Often by nature, at times by necessity,Mike Gundy is a sharer of opinions From his perch in Stillwater, the words of the winningest coach in Oklahoma State’s football history frequently carry in moments of mass transition,upheaval or consternation within the national orbit of college athletics
Yet here Gundy sat earlier this summer behind a podium inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, relegating two of college football’s most hotly-discussed and oft-strained issues among another pair of untouchables; the sort of topics you might avoid in small talk or at the Thanksgiving dinner table
“I’m almost considering the NIL and the portal like religion and politics where it s not even worth discussing because we don’t necessarily have a rhyme or reason
for what’s happening,”he said while taking questions during the Big 12 Conference’s summer media event
The modern transfer portal that arrived in 2018 is a reality with which Gundy like the vast majority his peers in the coaching game has become accustomed even if begrudgingly
Sixteen Cowboys entered the portal after the 2022 football season Roughly 16 more came in via the portal from somewhere else
The NCAA continues to wrangle with transfer portal regulation, but freedom of movement within college athletics is here to stay The issue of NIL, the policy by which college athletes can profit from their name, image and likeness is far less settled however
Two years into college sports’ NIL era the topic remains the ultimate albatross A few hours later inside the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Gundy addressed the subject in his own way once again
BLESSING OR WILD WEST?
“Where do we stand on NIL? Nobody knows” Gundy said “I want somebody in this building that knows where we stand to come tell me Because nobody knows where we stand
Gundy’s is one in the vast range of the prevailing viewpoints on NIL in 2023 Across college, conversations around the issue are never far from the surface
The industry of NIL has boomed since the NCAA deferred to state laws on the matter and opened the floodgates on July 1, 2021.
Per data from the NIL firm Opendose, college athletes earned an estimated $917 million in the first year of NIL In 2022, roughly 17% of all Division I college athletes participated in some form of NIL activities according to Sports Businesses Journal Across the country, there are now more than 200 NIL collectives facilitating NIL deals on college campuses
“It’s a blessing A real big blessing,” OSU
linebacker Collin Oliver said of NIL “It’s nothing short of that Just the abundance of opportunities I’ve had in that area have been amazing and I’ve never taken it for granted
That world of NIL has blossomed over the past two years absent a national standard
After the U S Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the NCAA could not limit education-related payments to student athletes in June 2021,
“Our student-athletes deserve something better than a patchwork of state laws that support their name, image, and likeness activities.” Greg Sankey, Southeastern Conference commissioner
Bill Haisten predictions on OU, OSU and TU
Tulsa World sports columnist Bill Haisten provides predictions on the 2023 regular-season records of the OU, Oklahoma State and University of Tulsa football teams, along with the expected champions in the Big 12 and American Athletic Conference:
Sooners: 9-3
A bowl loss to Florida State sentenced the 2022 Sooners to a fate that only a few weeks earlier had been unimaginable: OU’s first losing season since 1998. Brent Venables followed by closing on a nationally renowned recruiting class, and now it’s time for the head coach to take a big step in the restoration of the OU program as a fixture in the national Top 10 Look at the 2023 schedule: a typical OU team would take a 5-0 record to the Texas game on Oct 7 That’s the goal for these Sooners to be typical and contend for the Big 12 championship. After having been schooled 49-0 by the Longhorns last season, a Cotton Bowl revenge victory could result in a lasting psychological reset for the Sooners In OU s final Big 12 campaign, the conference title would be an extremely satisfying way to generate momentum for next year’s SEC debut season
Cowboys: 8-4
From sources I really trust, there have been positive reports since the start of preseason camp. I’m told that this Oklahoma State team overall is better than expected and that the Bryan Nardo-coordinated defense is a lot better than expected As the Sun Devils now are coached by former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham the Arizona State road game is an interesting nonconference challenge for the Cowboy defense For OSU in league play, there is a home date with defending Big 12 champ Kansas State Last season, K-State annihilated OSU 48-0 Bedlam
also is played in Stillwater Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor are not on the Cowboys’ regular-season schedule On the whole OSU’s Big 12 schedule is fairly friendly An 8-4 Cowboy record is fairly reasonable
Big 12 champion: K-State No coach is a better fit for his place and his program than Kansas State’s Chris Klieman, whose 2023 salary is a bargain at $4.5 million While he makes less than half of Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker are collecting this year and about $1 million less than Big 12 preseason favorite Texas is paying Steve Sarkisian the 55-year-old Klieman has
a talented veteran quarterback in Will Howard and a defensive front seven as good as any in the Big 12 Nov 4 is a special date on the conference calendar: On the same Saturday that OU and Oklahoma State collide in Stillwater, defending conference champion K-State visits Texas.
Golden Hurricane: 7-5
Unless Kevin Wilson’s first University of Tulsa squad can steal an upset victory over OU at home or Washington in Seattle, the Golden Hurricane should emerge from nonconference play with a 2-2 record The other two nonconference opponents are an FCS team (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and a
MAC team (Northern Illinois) that last season was 3-9
As UCF Houston and Cincinnati joined the Big 12, the American Athletic Conference raided Conference USA for new members Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB. With a favorable conference home schedule Wilson scores a seven-win Hurricane debut and a bowl trip.
AAC champion: Tulane
Only two seasons ago, the Tulane Green Wave was 2-10 Through his first six seasons as the head coach, Willie Fritz was 31-43 Last season Tulane was a shocking success story After defeating UCF for the
American Athletic Conference title, the Green Wave scored a Cotton Bowl berth Against Lincoln Riley’s Southern Cal Trojans, Tulane rallied from a two-touchdown deficit with four minutes left to play, prevailing 46-45 and finishing with a 12-2 record Michael Pratt was a Tulane hero in that game and returns as the Green Wave’s quarterback A team to watch in the AAC: first-year member UTSA, which over the last two seasons in Conference USA was a combined 23-5 The Roadrunner program still has that new-car scent: UTSA’s inaugural football season was played in 2011 bill haisten@tulsaworld com
It’s sickening: the demise of annual Bedlam football
On Nov 4, the OU Sooners and OSU Cowboys clash at Boone Pickens Stadium
As fans head home to Tulsa CountyorOklahomaCounty,orto Enid or McAlester or Grove or Woodward, they’re going tobepunchedinthe heart by a cold reality: the beautifully entertaining Bedlam football series will have come to an end I’m heartbroken by the demise of Bedlam as an annual exercise, and I’m astonished that so many people don’t seem particularly bothered to see it go away OU’s switch to the SEC was driven by finances and prestige When the opportunity was there the University of Oklahoma had to say yes Oklahoma State feels betrayed by a business partner – and that’s exactly what OU and OSU have been for decades: conference rivals whose competitions generate healthy ticket sales and above-average television viewership numbers
Most American sports fans are aware that the Bedlam brand is synonymous with OU vs OSU In othersports,yes,therewillbeBedlam,butitfeelslikeitmaybealong time before the SEC Sooners and Big12Cowboysagreetoreunitefor a nonconference football game On Aug 14, this was circulated inanOklahomaStatepressrelease: “Cowboy Football season tickets are SOLD OUT! This includes suites, club (level), seating bowl and student tickets” ForthefirsttimeinOSUfootball history, the university is “SOLD OUT!”onseasonticketsbeforethe start of a season There also was a season-ticket sellout in 2013 but some of those tickets were purchased after that season had begun As the 2022 Cowboy season ended with five losses in six games and the transfer-portal departure of QB Spencer Sanders and several additional starters, why was there
such a resoundingly positive response from OSU fans on 2023 season-ticket sales?
Because OU is on the OSU home schedule
The big-picture record shows Bedlam as being among the more one-sided of major-college football’s intrastate series There have been 91 victories for OU and 19 for Oklahoma State, with seven ties Before 1995 there were occasional classics like the 1983 and 1988 games in Stillwater In 1995-2022, however, Bedlam got better On three occasions Bob Simmons’ Cowboys beat OU teams that weren’t very good In his final game as the OSU coach – on Nov 25, 2000 – there was Bedlam in Stillwater Two weeks after OSU was crushed 58-0 at Texas Tech, there was an unexpected Bedlam thriller The Cowboys lost only 12-7 to an unbeaten, top-ranked OU team that would go on to capture the national title Two of the more important games in OSU history were the Bedlam wins recorded by the Les Miles-coached Cowboys in 2001
(16-13 over the fourth-ranked Sooners) and 2002 (38-28 over the third-ranked Sooners)
Those outcomes were a factor in T Boone Pickens having become inspired to donate massive amounts of money and his generosity led to the complete renovation of OSU’s stadium
Over those 28 seasons in 19952022, the Sooners won 20 times and the Cowboys eight times but in nine OU victories the final margin was no more than 10 points In six OU victories, the final margin was no more than six points
While Mike Gundy is 3-15 in Bedlam,hisOklahomaStateteams have been a consistent presence in the national polls In 11 of the 14 Bedlam games played in 2008-21, each squad was ranked in the Top 25
How does that compare to famous annual rivalries?
In2008-21,therewereeightIron Bowl games when both Alabama and Auburn were ranked In 2008-21 there were six Ohio State-Michigan games when both were ranked In 2008-21,there were only two
Notre Dame-Southern Cal games when both were in the Top 25
While every season is rife with variables, the 2023 season feels especially unpredictable
The University of Tulsa has a new head coach (former OU offensivecoordinatorKevinWilson)
You never know what to expect from a transition, but TU has an interesting quarterback (Braylon Braxton) and a new slot receiver (Braylin Presley) who as a Bixby superstar was the two-time state Player of the Year
Oklahoma State has more than 30 new players Twelve of the new Cowboys had been in the transfer portal Among them: 23-year-old QB Alan Bowman, the expected opening-night starter who now is at his third school
At OU, there is the pressure of winning every week while scoring style points – having everything look better than was the case during last year s seven-loss depression When the Sooners make their 2024 move to the Southeastern Conference,they won’t want their baggage to include a second con-
secutive lousy season
It’s impossible to overstate the pressure that Brent Venables must feel,andthatsamelevelofpressure willbeappliedtoGundyonNov 4 OU typically plays very well in Bedlam OSU will have the support of a red-hot crowd
Each side will battle like crazy, not wanting to end the every-year Bedlam football rivalry with a loss Great football will be played in Norman and Stillwater As the Longhornsalsomaketheswitchto the SEC, there is no disruption in the traditional OU-Texas dance in Dallas AlabamaandTennesseeare on OU’s 2024 SEC home schedule This is awesome: the Sooners face Michigan in 2025 (at Norman) and 2026 (at Ann Arbor) UpcomingOklahomaStatenonconference schedules are tremendous The Cowboys host Arkansas in 2024 and travel to Fayetteville in
DANIEL SHULAR TULSA WORLD
Quarterback Braylon Braxton (1) and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane play nonconference games at Washington Sept 9 and against OU on Sept 16 at H A Chapman Stadium
BILL HAISTEN
Competitive depth: Sooners replenished in 2023 with help from the transfer portal
ELI LEDERMAN Tulsa World
NORMAN On the eve of Oklahoma’s 2023 fall camp, defensive line coach Todd Bates carried the giddiness of a child.
A year on from a season in which the Sooners were often bullied and pushed at the point of attack, Bates is back for his second season at OU with reinforcements In a cast of transfers from places like Notre Dame Tennessee,Oklahoma State and Wake Forest, Bates’ unit is now simply bigger, faster and stronger than it was in 2022.
And talent like the kind the Sooners now possess on the defensive line is part of the reason why Bates and OU feel bullish in 2023 in the wake of the program’s
first losing season since 1998
“It feels like we’ve gotten so many players who have gotten better and improved,” Bates said. “And so many new guys as well. It feels like Christmas morning to my twins almost. You’re going to unwrap some new presents, and you can’t wait to show everybody what you got. That’s what it feels like to me.”
Keeping with the metaphor, there are presents to unwrap in nearly every position group this fall.
Following a 6-7 finish a year
ago the Sooners are retooled. No longer can the state of OU’s personnel be blamed on a previous administration with coach Brent Venables 20 months into a massive roster overhaul achieved with help via the transfer portal.
Reggie Pearson (Texas Tech) bring depth to already well-stocked position groups
exciting to have big boys And they can move.”
As recently as this summer, national voices in college athletics from NCAA president Charlie Baker to Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey have put their support behind a national solution on NIL railing against state NIL laws that hand schools wide goalposts on NIL and others that give athletic departments seeming blanket protection from penalties for NIL-related violations
One such law is Senate Bill 840, a piece of NIL legalization that ultimately passed through the Oklahoma legislature earlier this spring Under SB 840, college athletes in the state operate in the NIL space with fewer restrictions over their earning power Another wrinkle? State universities are now protected from NCAA or conference punishment for violations related to NIL
Similar laws sprouting across the country are what have national leaders in college athletics calling on the U S Congress for intervention
The reality is our student-athletes deserve something better than a patchwork of state laws that support their name, image, and likeness activities,” Sankey said last month
Let’s look at the math.
Since Venables and Co took over in the final month of 2021, the Sooners have brought in more than 80 newcomers into the program between high school signings and portal transfers Only 21 scholarship players remain from Lincoln Riley’s final roster
Venables estimates nearly 76% of his current team is in its first or second year on campus
“We really like the competitive depth that we have and the ability that we have,” he said earlier this month “The guys that we brought in have made us better”
The scope of the changes within the Sooners’ roster construction differ from position-to-position.
Some are more subtle than others
For instance, Austin Stogner’s return to Norman after a year away at South Carolina gives OU a sturdy replacement for Brayden Willis On the offensive line,Stanford transfer Walter Rouse arrives to fill the gap left behind by AllBig 12 left tackle Anton Harrison.
Newcomers like linebacker Konnor Near (Ferris State) and
“If states will not enforce the laws and states are going to prohibit the NCAA or conferences from enforcing these reasonable policies, Congressional action is then the only way to provide a national uniform standard for name, image,and likeness activity and to draw the lines around the boundaries that do not become simply pay for play” Such efforts are underway As national leaders, coaches and administrators have appeared before Congress in recent months, the flow of proposed NIL bills has continued at the national level
Among the latest, in a bipartisan effort between Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), is the College Athletes Protection & Compensation Act
But as leaders across the industry clamor for a national solution it’s worth consulting the scoreboard Upwards of 15 NIL bills have been presented in the past two years None, to date, have achieved any sort of major headway As some of the most powerful minds in college athletics turn their attention to Washington, D C ,the realities of NIL are playing out daily on college campuses Tulsa’s first-year head coach Kevin Wilson, for instance, has seen both sides of it NIL boomed in the final two
“The thing that comes to mind and coach V talks about it all the time but it’s competitive depth,”said offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby “We’ve got more than one guy in every single room and every single position that can go operate and can go play at a high level. And I think that today is a little different than where we were a year ago today”
Other positions have been transformed more radically Bates called it Christmas morning for a reason.
Over the course of the offseason, OU added six transfer newcomers to a defensive line that finished 106th in run defense and 64th in teams sacks a year ago In Oklahoma State’s Trace Ford and Wake Forest’s Rondell Bothroyd, the Sooners have a pair of proven and experienced pass-rushing talents And with Da’Jon Terry (Tennessee), Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame), Davon Sears (Texas State) and Phil Paea (Utah State), the Sooners pack a whole lot more punch up the middle.
