6A-2 Season In Review

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The 2021 football season has come and gone. Once again, the football season has just flown by. A little over a week removed from the final football games of the 2021 season, we officially begin our postseason coverage. We continue things today with our season in review series. Every day, for the next week, we’ll be taking a look back at the 2021 football season in each class. We continue the series today with Class 6A-2. Stay tuned to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the next three weeks for more postseason coverage. From season in review features, to All State teams and plenty of awards, we’ll have you covered! STATE CHAMPION Bixby Spartans For the fourth consecutive season and seventh out of the last eight years, the Bixby Spartans won it all in Class 6A-2. The Spartans came into this season with all eyes on them after winning the last three state championships and also bringing a 36-game winning streak into the 2021 football season. The Spartans hadn’t lost since their season opener in 2018 when they fell at home to Jenks. Bixby would not only capture another title, they would set the state record for most consecutive wins by an 11-man program with 49, beating Wagoner’s record from the mid-2010’s. Bixby’s only true test this season came on the road in week one when they beat Jenks 23-15. This was a game that the Spartans actually led 23-0 before the Trojans would rally and had a chance to potentially send the game into overtime but turnovers would doom that rally. Overall, the Spartans would beat their 13 opponents by an average margin of 50 points per game. The Spartans were the favorites despite having to replace three-year starter Mason Williams at quarterback. [player_tooltip player_id="193013" first="Christian" last="Burke"] would step into that role and the offense would actually be more explosive this season. That’s because Burke had help at QB as the Spartans unleashed junior [player_tooltip player_id="197183" first="Connor" last="Kirby"], who would be used as a jumbo athlete who would give the Spartans another weapon in the running game. As if they needed another weapon with OSU commit and reigning Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] returning at running back. The Spartans were a special kind of dominant this season and in August, we found out that this would be their last season in 6A-2 as they move up to 6A-1 next season. This move was inevitable for a Bixby community that continues to grow every year. And in their last year, competing in a class that they’ve dominated since it’s creation, Bixby went out on top in dominating fashion. Is this Bixby team one of the best in state history? Yes. Are they THE best in state history? No. But this could be one of the best dynasty runs we’ve seen in state history and they’ll certainly look to continue that next season in 6A-1. CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eeN4hu7L1mc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <hr /> PLAYER OF THE YEAR [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] - 2022 Running Back - Bixby Not only was Bixby senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="38679" first="Braylin" last="Presley"] the 6A-2 Player Of The Year in 2020, he won our first ever overall award in 2020 as well. He’s back again as a finalist for that award this season and once again as the 6A-2 Player Of The Year after leading Bixby to a fourth consecutive state title and 49 consecutive wins. Presley didn’t put up the kind of numbers he put up last year but he didn’t need to as the Spartans were beating teams by an average margin of 50 points per game. He only played in a handful of games after halftime. And as always, Presley was at his best in the biggest games of the year. Despite not playing near as much, Presley still finished with 27 total touchdowns and was Bixby’s leading rusher and leading receiver on the season. Presley also eclipsed 100 total touchdowns and became the school’s all time leading rusher in the state championship game. Presley has been one of the most electric players in Oklahoma for three seasons now and goes out on top. <hr /> BREAKOUT STARS [player_tooltip player_id="219071" first="Aiden" last="Walker"] - 2023 Linebacker - Booker T Washington [player_tooltip player_id="197183" first="Connor" last="Kirby"] - 2023 Quarterback - Bixby [player_tooltip player_id="229870" first="Darius" last="Hampton"] - 2022 Defensive Lineman - Del City [player_tooltip player_id="157517" first="Gage" last="Gundy"] - 2023 Quarterback - Stillwater [player_tooltip player_id="98176" first="La’Trell" last="Ray"] - 2023 Running Back - Choctaw <hr /> OTHER TOP PLAYERS [player_tooltip player_id="154570" first="Blake" last="Jones"] - 2022 Running Back - Sand Springs [player_tooltip player_id="200111" first="Brett" last="Pense"] - 2022 Quarterback - Deer Creek [player_tooltip player_id="91881" first="Dylan" last="Hasz"] - 2023 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back - Bixby [player_tooltip player_id="55157" first="Jack" last="Puckett"] - 2022 Linebacker - Bixby [player_tooltip player_id="38666" first="Jacob" last="Sexton"] - 2022 Offensive Lineman - Deer Creek [player_tooltip player_id="101400" first="Jaleel" last="Johnson"] - 2022 Defensive Lineman - Putnam City North [player_tooltip player_id="69271" first="Lathan" last="Boone"] - 2023 Quarterback - Booker T Washington [player_tooltip player_id="47959" first="Micah" last="Tease"] - 2023 Wide Receiver - Booker T Washington [player_tooltip player_id="38780" first="Steele" last="Wasel"] - 2023 Quarterback - Choctaw [player_tooltip player_id="101415" first="Ty" last="Pennington"] - 2022 Quarterback - Sand Springs <hr /> TOP STORYLINE Only One Storyline This Year The only thing anyone wanted to talk about when it came to 6A-2 football this season was Bixby and their winning streak. Granted, we saw some great things elsewhere in 6A-2 like Deer Creek making their run to the title game. Sand Springs upsetting district champ Del City to make it to the semifinals and many more during the regular season. But at the end of the day, 2021 was all about Bixby and their last dance before moving up to 6A-1 in 2022. From winning their fourth straight gold ball and their seventh in the last eight years, to winning a state record 49 consecutive games with the 49th coming in style with the championship romp of Deer Creek. The Spartans were the heavy favorite to win it all in 6A-2 all season and people began asking not IF Bixby would win, but winning by how much? <hr /> EARLY LOOK AT 2022 2022 will begin a new era of 6A-2 football as the four-time defending champion Spartans will take that 49-game winning streak up to Class 6A-1. For the first time since 2017 and for only the second time ever, someone other than Bixby will be raising the 6A-2 gold ball in 2022. In fact, the new era beginning in 6A-2 is much bigger than Bixby leaving. Both reigning district champions are changing classes with Bixby jumping up to 6A-1 and Del City dropping down to Class 5A. The new top dogs in 6A-2 as of now appear to be Booker T Washington, Choctaw and Stillwater. However, we saw teams like Deer Creek and Sand Springs make runs while Muskogee also had a very young team. One thing is for sure, 6A-2 will be more competitive in 2022 with the dominating Spartans moving on up.