Sallisaw, Pocola face long road trips; Mansfield (Ark.) welcomes in traditional power; Evangel faces undefeated squad; East Texas teams Daingerfield, New Diana face off in area round

Sallisaw photo by Picturing Big Dreams Facebook page

By Buck Ringgold

Week two of the postseason is on the horizon in the 4States region.

For several teams, they are two wins away from playing for a state title, while for others, they are wanting to advance in a bracket that won’t be finalized until well into December.

This week’s 4States area high school football playoff schedule

Of the numerous postseason games in the area, what will be the 10 games to really focus on this week? Here’s a list.

Sallisaw (9-2) at Elgin (11-0) – Quarterfinals of the Oklahoma 4A state playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The Stakes: For the second consecutive season, the Black Diamonds have reached the 4A quarterfinals. They did so in dramatic fashion, rallying to force overtime against Grove in the first round and then denying the Ridgerunners the win by stopping them just short of the goal line on a potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt to prevail, 27-26. Sallisaw defensive back Broque Oft helped make the initial stop on the game-saving play. Tailback Kenyon Hill rushed for 96 yards, including the game-winning TD in OT. Sallisaw now hits the road to southwestern Oklahoma to face an undefeated Elgin squad.

Did You Know: After not having a winning record from 2011-21, Elgin has now posted three straight winning seasons. Last season, the Owls also started out 11-0 before falling to Claremore in the quarterfinals of the 5A playoffs.

Beggs (9-2) at Vian (11-0) – Quarterfinals of the Oklahoma 2A-II state playoffs.

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The Stakes: Vian is at home again to continue its march toward claiming its first state title since 1971. Last week, two interceptions – the first returned for a TD by Jacob Brannick – helped jump-start the Wolverines to a 14-0 lead. Vian also converted three second-half takeaways into 17 points en route to a 38-7 opening-round win against Kansas. The Wolverines now welcome in a Beggs squad that is riding a five-game win streak, the latest a convincing 43-0 win at Alva in the Demons’ opening-round game last week.

Did You Know: Beggs and Vian will square off for the first time since 2021, in the second round of the then-2A playoffs. The Demons ended the Wolverines’ season that year with a 44-24 win.

Pocola (9-2) at Hooker (10-1) – Quarterfinals of the Oklahoma A-I state playoffs.

When: 7 p.m. Friday 

The Stakes: Pocola easily handled Tonkawa, 52-14, to win its opening-round playoff game last week, with Indian quarterback Ja Posey passing for 356 yards and three TDs. Now, the Indians will be taking a very long journey for their next postseason tilt. The estimated distance between Pocola and Hooker is 450 miles, a roughly seven-hour trek. In addition, the Bulldogs are definitely a very formidable foe, with their only loss coming in the season opener, a 30-28 defeat to undefeated Sunray, Texas. Along the way, Hooker knocked off defending Class A champion Fairview, 38-7. Hooker has also shut out its last three opponents, including a 20-0 whitewash of Minco in its opening-round game last week.

Did You Know: According to a post on X, it’s much closer from Pocola to Shreveport, La. (247 miles), Dallas, Texas (254 miles), Memphis, Tenn. (298 miles), and even Falls City, Neb. (414 miles), than it is from Pocola to Hooker.

Newport (9-2) at Mansfield (9-2) – Second round of the Arkansas Class 3A state playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The Stakes: Mansfield is continuing to play good football at the right time. The Tigers come in having won eight straight games, all by double digits, and averaging a victory margin of 30.8 points in that span. Their latest triumph was a 42-7 win against old rival Paris in the first round of the 3A playoffs. Now, Mansfield has another home contest against one of the more tradition-rich programs out of Northeast Arkansas. Newport is also coming on hot, having won five straight, the latest a 54-18 win against McGehee in the Greyhounds’ first-round game. They have also been bolstered by the presence of senior tailback Kiandrea Barker, who spent his freshman and sophomore years at Beebe and then played last season at The Woodlands (Texas). Barker has rushed for 1,178 yards and 17 TDs, and in last week’s playoff win, went for 235 yards and scored four times.

Did You Know: Newport has won 23 conference championships and three state titles in its illustrious history. The Greyhounds’ last state crown came in 1991.

Mena (10-1) at Elkins (11-0) – Second round of the Arkansas Class 4A state playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The Stakes: Mena bounced back nicely from its Week 10 loss at Dardanelle, costing the Bearcats the conference title, with a 49-14 home win against Green Forest in the opening round. Michael Sullivan completed 13-of-16 passes for 178 yards and four TDs, while Brody Peters rushed for 108 yards and two TDs. Mena will get another stern road test this week, traveling to Northwest Arkansas to face undefeated Elkins. The Elks have scored 539 total points while giving up just 81 all season. In their last seven games, they’ve allowed 33 total points.

