Wagoner Bulldogs OK 2025 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 even into August, we are publishing well over 100 of the most in-depth team previews that you'll find anywhere to get you completely ready for the 2025 football season. This is something that began for us at PRZ-Oklahoma in 2021 and it continues to get bigger and better every single year. We're looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state in every class. From defending champions, to the top contenders and plenty of dark horses and other teams to know, we'll have complete coverage every single day. There will be multiple previews dropping every single day! In this post, we take a look at the Wagoner Bulldogs!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Wagoner Bulldogs&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #7 In Class 4A</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Head Coach: Kimes Gilbert - 1st Season</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 RESULTS (13-1 Record - Class 4A Runner Ups)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 6th - Beat Coweta 36-7<br>Sept. 13th - Beat Tahlequah 51-7<br>Sept. 20th - Beat Bristow 41-7<br>Sept. 27th - Beat Fort Gibson 54-14<br>Oct. 4th - Beat Miami 55-13<br>Oct. 11th - Beat Catoosa 59-7<br>Oct. 17th - Beat Cushing 42-21<br>Oct. 25th - Beat Grove 53-0<br>Nov. 1st - Beat Skiatook 62-6<br>Nov. 8th - Beat Oologah 40-13<br>1st Round - Beat Poteau 49-21<br>Quarterfinals - Beat Clinton 29-0<br>Semifinals - Lost To Elgin 33-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>2024 Offensive Scoring Average: 44.7 Points Per Game<br>2024 Defensive Scoring Average: 11.5 Points Per Game</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wagoner came into the 2024 season as the #2 team in our preseason rankings but the top-ranked team according to 4A coaches. And they certainly played like a team capable of winning another state championship. Simply put, Wagoner was absolutely dominant throughout the 2024 season. They ran through their non-district schedule, outscoring their three opponents 128-21. That domination didn't slow down when the district slate opened up. In fact, it just got worse for Wagoner's opponents. The Bulldogs captured another district championship after running through the seven game slate, finishing the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record. Wagoner's closest district contest was a 21-point victory over Cushing. Wagoner continued to roll in the playoffs, beating Poteau in the first round with ease and then shutting out Clinton in the quarterfinals. That punched Wagoner's ticket to another semifinal appearance and a showdown with undefeated Elgin. Class 4A felt like a three-team race all season with Wagoner, Elgin and Tuttle. Two of those teams were going to have to meet before the championship game and it ended up being Wagoner and Elgin on the same side of the bracket. The season came to an end with a 33-10 victory over an Elgin team that would go on to win their first state championship in school history. But the most shocking moment happened a few weeks after the season ended. Longtime head coach Dale Condict stepped down after accepting the head coach position at Muskogee. 2025 will be the start of a truly new era in Wagoner football.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2025 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wagoner has been so dominant for the last two decades and now they enter a season with a new head coach and there will be some obvious growing pains. Kimes Gilbert was announced as Wagoner's head coach after several seasons at Chisholm. But not only will Wagoner look different from a coaching standpoint, the Bulldogs have to replace quite a bit from last year's team. Only two starters are back on the offensive side of the ball. This will be a new look team after they lost a lot of their production from last season. The same will be the same on the defensive side of the ball as Wagoner returns just two starters there as well. And let's just be honest here about the roster. Wagoner's previous senior class was a special one and there were multiple guys that started two-three seasons that graduated. This year was going to feature growing pains no matter who was in charge. But it also didn't help Wagoner when several of the Bulldogs left the program and landed with Condict at Muskogee. So this year's Wagoner team is going to look different from top to bottom. But we still like their chances in Class 4A and they are once again a preseason top ten team and someone you have to take seriously. If Wagoner comes together, they could still contend for the district championship and if they do that, they'll be in a good position when the playoffs begin in November. This is a program that is used to competing for state championships and even though they got an overhaul in the last eight months, those expectations haven't changed.&nbsp;</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>Alex Shieldnight - Defensive End (Signed With Oklahoma - All State Honorable Mention)<br>Dax Griffin - Offensive Lineman (Signed With NEO - All State Honorable Mention)<br>Kale Charboneau - Quarterback/Linebacker (Signed With NSU - All State 1st Team Selection)</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":["1718190"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687a661bb144d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Junior offensive and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1718190' first='Anthony' last='Harris'] is the first of two starters returning on the offensive side of the ball. Harris started for the Bulldogs on the line of scrimmage but he also turned around and saw plenty of time on the defensive line. He didn't start on defense last season but it wouldn't be surprising to see him make that move this fall. Wagoner is moving things around defensively and that could open up a slot for Harris to be a disruptor on the defensive side of that line of scrimmage. Whether it's on offense or defense, Harris will be an important piece for Wagoner this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1718196"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687a661bb14c6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1718196' first='Javon' last='Smith'] is one of the lone returning starters for the Wagoner defense as the Bulldogs head into the 2025 football season. Last year, Smith lined up primarily on the defensive line but he's now listed on the roster as an inside linebacker. But when Smith was lined up on the defensive line, he was incredibly productive and between his experience and production, he brings a lot to the table for the Wagoner defense. Look for Smith to be one of the vocal leaders on the defense and someone who is one of the team's leading tacklers by the end of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1718189"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687a661bb151e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1718189' first='Keyshaun' last='Brown'] was one of the top returning juniors that the Wagoner coaches mentioned going into this season. Quarterback is one of the biggest question marks as they have to replace a three-year starter and somebody who was incredibly productive in the run game as well as the passing game. Brown appears to be a guy that the Bulldogs could use at quarterback this season. He will also turn around and play some defense at defensive back. There's no doubt that the Wagoner quarterback has big shoes to fill but again, it's just a one game at a time approach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1718197"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687a661bb156b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wagoner has to replace quite a bit on the offensive side of the ball. Brown might be the guy at quarterback but they have other question marks but one spot they don't have to worry about is the offensive line. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1718197' first='Stavery' last='James'] returns for another season as a starter on the offensive line. He's one of two returning starters for the Bulldogs on offense and he'll be lining up on the interior of the O-line. Similar to how Smith will be able to help Wagoner's new starters on defense get in the right position and grow up quickly, we think James could do the same thing on offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>MORE NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Drake Sherman - 2029 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Elijah Curtis - 2027 Wide Receiver/Linebacker<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1613050' first='Gavin' last='Edwards'] - 2029 Running Back/Linebacker<br>Kaden Holladay - 2028 Tight End/Linebacker<br>Logan Jones - 2027 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Mark Goins - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Ryan Sherman - 2029 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Zion Corey - 2027 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2025 SCHEDULE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sept. 5th - AT Coweta</strong><br>- The regular season kicks off with the annual rivalry game between Coweta and Wagoner. This time, Wagoner goes down Highway 51 to Coweta to square off with the Tigers. Wagoner is looking to win their third straight in the series and kick off the Kimes Gilbert era with a bang.&nbsp;<br><strong>Sept. 12th - AT Tahlequah</strong><br>- For the sixth straight season, Wagoner will square off with Tahlequah in non-district play. It's been a solid series for the Bulldogs. They've won the previous five meetings but the Tigers have challenged Wagoner at times. The Bulldogs won 51-7 last season at home.&nbsp;<br><strong>Sept. 19th - Bristow</strong><br>- Wagoner wraps up non-district play at home, against Bristow. Wagoner beat Bristow 41-7 last season but the previous four meetings were back and forth. Wagoner went 2-2 against Bristow in district play from 2018-2021. But Bristow will have a first year head coach once again this fall.&nbsp;<br><strong>Sept. 26th - Fort Gibson</strong><br>- District play will open up at home against Fort Gibson. Last year was their first meeting in district play since 2009, although they've met plenty of times since in non-district or playoff action. Fort Gibson is a team to look out for in 2025 with some of their returning talent.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 3rd - AT Miami</strong><br>- Wagoner hits the road for the first time in district play here. The last time they lost to Miami was 2004. Since then? 20 consecutive victories over the Wardogs, including last year's 55-13 win. Wagoner will wrap up the first half of the regular season with this road game in Miami.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 10th - Catoosa</strong><br>- The second half of the regular season begins at home, against Catoosa. This is another district series that has been completely one-sided, in favor of the Bulldogs. Wagoner has met Catoosa 15 times since the start of the 2010 season and are 15-0. They won 59-7 last year.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 16th - AT Cushing</strong><br>- Cushing has become Wagoner's top rival (outside of the traditional rivalry with Coweta) on their schedule. In week seven, the Bulldogs go on the road to square off with the Tigers once again. They won 42-21 last season but Cushing will be hungry for another crack at the Bulldogs.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 24th - Grove</strong><br>- Wagoner will host Grove in week eight and this will be a match-up of two teams with new head coaches. Wagoner has won 13 of the last 14 in this series, including last year's 53-0 victory over the Ridgerunners. But these two have played some very competitive games in the last five years.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 31st - AT Skiatook</strong><br>- Depending on how the previous games went, Wagoner could be closing in on another district title by the time of this week nine game with Skiatook. Wagoner will go on the road here and look for their eighth consecutive win in the series. They beat Skiatook 62-6 last season.<br><strong>Nov. 7th - Oologah</strong><br>- A decade ago this was one of the more competitive rivalries in the state but Wagoner has owned the overall series and has been rather dominant recently. Wagoner hosts Oologah in week ten and will be looking for their sixth straight win in the series. They won 40-13 last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the first time since 2004, the Wagoner Bulldogs are going to be playing under the direction of someone other than Dale Condict. In December, Wagoner's longtime head coach was hired as the next head coach at Muskogee. After 19 seasons and nearly 250 wins at Wagoner alone, Condict has moved on. And for first year head coach Kimes Gilbert, it will feel like stepping into the pressure cooker. Before Condict took over at Wagoner in 2005, the Bulldogs made just 14 playoff appearances and only one state championship game appearance. Wagoner made the playoffs in all 19 seasons under Condict and captured six state championships from 2011-2022. Wagoner renamed the stadium after Condict. Needless to say, Gilbert is replacing the greatest football coach in school history and one of the best in the state. He was hired as the next head coach of the Bulldogs after leading Chisholm for two seasons. Before that, he was an assistant at Choctaw. Now, he takes over a Wagoner program that expects to contend for state championships every single season. Pressure cooker.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>LAST FIVE SEASONS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 - 12-1 - Lost In Class 4A Semifinals<br>2023 - 13-1 - Class 4A Runner Ups<br>2022 - 11-3 - Class 4A State Champions<br>2021 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 4A Quarterfinals<br>2020 - 14-0 - Class 4A State Champions</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>6 State Championships</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2022 - Beat Cushing 24-21<br>2020 - Beat Clinton 42-13<br>2016 - Beat Oologah 28-13<br>2015 - Beat Oologah 15-14<br>2014 - Beat Oologah 45-21<br>2011 - Beat Clinton 23-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->