Dewey Bulldogger Kavery Weathers (18) attempts to catch a pass last Friday against Perry in Dewey. The Bulldoggers defeated the Maroons 18-8 and travel to Bethel Friday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
Nowata Ironman Caleb Woolman (9) tackles Commerce’s Kollin Ivie (1) during last Friday’s game in Nowata. The Ironmen defeated Commerce 49-13 and travel to Pawhuska Friday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
By Becky Burch
Oct. 30, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Following is a look at last week’s area football games, with previews of Friday night’s games.
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DEWEY
The Dewey Bulldoggers face their most critical matchup of the year Friday at Bethel, where a victory would secure their fourth district win and all but solidify a postseason berth.
The Bulldoggers (5-3, 3-2) enter the high-stakes contest remaining in fourth place in the district following an 18-8 win over Perry last Friday on senior night. With that victory, Dewey guaranteed a .500 or better regular-season finish in Class 2A-I for the first time since 2019.
Against the Maroons, Braxton Braden completed 13 of 28 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 61 yards. Kavery Weathers finished with 61 receiving yards and one touchdown on five catches.
The host Wildcats are 4-4 overall and sixth in the district at 2-3. Bethel averages 398 yards per game, while Dewey averages 241. Dewey's Fenix Bolding is averaging 70 rushing yards per game, and Braden is averaging 134 passing yards. Marshal McDaniel averages 55 receiving yards per game, and Donovan Espana leads the defense with 11 tackles per game for the Bulldoggers.
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Dewey Bulldogger Mason Spears (8) gains yardage last Friday against Perry in Dewey. The Bulldoggers defeated the Maroons 18-8 and travel to Bethel Friday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
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CANEY VALLEY (KANSAS)
The Caney Valley (Kansas) Bullpups defeated Jayhawk Linn 66-6 Thursday evening in Caney in the first round of playoffs on the east side of the Kansas Class 2A bracket. Veteran head coach Criss Davis led the Bullpups to a district championship with an undefeated regular season.
We’ll have a game report soon.
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Copan Hornets huddle up during Pink Out Night last Friday. The Hornets shut out Cave Springs 49-0 and host top-ranked Pond Creek-Hunter Friday.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Meadows
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COPAN
The Copan Hornets put together a complete performance on both sides of the ball, cruising past Cave Springs to a 49-0 blowout victory last Friday night at home.
The school celebrated Pink Out Night with a packed schedule of events, featuring a pregame tailgate, alumni celebrations, and motorcycles lining the field as the team made its entrance. The victory also officially locked in a postseason berth for the Hornets.
The program is pushing forward despite losing starting quarterback Zane Stricklin, who is most likely out for the season due to an earlier injury.
"He's a good kid who waited his turn here to be the QB and gave everything he had," Copan head coach Trenton Kallenberger said of Stricklin. "We’re in the position we are because of him."
Freshman Presley Zimmerman has stepped in under center to lead the offense, handling the transition smoothly against Cave Springs. Zimmerman guided a passing game that accumulated 116 total yards, throwing a first-half touchdown strike to Radyn Martin and adding a 10-yard rushing touchdown alongside a two-point conversion.
Copan's explosive ground game racked up 232 rushing yards on 16 carries to drive the lopsided scoring. Martin led the rushing attack with 135 yards and two touchdowns on five carries, including a 52-yard touchdown run. Martin also caught the 5-yard touchdown pass from Zimmerman.
Several other players carved out key roles on the ground to keep the chains moving. Elijah Evans rushed twice for 29 yards and scored a touchdown, while also connecting with an offensive teammate for a late 16-yard touchdown pass. Ruger Virden added three carries for 25 yards and a touchdown, Jared Purkey found the end zone on a 9-yard scoring run, and Cael Taglialatela contributed three carries for 21 yards. Reed Hawkins added a 3-yard carry, while Keeghan Smith capped off a conversion run to secure the final margin.
The Hornet defense completely stifled Cave Springs, pitching a dominant shutout and forcing two turnovers. Gavin Barnes anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 11 tackles, while Lane Willig logged nine tackles to keep heavy pressure on the visitors. Evans and Smith both added to the defensive momentum by recovering fumbles, and Rocky Greenfield recorded a pass breakup to help protect the shutout.
With a playoff spot secured, Copan shifts its focus to improving its postseason seeding during Friday's senior night clash against top-ranked Pond Creek-Hunter.
"We still feel like we have a lot of football left to be played this year and believe we are getting better as the season goes along," Kallenberger said. "This week is a big test for our offensive and defensive lines. And a great opportunity for us to see where we stack up against one of the top teams of our class."
