Welcome to the party — the high school football playoff party.
We’ve made it through 10 grueling weeks (11 if you count Week Zero) of the regular season which means the playoffs — which begin this Friday — are finally here.
There are 14 teams representing the Southwest Oklahoma area in the 2018 playoffs: Lawton High, Duncan, Altus, Cache, Anadarko, Marlow, Apache, Frederick, Walters, Snyder, Cyril, Empire, Tipton and Mt. View-Gotebo.
Now it’s officially win or go home for these 14 dreaming of a Gold Ball.
“From here on out, it’s one and done. If you don’t win you are on to the next sport,” said Altus coach Matt Terry whose fifth-ranked Bulldogs travel to No. 4 Bishop McGuinness on Friday. “If that doesn’t motivate you, nothing will.”
Brackets can be found online on the OSSAA website. Let’s get you set with a playoff primer.
First round matchups
Class 6A-II: Lawton High (6-4) at Bixby (9-1)
Class 5A: Duncan (9-1) vs. Guthrie (8-2); Altus (8-2) at McGuinness (8-2)
Class 4A: Cache (8-2) vs. Blanchard (8-2); Anadarko (6-4) at Tuttle (10-0)
Class 3A: Marlow (5-5) at Heritage Hall (9-1)
Class A: Apache (7-2) vs. Minco (8-2); Frederick (8-2) vs. Thomas (7-3); Walters (8-2) at Crossings Christian (8-2)
Class B: Snyder (9-0) vs. Bray-Doyle (3-7); Cyril (5-5) at Waurika (9-0); Empire (5-5) at Alex (7-3)
Class C: Tipton (8-2) vs. Sharon-Mutual (5-5); Mt. View-Gotebo (7-3) at Pond Creek-Hunter (9-1)
Most intriguing first-round matchup
Kevin: Can’t go wrong with Duncan-Guthrie. The Demons are the darling of Class 5A, and the Bluejays are back in contention after a couple of down seasons. Guthrie might have two losses, but those were close game with perhaps the two best teams in the class, Carl Albert and McGuinness. A win here would solidify Duncan as a legit threat.
Seth: Finish a district champion or face a daunting playoff road. Cache and Apache are about to find that out the hard way after losing district championship games in Week 10, which made them both No. 2 seeds.
Both still get a home playoff game, but their first round opponents are no cupcakes. Cache — in search of its first playoff victory since 1983 — welcomes a ranked Blanchard squad and Huskers commit Jamie Nance to Ulrich Stadium while Apache — a week after being shutout — will need its high-octane offense to get back on track against a ranked Minco squad.
Best potential matchup
Kevin: Although unlikely, a Lawton High rematch with Midwest City in the Class 6A-II semifinals would be electrifying. The teams combined for 101 points earlier this season, with the Bombers pulling away late for a 56-45 win.
Seth: A second round matchup in Class 4A where Cache visits undefeated Poteau (10-0) is looking likely. Watching the Bulldogs’ bulldozing rushing attack go up against the Pirates’ defense — which has allowed only 9.5 points per game to date — would be a real treat.
Snyder touts one of the most potent offenses around in Trevor Evans and Co. and could have an early test against in the second round against Laverne (state champs in ‘12, ‘13 and ‘16) which finished 7-2 and will have championship experience on its side.
Toughest Road
Kevin: A second place district finish isn’t doing Duncan any favors. If the Demons make it past Guthrie, unbeaten Collinsville will be waiting. An upset of the Cardinals on the road would set up a date with undefeated top-ranked Carl Albert in the semis.
Talk about running the gauntlet.
Seth: Across the board, nobody has a tougher playoff road than the Duncan Demons, who have had a brilliant 9-1 season to date under first year coach J.T. Cobble even after losing star senior running back and linebacker Johnathon Babineaux. If Duncan winds up the Class 5A state champion, the Demons will have earned that prestigious title.
Easiest road
Kevin: Tipton will coast to the Class C semis, where it’ll likely be matched up with playoff rival Pond-Creek Hunter. The Tigers — who hung 56 unanswered points on PCH last year — have beaten the Panthers in the past two championship games.
Meanwhile, powerhouses Buffalo and Southwest Covenant will knock each other out on the other side of the bracket. The odds of a three-peat are looking pretty good on paper.
Seth: Snyder knocked off rival Tipton — the two-time Class C defending state champ — 34-24, back in September, steamrolled Alex and hasn’t been tested since with its undefeated showdown with Waurika getting cancelled.
With defending champion Shattuck, Davenport, Dewar and Waurika all on the top half of the bracket, only Regent Prep stands in the Cyclones way of spinning toward the Class B state title.
Enjoying the ride
Lawton High, Anadarko, Marlow, Cyril, Empire, Mt. View-Gotebo
Kevin: Lawton High has a championship-caliber offense, but the defense leaves a lot to be desired. The Wolverines and Bixby have had several tight matchups in recent years, but the Spartans seem destined for a state title run this season.
With the No. 1 defense and the No. 2 offense in the class, Bixby won’t be pulling any punches.
Seth: Four of these six have to play district champions in the first round. Anadarko and Marlow are playing the top-ranked teams in their respective classes in Tuttle and Heritage Hall, respectively. Yikes.
Make or break
Altus, Frederick, Walters
Kevin: Since winning the state title in 2015, Altus hasn’t made it past the second round. After being ranked in the top five of Class 5A for most of the season, another early exit would be disappointing for both the program and first-year coach Matt Terry.
Seth: This trio all finished 8-2, but thanks to brutal playoff draws it could be one and done. Then again, the Bulldogs, Bombers and Blue Devils are talented enough to surprise everyone with a few playoff wins.
Darkhorses
Duncan, Cache, Apache
Kevin: The road might be tough, but don’t count Duncan out just yet. With a little bit of luck and an upset or two, the Demons could find themselves deep in the bracket. Duncan shocked Altus, 42-21, in Week 10 despite being a multi-touchdown underdog, so anything is possible for this ressurgent program.
Seth: After a heartbreaking loss to Clinton, expect Cache to slip even further under the radar as the program is slept on by more and more fans statewide. Fine by the Bulldogs, who have been doubted all season. Don’t be surprised if Cache is going toe-to-toe with Tuttle in the semifinals come Thanksgiving weekend.
Should Apache slip past Minco, the Warriors get a second date with Hobart which they’ve already beaten and from there, Apache is talented enough to make it all the way to the Class A semifinals with top-ranked Cashion.
State championship contenders
Snyder, Tipton
Kevin: Another year, another Tipton state title appearance. The Tigers might not be considered the best team in the rankings, but they have yet to lose to a Class C team. With that in mind, Tipton should be the favorite to defend its back-to-back titles.
Snyder is flying under the radar, and the road seems paved for a deep Cyclones run. Don’t be surprised to see Snyder matched up with perennial power Shattuck for the state championship in early December.
Seth: There is a high chance that Tipton and Snyder could each be playing in the 8-man state championship games when all is said and done. The Tigers — striving for a 3-peat — and the Cyclones are Southwest Oklahoma’s best chances to hoist a Gold Ball.
