Tim Holt Jr.
Sapulpa Chieftains Football Coach
With the season approaching and teams across Oklahoma embracing the heat of August, Tim Holt Jr. and the Sapulpa Chieftains are gearing up for a move in Class 6AII. The move is an exciting one for the smallest school in the class.
“We are excited about the transition up to 6AII. We have played in an extremely tough district over the past couple years in 5A and we aren’t afraid of jumping in and competing to win games. Our players have embraced the new normal and are excited about the new challenges that a bigger class may bring. We understand we are the smallest school, and we will play with a big chip on our shoulders this year,” said Holt.
Teams like Muskogee, the defending state champs, and other await Sapulpa, but coach Holt believes they will be ready to face the challenge.
“Muskogee is a great program with a lot of tradition. I’ve been on the same staff with Travis Hill when we were at Broken Arrow, so I know they will always be well coached and prepared to play at a high level. We understand that we must be able to match that when playing a team like they are. They are extremely talented across the board as well so we will have to be ready to play great football when that time comes,” said Holt.
One game that will remain on the schedule is the classic Highway 97 rivalry game against Sand Springs. This season the game has a big twist.
“I think what I have enjoyed the most about this game is just that the rivalry is so historic and well recognized that it has been put on the map as exactly that. Now, with it being week 10 it is going to be an even bigger game with huge playoff implications for both teams regardless,” said Holt.
One of the top priorities coming into the summer was deciding on who would quarterback the Chieftains this season. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of a sophomore.
“As of right now, sophomore Braddox Broughton will be our starter at QB. He transferred over from Tulsa Edison. He is extremely talented and has great arm strength and potential to be a big-time player. Passing game wise, Julian Vess, who suffered a season ending injury in our first fall scrimmage last year returns this season, so not a lot of people have seen what he can do. He is long and rangy and has great speed, so we will look to stretch the field with him this year. Dakota Chaney, David Richardson, and Future Ledbetter are guys with speed that will be highly involved in the passing game as well,” said Holt.
Coach Holt will call the offense while coach Braxton Watters will call the defense.
“Defensive coordinator Braxton Watters came over from Jenks. Landon Isham comes out of retirement to coach our outside backers [long time Alan Trimble assistant]. Cade Stacy will coach the corners. And former Union running back who just finished playing at Eastern Michigan, Darius Boone, will coach our running backs,” said Holt.
Sapulpa has the look of a team you don’t take lightly. With a top-notch coaching staff and players who are buying in to the program, the Chieftains are poised to make a splash this season regardless of class.
“We as a program have had an unbelievably good off season this year. We know very much that we are the smallest school in our class, but we are more than ready to show everyone that we can play football at a high level and make some noise going into November!”
