'Really Good First Two Days:' Checking In With Jenks, Sapulpa On The 2nd Day Of Fall Practice

Day two of fall camp for high schools across the state on Tuesday. Thankfully Mother Nature was not a factor this morning.

However, plenty of high-intensity practices including here in Jenks, as the Trojans look to recapture their first gold ball since 2021.

The Trojans once again have high goals after a runner-up finish in 2023. Lots of new faces both on the roster and on the coaching staff.

Keith Riggs added several new assistants to his coaching staff, while the Trojans added several high-profile transfers in the offseason. One of the biggest motivating factors in the 2024 season is last year's 49-21 loss to Bixby in the state title game.

"Here at Jenks, you have high expectations. You expect to be there," said Jenks defensive coordinator Adam Gaylor. "But also making sure that we understand that we're not the defending champs. We're the hunter, not the hunted. Everyone is hunting Bixby because they've won it the last couple of years. We're the hunters. That's the mindset we've got to have is no complacency," Gaylor adds.

Over in Sapulpa, it's a big year for the Chieftains. Head coach Tim Holt and his team making the jump to 6A-II for the 2024 season. The Chieftains are the smallest school in the class.

Other schools, especially on the west side, aren't very familiar with them after bumping up from 5A. And Holt says his team is embracing that underdog role.

"We're playing with an edge this year, a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. And that's kind of the way we've approached it since we got bumped up," said Sapulpa head coach Tim Holt. "I think that's what we have to do to go out and compete with teams because we're going to be playing against schools that are a lot bigger than we are. And we've got to go out and keep up and play four quarters of football and be physical and all that stuff that you hear coaches say all the time. I think we're up for it and we're going to practice like it."

The Chieftains will play their first 6A-II district game on Sept. 27th, when they host Capitol Hill.