SBLive Oklahoma Top 25 football rankings: With huge win over Rejoice Christian, Beggs re-enters rankings
By Christian Potts
Photo of Beggs' Red Martel from Red Martel's Twitter page
Red Martel called it.
Following Beggs' 70-16 defeat in September against Rejoice Christian, Martel posted on his social media, "We (gonna) see 'em again."
Nine weeks later, on the same field but with significantly bigger stakes, Martel and his Beggs teammates did see Rejoice again.
And they delivered.
Martel put up more than 400 total yards and the Demons took down Rejoice Christian, 48-28, eliminating the Eagles from the Class 2A playoffs.
The win shakes up this week's SBLive Oklahoma Top 25, as Rejoice, which has been in the rankings all season, suddenly finds its season over.
Beggs actually was part of the SBLive Oklahoma preseason Top 25 and in fact started as the highest-ranked of any Class 2A squad. But the Demons dropped out after losses to Rejoice and Verdigris, followed by a 5-2 campaign in District 2A-7 that left the Demons with a 6-4 record and as just the district's fourth-place finisher.
But that earned Beggs a rematch with Rejoice, and they came out firing and ultra-aggressive. Beggs recovered four onside kicks and then Martel, who earlier this month became one of the first juniors to commit to the University of Kansas' recruiting class, did the rest.
Martel carried the ball a whopping 43 times for 359 yards and had four touchdown runs. He added a fifth touchdown on his only catch, a 55-yard pass from Knox Dyson.
Now their squad is back in the rankings, and more importantly, still part of the playoffs.
Martel's postgame message? "Like I said. Still work to do!"
Enough said, and "work to do" fits for all of the 96 squads still playing this week.
Here's how this week's SBLiveOklahoma Top 25 shakes out heading into week two of the postseason.
1. Tulsa Union (10-0, Class 6AI)
The Redhawks start their postseason run this week with a familiar foe. Broken Arrow rolled behind the passing of quarterback Owen Jones and two defensive touchdowns and blitzed Norman, 47-20, in the opening round.
It's a rematch of a September meeting the Redhawks won, 28-7. While that doesn't sound too close, the 28 points scored were Union's fewest in a game this season.
2. Jenks (9-2, Class 6AI)
The Trojans opened the playoffs by crushing Edmond North, 68-14, behind touchdowns from nine different players. Jenks showed no letdown from their regular season finale, a 38-35 win at Bixby that ended the Spartans' 58-game winning streak.
Jenks now goes on the road for a quarterfinal test at Mustang. The Broncos fell to Jenks, 17-10, in last year's semifinal round. Their other two previous meetings also came in playoff games and Jenks prevailed in each (although a 2008 win later was overturned on a forfeit).
3. Bixby (9-1, Class 6AI)
The Spartans spent the off week licking their wounds from that final loss to Jenks and reloading to hopefully start a new winning streak.
Their first opponent is familiar. Enid, the fifth place finisher in District 6AI-2, went on the road to defeat Edmond Memorial, 32-27, behind a massive game from Luke Rauh. The senior rushed for 262 yards and four touchdowns, and now has 1,870 yards on the ground this season.
4. Coweta (11-0, Class 5A)
The Tigers opened up the 5A playoffs by cruising past Claremore, 53-14, led by Mason Ford, who rushed for two scores and caught one of the two touchdown tosses by Na'Kylan Starks.
The competition picks up in a big way this week for Coweta, as OKC Bishop McGuinness makes the trip to town for the quarterfinals. These teams' first two meetings have just come in the last two years - Coweta opened last season with a 35-28 victory, and McGuinness defeated Coweta, 39-12, in this quarterfinal round in 2020.
5. Stillwater (10-0, Class 6AII)
Stillwater's recent playoff history has involved too many bad memories against Bixby.
The Spartans eliminated Stillwater four of the previous five years, including the 2018 and 2019 championship games. But now Bixby is up in 6AI, and Stillwater was the only unbeaten squad in the regular season in 6AII.
The Pioneers' playoff run in 2022 begins against District 6AII-1 rival Bartlesville, which won one of the more exciting games in the state in round one, taking down Lawton, 36-30, in overtime.
