Top-ranked Bixby and No. 2 Broken Arrow, both undefeated, collide Friday, Oct. 30, in a Class 6AI showdown that doubles as Senior Night for the Spartans.
The stakes are clear. The winner takes the district championship.
Hobbs: from wheelchair to linebacker
At age 8, Nate Hobbs was diagnosed with a serious bone condition in his left leg, according to the Tulsa World. While his friends and his older brother played on youth-league football teams, Hobbs sat in a wheelchair, the Tulsa World reported.
He is now a senior linebacker for the Spartans.
His father, Steve Hobbs, serves as president of the Bixby Quarterback Club. Nate's brother Brandon played football at Bixby from 2021 to 2023.
Ayers anchors Broken Arrow's defense
Jackson Ayers has attended Broken Arrow schools since kindergarten, the Tulsa World reported. He is now a senior defensive lineman for the unbeaten Tigers.
Broken Arrow head coach Travis Hill leads a squad that earned the No. 2 ranking in Class 6AI. Bixby head coach Loren Montgomery's Spartans hold the top spot.
Bixby's football family ties
Bixby's roster features OU commit Kaeden Penny, an offensive lineman whose family has deep ties to the program. Former NFL star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is Penny's cousin and one of the most well-known athletes to come out of Bixby, according to The Oklahoman.
Penny also looked up to cousins DeAndre, DiAngelo and DeWitt Jennings, who all played Division I football after their Bixby careers, The Oklahoman reported.
What's ahead
The winner claims the District 6A-I-1 championship and improves to 9-0, with one regular-season game remaining before the playoffs.
