Holdenville Wolverines OK 2024 Team Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</em></strong></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 2024 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 Holdenville Wolverines!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Holdenville Wolverines</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #10 In Class 2A-2<br>Preseason Coaches Ranking: UR In Class 2A-2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Head Coach: David Barker - 3rd Season - 16-6 At Holdenville</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2023 RESULTS (7-4 Record - Lost In Class 2A-2 1st Round)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 1st - Beat Wewoka 54-0<br>Sept. 8th - Lost To Meeker 28-22<br>Sept. 15th - Beat North Rock Creek 34-15<br>Sept. 22nd - Lost To Davis 30-14<br>Sept. 30th - Beat Tishomingo 47-0<br>Oct. 6th - Beat Atoka 43-6<br>Oct. 12th - Beat Coalgate 55-0<br>Oct. 20th - Lost To Kingston 34-28<br>Oct. 26th - Beat Marietta 52-0<br>Nov. 3rd - Beat Lexington 49-7<br>1st Round - Lost To Purcell 26-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>2023 Offensive Scoring Average: 38 Points Per Game<br>2023 Defensive Scoring Average: 13.3 Points Per Game</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Holdenville Wolverines came into the 2023 football season with a lot of momentum after their best finish in the last decade. They went 9-2 in 2022 and that was just a few years after going 0-10 in 2019. The Wolverines were learning how to win and that was evident in 2022 and they looked to take the next step in 2023 by becoming a consistent winner. It was a rocky start with tough losses to Meeker and Davis and they were 2-2 at the start of the year. But the Wolverines would start rolling in district play, 5-1 to close the regular season with the only loss coming in week eight, as they lost 34-28 to Kingston. They would make it to the playoffs for the second straight year but for the second straight year, they would drop out in the first round after a 26-20 loss to Purcell. Holdenville would close the season at 7-4 and they're definitely going to hope for better luck in close games in 2024. The Wolverines would have three games decided by a single possession and unfortunately for Holdenville, they went 0-3 in those games. There's no doubt that Holdenville is becoming more consistent about winning tough games. Now, they look to take the next step and start winning in the playoffs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 OUTLOOK</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolverines come into this season as a top ten team in our preseason rankings for Class 2A-2. After watching them in person at two different team camps in May as well as seeing the personnel they have coming back, we think Holdenville is primed for a big run this season. Offensively, the Wolverines only bring back four starters from last year's team and this was a unit that averaged nearly 40 points per game. This is an old school offense that is going to ground and pound an opponent and the execution is going to be at a high level. That execution was evident in the spring. But with only four starters returning, we're going to see a lot of new names stepping up this season. It wouldn't be surprising to see some kind of dip to that scoring average with all the new faces. But this is also year three of Holdenville running this offense so even though the new names weren't starters, they know what's expected of them. While Holdenville's offense finds their groove with the new starters, we really like what they bring back on defense. Holdenville has eight starters coming back from a defense that gave up a little more than ten points per game. Holdenville's defense could really be one of the more underrated units in 2A-2 football this season. Look for the Wolverines to make another run back to the playoffs and perhaps go even further than the first round.</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>Cash Carter - Running Back/Linebacker<br>Isaiah Tiger - Offensive/Defensive Lineman<br>Izaia King - Quarterback</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":["1348789"],"_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-66a333c30f74d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Holdenville wants to run the ball all season long and in order to do that, you have to have the guys on the line of scrimmage doing their job. Leading the offensive line this season will be junior [player_tooltip player_id='1348789' first='Alyc' last='Harjo'] and he will be paving the way for Holdenville's multiple guys within this rushing attack. Harjo is listed as an extremely athletic guy along the Holdenville offensive line. The Wolverines are not going to have as much size as some of the other teams in the state. So what they lack in size, they have to make up for in pure athleticism and then executing the game plan. Harjo is a good example of that and there's a chance he's the team's best offensive lineman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1348790"],"_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-66a333c30f7ae"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">With Holdenville's traditional run-first offense that features a lot of misdirection and a lot of guys touching the ball, the Wolverines will have multiple guys put up numbers. It's hard to pick just one guy to spotlight but we're going with senior [player_tooltip player_id='1348790' first='Malachi' last='Henderson'] going into the year. Henderson might be Holdenville's home run hitter in an offense that can churn up yards and burn clock. But when Henderson gets the ball in the open field and the defense is a step late, he can take it to the house in the blink of an eye. Last season, he averaged around 12 yards per carry and we think that his production is going to increase this fall. We'll see if he can maintain that pace. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1348791"],"_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-66a333c30f7f3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We mentioned earlier in the preview that Holdenville's defense is a unit that we like a lot coming into the 2024 season. Leading the way along the line of scrimmage will be senior [player_tooltip player_id='1348791' first='Sawyer' last='Jeffrey'] on the defensive line. Jeffrey was incredibly productive and more importantly, disruptive last season for the Wolverines. He would finish the year with nearly 70 tackles on the season but also had over 20 tackles come behind the line of scrimmage. Jeffrey found a way to be an impactful player every single week he was on the field. And if Holdenville's defense is as stout as we think they could be, it won't surprise us if Jeffrey is a guy causing a lot of problems for opponents. </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>[player_tooltip player_id='1716194' first='Abe' last='Gomez'] - 2027 Quarterback/Defensive Back<br>Bo Black - 2027 Fullback/Linebacker<br>Brett Bruner - 2027 Tight End/Defensive Lineman<br>Jeffrey Redmond - 2028 Fullback/Defensive Lineman<br>Kase Sipes - 2025 Defensive Back<br>RJ Lowe - 2028 Running Back/Defensive Back<br>Wyatt Steeley - 2026 Running Back</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2024 SCHEDULE/GAMES TO CIRCLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sept. 6th - AT Wewoka<br>Sept. 13th - Okemah<br><strong>Sept. 20th - North Rock Creek<br></strong>- In week three, Holdenville will get their last non-district game in as they host a North Rock Creek team that is ranked in the top ten of our Class 3A preseason rankings. These two teams have met in non-district action in each of the last four seasons. Holdenville has a 3-1 record against the new football program and that includes a 34-15 win last season and another win in 2022. Holdenville's defense will be tested by a North Rock Creek offense that has multiple playmakers. <br>Sept. 27th - Coalgate<br>Oct. 4th - AT Tishomingo <br><strong>Oct. 11th - Beggs<br></strong>- The Wolverines will return home in week six to face a top ten Beggs squad. Despite having a first year head coach and coming off a rare season of missing the playoffs, this is still a dangerous Beggs squad. The Demons bring back almost everyone from last season and also have one of the top athletes in Class 2A-2. A win here will put the Wolverines in a great position for the playoffs. This will be their first meeting with Beggs since being district opponents from 2004-2009. <br>Oct. 17th - AT Dibble<br>Oct. 25th - AT Community Christian<br><strong>Nov. 1st - Davis<br></strong>- The Wolverines host Davis in a monster district contest in week nine. The Wolves have had Holdenville's number over the last few seasons. They beat Holdenville in the first round of the 2020 playoffs and then scored wins over the Wolverines in district play in each of the last two seasons. By the time week nine rolls around, Holdenville is going to know exactly what they need to do in terms of playoff seeding. In fact, this match-up could be a head to head clash for the district title. <br>Nov. 8th - Comanche</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>NOTABLE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head coach David Barker is going into his third season as Holdenville's head coach and there's no doubt that he's turned this team into a winner and he did it immediately. Before he took over in 2022, Holdenville only had one winning season in the previous ten years and two playoff appearances. But one of those was in the Covid-impacted 2020 season that saw everyone getting into the postseason. In his first two seasons as Holdenville's head coach, the Wolverines have had a winning record in each season under Barker and made the playoffs in both years. But the next step is winning once they make it to the playoffs. They've lost in the first round in their last four playoff appearances. It's been nearly two decades since the last time Holdenville won a playoff game but there are several reasons for optimism. Holdenville is experienced and knows how to win. You combine that with the new split in Class 2A and the Wolverines could end that postseason success drought this fall.&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>2023 - 7-4 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2022 - 9-2 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2021 - 1-8 - Missed Playoffs<br>2020 - 2-5 - Lost In Class 2A 1st Round<br>2019 - 0-10 - 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>1 State Championship</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1964 - Beat Lindsay 14-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->