Top stars, best performances in Oklahoma high school football for Week 9

The top individual standouts in Week 9 prep football games across Oklahoma

By Ty Loftis

Photo of Lincoln Christian's John Washington III by Sadie Rucker 

As we move into the final week of the regular season of high school football, Week 9 proved to be an exciting and essential part of the year highlighted by great individual performances.

Below, we take a look at some of those highlights from the past week.

If you know of a top performance we should include, please let us know. 

Ike Owens, Jenks

Owens completed 18-of-22 passes for 306 yards and threw three touchdown passes in a 35-34 overtime win against Broken Arrow. Wide receiver Jaiden Carroll had 125 yards receiving and scored two of those touchdowns.

Cale Fugate, Bixby

The Spartans continue to roll, but what Fugate did in Friday’s convincing win against Moore was extra impressive. He scored four touchdowns, while also intercepting four passes. Fugate had two receiving TDs and his other two TDs came on interception returns.

Na'Kylan Starks, Coweta

Starks threw two TD passes, and also tossed a game-winning two-point conversion pass to LoLo Bell in overtime as the Tigers stayed undefeated after winning at Del City, 18-17. Starks also rushed for 94 yards.

Taylor Heim, Bethany

Heim completed 6-of-7 passes for 35 yards while running the ball 20 times for 100 yards and a TD in Bethany's 21-12 win against Blanchard. He also picked off two passes on defense.

Jacobe Johnson, Mustang

Johnson caught two passes for 124 yards and a TD, and also returned a kickoff 86 yards for another score in the Broncos' 56-17 win against Edmond North.

Shaker Reisig, Tulsa Union

In an impressive 52-21 win against Edmond Memorial, Reisig was 24-of-27 passing for 418 yards. He threw for one touchdown and the win clinched the District 6AI-2 title.

Tyrrell Bruner, Bishop McGuinness

The Irish defeated Piedmont and are in second place alone in Class 5A-2. Bruner only had three receptions in the win, but they all went for touchdowns. He finished with 124 yards receiving.

Ma’lek Murphy, Chickasha

In a 50-36 win against Mustang's junior varsity, Murphy had 18 carries for 405 yards and scored five touchdowns. For the year, Murphy has now surpassed 2,000 yards rushing.

Jake Tucker, Tuttle

Tucker had quite the defensive performance, as he powered his team to a win against Newcastle. Tucker had 16 tackles, a pass breakup and stripped the ball away from the Newcastle quarterback, which clinched the game.

Micah Teel, Claremore

With the game tied at 7 apiece, Teel scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Zebras with 37 seconds left against Tulsa Rogers. The win keeps Claremore’s playoff hopes alive.

John Washington III, Lincoln Christian

In a 49-7 win against Muldrow that clinched a fifth straight district championship for Lincoln Christian, Washington had 18 carries for 134 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also had seven catches for 104 yards.

Blaze Berlowitz, Cushing

The Tigers remain undefeated after a 70-21 win against Oologah. Berlowitz only played in the first half and he was 12-of-18 passing for 332 yards and five touchdowns. Berlowitz also recently announced he would continue playing football collegiately at New Mexico State University.

Drache Marveggio, Verdigris

After scoring 74 points against Dewey, Verdigris now sits at 8-1 on the year, but it was Marveggio’s defensive effort that stood out the most on Friday.

In the win, he had 17 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown and a fumble returned for a touchdown.

Diego Ramos, Vian

Vian handed Prague its first loss of the regular season, and while Ramos only completed nine passes in the 40-19 victory, he threw for 223 yards and tossed four touchdown passes. Three of those touchdowns were thrown in the second half.

DJ Strother, Beggs

After a 28-20 win against Morris, the Golden Demons improved to 6-3 on the year. As a sophomore, Strother had 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and forced a fumble.

Hudson Henslick, Collinsville

Henslick had TD runs covering 68 and 33 yards, and he also caught a 31-yard TD pass in the Cardinals' 42-21 win against Tulsa Edison. In addition, Henslick intercepted a pass on defense and recovered an onside kick on special teams.

Michael Adesola, Elgin

Adesola caught three passes for 72 yards, all coming in the final 6:50 of Thursday's game against Lawton MacArthur. But he had the game's biggest catch, a 30-yard reception with 37 seconds left to lift the Owls to a 20-13 win.

Landon Gilbreath, Sequoyah-Claremore

The Eagles' quarterback tossed three TD passes, including the eventual go-ahead score in the final quarter, as the Eagles rallied past Vinita, 22-21.

Jordan Johnson, Spiro

A 43-20 win against Heavener moved the Bulldogs to 5-4 on the year. Johnson had 242 yards rushing and scored five touchdowns in the convincing victory.

Trey Bennett, Clinton

The fullback rushed for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Red Tornadoes' 35-7 win at home against Cache.

Kellan Hicks, Frederick

Hicks scored on a 49-yard TD run in the fourth quarter that lifted the Bombers to a come-from-behind 21-20 win against Lindsay. The win also helps the Bombers in their bid to have an opening-round home playoff game in two weeks.

Liberty Football

Liberty and Mounds are separated by no more than five miles of each other. Liberty got the best of Mounds, winning 42-35. More so than that, the win clinched a playoff birth for Liberty for the first time in more than 20 years.