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Friday Night Bites
Food, Fun & Music at Moore’s Central Park
The City of Moore is kicking off their annual fall event, Friday Night Bites, at Moore’s Central Park & Amphitheater on Sept. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event will close out the summer season with a live band, The Locals, as well as inflatables and lawn games.
The Moore Public Library will be present with activities for children, as well as a balloon artist with balloon animal creations.
“It’s a great, fun event, and we usually have a nice turnout. It’s something that’s free that the community can come out and enjoy,” shared Kasey Dean, event coordinator for the City of Moore.
Local vendors will open up shop under the pavilion, giving this year’s visitors the opportunity to shop locally while enjoying the festivities.
“It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on shopping for Christmas,” shared Dean.
Multiple food trucks from around the metro, Anthem Brewery and Native Spirit Winery will all be on-site and available to purchase food, drinks and snacks. The food truck lineup includes Yum Pig, Cone Heads, Coit’s Food Truck and Whoopie Wagon, to name a few.
Families often bring lawn chairs and blankets to relax on the hillside, while enjoying the concert throughout the evening.
Around 2,500 to 3,000 visitors are expected for the evening event.
For updates and more information, check out Moore Parks and Recreation’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms, as well as cityofmoore.com/upcoming-events. – SMS
Moore High’s Julie Berryhill Wins Prestigious Teaching Award
The new school year is already off to a great start at Moore High School, with national recognition of one of its teachers. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has named Julie Berryhill its 2024 Oklahoma History Teacher of the Year, one of 53 national honorees.
In addition to teaching U.S. history, Berryhill is Moore High School’s social studies department chair. Now in her 14th year, she has also taught psychology and sociology.
“I really enjoyed teaching the social sciences, but my true goals and passion have always been for U.S. history,” said Berryhill. “I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a small child.
“My mom has a VHS tape of me in kindergarten saying I wanted to be a teacher. I was consistently the kid in elementary school reading historical fiction because I love learning stories about our country’s origins and the different paths people have taken in our nation’s history.”
Berryhill recently completed her master’s degree at Gettysburg College in American history. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary social sciences education from Oklahoma Baptist University. David Burton, Moore Public Schools social studies curriculum coordinator, nominated Berryhill for the prestigious award.
Selected teachers may only receive the award once in their career.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization that works to further continuing education for K–12 teachers. Its mission is to promote knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. The Gilder Lehrman
Collection is considered one of the most extensive archives in American history, with more than 85,000 documents and a network of historians to further public knowledge.
Each year, the Institute’s professionals evaluate nominations from each state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Department of Defense schools, to select 53 merit honorees. Each honoree receives a $1,000 honorarium, a core archive of American history books and curated educational materials. All finalists are eligible for the Institute’s 2024 History Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced later this fall. The national winner is awarded a $10,000 prize and invited to a ceremony in October at New York’s Harvard Club.
Berryhill, who graduated from Tuttle High School, sees the prize as the culmination of her mentor teachers’ work, in addition to others throughout her life who have led by example.
“Good history teachers in high school made all the difference for me. They help students see history as not just dates and facts, but the larger story and how it can impact us today,” said Berryhill. “I enjoy now sharing that with my students, showing the next generation how history impacts them and our world, with positive and negative ramifications. I have just had some amazing people who have gone before me and shown me how to do things, teachers who have loved their professions and showed me how to do the job well.
“Thank you to all in our community who support local teachers.”
Find out more about The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History at gilderlehrman.org.– SMS
E L E B R A T I N G E X C E L L E N C E
20 Years at Valliance
Leadership.
MATT CLOUSE Norman President, Chief Lending Officer
University of Oklahoma senior Hope Bellows grew up around the sound of music.
Parents David and Heather were high school band directors, and older siblings Sarah and Blake played instruments. Hope, 21, was a trumpet player until switching to trombone in the seventh grade.
Peace and quiet was a rarity in the Bellows’ Moore household.
“There was always a lot of practicing going on in my house,” she said. “And my sister played flute, so it was always just a loud environment. It was just kind of normal at my house.”
Bellows’ upbringing fueled her passion for band music and orchestral music and helped prepare her for future success at Westmoore High School, where she was a three-time All-State band member, and OU, where she played for the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band.
“I have core memories of being a kid and excitingly listening to band music on car rides with my family,” she said. “Lincolnshire Posy by Percy Grainger was one of the first pieces I fell in love with as a kid. I still listen to this piece today and it brings back a lot of memories.”
Bellows’ latest accomplishment, however, is her most impressive.
In May, Bellows successfully auditioned for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, earning a seat as second-chair trombone. It’s an uncommon feat for a college student, according to OU trombone professor William Lang, who helped Bellows prepare for her audition.
“It’s incredibly hard to win auditions these days because of the numbers,” Lang said. “There are so many trombone players going for so few jobs that it is really hard to separate yourself from the pack, especially at a young age.
“To be a music minor and to win an audition is almost unheard of, and she stepped into this audition with about six to eight weeks of serious preparation, whereas most people might prepare for years and never win a job.”
Founded in 1988, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra performs Classics, orchestral Pops, Discovery Family concerts and community events.
Bellows will make her official OKCPHIL debut Sept. 15 at Scissortail Park. In July, she joined the orchestra for Independence Day performances in Oklahoma City and Yukon.
A MUSICAL LEGACY
Westmoore’s Hope Bellows Earns Spot in Oklahoma City Philharmonic
“It was pretty cool,” she said. “I was nervous, but everyone has been super welcoming and supportive.”
For Bellows, who has attended “quite a few OKCPHIL concerts,” it is the culmination of a dream.
