Rejoice Christian Eagles 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 Rejoice Christian Eagles!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Rejoice Christian Eagles</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #4 In Class A-1<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #3 In Class A-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Head Coach: Brent Marley - 10th Season - 86-25 Record At Rejoice Christian</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 RESULTS (6-5 Record - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 25th - Beat Cashion 59-0<br>Sept. 1st - Lost To Cascia Hall 39-23<br>Sept. 8th - Beat Beggs 35-16<br>Sept. 22nd - Lost To Salina 30-17<br>Sept. 29th - Beat Claremore Sequoyah 24-13<br>Oct. 6th - Lost Adair 28-24<br>Oct. 12th - Beat Vinita 34-0<br>Oct. 20th - Beat Nowata 49-0<br>Oct. 27th - Beat Caney Valley 48-0<br>Nov. 3rd - Lost To Pawhuska 30-15<br>1st Round - Lost To Victory Christian 40-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>2023 Offensive Scoring Average: 30.5 Points Per Game<br>2023 Defensive Scoring Average: 17.8 Points Per Game</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We can't help but wonder “what if?” when it comes to the 2023 Rejoice Christian football season. The Eagles came into the season as a top ten team in Class 2A and they were coming off a 10-win season and had some serious playmakers returning on both sides of the ball. But the Eagles lost their star quarterback and overall athlete very early on in the season and when that happened, it was going to be tough to recover. The Eagles would finish the season with a 6-5 record and were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. But this wasn't a team that just laid down and went away after the early set back. They kept fighting throughout the 2023 season. They began the year with a 2-1 mark but lost the district opener to Salina. They bounced back the following week with a win over Claremore Sequoyah but then tripped up against an Adair team that would end up capturing the district championship. The Eagles would then have their best stretch of the season from weeks seven to nine. They won three straight games and they did it with a combined score of 131-0. They fell in the regular season finale to Pawhuska and then lost to Victory Christian in the first round. It was the second straight year that Rejoice had their season come to an end in the first round. But the Eagles have a lot to be optimistic about as they enter the 2024 season. While the 2023 season might have been a “what if?” season, the 2024 season features a lot of exciting possibilities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rejoice Christian only brings back three starters on the offensive side of the ball but one of those starters is their star quarterback that is hungrier than ever after a season-ending injury in 2023. Having their do-it-all quarterback returning to the lineup will certainly help an offense that is going to have several new faces all over the unit. This was an offense that averaged over 30 points per game in 2023 and they could definitely outdo that in 2024. On defense, the Eagles also bring back three starters. And it's a similar story on the defensive side of the ball where the Eagles will see the return of a playmaker that missed almost all of the 2023 season. But despite that, this was a defense that was strong when they needed to be. They had four shutouts throughout the season and they'll look to pick up where they left off in that department. And when we look at the 2024 outlook, the Eagles have a good chance to make plenty of noise despite all of the new faces. This is a team that's coming into the year as a top five team in Class A-1. They're dropping back down to Class A and into the new A-1 division after spending four seasons in Class 2A. And the last time the Eagles were in Class A, they were making legitimate runs in the playoffs and contending for the state championship. We'll dive deeper into that fact and what could be later on in the preview. But the Eagles expect to contend right away in their new class. And the schedule also sets up nicely for them to make a run when the playoffs roll around. The first half of the schedule features the toughest games so they'll get thrown to the fire early on but if they make it out, they should be able to really pick up some momentum in the second half of the season.</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>Camden Ryan - Linebacker<br>Josh Hendricks - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Tommy Mulkey - Offensive Lineman</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":["294265"],"_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-668dfccf8e7cb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior [player_tooltip player_id='294265' first='Cale' last='Marley'] is on the very short list of players that we are excited to see this season after he had his 2023 season cut short very early on with a season-ending injury. Marley was primed for a monster junior season but it ended before it could get any momentum. When you look at Marley before the injury, he's a player that can do just about everything for this Rejoice team. He's lined up at multiple positions on both sides of the ball and this fall, Marley will be lining up at quarterback. If he's healthy, he's going to be one of the very best playmakers in Class A-1 this season. And as we've seen in the past at the Class A level. You just need one star to truly contend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1328122"],"_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-668dfccf8e82a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another key Marley that is returning to this year's team comes on the line of scrimmage. