2024 3A Title Game First Look

<!-- 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 3A state championship game is set! #1 Lincoln Christian will square off with #3 Sulphur in Edmond on Thursday at 7PM. It'll be Bulldog VS Bulldog as Lincoln Christian looks to complete the perfect 14-0 season for the second straight year and go back to back as Class 3A state champions. For Sulphur, they're looking for their first state championship in two decades after winning two in three seasons from 2002-2004. Both of these teams have one thing in common as we head into Thursday's game. Dominance. They have been absolutely dominant all season and will now square off against one another with the gold ball on the line. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma on Tuesday, when we take a deep dive into the match-up by putting a spotlight on all of the players to watch for both teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#1 LINCOLN CHRISTIAN BULLDOGS (13-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 30th - Beat Victory Christian 56-0<br>Sept. 6th - Beat Heritage Hall 28-20<br>Sept. 13th - Beat Shiloh Christian, AR. 38-14<br>Sept. 27th - Beat Stigler 49-7<br>Oct. 4th - Beat Holland Hall 55-0<br>Oct. 11th - Beat Locust Grove 63-20<br>Oct. 17th - Beat Muldrow 48-0<br>Oct. 25th - Beat Checotah 68-12<br>Nov. 1st - Beat Eufaula 62-7<br>Nov. 8th - Beat Idabel 48-0<br>1st Round - Beat Jay 62-8<br>Quarterfinals - Beat Pauls Valley 49-7<br>Semifinals - Beat Heritage Hall 42-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>HOW THEY GOT HERE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top-ranked Lincoln Christian came into this season as the team to beat after going 14-0 and capturing the state championship a year ago. But the Bulldogs had to replace almost everyone from the offensive side of the ball so the defending champs definitely still had something to prove this season. They answered any questions about the 2024 team instantly. They went on the road and beat Heritage Hall 28-20 in a state championship rematch. They would follow that up with a win over Arkansas powerhouse Shiloh Christian. Lincoln Christian would then enter district play and continued to absolutely dominate there. The defending champs won every district game by at least 40 points and finished the regular season with another perfect record. The domination continued for Lincoln Christian and they would eventually have a semifinal showdown with rival Heritage Hall. After going down 14-0, it was all Lincoln Christian after that as they ran away with a 42-14 victory. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY<br>3-3 Record - 7th Title Appearance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln Christian is back in the state championship game for the second straight year and the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Bulldogs have without a doubt been one of the best teams in the state during that stretch, regardless of class. Lincoln Christian captured their first state championship in 2009. They would have to wait a decade to win their second gold ball and now they are looking for their fourth state championship on Thursday night. Lincoln Christian will feel right at home when they step on the field at UCO and Sulphur isn't an unfamiliar opponent. They beat Sulphur in the quarterfinals last year and they also got the best of them in the 2021 quarterfinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION - 51.4 Points Per Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is one of the more underrated stories in Oklahoma this season. Lincoln Christian lost the majority of their offensive line, two 1,000 yard rushers and a very experienced quarterback. And despite that, the Bulldogs were right back in the position as one of the best offenses in the state, regardless of class. Lincoln Christian averaged a little over 50 points per game this season. And despite having new starters everywhere, they looked just like the Lincoln offense that we've seen over the last few years. They are still incredibly balanced and have multiple players that can beat an opponent on any given week. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>DEFENSIVE PRODUCTION - 8.4 Points Per Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the Lincoln Christian offense was a pleasant surprise this season, the defense was going to be the strength of the 2024 Bulldogs and they've lived up to the preseason hype. Lincoln Christian comes into Thursday's title game giving up just over eight points per game and they've been dominant all season. When you look at this unit, it all starts up front on the line of scrimmage and filters back to the linebackers. Altogether, the Lincoln Christian front seven is one of the best in the state, regardless of class. They'll have their hands full with an explosive Sulphur offense but they won't back away from a challenge. