Hooker Bulldogs 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 Hooker Bulldogs!   RELATED   <a href="https://youtu.be/0kMPiGqLpAI" data-type="link" data-id="https://youtu.be/0kMPiGqLpAI">- Hooker Video Preview With HC Tanner McBee</a>   Hooker Bulldogs   Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #8 In Class A-1   Head Coach: Tanner McBee - 2nd Season - 9-3 Record At Hooker   2025 RESULTS (9-3 Record - Lost In Class A-1 Quarterfinals)   Aug. 29th - Beat Sunray, TX. 50-42 (OT) Sept. 5th - Beat Guymon 39-0 Sept. 12th - Lost To Spearman, TX. 61-26 Sept. 26th - Beat Sayre 37-19 Oct. 3rd - Beat Hinton 42-6 Oct. 10th - Beat Cashion 49-28 Oct. 16th - Lost To Fairview 35-8 Oct. 24th - Beat Merritt 53-20 Oct. 31st - Beat Watonga 34-14 Nov. 7th - Beat Crescent 52-33 1st Round - Beat Frederick 34-20 Quarterfinals - Lost To Rejoice Christian 49-8   2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 36 Points Per Game 2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 27.3 Points Per Game   The Hooker Bulldogs came into the 2025 football season with back to back trips to the state championship game but having to settle for silver. It was also the beginning of a new era of Hooker football as Tanner McBee was hired as head coach after Trevor Powers took a job in Kansas. The Bulldogs came out swinging in non-district play, going 2-1, winning an overtime game against a Texas program and losing to another one. They were 4-1 going into the two toughest games on the schedule. First, they took care of Cashion in week six, winning 49-28 and the Bulldogs once again looked like a state title contender. But the following week, they slipped up, losing 35-8 to Fairview. Because of that, Hooker was behind the eight ball in the race for the district championship. They wouldn't lose again for the rest of the regular season. They finished the regular season with an 8-2 record, finishing second in the district behind Fairview. They would take care of business in the first round, beating Frederick 34-20. That set up a long road trip for the quarterfinal and a rematch of the 2024 state championship game. They traveled to Owasso to face Rejoice Christian and for the second straight year, they lost to the Eagles and they would go on to win the state championship. The season came to an end with a 9-3 record and a loss in the quarterfinals. But Hooker was once again one of the top teams in Class A-1 and expectations will remain the same as they turn the page and look ahead to 2026. Things might look a little different on the field but Hooker will still be one of the top contenders.    2026 OUTLOOK   Hooker comes into the 2026 football season as a ranked team, ready to make another possible run to Edmond. But things will certainly look different from the last few seasons. First off, the Bulldogs will have a new leader on the offensive side of the ball. They bring back six starters on offense and all eyes will be on the running game. But they will have a new quarterback, in addition to a few other new names sprinkled in for a unit that averaged over 35 points per game last season. However, the production they bring back in the running game will put them in a position to be just fine this season. On the other side of the ball, the Bulldogs also bring back six starters. They'll look to improve from last season, where they gave up around 28 points per game. The Bulldogs are confident coming into this season considering the production and experience they bring back. But they will definitely need those new names to come along in a hurry. Because the non-district schedule is a competitive one but it will also get them battle-tested for what looks to be the toughest district in Class A-1. There are three teams from this district (including Hooker) that are ranked and ranked high in the preseason rankings. Now, preseason rankings don't mean that much but it does show how difficult this district is going to be. However, this shouldn't be anything that's different for Hooker as they've played in tough districts the last few seasons and have had a lot of success. The Bulldogs have won at least nine games in each of the last five seasons. They have been one of the most consistent winners during this stretch and there's no reason to think that they won't be in that position again in 2026.   KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION   Gannon Hill - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Keilan Robinson - Quarterback/Defensive Back (2025 All State Honorable Mention)   PLAYERS TO WATCH    2027 two-way star [player_tooltip player_id='1108554' first='Gunnar' last='Martens'] is the first of two massive returning playmakers for the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball. Martens was a jack of all trades on offense last season. He finished with nearly 300 rushing yards and then also had nearly 200 receiving yards to go along with four touchdowns on the season. He turned around and finished with nearly 60 tackles, nearly 20 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Martens is going to come into this season expecting to be a versatile playmaker on offense and then also be one of their top defenders throughout the season. Martens had a terrific junior season and we're looking forward to seeing how he builds on that in 2026.     2027 running back and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1084102' first='Justin' last='Palacios'] will go into this season as arguably the most experienced player in Class A-1 football. Palacios has been starting and playing very meaningful football since his freshman season. Last year, Palacios finished with nearly 1,300 yards on the ground and nearly 500 yards receiving. He was one of the state's best at finding the end zone, scoring 27 touchdowns on the season. He also had over 100 tackles on the defensive side of the ball. Palacios was without a doubt one of the best two-way players in the state, regardless of class. He's looking to help guide the Bulldogs back to the state title game for the third time in four years.    (2025 All State Honorable Mention)     2028 offensive lineman and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='2263229' first='Kip' last='Nunley'] is expected to play a huge role for the Bulldogs this season. After enjoying a successful breakout sophomore season, Nunley will have more put on his plate this season. The Bulldogs are expecting him to start at left tackle and be the foundational piece of their offensive line. Nunley will also turn around and be an impact player on defense. Whether he's lining up as a linebacker or closer to the line of scrimmage, Nunley can produce. Last season, he finished with 65 tackles, over ten tackles for loss and six sacks. Nunley is the latest product from a family that has been very productive for Hooker football.     