GRID STIRRINGS: Area teams open practice

Mike Tupa, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
·4 min read
Dewey's Trenton Muninger throws a pass and is tackled in the process during a home game last October vs. Rejoice Christian.
Dewey's Trenton Muninger throws a pass and is tackled in the process during a home game last October vs. Rejoice Christian.

Area prep football teams open practice this week. Summaries for three of them appeared last weekend. here are few more.

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DEWEY

Dewey players and coaches had yawns of “fun” during Monday’s opening camp practice at 6 a.m.

They also planned that schedule throughout most the week, primarily as a precaution to heat health issues.

“It’s been so brutal outside,” first-year Dewey head coach Ryan Richardson said.

On Thursday, Dewey opens classes and the practices will move to after school.

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Some Dewey camp focuses

  • Deciding on the order of the running back depth chart between Carson Johnson, Mitchell Downing and Evan Proper.

  • Picking up quickly on the new offensive and defensive scheme

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“We’ll have plenty of water breaks mixed in,” Richardson said.

The tenor of first-week practice will be to work on the new offensive and defensive schemes.

“Our defensive schemes will be a little more aggressive than what we did last year,” Richardson said.

He feels linebacker depth could be a key to what he believes could be a strong defensive unit.

Dewey is set to host a scrimmage on Aug. 19 against Claremore-Sequoyah and Quapaw. The Doggers will play their half-game against Sequoyah.

“There’s a lot of excitement with it,” Richardson said about his return to the head football coaching ranks. “Your mind is going 100 miles an hour. … I’m excited to get in start installing the things I want to run and to work on, and work on creating an edge.”

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WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN

The WSC Mustangs have scheduled true two-a-days ( 7 a.m., 3 p.m.) the first three days of this week for a specific purpose.

“We want to get in shape,” said veteran Mustang coach Kurt Cloud, who might as few as 13 players going into this year’s Class C eight-man battles. “We want to acclimate to the heat. I’ve been telling them for a couple of weeks they need to start acclimating a little bit and not stay inside. … with the numbers we have conditioning is usually priority No. 1 in Week 1 (of camp practice.)”

Cloud brings back some of the strongest elements of last year’s 8-4 team, but also will have to rely on several young players to boost the team’s destiny.

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Some WCS camp focuses

  • Concentrated conditioning

  • Cultivating tight-knit offensive and defensive schemes

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The primary producers back in the fold are quarterback Tyrel Cloud, receiver Carson Tennison and versatile skills’ weapon Kael Siemers.

A couple of players back who saw spot action last season are Brock Timmons and Xander Weeks.

Among the promising newcomers are all-around athlete Archer Swisher and Bartlesville High transfer Mason Jensen.

“We’ve got 13 players but we’re still hope to get a couple more kids,” coach Cloud said.

WCS will host Barnsdall in an Aug. 19 scrimmage.

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BARNSDALL

Going into its third year of eight-man football, the Barnsdall Panthers enjoy a crowded roster, a battalion of starters back and growling hopes.

The Panthers missed the playoffs last season for just the second time in the past six seasons — and they still finished 5-5 despite starting a kiddie corps of neophytes clawing through their first varsity season.

Last year’s lumps have hardened into callouses and rugged readiness.

Barnsdall opened practice Monday afternoon.The Panthers planned two-a-days (6 a.m., after school) Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Some Barnsdall camp focuses

  • Remain healthy through workouts and scrimmage

  • Settling on the third offensive line starter (Mason Clark or Seth Shulanberger) to join John Pease and Cooper Hill.

  • Overseeing spirited competitions to finalize the depth chart at wide receivers, defensive backs and linebackers

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Thursday will be a regular workout, followed by the annual recognition night for fall sports athletes in Barnsdall.

Barnsdall likely will shelve its annual Thursday Night Madness practice — an activity to commemorate the first day the team can practice in pads — due to Friday being a school day.

Barnsdall’s only scrimmage is set for Aug. 19 at Wesleyan Christian School.

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NOWATA

With numbers still down, Nowata coaches will be emphasizing conditioning in the opening days of camp.

“We’ve gpt to make sure … they feel confidence about what we’re doing playwise,” first-year Ironmen head coach Chance Juby said. “We’ll have a lot of two-way players and we’ve got to be in shape as far as being successful. … Overall, we like what we saw at team camp.”

Sophomore Trevor Emberson is breaking in as the starting quarterback.

“We’re pretty exciting about him,” Juby said. “As he takes reps, it will build his confidence. He’s young and an extremely hard worker. … You can see from the beginning from spring ball to now he’s night and day.”

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Some Nowata camp focuses

  • Fostering great attitude and great effort

  • Retooling at tailback

  • Effective conditioning due to a limited roster

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There might be some shifting on the offensive line according to how players perform in camp, he added.

Nowata faces two scrimmages — on Aug. 19 at Chouteau and at home on Aug. 25 against Oklahoma Union and two other teams.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville-area prep grid programs plunge into practice