Bill Haisten
Tulsa World Sports Columnist
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During the countdown before any important prep football game, the coaching is a storyline.
Like the Blankenships vs. Broken Arrow. What a fascinating dynamic.
Because of what happened in November and December — when there was an unbelievable and unprecedented shuffling of head coaches at Tulsa-area big schools — the 2025 season is rich with significant coaching match-ups.
For instance, in the MidFirst Backyard Bowl, there was a clash of first-year head coaches: Jenks’ Adam Gaylor and Union’s Antonio Graham.
A new Booker T. Washington head man (Nate Goodman) clashed with a new Muskogee head man (Wagoner legend Dale Condict).
It’s impossible for any September game to have higher stakes than the Bixby-Jenks Friday showdown.
Former Allan Trimble-Jenks assistant Loren Montgomery has driven the Bixby program to 10 state titles — and to four consecutive Bixby wins over Jenks at Allan Trimble Stadium.
For Gaylor and the Jenks kids, there is the opportunity to make a statement that would resonate nationally.
At the same time that Bixby and Jenks add a chapter to their rivalry, there also is a rivalry battle and a reunion of sorts in Broken Arrow.
The 2-1, fourth-ranked Broken Arrow Tigers host the 1-2, third-ranked Owasso Rams, and this storyline is unlike any other because it involves Bill Blankenship and his son Josh Blankenship.
A recap:
Last year, during Bill Blankenship’s one season of retirement, he was a consultant for Josh at Broken Arrow. At that time, Josh was BA’s fourth-year head coach.
In December, Bill returned to Owasso as the head coach.
Fired by the Broken Arrow Public Schools in November, Josh now is Bill’s Owasso offensive coordinator.
In Friday’s 7 p.m. Patriot Bowl, the Blankenships and their Owasso Rams open District 6AI-2 play by visiting the Travis Hill-coached Broken Arrow Tigers.
To some extent — and perhaps to a great extent — this one might feel intensely personal for the Blankenships.
Any victory is satisfying. For the Blankenships, beating Broken Arrow might feel doubly satisfying.
For the first time since 2020 (David Alexander’s final season as the Tigers’ head coach), Broken Arrow has a three-game record of 2-1.
With an opening-night loss to Bixby, a 31-21 setback against Jenks and a 45-17 triumph over Sand Springs, the Blankenship Rams are 1-2.
In part because Owasso had a once-in-a-lifetime type of offensive line, the 2024 Rams were unbeaten through 12 games and rolled to the 6AI championship finale.
In spite of rebuilding on the offensive line and elsewhere, this year’s Rams could have been 2-1 if not for a rough second half against Jenks. After having led 21-7 in the second period against the Trojans, Owasso was outscored 24-0 and stumbled to a 31-21 defeat.
Owasso’s self-esteem began to heal with a 45-17 triumph over Sand Springs. For Ram stars, there were numbers that looked like last season’s numbers: On only 12 completions, Drew Frankenfield passed for 224 yards. Jayden Hall rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Julius Wilson’s big-play performance included six catches for 171 yards and two scores.
If the Rams can achieve a road win over a Broken Arrow team that was fortified by the offseason move-ins of superstars Semaj Stanford (from Jenks) and Bryson Brown (from Owasso), Owasso’s self-esteem might be restored to its 2024 level.
The Blankenship family was stressed in 2021-23, as Bill’s Rams were matched each season with Josh’s BA Tigers. None of the Blankenships enjoyed the Bill vs. Josh games.
One of those Bill vs. Josh contests was especially memorable — a 41-40 Broken Arrow victory in a quarterfinal classic.
In 2021-23, it was Bill Blankenship vs. Josh Blankenship.
In 2024, it was Bill and Josh — Bill as an adviser and Josh as the Broken Arrow head coach.
On Friday, there is an arrangement that a year ago no one would have expected.
Whether Owasso vs. Broken Arrow is a real grudge match — only the Blankenships can know that.
But here we go: it’s the Blankenships vs. Broken Arrow, on the Tigers’ home turf, and it very well could be the Oklahoma Game of the Week.
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Bill Haisten
Tulsa World Sports Columnist
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