District 5A-3 Football Preview

<h4>District 5A-3</h4> District Prediction 1. Ada 2. McAlester 3. Tulsa East Central 4. Shawnee 5. John Marshall 6. Catoosa 7. Tulsa Edison 8.

Monday, August 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

District 5A-3

District Prediction

1. Ada
2. McAlester
3. Tulsa East Central
4. Shawnee
5. John Marshall
6. Catoosa
7. Tulsa Edison
8. Tulsa Central

Six Players to Watch

1. Seymore Shaw- Shawnee- Running Back- Generally regarded as the top college prospect in the state. Showed up about 15 pounds heavier than last year and just as fast.
2. Michael Watkins- McAlester- Tight End- 6â€™3â€ 230 lbs. Great hands and good speed. Buffaloes coach John Homer is excited about his play at LB. He may end up there in college.
3. David Bowie- Tulsa East Central- Quarterback- Combined for nearly 2,000 rush/pass yards in 1999. Booker T. Washington coach Antwain Jimmerson called him â€œamazingâ€ after All-city finals. Tremendous size, 6â€™3â€ 205 lbs., for a fast QB.
4. Chuckie Caufield- Ada- Quarterback- This junior should have all the fanfare of a top recruit in 2001. For now, heâ€™s simply a terrific option QB.
5. Matt Mangrum- Tulsa East Central- Linebacker- 6â€™1â€ 220 lbs. Strong and athletic with a bit of a mean-streak. Posted 12 sacks in 1999. Should play weakside defensive end this year.
6. Myron Cooper- John Marshall- Wide Receiver- 6â€™3â€ 185 lbs. A little thin, but runs fast enough that he rarely takes a big hit. Twenty pounds would make him a prized college pass-catcher. Canâ€™t be double-teamed because he has a compliment in Patrick Warhop on the other side.

Six â€œCanâ€™t Missâ€ Games

1. September 29th- McAlester at Ada- Even if this game didnâ€™t mean so much towards the final district standings, it still would be a brawl. These two towns flat donâ€™t like each other.
2. September 8th- Ada at Carl Albert- The two winningest 5A teams of the 90â€™s won six state titles between them. Carl Albert has won three straight gold balls.
3. November 3rd- John Marshall at East Central- This season-ender could mean the winner goes to playoffs and the loser stays home.
4. October 20th- Shawnee at McAlester- I love great individual matchups. RB Shaw versus LB Watkins should be a good one.
5. September 8th- Tulsa Edison at Booker T. Washington- Hornets beat Edison 21-7 in the All-city Preview. Edison fumbled six snaps in the game. Better execution could give the Eagles a good chance.
6. Septmeber 15th- Catoosa at Collinsville- Step down to take on Class 4A team, not a step down at all for the Indians. Collinsville is one of the strongest in 4A.

Team Capsules

Ada
Head Coach: Larry McBroom
Last Year: 11-1
Strength: The team traditionally works harder than most during the offseason. It takes that hard work to carry on the enormous tradition.
Question Mark: Experience. Lost FB, TB, TE and three offensive linemen from 1999 team.
Outlook: Whoâ€™s got the guts to bet against them? Not me. Look for another district title run and a lot of home playoff games.

McAlester
Head Coach: John Homer
Last Year: 8-5
Strength: Homer is in his first year as head coach, but served 15 as an assistant. Five of last years starting defensive front seven return.
Question Mark: The offensive line is a little smaller and younger than usual.
Outlook: Plenty strong enough on defense to make a run at Ada. Will not have a problem making the playoffs.

Tulsa East Central
Head Coach: Travis Hill
Last Year: 8-3
Strength: Very, very physical. Thereâ€™s size and talent at nearly every position..
Question Mark: Offensive line might be the only problem, but unlikely. Most positions have great experience.
Outlook: Every district has a â€œbuzzâ€ team. Those are the teams that nearly every coach says, â€œwatch out forâ€¦.â€ East Central is that team in 5A-3.

Shawnee
Head Coach: Brent Whitson
Last Year: 6-6
Strength: Thereâ€™s a lot of excitement following last yearâ€™s playoff berth and good run (lost in second round to Bishop Kelley, 27-24 in OT). It helps to have Shaw toting the ball for you.
Question Mark: Can they stop teams from scoring against them. Too many teams put up touchdowns on the Wolves last year.
Outlook: One of six teams in the district that made the playoffs last year. Now theyâ€™ll have to scratch and claw their way in this year.

John Marshall
Head Coach: Dan Cocannouer
Last Year: 8-4
Strength: Terrific skill players are very fast. Three returning linebackers make for a tough defensive front.
Question Mark: Is there a QB on the team to take advantage of Cooper and Warhop?
Outlook: Itâ€™s extremely hard to leave any team out in this district. However, QB play will be critical and thatâ€™s a big question mark for the Bears.

Catoosa
Head Coach: Scott Morgan
Last Year: 6-5
Strength: The offensive backfield returns a lot of experience including FB Blake Wilson, a four-year starter.
Question Mark: The offensive line lost a lot of experience to graduation.
Outlook: The winged-t offense may be tough to handle for some teams. Good game plans could sneak the Indians into the playoffs.

Tulsa Edison
Head Coach: Park Vogel
Last Year: 2-8
Strength: Skill players have good speed. Last years juniors and sophomores got great experience.
Question Mark: Thereâ€™s not much size on the lines. Thereâ€™s also a lack of tradition that other teams in the district donâ€™t suffer from.
Outlook: Vogelâ€™s enthusiasm wasnâ€™t tempered by last year. He really believes he can build a winner out of the Eagles.

Tulsa Central
Head Coach: Carson Fields
Last Year: 2-8
Strength: Young team pepped up a bit late in the season in 1999.
Question Mark: Offensive line is a little thin.
Outlook: This district is so tough for young talent to cut their teeth on.

District Previews

Eight-man Districts
Class A Districts
Class 2A Districts
Class 3A Districts
Class 4A district 4
Class 4A district 3
Class 4A district 2
Class 5A District 4

Class 6A district 4: Tuesday, August 29
Class 6A district 3: Wednesday, August 30