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The 2012 high school football season kicks off tonight, and all the Grady County schools will be in action.
Chickasha, Bridge Creek and Alex each begin their seasons with home games, while Tuttle, Blanchard, Minco and Rush Springs will be trying to get an early-season road win.
Chickasha vs. Anadarko
7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Chickasha
Anadarko won the state championship in class 3A last season, but graduated one of the top running backs in the state, Sheldon Wilson. The Warriors have moved up to class 4A in 2012.
Chickasha comes into the season with some question marks, and Anadarko should present a good test for the Chicks at home.
Things to watch for from Chickasha include who gets the start at quarterback, how well the offensive line blocks, and how effectively the Fightin' Chicks are able to run the option.
Defensively, Chickasha will rely on its front four to bring pressure and stop the run, while the secondary utilizes its speed and tries to force turnovers.
Blanchard @ Bethany
Blanchard finished 5-5 last year, and had trouble finishing both drives and games. This season, with higher expectations, the Lions face a Bethany team that went 9-4 but graduated a two-year starter at quarterback, and has only two returning starters on defense.
Tuttle @ Plainview
Head coach Phil Koons' Tuttle Tigers enter the season with high expectations and are favored to win the 3A-1 district. Plainview is also one of the top teams in class 3A, picked to win its district as well.
The Tuttle offense is anchored by a group of seniors: quarterback Cooper Koons, wide receivers Dawson Bassett and Seth Odom and running back Michael Hollarn.
With the Tigers switching to a 3-4 defense and adding plenty of newcomers, it will be crucial that they pick up the system quickly.
Other games: Bridge Creek v. Washington, Minco @ Dibble, Rush Springs @ Elgin and Alex v. Weleetka
Check page 2B for schedules from all the area high school football teams, as well as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State schedules.
