Thomas Terriers 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 Thomas Terriers!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Thomas Terriers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #7 In Class A-2<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #4 In Class A-2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Head Coach: Bob Ward - 17th Season - 133-70 Record At Thomas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 RESULTS (5-6 Record - Lost In Class A 1st Round)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 25th - Beat Watonga 19-12<br>Sept. 1st - Lost To Alva 39-14<br>Sept. 8th - Lost To Cashion 38-30<br>Sept. 22nd - Beat Sayre 40-16<br>Sept. 29th - Lost To Fairview 56-20<br>Oct. 6th - Beat Texhoma 21-0<br>Oct. 12th - Beat Burns Flat 42-7<br>Oct. 20th - Beat Merritt 30-16<br>Oct. 27th - Lost To Mooreland 22-12<br>Nov. 3rd - Lost To Hooker 21-7<br>1st Round - Lost To Apache 50-31</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2023 Offensive Scoring Average: 24.2 Points Per Game<br>2023 Defensive Scoring Average: 25.2 Points Per Game</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Thomas Terriers are going to be scratching and clawing to get the 2024 season underway because they are going to be one of the top teams in their respective class. But how did they get to this point? It wasn't a smooth path to becoming a top ten team coming into this season. The Terriers have gone through some growing pains and they are ready to put those in their rear view. Thomas came into last season after going 3-17 in the previous two seasons. Before that, they were playing for the state championship game in 2020. The Terriers would start the season with a 2-3 record at the halfway mark with losses to Alva, Cashion and eventual Class A champion Fairview. But from there, the Terriers went on a bit of a run and won three straight games. That three-game winning streak would help the Terriers punch their ticket to the playoffs. But two losses in the final two weeks put them in a position where they would have to go on the road to face a district champion in the first round. That district champion last year was Apache and the season came to an end with a 50-31 loss. Thomas finished 5-6 but they improved mightily over the past two seasons and they carry a ton of momentum heading into 2024. This was a 5-6 team a year ago but we think that not only will they improve on that record this season, they could return to contending for that elusive state championship.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So the Terriers have gone through the growing pains and have come out on the other side with one of the more experienced teams in Class A-2 this season. Thomas comes into this year as a top ten team in our preseason rankings and the coaches in Class A-2 have a higher opinion with the Terriers even reaching the top five. It's easy to see why. They bring back every starter on the offensive side of the ball and ten out of the eleven starters on defense. Offensively, the Terriers should be a solid unit, led by a very productive junior quarterback. And he'll have one of the more veteran-led offensive lines paving the way for him. We think the Thomas offense is going to be a hard unit to slow down in 2024. Defensively, they bring back all but one starter and again, we like that experience and all the different players who have started for several years now. They have been through the fire of the last few seasons and are ready to finish out their careers on top. Last year, Thomas had a very small senior class so graduation hardly had an impact on them coming into this year. And for this year's team, they have a nice blend of seniors and juniors and this team has had a very strong spring and summer as they prepare to make a run in Class A-2. And that's another reason why the Terriers should be one of the better teams in the class. Class A got split into two divisions starting this season. The district isn't an easy one with two other ranked teams in their district but the Terriers will be ready for all challengers in 2024.&nbsp;</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":["1343471"],"_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-669d0cb2519e4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Because the Terriers have so many starters back, the easy assumption is that they are senior-heavy. While they do have a solid senior class, one of the top returning defenders is going to be a sophomore this fall. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1343471' first='Harper' last='Hamar'] returns for his sophomore season after a breakout freshman campaign. Thomas was experienced last year as well but Hamar couldn't be denied and got on the field very early in his high school career. He answered the call and was one of the team's leading tacklers in 2023. And as we start looking ahead to the 2024 season, it's going to be fun to see how much Hamar's production explodes this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1343474"],"_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-669d0cb251a62"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The Thomas passing game is going to be a fun one to watch in this class and there's definitely a chance that it's up there in terms of its overall production compared to the rest of Class A-2. Junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1343474' first='Landon' last='Wald'] is one of the team's leading receivers from last year's team. He would finish his sophomore season with just over 40 catches for just over 700 yards and five touchdowns. He emerged last fall as arguably the top target on the team and he was able to produce at a high level. But the wide receiver group for the Terriers is deep going into this season. They have several guys that could burn you and Wald is just one of them. