August 23, 2019

• FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 • JENKSTRIBUNE.COM •

SEE INSIDE

Citizen-input on Jenks’ horizon Kyle Salomon ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

The City of Jenks has taken a seat at the table among other cities that are looking toward their futures.

The Jenks city council recently approved the hiring of Houseal Lavigne Associates LLC, a professional consulting firm that spe-

cializes in all areas of community planning, urban design and economic development.

The partnership between Jenks and Houseal Lavigne Associates was the first step in setting Jenks on the path for a multi-year transformation.

“Horizon Jenks”, a comprehensive plan, was recently set in motion. It will determine what type of community Jenks will be in 20 to 30 years.

The difference between this comprehensive plan and those previous is who will be making the decisions.

“We want our citizens to give us their feedback and input on what they want out of their city in the coming years,” Jenks City Manager Chris Shrout said. “The plans that were put together in the past did not have that. I am excited about hearing from our citizens. We will be getting input from residents, city staff and elected officials

throughout this entire process.”

There are several ways that the citizens of Jenks can give their input.

They can go to the “Horizon Jenks” website to fill out online surveys, questionnaires and create a map of Jenks, as they would like to see it, using an interactive mapping software called map. social.

The link to the Horizon Continued to HORIZON, Page 6A

BACK IN CLASS

BLANKING THE BRUINS The Jenks softball team shut out Bartlesville Monday 7-0 at home to improve to 5-3 on the year.

Read the story on Page 7A.

Jenks Schools opens 2019-2020 school year Jenks East Elementary students prepare to walk to their first class of the 2019-2020 school year Tuesday. You can see more back-to-school photos on Page 6A. Photo/Hayden Tucker

POWELL BECOMES CELEBRANT Local pastor becomes life tribute specialist. Read the story on Page 9A.

Capital project funding focus of Jenks city council

By KYLE SALOMON

ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

FFA WINS NATIONAL AWARD The Jenks FFA was recently named a National Three Star Chapter. Read the story on Page 11A.

The City of Jenks has several capital projects that require funding.

According to Jenks City Manager Chris Shrout, there are three funding mechanisms the city will pursue to complete the projects.

The first funding mechanism is “Vision Extension”, which the citizens of Jenks approved several years ago. The “Vision Extension” allows the City of Jenks to collect .55% of a penny on any sale subject to sales and use tax. The .55% is an additional collection on top of the 3% already collected.

*********ECRWSSEDDM****

Postal Customer Jenks, OK 74037

The money collected from the “Vision Extension” funding mechanism is pledged to eight projects: -Low water dams and related infrastructure, which is estimated to cost $16.67 million. That includes dam construction, a trail that connects to Riverwalk Crossing, essential pedestrian access abutment to shore and flood wall and riverbank stabilization

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT’S FOOTBALL TIME IN JENKS, AMERICA!

-Neighborhood road maintenance program, which is estimated to cost $1.55 million. That includes preventative crack sealing and street repair in neighborhoods -Sidewalk construction, which is estimated to cost $1.33 million.

That includes Elm Street from K Pl. to B St., B St. from Elm to Riverwalk Crossing and C St. from Fir to Elm St. -Engineering and right way acquisition for Elm Street widening from 121st St. to 131st St., which is estimated to cost $1.5 million -Construction of splash pad, which is estimated to cost $400,000 -Paving the Park West parking lot, which is estimated to cost $233,000 and is in partnership with Tulsa County -Reconstruction of First St., connecting downtown Jenks to the future Simon Premium Outlets, which is estimated to cost $244,000 -Reconstruction of Seventh St., connecting downtown to the future Simon Premium Outlets, Continued to FUNDING, Page 6A

CHECK OUT THEW B SECTION FOR THE JENKS TRIBUNE JENKS TROJAN FOOTBALL 2019 PREVIEW SECTION!

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID JENKS, OK PERMIT NO. 7

2A

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

Pinnell preaches tourism, small business growth

By KYLE SALOMON

ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell took center stage last month at the July Jenks Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.

Pinnell addressed a sold-out crowd and spoke on tourism and small-business growth, two items that Governor Kevin Stitt put Pinnell in charge of after they were elected last November.

“Tourism is the front door to economic development,” Pinnell said in his speech. “States that recognize that are making a lot of money.

I have been frustrated that our state has not utilized tourism. No state can match our rich heritage and history. Oklahoma needs to be this country’s tourism state.”

One of the areas Pinnell said needs to be addressed is the amount of marketing dollars Oklahoma is spending compared to other states.

“The budget needs to grow. We spent $2.3 million on our spring marketing campaign compared to Michigan, which spent $28 million and Texas, which spent $41 million with $10 million of that going to international marketing.”

The lieutenant governor said there is a particular road that Oklahoma needs to highlight when it comes to tourism.

“We need to take advantage of Route 66.

Route 66 is the most popular road in the world, and we have more drivable miles on Route 66 than any other state. We need to put a marketing budget

Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell spoke recently in Jenks and discussed the importance of tourism and small business-growth. He added that Jenks should be a leader in both categories. Photo/Hayden Tucker behind it. There is a passion around the world for Route 66.

Tourists want to get the authentic American experience and we have that here.”

Pinnell is hosting the first-ever stake holders convention for Route 66 on the first Tuesday of this coming December to put a plan together to make Route 66 more appealing to tourists.

Oklahoma is one of

the most sales tax dependent states in the nation and Pinnell said a key to increasing sales tax revenue across the state is creating more tourism dollars.

“We have to have a plan to raise our sales tax revenue and tourism has to be at the center of that discussion. I want communities across Oklahoma like Jenks to think in

matters of conventions and festivals. Those are things that will help with that.”

Pinnell said Oklahoma citizens driving to surrounding states to seek tourism enjoyment is something he wants to see come to a hault.

“We are getting beat

by Arkansas. Our tourism dollars are crossing over into Arkansas.

Multiple minivans are

crossing state lines every week into Arkansas to spend money and to me, that is unacceptable.”

State parks are another issue Pinnell addressed while at the podium.

“We are not doing state parks well right now. They are a legacy for any state. We are looking at ideas on how

to better operate state parks. We have 12 ecosystems in Oklahoma, and we need to highlight those through our state parks.”

Pinnell also addressed small businesses and how important they are in the future of Oklahoma.

“We need to create more private sector jobs. That is the most important thing when it comes to growth. We want to attract companies to this state, and we want to keep companies here. We need feedback from the citizens on what we can do to be better. We are losing too many young business owners to other states because they have better incentive programs.”

Pinnell said being honest with ourselves about what is going on in the state is crucial moving forward.

“Entrepreneurship is the future. We need to stop depending on the price of oil. Right now, when the price of oil is down, we don’t have enough money to operate the state government. It is a constant rollercoaster at the state capital. If we don’t get it right, surrounding states will continue to take from us.”

Pinnell was sworn in Jan. 14 as Oklahoma’s 17th lieutenant governor. He graduated high school from Metro Christian Academy and college from Oral Roberts University. He lives in Tulsa, where all four of his children attend Jenks Public Schools.

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

3A

Rep. Sims’ study request on historic Arkansas River flood of 2019 approved

By LONNIE SIMS

State Rep. (R-Jenks)

State Rep. Lonnie Sims’ (R-Jenks) request for an interim study to conduct a state-level review of the actions taken leading up to and in response to the historic Arkansas River Flood of 2019 has been approved.

House Speaker Charles McCall approved the study to move forward. Sims is now in the process of going across the state and having stakeholder meetings to discuss the issue. A tentative date of Oct. 1 has been set for a public hearing for the County and Municipal Government Committee at the State Capitol.

“We experienced the second most significant flood event along the Arkansas River since 1986,” Sims said. “The flooding spared no community along its banks as it traversed through northeastern Oklahoma, nor the cities and towns inundated by the overflows of lesser-known creeks and streams that feed into it.”

