Breakout Stars
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The 2020 season has come to an end but that doesn’t mean we’re done having content every day here at Prep Redzone Oklahoma. In fact, we’re just heating up and continuing our postseason series today. Be sure to check back every day for new postseason content. Coming up today, we spotlight all of the breakout stars from this year’s season in the various classes.
Andrew Carney
Andrew
Carney
6'2" | LB
Collinsville | 2022
State
OK
– Quarterback – Collinsville
Similar to Tarman, Carney had a great season as a dual-threat QB, rushing and passing for over 1500 yards with a combined 47 touchdowns in 2020. Carney helped lead a young Collinsville offense to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the state semifinals. Watch out for Carney and the Cardinals to come back hungry as ever in 2021 as they will return most of their offensive stars.
Austin Havens
Austin
Havens
6'3" | 205 lbs | QB
Bixby | 2023
State
OK
– Quarterback – Owasso
Owasso had a quarterback battle coming into the season and it continued during the first couple weeks. However, as Owasso got closer to district play, it became apparent that sophomore
Austin Havens
Austin
Havens
6'3" | 205 lbs | QB
Bixby | 2023
State
OK
would be the guy under center for the Rams. Havens ended up being a breakout star for the Rams and he’s a big reason why Owasso will be at or near the top of the 6A-1 rankings in 2021. Along with Havens, Owasso has a ton of young talented players returning to make another run at the state championship.
Braden Drake
Braden
Drake
5'10" | RB
OK
– Running Back – Wagoner
Drake came into 2020 looking to help the Bulldogs get into the state championship after falling short and it is fair to say he did his part and then some. On the season, Drake ran for over 2000 yards and was one of the most electric backs in all of 4A. He does not currently have many offers, but he is definitely a college back that will shine once his opportunity arises.
Brayden Dutton
Brayden
Dutton
6'0" | ATH
Yukon | 2022
State
OK
– Quarterback – Yukon
Yukon head coach Jeremy Reed has been in charge of the Miller program for a few years now and he has his flexbone system in place. One thing that certainly helps coming into a season is having a quarterback that knows the system like the back of his hand. Junior
Brayden Dutton
Brayden
Dutton
6'0" | ATH
Yukon | 2022
State
OK
was very successful running the flexbone in 2020 and with his return next year, the Millers will be a serious team to watch out for. Dutton has the game IQ to make the right decision every time but he also has the athletic ability to beat a defense.
Collin Matteson
Collin
Matteson
6'0" | 180 lbs | WR
Oklahoma Christian School | 2022
State
OK
– Wide Receiver/Defensive Back – Oklahoma Christian School
We knew about OCS standout
Collin Matteson
Collin
Matteson
6'0" | 180 lbs | WR
Oklahoma Christian School | 2022
State
OK
coming into the 2020 season but he went from being a “name to know” to one of the best players in Class 2A football. Matteson really improved in between his freshman and sophomore seasons and then came back and made another leap in talent. He was one of the best two-way players in Oklahoma, regardless of class. He finished the season on defense with ten interceptions and was one of the best ball hawks in the state. He led OCS to a semifinal appearance. With Matteson coming back in 2021, OCS will still remain a serious contender in Class 2A and we can’t wait to see how he improves going into next year.
Desean Brown
Desean
Brown
6'3" | DL
Choctaw | 2022
State
OK
– Defensive End – Choctaw
Choctaw had several breakout players on their way to an state championship appearance but junior defensive end
Desean Brown
Desean
Brown
6'3" | DL
Choctaw | 2022
State
OK
was without a doubt at the top of the list. He was among the best in Oklahoma at getting to the quarterback. He finished with over 15 sacks on the season and also had a memorable interception in the state championship game against the Spartans. The Yellowjackets will lose some big names on the defense to graduation but Brown will be a great starting point going into the 2021 season.