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>STAR POWER</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["884992"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-674bc096a6244"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Trying to pick just one player from Lincoln Christian this season is an incredibly tough task. But we're going with a guy that has been an absolute game-wrecker on both sides of the ball. Offensively, senior [player_tooltip player_id='884992' first='Dawson' last='Fullingim'] emerged as the team's second-leading running back. He's also coming off a stellar performance on the ground in their semifinal win over Heritage Hall. Fullingim also helps set the tone for the defensive side of the ball on the defensive line. He's in the top five on the team for tackles and is tied for the lead in tackles for loss. Needless to say, Fullingim is one of the more valuable players for Lincoln Christian because of what he can do on offense and defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#3 SULPHUR BULLDOGS (12-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 6th - Lost To Washington 27-24 (2OT)<br>Sept. 13th - Beat Davis 42-7<br>Sept. 20th - Beat Cache 62-7<br>Sept. 27th - Beat Perkins-Tryon 48-0<br>Oct. 4th - Beat McLoud 57-14<br>Oct. 11th - Beat Lone Grove 56-0<br>Oct. 17th - Beat Bristow 41-0<br>Oct. 25th - Beat Seminole 49-6<br>Nov. 1st - Beat Victory Christian 77-8<br>Nov. 8th - Beat Mannford 60-0<br>1st Round - Beat Kingfisher 66-0<br>Quarterfinals - Beat Idabel 53-21<br>Semifinals - Beat Checotah 68-21</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>HOW THEY GOT HERE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sulphur came into this year with high expectations. First off, they could have been considered the top team in Class 3A before the April ruling put private school powers like Heritage Hall and Lincoln Christian back in 3A after being slated for 4A. The Bulldogs still came in as a preseason top five team and remained there all year. They lost the season opener to 2A-1 top-ranked Washington in double overtime. They haven't lost since. And during this 12-game winning streak, nobody has even come close to knocking off the Bulldogs. In their last 12 games, the closest margin of victory was 33 points and it came in the quarterfinal round against Idabel. Idabel's offense has been among the best in Oklahoma, regardless of class. The defense has been right there as well and now they are one win away from a state championship. This team came into the season with a lot of confidence and they have certainly lived up to all the preseason hype. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY<br>2-2 Record - 5th Title Appearance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sulphur Bulldogs have punched their ticket to the state championship game for the fifth time in school history. All five state title game appearances have come since the turn of the century. Sulphur had a strong start to this century by going to the state title game in three straight years from 2002-2004 and they won both of their gold balls during that stretch. They also made the state title game back in 2018 and lost to Heritage Hall. Sulphur was led by Hall Of Famer Jim Dixon for decades as their head coach. Dixon passed away two years ago and assistant Corey Cole has taken over the program. This will be Sulphur's first state championship game appearance under Cole. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION - 54.1 Points Per Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not often that Lincoln Christian goes into a game against a team that averages more points per game but that's exactly what we have here. Sulphur averages just over 54 points per game and they've been on fire in the last five games. In the last two games of the regular season and the first three rounds of the playoffs, Sulphur's scoring average has bumped up to nearly 65 points per game. And this is going to be a match-up where both offenses look very similar. Sulphur is incredibly balanced and just like Lincoln Christian, they have a handful of players that can be the star on any given night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>DEFENSIVE PRODUCTION - 8.5 Points Per Game</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sulphur's offense can grab a lot of headlines, specifically with the way they've played over the last five weeks. But don't overlook just how stingy this Sulphur defense can be. The Bulldogs are giving up just over eight points per game and they are right there with Lincoln Christian in that department as well. And just like Lincoln, Sulphur is going to have their hands full trying to slow down an explosive offense. The team that can get stops or even force a rare turnover will be in a good spot. Sulphur's defense has given up double digit points just four times this season and have been absolutely dominant. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>STAR POWER</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1569774"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-674bc096a62c9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Just like with Lincoln Christian, you could pick a handful of players here for this part. But we're giving the nod to Sulphur junior [player_tooltip player_id='1569774' first='Maddax' last='Mobly'] because he's simply playing some of his best football right now. In their quarterfinal win, Mobly would run for just shy of 200 yards and five touchdowns and also had ten tackles. In the semifinal win over Checotah, Mobly would run for a touchdown and also had two receiving touchdowns. The Bulldogs have been absolutely rolling on the offensive side of the ball over the last month and Mobly has been a big part of that. Look for him and the rest of this Sulphur rushing attack to set the tone early on in Thursday's title clash. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->