Sims seeks to facili-

State Rep. Lonnie Sims (R-Jenks) tate an after-action study with key federal, state and local governmental agencies as well as public and private stakeholders that were negatively impacted up and down the river.

“How did we forecast, plan and ultimately respond to protect the people, property, wildlife and environmental treasures of this state?”

Sims asked. “We owe it to all who have suffered greatly to gain every lesson possible to better respond and, if at all possible, prevent the next one.”

“There will be considerable interest to participate,” said Terry Simonson, director of Tulsa County Governmental Affairs.

Jenks and the Tulsa area along the Arkansas River dealt with catastrophic flooding this spring. Photo/Kyle Salomon “From what we have learned, there may be some legislative action needed that could be helpful. Counties need to have a way, like cities do, to proactively fund the flood control and storm water infrastructure improvements needed, especially in the unincorporated areas where many live in a flood zone. We hope that in addition to the

scope of the inquiry looking back, we can look forward as well on how counties develop a fundable floodwater plan.”

Sims emphasized this event is far from over, especially for those Oklahoma families who have lost everything.

“I’m extremely grateful for the disaster declarations of Governor Stitt and President

Trump to ensure these Oklahoma families have access to every state and federal resource available,” Sims said.

Representatives may request interim studies to examine a policy issue in depth, but ultimately, the decision on whether the studies are approved resides with the Speaker of the

House. Decisions on which interim studies requests are approved will come from the Speaker’s office by July 19.

Rep. Lonnie Sims, a Republican, serves District 68 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which includes Creek and Tulsa Counties.

4A

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019 EDITORIAL CARTOONS

Jenks Tribune Founded, owned, operated and published

by Hyperlocal LLC 329 S. Elm Street Suite #201 Jenks, Oklahoma 74037 Phone: 918-528-7272 Fax: 918-528-5605 www.jenkstribune.com

Kyle Salomon Owner of Hyperlocal LLC Publisher of Jenks Tribune

Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Mobile Phone: 918-231-0787 Email: ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

Hayden Tucker Director of Media Jenks Tribune

Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Mobile Phone: 405-651-8451 Email: htucker@jenkstribune.com

HEARING FROM THE OWNER’S BOX uDr. Stacey

Butterfield, Chris Shrout and Allan Trimble

Jinger Wiesman Graphic Designer/Staff Writer Jenks Tribune

Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Email: jwiesman@jenkstribune.com

Jenks Tribune Mission Statement “We are the Jenks community’s hometown source for hyperlocal news, sports and information that the people of our community need to know.”

Jenks Tribune is mailed weekly through the Jenks Postal Office and United States Postal Service to all U.S. Postal customers in the 74037 zip code.

Hello Jenks, America. The second edition of the Jenks Tribune is officially out in the community.

It has been an amazing week here in Jenks and the feedback from our inaugural edition last Friday has been incredible.

The positive responses have been overwhelming and we are more than grateful for the nice comments we have received this past week.

We want to reinforce our goal every week is to provide the citizens of the Jenks community with information that shines a positive and transparent light on our great town and surrounding areas.

There are a lot of exciting things happening in Jenks right now.

School officially started back Tuesday for Jenks Public Schools.

Jenks Tribune Director of Media Hayden Tucker and I had the chance to go around Tuesday to several JPS school sites and take photos of students of all ages going into class for the first time in the 2019-2020 school year.

The excitement level

Kyle Salomon Owner/Publisher from the youngsters was through the roof as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield and we had a great conversation about what she is most excited about for the upcoming school year.

Between facility upgrades, new programs and meeting the needs of every individual student in JPS, Butterfield said she could not be more ready to take on the new year.

The City of Jenks also has a lot of exciting things going on right now. “Horizon Jenks” is underway as the city is preparing to give itself a facelift and make improvements that will help carry itself through the next three decades.

Jenks City Manager Chris Shrout, City Planner Jim Beach, Mayor Robert Lee, the entire Jenks City Council and the rest of the Jenks city employees are working tirelessly in a partnership with Chicago-based consulting firm Houseal Lavigne to make sure Jenks is where it needs to be in the next 20-30 years.

The city wants to hear from the citizens of Jenks through its “Horizon Jenks” comprehensive plan and will use the feedback they receive as a big part of the plan for this community moving forward.

Other exciting news coming out of the City of Jenks is Simon Malls officially signing the deal to purchase the land just south of the Creek Turnpike to build an outlet mall.

Sources say Simon Malls has 80% of the leasing space committed and will model the new mall after the one they recently completed in the Denver Metroplex.

The Jenks Chamber of Commerce just completed a successful summer season with the first-ever Sharklahoma, Freedom Fest and Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell taking center stage at the July Chamber Luncheon.

Chamber President Josh Driskell, Communications Director Lane Castleberry and Business Development Specialist Angie Rains do a great job of supporting and promoting the Jenks community.

If you are looking for something fun and exciting to do tonight, the Trojan Football Preview is at 5 p.m. at Allan Trimble Stadium.

The annual Trojan Preview is a multi-team preseason scrimmage before the Jenks varsity football team takes the field for real the following week.

The Trojan Preview is also a fundraiser for the Jenks Football Booster Club, so be sure to come out and check out what this year’s team is going to look like.

We also want to wish the great Allan Trimble a very special happy belated birthday. The high school football coaching legend celebrated a birthday this week and we hope he had an amazing day with his family and friends.

Well, that is all from the owner’s box. I hope you all have a great week and thank you for reading the Jenks Tribune.

Kyle Salomon ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

PET OF THE WEEK

Jenks Salsa Festival a hit in 2019

Prince Harry Meet Prince Harry (Full name: Prince Very Harry)! Harry is a 2-year-old Great Pyrenese/Saint Bernard mix that seems to like everybody. This gentle giant is 83 pounds and can stand to gain a few. While we can’t guarantee he’s housetrained, he does do very well keeping his kennel clean, and walks very well on a leash. If you’d like to meet Harry or any of his adoptable friends, call Jenks Animal Control at 918-299-6311 option 8 or email animalcontrol@jenksok.org. Photo/Courtesy

Hundreds of people stormed the Oklahoma Aquairum last weekend to experience the Jenks Salsa Festival.

Numerous vendors brought their salsa for people to taste during the event. Photos/Kyle Salomon

5A

6A

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

BACK TO SCHOOL 2019

Students of all ages flooded the roads and hallways at every site in Jenks Public Schools Tuesday as classes opened. Photos/Hayden Tucker and Kyle Salomon

Horizon

From page 1A

Jenks comprehensive plan is http://www. hlplanning.com/portals/jenks/.

Citizens can also attend the comprehensive plan community workshops and give their input to city officials.

“We want to address the issues our city needs improved,” Shrout said. “A lot of cities are moving to this type of plan. I really believe it will be beneficial for us. We decided to go with Houseal and Lavigne because of the experience and number of plans they have put together. We had numerous companies that wanted the job and interviewed four total.”

A comprehensive plan for the City of Jenks is a blueprint for the future, a community vision and a guide to the decision making for the next two-to-three decades.

Funding

Parts of the comprehensive plan include: -Land use and development -Commercial areas -Transportation and mobility -Parks, opens space and environmental features -Agricultural and cultural facilities -Housing and neighborhoods -Economic development framework -Community facilities and utilities -Implementation strategy The comprehensive plan will take place for the next 10 months and after all the data is collected and put together, a final plan will be presented to the planning commission and adopted by the city council.

Previous and ongoing plans will be part of the process and in some cases, incorporated into the comprehensive plan if the goals and

From page 1A

which is estimated to cost $244,000 The estimated total collection is $22.131 million over a total length of 15 years of sales tax.

The second funding mechanism is “Revenue bonds”, which are a type of municipal bond that can be used to finance projects with their own dedicated revenue streams.

