E-E power rankings, top performers after Week 1 of HS football in Bartlesville area

The high school football season officially kicked off last Friday throughout the Bartlesville area. Let's take a look at how the top teams and players stack up as we turn the page toward Week 2.

POWER RANKINGS

CLASSES 4A-6A

1, Bartlesville (6A-II) (0-1)

Last week: Claremore 28, Bartlesville 27

This week: Host Sapulpa

Claremore scored with 36 seconds left and held off the Bruins, at Custer Stadium.

Positives: P.J. Wallace rumbled for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns. … Back-up tailback Stefen Williams pounded out 97 yards, including a 38-yard streak to the end zone. … Damien Niko prevented a TD catch in the end zone and later hauled in a reception (from Brett Eaves) for a 67-yard score. … Adyn Peugh helped lead a valiant defensive effort. Claremore scored one of its touchdowns on a pick-six and another on a short field following a bad punt snap.

Need to work on: Bruin quarterbacks Nate Neal and Eaves combine for three interceptions thrown. … Special teams resulted in a turnover on fourth down on a bad snap and a missed extra point.

CLASSES 3A-A

1, Pawhuska (2A) (2-0)

Last week: Pawhuska 54, Cashion 6

This week: at Hominy

Beating Cashion is always a big deal, but winning by 48 points is downright amazing Cashion won back-to-back Class A state titles in 2020 and 2021 and beat Pawhuska in the semifinals in each of those years. Pawhuska has outscored its first two foes, 136-6 -- and the lone touchdown giveup was against the third-string defense.

Positives: Pawhuska's defense has been stingier than a lobster's pinch. … The two-man quarterback rotation has worked superbly through two weeks. Against Cashion, Canyon Hindman and Deacon Hendren combined to complete 22-of-36 for 329 yards, five TDs and four 2-point plays. … Hineman also rushed for 109 yards. … Traven Richardson hauled in 4 TDs.

Need to work on: Continue to season new starters, especially up front.

2, Dewey (3A) (1-0)

Last week: Dewey 15, Nowata 12

This week: at Vinita

Nowata bolted to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter. Dewey battened the hatches defensively and gave the offense a chance to pull out the rivalry win. Dewey has won seven straight against Nowata.

Positives: In his first start as the No. 1 quarterback, Ryder Muninger guided the team to its first season-opening win since 2020. … Zaiden Masters caugth both of Dewey's touchdown passes, one from Bryce Sickler (on a double-pass) and the other from Muninger. … Gavin Lynch sparkled on defense and Haden Becker made a game-saving pick. The defense did its job.

Needs to work on: Getting off to stronger start. Dewey is still a young team, which could derail too many come-from-way-behind rally.

3, Nowata (2A) (1-1)

Last week: Adam Hooper Bowl -- Dewey 15, Nowata 12

This week: Bye

Nowata came oh, so close to 1) Beating Dewey for the first time since 2016 and 2) Starting out at 2-0 for the first time in several seasons.

Positives: Nowata bolted to a 12-0 lead in the first half, but Dewey drew energy from its home crowd to rally. … Peyton Trotter caught both TDs, including a 96-yarder from Treaver Emberson. … Keyshawn Verner intercepted a pass.…Needs to work on: Nowata is still trying to find solidify some of its roles and gain confidence moving forward.

4, Oklahoma Union (A) (0-1)

Last week: Wyandotte 32, Oklahoma Union 29

This week: at Commerce

Oklahoma Union made three crucial turnovers that proved to be the difference.

Positives: Conner Pierce ran for two touchdowns and threw scoring aerials to Caleb Cook and Grant Reeves.

Needs to work on: The Cougars turned the ball over twice inside the 20 and missed a field goal.

5, Caney Valley (2A) (0-2)

Last week: Haskell 20, Caney Valley 12

This week: at Wyandotte

Caney Valley displayed major character by bouncing back from an 82-0 loss the previous week.

Positives: First-year starting QB Noah Mitchell tossed his first varsity TD. In fact, he connected on two of them, one to Cooper Fogle and the other to Jeff Childress. … Cash Williams racked up 2 sacks. … Fogle recorded at least 20 tackles and a pick.

Need to work on: Continuing to get Mitchell experience and upgrading the pass protection. … Getting the ball into the hands of Fogle and Childress.

