3A Playoff Guide

Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!   The 2025 regular season has come to a close and it's time to shift our focus to the postseason! Throughout this week, we'll have a ton of playoff preview content in each class. We continue our preview coverage by taking an in-depth look at Class 3A with our complete guide to the playoffs! From the bracket to players to watch and so much more, we'll get you completely ready for the 3A playoffs! Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day for playoff preview content!   3A BRACKET   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/3A-Bracket-.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2047579" /></figure>   3A OVERVIEW   Defending champion Lincoln Christian is once again the team to beat as they begin their pursuit of a third consecutive state championship. In addition to winning the last two titles, the Bulldogs bring a 38-game winning streak into the postseason and show no signs of slowing down. The top contender to Lincoln Christian's throne is the team they beat in last year's state title game. Sulphur is 10-0 and the Bulldogs have been equally dominant this season. From the start of this season, it has looked like these two are on a crash course for a rematch in Edmond. But there are plenty of other teams that will have something to say about that along the way.   Perennial powerhouse Heritage Hall is back in the playoffs as they kept their district winning streak alive and captured another district title. The Chargers are certainly a team to keep an eye on and that first round match-up with Seminole could provide plenty of fireworks. Cascia Hall is another district champion entering the playoffs but the Commandos are hungry after they won the district title a year ago but were bounced out in the first round. Then you have other teams like Checotah and Perkins-Tryon that are lower seeded teams but have the experience and the talent to make some noise and even score an upset or two.   Inola has a chance for their first playoff win in over three decades when they host Checotah in the first round. And the Longhorns feel like a team that could be around for a while considering the young talent they have coming up. Berryhill, Holland Hall and Plainview have all had their moments this season and it wouldn't be surprising to see them make some noise in the next few weeks. But when it comes down to it, Class 3A really feels like a class that will come down to the two teams that played for it all last season. Just like we said with Class 4A and the Elgin-Tuttle match-up, it seems somewhat inevitable that we see a rematch between Lincoln Christian and Sulphur. If we don't, it will be because one of these teams pull off a massive upset, preventing those top two programs from a making another trip to Edmond.   TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='1083187' first='Barrett' last='Mullen'] - Senior Quarterback - Cascia Hall   Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1083187' first='Barrett' last='Mullen'] has rewritten the passing record book at Cascia Hall but he's still looking to make that deep playoff run. The Commandos haven't competed for the state championship in a while and Mullen and this offense specifically look to change that this fall. Mullen is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the state's 2026 class. He has plenty of weapons around him and Cascia Hall is playing with a lot of momentum right now. And like we mentioned earlier, they are very hungry to make up for last year's first round upset loss.   [player_tooltip player_id='1101281' first='Carter' last='Ricke'] - Senior Quarterback - Lincoln Christian   When you're talking about defending champion Lincoln Christian, you could pick multiple players on either side of the ball for this section. We settled on QB1 and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1101281' first='Carter' last='Ricke'] with the production he's had this season. He's thrown a ton of touchdowns and simply put, the ball rarely hits the turf. The Bulldogs absolutely smashed their way through the district slate so nearly every game they've played in the last two months, Ricke was done by halftime. He's still one of the top passers in the state and determined to go out as a three-time state champ.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522515' first='Cole' last='Rolland'] - Sophomore Quarterback - Checotah   Checotah made a cinerella-like run last season in the playoffs. Going from a 4-seed to playing in the semifinals. Sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1522515' first='Cole' last='Rolland'] was just a freshman last year, leading the Wildcats on that run. He looks to repeat history this season and he's made a tremendous leap as an overall playmaker this season. In 2024, Rolland put up monster numbers in the passing game but he also had the state's best player at wide receiver. This season, Rolland has shown that he's an athlete as well. He's putting up numbers with his arm and his legs this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1539927' first='Donavin' last='Garfield'] - Senior Quarterback/Athlete - Seminole   You can make a decent argument that Seminole senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1539927' first='Donavin' last='Garfield'] has been the best player in Class 3A this season. He has put up legitimate video game numbers throughout the fall and he's done it on both sides of the ball. Garfield is an electric playmaker and he does have plenty of help around him. Like we mentioned earlier, that first round match-up with Heritage Hall and Seminole looks like it could be big and Garfield is a big reason why. He's the type of playmaker that can put his team on his shoulders and make a run in November.   [player_tooltip player_id='587270' first='Jerrod' last='Williams'] - Senior Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Heritage Hall   Heritage Hall senior [player_tooltip player_id='587270' first='Jerrod' last='Williams'] appears ready to lead his team back to the state championship game this month. Williams came into this season as one of the top two-way players in the state, regardless of class and he has certainly lived up to it. Williams has always had that playmaking ability as we saw it from him very early on in his career. This season, he's become more of a leader on both sides of the ball while still maintaining that top-notch production that we've come to expect. Williams has the Chargers playing really good football at the right time.   [player_tooltip player_id='1164601' first='Jett' last='Frankum'] - Sophomore Athlete - Plainview   We've said this a few times before this season but watch out for Plainview moving forward in Class 3A. The Indians have some very impressive young players and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1164601' first='Jett' last='Frankum'] might be at the front of that line. We've lost track on the amount of positions Frankum has played this season but he's done a little bit of everything on offense, defense and special teams for the Indians. It's clear after seeing his production this season that he's another example of a player that it doesn't matter what the position is, put him on the field and watch him work.   [player_tooltip player_id='467406' first='Mackylan' last='Dixon'] - Senior Athlete - Idabel   We saw a four seed stun Cascia Hall last season in the first round and maybe Idabel is the team to repeat history this year. Senior standout [player_tooltip player_id='467406' first='Mackylan' last='Dixon'] is one of the best athletes in the playoff field and this season is the perfect example of that. Dixon moved over to quarterback this offseason after playing multiple positions on both sides of the ball. The Warriors have put the ball in Dixon's hands more than ever this season and he has continued to produce. He's a 2026 prospect that's flying under the radar but is capable of absolutely dominating every week.   [player_tooltip player_id='1569774' first='Maddax' last='Mobly'] - Senior Running Back/Defensive Back - Sulphur   We've been on this hill since the end of last season. Sulphur senior [player_tooltip player_id='1569774' first='Maddax' last='Mobly'] is one of the best players in the state of Oklahoma and that's not up for debate. Mobly finished last season strong and was arguably the best player on the field in the state title game. This season, he has routinely been one of the best players on the field and is a big reason why the Bulldogs are 10-0 and looking like a serious contender once again. It doesn't matter what Sulphur needs him to do, Mobly is able to do it and he does it at a very high level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1732959' first='Trey' last='Burleson'] - Senior Quarterback - Holland Hall   Holland Hall is back in the playoffs and the Dutch are playing really good football right now. Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1732959' first='Trey' last='Burleson'] is another signal caller that has taken care of the football this season. He's thrown 25 touchdowns with only one interception all season. Now, Burleson is coming into the playoffs red hot in the passing game. 15 of his 25 touchdowns have been in the last month. There aren't many quarterbacks in the state playing as well as Burleson right now. The Dutch host Berryhill in the first round and Burleson will look to keep that momentum going on Friday night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1161913' first='Wyatt' last='Atkinson'] - Senior Running Back/Defensive Back   Perkins-Tryon senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1161913' first='Wyatt' last='Atkinson'] definitely belongs on the list of top players in Class 3A this season. It doesn't matter if it's on offense, defense or special teams, Atkinson finds a way to have an impact on nearly every single play. Atkinson is right up there with the rest of the running backs from a production standpoint. And if you're looking for a dark horse team that is a three-seed or lower, the Demons might be the pick because the path is there for them to make a run. With Atkinson toting the rock, they're going to have a chance against anyone.   BIGGEST STORYLINE   Private VS Public   When you're talking about Class 3A football, the "Private VS Public" debate routinely gets brought up. For the most part, the debate itself is pointless. But the numbers are somewhat staggering. As we enter the playoffs, Lincoln Christian is gunning for their third consecutive state championship. But if they win, it will also be the eighth consecutive year that a private school has won the gold ball. Heritage Hall won two in 2018 and 2022. Holland Hall won two in 2020 and 2021. Lincoln Christian has three in 2019, 2023 and 2024. All three of those teams are top five teams heading into the playoffs. Cascia Hall is another top five team entering the postseason and it wouldn't be crazy to see them make a run to the gold ball. John Marshall was the last non-private school to win the 3A title in 2017. Sulphur came up inches short of becoming the next one last year. They have a great chance to do it again this season. This has been a battle and a debate that has been going on for years now. We don't know what the "right solution" would be but there's no doubt that there are a handful of programs in Class 3A that have been absolutely dominant for the last decade and show no signs of slowing down.

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