The Mustang Broncos (5-2, 2-2) travel north to take on the Bixby Spartans (6-1, 4-0) tonight at Bixby Public Schools Football Stadium for the fourth matchup ever between the two teams.
The Broncos are coming off a 42-27 win over the Edmond North Huskies while the Spartans are fresh off a 56-14 win over the Enid Plainsmen. Each team is looking to position itself for the 6A-1 playoffs, which start in three weeks.
Can the Broncos pull the upset and knock off one of the most powerful programs in Oklahoma? Or will the east-side power pick up its fifth straight District 1 victory?
Check out the pregame primer and find out who The Mustang Sports Review thinks will come out on top:
WEEK 8 PREVIEW: VS BIXBY
- WHO: Mustang Broncos (5-2, 2-2) at Bixby (6-1, 4-0)
- WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m.
- WHERE: Bixby Public Schools Stadium at Riverview & East Stadium Road in Bixby, Okla.
- LAST MATCHUP: Mustang 27, Bixby 14 (2011)
- LAST WEEK (MUSTANG): Mustang 42, Edmond North 27
- LAST WEEK (BIXBY): Bixby 56, Enid 14
- WATCH LIVE: Watch live at www.MHSBroncoSports.TV as play-by-play host Ryan Booth and The Mustang Sports Review’s Trey Hunter bring you the action from the press box.
- LISTEN LIVE: Listen to Chris Needham’s call on the radio at 99.7 The Wolf FM
MUSTANG OUTLOOK
The Broncos seemed to get back into rhythm last week against Edmond North, totaling 409 yards on offense. MHS rushed 51 times for 275 yards while quarterback Trajan Williamson (Sr.) passed for 133 yards on 13 completions.
Mustang did allow 412 yards against the Huskies, including 130 yards on the ground and 282 yards through the air.
Williamson is up to 1,438 yards passing this season with 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has also rushed 362 yards with 11 scores. He will need to pitch close to a perfect game if the Broncos are to knock off the Spartans this Friday night.
Latin Everheart (Sr.) has been the team’s top running back with 653 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season. He carried 15 times last week against Edmond North, amassing 60 yards. Everheart, Taven Brown (So.), and Gerald Ackah-Mensash (Jr.) need to have a big game in order to pull off a victory.
Brown and Ackah-Mensah have combined for 335 yards with two scores in 2024.
Mustang’s wide receiver corps is arguably the strongest in all of Class 6A-1. Three players have eclipsed over 400 yards receiving, including Jaden Johnson (Jr.), Jaytee Johnson (Jr.), and Ben Patkowski (Sr.).
Jaden Johnson has caught a team-high 34 passes for 433 yards with four TDs while Jaytee Johnson leads the team with seven TD receptions. Jaytee has caught 24 passes for 426 yards. Patkowski leads the team with 471 receiving yards on 32 receptions and has caught three touchdown passes.
The Broncos are led defensively by a trio of junior linebackers, including Kaden Bachus, Josiah Stevens, and Parker Sorrell.
Bachus leads the team with 65 total tackles, including one sack, while Stevens has totaled 54 tackles with two sacks. Sorrell is third on the team with 53 total bringdowns.
Mustang has picked off opposing quarterbacks 12 times, including three apiece by Tucker Brown (So.), Waleed Gaines Jr. (Sr.), and Blaine Fulmer (Sr.). Brown and Gaines Jr. make up a tough cornerback tandem that should give Bixby’s receivers fits while Fulmer leads the way at safety, having racked up 43 total tackles.
Up front, watch out for Louie Jones (Sr.), who leads the team with three sacks. Emory Kelly (Sr.) ranks second on the team with two sacks. The duo has combined for 31 total tackles.
BIXBY OUTLOOK
Offensively, the Spartans are led by quarterback Carson Kirby (Jr.) and a trio of running backs.
Kirby has passed for 1,545 yards this season with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has a 68-percent completion percentage, a 102.4 quarterback ranking, and averages over 11 yards per completion.
Kirby is a dual-threat, leading the team with 377 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He averages over seven yards per carry on 48 attempts.
Cooper Parker (Sr.) is second on the team with 333 yards on 60 carries, including a team-high nine touchdowns. Bode Cairl (Sr.) is second on the team with four TDs, having racked up 251 yards on 45 carries. BJ Jones (Fr.) is the youngster of the group with 232 yards on 35 carries with two scores.
Blake Conner Hogshooter (Sr.) is the team’s leading receiver with 31 receptions for 535 yards and six touchdowns. Three other Spartans have eclipsed the 200-yard mark through the air, including Nolan (286), Tyler Wright (Jr.) (268), and Cetcher DeHart (Jr.) (204). Nolan, Wright, and DeHart have combined for five touchdown receptions.
Up front, the Spartans are led by Broderick Shull (Sr.), who is arguably the best offensive tackle in Oklahoma. Shull is a four-star recruit according to 247 Sports and is committed to Auburn University.
Cooper Parker doubles as one of the team’s starting linebackers, leading the Spartans with 59 total tackles. Cord Nolan also plays linebacker and is second on the team with 54 bringdowns. Fellow backer Trey McGlothlin (Jr.) has racked up 32 tackles.
Senior safety Brooks Dixon leads the secondary with 47 tackles.
PREDICTION: MUSTANG 24, BIXBY 23
By now you realize I’m not scared to pick a Mustang upset.
The Broncos are primed to knock off one of the best team’s in the state. Will it be tough? Of course. Is it impossible? Not at all.
Coach Lee Blankenship’s squad needs a signature win this season and why not start Friday night with the Spartans? Look for the team’s defense to produce a special performance while the team’s offense scores just enough to pull of the victory.
