Top 25 Oklahoma high school football rankings (9/14/2023)

Midwest City Carl Albert surges to No. 2; five new teams enter this week's list

Mike Moguin | Sep 14, 2023

With Midwest City Carl Albert and Jenks coming out with wins in highlighted games in Week 2, they move up one spot to No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the SBLive Oklahoma Top 25 football rankings for Week 3.

The Titans rolled over Muskogee, 43-20, while Jenks beat Tulsa Union, 31-24, in the annual Backyard Bowl rivalry game. As a result of the losses, Union slipped two spots to No. 4 and Muskogee dropped to No. 9 from seventh last week.

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Bixby remains on top after another blowout win. Stillwater, the Class 6AII state champion of 2022, dropped from ninth to out of the rankings after falling to 0-2, due to a 37-34 overtime loss to Yukon.

Exiting the rankings after defeats are Cushing, McAlester, Oklahoma City Bishop McGuinness and Tulsa Metro Christian. Tuttle, Gore, Ada, Ringling and Claremore enter the rankings for the first time in 2023.

1. Bixby (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Sand Springs, 61-7

Ranking Last Week: No. 1

It was another week of domination by the top-ranked Spartans as they dominated Sand Springs.

Carson Kirby threw for three touchdowns and Clay Peters ran for two in Bixby’s 1-2 quarterback system. Kordell Gouldsby also scored three TDs, including one on a 65-yard punt return and a 33-yard run. The other came on an 11-yard pass reception from Kirby. Defensive back Tyler Wright cashed in on a pair of pick-sixes in the second half.

Bixby led 41-0 at halftime and 54-0 through the end of three quarters. It gets to enjoy a bye this week before returning to action next week.

Next game: vs. Norman North (2-0), Sept. 22

2. Midwest City Carl Albert (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Muskogee, 43-20

Ranking Last Week: No. 3

The 5A state champion Titans move up two spots to No. 2 after coming out on top in a battle of No. 1 teams last week.

The Roughers were ranked at the top by many media sources as the top Class 6AII team by the state. But CA proved too much as Kevin Sperry, Xavier Robinson and Trystan Haynes had big nights of offensive production.

Sperry threw for 399 yards and three TDs on 15-of-19 passing, including two to Haynes, who has Division I offers from OU, OSU, Alabama, Kansas State, TCU and Iowa State. Robinson scored two TDs on short runs of 5 yards each. The Titans were also able to get some revenge since Muskogee beat them last year at CA and have not lost since. They have now won 13 straight games since.

Next Game: at Elk City (2-1), Friday

3. Jenks (1-2)

Previous Game: Beat Tulsa Union, 31-24

Ranking Last Week: No. 4

Hungry after coming up short in their first two games, the Trojans picked up their first win of the season against their arch-rival Union in the annual Backyard Bowl. Jenks stormed out to a 28-0 lead in the first half of the 70th meeting of this rivalry game before Union began a comeback attempt in the second quarter.

Hudson Ball got the first Trojan TD on a 1-yard run. Kaydin Jones and Owen Jones each threw TD passes of 16 and 13, respectively, to Ayden Christiansen and Corey Foreman. Semaj Stanford also ran back an interception 40 yards for a score. Jenks clinched it when it drew a Union lineman offsides with fourth-and-4 at the Redhawks’ 39-yard line with 43 seconds left in the game.

The Trojans move up one spot to No. 3 after holding off the Redhawks’ comeback attempt. It comes a week after Jenks came up short in a rally of its own in a loss to Owasso. The Trojans rest with an off week before returning to action on the road.

Next Game: at Enid (1-1), Sept. 22

4. Tulsa Union (2-1)

Previous Game: Lost at Jenks, 31-24

Ranking Last Week: No. 2

Things did not go the Redhawks’ way as QB Shaker Reisig, RB Jordan Schelling and other former Trojans returned to Jenks for the first time since leaving for the arch-rival. Union found itself in a 28-0 hole before making a comeback in which it came up short.

