District 5A-1 has produced two of the past three state champions, and it sports some competitive, playoff-caliber teams once again in 2017.
MacArthur is the unanimous favorite, and for a good reason. The Highlanders haven't lost a district contest since 2014, and they look to defend the crown again this season with a strong crop of returning offensive starters.
However, Mac lost several key players on defense from last year's semifinal squad, and Ardmore or Altus could end the Highlanders' quest for a three-peat and find themselves in the league's top slot by season's end.
The Bulldogs experienced a disappointing end to last season after claiming the state title in 2015, but coach Todd Vargas has his squad, which averaged 34 points last season, ready to make another run at the perennial powerhouses. Duncan could serve as the district's darkhorse, possibly snatching a playoff spot for the first time in five years.
Regardless, 5A-1 is sure to provide several high-powered matchups throughout the season.
MacArthur
For Mac, it all comes down to experience.
The Highlanders are no strangers to success, accumulating an impressive record of 36-3 the past three seasons -- only one of those losses coming during the regular season. With that considered, it is safe to say Mac coach Brett Manning's teams haven't endured too many depth problems, but this might be the year for the growing pains to kick in.
Mac is loaded offensively, but the defense returns only three starters from last year's group, which gave up only 18.6 points per game through 13 games -- holding opponents to 20 points or fewer on seven occasions.
The youth and inexperience showed in the Highlanders' scrimmage with preseason No. 2 Bishop McGuinness on Aug. 17, but swift improvements were made, and that same defense gave up a mere 86 total yards and no scores in 40 minutes of action against Carl Albert and Mustang only a week later.
"Defensively, we have a lot of inexperience and a lot of young guys," Manning said. "I think the young guys are really good athletes, and I think they're going to be good eventually."
Ryan Andrews (6-0, 145, So.) is one of the new defensive starters for Mac who has caught the eye of the coaching staff. The sophomore will see a majority of his action at the cornerback position.
"Ryan has done a really good job, I thought," Manning said. "He's a great athlete, he's just gotta learn how to play varsity corner"
Jarious McKnight (5-10, 170, Sr.) is normally responsible for catching touchdown passes as a receiver for Mac, but he will be taking on an additional role this year -- keeping opponents out of the end zone.
McKnight has seen little action on defense during his time with the Highlanders, but Manning assessed the senior's skills and determined his abilities could easily translate to success in the defensive backfield.
"I'm really proud of him because he's never really had a defensive role of any kind," Manning said. "We went to him this spring and said, 'Buddy, you're going to have to help us out; you can't just be an offensive guy.' He's taken that well, and he's done really well with it."
Another newcomer joining Andrews and McKnight in the defensive backfield is Michelle Artzberger (5-10, 168, Jr.) at free safety.
Similar to McKnight, Artzberger has shown tremendous ability as a receiver, and he has done more than impress since taking his talents to the defense, transcending even Manning's expectations for him.
"He makes plays you don't expect him to make," Manning said. "I don't know what it is, but we've seen him jump up and make one-handed interceptions, and we've seen him catch a punt one-handed right before running into our sand trap. He's a great athlete who is very smart and understands that safety position."
Returning starter Rylan Webb (6-1, 218, Sr.) is the leader of the defense, and he will experience playing time from a different vantage point.
Webb has been a staple at safety since 2014, when he became the only freshman to see varsity action under Manning, but he'll be disrupting opposing offenses as a linebacker this season.
Manning said Webb's size was the main reason for the switch.
"He's grown out of it -- he's a big 'ole kid -- and I feel like he could be more effective as an outside linebacker, so we put him there, and he's taken to the position," Manning said. "He's done a great job, and I couldn't be more happy with how he's made that transition. He's just such an intense, physical practice player.
"He's fun to watch at practice because you couldn't tell by looking at his eyes or his body language that it's not a game. He's full speed all the time, and he's turned into a really good leader for us too."
Chandler Green (6-0, 235, Sr.) is another returning starter at linebacker who has plenty of game experience, stemming back to 2015 when he replaced an injured Bryan Burns halfway through the season.
Defensive tackle Brandon Lawton (6-0, 250, Sr.), who Manning said had the best practice of his career recently, is the other returning starter.
Manning said he is optimistic about the lineup's potential.
"I think it can be a good group," Manning said.
Although the Highlanders return eight starters from last season's offensive juggernaut, they will be looking for game-changing plays in different areas thanks to the loss of top playmakers quarterback Anthony Love, running back Teddy Thomas and receiver Ronnie Kimble.
However, there are several players primed to fill those slots for Mac, with the quarterback situation being arguably the most intriguing topic going into the season.
JR Winningham (5-11, 185, Sr.) is the starter on the depth chart, and deservedly so. Although he is not considered a returning starter, he has the experience to make up for it.
The senior played a major role at the position the past two seasons, with most of his playing time coming in 2015 when he won 10 games for Mac in place of an injured Love. He saw significant action last season as well.
"Last year, JR played two series every game in meaningful situations," Manning said. "He played the first series of the second quarter and the second series of the third quarter every week, regardless of the situation we were in.
"He got meaningful reps as a junior because I thought he earned that. I didn't want to just throw him to the side after he stepped in so good for us as a sophomore."
Racer Felter (6-1, 155, So.) and Artzberger are also viable candidates for the position.
