FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS BEGIN FRIDAY: BARTLESVILLE, COPAN, PAWHUSKA, S. COFFEYVILLE, HOMINY; CANEY VALLEY (KAN.) HOSTS THIRD HOME PLAYOFF GAME
Bartlesville High School’s Shaun Thrasher (44) reacts during an earlier season game. The Bruins travel to Piedmont for the first round of playoffs Friday at 7 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Copan High School’s Zane Sticklin (1) passes the ball last Friday. The Hornets host the first round of playoffs on Friday at 7 p.m.. The Hornets take on Coyle.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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By Mike Tupa
Nov. 13, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
It’s difficult to say which high school championship tournament rates No. 1 with Oklahoma sports fans.
Serious contenders on the individual level would be the wrestling regionals and state, the basketball postseason wars and the soccer playoff battles.
But football might still be the most anticipated postseason party that draws the most overall attention.
Whatever the truth, anticipation is ramping up to excitement on steroids for the opening playoffs this weekend for football.
Four core Bartlesville area teams and two others on the periphery are revving up for Friday’s do-or-done titanic battles.
The area OSSAA slate — with all games set to kick off at 7 p.m. Friday — includes:
— Bartlesville at Piedmont (Class 6A-II)
— Panama at Pawhuska (Class A-1)
— Regent Prep at Hominy (Class A-II)
— Coyle at Copan (Class B-II, 8-man)
— South Coffeyville at Sasakwa (Class C, 8-man)
In addition, north of the border, the Caney Valley (Kan.) Bullpups play host to Osage City (Kan.) in the third round of the KSHSAA playoffs, also at 7 p.m. Friday.
Following are closer looks at some of the matchups:
BARTLESVILLE (3-7) AT PIEDMONT (7-3)
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Bartlesville Bruins and Piedmont Wildcats.
The teams also didn’t play any common opponents.
Following are a few comparisons:
Average points scored per game — Bartlesville 26.3, Piedmont 40.3.
Average points allowed per game — Bartlesville 31.9, Piedmont 13.0.
Cumulative record of regular season opponents — Bartlesville 51-49 (.510), Piedmont 45-55 (.450).
Regular season opponents with winning records — Bartlesville 6, Piedmont 4.
Regular season opponents headed to the playoffs — Bartlesville 8, Piedmont 6.
Shutout wins — Bartlesville 2, Piedmont 4.
Shutout losses — Bartlesville 2, Piedmont 0.
Games scoring 30-or-more points — Bartlesville 4, Piedmont 6.
Games held to single digits (including shutouts): Bartlesville 2, Piedmont 1.
Games held to 20-or-fewer points: Bartlesville 3, Piedmont 3.
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Bartlesville Bruins head football coach Harry Wright watches a showcase football event last spring at Custer Stadium. The Bruins and Wright head to Piedmont for the first round of playoffs Friday at 7 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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OUTLOOK: The debate among Bartlesville faithful is ongoing as to whether a defensive struggle or a shootout would favor the underdog Bruins.
If he has an opinion either way, Bruin head coach Harry Wright isn’t saying.
Wright doesn't care whether it's a high-scoring or low-scoring game. His own desire is to win an opening playoff game for the third time in four years. Wright became head coach in 2022.
Bartlesville is headed to the playoffs for the fourth-straight season — a team record. Prior to this stretch, the Bruins had never advanced to the postseason more than two years in a row. Previous Bruin football playoff consecutive years were: 1983-84, 1987-88, 2009-10, and 2014-15.
The Bruins have a decent record (7-7) in first-round playoff wins, including a 2-1 mark the last two seasons.
The outcome of the game could depend on one factor — whether or not the Bruin defense can disrupt Piedmont’s ground game.
“They’re old school,” Wright said about Piedmont’s heavy reliance on the run. “They’re kind of similar to what the University of Oklahoma was in the day. … We’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s similar, as far as running, to what Ponca City was. But Piedmont is more of a triple-option, power wing-T attack.”
The Bruins will need to play disciplined football and tackle and wrap up to help their chances, the coach added.
The 6A-II playoffs are single-elimination and start with 12 teams, with four of them receiving first-round byes. The second round will be the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and the championship game.
Bartlesville football has never advanced to the state championship game, but has made it to the semifinals twice (1988, 2015).
Piedmont also has never won a state football title.
A case could be made that Bartlesville played a tougher schedule and in a more rugged district.
But Wright said Bartlesville will have to stay focused to give itself a chance.
The Bruin defense will need to play fundamentally sound to limit Piedmont’s offense.
“They’re good enough to work both sides of the ball. … You can’t really cheat to one side or the other. You’ve got to do your job,” he explained.
As far as the Bruin offense, Wright likes the progress he’s seen in the last few games.
“We’ve gotten a lot better. … We’ve hit some big plays,” he said.
The main improvement has been better pass protection for sophomore quarterback Michael Kent, who has surpassed the 2,900 passing yards mark.
He hasn’t had to scramble as much to escape pressure and has been able to settle more in the pocket and deliver strikes, Wright said.
On the other hand, Kent’s ability to run the ball now and then remains an important part of Bartlesville’s offense, he added.