“One of the main things that keeps guys from getting movement in the middle of this earth is girth and we finally got some girth, Bates said. “Man, that s
years of Wilson’s six-season run at Ohio State that ended when he took the top job at TU last December and the Buckeyes have been at the forefront on NIL As of Aug 15, six of the top 100 in On3 com’s NIL valuation rankings resided on Ohio State’s roster
As NIL converged with the transfer portal after the summer of 2021 Wilson saw how the nation’s elite programs could approach this new era of college football
The (last) school I was at, we had a guy that watched every college team to evaluate” Wilson said “Here’s the guys last year that made All-Conference in the Sun Belt Are these guys any good? Here’s the guys that made All-Conference in the American Athletic Conference Are they any good? So, it’s almost like the NFL free agency” In 2021, the free agency of the transfer portal met with all the real money implications of NIL
Now with the Golden Hurricane, Wilson finds himself on the opposite end of the equation
TU’s new coach doesn’t necessarily view NIL as a tool for getting athletes on campus But it sure could be helpful in keeping them in a Golden Hurricane uniform once they get there
“I don’t use that (NIL money) in recruiting” Wilson said “But I think that we need to use NIL for retention” Coaches, administrators and
With alterations big and small, OU returns for Year 2 under Venables feeling better equipped to make a conference title charge in its final season in the Big 12. After falling on the losing side of five one-score games last fall, the depth is there for the Sooners to flip the script in 2023
“The competitive depth makes everybody better” said defensive coordinator Ted Roof “To be able to rotate players so that we’re fresh in the fourth quarter You’re only going to get what you’re earned. That’s every day
Whether you’re a coach or player or whatever Excited about the depth there and looking forward to getting started.”
Key portal additions
OL Walter Rouse: The 6-foot-6, 322-pound Stanford transfer could go down as the Sooners’ biggest transfer get in 2023 Rouse has big shoes to fill replacing All-Big 12 honoree Anton Harrison. But filling in on the left with 39 career starts under his belt, the fifth-year tackle brings experience to an offensive line that should be a strength for the Sooners this fall.
D-line: Take your pick Wake Forest s Rondell Bothroyd. Okla-
national leaders have spent the better part of the last two years identifying and speaking on the flaws in NIL Meanwhile at the player level,athletes on both sides of the Bedlam rivalry found benefits in the system NIL, for instance, is what allowed Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel to donate new jerseys to the boys basketball girls volleyball and girls soccer programs at his alma mater of Mililani High School over the summer
“A lot of this wouldn’t be possible without NIL” Gabriel said
“It has been really good for a lot of people Just grateful that I’m able to give back to a place that has given so much to me All I ever want is for a kid to have the same experience that I had Hopefully better” Oliver, the third-year Cowboy from Edmond Santa Fe,has found good use for NIL too Since bursting onto the scene in Stillwater in 2021, Oliver has developed a wide range of NIL deals with food,drink and apparel companies Another deal,this one with an underwear brand,is in the works he says NIL,Oliverbelieves,hasallowed him to live a different lifestyle as a college athlete than if he d arrived at OSU even five years earlier
“To me not having to worry about my financial situation has been a blessing,” he said It’s spoiled to say but I think a
homa State’s Trace Ford Tennessee’s Da’Jon Terry Notre Dame’s Jacob Lacey Texas State’s Davon Sears Utah State’s Phil Paea The Sooners are bigger, deeper and stronger up front in 2023 with help via the transfer portal. Together, those newcomers are expected to play parts in a much more physical defensive line this fall.
LB Dasan McCullough: With his rare combination of size,speed and length the Indiana transfer is the perfect fit for the cheetah role in the middle of OU’s defense. McCullough tallied four sacks in 2022 as a Freshman All-American In 2023 he’ll take on new and important duties in the Sooners’hybrid linebacker/safety role.
Key portal losses LB David Ugwoegbu: Headed to Houston after playing in 51 games over four seasons at Oklahoma He ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 8 4 tackles per game last season.
QB Nick Evers: The redshirt freshman only had one pass attempt against Texas during his lone season at OU before transferring to Wisconsin.
CB Jaden Davis: After four seasons with the Sooners he transferred to Miami, which is close to his Fort Lauderdale home He started 22 games at OU
lot of athletes do deserve it I know people aren’t gonna like that But you just have to look at the grind they’re going through It’s literally another job So any athlete who’s doing NIL deserves what’s coming for them and should be grateful They shouldn’t take it for granted”
While the leaders in the industry lobby politicians for change and athletes lean into their ability to earn money while competing, Gundy doesn t see national movement on the issue of NIL coming in the immediate future
A complex issue spanning all 50 states and the varied interests of a wide swath of major universities, conferencecommissioners,NCAA leaders and don’t forget it the athletes, NIL regulation won’t be easy to come by Early attempts have made little progress And an upcoming election year, Gundy warns won’t help speed up anything
“Maybe they’ll get a grasp on it,” he said “Maybe there’ll be some transparency Some guidelines Some parameters on what actually will be” If a national solution on NIL ever does arrive, Gundy has another prediction, too If it happens, it ll be driven by the IRS,”he said “Because the IRS is going to want the report” Daniel Allen Tulsa World contributed to the reporting of this story
MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD
Coach Brent Venables roster has been boosted by the transfer portal
Cowboys go ‘stride-for-stride’ in offseason transfer portal moves
DEAN RUHL Tulsa World
STILLWATER
Two days after Oklahoma State lost 37-16 against Kansas, Mike Gundy was asked about veteran losses in the transfer portal impacting his 2022 group
The Cowboys had lost their past two games by a combined score of 85-16 Injuries were piling up Underclassmen were thrust into meaningful roles
“We’re not big portal people and I’m never going to be a big portal guy,” Gundy said “I’m going to believe in the guys on our team I m not saying I m against it, I just don’t believe in it I just think you’ve got to raise the ones you have here”
OSU would finish the season winning only one more game, followed by an exodus of scholarship players from the program via the transfer portal that offseason
By the time OSU opened spring camp, the composition of the program vividly changed As did Gundy’s viewpoint on the portal
Instead of shying away from using it, Gundy changed course He embraced it In the past eight months, 17 scholarship players defected from the Cowboys’ program With the portal calendar officially flipping as of Aug 1 OSU surprisingly finished with fewer defections than the average Power Five program (18 5) “The age of the portal, I think this is the future right?” Gundy said “Some go out, some come in You would like to minimize that but I’m not sure that’s going to happen anymore”
Success this season hinges not on the quantity of players lost, but the quality Quarterback Spencer Sanders, running back Dominic Richardson, offensive lineman Caleb Etienne, wide receivers John Paul Richardson Stephon Johnson Jr and Bryson Green, safety Thomas Harper, linebacker Mason Cobb, defensive end Trace Ford and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad highlight portal losses this season
Last season, those 10 players accounted for 80 starts. All transferred to other P5 programs, half of them in the Big 12
“I attribute it to the times,” Gundy said during Big 12 Media Days last month “We can look across the country in the portal We’ve got players that are playing on national championship teams that are leaving and going to other schools ” After expecting the portal to slow down this offseason, it instead set a record number of entries And with 17 leaving Stillwater, Gundy retooled in the same way: through the portal
If a veteran wide receiver left, OSU would attempt to pull one with similar experience out of the portal A move not only designed to balance remaining eligibility, but maintain experience As for how the Cowboys made out: “I think that we went stride-for-stride,” Gundy said The true verdict on OSU’s success swapping out talent won’t be
known until weeks into the season For instance OSU is one of 98 FBS programs that lost a scholarship quarterback to another FBS program Sanders’ spot was given to Alan Bowman, a sixthyear journeyman with stops at Michigan and Texas Tech Cobb’s experience at linebacker could be replicated by Justin Wright, a Tulsa transfer also entering year No 6 Same with Anthony Goodlow (Tulsa) taking Ford’s roster vacancy The trio of wide receivers were supplemented by Washington State s De Zhaun Stribling, Division III George Fox’s Leon Johnson III and Iowa’s Arland Bruce IV whose future with the program is undetermined after being named in a criminal complaint for alleged sports gambling during his time with the Hawkeyes Less than a year ago, Gundy predicted the portal would slow down It didn’t, with a record number of players entering this season
Less than a year ago, Gundy opposed building through the portal This year he’s embraced it Now, it’s all about cohesion
Key portal additions
LB Justin Wright: Sixth-year senior who led Tulsa in tackles (101) and tackles for loss (10 5) last season.
OT Dalton Cooper: Allowed only seven quarterback sacks in the past three seasons at Texas State. WR De’Zhaun Stribling: Led Washington State in all receiving categories before transferring.
Key portal losses
QB Spencer Sanders: Fouryear starter in Stillwater currently battling for the starting job at Ole Miss LB Mason Cobb: Led OSU in tackles last season before transferring to USC in December WR John Paul Richardson: Developed into a consistent pass catcher his sophomore year before bolting for TCU
TU leaders Braylon Braxton, Kendarin Ray return from transfer portal
DANIEL ALLEN Tulsa World
Braylon Braxton didn’t envision himself entering the transfer portal
The moment he set foot on campus at the University of Tulsa in 2021, his sole focus was leading the Golden Hurricane to victory
“I was all in ” Braxton said “Through (two seasons), it really hadn’t hit me ” And why would it? A stable rapport with his head coach, two years of experience and chemistry with his offensive unit were each reasons for optimism regarding Braxton’s future
But oh, how things change
After TU s 5-7 finish in 2022 the program’s fourth losing season in a six-year span coach Philip Montgomery was fired
The result? An exodus of Golden Hurricane players into the transfer portal, Braxton included If it hadn’t been for a late recruiting pitch from newly hired head coach Kevin Wilson, Braxton said he had no idea where he’d be playing in 2023
Such is the modern reality of college football Players can be the face of a program one day and bolt the next
Unhappy with playing time?
See you later Disgruntled over what might be a minor incident blown out of proportion? Adios Also, players might be unwilling to give a new coach a chance to prove himself
Braxton is an exception So is safety Kendarin Ray who garnered interest from the likes of Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Nebraska after he entered the
portal following Montgomery’s departure “I’d given Tulsa my five years,”
Ray said “I thought given my relationship with (Montgomery) and a potential change in scenery, I wanted to weigh my options” And yet, Ray opted to return to Tulsa for a sixth season However others didn’t
Linebacker Justin Wright and defensive lineman Anthony Goodlow catalysts for the Golden Hurricane a season ago jumped ship after Montgomery’s firing Both transferred to OSU for their final season of eligibility
Starting offensive linemen Dillon Wade and Jason Muskrat followed Montgomery to Auburn where he is now the offensive coordinator And of course, two-year starting quarterback Davis Brin is spending his last year of college football at Georgia Southern But the existence of a transfer portal doesn’t guarantee instant gratification Wilson references a specific quote from Alabama coach Nick Saban to back that point: “The grass is always greener by the septic tank It’ll be interesting to see the guys that left last year, what their roles are this year at the places that
they’re at Because eventually (you wonder) is the grass always greener?”
While uncertainty in college football sits at an all-time high given the circumstances of NIL and the transfer portal, every college football program feels the underlying effects But Group of Five programs such as TU statistically are more prone to a mass exodus
“What’s gonna happen if a guy has a good two years or three years here?,” Wilson asked rhetorically “Now does a Big 12 or an SEC school want to poach him?”
