TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: CASEY CASSITY (BARNSDALL)

By Mike Tupa

Oct. 31, 2025

BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT

During his nearly 30 years of covering area high school sports for either the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise or the Bartlesville Area Sports Report, Mike Tupa has enjoyed the opportunity to observe some incredible athletes.

This is an ongoing series highlighting each few days, one of those athletes from the 1996-97 school year through the present. The list is not in chronological order. The athletes are presented in random sequence.

TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT

CASEY CASSITY (Barnsdall)

Multiple sports (later 2000s)

Historical lore trumpets the achievements from a bygone era of railroader Casey Jones. Area high school history features another Casey — one who got the most out of his journey down the track of opportunity.

At the 2009 Barnsdall Sports Banquet, Cassity was named the Boys All-Around Athlete.

It was well-deserved.

During his four years in the Panther athletics program, Cassity lifted his teams like a first-stage rocket booster.

He single-handedly transported the fortunes of his squads to the mesosphere of achievement.

As a baseball pitcher he cut down opposing batters like a freshly-sharpened lawn mower.

Cassity — a southpaw — racked up more whiffs than a skunk at a church picnic.

— 17 strikeouts during a six-hitter in 2008 against Hominy. (Cassity also ripped two hits and drove in at least one run in the 12-4 victory.)

— 14 strikeouts in a five-hit victory, 5-1, against Okarche in the 2008 playoffs.

— 14 strikeouts and a one-hitter in 2009 in a 7-1 triumph against Welch.

— 13 strikeouts and five hitter while squeezing Olive, 7-2, in the 2007 district championship game.

Cassity also delivered other signature performances, both with his arm and his bat.

In a 4-2 loss to the Ponca City junior varsity, Cassity snapped off a two-hitter and plated a run.

In 2008, Barnsdall baseball coach Eliot Smith called on Cassity to close out a win against Pawhuska. Cassity struck out the first two batters he faced, allowed a walk to load the bases, and then helped preserve the victory when catcher Kevin Bragg tagged a runner trying to score. Barnsdall won, 3-2.

He delivered a two-run single in a 12-2 district playoff win in 2007 against Prue.

During a 13-5 rout of Woodland in 2008, Cassity clobbered a grand slam and drove in five runs.

Cassity also threw a near-perfect outing in an 8-0 trouncing of Pawnee.

In a 2-1 win against Tulsa Rogers, Cassity tossed a complete-game gem and also rapped an infield single on a swinging bunt to drive home Mitch Pearson for the winning run.

Small wonder Cassity would be named the Panther Baseball Defensive MVP for the 2006-07 campaign.

With Cassity playing a significant role — along with a handful of other all-time Barnsdall baseball legends — Barnsdall muscled out a 24-9 record in 2008.

Cassity would sculpt a 10-2 record his senior campaign (2008-09). For his high school career he amassed 500 strikeouts and two no-hitters.

Cassity — who was listed in college at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds — also brought a strong arm and a similar winning character to football.

Among his highlights on the gridiron were:

— He rumbled for three touchdowns and passed for 136 yards in a win against Okay, 34-27, in 2007.

—Also in 2007, he hit on 9-of-18 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns — two of them to Jacob Hansen — in a 34-20 win against Hulbert. He also rushed for 74 yards.

— During a lopsided challenge in 2007 against Pawnee, Cassity tried to fire up Barnsdall with 60 yards running and a touchdown, and a 40-yard scoring strike to Hansen. Pawnee won, 55-28.

— In 2006, Cassity elevated the Panthers to a rough-and-rugged 28-25 win against Hulbert. Cassity opened the scoring with an aerial to Zach Johnson for a 59-yard score. After Hulbert went up, 14-7, Cassity scored to tie the game, 14-14. A one-hour lightning delay followed. After Hulbert went up by 11, 25-14, Cassity scored two rushing touchdowns — one from eight yards, the other from five — to will Barnsdall to a 28-25 triumph.

