Ada Cougars OK 2026 Team Preview

Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!   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 2026 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 Ada Cougars!   RELATED   <a href="https://youtu.be/Q7ZB1CWxIQ0" data-type="link" data-id="https://youtu.be/Q7ZB1CWxIQ0">- Ada Video Preview With HC Wade Boyles</a>   Ada Cougars   Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #10 In Class 4A   Head Coach: Wade Boyles - 3rd Season - 18-6 Record At Ada   2025 RESULTS (10-2 Record - Lost In Class 4A Quarterfinals)   Aug. 29th - Beat Durant 31-14 Sept. 5th - Beat Ardmore 41-31 Sept. 12th - Beat McAlester 37-27 Sept. 26th - Beat McLain 52-26 Oct. 3rd - Beat Poteau 49-35 Oct. 10th - Beat Hilldale 61-38 Oct. 16th - Beat Stilwell 49-8 Oct. 24th - Lost To Broken Bow 42-14 Oct. 31st - Beat Glenpool 42-6 Nov. 7th - Beat Sallisaw 21-20 1st Round - Beat Fort Gibson 34-27 Quarterfinals - Lost To Elgin 42-10   2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 36.8 Points Per Game 2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 26.3 Points Per Game   The Ada Cougars came into the 2025 football season with high expectations. They brought back the majority of their starters and were a top five team in Class 4A heading into the season. And through the first two months, they certainly looked like one of the best teams in the class. They took care of business against a very competitive non-district schedule. They would then go into district play and their overall play just continued to improve, week over week. They started the season with a 7-0 record and they won every game by at least ten points. They had a showdown with Broken Bow in week eight and it was a game that eventually decided the district championship. Ada's high-powered offense was limited and the Savages handed the Cougars their first loss of the year. Ada bounced back with wins over Glenpool and Sallisaw in the final two weeks to finish at 9-1 but they would finish second in the district. They beat Fort Gibson in the first round but because they were the district runner up, they had to go on the road to face defending champion Elgin in the quarterfinals. The season came to an end there as they lost to the Owls 42-10. Elgin went on to fall to Tuttle in another 4A title game instant classic. It was the second time in three seasons that Ada had won at least ten games, finishing with a 10-2 record. But there's no doubt that this group has a chip on their shoulders as they enter the 2026 season.    2026 OUTLOOK   Ada is going to look pretty different when they take the field in 2026 but the expectations around this program have not changed. They are a top ten team heading into the season and expect to be a playoff team. Five starters are back on the offensive side of the ball but the majority of those guys will be on the offensive line. They'll have a new quarterback for the first time in several years and they have to replace a lot of their production from the skill positions. Ada is confident in those new names and they'll rely on an offensive line that is ready to pave the way for those new faces. Defensively, the Cougars will also be going through a youth movement with four starters back on that side of the ball. Looking at the roster and some of the returning names, along with some of the new faces they have coming up, we think it's safe to say that Ada is not lacking talent heading into this season but there's no doubt that they will have several new faces on both sides of the ball that we just don't know about yet. Don't be surprised if the Cougars have several players that will enjoy breakout seasons this fall. But when it comes down to it, Ada still finds themselves in one of the toughest districts in the state. Last year, a 7-3 Poteau squad missed the playoffs out of this district. The Cougars are determined to not let that be them. They will be challenged in the non-district slate but that should get them ready for October and beyond.   KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION   Brock Boyles - Quarterback (2025 All State Honorable Mention) Caron Richardson - Running Back (2025 All State Honorable Mention) Dawson Matthews - Offensive Lineman (2025 All State 1st Team Selection)   PLAYERS TO WATCH    2027 running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1837276' first='Cody' last='Carpenter'] is expected to have a major impact on both sides of the ball this season. Offensively, Carpenter was the backup running back for the Cougars and that's a position that they will need someone new to step up this fall. Carpenter won't be a stranger to the Friday night lights as his workload is going to be expanded on offense. Defensively, he'll also be an impact player for the Cougars from the linebacker position. Ada is going to have several players this season that stand out on both sides of the ball. Carpenter has the potential to be one of the more impactful players that start on offense and defense.     