ROCK & AWE: Barnsdall gridders flex skills for success

A year ago, Kylee Sweeney tried to peer through a crop of question marks as thick as a cornfield.

Twelve months later, the Barnsdall High football coach has seen those squiggly uncertainties ripen into giant exclamation points.

Small wonder the veteran Panther skipper is eager to get into the season — and get there healthy.

Barnsdall will experience its lone scrimmage experience Friday evening at Wesleyan Christian School in Bartlesville.

The eight-man team varsity action begins at 6:30 p.m. at White Field located along Silver Lake Road.

Barnsdall is bolstered by an impressive roster of 25 players — although a couple have been out this week due to illness.

“We’re trying to manage the kids now,” Sweeney said two days prior to the scrimmage.

At this time in 2021, Sweeney relied heavily on freshmen to fill key roles, including Maverick Lanphear at quarterback, Easton Malone at running bak and Braden Byars at receiver.

Even though they’re still only sophomore, they received an extra helping of seasoning last year during a 5-5 campaign while competing in one of the toughest Class B district.

Lanphear, Malone and Byars “I think are the core guys that will lead us” on offense, Sweeney said.

He’s also sold on his defense, which includes a trio of rugged gladiators at linebacker, Nate harper, Cooper Hill and Christian Hernandez.

Harper and Hill are set to make college visits next week at Southern Nazarene, Sweeney noted.

Sweeney also looks forward to the return of a powerful lineman that has sat out the past couple of years.

“We’re hoping things have started clicking back with him,” Sweeney said.

Following Friday’s abbreviated scrimmage at Wesleyan Christian, Barnsdall will open the season on Aug. 26 against another area rival, Copan.