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Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City high school football first-team selections

hallie hart, nick sardis and jordan davis, the oklahoman
·7 min read

Here's a look at The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City football first team.

More: Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City high school football roster

Washington's Hudson Howard tries to get by Millwood's Jaden Nickens during the Class 2A high school football championship game between Millwood and Washington at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
Washington's Hudson Howard tries to get by Millwood's Jaden Nickens during the Class 2A high school football championship game between Millwood and Washington at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.

Offense

QB, Andy Bass, Heritage Hall, Sr., 6-0, 205: Bass had a stellar final season at Heritage Hall as the future OU preferred walk-on led the Chargers to their second consecutive state championship game. Bass threw for 3,144 yards and 34 touchdowns this past season while also rushing for 1,480 yards and an additional 31 touchdowns.

RB, Carson Clagg, Chandler, Sr., 5-10, 195: Clagg recovered from multiple injuries to shine during his senior season, fueling the Lions as a standout running back and linebacker. He rushed for 1,808 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.

RB, Hudson Howard, Washington, Jr., 5-7, 181: Washington has a long list of productive running backs who have thrived over the years, and Howard is the next man up. He had a breakout season as the Class 2A Warriors went undefeated for the second straight year, finishing with 174 carries for 1,605 yards and 26 touchdowns.

WR, Jaden Nickens, Millwood, Jr., 6-3, 180: The OU commit had 39 receptions for 716 yards and 11 touchdowns. Nickens, who is now at Douglass, also played defensive back and had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. He helped Millwood advance to the Class 2A title game as he returned a kickoff 77 yards for a score as time expired against Kiefer.

WR, Rashaud Smith, Heritage Hall, Sr., 6-0, 182: Smith served as the Chargers’ top receiver on an offense that accumulated nearly 5,000 total yards. In his final season, Smith caught 53 passes for 1,051 yards and 14 touchdowns.

TE, Nate Roberts, Washington, Jr., 6-4, 231: One of the nation’s top tight end recruits in the 2025 class, Roberts had a productive season, recording 41 catches for 816 yards and eight scores.

OL, Stone Fisher, Crescent, Sr., 6-2, 270: Fisher anchored the offensive line as Crescent stacked up 2,078 rushing yards and 1,633 receiving yards. He also played a key role on defense with 59 tackles, three fumble recoveries and four sacks.

OL, Jack Harris, Heritage Hall, Sr., 6-1, 228: He was the Chargers’ right tackle and also thrived at defensive end, recording 70 tackles, including 13 for loss, and six sacks.

OL, Ace Hodges, Casady, Sr., 6-2, 279: Hodges, who will continue his career as an OU preferred walk-on, was a dominant force as both an offensive and defensive lineman. Along with providing gaping holes on offense, he had 61.5 tackles, including 21.5 for loss, 13.5 sacks, 11 passes batted down and one forced fumble.

OL, Ross Johnston, Blanchard, Sr., 6-6, 289: The Tulsa signee helped Blanchard claim the Class 4A crown. Johnston had 19 pancakes and was a reliable blocker throughout the season.

OL, Jace Warren, Tuttle, Sr., 6-0, 255: He had a solid season on both sides of the football. Along with thriving on offense, Warren finished with 61 tackles on defense.

More: Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Big All-City high school football roster

Blanchard's Brayson Carter avoids the tackle of Toby Batchelder on his way to a kickoff return for a touchdown as the Blanchard Lions play the Newcastle Racers in high school football on Sept. 29, 2023 in Newcastle, Okla.
Blanchard's Brayson Carter avoids the tackle of Toby Batchelder on his way to a kickoff return for a touchdown as the Blanchard Lions play the Newcastle Racers in high school football on Sept. 29, 2023 in Newcastle, Okla.

Defense

DL, Cooper Alexander, Washington, Sr., 6-3, 228: Alexander bolstered the Warriors’ presence in the trenches on both sides of the ball since transferring to Washington from Norman. At tight end, the Iowa State signee caught 33 passes for 532 yards and seven touchdowns.

DL, Zavier Freeman, Heritage Hall, Sr., 6-1, 255: He was named Most Valuable Defensive Player of District 3A-2 after recording 86 tackles, including 20 for loss, and 11 sacks.

