Class 3A 2023 football district previews: Polls, storylines, players and games to watch

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Class 3A 2023 football district previews: Polls, storylines, players and games to watch​

Nick Sardis
The Oklahoman

A trend is emerging in Class 3A football in Oklahoma.
Look at the list of champions in recent years, and one thing becomes blatantly obvious — private schools are ruling the classification.
A public school hasn’t claimed a state title in Class 3A since 2017, when John Marshall defeated Beggs 14-7 in the championship game.
As the 2023 season nears, it appears the streak likely won’t end.
Here are some storylines, players and games to watch and district coaches’ polls for Class 3A this year.

Top storylines​

Heritage Hall eyes another title. The Chargers defeated Tulsa Metro Christian 72-56 in the title game last year, claiming their first championship since 2018. Heritage Hall’s 72 points and the combined total of 128 set an Oklahoma high school 11-man championship record. Heritage Hall has all five of its starting offensive linemen back this season, as well as star quarterback Andy Bass and receiver and defensive back Jordyn Harris. The Chargers are 101-7 under coach Brett Bogert and haven’t lost a district game during his tenure.


Will Tulsa Lincoln Christian make a deep run? The Bulldogs won the title in 2019 and made championship appearances in 2020 and 2021, losing to Tulsa Holland Hall both times. Last year, Tulsa Lincoln Christian finished 11-2 and lost to Tulsa Metro Christian 49-35 in the semifinals. The Bulldogs remain a team to watch, and it’ll be interesting to see how they fare.

Will a public school make it to the title game? The last time a public school made a Class 3A championship appearance was in 2019, when Plainview lost to Tulsa Lincoln Christian 42-21. Perkins-Tryon and Sulphur and a couple of public schools that are expected to have solid teams that might make a deep playoff run.

Players to watch​

Andy Bass, Sr., Heritage Hall:The Chargers’ signal caller is coming off a season in which he completed 200 of 319 (62.7%) passes for 2,833 yards and 28 touchdowns and had eight interceptions. Bass also had 125 carries for 970 yards and 17 scores. His recruitment picked up in the offseason, and he’s set to announce his commitment on Aug. 24. He’ll choose between Kansas State, Oklahoma and Syracuse.

DaMontre Patterson, Sr., Sulphur: A wide receiver and defensive back, he played at Class A Elmore City-Pernell during his first two seasons of high school and was with Class 4A Ada last year. Now, Patterson plays at Sulphur and is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He holds offers from Arkansas Baptist, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California, Colorado, Marshall, Michigan State and New Hampshire.

Elijah Thomas, Jr., Checotah: The wide receiver committed to OU last month, picking the Sooners over Alabama, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and several other programs that offered him. Thomas, who also plays defensive back for Checotah, is a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports.

Top games to watch​

Tulsa Metro Christian at Perkins-Tryon, Week 5: Perkins-Tryon senior running back and defensive end Eric Stevenson will be a player to watch in this one. And although Tulsa Metro Christian star quarterback Kirk Francis graduated, the Patriots are known for consistently having great offenses under coach Jared McCoy.

Verdigris at Bristow, Week 6: The top two teams in District 3A-4 according to The Oklahoman’s coaches’ poll will meet just past the halfway point in the season, and it’ll likely play a big role in the district title race. Bristow edged the Cardinals in a close one last year, winning 15-14.

Sulphur at Heritage Hall, Week 9: This has a good chance of being the game of the year in District 3A-2 and one of Heritage Hall’s biggest tests during the regular season.

Coaches’ polls​

3A-1​

• 1. Tulsa Metro Christian (13-1)
• 2. Perkins-Tryon (9-3)
• 3. Kingfisher (8-4)
• 4. Anadarko (4-7)
• 5. North Rock Creek (3-7)
• 6. McLoud (5-5)
• 7. Mannford (1-9)
• 8. Mount St. Mary (2-8)

3A-2​

• 1. Heritage Hall (13-1)
• T-2. Marlow (7-4)
• T-2. Sulphur (4-5)
• 4. Pauls Valley (6-5)
• 5. Lone Grove (8-3)
• 6. Plainview (5-5)
• 7. Douglass (2-8)
• 8. Dickson (1-9)

3A-3​

• 1. Tulsa Lincoln Christian (11-2)
• 2. Stigler (9-3)
• 3. Berryhill (5-5)
• 4. Seminole (3-7)
• 5. Checotah (3-7)
• 6. Locust Grove (2-8)
• 7. Muldrow (8-3)

3A-4​

• 1. Bristow (6-5)
• 2. Verdigris (11-2)
• 3. Tulsa Cascia Hall (9-3)
• 4. Tulsa Holland Hall (5-6)
• 5. Tulsa Central (5-5)
• 6. Jay (4-6)
• T-7. Dewey (2-8)
• T-7. Inola (1-10)