BLANCHARD LIONS
Coach: BROCK WARDLAW
5-6
With five starters back on offense and four on defense, Blanchard enters 2026 young but explosive, banking on elite athleticism to carry a roster that first-year head coach Brock Wardlaw believes can peak at playoff time. Wardlaw says “we’re excited about the potential of this year’s team,” and while youth in key spots will test the Lions early, the goal is for younger players to gain valuable experience each week and be “playing with confidence and poise by the end of the year so that we’re hitting full stride by playoff time.” The Lions finished 5-6 a season ago, but Wardlaw inherits a program with speed and upside, and he believes that athleticism will be one of Blanchard’s greatest strengths as the season unfolds.
Blanchard will be multiple on offense, keeping things simple for the offensive line while moving skill positions around to create matchups and control time of possession. The Lions will take what the defense gives them and look to control tempo with a balanced attack. Sophomore quarterback Casen Dobbs (5-9, 170) runs the attack behind senior offensive lineman Sam Miller (6-1, 220) and junior Christian Young (6-0, 270), with junior wide receiver Jax Nixon (5-10, 170) and sophomore running back Caysen Garcia (5-10, 175) expected to make plays in space and provide the big-play ability Blanchard will need to stay ahead of the chains.
Defensively, the Lions base out of the 3-4 and pride themselves on playing fast, relentless football and creating turnovers. Wardlaw expects his defense to play with pace and fly to the football, taking pressure off a young offense as it finds its rhythm. Linebacker Logan Wooten (5-10, 200) anchors the second level alongside juniors Trevor Engels (6-3, 190) and Trusdon Moss (6-0, 200), while Nixon doubles as a defensive back and Young provides size and power on the defensive line. Miller is Blanchard’s Character Counts selection, and the staff calls him “a terrific young man and leader we can count on and off the field,” setting the tone for a program that expects this athletic young core to grow into a dangerous playoff team by November. The Lions’ success will depend on how quickly the younger players develop early in the season, especially with several of them in key positions, but if Blanchard can stay healthy and let its athleticism show up on both sides of the ball, Wardlaw believes his group can be playing its best football when it matters most.
9-4 – at Clinton
9-11 – vs. Newcastle
9-18 – at Guthrie
9-25 – at Western Heights
10-2 – vs. Chickasha
10-9 – at Tuttle
10-15 – vs. Ardmore
10-23 – vs. Bridge Creek
10-30 – at Tecumseh
11-6 – vs. Harrah
To nominate a high school student for a feature in VYPE Magazine email a nomination to [email protected]
