Pocola's offense was arguably the most underrated unit in the state a year ago. This was a unit that averaged nearly 50 points per game in 2023 and they bring back the majority of their starters. They are highlighted by the majority of their skill players to go along with the majority of their offensive linemen. Now, all eyes will be on the quarterback position as they have to replace a very experienced signal caller who graduated. But Pocola's coaches are very excited about the potential of this group as we head into the new season. On the defensive side of the ball, Pocola will bring back eight starters and we really like how much talent they have at all three levels on that side. But we think that the strength will come in the front seven with the defensive linemen and then the linebackers. We'll know everything we need to know about this Pocola squad by the halfway mark of the season. Arguably their three toughest games come in the first five weeks of the year. So those new starters will be thrown to the fire early on but in the second half, they should be able to pick up some momentum as they look to head into another playoff appearance.&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>Austin Hardwick - Quarterback<br>Casson Raley - Offensive Lineman<br>Garrett Scott - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Kolby Masterson - Wide Receiver/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":["268315"],"_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-6691e4cf03322"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior [player_tooltip player_id='268315' first='AJ' last='Lyons-Jerrell'] has been a player that we've covered since his freshman year. He started out as a running back to watch and while he can still impact the offensive side of the ball with well over 5,000 yards of total offense and 60 total touchdowns in his career, his greatest impact going forward could be on defense. The Pocola senior has emerged as arguably the best linebacker in Class A-1 as we head into this season and he's climbing the rankings as one of the top linebackers in the state's 2025 class. While he started as a running back, it looks like he's finishing as a linebacker but either way, he's going to be one of Pocola's top players this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["467141"],"_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-6691e4cf033dc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='467141' first='Brayden' last='Hardwick'] could end up being the X-Factor for this year's Pocola squad. Last season, Hardwick had a massive impact from the wide receiver position as well as in the secondary on defense. On offense, Hardwick had over 850 yards receiving to go along with ten touchdowns. On defense, he also added five interceptions as he turned into an absolute ball hawk on the Pocola defense. This season, don't be surprised if he ends up adding some responsibilities on the offensive side of the ball. Hardwick could end up playing a little quarterback because of his dynamic playmaking ability. Wherever he plays, he has a knack for making big plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["382643"],"_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-6691e4cf03475"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior [player_tooltip player_id='382643' first='Dakotah' last='Terrell'] is one of our favorite prospects in the state's 2025 class and it's very simple why. He's a rare gem that we simply don't see very often. We've said that Terrell feels like a “unicorn” in Oklahoma high school football because you don't see players that are 6'8 move the way he does on the football field. Terrell is becoming more and more comfortable with being a legitimate star football prospect and he's also a legitimate D1 basketball prospect. But Terrell has joined an elite company as a top ten overall prospect in a very deep and talented 2025 class. He is at the top of the list of a prospect that we want to see in person at some point this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1331296"],"_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-6691e4cf034e4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior offensive and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1331296' first='Hayden' last='Chaffey'] is going to be a name to watch heading into the 2024 season because he might be flying under the radar right now but that won't last long. Chaffey will impact both sides of the line of scrimmage for Pocola but his greatest impact will come on the defensive side of the ball. Chaffey was terrific last season, accounting for nearly 30 tackles for loss and eight sacks on the year from the defensive line. That tackle for loss number is absolutely astounding and if he can match or even exceed that number, Pocola will be in a very good position. The line of scrimmage is big key for Pocola and Chaffey will play a big role. </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='1678725' first='Brady' last='Jones'] - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Caden Colbert - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Cash Jerrell - 2025 Wide Receiver<br>Dameer Bruce - 2027 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Dylan Wilson - 2026 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Garrett Bobst - 2027 Running Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1832469' first='Heustin' last='Stroops'] - 2026 Quarterback<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1264959' first='Jackson' last='Parker'] - 2026 Defensive Back<br>Sean Smith - 2026 Linebacker<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1530107' first='Ty' last='Jerrell'] - 2027 Athlete </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><strong>Aug. 30th - Antlers</strong><br>- The season opener is always a game that you have to circle and this one will definitely tell us a lot about this Pocola squad. The Indians will be opening up the year against an Antlers team that expects to be a playoff team in Class 2A-2. Antlers also has a very strong offensive line so the battle on the line of scrimmage will be one to watch in this one. The current seniors were freshmen the last time Pocola and Antlers faced off. Antlers won their first round playoff match-up in 2021. <br>Sept. 13th - AT Spiro<br><strong>Sept. 20th - Vian<br></strong>- To be the best, you have to beat the best. And Pocola is going to test themselves against one of the best small school programs in southeastern Oklahoma when they host Vian in the final match-up of non-district action. The Wolverines are the preseason number one team in Class 2A-2. These teams have met off and on over the last two decades. And the series has been one-sided for Vian. The Indians look to turn things around in the series, gain some momentum and grab everyone's attention. <br>Sept. 27th - Warner<br><strong>Oct. 4th - AT Rejoice Christian<br></strong>- In week five, Pocola will hit the road to face off with Rejoice Christian and on paper, these look like the two top teams in this district. Both squads come in as preseason top five teams in the new Class A-1. So needless to say, both teams expect to contend not only for the district title, but for much more in 2024. Rejoice features one of the best athletes in Class A-1. And when you look at the talent on both sides in this match-up, it wouldn't be surprising to see this end up being a high-scoring affair. <br>Oct. 10th - Hulbert<br>Oct. 17th - AT Chouteau<br>Oct. 25th - Hartshorne<br>Nov. 1st - AT Panama<br>Nov. 8th - Haskell</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before you run, you have to walk and before you walk, you have to crawl. You can make that comparison to Pocola in the playoffs over the last several seasons. In 2023, Pocola would punch their ticket to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. That was the first time in program history that Pocola had made a playoff appearance in three consecutive seasons. Even though all three appearances ended with first round losses, it was still a step in the correct direction. They have become a more consistent team in the regular season. They have a winning record in each of the last three seasons. Now, the next step is to win a playoff game. They've lost their last five playoff games in a row and 2007 was the last time the Indians won a playoff game. Pocola is hoping to take a few steps in 2024. They want to end that playoff game losing streak and become the first team in school history to win multiple playoff games. This is a program that is definitely headed in the correct direction, and we're looking forward to seeing if they can make more history.</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 - 7-4 - Lost In Class A 1st Round<br>2022 - 6-5 - Lost In Class A 1st Round<br>2021 - 6-5 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2020 - 1-7 - Missed Playoffs<br>2019 - 2-7 - Missed Playoffs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>0 State Championships</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->