Revenue bonds are secured by the income they are expected to produce and can be

issued by any government agency with both operating revenues and expenses.

The City of Jenks and its related entities have issued revenue bonds to fund the construction of the Oklahoma Aquarium, pledging the income from the aquarium to pay for the debt and to fund the wastewater treatment plant improvements, pledging the income from utility rates to cover

vision are consistent.

Initial phases have started with the anticipated completion of the plan expected to come in the summer of 2020.

Jenks City Planner Jim Beach, who has been in that position since October of 2017, said the previous comprehensive plan was created more than 20 years ago and has undergone numerous revisions with all the planning done in house.

“It was more of a land use plan, not truly comprehensive,” he said. “One of our goals with this plan will be to produce greater economic sustainability and stability with more sales tax. We want to imagine what Jenks wants to become. This plan should represent thoughts and inputs of a large portion of the citizens in Jenks.”

Beach broke down the plan in a three-question process: -“Where are we now?”

-“Where do we want to go?”

-“How do we get there?”

“It is essential that we get the citizens’ input,” Beach said. “It’s the only way to be successful with this. The implementation of the plan will take multiple years. Our goal is to improve Jenks. We will take the successful strategies and processes from some of the other cities have used and use those to make Jenks better.”

Beach mentioned several areas in specific that the city will look to make improvements.

“Downtown Jenks and the area near Main Street and Highway 75,” he said. “We want to create an interconnectivity between the (Oklahoma) Aquarium, downtown and that area by Main Street and Highway 75. We are also going to look into developing some of those arterial road intersections in the southern areas of Jenks.”

Aug. 1 Horizon Jenks Workshop a success The City of Jenks and Houseal and Lavigne hosted a Horizon Jenks Workshop Aug. 1 at the Oklahoma Aquarium to give Jenks residents a chance to come and voice their opinions on what they want to see out of the Horizon Jenks comprehensive plan.

Houseal and Lavigne Principal and Co-founder Devin Lavigne led the workshop with more than 100 Jenks citizens in attendance.

Lavigne addressed the crowd to start the event by saying “the community is in an interesting place right now.” He added it is their goal to make the Jenks community a better place. They want to know what the vision of Jenks’ future is and have absolutely no guesswork, which is why resident feedback is vital to the plan.

Lavigne said he

the debt.

The “Revenue bond” can be voted on by the City of Jenks city council and the Jenks Public Works Authority. The “Revenue bond” of $12 million will be used to make improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.

The third funding mechanism is “General Obligation bonds”, which are used to finance public projects such as parks and roads that don’t make money. Their purpose is to serve the public’s “well-being”. “GO

bonds” are backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing municipality. In Oklahoma, municipalities levy a property tax to service the debt on a “GO bond”.

The citizens of a city are required to vote to approve “GO bonds”.

The city council must approve a resolution, including ballot language and provide the resolution to the County Election Board 60 days prior to a potential election date.

Several projects that

the City of Jenks will use “GO bond” funding to pursue are replacing Fire Station 1 with a new and updated fire station, an upgraded animal shelter and a new and upgraded community center.

To break it down, the revenue bond will take care of the wastewater treatment plant upgrades and the GO bond (if voted on) will take care of the Fire Station 1, animal shelter and community center upgrades.

wants the plan to be the citizens’ vision, not the consulting firms. He said there will be an update to the zoning codes throughout Jenks to help allow with the implementation of the plan.

Hundreds of ideas were thrown around by residents, but it was narrowed down to six more popular items, which were alleviating the traffic on 111th Street at the intersections of Elm Avenue and Elwood Avenue, increasing the size of the Senior Center with more adequate parking, addressing the lack of entertainment options, the need for more retail, improving the town’s infrastructure, generating more sales tax and building a large community center.

The Jenks Tribune will announce more Horizon Jenks workshop dates as we learn of the dates, times and locations.

Both the revenue bond and GO bond must be approved by the Jenks city council before plans move forward. If the revenue bond is passed by council, those projects tied to the revenue bonds will be a full go for the city. If the GO bond language is passed by council, it will be submitted to the Tulsa County Election Board and then appear on the earliest election ballot possible for Jenks citizens to vote.

7A

BLANKING THE BRUINS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 • JENKSTRIBUNE.COM •

Softball shuts out Bartlesville Monday at home Hayden Tucker htucker@jenkstribune.com Jenks softball got back to its winning ways Monday with a 7-0 win over Bartlesville after taking two losses in the Broken Arrow Tournament last weekend.

The Lady Trojans (5-3) began the season last Thursday taking a 5-4 loss at home to rival Union (6-2). The two schools faced off again the next day at the BA tournament where Jenks avenged the loss with a 4-2 victory.

Jenks went on to beat Edmond North (6-3), lose to Moore (7-1) and defeat Pryor (6-4) and Pocola (5-5).

In the final game of the tournament, Jenks lost to Mustang (6-1) 6-3.

The Lady Trojans rebounded from the loss from the Lady Broncos with a big win over Bartlesville (1-5).

Jenks hung one run in the bottom of the first, two in the third, one in the fourth and three in the fifth behind stellar hitting from Faith Russell. The sophomore second baseman was 4-for-4 on the night, scoring two runs and batting in two. Russell led a team that was 11-for-28 at the plate.

The Lady Trojans faced one of the toughest pitchers they’ll see all year, according to coach Todd Williams.

The Bartlesville pitcher allowed six earned runs, walked three and struck out just two in six innings.

Meanwhile, Jenks’ pitcher put on a show Monday.

Jordyn Pipkin pitched seven innings striking out six and walking two through seven innings and 98 pitches. The senior made improvements in her pitch count since throwing 88 pitches during a three-inning game in the Broken Arrow tournament.

“She’s coming from Wisconsin where it’s cooler and we’re playing in the BA tournament in the heat of the day and it’s 98,” Williams said. “She’s working hard. She’s a strikeout pitcher so she’s going to have higher pitch counts.

“She’s not the fool you, get it out on your front foot. It’s here it comes, see if you can get it. Being a strikeout pitcher, her pitch count is going to be up an awful lot. When she’s having to throw two out of three games and it’s 98 degrees in one day, she’s going to labor a bit from time to time.”

Jenks’ record reflects a squad two games above

Jenks softball pitcher Jordyn Pipkin delviered a seven-inning shutout Monday as the Lady Trojans blanked Bartlesville 7-0 at home. Photo/Hayden Tucker .500, but the play of the Lady Trojans has resembled a team heading in a positive direc-

tion.

“We try to get better every time we step out and their approach is

really good,” Williams said. “Right now, mentally, we’re getting where we need to be.”

Sand Springs will play guest to Jenks for the next game at 5 p.m. on Aug. 26.

Volleyball holds off pesky Owasso at home

By HAYDEN TUCKER

htucker@jenkstribune.com

Following a dominant win over Bartlesville to start the season, Jenks volleyball had its hands full with Owasso Tuesday.

The Lady Trojans fought with the Lady Rams through five sets before sealing the victory. Each set was close; however, Jenks found a way to have the upper hand when it mattered most.

The match started out with the Lady Trojans taking a twoset lead, winning the first and second 25-23.

The tides quickly turned in the third set.

The third set saw Jenks fall 25-22 despite playing its opponent closely as it did in the first two. A different demeanor on the court ultimately led to the team’s demise in the set.

“Set three they just came out very slow and very sluggish,” coach Tanna Smith said. “As a coach, I’ve been doing it a while, you can usually tell when things are going that way.

Sometimes it’s because they get a little over-confident, sometimes it’s because the other team made an adjustment.”

It appeared the Lady Trojans would finish the match in the fourth following a bout of heroics that saw them tie the set at 19 after trailing 19-13. A string of unforced errors forced the final set.

