SIDEBAR: Bartlesville High QB tradition rich with shining genealogy

Mike Tupa, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise

April 7, 2022 at 6:00 AM·4 min read

Outstanding quarterback play has been a staple of Bartlesville High School football play since the program began — following the merging of College and Sooner high schools to create BHS — in 1982.

A question some might ask is who threw the first touchdown (1982, 15 yards to John Cunningham) in Bruin history?

The answer is Ryan Vaclaw, who became a part of the medical profession and lives in town.

Following are some other quarterback highlights in the early years for the Bruins.

1982: Doug Kiggins connected with Robbie Benz for a touchdown in a loss to Tulsa Union.
1983: Kiggins and Todd Cone combined on a 15-yard aerial score in a game against Booker T. Washington.
1983: Kiggins scrambled for seven yards to set up the winning touchdown run (by Mitch Nash) in a 7-0 win against Tulsa Hale.
1984: John Igleheart completed 7-of-9 passes for 101 yards in a 48-6 win against Tulsa Hale. This was a significant performance in a Bruin offense geared to the run with future Oklahoma State running back Mitch Nash and Jerry Crabtree leading the way. (At OSU, Nash would actually be on the depth chart ahead of Barry Sanders prior to Nash suffering a knee injury.)
1985: Kirk Hudson boast an explosive showing — eight completions for 178 yards, including a 75-yard scoring connection with Eric Krase — in week three in an overtime win against Tulsa Central.
1985: In a 14-0 shutout of Tulsa Edison, Hudson found Steve List for a 65-yard passing score.
1985: Hudson and List combined on a 90-yard scoring aerial against Ponca City.
1985: In what might have been the best passing performance by a Bruin quarterback to this point, Hudson completed 15 passes for 277 yards, and two touchdown catches by Krase, against Tulsa Union.
1986: Lance Gilbreath took the quarterback reins and opened up week one with 172 yards through the air, including scoring strikes of 58 yards (to Corey Rogers) and 68 yards (to Tommy Brown).
1986: Gilbreath threw for 173 yards in week four against Owasso.
1986: Nick Richardson started at QB in week 9 and threw for 205 yards against Ponca City.
1987: Richardson guided a stunning upset against Owasso, 27-26, in week four, by completing 20-of-29 passes for 125 yards. Mark Miller caught two touchdowns in overtime.
1987: Richardson ended the regular season by hitting on 15-of-23 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns against BT Washington.
1987: Richardson shattered the Muskogee defense for 372 yards passing but the Bruins lost the playoff game.
1988: Mark Gentry threw for 194 yards against Tulsa Memorial in week six.
1989: Lance Bailey made a stunning debut in week one at quarterback, completing 16-of-25 passes, 239 yards and three touchdowns (two to Spence Rigdon) in a 23-20 overtime win against Sand Springs.
1989: In week three, Bailey harvested 236 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Through the first three weeks, Bailey had accumulated 613 yards passing and seven touchdowns.
1990: Gary Hilger became the starting quarterback and connected on seven-straight passes in a week two game against Ponca City.
1900: In week three, Hilger threw for 157 yards in the first football win since 1978 by a Bartlesville team against Stillwater.
1991: Justin Strope became the Bruins starting quarterback, continuing a pattern of one-and-done at the position. In week 8, Strope and Jermaine Trent hooked up for a 75-yard scoring strike in 14-12 loss to Jenks.
1992: Strope became the first-ever Bruin full-time starting quarterback in back-to-back seasons. In a three-overtime 40-33 win against Sand Springs, Strope connected with Trent on a 74-yard scoring aerial.
1992: In week five, Strope tossed for 242 yards and three touchdowns against Owasso.
1993: Eric LeFlore came into the campaign as the new starting quarterback. He threw for 175 yards in week four at Jenks.

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While not boasting some of the credentials and impressive consistent impact of other program quarterbacks, one game cements Stephen Cochran into a special place in Bruin grid history.

In week four 2012, Bartlesville hosted Enid in what was a big rivalry back then.

Enid surged to a monstrous lead. With less than three minutes left, Enid led the John McKee-coached Bruins, 42-30.

But, Cochran led a comeback in the final two minutes to elevate the Bruins to the win, 44-42.

The Bruins scored with about two minutes left, thanks to the clutch passing game and a touchdown dash by Slade Nordic.

Bartlesville then recovered an onside kick — off the toe of Ben Jacobs (and recovered by Dayln Pollard). But, a penalty moved the ball back insider the Bruins’ 70-yard line.

Down to a fourth-down play, Cochran found receiver Kyle Carter for a huge gain. The contest finally came down to a fourth-down play inside the 10-yard line, when Cochran zipped a pass in the flat to running back Calan Crowder, who crashed into the end zone Superman style into an Enid tackler, at the right front pylon, and breaking the pane for the winning score.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: A focus on Bartlesville High QB history

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