HOLDENVILLE WOLVERINES
Coach: DAVID BARKER
10-2
Holdenville rolls into 2026 as a seasoned group coming off a 10-2 season and a district championship. Fourth‑year head coach David Barker says most of his roster has been starting since their freshman or sophomore years, and that development has produced a stronger, more mature team that embraces playing top‑tier opponents and “relishes” competing against great competition. With that depth of experience and confidence, expectations are high for another big year.
The Wolverines return seven offensive starters and lean heavily on a bruising ground game out of the classic single‑wing offense. Senior quarterback Abe Gomez (5-10, 190) is the engine; though labeled a quarterback, he functions as a physical runner who rushed for 1,627 yards at 9.6 yards per carry with 24 rushing touchdowns and added five passing scores as a junior. He has progressed each season, from around 200 rushing yards as a freshman to over 800 as a sophomore and more than 1,600 last year, amassing 42 career rushing touchdowns while facing stacked 10‑ and 11‑man boxes. Senior backs Memphis Thionnet (5-11, 170; 794 yards, 12 touchdowns at 9.3 yards per carry) and Bo Black (6-1, 210; 828 yards, 12 touchdowns at 9.2 yards per carry) give Holdenville a three‑headed monster on the ground behind a physical line led by junior Brayden Black (6-0, 275), who tallied 25 pancake blocks. Barker describes the single wing as a century‑old style mixing mass at the point of attack with heavy faking and misdirection to “hide the ball” and keep defenses guessing.
Defensively, 10 starters return in a fast, attacking 3‑3 stack. Black doubles as a dominant middle linebacker with 108 tackles and 15 tackles for loss last season, while junior defensive end Tank Redmond (6-2, 215) posted 56 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Senior end Brett Bruner (6-1, 200) added 46 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and three sacks, giving the Wolverines disruptive edge play. Outside linebacker Tenetke Lowe (5-9, 180) recorded 79 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three pass breakups and an interception, and junior free safety RJ Lowe (6-0, 170) contributed 73 tackles, three interceptions and four pass breakups on the back end. Although not big across the board, Barker notes that everyone on defense can really run, allowing them to pair their athleticism with a variety of pressures to create a “solid unit”.
Gomez and Black are both VYPE Top 100 nominees and central to Holdenville’s identity. Gomez’s production and leadership are praised, particularly his ability to thrive as a de facto running back at quarterback in an offense where everyone knows the ball is staying on the ground, while Black is described as a bruising back and four‑year starting middle linebacker who has caused headaches for opposing coaches despite playing through injuries the past two seasons. Sophomore wingback Titus Gomez, Abe’s younger brother, already owns a small‑school freshman state powerlifting title with a 405‑pound squat and 440‑pound deadlift at 157 pounds and could bring even more explosiveness to the backfield. With that combination of experience, toughness and scheme identity, the Wolverines look built to contend again in 2026.
8-28 – at Vian
9-4 – vs. Wewoka
9-11 – vs. Plainview
9-25 – vs. Morris
10-2 – at Atoka
10-9 – vs. Kellyville
10-15 – at Stroud
10-23 – vs. Hartshorne
10-30 – at Wilburton
11-6 – at Beggs