Making mistakes isn’t something Jenks is used to.

“We made a lot of unforced errors, ones we shouldn’t be making,” Smith said. “They trust each other a lot, you can see it. They turn and expect (their teammate) to be there and when they aren’t, they’re shocked.”

With the match on the line, the Lady Trojans stepped up and handled the set, taking it 15-13.

Jenks came out with a different intensity, such as the one they had in the first two sets.

“I think they did a great job in set five of playing to win and not playing to lose,” Smith

said. “I think their mindset and court presence in set five was very much resemblant of sets one and two.”

This five-set match followed Jenks’ first match of the season Aug. 13 against Bartlesville. The Lady Trojans took that one 3-0 but they had to work harder this time and that was expected.

“We knew Owasso was going to be like this,” Smith said.

“We’ve talked about their strong hitters like Mallory (Hendrix), she’s a stud. She’s awesome. We said she’s going to get her kills, she’s going to get the ball down, she’s going to attack.”

Lady Trojans are getting an early look at the mental side of the game with the victory over the Lady Rams.

“Volleyball takes a lot of skill and it’s multi-faceted but there’s one aspect of the game that I believe a lot of coaches try to focus on but you get caught up in your skills and your fundamentals and your game strategy that you ignore the

mental side of the game,” Smith said.

“Volleyball can be incredibly a mental game in the ebbs and flows of a game like a roller coaster. Not riding too high and not going to low.”

Smith said she hopes this match can serve as a learning opportunity for her players moving forward. With a loaded Class 6A this season, every team is going to present a challenge at some point or another.

“My advice I gave them when they left, I said, ‘I want you to go home and I want you to think through what did you do well and what could you have done better?’” she said.

Jenks will be in action this weekend at the Broken Arrow Invitational tournament.

Jenks volleyball player Sophie Bufogle drills a shot Tuesday against Owasso in the Lady Trojans’ home opener.

Jenks held off a comeback from the Rams to win three sets to two. Photo/ Hayden Tucker

8A

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 16, 2019

Scratching out the home-opener The Jenks volleyball took a two sets to none lead over Owasso Tuesday but had to hold off a rally from the Rams to improve to 2-0 on the year. Photos/Hayden Tucker

Taking care of business The Jenks softbal team beat Bartlesville 7-0 Monday at home to improve to 5-3 on the young season. Photos/ Hayden Tucker

9A • FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 • JENKSTRIBUNE.COM •

A UNIQUE CALLING

Local pastor becomes life tribute specialist SUBMITTED

Mark Powell, associate music minister at First Baptist Church in Jenks, recently attended a five-day workshop to become a certified funeral celebrant. Photo/Courtesy

Burn Co. People’s Choice BBQ Competition heads for Jenks SUBMITTED The Jenks Public Schools Foundation has announced the creation of the new People’s Choice BBQ Competition in Jenks.

The Burn Co. Craft of Q People’s Choice BBQ Competition will take place Sept. 20-21 at the Riverwalk in Jenks.

A call for amateur BBQ enthusiasts to create teams and participate in the first Craft of Q competition is currently underway. Competing teams will receive direction from Burn Co. owner, Adam Myers, when the event kicks-off on Sept. 20.

Teams will include a pit master and up to four team members. Registration is available at the event website – www.CraftofQ.com and the cost is $200 per team.

US Foods is generously donating the meat for the competition which will include brisket, pork, and ribs. Competition food will be provided with each entry. Details and contest rules are available at www.CraftofQ.com Teams will distribute 1 oz. servings to tasters when the People’s Choice Contest begins at 11 a.m. on Sept. 21 on the Riverwalk. Taster plates will be sold at the event for $15 a plate while supplies last and will include one ticket for tasters to vote for their favorite BBQ team. (children under 5 sample free with a paid adult) Awards will be given for 1st through 10th place, in addition to auxiliary awards for “most spirited”, “cleanest”, and “most creative”.

Family friendly festivities during the weekend event include live music and inflatables. Proceeds from The Craft of Q benefit the Jenks Rotary Club and the Jenks Public Schools Foundation.

Mark Powell, associate music minister at First Baptist Church in Jenks, recently attended a five-day workshop to become a certified funeral celebrant.

The training was held at the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association University on the campus of the University of Memphis.

Powell will be working as needed in conjunction with Marker Funeral Homes, a family of funeral home and cremation services, serving Tulsa and surrounding areas at Hargrove-Marker Funeral & Cremation Service in Jenks, Leonard-Marker Funeral Home in Bixby and DowdyMarker Funeral Home in Haskell.

The funeral celebrants training is a new approach to personalized funerals presented by Doug Manning and Glenda Stansbury of the InSight Institute. At the end of 2019, they had trained over 4,000 funeral celebrants throughout the United States and Canada.

A funeral celebrant is a lay-person, clergy person or funeral director who has been trained in the specific area of conducting funerals for families who wish to have a personalized and individualized funeral service experience.

This practice is used widely in New Zealand and Australia. In some cases, civil celebrants, who are licensed by the government in those countries, perform over 50% of the funerals and weddings.

Doug Manning, one of the leading speakers and authors in the area of bereavement, toured these countries several years ago and brought back the idea that people in the United States and Canada needed this option.

The five-day training included people from all over North, Central and South America who will either offer these services to families who come to their funeral homes or individuals who will contract with firms to offer these services to the community. Celebrants offer personalized funeral services, tributes, memorial services, grave side memorials. They meet with the family to help them design a service that reflects the life and attributes of their loved one.

Powell plans to publicize the fact that this option is available for the families who come to the Marker Funeral Homes and hopes to be offering these types of funeral services, celebrations and memorial services in the future.

10A JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

Obituaries Dr. D. Ray Booker Dr. D. Ray Booker passed peacefully from this life on Monday, August 5, 2019, due to complications from a stroke and a long battle with Parkinson’s at the age of 84 years. Born November 26, 1934 in Willow, Oklahoma, Ray was the oldest of five children born to Geneva and Ray Booker.

Ray was an accomplished pilot, engineer, meteorologist and entrepreneur and he excelled in almost every venture he encountered. After graduating from Antlers High School, he earned a mechanical engineering degree at Oklahoma A&M College (Oklahoma State University) where he was active in the Air Force ROTC and the Baptist Student Union.

After graduating college, Ray was an engineer at Chance Vought Aircraft in Grand Prairie, Texas before becoming a second lieu-

tenant with the Air Force. He was sent to Pennsylvania State University for training, where he received a Master’s Degree and PhD, both in meteorology. During his time at Penn State, Booker was a television meteorologist and developed and taught the first course in television weather forecasting. He wrote a severe storm paper based on his master’s thesis, which was selected as the most significant scientific contribution at the American

Meteorological Society Severe Storms Conference held in Norman, Oklahoma.

After completing his PhD at Penn State University, he returned to Oklahoma to launch his first business, Weather Science, Inc. and later joined KWTV in Oklahoma City as one of the first professional meteorologists on television. Other businesses he formed included Aeromet, Inc. (formerly L-3 Aeromet), Aviation Technologies, Inc., and Metrodata Systems, Inc. Booker was an active supporter of the Oklahoma State University Foundation, serving as its Chairman of the Board of Directors. Ray’s generosity was beyond his alma mater and he was dedicated to making the Tulsa community a better place. He was an active board member and officer of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, the

Tulsa Ballet and the Tulsa Signature Symphony. He also greatly enjoyed his membership at Southern Hills Country Club.

In 1995, Ray was awarded the OSU CEAT Melvin R. Lohmann Medal, presented annually to an individual for outstanding engineering achievement. He was named Distinguished Alumnus from Pennsylvania State University in 2000. In 2001, he received Oklahoma State University’s Distinguished Alumni.

