Class 6A-D1 Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! Today, we begin our class by class previews. For the next two weeks, we'll take a look at the best teams in each class, along with the best players, best games and some of the storylines that you should pay attention to going into the new season. All of this will lead us right up to the start of the 2021 season in week zero. We kick things off with a look at the largest class in the state with 6A-1. As always, stay tuned to the website for more class by class previews. PREP REDZONE PRESEASON RANKINGS 1) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/owasso-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OWASSO</a> (Coaches Ranking: #2) 2) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/union-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNION</a> (Coaches Ranking: #3) 3) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/jenks-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JENKS</a> (Coaches Ranking: #1) 4) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/edmond-santa-fe-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDMOND SANTA FE</a> (Coaches Ranking: #4) 5) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/broken-arrow-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BROKEN ARROW</a> (Coaches Ranking: #5) 6) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/norman-north-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NORMAN NORTH</a> (Coaches Ranking: #7) 7) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/mustang-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MUSTANG</a> (Coaches Ranking: #6) 8) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/yukon-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YUKON</a> (Coaches Ranking: #9) 9) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/southmoore-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SOUTHMOOR</a>E (Coaches Ranking: UR) 10) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/07/moore-team-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MOORE</a> (Coaches Ranking: #10) <hr /> ALL 6A-D1 TEAM Offense QB - [player_tooltip player_id="51037" first="Austin" last="Havens"] - Junior - Owasso RB - [player_tooltip player_id="67771" first="Antonio" last="Smith"] - Senior - Union RB - [player_tooltip player_id="47955" first="Jaiden" last="Carroll"] - Junior - Jenks WR - [player_tooltip player_id="45651" first="Cole" last="Adams"] - Junior - Owasso WR - [player_tooltip player_id="61133" first="Robert" last="Spears-Jennings"] - Senior - Broken Arrow WR - [player_tooltip player_id="38667" first="Talyn" last="Shettron"] - Senior - Edmond Santa Fe OL - [player_tooltip player_id="98181" first="Bennett" last="Ringleb"] - Junior - Union OL - [player_tooltip player_id="38779" first="Jonathan" last="Ashford"] - Junior - Edmond Santa Fe OL - [player_tooltip player_id="61128" first="Lane" last="Parks"] - Senior - Yukon OL - [player_tooltip player_id="160656" first="Viliami" last="Makahununiu"] - Senior - Norman OL - [player_tooltip player_id="38675" first="Will" last="Thomas"] - Senior - Union Defense DL - [player_tooltip player_id="38697" first="AJ" last="Brown"] - Senior - Jenks DL - [player_tooltip player_id="38674" first="Chris" last="McClellan"] - Senior - Owasso DL - [player_tooltip player_id="57208" first="De’Marion" last="Thomas"] - Junior - Union DL - [player_tooltip player_id="38563" first="Michael" last="Jamerson"] - Senior - Owasso LB - [player_tooltip player_id="61131" first="Duncan" last="Parham"] - Senior - Norman North LB - [player_tooltip player_id="101403" first="Jake" last="Clifton"] - Senior - Owasso DB - [player_tooltip player_id="101263" first="Cade" last="Stacy"] - Senior - Jenks DB - [player_tooltip player_id="157457" first="Jalyn" last="Stanford"] - Junior - Jenks DB - [player_tooltip player_id="67773" first="Jamori" last="Ray"] - Senior - Union DB - [player_tooltip player_id="61138" first="Jayden" last="Rowe"] - Senior - Union DB - [player_tooltip player_id="61137" first="Korbyn" last="Green"] - Senior - Owasso Kicker/Athletes K - [player_tooltip player_id="160663" first="Max" last="Paskvan"] - Senior - Jenks ATH - [player_tooltip player_id="38777" first="Jacobe" last="Johnson"] - Junior - Mustang ATH - [player_tooltip player_id="101399" first="Marcus" last="Dockins Jr."] - Senior - Moore ATH - [player_tooltip player_id="38672" first="Maurion" last="Horn"] - Senior - Broken Arrow ATH - [player_tooltip player_id="38703" first="Rovaughn" last="Banks"] - Senior - Union <hr /> MARK THE CALENDARS September 10 - Jenks AT Union & Broken Arrow AT Owasso It'll be rivalry week in 6A-1 as Jenks travels to Union and Broken Arrow goes to Owasso. These four teams have dominated the state's largest class and this has become one of the biggest weeks of the year as they face off with one another. The Jenks-Union rivalry is one of the best rivalries in the country and has headlined Oklahoma high school football for 25 years now. The reason is pretty simple as the two rivals have been two of the best in the state and nothing is different heading into this year. In the other rivalry clash, Owasso will host Broken Arrow. These two teams finally broke the Jenks-Union stranglehold on 6A and 6A-1 back in 2017 with Owasso winning it all and Broken Arrow winning it all in 2018. This rivalry game will have even more juice going into the 2021 season as it'll be father against son in the head coaching department. Broken Arrow hired Josh Blankenship as their new head coach and he is of course the son of legendary head coach Bill Blankenship. September 24 - Owasso AT Union They're #1 and #2 in our preseason rankings and this game will more than likely who ends up being the district champion. And we get this heavyweight match-up in week four and in the first week of district play. Owasso has been on a roll in terms of this head to head match-up