Who Are The Dark Horses This Postseason?

This 2024 Fall Season has flown by. It seems just like yesterday it was August 12 and we were talking about how it was the first full week of official games.

We’ve played 6 weeks of the season and the upcoming 7th week means it is time for the postseason to officially start. Classes A and B begin their postseason with Districts this week while Class 2A will begin their postseason with their best of 3 Regionals the following week. (Classes A & B play 4 – 4 team Regionals the same week Class 2A starts.)

Coming into the postseason, we know who the top teams in each class are. In 2A you have Silo and Dale. In A you have Wright City and Rattan as well as Okarche. And in Class B you have Calumet and Ft Cobb-Broxton.

We thought we would look at some teams in each class that could make some noise in the postseason that some may not think otherwise. Our Newt Huntley and Brendan Dillon take a look at who they think are dark horses in each class.

*For this purpose, a dark horse is a team that in NOT ranked in the top 4 of each class in the latest OSSAA Rankings. So Silo, Dale, Byng, and Oktaha are out in 2A; Wright City, Rattan, Okarche, and Wister are out in A; and FCB, Calumet, Stuart, and Asher are out in Class B.

Class 2A

Newt Huntley: For this exercise, I’d first like to say that I consider Oktaha a dark horse because I have them #6 in my latest Top Ten rankings. But, I digress.

Let’s face it, based on what we’ve seen so far this season, the clear cut favorites are Silo and Dale. So picking anyone else would be considered a dark horse. Having said that, I’d have to go with Tushka as my dark horse. They’ve won 8 of their last 10 games with those 2 losses to Dale and FCB. They’ve beaten Oktaha twice in the last 2 weeks. Their loss to Calera was by a run almost a month ago and they’ve gone 10-3 since. The Tigers are on a little bit of a run and they are a team that could make it to the semifinals.

Brendan Dillon: With the split this season between 2A and Class A in the fall, the class looked to have a three-team upper-echelon of Silo, Dale, and Oktaha, with everyone else fighting for a spot in the semis. Fast forward to now and that was partly right, however, instead of three teams it has turned into a two-team race between the Pirates and Rebels.

As hard as it is to see any other teams breaking through and making a run, I’ve got my eye in particular on a Tushka squad that’s better than a glance at their record would indicate. 15-7 isn’t turning many heads, however, a closer look tells you that all seven losses came to teams in the top five of their respective class, and nearly half came by two or fewer runs. That also tells you that Tushka has avoided any upsets, and has proven they can take care of the teams at or below their level, which bodes well in the super regional round where the Tigers will face a team below them in the rankings.

Class A

Newt Huntley: No offense to the other teams that would be up for consideration, but the obvious choice for me is Canute. I have them #4 in my Top Ten rankings right now and I’m not so sure I won’t have them #3 next week if everything plays out this weekend like we think it will.

The Trojans have won 13 games in a row through Thursday including wins over FCB, Navajo, Hydro-Eakly, and Arapaho-Butler in that span. They have a potent lineup with Jake Knutson, Jake Beutler, and Teague Farris among others, and they’ve shown they can get it done on the mound as well.

Wright City and Rattan are the favorites at this point, but if Canute keeps playing like they are currently, if one of them sees the Trojans in the state tournament, don’t be surprised if Canute pulls the upset.

Canute’s Jake Knutson scores a run during the 2024 Spring Class A State Tournament. The Trojans look to make a deep run in the 2024 Fall Postseason. Photo via Bryan Terry/THE OKLAHOMAN

Brendan Dillon: Call it recency bias if you must, but when I look at a Ripley squad that’s 7-1 against in-class opponents, with the only loss being to championship contender Okarche by one run who they beat last week, I see a team with a chance to make noise in the postseason. Add to that the Warriors have a winning record against teams in the top five of their class and the pieces of a dark horse state tournament candidate are fitting together like a puzzle fresh out of the box.

Most important to me are the back-to-back 1-0 victories over Am-Po and Okarche last week. To make a run in the state tournament, it’s not just about having one or two great arms, it’s about whether you’ve got the depth on the mound to continue to get outs once you’re on your 4th, 5th, or 6th arm of the tournament. The Warriors proved they’ve got the depth on the mound when their guys are locked in to compete with some of the best teams in the class, so consider me on board the Ripley hype train come postseason time.

Class B

Newt Huntley: The obvious choice for Class B is Boswell. According to the OSSAA Rankings, they are currently #5, but I have them as #4 in my Top Ten. The Scorpions are 8-1 in their 9 games vs Class B opponents. They could very well be a Regional host if they get past the District round.

I also want to take a look at a team that is off most people’s radars. Moss is currently ranked #14 in the class with a record of 8-14. Taking a deeper dive into their record and you’ll see they’ve played only 6 games vs Class B teams and they have a record of 5-1. Their 5 wins are over Tupelo, Caney, Varnum, Haileyville, and Asher. Tupelo, Caney, and Asher are all ranked ahead of the Pirates. Furthermore, 3 of the Pirates’ losses are against Silo, another 2 are to Tushka, and losses to Dale, Latta, Calumet, Ripley, and Preston – all state title or state championship contenders in their respective classes. Moss could make a case as having the toughest schedule of any team this fall.

Brendan Dillon: Let’s just be honest with ourselves here, if the Class B state championship isn’t Ft. Cobb-Broxton vs Calumet we’re all going to be shocked. However, if there’s one team that’s got a chance to pull the upset off I like Stuart’s chances the most of the field. Stuart is undefeated against Class B opponents this season, granted they haven’t played Calumet or FCB, and have looked the part of a team poised to make a deep run, outscoring in-class opponents 58-8. With a statement win 11-0 over the 4th ranked team in the class, Stuart has cemented themselves as the best shot at an upset in a top-heavy class.

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