2027 tight end and defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='1831991' first='Gus' last='Matthews'] was a breakout player for the Cougars last season. We got a chance to watch Matthews in person back in February at one of our showcase camps. He was working on his skillset as an edge rusher on the defensive line. And it was hard not to be impressed with Matthews as he beat opponent after opponent in one on one competitions. Matthews is a long and athletic prospect that can do a lot of things at a very high level for the Cougars. When we look at his potential for this season, we believe that he's a player that is going to set the tone for Ada's defense and will be one of the top edge rushers in Class 4A.     As it stands right now, Ada has not officially named a starting quarterback but don't be surprised if 2029 signal caller [player_tooltip player_id='1839505' first='Hunter' last='Boren'] sees plenty of action this fall. Boren is a sophomore quarterback that is new to the Ada football program after moving in from Casady, where he was a freshman last year. Ada's coaches have been impressed with Boren's desire to get better every single day and the upside for him moving forward is incredibly high. Ada just had a quarterback that was a four-year starter at the position. Don't be surprised if they inevitably hand the keys to another young quarterback that is showcasing a high ceiling at the position.     2027 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1834818' first='Jake' last='Matthews'] is in the exact same category as brother Gus when it comes to this season. We saw Matthews absolutely dominate everyone he went up against at our February showcase. Ada lost a next level offensive lineman to graduation and Matthews will make sure the Cougars still don't miss a step. Matthews got on our radar in the fall of last season and he's been there ever since. We talked earlier in the preview how the Cougars have to replace a ton of their production from the skill departments. Having Matthews as their foundational piece on the offensive line is going to put Ada in a position to do that much quicker.     2029 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='2262486' first='Tyse' last='Williams'] is a new name that Ada's coaches are very excited about when it comes to his possibilities this fall. Williams is a 6'3 athlete that Ada fans will know from the basketball court. He's a terrific basketball athlete but now, he's putting on the pads and seeing if he can become that next playmaker at the wide receiver position. Williams is a promising basketball prospect but there's a chance that he ends up being the next breakout star on the gridiron. Oklahoma has seen quite a few of those types of players in the last several years. Prospects that start their high school career as a hoops prospect but the ceiling becomes much higher in football.    MORE NAMES TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='1831041' first='Canaan' last='Parker'] - 2027 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='1833850' first='Creed' last='Moore'] - 2027 Defensive Back Gage Vanhorn - 2028 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1831043' first='Jaylon' last='Wortham'] - 2027 Running Back/Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1829085' first='Jayman' last='Ivy'] - 2027 Defensive Lineman Jimmy Velaquez-Gonzales - 2028 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1831045' first='Matthew' last='Hutchins'] - 2027 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='1612300' first='Reece' last='Klaus'] - 2029 - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='1829070' first='Rhett' last='Klaus'] - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back   2026 SCHEDULE   Aug. 28th - Durant - Ada kicks off the 2026 football season at home against Durant. These two teams have played every year since 2012. Most of those meetings have been in non-district action. This will be the fourth straight year that they open the season against one another. Ada will be coming into this year's meeting looking for their seventh straight win over the Lions. Sept. 4th - AT Ardmore - Ada will go on the road in week one to face rival Ardmore in the latest chapter of a very long rivalry series. Ada beat the Tigers 41-31 last season and it was their third win in the last four seasons. Ardmore has had the advantage over Ada in the last 15 years but the momentum is starting to swing to the Cougars and they'll look to continue that.  