The Redhawks got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with a 64-yard TD run by Schelling, and the Redhawks were down 28-7 at halftime. Reisig threw a TD pass of 4 yards to Brendon McQueen and Davion Pickens took an interception back for a score from 22 yards, making it 28-21 in the third quarter. Schelling ran for 156 yards on 21 carries, while Reisig threw 166 yards on 15-of-17 attempts.

As a result of the loss, the Redhawks slip down two spots to No. 4. They have a big one coming up in their district 6AI-2 opener against nearby foe Owasso after having this week off.

Next Game: vs. Owasso (2-1), Sept. 22

5. Wagoner (2-0)

Previous Game: Beat Tahlequah, 34-13

Ranking Last Week: No. 5

The Bulldogs were engaged in an early tie with Tahlequah, but eventually broke away to a 21-point victory. A key game awaits this week as they welcome Grove, a 2022 Class 5A semifinalist.

Next Game: vs. Grove (2-0), Friday

6. Washington (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Jones, 34-8

Ranking Last Week: No. 6

Hudson Howard scored five TDs while running for 21 carries for 141 yards. The Warriors also made four interceptions in this game. They get a breather this week.

Next Game: at Frederick (2-1), Sept. 22

7. OKC Heritage Hall (2-0)

Previous Game: Beat Clinton, 50-43

Ranking Last Week: No. 9

Andy Bass and the Chargers came out on top against Clinton in a high-scoring battle. They jump up three spots as a result.

Next Game: at OKC John Marshall (0-2), Friday

8. Choctaw (1-1)

Previous Game: Beat Westmoore, 29-10

Ranking Last Week: No. 8

The Yellowjackets returned to action for the first time since a deadly shooting cut their game short in Week Zero with a 19-point win against the Jaguars.

Next game: at Putnam City North (2-1 overall, 1-0 in District 6AII-2), Sept. 22

9. Muskogee (2-1)

Previous Game: Lost to MWC Carl Albert, 43-20

Ranking Last Week: No. 7

The Roughers finished on the short end of the score against Carl Albert in a battle of No. 1 teams. Israel Martin scored two TDs and Jamarain Ficklin threw another to Kayden McGee. Muskogee gets this week to recover before opening District 6AII-2 play next week.

Next Game: vs. Sand Springs (2-1), Sept. 22

10. Guthrie (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Duncan, 65-0

Ranking Last Week: 11

The Blue Jays move up one spot and into the Top 10 after making it two weeks in a row of scoring 60 or more points and three straight weeks of the defense pitching a shutout. They will have a big challenge this week when they host Class 4A Tuttle, a longtime powerhouse, who is unbeaten. But Guthrie has the advantage of playing at home.

In their win against Duncan, the Blue Jays’ defense forced Duncan to turn the ball over on three fumbles and three interceptions. Senior running back Jaylen Harper ran for 114 yards on 14 carries with two TDs, and caught another score receiving. Guthrie led, 44-0, at halftime.

Next Game: vs. Tuttle (2-0), Friday

11. Poteau (2-0)

Previous Game: Won at Tulsa Metro Christian, 24-7

Ranking Last Week: 12

The Pirates led 14-0 at halftime against the 2022 Class 3A runner-up. Sophomore quarterback Sam Tecla connected with tight end Adrian Conchos for 39 yards, then Tulsa commit Dax Collins busted loose for a 56-yard run to the end zone, which accounted for the points.

Metro Christian scored in the third quarter on a screen pass to cut the gap, but Poteau added the final 10 points in the last quarter.

Next Game: vs. Chandler (2-0), Friday

12. Tulsa Lincoln Christian (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Vian, 55-11

Ranking Last Week: 13

The Bulldogs had no problem dispensing with the Wolverines, scoring 55 points. They will meet Shiloh Christian, out of Springdale, Ark., at home this week. whom the Bulldogs lost to on the road last year. It was their first regular season loss since 2018.