“Ever since I was in high school, I knew that playing trombone in a professional ensemble was something I knew I would love to do,” she said. During her time at Westmoore, Bellows participated in band and choir. Five times she was named to the All-Region honor band.
“This is where a lot of my growth as a musician came about,” she said. “The band program was a great learning experience for me, and it is also where I made the most friends. The friends I made along the way were probably the most memorable aspect of band and choir.”
At OU, Bellows played in The Pride as a freshman and sophomore. A music education major, she switched to psychology with a music minor because she didn’t see herself becoming a band
director like her parents, who recently accepted positions as band directors at North Rock Creek High School in Shawnee.
“I did that because I realized ... I wanted to perform,” she said. “I didn’t want to quit music.”
Bellows found out about the Oklahoma Philharmonic audition in April.
“It sounded so awesome, but I was really nervous,” she said. “I just didn’t know if I had a shot at something like that.”
That’s where Lang stepped in, providing extra lessons, arranging orchestral excerpt readings and setting up a mock audition.
“What separates Hope is her willingness to do the work the right way,” he said. “There are a lot of trombonists that have outstanding technique or a beautiful tone, but there are not that many who are willing to learn how their (instrument) fits in the orchestra in a deep way.”
OKCPHIL music director Alexander Mickelthwate said he looks forward to Bellows joining the orchestra.
“We are really excited for Hope. It is wonderful when we can tap into the young, talented players from the local Oklahoma universities,” Mickelthwate said in an OU news release. “Hope fits right in with her sound and energy and it will be a real pleasure working with her.”
Bellows, who is under contract and will get paid for rehearsals and performances, lives in Norman close to campus with two roommates. Neither appears to mind that Bellows must play her trombone from time to time.
“They support what I’m doing, and they don’t mind when I practice,” she said. “I still have to practice and prepare my part. I like to practice in my practice room (at OU), but sometimes it is just easier to practice at home.”
Just like old times.– SMS
From Garage to Glory
BY: CHRIS PLANK BY: VICTORIA STEPHENS
Metro Students Shine at Vex Robotics World Championship
While Oklahoma may not be the first place to come to mind when considering robotics education, some Oklahoma students are working to change that perception. A local high school robotics team, Flashbang Robotics, competed in the Vex Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, and placed 49th overall.
Over 50 countries were represented in the Vex Robotics World Championship and over 1,500 teams competed. The 2023-2024 competition was called Over Under, and the game’s objective was to use the team’s robot to push tetrahedron foam balls into a goal. The robots also had to be able to go over and under barriers on the field.
Jaxon Anderson was in the seventh grade at Brink Junior High when he became interested in robotics. He tried to join the school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) robotics program in junior high, but did not make the cut until his 8th grade year. He became enthralled in it, only to discover that the high school did not have a continuance of the robotics program he loved in junior high.
“I always had that passion deep down for STEM education and robotics,” Jaxon Anderson, team captain of Flashbang Robotics said. “The Moore Public Schools robotics programs planted the seed of passion for me.”
Jaxon’s dad, Jason, inspired him to think big and put together his own team, with the stipulation that he create a plan including a budget before recruiting other high school robotics enthusiasts. The pair set up a garage lab for their team to use for assembly and practice.
“I told him to run it like a business… put together an operating budget, try to figure out how much it’s going to cost, how many tournaments are we going to go to, and put it all together, and then we’ll have something to talk to the parents about, so he did it,” Jason Anderson, Flashbang Robotics mentor said.
Vex Robotics is a STEM education organization that creates tools for robotics and hosts competitions to provide hands-on experience. There are Vex Robotics teams in over 60 countries and 22,000 schools, with over 1 million students participating. Each state gets a specific number of bids for Worlds, based on population, and each team
must compete on a local level to secure one of those spots. The Flashbang Robotics team won 17 awards at the Vex Robotics competition. Flashbang started out using a program called Scratch, a block-based visual programming language in which the user can drag and drop components to form computer programming scripts. Since mastering Scratch, the team has graduated to using C++, a programming industry standard. They also work with CAD (computer-aided design). Despite all the awards and valuable experience to boost their college resumes, Jaxon and his dad said that it’s about more than that. They have learned how to work together on a team and developed a rapport, and they are part of a larger robotics community.
“What I’m probably the most proud of Jaxon for with this whole thing is not the trophies and not the awards and stuff like that, but it’s actually Jaxon’s ability to inspire other people,” Jason Anderson said. “Since we created Flashbang, there’s been two or three other teams in this metro area that said, ‘you know what if Jaxon can do it, we can do it too.’”
Flashbang Robotics is gearing up for their next Vex Robotics World Championship called High Stakes. The object of the competition is to place rings on stakes by climbing. They are also looking to gain sponsorship opportunities to grow their program.
Follow their journey at Flashbang Robotics on YouTube.– SMS
NEW FOES OLD RIVALRIES
ALABAMA - CRIMSON TIDE
The 2024 season marks a new era for University of Alabama football. After the surprising retirement of Nick Saban, the Tide turned to Washington head coach Kalen Deoer who has won at every level of his career. Jalen Milroe returns as the starting quarterback and will be expected to take major steps in year one of the quarterback-friendly DeBoer offense.
Saban’s defense was among the best in college football for the past 17 seasons. Now, Alabama must look to new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, who stepped down as South Alabama’s head coach to rejoin DeBoer. They previously worked together at Indiana.
HISTORY
Alabama captured a league-high 30th Southeastern Conference crown beating Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game. The Crimson Tide has won eight of the last 12 league crowns and are unbeaten in their last nine SEC Championship appearances (2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 & 2023).
