Seminole Team Preview
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Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day as we release more individual team previews as we get closer to the start of the 2021 football season. In case you missed it, you can check out our Preseason Rankings RIGHT HERE.
Overview (Class 3A Preseason Ranking: #8)
Coming into the 2021 season, expectations are high for the Seminole Chieftains. Let’s rephrase that. No matter what the year is, expectations are high at a program like Seminole. This group of Chieftains are experienced and know what it takes to play in the bigger games. Now they want to go further and make a deep run into the playoffs. It’s been nearly a decade since the Chieftains were knocking on the door of the championship game and they want to turn that around. With nine starters returning on offense and another nine starters coming back on defense, we don’t see why the Chieftains can’t make that run and become a serious state championship contender once again. Class 3A will once again be competitive after Holland Hall ran over the entire class a year ago. They won’t be as dominant but they are still defending champs. Before Seminole can worry about them, they have another heavy hitter to worry about and that’s Lincoln Christian. We think it will be a three-team race in this district with Lincoln, Checotah and Seminole. The Chieftains beat Checotah last year but fell to Lincoln. After going 5-4 last year and being bounced out of the playoffs in a shutout loss to Berryhill, this Seminole team is hungry. Led by their hall of fame coach Mike Snyder, the Chieftains are determined to become a 3A power again.
2020 Results (5-4 Record – Lost In Class 3A 1st Round)
Sept. 4 – Beat Harrah 21-12
Sept. 25 – Lost To Stigler 35-6
Oct. 2 – Beat Webster 56-19
Oct. 9 – Beat Checotah 40-34
Oct. 15 – Lost To Lincoln Christian 42-13
Oct. 23 – Beat Westville 55-12
Oct. 30 – Beat Locust Grove 45-6
Nov. 6 – Lost To Metro Christian 45-28
1st Round – Lost To Berryhill 35-0
Players To Watch
Jason Batise – 2023 Running Back
Seminole might have no problems with running two quarterbacks out there, but they will have some consistency from the running back position with the return of junior Jason Batise. The 2023 running back enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2020. Seminole only played nine games and Batise nearly ran for 1,000 yards. He’ll certainly be asked to be that consistent presence in the backfield and we think he has that ability. He’ll have a strong offensive line in front of him so Batise’s goal should be simple and that’s to get over the 1,000 yard mark this fall as a junior.
Shemmei Stephens – 2022 Offensive Lineman
In between two juniors is senior offensive lineman Shemmei Stephens. As mentioned with Batise, Seminole isn’t going to shy away from using two quarterbacks and while that doesn’t have as much impact on the running game, it will impact Stephens and the offensive line. Both quarterbacks bring different elements to the field and Stephens will be asked to do a little more than a normal offensive lineman. He has all the physical tools to be one of the better interior linemen in this senior class. You add the ability to be versatile with multiple quarterbacks and his recruiting stock should go up.
Vcake Wassana
Vcake
Wassana
6'2" | ATH
Seminole | 2023
State
OK
– 2023 Athlete
We have
Vcake Wassana
Vcake
Wassana
6'2" | ATH
Seminole | 2023
State
OK
listed as an athlete and not just quarterback because Seminole plans on using him in a variety of ways this fall. Along with Brendon Rodriguez, Wassana will lead the Seminole offense at the quarterback position. However, Wassana can give the Chieftains so much more in the running game and just overall offense. Then you flip it and look at what he can be on the defensive side of the ball and Wassana might be the best athlete on this Seminole team. The coaching staff will certainly be creative with ways to get him involved as much as possible.
More Names
Brendon Rodriguez – 2022 Quarterback
Garret Chaffin – 2023 Linebacker
Miguel Conley – 2023 Linebacker
Notable
Head coach Mike Snyder is ready to enter year number 42 as Seminole’s head coach. He was hired back in 1980 and has become the face of Seminole football. In 1999, Snyder was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall Of Fame. 20 years later, in 2019, Snyder became the state’s all time winningest football coach. With a victory late in the 2019 season, Snyder captured his 364th career victory, overtaking the record that was held by Bruce Hendrickson. Snyder and longtime Sulphur head coach Jim Dixon are the only active head coaches who have over 300 career victories. Currently sitting at 370 victories, Snyder could be the first head coach in state history to reach 400 wins if he sticks around for a few more seasons. Seminole is guaranteed to have ten games this year and if they contend for a title, they’ll have four playoff games. Snyder has always been team first and it will stay that way this year and the next few if Snyder stays in his spot and is getting closer to that 400 number.
2021 Schedule/Games To Watch
Sept. 3 – AT Harrah
Sept. 10 – Tecumseh
Sept. 17 – Evangel Christian, LA.
– When we went over the schedules, this one caught our eye and has us feeling excited. Seminole will be hosting Louisiana powerhouse Evangel Christian in week three and we certainly love when Oklahoma teams branch out and face out of state competition. And for Seminole, this will be a very rare match-up against an out of state opponent that we certainly haven’t seen anytime lately. For those unfamiliar, Evangel Christian is a small school power down in Louisiana. They dominated during the 2000’s but have struggled since having to move up classes in recent years. They’ll give Seminole a great test right before districts open up.
Sept. 24 – Stigler
Oct. 1 – Webster
Oct. 8 – AT Checotah
Oct. 14 – Lincoln Christian
– The other marquee game on the schedule is another private school coming to town as Lincoln Christian will travel to face off with the Chieftains. Lincoln is coming off back to back state championship game appearances, raising the gold ball in 2019 and they expect to be back again this fall. The Chieftains are determined to turn their luck around against the Bulldogs and getting them on a Fall Break Thursday at home will certainly help. Lincoln Christian is the heavy favorite in this district, so if the Chieftains have district title aspirations, they need to get a win right here and knock the Bulldogs off the top spot.
Oct. 22 – AT Westville
Oct. 29 – Locust Grove
Nov. 5 – AT Tahlequah Sequoyah
Championship History
4 State Championships
1996 – Beat Spiro 27-26
1977 – Beat Bixby 20-15
1960 – Beat Southeast 30-16
1953 – Beat Altus 49-14