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Motorcycles line up on Sheets Field in Copan during last Friday’s Pink Out game. The Hornets shut out Cave Springs 49-0 and host top-ranked Pond Creek-Hunter Friday.
Photo courtesy of Brandon Meadows
Nowata Ironman Daeson Voss (54) chases a Commerce ballcarrier last night in Nowata. The Ironmen defeated Commerce 49-13 and travel to Pawhuska Friday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
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NOWATA
The Nowata Ironmen used a dominant ground attack and a strong third quarter to beat the Commerce Tigers 49-13 last Friday night at home.
With the win, Nowata improved to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in district play, securing third place in the district standings.
With just two games left in the regular season, Nowata faces a challenging final stretch against the top two teams in the district. The Ironmen head to Pawhuska on Friday night before returning home to face Pawnee next week.
Thanks to a strong 3-1 record against a difficult district, these final two matchups have transformed into opportunities for the Ironmen to battle for higher playoff seeding rather than simply fighting for the No. 4 spot.
Commerce opened the game with a touchdown drive that melted more than 10 minutes off the clock. The Ironmen answered immediately when Caleb Woolman returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.
Nowata took a 14-7 lead into the halftime break before the defense took complete control, shutting down the Tigers in the final three quarters. The Ironmen offense exploded for four unanswered touchdowns in the second half to break the game open at 42-7 before Commerce could find the end zone again.
The Ironmen completely bypassed the passing game, finishing the night with zero pass attempts. Instead, the team racked up 321 rushing yards on 39 carries.
Asiah Saxton led in rushing, turning 20 carries into 152 yards and three touchdowns. Adrian Odell added 51 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, while Woolman maximized his three offensive touches for 81 yards and a rushing touchdown. Bode Smith contributed 35 yards on nine carries to round out the ground game.
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PAWHUSKA
Penalties proved costly for Pawhuska in a 36-12 loss to Pawnee (6-2, 4-) last Friday. Despite the setback, the Huskies are 7-1 overall and remain in second place in the district at 3-1, trailing first-place Pawnee.
Pawhuska will look to rebound Friday when they host Nowata (5-3, 3-1) in an area rivalry game.
Through eight games, Pawhuska's balanced attack has produced 343 total yards per game, including 175 yards on the ground and 168 passing yards. Quarterback Jadon Spicer keys the offense, averaging 142 passing yards per game and 176 total offensive yards. Jenson Snodgrass leads the rushing attack at 81 yards per game, while Tripp Walker is the top target in the receiving game, averaging 60 yards.
Defensively, the Huskies are averaging 72 team tackles per game, led by Jimmie Wildcat with 11 tackles per contest.
The visiting Ironmen bring a potent offense averaging 349 total yards per game, heavily fueled by a rushing game that accounts for 312 yards. Pawhuska's defense will be tasked with containing Nowata's Asiah Saxton, who averages 202 rushing yards and 214 total yards per game.
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BARNSDALL
The Panthers (4-4, 1-4) lost to Afton 22-7 at home last Friday and are now seventh in the district. They play Friday at Hominy, third in the district at (4-4, 3-2).
Barnsdall quarterback Gavin Wood is averaging 76 passing yards and 68 rushing yards per game. Tripp Barbee is averaging 40 receiving yards, while Haydon Collins is averaging eight tackles a game.
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Caney Valley (OK) Trojan coach Steve Hammer talks with his players during a timeout. The Trojans defeated Cornerstone Christian Academy 63-0 last Thursday.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
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CANEY VALLEY (OK)
The Caney Valley (Oklahoma) Trojans (3-5) defeated Cornerstone Christian Academy 63-0 last Thursday. The Trojans were scheduled to play Monday, but the Coweta junior varsity team canceled. The Trojans will have a bye week before hosting Summit Christian (1-7, 0-5) in their final home game of the season next Thursday.
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SOUTH COFFEYVILLE
The South Coffeyville Lions (4-4, 3-2) have locked in postseason play in Class C eight-man football. Currently sitting in fourth place in Class C, District 3, the Lions secured their playoff spot last Friday with a 38-32 victory over Crossover Prep.
South Coffeyville now hosts third-place Bluejacket on Friday for the Lions' senior night. The visitors enter averaging 35 points per game compared to South Coffeyville's 29. Bluejacket's only two losses of the season came in back-to-back games to open October against Medford and Covington-Douglas, but they have since bounced back with two straight wins.
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OKLAHOMA UNION
The Oklahoma Union Cougars, playing in a tough district, are still in the hunt for their first win of the season. OKU (0-8, 0-5) lost to Hominy 48-8 last Friday on the road. The Cougars travel Friday to face the Afton Eagles (1-7, 1-4), who are coming off a 22-7 upset victory over Barnsdall last week.