World’s Best [Tulsa World, Okla.]

Aug. 29--Throughout the summer, the World ranked the best high school football players at each position in the Tulsa area. Today, we rank the best of the best.

1. Archie Bradley Broken Arrow -- QB -- 6-4 -- 220 -- Sr.

Next August, Archie Bradley will likely either be starting a pro baseball career or beginning his freshman year as a quarterback and pitcher at the University of Oklahoma.

During this summer, Bradley showed his big-time potential on national stages in both sports.

As a pitcher, he traveled with Dallas' DBAT Mustangs to locations such as Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. He capped his baseball summer by pitching two scoreless innings in the Aflac All-American Game at San Diego's Petco Park. Two days later, he began fall practice at Broken Arrow. In July, Bradley finished third in the ESPN Rise Elite 11 National Quarterback Competition in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

"It was the busiest summer of my life," Bradley said. "I left to go to baseball on June 2, right after spring football ended, and I had gotten to spring football a day after baseball ended. The Elite 11 was a blast, getting to hang out with Mark Sanchez and all of the college quarterbacks. The Aflac game was a blast, pitching in a big-league ballpark.

Hopefully that was preparing myself for the future.

Bradley, projected to be a high choice in next summer's major league draft, is currently focused on helping Broken Arrow win its first state football title. Last year, he passed for 1,667 yards and 21 TDs to help lead the Tigers to the Class 6A semifinals in his first season at Broken Arrow after moving from Muskogee.

2. Zack Langer Jenks -- RB -- 6-0 -- 190 -- Sr.

Zack Langer will have a different look for his senior year. He won't be wearing No. 32. Instead, Langer has switched to No. 3, which was worn last year by Devin Pugh, who has graduated.

"I always had worn No. 3 until high school," Langer said. "I was born on Oct. 3. This is the first year in high school that I could choose my number.

Not many people outside of Jenks knew about Langer before last season, but he quickly gained statewide attention. He was named the MidFirst Backyard Bowl most valuable player in Week 2 against Union, rushed for 294 yards and a school-record seven TDs against Bartlesville and 314 yards and three TDs against Edmond Memorial in the Class 6A quarterfinals.

Langer, who is committed to the University of Tulsa, led Class 6A with 2,446 rushing yards and 39 TDs last year. He was a Tulsa World All-State selection.

"He's a hard worker and a great running back," teammate Sawyer Kollmorgen said.

3. Sawyer Kollmorgen Jenks -- QB -- 6-2 -- 200 -- Sr.

Sawyer Kollmorgen's biggest surprise of his high school career came after the sixth game of his sophomore season.

"I wasn't expecting it when I was told I was going to be starting the next game," said Kollmorgen, who began the 2008 season at No. 3 on the depth chart. "It was an exciting moment. It shows what can happen with hard work.

Since being elevated to starting quarterback, Kollmorgen has led Jenks to two Class 6A state title games. Last year, he completed 168-of-255 passes for 2,658 yards and 24 touchdowns. During his career, he has passed for 4,022 yards and 35 TDs.

"He knows what decisions to make and comes up big in games," Trojans running back Zack Langer said.

Kollmorgen had at least one TD pass in all 13 Jenks wins last season. His best game came against Broken Arrow when he completed 19-of-26 passes for 351 yards and four TDs. He was nearly perfect against Owasso as he went 16-of-20 for 229 yards and a TD.

4. Tyler Lockett Booker T. Washington -- WR -- 5-11 -- 170 -- Sr.

Tyler Lockett is committed to playing football at Kansas State, hoping to follow the same path his father, Kevin Lockett, and uncle, Aaron Lockett, did as wide receivers en route to the NFL.

Several years ago, however, it appeared that Tyler Lockett's long-term future would be in another sport.

"I started out real good in baseball," Lockett said. "But I wanted to play basketball. When I got to middle school, I always thought I was going to be playing basketball in college. But in high school that changed and I started focusing on football.

Despite playing most of his junior year with a broken wrist, he caught 20 passes and scored touchdowns as a rusher, receiver and returner. In addition, he had two interceptions as a defensive back.

"He's a game-changer," Hornets football coach Darrell Hall said.

Lockett also was a starting guard on the Hornets' Class 5A state championship basketball team in March.

5. Derrick Alexander Jr. Booker T. Washington -- DL -- 6-2 -- 250 -- Sr.

During the past year, Derrick Alexander Jr. has worked part-time as a Subway Sandwich Artist. "I can make a pretty good sandwich," he said.

On the football field, look for Alexander to be a sack and tackle artist for the Hornets. In his first season with the Hornets after transferring from Victory Christian, Alexander had 79 tackles in 2009 and emerged as a major college prospect.