Felter showed he can make things happen through the air and with his legs in the preseason scrimmages, throwing a 41-yard touchdown pass against the Fighting Irish, followed up by a 39-yard touchdown run to give Mac a 7-0 win against the No. 1 Titans in a 20-minute simulated game.
Artzberger is another player in the mix to get some time under center, though his time at the position was limited during the scrimmages thanks to an untimely shoulder injury.
Winningham said he doesn't mind sharing time as the signal caller because only one thing matters, and it is coincidentally in his name -- winning.
"At the end of the day, I don't really care who is out there as long as we win," Winningham said. "As long as we win games and get that ring, I don't care."
Look for McKnight, Trey Longacre (5-5, 140, Sr.) and Brad Hoskins to be the main targets for whichever quarterback is running the offense.
Nick Mahan (5-10, 165, Sr.) will be the primary running back, and he has already shown signs of brilliance. The senior rushed for 73 yards in the scrimmage against Carl Albert, tallying four runs of 10-plus yards.
"He has been really consistent, and I think he's been behind some really good running backs in his time here," Manning said. "When he's had the opportunity, he's done really well these past few years. I think when it's all said and done, we're going to see good things from him."
Mahan won't have any trouble finding holes, for the Highlanders return four of their five offensive linemen.
However, Mac will be without its "biggest guy" McKain Hammond (6-6, 290, Sr.) at right tackle for the first few games.
"We're not going to have him until Week 3 at the earliest -- maybe Week 4 -- because he had surgery on his foot to repair a broken bone at the beginning of July," Manning said. "It happened back in the spring, and they did some rehab thinking that would be enough, but it wasn't. We'll be a lot better when we get him back."
Mac also brings back starting center Eric Willoughby (6-2, 267, Sr.) and left guard Brandon Lawton (6-0, 250, Sr.), who is a three-year starter. Landon Martin (6-3, 215, Sr.) will re-establish his role as left tackle, and Isaiah Passi (5-10, 250, So.) takes over for graduated Robert Rose at right guard.
Although Mac is the favorite to win the district, Manning acknowledges his team has a target on its back, and it can't take any weeks off.
"Ardmore is really tough and coached very well, and so is Altus," Manning said. "I have a lot of respect for both of those coaching staffs, and as long as those guys are there, they're going to be really competitive. Del City is another team. They've gone through three coaches in the last three years, but they've got some guys running around on their field who are great athletes.
"Week-in and week-out, you better have a good gameplan and make sure you have your kids ready to play. If you don't, you're going to get beat."
Mac opens the season against city rival Eisenhower at Cameron Stadium on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Altus
Altus football has a great tradition, according to coach Vargas, and the Bulldogs are looking to add to it this season.
Hungry after a first-round exit last year, Altus returns star quarterback Jake Vargas (6-0, 185, Sr.) to run the hard-to-defend triple option. Jake did it all last season, accumulating more than 1,000 total yards and 12 touchdowns.
Nehimiah McCaskill (5-11, 175, Jr.) and Daniel Riley (5-10, 170, Jr.) will help Jake out from the backfield. The two combined for more than 300 yards rushing and six touchdowns in 2016. Izaiah Hall (6'0, 190, Jr.) will also see significant time at running back, looking to improve on a 94-yard season.
The Bulldogs will look to Kade Wilson (6-4, 315, Sr.) and Keegan Shive (6-2, 235, Sr.) to open holes for the plethora of running attacks sure to come from Altus. Shive is also expected to contribute on the defensive line.
Jazerick Pitts (5-10, 235, Sr.) returns to assist on the defensive line as well, teaming with Shive for 56 tackles, including 16 for a loss, last year.
Linebacker Kory Beach (6-1, 210, Sr.) leads the hard-hitting defense, which surrendered only 18.15 points per game last season. Beach finished with 51 tackles, nine of which came in the backfield, and three sacks.
Kody Sullivan (6-2, 190, Sr.) is another returner expected to make a big impact against opposing offenses. Sullivan ended the year with 31 takedowns, including eight for loss and three sacks.
With so many returning starters, the Bulldogs are primed to make another deep run in the playoffs and win their second state title in three years. Altus got off to the right start on Aug. 25, shutting out 4A power Clinton, 19-0, in a Week Zero contest.
Duncan
Duncan has had few peaks and many valleys that past few years, but coach Craig Benson is ready to lead the Demons back to relevance. He has his work cut out for him, however.
Mac, Ardmore and Altus are certainly locks for three of the four playoffs out of 5A-1, so the fourth spot will likely be filled by either Duncan or Del City. The teams usually battle within two touchdown of each other, and with a postseason spot on the line, the game has a lot at stake. The Eagles won last season, 29-18.
The Demons returners are highlighted by dual-threat quarterback Coby Kirkland (6-2, 205, Sr.), who produced 599 yards passing and 478 yards on the ground in 2016. The dynamic duo of Jonathon Babineaux (5-11, 215, Jr.) and JJ Harris (5-9, 200, Jr.) are sure to keep defenses on their toes, combining for 511 rushing yards and six touchdowns last year.
Defensively, the Demons, like Altus, are making a transition to a 4-3 defense thanks to the acquisition of new defensive coordinator Brandon Benson. Duncan returns more than half of its defense from last year, so the main challenge will be adapting to a new system.
Harris, who finished with 49.5 tackles last season, leads the veteran defense from the linebacker position.
The Demons opened the season against 6A-II team Sapulpa on Aug. 25 with a 28-12 win.