Hilldale Hornets OK 2026 Team Preview

Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!   Throughout the month of July and now into August, we are publishing 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 Hilldale Hornets!   RELATED   <a href="https://youtu.be/onKYWfbybrA" data-type="link" data-id="https://youtu.be/onKYWfbybrA">- Hilldale Video Preview With HC Chad Kirkhart</a>   Hilldale Hornets   Head Coach: Chad Kirkhart - 1st Season (Kinda) 74-23 Record As Hilldale's Coach From 2010-2017   2025 RESULTS (5-6 Record - Lost In Class 4A 1st Round)   Sept. 5th - Beat Edison 44-21 Sept. 12th - Lost To Fort Gibson 37-28 Sept. 19th - Lost To Claremore 39-33 Sept. 26th - Lost To Sallisaw 41-29 Oct. 3rd - Beat Glenpool 28-21 Oct. 10th - Lost To Ada 61-38 Oct. 16th - Lost To Broken Bow 61-20 Oct. 24th - Beat Stilwell 45-32 Oct. 31st - Beat Poteau 36-22 Nov. 7th - Beat McLain 28-7 1st Round - Lost To Cushing 63-34   2025 Offensive Scoring Average: 33 Points Per Game 2025 Defensive Scoring Average: 36.8 Points Per Game   The Hilldale Hornets came into the 2025 football season looking to build off their 2024 campaign that saw them make it to the 4A quarterfinals. But they were going to have a very young team that would go through some growing pains along the way. They opened the season with a 44-21 win over Edison but would drop their next three games. They beat Glenpool to kick off the October slate but dropped their next two games to Ada and Broken Bow. They headed into week eight with a 2-5 record and they were in danger of missing the playoffs if they lost another game. They beat Stilwell in week eight but they fell down in the first half to Poteau. It looked like the season was going to come to an end there but they rallied to beat the Pirates 36-22. And with a 28-7 win over McLain in week ten, Hilldale found their way into the playoffs following a 5-5 record in the regular season but they won the games they needed to win to punch their ticket. They went on the road to face district champion Cushing in the first round and the season came to an end there. They finished 5-6 and changes to Hilldale football were on the way. Head coach David Blevins stepped down as head coach following the season and the Hornets went to a familiar face to fill the role and head into the 2026 season with some continuity.    2026 OUTLOOK   Hilldale turned to former head coach Chad Kirkhart as he had still been around the program as an administrator but stepped down as head coach nearly a decade ago. But you could make the argument that Kirkhart is the best football coach in program history. He went 74-23 in eight seasons as Hilldale's coach and is the school's all time wins leader. They were also a consistent winner during those eight seasons and after eight years away from the headset, he's ready to get back into the game. He inherits a Hilldale squad that brings back a little less than half of their starters from last year's team. Five starters are back on offense and another five are back on defense. Offensively, the strength of this unit will start on the line of scrimmage. They have experience and talent to set the foundation for what this Hilldale offense will ultimately become. Defensively, they are a little more balanced with starting experience that returns. There are some pieces here and there at all three levels of the defense so it will be a little more of a work in progress as the season plays out. The district is once again a gauntlet and that's how this district has been the last few seasons. In each of the last two years, teams with winning records were left out of the playoffs. A good team (or two) will finish outside of the top four spots and move on to basketball and wrestling when the football playoffs start. In Kirkhart's first stint with Hilldale, the Hornets won and won at a high level. That will be the expectation in 2026.   KEY LOSSES TO GRADUATION   Brady Scott - Wide Receiver (2025 All State Honorable Mention) Brayson Parker - Linebacker (2025 All State Honorable Mention) Dawson Fields - Quarterback (2025 All State Honorable Mention)   PLAYERS TO WATCH    Hilldale has had one of the most productive wide receivers in the state over the last several years. Replacing him is no easy task. The Hornets will do it with a group of receivers and 2027 wideout and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='595761' first='Dakoda' last='Parish'] is one of the names to watch heading into this season. When we got a chance to watch the Hornets back in the spring, Parish was a player that caught our eye with his ability to beat defenses deep and at a consistent rate. Parish will also turn around and play significant minutes in the secondary on the defensive side of the ball. Don't be surprised if Parish ends up being a breakout player for Hilldale on offense this fall.     When we talked with Hilldale's coaches this summer, one of the first names they mentioned when it came to the wide receiver position was [player_tooltip player_id='1831745' first='Isaiah' last='Linker'] as he heads into his senior season. Between Parish and Linker, the Hornets are going to have some options when it comes to the wide receiver position. Linker will also turn around and start for the Hornets on defense at the linebacker position. There is a lot to like about his game from the standpoint that he's a two-way threat and he's going to be incredibly valuable to what Hilldale does on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they need new playmakers to step up this fall and Linker looks like one of those guys.     2027 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='595692' first='Talon' last='Shaffer'] returns to lead the Hornet offense this season. Shaffer has been a 2027 prospect that we've written about quite a bit after he routinely stood out to us during various 7v7 tournaments and showcase camps in the offseason. Shaffer is an incredibly tough quarterback that does a great job of leading his teammates. He also has some very impressive arm strength. He's not the biggest quarterback but he has uncorked some deep balls that very few quarterbacks are able to do. Coming into this season, Shaffer is determined to make sure that this Hilldale offense doesn't miss a step as a high-scoring unit that can light up the scoreboard.     