High schools: Pioneer Woman Classic is `elite event with elite teams'

A new event on the scrimmage schedule this year is the Pioneer Woman Classic on Friday at Pawhuska’s Ormond Beach Stadium. Scrimmages start at 5 p.m., with Sperry meeting Holland Hall in the first half-game at 7 p.m., followed by Pawhuska against Rejoice Christian at 8:30. All of the teams are expected again to be state title contenders this year.

Pawhuska coach Matt Hennesy’s Locust Grove teams participated several times in Lincoln Christian’s Night of Champions. After Hennesy was hired by Pawhuska in 2018, he looked to host something similar for top smaller-classification programs.

“We wanted an elite event with elite teams,” Hennesy said during the PWC dinner Tuesday night at the Pioneer Woman Mercantile Event Center. “That’s what I told Ladd and Ree (Drummond), when we started doing this, help me put together an event that all the top schools will want to be here. I could care less about winning a scrimmage. I want to be exposed, I want to figure what are we bad at, what do we need to get good at.

“I don’t want go scrimmage somebody where we’re way better than, and we come out thinking we’re awesome and then we play somebody as good or better during the season and we get exposed. We’re going to get all we want Friday night and that’s what we want.”

Locust Grove lost its half-games at the Night of Champions in Mason Fine’s final two high school seasons, but Hennesy said that experience prepared them well as they went 25-2 over 2014 and ’15 while Fine set many state passing records.

This event will be a change for Holland Hall, which for about 10 years has scrimmaged 3A power Heritage Hall.

“We’re excited to get different looks with four teams,” Dutch coach Tag Gross said.

Added Rejoice coach Brent Marley, “It’s awesome to have a first-class event like this in Oklahoma, it’s incredible.”

On Thursday, Union will host Edmond Santa Fe at 7 p.m. in a matchup of two of 6AI’s top six teams, and defending 6AI champion Owasso hosts Westmoore from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Also on Thursday is the opening night of the 78th annual Grady Skillern All-City Preview. At Webster’s Milton Stadium, Central opens against McLain at 6 p.m. It’s a rematch of Central’s 7-0 win in last year’s All-City final and also a preview of their regular-season opener Aug. 29 at McLain. At 7 p.m., Central will play Memorial, followed by Memorial against McLain.

At East Central, Rogers meets Hale at 6 p.m., East Central plays Edison at 7 p.m., with the losers meeting at 8 and the winners at 9. Action shifts to LaFortune Stadium on Friday starting at 6 p.m., with the title game at 8 p.m.

“We want to win, but the main thing is to get better and stay healthy,” East Central coach Kevin Gordon said.

On Friday, the Jenks Trojan Preview features five teams. At 6 p.m., Bartlesville meet Putnam City, followed by Jenks against Muskogee at 7:50 and Jenks facing Booker T. Washington at 8:55 p.m.

Also on Friday, Broken Arrow visits Bixby at 8:30 p.m. in a matchup of teams that have combined for three state titles in the past two years.

Regional rankings

Bixby is the state’s top overall team, according to USA Today’s rankings for the Plains region. The Class 6AII two-time defending champion Spartans are ranked No. 2, behind Cherry Creek of Greenwood Village, Colorado. Owasso is No. 3, Jenks No. 5 and Union No. 6. Also in the top is 10 is Midwest City Carl Albert at No. 9.

Quotable

Cascia Hall linebacker/tight end Dylan Wilson isn’t hesitant about playing football during the current conditions involving COVID-19.

“Not really. It’s my senior season, (and) I just want to get out there and play,” Wilson said. “My baseball season last year got taken away and we were supposed to do big things. I think we should play football, and I’m excited about the season.”

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