FOOTBALL: Claremore embracing earlier start as Zebras gear up for season

For the first time in program history, Claremore will open its football season in Week Zero.

>To get there, the Zebras are also getting an earlier start than ever before.

>With the OSSAA moving preseason practice up a week under its revised calendar, Claremore officially begins preparations for the 2026 campaign earlier than usual.

>Coach Jarrett Hurt said the schedule change has prompted the Zebras to adjust their daily routine, including moving practices to 7 a.m. for the first two weeks to beat the heat while complying with the OSSAA's new wet-bulb heat safety guidelines.

>“We're facing some new times,” Hurt said. “Practice starts on Aug. 3 this year, which is a week earlier than we've ever started in Oklahoma, so that has kind of condensed our summer and will be a challenge for all of us starting a week earlier. We plan to start in the morning and practice at 7 a.m. to try to beat the heat because we're also under some new scrutiny with the wet bulb that will take effect this year, so we want to be able to practice and get our entire practice in.”

>The earlier start coincides with another first for the program.

>Claremore will kick off its season with a Week Zero road game at Sallisaw, adding an extra week to the schedule and providing an immediate test before district play begins.

>The Black Diamonds have been a consistent winner in Class 4A, giving the Zebras another challenging nondistrict opponent alongside Bartlesville and Muskogee.

>“It's a tough matchup,” Hurt said. “Sallisaw is a solid football program, and they have been for a long time, so we will definitely have to bring our A-game that night, and it will definitely be hot that night. So our shape will definitely be an issue, and we want our guys in tip-top shape so we can play well in those conditions.”

>Even with the difficult slate, Hurt likes what he has seen throughout the summer.

>One of the biggest strengths entering the season appears to be the receiving corps.

>After a productive summer of 7-on-7 competition, Hurt said he believes Claremore has assembled one of its deepest groups of pass catchers in recent years, giving opposing defenses plenty to worry about.

>“Several of our skill kids really stood out during 7-on-7 this year,” Hurt said. “Our receiving corp is as deep as it's ever been. I would hate to single out any individual kid at this point, but our receiving core is pretty deep, and we're excited about that. We have a lot of weapons. It's going to be hard for teams to try to cover a guy one-on-one or double cover a guy because of our depth and how good we are across the board at wide receiver right now. If we stay healthy, we have a chance to be pretty good in that area.

>“We're going to be able to run the ball, and we're going to be able to throw the ball. That's going to make us dangerous, I think, on offense.”

>That depth continues a trend for a program that has consistently produced standout receivers in recent seasons, including Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State selections.

>Hurt said he believes the versatility of the group will help keep defenses honest while allowing the offense to maintain balance between the passing and running games.

>While the receivers return considerable experience, the running back room enters the fall with more questions after graduating key contributors.

>Still, Hurt is optimistic.

>Although relatively inexperienced on Friday nights, he said the new backs have impressed throughout the offseason with their work ethic and development. The group features a variety of skill sets, giving Claremore a combination of speed and power in the backfield.

>“We're unproven at running back,” Hurt said, “but we have several players that have stepped up in the spring at team camp and are working hard this summer in the weight room, so we feel good about our running back room, even though we're very inexperienced and very unproven at this point.

>“We've got a little bit of lightning and thunder, we believe. So we feel good about those guys.”

>Another reason for optimism is continuity on the sidelines.

>Unlike many programs that experience offseason turnover, Claremore returns its entire coaching staff.

>Hurt said he believes that familiarity allows players to continue building within the same system instead of learning new schemes each season.

>“That kind of continuity breeds success,” Hurt said. “We like to retain our guys, and of course, we want them to be able to pursue their dreams. If they want to be a head coach or a coordinator somewhere else, we're happy to help them do that. But we're also excited about retaining those guys again this year.”

>Before preseason practice officially begins, the Zebras still have several summer Pride workouts remaining, along with coaches attending the Oklahoma Coaches Association Clinic and All-State festivities.

>The Claremore Quarterback Club will also host its annual Pigskin Pig Out barbecue fundraiser as the community gears up for another football season.

>“That will be on Aug. 1 from 5 – 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria,” Hurt said. “We hope to pack the cafeteria out again, like we usually do, and then we start practice on the third. So we've got a lot coming up in terms of events and meetings and equipment checkout and those kinds of things before we start practice.”