We mentioned earlier in the preview how the strength of this Hilldale offense will start on the line of scrimmage with the offensive line. 2027 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1683118' first='Ty' last='Gaither'] is the leader of that crew and is coming off a strong junior season and he continued that momentum in the offseason. We got a chance to watch Gaither in person twice back in May and both times, he was absolutely dominant. First off, he was the OL MVP at our May showcase camp. A few weeks later, the pads were on and he was dominating his opponent on the line of scrimmage at a team camp. Everything will start for Hilldale on the offensive line and and Gaither is the foundational piece of that group.   (2025 All State Honorable Mention)    MORE NAMES TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='1837989' first='Elijah' last='Linker'] - 2027 Wide Receiver/Linebacker Fischer McAllister - 2029 Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1837993' first='Jaden' last='Bishop'] - 2028 Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1837988' first='Maxx' last='Frost'] - 2027 Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='2217470' first='Micah' last='Chewey'] - 20230 Running Back/Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1837987' first='Kyler' last='Stern'] - 2027 Offensive Lineman Nate Webb - 2028 Wide Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1839670' first='Riley' last='Davis'] - 2029 Offensive/Defensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1166126' first='Zander' last='Markovics'] - 2028 Defensive Back   2026 SCHEDULE   Sept. 4th - AT Oologah - Hilldale opens the 2026 season on the road against Oologah in week one. The Mustangs are back on the schedule after not playing the last four seasons. They were non-district opponents from 2018-2021 and the Hornets had a 3-0 record against Oologah during that stretch with the 2020 match-up getting canceled because of Covid.  Sept. 11th - Fort Gibson - Hilldale's home opener takes place in week two against rival Fort Gibson. These two have squared off in non-district play or district play for decades. Fort Gibson has the advantage right now as they've won the last two meetings, including last year's 37-28 decision. Prior to dropping the last two, Hilldale had won four straight against the Tigers.  Sept. 18th - AT Stigler - The Hornets go back on the road to wrap up non-district play in week three against Stigler. These two teams haven't met on the gridiron in just over ten years. They were non-district opponents from 2012-2015 and the Hornets were very successful in that series. They went 4-0 against Stigler during that stretch, with the last win being a 55-26 victory. Sept. 25th - Ada - The district schedule opens up with a home game against Ada in week four and Hilldale will look to get out to a fast start in the district standings. These two have met the last four years in district play and have alternated wins. If that trend continues this season, Hilldale is in a good position. They lost to Ada 61-38 last season and won 47-35 in 2024.  Oct. 2nd - AT Stilwell - Hilldale will travel to Stilwell in week five and they'll look to continue their dominant run in this district series. These two have been district opponents for the majority of the last two decades. During the last 20 years, Hilldale has never lost to Stilwell. They won last year 45-32. But Stilwell is a program on the rise and they bring nearly everyone back. Oct. 9th - Mannford  - The district slate is a difficult one and there is a new opponent on the schedule. Mannford has moved up to Class 4A and lands in this district. Hildale has familiarity with every district opponent except this one. These two teams have never met on the gridiron before. Mannford joins a district that has been an absolute blood bath over the last several years. Oct. 15th - AT Broken Bow - On a Fall Break Thursday night in week seven, Hilldale heads south to face Broken Bow. This begins a three-week stretch where the Hornets face three straight top ten teams in the preseason rankings. It's a make or break part of the schedule and it starts against the preseason number one team in 4A. Hilldale has dropped the last three meetings.  Oct. 23rd - AT Poteau - Following the road trip to Broken Bow, they'll head to Poteau in week eight. This match-up was the difference for Hilldale between making the playoffs and missing them. Poteau certainly has this game circled on their schedule. The Hornets have won the last two meetings but this series has been very back and forth over the last two decades.   Oct. 30th - Sallisaw - The three-game gauntlet stretch wraps up in week nine with a home game against Sallisaw. The Hornets are determined to turn things around in this series but it's another tough match-up. Sallisaw has beaten Hilldale in each of the last three meetings. Prior to that, the Hornets won three straight games as this district series has been very even for decades. Nov. 6th - McLain - The regular season wraps up with a home game against McLain in week ten. At this point, the Hornets are going to know exactly where they stand in the playoff seeding scenarios. This is a series that Hilldale has dominated historically. They beat the Titans 28-7 last season and are undefeated against McLain in the last 15 years, where they've been district opponents off and on.   NOTABLE   We mentioned this earlier in the preview but it's hard to argue that Hilldale has had a better football coach than Chad Kirkhart in program history. In the eight seasons he was head coach from 2010-2017, they nearly averaged ten wins per season. They made it to the playoffs every year and won at least one playoff game in six of the eight seasons. The Hornets have been one of those programs in the last 15 years that is looking to join the conversation with the major players in 4A football. They've made it to the quarterfinal round countless times in program history but they are still looking for their first appearance in the semifinals. Class 4A feels like it just keeps getting deeper and deeper and the teams that make it to the final four in this class have to earn it. But with Kirkhart back in charge, the Hornets expect to at least be in the conversation. The district is a tall mountain to climb but Hilldale has shown an ability to pull an upset or two along the way over the last several seasons.    LAST FIVE SEASONS   2025 - 5-6 - Lost In Class 4A 1st Round 2024 - 7-5 - Lost In Class 4A Quarterfinals 2023 - 5-5 - Missed Playoffs 2022 - 9-3 - Lost In Class 4A Quarterfinals 2021 - 8-3 - Lost In Class 4A 1st Round   CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY   0 State Championships

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