What were the top 25 football games in Oklahoma from the 2023 season?

With the high school football season completed in Oklahoma, there were plenty of thrilling games in the postseason and regular season.

Here at SBLive Oklahoma, we are offering our personal list of the top 25 games from 2023, as compiled by our staff.

1. El Reno defeats Noble, 68-67, in 5A regular season 

In a high-scoring affair, El Reno running back Malachi Nicholson scored eight touchdowns and rushed for 521 yards on 37 carries, setting a single-game state rushing record at the 11-man level. El Reno needed every single play by him and the Indians trailed by as many as 18 points. Noble quarterback Joey Bear led his team with nine touchdowns and scored late in the game. Noble went for the win on a quarterback draw, but Bear was stuffed at the goal line.

2. Muskogee defeats Stillwater, 28-26, in 6AII state championship

It was the first state championship for Muskogee since 1986 and it came down to the final seconds. Muskogee was ahead, 28-20, and the Pioneers drove 77 yards and scored a touchdown with 20 seconds to play. But the Muskogee defense held its own on the two-point conversion attempt. Stillwater needed an onside kick, but Muskogee’s Kayden McGee recovered and the Roughers took a knee to end the game.

3. Blanchard defeats Wagoner, 19-14, in 4A state championship game

Wagoner nearly overcame six turnovers and a late start due to a thunderstorm in the Class 4A state championship game. The game was scheduled to kick at 7 p.m., but did not kick off until 9:15 p.m. However, the Lions held on in the final play when Wagoner quarterback Kale Charboneau’s pass was thrown into the back of the end zone. The win also snapped a 23-game win streak by Wagoner.

4. Muskogee defeats Edmond Deer Creek, 36-35, in 6AII semifinal

The Roughers trailed, 16-13, at halftime. Jamarian Ficklin threw a nice touchdown pass to put Muskogee ahead. The Roughers kept making plays, but so did Edmond Deer Creek. Muskogee was ahead 36-29 and Deer Creek scored a touchdown late in the game. Deer Creek went all in, going for two, but the Rougher defense found a way to keep the ball out of the end zone one final time and got the win.

5. Stillwater defeats Choctaw, 33-29, in 6AII semifinal

This game came down to the final play and Choctaw had the football at the Stillwater 3-yard line with less than 10 seconds remaining. Someone from either side was going to be a hero. Stillwater senior Trace Clark was the hero for Stillwater, as he made the game-saving tackle, which sent them back to the Class 6AII state championship game. Choctaw had no time outs and no time to run another play.

6. Oklahoma City Millwood defeats Kiefer, 34-29, in Class 2A semifinals

Kiefer made a massive mistake on the final play of the Class 2A semifinals when they kicked the football to Oklahoma four-star commit Jaden Nickens on the final play of the game. Nickens returned the ball 77 yards to send Millwood back to the state championship game. Before this play, Millwood gave up a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the game that gave the Trojans the lead.

7. Washington defeats Jones, 35-34, in Class 2A semifinals

Washington overcame an 18-0 deficit against Jones. Washington scored three touchdowns and were ahead, 21-18, at halftime. When the Warriors scored a touchdown, so did Jones. In the fourth quarter, Washington was ahead 35-26, but a 2-yard touchdown run by Jones' Isaiah Sawyer made the score 35-34 after the two-point conversion. Washington quarterback Major Cantrell picked up a fourth down late in the game to send the Warriors back to the state championship game.

8. Heritage Hall defeats Marlow, 31-29, in 3A semifinals

Heritage Hall kicker Cal Welker, the nephew of Wes Welker, nailed a walk-off 28-yard field goal to send the Chargers back to the Class 3A state championship game. Heritage Hall also overcame a 14-0 deficit as the Outlaws started red hot in the first quarter. Oklahoma signee Andy Bass scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half. He also led the team down the field to set up the game-winning field goal.

9. Lincoln Christian defeats Perkins-Tryon, 17-10, in 3A semifinals

The game was tied at 10 midway through the fourth quarter and both defenses were playing their tails off. But with 6:16 left in the game, the Bulldogs opened up their playbook and scored a touchdown when Luke Milligan found Malakai Dillard open for the final score of the game. The game was tied at 3 until Lincoln Christian scored a touchdown late in the third quarter, but Perkins answered in the fourth quarter to tie it at 10.

10. Hooker defeats Hominy, 27-24, in Class A semifinals

With this win, Hooker advanced to the Class A state championship game for the first time in school history. Hooker held onto the lead they built, as they were ahead 27-18 in the fourth quarter. Hominy scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and Hooker killed the clock, but punted the ball back to Hominy with five seconds to play. Hominy tried the lateral pass play, but Hooker made the one tackle it needed to win.

11. Midwest City Carl Albert defeats Guthrie, 24-21, in 5A regular season

Carl Albert had its toughest test of the year at Guthrie in the regular season. Guthrie had the Titans on the ropes and was ahead, 21-17, late in the fourth quarter. The Guthrie defense needed one more stop to get the monkey off its back, but Titan quarterback Kevin Sperry Jr. spoiled the potential Bluejay party when he found Marcus James wide open for a short touchdown pass with 45 seconds left in the game.

12. Jenks defeats Tulsa Union, 33-27, in 6AI semifinals

The "Backyard Bowl" is always a fun one, especially in the playoffs. Union scored three touchdowns, but the Trojans prevailed just like they did in the regular season, when they beat Union, 31-24. Jenks trailed, 27-26, with 32 seconds left, but running back Kaydin Jones scored a 27-yard rushing touchdown to send Jenks to the state championship game.

