Bartlesville Bruins 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 Bartlesville Bruins!   RELATED   <a href="https://youtu.be/aP4L_j-0iE0" data-type="link" data-id="https://youtu.be/aP4L_j-0iE0">- Bartlesville Video Preview With HC Matt Hennesy</a>   Bartlesville Bruins    Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #9 In Class 6A-2   Head Coach: Matt Hennesy   - 1st Season    2025 RESULTS (3-8 Record - Lost In Class 6A-2 1st Round)   Aug. 29th - Lost To Newcastle 51-34 Sept. 5th - Lost To Claremore 29-20 Sept. 19th - Lost To Collinsville 47-27 Sept. 26th - Lost To Sand Springs 51-0 Oct. 3rd - Lost To Sapulpa 41-21 Oct. 10th - Lost To Muskogee 48-0 Oct. 16th - Beat Putnam City North 42-28 Oct. 23rd - Lost To Ponca City 24-23 Oct. 30th - Beat Putnam City West 41-0 Nov. 7th - Beat Capitol Hill 55-0 1st Round - Lost To Piedmont 53-28   2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 26.5 Points Per Game 2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 33.8 Points Per Game   The Bartlesville Bruins had an up and down year in 2025. It ultimately ended up being a repeat season of 2024 as they would go 3-8 and make the playoffs but exit in the first round. Things did not start well for the Bruins as the most difficult part of their schedule was in the first half of the season. With some young players sprinkled throughout the lineup on both sides of the ball, they certainly went through some growing pains. They kicked off the season against three teams from Class 5A that would all be playoff teams, including a semifinalist in Newcastle. They went 0-3 against the three teams and opening up district play wouldn't be much easier. They opened district play against eventual state champion Sand Springs and suffered their toughest loss of the season. They followed that up with back to back losses of Sapulpa and Muskogee. They were 0-6 but more importantly, 0-3 in district play and couldn't afford more losses. They rallied in the final four weeks as the schedule lightened up and allowed them to stack wins and punch their ticket to the playoffs. They beat Putnam City North 42-28, followed by a one-point loss to Ponca City the following week. But the Bruins were dominant in their final two games, beating Putnam City West and Capitol Hill by a combined score of 96-0 to finish the regular season at 3-7 but they won the right games to get into the playoffs. The season ultimately came to an end in the first round, losing 53-28 to Piedmont. Following the season, Bartlesville decided it was time to turn the page and begin a new era of Bruin football as the calendar turned to 2026.    2026 OUTLOOK   In December, Bartlesville announced that they had hired Matt Hennesy to be their next head football coach. Hennesy comes to Bartlesville after very successful stints at Pawhuska and Locust Grove. He has a reputation for turning around programs and doing it incredibly quickly. But more on that later in the preview. Hennesy has put together a very solid coaching staff, including the state's all time leading passer Mason Fine to be their offensive coordinator. Former Oklahoma Sooner Eric Striker will be coaching linebackers and there's a lot of confidence that the Bruins will be able to turn things around sooner rather than later. Bartlesville brings back eight starters on the offensive side of the ball, including the quarterback and the offensive line. They also have a new name on offense that could help them reach new heights on that side of the ball. Defensively, the Bruins bring back five starters but there is room for improvement and the linebacker group looks like it will be the strength of that side of the ball. And with the potential of the offense, the defense won't be tasked with holding teams every single week because the offense will be able to hold their own on the scoreboard. Ultimately, it wouldn't surprise us if the Bruins turn things around as soon as this season when you consider everything involved. Because Bartlesville's district only has six teams, the Bruins know they're going to be in the playoffs already. But they aren't satisfied with that. They want to contend for a higher playoff seed, a district championship and ultimately, a state championship. It will be a difficult road but don't be surprised if the Bruins are one of the biggest turnaround teams in the state this year.    KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION   Ivan Griffith - Defensive Back Sutton Williams - Running Back   PLAYERS TO WATCH    2027 two-way starter [player_tooltip player_id='1613159' first='Boden' last='Roberts'] is a player that we're very excited to watch this season. Offensively, Roberts will start as a tight end and he was incredibly productive in this role a season ago. In fact, he ended up being one of the team's leading receivers. He was second on the team in catches but actually led the team in receiving yards with just over 700. Then he turned around and had a very productive season on defense at the linebacker position. And with Hennesy coming in, we're confident that his numbers on defense will go up as he's put in a place to be very productive. He'll be arguably the top two-way player on this team.     2027 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1831225' first='Caiden' last='Chambers'] leads an offensive line group that brings back everyone from last year's team. There are also some young players that might end up rotating into this group but Chambers is a guy that we're looking to to be the leader of this group. As you look at this offense, the Bruins have a lot of firepower in the passing game and could end up being a high-scoring unit. But nothing happens on this side of the ball without Chambers and the Bruin offensive line. If they can set the tone on the line of scrimmage and give their skill players time, this offense could really explode and have a breakout season.     2028 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1167484' first='Michael' last='Kent'] is ready for his third season as a starter in the Bartlesville offense. He took over as QB1 during his freshman season and is coming off a very exciting sophomore campaign. He threw for over 2,200 yards and 16 touchdowns while also adding over 400 yards and a few touchdowns on the ground. Kent is a terrific athlete that is only getting better every time he steps on the field. We're fired up to see what he does in Bartlesville's new offense. Being coached by the state's all time leading passer should also be a huge plus. Kent could take a huge jump as an overall quarterback this fall.    (2025 All State Honorable Mention)     If you're looking for a potential breakout star heading into the 2026 season, here's our pick for this fall. 2027 wide receiver and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='2198337' first='Price' last='Lusk'] is a new name on the Bartlesville roster after moving up from Broken Arrow. But he has all the potential in the world to become one of the top wide receivers in Class 6A-2 this fall. He has size at 6'3 and can absolutely move on the football field. He has legitimate speed and shiftiness that is going to make him an absolute match-up nightmare for opposing defensive backs. Now, he has to go out and prove it on Friday nights this fall but the potential is clearly there.     2027 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='2193008' first='Wyatt' last='Mathis'] comes back after leading the team in tackles a season ago and the sky is the limit for what he can do this season. Like we mentioned with Roberts, Mathis is going to be put in a position, playing for Hennesy where he can absolutely excel. Just look at what Hennesy-coached linebackers have done recently and it wouldn't be surprising to see Mathis have that monster senior season. We're also high on the Bartlesville senior after watching him go to work for a few hours at our May showcase camp. He was one of the top linebackers in attendance and he looks primed for a big 2026 season.    MORE NAMES TO KNOW   Brodie Coslett - 2027 Linebacker Cash Hancock - 2029 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='2199185' first='Christian' last='Ketiku'] - 2028 Defensive Back Colson Jernigan - 2027 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1834268' first='Dakaraii' last='Stewart'] - 2029 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1837449' first='Davin' last='Carter'] - 2027 Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1834656' first='EJ' last='Belisle'] - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='1833371' first='Eman' last='George'] - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Gavin Thomas - 2028 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1837452' first='Jesus' last='Ortiz'] - 2027 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1833229' first='Landen' last='Shaw'] - 2028 Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='1839089' first='Landry' last='Holmes'] - 2028 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1831234' first='Matthew' last='Sears'] - 2027 Wide Receiver Wyatt Cox - 2028 Offensive Lineman   2026 SCHEDULE   Aug. 28th - Skiatook - The 2026 football season opens up with a home game against Skiatook in week zero. These two teams haven't met on the gridiron in over a decade. They met in non-district play from 2010-2013 but haven't met since. The Bruins went 3-1 during that stretch. They're hoping to kick off the season with an emphatic win in week zero.  