in

A Look at Bixby Wrestling’s 2021-22 Squad and New Coaching Staff

Bixby wrestling had the blockbuster hire of the offseason in Oklahoma High School wrestling when they announced former Stanford associate head coach, Ray Blake as their new wrestling coach.

Expectations are sky high coming off last season’s dual state runner up and 5th place team state finish. Their boys’ team returns eleven state qualifiers, five state medalists, and three state champions while adding a healthy mix of new and young talent to the lineup. Blake says they look forward to competing with the many great programs across the state, but their focus will be inward—on continuous improvement, executing with integrity, and maximizing their potential. Blake believes if they succeed in those areas, they will be able to compete for Bixby Wrestling’s first team state title since 1987.

As excited as they are for the boys’ team, they are equally as excited about growing their girls’ program. The Thompson sisters are providing excellent leadership for the younger girls and they expect to continue to increase their roster size, coaching resources, and competitive opportunities for them. While the roster is still expanding, the girls already on it are solid and give a great nucleus around which to build.

Boys Roster:

106: Tucker Clark(Fr) / Judah Byrd (Fr) / Jadyn Roller (Fr)

113: Colden Dyer (So) / Cameron White (So)

120: Tharyn Hausler (Fr)-JH State placer / Gavin Turley (Jr)

126: Clayton Giddens (So)-State Champion-Fargo All-American/ Josh Bingham (So)

132: Zach Blankenship (Sr)-2-Time State Champion / Cody Kaiser (Jr)

138: Jace Roller (So)-State placer / Chance Gruenwald (Jr) / JD Martin (So)

145: Caden Kelley (Jr)-State qualifier / Christian Kaiser (Jr)-State qualifier / Conner Moffitt (Jr) / Jonah Stephenson (Sr)

152: Garrett Washington (Sr)-State qualifier / Keegan Tomlinson (Jr) / Colton Kaiser (So)

160: Jakeb Snyder (Jr)-State placer / Jack Lane (Sr) / Peyton Callis (Fr)

170: Caleb Rogers (Sr)-State qualifier(2019) / Mason Buzbee (So) / Jake Byford (So)

182: Hank Puckett (So)-State qualifier / Braden Hopkins (Sr) / Isaac Cotta (So)

195: Jersey Robb (Jr)-State Champion-2x State Finalist / Zach McCarthy (So)

220: Jack Puckett-State qualifier (Sr) / Garrett Ritter (So) / Nathan Blackowl (Jr) / Justin Kirk (So)

285: Ky Roller (Sr) / Andrew Lynn (Jr) / Chase Wilson (So)

Girls Roster:

100/107: Jadyn Roller (Fr)-JH State champion

138/145: Claire Moffitt (Fr)

138/145: Jasmine McKay (Fr)

152/165: Emma Thompson (Sr)-2021 State runner-up, 2020 State champion

152/165: Grace Thompson (Jr)-2020/21 State placer

2021-22 HS Boys Schedule:

Dec 2 – @ Union

Dec 10-11 – @ Walsh Ironman Tournament*

Dec 18 – @ Norman Tournament

Dec 18 – @ Westmoore JV Tournament**

Dec 30 – vs. STILLWATER

Jan 7-8 – @ Geary Tournament

Jan 11 – vs. DISTRICT DUALS (Jenks, Muskogee, Bartlesville)

Jan 13 – @ Sand Springs

Jan 14-15 – @ Sand Springs Tournament

Jan 21-22 – @ Owasso Dual Tournament

Jan 21-22 – @ Skiatook Tournament**

Jan 25 – @ Broken Arrow

Feb 3 – vs. OWASSO

Feb 4-5 – @ Glenpool Warrior Classic**

Feb 11-12 – @ Dual State

Feb 18-19 – @ Regionals

Feb 25-26 – @ State Championships

* Partial lineup—Will be without FB players

** Will be sending second teams

2021-22 HS Girls Schedule:

Dec 2 – @ Union

Dec 18 – @ Norman Tournament

Dec 30 – vs. STILLWATER

Jan 14-15 – @ Catoosa Tournament

Jan 22 – @ Reeds Spring Tournament (MO)

Jan 25 – @ Broken Arrow

Jan 29 – @ Broken Arrow Girls Tournament

Feb 3 – vs. OWASSO

Feb 5 – @ Moore Tournament (TBD)

