Breaking Down The A-1 Quarterfinals

<!-- 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>We're on to the quarterfinal round across the Oklahoma playoffs this week. We'll break down every quarterfinal match-up over the next few days. Continuing right now with Class A-1. We'll have a break down on each match-up, along with a more in-depth look at the marquee match-up of the week. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more quarterfinal previews!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#6 HOOKER (9-2) AT #1 REJOICE CHRISTIAN (10-1) (MARQUEE MATCH-UP)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anytime you have a state championship rematch, it's going to garner a lot of attention. We're getting it earlier than last year as #1 Rejoice Christian will host #6 Hooker in the quarterfinals this week. Rejoice Christian beat Hooker in the state title game last year to capture the school's first state title but this year's match-up brings new storylines.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defending champion Rejoice Christian has been playing like a well oiled machine with the only blemish on their record coming to 3A quarterfinalist Cascia Hall. Sophomore quarterback and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1328118' first='Kamieon' last='Compton-Nero'] emerged las season as a serious playmaker but in our opinion, this year, he's been one of the state's very best overall players. He'll look to guide his team to another win Friday night and continue their quest for a second consecutive state championship. And he's not alone in the backfield. Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1598809' first='Noah' last='Goodwin'] is one of the more underrated running backs in Class A-1. He had a huge performance in the title game against Hooker last season and he'll look to replicate that production on Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rejoice Christian isn't the only one in this match-up with a dynamic duo in the backfield. Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='572029' first='Keilan' last='Robinson'] has been one of the best athletes in this class since he emerged as a freshman several years ago. This season, he's been an absolute star on both sides of the ball but just like Rejoice Christian, Hooker has more firepower in this offensive backfield. Junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1084102' first='Justin' last='Palacios'] is another criminally underrated running back. He's put up monster numbers all three seasons with the Bulldogs and he's looking to have another significant impact on Friday night. The Bulldogs have been rolling this season and when they are at their best, it's routinely Robinson and Palacios that are shining the brightest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#9 MINCO (10-1) AT #3 TONKAWA (10-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 Tonkawa hosts #9 Minco on Friday night and for the Buccaneers, they are hungry to compete for that state championship. Their only loss this season was in non-district play to 2A-2's Stroud, who's also a quarterfinal team. They then battled their way through a very competitive district and claimed the district championship. On paper, this team looks like a squad that could end up playing for the state title. But first, they have to take care of Minco and that won't be easy. The Bulldogs are back in the quarterfinal round and when you look at the last few decades, Minco has been a very consistent playoff team but they are still searching for their first semifinal appearance since 1977. After beating Cashion last week, they took another step towards that. Their only loss this year came to unbeaten Wynnewood. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#4 PAWHUSKA (10-1) AT #7 WYNNEWOOD (11-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#4 Pawhuska hits the road to face #7 Wynnewood and this might be the more underrated match-up of the week. Wynnewood has been flying under the radar all season despite stacking up win after win to the point where they are the only unbeaten team in Class A-1. They took care of business in the first round but this is no doubt going to be their toughest test of the year. They'll face a Pawhuska squad that has been top five in Class A-1 all season. The Huskies once again have one of the top offenses in the class and they've also matched it with a pretty stingy defense. In this playoff bracket, there are a handful of teams that have been close to truly contending for that state title over the last five years and Pawhuska is at the top of that list. With a win on Friday night, they'll punch their ticket to the semifinal round for the first time since 2021. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#2 POCOLA (9-2) AT #5 FAIRVIEW (10-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's eastern Oklahoma VS western Oklahoma here as #2 Pocola heads west to face #5 Fairview. Pocola has been knocking on the door of becoming that true state championship contender for the last few years. They got closer last season, making it to the quarterfinal round. This year, they are looking to kick that door down and based on the talent they have on both sides of the ball. This could be the year. For Fairview, we've said this multiple times already this season but we'll repeat it here. We were dead wrong on Fairview. We thought after they lost the school's all time leading quarterback to graduation that they would take a step back this season. Not only did they not take a step back, they regained control of a very competitive district. This should be a very fun game to watch between two true contenders. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->