In 2012, Ray was inducted into the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni. Ray and his wife Linda endowed two scholarship funds and a professorship at OSU. He was a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

Booker Hall was named in his honor in 2005.

Ray was a voracious

reader and a true intellectual. He lived a life full of adventure and enjoyed travel, music, theater, ballet and college sports. He was as loyal and true of an OSU Cowboy fan that you could ever hope to find. He loved being with his family and friends who brought him such joy throughout his life. His presence, kindness, and generosity for others will be deeply missed by all those who had the good fortune to know him. Above all, he was a family man.

Ray is survived by his wife Linda Booker of Jenks, OK; one brother, Les Booker and wife Beth of Oklahoma City OK; two sisters, Kaye Leach and husband Eddie of North Richland Hills, TX and Janice Booker of Oklahoma City, OK; three children, Karen Chism and husband Cliff of Haskell, OK, Garry Booker and wife Lisa of Tulsa, OK, and

Renee Rhodes and husband Andy of Stillwater, Ok; two step-children, Michelle Woford and husband Kirk of Oklahoma City, OK, and Craig Parrish and wife Amy of Oklahoma City, OK; twelve grandchildren, Christopher Cline, Bradley Cline, William Booker, Alexander Booker, Elyssa Claxton, Brandon Rhodes, Rachael Rhodes, Madelyn Rhodes, Emily Ellis, Kate Ellis, Jack Ellis and Lucy Parrish.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Earlene Hobbs Booker; sister, Susan Booker, son Larry Booker and granddaughter Sabra Cline.

Ray’s funeral service was held at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum on August 9, 2019 and entrusted to the care of Hargrove-Marker Funeral & Cremation Service, Jenks, Oklahoma.

George Franklin Agee George Franklin Agee, age 89, passed from this life on July 31, 2019 in Sapulpa, OK. George was born on May 3, 1930 in Wewoka, Oklahoma to Benjamin Clarence and Elsie Elizabeth (Lowery) Agee. George graduated from Henryetta High School in 1948 and married his classmate and love of his life Berna Dean (Brookey) Agee

July 14, 1950. George was drafted into the military on February 13, 1952 where he served for two years and was honorably discharged on February 13, 1954. George attended Okmulgee Tech where he received his certificate in 1956. He worked at various oil companies as a draftsman, construction and equipment

representative.

George is preceded in death by his parents, and his loving wife of 67 years, Berna Dean Agee, brother s Bill Agee, Harvey and Tilford England, and Sister Cleo Hasell.

George is survived by 2 sons; George Michael and wife Jeanette Agee of Cleveland, OK, Mark Edward Agee of Mannford, OK, 3 grand-

children; Benjamin Agee of Tulsa, OK, Joel Agee of Japan, Scott and wife Sarah Agee of Tulsa, OK. 2 Great grandchildren; Clive Agee and Lorna Agee, 1 brother; Phil Agee and wife Diana of Henryetta, OK, 1 sister; Dixie and husband John Hutchinson of Overland Park, KS, as well as many relatives and friends that will

miss him dearly.

Funeral service previously held on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at Beaver Street Baptist Church in Jenks with interment held at Rest Haven Cemetery in Sperry, OK. Services were entrusted to the care of HargroveMarker Funeral & Cremation Service, Jenks, Oklahoma.

Glenda Sheryl Goins Glenda Sheryl Goins was born October 19, 1943 in Tulsa, Oklahoma the daughter of William Hobson and Glennie Frances (Smith) Kennemer. She passed from this life on Saturday, August 17, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the age of 75 years, 9 months and 28 days.

Sheryl graduated from Daniel Webster High School, Class of 1961. She married

Gerald David Goins August 25, 1960 in Tulsa and they spent 60 years together before he went ahead of her to make ready their heavenly home on May 14th of this year. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and cherished her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Her survivors include daughters, Toni Gayle Snapp and husband, Anthony of Tulsa

and Tracy Deanne Collinson and husband, Charles of Tulsa; son, David Randall Goins and husband, Brendan of Miami, FL; brother, James Earl Kennemer and wife, Mickey of Tulsa; grandchildren, Corey Snapp and fiancé, Lacey of Glenpool and Chase Snapp and wife, Kelsey of Keifer; great grandchildren, Rylee Snapp of Tulsa and Lake Snapp of Keifer; and numerous

nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Delores Jean Wyers; brother, Phillip Eugene Kennemer; and her daughter, Jeri Lynn Goins.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10:00 am, Friday, August 23, 2019

at Carbondale Assembly of God Church with Rev. Phil Taylor officiating. A graveside committal will follow at 1:00 pm in Fort Gibson National Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Heath-Griffith Funeral Home and an online guestbook is available by visiting www.heathgriffithfuneralhome. com.

In the August 16, 2019 edition of the Jenks Tribune, the Dr. D. Ray Booker and George Franklin Agee obituaries were run with the wrong photographs. The Jenks Tribune apologizes for the mistake.

11A

A HIGH HONOR • FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 • JENKSTRIBUNE.COM •

Jenks FFA recieves National Three Star Chapter award

By ALEX DAVIS

Jenks FFA Reporter

The Jenks FFA Chapter was recently named a National Three Star Chapter by the National FFA Organization. This award is the highest award an FFA chapter can receive at the National level. The purpose of the National Chapter Award Program is to recognize the FFA chapters that have implemented the mission and strategies of the National FFA Organization.

The National Chapter Award Program is a two part application process that starts at the state level. This year, 37 Oklahoma FFA

chapters moved on from the state level to be judged at the national level. In addition to being named a National Three Star Chapter, Jenks FFA was selected as a finalist in the National Premier Chapter Award program in the area of Growing Leaders.”

Only ten chapters from across the nation are picked for each of the three categories: Growing Leaders, Building Communities, and Strengthening Agriculture.

“It is a huge honor for Jenks FFA to be named a National Three Star Chapter. It shows to not only the state, but the nation that we are doing inno-

vative, engaging activates in our school and community,” said Stephen Tillinghast, Jenks FFA Advisor.

Jenks FFA Chapter President, Isabella Griffey, said, “It’s amazing how far our FFA chapter has come. The more we do, the more members we get involved. I like seeing our hard work paying off.”

Jenks FFA will attend National FFA Convention, which is held October 30th November 2nd in Indianapolis, Indiana, to receive the National Three Star Award and interview for the National Premier Chapter Award.

The Jenks FFA Chapter was recently named a National Three Star Chapter by the National FFA Organization. Photo/Courtesy

Churchill Park HOA throws Back to School Bash The Churchill Park Home Owners Association threw a back-to-school bash Sunday as children prepared to hit the classrooms. The Churchill Park HOA will also have a movie night Oct. 5 in the neighborhood park.

Photos/Kyle Salomon

Jenks Trojan Pride announces Marching Show SUBMITTED The Jenks Trojan Pride is excited to announce their 2019 Marching Show “Business as Usual”.

The football field will be transformed into a

large office space with window views of high rise buildings and skyscrapers. Music features include “The Typewriter” and “Moving Parts” with supporting music “She Works Hard for the

Money”, “Respect”, “She Used to Be Mine”, “Run to World (Girls)” and “Fight Song”.

The Trojan Pride will perform their show at all home football games during Halftime and at the following local and regional competitions:

Sept, 28 - Owasso Invitational Oct. 5 - Broken Arrow Invitational Oct. 18 & 19 - Bands of America Super Regionals, St. Louis, MO Nov. 2 - Oklahoma Bandmasters

Association State Marching Contest Owasso In 2019, The Jenks Trojan Pride experienced their best marching season yet with their “Carman” Show The Pride finished 3rd

in the BOA Super Regionals in St. Louis and, for the first time, were a finalist at BOA Grand Nationals in Indianapolis.

We are looking forward to another incredible season.