DL, Tre Stevenson, Perkins-Tryon, Sr., 6-1, 230: He was unique in that starred as a running back and defensive end, an uncommon combination. On defense, he had 58 tackles, including 12 for loss, and four sacks. On offense, he finished with 199 carries for 1,182 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading Perkins-Tryon to the Class 3A semifinals.

DL, Ashton Taylor, Minco, Sr., 6-2, 215: He had 72 tackles (14 for loss), 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and one interception.

LB, Cameron Carter, Millwood, Jr., 6-0, 218: Carter proved to be immensely valuable for the Falcons in his junior season, recording 55 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a touchdown. He also served as Millwood’s redzone back at times offensively, rushing for 331 yards and nine touchdowns.

LB, Tyler Hughes, Blanchard, Sr., 6-0, 195: He was named the District 4A-2 Defensive Player of the Year. Hughes had 81 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

LB, Micho Lavine, Millwood, Sr., 6-2, 202: Lavine was a key catalyst on a Millwood defense that suffocated opposing offenses in Class 2A. He recorded 47½ tackles, 2½ sacks, an interception and a touchdown while leading the Falcons to their second consecutive state title game.

DB, Brayson Carter, Blanchard, Jr., 5-9, 150: He stood out in several roles for the Lions, starring at free safety, receiver and as a ball carrier and returner. Carter had 63 tackles, five interceptions, seven pass deflections and one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. He also had 61 catches for 683 yards and four touchdowns, 33 carries for 155 yards and three scores and two kickoffs returned for touchdowns.

DB, Elijah Green, Classen SAS, Sr., 6-2, 193: The Tulsa signee finished his high school career with a great season, finishing with 45 tackles and three interceptions. Green was also impactful offensively as he recorded 670 receiving yards and 10 scores and 382 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

DB, Brady McAdoo, Tuttle, Jr., 6-0, 180: He excelled in several ways for the Tigers. McAdoo recorded 43 tackles and three interceptions on defense. On the other side of the football, he had 106 carries for 601 yards and seven touchdowns, as well as 18 catches for 299 yards and three scores. He also punted and returned one punt for a touchdown.

DB, Braydon Scott, Jones, Sr., 5-11, 145: After helping Jones reach the Class 2A state semifinals, Scott picked up the District 2A-2 Receiver of the Year award. He led the Longhorns with 976 yards and 12 touchdowns on 48 receptions, averaging 20.3 yards per catch, and also stood out defensively.

More: Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Big All-City high school football first-team selections

Heritage Hall's Jordyn Harris runs past Lincoln Christian's Mason Torres during the Class 3A high school football championship game between Heritage Hall and Lincoln Christian at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.
Heritage Hall's Jordyn Harris runs past Lincoln Christian's Mason Torres during the Class 3A high school football championship game between Heritage Hall and Lincoln Christian at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Special teams

K, Toby Batchelder, Newcastle, Sr., 5-10, 150: He hit 7 of 7 field goals, including a 49-yarder. Batchelder went 51 of 53 on extra-point attempts.

P, Carson Cooksey, Blanchard, Sr., 6-0, 185: The Lions’ quarterback and punter was named the District 4A-2 Player of the Year. He completed 230 of 380 passes (60.5%) for 3,175 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Cooksey also had 215 rushing yards and nine scores.

KR/PR, Jordyn Harris, Heritage Hall, Sr., 6-0, 170: Harris had a stellar season for the Chargers, serving as their top defensive back and return specialist. He recorded 96 tackles and five interceptions on defense while also racking up 1,701 yards and 17 touchdowns as a receiver and rusher on offense.

More: Where are Oklahoma high school athletes going to college? Here's the 2024 signing list

Blanchard head coach Jeff Craig celebrates after Blanchard won the 4A high school football state championship game between Blanchard and Wagoner at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Okla., on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.
Blanchard head coach Jeff Craig celebrates after Blanchard won the 4A high school football state championship game between Blanchard and Wagoner at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, Okla., on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

Little All-City Coach of the Year: Jeff Craig, Blanchard

Craig led Class 4A Blanchard to its third championship in football and first since 2012. The Lions went 13-1, and their lone loss was a 21-7 defeat against Class 5A Piedmont. Blanchard entered the title game against Wagoner as the underdog, but the Lions outplayed the defending champion. Blanchard never trailed and escaped with a 19-14 victory.

More: Which Oklahoma high school football players are committed to FBS programs?

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City HS football first team