AREA FOOTBALL: PRESEASON PRACTICE UNDERWAY
Copan High School’s Teegan Caron is expected to make a big impact on the Hornet’s season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Aug. 14, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Area football teams are off and sweating — but not yet hitting — in preseason football practice.
State-allowed workouts began Monday but players won’t be able to put on the pads until Friday.
Following are practice reports from some of the area teams:
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COPAN
Even though the number of players is a bit slimmer than in the past season or two, Copan is still revving up for what might be a blockbuster season.
In fact one area sports magazine has Copan ranked No. 9 in the state.
The Hornets — who compete in eight-man football — buzzed to an 8-3 record last season, including hosting a playoff game.
“We’re at 17 or 18 players right now,” said first-year Hornets’ head coach Trenton Kallenberger. “We’re hoping within the next few days to be over 20.”
During the first couple of days of workouts the team has focused on individual fundamentals, refining the offense install and “to get in a little conditioning and get them acclimated to the heat,” Kallenberger said.
Practice also is laced with some drama, including trying to settle on a starting quarterback out of three candidates — junior Zane Stricklin, sophomore Edan Thompson and freshman Payten Call.
“Zane Stricklin is kind of in the front seat,” Kallenberger added.
In addition, Copan also will run some wildcat formations with Teagan Caron likely the main weapon lining up behind center, Kallenberger said.
But other than the quarterback spot — left vacant when Kane Foreman transferred to Pawhuska — Copan fans might not see too many personnel surprises.
“We’re bringing back a lot of other guys back to the same sports,” Kallenberger said. “I’ve been most pleased with our effort. … Our kids have been working hard. I think they’re ready to get in pads.”
In fact, Copan plans a midnight practice at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, the first day it’s legal to put on pads, per the OSSAA rule.
“So if our community sees the lights on at midnight, it will be nothing to be alarmed at,” Kallenberger added. “Everything has been going good. … We’re excited.”
Copan returns most of its key components from last year’s eight-win campaign.
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Barnsdall High School head coach Brian McSweeney is entering is 10th season as head football coach.
BECKY BUIRCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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BARNSDALL
Entering his 10th season as head football coach, Kylee Sweeney has nourished much success.
This year’s team shouldn’t be much different. In fact, it might have the right ingredients to concoct combustible success this fall.
Sweeney and his staff welcomed a large number of players — more than 30 — with most of them juniors and seniors.
If all falls into place and a strong receiver corps can be developed, perhaps Barnsdall will be able to get to the second round of the playoffs for the second time in seven seasons.
Since Sweeney took the head coaching reins in 2016, Barnsdall has put together a 59-40 record — with seven winning seasons and another at .500.
Barnsdall has made the playoffs seven seasons during Sweeney’s tenure. In 2019, the Panthers advanced to the Class A state quarterfinals.
The Panthers pawed out a 6-5 record last season despite being one of the smallest schools statewide in 11-man football.
But Sweeney bid goodbye via graduation to a four-year starting quarterback and several other exceptional talents.
However, he still has athletes capable of prodigious contributions.
“We knew that with Maverick Lanphear graduating that Lincoln Gott would probably assume the role (quarterback),” Sweeney explained. “He’s done a pretty good job so far … in leading the offense.”
At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Gott also is an imposing presence behind center.
His arsenal of receivers needs some seasoning, however.
Some of those in the pass-catching mix are Tanner Wells, Derek Robbins, Tripp Barbee, Bryce Byers and Chance Jackson.
Barbee is a talented athlete that missed much of last season due to injury and Jackson is an incoming freshman that excels in three sports.
Some other potential major contributors mentioned by Sweeney included veteran tight end Andrew Cole and fullback Bladen Carmack, a Sperry transfer. Brodie Smith is a returnee that saw action last season at fullback.
Sweeney also is excited about his returning linemen, including impressively-built defensive end Haydon Collins (6-4, 195 pounds).
“He’s one of the faster kids in the state for his size,” Sweeney said.
Practice has gone well so far this week, the coach continued.
“We’re definitely heavy on install right now,” he explained. “We’re definitely looking forward to getting into the pads. That allows you as a coach to see who is going to step up in spots. … A lot of these kids rotated last year as starters.”
Sweeney chooses to call this a “reload” season.
“We’re excited for it,” he said, adding the main open positions are at receiver, in the secondary and a couple of spots on both sides of the line.
Barnsdall will open up the regular season with three rivalry showdowns — vs. Caney Valley, vs. Oklahoma Union and vs. Nowata. Two of those games will take place in Barnsdall.
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DEWEY
The Doggers are hoping to celebrate like it’s 2019.