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1328122' first='Caleb' last='Marley'] is back to anchor the offensive and defensive lines and that is going to be a very important part to their success this season. As we mentioned earlier in the preview, the Eagles do bring back some key parts from last year's team but they also will have new starters everywhere. Having a senior presence like Marley on both sides of the line of scrimmage will certainly help the new guys that are going to have to step into new roles this fall. And when you look at Marley's impact, it should be a significant one after the productive season he had on defense in 2023. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1328118"],"_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-668dfccf8e874"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rejoice Christian has a freshman coming into the program that could end up being an instant impact player for the Eagles. [player_tooltip player_id='1328118' first='Kamieon' last='Nero'] is a 2028 prospect that already has our attention for the pure athleticism that he already possesses and has shown on the gridiron and on the basketball court. We've seen quite a bit of video featuring Nero on the court and you see a fluid athlete that has a significant leaping ability for his age. Rejoice Christian coaches are also high on him as he enters the high school ranks and it wouldn't be surprising to see him get some playing time in a variety of positions this fall. He looks like their next top athlete that can play a variety of positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1328123"],"_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-668dfccf8e8b9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior offensive lineman and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1328123' first='Noah' last='Schnakenberg'] brings a lot of experience back to both sides of the ball for the Eagles. But when we look at the impact he could end up having for Rejoice Christian this fall, it's hard to ignore the production he's had on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, Schnakenberg was one of the team's leading tacklers and comes into this season after flirting with 100 tackles as a junior last season. On a defense that will have more new faces than returning ones, having a player like Schnakenberg returning at linebacker will certainly help. Look for him to take more of a leadership role on the defensive side of the ball this fall. </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>Ben Nichols - 2025 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Blake Witten - 2025 Wide Receiver<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1702603' first='Cade' last='Shaffer'] - 2026 Running Back/Linebacker<br>Jett McCain - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Luke Shaffer - 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Neil Leber - 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Trace Sanchez - 2027 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Wade White - 2027 Running Back/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>Aug. 30th - NOAH<br><strong>Sept. 6th - AT Cascia Hall<br></strong>- In week one, Rejoice Christian will head south to Tulsa to face a Cascia Hall team that comes into this season at number six in Class 3A. The Commandos got the best of the Eagles last season with a 39-26 victory. In 2022, the Eagles beat Cascia on the road. And before that, they met for the first time in 2020 when both teams had games canceled because of Covid. They agreed to play each other that week and ended up playing an instant classic but Cascia Hall got the win. <br><strong>Sept. 20th - Christian Heritage<br></strong>- In week three, Rejoice Christian will wrap up non-district play with a home game against a Christian Heritage team that is also a preseason top ten team in Class A-1. This could end up being the first of two meetings with these two teams. Both squads expect to contend in this new class and it wouldn't be surprising to see them meet up again with much higher stakes in November. The only other time they met was in the 2018 Class A semifinals and the Crusaders won that one. <br>Sept. 27th - AT Haskell<br><strong>Oct. 4th - Pocola<br></strong>- On paper, Rejoice Christian and Pocola are the top two teams in this district coming into the season. And when they meet up in week five, the district championship could very well be decided in this one. Despite this only being the halfway mark of the regular season, this will be a pivotal game to deciding that district title. Pocola has a ton of talent that will give Rejoice Chrisitan problems. There will be skill players everywhere in this one so we could see a lot of points. <br>Oct. 11th - AT Panama<br>Oct. 17th - Harshorne<br>Oct. 25th - AT Chouteau<br>Nov. 1st - Hulbert<br>Nov. 8th - Warner</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rejoice Christian has definitely had bad luck with the injury bug. As we mentioned earlier, the Eagles have suffered through two straight seasons that have been impacted by injuries to their starting quarterback. But as we look ahead to the 2024 season, it could end up being a blessing in disguise. Because the Eagles didn't make any deep and consistent runs in the 2A playoffs over the last four seasons, they have dropped back down to Class A in the brand new A-1. They were originally supposed to be in Class 2A-2 but after the April redistricting shakeup, the Eagles dropped back down to Class A and their stock went up immediately. The last time Rejoice Christian was in Class A was 2018 and 2019. They made it to the semifinals in both seasons and were knocking on the door of becoming a consistent state champion contender. Now, they're back and looking to pick up where they left off. They're debuting this season in the preseason top five. They have a star returning to the lineup and could end up making a run in 2024.&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 - 6-5 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2022 - 10-1 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2021 - 11-2 - Lost In Class 2A Quarterfinals<br>2020 - 4-7 - Lost In Class 2A 2nd Round<br>2019 - 13-1 - Lost In Class A Semifinals</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>0 State Championships</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->