TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: KIRBY SCHOENTHALER (BARTLESVILLE)

By Mike Tupa

Nov. 6, 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

KIRBY SCHOENTHALER (Bartlesville)

Multiple sports (early 2000s)

Among his other tremendous achievements for the Bruin football team, Kirby Schoenthaler might own a unique distinction — the fastest quarterback in Bartlesville High history.

He also might be one of the few Bartlesville High players to have played four years of Ivy League football.

Anyway one looks at it, Schoenthaler was one of a kind and worthy of being one of the legendary student-athletes in area sports history.

Where does one start in describing Schoenthaler’s athletic achievements?

One could point out how he became the Bruin varsity football starting quarterback while still a freshman — and becoming the first Bruin quarterback to lead the team to three-straight winning seasons (6-4, 2008; 9-3, 2009; 7-4, 2010).

One could shine the spotlight on the 2009 season, when the Bruins forged a historic season winning percentage (.750), and the most stunning playoff win in history, beating Owasso on its home field, 14-7.

Then there was a one-point loss in 2010 to state juggernaut Tulsa Union in its home digs.

Recording almost 10,000 yards of total offense as a Bruin also puts a glowing spotlight on Schoenthaler’s feats. He would start more than 35 games, pass for 102 touchdowns, and rushed for another 40 touchdowns. 

As a junior, Schoenthaler passed for 2,391 yards. He also lined up at defensive back.

There’s also Schoenthaler’s blazing times as a sprinter for the Bruin boys track team.

And his college grid career at Dartmouth is a major part of his roll call of honor.

Before all that, Schoenthaler was part of a steely group of Bartlesville boyhood gridders that grew up together in the YMCA football program and helped elevate Bruin football to the state’s elite — back when Class 6A included all the state’s heavyweights. 

Again, where does one start?

The middle of the first decade of the 2000s was a time of turbulence for Bruin football. Coming off a playoff season in 2002 and a 5-5 record in 2003, Bartlesville followed with records of 3-7, 1-9, 3-7, and 1-9 from 2003-07.\

It was partway through the one-win season in 2007 that then-head coach Ron Smith elevated freshman Schoenthaler to the first-string quarterback spot.

From the start, Schoenthaler displayed a headiness and intelligence — along with superior athletic skills — that foretold a special career.

In 2008 — Schoenthaler’s sophomore campaign — the Bruins muscled out a winning record (6-4), with one caveat. It would have been 5-5, if not for a forfeit by Jenks.

Even so, 5-5 or 6-4 represented a tremendous leap forward from 1-9.

It all came together in 2009 when Schoenthaler was a junior.

Now, don’t get it wrong — Schoenthaler was just one of the components that made that team great. Some of the others included Mitch Tate (who would successfully walk on at the University of Oklahoma football team), Devin Randall (a state gold medalist in track throwing events), Colby Mitchell (who would play four years of D-I football at Louisiana-Monroe), the incomparable senior receiving trio of Mike Thompson, Garrett Powell and Trevor Moll, Butkus-like linebacker Mick Miller, the powerful running back duo of Chandler Bennett and Jack Wiseman, Blake Hood (future Oklahoma State player), Taylor Woolman (a wrestling state medalist) and many other gritty, talented, dedicated warriors.

But Schoenthaler certainly played a significant role on a 2009 Bruin team that finished 8-2 in the regular season and beat Owasso to open the playoffs. Southmoore then eliminated the Bruins, 49-28, in a shootout in Moore.

Bartlesville’s 9-3 record in 2009 was the best, in terms of winning percentage, in school history, edging out the 1988 state semifinalist team (9-4).

Schoenthaler led a 2009 offense that scored 40 or more points five times and scored 21 or more in 11 of the 12 games.

As a senior in 2010, Schoenthaler helped power the Bruins (7-4) back into the playoffs and to become the only quarterback in Bruin history to preside over three winning seasons.

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Following are some highlights from prep football years:

— Scored four rushing touchdowns in a 44-14 win against Bixby (2010).

— Ran for two scores and hit Trevor Moll for a receiving score and threw for 201 yards in a 31-14 victory in Stillwater (2009) in the first game played in the new Stillwater stadium.

— Passed for one touchdown and ran for another in a 14-7 playoff win at Owasso (2009).

— Ran for 100 yards and threw for an overtime touchdown in a 24-23 loss to East Central (2010).

— Ran for an 80-yard touchdown and passed for an 80-yard touchdown, and also ran and passed for other touchdowns, in a 36-35 loss to Tulsa Union (2010).

When it came to springtime, Schoenthaler went around in circles — on the track.

He honed himself into a top-flight sprinter — a commodity that Bartlesville has had a noticeable shortage in during the past couple of decades.

As a junior (2010), Schoenthaler qualified for state in the 100m dash, running :11.29 in the prelims. 

At least one of his high school competitions, he ran a sub-11 second 100m and was credited with a 4.49 40-yard dash.

That same year, he came in third in the regionals with a scorching time of :11.1 for third place and also won a regional medal in the 200m dash at fourth place (:23.05).

Injury might have taken its toll on Schoenthaler’s postseason track pursuits.

He also helped the Bruins 4x100m team to fifth place in the 2010 regional, along with Pete Montes, Justin Thompson and Calan Crowder.

To put Schoenthaler’s track achievement in perspective, in the 15 years since he qualified for state in the boys 100m dash, only one other Bartlesville athlete has qualified in the 100m or 200m dashes.

Schoenthaler — listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds in college — would be named one of 10 Oklahomans named as a National Football Foundation and & College Hall of Fame Scholar.

From Bartlesville, Schoenthaler’s next stop was Dartmouth, where he was transformed from a quarterback to a receiver.

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Some of his college highlights included:

— Receiving the Earl Hamilton Freshman Award (2011) as the top rookie contributor for Dartmouth.

— Making a team-high 25 catches for 227 receiving yards as a freshman.

— Returned a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown as a sophomore (2012).

— Despite missing time with injury, started five games as a junior (2013). Caught eight passes in a game, including a 12-yard TD against Penn. 

— Ranked seventh in the FCS in kickoff return average (28.6) as a senior (2014). 

— Recorded 198 return yards in one game (2014), including a 92-yard burst (that didn’t result in a TD).

— Named Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week (2014).

Schoenthaler was a bright star in athletic competition during his Bruin years — and his glow continues to shine more than a decade later.

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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

Kirby Schoenthaler, left, with teammate Scott Mauldin