The stampede’s silence
By Caleb Parker
Picture of the state championship game taken by Olivia Garrett
A tale of two teams, coming together in an incredible contest to determine who could withstand the finale of an enduring rivalry. The Rams versus the Spartans. The Horns versus spears. A stampede versus an army. With Owasso’s record of 12 wins and zero losses, everything seemed to line up. And in fact, it did; the end of the game looked close on the horizon. With a score of 42 to 35, the final match was set to make for a complete and undefeated season.
Except, it wasn’t. The Rams’ rush of the entire season was beaten—beaten by a single point.
In the weeks leading up to the championship game, Owasso was confident in their ability to win. With reformed mindsets, grueling workouts and intense determination, the football team was well on their way to adding another state title to the three already accumulated wins in the school’s history.
Senior defensive end Alex Newbold commented on the extreme work ethic and persistence of this year’s lineup.
When asked about the changes made to their gym routine, Newbold replied, “Before, we just did one workout. But now, we do one workout, and then as soon as you're done with that set you go to the next workout. It’s basically just adding the speed with the strength and building endurance on that.”
Though Newbold was assured of the team’s eventual success, he was particularly cautious when approaching the question of the final state of the game.
“[Bixby isn’t] bad, and they [definitely] aren’t trash, … I do obviously think we’re better, but at the same time, coach is giving us this mentality of zero-zero.” Continuing, Newbold added, “It doesn’t matter if we’re 12 and O. It doesn’t matter if they score.”
On the night of the game, the Owasso Rams brought the all-or-nothing mindset with them. Within the first quarter of the game, Owasso had pulled ahead of Bixby by two touchdowns, attempting to create a powerful snowball effect for a sweeping Owasso victory. All seemed hopeful from the start, yet as the game went on, the Spartans appeared to be throttling every ounce of power in their arsenal. The second quarter produced three terrifying touchdowns for Bixby, alongside another Owasso touchdown totaling an equalized score of 21 to 21 points.
The crowd was roaring, with each side of the stadium stomping and raising their voices in support of the warriors on the battlefield.
After halftime, each following touchdown was a trade-off: Bixby, 28-21, then Owasso, 28-28. Every person in the amplified arena was on the edge of their seats, wallowing in their disappointment when the other team scored and yelling in excitement when their home team passed ahead of the other. Flying emotions, wavering voices and stupendous support was happening throughout the stadium.
When the fourth quarter came, it was the final stretch towards Owasso’s long-awaited triumph. The Rams pulled ahead of the Bixby Spartans by an entire touchdown with only three minutes left on the clock, and the results of the game were on the horizon; Owasso was going to win.
But suddenly, Bixby received the ball, and within two minutes had scored the touchdown that would secure an overtime.
The overtime was to be decided as such: the two teams would start on the five-yard line and would attempt to stop the other team from scoring a touchdown. The first team to pull ahead by one point would be declared the winner—a classic game of cutthroat.
Owasso started off firmly fortified, gritting their teeth with a seemingly unbearable determination. Their offense made a touchdown, and chose to kick for a conversion. Owasso went up from 41 to 42 points, their defense preparing for the ensuing pressure. Bixby, hot on the heels of the Rams, muscled again their way to another touchdown.
But something was off, and the crowd knew it. The Spartans were deciding between kicking a conversion for one point, or making a riskier decision: going for a two-point conversion.
Then, without a moment’s notice, the stadium saw the jumbotron’s display of the Spartan’s formation—they were going for the two points. People held their breath, knowing that Bixby could go from 41 points to a victorious 43 points and end the game. The entire stadium watched in awe and anticipation, knowing that the defense of the Owasso Rams would be the last step in securing the undefeated season.
And then, it happened. The ball was taken from the Spartans and weaseled its way around the defense into the end zone. The Spartans had speared the Rams. The Spartans had won. The Bixby side of the field erupted with cheers and celebration, knowing that they had won the State Championship once again.
The Rams stood still and frozen to their seats, bearing a silence even more deafening than their opponents roaring applause.
I myself watched in complete disbelief, unable to turn or look at any other Ram fan next to me. It couldn’t be true. We were supposed to win.
Junior Amelia Suppes was among the shocked and silent community, finding difficulty to process what had just occurred.
After the game, she remarked, “It was so weird because after that play everyone just got so quiet … on our side of the field. Everyone just looked so sad.” She continued, saying, “I wasn’t even planning in my head for if we didn’t [win] … [and] that was probably the most hype I’ve ever been for a game.”
The team was in just as much shock as the Owasso crowd, yet soon the shock turned into disbelief and shattering disappointment. Their first loss would end their season with a 12-1 record, all because of a single point.
With a devastating loss and a long bus ride awaiting them, the Rams walked off the field, but it still wasn’t the end.
Following the game, the Owasso Band led the community and the team off with the alma mater, keeping the Rams’ heads held high in order to revitalize Owasso Ram Pride.
Though the 2024 season was a stunning display of brilliance on the part of the Owasso Rams Football Team, 2025 is on the near horizon; the sounds of the crowds will soon meet the stampede’s ears once again. Don’t let the silence of the stampede discourage you; they’ll be back, leading a more powerful and intimidating herd than ever before.