Class 3A District Previews

<h4>District 3A-3</h4> District Prediction 1. Bristow 2. Vinita 3. Berryhill 4. Sequoyah Claremore 5. Locust Grove 6. Sperry 7. Inola 8.

Monday, August 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

District 3A-3

District Prediction

1. Bristow
2. Vinita
3. Berryhill
4. Sequoyah Claremore
5. Locust Grove
6. Sperry
7. Inola
8. Dewey

Six Players to Watch

1. Jermaine Landrum- Vinita- Quarterback- State 3A 400 champ makes people miss. Compared athletically to OSU DB Chris Massey.
2. Justin Fisher- Bristow- Wide Receiver- Ranks as a top five receiver in the state.
3. Wes Hatley- Vinita- Running Back- Very strong runner and an even better linebacker.
4. Kyle Upton- Berryhill- Defensive Lineman- 6â€™0â€ 260 lbs. Strong defensive tackle with superb technique.
5. Colby Wright- Sperry- Running Back- Speedy junior could be a blue-chipper in 2001.
6. Corey Pope- Inola- Running Back- Returned 3 kicks for touchdowns in â€™99.

Six â€œCanâ€™t Missâ€ Games

1. October 27th- Bristow at Berryhill- The storied rivalry normally has the district title in the balance.
2. November 3rd- Berryhill at Vinita
3. September 8th- Vinita at Nowata
4. September 15th- Sequoyah-Claremore at Oolagah
5. September 15th- Bristow at Mannford
6. September 8th- Skiatook at Sperry

Team Capsules

Bristow
Head Coach: Curtis Shelton
Last Year: 13-1
Strength: Speed. Fisher is as fast as anyone in the district and his fellow receiver Clint Thomas is big and sure-handed.
Question Mark: Graduation losses were very heavy.
Outlook: Those losses werenâ€™t heavy enough to keep Bristow from contending for state.

Vinita
Head Coach: Allen Forrest
Last Year: 6-5
Strength: This oneâ€™s easy. Landrum and Hartley are one of the most talented backfield comboâ€™s in the state.
Question Mark: Line experience. Hornets lost three very good starters up front.
Outlook: If the line breaks down, Landrum will make tacklers miss and Hartley will run over them. This could be a darkhorse team to make a big playoff run.

Berryhill
Head Coach: Gary Harper
Last Year: 7-4
Strength: Skill guys were good to begin with. Add to that a rigorous off-season regiment and theyâ€™ll be even better.
Question Mark: Like Vinita, they only return two starters to the offensive line.
Outlook: Tradition and talent are still good enough to make the Chiefs a contender.

Sequoyah Claremore
Head Coach: Jody Iams
Last Year: 2-8
Strength: A lot of young kids took lumps last year and are a year bigger and smarter.
Question Mark: Team speed. QB Dustin Bailey is fast, but the Eagles will rely on size.
Outlook: Other coaches in the district are buzzing about his team. Fourth is god enough for a playoff berth and may be all thatâ€™s possible in this top heavy district.

Locust Grove
Head Coach: Danny Callison
Last Year: 1-9
Strength: Very fast at skill positions.
Question Mark: Got knocked around a bit in 4A, but drop to 3A should help.
Outlook: Talented enough to push for that last playoff spot.

Sperry
Head Coach: Robert Park
Last Year: 5-6
Strength: Team speed. Wright is a burner in the backfield and the rest of the skill position arenâ€™t slow.
Question Mark: Offensive line. Thin on numbers and physical size.
Outlook: If a passing game develops to take heat off of Wright, Pirates could contend.

Inola
Head Coach: Kyle Ford
Last Year: 4-6
Strength: Experience. Core group of starters have been playing together for a long time.
Question Mark: Ball control. Turned the ball over 30 times last year. Only 18 takeaway.
Outlook: Take better control of the ball and an improvement is possible.

Dewey
Head Coach: Mike Weyland
Last Year: 1-9
Strength: Offensive line is quick for itâ€™s size. Five starters average 215 pounds.
Question Mark: Speed at skill positions could use some improvement.
Outlook: Winged-T may throw some defenses for a loop and Dewey could pull off a few wins.

