Cascia Hall Team Preview

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day as we release more individual team previews as we get closer to the start of the 2021 football season. In case you missed it, you can check out our Preseason Rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/06/2021-preseason-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RIGHT HERE</strong></a>. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Overview </span></strong>As one of the most successful and storied programs in Oklahoma high school football history, the Cascia Hall Commandos will look to finish what they started in 2020 after their early and surprising exit in the first round of the playoffs. Despite a convincing <span style="font-size: 1rem;">win</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> in week one over Victory Christian, their season got off to a shaky start. The Commandos were blown out by eventual 3A State Champion Holland Hall in week 2, which was followed by a cancelation in week 3. They were fortunate to schedule an opponent and come out with a win on short notice that week, but it was not as easy as they probably would have liked. Nonetheless, the Commandos did not let their early-season struggles deter them. They would go on to win 6 straight games, capture the school’s 22nd district title, and clinch another playoff birth. That playoff run would be short-lived though. Despite their </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">double-digit win over </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Keys just weeks before, Cascia Hall struggled to score much and ended up losing to the same Keys team in the first round. However, this is not the first time Cascia Hall has lost a playoff game that they felt like they should’ve won. The Commandos have been to the playoffs more times than just about any team in the state and look to continue their streak, which we will hit on later in this preview, in 2021. It will not be an easy task, they have to replace a handful of key starters from a year ago. But if we have learned any lessons over the last few decades, one of them is that you can’t and shouldn’t count the Commandos out of anything on the gridiron.  </span> <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2020 Results (8-2 Record – Lost In 2A 1st Round)</strong></span> <strong>Aug. 28 – Beat Victory Christian 48-20</strong> <strong>Sept. 4 – Lost to Holland Hall 49-0</strong> <strong>Sept. 11 – Beat Rejoice Christian 28-26</strong> <strong>Sept. 25 – Beat Heavener 55-0</strong> <strong>Oct. 2 – Beat Spiro 34-20</strong> <strong>Oct. 9 – Beat Vian 7-6</strong> <strong>Oct. 15 – Beat Panama 36-0</strong> <strong>Oct. 23 – Beat Pocola 62-8</strong> <strong>Oct. 30 – Game VS Rolan Canceled</strong> <strong>Nov. 6 – Beat Keys 34-21</strong> <strong>1st Round – Lost to Keys 16-14</strong> <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Players To Watch</strong></span> <strong>Cooper Lai</strong> <strong>- 2023 Quarterback/ Defensive Back </strong>Lai returns for his Junior year as one of the leaders of Cascia Hall’s defense. Lai led the team in tackles with 55 and interceptions with 3 while starting at safety in 2020. However, his game may jump to new heights in 2021 with an increased role on offense. The biggest question for the Commandos offensively is who will be the starting quarterback in 2021? After hearing from their coaches following spring practice, it looks like it will be Cooper Lai’s job to lose heading into fall camp. The entire staff is very excited about the possibilities he brings to their offense with his running prowess from that position. Lai also has a strong arm and has learned the Cascia Hall offensive system since the sixth grade, so he will certainly be ready if called upon when the season kicks off. He should be a dynamic player to watch all year on both sides of the ball. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59692" first="Flynn" last="Sage"] - 2022 Linebacker/ Tight End </strong>At 6’3" 225, [player_tooltip player_id="59692" first="Flynn" last="Sage"] will be one of the biggest players on this roster in 2021 and perhaps their top college prospect as well. Flynn is a dual-sport athlete who excels on the gridiron and on the baseball diamond for Cascia Hall where he is a left-handed pitcher and plays in the outfield. Sage plays both ways for Cascia Hall as a Linebacker where he has the size and speed to make a wide variety of plays, and at Tight End where his speed and catch radius make him a mismatch machine and a threat at all levels of the field. We have Sage ranked as a Linebacker at the moment, but they may change if he has the type of season at Tight End that his coaches believe he’s capable of in 2021. <strong>Baxter Robinson</strong> <strong>- 2023 Running Back/ Linebacker </strong>Baxter