Broken Arrow Tigers OK 2023 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the month of July and that means it's preview time! Throughout the month of July and into August, we are publishing well over 100 in-depth team previews to get you completely ready for the 2023 football season. This is something that began in 2021 and has continued to get bigger every single year. We're looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state. From defending champions, to top contenders and plenty of dark horses, we'll have complete coverage every single day with new teams from Class 6A, all the way down to the addition of 8-man coverage this year with Class B and C. In this post, we take a look at the Broken Arrow Tigers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Broken Arrow Tigers&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #8</strong><br><strong>Preseason Coaches Ranking: #5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's bounceback time for the Broken Arrow Tigers after they had a rare losing season in 2022. Broken Arrow would get out to a 1-4 start last season after a tough shootout loss in Arkansas, a one-point loss to rival Owasso and then an overtime loss to Norman North on the road. Throw in another overtime loss on the road to Jenks later on in the season and the Tigers would finish the regular season with a 5-7 record. After facing Union in the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, you know the Tigers will have that regular season meeting circled on their calendar as they head into this season. Broken Arrow loses some big names from last season but they do have some young talent that should provide a ton of excitement this fall. The 2023 football season could end up being one of the more interesting seasons in recent memory for the Tigers.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the offensive side of the ball, Broken Arrow will have an advantage on the line of scrimmage with an experienced and talented offensive line. They'll benefit from having quite a bit of size at some of the various positions. But the biggest question mark surrounding the Tigers will be some of the new faces on both sides of the ball. Between their new starters and a very tough non-district schedule, we could end up seeing the Tigers go through some growing pains early on in the season. But as long as those young players come along and grow up quickly, this team has the potential to not only make it back to the playoffs, but they could make plenty of noise once they get there. It's the third year under head coach Josh Blankenship and the Tigers are ready to return to the conversation of state championship contenders.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2022 RESULTS (5-7 Record - Lost In Class 6A-1 Quarterfinals)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 26 - Lost To Bentonville, AR. 56-46<br>Sept. 2 - Lost To Union 28-7<br>Sept. 9 - Lost To Owasso 27-26<br>Sept. 22 - Beat Southmoore 63-7<br>Sept. 29 - Lost To Norman North 57-50 (OT)<br>Oct. 7 - Beat Westmoore 31-3<br>Oct. 14 - Lost To Bixby 77-17<br>Oct. 20 - Beat Enid 45-24<br>Oct. 28 - Lost To Jenks 35-34 (OT)<br>Nov. 3 - Beat Moore 63-48<br>1st Round - Beat Norman 47-20<br>Quarterfinals - Lost To Union 45-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Key Losses To Graduation</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Demarius Reynolds - Defensive Lineman<br>Dietrich Moore - Linebacker<br>Elishah Wilson - Defensive Back<br>Jamison Mejia - Offensive Lineman<br>Nate Jones - Running Back<br>Reid Adams - Offensive Lineman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players To Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["844468"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"2024 standout athlete [player_tooltip player_id='844468' first='Cooper' last='Bates'] is arguably the most versatile player on Broken Arrow's roster as we head into the 2023 season. Bates is listed on Broken Arrow's prospect sheet as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive back and even Broken Arrow's punter. Needless to say, Bates can wear several different hats for the Tigers in all three phases of the game. He'll go where he's needed and where he can make the most impact heading into this season. But it's on offense that we think he's going to have the greatest impact. We watched Bates quite a bit during a team camp this spring and he was excellent at the quarterback position. He appears to be the next QB1 for the Tigers and he has a good feel for the Broken Arrow offense.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["611312"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Broken Arrow 2024 tight end and defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='611312' first='Derrick' last='Osmond'] has to be considered Broken Arrow's top prospect coming into the 2023 football season. Osmond enjoyed a breakout season as a junior last fall, where he started getting on college radars and has earned offers from multiple D1 programs and quickly has become a power five prospect. The measurables on Osmond are off the charts and are a big reason why he continues to climb prospect rankings within the state's 2024 class. Whether it's as a blocking tight end on offense or a terrorizing defensive end on defense, Osmond is going to be a player that has a major impact on the Tigers this season.