For now, Wilson and Co will make do with their team’s current
roster makeup which features nine transfer portal additions seven of whom have Power Five experience And Braxton and Ray, both former transfer portal names are now immersed as leaders of a relatively new-look TU football team in 2023
Key portal additions
CB Demarco Jones: Spent past four seasons with OSU, primarily seeing action on special teams Has reportedly impressed coaches immensely in fall camp
Was a standout defensive back at Booker T Washington High School
CB Keuan Parker: Spent past two seasons with Arkansas, redshirting the first Starred at BTW
WR/RB Braylin Presley: The two-time World state high school player of the year from Bixby is expected to make an immediate impact after spending his freshman season at OSU
Key portal losses
LB Justin Wright: Moves to OSU after leading Tulsa in total tackles in 2022 (101 0) Also recorded two sacks and as many interceptions Produced 254 career total tackles with the Golden Hurricane
DL Anthony Goodlow: Also going to OSU, the 6-foot5 285-pound behemoth reeled in 44 total tackles last season, along with two sacks Served as a three-year starter for TU
QB Davis Brin: Transfers to Georgia Southern after he amassed 2,138 passing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022 Threw for 18 touchdowns in 2021
DANIEL SHULAR TULSA WORLD
JOEY JOHNSON FOR THE TULSA WORLD
Tulsa safety Kendarin Ray (1) is returning for his sixth season after briefly entering the transfer portal
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
POSITION ANALYSIS
Quarterbacks
2023 SCHEDULE
ARKANSAS
KU squad in its last trip to Lawrence and will be searching for a 19th straight win against Kansas this season AT OKLAHOMA STATE Nov 4, TBA The hottest ticket in the state will be for this Bedlam contest which is the last scheduled meeting between the schools in the unforeseeable future
WEST VIRGINIA Nov 11, TBA OU will try to avoid back-to-back losses to West Virginia for the first time since the Mountaineers joined the league in 2012 AT BYU Nov 18, TBA Oklahoma will make its first trip to Provo, Utah, to face one of the four newcomers to the Big 12
TCU Nov 24 (Friday), 11 a m Oklahoma wraps up its Big 12 regular-season history with a Black Friday contest against the Horned Frogs
Can Dillon Gabriel become the first Oklahoma quarterback to start at the position in two straight seasons since Baker Mayfield had a three-year run (2015-17) as the starter? Gabriel has the experience with 95 touchdown passes over the past four years, which is the secon nationally over that time per One less-than-ideal game could bring attention to talented freshman Jackson Arnold, a mid-year enrollee and one of the nation s top recruits in the 2023 recruiting cycle
Running backs Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby will be looking for another leader in the running backs room and the early candidate will be Jovantae Barnes The sophom rushed for 519 yards and five touch downs last season Fellow sophomore Gavin Sawchuk has a breakout game in the Cheez-It Bowl loss to Florida State He rushed for 100 yards in his first meaningful action last season Another player to watch is Marcus Major, who has battled injuries during his playing career
Wide receivers
while there could be a battle for the right guard position Look for Stanford transfer Walter Rouse to lock up the left tackle spot
Defensive line Competitive depth has been pounded nt Venables message this eason and there’s no need look farther than the deensive line There are solid returners in defensive ends Ethan Downs, Jonah Laulu and Reggie Grimes as well as interior defensive linemen Isaiah Coe and Jordan Kelley But the newcomers are looking to make an impact including transfers Rondell Bothroyd, Trace Ford, Jaob Lacey Phil Paea Davon ars, DaJon Terry and PJ awore
Linebackers
Danny Stutsman isn t only the leader of the line-
A go-to player will have to emerge following Marvin Mims early departure to the NFL OU hit the transfer portal to grab a pair of candidates in Andrel Anthony (Michigan) and Brenen Thompson (Texas) They will compete against returners Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops two sure-handed receivers on the roster Jayden Gibson, LV Bunkley-Shelton and Gavin Freeman will look to produce this year as will true freshman Jaquaize Pettaway
Tight ends
A familiar face returned to the roster when Austin Stogner transferred back to Norman after spending one season at South Carolina He played in 34 games for OU and will bring much-needed experience to a young position group Jason Llewellyn and Kaden Helms are the only returners from last year
A player to watch will be freshman Kade McIntyre
Offensive line
There s experience on the roster with five offensive linemen who made at least one start last season
The anchor is center Andrew Raym who has 17 career starts Left guard McKade Mettauer was the only lineman to start all 13 games last season Tyler Guyton started at right tackle against Florida State,
backers, but he s the heartbeat of the defense He led the Big 12 with 125 tackles last season The team will look to transfer Dasan McCullough to make an immediate impact as well as transfer Konnor Near and returners Jaren Kanak Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie Keep an eye on Shane Whitter as well as freshmen Lewis Carter Taylor Heim Samuel Omosigho and Phil Picciotti
Defensive backs
Woodi Washington has four years of experience at cornerback with only Billy Bowman and Key Lawrence having other significant time at the position (although they are primarily safeties) Will Kendal Dolby or Gentry Williams play a role at the position? Or Jayden Rowe? Bowman and Lawrence could get important time at safety as can Robert Spears-Jennings and newcomer Peyton Bowen A newcomer to watch is transfer Reggie Pearson (Texas Tech)
Special teams
OU will have to introduce a new punter long snapper and holder but welcomes back placekicker Zach Schmit who has played in 19 career games He’s made 13-of-19 field goals including a personal-best 46-yarder in 2021 Punting duties may be between transfers Luke Elzinga (Central Michigan former All-MAC selection) and Ashton Logan (Colorado) Farooq and Bowen could handle kickoff return duties Stoops and Bunkley-Shelton have experiences on punt returns
Running back Gavin Sawchuk (27) had
DILLON GABRIEL
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
DEAN RUHL | TULSA WORLD | DEAN RUHL@TULSAWORLD COM
POSITION ANALYSIS
Quarterbacks
OSU currently is embarking on its first quarterback
battle since 2019 OSU can go experienced with Alan Bowman a sixth-year senior transfer from Michigan who hasn t started in two years, or go young with either Garret Rangel or Gunnar Gundy
games The unit went relatively unscathed in the portal this season – losing Eli Russ and Caleb Etienne while adding Dalton Cooper – but cohesion for a veteran group will be needed this season
Running backs
The Cowboys returned two running backs from last season in talented sophomore Ollie Gordon and redshirt sophomore Jaden Nixon. After starting running back Dominic Richardson transferred to Baylor, OSU filled his spot with Elijah Collins, a sixth-year senior from Michigan State Last season marked one of the worst rushing campaigns for OSU under Gundy but reshaped run blocking schemes hope to help the group
Wide Receivers
OSU will be without four of its top five receivers from last season Braydon Johnson exhausted his eligibility and three underclassmen opted for new opportunities in the portal Senior Brennan Presley returns to guide a younger group, but the additions of Washington State transfer De’Zhaun Stribling and George Fox s Leon Johnson III create an interesting fold in the room’s composition After a strong rookie season Jaden Bray is fully healthy too
Tight ends
After almost a decade of using Cowboy backs – a hybrid position combining tight ends and fullbacks – OSU opted to return to traditional roles With the change, tight ends coach Jason McEndoo constructed the position in the transfer portal signing UMass transfer Josiah Johnson and California s (Pa ) Ian Edenfield to spearhead the group Former Pawhuska star Bryce Drummond also joins the unit as a preferred walk-on
Offensive line
The 2022 season was marred with injuries and no position was hit harder than the offensive line Across the 13 games last season the Cowboys used seven different starting lineups on the offensive line, with the majority coming in the final eight
Defensive line an Nardo era in Stillwater primarily employ a three fensive linemen prioritizing arger bodies to devour double teams In the portal OSU scored Tulsa transfer Anthony Goodlow (6-5 283) to likely pair with Kody Walterscheid (6-6, 281) At nose guard the Cowboys suddenly have a mountain of depth with the scheme changes, and transfer Justin Kirkland has grabbed attention nebackers
The biggest change to OSU s linebacker composition comes with Collin Oliver shifting back Justin Wright a veteran middle linebacker from Tulsa, transferred into the program and the pair will likely be complimented by a rotation of Xavier Benson, Nickolas Martin or Jeff Roberson
Defensive backs
Safety Kendal Daniels highlights the group of returning defensive backs after earning Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors last season
Paired with senior cornerback Korie Black the Cowboys possess formidable pieces in the secondary But 2023’s campaign will rely on younger less experienced players Safeties Lyrik Rawls and Trey Rucker could earn meaningful minutes Cornerback Cam Smith showed potential last season How it all fits together remains a question
Special teams
The Cowboys’ ever-reliable trio of special team assets moved on this offseason Punter Tom Hutton retired long snapper Matt Hembrough signed with the Arizona Cardinals and kicker Tanner Brown joined the Los Angeles Rams OSU likely will revert back to Alex Hale for placekicking duties a reliable option before a season-ending injury, and Logan Ward remains the most experienced punter But if OSU wants to continue the Australian tradition the option of Hudson Kaak is there
TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE
DANIEL ALLEN | TULSA WORLD
POSITION ANALYSIS
Offensive line
918-631-4688
Quarterbacks
Braylon Braxton passed for 1,133 yards and 10 touchdowns against just two interceptions in relief of Davis Brin who transferred to Georgia Southern in the off-season With Braxton starting under center the Golden Hurricane went 2-1, knocking off South ida on Senior Night and ups ting Houston on the road Now the likely starter, expectations are high for the redshirt sophomore Redshirt freshman Cardell Williams is a recurring names among those who have impressed in fall camp, and will likely be the backup option to Braxton
Running backs
Jordan Ford, a transfer from the junior college leve spent time as a depth piece for the Golden Hurricane averaging 5 1 yards per carry However a productive spring has elevated his status within the core, according to head coach Kevin Wilson Former Missouri Tiger Anthony Watkins is another option to lead the running back room Virginia Tech transfer Tahj Gary is another viable asset after the loss of former starter Deneric Prince to the NFL
Wide receivers
The Golden Hurricane return eight upperclassmen, including five with experience at a Power 5 school. Returning pieces such as Bryce Bray Brody Wisecarver and Will Farniok will likely have a bigger role this season, given the tures of former starters DilWade and Jaden Muskrat ormer walk-on and redshirt sophomore Walter Young Bear is a prospect Wilson mentioned to be under the radar
S KENDARIN RAY
The sixth-year veteran withdrew from the transfer portal in spite of interest from Oklahoma State Arkansas, Nebraska and others. Ranked third on the TU defense in total tackles (86 0) in 2022
COACHING STAFF
KEVIN WILSON
coach, first year
RON BURTON Assistant head coach/defensive line first year
STEVE SPURRIER JR
coordinator/quarterbacks first year
CHRIS POLIZZI Defensive coordinator/safeties
year
RYAN SWITZER Wide receivers
LANCE DUNBAR
backs, first year
KOY MCFARLAND
Linebackers first year
RYAN STANCHECK
Offensive line first year
DOMINIQUE FRANKS Head quality control analyst, first year
Returning veteran Malachai Jones could be the leader in a young receivers room In 2022 Jones caught 37 passes for two touchdowns The Golden Hurricane signed six freshmen wide receivers Wilson was quick to point out former Cushing star Camden Crooks as his favorite among the group Given the roster shakeup, Crooks could record important live reps Former junior college transfers Nick Rempert and Carl Chester provide experience Oklahoma State transfer Braylin Presley also likely to be used as a running back is another potential immediate impact player
Tight ends Wilson has tabbed fifth-year senior Ethan Hall and redshirt junior Bayne Tryon as the likely starters Hall s 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame provides valuable size for the Golden Hurricane offense He caught six passes for 42 yards and a touchdown a season ago Colby Powers and Connor Vaughn are also potential names to look out for come as the season starts
Defensive line
Ben Kopenski, a former walk-on at Oklahoma State, transferred to TU shortly after the 2022 season. Wilson referred to him the most enticing edge option for the Golden Hurricane adding that he s likely the fastest of the bunch. Kopenski and redshirt freshman Vontroy Malone are expected to start at defensive end. Former Mississippi State transfer
Izuchukwu King Ani and redshirt sophomore Owen Ostroski will likely garner pivotal live-game reps as well. Jayden Simon, a former Colorado transfer who appeared in eight games for the Golden Hurricane in 2022, is expected to be the team s starting nose guard. Southern Illinois transfer Zaid Hamdan will likely complement Simon to fill the unit’s inside unit
Linebackers
Julien Simon Jaden s brother was one of several intriguing transfer portal additions for TU in the offseason Simon spent the past two seasons at Southern California without recording any playing time Former walk-on and Jenks star Mitchell Kulkin is expected to begin the season as one of the team s starting linebackers Division II standout Coleton Smith a transfer from Southwest Baptist University (Missouri) is another viable option for TU, given the departure of Justin Wright to Oklahoma State
Defensive backs Oklahoma State transfer Demarco Jones is expected to pair with returning starter Reggie Ellis for the unit’s two cornerback slots Arkansas transfer Keuan Parker and graduate student Donte Burton will also inherit important in-game action. With the return of Kendarin Ray from the transfer portal, LJ Wallace and redshirt senior Jaise Oliver, Wilson has stated that he envisions TU’s defense taking a drastic elevation in total production from last season
Defensive lineman Owen Ostroski will be one of the Golden Hurricane s defensive leaders
THE NUMBERS
Total offensive ranking in 2022 The Golden Hurricane offense averaged 305 8 passing yards per game along with 411 8 yards on average And in spite of nine departed lettermen seven of which recorded a start in 2022 optimism looms ahead for 2023
Total defensive ranking in 2022 The TU defense surrendered an average of 33 08 points per game a season ago With several key losses how will the unit fare this season? 7: NFL quarterbacks produced by Kevin Wilson The list is vast Just look at the likes of Jason White Sam Bradford, Landry Jones, Nate Sudfeld, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and CJ Stroud most recently Could Braylon Braxton be his next?
6: Years since TU exceeded seven wins A 10-3 2016 season feels like a distant memory by now TU has produced quality teams since, but it hasn t managed to churn out an eight-win season or greater since
2022 RESULTS (5-7, 3-5 AAC)
1
BIG 12 PREVIEW
AAC PREVIEW
1.
2 Tulane: In spite of several key losses to the NFL, the Green Wave return quarterback Michael Pratt and head coach Willie Fritz after a 12-2 season featuring an AAC title and a Cotton Bowl win over Southern California
8 Rice: The Owls can only hope former five-star recruit and ex-USC/Georgia/West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels can give them their first winning season since 2014
3 UTSA: The return of quarterback Frank Harris and head coach Jeff Traylor should be enough to propel the Roadrunners to a third consecutive 10-win season and keep them in contention for an AAC title
9 Navy: The triple option will no longer be the Midshipmen’s offensive identity While they will still don a run-heavy scheme there will be a larger emphasis on passing Perhaps a change in regime with the hire of head coach Brian Newberry could return winning football to the Naval Academy
4 Memphis: The Tigers return a haul of key pieces after a hot end to the 2022 season, finishing 3-1 for a 7-6 campaign
North Texas: Conference transitions affect everyone and each respective team differently How will it affect the Mean Green and new head coach Eric Morris ahead of their inaugural season in the AAC?
PLAYERS TO
5 Florida Atlantic: The Owls reeled in Tom Herman, who already has two years of experience in the AAC from his Houston days Since then he spent four seasons at Texas and brings former Longhorn and Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson with him
6 Tulsa: Perhaps first-year head coach Kevin Wilson a renowned offensive guru can guide TU to new heights
Daniel Allen Tulsa World
HOWBIXBYBECAMEA FOOTBALLMACHINE
championship game and lost to Midwest City Carl Albert
The 2010 Spartans would take a roster of fewer than 50 players into their 6A schedule, while the Jenks, Union and Broken Arrow programs each had a roster of more than 100 players
In Montgomery’s first game as the Bixby coach,the Spartans were smoked 65-7 at Jenks
BIXBY –
In the event that someone actually would want more cowbell, they could sit with Brooke Puckett at a Bixby football game.
As the mom of former Spartan linebacker Jack Puckett, current Spartan senior linebacker Hank Puckett and current Spartan ninth-grade linebacker Ben Puckett, Brooke uses her cowbell to celebrate big plays and victories
Because Bixby has so many big plays and victories,Brooke is as much a master of incessant cowbell racket as Itzhak Perlman is a master of the violin. Brooke is a Bixby High School counselor At the start of a game she is seated with her husband Brian. Within minutes, Brooke slides to a position next to Amber Flowers, the wife of Bixby defensive coordinator Rodney Flowers Brooke and Amber are Friday night soulmates in that they cheer as much with cowbells as with voices
“I wouldn’t want to sit near us” Brooke
Puckett says, “but I’m a gamer and it’s like, ‘Comeon!’Weneedtobeintothegame,cheeringonourboys”
When the Pucketts moved to Bixby from Broken Arrow in 2016, football was not the No 1 nsid ation. Actually football wasn’t a consideration were motivated by wanting a small rience for their sons With regard enrollment,Broken Arrow is nearly larger than Bixby
The quality of Bixby football just to be an amazing bonus for the Puck the last five seasons, no one in the football universe had more to cheer Brooke Puckett.
With Jack and/or Hank Puckett varsity roster, the 2018-22 Spartans with four Class 6AII championship last year’s 6AI title and a state-record streak of 58 consecutive victories
“Moving here was one of the best choices we ever made,” Brooke Puckett said “Winning is fun, but I don’t think people have a clue about how the Bixby program develops kids beyond just playi football.”
How did it happen?
In 2010, Bixby had a new coach (LorenMontgomery)andhadbeen assigned to Class 6A As a 5A team 2009, the Spartans advanced to t
In Game 2 of the 2019 season, there was another clash of the Spartans and Trojans Again at Jenks’ Allan Trimble Stadium, and in a game televised statewide, Bixby had a third-quarter lead of 57-0 and won 57-7
It was a stunning statement that Bixby had developed into the gold standard in Oklahoma prep football.
It’s a frequently asked question: How in the heck did an average suburb like Bixby become a football superpower?
How exactly did Bixby become in 2014-22 what Jenks had become during the 1990s and beyond?
Among the factors:
Giving Montgomery time to build a winner
While competing against the significantly larger schools of Class 6A, Montgomery’s first four Spartan teams were 18-24 overall and 0-2 in the playoffs
“We were getting some pressure,” Montgomery recalls “A few parents were wanting to run us off We needed to get it out of the mud.
“That’s when the 6A split happened.”
The tion of Class 6AII was perfectly timed y program.
season, 6A was divided ations: 6AI for the state’s ools and 6AII for the next enrollment ranking. chools like Bixby Booker T and Springs and Stillwathe opportunity to play championship while not having to giants like Broken Arrow, o and Jenks asons of 6AII competias in eight championship ptured seven championend of that eight years, ot only the strongest proI, but the strongest in the all.
ALL-WORLD TOP 10 PROFILES
big offseason story last year
Reisig after being the starting quarterback on Jenks 2021 Class 6AI state title team, made a smooth transition to the Redhawks He completed 184-of-248 passes for 2 631 yards and 26 touchdowns
Reisig seemed to be on the way to another state final
the game tied and headed to OT instead It was Reisig s first loss in 22 games as a starter since the third week of Jenks’ 2021 season He has career totals of 280 completions in 389 passes for 4,203 yards and 40 TDs
Reisig s stock also is rising with major colleges After being offered by San Jose State as a freshman he has been offered by Tulsa, Memphis, Illinois, and most recently, by Missouri in late June
2 RED MARTEL
BEGGS, RB, 5-11, 195, SR. During his first two high school seasons, Red Martel played behind OSU running back CJ Brown – now at Northeastern A&M.
And while Martel would have loved to have started for the Golden Demons as a freshman, he embraces the lessons learned under Brown and the rapport CJ (Brown) taught me so much as a football player,” Martel said. “It was a joy playing with him.”
