6A-D2 Playoff Preview
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Starting today, and continuing all day and every day until Friday evening, we’ll be publishing playoff preview content. From team breakdowns to players to watch to championship predictions, we’ll get you covered as the “Road To Wantland” officially begins this week. We continue our playoff preview content with a look at the Class 6A-D2 playoffs. Check out our team breakdowns and storylines to follow.
DEFENDING CHAMPION
Bixby Spartans
Class 6A-D2 has been dominated by the Bixby Spartans. This is the seventh season since 6A split into two separate divisions. Bixby has captured five of the six state championships. The only other championship went to Booker T Washington and the Spartans settled for Runner Up that year. The Spartans are dominant once again in 2020. They have rattled off 33 consecutive wins, the longest active streak in the state. The last loss coming in the first game of the 2018 season. The Spartans are 8-0 and have only had two games that were relatively close. They won a shootout against Jenks and beat Choctaw by 11 points. Other than that, it was blowout after blowout. Bixby expects to make it back to the title game this year and with one of the more balanced offenses in the state, it’s hard to argue anyone slowing them down enough to upset the Spartans.
TEAM TO BEAT
Stillwater Pioneers
We’ve gone against popular thinking in 2020 with our 6A-D2 rankings. While just about everyone else has Bixby #1, we’ve had the Pioneers in that spot. The reason behind that is simple. We thought Stillwater was the best team coming into this season. And that’s also why we have them listed as the “Team To Beat” in this preview. The Pioneers returned nearly everyone from their team a year ago. They have a great blend of talent on both sides of the ball and have only backed up our thoughts since the season began. Stillwater’s closest game was a 13-point victory over Edmond Santa Fe. The Pioneers have one of the best offenses in the state, regardless of class. You can’t find many weaknesses in their game. And the defense has been steady all season. The Pioneers have a big senior class and they’re tired of settling for a silver ball and are hungrier than ever for some gold.
TEAM BREAKDOWNS
Booker T Washington Hornets
The only other team to capture a 6A-D2 state championship is Booker T Washington. The Hornets are in that championship race every year and 2020 is no different. However, 2020 hasn’t been that kind to the Hornets as they have had to navigate different injuries to some of their best players. Arguably the best athlete in the state went down in week one with a torn ACL. Despite that, the Hornets are once again contenders for the ultimate prize and that’s a state championship. They come into the playoffs licking their wounds after getting blown out by Bixby in week ten. However, this is a team that can do a little bit of everything on offense and the defense has the potential to be one of the better units in 6A-D2. This Hornet team has to be taken seriously when you look at all the talent on the roster that will end up playing at the next level.
Choctaw Yellowjackets
Coming into the 2020 season, few teams had more hype around them than the Choctaw Yellowjackets. A combination of young and experienced talent as well as coming off 2019 where they made it to the semifinals had the Yellowjackets looking like the next big contender in 6A-D2. And as they head into the playoffs, it’s hard to argue that Choctaw is here and appear to be here for good. They started out the year 1-2 after playing three good teams from Arkansas. But they got everyone’s attention in the first week of district play when they traveled to Tulsa and stunned Booker T Washington. They also gave Bixby their closest game, other than Jenks. The only question is how some of these young playmakers will react when the lights are a little brighter in the playoffs. Will they be ready for the big moments or will those big moments be too big?
Midwest City Bombers
A lot of what we wrote about Booker T Washington and Choctaw can be followed up here with Midwest City. The Bombers have a great blend of talent in their different classes. The Bombers are in a good spot as they go into the playoffs. They started the season with several close games and then really played well once they got into district play. The marquee win for the Bombers had to come in week eight when they went on the road and really dominated Putnam City North, a team that was undefeated at the time. The Bombers’ strength is their defense, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s followed HS football over the last several decades. But the Bomber offense has big play potential and have some players that can take a short play and make it a home run in the blink of an eye. Just like BTW and Choctaw, the Bombers have to be considered dark horses this month.
STORYLINES TO FOLLOW
Only One Storyline
When it comes to 6A-D2 football, there has been only one overwhelming storyline over the last two seasons. Since the start of the 2019 season, it seemed apparent that Bixby and Stillwater were playing in a completely different league. Last year, they both went undefeated and met each other in the state championship game. This year, they are once again undefeated and it appears that they’re on a crash course for yet another meeting for the gold ball. Last season, nobody came close to slowing down these two juggernauts. This season, it’s the same story as we head into the playoffs. At this point, the question of whether or not anybody can beat Bixby or Stillwater seems pointless. A better question might be whether or not anybody can stay within single digits. Nevertheless, upsets happen all the time. And if we see another team, other than Bixby or Stillwater, playing for the gold ball, it’ll be one of the bigger upsets in recent memory.
THE SCHEDULE
Stillwater Advances Via Bye
Deer Creek AT Sand Springs
Choctaw Advances Via Bye
Bartlesville AT Putnam City North
Bixby Advances Via Bye
Ponca City AT Del City
Muskogee AT Midwest City
Lawton AT Booker T Washington