Oklahoma Pigskin Blog

Clarence Madden has resigned as head coach of the Lawton Wolverines. It's possible that he will stay on staff as an assistant coach. There's also a possibility that a new head coach could be in place early this week. Offensive coordinator Boone Copeland, a former head coach at Western Heights is a candidate for the position.

Keep this name in mind. David Oku (5-10, 175) at Carl Albert. Oku has some serious speed and juke-ability. He'll have 1,000 yards before it starts to get chilly.

Attended summer passing league tonight in Edmond. Santa Fe and Westmoore have a million players out for football. It's easy to see why those programs are so successful. Perhaps the best looking athlete of the night was wearing a Guthrie Blue Jays uniform. Quarterback Kye Staley is big enough to be a fullback. He's throwing the ball much better this summer and won't be easy to tackle. Guthrie and Shawnee open the season in Guthrie on Thursday, August 31st. That could easily be a semifinal matchup later on.

The Redskins carry the burden of owning the state's longest losing streak into 2006: 42-straight setbacks since beating Noble 21-20 in 2001. I say that streak ends sometime this fall. Capitol Hill will celebrate the taste of a win at least once. It's best chances both come at C.B. Speegle stadium against US Grant and Northwest.

Harrah carries a 15-game losing streak into the upcoming season. The Panthers are young but a year older, stronger and wiser. They open the season with back-to-back home games against McLoud and Western Heights. Over what team did Harrah last taste the thrill of victory you ask? None other than Western Heights 27-21 in 2004, the last time the two teams met in Harrah.

Norman North could be a big surprise in Class 6A this year. And keep this name in mind; Beau Blankenship. He impressed a lot of people during some day camp stops this summer around the area. One Division-I college coach told me he's already as fast as most of the players on his current roster. North coach Lance Manning says he's as strong of a player as the Timberwolves have. Combine those facts and you can see why he could post some impressive rushing statistics this year. Manning lists his sophomore at 5-8 and 200 pounds. He can get out of bed and run a 4.5.

Jets coach Mark Ryan senses his program is on the rise. The school district has pumped $120,ooo in funds for a new weight room and equipment. Ryan has a major special teams weapon in punter/kicker Brandon Tees. Also a soccer standout for the Jets, Tees is able to kick the ball into the endzone with either leg. That's right. When Tees suffered a sprained right knee during a soccer match last fall, he told Ryan it was no big deal and promptly proved it by kicking the pigskin into the endzone with his left leg. He is drawing attention from Division-I schools.

Edmond Santa Fe has finally found an opponent to open the season. Coach Dan Cocannouer will load his team on the bus and travel south to Louisiana to face Bastrop, the defending Class 4A state champions. Bastrop is located about 20 miles north of Monroe. The game will be played on September 1st. The Rams finished 14-0 last year and defeated Beaux Bridge HS 41-12 in the title game played at Shreveport's Independence Stadium.

Moore junior Jared Jackson has enjoyed an extremely successful off-season. Lions coach Bill Bays had high praise for Jackson's effort at a recent seven-on-seven workout at Putnam City. "He's tough," said Bays, "He would hit his own mother if he had to." Jackson could get some carries on offense in a tailback rotation with Devin Johnson and Shantell Mackey. All three players are very valuable cogs to the Lions defense. Mackey is one of the top returning tacklers in Class 6A. Moore hosts Putnam City next Thursday the 13th at 7:30 in another seven-on-seven passing league game.

The McAlester Buffaloes grabbed a native Oklahoman from south of the border as their new head football coach. Bryan Pratt is no stranger to football in Little Dixie. And he's no stranger to winning titles. According to the McAlseter News, Pratt played on a state championship team in high school at Broken Bow and was then a part of a national championship team at East Central in Ada. Most recently, he's been on David Fisher's staff at South Grand Prairie, a suburb between Dallas and Arlington. He's also served stints as an assistant in Muskogee and Owasso. He replaces Scott Harmon who resigned in June after spending just one year with the Buffaloes.

As we thought, Bristow has tabbed its' new head coach from a nearby school. Kyle Fry leaves Perry to succeed Chris McMullen as the Purple Pirates head coach. Fry served as an assistant under Mike Wayland at Cushing before going to Perry before the 2005 season. He'll get a chance to reunite with his old friend Wayland when Cushing and Bristow meet the first week of the season.

As we thought, Bristow has tabbed its' new head coach from a nearby school. Kyle Fry leaves Perry to succeed Chris McMullen as the Purple Pirates head coach. Fry served as an assistant under Mike Wayland at Cushing before going to Perry before the 2005 season. He'll get a chance to reunite with his old friend Wayland when Cushing and Bristow meet the first week of the season.