Talihina Golden Tigers OK 2026 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</strong></em></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 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 reigning Class A-2 state champion Talihina Golden Tigers!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>RELATED</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><a href="https://youtu.be/miOge8ygspk" type="link" id="https://youtu.be/miOge8ygspk">- Talihina Video Preview With HC Kelly Gravitt</a></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Talihina Golden Tigers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #1 In Class A-2</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Head Coach: Kelly Gravitt - 20th Season - 160-52 Record At Talihina</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2025 RESULTS (14-0 Record - Class A-2 State Champions)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aug. 29th - Beat Summit Christian 67-7<br>Sept. 5th - Beat Porter 34-6<br>Sept. 18th - Beat Broken Bow JV 46-0<br>Sept. 26th - Beat Allen 54-17<br>Oct. 3rd - Beat Gore 61-7<br>Oct. 10th - Beat Central Sallisaw 37-12<br>Oct. 16th - Beat Liberty 62-7<br>Oct. 23rd - Beat Wewoka 48-16<br>Oct. 31st - Beat Regent Prep 40-13<br>Nov. 7th - Beat Mounds 61-0<br>1st Round - Beat Ketchum 51-8<br>Quarterfinals - Beat Healdton 40-7<br>Semifinals - Beat Fairland 47-46<br>Championship - Beat Hominy 26-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 48.1 Points Per Game<br>2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 11.9 Points Per Game</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anyone who watched Talihina come up short in the 2024 Class A-2 state championship game knew that they would be back in the hunt in 2025. With nearly every single starter returning on both sides of the ball, the Golden Tigers were the favorites to raise the gold ball one year after walking off UCO's field with the silver ball. Talihina was our preseason number one team in Class A-2 and they played like the top team all season. They were absolutely dominant during the regular season. The closest challenge they had was a 25-point victory over Central Sallisaw in week six. Other than that, they ran through the season with a 10-0 record and looked like they were on a one-way street to Edmond. They beat up Ketchum and Healdton in the first two rounds. But they found themselves in an absolute fight with Fairland in the semifinals. In fact, the dream season almost came to an end in the semifinals. They had to rally to force overtime and they escaped with a 47-46 victory over the Owls to punch their ticket back to Edmond. In the state championship game, they would lock up with Hominy for the Class A-2 title. But once again, they found themselves in an absolute fight. They led 26-8 halfway through the third quarter. But turnovers would open the door for Hominy to mount a comeback. Talihina stopped a Hominy 4th down attempt with under two minutes to play to secure the 26-20 victory. With the win, Talihina went from not having the numbers to field a team in 2022, to winning the school's first state title since 1966. It capped off what was one of the better stories of Oklahoma high school football in the last two seasons. And as the page turns to 2026, Talihina isn't going anywhere.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2026 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Golden Tigers are in the exact same position in 2026 as they found themselves in 2025. They are number one in our preseason rankings and they are hands down the favorite to capture another state championship this season. With nine starters back on offense and nine back on defense, there aren't many holes in this team that opponents will be able to exploit in 2026. In fact, earlier this year, we ranked Talihina as the defending champion that is most likely to capture another state championship this season. So the expectations are about as high as they could possibly be. But it's understandable when you bring back a quarterback that accounted for 75 touchdowns last season and was one of the best overall players in the state, regardless of class. He led an offense that averaged nearly 50 points per game. They could easily hit that mark again this season. And on the defensive side of the ball, the Golden Tigers were just as talented. The nine starters returning are from a defense that gave up a little over ten points per game last season. Talihina went 14-0 last season and it wouldn't surprise us to see them enjoy another perfect season. Now, they will be challenged with an early season showdown against a defending champion from Arkansas. But they're going to be the heavy favorites in just about every other game on their schedule. Talihina understands that they've gone from the hunter to the hunted and the bullseye is as big as ever before. It's a challenge that they've embraced as they prepare to make their third straight trip to Edmond and raise a second straight gold ball.