Legendary head coach Bear Bryant laid the foundation for a program that has claimed 18 National Championships, 86 All-Americans and the second-most wins in college football history. Under Saban’s leadership, the Crimson Tide won six titles since 2009.
VS OKLAHOMA
Four of the six meetings between Oklahoma and Alabama occurred in bowl matchups including a playoff matchup in 2018 when the Tide knocked off the Sooners and Kyler Murray, 45-34. In one of the most memorable bowl games in recent memory, the Sooners beat the heavily favored Crimson Tide in the 2013 Sugar Bowl, 45-31. The Sooners lead the overall series 3-2-1.
SOUTH CAROLINA - GAMECOCKS
Former Oklahoma assistant coach Shane Beamer enters his fourth season as the South Carolina head coach. After raising expectations and making bowl games in each of his first two seasons, the Gamecocks fell flat in 2023. Beamer became the first coach in program history to win back-to-back games against top ten opponents after beating No. 5 Tennessee and their in-state rival No. 8 Clemson in 2022. Last season, however, the Gamecocks finished under .500 and now have a ton of talent to replace.
In total, South Carolina is returning just 52% of its offensive production from last season. That ranks 94th in the FBS. With no Spencer Rattler directing the offense, the QB job will fall to redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers, a dynamic athlete who flashed at times last year but will have to learn on the job.
HISTORY
From 1953 through 1970, the Gamecocks played in the ACC and won the ACC Championship in 1959. Before joining the SEC, the Gamecocks competed as an independent from 1971 to 1991. During that run, the Gamecocks produced 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers. Since their move to the SEC in 1992, they have won the SEC East Division once in 2010 and have posted seven final top-25 rankings, including three top-10 finishes and one top-5 finish.
VS OKLAHOMA
There has never been a football matchup between Oklahoma and South Carolina. This will change on Oct. 19 this season, when Oklahoma welcomes the Gamecocks to Norman between games against Texas and at Ole Miss.
As the Sooner football team embarks on its inaugural season in the SEC, OU sideline reporter and KREF show host Chris Plank breaks down the competition.
AUBURN - TIGERS
As Hugh Freeze enters his second season as the Tigers head coach, the offense must be better. Freeze produced some dynamic offenses during his tenures at Ole Miss and Liberty, but his first season at Auburn was a struggle. The Tigers finished 92nd in total offense last season and 124th in passing at 162.2 passing yards per game. Payton Thorne is returning as the starting quarterback after a solid spring to cement himself as the starter.
Three of Auburn’s five 2024 NFL draft selections were from the defensive backfield. Senior cornerback Keionte Scott is the only returning starter. He was fourth on the team with 42 tackles and second with five passes defended.
HISTORY
Auburn produced one of the most dominating players in college football history in Bo Jackson. Jackson won the Heisman Trophy in 1985 after rushing for 1,786 yards and finished his career at Auburn with 4,575 all-purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns, 43 rushing and two receiving, with a 6.6 yards per carry average. Bo is one of three Tigers to win the Heisman along with Pat Sullivan in 1971 and Cam Newton in 2010.
Auburn finished undefeated 12 times and claims 16 conference titles. Auburn won the 2010 National Championship behind star quarterback Cam Newton. They also claimed titles in 1913, 1957, 1983 and 1993.
VS OKLAHOMA
Auburn and Oklahoma have only played twice, both in the Sugar Bowl, with Oklahoma winning both games in the 1972 and 2016 seasons. In the most recent meeting on Jan. 2, 2017, Oklahoma beat Auburn 35-19 in the Sugar Bowl in the final game before Bob Stoops retired. The teams will square off for the first time ever in the regular season with the Sooners traveling to Auburn on Sept. 28.
MISSOURI - TIGERS
The Missouri Tigers are coming off one of the best seasons in program history. The Tigers finished 11-2, marking their first 10-win season since 2014, and the campaign culminated with a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. Eli Drinkwitz has Missouri fans feeling like 2024 has the potential to be special thanks to solid work in the trans fer portal and the return of quarterback Brady Cook and standout wide receiver Luther Burden III. Cook threw for 3,317 yards last fall. He gets nearly all of his receiving corps back, including a familiar name in Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease.
Former Sooners on the Tiger roster include offensive lineman Cayden Green who had figured to play a key role in the trenches for the Sooners before his surprising and controversial transfer to Columbia. This year, the Tigers did lose their defensive coordinator but made a solid hire in Corey Batoon whose South Alabama defense held foes to 70 yards per game below their average.
HISTORY
Missouri has been a member of the SEC since 2011 after playing in the Big 8/Big 12 since 1928. The Tigers have never won a National Championship, but have won 15 conference titles,12 of which came in the Big 8. The most recent conference crown came in 1969.
VS OKLAHOMA
The Sooners hold a 67-24-5 mark against the Tigers. An old Big 12 rival, Mizzou’s history with the Sooners dates back to 1902. While it was pretty even early on, OU quickly took over with long win streaks. Missouri has only won two games against OU since 1984.
OLE MISS - REBELS
The Lane Train is loaded and ready for the 2024 season following a historic 2023 season. After winning 11 games for the first time in program history, the Rebels loaded up in the transfer portal under 5th-year head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin returns most of the top offensive talent from last year’s team, including quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Tre Harris and tight end Caden Prieskorn.
The Rebels were also one of the biggest winners from the transfer portal, completely revamping their defense with stars like edge defender Princely Umanmielen and interior defensive lineman Walter Nolen, who moved to Oxford from College Station, Texas. Ole Miss will likely be a preseason top ten team for the second time since 1970.