Sept. 4th - AT Claremore - Bartlesville heads to Claremore in week one and this has been a non-district series for the Bruins since 2018 and they are looking to turn things around. They won three straight in the series from 2020-2022 but they've lost the last three to the Zebras, including last year's 29-20 loss. The Bruins could pick up some big momentum with a win here. Sept. 11th - Collinsville - The Bruins return home to face Collinsville in week two and this is a non-district series that has been completely one-sided against the Bruins. They've met every year in non-district play since starting the series in 2018. The first three games were incredibly close but overall, they've lost eight straight to the Cardinals and will be determined to turn things around in 2026. Sept. 18th - AT Enid - The Bruins go on the road to face Enid in week three. Bartlesville and the Plainsmen haven't met on the gridiron in a little over a decade. They played in non-district play from 2006-2015 but haven't played since that 2015 meeting that the Bruins won 42-20. Enid is a 6A-1 program that is going independent this season and next year as well.  Oct. 2nd - Yukon - Bartlesville wraps up a lengthy and competitive non-district slate with arguably the toughest match-up in the first half of the schedule. They'll host Yukon out of 6A-1 in week five and the Millers look to be very improved heading into the 2026 season. This will also be the first meeting between these two teams in recent memory.  Oct. 9th - Sand Springs - After five weeks of non-district action, the district slate finally opens and it couldn't be a tougher match-up for the Bruins. They'll host defending state champion Sand Springs in week six to open up their district schedule. They've lost six straight to the Sandites, a streak that started in 2020, including last year's 51-0 loss.  Oct. 15th - AT Booker T Washington - The Bruins head south to Tulsa to face Booker T Washington as the Hornets are back in Class 6A-2 after spending the last two seasons in Class 5A. The Hornets have dominated this series historically but the Bruins did win the last meeting in 2023, winning 21-10 to open up district play. Needless to say, this will be a big game towards seeding. Oct. 23rd - Ponca City - The Bruins are road warriors in the final four weeks of the season but this will be their final home game of the regular season. They host Ponca City in week eight and this is a big game towards playoff seeding. Last year, they lost a tough one to the Wildcats, 24-23. They beat Ponca City 30-20 in 2024. This game will decide a lot with seeding. Oct. 30th - AT Muskogee - Bartlesville and Muskogee have been district foes since Class 6A was split into two divisions and this has been a series that has been dominated by the Roughers. Muskogee won 48-0 last season and have won 9 of the last 12 against Bartlesville since the split in 2014. But the Bruins have several coaches that are very familiar with the Roughers. Nov. 6th - AT Stillwater - Bartlesville will go back on the road to wrap up the regular season and it's another measuring stick game for the Bruins. They'll face Stillwater in week ten and this is a Pioneer team that is coming into this season with state championship aspirations. They haven't faced the Pioneers since they were district opponents in 2022 and 2023.    NOTABLE   The Matt Hennesy era is beginning at Bartlesville and if history repeats itself, the Bruins are going to turn things around sooner rather than later. At Hennesy's last two stops, Locust Grove and Pawhuska, he took a team that had suffered through losing seasons and turned them into contenders. First at Locust Grove, they went 2-28 in the three seasons before he took over. After going 5-5 in his first season, they rattled off a 37-3 record in the next three years. At Pawhuska, they went 0-10 in the season before he took over. They went 6-5 in his first season and followed that up with a 34-6 record after that. And Bartlesville has not been in a position that is comparable to the last two stops. The Bruins are set up for a quicker turnaround and it could start as early as 2026. After going 6-16 in the last two seasons combined, there's no doubt that the Bruins are ready to take the next step and get back to winning and winning at a high level. They have a guy in charge that is synonymous with turning programs around and doing it very quickly. And in 6A-2, where we've seen complete parity with four different state champions in the last four years, don't be surprised if the Bruins start crashing the party.    LAST FIVE SEASONS   2025 - 3-8 - Lost In Class 6A-2 1st Round 2024 - 3-8 - Lost In Class 6A-2 1st Round 2023 - 5-7 - Lost In Class 6A-2 Quarterfinals 2022 - 5-7 - Lost In Class 6A-2 Quarterfinals  2021 - 2-8 - Missed Playoffs   CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY   0 State Championships

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