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MUSKOGEE
8Muskogee Phoenix Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021
Pigskin Preview New Roughers coach carefully sets foundation
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Travis Hill, following two separate stints as defensive coordinator at Muskogee High School, became head coach in January. It’s his first head-coaching stint since winning a state championship at East Central in the mid 2000s.
MUSKOGEE ROUGHERS
Record in 2020: 0-7
Head coach: Travis Hill, 1st season.
Staff: Chris Risenhoover, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks; Steve Craver, defensive coordinator/ safeties; Brad Higeons, assistant head coach/linebackers; Ryan Dvorak, offensive line; Nigel Carter, receivers; Keaton Scott, tight ends, Don Mayes, running backs; Prentice Joseph, defensive ends; Anthony McNac, nose guards/centers.
Returning starters (6 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist): Jayden Bell, WR, 5-7, 160, Jr.; James Moore, OL, 6-1, 295, Sr.; Vernon Pepiakitah, OL, 6-0, 285, So.; Kenan Adams, OL, 5-10, 245, Sr.; Anthony Watson, TE, 6-0, 220, So.; Walker Newton, QB, 5-7, 158, Jr.; Isaiah Givens, S, 6-1, 190, Sr.; Ayden Kemp, S, 5-10, 168, Jr.; Teyon Brewer, DE, 6-2, 245, So.; Devin Whitfield, DE, 6-2, 210, Sr.; Ronald Warren, LB, 6-1, 190, Jr.; Deshawn Smith, LB, 5-9, 170, Jr.; Hunter Hess, LB, 5-11, 200, Sr.
Others to watch: Brandon Tolbert, TB, 5-9, 195, Jr.; Keondre Johns, CB, 6-1, 175, Sr.; Kennedy McGee, WR, 5-9, 172, Sr.; Kayden McGee, WR, 5-9, 150, So.; Blade Todd, TE, 6-2, 200, Sr.; KD Freeman, LB, 5-9, 190, Jr.; Jacob Jones, QB, 6-2, 170, So.; Jemarian Ficklin, QB, 6-0, 170, Fr.; Jase Garrett, OL, 5-10, 255, Jr.; Brayden Henry, OL, 5-11, 220, So.; Brendan Wilson, RB, 5-6, 138, Sr.; Ian Williams, TE, 6-0, 200, Sr.; Skyler Onebear, K, 5-9, 150, Sr.; Carter Stewart, K, 5-7, 140, Jr.; Jaren Riggs-Brown, DB, 6-3, 150, Sr.
By Mike Kays mkays@muskogeephoenix.com
First things first.
When taking over as head football coach in January, Travis Hill embarked on a mission to lay the foundation of what was to come.
Which, as he points out, is not based on play outcome.
“Doing small things, doing the details, is big to him,” said Isaiah Givens, a senior leader.
And it starts before any snap, any practice.
“We have high expectations,” Hill said recently. “Better in the classroom, better citizens, better at home. Parents like that too, good decision-making processes as well.
And when I went about filling out my staff, I went about finding guys who were all about that. Down the road, and while I want to be remembered as a nice guy, when I see these kids, I want to see men being good dads and good husbands. It’s very important to use football for that. Selfishly from a coaching perspective, I believe it also helps us win games too. The schematics come in time, but setting a direction is first and foremost.”
Hill relied on guys with backgrounds steeped in that, including two former head coaches. He brought in Stigler head coach Chris Risenhoover as his offensive coordinator, former Tulsa Hurricane player and Owasso and Broken Arrow assistant Steve Craver as defensive coordinator, former Broken Arrow assistant Brad Higeons as assistant head coach and linebackers coach, and Prentice Joseph as defensive line coach after serving three seasons as Porter’s head coach.
Ryan Dvorak moves to an offensive line slot after coaching special teams and receivers. Anthony McNac switches to tight ends and Don Mayes to running backs coach.
All of this follows a year in which the top three players on the roster were lost to injury either during an off-season that due to COVID-19,
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Muskogee Phoenix Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 9
MUSKOGEE
didn’t include a spring season and also banned off-campus work and the usual team camps in the summer. Then, Muskogee played six regular season games, lost all of them, then after an idle four weeks due to games being canceled due to contact tracing or other pandemic issues, lost a playoff game in a year everyone made the post-season.
Thus, a foundation was needed simply because there wasn’t a lot that hadn’t been wiped out.
With just one season to go, Blake Todd, like Givens, is among a small group of seniors who must take the crash course in this.
“We all knew him on the defensive side and have that chemistry,” Todd said. “The coaches he brought in are good coaches. Everything is working well but we (as seniors) have to learn quick.”
Givens is a guy who has next-level potential, as does perhaps a couple others who come in with less experience than the three-year letterman. But much of the promise of this year’s team is in the youngsters.
Freshman Jamarian Ficklin was named the starter at quarterback. He’ll guide an offense that will have Givens in a mix at running back and
Senior Isaiah Givens on Muskogee head coach Travis Hill
Freshman Jamarian Ficklin is set to draw the start at quarterback on opening night.
sophomore Anthony Watson as a multi-use weapon at tight end, H-back. Add Walker Newton as another versatile weapon in that same manner, possibly lining up behind center at times. Brandon Tolbert, a junior, will be the primary ball carrier at running back.
