Bixby Team Preview

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day as we release more individual team previews as we get closer to the start of the 2021 football season. In case you missed it, you can check out our Preseason Rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/06/2021-preseason-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RIGHT HERE</a>. Overview (Class 6A-D2 Preseason Ranking: #1) No surprise here as the Bixby Spartans come in as the preseason number one team in a class that they’ve owned from the start. Since the split of 6A into two divisions in 2014, Bixby has captured six of the seven state championships, including the last three. That one title they didn’t win, they still made it to the title game. They come into 2021 having played in seven consecutive state championship games and also bring a lengthy winning streak into this season. The Spartans have won 36 consecutive games, dating back to their season opener in 2018. Bixby has 13 potential games on their schedule this year and if they play all 13, win all 13, they’ll be the new record holder for longest winning streak in state history with 49, beating Wagoner’s mark of 48. The Spartans would also be the first program in state history to have three straight undefeated teams. However, the Spartans have to reload if they’re going to make more history. They have to replace three-year starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="38531" first="Mason" last="Williams"], which will be no easy task. They do return the reigning Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year in running back [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"], so they can rely on him as the new signal caller gets worked in. Bixby also benefits from having seven starters back on offense and defense. The target has never been bigger than it is right now but the Spartans are used to the spotlight and go into this year as the favorites. <hr /> 2020 Results (11-0 Record - 6A-D2 State Champion) Aug 28 – Beat Union 34-0 Sept 4 – Beat Jenks 42-35 Sept 18 – Game At Stillwater Cancelled Sept 25 – Beat Bartlesville 74-7 Oct 2 – Beat Carl Albert 56-14 Oct 9 – Beat Choctaw 24-13 Oct 15 – Beat Sand Springs 51-20 Oct 23 – Game At Muskogee Cancelled Oct 30 – Beat Ponca City 59-0 Nov 5 – Beat Booker T Washington 70-21 1st Round – Bye Week Quarterfinal – Beat Del City 63-27 Semifinal – Beat Midwest City 49-20 Championship - Beat Choctaw 17-14 <hr /> Players To Watch [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] - 2022 Running Back Bixby senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] was the winner of our first ever Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year award and should probably go into this season as the favorite. Presley was not only the most electric player we saw in 2020 but he was also the most clutch, having his best performances in the biggest games. Presley will have all eyes on him as he goes into his senior season and we can’t wait to see what he does for an encore this fall. [player_tooltip player_id="91881" first="Dylan" last="Hasz"] - 2023 Defensive Back One of several breakout stars for the Bixby Spartans was defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="91881" first="Dylan" last="Hasz"]. Similar to Presley, it seemed like Hasz was at his best in some of the biggest games of the year. As a sophomore, he led the team in interceptions, including a pick six in the semifinals and another interception the following week in the title game. We really like Hasz’s abilities to be a game changer on the defensive side of the ball and his emergence as one of the best safeties in 6A-D2. [player_tooltip player_id="157509" first="Jersey" last="Robb"] - 2023 Linebacker While [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] was taking home all the hardware and the Hasz twins were becoming breakout stars, [player_tooltip player_id="157509" first="Jersey" last="Robb"] was one of the more under the radar stars from last year’s championship team. He was an absolute wrecking ball in short yard situations and this fall he has the chance to become one of the better inebackers in this part of the state. Robb is a player that made some big plays in big moments and that should continue into this season. [player_tooltip player_id="116023" first="Joshua" last="Newkirk"] - 2023 Athlete The other four players to watch were known by the end of last season but this pick of junior athlete [player_tooltip player_id="116023" first="Joshua" last="Newkirk"] is our selection for this year’s breakout Bixby star. We got a chance to see plenty of Newkirk this offseason while he was playing 7v7 and whether it was on offense or defense, he was impressive and has the