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The Oologah Mustangs are set to host Miami this Friday night for their homecoming game, and head coach Sam Noble says his team is ready to bounce back after a tough loss to Claremore. Coming off a bye week, Noble emphasized that the extra time allowed his players to focus on recovery and fine-tuning the details that needed cleaning up from earlier in the season. “We really just took care of our bodies.” 

'We focused on ourselves, slowed things down, and had a good week of practice.'

Both Oologah and Miami enter the matchup with identical 1-2 records, their lone victories coming against Vinita. That sets the stage for a critical district showdown, as the winner will improve to 2-2 and take an early edge in a wide-open race in District 4A-3. Noble noted that while his staff has added a few wrinkles to the game plan, the Mustangs will largely stick with what they know best. “We’re going to stick with what we do and what the kids are comfortable doing,” he said.

The homecoming atmosphere adds another layer of energy and nerves to the game, but Noble views that as a positive. “I think nerves are a little bit of a good thing—it keeps you sharp,” he explained. The coach added that the team’s focus remains simple: control what they can and take things one week at a time. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Oologah, with pregame festivities scheduled to highlight the school’s homecoming celebration.