No. 1 Lincoln Christian will look to advance to the state semifinals for the 8th straight season on Friday night, as the Bulldogs host Kingfisher in the Class 3A state quarterfinals.

Lincoln (11-0) is looking to three-peat and win the program's 5th state title, but will need to take care of Kingfisher tonight in the final home game of the year at Willie George Field at Dennis Byrd Stadium.

The Bulldogs had no problem in Friday's opening round game, rolling 56-0 at home over Jay last week.

Lincoln has won 39 straight games, dating back to the start of the 2023 season.

The Bulldogs have also won 58 consecutive home games, with the last loss coming in September of 2017.

"Games like this are what our kids put all that work in for," said Lincoln head coach Jerry Ricke. "They are really excited about getting one more chance to play in front of our home crowd and to play on our field."

"We know the finality that comes with playoff games, so there is that extra incentive to make sure that we are fully prepared to play against a really good opponent."

Kingfisher (8-3) comes to town after a come-from-behind win in the opening round at Lone Grove.

The Yellowjackets scored late to beat the Longhorns 43-36 last week.

Kingfisher finished 3rd in district 3A-1 with losses coming to No. 3 Heritage Hall and Anadarko, as well as Weatherford (4A) in non-district.

This will be the 4th meeting all-time between the two programs, with the most recent matchup in the quarterfinals in 2022.

Lincoln won 48-12, three years after beating the Yellowjackets 55-14 in the same round.

The first matchup between the two schools came in the 2009 state finals, where Lincoln won its first state title in a 35-0 shutout.

Kingfisher has two state championships, winning the title in 2003 and 2013. The Yellowjackets also have four state runner-ups and have been to 13 state semifinals.

The two programs have combined for 23 state semifinal appearances, seven state runner-ups and six state titles across since 1998.

The Bulldogs have outscored their last eight opponents 453-3 and Lincoln has a 551-9 scoring margin over all Oklahoma and opponents in 10 games this season.

But even with the success, Ricke and his team continue to stay sharp and focus on the game in front of them and pushing to improve.

"We are just continuing to sharpen up on all of our fundamentals and techniques," he said. "I think that a huge part of a football game is blocking and tackling, so that continues to remain a huge focus for us."

Lincoln's 39-game win streak is currently the second-longest active streak in Oklahoma and the 9th-longest all-time in 11-man football.

The Bulldogs are 23-4 in the playoffs since the start of 2018.

Lincoln is 89-4 since the beginning of 2019 and 100-6 since the start of the 2018 season.

Kingfisher @ No. 1 Lincoln Christian

Friday, Nov. 21 — 7 p.m.

Willie George Field at Dennis Byrd Stadium

4th meeting in all-time series — Lincoln leads 3-0

WATCH HERE

OFFENSIVE PREVIEW

Lincoln continued to impress on offense in last week's opening round win vs. Jay, as the Bulldogs had 315 first half yards on just 20 plays to score 49 points.

Lincoln's first-team offense did not punt or face a 3rd down, as the offense continues to put up video game-type numbers.

The Bulldogs average 54 points per game and have scored 35+ in all 11 games.

Lincoln averages 11.6 yards per play and has punted just one time since Sept. 12.

"Offensively, I really like the way we are executing," said Ricke. "That starts with running the ball, protecting the quarterback, getting the ball out on time, and making contested catches. We continue to improve in each of those areas."

That starts with the play of senior quarterback Carter Ricke, who is playing as well as any quarterback in the state right now.

Ricke was 12-of-13 for 237 yards and five scores last week, adding to his impressive numbers in his final season as a Bulldog.

Ricke has completed 74% of his passes this year, totaling 2,362 yards passing to go along with 38 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

The senior has also added 342 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 14.3 yards per attempt as a runner.

His two backfield mates, junior running back Braeden Baker and sophomore CJ Wright, have been tremendous engines for the offense, as well.

Baker leads the Bulldogs in rushing, as he's run for 883 yards and 20 touchdowns on 11.5 yards per carry in 2025. 

He has also added 17 catches for 215 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver.

Baker had five carries for 64 yards and two TDs last week vs. Jay.

Wright has 625 yards rushing on 14.9 yards per rush, along with six rushing touchdowns this year.

The sophomore also has 24 catches for 304 yards as a receiver, with eight of those for touchdowns as a pass catcher.

Last week, Wright had just three touches but turned those into 30 yards and a score.

Ricke's top target, senior receiver Hudson Farris, had another solid game last week, catching three passes for 74 yards and a score.

