Practice Report – Choctaw
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Here at Prep Redzone Oklahoma, we’re dedicated to bringing you the most in-depth and widespread coverage of Oklahoma high school football. Every week, we’ll have practice reports, featuring some of the best teams in the state as they prepare for a big game on Friday night. We’ll give a breakdown on how the team is doing, how some of the top stars are shining and who are some of their breakout performers. This report features Chcotaw as they head into district play against perennial powerhouse Booker T Washington.
Choctaw (1-2) – Ranked #9 In Recent 6A-D2 Rankings
Choctaw opened their season with three straight games against three of the best teams out of Arkansas. They played Springdale, Van Buren and Greenwood and two of those came on the road. “We wanted a tough non-district schedule to prepare us for our district,” head coach Jake Corbin said. “We felt like we were ready for that tough start and we went out and scheduled it.” He also mentioned how Choctaw has slowly but surely gotten on schedule after having to quarantine following a scrimmage in late August. Ever since then, the Yellowjackets have been behind schedule but Corbin believes they have finally caught up and are where they need to be as they enter district play. While the offense continues to improve, Choctaw has been led by their defense. Corbin has been very impressed with his defense and how they’ve done forcing turnovers.
INDIVIDUAL SPOTLIGHT
Cade McConnell
Cade
McConnell
6'5" | OL
Choctaw | 2022
State
OK
– 2022 – Offensive Lineman
If you’re looking for a player that has made a huge jump from 2019 to 2020, we might have found him in junior offensive lineman
Cade McConnell
Cade
McConnell
6'5" | OL
Choctaw | 2022
State
OK
. Following a strong sophomore season, McConnell emerged as one of the top prospects in the 2022 class here in Oklahoma. As we’ve opened the 2020 season, McConnell is absolutely playing like one of the top juniors in the state. He’s absolutely dominant on the offensive line and is physically impressive. He’s grown into a leader and plays with that confidence that he’s one of the best players on the field. Combine that with his size and ability and that makes for a scary combination.
Desean Brown – 2022 – Defensive End
One of the breakout players for Choctaw early on this season has been junior defensive end Desean Brown. Corbin couldn’t be more impressed with the start that Brown has had for the Yellowjackets. Standing 6’4, weighing 230 pounds, Brown has been a nightmare for opposing offensive linemen. Brown has the physical tools to make him a good pass rusher and overall disrupter. But what makes him special is when you combine that with a motor that doesn’t appear to slow down ever. Brown is off to a great start this season and will get a huge test on Friday night going against Booker T Washington and their speedy offense.
Donnie Wingate
Donnie
Wingate
6'3" | DL
Choctaw | 2021
State
OK
– 2021 – Linebacker
One of only two seniors here in this Individual Spotlight, that just shows how exciting the future is for Choctaw. But senior linebacker
Donnie Wingate
Donnie
Wingate
6'3" | DL
Choctaw | 2021
State
OK
has had a strong start to his senior season. He’s moved from defensive end to playing inside linebacker this season for the Yellowjackets. Corbin made the comparison that he’s similar in size to former Choctaw linebacker Jeff Roberson, who’s now a freshman at Oklahoma State. Wingate has flourished in his new position and is part of a defense that has absolutely been causing havoc for opposing offenses. Look for Wingate’s recruiting stock to go up this season.
Jordan Mukes
Jordan
Mukes
6'3" | DB
Choctaw | 2021
State
OK
– 2021 – Defensive Back
Here’s the name that most people know about when it comes to Choctaw. Senior defensive back
Jordan Mukes
Jordan
Mukes
6'3" | DB
Choctaw | 2021
State
OK
, who committed to Oklahoma during the offseason is off to a great start. Mukes, standing 6’3 is one of the more physically dominant defensive backs in Oklahoma today. Choctaw takes advantage of that by moving Mukes around to various spots on the field. He’s lined up at corner, moved out to safety and has even come up and played some linebacker. The OU commit continues to get more and more confident every week. Combining that with his pure athletic ability and you have a player that is an absolute star on defense.
RJ Jackson
RJ
Jackson
6'4" | DL
Choctaw | 2023
State
OK
– 2023 – Tight End
A 2023 prospect that we were very excited to see coming into 2020 was tight end
RJ Jackson
RJ
Jackson
6'4" | DL
Choctaw | 2023
State
OK
. Coming into this season, we were on the fence on where we liked Jackson more. He showed flashes as a tight end and a defensive end last year as a freshman. However, this season, he appears to be at home playing tight end. He had a tremendous offseason where he built off the momentum of starting on a semifinal team as a freshman. Jackson is getting more comfortable as a tight end that can go out and make catches, as well as staying on the line and blocking for a run play. We’re looking forward to seeing the continued growth of Jackson this fall.
Steele Wasel
Steele
Wasel
6'4" | 210 lbs | QB
Choctaw | 2023
State
OK
– 2023 – Quarterback
And finally we get to the quarterback position. Sophomore quarterback
Steele Wasel
Steele
Wasel
6'4" | 210 lbs | QB
Choctaw | 2023
State
OK
certainly had some hype around him coming into this fall. He first got onto the scene last year as a freshman where he got into several games after Thad Williams sat down. Coming into this year, there was no doubt that Wasel had all the physical tools you want in a prototype quarterback. As he continues into district play, look for Wasel to get more comfortable in the Choctaw offense. Early on, he’s been doing most of his damage running the ball. But as he gets more comfortable in the pocket, he’ll begin to show off his arm talent in addition to the running ability.
This Week – AT #3 Booker T Washington
Choctaw now enters district play after a tough non-district slate against some of Arkansas’ best teams. They hit the road once again, this time to face a Booker T Washington team that is one of the top programs in the state. “I like their offensive scheme,” Corbin said. “They get their players out in space and make you have to tackle them in the open field.” The Hornets have a very balanced offense between the pass and run game. They have a duo of receivers that are two of the better pass catchers in the state. Similar to Choctaw, they have a young backfield with a pair of sophomores at quarterback and running back. It’s only week four but this game will certainly have playoff implications. The winner will stay in the running for a district title and being at home during the playoffs. The loser will have to fight for playoff positioning the rest of the way.