Champion Check In - Bixby Spartans

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   We're deep into the offseason but spring football is right around the corner and it'll be good to get back on the field and seeing the pads come on. But we wanted to take a look around the state at some of the top programs in Oklahoma today. And who better to feature than the reigning state champions. This article is the first installment of what we're calling our "Champion Check In" as we check in with the reigning state champions across the state of Oklahoma. Up first is Class 6A-1 state champion Bixby.   2022 SEASON RECAP   The 2022 football season ended for Bixby the way most have in the last decade and that was with the Spartans lifting up the state championship. But while the 2022 season may have ended the same way, it was full of firsts and the start of a new journey. The Spartans finally moved up to the largest class in the state after dominating 6A-2 since it's creation in 2014. The Spartans won seven state championships in eight seasons and they set the state record for most consecutive wins by an 11-man program with 49 at the end of the 2021 season. But with the Spartans moving up to 6A-1, the question quickly became how they would compete in the state's largest class week to week.   It didn't take long to find out the answer to that question. The Spartans opened up the year at TU for the “Battle Of The Burbs” against Owasso. After a close first half, the Spartans opened things up in the second half to run away with a 49-14 victory. The win gave Bixby 50 in a row and they were off to the races in 6A-1. They would then go on the road to Arkansas and handled business there before wrapping up non-district play against their former 6A-2 foe in Sand Springs. Through three games, the Spartans hadn't missed a step.   Then came district play and a week to week grind of playing the largest schools in the state. It didn't matter. Nothing slowed down the Spartans as they mowed down the competition and made it look easy every single week. They absolutely lit up the scoreboard and won games with a high-scoring offense and a special defense along with special teams. But all good things must come to an end and the Spartans had their record winning streak come to an end in the final game of the regular season. Rival Jenks came into Bixby and stunned the Spartans in a nationally televised game. But that loss turned into a blessing in disguise as it forced the Spartans to regroup, refocus and start their pursuit on their ultimate goal of a state championship.   Despite the loss to Jenks, Bixby still captured the district title and earned a first round bye. They dominated Enid in the quarterfinals before a semifinal rematch with the Trojans, just three weeks after losing in week ten. Bixby got some sweet revenge with a 28-14 win over Jenks and punched their ticket to their ninth consecutive state championship game, tying the state record for most consecutive appearances in the title game. In that title game, they saw another familiar foe in Owasso and made quick work of the Rams to win it all once again. They beat Owasso 69-6 in an absolutely dominating effort in all three phases of the game.   Now, the Spartans shift their focus on the 2023 season and while their record-breaking winning streak might be done, they do have another record they can put their names next to. In 2023, they will begin their pursuit of something that has never been done before in state history. No team has ever made it to ten consecutive state championship games and the Spartans can be the first. They have to replace a lot of big names on both sides of the ball but as we've learned, this Bixby program just reloads, they don't rebuild. We'd be foolish to doubt the Spartans in 2023.   STATE OF THE PROGRAM   We don't think that you can make an argument for any other team. The Bixby Spartans have been the best program in Oklahoma over the last decade. Nine consecutive state championship game appearances and eight gold balls, including the last five in a row. The Spartans made the transition from 6A-2 up to 6A-1 look effortless in 2022. Head coach Loren Montgomery and staff have built one of the greatest dynasties in state history and there's no signs of slowing down any time soon.   When you look at the Bixby football program over the last decade, there are four main reasons why Bixby has had the success they've had. The Spartans didn't just become this dominant overnight. While they ended almost every season during the last decade by winning the state title, it wasn't always as easy as they have made it look over the last few seasons. We break down those four reasons below.   The first thing that always gets attention is their strength and conditioning program. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about the S&C program at Bixby and it has been pointed to as the reason the Spartans have become one of the heavy hitters in Oklahoma. There's no doubt that it plays a massive role and it plays out on the field. Last season for example, some of Bixby's top players were two-way starters for the Spartans. Their defense was also one of the hardest hitting units in the state. The numbers continue to grow and because they're starting in the middle schools, freshmen football players come into high school ready to compete early on.   Speaking of numbers rising, the other reason for Bixby's rise (pun intended) is their enrollment. Even when Class 6A was split into two divisions back in 2014, (more on that later) it was understood that it wasn't a matter of if, but when the Spartans would move up to 6A-1. The Bixby community has been absolutely booming for well over a decade now and the enrollment has mirrored that. It has grown to the point that Bixby is building a new high school and new school buildings all over the district. The numbers certainly play a big role in Bixby's on-field success.   But in 2014, if Bixby was playing in 6A-1, or if the split never happened and they were still in the 32-team Class 6A, the last ten years would have looked different. We mentioned how dominant Bixby has been over the last few seasons. But when the Spartans rattled off three straight titles to begin the 6A-2 era, those titles weren't cake walks. If they were in 6A-1 or in the previous 6A, those early years of the dynasty would have featured far more growing pains. The 6A split allowed Bixby to build confidence within the program to the point where when 2018-2019 rolled around, the Spartans were ready to compete with any team at any time. And when they moved up to 6A-1, facing some of the top teams in the state was no longer a hurdle that seemed impossible. In fact, the Spartans felt like the favorites as they moved up.   And finally, you have to point to head coach Loren Montgomery and the consistency of his coaching staff since taking over the Bixby program nearly 15 years ago. They've had an unbelievable stretch of keeping coaches on their staff and you have to know that other schools have come after some of the Bixby assistants that have helped build this current dynasty. Schools even came after Montgomery over the years but each time, he committed himself to what he has built and is continuing to build at Bixby. These four pillars, the strength and conditioning program, Bixby's community growth, the 6A split and coaching continuity are what made this Bixby program the very best in Oklahoma over the last decade.   A LOOK TO THE FUTURE   At this point, it's hard to suggest that Bixby is going to take a step back any time soon. This football program has become an absolute machine that shows no signs of slowing down. As we look ahead to the 2023 season, Bixby does have quite a bit of talent that they'll have to replace. The defense will take a hit as they have to replace their entire secondary. But the strength of the defense will flip this fall as they'll have more experience returning in the front seven, led by 2024 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='519610' first='Hank' last='Puckett'], who had a breakout junior season last fall.   On offense, the Spartans will have to replace quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='197183' first='Connor' last='Kirby'], who ran away with 6A-1 Player Of The Year a season ago. They'll also miss tight end [player_tooltip player_id='55156' first='Luke' last='Hasz'], who was an Under Armour All American and the best college prospect in the Loren Montgomery era at Bixby. Then we'll see new skill positions as the Spartans have to replace several starters at running back and wide receiver. But the Spartans will have the benefit of having a talented and experienced offensive line returning, anchored by 2024 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='194066' first='Brody' last='Duffel']. We also anticipate fellow 2024 standout [player_tooltip player_id='110743' first='Kordell' last='Gouldsby'] to have an expanded role within the offense.   As defending champion, it's hard to put anyone other than Bixby in the #1 spot in Class 6A-1 as we head into the 2023 season. So the Spartans do have plenty of names that they have to replace but the expectations don't change. In fact, that target seems to just get bigger and bigger as Bixby continues to raise the bar. From the state-record winning streak, to nationally televised games, Bixby has brought a lot of eyeballs on their program and Oklahoma high school football as a whole. We can't wait to see what's next for the Spartans.

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