The other 6A-II first-round games on Friday are: Southmoore (5-5) at Ponca City (6-4), Putnam City North (2-8) at Choctaw (6-4), and Northwest Classen (2-8) at Muskogee (5-5). Stillwater (8-2), Sapulpa (7-3), Sand Springs (8-2), and Putnam City (8-2) all earned first-round byes.
The winner of the Bartlesville-Piedmont game will meet Sand Springs in the quarterfinals.
BARTLESVILLE LEADERS
PASSING: Michael Kent 196-296 (.662), 2,916 yards, 18 TDs.
RUSHING: Michael Kent 107-506 (4.7), 2 TDs; Sutton Williams 39-261 (6.7), 10 TDs; Daeton Stevens 67-224 (3.3), 4 TDs.
RECEIVING: Boden Roberts 41-666 (16.2), 5 TDs; Matthew Sears 49-515 (10.5), 5 TDs; Harrison Ketchum 34-465 (13.7), 4 TDs; Gavin Thomas 26-377 (14.5), 1 TD; Daeton Stevens 27-252 (9.3), 2 TDs.
TACKLES (solo tackles in parentheses): Wyatt Mathis 40 (24), Sonji Ketiku 37 (14), Landon Shaw 30 (14), Adrian Jones 29 (13), Christian Ketiku 25 (11), Ivan Griffith 24 (13), Boden Roberts 22 (7), Cale Granger 20 (10), Sutton Williams 19 (7).
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Davin Carter 2, Adrian Jones 2.
SACKS: Davin Carter 2, Wyatt Mathis 1.
INTERCEPTIONS: Ivan Griffith 2, Adrian Jones 1, Christian Ketiku 1, Shawn Thrasher 1.
FUMBLE RECOVERIES (one each): Sutton Williams, Boden Roberts, Adrian Jones, Evan Goad, Christian Ketiku.
No stats could be located for Piedmont.
Note: There is at least one direct football tie between the teams — former Bruin head coach Greg Willis (2004-05) had been coaching at Piedmont just before he took the Bartlesville job._____
Copan High School is hosting the first round of playoffs on Friday at 7 p.m.. The Hornets take on Coyle.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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COYLE (7-3) AT COPAN (8-2) (CLASS B-II, 8-MAN)
Copan has qualified for the playoffs for the third-straight season since 1999 and will be battling for its first playoff win since 2008.
Here are some comparisons between Copan and Coyle:
Average points scored per game — Copan 47.7, Coyle 38.0.
Average points allowed per game — Copan 14.2, Coyle 31.3.
Cumulative record of regular season opponents — Copan 39-58 (.392), Coyle 57-40 (.633).
Regular season opponents with winning records — Copan 4, Coyle 6.
Shutout wins — Copan 4, Coyle 0.
Shutout losses — Copan 0, Coyle 0.
Games scoring 30-or-more points — Copan 8, Coyle 7.
Games held to single digits (including shutouts): Copan 0, Coyle 1.
Games held to 20-or-fewer points: Copan 1, Coyle 2.
The remainder of the first-round schedule in the Class B-II playoffs is: Strother (5-5) at Seiling (8-2), Arkoma (4-7) at Cherokee 8-2), Boise City 8-2) at Cyril (9-1), Shattuck (6-5) at Weleetka (5-5), Webbers Falls (6-4) at Waukomis (7-3), Covington-Douglas (5-5) at Wilson-Henryetta (7-2), Wetumka (5-5) at Okeene (9-1).
The Copan-Coyle winner will meet either Seiling or Frontier in the quarterfinals.
OUTLOOK: Copan has the potential to generate a lot of firepower, especially by its three fourth-year starting seniors — Weston O’Rourke, Teegan Caron, and Shooter Brewington.
The only team that really limited the Hornets’ offensive machine was Depew, allowing 14 points — and that was back in early September.
Since then, the Hornets scored between 36 to 62 points in their remaining six games played out on the field.
Copan enjoys offensive flexibility with the option of playing Zane Stricklin or Caron at quarterback.
Other main offensive threats include Ashton Jeffers, Eli Evans, and Sam Thornton.
Many of these players also play vital roles on defense, along with Keeghan Smith, Payten Call, Edan Thompson, and Destry Blair.
Copan seemed to mature this season in consistency on both sides of the ball.
Coyle boasts a powerful running back in Carsen Hock, who is credited with more than 1,400 yards rushing.
Coyle quarterback Tyree Lancaster is credited with 522 yards passing and four touchdowns on 41 completions.
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Copan High School’s Weston O'Rourke (4) runs the ball last week. Coyle invades the Hornets’ stadium Friday at 7 p.m. for the first round of playoffs.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Pawhuska High School’s Corlin Cass (2) kicks off during an earlier season game. The Huskies host the first round of playoffs against Panama Friday at 7 p.m.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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PANAMA (7-3) AT PAWHUSKA (9-1)
Pawhuska will be battling to get to the second round of the playoffs for the second-straight year and for the fifth time during head coach Matt Hennesy’s eight-year tenure.