Sept. 11th - AT McAlester - The Cougars wrap up non-district action with a week two road game in McAlester. The Buffaloes are once again a top ten team in Class 5A so this will be a challenge. Ada beat the Buffaloes 37-27 and these two have played every year since 2018, with the lone exception being 2020. Since 2018, Ada has a 4-3 record against McAlester. Sept. 25th - AT Hilldale - After a week off, Ada opens up their district schedule with a third consecutive road game. They head to Muskogee to face Hilldale in week four. These two have been district opponents for the last four seasons and have been alternating wins each year. Ada beat the Hornets 61-38 last season and Hilldale comes into this year with a new (sort of) head coach. Oct. 2nd - McLain - Ada finally returns home after playing on the road all of September to host McLain in week five. The Titans became district opponents for the Cougars in 2024 and this series has been all Ada ever since. Ada won that first meeting 41-12 and then followed it up with a 52-26 victory last season. They'll look to do the same in 2026.  Oct. 9th - AT Poteau - The Cougars go back on the road in week six to face Poteau in a game with massive playoff implications. As we mentioned, Poteau went 7-3 last year and missed the playoffs. They'll have a chip on their shoulder this season. The Cougars have played Poteau in each of the last four years. They are 2-2 overall but have won the last two meetings. Oct. 15th - Sallisaw - On a Fall Break Thursday night in week seven, Ada will host Sallisaw in another major district match-up. The Cougars beat the Black Diamonds 21-20 last season and they are 4-0 against Sallisaw since these two started playing every year in district play back in 2022. Both teams expect to be playoff teams and ultimately contend for the district title. Oct. 23rd - Mannford - All of Ada's district opponents are the same as they have been with the exception of one. Mannford moves up to Class 4A and into Ada's district. This will be the first meeting between these two teams since they were district opponents in 2012 and 2013. The Cougars were dominant in both of those meetings and they'll expect to continue that this fall. Oct. 30th - AT Broken Bow - There isn't another game on Ada's schedule that is circled more than this one in week nine. The Cougars go on the road to face Broken Bow in a game that decided the district title a year ago. Ada had their three-game winning streak against the Savages snapped last season. Broken Bow comes into this year as the preseason number one team in Class 4A. Nov. 6th - Stilwell - The regular season comes to a close in week ten as the Cougars host Stilwell. These two teams have been district opponents since 2022 and this is another series that Ada has had complete control over. They won 49-8 last year and are 4-0 with all four wins coming by 35+ points. But Stilwell is a program on the rise with young playmakers.    NOTABLE   The Ada Cougars are trying to climb back to the top of the mountain that they lived on for many years. This is a program and more importantly a community that is starving for a shot at the state championship. From 1950-2000, you can certainly make the argument that there wasn't a better high school football program in the state. Nobody had more championships during that stretch than the Cougars. For 29 years, Ada sat atop the record books for the most state championships in Oklahoma with 19 titles. Last year, Carl Albert surpassed them and captured their 20th state championship. Jenks is right behind the Cougars with 18 gold balls. It's been three decades since Ada won their last state championship in 1996. As we mentioned earlier in the preview, Class 4A feels more wide open than in the last few seasons. For Ada, they are hopeful that it means the door is open for a run at their first state championship in three decades.   LAST FIVE SEASONS   2025 - 10-2 - Lost In Class 4A Quarterfinals 2024 - 8-4 - Lost In Class 4A Quarterfinals 2023 - 11-2 - Lost In Class 4A Semifinals 2022 - 7-4 - Lost In Class 4A 1st Round 2021 - 3-7 - Missed Playoffs   CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY   19 State Championships   1996 - Beat McAlester 21-14 1995 - Beat Clinton 17-8 1994 - Beat Clinton 29-7 1993 - Beat Clinton 21-14 1991 - Beat Duncan 21-6 1988 - Beat Broken Bow 35-6 1986 - Beat Guymon 34-17 1980 - Beat Mustang 10-3 1974 - Beat Owasso 1970 - Beat Clinton 21-15 1965 - Beat Altus 18-14 1964 - Beat Star Spencer 33-6 1962 - Beat [player_tooltip player_id='2136437' first='John' last='Marshall'] 14-7 1959 - Beat Blackwell 26-0 1957 - Beat Harding 41-13 1956 - Beat Cushing 33-0 1955 - Beat Ardmore 18-12 1952 - Beat Midwest City 33-6 1951 - Beat Ponca City 20-13

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