Stillwater Pioneers 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 Stillwater Pioneers!   RELATED   <a href="https://youtu.be/85sk4R1V-mk" type="link" id="https://youtu.be/85sk4R1V-mk">- Stillwater Video Preview With HC Chad Cawood</a>   Stillwater Pioneers   Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #1 In Class 6A-2   Head Coach: Chad Cawood - 4th Season - 28-9 Record At Stillwater   2025 RESULTS (9-3 Record - Lost In Class 6A-2 Semifinals)   Sept. 5th - Beat Union 41-15 Sept. 12th - Beat Enid 69-0 Sept. 19th - Lost To Carl Albert 28-19 Sept. 26th - Beat Lawton Eisenhower 67-0 Oct. 3rd - Beat U.S. Grant 61-6 Oct. 10th - Beat Northwest Classen 63-0 Oct. 16th - Beat Choctaw 21-14 Oct. 24th - Beat Putnam City 33-20 Oct. 31st - Lost To Piedmont 17-14 Nov. 7th - Beat Southmoore 35-7 Quarterfinals - Beat Southmoore 34-9 Semifinals - Lost To Choctaw 22-14   2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 39.3 Points Per Game 2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 11.5 Points Per Game   We can't help but wonder “what if?” when it comes to Stillwater's 2025 football season. The Pioneers ultimately went 9-3 and the season came to an end in the semifinal round. But this was also a season that was impacted by a season-ending injury to their best offensive weapon and nagging injuries to others. But despite the setbacks, the Pioneers were still in the mix as one of the best teams in 6A-2. The season began with a 41-15 statement win on the road against Union. They began 2-1 after a tough loss to 5A powerhouse Carl Albert in week three. The Pioneers had a big win at home against Choctaw in week seven, followed by a weather-impacted win over Putnam City the following week. Stillwater suffered a setback after those two big district wins. They tripped up 17-14 against Piedmont in week nine before beating Southmoore to wrap up the regular season at 8-2. After a 1st round bye, they faced Southmoore again in the quarterfinals, two weeks after playing the Sabercats in week ten. They beat Southmoore once again, setting up a semifinal showdown with defending champion Choctaw. They beat the Yellowjackets 21-14 back in week seven but they came up short in the semifinals. Choctaw put the Pioneers in a 22-0 hole in the fourth quarter and while the Pioneers didn't go away, the hole was too deep to overcome. The season came to an end at 9-3 and for the second straight season, they lost in the 6A-2 semifinals. But anytime you have a season where you dealt with injuries, one bright side is you head into the next season with some much-needed experience.   2026 OUTLOOK   The Pioneers come into the 2026 season as the preseason number one team in 6A-2 because of the experience and talent they bring back from last year's semifinal team. Stillwater, if healthy, looks like the best team in 6A-2 heading into this season but they have to stay healthy. Offensively, they bring back seven starters from last year's team, including their breakout stars at quarterback and running back, as well as arguably the best wide receiver duo in the state. They need to plug in some new pieces on the offensive line but the coaches are confident in the young guys coming up in those roles. If they stay healthy, this offense has the potential to be one of the higher scoring units in the state. Defensively, they bring back nine starters from a unit that gave up a little over 10 points per game last season. They do have to replace the best player on that unit but they have experience and talent everywhere else to go along with some young names that are primed for breakout moments this fall. And another reason why the Pioneers are sitting on top of the preseason rankings going into the season is the experience factor. Not only do they have 16 returning starters from last year's team, but a lot of those returners have started multiple seasons. They'll be one of the more experienced teams in the state. Now, they are going to test that experience right out of the gate with a very difficult non-district schedule. If the story of the 2025 season was “what if?” then the story of the 2026 season will begin with the words “if healthy” for this fall. If healthy, Stillwater looks like the best team in 6A-2 and they are going to be gunning for their first state championship since 2022.    KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION   Julian Jacobs - Offensive Lineman Nehemiah Kolone - Defensive Lineman (2025 All State 2nd Team Selection)   PLAYERS TO WATCH    2027 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='492379' first='Bradford' last='Mitchell'] is a name in the state's 2027 class that we've known about since early on in his career. But watching Mitchell during the 2025 season, it looked like the light came on for him. Mitchell has always been impressive from a physical standpoint. But that combination of size, speed and overall power really came to the forefront during the 2025 season. Mitchell became a terrorizing defender for the Pioneers. Whether he was coming off the edge or further back as a traditional linebacker, Mitchell played really solid football last season. What's scary is that his best football still seems to be ahead of him. We're looking forward to seeing what jump he makes this fall.    (2025 All State Honorable Mention)     2027 linebacker and Baylor commit [player_tooltip player_id='2149526' first='Bryson' last='Brown'] appears to be ready to lead this Stillwater defense this season. Last year, the Pioneers were led by Kolone but now he's at BYU. They need a new name to step up and be that disruptive and dominant defender in the front seven. Look for Brown to step into those shoes and excel. Brown is going to look the part on every field he steps on and it will be interesting to see what his overall production looks like this season. When we got a chance to watch Brown and the Pioneers in the spring, he was playing a middle linebacker role and roaming sideline to sideline with ease. He comes into 2026 as one of the top linebackers in 6A-2.     You started to see flashes of another potential star in 2029 wide receiver and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1833738' first='Cyrus' last='Johnson'] last season. As a freshman, Johnson cracked the starting lineup and played meaningful snaps against some of the top competition that the Pioneers faced. Offensively, Johnson is another piece to the Stillwater passing game that they will be able to go to when opponents try to slow down their top two guys. He provides them reliable playmaking depth on offense. Defensively, Johnson has shown the ability to be a lockdown corner and he brings that same playmaking ability to the defensive side of the ball. He's a 2029 prospect with a high upside moving forward.     It was around this time last season that we were writing about 2028 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1837221' first='Jaedan' last='Adams'] as being a potential breakout star for the Pioneers. He certainly lived up to the preseason hype and then some during his sophomore season. Adams ran for nearly 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns with over 200 carries on the season. Adams was a prospect we were fired up to watch after hearing about his wrestling background. He plays the running back with a physical presence that defenses have troubles with. We don't know how many broken tackles he ended up with in those 200+ carries but he probably was one of the leaders in the state in that category.    (2025 All State Honorable Mention)     If you had to pick a position group that has the most holes for Stillwater coming into this season, the offensive line would be the selection. But the Pioneers bring back their best guy up front so that hole is not that deep. 2027 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1140727' first='Paxton' last='Pitchford'] returns to be the foundational piece for an offensive line that might be inexperienced but there is plenty of talent there. And it starts with Pitchford right in the heart of this unit. Pitchford has shown the ability to move around and play a variety of positions up front. It doesn't matter where Stillwater puts him, he finds a way to impact the game in a major way. He earned All State 3rd Team honors last season.    (2025 All State 3rd Team Selection)     2027 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='700412' first='Peyton' last='Campbell'] is one of the most underrated players in the state, regardless of class and should be talked about more than he currently is. Everytime we've watched Campbell in person in the last 18 months, he's been one of the best football players on the field. It doesn't matter who Stillwater is playing or if we've watched him at an offseason camp or 7v7 tournament. Campbell is a guy that has a battery that never seems to be running on low. He's similar to Adams where you can never keep him down. Play after play, Campbell is going to be in the mix. Having a guy like that in the secondary is a big reason why we like this Stillwater defense.    (2025 All State Honorable Mention)     Around this time last year, you started to hear more and more about the emergence of 2028 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1173979' first='Satank' last='Taptto'] and how he was the next guy at QB1 for the Pioneers. And with Taptto at quarterback, the Pioneers were going to be able to put a lot of stress on defenses because he's a dual-threat guy that has a rocket arm and unique athleticism and size. Now, Taptto was in a similar position to some of the other guys on this preview. He was dealing with nagging injuries during his sophomore season. So we didn't get to see a full season of work with Taptto at 100 percent. With him back and a year under his belt, we're expecting him to make a huge jump.   (2025 All State Honorable Mention)    MORE NAMES TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='1830976' first='Caden' last='Johnson'] - 2027 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1166475' first='Chandler' last='Johnson'] - 2028 Tight End/Defensive Lineman Chip Purtell - 2028 Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='2168355' first='Daniel' last='Hornbeck'] - 2028 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1516072' first='Dax' last='Renollet'] - 2027 Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='492378' first='Deakon' last='Jones'] - 2027 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1837213' first='Jakoby' last='Petree'] - 2027 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1830979' first='Kyle' last='Stokes'] - 2027 Running Back/Defensive Back [player_tooltip player_id='1828950' first='Parker' last='Peterson'] - 2027 Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1828955' first='Rocky' last='Kolone'] - 2029 Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1830975' first='Treyson' last='Germany'] - 2027 Defensive Lineman Xavier Alanis - 2028 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1837217' first='Zachary' last='Gabbert'] - 2027 Kicker   2026 SCHEDULE   Aug. 28th - Fayetteville, AR. - Stillwater will open up the 2026 football season with a home game against Arkansas powerhouse Fayetteville. The Purple Dawgs come over from northwest Arkansas and it will be the first meeting between these two programs. However, the Pioneers are no strangers to facing Arkansas opponents over the last few years.  