Erik McCarty
Erik
McCarty
6'2" | 175 lbs | DB
McAlester | 2023
State
OK
– Running Back – McAlester
Had it not been for
Luke Tarman
Luke
Tarman
6'2" | ATH
Bishop McGuinness | 2021
State
OK
,
Erik McCarty
Erik
McCarty
6'2" | 175 lbs | DB
McAlester | 2023
State
OK
may have been our POTY in 5A. The sophomore back exploded onto the scene this season, with over 1600 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground. He was certainly not a player we had on our radar to begin the year or at midseason when we updated rankings, but he will absolutely be near the top of the 2023 class come next season as he ran all over 5A, especially in the playoffs where he was on our players of the week list nearly every round as he ran all the way to the semifinals before falling to Tarman and the Irish. I heard a lot about Erik as the season progressed, and after watching him in the semis against McGuinness, I see why because he is the real deal.
Ethane Hyche
Ethane
Hyche
6'0" | RB
Edmond Santa Fe | 2021
State
OK
– Running Back – Edmond Santa Fe
Edmond Santa Fe has several players that are known across the state as some of the best prospects in Oklahoma. However, not many people knew about senior running back
Ethane Hyche
Ethane
Hyche
6'0" | RB
Edmond Santa Fe | 2021
State
OK
coming into this season. After a tough start to the season, where Santa Fe went 0-2 in their first two weeks, Hyche took off after that. He put up monster numbers every week and even split carries at time with
Micah Snoddy
Micah
Snoddy
5'10" | RB
Edmond Santa Fe | 2021
OK
. And even though he was splitting carries, Hyche was still one of the most productive running backs in Oklahoma.
Gavin Freeman
Gavin
Freeman
5'10" | WR
Heritage Hall | 2022
State
OK
– Wide Receiver/Defensive Back – Heritage Hall
The Chargers came into 2020 with some big time players in the senior class. However, the player that ended up being Heritage Hall’s runaway star and playmaker was junior
Gavin Freeman
Gavin
Freeman
5'10" | WR
Heritage Hall | 2022
State
OK
. The junior standout ended up catching over 20 touchdowns but was also an impact in literally every aspect of the game. He ran the ball, played defense and also returned kicks in special teams. Not only did Freeman put up big numbers but he also made big plays. He finished the season with some of the longest touchdowns in the state. There isn’t exactly a stat that backs that up but Freeman was routinely making eye-opening plays every single week for the Chargers.
Hayden Fry – Running Back/Linebacker – Cushing
By now it seems we have highlighted the entire Cushing team because each week a new player would shine for the Tigers, and many weeks Hayden Fry was in that conversation. Fry was a beast on both sides of the ball this season, rushing for over 1400 yards on offense, and compiling over 180 tackles on defense. The Senior for Cushing currently has offers to a few division 2 and NAIA schools, but figures to gain a few more as signing day in February approaches.
Jaden King
Jaden
King
6'2" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
– Defensive Back – Booker T Washington
We stick with the defensive side of the ball for another breakout star. Booker T Washington’s
Jaden King
Jaden
King
6'2" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
became the next big time defensive back for the Hornets. Booker T Washington always has some of the best DB’s in Oklahoma and King was this year’s breakout star. With junior
Gentry Williams
Gentry
Williams
6'0" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
missing most of the season with a knee injury, King emerged to fill that void. He ended with nine interceptions on the season. The rest of the Hornet defense COMBINED had nine interceptions. King is the next Hornet DB up.
Justus Conway
Justus
Conway
6'1" | LB
Newcastle | 2022
State
OK
– Linebacker – Newcastle
In 2019, Conway was a rotational linebacker for Newcastle and compiled just 15 tackles. In 2020, Conway exploded with 79 tackles and an incredible 16 sacks. The Junior Linebacker does not have many offers yet, but that will certainly change with another stellar season in 2021.