12A JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 16, 2019

2B

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

Sophomore class to take on new roles Hayden Tucker htucker@jenkstribune.com

It’s a new era in Jenks football.

The junior class is ready to take the state by storm and prove they’re the next big thing. Head coach Keith Riggs is entering his second season at the position and Adam Gaylor is beginning his first as the Trojan defensive coordinator.

Jenks graduated 28 seniors from last year’s team, many of them were starters. This year, the team has had to fill holes the departed seniors left.

The likes of veteran names such as quarterback Ian Corwin and left guard Brady Latham, staples on the team, had to be replaced.

Senior starters will come few and far between and the junior class is ready to step up and outperform expectations.

“Everyone expects, ‘oh they’re just first year starters,’” offensive lineman Logan Nobles, who is replacing Latham, said. “It’s like we’re the underdog and

nobody is expecting us to do well because nobody has started. I just think it feels nice that not everybody is expecting it.”

Of course, the new starters won’t be in it alone.

The junior class has developed a relationship with one another over the years. Each of them knows their time has come.

“I feel like since eighth grade when we came together as a team, we have been playing all together,” offensive lineman Haden Crawley said. “We’ve come together and built a bond and we’ve been preparing for this year to come. We’ve been looking at it like, we’re going to get our shot and when we do, we’re going to play as well as we can.

“We’ve all been waiting for this moment and I think a lot of us are excited and ready to show what we can do.”

The juniors have worked hard to prove they belong on the field during the first snap. To look across the plain and see familiar faces will make it a joyous occasion.

“I’m just looking forward to getting out there with my guys,” quarterback Steven

Kittleman, who replaces Corwin, said. “My grade, we’re all kind of here now starting. To get to play with them at the highest level again will be super fun.

Friday nights are the best thing, especially in Jenks, Oklahoma.”

And the juniors haven’t kept to themselves.

Over the months since spring training, the 11th

grade crew has created a relationship with the upperclassmen.

“Even the juniors have started to bond and have been bonding for a while with the seniors,” Nobles said. “It’s not like it’s just juniors and then the seniors, it’s like we’re all together.

The summer really helped us out with that.”

And for many, starting for

the Trojans is a dream come true. Several have been looking forward to this day for years.

“It very first hit me after the state championship (game) last year when Brady Latham came up to me in the locker room and said, ‘you’re going to be starting so you need to toughen up,’” Nobles said. “Ever since then I’ve been kind of nervous but super excited at the same time. It’s my time. I’m the next face of Jenks.”

Crawley said the stakes are a little sweeter with Mansfield-Legacy, Texas as the week zero matchup. He and his teammates have waited their turn, now they’ll get it on one of the biggest stages of the season.

“Ever since I started spring ball when I realized that this is going to be my year and our first game is going to be in Texas, possibly the biggest game of the year, it hit me and I said to myself, ‘my first career start will be one of the biggest games ever,’” he said. “I can’t begin to explain what I might be thinking. I’m just going to go into it like I do every game, see what happens. I’ve never had a game like this.”

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

3B

Using their heads

Trojans to wear the latest helmet tech This season Jenks football players will trot onto the gridiron in their usual maroon helmets with an intertwined JT on the sides, but a closer look will show the headwear is anything but usual.

The Trojans will be sporting the latest innovations in helmet technology, making them some of the first in high school football to adapt the Vicis brand. The ZERO1 helmet sports some of the best specs in football helmets.

Its biggest innovation is the “Lode Shell” which disperses the impact throughout the helmet, reducing the immediate blow.

“The best way I can describe it is kind of like crumple zones in a car,” coach Keith Riggs said. “When there is impact on the shell, it actually gives. It’s not a hard, rigid shell. It gives and then the first layer of the inside disperses the impact across the whole helmet instead of that one localized spot. The total force of an impact in one specific area of the head is now dispersed across the whole helmet instead of that one area.”

Jenks first tried out the helmet during spring practices. Vicis gave 12 to the team and it was a hit.

From there, the coaching staff knew it was time to make the change.

“No helmet is going to eliminate concussions but anything you can do to minimize impact, we were very

interested in,” Riggs said. “We tried them out for the spring and our camps, and the kids really liked them, they had a lot of good comments about them.”

The ZERO1 helmet was completed after a three-year $20 million research and development effort from Vicis.

What came from the effort was headwear that is fully customizable in that players can change the color of the shell, facemask, chinstrap and cup, jaw pad color and bumper color. The players also have the choice between six facemask styles.

The interior padding is also completely customizable. Three helmet sizes are paired with FORM liners, ridge pad and jaw pads.

“The helmet is really almost completely customizable on the inside to better fit each player’s head,” Riggs said. “They have three different sized shells and within the shell, each of the pieces are interchangeable. If one head is a little lighter than the other or one is a little narrower.”

The ZERO1 allows for a wider field of view than most helmets. Its 212-degree field of view reaches close to the human peripheral vision of 220 degrees, according to Vicis laboratory testing.

The helmets sell for $950 individually on the Vicis website but Riggs said the team got a discount for buying in bulk.

Jenks football will be taking the field with the Vicis ZERO1 helmet, one of the safest on the market, according to the National Football League. Photo/Hayden Tucker “We looked into what it would take to purchase them for the whole team and our administration stepped up and when we asked to purchase 100 helmets, they said yes which was just unbelievable,” he said.

The helmets are most notably worn by 2018 National Football League Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes and Super Bowl LII MVP Julian Edelman. More than 200 NCAA programs have incorporated the helmet. Jenks is one of over just 1,200 high schools to make the switch.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association deemed the ZERO1 to be

the best to reduce impact severity. It ranks No. 1 out of 34.

Having new, safer helmets gives peace of mind to everyone. At Jenks, the choice was easily made to keep players safe on Friday nights.

“Anything we help with on the safety side of things,” Riggs said.

“The helmet is getting a lot of attention these days but the shoulder pads, the thigh pads, everything you put on an athlete has the opportunity to help them be safer and get through a game injury free and hopefully season injury free. Every opportunity we have to make it safer, we’re going to try to do.”

4B

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

Kittleman prepared for first start at QB

By HAYDEN TUCKER

htucker@jenkstribune.com

For the first time in three years there will be a new man under center for Jenks.

The departure of Ian Corwin has made way for his back up to get the starting job this season. Steven Kittleman has been the number two quarterback for two years and now he’s getting his shot.

Kittleman, a 5-feet-10, 172pound player, brings more than an accurate arm to the team. His years under Corwin have shaped him into the player he is today.

“Ian was a great quarterback on the field, and off the field he was a phenomenal guy,” Kittleman said. “He taught me what it’s like to be a leader, how it’s not all about you, you’ve got to be very humble in your position.”

Kittleman’s years under Corwin have made for an easy transition between the two quarterbacks.

Both have the same demeanor in their approach to the game. Coaches know what they’ll get out of their new man.

“They both are intelligent in the classroom but certainly on the football field,” offensive coordinator Greg Calabrese said. “Not a lot of telling them twice. They pick up on what you’re talking about.

“I really try not to take for granted the communication

we’ve had with each other. I feel like we’re on the same page. Ian loved to spit out a play before I could tell him just to let me know we were on the same page and Steven has picked right up. I’ll be in the middle of a play call and he’ll give me the hand and say, ‘I’ve got it coach.’”

Kittleman has spent his years in the shadows but he’s found a way to shine with the ample opportunity that was presented to him.

In his freshman year, Kittleman was called up to play in a high-pressure situation against Owasso, the eventual state champions, following a leg injury to Corwin.

Last season he made his way onto the field after another injury to Corwin.

Kittleman stepped up and led the team to a valuable win over Westmoore.

“Steven carried us through a really big game that was for a lot of important seeding in our district with Westmoore and getting reps there,” Calabrese said.

Since getting the starting job Kittleman has made strides in his development.