Improving their offensive line and replacing the production of running back Quinshon Judkins are two of the biggest question marks for Ole Miss heading into 2024. However, thanks to offseason spending, preseason hype has exploded and put Ole Miss in a position to do something special.
HISTORY
Founded in 1893 as the state’s first football team, Ole Miss has won six SEC Titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962 and 1963). The team has been co-national champions once, with Minnesota in 1960, the only time that Ole Miss has been acknowledged as national champion by the NCAA.
Legendary head coach Johnny Vaught is the winningest coach in Ole Miss Rebels football history, with 190 wins over 25 seasons. Vaught led the team to national prominence in the 1950s and 1960s when Ole Miss won three of its claimed National Titles.
VS OKLAHOMA
The Rebs took the only meeting against the Sooners, a 27-25 decision in the Independence Bowl following the 1999 season, the first with Bob Stoops, Mike Leach, Mark Stoops and Brent Venables on OU’s sideline. The two teams will meet for the first time during the regular season when the Sooners travel to Oxford on Oct. 26.
LOUISIANA STATE - TIGERS
After two seasons of culture-building and roster-fixing, Brian Kelly has now defined leaders and a level of competitive depth that has been missing in Baton Rouge over the last two seasons despite playing in the SEC Championship Game in his first season. With the Heisman Trophy season from Jayden Daniels in the rearview, the Tigers will turn to veteran Garrett Nussmeier.
The key to Tiger success is twofold - finding enough of a ground game to pair with what should still be a potent passing game and improving the defense enough to be at least average. Kelly looks to improve the defense under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker, formerly at Missouri. He has a terrific centerpiece to work with in linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who in his first two seasons accumulated 13 sacks and 26 tackles for losses.
HISTORY
The LSU Tigers have claimed 15 Conference Championships and four National Championships (1953, 2003, 2007, 2019). The 2003 title came at the expense of the Sooners and featured Nick Saban’s first national title as a head coach. The Tigers also have three Heisman Trophy winners including Jayden Daniels last season, Joe Burrow in 2019 and the legendary Bill Cannon in 1958. Cannon’s incredible journey was the foundation of the 1988 movie Everybody’s All American VS OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma won the 1950 Sugar Bowl against the Tigers but lost the next two matchups, the 2004 Sugar Bowl and the 2019 CFP Peach Bowl where LSU scored 63 points with Joe Burrow as quarterback en route to a national title. The two teams will face off for the first time in the regular season when Oklahoma travels to Baton Rouge on Nov. 30.
TENNESSEE - VOLUNTEERS
Josh Heupel has Tennessee fans believing. For all the great things the Volunteers have done - like being the first-ever BCS National Champion - the 27 wins in Heupel’s first three seasons is the best run since Phil Fulmer won 28 games from 2002 to 2004. But as the Oklahoma Sooner legend enters his fourth season, the Vols could be viewed as rebuilding with a new full-time starting quarterback, top running back and receivers, as well as an almost-new starting secondary and a slew of new parts on the defensive front seven. Yet the young talent is there to put together something special.
Much of that potential surrounds quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a 6-6, 210-pound all-around playmaker who should be a statistical superstar. Iamaleava (pronounced ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va) is one of the biggest quarterback recruits to land in Knoxville since Peyton Manning, but defensive concerns may keep the Vols from challenging for a conference title.
HISTORY
The Volunteers are among the most tradition-rich programs in college football. They have won 16 conference championships and claim six national titles. Despite legendary names like Peyton Manning and Johnny Majors, the Vols have never had a Heisman trophy winner. The home-field advantage at Neyland Stadium is staggering. Tennessee has won 485 games, the highest home-field total in college football in the nation at its current home venue.
VS OKLAHOMA
When Oklahoma and Tennessee meet in the first SEC game for the Sooners, it will be the fifth time the programs have faced off. Tennessee won the 1939 Orange Bowl, but the Sooners won the next three, including games in 2014 and 2015.
TEXAS A&M - AGGIES
After a potential breakout season in 2020 that ended with Texas A&M ranked fourth in the final polls, the Aggies sputtered. Despite unprecedented success on the recruiting trail, the Aggies missed out on bowl games the last two seasons while finishing under .500 in SEC play over the last three seasons combined. Texas A&M decided to pay the $77.5 million to buy out and fire Jimbo Fisher.
Now the Aggies turn to the defensive coordinator from that 2020 team in Mike Elko who moves back to College Station after two solid seasons as the head coach at Duke. Injuries forced Texas A&M to change quarterbacks seven times over the past two seasons. Improving the offense starts with better protection
Defensively the Aggies will be better, even after losing defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Texas A&M is set up very well defensively at all three levels, thanks in large part to the addition of Purdue’s Nic Scourton who is considered one of the best edge rushers in college football.
HISTORY
The 12th Man tradition at Texas A&M University began on January 2, 1922 when E. King Gill, a former football player and basketball player, was called down from the stands to play for the Aggies during the Dixie Classic in Dallas. The Aggies won the game 22-14, which is considered one of the biggest upsets in college football history. Texas A&M claims three national titles and 18 conference titles.
VS OKLAHOMA
The Sooners have won 19 of the 31 matchups against their former Big 12 foe. A&M took two of the last three against the Sooners, in 2010 and 2013 in the Cotton Bowl, but Oklahoma won seven straight from 2003, the 77-0 rout in Norman, to 2009, a 65-10 result.
