Class 6A-2 Title Game Standouts

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   The Choctaw Yellowjackets made history on Saturday night as they rallied to knock off defending state champion Muskogee 26-25. The Yellowjackets captured their first state championship since 1960. Choctaw would have to rally in the second half, storming all the way back to secure their historic state title. They would have to hold off the defending champs and after Muskogee missed a 21-yard field goal with less than 15 seconds to play, the Yellowjackets finally received the gold ball for the program that considers themselves "GOLD Standard" in Oklahoma. Check out the highlights and postgame reaction below!   <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=J--OGBaQ7O8 </div></figure>   And now, we take a look at the ten standouts from the state championship game. Five guys from the champs in Choctaw and five guys from Muskogee. Both teams played outstanding football so we have plenty of standouts from both sides of this memorable championship clash.   [player_tooltip player_id='1097272' first='Anthony' last='White'] - Senior Defensive Back - Muskogee   Muskogee senior [player_tooltip player_id='1097272' first='Anthony' last='White'] led a Muskogee defense that realistically did a really good job against a Choctaw offense that was absolutely rolling coming into the state title game. White would lead the team in tackles with 12 on the night and he was also tied with another player on this breakdown with two and a half tackles for loss. Like we mentioned, Choctaw's offense had been rolling and they are incredibly versatile with all the different things they do. White and the Roughers made things hard on the Yellowjackets and Muskogee had the edge in total offense on Saturday night. White is part of a Muskogee secondary that is incredibly physical. We've loved that physicality they've played with all season and he was just one part of it.   [player_tooltip player_id='211555' first='Cash' last='Williams'] - Senior Quarterback - Choctaw   Choctaw senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211555' first='Cash' last='Williams'] has been an incredibly important piece to the Yellowjackets and their climb to the state championship. He was a versatile athlete that had his sophomore season cut short. He moved into the QB1 role as a junior and ran with it, enjoying a breakout season. This year, he was phenomenal, sharing the backfield with another QB but still having full control of this explosive offense when he was on the field. On Saturday, Williams would throw for 167 yards on 14-19 passing. He's on this breakdown not as much for his individual performance in Saturday's game, but a tip of the cap for a fantastic career. And the Yellowjackets have been searching for this gold ball for a while now and Williams helped them climb the mountain.   [player_tooltip player_id='1097273' first='Coda' last='Barnoski'] - Junior Linebacker - Muskogee   In addition to White, Muskogee junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1097273' first='Coda' last='Barnoski'] had another stellar performance on Saturday night. The junior would finish with six tackles and he was tied with White for the team-lead in tackles for loss. Barnoski was a player that we had circled on this Muskogee defense and he certainly lived up to he hype. Barnoski has been one of the best linebackers in Class 6A-2 over the last two seasons and as we start to look ahead to next season (it's still very early, we know) it would be hard to find many linebackers that are more experienced and productive than Barnoski. He's going to come into the 2025 season with a lot of confidence and while the defense around him will be young, he's going to have a chance to be one of the best in the class.   [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] - Senior Quarterback - Muskogee   Muskogee senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] has been the state's best quarterback and he went out as the state's best quarterback on Saturday night. In the championship game, Ficklin put on his Superman cape one more time but came up just short of carrying the Roughers to another championship. As a passer, he would throw for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 7-15 passing. As a runner, he finished with 161 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. He drove the Roughers down to inside the Choctaw 5-yard line with a magnificent drive that featured a long run to convert on fourth down and another run to convert on third down. Ficklin is a special talent and we're looking forward to seeing how he does at the next level with Utah.   [player_tooltip player_id='211559' first='JuJu' last='Smith'] - Senior Wide Receiver - Choctaw   Choctaw senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='211559' first='JuJu' last='Smith'] has meant a lot to this Choctaw program and this program has meant a lot to Smith. He graduates as the school's all time leading receiver and he leaves a legacy that might not be touched in the future with all of the things he was able to accomplish on the football field. But this isn't just a tip of the cap for a great career, Smith finished it off with a bang. He had six catches for 35 yards but he's the player that sparked the 19-point comeback Muskogee just scored and went up 25-7 with less than four minutes to play in the third quarter. Smith responded with a 94-yard kick return for a score and that would be the start of the Choctaw rally. They would score 19 unanswered points and it began with the Smith kick return.   [player_tooltip player_id='402379' first='Landon' last='Gatson'] - Junior Quarterback - Choctaw   The future is very bright in Choctaw as the newly crowned champs don't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. You can make the argument that three of their top four best players on Saturday night will all be coming back. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402379' first='Landon' last='Gatson'] has split time with Williams at the QB position this season and looks to be one of the top signal callers in 6A-2 next fall. We mentioned last week how Gatson was more of a run-first quarterback and he had two massive rushing touchdowns as Choctaw rallied back. But we also mentioned that he has one of the best arms in the state and one of the biggest plays of the night was Gatson's 15-yard touchdown pass off a trick play. He has an incredibly bright future and he's just scratching the surface on what he can be.   [player_tooltip player_id='476091' first='Mayor' last='Morgan'] - Junior Running Back - Choctaw   There's no doubt in our mind that Choctaw junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='476091' first='Mayor' last='Morgan'] has been one of the breakout stars across Oklahoma this season. And that goes for any class, not just Class 6A-2. Morgan came into this season and absolutely dominated the ground game for the Yellowjackets. He had some big plays in the championship game as well. Morgan would finish the night with 14 carries for 67 yards. He also caught three passes for 50 yards. Morgan had multiple plays that showcased his explosive playmaking ability. He had a 30-yard run and a 36-yard reception. Morgan didn't find the end zone on Saturday night but he was critical in helping set up touchdown drives. Morgan will go into next year as arguably the top running back in Class 6A-2.   [player_tooltip player_id='598826' first='Ondraye' last='Beasley'] - Senior Wide Receiver - Muskogee   We've said it before but we'll say it again, Muskogee senior [player_tooltip player_id='598826' first='Ondraye' last='Beasley'] is one of the more underrated players around the state. He's incredibly versatile and when you look at this Muskogee offense, you see other stars and there's only one football. But Beasley has always made the most of his opportunities and he did just that again on Saturday night. He finished with five catches for 85 yards and a very impressive touchdown reception. Beasley also chipped in to the Muskogee running game but it was definitely his ability as a receiver that caught our attention. Whether it's as a receiver, runner or even a kick returner, Beasley has the ability to make special things happen with the football in his hands. He'll make a program at the next level much better.   [player_tooltip player_id='515901' first='PJ' last='Wallace'] - Senior Running Back - Muskogee   Muskogee senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='515901' first='PJ' last='Wallace'] finished off a very successful high school career with another stellar performance on Saturday night. Wallace became an absolute workhorse in the Muskogee offense, and he was definitely ready for the challenge. He finished the night with 27 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown. Wallace came into this season as one of the top running backs in the state's 2025 class and he finishes as that following a terrific senior season. When we look at the top available 2025 prospects that are still on the board, Wallace is definitely one of the absolute top guys that are still available. He can play at the next level and at a high level. He's proven that over the last three seasons and has been incredibly fun to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1035103' first='Titus' last='Hawk'] - Sophomore Tight End - Choctaw   We mentioned with Gatson and Morgan how the future is bright in this Choctaw offense and sophomore tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1035103' first='Titus' last='Hawk'] is another example of that. We mentioned last week how Hawk is a physical match-up problem for opponents with his size at 6'6. He ended up being Choctaw's leading receiver on Saturday night and he was on the other end of that Gatson touchdown pass that gave the Yellowjackets the lead, late in the fourth quarter. Hawk had four catches for 94 yards and that fourth quarter touchdown. Hawk is similar to Williams where he might have been known more for baseball early on but don't overlook him becoming a serious threat in this Choctaw offense next season. He's got athleticism, size and as it turns out, he's a clutch player as well.

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