6. Cushing (11-0, Class 4A)
The Tigers opened against a Broken Bow squad with an impressive resume, but Cushing gave them the same result each of their other 10 opponents have felt - a decisive defeat, 48-0. And the lethal combination of Blaze Berlowitz and Camden Crooks had another huge night for Cushing, with Crooks catching four of the six touchdown tosses by Berlowitz.
In the second round, Cushing is back at home for a visit from Blanchard, which survived a tussle with Weatherford in the first round, prevailing 14-12.
7. Choctaw (9-1, Class 6AII)
The Yellowjackets finished the regular season with nine consecutive victories and wrapped up their first district championship since the beginning of Class 6AII, as well as a week off to heal up and get ready for three big weeks to try to claim their second state championship.
In round two, Choctaw hosts Sand Springs. The Sandites were pushed by Putnam City before breaking a 21-21 tie in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Jonathan Daniels and a 10-yard touchdown by Randy Rutledge, going on to a 31-21 victory.
8. OKC Bishop McGuinness (9-1, Class 5A)
The Irish opened the postseason with a 46-24 victory against visiting El Reno, helping District 5A-2 go a perfect 4-0 in first-round contests against the 5A-1 qualifiers.
Now, it's showdown time in one of the state's premier matchups in the second week of the postseason. McGuinness travels to Coweta to take on a Tiger squad that is perfect in their 11 games.
9. Lincoln Christian (10-1, Class 3A)
The Bulldogs steamrolled Bristow, 68-19, behind eight first-half touchdowns, six of them coming on scoring passes by Luke Milligan, who threw for 358 yards in just a half of work.
In the second round, Lincoln is back at home to face traditional power Kingfisher. The Yellowjackets are 8-3 after a third-place district effort, but they went on the road to defeat Lone Grove, 28-27, stopping a late two-point conversion try by the Longhorns.
10. Grove (11-0, Class 5A)
The Ridgerunners scored early and often and beat up on Sapulpa, 70-21. Once again, it was a showcase for running back Emmanuel Crawford, who ripped the Chieftains for 294 yards and six touchdowns on 27 carries.
Grove is home again this Friday to face Guthrie, which put on a show defensively in a 17-0 shutout victory at Elgin.
11. Edmond Deer Creek (9-1, Class 6AII)
The Antlers had the week off to get closer to full strength and work on finding the recipe of 2021, when they won their first two playoff contests to reach the 6AII championship game.
They'll host a quarterfinal Friday against Tulsa Booker T. Washington. The Hornets have been rolling, extending a three-game winning streak and a run of five of six wins with a 47-7 beatdown of Putnam City North in the first round.
12. Mustang (8-2, Class 6AI)
The good news: Mustang earned the first-round bye with a strong regular season, giving the Broncos a chance to heal up and a few more days to game-plan for the quarterfinal round, which they'll also get to play on their home field.
The bad news: The bracket brings red-hot Jenks to town for that game. The Trojans have won five games in a row, including snapping Bixby's historic 58-game win streak on Nov. 3.
13. Del City (9-2, Class 5A)
The Eagles played in one of a handful of first-round games that had a snow-covered field due to a brief winter storm. For a while, it slowed the offenses of both the Eagles and visiting Tulsa Bishop Kelley, but ultimately Del City turned it on with four fourth-quarter touchdowns, leading to a 41-14 victory.
This week brings a massive crosstown rivalry in the quarterfinals, as Del City visits Midwest City Carl Albert in a matchup of schools, communities, coaches and players who all know each other well.
14. MWC Carl Albert (9-2, Class 5A)
Speaking of the Titans, they scored their eighth consecutive victory by racing out to a 33-0 lead by halftime and eventually taking down Lawton MacArthur, 45-7, in Friday's first round.
Now it's rivalry week. Del City defeated Carl Albert, 52-20, in the regular season in 2021, snapping a seven-game Titan winning streak that had dated back decades.
The teams last met in a playoff game in 2013, when Carl Albert scored a 34-12 win in the first round of the 5A playoffs.
15. Muskogee (9-1, Class 6AII)
Like Bixby in Class 6AI, the Roughers are trying to bounce back from their first loss of the season in their final game, a 38-21 defeat to Stillwater in a de facto championship game for District 6AII-1.