The Saints are coached by Tucker Barnard, who led Stillwater to the Class 6AII championship last year. He left the Pioneers in July to coach at Shiloh.

Next Game: vs. Shiloh Christian (Ark.) (3-0), Friday

13. Collinsville (2-0)

Previous Game: Beat Skiatook, 68-7

Ranking Last Week: 14

Another blowout was inflicted by the Cardinals as they surged to a 34-0 lead through the first quarter and 55-0 by halftime against Highway 20 rival Skiatook.

Hudson Henslick scored three TDs, two on pass receptions of 27 and 9 yards, and a pick-six of 37 yards. Quarterback Skyler Moorman threw three TDs, and running backs Jack Keith and Scott Riby each posted two.

Next Game: vs. Bartlesville (0-2), Friday

14. Owasso (2-1)

Previous Game: Beat Broken Arrow, 41-21

Ranking Last Week: 15

The Rams dominated the Tigers in the Patriot Bowl and surged to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter and were ahead 38-7 at halftime. After having to hold off a Jenks rally last week, Owasso would not let Broken Arrow repeat a similar feat.

Knox Dyson threw three TDs and 219 yards on 11-of-15 passes and the Rams’ defense only allowed 193 yards. They get a break this week before taking to the road for a big game in their District 6AII-2 opener against Union.

Next Game: at Tulsa Union (2-1), Sept. 22

15. Oklahoma City Millwood (1-1)

Previous Game: Beat OKC Douglass, 81-0, Saturday

Ranking Last Week: No. 16

One week after falling to OKC Heritage Hall in their opener, the Falcons came back and ran roughshod over Douglass, 81-0, in the Soul Bowl.

C.J. Turnbull threw for six TDs and 325 yards on 11-of-18 attempts. OU commit Jaden Nickens caught TD passes for 53, 38 and 70 yards. It was also the 100th career win for Millwood coach Darwin Franklin.

Next Game: at Scott City (Kansas) (2-0), Friday

16. Norman North (2-0)

Previous Game: Beat Edmond Santa Fe, 31-28

Ranking Last Week: 17

Mason James scored a game-tying TD and Reece Crandall hit a 27-yard go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter, capping a comeback victory for Norman North against Edmond Santa Fe.

Next Game: vs. Yukon (1-1), Friday

17. Mustang (2-0)

Previous Game: Beat Edmond Deer Creek, 26-23

Ranking Last Week: 18

Quarterback Trajan Willaimson scored a go-ahead TD on a 3-yard keeper with under two minutes left to lift the Broncos to victory against the Antlers.

Next Game: at Springdale (Ark.) Har-Ber (0-2), Friday

18. Fairview (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Alva, 41-21

Ranking Last Week: 19

After being engaged in a back-and-forth battle for three quarters with the Goldbugs, the Yellowjackets scored three TDs while its defense prevented their worn-down foe from scoring more points, breaking away for the 20-point win.

Next Game: at Hooker (1-1), Sept. 22

19. Hominy (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Pawhuska, 38-16

Ranking Last Week: 20

In a game known as “The Battle of the Osage,” Hominy trailed for the first time this season when it fell behind Pawhuska, 8-0. It would then score before halftime on a wheel route from Jaxon Woods to Bryon Marshall.

The Bucks would then reel off 26 more points over the next 10 minutes before the Huskies struck again. Woods finished with 3 TDs passing with 179 yards on 6-of-12 passes. He also ran 91 yards on 21 carries, including a 48-yard TD run on the first play of the third quarter. Hominy gets time off this week before opening district play in District A-5.

Next Game: vs. Pawnee, (2-0), Sept. 22

20. Del City (3-0)

Previous Game: Beat Midwest City, 53-14, Thursday

Ranking Last Week: 21

OSU commit Rodney Fields rushed for 200 yards on 13 carries and scored two TDs in Eagles’ rout of the Bombers, their Mid-Del rival.

Next Game: vs. Tulsa East Central (1-1), Sept. 22