TULSA, Okla. — The five schools at the top of high school football in Green Country are set for a competitive season in Class 6A Division I.
Bixby joins Jenks, Owasso, Union and Broken Arrow in a regional race for dominance starting Aug. 25 with the Battle of the Burbs. The Spartans will take on Owasso at H.A. Chapman Stadium at the University of Tulsa.
Battle of the Burbs — Bixby vs. Owasso
Head coach Loren Montgomery has Bixby nearing a win streak of 50 after taking the Class 6A Division II title last season for the fourth-straight year.
"It's a big game," Montgomery said about the opening game of Week 0 at TU. "I would expect a big crowd... that does give you a little bit of stress and anxiety because you want to go out and perform well."
The matchup with Bixby is the first of several tough games for Owasso which is coming off of an early exit in last season's playoffs. The Rams open the season against the Spartans, then play Jenks, Broken Arrow and Union in the three following weeks.
"If they can play fast and be comfortable with that then we have a chance as we move into the season," Owasso head coach Bill Blankenship said. "We're excited to get an opportunity to match up with [Bixby]. By the same token, that's a game that's going to be brutal."
Broken Arrow building culture
The Broken Arrow Tigers are headed into their second year under head coach Josh Blankenship with big matchups on their schedule.
After opening the season the road in Bentonville, the Tigers host both Union and Owasso at Memorial Stadium with road tests coming later in the season at Bixby and at Jenks. They'll be looking to build on last season's state semifinal appearance.
"I think we've got a better idea of our identity," Blankenship said. "We spent about half the season trying to figure out what that was."
Before the team's regular-season opener, they'll get an early test as a scrimmage in the Bixby Classic on Aug. 19.
"Number one, the expectation is that we're developing good young men," he said. "Through that, we expect to win state championships."
Jenks eyeing 3-peat
The Jenks Trojans are coming off of back-to-back state championships, and four-consecutive title game appearances under head coach Keith Riggs.
They've gone through a rollercoaster of an offseason at quarterback until locking in on Ike Owens to lead the Trojan offense.
"Ike's an outstanding young man to start with," Riggs said. "He's had a great offseason and summer."
The Trojans open their season at Edmond Santa Fe on Aug. 26 before coming back home to host Owasso in Week 1 and travel to Union in Week 2.
Talented Union squad chasing title
Union is coming into the 2022-23 season with a talented roster aiming for the program's first state title since 2016. The Redhawks came up short in the championship game against Jenks last season.
"Whether we won it or lost it, the kids around here are excited to get started at football and the goal is always the same to try to get back to that game," head coach Kirk Fridrich said.
Union is bringing over last season's championship-winning star Shaker Reisig at quarterback. Fridrich said the quarterback room has been highly competitive.
"We're just now getting into 11-on-11 football," he said. "We'll see how it shakes out but right now I think [Reisig's] a guy who could have a shot at it."
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