They'll open the playoffs at home, facing a Ponca City squad coming off a 35-7 victory against Tahlequah. The Wildcats are greatly improved, particularly defensively, under head coach and former Oklahoma State and Hominy star Scott Harmon.
16. McAlester (9-2, Class 5A)
Defense showed the way for the Buffaloes in a 27-14 victory at Collinsville in the first round. Chaz Bradley returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown to put it away in the closing seconds as Collinsville was throwing to the end zone for a potential game-winning score.
The Buffaloes next face Piedmont, which took advantage of the Oklahoma City-area snowfall. It played perfectly into the hands of the Wildcats' run-oriented triple option offense, as the Wildcats rushed for 550 yards and knocked off 5A-1 district champion Midwest City, 60-41.
17. Washington (11-0, Class 2A)
The Warriors were already the favorite of many people, but with Rejoice falling to Beggs, that favorite title maybe falls even more squarely on Washington. In the first round, they found little resistance from Atoka in a 54-7 triumph.
In round two this week, a 9-2 Oklahoma Christian School comes to Washington after scoring a 24-12 victory against Luther in the opening round.
18. Norman North (8-2, Class 6AI)
The Timberwolves' season has big highlights (wins against powers Jenks and Broken Arrow) and a strange early-season defeat to Yukon (the Millers' only win of the season). But it added up to a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye after North finished in a three-way tie for the District 6AI-1 championship with Bixby and Jenks.
Norman North will host a quarterfinal game Friday, facing another Tulsa-area powerhouse in Owasso. The Rams have controlled the series, winning seven of nine meetings, including each of the last five.
19. Owasso (7-4, Class 6AI)
Owasso advanced into the second round and that date with Norman North via a 41-7 victory on Friday against Westmoore.
It was about as complete a game as the Rams have played, with the Owasso defense holding the Jaguars to just 44 total yards and scoring a touchdown, while quarterback Mason Willingham threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth.
As stated above, Owasso has positive history against Norman North, and the Rams have advanced to at least the 6AI semifinals four of the past five years, including championship runs in 2017 and 2019.
20. Tulsa Metro Christian (11-0, Class 3A)
The Patriots are still perfect after sailing past visiting Pauls Valley, 41-14, in a first-round contest last week. Senior Kirk Francis threw four touchdown passes and also ran for a score to lead the way.
This week gets tougher and brings a local rival in Tulsa Cascia Hall, a team that Metro never has beaten in seven tries. The Commandos rolled past Muldrow, 40-6, in the first round.
21. OKC Heritage Hall (10-1, Class 3A)
The Chargers were a Class 3A semifinalist last year, and they started this year's run impressively, racing past Anadarko, 42-14, in a first-round contest.
They're back home this week, with Stigler making the long drive from eastern Oklahoma after its 34-27 victory that eliminated defending 3A state champion Tulsa Holland Hall.
22. Gore (11-0, Class A)
The Pirates have beaten up on all foes this year and continued that in the first round, winning 63-6 against Fairland.
Business is about to pick up in round two, with Woodland visiting. It's a second straight road contest for the Cougars, who dominated Hartshorne, 42-6, last week. They came out of the tough District A-5, which includes Hominy and Tonkawa squads seeking to make big runs.
23. Verdigris (10-1, Class 3A)
The Cardinals put on a strong defensive performance in their opening effort, a 28-0 victory against Berryhill that avenged a defeat against the Chiefs in the 2021 season.
This week brings a tough home test for the District 3A-4 champion Cardinals, as Perkins-Tryon comes to town fresh off a dominating 49-0 triumph against Marlow, the defending Class 2A state champion.
24. Beggs (7-4, Class 2A)
The Demons return to the rankings after posting their huge first-round win against Rejoice Christian. Now their attention turns to Idabel, which looked good in its playoff opener last week, defeating Warner, 42-7.
Beggs and Idabel have only met once, with the Demons rolling to a 43-7 victory during the first round of the Class 3A playoffs in 2011.
25. Ringling (11-0, Class A)
The Blue Devils faced an unusual scenario in round one, facing the Cashion team they lost to in last year's state championship game. And Ringling ended the Wildcats' reign, scoring a 36-12 victory.
This week, Ringling is back at home again for a tussle with a greatly improved Walters squad, who shut out Burns Flat-Dill City, 33-0, last week for its 10th win of the season.