heads into his junior season as another key starter for Cascia Hall. On defense, Robinson will be one of the team’s top outside linebackers where he will use his explosion and strength off the edge to pressure the quarterback and slow down the opposing run game. On offense, Robinson returns as Cascia Hall leading rusher from a year ago and will look to build upon his breakout Sophomore campaign. Alongside Robinson in the backfield will be Cooper Lai if he retains the starting QB spot. Another name to look out for is 2023 RB Jayce Ward. Ward was the team’s leading rusher in 2019 and was on track for another stellar season before suffering a season-ending injury in week 5 last season. This duo/trio of runners for Cascia Hall will be a fun one to watch all season and has the chance to be one of the most productive backfields in Class 2A. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>More Names</strong></span> <strong>Ethan Clark</strong> <strong>– 2023 Linebacker/ Fullback </strong><strong>Gannon Murray – 2022 Linebacker</strong> <strong>Jayce Ward – 2023 Running Back/ Linebacker</strong> <strong>Aidan Hicks – 2023 Wide Receiver</strong> <strong>Owen Pazzo – 2023 Offensive/ Defensive Lineman</strong> <strong>Beau Hansen – 2022 Defensive Lineman</strong> <strong>Wyatt Griffin – 2022 Defensive Lineman</strong> <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Notable</strong></span> Cascia Hall’s trip back to the playoffs in 2020 was their 34th consecutive trip. Yes, that is correct. The last time the Commandos did not make the playoffs in football, in 1986, Ronald Reagan was entering his second term as President of the United States. It is not often that we see stability like this at any high school program, much less at one in Oklahoma that has never played higher than Class 4A. For the Commandos, their stability and success since the turn of the millennium starts at the top with Head Coach Joe Medina. Medina graduated from Cascia Hall in 1984 where he was a standout for the Commandos football team. After playing for the Vilanova Wildcats for a few seasons in college, Medina went into coaching where he served as an assistant for the Commandos from 1988-1991 before taking over as the head coach at Saint Augustine High School in San Diego. Cascia Hall was able to bring Medina back home to take over their head spot in 1999, and the rest is history. Since accepting the job, Medina has led Cascia Hall to a record of 223-49, which includes 13 district titles, 3 state runner-up finishes, and 4 state championships. All while never missing the playoffs. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2021 Schedule/Games To Watch</strong></span> Aug. 27 – Victory Christian <strong>Sept. 3 – AT Holland Hall </strong>- Though it is a shortlist, this week 2 matchup with the Dutch will be first up on the 2021 revenge tour for Cascia Hall. Holland Hall embarrassed the Commandos 49-0 in 2020, so you know they will be eager to redeem themselves. However, Holland Hall comes into the season as our preseason #1 team in Class 3A and they might be even better than they were last year. Cascia Hall will have their work cut out for them. Sept. 10 – Berryhill Sept. 24 – Heavener Oct. 1 – AT Spiro <strong>Oct. 8 – AT Vian </strong>- Cascia Hall and Vian come into 2021 in similar scenarios. Both teams fell short of where they thought they’d end up in 2020 and both teams have to replace a lot of talent from said teams. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Vian held the lead in this game last year up until the final 10 minutes where [player_tooltip player_id="59692" first="Flynn" last="Sage"] scored on a double pass that left Vian’s defense out of place. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Those first few points along with the way this game ended last year should be plenty of reason for both teams to get excited about this matchup. </span>Oct. 14 – Panama Oct. 22 – AT Pocola Oct. 29 – AT Roland <strong>Nov. 5 – Keys </strong>- Unless they face in the playoffs again in 2021, this will be the final stop on the revenge tour for Cascia Hall. The Commandos were able to beat Keys by two scores in their regular-season finale last season, but Keys ultimately had the last laugh by ruining Cascia Hall’s title hopes with an upset victory in the first round of the playoffs just 2 weeks after their initial matchup. Based on what we’ve heard from coaches, this one could also have major district title implications if Cascia Hall is able to once again run the table in district 2A-5 as they did in 2020. <hr /> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Championship History</strong></span> <em><strong>5 State Championships</strong></em> 2009 - Beat Berryhill 21-0 2008 - Beat Sequoyah Claremore 28-21 2007 - Beat Heritage Hall 20-13 1999 - Beat Bristow 31-0 1989 - Beat Okemah 21-7