Woodland Cougars 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 Woodland Cougars!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Woodland Cougars</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #1 In Class A-2<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #2 In Class A-2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Head Coach: Casey Goad - 6th Season - 43-19 Record At Woodland</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 RESULTS (12-2 Record - Lost In Class A Semifinals)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 1st - Beat Commerce 42-7<br>Sept. 8th - Beat Newkirk 36-0<br>Sept. 15th - Beat Pawhuska 38-22<br>Sept. 22nd - Beat Chelsea 60-8<br>Sept. 29th - Beat Chouteau 36-8<br>Oct. 6th - Beat Pawnee 26-6<br>Oct. 12th - Beat Oklahoma Union 52-6<br>Oct. 20th - Beat Morrison 44-12<br>Oct. 27th - Lost To Hominy 23-20<br>Nov. 3rd - Beat Tonkawa 14-0<br>1st Round - Beat Liberty 52-26<br>2nd Round - Beat Colcord 28-24<br>Quarterfinals - Beat Dibble 48-6<br>Semifinals - Lost To Fairview 27-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>2023 Offensive Scoring Average: 35.9 Points Per Game<br>2023 Defensive Scoring Average: 12.5 Points Per Game</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Around this time last season, we had the Woodland Cougars as a preseason top five team and the 2023 season ended up playing out like that. They would go 12-2 and make it all the way to the Class A semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Fairview. This was a Woodland team that we really liked on paper coming into the season but they would need to prove it on the field and we believe they did just that. They began the season with an 8-0 record and climbed up to #4 in the Class A rankings. The only loss in the regular season came in week nine when they lost on the road to Hominy in the final minute. That was a #1 VS #4 match-up and the Cougars let that one get away but they would bounce back the following week with a shutout win to carry some momentum into the playoffs. Woodland would roll from there with the closest call coming in the second round to Colcord. But they beat Dibble by 42 points to punch their ticket to their first semifinal appearance since making it to back to back state championship games in 2010 and 2011. But in that semifinal, they would fall to Fairview and come up short on the ultimate goal of playing for a state championship. But you can see that Woodland is getting closer and closer. They've been knocking on the door and now they want to kick the door down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head coach Casey Goad is going into his sixth season as Woodland's head coach and he's completely turned this program around. They went 2-7 and missed the playoffs in his first season as head coach and then have a 41-12 mark in the last four seasons. And heading into the 2024 season, expectations are at an all time high as they find themselves on top of the preseason rankings of the newly formed Class A-2. And with eight starters back on offense, including their star quarterback and starting running back, this is a unit that has a chance to be one of the top offenses in the class. On defense, they also bring back eight starters and a ton of experience in the front seven. There aren't many holes with this squad and that's impressive considering they are the smallest school in the class. Woodland actually had the opportunity to play 8-man ball this year but instead they opted to stay in an 11-man class. In fact, when you look at the enrollment numbers, Woodland would have been in the lower division of Class B if they didn't opt in to playing 11-man football this season. All of Class B-1 features schools with larger enrollments. Needless to say, Woodland has earned the position they are in right now with their play over the last few seasons and the players they have coming back. Now, they want to earn their way to Edmond and win the school's first state championship since 2010.&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>Abel Reyes - Athlete<br>Chase Bowman - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Jackson Rhodes - Tight End/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":["897845"],"_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-668766495ef0d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The first of several seniors that Woodland will lean on this season is [player_tooltip player_id='897845' first='Danner' last='Lessert'] as a defensive lineman or linebacker. When you look at the production from last season, it hasn't really mattered where Lessert lined up on the field, he made plays at a very high level. Lessert would finish the season with 58 tackles on the year but more importantly, he had eight sacks and ended up leading the team in that category. Lessert was a breakout player for the Woodland defense during his sophomore season and he continued to provide an impact in 2023. Now, he's a very experienced and talented player looking to go out with a championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1322395"],"_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-668766495ef7d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">As a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='1322395' first='Derrick' last='Kennedy'] ended up being the team's second-leading tackler. Behind only Jackson Rhodes, who was one of the top linebackers in the state last fall. Kennedy enjoyed a breakout 2023 season and looking back at some of our notes from last season, Kennedy wasn't on our radar. He came out of nowhere to become the team's second-leading tackler and he will go into this season as Woodland's only returning player that had over 100 tackles last season. Kennedy also registered nearly 30 tackles for loss last year and seven sacks. Needless to say, he's going to be a