Analysis: regional second-round games (6A West)
Friday night saw half of Oklahoma’s competitive field sent home for the summer. With sixteen teams remaining, everybody who is still alive can afford a loss, albeit teams who lose in tonight’s matchups will be sent into a more taxing…
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Continue ReadingFriday night saw half of Oklahoma’s competitive field sent home for the summer. With sixteen teams remaining, everybody who is still alive can afford a loss, albeit teams who lose in tonight’s matchups will be sent into a more taxing bracket in the area tournament.
R1: Edmond Santa Fe at Lawton / 7 p.m.
Santa Fe overcame an athletic attack from Choctaw on Friday to advance to the second round against Lawton. The Wolverines are no team you want to face in the postseason, but a narrow win against Westmoore could have them primed for the Wolves. Santa Fe will likely find its biggest struggle in guarding 6-foot-8-inch Ashawnti Hunter, so the Wolves will likely need some type of junk defense, but that still leaves sharpshooter Marty Perry open. The Wolverines, on the converse, will struggle to stay out of foul trouble should they collapse on Donovan Vickers on the drive.
R2: Edmond North at Edmond Memorial / 7 p.m.
Perhaps the most interesting matchup of the evening, the cross-town foes met each other thrice in the regular season, but the Bulldogs stood victorious as many times. However, with a heating-up Dalante Shannon, the Huskies could break that streak on the road Saturday night. Shannon and Pedulla will likely embark on a fantastic duel for 32 minutes, with sub-struggles raging between Jake Royal and Joell Wilson; CJ Campbell and Landry Harris; and JV Seat and Abraham Aghasado. At the end of the night, the scoreboard will most likely reflect upon the team who won the most individual battles, unless any one player has a career night.
R3: Northwest Classen at Midwest City / 7 p.m.
Northwest Classen and Midwest City appear to be a match-made-in-heaven; two of the most athletic, physical and fast-paced teams in the area, the Bombers managed to put a 40-point bruise on the Knights earlier this season that fired Classen coach Jason Jack up. The Knights will pull all the stops Saturday evening, leaving no hesitation on the floor to reciprocate the stomping on the Bombers. Scheming for the dynamic Christian Cook–Makale Smith duo will be a task indeed. If Davion Warden and BJ Kennedy can display altruism, however, the Knights could be one of the last teams you would want to see in the postseason.
R4: P.C. West at Southmoore / 7 p.m.
There isn’t much to say other than three top-ten 2020 recruits going at one another in this matchup. Rondel Walker, an almost-impassible defender, will have his hand in everything the SaberCats do. Meanwhile, a toughly battle between the Patriots’ inside attack; Mailk Hearn and Boomer Barnes; and Sam Godwin will be the most entertaining. A big night from MJ Warrior could put the ball in P.C. West’s court, while an equal performance from Darrin Ryan could do the same for Southmoore. If both happen, we’re in for a treat.