13. Norman defeats Edmond Memorial, 44-43, in overtime in 6AI regular season

In a high-scoring district game, Norman got the one-point win. Norman trailed by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but came back when Dax Noles caught a 59-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to play to tie the game at 36. Edmond Memorial scored the first touchdown, but Norman scored again. Noles scored the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime.

14. Claremore defeats Sapulpa, 48-47, in 5A playoffs

In a high-scoring game, Sapulpa trailed by two scores in the fourth quarter. Sapulpa scored a touchdown with one minute to play when Colton Howard found Jordan Clark open for a 21-yard pass, making the score 48-47. Sapulpa went for two, but Marco Smith was tackled by a herd of Zebras. Sapulpa attempted an onside kick, but Claremore recovered to advance to the quarterfinals.

15. Claremore defeats Elgin, 7-6, in 5A quarterfinals

Claremore can win many ways, but in the quarterfinals at Elgin, it was a defensive battle. However, Claremore won its fourth game by one point to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1987. No one scored until the fourth quarter when Elgin’s Matthew Lund scored a rushing touchdown, but the extra point was no good. Claremore responded and Braxton Etheridge scored a touchdown and the point after was good. Claremore got a stop late in the game to seal the deal.

16. Bishop Kelley defeats Claremore, 42-41, in 5A regular season

In a game which decided the District 5A-4 championship, both teams refused to lose. Bishop Kelley scored first, but Claremore responded late in the first quarter by scoring two touchdowns and led until the 1:43 mark in the fourth quarter when Bishop Kelley quarterback Stice Smith threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to go ahead 42-41. Claremore drove into Comet territory, but ran out of time.

17. Claremore defeats Pryor, 33-32, in 5A regular season

Rivalry games just mean more. Claremore built a two-score lead and held on to it for the majority of the game, until midway through the third quarter. Pryor scored twice and went for two both times. The score was 33-32 going into the fourth quarter. But in the fourth quarter, both defenses shined and with seven seconds to play, Claremore’s Rex Clark intercepted a pass by Pryor to win the game.

18. Claremore defeats Bartlesville, 28-27, in 5A regular season

Much like many of the Zebras' games, they started fast, but let teams back into games. In the game against Bartlesville, Claremore was ahead 14-7 at halftime. Bartlesville took a 27-21 lead in the fourth quarter when PJ Wallace scored a 16-yard rushing touchdown. But Micah Teel scored a 19-yard rushing touchdown with 36 seconds to play and made the point after. Hayden Lee intercepted a pass with 16 seconds left.

19. Sallisaw defeats Cushing, 35-28, in overtime in 4A playoffs

First-year Sallisaw head coach Brandon Tyler had the Black Diamonds much improved, as Sallisaw did not win a game in 2022. But the Diamonds put together a comeback season and topped it off with a playoff win. In overtime, Sallisaw scored when quarterback Brock Streun ran in a 10-yard touchdown to put the Black Diamonds ahead, 35-28. Cushing needed a touchdown to keep its season alive, but they fumbled the football on a sack.

20. Kiefer beats Tulsa Victory Christian, 40-34, in overtime in 2A regular season

In a game which decided the District 2A-7 champion, Kiefer was victorious and kept its perfect season alive. Kiefer trailed 14-0 early, but the high-powered Trojan offense came alive. Victory Christian made plays, but Kiefer came storming back to tie the game at 34. Kiefer scored in overtime and got the stop it needed to cap off a perfect season for the first time since 2014.

21. Norman defeats Broken Arrow, 21-18, in 6AI playoffs

Norman won its first playoff game since 2012 and they got revenge on a down 6AI giant. The season before, Broken Arrow beat Norman in the playoffs. But in the rematch, Kamran Donald from Norman returned the opening kickoff 95 yards, which ended up making the difference in this one. The Tigers battled back and scored twice, but Norman always answered with a score of its own.

22. Edmond Santa Fe defeats Jenks, 28-27, in 6A 1 regular season

Edmond Santa Fe equaled its win total in the first game of the 2023 season, as the Wolves won just one game in the 2022 regular season. The Wolves beat Jenks in the season opener by one point. Both teams battled back and forth and Jenks attempted a walk-off field goal. Bad news for Jenks, though, as that field goal was blocked by Santa Fe.

23. Westmoore defeats Jenks, 16-12, in 6AI regular season

Westmoore was a dark horse in Class 6AI and for a good reason. When they played Jenks, the Jaguars built an early 14-6 lead. Jenks had the ball before halftime, but the Westmoore defense kept them out of the end zone. The second half was a defensive battle and Jenks would score a touchdown, but it was not enough and the Jaguars got a huge district win.

24. Clinton defeats Bethany, 28-25, in 4A playoffs

Clinton nearly put the game away in the fourth quarter, but a fumble in the red zone gave Bethany life, trailing 21-17. The Bronchos drove down the field, but Clinton had a goal line stand with less than two minutes to play. Clinton running back Kyn’Tavion Hill ran a 98-yard touchdown on the first play of the Red Tornadoes' series to take a 28-17 lead. Bethany responded with a long touchdown pass and got the two-point conversion, but did not recover the onside kick.

25. Hooker defeats Minco 21-20 in Class A quarterfinals

It was the battle of the Bulldogs in this playoff game. Minco was ahead 20-6 at halftime, but the Hooker defense did not allow a single point in the second half. Hooker scored a touchdown in the third quarter, making the score 20-14 going into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter score came when Hooker scored on a scoop-and-score touchdown. The point after was good, which gave Hooker a one-point lead.

Photo of El Reno tailback Malachi Nicholson by Glen Miller, El Reno Tribune

-- Josh Jennings | @SBLiveOK