BARTLESVILLE BRUINS FALL TO SAPULPA ON THE ROAD 41-21
Bartlesville High School’s Matthew Sears (5) reacts during an earlier season game. The Bruins (0-5, 0-2) fell to Sapulpa on the road last Friday 41-21.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Oct. 7, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Sapulpa 41, BARTLESVILLE 21
The first thing one has to understand is the competitive tone of this game was much closer than the final margin suggested.
The Sapulpa Chieftains (3-2, 2-0) scored their final touchdown with only 1:18 left to put the win away.
Twice within the final 17 minutes the Bruins (0-5, 0-2) pulled within a touchdown.
But Sapulpa’s devastating running attack — manned by a trio of bruising broncos — chewed up the clock with insatiable hunger for victory.
Bartlesville displayed some tremendous steps forward in multiple phases of the game — in its pass defense, in its rushing game, in its pass protection, in its big-play potential.
All that wasn’t quite enough to reverse the tide mixed with woe, inconsistency and bad luck that so far has defined the Bruins’ winless season.
But at least the performance generated elements of a potential turnaround.
The game started off slowly for both teams. Bartlesville turned the ball over on downs on its first possession and Sapulpa went three and out on its opening drive. The Bruin defense stepped up huge during that Sapulpa possession, including two sacks.
Bartlesville then threw an interception. But Sapulpa’s offense sputtered again halfway through the opening quarter, thanks to a sack by Bruin pass rusher Sutton Williams and a big run stop for loss by Boden Roberts.
Finally on its third possession the Bruin offense created its own traction — driving the ball 85 yards on a classic grind-it-out drive directed by quarterback Michael Kent.
The drive consumed nearly six minutes off the clock and required 15 plays — eight runs and seven passes. The key components included a nine-yard completion from Kent to Harrison Ketchum on a 4th-and-4 play in Bruin territory, a 21-yard pass gain from Kent to Roberts and a 10-yard burst by Daeton Stevens to help start the march.
Sapulpa also aided the Bruin drive by being flagged for 23 yards in penalties. Stevens finished off the drive with a seven-yard slicing run off the left side. Dillon Burson’s extra point put the Bruins up, 7-0, with 25 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
But the Chieftains then decided to mostly abandon their passing attack and pound away with their running backs. That changed the game’s dynamics in favor of Sapulpa.
The Chieftains scored on their next possession on a short run by Levi Jensen and tied the game, 7-7.
The Bruin offense then started another good-looking drive — but it stalled out at midfield.
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Bartlesville High School’s Colston Jernigan (51) prepares to block during an earlier season game. The Bruins (0-5, 0-2) fell to Sapulpa on the road last Friday, 41-21.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Sapulpa took possession and drove 50 yards to grab the lead, 14-7. Sapulpa scored again in the first half, on a 54-yard pass from Braddox Broughton and Sapulpa led, 21-7.
Bartlesville mounted another strong drive, including a fourth-down scramble by Kent for a first down and two passes to Stevens for a total of 30 yards. But the Sapulpa defense then sacked Kent twice to stop the march. At halftime Sapulpa led by two touchdowns, 21-7.
On their first second-half possession, the Bruins powered the ball 39 yards and gained two first downs — but came up short on 4th-and-2.
Sapulpa then lost the ball on a fumble, caused by a hit by Williams and recovered by Roberts. That set up a quick-strike touchdown by Bartlesville — on a 46-yard option pass from receiver Matthew Sears to Ketchum, who ran a “go” on a corner route to the right side. The extra point made it a one-touchdown game, 21-14.
However, Sapulpa answered immediately on a 71-yard scoring drive and went up 27-14 after the PAT failed (tipped).
The now-energized Bruins muscled the ball 74 yards on its next possession for its third touchdown. Stevens carried five times and caught a pass on the possession. Gavin Thomas also made a juggling catch on a 2nd-and-31 play that led to a Bruin first down. Kent finished up the drive with a 13-yard swerving run to the end zone. The extra point trimmed Sapulpa’s lead to six points, 27-21, with more than 10 minutes remaining in the game.
But those would be Bartlesville’s final points. Sapulpa then put together a six-plus minute touchdown drive to stretch its lead, 34-21.
Bartlesville then turned the ball over on downs and Sapulpa put together its final scoring thrust, going up by 20, 41-21.
With only 1:18 left, the Bruins tried to get big chunks through the air, including a 22-yard completion from Kent to Thomas. But Sapulpa picked off the next pass and ran out the clock.
Next up, the Bruins will play host this Friday to defending 6A-II state champion Muskogee (2-3, 2-0).
SAPULPA 41, BARTLESVILLE 21
Bartlesville: 7-0-7-7—21
Sapulpa: 0-21-6-14—41
First quarter
Bart — Daeton Stevens 7 run (Dillon Burson kick), 0:25.
Second quarter
Sap — Levi Jensen 5 run (kick good), 11:45.
Sap — Jensen 18 run (kick good), 5:48.
Sap — Braddox Broughton 54 pass (PAT good), 1:46.
Third quarter
Bart — Harrison Ketchum 46 pass from Matthew Sears (Burson kick), 5:38.
Sap — 31 run (PAT blocked), 3:39.
Fourth quarter
Bart — Michael Kent 13 run (Burson kick), 10:24.
Sap — Jensen 1 run (PAT good), 4:03.
Sap — Jensen 13 run (PAT good), 1:18.