ARKANSAS - RAZORBACKS
In one of the wildest coaching hires this offseason, embattled Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman hired former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino as the Razorbacks’ new offensive coordinator. Petrino served as the Arkansas head coach from 2008-2011. Just months after guiding Arkansas to an 11-2 record and a win in the Cotton Bowl, Petrino was fired amid a motorcycle accident-turned-scandal in 2012 — an exit that makes his return even more unusual.
After KJ Jefferson transferred out, Arkansas turned to Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green to lead the offense.
HISTORY
The University of Arkansas football team has not always been known as the Razorbacks. The name and mascot changed following the 1909 season when the football team, coached by Hugo Bezdek, finished 7–0. The Cardinals became the Razorbacks after Arkansas defeated LSU 7–0, and Bezdek told reporters after the game that his team played like a “wild band of Razorback hogs.”
Under legendary head coach Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks won the 1964 National Championship, the only title in program history. Barry Switzer was the running backs coach that season and played collegiately at Arkansas from 1956 to 1960.
VS OKLAHOMA
Arkansas and Oklahoma once played together in the Southwest Conference, before the Sooners escaped to what would later become the Big 8. The Sooners lead the football series 9-4-1, but they have played the Razorbacks only three times since Oklahoma left the SWC in 1926, all in bowl games.
In one of the most celebrated victories in Arkansas history, the Razorbacks beat the highly favored No. 2 Sooners, 31-6, in the Orange Bowl to conclude the 1977 season. Barry Switzer and the Sooners avenged that defeat in the 1987 Orange Bowl when the Sooners whipped a Ken Hatfield-coached Arkansas team 42-8.
TEXAS - LONGHORNS
The offseason infatuation with Texas continues, but are the Longhorns truly back? Much of Texas’ offensive weaponry from last season is gone, but quarterback Quinn Ewers remains to lead a cast of transfer receivers and a loaded group of running backs into the program’s first year of SEC competition.
The Longhorns’ secondary was their undoing late last season, but development from their incumbent players and Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba should aid that improvement.
The Longhorns ranked 59th in team coverage grade last season and played far worse than even that against the better passing teams on their schedule. They hope the development of Malik Muhammad along with Mukuba will improve their secondary.
HISTORY
The Texas football program claims four National Championships, 33 conference championships and 100 First Team All-Americans (62 consensus and 25 unanimous). The 2005 National Title was the first for Texas since 1970 and was clinched on the field in a historic game against USC when Vince Young scored the game-winning touchdown on the game’s final play.
VS OKLAHOMA
The Red River Rivalry is the greatest rivalry in all of college football. The first meeting came in 1900, and in the overall series, Texas has the edge over OU, 63-51-5. But Oklahoma has dominated the series since 2000 with 17 wins including five of the last six contests.
VANDERBILT - COMMODORES
The Commodores lost every SEC game last season by double-digits and have a grand total of just two winning seasons in the SEC since 1959. Vanderbilt averaged just 319 yards and 23 points per game last season and decided to make a change at offensive coordinator. In comes Tim Beck from New Mexico State, and he’s bringing his playmaker of a quarterback with him in Diego Pavia.
The struggles at Vanderbilt are understood and obvious, but if Lea is going to get a chance to continue as head coach he needs to show growth in 2024.
HISTORY
To say competing in football has been a struggle for Vanderbilt would be an understatement. No winning seasons in the last ten years, just three since 1982, a mere nine all-time bowl appearances, no ten-win seasons and just four nine-win campaigns.
Vanderbilt claims six National Titles with the first coming in 1906 and the last in 1922. The Commodores have eight undefeated seasons in program history but have not won a bowl game since 2013.
VS OKLAHOMA
The Sooners have played Vanderbilt just three times in program history sporting a 2-0-1 record. The programs have not met since 1977 when Oklahoma came from behind to win 25-23 in Norman. Jay Jimerson came off the bench at quarterback for an injured Thomas Lott to help the Sooners avoid the upset.
FLORIDA - GATORS
Entering his third season as the Gators coach, Billy Napier is facing a make-or-break season. Napier is on the hot seat with a disappointing 11-14 record across his first two years. To make matters worse, no team in college football faces a more challenging schedule than Florida. 2024 could mark the Gators’ fourth straight losing season. The last time the program went through such a severe dry spell was during the Great Depression. But there is reason for optimism, the Gators have a top ten offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus, a very good receiving corps and a strong starting running back in Montrell Johnson Jr. Add in the return of starting quarterback Graham Mertz, and the Gator offense has a chance to make some noise. Florida’s defense has struggled mightily, allowing an average of 38.2 points during a season-ending, fivegame skid.
HISTORY
The Florida Gators had a dominant run in the SEC under head coaches Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. From 1990-2001, Spurrier led the Gator program to the 1996 National Championships and won the SEC Championship five times. Spurrier is also one of the three Heisman Trophy winners who played for the Gators. Spurrier won itin 1966, his starting quarterback Danny Wuerffel won the award in 1996, and Tim Tebow captured the Gators’ most recent Heisman in 2007. Under the guidance of Meyer, Tebow finished his career as a Gator with a Heisman, two National Championships, two SEC Offensive Player of the Year awards and was inducted into the Florida Ring of Honor in 2018. VS OKLAHOMA
The Sooners and the Gators have met twice, both in bowl games, splitting the two matchups. The Sooners lost in the BCS Championship game to Tim Tebow and the Gators in 2009 while the Sooners, behind Spencer Rattler, dominated the Gators 55-20 in the 2020 Cotton Bowl.
GEORGIA - BULLDOGS
Georgia has not lost a regular season SEC game since the 2020 season. Over the last three years, the Bulldogs are 24-0 in SEC play and their only two losses during that stretch came in the SEC Championship game against Alabama in 2021 and 2023. After coming up short in its quest for three straight National Championships, the Bulldogs return a roster that has them positioned as the favorite to return to the SEC Championship game.