"His motor runs hot all the time," Hornets coach Darrell Hall said. "He's always ready to go." Alexander's father helped the Hornets win a state title in 1984 and was the Tulsa World's metro defensive player of the year in 1985 before playing at Oklahoma State.

A few years ago, the younger Alexander took two church mission trips to Mexico and is planning to take a mission trip to Africa next spring break.

"It was powerful to see lives saved and people healed," he said.

6. Conner Sherwood Cascia Hall -- LB-TE -- 6-3 -- 220 -- Jr.

In Conner Sherwood's first two seasons at Cascia Hall, he has been a leader with 159 tackles on the "Blue Swarm" defense that has helped the Commandos win consecutive Class 3A state titles and extend the school's winning streak to 41 games -- one short of the state's 11-man record set by Ada (1993-96).

Sherwood is excited about his progress at tight end and that he's no longer hampered by a shoulder injury.

"I understand now the ideology of playing tight end better," Sherwood said. "And the shoulder is good, all better, 100 percent.

Sherwood has made an impact everywhere he's been on the field. As a freshman, after rushing the ball only twice previously all season, he scored on all three of his carries against Claremore Sequoyah in a regular-season game that decided a district title.

7. Kirby Schoenthaler Bartlesville -- QB -- 6-0 -- 185 -- Sr.

In his first three seasons at Bartlesville, Kirby Schoenthaler has passed for more than 5,000 yards and has helped lead the Bruins into Class 6A's elite after they went 1-9 in his freshman year.

Last year, Schoenthaler completed 159-of-281 passes for 2,761 yards and 30 touchdowns to propel the Bruins into the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1988.

"There's no one like Kirby," Bartlesville lineman Colby Mitchell said. "He's the best athlete I've been around. You don't see someone very often who throws the ball 100 mph and runs 4.4s.

Schoenthaler is attracting considerable attention from major colleges, but not as a quarterback.

"I'll play whatever position I need to play, but I'm not worried about that right now," Schoenthaler said.

"I'm just trying to do the best I can for Bartlesville and to be as successful as we can be.

8. Garrett Gladd Sallisaw -- OT-DT -- 6-4 -- 292

It's rare to find a 6-foot-4, 292-pound high school player.

It's even more uncommon to find one with the mobility, agility and athleticism of Sallisaw's Garrett Gladd.

"He's not just a big body," coach Craig Benson said. "He can run and move.

Gladd is one of the state's top recruits and has verbally committed to Stanford.

He said his athleticism comes from playing tight end for several years before he bulked up and coaches moved him to tackle.

As for where he got his height and weight, Gladd isn't sure. His parents are both average-sized, but his uncle was a Sallisaw lineman years ago.

"I'm glad I'm the size that I am," Gladd said.

And with Gladd expected to lead Sallisaw to the playoffs, so are the Black Diamonds.

9. Kwame Sexton Holland Hall -- RB-WR-DB -- 6-0 -- 170 -- Sr.

Kwame Sexton has committed to play football at the University of Tulsa, but the biggest thrill of his high school athletic career has been on the basketball court.

Last February, he sank a 3-pointer as time expired to give Holland Hall an overtime win at rival Oklahoma City Casady.

Sexton would like a football feat, such as winning the Southwest Preparatory Conference title, to surpass that basketball moment.

For Holland Hall to win the SPC, it will likely need another big year from Sexton, who reached 200 yards in each of his last five games.

This year, Sexton could also play at wide receiver and defensive back.

"We're trying to find ways to get him the ball," Holland Hall coach Tag Gross said.

Sexton said he is dedicating the season to brother DeMarco Lenox, who died at 18 in July when he was a shooting victim in Oklahoma City.

10. Isaac Maselera Glenpool -- DB-RB -- 6-1 -- 195 -- Sr.

Isaac Maselera was the first commitment in Oklahoma State's recruiting class of 2011.

Maselera is a hard-hitting safety who also has improved his 40- yard dash time to just under 4.4 seconds.

He placed fifth in Class 4A in the 100-meter dash at 11.09 seconds. He's also a tough runner at tailback.

"He waits for his opportunities," Glenpool coach Steve Edwards said, "and he will bring it.

Glenpool coaches have asked Maselera to keep up his conditioning so he can play "iron man" minutes on offense and defense.

"We'd like to have him on the field on offense where we can score," Edwards said, "and put him on defense where he's going to keep people from scoring.

Maselera will try to lead the Warriors to their second 4A state title in three years.

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Copyright (c) 2010, Tulsa World, Okla.

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