critical part of a defense that could end up being very talented this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1322393"],"_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-668766495efc4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We knew about senior [player_tooltip player_id='1322393' first='Dray' last='Long'] going into last season but he had a ton of momentum coming off a sophomore season where he stood out on defense. Coach Goad told us that Long would also turn around and play offense in 2023 and he ended up becoming the team's leading rusher at running back. Long finished the season with nearly 1,000 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. He also provided a threat out of the backfield in the pass game. Long still played defense and shined bright there with over 70 tackles and became a turnover machine. He collected three fumbles and three interceptions. This fall, he's looking to elevate his production. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["806158"],"_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-668766495f006"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior [player_tooltip player_id='806158' first='Trey' last='Bennett'] has been one of Woodland's top athletes for a few years now. Last season, Bennett made the transition to quarterback and he made it look pretty flawless. He finished his junior season throwing for just over 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was also a threat to run the ball, although he only did it when he needed to and finished with ten rushing touchdowns. He also still started for the Cougars at safety on defense and was productive there. More times than not, Bennett is going to be the best athlete on the field for either team this season. He's going to have the potential to put up some monster numbers and he's a 2025 prospect that's flying under the radar. </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>Aidan Carey - 2025 Wide Receiver/Linebacker<br>Austin Wilson - 2026 Wide Receiver/Linebacker<br>Cash Koenig - 2025 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1403591' first='DK' last='Kennedy'] - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1626571' first='Jaston' last='Terry'] - 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Julius Kanawite - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Khamdyn Patterson - 2026 Running Back/Linebacker<br>Lucky Heath - 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Payton Rikkola - 2025 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Tony Reyes - 2026 Athlete<br>Trace Walker - 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><strong>Sept. 6th - AT Pawnee<br></strong>- The season opener is always a game that you circle on the calendar and this season is no different. But this week one match-up against Pawnee is an interesting one after these two have been district foes for the previous six seasons. From 2018-2020, Pawnee won three in a row against the Cougars. But in the last three seasons, Woodland has dominated the series. This game also kicks off a non-district slate against three straight Class A-1 opponents this season. <br>Sept. 13th - Morrison<br><strong>Sept. 20th - Pawhuska<br></strong>- In week three, Woodland will wrap up non-district play against a Pawhuska team that expects to contend in Class A-1 this fall. So we'll see two teams that are serious contenders in their respective classes going head to head and throw in the fact that these two tend to play high-scoring games and you have a great non-district finale. Last season, the Cougars beat Pawhuska 38-22 and that snapped a three-game skid to the Huskies. In 2022, Pawhuska won 48-46. <br>Sept. 27th - Porter<br>Oct. 4th - AT Barnsdall<br><strong>Oct. 11th - Hominy<br></strong>- The week six home game against Hominy has been circled on the calendar since late October of last year. That's when Woodland went on the road and fell 23-20 to the Bucks in a game where both sides weren't very happy with the officiating. Woodland led 14-0 in the second quarter but the Bucks would stun them with a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute to play. That 2023 clash decided the district championship and this year's match-up could do the same. <br>Oct. 17th - AT Afton<br>Oct. 25th - AT Summit Christian<br>Nov. 1st - Ketchum<br>Nov. 8th - Fairland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For four straight seasons now, Woodland has made the playoffs but unfortunately for them, they've been a good luck charm for the team they've lost to. Three out of the four teams they've lost to have gone on to win the state championship. The other team would make it to the state title game and finish as runner up. It began in 2020 when they lost to Cashion in the quarterfinals and the Wildcats would go on to win the state championship. They lost to Cashion again in the quarterfinals in 2021 and the Wildcats went back to back. They fell to Gore in 2022 and they would make it to the state title game but lose to Fairview. And last year, Woodland made their first semifinal appearance since 2010 and 2011 when they went to back to back state championship games. But eventual Fairview would get the best of the Cougars and once again, Woodland would come up short on a trip to Edmond. But heading into this season, the Cougars come in as the preseason number one team in the brand new Class A-2 and they expect to make that trip to Edmond 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 - 12-2 - Lost In Class A Semifinals<br>2022 - 7-5 - Lost In Class A 2nd Round<br>2021 - 10-3 - Lost In Class A Quarterfinals<br>2020 - 12-2 - Lost In Class A Quarterfinals<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>1 State Championship</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2010 - Beat Stratford 6-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->