HISTORY
Georgia claims four National Championships with two of those four coming in the last three seasons. The program has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners (Hershel Walker, 1982, Frank Sinkwich, 1942) and five No. 1 NFL draft picks.
One of the best mascots in college football graces the sidelines for the Georgia Bulldogs. In the last 100 years of intercollegiate football, Georgia’s Uga has established himself as the nation’s most well-known mascot. The line of pure white English bulldogs, which epitomizes everything Georgia, has been owned by the Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family of Savannah, Ga. since Uga I first graced the campus in 1956.
VS OKLAHOMA
Georgia and Oklahoma have met once, and it was one of the most memorable and heartbreaking games in Sooner football history. In the 2017 Rose Bowl, Georgia rallied to beat the Sooners 54-48 in double overtime in Baker Mayfield’s final game in a Sooner uniform. Barring a match-up in the SEC Title game over the next two seasons, the Bulldogs won’t be on the Sooners’ schedule until 2026.
KENTUCKY - WILDCATS
Mark Stoops is back for his 12th season in Lexington. After rumors of a potential move to Texas A&M, Stoops has reloaded with a ton of talent for the Wildcats. The name Brock Vandagriff should sound familiar to Sooner fans, the one-time Oklahoma commit is now slated to be the starting quarterback for Kentucky after transferring from Georgia.
Kentucky’s defense was second in the SEC last season against the run, allowing only 113.1 yards per game on the ground. A lot of that run-stuffing comes courtesy of the big man up front, Deone Walker, who could be a top ten pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. A year ago, Walker had 55 tackles and 7.5 sacks. The 6-foot-6, 348-pounder is a monster up front and will be a problem for opposing offenses all season.
HISTORY
The Wildcats have never won an SEC Championship but lay claim to a National Championship. In 1950, coached by Bear Bryant, the Wildcats compiled an 11–1 record and defeated Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Kentucky claims the 1950 National Championship based on its No. 1 spot in computer rankings released in 1990 by Jeff Sagarin. Kentucky quarterback Babe Parilli tallied 1,627 passing yards and finished fourth in voting for the 1950 Heisman Trophy.
VS OKLAHOMA
The Sooners have won two of the three matchups against the Wildcats with the only Kentucky win coming in the 1951 Sugar Bowl. The Sooners responded with wins in 1980 and 1982, holding the Wildcats to under 10 points each time.
MISSISSIPPI STATE - BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs added even more Sooner flavor to Starkville in 2024 when athletic director and Sooner legacy Zac Selmon hired former OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as head coach. Mississippi State’s offense won’t look anything like it did last year, which should be a good thing, considering the Bulldogs finished as the ninth-worst Power Five team in expected points added per play. The Bulldogs will turn to quarterback Blake Shapen, a Baylor transfer, to run the offense.
Defensively, Mississippi State lost eight starters from a group that was average last year. In year one, Lebby has his work cut out for him.
HISTORY
The Bulldogs’ one SEC championship came in 1941, and they claimed a division championship in 1998. The Bulldogs have 26 postseason bowl appearances and have produced 38 All-Americans (three consensus), 171 All-SEC selections and 124 NFL players. Mike Leach revitalized the program after taking over in 2020, leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back winning records before his untimely death after the 2022 season. The Bulldogs have only had two seasons with 10 or more wins.
VS OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma and Mississippi State have never faced each other on the gridiron. That will likely come to an end in the 2026 season.
KICKING IT SEC STYLE
As the University of Oklahoma athletics program competes for the first time in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), one head coach has a bit of a head start compared to the rest of the Sooners’ coaching staff. Women’s soccer head coach Matt Mott, now in his second season leading the Sooners, brings with him 20 years of experience coaching in the SEC.
Mott was an assistant at Auburn for seven seasons before spending 13 years as the head coach at Ole Miss where he led the Rebels to six NCAA Tournament appearances. He understands better than anyone that the competition level in the SEC is as fierce in women’s soccer as it is in any other sport.
“Last year in the Big 12, we had three teams make the tourney and the SEC had nine teams,” Mott said. “It’s a very dominant league. There are no easy games, every game is a battle.
“We’re finding that players want to be part of the SEC and Oklahoma is a fantastic option for that.”
When Mott took over as head coach last season, the move to the SEC was already in motion. With an understanding of what it takes to succeed in the na-
tion’s toughest conference for women’s soccer, Mott built his roster not just for success in the final season of Big 12 play, but for the future in the SEC.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to come to this University and turn around and come back into the SEC,” Mott said. “We’re ready. I’ve been saying we want to kick the door in and introduce Oklahoma Soccer to the SEC. We’re excited about that opportunity.
In Mott’s first season, the Sooners delivered an offensive explosion, scoring 34 goals—tied for fifth in program history with the 2022 team. The school record is 37, set in 2005 and 2010.
Emma Hawkins led the Sooners in 2023 with nine goals, but she signed a professional contract with FHL, a soccer club in the Icelandic Lengjudeild league, during the offseason. Despite losing two of their top three scorers, including Hawkins, the Sooners return six of their top 10 scorers from last year’s squad.
While 2023 laid the foundation for the Mott era at Oklahoma, it required a quick turnaround from when he was hired to the start of the season. With a full offsea-
son of preparation and a year on the job, Mott is confident that his players understand his expectations.
“By the end of the year, we were playing really well,” Mott said. “The team was bought in on how we wanted to play, and we had a great spring to implement who we wanted to be. I feel like we’re in a much better spot here in year two.”