Last year Martel was the primary running back for the first time and racked up 1,905 rushing yards. He also caught 23 passes for 311 yards and had 26 TDs overall.
The Kansas commit’s top performance came in the Class 2A playoff opener when the Golden Demons stunned previously undefeated Rejoice Christian as he had 397 total yards and five touchdowns.
During the past two seasons he has rushed for 3,518 yards and scored 43 TDs. MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD
3 KAYDIN JONES | JENKS, RB, 6-0, 170, SO
The son of Jenks legend Kejuan Jones moves to the Trojans after a dynamic freshman season at Broken Arrow when he rushed for 1 264 yards and 11 touchdowns Kaydin Jones also had 21 catches for 156 yards and a TD
During a 6AI quarterfinal loss at Union Jones scored on a 97-yard kickoff return and a 33-yard run Jones freshman season was filled with other electrifying plays that brought back memories of Kejuan who was the World s state player of the year in 2000 after starting his high school career at Hale Kaydin rushed for 197 yards and two TDs against Moore in the regular-season finale produced 201 total yards against Enid and had 219 to yards with two TDs against Norman in the playoff open
6 WITT EDWARDS
| WAGONER, WR/DB, 6-6, 205, SR
A defining moment for Witt Edwards last season was his touchdown catch with one second left in the first half of the Class 4A state final against Cushing The TD cut Cushing s lead to seven points and Wagoner went on to a 24-21 victory Edwards also showed his skills on the other side of the ball with an interception earlier in the first half His playmaking skills on offense and defense have helped lift him to near the top of the states Class of 2024 recruiting class Oklaho State Tennessee Kansas Kansas State and Houston are among the colleges who have offered him His big-play skills have led Wagoner coach Dale Condict to compare him to Nikia Jones who delivered many heroics to help Wagoner win three state titles from 2014-16 Condict said “Both are
7. DEVON JORDAN
UNION, DB, 6-0, 165, SR
Devon Jordan wasn t widely known outside of Union until an eyepopping defensive play against Owasso in Week 4 last year
Jordan’s one-handed interception in the end zone during the opening moments sparked a Union victory
His potential to make more big plays like that have him regarded as one of the state’s top college prospects in the Class of 2024
He is considering offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Alabama Iowa State Kansas State, Miami, Missouri, Texas A&M, TCU and Vanderbilt
Last year, he had 31 solo tackles to help Union post an 11-1 record and reach the Class 6AI semifinals last season Jordan also has the potential to help in other phases of the games as he had three catches for 67 yards and scored on a kickoff return
Jordan said OSU coach Mike Gundy even offered him to play both offense and defense for the Cowboys
When you have a guy like (Gundy) giving you an offer like that you know you’ve done something right, Jordan said
8. HUDSON HENSLICK
| COLLINSVILLE, WR/DB, 5-9, 160, SR
Kejuan played for OU and Kaydin also is headed to major college football in 2026 He already has offers from OU OSU Tulsa Colorado and Texas Tech Last year Kaydin split carries at Broken Arrow with another 1 000-yard rusher Nate Jones This year, Kaydin will get more carries ith th T j b hi d a strong offensive 0-yard rushing ibility a great job since en here everybody about his talent but een awesome with reat attitude hes really hard worker, ery coachable all he things you want out of any player egardless of talent nks coach Keith gs said “We have een really pleased with him so far”
Hudson Henslick enters 2023 as one of the state s top receivers after catching 63 passes for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns last year
emerged as a standout on both sides of the ball He was selected as an All-World second team DB as he had 51 tackles and scored on two of his three interceptions
In addition, he averaged 17 yards on 11 carries and 12 yards on 15 punt returns
4 JAXON WOODS | HOMINY, QB/DB, 5-10, 180, SR In 2022, Jaxon Woods was an All-World player of the year finalist on defense but he also could have received it on offense if candidates could be recognized on both sides of the ball Woods led the Bucks to their best season 13-1 and the Class A semifinals since Zaven Collins propelled them to a state title in 2016 At quarterback, he accounted for 4,071 yards and 55 touchdowns. Woods completed 141-of-207 passes for 2,146 yards and 22 TDs. In addition, he had 179 carries for 1,925 yards and 33 touchdowns. In the defensive secondary he had 75 tackles and eight interceptions with three touchdowns. Woods also excelled on special teams as he scored on five punt returns In a playoff win over Quapaw, he accounted for 408 yards and five TDs with more than 200 yards each rushing and passing During his career, he has accounted for 108 TDs with the Trojans behind a e l sibility H en here hes egardless of talent
“I don t try to focus on that too much, I just try to go out and play every game my hardest, give everything I’ve got but, it feels good whenever people talk about you like that,” Henslick said Henslick began 2022 primarily known for his defensive skills after being a starting cornerback on the Cardinals’ 2021 Class 5A state championship team But Henslick then
9.
“He’s just electric he just makes plays ” Collinsville coach Kevin Jones said And he s a great ambassador for Collinsville football Henslick’s favorite NFL player is Las Vegas receiver DaVante Adams, but he also admires Rams receiver Cooper Kupp and Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey I just like the way they play, Henslick said
Jino Boyd s first big moment in the high school football spotlight came in the 2021 Class 6AI semifinals
Boyd’s 39-yard touchdown catch midway through the fourth quarter rallied Union past Broken Arrow 17-14
Boyd, who has been offered by New Mexico State has been making big plays ever since In last year s MidFirst Bank Backyard Bowl
10. KORDELL GOULDSBY
he had the go-ahead TD catch against Jenks In the quarterfinals against Broken Arrow he had five catches for 159 yards and four TDs In his preceding game he had 14 receptions for 217 yards and four TDs against Edmond North Last year he caught 54 passes for 1 032 yards and 15 TDs As a sophomore, he averaged 22 5 yards on his 24 catches and scored seven touchdowns
| BIXBY, WR/DB, 5-11, 170, SR.
Kordell Gouldsby moved to Bixby after last year s spring practice Despite not having much preparation time for the 2022 season and coming off an injury, Gouldsby acked up 1 073 yards in an pose role dsby ended the with his third te title after helping Holland Hall win two to start his high school career Look for Gouldsby to get a few more snaps at running
racked all-purpose Gouldsby year state get more
back after being used primarily as a receiver last season He shared the team lead with 53 receptions for 653 yards and six touchdowns Gouldsby scored on four of his 17 carries and had 138 rushing yards And he also will be used again as a kick returner and probably see some playing time in the secondary where Bixby graduated all four of its starters In addition he has experience as a starting quarterback at Holland Hall so those skills also could be used in special situations
Gouldsby, with offers from Missouri State and Central Arkansas has benefited from his first full offseason in Bixby s strength and conditioning program “It’s gone great ” Gouldsby said “I put on a lot of weight and my numbers in the weight room went up a lot I’m really just looking forward to the season
TULSA WORLD FILE
JINO BOYD UNION, WR, 6-0, 170, SR
DANIEL SHULAR , TULSA WORLD
The 2016 move of the Presley family from north Tulsa to Bixby WhenbrothersBrennanandBraylinPresley were youth-league superstars, it was expected that they would play their high school football at Booker T Washington Instead only a few weeks before the start of what would have been Brennan’s freshmanyearatBTW,thePresleyfamilymoved to Bixby and into a house only a couple of blocks from Spartan Stadium
For Bixby Brennan Presley was the 2019 statePlayeroftheYear Braylinwasthe2020 and 2021 Player of the Year Braylin’s career ended with a 6AII title-game victory over Deer Creek and a 49th consecutive win for the Bixby program During that 49-game streak, the Presley brothers scored a combined total of 155 touchdowns
Staff continuity.
This is as impressive as any yardage or scoring statistic: With Tyler Schneider on offense and Rodney Flowers on defense, Montgomery has had the same coordinators during each of Bixby s eight title seasons The 2023 season is Schneider’s 13th as Montgomery’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Flowers has been aBixbystaffmemberfor12seasonsandthe defensive coordinator for 10
A grinding, year-round culture of strength training
ForBixbyathletes,weight-liftingisn’tan extracurricularactivity Ithappensduringa daily strength-and-conditioning class
On Dec 2 the 2022 season ended with Bixby’s 69-6 rout of Owasso in the 6AI championship contest Bixby’s offseason strengthprogramwasn’tlaunchedafterthe Christmas break On Dec 5 – the Monday after the championship game – Spartan football athletes did their typical full hour of weight training
“That’s what we do We lift,” Montgomeryexplained “(Theplayers)lifteveryday”
The results speak for themselves In 12 victories, the 2022 Spartans outscored opponents by 681 points
A system that teaches youth players the Bixby Way of doing things
This year, there is a record number of players on Bixby Youth Football Association rosters
“About 400 kids,” Montgomery reports “Participation has skyrocketed”
BYFA football begins with first-graders and runs through the seventh grade For the first time, there are three teams in each grade
‘A different brand’
In2005,RandyPalmerquarterbackedthe East Central Cardinals to a Class 5A championship victory over Bixby With about a minute left to play, Palmer fired a touchdown pass and East Central held on for a 9-7 victory
Since 2017, Palmer and his family have been Bixby residents Randy’s son Rylan Palmer has attended Bixby schools since kindergarten
Rylan now is said to be a very talented 80-pound running back and safety for a Bixby fifth-grade team coached by his dad Rylan’s team bids for a fourth consecutive Indian Nation Football Conference title He and his teammates were league champs as second-graders, third-graders and
fourth-graders
The35-year-oldRandyPalmerhasastaff of six assistant coaches – each of whom is the father of a player
“We borrow ideas from the Bixby varsity coaches,” Palmer said “When we moved to Bixby, I wasn’t really thinking about the footballpartofit Mydaughterwasn’teven bornyet IjustknewIwantedtogetmykids into a good school district
“My son does love football though so I wanttomakesurecoachMontgomeryisstill here when Rylan gets up with the varsity This is what I would say about Bixby football,evenat(theyouth)level:It’sadifferent brand You don’t understand it until you’re in the middle of it”
When Braylin Presley was a Spartan varsity playmaker, his No 1 fan was a thirdgrader – Rylan Palmer One of Rylan’s teachers made a call arranging for Braylin and Rylan to have lunch together during a school day They were photographed together, and that photo now is framed and on display in Rylan’s bedroom
Montgomery believes it is important for theyouth-leaguecoachesandplayerstofeel a connection to the varsity program Each varsityassistantisassignedayouth-league team for which he can serve as an adviser
Senior football players get involved in youth coaching Last year, Cale Fugate, Jersey Robb Dylan Hasz and Connor Kirby were strongly invested in coaching the young guys
Montgomery attends Bixby Youth Football board meetings For the youth-league coaches the varsity staff provides an instructionalvideoandMontgomeryformulates a practice template
From the Bixby Quarterback Club, the youth-league Spartans are given “BIXBY NEXT” T-shirts Those shirts serve two purposes: they heighten a kid’s desire to stay the course and become a varsity Spartan, and they market Bixby football
‘Man, I get chills’
As a Bixby ninth-grader in 2012, Nic Roller endured a six-loss varsity season Therewasnopostseason Ultimately,heand theotherplayersinhisclasswouldcelebrate 6AII championships in 2014 and 2015
When Roller graduated,he did so as Bixby’s career rushing leader Braylin Presley broke that record in 2021
With a family name that is synonymous with Bixby athletics, Roller now is a firstyearmemberofMontgomery’sfootballstaff andshareshisexplanationoftheBixbyprogram’s extraordinary evolution
“There is a consistency and a commitment from everyone involved,” Roller said “For my group,it started in the third grade We would talk about sticking together working and finding a way to win
“People had talked about it but you’re not going to win unless you actually show upfor(weighttraining)everyday,alwaysgo to film study and always do all of the little things it takes to be really good Our group did that”
Now a sophomore at the University of Tulsa, Braylin Presley remembers having attended a Bixby football meeting before his seventh-grade season – his first season as a Spartan athlete
“Even at that time, I could tell Bixby was different,” Presley stated “I’ll always be proud to wear Bixby on my chest That whole community supported me I will always have love not only for coach Montgomery and the other coaches, but that whole town and the way they welcomed my family”
pionship game,Jack Puckett sacked ChoctawQBSteeleWaselthreetimes Bixbyheld onfora17-14victoryandPuckettbecamea Bixby legend Today, he is a redshirt freshmanlinebackerattheUniversityofCentral Oklahoma
Reflecting on having been a part of four Bixby title teams and 49 consecutive wins, Puckettsaid,“Whenyou’relivingit–when you’re in the middle of it – you don’t see it thewaysomeonemightseeitfromtheoutside You’rejustfocusedonthestepsneeded to get there “Until it was finished none of us really understoodthemagnitudeofwhatwasgoing on or what we had done” AftermovingfromEdmondtoBixbywith his family, Ethan Hall was a member of the 2016 and 2018 Spartan title teams He now isaGoldenHurricaneseniortightend,representingBixbyontheTUrosteralongwith Braylin Presley and offensive tackle Bryce Bray “WhatLorenMontgomerybuiltatBixby is unbelievable,” Hall said “He saw how it was done in Jenks, and that’s what he took to Bixby Once the culture was established, everything started rolling “Bixby football Man I get chills when I think about it” As they were interviewed Brooke Puckett,Braylin Presley,Jack Puckett and Ethan Hall all seemed genuinely inspired by the Bixbyfootballprogramandhowitoperates Ethan Hall, especially WhensomeoneaskshowBixbydeveloped such a beautifully efficient and successful program, you point first at Montgomery Beyond the head coach, there seems to be a collective community resolve to sustain the dynasty “Whether you want to view it as commitment or peer pressure,” Montgomery concluded, “our guys are falling in line These players see when someone isn’t here or when someone is flaking out They hold each other accountable”
Bixby: bixbyps org * Booker T Washington: nfhsnetwork com
* Broken Arrow: arrowvision tv Cascia Hall: casciahall com/athletics
During the final 2½ minutes of the 2020 h
cham-
As no class of Bixby athletes would want to be the reason for slippage, they show up every day, doing the behind-the-scenes k that isn’t much fun but results in gloFriday nights during the fall aisten@tulsaworld com
* Catoosa: nfhsnetwork com
* Central: nfhsnetwork com
t n’t mu u bu rious bill haisten@tulsaworld
* Claremore: YouTube * Collinsville: varsitystream com East Central: nfhsnetwork com
* Glenpool: glenpoolwarriors live
* Hale: nfhsnetwork com Holland Hall: YouTube
* Inola: inolalonghorns tv Bixby: bixbyps org
* Jenks: Hudl (home games only)
* Kellyville: scorestream com Lincoln Christian: nfhsnetwork com
* McLain: nfhsnetwork com Metro Christian: nfhsnetwork com
* NOAH: scorestream com
*
* Sperry: sperrypirates
After a Bixby youth football victory last season, Max Franklin celebrated with spirit-squad members
CLASS 6AI PREVIEW
THE FAVORITE BIXBY
It’s hard to pick against a team that has won eight state titles in the past nine years and has a lot of quality players returning After winning seven titles in 6AII, the Spartans made a smooth transition last year to 6AI.
