If Claremore intends to make a championship run, it won't have to wait until the playoffs to find out how it measures up.
Coach Jarrett Hurt considers the Zebras' nondistrict slate one of the toughest he has encountered in his 11 years with the program.
It begins immediately in Week Zero against Sallisaw, a perennial Class 4A playoff contender capable of providing Claremore with an early measuring stick.
“They've definitely got our attention,” Hurt said, noting the Black Diamonds were a 21-20 loss to Ada from winning the district title. “Their quarterback is back, they've got a great tailback, several good skill kids and very impressive linemen, so we know that's going to be a tough, tough game.”
The difficulty only increases from there.
The Zebras return home in Week 1 to face Class 6A Bartlesville, whose offensive-minded staff includes offensive coordinator Mason Fine, a former Locust Grove and North Texas standout who owns the state record for most passing yards in a season [5,006] and a career [13,081]. Another Class 6A opponent awaits in Week 2 when Claremore takes on Muskogee.
“If you look at our history with Bartlesville, our games are always really tight, and they've got a new coaching staff,” Hurt said of the Matt Hennesy-led Bruins. “They've got several new transfers in up there, so we know it's gonna be all we want. We know the ball is going to be in the air that night.
Then comes a district schedule with little room for an off night. Muskogee is not too far removed from a state championship in 6A Division II. They have athletes all over the field, so that'll be another big, big challenge for us.”
Collinsville, Tahlequah, Pryor and Bishop McGuinness have established themselves as perennial playoff threats, creating a crowded race for the district's postseason berths.
Hurt also expects Nathan Hale and Edison Prep to be improved, adding another layer of difficulty to a district in which he believes quality teams could ultimately find themselves left out of the postseason.
“A good team or two is going to get left out in our district,” Hurt said. “It happens every year, and we don't want that to be us.”
That makes the Zebras' margin for error thin.
It also makes Claremore's motto particularly appropriate.
After three years of reaching the quarterfinals, the Zebras already know they can compete deep into November.
Now it is dreaming about playing beyond it.
“We want to take that next step,” Hurt said. “We've been to the semifinals, quarterfinals and quarterfinals [the past three years]. We want to take that next step. That's our ultimate goal: is to take the next step. And we believe we've got a group this year that's hungry to do that.”
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