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1343470"],"_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-669d0cb251ac4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We mentioned earlier in the preview how the Thomas offense would be one to watch and a lot of that was because of the offensive line and the experience they bring back on the line of scrimmage. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1343470' first='Stinson' last='Ward'] is a good example of that as he's a three-year starter for the Terriers and at this point, he's seen it all when it comes to the growing pains over the last several seasons. He's ready to finish his career by helping lead the Terriers back to the top of Class A football. The last three seasons are in the rear view mirror and we're looking forward to seeing how Ward and this Thomas offensive line paves the way for all the skill players that return. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1343473"],"_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-669d0cb251b20"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">When it comes to Class A football, we've seen in the past that if you have a really good quarterback, your team can not only contend for the title, they can possibly win it. The Terriers are hoping that junior [player_tooltip player_id='1343473' first='Tye' last='Littlebird'] is that quarterback for them and it's hard to argue that he has a chance after the kind of production he had last season for the Terriers. As a sophomore, Littlebird threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns. He would also add nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Littlebird was an absolute workhorse in the backfield. He threw the ball over 250 times and also had nearly 150 carries. We can't wait to see his improvement 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>Collier Leutkemeyer - 2026 Defensive Back<br>Gage Wright - 2025 Wide Receiver<br>Hunter Freeburg - 2025 Defensive Lineman<br>Kadin Wilcoxsin - 2025 Offensive Lineman<br>Remi Kohout - 2027 Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1706053' first='Warren' last='Cometsevah'] - 2026 Wide Receiver</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 Sayre<br><strong>Sept. 13th - Watonga<br></strong>- In week two, Thomas will have their home opener against a Watonga team that has historically had their number over the last two decades. The Terriers turned it around in this series last year with a 19-12 win in the season opener. That would snap a seven-game losing streak against Watonga, dating back to the 2006 season opener. These two have met in non-district play for the last three seasons and Thomas is looking to gain some much-needed momentum with a big win here. <br>Sept. 20th - Hinton<br>Sept. 27th - AT Carnegie<br>Oct. 4th - Cordell<br><strong>Oct. 11th - AT Apache<br></strong>- The second half of the regular season begins with a road game against Apache. The Warriors are a new district opponent for the Terriers but not a new opponent. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs last season and Apache won 50-31. Thomas' season came to an end that night and you know the Terriers haven't forgotten about that. A win here could possibly put Thomas in the driver's seat for the district championship as Apache is one of the district favorites.<br>Oct. 17th - AT Texhoma<br>Oct. 25th - Southwest Covenant<br><strong>Nov. 1st - Mangum<br></strong>- There are few teams that have the kind of experience returning like Thomas has this season. Mangum is one of those teams as they bring back almost everyone on both sides of the ball. So when these two teams face off in week nine, there won't be many things that these guys haven't seen. Mangum is one of the favorites this season, not only in the district but to win Class A-2 in its first season. If the Terriers are able to pull off the win here in week nine, they could lock up the district title. <br>Nov. 8th - AT Mooreland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Thomas football program is on a rare level when it comes to historically-speaking in this state. They have ten state championships and that's tied with Muskogee for the eighth most in state history. In fact Thomas is one of nine programs that has at least ten state championships. Only Ada (19) Carl Albert (18) Jenks (18) Clinton (17) Morrison (14) Booker T Washington (12) and Shattuck (12) have more championships than the Terriers. This is a program that definitely does not get talked about enough when it comes to some of the winningest programs in the state and the numbers back that up. Now, this year's team is incredibly hungry to add another state championship to the trophy case because it's been a decade since they beat Cashion in the 2014 state championship game. And after making it to the 2020 title game and then missing the playoffs the following two seasons and then losing in the first round last year, that has lit a fire under this year's team that 2024 is the year that they will return to the mountain top.&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 - 5-6 - Lost In Class A 1st Round<br>2022 - 1-9 - Missed Playoffs<br>2021 - 2-8 - Missed Playoffs<br>2020 - 12-2 - Class A Runner Ups<br>2019 - 9-4 - Lost In Class A Quarterfinals</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>10 State Championships</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2014 - Beat Cashion 28-0<br>2002 - Beat Ringling 21-0<br>1969 - Beat Marietta 8-6<br>1961 - Beat Weleetka 34-0<br>1957 - Beat Alex 34-0<br>1956 - Beat Morris 21-19<br>1955 - Beat Hennessey 21-12<br>1951 - Beat Davis<br>1950 - Beat OSD 21-14<br>1947 - Beat Kiefer 28-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->