The Sooners return 15 letter winners and welcome 14 newcomers. OU also returns eight players who were starters last year, but consistency remains at the front of everyone’s mind.
“We were able to beat Texas and Oklahoma State and had some good wins, but too many opponents we didn’t play well enough, or we lost a game we shouldn’t have,” Mott said. “We have the talent to be competitive in the SEC for sure, but can we be consistent through the nonconference? That has got to be an important focus for us.”
While the Sooners have proven their scoring capabilities, Mott knew they had to improve defensively to compete in the SEC. A mix of experience, along with solid portal and high school additions, has strengthened the defense.
BY: CHRIS PLANK
“We really improved our defensive back line and our overall team defending,” Mott said. “We brought in a great goalkeeper in Caroline Duffy and a freshman in Morgan Paley who has done a great job in goal.
“We will still have experienced senior center backs in Andie Wolfe, Cailey England and Cassie Clifton. We’ve brought in two other transfers that will also help us back there. Defensively, we are significantly better.”
Duffy did not see a ton of action while at Duke, but has yet to allow a goal in her two seasons of collegiate soccer. While Wolfe brings experience in the back end, she finished ninth on the Sooners in scoring last season. Wolfe also anchored a Sooner back line that established a new program record for the fewest shots allowed per match (10.35) and posted five clean sheets, the program’s best since 2016. England ranks sixth in OU history with 6,214 career minutes played while Clifton logged the fourth most minutes of any Sooner last season.
Leonie Weber is the leading returning scorer from last season. The senior forward led the club with five assists and ranked second with five goals for a 15-point season.
“Our players came in really fit. Zac (Brouillette), our strength coach, did a great job over the summer. We started so much further along, and the players worked super hard,” Mott said. “It’s all coming together.”
An infusion of portal additions has also bolstered Oklahoma’s attack. Newcomer Sophia Green tallied 25 points and 11 goals last season at Omaha. The explosive forward has scored 24 career goals in her previous four seasons. Abigail McNulty brings 10 career goals to Norman after playing her first four years at Boston University.
“The sum is better than the individual parts and that’s what we really work on,” Mott said. “We want these guys to buy into being a Sooner whether they are here one year, two years, three years or three months. We work hard in making sure this season will be their best season.”
As Mott and the Sooners take on the challenge of the SEC in 2024 and beyond, one goal stands out - keeping the best talent in the state of Oklahoma.
“It’s one of the reasons I wanted this job… There are great players in this state,” Mott said. “Oklahoma State has beaten Oklahoma several times with Oklahoma players and that has to stop. Arkansas built a powerhouse with Oklahoma players. For me, it’s about shutting down the borders and us getting the top players here. We want the best players in this state to stay home and come to the flagship.” – SMS
by:
Photo
Mark Doescher
MEET THE PLAYERS
Local student athletes share what makes their community, school, team and coaches unique.
SPORT PARTICIPATING IN
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SEASON?
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT PLAYING FOR YOUR SCHOOL?
WHAT IS THE LEGACY OF YOUR SPORT AT YOUR SCHOOL?
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ATHLETE?
WHAT IS YOUR GAME DAY ROUTINE?
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?
SOCIAL HANDLE
Makiah Brumbelow-Neal Senior
Leah Campbell Senior
Volleyball
To be successful and win of course but also to come closer as a group and be able to rely on each other even after we graduate.
This season we’re holding ourselves to a high standard and making it to State for the first time.
Being able to play with my friends.
Softball is a huge part of the Moore community, we’ve had lots of successful schools including Moore High and successful girls.
Jarren Duran
Always listening to music and burning candle while getting ready.
I love the girls. They have grown to be my best friends.
Each year, we get closer and closer to our goals. We are trying our best to change the legacy for the future of our program.
Suni Lee
Listen to calming music, I would get too hyped and overwhelmed if I didn’t.
Seeing others work hard and succeed at something I want.
@makiahneal
By knowing I have to uphold myself for the sake of the team. I have to fight for my team and not just myself. @leahcam23
Softball
Samuel Russell Senior Cross Country
Drop my times by a reasonable margin.
Kate Holbrock Senior
Cross Country
I expect our team to do well and make it to State.
Issac Chavez Senior
Cross Country
The friendships and competition.
Progression, work to improve yourself and other people.
My friend, Aiden
Eat well and lock in.
I like running with my friends.
We lead with accountability and pride.
Parker Valby
Wake up early and get my mind right for the race.
To have a fun and competitive season. I meet awesome people and go to places I couldn’t before.
Don’t quit and run together.
Thatcher Bettis
Wake up, eat a good breakfast. Listen to music on the way. Step up to the line with no negative thoughts. Smile while I race.
I work my hardest when there is someone in front of me.
@sam_russ227
I like to push myself and not to give up.
@kate_holbrook
My team depends on me and the finish line is right in front of me.
N/A
MEET THE PLAYERS
Local student athletes share what makes their community, school, team and coaches unique.
Eva Tice Senior
Paytin Capra Senior
SPORT PARTICIPATING IN
Cross Country
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SEASON?
Podium at State and for the team to make it to State.
Softball
I’m expecting a great season from my team. We have a strong bond; we are already having so much fun and I’m excited to show people how hard we have worked and it translate onto the field.
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT PLAYING FOR YOUR SCHOOL?
Meeting new people and building relationships.
The competitiveness and pride.
WHAT IS THE LEGACY OF YOUR SPORT AT YOUR SCHOOL?
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ATHLETE?
WHAT IS YOUR GAME DAY ROUTINE?
It’s not really a popular sport but the people who are in it are super supportive.
