Perhaps no storyline looms larger in Oklahoma high school football right now than the twin powers of Bixby and Midwest City Carl Albert.
Those two programs have spent more than a decade collecting gold balls at a ridiculous pace. Bixby has won 11 state titles in the past 12 seasons, with eight straight and four straight since moving up to Class 6A-I. Carl Albert has grabbed nine championships in the past 10 seasons, including four straight in Class 5A, and now sits alone with 20 state titles all-time.
That dominance is about to collide with a fresh milestone chase. Carl Albert can tie Bixby’s state record for consecutive wins by an 11-man program at 58 if it beats Guthrie at home this week. The Titans nearly let the whole thing slip Friday at Del City, where they trailed 21-7 at halftime before storming back for a 31-28 victory on a field goal at the final buzzer.
That comeback kept Carl Albert right where it has been all season in the High School On SI Oklahoma Top 25, alongside Bixby at the top of the rankings. If both teams hold their spots again next week, the conversation shifts from tying the Spartans’ streak to breaking it.
Carl Albert’s rally was powered by junior tailback Tylir Simmons, who filled in for standout Delijah Matthews, who did not play in last week’s game. Simmons answered with 164 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns.
Bixby, meanwhile, heads into 6AI-1 play with a major road test against another ranked team.
Several other teams around the state are also stepping into key district openers and big measuring-stick games. Sallisaw gets a huge opening challenge in District 4A-4 against the Savages, who won at Broken Bow last season.
Elgin is back on the road after beating Cache 42-10 and has already picked up three road wins this year. The Owls now travel again.
The Tigers are still viewed as one of the clear favorites in Class 4A despite stumbling two weeks ago at Elgin. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are trying to start over after a 44-game streak came to an end a couple of weeks ago.
Up Next: vs. Sequoyah-Tahlequah on Friday, Sept. 25
Bixby’s place at the top comes with a long district grind ahead, and Norman North is about to enter that same kind of stretch after improving to 3-0 with a 49-21 win over Piedmont. The Timberwolves now host highly ranked Broken Arrow to open 6AI-1 play.
Choctaw turned in one of the loudest results of the week, rolling into Muskogee and knocking off a previously undefeated Roughers team 37-6. The Yellowjackets are now 2-0 on the road and 0-2 at home, so another road trip this week probably doesn’t bother them much.
Muskogee, for its part, fell to 0-6 against Choctaw after the home loss and has extra time to sit on it before playing again next week.
Sulphur also made a strong non-district showing, falling 29-17 to Gunter, a Texas program known for winning titles. That means the Bulldogs went 2-for-3 against championship-caliber opponents, a solid body of work even in defeat.
Elsewhere, the Pioneers bounced back from their loss to Bixby two weeks ago with a 63-13 win at Lawton, a game highlighted by three pick-sixes from three different players. They’re back on the road this week for another non-district game.
The Rams finally got into the win column with a 45-7 victory over Sand Springs and now look to build on it with district play coming soon. The Fighting Irish can relate to Del City after both teams came close to taking down Carl Albert in recent weeks.
Jenks and Tulsa Union meet in a game that might not have the usual buzz, with the two teams entering at a combined 1-5, but it still matters plenty as a district opener. As always when those two square off, nothing should be ruled out.
The Broncos also have a big chance this week with the No. 1 team coming to Canadian County.
The Longhorns are turning toward District 3A-4 play, while the Hornets are carrying momentum after Jordan DeRoin threw three touchdown passes in a 50-20 win over Lawton MacArthur. That game was already tilted by halftime, with the Hornets ahead 36-6.
The Golden Tigers cruised past Broken Bow’s junior varsity 49-0, though the matchup people around southeastern Oklahoma probably wanted was Broken Bow’s varsity, especially with Talihina’s Landen Griffith and the Savages’ Greydon Howell both drawing attention at quarterback.
Since 2004, the Black Diamonds are 6-11 against Broken Bow, though they have beaten the Savages twice in the past three seasons.
The Tigers now face Del City in the District 5A-3 opener, coming off the Eagles’ near-upset of Carl Albert.
The Commandos begin 2AI-1 play with a road trip close to the Kansas border.
The Warriors were off last week and now get ready for 2AI-2 action.
Prince Shelburn delivered one of the biggest individual performances of the week for the Millers, rushing for 243 yards on 32 carries and scoring five times in a 42-20 win over Edmond Santa Fe.
And in another matchup of undefeated teams, the Antlers meet Yukon in the 6AI-2 opener.
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OUs Season May Hinge On One Choice Brent Venables Made
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The larger question is whether the latest coordinator choice finally gives the Sooners a workable identity or just extends the same problem in a new direction. Venables also had other offensive candidates to weigh in 2024, which only adds to the sense that this decision may end up defining how the season is judged, especially if the offense does not take the leap Oklahoma has been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias First SEC Clash With Oklahoma Carries One Intriguing Twist
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Brent Venables knows the assignment only gets harder against Gunner Stockton and a Georgia defense Smart has openly respected on the other side of the matchup. The more immediate Oklahoma concern may be up front, where defensive tackle David Stones status remains uncertain because of a knee injury, leaving another layer of instability before a trip that already demands near-perfect execution. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2028 Class Just Added Another Intriguing Athlete
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Fitzgibbons addition also gives Oklahoma another reason to feel good about the direction of that group, with the Sooners 2028 class moving up to No. 4 nationally after his commitment. For a program that has long valued versatile athletes, Fitzgibbon fits the profile of a player who could bring options on campus, even if the next step in that path is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]