TOP AREA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: ERIC ROLFS
By Mike Tupa
July 30, 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:
ERIC ROLFS
Baseball/football (late 1990s)
Rolfs remains one of the perhaps lesser-known exceptional athletes in Bruin history but still deserves a high spot on this list.
In addition, he's gone on to be a true hero in defending our nation.
When it came to anatomy, Rolfs proved on the football field that the toe foot be mightier than the sword.
It took place on Sept. 10, 1999, when the Bruins traveled to Miami, Okla., to play the Wardogs on a miserably wet evening.
Rolfs' performance was amazing — eight punts, 348 yards (43-plus yards per boot) and three punts dropped inside the Miami 10-yard line.
Miami never started a drive beyond its 24-yard line.
Thanks to his piede di pietra (Italian for foot of stone), Bartlesville scrapped to a 7-3 victory and a 2-0 start to the season.
But Rolf's best sport during his high school years might have been baseball, where he played on the left side of the infield with flawless purpose for both Bartlesville High and Bartlesville American Legion. Muscular, lean and wiry — and just slightly taller than average height — Rolfs glided around his position like a greased breeze.
At the plate, Rolfs was the poster boy for a clutch hitter.
During a 12-4 win 1999 for the Doenges Ford Indians against the Ponca City Royals, Rolfs batted in the cleanup spot and ripped three singles, drove in two runs and scored twice. The Indians also beat the Claremore Eagles, 5-1, with Rolfs driving home two runs on two hits.
In high school that same year, Rolfs sparked the Bruins to a 7-4 upset of Broken Arrow. Inserted in the two hole, he lashed two hits, drove in three runs and came home twice.
Unfortunately for the Indians, Rolfs was too old to play for the Indians the summer after his graduation.
But his sports career was far from done.
Rolfs received an appointment to the Naval Academy and a spot on the football team.
Winning the kicking job after a grueling competition, Rolfs kicked for three seasons (2001-03) for the Midshipmen. He nailed 58-of-60 extra points and 2-of-16 field goals to amass 94 points.
Rolfs also delivered some punts for Navy, booting four for 150 yards (37.5 yards per kick).
But Rolfs' contributions on the football field are only a small slice of his Navy career.
As of 2024, he had achieved the rank of Commander and been assigned as the commanding officer of Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes.
He's also served as the Executive Officer aboard the USS Wichita.
Any one that got to know Rolfs during his teenage years sensed this was a very talented, intelligent, focused and pleasant individual. HIs participation in Bartlesville sports helped refine and develop those virtues.