That’s the last time Dewey recorded a winning record (7-4) and qualified for the playoffs.
New head coach Scott Sapulpa and his staff were impressed the first two days of practice with the players’ attitude.
He said during a certain point in one of the sessions he looked across the field and felt impressed on how hard the coaches and the players were working.
He said he told the team later that “this is the way it should be.”
Dewey is taking a three-pronged approach to practice — installing formations and strategy, sharpening techniques and conditioning.
“I’ve been very pleased,” he said. “The kids have been doing great.”
He estimated his number of players to be between 40-to-45.
Among the position groups, Sapulpa and his staff are presiding over a starting quarterback competition involving Chase Miller, Braxton Braden and Layne Gastel.
One of the primary criteria is how well they run the Wing-T formation.
“Chase has done the best so far,” Sapulpa said.
Two of Dewey’s prime-time performers could be linebacker Nate Sloan and versatile skill player Easton Davis.
Fenix Bolding is a transfer skill player from Bartlesville.
Sapulpa also mentioned Jayden Vallen as a weapon at slot receiver.
With talent and experience in the mix, Sapulpa is looking forward to seeing what this Dogger team might accomplish.
“I’m excited to go to Pawhuska on August 22nd to do our scrimmage,” he said.
The regular season opener is set for August 29 at home against Locust Grove.
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Nowata High School’s Adrian O’Dell could start at quarterback for the Ironmen.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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NOWATA
Nowata might be trying to find some magic in what could be classified as a “tweener” season — a lot of talent out the door, because of graduation, from last year’s playoff team, but some key athletes returning, some in new roles.
One of those will be Adrian O’Dell, who is being groomed to fill the vacancy left by a graduated three-year quarterback.
Davion Downing is back as a major wide receiver threat and one of the big names from last season.
Asaiah Saxton is coming off a good sophomore campaign as a receiver and defensive back.
“He’ll be in the backfield more this season,” Nowata head coach Chance Juby said. “He’s a real good overall football player. … He’s somebody in the mix who could be one of the reasons why we’re successful.”
Juby said he feels encouraged by where his team is at during this phase.
“Overall, we’re pretty solid,” he said.
The team is still a little young along the line “and we’ve got to replace a couple of people in the secondary,” he added. “The expectations are good but as I told the kids we’ve got to do all the little things right in order to reach our potential.”
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PAWHUSKA
Perhaps one could call the Huskie coaches and players the Yawn Brigade.
That’s because they’ve been meeting at 5:30 a.m. for practice.
“Our energy has been great,” said veteran head coach Matt Hennesy, who is in his eighth year leading the program. “Our level of knowledge has been really good.”
During Hennesy’s tutelage the Huskies have been one of the most successful smaller school 11-man football teams in the state.
They’ve advanced twice to the Class A state semifinals (2020, 2021) and another year to the Class A quarterfinals (2019).
Since he became head coach in 2018, Pawhuska has qualified every year for the playoffs, even at the Class 2A level (2022, 2023). Hennesy’s career record at Pawhuska is 61-24, including a winning record in the postseason (8-7).
In 2024, Pawhuska was put back in Class A football and muscled out a 9-3 mark, including a 44-7 destruction of Hartshorne in the first round of the playoffs.
But as he opened the 2025 preseason practice, Hennesy and his staff are looking to do a little patchwork to fill some graduation vacancies.
The most high-profile one is at quarterback, where Copan High senior transfer Kane Foreman is working hard to lead the offense.
“He’s been adjusting well from eight-man to 11-man,” Hennesy said.
Most of the grades on Foreman are very good but he’s still getting down some of the reads, the coach added.
Foreman — who is listed at 6-3, 215 pounds, an imposing presence — started at quarterback three years for Copan, helping to lead the squad to an 8-3 mark last season.
Hennesy also praised the early impact of the Cass brothers (there are three listed on the Maxpreps roster, Logan, William and Corlin), and lineman Issac Williams.
“I’m happy with the energy Isaac brings to the program,” Hennesy said.
Senior Jaxon Arnett is displaying important leadership to the mix and Jayden Henley “is probably the most athletic of our linemen,” Hennesy said.
Henley is looking good on both sides of the ball, he added.
Hennesy also praised the quality of several other players, including ball carrier Vann Wildcat, receiver/defensive back Jenson Snodgrass, Jarek Edwards, Tripp Keller and Paycen Kelly.
The biggest challenge the Pawhuska coaches have to consider is slim numbers and potential depth issues — only 32 players through the first couple of days of practice.
But the message coming out of the Huskie camp is thumbs up all the way.
“We’re ahead of schedule,” said Hennesy.
That conclusion could be ominous news for the Huskies’ opponents this fall.