Faith Ogle
Wake up, eat, get ready, listen to music.
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?
I don’t want to disappoint my teammates or coaches.
We stress a positive atmosphere and a good relationship with teammates - that is what Westmoore sports should be about.
Simone Biles
I like to show up early, sit in the locker room and relax, jam out, get hype with my teammates, get a little batting practice, drills on the field, pray, get pumped, and be game ready.
It’s more than just softball. What you put into your sport can reflect how much effort and drive you put into other aspects of your life. Have no regrets because once it’s over, it’s over.
Morgan Cross Junior
Volleyball
My expectations are to perform well and grow as a team.
Getting to play with people that I see everyday in my classes or just around school.
Rafael Carrizales Senior
Cross Country
Break my personal records, make State as a team and place at State.
Hadli Hasley Sophmore
Cross Country
For my team to make it to State and for me to break 19 minutes in a 5K.
We have a strong team culture.
Simone Biles
I always get a tea from HTeaO and then listen to hype music.
The community and seeing the team accomplish things they never thought were possible.
Cross Country is a sport that hardens athletes physically and mentally, preparing them for challenges in the real world.
My father
Eat a healthy breakfast, listen to music to get me ready for my race, a long warmup, pray and get ready to run.
My friends and the new friends I make.
For us to be known. Stephen Curry Dr. Pepper and music
I stay motivated because I know the more work I put in the better I get.
Reminding myself of why I started and of dreams I wish to achieve.
To prove everyone wrong. @morgan.alexiss
MEET THE PLAYERS
Local student athletes share what makes their community, school, team and coaches unique.
SPORT PARTICIPATING IN
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SEASON?
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT PLAYING FOR YOUR SCHOOL?
WHAT IS THE LEGACY OF YOUR SPORT AT YOUR SCHOOL?
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ATHLETE?
WHAT IS YOUR GAME DAY ROUTINE?
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?
Breeanna Gomez Senior
Softball
Win the state championship.
The program that our Southmoore coaches offer.
To win and have fun at every game.
Kady Self
I calm myself down with music and help my team focus on the game for the day.
My family and teammates.
Mia Johnson Senior Volleyball
To have a fun and competitive season and help the team turn around some of the bad rep we get as Southmoore Volleyball.
To proudly represent my school that I have made great relationships at.
The legacy of Southmoore Volleyball is underappreciated, but I hope to be a part of the rebranding.
Simone Biles
Listen to upbeat music, cheer for my little sister who’s on the freshman team, then a hype session with my teammates.
By knowing that when I walk into a practice, game or team bonding, I am going to get a good laugh in or have a fun time around my teammates in general.
FIRST PITCH FOR HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Photos by: Mark Doescher
Plastic Surgeon Returns to Norman THE ART OF HEALING
Dr. James Magnusson decided he wanted to be a surgeon in middle school. Growing up in Lawton, Okla., in a military family, Magnusson said he was drawn to the field of medicine because he “thought it was a cool job.”
He followed through on that plan attending the University of Oklahoma, earning two bachelor’s degrees, then the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa. During medical school, he listened to a plastic surgeon speak and was inspired by the problem-solving process required to restore function and aesthetics to damaged tissue.
“There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding plastic and reconstructive surgery,” Magnusson explained. “Many people think that it is just cosmetic surgery, but it is far more than that.
“We repair a dog bite injury to a child’s face, we reconstruct breast tissue after a mastectomy, we perform skin grafts on burns, we provide chronic wound care.”
After medical school and a seven-year residency out of state, Magnusson returned to Oklahoma and started a practice in south Oklahoma City in 1994. Soon after, he moved that office to Norman, where he built a 25-year career as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. During that time, he was on staff at several area hospitals including Norman Regional.
Magnusson retired in 2019. However, earlier this year, Magnusson received a call from Dr. Aaron Boyd, Norman Regional’s chief physician executive.
“He asked if I would come back to do breast reconstruction,” Magnusson said.
The Oklahoma Breast Center, Norman Regional’s breast cancer care center, is led by Dr. Denise Rable, MD. Magnusson and Rable worked together for several years before he retired.
“Dr. Rable, she’s the real rock star, needed someone, and it is quite an honor to do that. It is a real privilege to focus on patient care,” he said.
Regional and Oklahoma Breast Center
Due to the vacancy, the center wasn’t able to offer reconstructive surgery so “patients were left to deal with that on their own,” Magnusson said. With Magnusson’s return, breast center patients at the center have the option to have immediate reconstructive surgery, if they elect to do so.
“If a patient desires and is healthy enough to undergo reconstruction, she can have her breast cancer removed and reconstruction started at the same time by two surgeons working together,” he said. “Being diagnosed with breast cancer is an overwhelming and traumatic experience and the psychology of that is important to understand.
“Some women know exactly what they want and want it done as soon as possible, others opt to delay decisions on reconstruction until after cancer care is complete.”
Nationally, one out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast care in their lifetime, roughly 300,000 women annually. The Oklahoma Breast Center diagnoses roughly 20 new patients every month.
“It’s a startling number, but breast cancer is not on the rise,” Magnusson said. “We are diagnosing sooner because of the technology available, which is really beneficial for the patient. Early detection makes reconstruction easier and can even eliminate the need for chemo and radiation.”
Magnusson will also provide a full line-up of plastic and reconstructive surgery services including delayed breast reconstruction, skin cancer and soft tissue tumor removal, breast reduction and body contouring after weight loss.
His goal is to help build the department and recruit a plastic surgeon to take his place.
“I hope to recruit a young plastic surgeon to take the reins and make their career here like I did,” he said.–SMS
Orangetheory