Sept. 4th - AT Bixby - It's a renewal of an old 6A-2 rivalry in week one when Stillwater heads east to square off with Bixby. These two teams have not met since Bixby moved up to Class 6A-1 in 2022. They met quite a bit in the playoffs when they were both in 6A-2. The Spartans had the edge in the series and have only continued to get stronger in 6A-1.  Sept. 18th - AT Lawton - After a week off, the Pioneers go back on the road in week three for their longest road trip of the season. They'll head south to square off with Lawton. The Wolverines are an interesting team to watch out for in Class 5A this season. These two were district opponents from 2014-2021 and they each went 4-4 during that time but Stillwater won the last four. Sept. 25th - AT Owasso - Stillwater goes back on the road for the third straight game and back to the Tulsa area to face Owasso to wrap up non-district play. We mentioned earlier how the Pioneers were definitely going to challenge themselves in non-district action. These two teams haven't played since 2013 and this year will be their first meeting since the 6A split.  Oct. 9th - Ponca City - After a week off following a difficult non-district schedule, Stillwater will finally open up district play and play in front of the home fans for the first time in over a month. They host Ponca City in week six and this will actually be their first match-up in over a decade. These two teams were routinely district opponents in the old 32-team 6A but haven't faced off since the 6A split.  Oct. 15th - AT Sand Springs - On a Fall Break Thursday night in week seven, Stillwater will head east to face defending state champion Sand Springs. The Sandites aren't ready to let go of the crown after winning their first state title in nearly six decades. These two teams haven't played since 2023. The Pioneers come into this season with three straight wins over Sand Springs.  Oct. 22nd - Muskogee - A week after the showdown with Sand Springs, the Pioneers will return home to host Muskogee in week eight. These two are district opponents once again after developing quite the rivalry a few years ago. This is the rematch of the 2023 state title game and 2024 semifinals. Muskogee won both of those meetings.  Oct. 30th - AT Booker T Washington - Stillwater heads to north Tulsa in week nine to square off with Booker T Washington. After two seasons in Class 5A, the Hornets are back in Class 6A-2 and these two are district opponents once again. They were district foes in 2022 and 2023. The Pioneers dominated both meetings, winning each game by 30+ points.  Nov. 6th - Bartlesville - The regular season wraps up with a home game against Bartlesville in week ten. The Pioneers met the Bruins a couple times earlier in this decade. They were district opponents in 2022 and 2023. Stillwater won both meetings and a playoff rematch in 2022. The Bruins will look different in 2026 with a new head coach taking over that has a knack for quick turnarounds.    NOTABLE   There is no doubt that Stillwater has become one of the top dogs in Class 6A-2 and a consistent contender year after year. But it hasn't always been that way. In the first five seasons following the Class 6A split, Stillwater went 37-20 with one appearance in the state title game. Since then, in the last seven seasons, Stillwater has gone 71-14 and they've played for the state title three times, winning the gold ball in 2022. While Stillwater has emerged as one of the top dogs in this class, they have some competition at the top. Since Bixby moved to Class 6A-1 in 2022, things have opened up in a new way in 6A-2. In the last four seasons, we've seen four different teams win the state championship. Stillwater (2022) Muskogee (2023) Choctaw (2024) and Sand Springs last year have all raised the gold ball. Now, all four teams are in pursuit of that second gold ball. Stillwater has all the talent to win it all again. Perhaps 6A-2 is the class of parity, year in or year out. Or maybe the Pioneers have the potential to start a new 6A-2 dynasty like the one that we saw from Bixby, that turned them into the kings of Oklahoma high school football.    LAST FIVE SEASONS   2025 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 6A-2 Semifinals 2024 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 6A-2 Semifinals 2023 - 10-3 - Class 6A-2 Runner Ups 2022 - 13-0 - Class 6A-2 State Champions  2021 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 6A-2 Semifinals   CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY   2 State Championships   2022 - Beat Choctaw 26-21 1967 - Beat Okmulgee 15-7

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