Waggoner's Alex Shieldnight wants to erase 'bitter taste'

The fact that 2023 is still unfilled is a reminder for Wagoner players of the golden ball they missed out on last fall when the top-ranked Bulldogs lost to Blanchard, 19-14, in the Class 4A state title game.

“It makes me sick when I think about that game,” Wagoner end Alex Shieldnight said during spring practice last week.

“They're a good team, but I think we were the more talented team that should have won that game. They obviously have great players, but when I think back on that game, it just cringes. I've worked a lot this offseason to never feel that way again. I want to get that bitter feeling out of my mouth.”

For the Bulldogs, this spring following their upset win in the championship game is a decidedly different feeling than this time last year.

“We know we have to be more intense and put in more effort,” linebacker/fullback Bryce Steele said. “We can't make excuses for last year's game. We didn't play the way we should have. We can only move forward.”

Many of Wagoner's key players from last year and several key players from 2022 are returning for the Bulldogs this season, including quarterback/linebacker Cale Charbonneau.

In 2022, he led a stunning title-winning drive in the final minutes. Last year, he threw 22 touchdown passes and set Wagoner passing records for completions (213), attempts (324) and yards (2,834) in a season. He also rushed for 976 yards and 16 touchdowns.

This spring, Charbonneau and his teammates are transitioning to a faster-paced offense.

“I love it,” Charbonneau said.

Wagoner coach Dale Condict thinks this type of aggressive approach will be the trend of the future.

“We're going to try to make some more plays,” Condict said. “I think we have a really good receiver corps and a really good running back corps, so I think we can go at guys and go no-huddle.”

Returning offensive line starters include Trenton Edwards, who rushed for 677 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, and receiver Mattson Swanson, who caught 38 passes for 460 yards. Shields Knight also will be a top pass target after catching 27 passes for 502 yards.

Other receivers to watch are Dakaden Ford and Aven Goodlin, who both moved from quarterback.

“He's a quick slot receiver and I think he's going to be a breakout player for us this year on both ends of the floor, but he's also been great with the ball in his hands,” Condict said.

Dax Griffin, who will move to center, will lead an offensive line that also includes tackles Lane Beebe and Trevor Fowler, who rotated at center last year, and Steele, a standout blocker at fullback, will be a key part of the backfield.

Third-year player Stylan McHenry transferred from Kaweta and will be Charbonneau's backup quarterback.

Defensively, Steele and Charbonneau combined for 245 tackles last season. Oklahoma-bound Shieldnight is Wagoner's career sack leader with 83 tackles. Anthony Coleman will be a player to watch in the secondary as a receiver. He recorded three interceptions before breaking his collarbone early last season.

“Anthony started to perform well against varsity as a scout team player at the end of his sophomore year,” Condict said, “and then that summer he really started to grow three or four inches, and then last year he had a great summer of 7-on-7 and performed great in the five or so games he played in. He has an offer from Grambling and I think he'll continue to get offers.”

There were some warning signs going into last year's finals, and Wagoner was on a 21-win streak, but wasn't as dominant as many expected in 2023. So what can Wagoner's leaders learn from last year to avoid a similar disappointment?

“I had terrible practice all week. I just couldn't concentrate in practice. I thought I could give it my all, but I just couldn't,” Shieldnight said.

Steele added, “You can't fake it with teams that think they're better or that they have better skills than you. It's just a lot more focus every week in practice.”

“You can't ignore anyone and you have to respect all the teams,” Charbonneau said.

Coach Condict, who felt his team was “overconfident” before last year's finals, acknowledges the loss in the finals still hurts but is pleased with the team's play this spring.

“It haunts you and it's not going away anytime soon,” Condict said.

“You're definitely more focused after a game like that, but maybe if we win that will be the case. This team has a lot of veteran players, so I think we'll be more focused and want to win again.”

And fill in the empty spaces on the wall.

“We just need to finish it,” Shieldnight said.

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