Feb 14-15 – @ Regionals

Feb 25-26 – @ State Championships

Coaching Staff:

Ray Blake (HS Head Coach): First season at Bixby HS after spending 14 years as an assistant and associate head coach at Stanford University. Coached 17 NCAA D1 All-Americans, 3 NCAA Finalists, 1 National Champion, 22 individual Pac-12 champions, 52 NWCA Academic All-Americans. Helped guide Stanford to 5 top-20 NCAA team finishes and its first conference championship. Wrestled collegiately at Stanford after a prep career at Marist HS in Chicago.

Shane Roller (HS Asst Coach): 10th season coaching at Bixby HS after an illustrious high school, collegiate, and UFC career. 3x NCAA D1 All-American at Oklahoma State where he led the Cowboys to an NCAA team championship as a senior. 4x Oklahoma state champion at Bixby HS. Head coach of Roller Academy of Wrestling (RAW) and co-owner of the World of Wrestling which runs the Tulsa Nationals, Kickoff Classic, and Reno Worlds. Shane is the linchpin of the Bixby wrestling program.

Kenny Giddens (HS Asst Coach): 4th season at Bixby with over 12 years’ experience coaching at the HS and youth levels. Has previously served as head junior high coach, also coaches at Roller Academy of Wrestling. Oklahoma state medalist at Mannford HS. Kenny is a workhorse who bleeds Bixby Wrestling, the unsung hero of our coaching staff.

Garrett Evans (JH Head Coach / HS Asst Coach): First season at Bixby after two years as an assistant at Pryor HS and four years at Keller HS (TX). 3x All-American for Ouachita Baptist University under current Army head coach Kevin Ward and Cal Poly Associate HC Chris Chionuma. 2x Oklahoma state champion and 4x state medalist at Cushing HS for Hall of Fame coach Barry Patterson. HS teams also won 3 dual meet state titles. A central component of our program who is in the room guiding both levels every day.

Gregg “Money” Evans (HS Asst Girls and Boys Coach): Returns to Bixby HS with 27+ years coaching experience at Broken Arrow (1994-2005), Union (2005-14, 2017-21), and Bixby (2014-17). Has coached 12 team state championships and 35 individual state champions. NCAA D3 All-American. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee, Oklahoma Chapter. Is coaching both girls and boys with a primary focus on our Girls program. MONEY.

Brian Douglas (HS Asst Coach): 13th season coaching at Bixby HS, wrestled for Steve Dunlap at Broken Arrow HS (’95). Also the Inside Linebackers Coach for 6-time defending state champion Bixby Spartan Football. Brian is a professional who brings invaluable experience and expertise with the ins and outs of the high school and history of the Bixby wrestling program.

Paden Bailey (JH and HS Asst Coach): First season at Bixby but isn’t lacking in familiarity as father Leo is an all-time Spartan wrestling great. Will primarily focus on the JH room but will assist at the HS level as well. An Oklahoma state champion and 2x state medalist at Broken Arrow, Paden wrestled for one season at UCO and is now a firefighter in Bixby.

Austin Embrey (JH Asst Coach): 8th season at Bixby, has served in both the head and assistant JH coaching roles. Wrestled for Hall of Fame coaches Wayne Constant and Rick Reeves at Skiatook HS. Also serves as the Wide Receivers Coach and Passing Game Coordinator for the powerhouse Spartan football team.

Conner Myers (Strength Coach): First year at Bixby after four years as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Edmond Memorial HS. Oversees S&C for all Bixby athletics programs and has already proven to be a critical component of our coaching staff. Develops wrestling-specifics lifts for our HS and JH student-athletes both in and out of season. In less than two months, Coach Myers has our team looking as strong as ever.

Stephen Moss (Athletic Trainer): 10th season at Bixby after three years at Missouri Southern State and an undergrad career at Oklahoma State. Coach Moss is the gatekeeper of our student-athletes health and works tirelessly to keep them performing at their highest levels. One of seven national finalists for the Varsity School Spirit Award for Athletic Trainer of the Year. Also responsible for the football, track & field, tennis, soccer, cheer/dance, and swimming teams.

What do you think?

67 points
Upvote Downvote

Leave a Reply