chance to be that breakout guy for the Spartans this fall. As long as the momentum from this spring continues into the fall, he’ll be a name to remember. [player_tooltip player_id="55156" first="Luke" last="Hasz"] - 2023 Wide Receiver If you’ve followed recruiting news or just football offseason news in general, you’ve heard about Bixby star [player_tooltip player_id="55156" first="Luke" last="Hasz"]. Coach Loren Montgomery has already gone on the record saying Hasz is the biggest recruit to come out of Bixby. The Spartan big man has already been named an All American and has offers from just about everywhere. And this is coming off a 2020 season that was his first year of football in several years. What will he do for an encore in 2021? We can’t wait to find out. More Names Beau Bertelli - 2022 Linebacker Cale Fugate - 2023 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="112469" first="Connor" last="Nolan"] - 2022 Kicker [player_tooltip player_id="55157" first="Jack" last="Puckett"] - 2022 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="98179" first="Jakeb" last="Snyder"] - 2023 Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id="115219" first="Tyson" last="Williams"] - 2023 Defensive Back Zach Blankenship - 2022 Athlete <hr /> Notable 2021 might be the last dance for the Spartans in Class 6A-D2. The new ADM numbers will be released later this year and we’ll see whether or not Bixby moves up to 6A-D1, which has been inevitable, or will continue to terrorize 6A-D2. The Spartans were #17 in terms of enrollment when the last ADM was released. The biggest 16 schools make up 6A-D1 and the Spartans are one spot away. However, there are thoughts that the ADM numbers this year will not be what they usually would be because of Covid causing many families to go alternative routes in terms of education. Like we mentioned, it is inevitable that the Spartans will be in 6A-D1 eventually. This is a community that isn’t slowing down their growth anytime soon. The only question is whether or not the Spartans will be sticking around 6A-D2 for two more years or will 2021 be the final season for the Spartans in a class that they’ve dominated from the start. <hr /> 2021 Schedule/Games To Watch Aug. 27 - Mansfield, TX Sept. 3 - AT Jenks - After opening the season against Mansfield HS the week before, Bixby turns the page to one of the toughest tests on the 2021 schedule. They’ll travel to Jenks to face the defending 6A-D1 champion Trojans. Jenks is also the last team that beat Bixby before they rattled off 36 straight wins, including back to back wins over the Trojans in the last two seasons. Last season’s meeting was an instant classic while the 2019 encounter was a Bixby blowout. The Bixby-Jenks game has turned into an outstanding rivalry over the last five years after it was completely one-sided in favor of Jenks for decades before that. It’s become one of the better non-district match-up’s every year. Sept. 17 - Stillwater - Covid cancelled plenty of games during the 2020 season but when Bixby-Stillwater was cancelled it just hit different. We were going to see a rematch of championship games in 2018 and an instant classic in 2019. The two teams were 1 and 2 and it would be part 3 of a growing rivalry. Instead, the game was cancelled and we never got that third meeting. These two are scheduled to meet again this year in the final week of non-district play. While it doesn’t have the hype that last year’s match-up had, it’s still an incredibly important measuring stick game to see where the Spartans are as they head into one of the toughest districts in the state, regardless of class. Sept. 24 - AT Bartlesville Oct. 1 - Putnam City West Oct. 8 - AT Choctaw - If the Bixby-Stillwater hype went away, all of it went right into the Bixby-Choctaw match-up after the Yellowjackets pushed the Spartans to the limit in last year’s state championship game. In week six, the third week of district play, the Spartans will travel to Choctaw to face a Yellowjacket team that has had October 8th circled on their calendars since walking off the field of Wantland Stadium in December. Choctaw has the talent to hang with the defending champs and you know they’ll have a new hunger after falling in the title game. Bixby was dominant last year but the Yellowjackets gave them problems both times that they played. The Spartans will get Choctaw’s best shot for sure. Oct. 14 - Sand Springs Oct. 22 - Muskogee Oct. 29 - AT Ponca City Nov. 5 - AT Booker T Washington <hr /> Championship History 6 State Championships (T-16th Most In State History) 2020 - Beat Choctaw 17-14 2019 - Beat Stillwater 40-36 2018 - Beat Stillwater 34-13 2016 - Beat Lawton 39-31 2015 - Beat Sand Springs 38-28 2014 - Beat Lawton 35-21