Eight McGuinness Players To Watch At State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong><em><strong><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class 5A state championship game is set! #1 Carl Albert will square off with #6 Bishop McGuinness in Edmond on Saturday at noon. Although these teams are no longer district foes, they are very familiar with meeting with the state championship on the line. These two teams met four times in a five year stretch from 2016-2020 with the state title on the line. For defending champion Carl Albert, it's a chance at immortality. The Titans are currently in a tie with Ada for the most state championships in state history with 19. Not to mention they've also won 52 consecutive games. On the other side is Bishop McGuinness and the Irish will have no problems playing the spoiler role. They have been road warriors all year and they are going to be gunning for the gold ball Saturday afternoon. In this post, we put the spotlight on eight players from Bishop McGuinness to watch on Saturday. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more state championship preview coverage. And be sure to check out our&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PrepRedzoneOklahoma">PRZ-Oklahoma YouTube Channel</a></strong>&nbsp;for exclusive (and free) video content, including interviews with both head coaches!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587264' first='Aiden' last='Monigold'] - Senior Defensive Lineman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='587264' first='Aiden' last='Monigold'] is going to have a huge role on Saturday afternoon. Carl Albert has one of the best running backs in the state and the Irish know they are going to feed him the ball. Monigold and company will look to set the tone on the line of scrimmage. Monigold first got on our radar as a two-way standout for Lawton Eisenhower. But now, he is an outstanding defensive end, edge rusher or wherever he lines up on the defensive side of the ball. He's one of several defenders that have been playing lights out this season and the Irish will need Monigold and company to bring it one more time to slow down Carl Albert's rushing attack. He's a player that certainly belongs at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1010142' first='Andrew' last='Harris'] - Senior Tight End/Defensive Lineman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We don't have the exact number in front of us, but senior tight end and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1010142' first='Andrew' last='Harris'] has to be one of, if not the most experienced Irish starter coming into Saturday's championship game. Harris has lined up at countless positions on both sides of the ball over the last few years. Regardless of the experience question, there is zero doubt that he's the unquestioned leader for the Irish and he's been just that throughout the 2025 football season. It doesn't matter if Harris is lined up on offense or defense, he finds a way to make play after play. Talk to any of the coaches at Bishop McGuinness and they'll all say the same thing. Harris is the ultimate team player and will do whatever he has to do to help the team win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1834412' first='DreAndre' last='Bruton'] - Junior Running Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1834412' first='DreAndre' last='Bruton'] has to be considered one of the breakout stars in Class 5A football this season. He's run for more than 1,000 yards this season and he's coming off a terrific performance in their semifinal win over Lawton MacArthur. We'll get into it more with our next player but we had a feeling coming into this season that the Irish were going to be able to run the football with their offensive line. Bruton has been a magnet for the end zone this season and he's living up to the hype. If Bruton can put some dents in the Carl Albert defense on Saturday, the Irish are going to be in a good position. They have to take advantage of their opportunities and Bruton is the guy to do just that. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1699020' first='Jacob' last='Costello'] - Senior Offensive Lineman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming into this season, the Bishop McGuinness offensive line unit was a group that we really liked. They have paved the way for a Bishop McGuinness offense that has been one of the more balanced units in Oklahoma. The Irish have a pair of seniors that have anchored this group but we're putting the spotlight on [player_tooltip player_id='1699020' first='Jacob' last='Costello'] at the left tackle position. Costello was a player that we really liked when we watched him back in the spring. He's had a terrific senior season and is looking to close it out in a major way. Now, this is one of the top match-ups to watch in Saturday's game. Carl Albert will counter Costello and the McGuinness offensive line with one of the best defensive line units in the state. It'll be fun to watch them go head to head. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1836884' first='Jr' last='Harris'] - Sophomore Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1836884' first='Jr' last='Harris'] took over the Irish offense in week ten, when their starting quarterback went down with an injury. The Irish came up short in the regular season finale against Lawton MacArthur but Harris has been absolutely electric ever since. On the outside looking in, it looks like the Irish just put their best athlete back there at quarterback and Harris has has produced. He's even producing for the Irish as a kick returner on special teams. You don't see too many starting quarterbacks that are first off returning kicks and then second, capable of taking it to the house. Coming into Saturday's championship game, Harris feels like the ultimate X-factor </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1743060' first='Malachi' last='Darby'] - Sophomore Running Back/Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming into this season, we really liked sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1743060' first='Malachi' last='Darby'] at the running back position. And he's been solid for the Irish but with Bruton emerging as one of the breakout stars in Class 5A this season, Darby has been utilized more on the defensive side of ball. And while Bruton had a breakout year on offense, you could say the same thing for Darby on the defensive side of the ball. He's been excellent in the secondary for the Irish and he can do so many different things well on that side. Maybe his future is on defense but there's no doubt that he's one of the better overall athletes on this McGuinness roster. And the Irish need all of their top players to step up in a major way to capture that elusive gold ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1836882' first='Marcellous' last='Tyner'] - Sophomore Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We wrote about sophomore defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1836882' first='Marcellous' last='Tyner'] last week, prior to their semifinal game with Lawton MacArthur. We wrote about Tyner how he was an "under the radar" player in the McGuinness lineup but you can make the argument that isn't the case anymore. Tyner was terrific in their win over Lawton MacArthur and he's also been able to perform and produce on the offensive side of the ball. The thing that McGuinness coaches will tell you is Tyner has earned everything he's gotten this season. Tyner was recently named a captain by the McGuinness coaches and he's definitely a player that we're going to keep an eye on Saturday and into the offseason. He's an emerging 2028 prospect to know. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1836876' first='Nick' last='Pitman'] - Junior Wide Receiver/Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rounding out the players to watch for Bishop McGuinness is junior [player_tooltip player_id='1836876' first='Nick' last='Pitman'] and like some of the other players on this breakdown, Pitman is able to produce on both sides of the ball. And he's been producing for the Irish for over a year now. He first got on the scene last season as a sophomore. This season, he's been playing really consistent football and it wouldn't be surprising if he ends up making a big play for the Irish on Saturday. He's a player that might be flying under the radar going into the championship game but we see all the time that players in that position end up having a significant impact. He ended up playing really well in the semifinals last week as they prevailed over Lawton MacArthur. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->