State Preview: 3A

<p>Class 3A has probably had the most shakeups thus far in the playoffs. For starters, two top five teams lost and didn’t qualify, including Millwood and Christian Heritage. And to go along with those two, Adair and Star Spencer, #7 and #8, are also out. While 3A has the most surprises and underdogs, it’s still going to be a dog fight to see who comes out victorious. Here are the matchups, and some analysis and backstory on how they made it to state.</p> <p><strong>#1 Crossings Christian vs Westville</strong></p> <p><strong>#2 Hugo vs #13 Marlow</strong></p> <p><strong>#10 Eufaula vs #4 Community Christian</strong></p> <p><strong>#6 Beggs vs Alva</strong></p> <p>Four out of the eight teams in state are outside of the top nine, and two of them are unranked entirely. <strong>Westville</strong>, the surprise of the playoffs, had only won seven games before the playoffs started. Sitting at 13-10, they had to win five games in a row, including a win over #3 Millwood, because they lost in regionals. They will be given the tough task of the #1 team in the class, <strong>Crossings Christian</strong>. The Knights only have one loss in class play and it’s to CHA, who was eliminated in district round. They have the best duo in the class with [player_tooltip player_id="955383" first="Reid" last="Lovelace"] and [player_tooltip player_id="745387" first="Cooper" last="Gudell"], making them the heavy favorite in this 3A bracket. <strong>Hugo</strong> had a perfect regular season, the only team to go undefeated, but they lost a close on in Area to Beggs. After winning the consolation, Hugo has a chance to prove a lot of people wrong. <strong>Marlow</strong> was another surprise team, as they had no trouble advancing to state. They won every playoff game, including against #4 Community Christian and #5 Christian Heritage and punched their ticket. With a record of 18-4, it’s starting to look like maybe Marlow was a bit overlooked. <strong>Eufaula</strong> and <strong>Community Christian</strong> is the matchup I’m most excited for. While the advantage goes to Community Christian on paper, Eufaula has been red hot. Winners of nine out of the last ten, they swept their playoff competition and punched their ticket. Community Christian had a surprise loss along the way and had to beat a good CHA team in the consolation. This game could be an upset waiting to happen. <strong>Beggs</strong> only lost two games all season, and neither of them were against 3A teams. This team is long and athletic led by Trey Gaines and 4-star football star Kendal Daniels. This team plays bully ball and they can run in transition. They are dangerous, and should be in the top five. <strong>Alva</strong> will have their hands full, but they’ve played great competition to prepare them. Alva is a gritty team, and they won three ranked games on their way to state. They lost to #1 Crossings Christian so they had to battle their way back. This is a team that is heating up at the right time.</p> <p><strong>Predictions:</strong></p> <p>All predictions went out the window when five top ten teams lost. 3A has been incredibly entertaining, and we shouldn’t expect that to stop now. Meeting in the state championship, I have Crossings Christian and Beggs. This game will be a basketball fan’s dream, as it’s athleticism and strength vs shooting and finesse. I have <strong>Crossings</strong> winning it all, but wouldn’t be surprised if Beggs was the team to knock them off.</p>