Bixby has a strong offensive line led by major college recruits Brody Duffel and Evan McClure Kordell Gouldsby is a playmaking receiver and returner A question mark on offense will be at quarterback after the graduations of Connor Kirby and Austin Havens, but the Spartans have four talented candidates at that position. On defense, the challenge for the Spartans is to replace the entire secondary, which was one of the best in large-school history over the past two years But Bixby returns nearly everyone else and has a standout line and linebacking corps Going into last season, the Spartans were underrated at No 3, primarily due to questions about how they would fare in the move up to 6AI, but they quickly answered those doubts with a decisive win over Owasso in the Battle of the ‘Burbs as it turned out a preview of the state title game. This summer, it would be easy to pick the Spartans at No 2 behind Union, which is loaded. But until proven otherwise, Bixby deserves to be ranked No 1 after winning 61 of its past 62 games
THE CONTENDERS
2. UNION
Coach Kirk Fridrich’s Redhawks were 11-0 and No 1 in last year’s final World rankings, and seemed on the way to a showdown with Bixby and second consecutive appearance in the state championship game. However, a six-overtime semifinal loss to Owasso brought Union’s season to a stunning end. However, it also has left the Redhawks very hungry going into 2023 Union is the only team with a quarterback,Shaker Reisig, who has been the starter on a state title team. Union is the only team among the top contenders with its returning starting QB The offense has plenty of firepower with receiver Jino Boyd, running back Jordan Schelling,who moved from Jenks and tight end Lane Wood. On defense, the Redhawks have a stellar secondary with Issac Covington, Devon Jordan, J T Fridrich, and another move-in from Jenks Ashton Cunningham.
3. OWASSO
Coach Bill Blankenship’s Rams have won the gold ball in two of the past six seasons and carry momentum from last year’s run to the state title game after a 1-4 start. A challenge will be replacing Mason Willingham who graduated after being one of the area’s top QBs during last year’s second half, but Tyler Caviness and Knox Dyson are very capable successors As a group, Owasso appears to have a more talented group of skill players on offense and its line, led by Blake Cherry and Ryker Haff is very powerful. A newcomer to watch on offense is receiver Grayson Chalk, who moves from Booker T Washington. A defensive leader is linebacker Lyric Wheeler
4. JENKS
It’s hard to pick against the Trojans at least reaching the state title game last year’s loss to Bixby in the semifinals left them out of the final for the first time since 2017 Jenks has won six state titles in the past 11 seasons and its players expect nothing less than a gold ball That mindset helped them end Bixby’s 58-game winning streak last year In the offseason, Jenks had two key players move to Union but gained two big additions who moved from Broken Arrow running back Kaydin Jones and quarterback Owen Jones The Trojans have an impressive offensive line and
CLASS 6AII PREVIEW
THE FAVORITE
MUSKOGEE
Coach Travis Hill’s Roughers pulled off the state’s biggest turnaround last year as they went 11-2 with a trip to the semifinals after going 2-8 in 2021. So after that big leap, excitement is very high in Muskogee going into this season Last year, Stillwater won its first gold ball since 1967 and this year Muskogee looks to end its long drought that dates back to 1986
The Roughers have 6AII’s most dynamic passing game with quarterback Jamarian Ficklin throwing to UNLV commit Kayden McGee and Ondraye Beasley Muskogee will be improved on both the offensive and defensive lines
THE CONTENDERS
2. STILLWATER
The Pioneers had a storybook season in 2022astheywent13-0andbecameonlythe third school to win a 6AII gold ball Stillwater has lost some big parts from last year’s team as head coach Tucker Barnard moved to Arkansas powerhouse Shiloh Christian, and quarterback Gage Gundy and 1,888yardrusherNoahRobertsgraduated Longtime offensive coordinator Chad Cawood was promoted to head coach Stillwater’s offense has major college talent, including receiver Heston Thompson and OSU tight end commit Josh Ford
3. CHOCTAW
Coach Jake Corbin’s Yellowjackets have a realistic shot of reaching the state title game for the second year in a row Wide receiver Juju Smith is a dynamic receiver who will catch passes from sophomore quarterback Landon Gatson. Will Smith, who has 11 major offers is a dominating defensive end.
4. EDMOND DEER CREEK
Coach Wade Standley’s Antlers went 10-2 and reached the semifinals last year after being 2021’s big surprise when they advanced to the state title game for the first time since winning the gold ball in 2000 Grady Adamson was one of the state’s top
their defense has playmakers such as Hudson Ball, Sam Stone and Jett Calmus
5. MUSTANG
Coach Lee Blankenship’s Broncos have been real close to taking a huge step in 6AI the past two years, but each time suffered a heartbreaking playoff loss to Jenks Players to watch include sophomore twins, receivers Jaden and Jaytee Johnson, who follow their older brother, OU signee Jacobe Johnson. Running back Bryance Sanders will follow a line led by returning starters Austin Reed and Samuel Pritz. Defensive leaders include Zachery Warren and Waleed Gaines Jr in the secondary, and Russell Zolicoffer on the line.
6. BROKEN ARROW
Third-year coach Josh Blankenship has playmaking receiver Kayleb Barnett plus a talented senior class that includes threeyear starter Donavin Hardaway in the secondary running back Kaibre Harris and kicker Hunter Martens
7. EDMOND SANTA FE
Coach Kyle White s Wolves may have been the best 1-9 team in recent history last year The Wolves return Demarius Robinson, who rushed for 2,132 yards and 19 TDs in his first 1½ seasons OU end commit Bergin Kyser will lead the defense.
8.
NORMAN NORTH
Coach Justin Jones’ Timberwolves after going 8-3 last season, suffered some major graduation losses, but return Harrison Utley,one of the state’s top offensive lineman.
9. WESTMOORE
OU safety commit Mykel Patterson-McDonald is the top player for the Jaguars, who were 3-8 last year Westmoore will get a quick look at how much it has improved when it hosts Union in a season opener Aug. 24
10. NORMAN
The Tigers were 3-8 last year but made the playoffs after going 7-3 and missing the postseason in 2021.
GAMES TO WATCH
AUG. 24: NO. 3 OWASSO VS. NO 1 BIXBY
It’s the “Battle of the ‘Burbs” at TU’s H.A. Chapman Stadium in a rematch of last year’s state title game.
SEPT 8: NO 2 UNION AT NO 4 JENKS
The intensity of the MidFirst Bank Backyard Bowl increases as several key Union players return to Allan Trimble Stadium for the first time since leaving Jenks
SEPT 22: NO 3 OWASSO AT NO 2 UNION A district opener and rematch
sophomore QBs last year as he passed for 2,813 yards and 33 TDs
5.
B.T. WASHINGTON
The Hornets’ offense, coming off a 7-5 season has exciting potential with running backs Kuhron Ross and Mykah Washington operating with a line that includes Darian Melendez and Koreon Williams Players to watch on defense include lineman Dejuan Craven linebacker Anthony Harris and DB Jordan Sells
6.
SAND SPRINGS
“Just take the next step” is coach Bobby Klinck’s goal for the Sandites, who lost to Choctaw in last year’s quarterfinals The Sandites have playoff wins in six of their past nine seasons, but have not been to the championship game since 2015 Sophomore QB Easton Webb and senior running back Kenneth Page will have the benefit of an experienced offensive line.
7. PONCA CITY
Coach Scott Harmon’s Wildcats are coming off their first playoff win since 1986
and most wins in a season since 2005 Tay Moore, a dual-threat QB, leads an offense with nine returning starters,including four linemen and receiver Gavin Cunningham.
8
BARTLESVILLE
The Bruins took a big step last year with a 36-30 victory at Lawton for their first playoff win since 2015
9. LAWTON
Coach Randy Breeze’s Wolverines went 7-4 last year, but suffered a first-round playoff exit. The offensive and defensive lines return most of their starters
10. PUTNAM CITY
Judson Keefer returns as the Pirates’ starting quarterback The Pirates went 4-7 and lost in a playoff opener to Sand Springs Putnam City hasn’t won a playoff game since 2007
GAMES TO WATCH
SEPT 8: 5A NO 1 MWC CARL ALBERT AT NO 1 MUSKOGEE A matchup of the preseason favorites in
of Owasso’s epic six-OT win in last year’s semifinals
OCT 27: NO 4 JENKS AT NO. 6 BROKEN ARROW Jenks rallied late for a 35-34 overtime win over the Tigers last year OwenJonesandKaydinJones returntoBrokenArrowforthefirst time since moving to Jenks
NOV 3: NO 1 BIXBY AT NO 4 JENKS Their last three regular-season meetings have produced high drama as Bixby stopped a late Jenks drive to seal wins in the 2020 and ‘21 meetings, but Jenks ended the Spartans’ 58-game winning streak 38-35 in last year’s Week 10 matchup
PLAYERS IN THE ALL-WORLD TOP 10 Jino Boyd Union WR 6-0 170 Sr Kordell Gouldsby Bixby WR/DB, 5-11, 170, Sr Kaydin Jones Jenks, RB, 6-0, 170, So Devon Jordan Union DB 6-0 165 Sr Shaker Reisig, Union, QB, 6-1, 200, Jr OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH ISSAC COVINGTON Union, DB/RB, 5-8, 165, Sr Made a big impact in his first season with the Redhawks after moving from B T Washington. Had 80 tackles including 54 solos, six pass breakups, and scored on two of his four interceptions Also had four rushing TDs in overtime of the 6AI semifinals against Owasso
DERRICK OSMOND Broken Arrow, DL/TE, 6-6, 235, Sr May be the Tigers’ best overall player Had 36 tackles and a 33yard fumble return for a TD last season Also used as a tight end and caught three passes for 33 yards and a TD Offered by Kansas, Tulsa and six other majors
HANK PUCKETT Bixby, LB, 5-11, 200, Sr An All-World first-team selection last year as he had 128 tackles, including 15 for losses
J’KHARRI THOMAS Owasso, WR, 5-8, 160, Sr Caught a team-leading 72 passes for 601 yards and five TDs last season. Also rushed for 183 yards and two TDs
HUDSON BALL Jenks, DL, 6-2, 238, Jr Had a breakout year in 2022 with 99 tackles, five sacks and 28 quarterback hurries
their respective classes Muskogee’s 35-28 win at 5A champion Carl Albert last year was a springboard for the Roughers’ turnaround.
SEPT 22: NO 6 SAND SPRINGS AT NO 1 MUSKOGEE
This series has provided plenty of exciting games, including Muskogee’s 4826 win last year and Sand Springs’ 48-34 victory in 2021.
OCT 19: NO 8 BARTLESVILLE AT NO 6 SAND SPRINGS Sand Springs outlasted Bartlesville 3629 in overtime last year
OCT 27: NO 5 B.T WASHINGTON AT NO 6 SAND SPRINGS If the Sandites are going to take the next step, they will probably need a win over BTW which won 34-14 last year
NOV 3: NO 1 MUSKOGEE AT NO. 2 STILLWATER A rematch of Stillwater’s 38-21 win last year when both teams entered the regular-season finale with 9-0 records
PLAYERS TO WATCH
JAMARIAN FICKLIN Muskogee, QB, 6-2, 190, Jr In 2022, connected on 156-of-243 passes for 2,803 yards and 38 TDs Also rushed for 308 yards and six TDs He has career passing totals of 5,157 yards and 60 TDs
HESTON THOMPSON Stillwater, WR, 5-11, 180, Sr In 2022,caught 78 passes for 1,008 yards and 17 TDs,including one in a 26-21 victory over Choctaw in the 6AII state final.
PJ WALLACE Bartlesville, RB, 6-2, 205, Jr Had 298 carries for 1,731 yards and scored 13 TDs for the Bruins last season.
BRODY YOUNGER Tahlequah, QB, 6-2, 178, Sr Completed 113-of-203 passes for 1,607 yards and 13 TDs last season.
BRETT ROJO, FOR THE TULSA WORLD
Jenks’ Sam Stone (right) and Bixby’s Cord Nolan (center) and Jett Turner dive for the ball during an onside kick in their regular-season meeting last year They will all get together again this year on Nov 3
STEPHEN PINGRY, TULSA WORLD
Junior quarterback Jamarian Ficklin is a player to watch for Class 6AII favorite Muskogee
CLASS 5A PREVIEW
THE FAVORITE
MWC CARL ALBERT
It’sdifficulttopickagainstateamthathas won six state titles in the past seven years, especially when it returns the state’s 2022 player of the year OU running back commit Xavier Robinson, who had 2,598 rushing yards and 41 TDs Coach Mike Dunn’s Titans are the biggest favorite in any of the state’s nine classes Their roster became even more formidable with this summer’s addition of OU QB commit Kevin Sperry, who moved from the Dallas area (Rock Hill) Both lines return most of their starters The defense returns linebacker Easton Harless, whohad113tackleslastseason anddefensive lineman Brock Johnson Trystan Haynes, a junior CB/WR, is one of the nation’s top recruits AnothertopcollegeWR/DBprospect isTrynae“Trey”Washington MarcusJames, a linebacker/tight end also is a hot prospect in the 2025 recruiting class Defensive end Caden Davis led the state with 21 sacks last season and kicker Ethan Spiwak was 12-of12 on field goals last year This could be Carl Albert s best-ever team THE CONTENDERS
2. MCALESTER
Senior QB Caden Lesnau returns after helping lead the Buffaloes to their second consecutive state final last year when he threw for 2,010 yards and 22 TDs Four of the top six receivers are back, led by Ethan Watkins Eight starters return on defense, including safety Watkins, cornerback Eli Chatman and linebacker Will Spears
3. BISHOP MCGUINNESS
The Irish,after losing to McAlester in the semifinals last year, will look for their fifth appearance in the state finals since 2016 Top players on offense are quarterback Damon Cochran running back JP Spanier and receiver Peter Bilicki Players to watch on defense include linebacker Jack Foster and tackle Jalen Stuart.
4 GUTHRIE
The Bluejays, after going 9-3 last year, may have their best chance at getting past the quarterfinals for the first time since winningthe2013statetitle Guthriereturns seven starters on offense and eight on defense Hayden Calvert, a three-year starter at quarterback, accounted for 2,019 yards and24TDslastseason LinebackerJoshVarnell,who had 126 tackles,leads the defense
5. DEL CITY
The Eagles 9-3 last year haven’t played more than two postseason games in the same year since winning the gold ball in 1976 Offensive lineman Darreyl Thomas is their top player
6. BISHOP KELLEY
This is shaping up to be coach JJ Tappana s best team since consecutive trips to the semifinals in 2018 and ‘19 Eight starters return on offense and five on defense. De-
fensive linemen/tight ends Sam Rhoades and Reid Jones are major college recruits who can make an impact on both sides of the ball Stice Smith returns as the starting QB and will play cornerback when needed.
