Football Forecast

Week 6: Pivotal Showdowns
We're coming off our best prediction week of the season, hitting on nearly 85 percent to move closer to that magical .800 percent overall. That mark a week ago included a perfect 16-0 in Class 4A. We'll see if our prognosticators can keep it up with several key district showdowns are on tap this week in 6A, 4A and Class B. Definitely some toss ups.
Last Week: 147-26 (.849); Season: 699-193 (.784)

The Big Ten

#9 Southmoore at #6 Lawton (Thursday)
Our Take: (Class 6A) Who's No. 1 in Class 6A (you'll see that question again below)? Lawton can stake its claim. The Wolverines are just one of three unbeaten teams left in the class, but they fall all the way down to No. 6, below four two-loss teams mind you, because of its lack of a quality win this season. Southmoore could be its first. The Sabercats will feature the best offense Lawton has gone up against this season and will test what has been the best scoring defense so far (just 42 points given up all year).
Our Pick: Lawton 29, Southmoore 27

#4 Jenks at #3 Broken Arrow
Our Take: (Class 6A) Who's No. 1 in Class 6A? These two are certainly among the contenders in what's turning out to be possibly the most unpredictable season in years. Right now Jenks has a lot of backers as many, especially in the Tulsa area, feel the Trojans are playing better than anyone right now. While the Trojans may be hitting full stride, the Tigers are getting back to full strength. Devon Thomas returned last week after missing the first four games of the season. Also, Cameron Wrenn is returning from injury after missing two games, giving the Tigers their lethal one-two punch at running back. Any number of things could determine this winner of this one, but it's likely to go back-and-forth. In the end, we'll go with Jenks to avenge last year's loss and win for the ninth time in 10 games.
Our Pick: Jenks 33, Broken Arrow 30

#2 Clinton at #6 Anadarko
Our Take: (Class 4A) The perennial 4A powerhouse (Clinton) takes on the newest southwestern Oklahoma juggernaut (Anadarko) in what should be one of the better matchups of the entire weekend. Clinton has won four straight since an opening 28-14 loss to 5A Lawton MacArthur. The Red Tornadoes are averaging more than 235 yards per game on the ground led by sophomore Marquiz Simpkins and his 714 yards and eight touchdowns. Even without record breaking Sheldon Wilson, Anadarko hasn't seemed to miss a beat while running it's current winning streak to 20. The Warriors have spread the wealth with a trio of backs that average at least 9.5 yards per carry. Junior R.J. Sink keys the charge with 523 yards and 13 touchdowns. The sophomore duo of Brandon Pollard and Traymayne Wauahdooah have combined for 800 yards and eight scores as well. This one will likely determine the District 4A-1 title and we'll give the ever so slight edge to the perennial powers.
Our Pick: Clinton 21, Anadarko 20

#5 Dewar at #2 Wetumka
Our Take: (Class B) Fresh off a pivotal win over Davenport a week ago, Dewar takes aim at the high-flying Chieftains. Early Nero and Blake Johnson combined for 354 yards and five scores on the ground a week ago, sparking the highest scoring offense in Class B with more than 60 points a contest. Wetumka meanwhile has cruised through its schedule, winning every game by at least 32 points including a 64-22 romp over the same Davenport club in Week 3. Senior runningback Derrick Moore is one of the state leaders with 1,091 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 13 yards an attempt in the process. That's not good news for a Dewar defense that got gashed pretty good on the ground a week ago in the 56-42 triumph against Davenport.
Our Pick: Wetumka 48, Dewar 40

#1 Millwood at #6 Oklahoma Christian
Our Take: (Class 2A) While they don't have the star power of past years, Millwood has cruised along just taking care of business week in and week out during a 5-0 start. Outside of an 18-7 Soul Bowl win over Douglass, nobody has stayed within 28 points of the high-flying Falcons, who have shown tremendous offensive balance to go with the third stingiest defense in 2A, trailing only the two teams just behind them in the rankings (Vian and Davis). The offensive versatility was in full force a week ago against Christian Heritage, rushing for 210 yards while quarterback London Potts was completing 17 of 19 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns. We'll get to find out even more about the Falcons this week against an explosive Oklahoma Christian squad that comes in 4-1 with a win over 3A Top 10 Metro Christian and lone loss to 3A Top 10 Jones. Senior quarterback Austin Brooks has thrown for 1,103 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Our Pick: Millwood 34, Oklahoma Christian 21

#3 Pond Creek at #6 Garber
Our Take: (Class B) Garber has been one of the surprise teams through the first half of the season, equaling as many wins as they had recorded in each of the past two seasons. Quarterback Jordan Avants has been a virtual one-man wrecking crew, helping spur an offense that is averaging 52 points an outing. The Wolverines, however, face their stiffest test yet in a Pond Creek squad that has also been putting up massive offensive numbers. Senior Brady Krittenbrink has been the catalyst with 867 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns while averaging more than 12 yards per carry but he has also had plenty of help with Trenton Grimes and Travian Semrad combining for more than 600 yards rushing and eight scores in addition to 471 yards through the air by junior Josh Irvin. Look for plenty of fireworks in this one.
Our Pick: Pond Creek 48, Garber 44

