REVVING UP FOR AUTUMN: Dewey High gridders put in strong summer preparation

Mike Tupa, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
·2 min read
Colby Miller, No. 10, picks up some yards for Dewey High during grid action earlier last season.
Colby Miller, No. 10, picks up some yards for Dewey High during grid action earlier last season.

Dewey High School’s football team put on the miles this past week in passing league action.

The Doggers participated in 7-on-7 sessions at both Pawhuska and Stillwater.

“I have a relationship with a couple of coaches there (at the Stillwater passing league),” first-year Dewey head football coach Rod Richardson explained earlier this week. “This (traveling to Stillwater) is a one-time deal. I wanted to let them go compete. … We’ll be going against some good programs. It will be a lot of fun. They’re really excited to go.”

Players also have enthusiastically supported the summer pride conditioning program at the school.

“It’s been going really, really well,” Richardson said. “Attendance has been great.”

Returning starting quarterback Trent Muninger continues to boost the team with his leadership at summer grid activities, Richardson said.

Muninger — who split time as the starter in 2020 and filled the position for most of last season — should enjoy a strong crop of receiving targets.

Dewey High's Trent Muninger is back for his senior campaign at quarterback after garnering several starts the past two seasons.
Dewey High's Trent Muninger is back for his senior campaign at quarterback after garnering several starts the past two seasons.

“Receiver Colby Miller is our leading guy coming back as far as production last year,” said Richardson, who served as an assistant in 2021. “Gavin Lackey is in the mix this year and played cornerback last year. Landon Finton is another guy who’s working out at receiver. He’s doing a tremendous job. We’ll mix in some young guys.”

Richardson inherits a Dogger program that’s experienced a mercurial journey the past three seasons.

In 2019, the squad recorded a 7-3 regular season record — the best by the program in 25 years. In 2020, Dewey started out with high quality wins at Miami and against a Kansas school — but then recorded a 1-7 record the rest of the way, as a result of a massive number of injuries to starters and the disruption of the virus-related protocols in postponing games. Dewey finished off the campaign by playing five games in 14 days.

In 2021, Dewey struggled in game one — while being its own worst enemy with devastating penalties — to lose to Miami and never found its sync in the 1-9 season.

Richardson, is staff and players look to reverse the tide of the past couple of seasons and create a wave of success.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: REVVING UP FOR AUTUMN: Dewey gridders busy with summer conditioning