District 3A-4

District Prediction

1. Muldrow
2. Seminole
3. Roland
4. Stigler
5. Morris
6. Checotah
7. Meeker
8. Hilldale

Six Players to Watch

1. Mark Holata- Morris- Linebacker- 6â€™2â€ 235 lbs. Great speed and hits hard. Arguably the best true linebacker in the state.
2. Blake Green- Muldrow- Tight End- Three year starter with great hands. His coach says improved blocking will have colleges beating down his door.
3. Kellen Davis- Stigler- Defensive Lineman- 6â€™5â€ 265 lbs. May play tight end on offense this season, but likely a college offensive lineman.
4. Devin Britt- Checotah- Defensive Lineman- 6â€™1â€ 250 lbs. Described as a â€œspace-eaterâ€. Opposing coaches say he must be double-teamed.
5. Jeff Morgan- Seminole- Quarterback- Good size at 6â€™0â€ 170 lbs. Attention should always be paid to a Seminole QB.
6. Casey Hicks- Roland- Linebacker- 173 tackles and 3 interceptions returned for touchdowns in 1999.

Six â€œCanâ€™t Missâ€ Games

1. September 15th- Ada at Seminole- Any true football fan must see this game at least once in their life.
2. September 1st- Muldrow at Sallisaw
3. Novemeber 3rd- Roland at Muldrow
4. September 1st- Eufaula at Checotah
5. October 13th- Stigler at Seminole
6. September 1st- Roland at Grove

Team Capsules

Muldrow
Head Coach: Rich Jones
Last Year: 7-4
Strength: 20 seniors will see significant playing time. Linebackers and offensive backfield are bright spots.
Question Mark: Three players will battle in camp for starting quarterback position.
Outlook: Itâ€™s not just that there are so many seniors returning, itâ€™s that those seniors are very talented. Muldrow has legit state title hopes.

Seminole
Head Coach: Mike Snyder
Last Year: 6-5
Strength: Morgan and OL Chris Hilton are super players and great leaders.
Question Mark: Lack of experience at linebacker.
Outlook: Start every 3A state title short list with the Chieftains. This yearâ€™s no different.

Roland
Head Coach: Larry Henson
Last Year: 7-4
Strength: Three two-year starters return to the offensive backfield.
Question Mark: Lack of line depth. Young guys will have to produce early.
Outlook: With any kind of adequate line play this is a playoff team.

Stigler
Head Coach: Monty Guthrie
Last Year: 5-5
Strength: Very big on both lines.
Question Mark: Thereâ€™s a new leader at QB in Kyle Price.
Outlook: Will compete for one of the last two playoff berths in this district.

Morris
Head Coach: Larry Crenshaw
Last Year: 4-6
Strength: Look for Holata to start the All-state Game for the east. He leads a strong defensive front.
Question Mark: Secondary lost three starters to graduation.
Outlook: They are big enough to fight for playoffs. Stopping the pass will help.

Checotah
Head Coach: Dru Dixon
Last Year: 3-7
Strength: Britt and LB Justin Lee are great leaders on defense.
Question Mark: Experience. A lot of new players must fill key roles this year.
Outlook: If the youngsters play well, they could compete for playoffs.

Meeker
Head Coach: Paul Beesley
Last Year: 6-5
Strength: Good size on the offensive line.
Question Mark: Lost a ton of starters to graduation.
Outlook: New starters could use a year of seasoning before theyâ€™re ready to push for playoffs.

Hilldale
Head Coach: Steve Rutledge
Last Year: 0-10
Strength: New staff will bring a passing game to lackluster offense.
Question Mark: Overall team speed. Thereâ€™s some at skill positions, but not much.
Outlook: Give Rutledge and the staff a year or two and see what he does.

District Previews

Eight-man Districts
Class A Districts
Class 2A Districts
Class 4A district 4: Tuesday, August 22
Class 4A district 3: Wednesday, August 23
Class 4A district 2: Thursday, August 24
Class 5A district 4: Friday, August 25
Class 5A district 3: Monday, August 28
Class 6A district 4: Tuesday, August 29
Class 6A district 3: Wednesday, August 30