I would say Mustang for sure, there's just not many cracks in the back line and it's going to be hard for teams to win many aerial battles on set pieces vs. them because they're so big. Like I said, I haven't seen the Edmond schools in action, just know of a few players. A parent I talked to thinks Ed North is really good. Norman North is meh from what I saw vs Jenks. OK, but not what they were 3 years ago. I think BA/Union have a chance to be there at the end but it all depends what "team" shows up and if they play with intent. I know the tech skill is there for both those teams but sometimes they each rely on it way too much and forget about breaking teams down with movement and tactics. I'd say Union has an advantage tactically as they don't rely on that direct over the top play a lot of HS sides rely on to cover up the lack of MF quality and ball control. Like I said, what I saw in the first 30 minutes from Union last night makes me believe they can be that quality team but the individual mentality of the players is going to decide whether or not they are able to take advantage of that skill and speed they possess. I don't think Jenks has what it takes this season. The game I saw vs BA just didn't show enough quality and even sitting in a low block relying on their keeper didn't work vs BA and when they had to get out to try and knot the score they simply couldn't because they were unable to build an attack through the MF. Playing direct is fine if you have that big physical fast 9 or wingers who can stretch the field but Jenks doesn't really have any of that (last year they did). And when the other team knows you're desperate and going to play over the top you become, IMO, easy to defend. Owasso is OK but they lack depth and quality in some key places. Bixby, as I've said before, is just not very good this season. Even with the 2 players I've mentioned as being very good, they lack overall team speed and they rely on a sweeper to clean things up which may work on teams playing over the top but teams that can build through the MF will give them trouble. And their GKing is shoddy...spills too many balls and decision making, IMO, is an issue that puts his team on their heels.
On the girls side, Jenks is my favorite although I've heard one of the Edmond schools is really good and running a roster of D1 players out there. Can't remember which one. Union is a lot better than I thought they would...and they are a pretty young team. Shea Seals' daughter Viola is starting in goal for them and she is extremely athletic laterally and makes some good decisions on when to come out and challenge. She cannot quite cover the bar and it showed last night as Mustang scored a goal on a couple of set pieces where the GK should have controlled the cross in but she couldn't quite get to it. Mustang was also gifted a PK on what replay showed to be a yellow cardable fish flop in the box. I saw it again on YouTube this AM. It was an absolutely atrocious call. So unlike last year where Union was a very direct and over the top team because they had, from what I saw, the fastest winger in the state. They don't have her this year as she graduated but they do have Hayley Green who is fast and big and very technically sound and she is not afraid of being physical...she almost invites it and draws a lot of foul calls as defenders realize they can't move her off the ball with a simple nudge and when they bow up to hit her harder the call comes. Union works the ball through the MF extremely well on the girls side this year and they have a MF, Gracie Holmes, who is super fast and seemingly boundless energy. She gets on ball carriers pretty quick and forces a lot of TOs. She is not the most technically skilled MF but she creates a lot of havoc and has enough skill to get Union moving in the right direction. Last night they beat Mustang 4-3. Union played the 1st half with a back 3 and 5 in the MF and 2 up top. They went into half with a 3-1 lead and came out and scored pretty quickly in the 2nd half to go up 4-1...and then for some unknown reason Rozell switched to a back 4 and Union lost the ability to control the MF. I was walking with a couple of the girls JV players from Union and I asked if they usually play with a back 3 and they said yes and they're not really sure why they switched. It had a negative impact on how Union played the remainder of the game. Union does not possess any quality depth whatsoever. Players from the bench are probably pretty decent for their club teams but they looked like deer in headlights last night, very nervy and just not any ability to hold the ball up and keep possession. I think they can probably play and be on par with Owasso and BA but I think Jenks is going to run them off the field if they can't hold the ball better in possession. I haven't seen BK this year and this will be their first year in 6A. I know the boys are struggling with that move so far...don't know about the girls.
BTW, I've never been to Mustang before. They have a great HS campus and some beautiful facilities. Soccer complex is A1, baseball complex looked very nice, and it looks like they have a fairly new performing arts center which looked great on the outside. What I didn't realize was how far on the SW side of OKC it is.
On the girls side, Jenks is my favorite although I've heard one of the Edmond schools is really good and running a roster of D1 players out there. Can't remember which one. Union is a lot better than I thought they would...and they are a pretty young team. Shea Seals' daughter Viola is starting in goal for them and she is extremely athletic laterally and makes some good decisions on when to come out and challenge. She cannot quite cover the bar and it showed last night as Mustang scored a goal on a couple of set pieces where the GK should have controlled the cross in but she couldn't quite get to it. Mustang was also gifted a PK on what replay showed to be a yellow cardable fish flop in the box. I saw it again on YouTube this AM. It was an absolutely atrocious call. So unlike last year where Union was a very direct and over the top team because they had, from what I saw, the fastest winger in the state. They don't have her this year as she graduated but they do have Hayley Green who is fast and big and very technically sound and she is not afraid of being physical...she almost invites it and draws a lot of foul calls as defenders realize they can't move her off the ball with a simple nudge and when they bow up to hit her harder the call comes. Union works the ball through the MF extremely well on the girls side this year and they have a MF, Gracie Holmes, who is super fast and seemingly boundless energy. She gets on ball carriers pretty quick and forces a lot of TOs. She is not the most technically skilled MF but she creates a lot of havoc and has enough skill to get Union moving in the right direction. Last night they beat Mustang 4-3. Union played the 1st half with a back 3 and 5 in the MF and 2 up top. They went into half with a 3-1 lead and came out and scored pretty quickly in the 2nd half to go up 4-1...and then for some unknown reason Rozell switched to a back 4 and Union lost the ability to control the MF. I was walking with a couple of the girls JV players from Union and I asked if they usually play with a back 3 and they said yes and they're not really sure why they switched. It had a negative impact on how Union played the remainder of the game. Union does not possess any quality depth whatsoever. Players from the bench are probably pretty decent for their club teams but they looked like deer in headlights last night, very nervy and just not any ability to hold the ball up and keep possession. I think they can probably play and be on par with Owasso and BA but I think Jenks is going to run them off the field if they can't hold the ball better in possession. I haven't seen BK this year and this will be their first year in 6A. I know the boys are struggling with that move so far...don't know about the girls.
BTW, I've never been to Mustang before. They have a great HS campus and some beautiful facilities. Soccer complex is A1, baseball complex looked very nice, and it looks like they have a fairly new performing arts center which looked great on the outside. What I didn't realize was how far on the SW side of OKC it is.
