NOTHING BUT GREEN: Ranking Rogers County's 11-man football schedules
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Progress sports editor Kevin Green
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Every football coach says the same thing this time of year.
"We've got to play who's on the schedule."
That's true. But let's not pretend every schedule is created equal.
Some teams catch a break with favorable home-and-road splits and rebuilding opponents. Others seem to draw every state title contender within driving distance.
So, in the spirit of preseason debate, I decided to rank Rogers County's seven 11-man football schedules from easiest to hardest.
Before anyone grabs a pitchfork, here is the methodology. This is about as scientific as a napkin at a sports bar.
Each opponent was assigned its final 2025 MaxPreps Oklahoma ranking. If that game is at home, it counts for the full value.
If it is on the road, it is cut in half, reflecting the added challenge of winning away from home. The lower the total score, the more difficult the schedule.
Final placement also considered the combined 2025 win-loss records of each team's opponents.
With that out of the way, here is how I see it.
7. Verdigris [Easiest]
Schedule score: 1,036.5
Opponents' 2025 record: 47-62 [43.1%]
Hardest game: at Heritage Hall [Class 3A state semifinalist]
At first glance, Verdigris' schedule score looks intimidating, but the Cardinals' opponents actually combined for the lowest winning percentage of any Rogers County team on this list.
Much like last season, however, the schedule is backloaded.
Verdigris' toughest four games come in the final four weeks, with road trips to Bristow, Perkins-Tryon and Heritage Hall surrounding a rivalry showdown against Inola at home.
It is a challenging finish, but compared to the rest of Rogers County, the Cardinals have the most favorable overall slate.
6. Chelsea
Schedule score: 986
Opponents' 2025 record: 56-50 [52.8%]
Hardest game: Adair [Class 2A-II state champion]
Chelsea once again faces a difficult district, highlighted by defending Class 2A-II state champion Adair and quarterfinalists Salina and Wyandotte.
Those three programs combined for 33 wins last season.
The Green Dragons also play three of their final four games on the road, making the stretch run especially demanding.
5. Claremore
Schedule score: 1,040
Opponents' 2025 record: 61-53 [53.5%]
Hardest game: at Bishop McGuinness [Class 5A runner-up]
Claremore technically owns the highest schedule score in the county, but the overall layout lands it in the middle of my rankings.
The marquee challenge is a road trip to Class 5A runner-up Bishop McGuinness, the same team that ended the Zebras' playoff run last season. Claremore also closes the regular season with consecutive rivalry road games against Pryor and Collinsville.
There won't be many easy Fridays, so the Zebras should be battle-tested by November.
4. Sequoyah
Schedule score: 942
Opponents' 2025 record: 59-52 [53.2%]
Hardest game: Rejoice Christian [Class A-I state champion]
Dropping to Class 2A-I should improve Sequoyah's playoff outlook, but the Eagles won't exactly coast into district play.
Road trips to Inola and Wyandotte headline the nondistrict slate before district home games against Holland Hall and reigning Class A-I state champion Rejoice Christian.
It is a balanced schedule that should reveal exactly where the Eagles stand before the postseason begins.
3. Inola
Schedule score: 824
Opponents' 2025 record: 55-55 [50%]
Hardest game: at Adair [Class 2A-II state champion]
Aside from opening the season at defending Class 2A-II champion Adair, much of Inola's schedule is manageable.
Then comes a brutal closing stretch.
The Longhorns finish with Heritage Hall, Verdigris and Perkins-Tryon, meaning they'll face two Class 3A semifinalists and a Cardinals squad expected to contend for a district title.
2. Oologah
Schedule score: 747.5
Opponents' 2025 record: 54-56 [49.1%]
Hardest game: Cushing [Class 4A semifinalist]
Oologah owns the lowest schedule score of any Rogers County team, and six road games make this slate even more difficult than the numbers suggest.
Three of the first five contests are away from home, and three of the final four are as well. Add in a matchup with Class 4A semifinalist Cushing, and the Mustangs won't have much room for error.
1. Catoosa [Hardest]
Schedule score: 838
Opponents' 2025 record: 59-51 [53.6%]
Hardest game: Jones [Class 2A-I state champion]
Catoosa may have dropped to Class 3A, but its path arguably became even more difficult.
Three of the first four games are on the road, including trips to Verdigris and Berryhill. While the Indians get defending Class 2A-I state champion Jones and Metro Christian at home, those two teams combined for a remarkable 25-1 record in 2025.
When you combine the quality of the opponents with how the schedule is laid out, I think Catoosa has the toughest road among Rogers County's 11-man programs this fall.