Scene Setter – Carl Albert AT Stillwater

<!-- 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>Each week on Prep Redzone Oklahoma, we'll put a spotlight on one of, if not the very best game of the week. Last week, our Scene Setter took a look at the Broken Arrow-Mustang game and that turned into an overtime instant classic. And this week, we have another terrific match-up featuring 5A's top-ranked Carl Albert going on the road to square off with 6A-2's #2 Stillwater. Both teams come into this week with a 2-0 record and looking to finish off non-district play with a strong performance on Friday night. Carl Albert has won 27 consecutive games while Stillwater is looking like a serious contender in 6A-2. There aren't many games better than this one. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carl Albert has looked flawless so far this season but Friday night's road game against the Pioneers will be their toughest test. Carl Albert beat Midwest City and Lawton Eisenhower in their first two games and the defense definitely grabbed the headlines in each. The defending 5A champs haven't given up a single point so far this season but they'll certainly be challenged by a talented Stillwater offense. The Titans are also balanced on offense but they definitely lean to the running game with multiple running backs and a very strong running quarterback. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Stillwater, the Pioneers have had a very interesting start to the 2024 season and it began in the season opener. They got everyone's attention in week one when they jumped out on 6A-1 contender Union with a 21-0 lead. They would eventually go to overtime with the Redhawks and instead of kicking an extra point to go to a second OT, they went for the win and got it. Last week, they did the opposite of a fast start as they trailed Enid 23-14 at halftime. They would flip that switch in the second half, outscoring the Plainsmen 28-0 to run away with the win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below, we take a look at three players on both sides of this match-up to keep an eye on this week and throughout the 2024 season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CARL ALBERT'S PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='353419' first='Caden' last='Davis'] - Senior Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whenever you're talking about Carl Albert's players to watch, it's easy to focus in on the D1 commits. But we've said this a few times over the last two years, senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='353419' first='Caden' last='Davis'] is arguably the most important part of this Carl Albert defense. He is coming off back to back All State 1st Team seasons and every time we've seen him, he's been one of the best players on the field. He has a nose for the football and is always in the right spot to make a play. Whether it's tracking down a running back or creating absolute chaos in the backfield against a quarterback. The Titans haven't given up a point so far this season and they don't plan on starting anytime soon. Davis will be a big part of what they do. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1187314' first='Daniel' last='Newton'] - Senior Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through the first two weeks of the 2024 season, Carl Albert has consistently played two quarterbacks and senior signal caller and Air Force commit [player_tooltip player_id='1187314' first='Daniel' last='Newton'] is one of them. When Newton is on the field, the Titans definitely become a more dangerous running team. That isn't suggesting that Newton can't beat teams with his arm because he has done that already this season. But when the Titans get inside the opponent's five-yard line, it feels like a Carl Albert touchdown is going to be automatic because Newton is one of, if not the strongest players on the team and he has powered his way into the end zone multiple times this season. Newton against an aggressive Stillwater front seven will be fun to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='598824' first='Trystan' last='Haynes'] - Senior Athlete</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carl Albert senior and Oklahoma defensive back commit [player_tooltip player_id='598824' first='Trystan' last='Haynes'] is going to be the best player on the football field, probably every time he steps on a football field this season. We've written quite a bit about the complete impact that Haynes can have on a game and last season was the perfect representation of that. On offense, Haynes was the team's leading receiver and he's an absolute playmaker in the passing game. On defense, Haynes is a lock down cornerback that has emerged as one of the very best prospects in the state's 2025 class. And finally on special teams, opponents need to avoid kicking to Haynes because he's a big threat in the open field. An absolute complete football player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>STILLWATER'S PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1096805' first='Athan' last='Nickles'] - Senior Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stillwater senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1096805' first='Athan' last='Nickles'] is one of several players on the defensive side of the ball to keep an eye on this week. Nickles came into this season as one of Stillwater's leading tacklers from last season and he picked up right where he left off in the season opener. He had ten tackles and a pick six in the season opener against Union. Nickles is once again one of the team's leading tacklers and the Pioneers will need their defense to be playing at a high level against a Carl Albert offense that has been executing at a very high level through the first two games. Stillwater's front seven is definitely a group that we're keeping an eye on against Carl Albert's powerful running game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492378' first='Deakon' last='Jones'] - Sophomore Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='492378' first='Deakon' last='Jones'] has already established himself as one of the top guys in the state's 2027 class. He started that last fall with a strong freshman season and then carried that momentum into the offseason. Now, he's definitely a player to watch heading into the 2024 season. And Jones is coming off a terrific performance last week in the comeback win over Enid. He finished with 11 catches for well over 100 yards and two touchdowns. We thought that Jones would be Stillwater's leading receiver this season and so far through two games, he's doing just that. But he could be matched up with one of the state's very best cornerbacks on Friday night so it'll be a challenge. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='655747' first='Mason' last='Schubert'] - Senior Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just like Newton at Carl Albert, Stillwater senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='655747' first='Mason' last='Schubert'] is new to the Pioneer program and has made the transition look like an easy one. What's impressive about the Schubert move is he's coming from Class A football and in his first start with the Pioneers, he took down Union with the game-winning two-point conversion. Schubert is a quarterback that we've seen quite a bit over the last 18 months but it's mostly been on the 7v7 circuit. He's always impressed us but so far through two games, we're very impressed with what Schubert has done on Friday nights and with the pads on against top competition. He'll look to lead the Stillwater offense against a stout Titan defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->