“Most of the summer all you can do is throw the football in passing leagues and seven-on-seven tournaments,” head coach Keith Riggs said. “As the summer

Steven Kittleman airs a pass to a reciever during practice this week. Kittleman will be starting after backing up Ian Corwin for the last two seasons. Photo/Hayden Tucker went on, he just made better and better decisions at quarterback and that’s really exciting to see him grow through the summer before you get to the fall.”

Kittleman says the biggest progress he’s made has been in leading the offense.

“Over the course of the summer I’ve gotten more

comfortable especially in that leadership role, being very vocal, talking to all the guys,” Kittleman said. “I’d say I’ve grown the most in my leadership but I’m adding more to the offense that I know, more fluidity with all the guys.”

Being the starting quarterback, Kittleman will be

accomplishing something he’s wanted to do since he was a child. It will be a special moment for him when he steps on the field Friday in Texas.

“Ever since I was a young kid I always wanted to wear number nine so it’s going to be a pretty cool experience for me,” Kittleman said.

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

5B

LEARNING FROM THE PAST

By HAYDEN TUCKER

htucker@jenkstribune.com

It won’t take long this year for Jenks to be thrown into the fire.

The first four games of the schedule have the Trojans matching up with Mansfield-Legacy, Texas, Bixby, Union and Broken arrow in the first five weeks. The strength of schedule mixed with the youth of the team has some feeling less than confident. The team, however, doesn’t view it that way.

Jenks will open the season week zero Aug. 29 crossing state lines to play Mansfield-Legacy, a growing tradition and rivalry. From there, they’ll play their home opener against the 2018 Class 6A-II state champions week one.

The next week has the Trojans on the road at Tuttle Stadium in a rivalry game against Union.

Jenks will get a week off following the end of its non-district games before a rematch of the 2018 Class 6A-I state championship game at home against Broken Arrow.

The Trojans will face some of the best at every turn through week five. The young players on the roster are expected to get acclimated quickly playing against the stiff competition.

“Having those tough games first and three not being in district play yet is a great way for us to gain that experience we lack this year,” senior Will Cox said. “Going into those games, we want to win but if we come out 0-4 again, we can still win out our district and get a home playoff game.

They definitely matter, but it’s more working out us and being competitive in those games.”

In 2017 Jenks notoriously started the season 0-4 and then went on to win out the schedule and go 7-4 before losing in the playoff semi-finals to Owasso.

Remnants of that team still exist in players like Cox and first year starting quarterback Steven Kittleman.

Kittleman recalls his freshman season and the effort it took to turn things around.

“That year we had some really good leaders get through all of that together,” he said. “I’ll definitely take some stuff from that season. Especially since coach Trimble was there and he’s a phenomenal guy. When stuff gets tough you’ve got to be there for each other, and I think this year we have a team that’s very close and very special.”

If the Trojans find themselves sinking through four games, they’ll know not to panic.

“Just being there before I think all the seniors know what it takes to come back from that 0-4

start so we definitely would be pushing everybody and they can learn from us as to how to go about it since that’s what we had to do,” Cox said.

Though Jenks is playing tough competition doesn’t mean they don’t believe they stack up with the best.

The Trojans graduated several from last season but so did many area schools. Coach Keith Riggs says he isn’t putting the pressure on his team to look at teams in the past for motivation.

“Every year you really just have to be better than your competition,” he said. “You don’t have to be better than last year’s team or past state championship teams. You just have to be better than your opponents that year.”

Kittleman knows an adjustment period is looming and his calmness about it reflects throughout the program.

“I think the I think the start of the season is going to be huge for all of us,” Kittleman said.

“We’ve got a young team this year. It might take a while, but I think we’re going to get better as the season goes on. We’ll all step into our roles.

“The start of the season is going to be huge for all of us. We’ve got a young team this year. It might take a while, but I think we’re going to get better as the season goes on.”

6B

JenksTribune.com

IN THE TRENCHES

Linemen work in practice to get more reps before the start of the season. Photo/Hayden Tucker

Friday, August 23, 2019

By HAYDEN TUCKER

htucker@jenkstribune.com

On the offensive line this year, the men in the trenches have a unique dynamic.

Led by Max Johnson and John Roberts, the Jenks offensive line will be a blend of established veterans and newcomers with potential. It’s a big turnaround after a season with a strong line from 2018 that was backed by the likes of Brady Latham.

Though the Trojans will have some new players up front, the expectation is the same as last season.

“From year to year it doesn’t matter who’s coming in, who’s the returning starters, it doesn’t matter what kids we have out there, the expectation is the same thing every single year and that’s to go out there and win,” offensive line coach Justin Glenn said. “I really think the kids buy into that as well.”

With motivated first-year starters like Haden Crawley, getting the best effort out of the group shouldn’t be hard.

“I just want to play to the best of my ability,” Crawley, the right guard, said. “It’s our first year starting, we’ve always been in the shadow, if we made a mistake we’d think

‘well at least it’s not a varsity game,’ now everything will be scrutinized, and I expect that from everyone. I expect for us to be scrutinized for every mistake we make and get better every single day and every single game until whatever happens.”

But it’s the talent of Johnson and Roberts that have many interested in the production of the offensive line.

Johnson and Roberts, both seniors, are set to anchor the offense. Johnson will play center for the Trojans and is expected to slide over to right guard from time to time.

Roberts will spend time playing tackle on both sides of the ball.

Over the summer, Johnson put in the time and impressed coaches.

“He’s had a very dedicated summer,” offensive coordinator Greg Calabrese said. “He’s a lot stronger, a lot faster. He’s the undeniable leader of that bunch.”

Johnson and Roberts will be joined by Crawley as well as Logan Nobles, left guard, and Isaac Arsee, guard.

With fresh faces, an adjustment period is almost inevitable, says Glenn. But that’s to be expected.

“There’s always an adjust-

ment period,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a firstyear starter or a three-year starter, there’s always an adjustment period. That’s what we try to accomplish in practice. How many reps can we fit in a practice to take advantage of the time is given to us.”

The team won’t be heading into the season with the notion to count on the seniors every down. They hope to establish a groove where the team can count on the entire line.

“I trust all my guys that I put on the line,” Glenn said.

“Hopefully we don’t have to lean on just one or two, hopefully the whole team can lean on the front five.”

One thing the Jenks offensive line won’t lack is the trust.

The group has worked together over the past six months to create a bond and they plan to put that on display throughout the year.

“If you have that cohesive mindset, working as a team up front, then you’ll be able to do some special things,” Glen said. “It’s just about trust. If you don’t trust the person beside you then you’re going to struggle. I think we have a lot of trust up front for the guy next to us.”

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

7B

Deep running back class to pull double duty

By HAYDEN TUCKER

htucker@jenkstribune.com

If you see a running back with a Jenks jersey on this season, it’s safe to assume they’re pulling double duty.

The 2019 Jenks football team is young and lacks depth and that means pulling some players to play multiple positions. Oftentimes it’s common for a running back to play multiple positions but this season they’ll all be playing big roles on both sides of the ball.

“This year we certainly have some quality running backs, they just so happen to be our quality safeties as well,” offensive coordinator Greg Calabrese said. “We’ll have to be on top of their reps.”

Kobey Rogers, one of the only sole running backs on the roster, has impressed and will need to continue doing so moving forward.

“He’s going to be a kid we’re going to lean on to offset Will Cox being such a talented running back but such a huge part of our defense as well,” Calabrese said.

Cox is a three-year starter and is entering his senior season with the Trojans. He’s made a name for himself with his versatility playing both running back and defensive back.

“He’s not going to be the fastest, but he has a patience for letting the play develop,” Calabrese said. “And when it’s time to get dirty he can lower his shoulder and finish off a run. We like to keep

“We hope we can run the football well and we’re excited about the group of running backs we have. We’re going to go in with the game plan to control the football with our running game.”

