4A Championship First Look
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The Class 4A state championship is set for 1PM on Saturday night at UCO’s Wantland Stadium. We’ll see a match-up between two programs that have been…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!
The Class 4A state championship is set for 1PM on Saturday night at UCO’s Wantland Stadium. We’ll see a match-up between two programs that have been two of the best in 4A football since the turn of the century as Clinton will square off with Wagoner. Prep Redzone Oklahoma will have preview content throughout the week to get you ready for Saturday afternoon’s title game. Let’s get started with our 4A championship first look, taking a look at both teams in the match-up!
CLINTON RED TORNADOES (8-3)
Sept 4 – Beat Woodward 26-21
Sept 11 – Lost To Heritage Hall 14-7
Sept 18 – Game AT Millwood Canceled
Sept 25 – Beat Elgin 46-7
Oct 2 – Beat Kingfisher 21-10
Oct 9 – Beat Cache 21-14
Oct 23 – Lost To Weatherford 14-0
Oct 30 – Beat Elk City 35-7
Nov 6 – Lost To Bethany 23-19
1st Round – Beat Harrah 38-13
2nd Round – Game VS Ada Canceled
Quarterfinals – Beat Poteau 17-10
Semifinals – Beat Blanchard 10-7
Championship History: 16-9 (26th Appearance)
Clinton is in the state championship game for the 26th time in school history. That’s enough to put them all alone in second place in state history. They trail only Jenks, who last week played in their 27th title game. Another category they only trail Jenks in is gold balls as the Trojans won their 17th last week, breaking a tie with Clinton for second most championships in state history. The Red Tornadoes have a chance to get back into that tie for second place with a win on Saturday. While Clinton has been one of the more dominant programs in state history, this will be their first title game appearance since 2012. That eight year stretch is one of the longer stretches in program history without a championship game appearance.
Offensive Production: 21.8 PPG (21.7 PPG In Playoffs)
Clinton’s offense has been exactly what you would expect out of a Red Tornado team that’s playing for the state championship. They take care of the football and look to run, run and run some more. So you’re not going to see much flash on offense as Clinton looks to take the air out of the ball and they’ve been good in doing that. They’ve averaged around 21 points per game and that average has held true in the playoffs. It’ll be a contrast in styles as Clinton has scored at least 30 points on just three occasions. Meanwhile Wagoner has failed to score at least 30 on four occasions.
Defensive Production: 12.7 PPG (10 PPG In Playoffs)
A lot of what we wrote about the offense can also be said on the defensive side of the ball. This is your traditional Clinton team where they want to run the football and play hard-nosed defense. The offense certainly helps the defense as they control the ball and the defense doesn’t have to go out for as many possessions. The Red Tornadoes have taken advantage of that and have been a strong defense this season, giving up just over 12 points per game. They’ve given up 20+ points on only two occasions and have been even better in the playoffs.
WAGONER BULLDOGS (13-0)
Sept 4 – Beat Coweta 28-0
Sept 11 – Beat Tahlequah 22-10
Sept 18 – Beat Sperry 52-0
Sept 25 – Beat Cleveland 45-0
Oct 2 – Beat Bristow 28-7
Oct 9 – Beat Catoosa 70-0
Oct 15 – Beat Miami 70-8
Oct 23 – Beat Oologah 48-0
Oct 30 – Beat Grove 59-14
Nov 6 – Beat Skiatook 49-7
1st Round – Bye Week
2nd Round – Beat Sallisaw 56-0
Quarterfinals – Beat Tuttle 21-14
Semifinals – Beat Cushing 40-14
Championship History: 4-3 (8th Appearance)
Head coach Dale Condict has turned this Wagoner program into a complete powerhouse in the last 15 years. Before Wagoner’s appearance in the 2005 championship game, the Bulldogs only had one other title game appearance in it came all the way back in 1945. But starting in 2005, Wagoner has made the playoffs every year and has won at least one game in each playoff appearance. The Bulldogs fell to Clinton in that 2005 championship game. They would also lose in the 2010 title game to Douglass but that was the last time they settled for silver. They would win championships in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Wagoner’s last three championships came while the Bulldogs set the state record with 48 consecutive wins.
Offensive Production: 45.2 PPG (39 PPG In Playoffs)
Wagoner’s offense might be flying under the radar because of how dominant the defensive side of the ball has been. Read about that side below. However, the offense has been one of the best in 4A football, averaging just over 45 points per game and have had some performances where they’ve absolutely lit up scoreboards across the state. They’ve had five games where they’ve scored north of 50 points, including back to back weeks where they scored 70. The Bulldogs have been tough to stop, meanwhile they’ve stopped nearly everyone.
Defensive Production: 5.7 PPG (9.3 PPG In Playoffs)
While Clinton’s defense is good, Wagoner’s defense is great. The Bulldog defensive unit has been one of the best in Oklahoma and not just 4A football. They’ve given up just a little under 6 points per game this season and have had six shutouts this season. However, that defensive average has started to go up in the last two weeks. Granted, the competition has certainly increased and they’ve played better offenses. Overall, Wagoner’s defense will be a huge key to how this game goes on Saturday.