COACH LANCE KNIGHT LEADS DEWEY BULLDOGGERS DEEP INTO POST-SEASON PLAY
Dewey High School Bulldoggers head coach Lance Knight coaches during a game at Oklahoma Union earlier in the season. The Bulldoggers (24-4) made a deep run into playoffs.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
March 30, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Leo Durocher eat dirt.
Known as “The Lip,” this former major league manager offered one of the sport’s worlds most infamous quotes when he opined that: “Nice guys finish last.”
Leo, meet Dewey High School head boys basketball coach Lance Knight.
Knight is the antithesis of the foul-mouthed dour Durocher.
And Knight — one of nicest guys you’d want to talk to who always has something good to say about an opponent — is anything but a loser.
Especially during this past magical season.
Not too far away from his 20th season shepherding Dewey’s hardwood hopes, Knight guided his 2025-26 team to one of the greatest seasons in team history.
The Doggers flirted with a perfect regular season (22-2) before finishing at 24-4 overall and coming just a triple-overtime loss from advancing to the Class 3A area tournament.
“It’s right up there,” he said about where this year’s team ranks in school history — and his statement has more weight considering he was an assistant on a Dewey team in the early-to-mid-2000s that went to state multiple times. “This team was one of the best.”
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Dewey High School’s Zach Renfroe (1) goes to the basket against Oologah in an earlier season game. The Bulldoggers were 24-4 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Knight knew months prior to the season that this squad had explosive potential.
For one thing, he had only two football players on the roster, which meant nearly all his players were in the gym throughout the entire offseason.
For another, the level of talent and experience was top rung.
“We knew we could have a good group,” Knight said. “I remember talking to my assistant and saying I’ll be disappointed if we don’t win 20 games.”
Dewey burst into the campaign with an 8-1 record prior to Christmas and 10-1 mark going into the second week of January.
After losing to Oologah, Dewey surged through the remainder of the regular season, at 12-0 — including a payback win against Oologah, 83-73.
In another signature triumph, Dewey beat Cleveland in overtime, 51-45, in the semifinals of the Caney Valley tourney.
Prior to the season, Knight had contemplated using a 10-man rotation.
But as the early ebb-and-tide went, he whittled that down to primarily seven players — seniors Kooper Crawford, Karson Johnson and Tra Hicks, and juniors Austin Eastman and Zach Renfroe as his starters, and Gage Hawkins and Jay Murguia coming off the bench.
Will Lawrence also saw some solid playing time and several other players made big contributions, Knight said.
Rounding out Dewey’s senior class was Scott Horton, who hadn’t played his junior year but wanted to be a part of the team his final season, Knight said.
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Dewey High School’s Kooper Crawford (0) waits at the free-throw line at a game in Dewey earlier in the season. The Bulldoggers were 24-4 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Dewey High School’s Austin Eastman (11) gets tangled up with a Caney Valley Trojan player in Ramona as teammate Tra Hicks (5) moves down court during an earlier season game. The Bulldoggers were 24-4 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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As one might imagine, it’s harder for Knight to pick out a favorite win than trying to pick out a winner in a cute puppy contest.
But he pointed to the district win against Claremore-Sequoyah, 69-57, as perhaps the most meaningful and gratifying.
The fact Dewey had to earn the right to host a district championship game made the achievement extra special.
“That was big for us,” he said.
The crowd bulged the walls and the atmosphere created an unforgettable electricity, Knight said, adding it was like a second Senior Night.
Knight also pointed out that beating Chelsea during the regular season Senior Night, defeating Cleveland in the Caney Valley tourney and wreaking revenge on Oologah as major highlights.
Following the emotional district win against Claremore-Sequoyah, perhaps having peaked and the playoff run squeeze might have taken its toll on the Doggers.
They lost in the regional opener to Wyandotte, 79-51, but — in displaying their character and determination — they pounded Salina, 83-54, in the consolation semifinal.
However, in an unforgettable regional consolation final, they had to take on Adair on Adair’s home court. Adair won the terrific shootout, 96-90, in three overtimes to end Dewey’s season.
But the legend of the campaign will live on and on.
And Knight will remain an exemplar that nice guys can keep their class and still win in a big way.
Dewey High School Bulldoggers head coach Lance Knight cheers on the Lady Bulldoggers from the Dew-Crew section in Dewey. Knight led Dewey to a 24-4 record and a deep run into playoff action.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports