Sophomore Running Back Part of Potent Offense

By Mike Moguin
GTR Sports Writer

Sophomore running back Braylin Presley is just one of many weapons in the Bixby Spartans’ arsenal.
The younger brother of wide receiver and Oklahoma State University commit Brennan Presley is emerging as a ground force. After starting just two games last season, the younger Presley is in his first year as a starter.
Going into the Sept. 27 District 6AII-2 opener, the younger Presley (5’9″, 149 pounds) has scored seven touchdowns, six rushing and one receiving for the unbeaten Spartans (3-0, No. 1 in Class 6AII).
In a 57-7 rout of Jenks on Sept. 6, Presley scored four TDs of 28, eight, 25 and 21 yards. He finished with nine carries for 108 yards.
“It was really special, especially against Jenks,” Presley said. “It’s just a longstanding rivalry in Bixby. We’ve won two of the last three meetings, but it’s been (decades) since Jenks had been beaten like that. So, I think it’s very important to go out there and just capitalize.”
The key to the blowout win, Presley said, was execution of what the team had been working on in practice through the week.
“We couldn’t think they were going to lay down for us,” Presley said. “We were going to have to go out there and actually execute, be physical through all four quarters. So, we weren’t as shocked because I knew my team was going to come out and play, but we just gave it all and had a good outcome.”
The fact that both he and his brother Brennan are starting together is fun, Braylin Presley said.
“This may be our last year playing on the same team,” he said. “It’s fun to be around my brother and all the starters, learning and soaking up any information I can that I don’t know from the seniors that are in this class. It has been very helpful to be alongside him.”
Like his brother, the younger Presley hopes to be in a position to commit to an NCAA Division-I program in two years.
One athlete he likes to emulate is Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants.
“He can use his vision and use his power in speed to make the cuts that he does,” Presley said. “I think that kind of symbolizes me. I think I have a long way to go to get my legs like that, but I think Saquon is definitely one of my favorite runnings backs and biggest role models.”
His favorite NFL team is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Like his older siblings, Braylin also runs track. Older sister Brandee, a 2018 Bixby graduate now at Ole’ Miss, won state titles in the sport in her prep career.
“I think track helps with football,” he said. “You can go to track and build speed with the technique of running. That way, when we go to football, it just carries on, which obviously helps with speed, but it also helps the team.”
In the games before and after Jenks, the Spartans scored more than 70 points in wins against Mansfield (Texas) Timberview (77-47) and Putnam City (72-0), bringing the combined total for that three-game span to 206 points.
“I, by far, think that it is our best offense,” Presley said. “The line executes the blocks well, the receivers catch, you’ve got the No. 1 quarterback (Mason Williams) to me in the nation, so, I think by far this is the best offensive team we’ve ever had.”
But they know they can’t take it for granted.
We can’t take that because we beat Jenks the way we did, that we’re going to do that to everyone else,” Presley said. “I think we have to come out with the same mindset we did against Mansfield and Jenks. We have to come out and execute while we practice, we have to come out physical, we have to come out with the right mindset and I think we’ll be able to beat anyone in the state.”
Bixby opened District 6AII-2 play at home against Sapulpa on Sept. 27. It followed up with a key matchup at Booker T. Washington on Oct. 4. The rest of its regular season schedule consists of hosting Ponca City (Oct. 11), at Bartlesville (Oct. 17), Sand Springs (Oct. 25), at Shawnee (Nov. 1) and Muskogee (Nov. 8).