Bixby Football Looking For "Odd Year" Success

By Kyle Dierking, NewsOn6.com

BIXBY, OK -- It's time to clear the throat and get loud.

"That voice...you got to get used to talking loud," said Bixby coach Pat McGrew, laughing.

When McGrew talks last season's team, it was four games, four losses against four teams that went to the state finals.

"You know all that is, is an excuse," McGrew said. "We tell our players, ‘if you want to be in the finals you have to beat those teams.' The best thing about high school football is being in the state championship and winning the state championship. "

"Practices are a lot more intense than last year," Lamb said. "Everyone's working hard. We expect ourselves to be there every season, there's no exception. We expect to be in the state championship."

The Spartans themselves are no strangers to state championship appearances. Trips to the title game in 2005 and 2007 resulted in narrow losses. Now in '09, another odd year could mean yet another title tilt.

"That little hump...we've been there, what, two out of the last four or five years, it's just getting over the top and winning it," Lamb said.

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