7. CLAREMORE
This has the potential to be the best Zebras team since their last district title in 1999 Braxton Etheridge returns at quarterbackafterpassingfor2,034yardsand17TDs last season Another Zebras offensive player to watch is Micah Teel, who rushed for 953 yards and 14 TDs Etheridge’s top receivers will be Eli Rodgers and Gabe Deckard who combinedfor91catchesand1,284yards SeniorlinebackerJesseCagleleadsthedefense that returns eight starters
8. COWETA
Coach Tim Harper’s Tigers went 11-0 last yearbeforelosingtoMcGuinnessinthequarterfinals Six offensive starters return, includingrunningbackLoloBell,whowillrun behindlinemenDaltonDeWeeseandHunter DeHues Sixstartersalsoarebackondefense, led by linemen Deacon Peterson and Justin Robinson, and linebacker Luke Maledon
9. EL RENO
The Indians have only one playoff win since consecutive semifinal trips
CLASS 4A PREVIEW
THE FAVORITE
WAGONER
Coach Dale Condict’s Bulldogs are aiming for their seventh state title in 13 years Wagoner returned to the summit last December a year ahead of schedule with a 24-21 victory over Cushing in the state final And the bad news for opponents is the Bulldogs have an incredible junior class so they will likely also be favored in 2024
Wagoner returns many of the key members from last season’s team, including quarterback/ linebacker Kale Charboneau,who led the masterful winning drive over the final five minutes Alex Shieldnight is one of the state’s top defensive ends Six starters are back on offense and eight on defense. Witt Edwards, a senior receiver/safety, is one of the state’s top college recruits Other key returnees include linebacker Keyton Cole and Gavin Miller, WR/CB Matson Swanson and offensive lineman Dax Griffin And Logan Bloxsom, who shared kicking duties with title-game hero Ethan Muehlenweg, made all 29 of his extra points and was 4-of-5 on field goals
THE CONTENDERS
2. TUTTLE
Tuttle has a 32-year streak of reaching the playoffs and it’s not going to end this year The Tigers, who won the gold ball in 2018, have been eliminated with narrow quarterfinal losses to Wagoner in 2020 and 2022, and lost in the state final in 2021. Players to watch include running back/receiver Brady McAdoo and receiver Mark Douglas, who also is a playmaker in the secondary Defensive leaders are linebacker Joe Wright and lineman Jace Warren.
in 2008 and ‘09 They have the potential for a postseason run as they return eight starters on offense and six on defense from last year’s 5-6 team Players to watch include running back Malachi Nicholson, and linemen Dion Kaulaity and Cade Houston
10. GROVE
The Ridgerunners graduated Gatorade state player of the year Emmanuel Crawford from last year’s 12-1 semifinal team along with five others who are now playing in college. Grove’s top players include lineman Scott Cox and receiver Jacob Gain as Jackson Gain moves from receiver to QB GAMES TO WATCH
SEPT 8: NO 3
BISHOP MCGUINNESS
AT NO 6 BISHOP KELLEY
The rivals meet for the 47th time as McGuinness leads the series 30-16
SEPT. 29: NO. 5 DEL CITY AT NO 2 MCALESTER
Del City looks to avenge last year’s 34-33 overtime loss
OCT 13: NO 3 MCGUINNESS AT NO 1 CARL ALBERT
These teams have met for the state
title four times since 2016 Carl Albert won last year’s regular-season meeting, 31-24
OCT 27: SAPULPA AT NO 2 MCALESTER
An unranked team that could make a postseason run is Sapulpa, which won 2827 over McAlester last year
PLAYERS IN THE ALL-WORLD TOP 10 Hudson Henslick, Collinsville, WR/DB 5-9 160 Sr OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH
XADAVIEN SIMS Durant, DL/TE 6-4, 290, Sr The Oregon commit gives the Lions a chance to finish in 5A-3’s top four Won the 5A discus state title last spring.
ELI HENSLEY Bishop Kelley, RB, 5-8, 170, Sr His workload will increase after he rushed for 794 yards while sharing the carries last year
COLTON HOWARD Sapulpa, QB, 6-2, 200, Sr Passed for 2,300 yards and 31 TDs last season Other Sapulpa players to watch are RB Marco Smith and WR Kylen Edwards
3. POTEAU
Coach Greg Werner’s Pirates won a gold ball in 2019 and have appeared in the state semifinals four of the past five years being eliminated there by Wagoner last year Tulsa safety commit Dax Collins has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons with a total of 26 TDs
4
BLANCHARD
The Lions, 8-4 last year, return quarterback Carson Cooksey, a three-year starter who passed for 2,698 yards and 26 TDs last season Brayson Carter who had 44 catches last year, returns on offense and also is a standout at safety Ross Johnston leads the defensive line.
5 NEWCASTLE
The Racers have qualified for the playoffs the past two years and are ready to move up and to at least reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014 Newcastle only graduated five seniors from last year’s team. Players to watch are dual-threat quarterback Jackson Bergt and running back Carson Bolser, who rushed for 906 yards and 10 TDs last season. Linebacker Shane Lovejoy leads the defense.
6. WEATHERFORD
After a 5-5 season the Eagles return 11 starters on defense and seven on offense, and many of the returnees are juniors, including the dynamic passing
combination of quarterback Stone Chism and receiver CJ Nickson
7. CLINTON
The Red Tornadoes lost to Poteau in last year’s quarterfinals after winning the gold ball in 2021 and being the state runner-up in 2020
8 ELK CITY
The Elks have reached the semifinals the past two years
9. CUSHING
The Tigers graduated most of their key players from last year’s team that went 13-0 before losing to Wagoner in the state title game
10. BROKEN BOW
Wide receiver/safety Jakyran
Whitfield is the top player for the Savages, who went 7-4 last year
GAMES TO WATCH SEPT 15: 5A NO 10 GROVE AT NO. 1 WAGONER ThehostBulldogslooktoavenge last year’s 28-20 loss at Grove
OCT 6: NO 9 CUSHING AT No 1 WAGONER A rematch of Cushing’s 42-0 win during the regular season and Wagoner’s 24-21 victory in the state final.
OCT 6: NO 2 TUTTLE AT NO. 4 BLANCHARD Blanchard won 30-28 last year, heating up a rivalry that included playoff meetings the previous three years
PLAYERS IN THE ALL-WORLD TOP 10 Witt Edwards, Wagoner, WR/DB 6-6 205 Sr PLAYERS TO WATCH KALE CHARBONEAU
Wagoner, QB/LB, 6-0, 215, Jr Passed for 2,082 yards and 18 TDs as he completed 167-of-265 passes last year Also rushed for 609 yards and 11 TDs At linebacker, had 92 tackles with 17 for losses, five sacks and two interceptions
BRADY MATHESON Cushing, WR, 6-0, 175, Sr Caught 35 passes for 621
TULSA WORLD FIE
McAlester s Eli Chatman reacts as Carl Albert s Easton Perkins and Xavier Robinson celebrate Robinson s touchdown during last year s 5A state final They all could meet again for the championship this year
THE FAVORITE HERITAGE HALL
Just as another traditonal powerhouse. Wagoner, did in 4A, Heritage Hall’s return to the 3A summit came a year earlier than expected last year The bad news for the Chargers’ opponents is they only had five seniors on their 2022 team.
Among the returnees is quarterback Andy Bass, who led a 72-56 victory over Metro Christian in last year’s title game. Bass, who has several major offers, completed 200-of-319 passes for 2,833 yards and 28 TDs last season. He also rushed for 1,007 yards and 14 TDs He is a speedster as he won the 100 and 200 as he also led Heritage Hall to the 3A state track title. Another speedster getting major offers is defensive back/receiver Jordyn Harris,who had six interceptions last season. Other players to watch include lineman Zavier Freeman,WR/DB Rashaud Smith and WR/ DB Cal Welker Coach Brett Bogert’s Chargers enter 2023 as a strong favorite to win their sixth state title in 10 years They are 117-8 over the past nine seasons THE CONTENDERS
2. LINCOLN CHRISTIAN
Coach Jerry Ricke s Bulldogs also have a returning senior QB, Luke Milligan In his first season as a starter he completed 205of-288 passes for 3,469 yards and 40 TDs He has a talented, but inexperienced group of receivers Moses Fullingim and Sawyer Brooks will be the running backs behind a strong offensive line led by David SmithwickandCadenRicke Inthepastfiveyears, Lincoln is 61-6 with a state title, two runner-up fnishes and two semifinal berths
3.
METRO CHRISTIAN
The Patriots (13-1 last year) made a successful move up to 3A from 2A last season Metro, which won consecutive 2A titles in 2019 and ‘20, graduated All-World offensive player of the year Kirk Francis, but his successor Jaxson Grimes, has the potential to continue the Patriots’ tradition of standout quarterbacks Other players to watch include running back Corley Wagner and lineman Jack Michalcik A strength for the Patriots will be its speed on defense
4. PERKINS-TRYON
The Demons, coming off a 9-3 season, have several key players back, including
running back/defensive end Eric Stevenson, who rushed for 1,071 yards and 14 TDs last season Other players to watch include defensive backs Cutter Greene and Beckham Smith, and kicker Dylan Davidson
5.
HOLLAND HALL
After two consecutive state titles, the Dutch started 0-5 last year but rallied with five consecutive wins to reach the playoffs, where they lost 34-27 to Stigler in the first round Look for the Dutch to carry that momentumoverandbemuchimprovedin2023
6.
VERDIGRIS
Coach Travis East has some rebuiding to do after graduating a group of seniors that producedtheschool’smostsuccessfulfouryear stretch with a 41-9 record and three semifinal berths East said his team is “talented, but inexperienced A challenge will be replacing four-year starting QB Dylan White the two candidates are Austin Boren and Ethan Hushbeck Other players to watch are running back Tyler Willis, and receivers Cole Finch and Skyler Yoder
7. STIGLER
The Panthers went 9-3 last year, being eliminated by Heritage Hall in the second round Stigler returns quarterback McKade Peery, who passed for 2,219 yards and 26
TDs last season, and rushed for 703 yards and 12 touchdowns His top returning receiver is Mason Jones, who also is a defensive leader at linebacker
8
BRISTOW
The Purple Pirates slipped to 6-5 last year, but have posted seven consecutive winning seasons Five starters return on offense and six on defense Players to watch include RB/DB Darien Dansby end Talon Bigpond, WR/LB Chandler Forney and lineman Sloan Dixon.
9.
MARLOW
Look for the 2021 2A state champion Outlaws to rebound this season after going 7-4 with a first-round playoff exit last year Cade Gilbert, who accounted for 2,200 yards last year,returns at QB Barron Gage is back after scoring on eight of his 33 catches last year Linebacker Jase Hunt leads the defense.
10. CASCIA HALL
The Commandos, 9-3 last year, have the state’s longest active playoff streak 36 seasons Coach Joe Medina enters the season only two away from 300 career wins Cascia will be inexperienced, but very talented at the skill positions The Commandos,as they often do,will look for
their Blue Swarm defense, led by Graham Kennedy and Hank Witte, to set the tone. On offense, the Commandos are changing their run-first approach to throwing 35-40 times per game.
GAMES TO WATCH
AUG. 25: NO 5 HOLLAND HALL AT NO 2 LINCOLN CHRISTIAN
This rematch of Holland Hall’s victories over Lincoln in the 2020 and ’21 state finals will be a great gauge of where these teams are this season. Holland Hall will look to avenge last year’s 56-7 loss in the opener
SEPT 1: NO 3 METRO CHRISTIAN AT (non-OSSAA) NOAH Metro’s high-powered offense goes against the state’s top college recruit, lineman Danny Okoye.
SEPT. 15: SHILOH CHRISTIAN AT NO 2 LINCOLN CHRISTIAN Former Stillwater coach Tucker Barnard brings his Arkansas powerhouse to Dennis Byrd Stadium.
SEPT 22: NO 10 CASCIA HALL AT NO 5 HOLLAND HALL
Foronlythesecondtime,the“Battleofthe Halls”rivalrythathasproducedmanythrillers through the years will be a district game
SEPT. 29: NO. 3 METRO CHRISTIAN AT NO 4 PERKINS-TRYON The second 3A-1 game for each team will likely decide the district title.
PLAYERS TO WATCH JAMES HEATHERMAN Cascia Hall,
THE FAVORITE MILLWOOD
Coach Darwin Franklin’s Falcons narrowly missed a state title last year in a 17-14 loss to Washington. Look for the Falcons to get back to the title game again and this time come away with their first gold ball since 2017 Millwood returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense.
Sophomore quarterback CJ Turnbull passed for 1,935 yards last year and accounted for 26 touchdowns Micho Lavine was an impact player on both sides of the ball with 665 rushing yards and 9 5 sacks Xzavier Thompson scored on 11 of his 36 receptions as well as on two punt returns and four rushes Another player to watch is OU receiver commit Jaden Nickens
THE CONTENDERS
2. WASHINGTON
Coach Brad Beller’s Warriors have been in the last three state finals, finally last year getting their first gold ball since 1996 Four-star tight end Nate Roberts
caught the winning TD pass in last year’s state final his 11th TD in 33 receptions Another key player is Iowa State tight end commit Cooper Alexander
3. BEGGS David Tenison’s Demons are coming off a weird season as they showed flashes of greatness, such as in a first-round playoff win over undefeated Rejoice Christian In the previous five seasons, they lost in the semifinals three times after two trips to the finals With the area’s top running back, Kansas commit Red Martel, and major college DB prospect Ryan Grayson, they have the potential to at least return to the semifinals Other players to watch include linebacker DJ Strother, defensive back Louis Jupiter and quarterback Billy Ramsey
4. VICTORY
CHRISTIAN
Coach Brett Smith’s Conquerors took a big step forward with a 10-4 record and trip to the semifinals last season Several key players return including quarterback Ayden Hamilton
linebackers Tot Chandler and Cooper Howell, running back Dallas Dyer and lineman Jayelyn Robinson
GAMES TO WATCH
AUG. 31: NO 1 MILLWOOD AT 3A NO. 1 HERITAGE HALL
Heritage Hall won last year’s opener, 35-28
SEPT 8: NO 7 REJOICE CHRISTIAN AT NO. 3 BEGGS The teams met twice at Rejoice
last year with Rejoice winning 7016 in Week 2, but Beggs prevailed 48-28 in a playoff opener
SEPT 29: NO 3 BEGGS AT NO 4 VICTORY CHRISTIAN The last time these teams met at Victory was in the 2021 regular-season finale current Victory QB Ayden Hamilton was then-Beggs’ QB and current Beggs offensive coordinator Ben Palmer was then Victory’s head coach
PLAYERS IN THE ALL-WORLD TOP 10 Red Martel, Beggs, RB, 5-11, 195, Sr OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH
TEYTON “TOT” CHANDLER Victory Christian, LB, 6-1, 195, Sr Recorded 207 tackles, including 107 solos last season to help the Conquerors reach the 2A semifinals Closing in on the state’s tackles record with 512 in his career, including 300 solos. Offered by Colorado
RYAN GRAYSON Beggs, WR/DB, 5-10, 185, Jr Had 1,264 total yards and 11 TDs last year plus three interceptions Has been offered by Colorado, Kansas and Kansas State.