CLASSES B-C (8-man)

1, Barnsdall (B) (2-0)

Last week: Barnsdall 52, Foyil 7

This week: at Summit Christian

Barnsdall is averaging 63 points a game through two weeks.

Positives: Easton Malone carried the ball only 5 times, rushing for 141 yards and 3 TDs. … Freshmen Tripp Barbe and Haydon Collins both elevated their game to a varsity level. Barnsdall is averaging 550 yards per game. … Henry Easley made five tackles for loss.

Need to work on: Barnsdall is still breaking in two quarterbacks, Braden Byers and Lincoln Gott.

2, Wesleyan Christian (C) (0-1)

Last week: Webbers Falls 56, WCS 27

This week: at Claremore Christian

For the first time in four seasons, the Mustangs went to battle without starting QB Tyrel Cloud, who is recovering from injury.

Positives: Once they settled down, the Mustangs came on strong -- outscoring Webbers Falls in the final quarter-and-a-half, 27-14. … Kael Siemers made his first start at QB and threw for 163 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 98 yards and two TDs. … Carson Tennison pulled in 101 yards receiving and two scores from Siemers. .. P. Slief made a sack.

Need to work on: Obviously, it didn't help falling behind 42-0. WCS now has Game 1 under its belt and should be more settled in the next game. … WCS gave up 410 yards rushing.

3, Copan (C) (0-2)

Last week: Welch 28, Copan 26

This week: at Foyil

Definitely the heartbreak of the season. A Copan player was headed unobstructed to the end zone in the final seconds and he slipped and fell on the 3-yard line. But, in a happier vein, Copan came so close to winning after losing last season to Welch, 56-6.

Positives: Sophomore QB Kane Foreman turned in another notable effort, hitting 14-of-27 passes for 187 yards and 3 TDs. … For the second straight game Weston O'Rourke returned a kickoff for a touchdown. … Teegan Caron kept Copan in the game with 120 yards receiving and 2 TDs on 6 catches.

Need to work on: Getting key players healthy. … Keep plugging through the frustrations of getting better but still dealing with some rough edges.

KANSAS

1, Caney Valley (Kan.) (1-0)

Last week: Caney Valley 50, Erie 6

This week: host Humboldt

The Bullpups continued their mastery against Erie, improving to 15-0 in their last 15 meetings.

Positives: Veteran halfback Jackson Griffin rumbled for 136 yards and 3 TDs. … Traxcyn Garton returned the opening kickoff for a score. … Tanner Hobson scored a TD. … Defense held Erie to minus-23 yards rushing.

Need to work on: Continue to get better individually and collectively as the teams heads into the tougher part of its schedule.

TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES FROM WEEK 1

RB: P.J. Wallace (Bartlesville)

Wallace earned his yards the hard way, carrying 34 times 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also grabbed three passes for 24 yards.

WR/DB: Damien Niko (Bartlesville)

Niko caught one pass but it was a long one — 67 yards for a TD, He stormed past the Claremore defense like it was stationary scrub brushes on the desert. Niko defensed a pass in the end zone to prevent a TD.

QB: Canyon Hindman (Pawhuska)

Hindman racked up 318 yards of total offense.

ATH: Cooper Fogle (Caney Valley)

Fogle amassed more than 20 tackles, intercepted a pass and caught a touchdown.

RB: Easton Malone (Barnsdall)

Malone averaged 28 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns.

QB: Kael Siemers (Wesleyan Christian)

Siemers combined for 261 yards of total offense and accounted for four touchdowns.

WR: Teegan Caron (Copan)

Caron averaged 20 yards per catch (120 yards) and tallied two touchdowns.

HB: Jackson Griffin (Caney Valley, Kan.)

Griffin sliced to 136 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

QB: Connor Pierce (Oklahoma Union)

Pierce ran for two scores and threw for two others.

WR: Peyton Trotter (Nowata)

Trotter caught both his team's scores, including a 96-yarder.

WR: Zaiden Masters (Dewey)

Masters had two receiving touchdowns, one for 61 yards.

WR: Traven Richardson (Pawhuska)

Richardson hauled in more than 100 yards of receptions and four touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: E-E power rankings after Week 1 of HS football in Bartlesville area