10 Superlatives: Midwest City vs. Carl Albert
6A No. 5 Midwest City took on crosstown rival 5A No. 4 Carl Albert on Tuesday night. Despite playing a close game for 3 quarters, the Bombers pulled away in dominant fashion in the fourth quarter. Our team identified and…
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Continue Reading6A No. 5 Midwest City took on crosstown rival 5A No. 4 Carl Albert on Tuesday night. Despite playing a close game for 3 quarters, the Bombers pulled away in dominant fashion in the fourth quarter. Our team identified and etched in a few guys for their superb work in their respective facet of the game, but you may notice a recurring theme. Here are the 10 superlatives we awarded from the pool of players in this matchup:
Most valuable player
JD Ray 2019 Midwest City PG
JD Ray was a dominant, all-around force for Midwest City on Tuesday night. The 5-foot-9 senior point guard was getting steals, tossing lobs, hitting 3-pointers, getting to the rack, and led his team in scoring with 30 points. Ray has been a huge factor in Midwest City’s success this season, and he had himself a night against Carl Albert.
Best player in a loss
James Locke 2021 Carl Albert W
James Locke led the Titans in scoring with 15 points. The Sophomore showed up big and generated scoring opportunities in the first half, especially. Locke finished the night tallying three from beyond the arc, but also was doing it from mid-range off pull-ups and getting to the basket. Locke’s game has improved this season as he is now a leader on this Carl Albert team.
Best Freshman
Kevin Overton 2022 Midwest City W
Kevin Overton started for Midwest City and was a positive addition for the Bombers in the rebounding and defensive game. One reason Midwest City’s style of play works so well is because of guys like Overton sacrificing namesake to do the gritty work and have success. Overton played well in the high-tempo game that the Bombers play and is bought into playing hard for four quarters.
Most Explosive Dunker
Christian Cook 2020 Midwest City W
Christian Cook laid down three vicious dunks on Tuesday night, two of which with heavy contest. Cook has been throwing absolute hammers since the summer and is quickly turning into one of the best dunkers in the state. He added 13 points to the mix for the Bombers.
Best football player
Dadrion Taylor 2019 Carl Albert G
Dadrion Taylor, who was named as a Daily Oklahoman first-team All-State selection for the Championship-winning Titans came off the bench and did work for his team. He was unafraid to go into traffic and get to the rack. The senior running back and guard rebounded, played defense, drew fouls, and even went on an individual scoring run in the fourth quarter. Taylor is an exceptional role player who does all of the things you want a glue guy to do.
Best tempo-pusher
JD Ray 2019 Midwest City PG
Strings of uptempo, lively play and fast breaks kept Carl Albert at bay. Ray, with his speed and ball-handling, was just too much for the Carl Albert defense in transition. He has top-notch floor vision and can put defenders in a blender with his mixes, but also has the speed to just blow by guys. Fast-break excellence was key for Midwest City.
Most important player off the bench
Ethan Ganaway 2021 Midwest City W
Ethan Ganaway come into the game for the Bombers and played an important role for the Bombers. Most importantly, he generated scoring for the Bombers by making great cuts and going up strong. Secondarily, he put opposing players into foul trouble and played solid defensively on Tuesday night. He thrived in Midwest City’s run-first, transition offense. Where many players coming into the game would struggle, Ganaway did his best work.
Best defensive guard
LJ Gurley 2021 Midwest City G
LJ Gurley played exceptional defense, especially when forcing Carl Albert ball-handlers into a tight space on their own end of the court. Gurley made his money in the full-court press, poking the ball out, adhering to his man, and avoiding getting separated from his man. Gurley is a turnover enforcer and contributed to Midwest City’s late-game push to bury the Titans.
Best rebounder
Antonio Watson 2021 Carl Albert F
Antonio Watson was undoubtedly the most important rebounder for the Titans. The Bombers, due to their size and killer mentality, are the type of team that can bury you with second-chance opportunities if you let them. Antonio Watson was huge in limiting Midwest City from getting many of those chances. Offensively, he did give his team the advantage of having those second, sometimes third chances.
Best passer
JD Ray 2019 Midwest City PG
In the midst of dominating the scoring game on Tuesday night, JD Ray had great movement with the ball, getting it into tight spots in the Carl Albert defense, making the tough dishes look easy. The game comes simple to him as a floor general, and he had some of his best work in that regard against Carl Albert.