CALE MARLEY Rejoice Christian, QB/DB, 5-10, 170, Jr Was stellar in the final 3 ½ regular-season games while filling in for injured Chance Wilson last year as he completed 38-of51 passes and accounted for 1,314 yards and 25 TDs On defense, had 73 tackles and three interceptions
The Yellowjackets coming off their first state title since 1999, return standout quarterback Jax Bernard,sonofheadcoachRobertBernard Jax Bernard passed for 3,055 yards and 39 TDs last season with a 70 5completionpercentage,plushe rushed for 389 yards and nine TDs
Coach
an impact on defense. Top linemen are Tristan Riddle and Elijah Gilley Ryder Marshall is a playmaker at linebacker
4. COLCORD
The Hornets made a big move last year as they reached the semifinals for the first time since 2010 losing to Fairview 38-22. Colcord returns quarterback Gabe Winfield, who completed 67% of his passes last year as he threw for 2,040 yards and 35 TDs, and also rushed for 731 yards and 18 touchdowns Linebacker standouts Cade Linn and Cooper Mott lead
PLAYERS TO WATCH BARRETT BROWN Liberty, LT/DE, 6-3, 240, Sr Will look to help the Tigers reach the playoffs for the first time since 1999 NOAH COOPER Gore, QB, 6-1, 200, Sr. Passed for 1,653 yards and 23
ALL-WORLDPRESEASON CONTESTWINNERS
QUARTERBACKS
SHAKER REISIG Union, 6-1, 200, Jr
Shaker Reisig received the second-highest overall vote total this summer after finishing out of the top five at QB in last year’s contest Reisig completed 74 2% of his passes last year as threw for 26 touchdowns and averaged 219 yards per game in his first season with the Redhawks after moving from Jenks, where he won a Class 6AI state title in 2021 Union coach Kirk Fridrich said He s been really good he has had a great offseason, been outstanding in practice He’s like having a coach on the field Just the maturity at a young age and he is so far along physically really waiting for everyone to catch up to him The game has become slow to him About half of his TD passes last year were caught by returning receiver Jino Boyd He s a great quarterback, everything we need he’s awesome I know I can trust him ” YOUR PICKS
1 Shaker Reisig Union 6 072
2 Owen Jones, Jenks 855
3 Jaxon Woods Hominy
4 Kale Charbonneau Wagoner
5 Ayden Hamilton, Victory Christian The others (in alphabetical order): Jamarian Ficklin, Muskogee; Coton Howard, Sapulpa; Cale Marley Rejoice Christian; Luke Milligan Lincoln Christian; JohnMark Roller Regent Prep
OUR PICKS
1 Reisig
2 Ficklin
3 Woods 4 Charboneau
5 Howard 6 Roller 7 Milligan
Marley 9 Hamilton 10 Jones
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
RUNNING BACKS
PJ WALLACE Bartlesville, 6-2, 205, Jr
PJ Wallace had a breakout sophomore season in 2022
He rushed for 1 731 yards on 298 carries and had 14 TDs overall Against Lawton he had 41 rushes for 245 yards and three TDs including the overtime winner to give the Bruins their first playoff victory since 2015 In the voting Wallace outdistanced Jordan Schelling, who nearly gave Union a fourth readers’ poll winner and Kansas commit Red Martel who moved up to third after finishing fifth last season I am honored and very thankful for everyone who voted for me in the contest, Wallace said “There are some very talented running backs on that list Our O-line (and I) are looking forward to reaching my goal of 2,000 rushing yards this season and for our Bruins team making a deep run in the playoffs Wallace has improved his 40 time to 4 5 YOUR PICKS
1 PJ Wallace Bartlesville 1 882
2 Jordan Schelling, Union 1,138
3 Red Martel Beggs
4 Kaydin Jones Jenks
5 LoLo Bell, Coweta
The others: Isaac Arce Rogers; Tariek Johnson, Owasso; Kenneth Page, Sand Springs; Marco Smith Sapulpa; Micah Teel Clare-
more
OUR PICKS
1 Martel
2 Jones 3 Schelling
4 Bell
5 Page 6 Johnson 7 Smith 8 Wallace 9 Teel 10
RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
JOSH FORD
Stillwater, 6-6, 230, Sr
In 6AII-1 coaches voting, it s a close call between Stillwater and Muskogee when determining the preseason favorite in the district race about as close as the voting for the area’s top receiver/ tight end With a rally in the final few days, Stillwater tight end Josh Ford edged Muskogee wideout Kayden McGee by 43 votes as the winner by far the smallest margin among the seven positions in the contest Both Ford and McGee are major college commits Ford with Oklahoma State and McGee with UNLV Look for Ford, a terrific blocker, to become more of a factor in the passing game this season Last year he had 19 catches for 140 yards and three touchdowns to help Stillwater win the Class 6AII state championship
semifinal win in 2021 Expected to be the state’s top defensive line recruit in the Class of 2025 The opening installment in a series following Ball s 2023 season will be in Monday s World YOUR PICKS
1 Hudson Ball Jenks 1 433
2 Derrick Osmond, Broken Arrow 897
3 Sam Rhoades Bishop Kelley
4 Deacon Peterson Coweta
5 Danny Okoye, NOAH The others: Trey Barnes Union; Kason Hatley and Brandon Hobbs, Bixby; Reid Jones, Bishop Kelley; Alex Shieldnight, Wagoner;
Keyton Cole recorded a team-high 117 tackles last season, including 12 in the title game, to help the Bulldogs win the Class 4A gold ball Combined on the fourth-down tackle that set up Wagoner’s winning drive in the championship game Also in 2022 he had four fumble recoveries and three sacks Wagoner coach Dale Condict said “Keyton had a breakout season in 2023 that started with a Week 1 fumble recovery for a TD vs Coweta and ended with him being our leading tackler and a state championship Keyton has elite linebacker speed, running a laser 4 61 40 this summer He loves the weight room and we expect big things from him again this season
YOUR PICKS
1 Keyton Cole, Wagoner 1,831
2 Jett Calmus Jenks 1 530 3 Sam McCormick Bixby
4 Teyton Tot Chandler, Victory Christian
5 Hank Puckett Bixby
The others: Lane Condry, Broken Arrow; Jack Keith, Collinsville; Cord Nolan Bixby; Corley Wagner Metro Christian; Noah Willson, Pawhuska
Moves to the Redhawks after showing a knack for big plays with Jenks last season In Week 9 he blocked an overtime extra-point kick to end a 35-34 overtime victory over Broken Arrow In the 6AI quarterfinals blocked a last-second field goal to cap a comeback win over at Mustang Overall for the season, he had 43 tackles with 16 pass breakups and two interceptions Cunningham received the thirdmost votes overall behind Union teammates Jesse Jones Jr and Shaker Reisig In the
2 Ryan Grayson, Beggs 940 3 Devon Jordan Union
Sam Stone Jenks
5 Donovin Hardaway, Broken Arrow
The others: Issac Covington Union; Witt Edwards Wagoner; Jaylen Jones and Derek Lockridge, Owasso; Matson Swanson, Wagoner; OUR PICKS
1 Jordan
2 Edwards 3 Grayson 4 Covington 5 Cunningham 6 Stone 7 Hardaway 8 Jones 9 Lockridge 10 Swanson
Everybody hits! No, really, everyone gets a turn at bat at the LLWS
SPENCER RIPCHIK
Associated Press
Little League coaches have long been saying it to rally their teams: “Everybody hits!”
The old phrase is a lot truer this year At this year s Little League World Series and throughout all of Little League batting format has changed Now, the batting order consists of every player on the roster, even when teams have 14 players to “provide more opportunities, make administration of the events more streamlined, and ultimately enhance the overall experience for all involved,” Little League said in a statement last May that announced the change
The change gives the 10- to 12-year-olds playing ball all over the world more chances at the plate Yet it is also creating a few odd moments at the LLWS, like in Maine’s first game of the tournament Thursday Washington won via the 10run rule in the fourth inning by a score of 10-0, and each Maine
player only got one at-bat Maine carried 14 players to South Williamsport, and because of the large deficit the leadoff hitter never went up to the plate again
Maine manager Brad Shelley said after the game it was one of the cases where the rule change can “catch you ”
“It hasn’t been something that’s hurt us the whole way,” Shelley said “Our kids can all hit, we’ve been able to use that to our advantage having strength in the lineup As you saw, our No 14 hitter was our last batter of the game That’s the first time in this entire run that that’s happened ”
Last year, through 10 games of the tournament, 89 runs were scored compared to this year’s 54 runs scored through the first 10 games Whether that’s because of the caliber of the pitchers or defenses, or the top of the lineups getting fewer at-bats runs are significantly down from last year
The pitching is outstanding,”
Australian manager Brad Abel
said “The pitching has more to do with that Tennessee’s starter in its opener Grayson May helped his team from just outside Nashville get an 8-1 win over Rhode Island He said it was a relief not facing the top of the lineup so many times
“Their top of the order can hit,” Grayson said “So, it’s better I think ”
Grayson’s manager, Randy Huth agreed with his pitcher
“We know if we pitch well, we’re not going to have to face their top of the order, which is significantly better than their bottom half,” Huth said “Not that those guys are bad, but the top of their order is definitely their guys”
While some coaches might like the change, others are uncomfortable with it Previously, managers often chose the best nine hitters to start and then substituted from there
I’m old school,” Abel said “Do you put a weaker hitter in
the middle of the lineup? Do you have the weaker hitters at the bottom and then they can potentially be a one-two-three (inning)? I don’t like it ” Like Abel said, some managers tried to sprinkle in some better hitters throughout the lineup to avoid less production when they get down to the 10, 11 and 12 spots
How managers deal with the new rule has varied throughout the Little League World Series but it’s a rule every team has had to adjust to Both Shelley and Abel said that even if it was a hassle to manage, they would still rather bring more players than fewer just so everybody can experience the LLWS
“There are two additional kids that are here,” Shelley said “For all those other teams carrying 12, they’re not There are two more kids here getting this experience ” Cuba wins Cuba’s first trip to the Little
League World Series isn’t over just yet Cuba beat Australia 11-1 in the elimination bracket Saturday, ending the game an inning early under the 10-run rule and getting a shutdown performance from pitcher Samuel Palencia
“We are very proud to be the first Cuban team here,” Cuba’s manager Vladimir Vargas said through a translator “To have a win here, to us, is very important to have that and knowing that we are the first in history” Cuba’s bats were hot, with 12 hits including a two-run double from Liusban Sanchez Palencia struck out 13 of Australia’s 19 batters, allowing just two hits Cuba faces Panama in another elimination bracket game Sunday Off the field, Little League International and the Cuban Baseball Federation announced Saturday they would continue their affiliation through 2025 Cuba is scheduled to have a team at the tournament next year
5
Crouser retains shot put title at Worlds
PAT GRAHAM Associated Press
BUDAPEST, Hungary OK,so,RyanCrouserdidn’t setanewworldrecord This win felt even better than that Just before the American shot-putter was scheduled to leave for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Crouser was diagnosed with two blood clots in his lower leg With it safe to fly, doctors left it up to him and his family if he wanted to compete He showed up and defended his world title Saturday night with a championship-record throw of 23 51 meters (77 feet 1 3/4 inches) using a new technique he invented that’s been dubbed the Crouser Slide”
Moments after his final attempt, Crouser dropped to his knees and lifted his arms in the air
Relief
“After all that it was the bestperformanceofmylife, given the health issues, the stress and all of it,”Crouser said “The last throw was testament to all the hard work and dedication over the last year The last few dayshavebeenhard,sowith allthathashappeneditwas a phenomenal throw” In a post on social media a day before the start of worlds, Crouser discussed his ordeal and how a scan revealed the blood clots He wrote that everything went into emergency mode before the medical team did everything to mitigate them”
SCOREBOARD
Scheffler, Fitzpatrick share lead at BMW Championship
DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill.
Scottie Scheffler was feeling good enough with his short game that he was willing to take on a long shot with high risk. Just like everything else Saturday, it worked out just fine for him in the BMW Championship In wind that gusted through tree-lined Olympia Fields, Scheffler hit a driver off the fairway on the par-5 15th hole that traveled 299 yards a lot of it on the ground to just short of the green to set up his seventh and final birdie in a round of 6-under 64
It gave him a share of the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick, who played a clean round until having to salvage bogey on the final hole for a 66 “I haven’t hit driver off the deck as much with this driver as I have drivers in the past,” Scheffler said. “The shot is really shaped well for that kind of play I tried it the first day because I thought it would be fu,and I hit a pretty good shot And then I did it again today because it was fun.”
Equally fun was seeing so many putts go in, no matter the distance. Scheffler made two short birdie putts at the start and one-putted the opening five holes He wasn’t hitting it his best, and his bunker play in particular along with making the putts made all the difference.
Scheffler and Fitzpatrick were at 11-under 199, one shot clear of British Open champion Brian Harman, who had to settle for a 67
The top 10 players all but two have won on the PGA Tour this year are
separated by four shots going into the final round. But that’s not the only way to keep score in the final round.
At stake for more than a half-dozen players is making sure they finish in the top 30 in the FedEx Cup to advance to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake Among those on the bubble is Jordan Spieth
At stake for a few Americans is trying to earn one of six automatic spots in the Ryder Cup, with the BMW Championship as the final qualifying event. Strong finishes by the likes of Max Homa and Xander Schauffele could knock out PGA champion and LIV Golf player Brooks Koepka. And as the pleasant day south of Chicago illustrated, chaos can happen at any time.
Scheffler, with at least a share of the 54-hole lead for the first time since he won The Players Championship five months ago, kept his stress to a minimum. He dropped only one shot at
No 9 and responded with three straight birdies to start the back nine.
Homa wasn’t so fortunate. He seized control early and while he was out of position on the seventh hole, it didn’t look like a big problem until it was It took two chips from right of the green to get to within 15 feet and three-putted missing from 2 feet to make a triple bogey
He missed two more par putts from 5 feet and 8 feet on the back nine,but steadied himself coming in and holed a 7-foot par putt on the final hole for a 71.
“It was definitely uncomfortable putting in that wind,” Homa said. “I had a long one on 18 and you’re judging a big slope and it’s going to start running downwind and downhill. So it made it uncomfortable,but that’s why this golf course is so good. He still was within two shots of the lead at 9-unde 201.
Rory McIlroy (67) and Viktor Hovland (65) were three behind. McIlroy
opened with four birdies in six holes when his round came to a halt, particularly on the 10th green when he three-putted from 15 feet. Homa, meanwhile, now shares the North course record with Sam Burns who had eight birdies and a clean card for a 62 That was valuable because it put Burns in the group at 7-under 203 and it revived his chances of going to East Lake. He had opened with rounds of 71-70, not the ideal start for someone who came into Olympia Fields at No 30 in the FedEx Cup
The four-way tie for seventh projects him inside the top 20,and now it’s a matter of staying there.
There’s also the small matter of the Ryder Cup Burns is No 12 in the standings and has only one top 10 since winning the Dell Match Play in March.
“A lot of it’s out of my control,” Burns said. “The only thing I can do is go out there and play hard and compete. At the end of the day whatever happens I can be OK with it.”