Farris leads Lincoln with 39 grabs for 846 yards and 11 scores in 2025, averaging 21.7 yards per catch.

Sophomores Caleb Peterson and Brayden McMullen have also stepped up for Lincoln down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Peterson had two catches for 41 yards and a score last week, while McMullen had four grabs for 96 yards and a score in the win over Jay.

Peterson has 15 catches for 215 yards and two TDs this season, while McMullen has just eight catches, but for 207 yards and three touchdowns on the year.

The Bulldogs average 270 yards rushing per game and 10.6 yards per carry behind the dominant offensive line of juniors Lincoln Torres, Colt Monsey and Kaden Claybrook, along with seniors TH Harrell and Carson Elix.

Lincoln will face a Kingfisher defense that allows 20 points per game. The Yellowjackets have held opponents to 28 points or less in nine of 11 games this season.

"Their defense is led by their two really good defensive ends and a very experienced linebacker group and secondary," said Ricke. "We will have to take care of the football."

Kingfisher is led defensively by senior defensive end Cale Reagan, who has 51 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

Senior middle linebacker Jackson Willbanks has 70 tackles for Kingfisher, along with two sacks to lead the linebacking corps.

The Yellowjackets are led in the secondary by senior Hayes White, who has 50 tackles and an interception this season.

DEFENSIVE PREVIEW

It was another dominating performance for Lincoln last week, as the Bulldogs delivered their 8th shutout in 11 games, blanking Jay 56-0.

The Bulldogs allowed just 12 total yards in the win, and held Jay to -1 rushing yards.

Lincoln has allowed just three total points since Sept. 12, consistently taking teams running and passing games away.

"We are playing really well on defense right now," said Ricke. "Our guys are bought into the same mission at all three levels right now. I love how hard we are playing on the side of the ball."

Lincoln allows just 3.8 points per game on the year, with 33 of the 42 total points allowed in a week 3 win at Shiloh Christian in Arkansas. 

The Bulldogs have allowed just 963 total yards in the 10 games outside of the Shiloh win.

Lincoln has held opponents to 27-of-130 on 3rd down this season, just a 20% conversion rate.

The Bulldogs held Jay to -7 yards in the first half last week and forced the visitors into 0-of-10 on 3rd downs.

Lincoln is led by several key players defensively, including sophomore linebacker Isaac Beisel as well as Torres and Monsey.

Beisel leads the Bulldogs in tackles with 64 on the year, including 10 of those for loss. He also has 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Torres has been a game-wrecker up front for Lincoln, totaling 48 tackles and 18 tackles for loss. He also leads the team with six sacks.

Monsey has 32 tackles on the year, 10 for loss, along with two sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Senior linebacker Connor Rowlett and junior linebacker Parker Rogers have also been great for Lincoln in 2025.

Rowlett has 30 tackles on the year, including seven for loss, and a sack.

Rogers has 33 tackles from his linebacker spot, to go along with four tackles for loss, two interceptions and five pass break ups.

The Bulldogs have also got great contributions lately from junior defensive lineman Rain Ragland, who has 19 tackles, including seven for loss, along with a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery in just six games.

At safety, Baker leads the way for Lincoln with 25 tackles, three tackles fro loss, two pass break ups, an interception and a forced fumble.

Lincoln has also gotten great play from its two corners, Farris and Peterson.

Farris has 20 tackles and sack, while Peterson has 25 tackles, along with a team-high six pass break ups and four interceptions.

Lincoln will have to slow down a Kingfisher team that averages 34 points per game and has scored 27 or more in all but two games this season.

"They have a great quarterback with very good skill guys surrounding him," said Ricke. "They have a young but very good offensive line that provides good protection and helps them establish their run game. We will have to be sound in our coverages defensively."

Kingfisher is led by senior quarterback Jhett Birdwell, who has completed 59% of his passes for 1,977 yards on the year. He has thrown for 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 games.

Birdwell (6-2, 200) also has 360 yards rushing and nine TDs on the ground.

His top target at receiver is fellow senior Kasen Blair (6-1, 205) who leads the Yellowjackets with 42 catches for 626 yards and five touchdowns.

Another senior, Jackson Willibanks (6-2, 200) has also been productive, catching 33 passes for 435 yards and four touchdowns.

Kingfisher's top running back, sophomore Brett Calamateo (5-6, 155) has totaled 639 yards and 10 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry this season.

Kingfisher averages 303 yards per game and 5.7 yards per play on the year.

Photos by Lee Talley