spring football: pawhuska looks to promising next season
Pawhuska High School head coach Matt Hennesy leads his teams onto the field last season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
June 11, 2-25
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Different year, same threatening rumblings from the land of the White Hair.
Indeed the Pawhuska High School football team might turn the tresses of many opposing coaches whiter — or at least multiply their streaks of gray — during the 2025 season.
Made up of a handful of titanically-talented transfers along with some super-charged returnees, this could be the Huskies long-anticipated year to howl at the top of the Class A-1 mountain.
Twice during the past five seasons they’ve battled to the state semifinals — only to be prevented by a total of just five points of playing for the state title.
Whether this is the year of the Huskie won’t be known for another six months.
Perhaps the warrior spirit of Paw-Hiu-Skah — also known as White Hair I and the namesake of the town — will be exemplified by the hammerin’ Huskies.
Veteran Pawhuska head coach Matt Hennesy — who has compiled a 61-24 (.718) record the past seven years, including going to the playoffs every season with a winning postseason record (8-7) — was encouraged by how his team showed up in spring practice and at last week’s team camp.
“I was most pleased with our kids' effort and the way things are coming together,” said Hennesy, who last year guided the team to a 9-3 record, including a playoff rout of Hartshorne, 44-7, and a rugged two-point playoff loss to Christian Heritage, 38-36.
But coming out of last season, Hennesy faced a major vacancy to fill at quarterback.
Fate moves in mysterious ways and in this case it moved Copan High School’s three-year starting quarterback Kane Foreman to transfer to Pawhuska — as well as his dad Marshall Foreman, who resigned as the Copan head coach in order to assist Hennesy.
So far, Kane has been what Hennesy expected — and more, although an injury has temporarily derailed him.
“Honestly, Kane Foreman was looking great,” Hennesy said about the big-bodied (6-3, 230), cannon-armed thrower. “He was really coming along fast. In fact I was surprised on how fast he was coming.”
But a shoulder injury has disrupted Kane’s summer preparation, Hennesy said.
“He’ll be fine next fall,” the coach added, but bemoaned that Kane will be missing the reps in the passing league.
Even so, Hennesy has firmly installed Kane as his No. 1 quarterback going into preseason practice in August.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jenson Snodgrass is lining up behind center.
Snodgrass, who is listed at 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, “is more of a runner,” Hennesy said. “He and Kane are totally opposite players. I thought Jenson has stepped up and done a good job.”
When Foreman is back healthy, Snodgrass is slated to move back to slot receiver, although he still might get some snaps at quarterback if the Huskies want to change their look, Hennesy said.
Pawhuska High School’s Logan Cass will be returning next season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Meanwhile, two sets of veteran Huskie brothers — Jimmie Wildcat and Vann Wildcat, and Logan Cass and Corlin Cass — will provide major impacts on both sides of the ball.
“The Cass boys are really stepping up,” Hennesy said. They are slated to play in the defensive secondary as well as add quality depth to the receiver rotation.
The Wildcats both racked up more than 100 tackles each last year at inside linebacker and also both should tote the ball at running back.
Tripp Walker — a state track medalist this spring for Pawhuska — headlines what could be a blockbuster receiving corps. He’ll line up at outside receiver.
Rotating in the slot will be the Cass Brothers. Snodgrass and Jack Grooms.
“Jack didn’t start last year but he showed us he’s ready to play,” Hennesy said.
Another downfield threat will be Bartlesville High transfer Jerek Edwards.
“He’s 6-foot-4 and can run,” Hennesy said, adding he’ll also contribute on defense.
Another target on passes will be sophomore Paycen Kelley, a 6-foot-2 returnee.
Dane Jensen is back as an outside linebacker and is being groomed as the starting tight end.
There will be several key players on the offensive or defensive line, or both, including Jaxon Arnett, Jayden Hensley, Hunter Houghton, Leighton Shaw, Jaxon White (another Copan transfer) and others.
Shaw will be a three-year starter at noseguard, Arnett is slated to line up at tackle and White has played some guard.
As explosive as the Huskie offense might become, Hennesy believes his defense will be even stronger, especially with the high number of experienced veterans back.
With district opponents like Pawnee, Morrison and a vastly improved Nowata squad and a non-district power like Woodland, the journey to the top of the mountain is fraught with confrontation. But perhaps Pawhuska has the traction this year to surmount the obstacles on the way to the peak.
Paw-Hiu-Skah would be proud.