#6 Claremore at #2 Tulsa East Central
Our Take: (Class 5A) On the field, nobody's beaten East Central this season. Off the field, a "clerical error" just cost the Cardinals four wins, including a district win over Tulsa Central. Still, the Cardinals' playoff chances shouldn't be hurt too much, provided they can win out. This is expected to be one of the tougher ones as Claremore enters having given up the fewest points in the district (52). However, the Cardinals have dominated this series of late and now they'll be playing with chips on their shoulders. That spells bad news for Claremore.
Our Pick: Tulsa East Central 35, Claremore 20

#7 Fort Gibson at #10 Poteau
Our Take: (Class 4A) Poteau is back in the rankings this week but draws an immediate tough assignments in the unbeaten Tigers of Fort Gibson. Senior Jake Gandara is one of the top rushers in Class 4A statewide with 688 yards and eight touchdowns with an 8.6 yards per carry average. Even if Poteau focuses on him Fort Gibson also has the luxury of a solid passing attack that tosses in more than 116 an outing. The trip to Poteau shouldn't faze the Tigers much either after notching a 44-20 win in last week's trek to Broken Bow. Poteau must control the ball with it's youthful assortment of backs in order to have a chance at the upset.
Our Pick: Fort Gibson 28, Poteau 21

Carl Albert at #1 Guthrie
Our Take: (Class 5A) Normally this is "the game" in Class 5A. Unfortunately for Carl Albert, it's not even "the game" in District 5A-2. The Titans are suffering through one of their worst starts in years as they're 1-4 overall and 0-2 in district play. They've already taken on district heavyweights Deer Creek and Bishop McGuinness. Neither figures to be as formidable as the defending state champs. Although their last two foes have been the equivalent of off weeks, the Bluejays still have three shutouts this season, have given up more than seven points just once and have been played closer than three touchdowns. Carl Albert's a proud program and likely still a playoff team. Still, the Titans are in over their heads again this week.
Our Pick: Guthrie 38, Carl Albert 10

Lincoln Christian at Hilldale
Our Take: (Class 3A) This is the first of three pivotal matchups that will decide the pecking order in District 3A-7. Seq. Tahlequah will also figure in to the mix and is on the radar of these two teams in the coming weeks. Hilldale has the best scoring defense in the district, having surrendered just 81 points all season. Lincoln Christian, behind the arm of Austin Grauer, has scored the second-most points in the district, 149 for the season. In the end, it appears Hilldale's defense may be a bit better and it's playing at home. That's enough to give it a slight edge.
Our Pick: Hilldale 28, Lincoln Christian 27

Statewide Picks

Class 6A
Thursday
Edmond North 38, Yukon 14
Lawton 29, Southmoore 27
Norman North 67, U.S. Grant 8
Tulsa Edison 24, Muskogee 23
Westmoore 34, Putnam City 30

Friday
Edmond Santa Fe 55, Putnam West 14
Jenks 33, Broken Arrow 30
Lawton Ike 29, Moore 28
Mustang 49, Edmond Memorial 7
Norman 42, Choctaw 14
Owasso 48, Bartlesville 42
Putnam North 29, Midwest City 27
Sand Springs 38, Ponca City 13
Sapulpa 31, Bixby 30
Tulsa Washington 22, Stillwater 21
Union 38, Enid 20

Class 5A
Friday
Collinsville 39, Tulsa Central 7
Coweta 38, Tahlequah 14
Deer Creek 67, Guymon 7
Del City 35, Altus 7
Duncan 21, Ardmore 20
El Reno 22, Northwest Classen 20
Guthrie 38, Carl Albert 10
Lawton Mac 33, Chickasha 18
McAlester 31, Tulsa Hale 13
McGuinness 56, Western Heights 0
Pryor 27, Grove 17
Tulsa East Central 35, Claremore 20
Tulsa Kelley 42, Noble 19
Tulsa Memorial 38, Durant 17
Shawnee 28, Skiatook 14
Southeast 42, Capitol Hill 6

Class 4A
Thursday
Vinita 34, Tulsa Webster 6

Friday
Ada 62, Santa Fe South 0
Broken Bow 36, Stilwell 7
Cascia Hall 52, Muldrow 0
Catoosa 27, Tulsa McLain 22
Cleveland 24, Oologah 20
Clinton 21, Anadarko 20
Douglass 31, Glenpool 13
Elgin 21, Woodward 14
Fort Gibson 28, Poteau 21
Harrah 45, Mannford 16
McLoud 35, Tecumseh 19
Piedmont 33, Elk City 14
Sallisaw 58, Tulsa Rogers 12
Wagoner 56, Miami 3
Weatherford 37, Cache 12

Class 3A
Friday
Beggs 30, Inola 13
Berryhill 42, Sperry 7
Blanchard 35, Marlow 14
Bristow 27, Chandler 17
Checotah 31, Heavener 19
Cushing 22, Henryetta 21
Heritage Hall 31, Newcastle 10
Hilldale 28, Lincoln Christian 27
Jones 32, Mount St. Mary 19
Kingfisher 48, John Marshall 6
Locust Grove 22, Jay 21
Madill 38, Dickson 20
Metro Christian 42, Dewey 14
Morris 34, Kellyville 13
OK Centennial 24, Little Axe 18
Pauls Valley 31, Lone Grove 28
Perkins-Tryon 34, Prague 12
Purcell 23, Plainview 21
Seminole 48, Bethany 18
Seq. Claremore 49, Blackwell 8
Seq Tahlequah 49, Westville 7
Spiro 23, Eufaula 20
Star Spencer 30, Bethel 20
Stigler 30, Roland 22
Sulphur 27, Atoka 13
Tuttle 38, Bridge Creek 7
Valliant 21, Idabel 13
Verdigris 48, Tulsa NOAH 14
Vian 39, Keys 13
Victory Christian 44, Okmulgee 7

Class 2A
Friday
Adair 49, Chouteau 7
Alva 44, Pawnee 8
Caney Valley 48, Depew 7
Chisholm 19, Crooked Oak 17
Coalgate 43, Konawa 12
Colcord 27, Quapaw 19
Commerce 42, Hulbert 7
Davis 55, Marietta 0
Dibble 33, Christian Heritage 14
Frederick 65, Mangum 18
Hartshorne 27, Hugo 20
Haskell 34, Tishomingo 7
Hennessey 35, Perry 12
Hinton 33, Washington 15
Hobart 33, Riverside 8
Kansas 42, Ketchum 8
Lexington 29, Kingston 19
Lindsay 35, Comanche 27
Luther 29, Northeast 9
Millwood 34, Oklahoma Christian 21
Mounds 24, Wellston 12
Newkirk 28, Tonkawa 18
Nowata 38, Pawhuska 8
Okemah 48, Holdenville 14
Oklahoma Union 29, Chelsea 13
Panama 27, Antlers 13
Salina 23, Wyandotte 20
Stroud 39, Meeker 14
Wilburton 24, Pocola 23

Class A
Thursday
Snyder 20, Cordell 13

Friday
Afton 28, Liberty 23
Apache 45, Burns Flat 8
Barnsdall 21, Drumright 20
Carnegie 20, Crossings Christian 18
Cashion 60, Maysville 0
Crescent 48, Minco 14
Empire 33, Healdton 13
Fairland 33, Foyil 6
Fairview 56, Hooker 13
Gore 42, Quinton 12
Kiefer 32, Hominy 8
Mooreland 42, Beaver 10
Morrison 35, Yale 14
Okeene 55, Turpin 6
Ringling 57, Wilson 0
Rush Springs 49, Walters 0
Savanna 44, Canadian 12
Summit Christian 47, Porter 13
Talihina 20, Central Sallisaw 14
Texhoma 52, Oklahoma Bible 7
Thomas 48, Sayre 7
Velma-Alma 46, Bray-Doyle 6
Warner 54, Haileyville 0
Watonga 52, Pioneer 12
Wayne 33, Stratford 12
Wewoka 39, Caddo 13
Wynnewood 51, Elmore City 6

Class B
Friday
Alex 56, Allen 6
Cave Springs 38, Strother 16
Central Marlow 60, Geary 14
Covington-Douglas 58, Medford 12
Coyle 38, Agra 36
Cyril 46, OCA 20
Davenport 64, Bowlegs 14
Fox 56, Paoli 18
Keota 66, Porum 18
Laverne 54, Waukomis 6
Merritt 56, Seiling 28
Pond Creek-Hunter 48, Garber 44
Rejoice Christian 56, Watts 0
Ringwood 34, Canton 30
South Coffeyville 60, Riverfield 12
Waurika 52, Macomb 6
Welch 46, Copan 0
Weleetka 36, Gans 30
Wetumka 48, Dewar 40
Woodland 48, Oaks 0

Class C
Thursday
Maud 60, Dewar JV 12
Timberlake 32, Carney 30

Friday
Arkoma 36, Midway 32
Balko 42, Shattuck 18
Bluejacket 68, Prue 20
Bokoshe 14, Eagle Point 12
Buffalo 52, Goodwell 0
Cherokee 46, Claremore Christian 0
Corn Bible 56, Gracemont 0
DC-Lamont 62, Wesleyan Christian 14
Forgan 50, Boise City 0
Mountain View-Gotebo 34, Cement 30
Ryan 54, Duke 0
Sharon-Mutual 60, Waynoka 12
Temple 32, Sasakwa 26
Thackerville 42, Southwest Covenant 24
Tipton 48, Grandfield 0
Tyrone 38, Kremlin-Hillsdale 34

article updated on 10/4/12 06:21