Class B football districts 1-4 preview: Polls, storylines, players, games to watch

Laverne’s football team has potential for a three-peat.

The Tigers captured back-to-back Class B state championships in 2021 and 2022. Entering this season with second-year head coach Matt Cox, Laverne is seeking its third straight title.

Junior star Felix Teal returns with the skills to boost the Tigers in a variety of ways, most notably at quarterback. But Laverne’s dominance isn’t guaranteed — several other teams could shake up the championship chase.

Here’s a look at the Class B landscape in Districts 1-4 heading into the 2023 Oklahoma high school football season:

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Top storylines

Can Seiling avenge last year’s finals loss?: Seiling was so close to a state title. Although Laverne jumped to a 22-0 lead in last year’s finals, Seiling clawed back and narrowed the Tigers’ lead to eight points. But the Wildcats couldn’t fully erase the gap. This year, Seiling has another chance at the Class B crown as star quarterback Kaden Manuel returns for his senior season. Seiling hasn’t won a state football championship since 1988.

Will District B-1 be loaded again?: The competition was fierce in District B-1 during the past season. Laverne led the way, but four of the six teams finished with winning records. Balko/Forgan, Hollis and Turpin all had strong regular seasons, though Balko/Forgan and Turpin fell in the first round of playoffs. With these teams in the mix, few District B-1 outcomes are easy to predict.

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Returning stars

Jud Cheatham, Sr., Enid Oklahoma Bible: Cheatham rushed for 1,437 yards and 22 touchdowns on 157 carries last season. He also had 47 receptions for 744 yards and nine scores.

Kaden Manuel, Sr., Seiling: Manuel has football offers from East Central and Emporia State, and he’s also a stellar basketball player. As Seiling’s quarterback, he threw for 223 yards and ran for 131 in the state finals.

Felix Teal, Jr., Laverne: Although Teal plays for a small 8-man program, he’s starting to receive big-time attention. He has attended camps at Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Teal guided the Tigers to the 2022 state title with 192 rushing yards, 82 passing yards and three touchdowns as the starting quarterback.

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Key games

Seiling at Covington-Douglas, Week 9: This could likely determine the district champion. Last year, Seiling dominated the matchup, 56-8, but what happens when Covington-Douglas is the host?

Turpin at Laverne, Week 9: This is another game with likely district title implications. Last season, it was a high-scoring showdown as Laverne defeated Turpin, 62-40.

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Coaches’ polls

Twenty-one of 24 head coaches voted in their respective polls. Teams are listed with last year’s records.

B-1

• 1. Laverne (13-1)

• 2. Turpin (8-3)

• 3. Shattuck (4-4)

• 4. Hollis (8-3)

• 5. Balko/Forgan (6-4)

• 6. Beaver (0-8)

B-2

• 1. Enid Oklahoma Bible (13-1)

• 2. Garber (5-5)

• 3. Cherokee (4-7)

• 4. Ringwood (6-6)

• 5. Pond Creek-Hunter (4-7)

• 6. Kremlin-Hillsdale (1-9)

B-3

• 1. Seiling (13-2)

• 2. Covington-Douglas (9-3)

• 3. Okeene (4-6)

• 4. Southwest Covenant (5-5)

• 5. Waukomis (4-6)

• 6. Canton (4-7)

B-4

• 1. Velma-Alma (10-4)

• 2. Cyril (5-6)

• 3. Waurika (7-4)

• 4. Wilson (4-7)

• 5. Alex (0-10)

• 6. Central Marlow (3-7)

*Last year's record in parentheses

—Hallie Hart, Staff writer

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football 2023 Class B districts 1-4 previews