SEQUOYAH — Sequoyah will find out quickly how much progress it has made.
The Eagles renew their rivalry with Inola on Aug. 28, providing an immediate measuring stick against a Longhorns program coming off a 9-3 season.
Inola graduated 18 seniors, but Sequoyah coach Rob Gilbreath still expects a difficult matchup and wants to see Sequoyah compete better than it did in last year's meeting, a 46-6 loss.
“They kind of put it on us last year, so hopefully we can compete with them this year,” Gilbreath said. “They graduated heavily, but they still have that really good running back [Jayce Kent]. He was a freshman last year, and he was a game-changer. So we'll have to be able to stop him and be able to move the ball on them and have less mistakes than they do.”
Cleveland presents another significant early challenge. After going through a rebuilding period of its own, Gilbreath expects the Tigers to bring a talented roster to Sequoyah.
Wyandotte, meanwhile, enters more of a rebuilding phase after significant graduation losses and changes to its coaching staff. The Bears finished 9-3 in 2025, reaching the Class 2A-II quarterfinals.
Then comes a Class 2A-I district with few comfortable weeks.
Rejoice Christian enters as the two-time defending Class A-I state champion, while Holland Hall joins the Eagles as one of the perceived front-runners in the district. Gilbreath expects both to set the standard at the top.
“Everybody knows about Holland Hall being a private school and being loaded,” Gilbreath said. “Rejoice, that's been kind of our nemesis the last couple of years. They're going to have some really good players. They're going to be well-coached. They're going to be very disciplined.”
Tulsa Central possesses the type of athletes capable of causing problems in space, while Sperry brings its familiar hard-nosed, well-coached approach. Henryetta also figures into a crowded postseason picture.
For Sequoyah, the games against Sperry and Henryetta could prove particularly important. If Rejoice Christian and Holland Hall live up to their billing at the top, those matchups could carry major implications in the fight for the district's remaining playoff positions.
Gilbreath doesn't merely want Sequoyah to sneak into the postseason.
The Eagles want a high enough seed to play at home once they get there and avoid a potential first-round trip to a powerhouse such as Lincoln Christian.
“Hopefully we can knock off a Rejoice or a Holland Hall to get that home playoff game,” Gilbreath said. “That is our main goal.”
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