By Ron Holt

Because of a limited number of returning starters and because of opening on Zero Week, Bixby’s Class 6A-I defending state champion Spartans approached preseason practices with a sense of urgency.

The No. 1 ranked Spartans’ focus this week is on the fourth-ranked Owasso Rams as they prepare for the third annual QuikTrip Battle of the Burbs. Kickoff at Owasso Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday (Aug. 30).

Bixby, which will rely on talented but inexperienced players to fill key roles this season, ended the first full week in pads last week by hosting the annual Bixby Fall Classic which included Edmond Santa Fe and Stillwater.

After falling behind 6-0 early in a two-quarter game against Edmond Santa, Bixby found its rhythm in rolling to a 27-6 victory over the talented Wolves. Against Class 6A-II state runner-up Stillwater, Spartan reserves fell to the Pioneers 21-0 in the final two-quarter game of the evening.

Against Santa Fe, Bixby freshman B. J. Jones scored a touchdown run to give the Spartans a 7-6 lead before a pass interception by Brooks Dixon set up an impressive BHS touchdown on a pass from junior quarterback Carson Kirby to senior wide receiver Blake Hogshooter. TD runs by senior Cooper Parker and Jones ended the Spartans’ scoring.

“We did some good things but obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do … we weren’t very crisp like you’d like to see in a first scrimmage,” Bixby’s 15^th-year head coach Loren Montgomery said. “We got some good tape from this scrimmage so hopefully we can get things improved this week.

“Stillwater’s got a really good defense and it’s unique. We didn’t do a good job preparing for it and we got down. Frankly, we need to compete a little better,” Montgomery added.

“We didn’t finish on a good note, but I think it’s a good lesson for us to understand it’s a fine line between being really good and beating the tar out of somebody or getting the tar beat of you. But our guys have been doing a good job of competing and getting after it … they’ve been practicing well.”

Bixby and Owasso hadn’t played since 2011 before agreeing to play in the Battle of the Burbs starting in 2022. The first two games in the series were played at the University of Tulsa’s Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium before moving to Owasso this season. The two teams will open 2025 at Bixby.

In 2022 and 2023, Bixby and Owasso not only opened the season against each other but also clashed in the Class 6A-1 state playoffs including ending the 2022 season in the state championship game.

Bixby has emerged victorious in all four games – defeating the Rams 42-16 in the Battle of the Burbs and 56-14 in the state semifinals last season while downing OHS 49-14 in the first Battle of the Burbs in 2022 before toppling the Rams 69-6 in the Class 6A-I state title game that season.

Last season, Bixby erupted for 21 first quarter points and rode that momentum to the 42-16 win. The Spartans scored 42 straight points on a one-yard run by Parker, a 74-yard run by Kordell Gouldsby and another one-yard sneak by Parker for the first quarter surge.

The Spartans added touchdown runs of 13 and 62 yards by Clay Peters and a 20-yard TD scoring pass play from Kirby to Hogshooter. Owasso scored its16 points later in the fourth quarter.

Gouldsby finished with 205 yards of total offense to lead the offense while linebacker Hank Puckett’s 19 tackles led the defensive charge.

In the state semifinal game at Sand Springs last season, Bixby led 14-0 after one quarter and 14-7 at halftime before Owasso tied the game with 6:27 left in the third quarter. It was all Bixby from that point forward as the Spartans scored 42 consecutive points in rolling to the victory.

Bixby featured a powerful ground attack, finishing with 330 yards – an average of 9.7 yards per carry – while scoring six rushing TDs in advancing to the title game. Spartan tailback Jett Turner rushed 14 times for 141 yards and three touchdowns, Kirby rushed for 72 yards and one TD on three carries and Parker ran five times for 76 yards and one score.

One notable change this season involves the Rams’ head coach. Bill Blankenship, who went 71-18 and won one state championship during his seven years at the helm retired after last season. Antonio Graham, who played for Blankenship at Tulsa Union and was the Rams’ defensive coordinator last season, was elevated to the head coaching post.

The Rams feature a talented, veteran senior offensive line led by tackles Blake Cherry and Ryker Haff. Cherry, a 6-6, 280-pounder, committed to play collegiately at Arkansas while Haff, a 6-5, 310-pounder, committed to Oklahoma State.

There is talent on the Rams’ defensive unit also including 6-0, 170-pound senior defensive back Eric Harris, who has received offers from OSU, Iowa State and North Texas.

“They’ve got some real good players,” coach Montgomery noted. “Peeking at them a little it looks like their entire offensive line is back … they’re really good. They’ve got a couple of good tailbacks. They are starting a sophomore quarterback who looks pretty good on film.

“They have two of their three defensive linemen back who are good players. We’ll need to have a good week of practice.”

NOTES – In the QuikTrip Battle of the Burbs series, Bixby has outscored Owasso 216 points to 50 points. BHS is averaging 54 points per game while Owasso is averaging 12.5 points. … Bixby has won nine state championships in the past 10 years including the last two in Class 6A-1. Owasso won state titles in 1974, 2017 and 2019 when the Rams were unbeaten. … Bixby has won 74 of its last 75 games and is currently on a 16-game winning streak. The Spartans 58-game winning streak from 2018-2022 is the state’s all-time winning streak. … During the Bixby Fall Classic, junior Tao Bradley kicked extra points for the Spartans. Senior Walker Wells was the long snapper while senior Dalen Alvidrez was the holder. … In national preseason rankings, Bixby is ranked No. 42 in the nation by MaxPreps, … Last year, Bixby’s offense ended with 3,088 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. The offense also recorded 3,113 rushing yards and 46 TDs. Bixby averaged 7.8 rushing per carry. Bixby’s defense ended with 44.5 sacks a year ago while also intercepting 26 passes.

‘O’ RETURNEES – Offensively, Bixby returns junior quarterback Carson Kirby, who hit on 148-of-206 passes for 2,220 yards and 35 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Cooper Parker rushed for 413 yards on 38 carries while scoring nine touchdowns.

Senior receiver Blake Hogshooter caught 19 passes for 404 yards and eight TDs while junior tight end Cord Nolan caught 23 passes for 632 and 10 TDs.

‘D’ RETURNEES – Parker, a starting linebacker, paces Bixby’s returning defensive players. He was credited with 86 total tackles, including 59 solo stops and 16 tackles for loss. He also intercepted three passes.

In backup roles, junior Trey McGlothlin had 34 tackles and three tackles for loss; senior Brooks Dixon ended with 31 total tackles; junior Tyler Wright recorded 30 total tackles while intercepting three passes, and Nolan ended with 16 tackles.