Panama and Pawhuska didn’t play a common opponent during the regular season and both will be setting sights on their school’s first state football title.
Pawhuska has advanced to the state semifinals twice in the past five years.
Following are a few comparisons:
Average points scored per game — Pawhuska 50.4, Panama 30.0.
Average points allowed per game — Pawhuska 18.4, Panama 22.0.
Cumulative record of regular season opponents — Pawhuska 43-56 (.434), Panama 43-56 (.434).
Regular season opponents with winning records — Pawhuska 4, Panama 3.
Shutout wins — Pawhuska 0, Panama 1.
Shutout losses — Pawhuska 0, Panama 1.
Games scoring 30-or-more points — Pawhuska 9, Panama 5.
Games held to single digits (including shutouts): Pawhuska 1, Panama 2.
Games held to 20-or-fewer points: Pawhuska 1, Panama 4.
The remainder of the A-1 opening round schedule Friday includes: Fairview (9-1) vs. Hobart (6-4), Pocola (8-2) vs. Pawnee (7-3), Tonkawa (9-1) vs. Haskell (5-5), Minco (9-1) vs. Cashion (8-2), Wynnewood (10-0) vs. Sayre (6-4), Rejoice Christian (9-1) vs. Morrison (5-5) and Hooker (8-2) vs. Frederick (6-4).
The Pawhuska-Panama winner will face either Wynnewood or Sayre in the quarterfinals.
PAWHUSKA LEADERS
PASSING: Kane Foreman 137-202 (.680), 2047 yards, 3 Int., 29 TDs.
RUSHING: Vann Wildcat 89-579 (6.5), 8 TDs; Jenson Snodgrass 54-566 (10.5), 7 TDs; Kane Foreman 39-145 (3.7), 6 TDs.
RECEIVING: Corlin Cass 24-421(17.5), 6 TDs; Vann Wildcat 24-398 (16.6), 4 TDs; Jarek Edwards 19-300 (15.8), 6 TDs; Jensen Snodgrass 21-284 (13.5), 5 TDs; Tripp Walker 41-252 (13.3), 4 TDs.
TACKLES (solo tackles in parentheses): Jimmie Wildcat 136 (44), Vann Wildcat 104 (24), Logan Cass 100 (62), Jayden Henley 75 (30), Dane Jensen 71 (22).
SACKS: Jayden Henley 4, Dane Jensen 4, Jack Grooms 3.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Jayden Henley 22, Jimmie Wildcat 17, Vann Wildcat 11, Jack Grooms 6, Jaxon Arnett 6.
INTERCEPTIONS: Tripp Walker 2, Logan Cass 1, Dakarail Stewart 1.
OUTLOOK: The Pawhuska Huskies wear the favorite’s mantle but will need to take care of business early.
The Huskies were thoroughly tested in a rugged schedule that included state championship contenders Hominy (A-II), Pawnee (A-I) and Tonkawa (A-I).
Panama will have to endure a massive road trip to Pawhuska.
On paper, the Huskies are favored, but they’ve struggled at times or taken a while to get going against some of their better competition. A Pawhuska key might be to take control early — even if in a modest manner — and to get stronger as the game progresses.
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Caney Valley (Kan.) Bullpup Traxcyn Garton (27) runs the ball last week. The Bullpups are hosting their third round of playoffs at home Friday at 7 p.m. against Osage City (Kan.).
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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KANSAS 2A PLAYOFFS: OSAGE CITY (Kan.) (9-1) at CANEY VALLEY (Kan.) BULLPUPS (9-1)
Caney Valley (9-1) is just one successful stride away from qualifying for the state football semifinals for the first time in school history.
The Bullpups bring in a blistering offensive attack, led by halfbacks Jace Buckley and Traxcyn Garton, who have been 100-yard rushing twins in most games this season.
Caney Valley quarterback Layne Denny is a versatile talent that can deliver laser aerials when needed or make things happen with his feet.
On the defensive side, Caney Valley has the potential to shut down opponents — or even to make incredible comebacks, such as last week when they trailed Riverton at halftime, 28-16, and surged to victory in the second half, 48-28.
At times, Caney Valley’s defense has been more stingy than the winner of a “mean” contest between the grouchy Grinch and unreformed Ebenezer Scrooge
The Pups have squeezed six opponents to less than 10 points and another one to only 12 points.
That means only two Caney Valley opponents have scored more than 12 points.
But Osage City (9-1) could offer the Pups their toughest test — other than perhaps their non-district scrap against nationally-ranked Christ Prep Academy, which handed them their only loss.
The Osage City Indians held five opponents to less than 10 points, including three shutouts. Other than their loss to Silver Lake, the Indians appear not to have been pushed hard.
Caney Valley enjoys the home field advantage for the third-straight playoff game. The Pups were seeded No. 2 in their half of the state.
As mentioned, the winner advances to the state semifinals.
Caney Valley’s ability to possess the ball offensively, control the clock, limit penalties, and win the turnover battle could be the keys for the Pups to make history.
Friday’s other 2A quarterfinal games include Garden Plain vs. Hoisington, Phillipsburg vs. Southeast of Saline, and Sabetha vs. Nemaha Central.