Did You Know: Mena has recorded its first 10-win season since 2014, when the Bearcats finished 12-3 and reached the 4A title game.

Destrehan (9-3) at Northwood-Shreveport (10-1) – Area round of the Louisiana Division I non-select playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The Stakes: Northwood has reeled off seven straight wins since the Falcons’ only defeat, to North DeSoto. The Falcons, the No. 7 seed in the bracket, opened the postseason by doubling the score on Salmen, winning 54-27. Kyran Johnson rushed for 204 yards and three TDs, a week after running for 185 yards and three TDs in Northwood’s regular-season finale. Destrehan, which won the Division I non-select championship two years ago and went undefeated in the regular season the following year, is currently riding a six-game winning streak. The Wildcats began their playoff ride with a 30-12 bi-district win against Ouachita Parish.

Did You Know: Destrehan has won six state titles, two coming in the 1940s and also winning back-to-back in 2007-08 before claiming it again in 2022. Perhaps its most notable alum is Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings’ standout All-Pro receiver who played college ball at LSU.

Evangel Christian (6-5) at Alexandria (10-0) – Area round of the Louisiana Division I select playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday

The Stakes: Evangel Christian got its revenge on Captain Shreve. After falling to the Gators in a wild high-scoring overtime game in October, the Eagles returned the favor in another scoring fest, 58-48. Quarterback Peyton Houston threw for 384 yards and four TDs, but the big TD came on a game-sealing interception return late in the game from Damari Drake. Evangel’s reward for winning is taking a trip down Interstate 49 to Central Louisiana and a matchup against Alexandria, the No. 2 seed in the bracket which drew a first-round bye. The Trojans come in averaging 48 points per game and own impressive regular-season wins against three defending state champions: Union Parish, Opelousas and Ruston. Alexandria also clinched a perfect regular season with a 42-16 win against Neville, which entered that game with a 9-0 record as well.

Did You Know: Alexandria has won 10 games in a single season for the first time since the Trojans won 10 games in 2018 and again in 2019.

Longview (9-2) vs. Lancaster (5-6) — Area round of the Texas 6A Division II Region II playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas

The Stakes: Longview comes into Friday’s game riding a seven-game winning streak. The Lobos held a 16-13 lead entering the fourth quarter of last week’s bi-district game against Naaman Forest before scoring a TD to pull away for a 23-13 win. Senior tailback Kelvin Washington rushed for 104 yards on 25 carries and had two TDs in the win, and now has 1,872 yards and 23 TDs on the season. Lancaster may come in with a sub .500 record, but that appears to be deceiving, as the Tigers play in perhaps the toughest district in Texas, 11-6A, which includes defending state champions Duncanville and DeSoto. They also lost to another defending state champ, Aledo, and another defeat was to an undefeated North Crowley squad. 

Did You Know: Longview holds a 5-1 lead in the all-time series between the two. However, Lancaster beat the Lobos in last season’s playoffs, 27-24, in the regional semifinal round.

Daingerfield (6-5) vs. New Diana (11-0) – Area round of the Texas 3A Division II Region III playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Pittsburg 

The Stakes: A pair of Northeast Texas teams clash in this postseason contest. Daingerfield continues its remarkable turnaround from starting out 1-5. The Tigers have reeled off five straight wins, the latest a 35-14 win against Gilmer Harmony in last week’s bi-district round. Quarterback Chase Johnson passed for a TD and ran for another. Reign Wallace also gave the Tigers their first TD by returning a punt 50 yards. New Diana, meanwhile, maintained its perfect season with a 43-21 bi-district win against New Waverly. Quarterback DeJuan Johnson was 11-of-20 passing for 226 yards and three TDs, all to Jaiydyn Johnson, and added 124 yards rushing.

Did You Know: Daingerfield is 6-1 against New Diana since 2009, with the Eagles’ lone win in that span coming in 2017. The two teams last played in the 2023 regular season, with the Tigers claiming a 42-0 win on the heels of a 73-6 win the season before.

Jefferson (11-0) vs. Grandview (7-4) – Area round of the Texas 3A Division I Region II playoffs

When: 7 p.m. Thursday in Athens

The Stakes: Jefferson continued its unbeaten season with a bi-district playoff win against Mineola, 53-24, behind a big night from tailback Kamran Williams. Williams rushed for 269 yards on 21 carries and had a season-high six TDs. For the season, he now has 2,091 yards and 25 scores. Grandview, which started its season 1-3, has now reeled off six wins over its last seven games, the latest a 54-17 win against Whitesboro. The previous two seasons, the Zebras won 11 games apiece.

Did You Know: Grandview won back-to-back state championships in 2018 and again in 2019, the only two titles in program history for the Zebras. 

Buck Ringgold | @Bucks_Ballpark | realarklahomasports@gmail.com