&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>Jake Sherer - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>Sam Blue - Offensive/Defensive Lineman</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":["1704213"],"_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-6a472b0a66335"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">After a breakout sophomore season, 2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1704213' first='Cy' last='Ammons'] had a terrific junior season that saw his numbers go up in just about every category. Ammons became one of the top targets in the passing game, finishing with 70 catches for just over 1,400 yards and 21 touchdowns. Ammons flourished in the playoffs, having some of his best games in the postseason. He had ten catches for nearly 150 yards and two touchdowns in their semifinal win over Fairland. In fact, you look at his game log and you see that he's a touchdown machine. He caught at least one touchdown pass in all but one game throughout the 2025 football season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1831955"],"_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-6a472b0a66370"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2028 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1831955' first='Gavin' last='Brown'] has run for more than 2,000 yards in the last two seasons alone and he's only going into his junior season. By the time it's all said and done, Brown is going to be one of the more productive running backs in Class A-2 and in the state's 2028 class. Last season, Brown ran for nearly 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also was productive in the passing game, finishing the year with nearly 400 yards and a handful of touchdowns. Brown upped his numbers and overall production from his freshman season. With a lot of opponents trying to limit Talihina's quarterback, that has opened things up for Brown to take full advantage.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1829088"],"_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-6a472b0a66394"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">When you're talking about the players to watch for Talihina coming into the 2026 football season, it's easy to look at the offense and strictly the offense. But don't overlook this defensive unit that gave up just over ten points per game and brings back just about everyone from last year's team. 2028 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1829088' first='Jathan' last='Walls'] is back as one of the team's leading tacklers from last season. He finished the year with well over 100 tackles and is back to lead this defense in that category this season. He's one of several guys that can fill up the stat sheet on this side of the ball. But he's definitely someone to pay attention to when the champs take the field this fall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1524935"],"_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-6a472b0a663b4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 quarterback and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1524935' first='Landen' last='Griffith'] came into the 2025 season as one of the state's best players. After a breakout sophomore season, we were fired up to see what he would do for an encore in 2025. He did not disappoint as he earned All State 1st Team honors and was one of our finalists for PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year. Griffith accounted for over 4,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards to go along with 75 total touchdowns. He was also outstanding on the defensive side of the ball. Anything Talihina needed him to do, he did it at a very high level. There is no doubt that Griffith will go into this season as one of Oklahoma's very best players.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>(2025 PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year Finalist)</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1704215"],"_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-6a472b0a663d2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1704215' first='Noah' last='Lloyd'] absolutely exploded during his junior season and became one of the top producers at the receiver position in the state. He finished the year with 86 catches for over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns. Lloyd was productive as a sophomore but not a big play guy like he showed in 2025. He only had five more catches during his junior season compared to his sophomore year but his yards and touchdowns absolutely soared in 2025. He was a big play threat every time he stepped on the field. He had four games where he caught at least three touchdowns. He earned 2nd Team All State honors after establishing himself as one of the state's best.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>(2025 All State 2nd Team Selection)</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1704217"],"_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-6a472b0a663ee"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Looking at some of the other players to watch for this team, there's no doubt that the Golden Tigers are going into this season with plenty of firepower to light up scoreboards across Oklahoma. But nothing happens for them without the big guys on the line of scrimmage. 2027 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1704217' first='Sam' last='Bryant'] is returning at the left tackle position and he's the foundational piece of this Talihina offensive line. They can do whatever they want offensively but it starts with their success on the line behind Bryant and company. As if that wasn't enough, he's also incredibly productive on defense. He had over 70 tackles and a handful of sacks during his junior season.&nbsp;</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>Baylor Hammontree - 2030 Quarterback/Defensive Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1834366' first='Hunter' last='Johnson'] - 2029 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1839712' first='Jack' last='Worley'] - 2029 Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Roper Johnson - 2030 Running Back/Defensive Back<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1831954' first='Sam' last='Austin'] - 2028 Tight End/Linebacker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2026 SCHEDULE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aug. 27th - AT McAlester JV<br></strong>- Talihina begins their pursuit of a second consecutive state championship with a road game in week zero against McAlester's JV squad. The Golden Tigers will then have a week off following this match-up and then they have a massive home opener against Mansfield, Arkansas. Talihina can't afford to get caught looking ahead to week two. <br><strong>Sept. 11th - Mansfield, AR.