Up front, Kenan Adams is at the core of a line that has developed signifcantly, so much so that Adams was able to move from a tackle spot to a more naturally suited spot at guard.
The most experienced unit of the defense is up front with linemen Teyon Brewer and Devin Whitfield returning. But with a shortened season and a long layoff between the COVID-allowed open playoff — and the youth now on board, this is likely to be a year of continuous discovery with a roster that has a lot of promise to be realized over the next three years.
And know with Hill and staff, it’ll be a work in progress on and off the field.
what’s trending
New at the helm
Four schools have new head coaches in 2021.
Muskogee: Travis Hill becomes the 19th Rougher head coach in the Indian Bowl era. Debut seasons have not been kind to those coaches. Only eight had winning seasons in their first year. However, 11 won their first game as Muskogee head coach.
Warner: Former Muskogee head coach Rafe Watkins becomes the Eagles’ head man this year. Watkins becomes the 16th head coach in Warner history. Seven of those coaches stayed at Warner two years or less including the last four. The Eagles had their best season in 2020 and first playoff win since 2012.
Haskell: The Haymakers have been on a continuous coaching carousel as of late. Phil McWilliams is the fifth head coach at Haskell in the last six years. Jim Reece spent 22 years at the helm from 1982-2003. In the 18 years since, Haskell has had seven different head coaches. Haskell has not had a winning season of playoff appearance since finishing runner-up in 2015.
Porter: Denton Long takes over at Porter. It seems like more than a decade ago that the Pirates finished undefeated and won their only playoff game. In fact, it was that 2009 season that Porter experienced its last winning season. However, despite the lack of winning seasons, four Pirate teams have advanced to the playoffs.
Winning ways
These teams finished on top or near the top of their respective districts and earned home playoff spots a year ago. Will that success continue?
Wagoner: The Bulldogs won their fifth state title under head coach Dale Condict. The stats were impressive on both sides of the ball. The offense scored 630 points, averaging 45 points a game. That’s the most for any Wagoner team in the Indian Bowl era. The defense was almost as good. Wagoner shut out six opponents matching the 2011 team. However, the 1945 team posted eight.
Hilldale: The Hornets recorded their sixth 10-win season in the last nine years. Hilldale advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 4A playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years. The offense had its highest points output in five years while the defense continued its three-year improvement in points allowed.
Eufaula: The Ironheads were less than a minute away from their third-straight 10-win season. Eufaula has dominated 2A-6 winning the title three straight years and advancing to the quarterfinals in two of the last three years. The three consecutive district titles are a school record. Larry Newton became the fourth Ironhead head coach to win over 60 games in his career joining Paul Bell (112), Frank Farrow (84) and Kerry Roberts (78).
Gore: The Pirates won backto-back district titles for the first time since 2010-11. Brandon Tyler starts his fifth season as head coach. In his first four years, Gore has won 35 games. It took Pirate teams eight seasons previous to Tyler’s arrival to win 35 games.
Midway: The Chargers returned to the top of their district after finishing second or third the four previous seasons. Last year, Midway put up the second-most points in school history and their 51.64 per game average was a record.
Finding their way
These schools had some success at times. Can they move to the next level this year?
Fort Gibson: The Tigers found themselves ranked as high as eighth in Class 4A last year but five straight losses left a sour taste in their mouth. However, the Tigers finished with just their second winning season in the last six years. Greg Whiteley returns for his seventh season, the most for a Tiger coach since Jim Hendren coach for eight straight years when Fort Gibson revived its program in 1959.
Checotah: The Wildcats finished 5-6 under first year head coach Zac Ross. However, Checotah captured a legitimate playoff berth and won its first-round game before losing to eventual state champion Holland Hall. Four of Checotah’s six losses came against top-10 ranked teams.
Webbers Falls: Trent Holt starts his seventh season as Warrior head coach. Only Charles Coleman (1981-94) has had a longer tenure. . Webbers Falls advanced to the playoffs for the fourth time under Holt and broke a nine-game playoff losing streak.
Porum: The Panthers continued to struggle but did make their first playoff appearance since 2005. That was also Porum’s last winning season.
Our takes:
Trending way up: Gore. Experience everywhere, the Pirates are set for a probable two-year run of dominance.
Not so fast: So Wagoner’s fifth state champions all wore graduation caps. For the most part. Don’t worry, they’re still Wagoner, and Thanksgiving will still be Thanksgiving in Wagoner. At least.
Enough is enough: Depth at the skill positions and a superb ground game make this Hornets team the team that will knock down the quarterfinal curse. Yes, we have said this before. Sooner or later, we’ll will it to happen.
No. 2 ain’t bad: Warner will chase, but not catch, Gore in A-8 but will host a playoff game in Rafe Watkins’ first season.
Watch out for this guy: Haskell’s Brannon Westmoreland will be the surprise quarterback of the area. The Haymkers will get a playoff berth after a forgettable 2020.
Bounce-back Roughers: Injuries and Covid couldn’t have designed a worse season for Muskogee in 2020, 0-7. This team could make the playoffs this year, setting the stage for a special run over the next 2-3 years.
Charge it: Midway’s Geral Washington is a special talent at quarterback and this isn’t your mother’s C-4. Just watch, again.
Fishing around: As Dontierre Fisher goes, so will go the Checotah Wildcats. The potential for a very deep run in 3A is there, but so is a loaded private school 3A.
—Tommy Cobb and Mike Kays