— In a 36-20 loss in 2006 to Mounds, Cassity threw for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns.

— He hit Tim Wilson for a 70-yard touchdown in 2006 and threw nine games of his sophomore season Cassity had thrown for approximately 1,300 yards.

Cassity also made his mark as a wrestler — making him truly a man for all seasons.

Some of his wrestling feats:

— At the large school-dominated Jerry Billings Sapulpa Invitational in January 2009, Cassity powered to third place at 182 pounds by pinning a Sapulpa opponent, 4:32.

— In a December 2008 match against highlight-favored Newkirk — Barnsdall forfeited 24 points — Cassity won his 182-pound match by a 9-1 major decision.

— Cassity scrapped to fourth place at 182 pounds at the February 2008 Will Rogers Conference championships.

— At the prestigious 2008 Mid-America Winter Nationals — with a multi-state field — Cassity earned fifth place at 182 pounds, pinning a Westmoore foe in 5:00.

— In the Will Rogers Conference Tournament in February 2007, Cassity carved out fourth place in the 170-pound division.

— At the 2009 Class 2A state tournament, Cassity defeated an opponent, 2-1, at 171 pounds and went on to earn a third-place medal.

Cassity also pinned down success in the classroom. At the 2009 Barnsdall Sports Banquet, he brought home the Superintendent’s Scholastic Award (for maintaining the highest grade point average among senior athletes).

Following high school, Cassity took his baseball skills to Rogers State University.

His sophomore season he rounded out a 4-3 record in 11 appearances and recorded a 6.62 earned run average. His freshman year (2009-10) saw him throw in 13 games while carving out a 2-1 record, with one save, and 2.98 ERA.

A win against Oklahoma Wesleyan helped earn him Sooner Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week recognition as a freshman.

His total after four seasons at RSU included a 13-6 record, 3.78 ERA (1.20 his junior campaign), one complete game, one save, 140.1 innings, 91 strikeouts and only 23 walks.

Cassity also handled 20 fielding chances with no errors in his sophomore and junior years combined.

Cassity poured his entire self mentally, physically and emotionally into the war zone of sports. He remains one of the true warriors in area prep athletic history.

————

This series has featured the following athletes, listed in no particular order.

-Jena’ Williams, Bartlesville

-Eric Rolfs, Bartlesville

-Chris Smith, Caney Valley

-Jill Bryan, Copan

-Barron Tanner Jr, Bartlesville

-Hailey Tucker, Bartlesville

-Jeremy Dunkle, Dewey

-Whitney Metcalf, Bartlesville

-Tim Hamilton, Bartlesville

-Danielle Koster, Bartlesville

-Carson LaRue, Dewey

-John Hamman, Wesleyan Christian

-Jamie Elam, Caney Valley

-Sam Mitchell, Bartlesville

-Karissa Jones, Dewey

-Noah Hartsock, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Paper, Copan

-AJ Parker, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Eden, Caney Valley

-Henry Williams, Bartlesville

-Markell Carter, Bartlesville

-Rebecca Schluter, Wesleyan Christian

-Adam Hibdon, Barnsdall

-Tishuana Hunter, Nowata

-Nate Alleman, Bartlesville

-Jessie Burch, Dewey

-Joey McNair, Caney Valley/Bartlesville

-Michael Thompson, Bartlesville

-Kate Steward, Bartlesville

-Jarrett Rouse, Community

-Amanda Warehime, Bartlesville

-Trey Osborne, Dewey

-Heather Lanphear, Barnsdall

-Erin Epperson, Bartlesville

-Levi Wyrick, Caney Valley (Kan.)

-Spencer Magana, Dewey

-Jackie Jo Chaney, Copan

-Haley Downey, Bartlesville

-Cooper Fogle, Caney Valley

-Amanda Brown, Copan 

-Rachel Smith, Pawhuska

Casey Cassity