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["876670"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"2024 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='876670' first='Donavin' last='Hardaway'] is a prospect for Broken Arrow that we have circled coming into this season. First off, Hardaway will be going into his third year as a starter for the Broken Arrow defense and will be one of the more experienced returning players on that side of the ball. Then for us, we watched Hardaway quite a bit this offseason while he was playing in various 7v7 tournaments and he was routinely one of the more impressive defensive backs in those events. And it's hard to impress time after time in a 7v7 tournament on the defensive side of the ball. Hardaway certainly has the potential to blow up in a big way with a strong senior campaign.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["456293"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Similar to Bates, Broken Arrow 2025 standout [player_tooltip player_id='456293' first='Kayleb' last='Barnett'] is going to be an absolute playmaker for the Tigers on the offensive side of the ball and in special teams. Barnett had a breakout season as a sophomore last fall, finishing the year with over 1,100 all purpose yards as he was an explosive player within their offense and as a returner. Barnett is a serious speedster that doesn't have the prototypical size but he's incredibly strong. He doesn't shy away from contact and does what he has to do to fight for the extra yards. Barnett is definitely a player that we're going to keep an eye on because the Tigers are going to get creative with how they use him this fall.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64aeeb1e4f66c"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>More Names To Know</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='116027' first='Gatlen' last='Ferrell'] - 2024 Defensive Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='403812' first='Hunter' last='Martens'] - 2024 Kicker<br>James Miller - 2024 Defensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1304573' first='Jerod' last='Breshears'] - 2026 Offensive Lineman<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1068998' first='Kaibre' last='Harris'] - 2024 Running Back<br>Ricardo Fernandez - 2025 Offensive Lineman<br>Sterling Condry - 2024 Linebacker<br>[player_tooltip player_id='402385' first='Tayshawn' last='Wade'] - 2026 Athlete</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 Schedule/Games To Circle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aug. 25 - Bentonville, AR.</strong><br>- It's a battle of the Tigers to open the season once again as Broken Arrow will host Bentonville from NW Arkansas. Last season, this game lived up to the hype and then some. Bentonville would win a shootout, with a 56-46 victory over the visiting Tigers. This year, Broken Arrow will look to get a little payback on their visitors from Arkansas. In a game featuring plenty of offense, Broken Arrow actually outgained Bentonville 595 to 453 yards. The majority of Broken Arrow's production came on the ground with over 350 yards rushing. BA will look to slow down Bentonville's passing attack. <br><strong>Sept. 1 - AT Union</strong><br>- After losing 14 consecutive losses to the Redhawks from 2009-2017, Broken Arrow rattled off four straight wins but it's been all Union ever since. In fact, these two teams have met not only in the regular season, but they've gone head to head in the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. The Redhawks have won five straight against the Tigers, including back to back seasons where they swept the regular season and playoff meetings. After three straight seasons where Broken Arrow had their season end in the playoffs at the hands of their rivals from Union, BA wants to turn things around. <br>Sept. 8 - AT Owasso<br>Sept. 22 - Southmoore<br>Sept. 29 - Norman North<br>Oct. 5 - AT Westmoore<br>Oct. 13 - Bixby<br>Oct. 20 - AT Enid<br><strong>Oct. 27 - Jenks</strong><br>- The Tigers have had this one circled after the way this one ended since the end of last season. They jumped out 14-0 on the Trojans halfway through the first quarter last season and then led 28-14 after three quarters but Jenks came back each time. The Trojans forced overtime and after blocking Broken Arrow's extra point, the Trojans survived to win an instant classic at home. Now, Broken Arrow will play host to the Trojans in a game that will have massive playoff implications. This district has the potential to be much more competitive this fall so this could decide who gets a first round bye. <br>Nov. 2 - AT Moore</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Notable</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This probably has felt like a long offseason for the Tigers as they look to turn things around in a big way this fall. The 5-7 mark in 2022 was the first losing season for Broken Arrow in over two decades. The tough non-district schedule, combined with close games that went to overtime led to a losing record in the regular season. But the Tigers were able to make it to the quarterfinal round before losing to Union in another playoff meeting. But year three of the Josh Blankenship era is going to be an interesting one because that non-district schedule is still tough and their district appears to be much improved from a year ago. Then you throw in the fact that the Tigers are going to be playing a talented, but very inexperienced roster, and we could end up seeing Broken Arrow go through some growing pains this season. The Tigers could be one of the more unpredictable teams in Class 6A-1 this season but there should be excitement each and every week.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Championship History</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>1 State Championship&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2018 - Beat Jenks 28-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->