Denny McCarthy (No 34) also played bogey-free for a 65 that gives him a chance to advance. He also was in the group at 7-under with Justin Rose (No 32),who also is poised to move into the top 30 and head to Atlanta Spieth,meanwhile,could have all but locked up a spot at East Lake a week ago until he dropped two shots over his last four holes That moved him to No 27 in the FedEx Cup He made only one birdie and not until the 12th hole for a 72 and goes into the final round projected to be a fraction out of the top 30
Noora Komulainen 71b-75a-71b—217 Wichanee Meechai 71a-76b-70b—217 Marissa Steen 70b-72a-75b—217 Casandra Alexander 71b-75a-72b—218 Azahara Munoz 74b-73a-71b—218 Ana Pelaez Trivino 77b-70a-71b—218 Jasmine Suwannapura 72b-73a-73b—218 Arpichaya Yubol 72a-74b-72b—218 Trichat Cheenglab 71b-75a-73b—219 Georgia Hall 72b-74a-73b—219 Muni He 72b-76a-71b—219 Leona Maguire 73a-75b-71b—219 Stephanie Meadow 74b-73a-72b—219 Su-Hyun Oh 72a-75b-72b—219 Karis Davidson 69a-76b-75b—220 Hayley Davis 75a-75b-70b—220 Dani Holmqvist 70a-76b-74b—220 Nastasia Nadaud 73a-75b-72b—220 Emma Spitz 74a-74b-72b—220 Weiwei Zhang 73a-74b-73b—220 Hannah Burke 76a-74b-71b—221 Ruixin Liu 75a-74b-72b—221 Meghan MacLaren 75b-75a-71b—221 Emily Pedersen 75b-73a-73b—221 Dewi Weber 72b-76a-73b—221 Sophie Witt 75a-71b-75b—221 Jennifer Chang 74a-73b-75b—222 Alice Hewson 75b-75a-72b—222 Anne-Charlotte Mora 70a-79b-73b—222 Yuna Nishimura 74a-76b-72b—222 Nicole Broch Estrup 73a-76b-74b—223 Cara Gainer 71b-75a-77b—223 Sarah Kemp 75b-75a-73b—223 Louise Ridderstrom 74a-76b-73b—223 Mariajo Uribe 74b-75a-74b—223 Daniela Darquea 72a-76b-76b—224 Lauren Hartlage 73a-77b-74b—224 Lily May Humphreys 72a-76b-76b—224 Gina Kim 75a-74b-75b—224 Ilhee Lee 73a-75b-76b—224 Ellinor Sudow 69a-79b-76b—224 Alessandra Fanali 72a-77b-76b—225 Leonie Harm 73b-77a-75b—225 Aline Krauter 74b-76a-75b—225 Chanettee Wannasaen 71b-76a-78b—225 Sarah Jane Smith 74b-76a-76b—226 Linnea Johansson 75b-74a-78b—227 Riley Rennell 75a-73b-79b—227 Allison Emrey 71b-78a-80b—229 Sara Kjellker 75b-75a-79b—229 Madelene Stavnar 77b-72a-80b—229 DP World Tour ISPS Handa World Invitational Ballymena, U.K.; Purse: $1.5M a-Castlerock: 6,859 yards; Par 71 b-Galgorm Castle: 7 151 yards; Par 70 Third Round, Saturday Daniel Brown, England 64a-66b-67b—197 Alex Fitzpatrick England 66a-70b-67b—203 Wilco Nienaber S Africa 72a-68b-63b—203 Adrian Otaegui, Spain 70b-68a-66b—204 John Parry England 69b-69a-67b—205 Angel Hidalgo Spain 67b-69a-70b—206 Eddie Pepperell, England 70b-68a-68b—206 Tom Lewis, England 73a-67b-68b—208 Connor Syme Scotland 69b-69a-70b—208 Manu Gandas, India 66a-73b-70b—209 R Neergaard-Petersen Den 69b-69a-71b 209 Marco Penge England 73a-69b-67b—209 Sam Bairstow England 67a-74b-69b—210 Callan Barrow England 66a-76b-68b—210 Grant Forrest Scotland 74b-68a-68b—210 Marcus Kinhult Sweden 70b-72a-68b—210 Niklas Lemke Sweden 67a-73b-70b—210 James Morrison, England 70a-71b-69b—210 Ricardo Santos, Portugal 68b-71a-71b—210 Marcus Armitage England 71b-71a-69b—211 Marcus Helligkilde Den. 70b-71a-70b—211 Tom McKibbin, No Ireland 78b-65a-68b—211 Max Schmitt Germany 71b-71a-69b—211 Matthew Southgate England68a-73b-70b 211 Matthew Baldwin, England 70a-72b-70b—212 Victor Pastor Rufian, Spain 74b-69a-69b—212 Max Rottluff Germany 71b-72a-69b—212 Jamie Rutherford, England 69b-74a-69b—212 Freddy Schott Germany 70a-74b-68b—212 Jack Senior England 69b-71a-72b—212 Jon Thomson, England 73b-69a-70b—212 Ewen Ferguson, Scotland 72b-72a-69b—213 Pedro Figueiredo Portugal 70b-69a-74b—213 Rikuya Hoshino Japan 69b-70a-74b—213 Matthew Jordan, England 70a-72b-71b—213 G. Kristjansson, Iceland 70a-74b-69b—213 Richard Mansell, England 73b-66a-74b—213 Robin Sciot-Siegrist France 67b-72a-74b—213 Paul Waring,
CHARLES REX ARBOGAST, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Matt Fitzpatrick watches his tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the BMW Championship on Saturday in Olympia Fields Ill
OSU’s offensive line found peace after 2022. Now, an urgent battle to become tough, physical and disciplined
ualized thing anymore It’s just a group”
the field, adding new players like Dalton Cooper, one of OSU’s transferportalimportsthisoffseason becomes smoother
Reshaping offensive run blocking schemes
dissected Even eight months later Wilson isn’t willing to disclose those in attendance Some things remainbehindcloseddoors,OSU’s veteranoffensivelinemansaid But the sentiment was clear
“We dealt with the pain, but we didn’t dwell on the misery,” Wilson said “We moved on” After a 12-2 season in 2021, the Cowboys failed to patch together a strong follow-up campaign
The rushing attack was one of the worst under coach Mike Gundy They allowed the most sacks since 2018 The offensive line was battered and bruised throughout the second half of the season using seven different starting combinations in 2022
Entering this year, a sense of urgency emanates through OSU’s offensive line The majority of the core a veteran group accounting for 94 career starts returned They’ll be in charge of protecting a new quarterback They’ll control the rushing attack For seasoned offensive line coach Charlie Dickey and the group, there’s a clear emphasis to better But can they pull it off?
“Everyone wants this team to be great,” redshirt senior Cole Birmingham said “It’s just a better feeling Everyone’s fighting for this team It’s not an individ-
The suddenly old guard
Wilson, Birmingham, Jake Springfield, Taylor Miterko and Joe Michalski all joined OSU s offensive line in 2019
Four years later those five have remained with the program,a testament to loyalty in the transfer portal era Springfield, formerly a walk-on, would not only secure a scholarship in 2020 but currently leads the entire team in career starts with 29
“I feel like all of us,we’re all kind of leaders,” Springfield said “I’ve put my input into that and told them what I wanted to do We all kind of agreed on that”
The offensive line underwent little turnover as OSU bled this offseason into the transfer portal Eli Russ, who played 110 snaps at center and right guard in 2022 left for Troy Left tackle Caleb Etienne, who started all 13 games last season, exited the program after spring camp, reemerging at BYU but the position group went largely unscathed
“I feel like the people who left, they had their reasons,I guess they wanted to leave,but everyone who stayed wants to be here”Birmingham said Hunter Woodard opted not to use his extra year of college eligibility
The 2019 core remaining together assists the Cowboys in multiple facets Wilson points to trust and comradery as major components on the field Off
“You’ve got everybody on the same page,” Wilson said “You just have to add one You ve got four guys helping one”
Another bump for the season: OSU holds 23 offensive linemen on its roster, the most of any position group As tragic as football is, anything can happen,” Jason Brooks Jr said “People have to be ready at all times”
OSU reinforced its core with a handful of rookies,signing five offensive linemen out of high school
UNLV transfer Noah McKinney and Jarrett Henry, a sophomore from Trinity Valley Community College, helps too
Physical, disciplined and tough
During the 2021 season, OSU allowed 1 14 sacks per game, a metric the program ranked No 1 in the conference and ninth in the nation
Last season, that plunged to 2 08 per game, ranking seventh in the Big 12 and 65th in the country
Rushing offense fell from fifth to ninth in the conference Even worse, the 3 4 yards per rush was the worst average under Gundy OSU rushed for less than 60 yards on three different occasions
Injuries factored in OSU was without Woodard, Brooks Jr and Wilson at different points of the season But the numbers led OSU to its first objective this offseason:
“We were kind of in a rocky place” Brooks Jr said “It wasn’t the end we wanted A lot of guys’ head were down”
To change the tide, Dickey and offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn implemented new run blocking schemes More pull-action, more counters and more gap schemes highlighted the changes Paired with tight ends and fullbacks returning to OSU’s offense and the new QB taking snaps under center
it’s an attempt at improvement
“It allows us to play more powerful, more downhill,” Birmingham said “It allows everyone to play downhill, faster football”
Dickey didn’t stop there Film became a major priority this offseason Opponent scouting started even earlier The breadth of experience allows for it Working on assignments isn’t the most important with veterans Taylor Miterkosaystechniqueisthefocus most practices
The hardest changes involved were philosophical ones
“We’ve always wanted to be a dominant offensive line, but we’ve really shifted our focus to not what, but how,” Miterko said “How we’re going to be a dominant offensive line, and we’re going to do that by playing physical, being disciplined, being tough” Gundy stressed those traits throughout the offseason, hinging success on the line adopting those ideas
“Guys have a new mindset and they’re taking it personal to keep
their attitude in check every day and coming here to work,”Miterko said “It’s really just a mindset mental toughness”
A good year for a good year
Seven months after his private hotel room meeting,Preston Wilson strolled across the artificial turf at AT&T Stadium in Arlington
Roughly
domination
BARRY LEWIS
Tulsa World
Central senior Isaiah Jordan and his teammates were fired up Friday night after an overtime victory over McLaininthe81stannualGrady Skillern All-City Preview title game
The Braves’ celebration alongwiththeintensityfrom both teams late in regulation and OT made it seem like a playoff game in late November instead of a preseason contest in mid-August
“It’s about heart, we wanted it more than they did and we act like it,” Jordan said as his voice was rising “All summer we busted our butt, we came out every single day, we worked hard We lifted weights until we couldn’t move, and then we came out here yesterday and got it done, came out here today got it done and that’s how we do it” Central quarterback Trey Pope opened OT with a 9-yard touchdown run and the Braves came up with a defensivestandtocomeaway with their fourth title in the past five All-City events, 126, at LaFortune Stadium
“Itjustshowswe’regrowing as a program, I can’t say enough about my coaches, they love our kids and my kids will run through a wall for them” Central coach Kip Shaw said BothofCentral’sTDswere scored by sophomores R J Rhinetiedthegameat6with a20-yardrunaroundleftend midway through the second half
“R J is special,”Shaw said “He’s going to run and he’s going to make people miss, he’s got breakaway speed He’sa4 0kidandasgreatoff the field as he is on the field” Pope narrowly missed adding the 2-point conversion as he was ruled out of bounds inches short of the pylon After an exchange of fumbles(onewasreceovered by Jordan), McLain drove inside the Central 10 in the final moments of regulation before turning the ball over on downs In OT, Pope scambled to his right and spun between three defenders across the goal line for the TD “Trey Pope he has grown so much since last year,” Shaw said “He was thrown to the wolves when Jamond (Silas)gothurtlastyear He’s
the ultimate team player, he’s still learning as he goes, so there’s little mistakes he makes, he’s just got to get better each week for us and we’ll be successful
“A good thing is we’ve got two good running backs and a good O-line so maybe that will take some pressure off him”
McLain’s TD came on Nia Parker’s48-yardrunmidway through the first half Central and McLain will meet again in the regular-season opener next Friday at Braves Stadium
“On Monday we’ve got to put this behind us,” Shaw said “McLain’s going to be even stronger next week (McLain) Coach (Willie) Ponder is always going to have them prepared so we’re going to have our work cut out for us
“We’re a young team and I’m proud of my kids It’s a big confidence booster that whenwegotdowntheywere able to fight back, that s big for morale” East Central 7, Rogers 0
The longest play of the
nightcameinthefifth-place game when the Cardinals opened the second half with Konnor Dunn’s 90-yard TD bomb to Veshion Arps
“That’sourbreadandbutter” Arps said “You’ll see that a lot more It’s always fun to make big plays We’re ready for the season Dunn completed 5-of-7 passes for 144 yards East Central finished 2-1 at AllCity after going 1-9 last season as Dunn was sidelined with an injury for seven weeks
“Tonight we wanted to come here and get a little better and stay heathy, and we did,” East Central coach Kevin Gordon said East Central opens the regular season next Friday at ChecotahwhileRogersopens athomeagainstHollandHall on Sept 1
Memorial 3, Edison 0 In the third-place game, Angel Reyes’ 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter was the difference in a preview of the Mid-Town Classic set for Sept 8 Me-
MLB Adames leads Brewers past Rangers
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Texas
Willy Adames was 4 for 4 with two RBIs to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday
The NL Central-leading Brewers have won the first two games of the series behind 29 combined hits
Carlos Santana homered for the second consecutive day and the fourth time in his past six games
ANGELS 7, RAYS 6: Brandon Drury had three hits including his 16th home run, and Los Angeles held on for a victory over visiting Tampa Bay in the first game of a split-doubleheader Randal Grichuk
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Freddy Peralta struck out 11 while holding the Rangers to a run on four hits and two walks in 52⁄3 innings
Texas lost its third consecutive game for the first time since July 30 Rangers
batters struck out a season-high 18 times
RED SOX 8, YANKEES 1: Luis
Urias became the first Boston player to hit grand slams on consecutive pitches, and the first in 80 years to hit slams in consecutive games, leading the visiting Red Sox to a victory, and sending slumping New York to its seventh straight loss
Urias cleared the based in his last at bat against Washington reliever Robert Garcia on Thursday and the
ninth-place hitter stunned Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in the second inning Saturday with a blast to left center
Urias is the first Red Sox player to hit grand slams in consecutive games since Jimmie Foxx accomplished the feat on May 20-21,1940
DODGERS 3, MARLINS 1: Mookie Betts hit a two-run single in a three-run eighth and Los Angeles beat visiting Miami in the opener of a split-doubleheader The doubleheader was one of three on the West Coast scheduled by MLB out of concern over Sunday’s forecast for Hurricane
Hillary which will likely cross into the southwest U.S as a tropical storm.
The Marlins wasted a terrific performance by Eury Pérez, who struck out 10 while pitching six innings of two-hit ball. The NL West-leading Dodgers improved to 16-2 in August.
D-BACKS 6, PADRES 4: Tommy Pham hit a two-run homer and tripled to lead Arizona over host San Diego in the opener of a twin bill. Pham who has a 10game hitting streak drove a two-run shot in the fifth to left field to give the Diamondbacks a 5-3 advantage
AROUND THE MAJORS
Schanuel makes memorable debut
ANAHEIM,Calif Nolan Schanuel reached the majors less than six weeks after being picked 11th overall by the Los Angeles Angels in this year’s amateur draft. On Friday, Schanuel showed the poise of a veteran in his MLB debut.
The 21-year-old infielder was part of the Angels’ first triple play in 26 years,and also had an unassisted double play earlier Batting leadoff, he went 1 for 4 and scored two runs Despite the great debut, it still wasn’t enough as Los Ange3les lost 9-6 to Tampa Bay in 10 innings
“I wouldn’t even say I remember my first at-bat I kind of blacked out,” Schanuel said “After the double-play line drive, I kind of snapped back into it and came down to Earth. After that, it just felt normal.” Schanuel’s call up from Double-A Rocket City came 40 days after he was drafted. It’s the fastest big-league promotion for a draft pick since Chris Sale in 2010 with the Chicago White Sox.
BRIEFLY
GUARDIANS: Slugger Manny Ramírez was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on Saturday Ramírez made his major league debut with Cleveland in 1993 and spent eight seasons with the team.
PHILLIES: Ranger Suárez was placed on the 15-day IL with a strained right hamstring. The left-hander, who underwent an MRI exam on Friday is 2-6 with a 3 88 ERA in 17 starts
BREWERS: Rowdy Tellez rejoined the team after spending six weeks on the IL The first baseman was out due to a with a right forearm issue.
TIGERS: After catching the second game of Friday’s twin bill, Eric Haase was designated for assignment Detroit signed former Arizona catcher Carson Kelly Associated Press
STAT OF THE DAY
80/40
Atlanta’s Matt Olson is the fifth NL hitter with at least 80 walks and 40 home runs through his team’s first 120 games, joining Sammy Sosa (2021, 2022), Mark McGwire (1998, 1998), Barry Bonds (2001) and Hack Wilson (1930). OptaSTATS
STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH ASSOCIATED PRESS
during the eighth inning of a Saturday’s game against the Nationals in Washington