Arguably the biggest hole that the Bulldogs have to fill this season is at the quarterback position. They have to replace one of the more athletic players in the class and they believe they have their answer. 2028 quarterback and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1832989' first='Roy' last='Herald'] looks like he'll be QB1 for the Bulldogs this season. He saw limited playing time last year but he won't go into the 2026 football season with zero experience. Herald will be thrown into the fire this season, looking to lead this Hooker offense. But he will benefit from having some key returning pieces. Sharing the backfield with Palacios should take a lot of pressure off Herald having to be Superman for this Bulldog offense.     As Hooker brings in a new quarterback for this season, more will be put on the plate for 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2263228' first='Shase' last='Redmond'] at the wide receiver position. Redmond is the top returning receiver in the Hooker offense and the expectation is for him to be the top target this season. You could see flashes of him being a potential star last season. But Hooker was also a very run-heavy offense and they frankly didn't throw the ball as much as we might see them throw it this season. So while we saw flashes from Redmond last season, the expectation is for him to be one of the better receivers in Class A-1. With defenses focusing on slowing down their run game, that will open things up for Redmond to shine.    MORE NAMES TO KNOW   Alexavier Garcia - 2029 Running Back/Defensive Back Jayden Mata - 2029 Running Back/Defensive Back Julian Palacios - 2030 Offensive Lineman/Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1832179' first='Ryker' last='Hill'] - 2028 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back   2026 SCHEDULE   Aug. 28th - AT Gruver, TX. - The Hooker Bulldogs open up the 2026 football season with a trip to Texas to face Gruver. This will be the first of two trips to Texas for the Bulldogs this season. It will also be the first time these two have met on the gridiron in 15 years. They played in non-district play back in 2010 and 2011. They split that two-year series.  Sept. 4th - Guymon - In week one, Hooker will have their home opener against fellow panhandle program Guymon. These two teams have met in non-district play in each of the last two seasons. The Bulldogs have rolled each time. They won 70-19 in their first meeting in 2024 and then followed that up with a 39-0 victory over Guymon last season.  Sept. 11th - AT Spearman, TX. - Hooker goes back down to Texas to square off with Spearman to wrap up non-district play in week two. The Bulldogs have faced Spearman in non-district play the last two seasons. They won the first meeting 28-21 in 2024 but last year's meeting did not go well. They were beaten down by Spearman 61-26 in week two.  Sept. 25th - AT Hinton - After a week off, Hooker will open up district play in week four with a road trip to Hinton. These two have been district opponents in each of the last two seasons and the Bulldogs will look to continue dominating this series. Hooker won 42-6 in last year's meeting and also scored a 48-0 win in their first meeting back in 2024.  Oct. 2nd - Tonkawa - The Bulldogs play in front of the home fans for the first time in nearly a month when they host Tonkawa in week five. This will be one of the biggest games of the year in Class A-1 as it matches up the last two A-1 Runner Ups and both teams expect to contend in 2026. It will also be the first meeting between these two programs.  Oct. 9th - AT Crescent - Sandwiched in between arguably the two toughest games of the season is this week six road trip to face Crescent. The Bulldogs have taken care of business against Crescent in each of the last two seasons. They won 40-0 in 2024 and then won 52-33 in last year's meeting. Crescent will have a first year head coach this fall.  Oct. 15th - Fairview - On a Fall Break Thursday night, the Bulldogs will host Fairview in another monumental district showdown. These two teams have been outstanding district rivals for nearly two decades. Fairview got the best of the Bulldogs last year, winning 35-8. The year before, Hooker took down Fairview 38-7, ending their lengthy winning streak. Oct. 23rd - Watonga - After the showdown with Fairview, Hooker will host Watonga in week eight. These two have been district opponents the last two seasons but they've also met in each of the last four years. This series has been completely one-sided for the Bulldogs. They won last year's meeting 34-14. But the three meetings prior were all 50+ wins for Hooker. Oct. 30th - AT Sayre - After a couple home games in a row, Hooker goes back on the road to face Sayre in week nine. The Bulldogs have faced Sayre in district play every year since 2020. They've also not been challenged in this series. They've won every meeting during this stretch and they've done so by 15 points or more, including last year's 37-19 win. Nov. 6th - Merritt - The regular season comes to an end with a home game against Merritt. These two teams have been district foes for a while now and the Bulldogs have been absolutely dominant in this series. They've played every year since 2016 and the Bulldogs are a perfect 10-0. They won 53-20 in last season's meeting.    NOTABLE   The Hooker Bulldogs have been a consistent playoff team over the last six years but they've also been a good luck charm to their class. In the last six seasons, Hooker has lost to the eventual state champion on five different occasions. They lost to Cashion in 2020 and 2021 as the Wildcats went back to back as state champs. They then lost to Fairview in 2023, followed by losses to Rejoice Christian in back to back seasons in 2024 and 2025. Hooker is hungry to get over the hump this season and if they continue their playoff streak, they will certainly go into the playoffs as a battle-tested team. But that was the case the last few seasons for the Bulldogs. They've routinely been in one of the more competitive districts in the state and this year is no different. But for the 2026 season, Hooker is hopeful to end this streak of losing to the team that goes on to win the state championship. This year, they're hoping to raise the gold ball themselves.   LAST FIVE SEASONS   2025 - 9-3 - Lost In Class A-1 Quarterfinals 2024 - 12-2 - Class A-1 Runner Ups 2023 - 12-3 - Class A Runner Ups 2022 - 9-4 - Lost In Class A Quarterfinals 2021 - 10-2 - Lost In Class A 2nd Round   CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY   0 State Championships

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