BIXBY, Okla. — As Bixby booms, the need for more space is critical at almost every turn.
It's been no different in athletics. Head coach Loren Montgomery knows that fact best.
“We had gone from an average size 5A school up to a 6A1, one of the largest schools in the state in a growing community and so our facilities had been nice and we were thankful to have them but we had outgrown them,” said Montgomery.
That was plain as day, with 75 lockers for approximately 125 players.
The district made a commitment to the team, and asked tax payers in 2022 to help them fund a renovation through a school bond.
2 News received renderings for the space back in April.
Having the community's support is everything to Montgomery.
“Bixby’s been amazing as far as providing the facilities. You see the new high school building in the south end zone, new additions to our elementary school, band got a new wing a couple years ago, and so they recognize the needs that the community has," he said. "They understand that the school is the front porch to the community and it’s important to have great facilities, great schools and you know I think this just makes us better all around because we can retain the very best coaches, the very best players, the very best teachers because they take pride in the Bixby public school system.”
The team is more than impressed with the space too.
Cord Nolan, a junior, said it's a big upgrade from their old locker room.
"We came in here before it was all done and even then it was like we were just in a whole different world it felt like," said Nolan. “Every day, no matter how many times I’ve been here it’s just ‘wow, blessed.’"
And it's really all in the details.
Each locker has two outlets. They have overhead stands for shoulder pads, that are air conditioned to help air them out.
There are even L-E-D lights to add to the ambiance, and get the team ready for each game.
2 News asked Nolan what it means as a player to have the school district make such a large investment in Bixby football.
“I mean it just shows how much they care about us and how much football is apart of our school," said Nolan. "We’re blessed to have what we have and the people who have poured into us to give us the ability to have this nice facility.”
Something Nolan was most excited for was the showers. Montgomery said their old space had just three shower heads and one toilet for the more than a hundred players.
There are still a few finishing touches that the team is waiting on, like a lit Spartan head for the ceiling, but the locker room is for the most part complete.
Last year, the coaches and team meeting rooms were all spread out and on different floors. The space puts everyone on the same floor, creating a more tight knit atmosphere.
“It’s something that our players, our community, can take a ton of pride in knowing that we have the best football facility, best locker room in the state of Oklahoma, probably the United States of America,” said Montgomery.
Other amenities include storage closets, large washers and dryers, and individual lockers.
Montgomery knows they might not be where they are now without the community, and Bixby Public School leaders believing in the team. For that, he's grateful.
“For the district to say ‘hey you know what, this is important, extra curricular activities are important, sports are important to our community in Bixby' means the world.”
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