District 3A-4 season preview

Coaches’ poll

1. Berryhill (11-1)

2. Jay (10-2)

(tie.) Cascia Hall (6-5) 4. Seq.Claremore (7-4) 5. Vinita (3-7) 6. Verdigris (4-6) 7. Locust Grove (5-5) 8. Inola (3-7) *-Last year’s records in parentheses.

District Favorite: Berryhill.

Berryhill brings back six starters from an offense that scored in bunches last year, averaging more than 43 points per game. On defense, Berryhill gets after the quarterback, returning three players who combined for 31 sacks last season.

Returning stars Travis Brown, RB, Locust Grove:

A do-everything back for the Pirates, Brown racked up 900 rushing yards, nearly 500 receiving yards and nine total touchdown as a sophomore last year. Expect Brown’s workload to only increase.

Sam Coulon, DT/OT, Cascia Hall:

Leading the way in trenches for Cascia Hall, Coulon lives in the opposition’s backfield. Last year he recorded 51 tackles, 23 of which were for a loss.

Kody Stanley, TE/DE, Berryhill:

A red-zone weapon on offense for Berryhill, Stanley caught 26 passes last year for seven touchdowns. On defense is where the 6-2, 220-pound end shines, recording 126 tackles and 14 sacks last year.

Key game: Cascia Hall at Berryhill, Week 8.

Rivals are back together in the same district and the late-season matchup between them could decide the who takes home the title. Can Cascia Hall’s strong defense slow down what looks to be a potent Berryhill offense?