</strong><br>- The 2026 home slate kicks off in week two with a big match-up between reigning state champions. Mansfield, Arkansas will come to Talihina to face the Golden Tigers. Mansfield also went 14-0 and won the state championship last season. This will be Talihina's first out of state opponent since facing Union Christian Academy (AR) in 2012.<br><strong>Sept. 17th - Broken Bow JV</strong><br>- Talihina will host Broken Bow's JV squad in week three to wrap up non-district play. A week after playing a defending state champ from Arkansas, Talihina will have a short week to face this JV squad on Thursday night. Talihina won this match-up in a shutout last season and will be the last tune up game before district play begins.&nbsp;<br><strong>Sept. 25th - Mounds</strong><br>- Talihina hosts Mounds to open up their district slate in week four. The Golden Tigers have faced Mounds in district play in each of the last two seasons and the series has been completely one-sided. Talihina won the last two match-ups by a combined score of 103-6 and expect to dominate this year's meeting as well.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 2nd - AT Gore</strong><br>- The first Friday in October brings Talihina's first road game of the 2026 regular season. They'll travel to face Gore in week five and they'll look to win their third straight game in the series. They won 61-7 last season and 48-6 back in 2024. Prior to this two-game winning streak, Talihina had lost four straight games to the Pirates.<br><strong>Oct. 9th - Porter</strong><br>- Talihina hosts Porter in week six to kick off the second half of the regular season. This match-up goes from a non-district game, early in the year, to a district match-up this year and next. These two teams have met consistently over the last decade. Talihina has won three straight in the series, including last year's 34-6 victory.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 15th - AT Central (Sallisaw)</strong><br>- On a Fall Break Thursday night, Talihina goes back on the road to face Central Sallisaw in week seven. The Golden Tigers have had the edge in this series recently but this could turn into a battle. Talihina rolled to a 37-12 victory last season and a 27-6 win in 2024. But Central Sallisaw won four of five prior to the 2024 season.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 23rd - Drumright</strong><br>- The Drumright Tornadoes are a new opponent on the schedule for Talihina this season. They not only enter Talihina's district for the first time but they are moving up to Class A-2 after playing 8-man football for the last six seasons. They had success there after going 0-19 in their last two years of 11-man football.&nbsp;<br><strong>Oct. 30th - AT Regent Prep</strong><br>- Talihina is coming to Tulsa for the second straight year to face Regent Prep in week nine. This game could end up deciding the district championship and it's also a match-up that has been back and forth since Regent Prep moved up to 11-man football. The Rams won 41-26 in their first meeting in 2024 but Talihina rolled to a 40-13 win last year.&nbsp;<br><strong>Nov. 6th - Liberty</strong><br>- The regular season comes to an end with a home game in week ten against Liberty. The Golden Tigers have rolled over Liberty since these two teams became district opponents in 2024. They won that meeting 51-12, followed by a 62-7 victory last season. Liberty will have a first year head coach this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The story of Talihina football's run to a state championship is still one of the more remarkable stories of the last five years. In 2022, the Golden Tigers decided to forfeit the entire season because numbers had gotten to the point where they could not compete at the 11-man level. Rather than play a season in 2022, they focused their attention on building the junior high numbers and preparing for 2023 and beyond with a 2027 class that was shaping up to be a pretty special one. They went 5-5 during the 2023 season and missed out on the postseason. In 2024, they took off and would make it all the way to the state championship game, going 12-2 and finishing as Class A-2 Runner Ups just two years after not having a season. Like we mentioned earlier, everyone who watched that 2024 team knew Talihina would be heavy favorites to capture gold in 2025. They backed up all the hype and got the job done. During that title season, head coach Kelly Gravitt won his 150th game as Talihina head coach. He had coaching offers to leave after the Golden Tigers would forfeit the 2022 season. He stayed in Talihina and he got to raise and present the gold ball to the entire community that lined the stands at UCO last December.&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>2025 - 14-0 - Class A-2 State Champions&nbsp;<br>2024 - 12-2 - Class A-2 Runner Ups<br>2023 - 5-5 - Missed Playoffs<br>2022 - Did Not Field A Team<br>2021 - 4-5 - Missed Playoffs</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>2 State Championships</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 - Beat Hominy 26-20<br>1966 - Beat Watonga 19-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->