Oklahoma high school football: Four downs on Week 1's best upsets, finishes and more

Here's a look at some key highlights from Week 1 of Oklahoma high school football.

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Notable rivalry: Putnam West secures back-to-back wins against Putnam North

Putnam North’s football team typically has the edge in its rivalry with Putnam West, but West coach Gregory Johnson is growing accustomed to a different outcome.

The Patriots defeated the Panthers, 27-7, on Friday night at home, securing back-to-back wins against North for the first time since 1994-95.

Johnson, who brings coaching experience from college programs that include Langston, was West’s defensive coordinator when the Patriots slipped past North, 29-21, in overtime last year. When West head coach Willis Alexander left to lead Putnam City High School’s program heading into this season, Johnson stepped into the vacancy.

He was determined to not only continue what he started with Alexander, but also claim a more decisive victory against North.

“We didn’t want it to be a fluke like last year,” Johnson said. “That was the last thing I did. I showed them last year’s game, how we played, how we didn’t execute and how we kind of went through the motions. We didn’t want to have any excuses, so we went out and played our game this time.”

Senior multipurpose star Jordan Warrior had one receiving touchdown and returned an interception for a score. Junior running back Dujuan Knight added two touchdowns and 170 yards on 14 carries, while senior linebacker Kaleb Herrod played a key role on defense.

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Breakout players: Johnson twins keep family tradition strong at Mustang

Mustang relied on Jacobe Johnson in many crucial moments during the past season.

As the receiver/defensive back embarks on his OU football career, the Broncos have to turn to someone else.

But the star search wasn’t difficult – Johnson has two younger brothers on the team. With sophomore twins Jaden and Jaytee Johnson inheriting starting roles, Mustang is off to a solid start, rolling past Southmoore 44-13 on Friday night.

While Jaytee is filling Jacobe’s spot atop the depth chart, Jaden is succeeding receiver Keegan Bass, an Air Force freshman. Jaden showed his skills with eight receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns against the SaberCats.

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School record: Elgin sets program scoring mark

Elgin might be an under-the-radar contender in Class 5A, but Friday night’s lopsided win brought a little more attention to the program.

The Owls showed sheer dominance, scoring the most points in team history with a 76-0 rout of Class 3A Anadarko. They surpassed their mark of 75 points from 2017, when head coach Wyatt Chalmer was the offensive coordinator.

Elgin, a town about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, established its football program in 1980. The team enjoyed a breakout season last year, turning around from a 4-6 record to go 8-3 in its Class 5A debut.

That 2022 record included a 33-14 victory against Anadarko, a team that finished 4-7. This year, the Owls didn’t need much time for their lead to snowball.

Senior running back Matthew Lund scored two first-quarter touchdowns, and by the end of the quarter, Elgin was already up 42-0. The Owls carried a 70-0 lead into halftime.

Chalmer said he benched the starters for the second half, so several junior varsity players received opportunities. There was no running clock, but the scoring slowed after halftime. Brice Martin ran three yards for the lone second-half touchdown.

“We got (JV) guys in there, and we got some really good game film on them,” Chalmer said. “We got to evaluate those guys this weekend, and that’s what our second-half M.O. was, just to go out there and our young guys get some quality reps and look for some guys that can contribute on Friday nights.”

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Extra points

● OU commit Liam Evans made a 51-yard field goal, the difference-maker in Class 6A-I Moore’s 31-28 victory against Edmond North.

● After going 0-10 last year, Class 6A-II U.S. Grant opened this season with a win. The Generals defeated Northwest Classen, 20-0, as the defense secured four interceptions.

● Terry Flowers tallied 13 tackles, including four sacks and three tackles for loss, in Class 5A Southeast’s 27-0 victory against 6A-II Capitol Hill.

● Jackson Payne completed 11 of 19 pass attempts for 191 yards and three touchdowns as Class 4A Bethany defeated John Marshall, 51-34.

● Class 4A Harrah’s defense forced five turnovers in a 36-0 win over McLoud. Walker Johnson led the way with three sacks and also rushed for three touchdowns.

● Major Cantrell was efficient in Class 2A Washington’s 35-10 win against Class 3A Sulphur, completing nine of 10 pass attempts for 191 yards and three scores.

● Brandon Orme rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns as Class 2A Oklahoma Christian School rolled past Community Christian, 48-17.

● Five players scored for Class 2A Crossings Christian in a 41-7 victory against Hennessey.

● Class 2A Luther blazed past Perry, 38-6. Two-way star Quintin Richardson provided a pick-six, and Ruben Vega also had an interception.

● Class 2A Chandler stormed past Class A rival Stroud, 26-6, with 118 rushing yards and 175 passing yards from Alec Jackson.

● Class 2A Vian pulled off a 35-27 victory against Eufaula. Masyn Wright and Draighton Fletcher each compiled 100-plus rushing yards.

● Class 6A-I Bixby’s dominance continued with a 75-18 win against Springdale (Arkansas) Har-Ber.

● Class 6A-I powerhouse Jenks is 0-2 after a 34-28 loss to Owasso. Edmond Santa Fe upset the Trojans in Week Zero.

Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @halliehart. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football: Four downs looking back at Week 1