The Oilton Panthers' 2024–25 athletic year unfolded the way most honest seasons do in small schools — not in headlines, but in repetition, resolve, and a handful of nights that mattered more than the record.
Fall baseball
Steve Welty's Panthers fi nished 4–18, but the season was wins over Shidler 5–3 and Prue 20–12, and later closed September with a statement 21–12 win over Mason, a reminder that o ense was never the issue when timing clicked. District play proved unforgiving, ending the season against Mulhall-Orlando and Shidler, but the foundation — young arms, situational hitting — was clearly being laid.
Spring baseball Spring baseball followed a similar arc. The Panthers went 5–12, but the wins came against familiar rivals and mattered.
Oilton beat Olive 9–1, Yale 5–2, and captured three games at the Carney Tournament, including wins over Paden 13–6 in when they took three of four games before district losses to Varnum closed the run.
Boys basketball
On the basketball court, Ryan Moore's boys posted an 11– 15 season that featured real growth. Early wins over Schulter 69–25 and Agra 67–34 gave way to a grind-heavy December.
Oilton's best moments came in tournament play - edging Commerce 72–67, outlasting Olive 74–57, and winning three straight games at the Paden Tournament, including a tight 43–41 win over Mason. A 91–40 rout of Olive late in January against Strother, but the Panthers exited with momentum. Girls basketball
Kennedys Panthers fi nished 0–26, but the record doesn't fully capture the eff Losses were often lopsided early, but games tightened late — including a one-point loss to Olive 47–46 and a competitive stretch through January. The season was about minutes, experience, and survival — and that matters in programs rebuilding from the ground up.
Fastpitch
Fast-pitch softball was Oilton's strongest statement of the
year. Under Asea Cole, the Panthers went 18–12, stacked wins early, and stayed relevant deep into postseason play.
Tournament victories over Luther, Varnum, and Depew set the tone, while conference wins over Woodland 14–0, Drumright 1–0, and Yale 9–6 showed balance. Oilton swept its district with wins over Timberlake and Bluejacket before advancing to regionals, where Chattanooga ended the run 9–4. It was a season defi ned by pitching depth and timely o ense.
Slow pitch
Slow pitch fi nished 12–10, highlighted by wins over Kellyville 9–1, Wellston 13–1, and a district run that included victories over Quapaw and Wayne before a regional loss to Tushka. The Panthers proved they could score in bunches and survive tight tournament formats.
Taken as a whole, Oilton's year wasn't about banners - it was about growth, fl ashes of excellence, and programs holding their shape. In towns like Oilton, that's often how good seasons begin: quietly, stubbornly, and with enough evidence to believe the next one might turn louder.