Coach: BRIAN LOCKHART
Putnam City North heads into 2026 trying to build on a historic step for the program. The Panthers are coming off the first Class 6A‑II playoff appearance in school history and want to turn that momentum into sustained success with a collective of players who have grown together in the system. Head coach Brian Lockhart leads a staff that includes offensive coordinator Steve Day, defensive coordinator Justin Stevenson and a defensive group committed to speed, physicality and multiple looks.
Offensively, PC North returns several key pieces and will operate out of a multiple system under Day. The scheme is designed to create advantages by using personnel creatively, staying balanced and attacking defenses in different ways on the ground and through the air. Junior quarterback Owen McMahan (6‑1, 170), senior running back Davien Hytchye (5‑6, 180), senior center Jaylen Willis (5‑9, 225), senior left tackle Adrienne Cheatham (6‑1, 255) and junior receiver Zakariah Pettie (6‑1, 160) headline a unit that wants to play with tempo while remaining physical and fundamentally sound.
Defensively, Stevenson calls the signals from a multiple 3‑4 structure. Senior outside linebacker Stephen Brown (6‑1, 190) is the centerpiece after recording 95 tackles, three fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown, while senior inside linebacker D’Shaun Loggins (5‑11, 230), senior defensive end Gavin Krone (6‑5, 200), junior outside linebacker Dominic Spotwood (6‑0, 190), senior defensive tackle Cheatham and senior defensive back Gavin Davis (5‑7, 160; 67 tackles, one defensive TD) round out a physical group. The philosophy is to use speed and scheme versatility to disguise coverages, create pressure from multiple angles and make it difficult for opponents to prepare, all while staying disciplined in run fits and gap responsibilities. Brown is the Top 100 nominee, praised as an intelligent player with high football IQ, outstanding speed and length, and the tackling production to anchor the defense. Spotwood is described as a true leader whose aggressive, versatile style works both at inside linebacker and off the edge.
8-28 – at McGuinness
9-4 – vs. Shawnee
9-11 – vs. Edmond North
9-18 – at Newcastle
10-2 – at Putnam City
10-9 – vs. Eisenhower
10-16 – at Choctaw
10-23 – at PC West
10-30 – vs. Norman
11-6 – at Piedmont
