CLAREMORE — Back in Class 5A, the Claremore Zebras will start the 2010 football season in familiar territory.

After playing in 6A in 2009 and competing against the likes of Jenks, Bartlesville, Sand Springs, Broken Arrow and Muskogee, Claremore head football coach Rob Gilbreath says the move back to 5A should play to the Zebras advantage.

“We gained a lot of experience last season going against the top teams in 6A and this should only help us as we transition back into playing teams of our classification and caliber,” Gilbreath said.

With the move back to 5A, the Zebras will compete against Coweta, Pryor, Edison, Central, Grove, Tahlequah and East Central, all of whom are playoff contenders according to the veteran football coach.

“Each week, we have to be playing to the top of our potential and not let up,” Gilbreath said. “Any one of the teams in our district can beat the other on any given night.”

The football team, according to Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association, will compete in 5A for the next two seasons, while the other athletic teams at Claremore High School will participate in Class 6A.

According to the OSSAA enrollment figures, Claremore will be the second-smallest school in 6A with an enrollment of 1,283.68 students. Broken Arrow is the largest 6A school with an enrollment of 4,608.79 students.

With Claremore leaving 5A for 6A in all sports, besides football, Tulsa Memorial (1,261.2 students) and Booker T. Washington (1,251.4 students) are now the largest schools in the 5A classification.

The move back to 5A for Claremore has the opened the eyes of several publications around the state as the Zebras are ranked in the Top 5 preseason polls.

After a 6-5 season in 6A, the Zebras opened 2010 as the state’s fifth-best football team in 5A, according to VYPE magazine.

Carl Albert is picked to win the state championship, followed by Booker T. Washington, Duncan and Guthrie.

Also, the Zebras are tabbed first in District 4-5A ahead of East Central, Coweta, Pryor, Tahlequah, Edison, Grove and Central.

DEFENSE

Gilbreath believes that the strength of the Zebras this fall will lie in it’s interior defense where four starters return, including NCAA Division I prospect and defensive end Josh Cunningham.

“The defensive line will definitely be our strength and our bread-and-butter,” Gilbreath said. “Those four guys up front have lots of game experience and really good athletes that are very coachable. It will be up to them to set the tone for the rest of our defense.”

Cunningham, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound defensive end, is a three-year starter on the defensive line with 220 career tackles and 14 sacks. He was voted to honorable mention on the 2009 All-State team, as well as being the only junior on the All-Metro defensive team.

“Josh possesses good feet, has a good nose for the football and his techniques are top notch,” Gilbreath said. “He has been one of our mainstays on defense the last three years.”

The Tulsa World, in 2009, voted Cunningham as one of the Top 10 defensive linemen in the area.

Cunningham, who also is a state runner-up in wrestling in the 189-pound division, has drawn interest from several NCAA Division I institutions including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Oregon State, Dartmouth and Air Force.

Joining Cunningham on the line are defensive end Jeremy Miller (6-0, 230, Sr.) and tackles Chase Robinson (6-3, 250, Sr.) and Davis Johnson (6-0, 250, Sr.)

Miller, Robinson and Johnson are two-year starters up front for the Zebras and each possesses the tools needed to compete at the next level, according to Gilbreath.

At linebacker, the Zebras are needing to find a replacement for team captain and leading tackler Tyler Butcher, who graduated this past spring and is currently playing junior college football.

Gilbreath said he plans to utilize junior Brandon Taylor and senior Marcus Allen at inside linebacker, while senior Alex Riggs and sophomore Jordan Cunningham will roam the outside.

“Brandon (Taylor) and Marcus (Allen) brings a great deal of speed to our defense. Both are very coachable and good leaders,” Gilbreath said. “Alex (Riggs) doesn’t have a lot of experience, but he plays with tremendous heart and never quits. Jordan (Cunningham) is one of the real physical players that is a big hitter. We’re expecting big things out of him this season. Jordan’s only weakness may be that he’s lacking experience.”

In the secondary, the Zebras must replace three starters from a 2009 squad that featured Dakoda and Jacob Basks and Sean Coppock. All three of those players are now playing college football.

Gilbreath plans to start Trey Dunlap, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound senior, at one cornerback position while junior Chris Scrzinski is expected to fill the other cornerback slot.

“Dunlap is probably our best skill kid on the team,” Gilbreath said. “He’s one of the best cover corners in the district and has a real knack for finding the football.

“Scrzinski possesses a lot of speed - running a 4.5 in the 40 - and is one of the fastest guys on the team.”

At safety, senior Jake Mason will get his first varsity start this season after playing mainly on the junior varsity in 2009.

“Jake also is one of those kids that has really great speed, is tall and lean and a big-time hitter,” Gilbreath said. “We’re expecting great things from him on both sides of the ball this fall.”

OFFENSE

The best way to describe the Zebras’ approach to beating the opposition is . . . Run, Chase Talbert, Run.

When people talk about Claremore’s offense, they immediately talk about the tailback position and junior sensation Chase Talbert.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound junior tailback (Talbert) gained almost 1,000 yards against 6A competition last season and Gilbreath believes he could have an even better year this season in 5A.

“Not only is Chase (Talbert) a great athlete with so much God-given ability, he also possesses a strong work ethic and is one of those kids that never wants to leave the weight-room,” Gilbreath said.

Talbert runs a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, according to Gilbreath, and reminds the head coach of a shifty runner similar to Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders.

“Chase has good vision and his lateral move, as well as making people miss are his overall strengths,” Gilbreath said.

Along with Talbert, the Zebras will also utilize Scrzinski’s speed, allowing Claremore the ability to form a potent one-two scoring punch.

“Chris played in a limited role last year as a sophomore, but he had a good spring camp and is quickly moving up the depth chart,” Gilbreath said. “Chris should help take a lot of the pressure off Chase this year.”

At quarterback, the Zebras welcome back senior Levi Rudd, who skipped his junior year to focus on his rodeo career, and Gilbreath is glad to have the signal-caller back in the huddle.

According to Gilbreath, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Rudd is a dual-threat quarterback that gives the Zebras several different options in their spread offense.

“Levi has a good, strong arm and is very tough,” Gilbreath said. “His greatest strength may be his ability to stay in the pocket and not letting pressure bother him.”

Rudd will also be asked on to punt out of the ‘Rugby’ formation for Claremore this season.

At wide receiver, the Zebras are loaded with plenty of blazing speed and playmakers.

Mason, Dunlap, Darrin McGee and Jamie Robertson are expected to give Rudd plenty of valuable targets with good hands and quickness in the open field.

On the offensive line, Gilbreath says the Zebras will have a lot of depth in the trenches.

Robinson, who also doubles on the defensive line, will be the Zebras starting center, while junior Dylan Foxworth (6-3, 275) will be the right guard. Johnson, also a two-way starter, will start at right tackle.

On the left-side, senior Timmy Roberts (6-0, 230) will start at guard, while junior Brandon McCullough (6-5, 280) will be called upon at tackle to block Rudd’s blindside.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Claremore’s starting kicker — senior Seth Havenstrite — will be making his first varsity action this season. Havenstrite is a member of the Claremore varsity soccer team.

Also, expected to handle the punting duties will be Havenstrite and Talbert.

OUTLOOK

The Zebras will battle Oologah, Miami and Tulsa Memorial in the preseason, before opening the District 4-5A season against Coweta.

Claremore didn’t make the playoffs in 2009, but Gilbreath says the future is bright in 2010.