TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: CALAN CROWDER (BARTLESVILLE)

By Mike Tupa

Nov. 23, 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

CALAN CROWDER (Bartlesville)

Multiple sports (early 2010s)

Just call it the Superman Leap, the Six-Point Torpedo, the Clutch Catch or Thunder Jolt.

Whatever you call it be sure and include it as probably the most exciting football play in Custer Stadium history.

For that one moment alone, Calan Crowder deserves to be numbered among the top athletes of the past 30 years in area high school sports. For his overall performances on the gridiron, basketball court and on the track he is one of the best ever.

Let’s go back to The Play.

The date: September 21, 2012, the last official day of summer.

The place: Bartlesville.

The scenario: The district opener between the Bartlesville Bruins (2-1 — later 3-0 due to an opponent’s forfeit) and the Enid Plainsmen (2-1).

The history: Enid had won seven of the previous 10 meetings, including a 56-20 rout in 2008.

The 2012 contest also looked like it might be a washout in favor of the Plainsmen.

Enid skied to a 35-23 lead through the first three quarters — on four touchdown catches thrown by three different passers — and a short run.

Scoring for Bartlesville in the first three quarters had been Garrett Hilger (47 pass and 23 pass from Stephen Cochran), Crowder (51 run) and kicker Ben Jacobs (2 PAT, 35-yard FG).

Bartlesville scored first (Crowder 6-yard run) in the fourth period, but Enid answered with its fifth touchdown pass to go ahead, 42-30, with less than three minutes left.

The situation for Bartlesville looked like Mission Impossible.

The clock then wound under 90 seconds left with the Bruins driving the ball and still down by two scores. But at the 1:05 mark, Slade Nordic — who will be part of this top athlete series later — burst free up the middle for a 33-yard touchdown run. Jacobs’ extra point cut Ponca City’s lead to 42-37. 

But only 65 seconds showed on the clock and the Bruins had to kick off. Jacobs’ foot flicked the ball, which hopped, twisted and wobbled like a drunken man against a stiff wind. Bartlesville’s Dayln Pollard — who would play college ball — fell on the loose ball for the recovery near midfield.

But only 1:01 showed on the clock — and things got a lot tougher for Bartlesville. Two quick penalties moved the ball back inside the Bruin 30-yard line.

Now there were less than 30 seconds remaining and 73 yards left to travel.

On 3rd-and-27 from the 27-yard line, Cochran dropped back, scanned the field and spotted unsung receiver Kyle Carter open on an out route next to the sideline. Cochran delivered the strike and Carter cut back to the inside and made it to the Enid 32-yard line. Four plays later, Cochran zipped a pass to Garrett Hilger — running an inside slant — to take the ball to the seven-yard line.

But now the clock showed just 5.1 seconds.

The final play called for Cochran to find Hilger on another slant. But Enid covered up Cochran like buttercream on a wedding cake.

Cochran scanned to his right and saw Crowder in the short flat. Cochran zinged the pass to Crowder, who was still about three yards short of the end zone and with at least two defenders hedging his way.

Crowder burst forward and just before getting to paydirt launched himself forward, crashed mid-air into a defender and crossed inside the front right corner of the goalline and landed out of bounds near the pylon.

About that play he said: “I just reacted. I didn’t have time to think.”

The Bruin student section exploded like a July Fourth fireworks show.

Jacobs booted his fifth extra point and Bruins won, 44-42.

With that one play, Crowder became a Bruin legend.

But he was simply a great athlete all-around.

In 2011 he rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Through eight games, his rushing total stood at 953 yards on just 120 carries (7.94 yards per carry) and had another 168 yards in receptions. In the Enid game he rushed for 214 yards (20 carries) and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 26 yards and the winning score. He also ran for 236 yards and two touchdowns against Bishop Kelley and ran for 152 and 143 yards against Ponca City and Stillwater, respectively. And that doesn’t include specific stats from the final two games.

But his 2012 rushing total reached 1,502 yards — which he had set as goal going into the year — on 202 carries. He finished with 187 yards receiving. His 1,500-plus rushing total was the second-most in Bruin history behind Mitch Nash, who had gone for at least 1,600-plus in one of his seasons.

Some of his touchdown plays that season included: 67-yard aerial against Skiatook, 45-yard run against Bishop Kelley, 71-yard run against Skiatook, 67-yard run against Tulsa Union and 72-yard run against Tulsa Washington. And that doesn’t include scoring from the final three games.

Crowder became just the third single-season 1,000-yard rusher in Bruin history, behind Nash (1983 and 1984) and Joel Goree (2003).

Crowder also helped bolster the Bruin basketball and track teams.

In the spring of 2013, he helped the 4x100m relay team qualify for state.

Crowder also helped elevate the 2011-12 boys basketball team to the state tournament — the last time Bartlesville has been to the Big Dance.

Following his years at Bartlesville — during which he helped the Bruins to a football playoff season in 2010 and helped the squad to a winning record in 2012 — invested his considerable academic and athletic talents to the Missouri State University.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and between 200-212 pounds, Crowder finished his career (2013-2017) with 1,806 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 369 carries. Crowder boasted long runs of 64 yards and 75 yards in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

He certainly would have eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing and 15-touchdowns mark if not for missing five games his senior season.

Crowder turned in his biggest effort in 2017 against Missouri, rushing for 124 yards — including a 75-yarder — and two touchdowns on just 11 attempts.

For his career, Crowder also grabbed 28 receptions for 105 yards.

Crowder sat out his true freshman year (2013) but still earned the MSU Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week honor.

Crowder’s younger brother Tristan also starred (as a defensive lineman) for Bartlesville and would play at Missouri State. Their sister Trinity played Bartlesville Lady Bruin basketball.

Calan Crowder’s time for Bartlesville varsity football fell between two great teams — the 2009 crew (9-3) and the 2015 squad (102).

But he created his own version of greatness that added glory to his era and gave Bartlesville sports fans plenty about which to cheer.

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Calan Crowder

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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, Barnsdall

-Stacy Cornforth, Bartlesville

-Gabby Higbee, Dewey

-Kirby Schoenthaler, Bartlesville

-Tyler Kay, Barnsdall

-Colton Penrod, Bartlesville

-Erin Herchock, Dewey

-Lindsey Collins, Caney Valley

-Nathan Hughes, Bartlesville

-Aaron Hunt, Copan