Football time is right around the corner and it can’t come fast enough for Sulphur.
The Dogs will start football practice in just about a month, as Sulphur look to build off a very successful 8-4 season that ended in the Class 3Astate quarterfinals.
Sulphur returns many starters, as the Dogs look poised to make an even deeper postseason run.
The Dogs were 6-1 in district last year, finishing as runner-up to Heritage Hall, who lost in the state championship game.
Sulphur fell in the quarterfinals to eventual state champion Lincoln Christian.
After losses to Washington and Davis to open the season, the Dogs responded with six straight wins and eight victories in nine games, including a 42-7 win over Kingfisher in the first round of the playoffs.
Sulphur returns almost all its talent on both sides of the ball, as expectations are high once again.
In the next couple of weeks of preview coverage, as we prepare for the season, we will take a look at the offensive and defensive sides of football.
The Dogs return many starters on both sides, as they look to challenge for the District 3A-2 title and a deep playoff run.
Up first, the offense.
OFFENSIVE PREVIEW Sulphur returns most starters from last season’s offensive unit, which averaged 31.2 points per game a year ago.
The Dogs scored just 24 points in the opening two losses to Washington and Davis, but averaged 48.8 over the next five weeks to get the offensive mojo back.
Sulphur welcomes a new offensive coordinator in Channing Hickman, who comes to town from Temple, TX.
Hickman graduated from Whitesboro, TX in 2016 and from Hardin-Simmons University in 2020.
He then coached at Whitesboro for three years, heading up the wide receivers for two and the offensive line for another.
Hickman most recently spent one year at Temple, TX last season, coaching wide receivers.
The new play-caller will bring a new look offense to Sulphur but the principles and philosophies will remain the same.
“”We are going to look a little different than previous Sulphur Bulldog offenses. But make no mistake about it, we are still going to play the hard-nosed, physical football we are known for playing,” Hickman said earlier this summer.
Sulphur got its first look at the new offense earlier this spring, when head coach Corey Cole and his group competed at the Durant team camp at Southeastern.
“We got better as the night went on and that’s expected when you are installing a new system,” he said last month.
The Dogs will utilize a run/ pass option approach under Hickman, which worked pretty well in team camp, according to Cole.
“We are going to spread people out and lean on the RPO game. I thought we were good considering we’ve had only eight practices in the new offense.”
“To go out and have some success against someone else that isn’t our JV or second team, doing it against another team that’s going as hard as we were on defense, that makes you feel good.”
QUARTERBACK
Colten Cole is back for Sulphur, as the junior put up some solid numbers as a sophomore and returns to lead the Dogs at quarterback.
Cole was 95-for-158 (60%) passing for 1,909 yards. He threw 25 touchdowns to just nine interceptions a year ago.
He played well at team camp, including displaying an added dimension in the run game.
“Colten ran for two or three touchdowns and even ran over a couple of guys, which is something we didn’t see a lot of last year,” Cole said. “He has changed his body a lot in the offseason and you can tell. He didn’t throw it well early but then settled in passing wise and made some good throws. We had a lot of guys play well in the passing game.”
Fellow junior Maddax Mobly, who plays all over the field for Sulphur, will also take some snaps at quarterback in the Dogs’ dynamic offense.
Mobly was 8-for-13 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown a year ago.
RUNNING BACK
Sulphur returns three of its top four rushers, as the Dogs will lean heavily on the run game again this fall.
Mobly is the leading returning rusher, as the junior totaled 829 yards on 128 carries for eight touchdowns as a sophomore, averaging 6.5 yards per rush.
Seniors Austin Garrett and Cash Matlack also return for Sulphur, as both were big parts of the run game a year ago.
Garrett finished the year with 80 carries for 704 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 8.8 yards per carry.
Matlack was very effective in his opportunities, running 38 times for 256 yards and a score, averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
As Mobly was held out during the spring due to an injury, Garrett and Matlack got most of the work and impressed at team camp.
“Austin Garrett and Cash (Matlack) both ran well,” Cole said. “We held (Maddax) Mobly out with an injury. We also had Baer Webb out, so we were missing some guys on offense but I thought we got better as the night went along.”
All three backs were very effective in the pass game a year ago, something fans should expect the Dogs to continue to utilize.
Matlack had six catches for 143 yards and two scores, while Garrett caught just five passes, but for 71 yards and three touchdowns.
WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END Sulphur lost its top two receivers from last season in Brytan Gaddy and Damontre Patterson, but the Dogs welcome back a host of talent and a new addition to what should be a very deep and talented wide receiver room.
Mobly, who will line up primarily in the slot for Sulphur, is the leading returning receiver after catching 21 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns a year ago.
The Dogs also welcome back junior Briar Davenport, who flashed his speed as a sophomore.
Davenport was a big play waiting to happen, as he had just 11 catches but for 236 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 21.4 yards per reception.
Sulphur will have a new face in senior Eli Vinson, who will likely fill a similar role to Mobly in displaying versatility by moving around all over the field.
Vinson played quarterback as a junior for Madill last season, but figures to play primarily at receiver for Sulphur.
He is a 6-foot, 175 lb. athlete that caught two touchdowns during the team portion of camp at Southeastern.
Davenport also caught a touchdown from Cole, as did junior tight end Jett Runyan, who should play a bigger role for the Dogs in 2024.
Junior Bridge Barrett and sophomore Drake Wood each had a great spring for the Dogs and will contribute at receiver, as well. Barrett started on defense in the secondary for Sulphur as a sophomore.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Maybe the biggest strength of the offensive unit will be the guys up front, as Sulphur returns all but one of its starting lineman from a year ago.
The Dogs averaged 6.5 yards per carry en route to 2,951 rushing yards as a team.
“The offensive line has a chance to be great for us,” said Cole.
Seniors Justus Gilliam, Gideon Peterson, Caden Cole, and Nash Williamson return for the Dogs, along with junior center Brody Wallace.
Cole was impressed with how the group adjusted and played at the team camp, as he expects the group to continue to improve as the season beings and goes along.
“They went out and competed. The good thing for them was that they got a lot of different looks and that will only make us better,” Cole said.
Gilliam and Cole have started for two years for Sulphur, while Peterson came on late last year after moving in from Roff.
Williamson has experience as a starter for multiple years, as well, as does Wallace who played center for the Dogs as a freshman.
Gilliam, Cole and Peterson have collectively garnered offers from the likes of Central Oklahoma, Southeastern, East Central, Emporia State, Harding and more over the last several months.
