Owasso-Bixby Top Performers

<!-- 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>The 2024 season kicked off with a bang in Owasso on Friday night as the #4 Rams would knock off top-ranked Bixby 40-21. Owasso made quite the statement in their season opener, beating a Bixby team that was 74-1 in their last 75 games and have won the last two 6A-1 state titles and six straight state championships. This game got off to a fast start with both teams striking with big plays. However the majority of the first half was a defensive battle after both teams settled in. The Rams would pull away in the second half and they won this game with dominant play along the line of scrimmage and a breakout performance from a junior wide receiver. Below, we take a look at some of the individuals that stood out from both sides of the match-up. After losing four games to Bixby in the last 24 months, the Antonio Graham era officially kicked off in a big way with a win over the Spartans. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/MH3-YsbYg2g">- GAME HIGHLIGHTS</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OWASSO TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1414201' first='Chris' last='Zaferes'] - Junior Running Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Owasso has a deep running back group and we could have picked any part of their three headed monster but we're going with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1414201' first='Chris' last='Zaferes'] here. Between him, Jayden Hill and [player_tooltip player_id='1045556' first='Jayson' last='Moll'], the Rams have an excellent group to carry the ball. Zaferes stood out from the opening series as a very physical runner that excelled when it was time for contact. He was fit in as Owasso's short yardage specialist and would finish the game with a pair of touchdowns. Owasso's offensive line was absolutely dominant and paved the way for the Rams to finish with nearly 250 yards on the ground. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1235926' first='Drew' last='Frankenfield'] - Sophomore Quarterback</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was the debut as QB1 for Owasso sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1235926' first='Drew' last='Frankenfield'] and he definitely passed the test. On the first snap, there was a fumble but from there, he drove the Rams down and scored in the next three plays. The sophomore settled in and played really well and made some very difficult throws look easy. He would go 12-16 for over 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had 60 yards on the ground. Frankenfield is a 2027 quarterback that was on our radar but he was unproven at the varsity level. That's not the case anymore and he looks primed for a monster breakout season this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1163613' first='Jaylon' last='Moll'] - Senior Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When people talk about this game, a lot of attention will be on the breakout performance from Owasso's junior wide receiver. But senior defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1163613' first='Jaylon' last='Moll'] was playing like a man possessed from start to finish. He was matched up with Bixby's top wide receiver and was probably giving up at least six inches in the height department and maybe more. It never once looked like Moll didn't belong and he was a thorn in the side of the Bixby passing attack. And his biggest play came early in the third quarter when Bixby's drive ended as he came up with an interception in the end zone. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1286148' first='Makari' last='Alexander'] - Senior Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moll wasn't the only standout in Owasso's secondary on Friday night. Fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='1286148' first='Makari' last='Alexander'] was outstanding in the first half of their win against Bixby. Similar to Moll, it seemed like every time Alexander was challenged, he answered the call and would perform in a big way. He racked up quite a few tackles and was not afraid to lay a big hit. Alexander is a new name to the Owasso program but he definitely had a major impact in his first game as a Ram. The senior is a terrific athlete and he's gotten his senior year off to a great start. This spring, he got on the radars of D1 programs and that's no surprise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1217089' first='Tahkari' last='Bethel'] - Junior Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Owasso junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1217089' first='Tahkari' last='Bethel'] was the best player on the field Friday night. Anybody who watched the game would say the same thing. He made play after play and had a terrific debut as an Owasso Ram after coming over from Booker T Washington. Bethel would finish the night with two touchdown receptions and a 99-yard kick return for six. He had a fourth touchdown but Bethel was ruled down before the goal line but that just wasn't the case. Bethel had a terrific offseason and has clearly carried that momentum over now that the pads are on. He's a big time playmaker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1179991' first='Tajh' last='Overton'] - Junior Defensive Lineman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Owasso was dominant on both sides of the line of scrimmage Friday night. The Ram defensive line and front seven altogether gave Bixby problems all night. Junior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1179991' first='Tajh' last='Overton'] is widely considered one of the top overall prospects in the state's 2026 class and it was easy to see why on Friday night. He was a big problem for a Bixby offensive line that isn't lacking talent but they had issues containing Overton. A lot of teams will have that problem this season. Owasso finished the night with five sacks and countless pressures and Overton was dominant from the start. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>BIXBY TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1096189' first='Blake' last='Hogshooter'] - Senior Wide Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was not an easy night for senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1096189' first='Blake' last='Hogshooter'] but the Bixby standout wasn't shut down against Owasso. He would finish the night with seven catches for 43 yards and he had to earn everything he got because Owasso's defense did a great job of limiting his impact. Hogshooter came into this game as one of our overall players to watch for week zero and we stand by what we said earlier in the week. The Bixby senior is going to make a lot of plays this season and produce at a high level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='255022' first='Cooper' last='Parker'] - Senior Quarterback/Linebacker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='255022' first='Cooper' last='Parker'] was one of a handful two-way standouts for the Spartans on Friday night. Parker is a terrific linebacker but he also resumed his role as a quarterback that is definitely a run-first QB. He took close to ten snaps at quarterback and almost all of them were runs where he got the shotgun snapped and started powering forward. He was going against an Owasso defensive front that was incredibly aggressive and he still had success. He will be a two-way player to watch this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='414994' first='Cord' last='Nolan'] - Junior Athlete</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='414994' first='Cord' last='Nolan'] was the best part of the Spartans on Friday night, despite coming up short on the road. Whether it was offense or defense, Nolan was their best player and he made a ton of big plays. He had a huge 67-yard gain that would set up a Bixby touchdown and he also ran for a score. Between Nolan and Parker, Bixby has two outstanding physical players that are going to do whatever they have to do to provide an impact for the Spartans. Nolan has been a guy since he was a freshman and he's only getting better. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338550' first='Emory' last='Snyder'] - Junior Defensive Back</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='338550' first='Emory' last='Snyder'] is a player that has been on our radar for a while now but he had a great start to his junior season on Friday night. Snyder came up with an interception and he also just looks the part when he's out there on an island at cornerback. The Bixby junior is long and athletic and he should have plenty of games this year where he makes plays like he did on Friday night. He's a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. He also can make plays on the offensive side of the ball at wide receiver. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->