Oklahoma 5A State Final Preview

Your guide to the Oklahoma Class 5A State Championship: highlights and feature stories on Booker T. Washington and Carl Albert.

Thursday, December 4th 2008, 2:13 pm

By: News On 6


By Kyle Dierking, NewsOn6.com

6A      4A      3A

UNDATED -- Remember when? Do you remember the last time the Hornets won state?

"Getting the state championship back at Booker T. would be...," said Melvin Gilliam. "I mean I don't know if the kids realize how huge it is."

Melvin Gilliam remembers. Twenty four years ago he quarterbacked Booker T. Washington to the gold ball. Since then, the Hornets have lost in six state title games.

"There are a lot of guys out there who didn't get one," Gilliam said. "I had two brothers play here that didn't get one. R.W. McQuarters didn't get one. Robert Meachem didn't get one."

Now the 2008 BTW team has a chance to get one. Gilliam's in his first season as an assistant coach. The Hornets are looking to its past by popping in a tape of the '84 teams triumph.

"Watch the effort of the Booker T. Hornets of '08. See if they took a play off. See when adversity comes how they respond. Understand things aren't going to go exactly the way you want them. How do you respond when things don't go the way you want them," Gilliam said. "Look at this film and see some of those things."

What they might realize is two teams, more than two decades a part could become mirror images of each other.

"What are you? You are us. What we did, you guys have a chance to do," Gilliam said.

5A FACTS

  • WHO: Carl Albert (12-1) vs. Booker T. Washington (12-1)
  • WHEN: Saturday, December 6 at 1:30 p.m.
  • WHERE: Charles Page High School in Sand Springs
  • LAST MEETING: Sept. 5 (BTW won 40-7)

PROSPECT WATCH (according to Rivals.com)

BTW

  • TE Terry Smith Jr. (Offer from Oregon State)
  • OL Keenan Taylor (Committed to Kansas State)
  • LB Michael Doctor (Committed to Oregon State)
  • DB Justin Skillens (Committed to Tulsa)
  • DL Calvin Barnett (Interest from Arkansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa)
  • ATH Eric Bennett (Interest from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Oregon State)

Carl Albert

  • RB David Oku (Committed to Tennessee)
  • DL Christian Smith (Interest from Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Miami and five other Big 12 schools)
  • DB Daytwion Lowe (Committed to Oklahoma State)
  • DB Tre'Vante Porter (Interest from Clemson, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma)



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