- Keith Riggs Jenks Head Coach a defense off balance as much as we can, and he does a great job of motioning out of the backfield and letting us get into empty and doing some things in the passing game. He really is a very well-rounded back.”

You can find Cox showing off by reading the defense to snag an interception or finding the gap to get a big run, but he doesn’t care about any of that.

“I would rather do my job and not stand out than to make one spectacular play a game and mess up the rest of it,” Cox said. “I like to think I’m more of a team player. I’ll do whatever it takes to win. That’s just what I am.”

Grant Lohr, a junior, will get his time on offense and defense.

“He’s got some speed but he’s more of a one-cut back,” Calabrese said. “He finds his hole, he sticks

his foot in the ground, he gets skinny, he doesn’t need a whole lot of daylight to make a positive play for you.”

Rogers currently sits at 5-feet-11, 190 pounds and Calabrese says he could stand to gain a few. If he were to get above the 200-pound barrier like they hope, it could make a strong runner even more dangerous.

“He does a really god job of running behind his pads, lowering his helmet,” Calabrese said. “He’s not going to be our shifty, run away from too many people. He’s going to be, you’re going to have to pack your lunch to tackle him. He’s a good, hardnosed runner.”

Even though some Trojan running backs will be pulling double duty this season, the emphasis on running the ball is staying the same.

“We hope we can run the football well and we’re excited about the group of running backs we have,” head coach Keith Riggs said. “We’re going to go in with the game plan to control the football with our running game.”

Having a prominent running game comes from all areas. The versatility of the running backs corps this season has helped create a better understanding of what it will take as a team to make the pieces fall together.

“There’s some sort of pressure because if you have a good running game it opens so much more for passing game,” Cox said. “I think if we want to be successful, we’re going to have to work as a group, offensive line and running backs, to get that work in and mesh together and always be on our A game so we can open things up everywhere else.”

8B

JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

2019 Schedule

0: @ Mansfield-Legacy Jenks travels to Mansfield, Texas Aug. 29 for a week zero game beginning at 7 p.m.

1: vs. Bixby Jenks holds its home-opener Sept. 6 against the reigning Class 6A-II champion. Kick off is slated for 7 p.m.

2: @ Union The Jenks-Union rivalry game will be held at Tuttle Stadium Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

4: vs. Broken Arrow A rematch of the 2018 Class 6A-I state championship game will be Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

5: @ Enid Enid plays host to the Trojans Oct. 4 with the game beginning at 7 p.m.

6: vs. Yukon The Millers come to Jenks Oct. 11. Kick off is 7:30 p.m.

7: @ Edmond Memorial The Trojans make their first appearance to the west side of the state Oct. 17. Kick off is 7 p.m.

8: @ Norman The Trojans take on the Tigers Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.

9: vs. Ed. Santa Fe Jenks begins a two game homestand with a game Nov. 1 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

10: vs. Westmoore The Trojans close out the regular season against the Jaguars at home Nov. 8 with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

9B

Green Country connection New defensive coordinator makes his way back to northeast Oklahoma

By HAYDEN TUCKER

htucker@jenkstribune.com

Adam Gaylor has seen many sides of football in Oklahoma but his new tenure in Jenks will be one of the more enlightening experiences in his career.

Gaylor takes over as defensive coordinator for Dan Nichols who departed the program for Yukon, taking the same job. In his short time with the team, Gaylor already understands the importance of his role with the Trojans.

“As a competitor you want to win but at Jenks you really want to win,” Gaylor said. “They’ve reached a high level of success for decades now so that’s what we’re trying to hold up.

We understand those that came before us, that’s who we have to live up to, the standard they set for us.”

Gaylor’s coaching career has taken him all over the state, yet he always finds his way back to green country.

Gaylor attended and played football for Wagoner high school, then played for the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.

After graduating, he began his coaching career at Northeastern Oklahoma college in Miami in 2003, back in the northeastern part of the state. Gaylor coached two years at NEO as a graduate assistant before moving back to his hometown to take his first coordinator job.

Wagoner was 2-8 the year before Gaylor and the new coaching staff arrived, and in their first season, the Bulldogs made their first state championship experience going 11-3 and losing to Clinton.

Gaylor relocated back to Edmond after one year coaching his former high school team, taking a graduate assistant position with UCO. Though Gaylor enjoyed his time with the Bronchos, it was cut short by a phone call from his wife.

“I got a phone call after a 6 a.m. workout that she was pregnant,” Gaylor said. “She was working nights, so she was coming home, and we were finishing a workout. We wanted to get closer to our families.

My family is in wagoner, Broken Arrow, Muskogee area. Her family was in northeast Oklahoma. Her mom and dad moved with us to Owasso and I got a job at Broken Arrow.”

Gaylor took over as the defensive coordinator for the Tigers in 2007 and served until 2014 when he took the head coach job at Westmoore. He spent one season with the Jaguars before moving on to Mustang, where he stayed until last season.

“The way things worked out, it led us to a path back here,” Gaylor said.

“When the opportunity came to come back to the east side, come to Jenks and work for coach Riggs who I’ve always looked up to, I took it.”

Gaylor has gone back and forth between east and west Oklahoma over the past 20 years but he never gave up an opportunity to be close to family. Gaylor said his children, who are seven and 11-years-old, were one of the biggest factors in the move back east.

“My mother and father in law still live in Owasso, my brother lives a block away from me,” he said. “On top of the athletic stuff, getting closer to family was probably number

Adam Gaylor talks with a player in practice this week. Gaylor takes over as defensive coordinator, he most recently served the same role at Mustang. Photo/Hayden Tucker one. Getting the opportunity to get closer to family. That opportunity for my kids to be able to see my in-law’s day in and day out is huge because you’ll never get that time back.”

In his new role with Jenks, Gaylor wants to take a different approach.

He hasn’t set out on a quest to change the playbook as many new coordinators might. Instead, Gaylor is continuing with the legacy of the Trojan defense.

“I want to immerse myself into Jenks Trojan football,” Gaylor said.

“It’s not about me at all. I’m bringing some tweaks to the defense, but I want to become part of the Jenks culture and I hope I’m doing that.

“This place is great for a reason.

There’s a lot of tradition and culture here, that makes it great. I don’t bring anything other than some new ideas.”

Some had their reservations about a new defensive coordinator but Gaylor wants to put everyone at ease knowing he isn’t making major

changes to the philosophy. Recently talking to a parent of a player he associated the defense to the menu at a restaurant.

“I said, ‘you’ve got to think of it as your favorite restaurant. They’ve had this menu that’s awesome for years. Then, all of the sudden, they’ve got this new menu that’s got new food on it and it’s as good as the old menu but you don’t disregard the old menu, you’ve just expanded what you can get,’” he said.

Gaylor didn’t take the defensive coordinator job to make sweeping changes, rather, he did it with intentions to continue one of the greatest legacies in high school football.

“It’s all about our kids and all about the kids that were before me with coach Trimble, coach Riggs, all the coaches here before me,” Gaylor said. “I’m just trying to fit in and immerse myself into this great culture that is Jenks Trojan football.”

10B JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019

2019 Jenks Trojan football Senior Class

Matt Ackerley

Grant Bruton

Will Cox

Brandon Elrod

Bo Estes

David Fonseca

Thatcher Hall

Jaxson Humphrey

Hunter Hyde

Maximus Johnson

Alex Kirk

Killian McGrew

Jake Mulready

Justin Murphy

Matthew Penland

Jay Pruitt

Jonathan Rhinehart

John Roberts

Photos/Courtesy of Ervin Photography

Kobey Rogers

Kobe Tucker

Drake VanNoy

Matthew Wofford

Friday, August 23, 2019

JenksTribune.com

11B

12B JenksTribune.com

Friday, August 23, 2019