Underclassmen Lead The Way In 5A Title Clash

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   The Carl Albert Titans made history on Saturday afternoon in Edmond. They beat Bishop McGuinness 48-7 to capture a state record 20th state championship in school history. The Titans dominated from beginning to end, jumping out to a 28-0 lead at halftime and cruising to a fourth straight state title and ninth title in the last ten years. In this post, we put the spotlight on seven standouts from Saturday afternoon's game. And it's not crazy to think that we'll see these two teams back in Edmond next year. Six of the seven players listed below are underclassmen and will be back in 2026. You can also check out our game highlights and our instant reaction video for a complete recap on the Class 5A state title game.   RELATED   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxIxG_Du5Jw </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ1VIk2d3TU </div></figure>   5A STATE TITLE STANDOUTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1836815' first='Anderson' last='Collier'] - Junior Quarterback - Carl Albert   Carl Albert junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1836815' first='Anderson' last='Collier'] kicks off our standouts from Saturday's game. Collier has shared the backfield with one of the best running backs in the state so it's easy to overlook him but he was exactly who he's been all season on Saturday. Consistent, reliable and the perfect QB for this year's Carl Albert squad. Collier finished with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 17-24 passing. We wrote about Collier prior to the state title game, how he hadn't thrown an interception all season. He finished off his junior season with no interceptions. Collier is the latest example of a Carl Albert quarterback that makes smart decisions and gets the ball to their plethora of playmakers and good things happen.   [player_tooltip player_id='1830609' first='Braydon' last='Splitt'] - Junior Wide Receiver - Bishop McGuinness   Bishop McGuinness had to work for everything they got offensively on Saturday afternoon. They were going head to head with one of the best defenses in the state and things were going to be very difficult. But the Irish were able to hit some shots and junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1830609' first='Braydon' last='Splitt'] was the player that came up with some of the biggest plays Saturday. He finished the day with only three catches but went for 117 yards and a touchdown. Splitt wasn't a guy that was really on our radar going into this 5A title clash but that changed on Saturday. The Irish offense had 67 yards of offense in the first half but 62 yards came when Splitt got behind the Titan defense for a big play. He added another big play on the lone Irish touchdown.   [player_tooltip player_id='1836873' first='Carter' last='Akin'] - Sophomore Defensive Back - Bishop McGuinness   Bishop McGuinness sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1836873' first='Carter' last='Akin'] led both teams in tackles Saturday afternoon. He had 12 tackles on the day, including one behind the line of scrimmage and he forced a fumble on that side of the ball. Akin is a really good looking prospect and the fact that he's just wrapped up his sophomore season makes him even more intriguing to watch moving forward. The Irish threw everything they had at trying to slow down this Carl Albert offense and it seemed like Akin was either making the play or he was around it on almost every snap. Listed at 6'2 and nearly 200 pounds, Akin is a player firmly on our radar moving forward and he's one of several sophomores on this McGuinness roster to keep an eye on.   [player_tooltip player_id='693905' first='Delijah' last='Matthews'] - Junior Running Back - Carl Albert   On Friday, it was announced that Carl Albert junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='693905' first='Delijah' last='Matthews'] was Oklahoma's Gatorade Player Of The Year. 24 hours later, Matthews would run for 104 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries. And we will throw this out there, the Irish weren't keeping Matthews out of the end zone but they did a great job of not letting him break off those long runs and he had to earn those 104 yards. But there is no doubt that Matthews has been one of the best players in the state this season and he finished off a very special junior season with 44 touchdowns on the ground, which is the new Carl Albert single season touchdown record. He finished this special season in style on Saturday.   [player_tooltip player_id='1694441' first='Jacson' last='Webster'] - Junior Wide Receiver - Carl Albert   Carl Albert junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='1694441' first='Jacson' last='Webster'] is a player that we've watched in person over the last two weeks and he has really impressed us with his ability at the wide receiver position. He was Carl Albert's leading receiver this season and that didn't change on Saturday. He led the Titans with eight catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. What has really stood out to us about Webster after watching him play in person the last two weeks is his strength after the catch. There have been multiple plays that he's made over the last two weeks where he makes the catch and then picks up hard yards afterwards by dragging defenders and being borderline impossible to bring down in a one on one situation.   [player_tooltip player_id='1836884' first='Jr' last='Harris'] - Sophomore Athlete - Bishop McGuinness   Things didn't go the way Bishop McGuinness had hoped Saturday afternoon but the future is bright for sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1836884' first='Jr' last='Harris'] when you look at the season he's had. He's one of the more dynamic players on this McGuinness roster and in the last five weeks, he's been their starting quarterback and has made countless special plays along the way. Even in Saturday's title game, Harris made some special plays with his arm and his legs. He's a truly dynamic player that has a very high ceiling moving forward. Now, looking ahead to 2026, (it's never too early to look ahead) McGuinness will return both of the quarterbacks who started this season. That could make them even more dangerous in 2026 with both healthy.   [player_tooltip player_id='1539931' first='Lebron' last='Royal'] - Senior Defensive Lineman - Carl Albert   We finish off this breakdown with Carl Albert senior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1539931' first='Lebron' last='Royal'] and he's the only senior on this list. We've been very vocal when it comes to Royal and just how dominant of a defensive player he is for this Carl Albert defense. So it feels fitting that in his final game as a Carl Albert Titan, Royal finished the day with eight tackles, leading the team there, as well as three tackles for loss and a sack. Royal and this Carl Albert defensive front made moving the ball nearly impossible for the Irish in the first half. Royal plays the game with an energy that is unmatched in Oklahoma and there's a reason why he's been one of the best guys at his position over the last two seasons. He capped off his career with another special performance.

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