Kirk Francis
Kirk
Francis
6'1" | 185 lbs | QB
Metro Christian | 2023
State
OK
– Quarterback – Metro Christian
Before the 2020 season, we looked at what Metro Christian’s
Kirk Francis
Kirk
Francis
6'1" | 185 lbs | QB
Metro Christian | 2023
State
OK
did as a freshman, playing JV ball. We wanted to see all the skills we saw from Francis translate to the varsity level. Not only did it translate but Francis continued to get better as he helped lead the Patriots to the state championship. In that championship game, Francis played flawless football in a game where Metro only ran the ball a handful of times. The Patriots won their second straight gold ball behind the arm of their sophomore quarterback and it’s very clear that the Patriots once again have one of the best quarterbacks in Oklahoma. And he has two more years to make an impact.
Luke Hasz
Luke
Hasz
6'4" | TE
Bixby | 2023
State
OK
– Wide Receiver – Bixby
Bixby had to have new guys step up at the wide receiver position in 2020 and sophomore
Luke Hasz
Luke
Hasz
6'4" | TE
Bixby | 2023
State
OK
ended up being that guy for the Spartans. Hasz ended up being a breakout star after being more of a basketball player coming into this season. However, it didn’t take long for us to realize that Hasz would be the real deal in the Spartan offense. He’s already established himself as one of the top wide receivers in the 2023 class. Similar to Presley, Hasz had some of his best performances against Bixby’s toughest competition.
Max Brown
Max
Brown
6'2" | 200 lbs | QB
Lincoln Christian | 2022
State
OK
– Quarterback – Lincoln Christian
Without a doubt the biggest question mark for Lincoln Christian coming into 2020 would be around the quarterback position. The defending champion Bulldogs had to replace three-year starter Chase Ricke. While there was a quarterback battle early, it was junior
Max Brown
Max
Brown
6'2" | 200 lbs | QB
Lincoln Christian | 2022
State
OK
who would establish himself as the guy for the Bulldogs. Brown was outstanding once he got more comfortable in the Lincoln Christian offense. Brown was your prototypical dual-threat quarterback. He threw for 27 touchdowns and also added 13 touchdowns on the ground. While he was a breakout star for the Bulldogs this year, next year, he’ll be a big reason why they’re once again a state title contender.
Reese Roller
Reese
Roller
6'0" | 210 lbs | LB
Verdigris | 2023
State
OK
– Linebacker – Verdigris
One of the several times we wrote about Verdigris sophomore
Reese Roller
Reese
Roller
6'0" | 210 lbs | LB
Verdigris | 2023
State
OK
was following a regular season game where the young standout had five sacks. We wrote about how memorable that would be and how rare that was. We were immediately wrong as the following week, Roller would wrack up five sacks in a game once again. Two games, ten sacks, and Roller was one of the best at his position. Verdigris has several sophomores that will keep the Cardinals as contenders over the next few seasons. Roller is certainly one of those guys, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We’re looking forward to seeing how he grows as a leader on this defense.
Triton Chandler
Triton
Chandler
6'2" | 195 lbs | QB
Victory Christian | 2022
State
OK
– Quarterback – Victory Christian
We stay at the quarterback position for our next breakout star. But we start with a disclaimer. Victory Christian played one of the toughest schedules in 2A football this season. The record wasn’t completely indicative of how talented this team was. The Conquerors enjoyed the breakout season of junior quarterback
Triton Chandler
Triton
Chandler
6'2" | 195 lbs | QB
Victory Christian | 2022
State
OK
. Under first year head coach Ben Palmer, Victory Christian and Chandler put up some monster numbers on the offensive side of the ball. Chandler ended up being one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state this year. He put up some monster numbers throwing and running the ball. Expect more going into the new year.
William McGuire
William
McGuire
6'0" | ATH
East Central | 2021
State
OK
– Athlete – East Central
Without a doubt one of the breakout stars of the 2020 season was East Central’s
William McGuire
William
McGuire
6'0" | ATH
East Central | 2021
State
OK
. While the Cardinals have struggled for the majority of this decade, they were more competitive this season and McGuire is a huge reason why. He became a three-phase standout for the Cardinals and impacted just about every game he played in. He was one of the best return men in the state with six touchdowns on kick returns. He also stood out as a wide receiver. McGuire is a senior and should be on every area college’s short list for athletes in the state’s senior class.