PAWHUSKA HUSKIES
Coach – MATT HENNESY
OFFENSE
A trip to the state semifinals last season has left the Huskies of Pawhuska with a bad taste in their mouths. In a game which everyone expected to be an offensive shootout against Cashion, turned into a defensive struggle for the ages, leaving Pawhuska with a, 6-7 loss to the eventual champions. Head coach Matt Hennesy is more than ready to take the field for their opening game against Perry. “I’m excited about this team and the state of our program,” said Hennesy. “We have gone from 0-10 to one of the top teams in the state because of the buy-in from the players, coaches, administration, parents and community.”
Chasing the gold ball is every team’s goal, but Pawhuska has steadily climbed the ladder and improved on their standing each season under Hennesy. Mason Gilkey (6-4, 180, Sr.) is an Oklahoma State commit and a total mismatch for every corner in the class. Last year he accounted for 1,261 yards and 26 touchdowns. Dalton Hurd (6-2, 170, Sr.) also had 1,222 yards with 17 touchdowns and is receiving interest from Division I schools. Quarterback Todd Drummond (6-4, 190, Jr.) backed up his brother for two seasons, now it’s time for him to shine.
DEFENSE
Lesharo Wildcat (6-5, 230, Sr.) is a feared defensive end who made 121 tackles with 10 sacks and 36 tackles for loss last year. Wildcat will likely play on Saturday based on his trajectory. Jack Long (6-2, 220, Sr.) will start at outside linebacker where his speed and size strike fear in would-be ball carriers. Long has started every game of his high school career and made 135 tackles with eight sacks last season. Hagen McGuire (6-1, 205, Sr.) is another defensive end Hennesy will use to create havoc in the backfield. McGuire had 116 tackles and five sacks to his credit last season. John Reed (5-11, 190, Jr.) played hurt most of last season and still managed to make 71 tackles. Tyrel Richardson (6-1, 180, Jr.) plays with speed and intensity. As a sophomore he accounted for 111 tackles from his linebacker spot. Also look for guys like Gilkey and Hurd to lock down receivers at corner. Cooper Kyler (6-1, 180, Sr.) will handle the kicking duties while JoJo Hendren (6-0, 205, So.) and Noah Wilson (6-4, 205, So.) are the apparent heirs to the defensive thrown. Other guys to watch are AJ Soliano (5-8, 165, Sr.) at SS and Deacon Hendren (5-11, 165, So.) at FS.
8-27 – vs. Perry
9-3 – at Victory Christian
9-17 – at Hominy
9-24 – vs. Commerce
10-1 – at Fairland
10-8 – vs. Quapaw
10-14 – vs. Oklahoma Union
10-22 – at Afton
10-29 – at Wyandotte
11-5 – vs. Ketchum
HOMINY BUCKS
Coach – CALEB CHRISTIAN
OFFENSE
Hominy head coach Caleb Christian recognizes that last season was not normal, and he’s excited to see what this team can do with a little bit of normalcy retuning. “We had a really young group that fought like crazy to get into the playoffs in a tough year,” he said of last year’s team. “I’m ready for them to get into a normal flow of things to see how much they can maximize their God given ability.” One of those young guys that could take a leap with a return to normalcy is quarterback Jaxon Woods (5-8, 150, So.). As a freshman, Woods totaled 1,142 all-purpose yards. More experience, plus several returning weapons, could make Woods one of the higher profile athletes Hominy has seen in a while. On the outside, Gideon Goodeagle (5-10, 155, Sr.) and Joe Overstreet (6-3, 185, Sr.) return at wide receiver. Goodeagle totaled 330 yards last year while Overstreet tallied 534 yards and six touchdowns. TK Sutton (5-8, 160, Jr.) returns at running back after rushing for over 700 yards a year ago.
DEFENSE
Defensively, the Bucks will use an odd front formation that will allow the Hominy athletes to chase the football. The Bucks are returning nine starters from last year’s playoff team. Leading the way are a pair of linebackers in Tyler Edwards (6-1, 185, Sr.) and Ethane Wikel (6-1, 180, Jr.). Edwards recorded 75 tackles last year while Wikel has started 22 games over the past two years. Up front, Joseph Goodfox (6-4, 200, Jr.) will look to wreak havoc in the backfield from his defensive end position. Carson Keene (5-9, 150, Jr.) is expected to be a playmaker in the secondary for Hominy. Hominy assistants include Ed Green, Hunter Woods, Jonathan Stowe, ad Chace Green.
8-27 – at Tulsa NOAH Academy
9-2 – at Cleveland
9-9 – at Ponca City JV
9-17 – vs. Pawhuska
9-24 – at Pawnee
10-1 – vs. Caney Valley
10-8 – vs. Chouteau
10-14 – at Morrison
10-22 – vs. Woodland
10-29 – BYE
11-5 – at Chelsea