The Drumright Tornadoes opened their season Friday night against No. 7-ranked Wewoka. We lost 47-6. Being in eightman football for six years, we had to readjust. First-year coach, but longtime coach, Mark Ryan gave me some of his thoughts on the game.
The Drumright Tornadoes kicked off the 2026 season Friday night against Wewoka, and while the night provided plenty of learning opportunities, it also gave Tornado fans a glimpse of the potential this team has as it begins its journey in 11-man football.
With several new faces taking the field for the first time at the high school level, the Tornadoes competed hard against Wewoka from start to finish. For many of these players, Friday night represented their first opportunity to experience the speed, physicality and responsibilities that come with varsity football.
“There are plenty of positives to build on,” Head Coach Mark Ryan was encouraged by what he saw from his team, particularly against a Wewoka program that reached the playoffs last season.
“Wewoka is a playoff team from last year’s season, and I was pleased with our passing game,” Ryan said. “Our receivers showed good focus running their routes and catching the ball under pressure. Garrett Wright showed his toughness running the ball and his leadership on both sides of the ball.”
The Tornadoes showed toughness, effort and a willingness to compete. As the team continues becoming comfortable in the 11-man game, the focus will be on learning to read keys, staying disciplined with assignments and continuing to improve the fundamentals of blocking and tackling.
Senior Garrett Wright provided valuable leadership and experience throughout the night. In addition to making plays in the passing game, Wright showed his toughness as a runner and continued to be a leader for the Tornadoes on both sides of the football.
Sammy Blackburn turned in a solid performance, while Zayden “Blue” Stewart also made an impact for the Tornadoes. Keegan Ward showed his physicality running the football, fighting for yards and giving Drumright another option in the running game. His ability to run with toughness will be an important part of the Tornado offense as the season progresses.
Freshman BB Barber stepped onto the varsity field and competed well in his first high school action. Getting young players like Barber meaningful varsity experience early in the season will only help the Tornadoes as they continue to develop.
Senior Andrew Deering made an important impact on special teams, doing an excellent job covering Wewoka’s onside-kick attempts, recovering four of them and providing the type of dependable play that can make the difference throughout the season.
“We will be working on our blocking schemes to provide more opportunities for our running game,” Ryan said. “Overall, I was pleased with our effort. We need to continue growing in our mental and physical toughness.”
Perhaps the most encouraging part of the night was seeing a group with so many new players continue to compete and come together. The transition to 11-man football will take time, but each practice and each Friday night gives the Tornadoes another opportunity to take a step forward.
The areas for improvement are clear. Drumright will continue working to block and tackle better, read keys more consistently and maintain focus throughout the game. Those are areas that will continue with experience, repetition and time on the field.
This is a team that is still learning, but it is a team with plenty of reason for optimism. The Tornadoes have experienced leaders, promising young players and a group that is willing to work. The goal is not to be a finished product in the opening week of the season. The goal is to get better every time they step onto the field.
There is a lot of football still ahead, and the Tornadoes are just getting started. The foundation is being built, the experience is coming and this group has an opportunity to become a better football team each and every week.
Other things: The Tornadoes blocked three Wewoka extra points. Garrett Wright passed to Sammy Blackburn for a 92yard touchdown pass. Sammy caught the ball for 146 yards on the night. Conrad Reed caught a pass for eight yards. Zayden “Blue” Stewart caught a pass for eight yards.
Garrett had 13 carries for 36 yards. Keegan Ward had seven carries for 13 yards. Garrett passed for 177 yards on 9 of 16 attempts. Keegan Ward caught passes for 25 yards.
The offensive line included Kypton Ward, Aiden Coffelt, Anthony Fisher, BB Barber, Levi Paul Welch and Dalton Collins.
On defense were Garrett Wright, Keegan Ward, Kypton Ward, Miller McIntosh, Anthony Fisher, Sammy Blackburn, Minor Allen, Zayden “Blue” Stewart, Aiden Coffelt, Andrew Deering, Rowdy Wright, Dalton Collins and BB Barber.
Other players included Cameron Bell, William Stamp, who had several tackles, Mason Cooper, Jaxon House and Jacob House. All played on defense and made good plays.
Blocked extra points were made by Conrad Reed, Kypton Ward and Garrett Wright.
This week, we will travel north to Oklahoma Union, near Nowata. They may be nearly as good as Wewoka, but they probably might give us another tough test. Wewoka had devastating speed, especially No. 3, whose last name was Stephens. Their defensive line was tough.
Football coaches for Drumright are Mark Ryan, Moses Williams, Hunter Kirby, Kevin Gooch and James Osterhout.