as of late. However, Union is ready to go to battle with the Rams and with a win, they'll not only be in the driver's seat for the district crown, they'll become the new team to beat in 6A-1. Despite Jenks being defending champion, it's Owasso that is our team to beat heading into the season. Not only will it be a 1 VS 2 match-up, it'll feature one of the best rushing attacks in Union going against one of the best front seven units from Owasso. It'll be best on best as Union's offensive line and Owasso's defensive line go head to head. We've had this one circled for a while now. October 14 - Jenks AT Edmond Santa Fe The other massive district meeting will take place during week seven when Jenks travels to Edmond to face off with Santa Fe in a rematch of last year's state championship game. The Trojans will be ready to square off with the Wolves after not playing them in the regular season a year ago and because of that, Santa Fe was able to capture a second straight district championship. And of course the Wolves will be ready for this one as they want another shot at Jenks after losing to them in the state title game nine months ago. Similar to Owasso and Union, Edmond Santa Fe and Jenks are the two highest ranked teams in this district and find themselves as the favorites because of it. Broken Arrow will have something to say about that but the winner here will have a great chance at capturing the district crown. <hr /> NOTABLE STORYLINES The East/West Gap So this has been easily the biggest storyline going into every football season for about two decades now. 6A and starting in 2014, 6A-1, has been dominated by the Tulsa-area schools. Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso and Union have won every championship since 1996. The majority of those being won by Jenks and Union. However, Owasso has won two out of the last four. Edmond Santa Fe has certainly closed the gap between themselves and the eastside powers over the last two years. They've captured back to back district championships, beaten both Broken Arrow and Jenks on the road and even beat Union in the semifinals to make it to last year's state title game. However, in the championship game, it was once again Jenks that was raising the gold ball. And as you see with our preseason rankings, the gap is still sizable as Owasso, Union and Jenks are 1, 2 and 3 respectively with Santa Fe coming in at 4 and Broken Arrow following at 5. Next year, the gap could get even wider as Bixby will be joining 6A-1 and the "Big Four" could become the "Big Five". I have been saying for the last few years that I believe that the gap is getting smaller. It might not feel like it in the immediate view but I do see the progress that has been made by the westside programs. If I had to pick one way or the other whether or not we would see another two decades where no westside team won a state title, I would say no. Will it happen in the next few years? Probably not. But another two decades? That just doesn't seem possible. But that might have been what everyone was saying back in 2000. The First Family Of Oklahoma HS Football One of the biggest offseason stories was Broken Arrow going in a new direction and hiring a new head coach in Josh Blankenship. The largest school in the state expects to contend for state championships each year and they're only a few years removed from winning their first and only gold ball in 2018. And with Blankenship returning to Oklahoma after coaching college ball up in Colorado, the Blankenship name becomes even bigger in football circles. A Blankenship is head football coach of three out of the five biggest schools in Oklahoma. Josh at Broken Arrow, Lee at Mustang and Bill at Owasso. We'll see Broken Arrow and Owasso meet up at least once this year when they face off during non-district play. Mustang and Owasso are in the same district so we'll see another Blankenship VS Blankenship battle there. It seems like only a matter of time before we see a semifinal game or even a state championship match-up where the head coach on each sideline is from the same family tree. Union's Football Palace Opens Our final storyline isn't so much a storyline as it is something that we're just looking forward to. Following the 2019 football season, Union Public Schools began construction on renovating their football stadium. They played the entire 2020 football season having fans on just the visitor's side of the stadium and in the end zone. They adjusted their schedule so the majority of their games were on the road. Now, it's flipped and they get to show off what has to be considered the nicest football stadium in the state of Oklahoma today. When you combine what they'll have this year with what it will look like when the complete renovation is done, it will be up there with facilities across the country. Union will have seven home games this year, including the first four games of the year taking place at Union's new home. Again, it's not so much a storyline as it's just something that we can't wait to see for ourselves in person. <hr /> RELATED <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/class-6a-d2-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- Class 6A-D2 Preview</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/class-5a-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- Class 5A Preview</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/class-4a-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- Class 4A Preview</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/class-3a-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- Class 3A Preview</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/class-2a-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- Class 2A Preview</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/08/class-a-preview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- Class A Preview</a>