“Pulling on the Same End of the Rope”

by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard
Photo by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard/The Marlow Review Photo by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard/The Marlow Review

Editor’s Note: This content is part of The Review’s special section commemorating the Outlaws’ historic 2021 season and the Class 2A state championship win. The special section was included with the December 16 edition.

The Marlow Outlaws made history on Saturday, December 11 with their first-ever 15-0 season and third football championship. The town continues to celebrate nearly a week later, with accolades pouring in from across the state.

The Outlaws received eighteen Class 2A – District 4 football awards including Coach of the Year (Matt Weber) and District Player of the Year (Jace Gilbert). Gilbert was also voted The Oklahoman’s Fan Choice Player of the Week.

Marlow Public Schools is now ranked sixth in the state of Oklahoma for state championships throughout school history.

Head Coach Matt Weber said that the accomplishment was just starting to sink in.

“It’s hard to get your head around that this team is going to be talked about in Marlow forever,” Weber said. “Just like the 1964 and 1959 Outlaws.”

Senior Kyle Wilson said that most of the team felt that way.

“It still feels unreal,” Wilson said. “It hasn’t set in for most of us. Nobody knows how to act because this hasn’t happened in 57 years.”

Superintendent George Coffman beamed with pride in an interview on Monday.

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and this is my first state championship to participate in,” Coffman said. “There are accomplishments that this group will have that you just can’t take away.

“As I talked to the coaches after the game, their leaders are trying to make boys into men and teach lessons beyond football,” Coffman added.

Weber credited the coaching staff, the players, administration, students, and community for the historic win.

“Ever since I’ve been here I’ve known that the kids are supported by the community,” Weber said. “It’s unique to Marlow: coaches, teachers, students, athletes, they’re all pulling on the same end of the rope.”

Weber added that the large crowd on Saturday contributed to the team’s energy and drive.

“On Friday nights during the regular season, you see half the town turn out for games. Then we get into the playoffs and all of the Marlow alumni that don’t necessarily live here start showing up to games. Then you get to UCO and we have 6,000 people in the stands, and that’s huge for a town of 5,000.”

Assistant Coach Chad Gilbert said that the 2020 season, in which Marlow lost to Metro Christian in the playoffs, was a factor in the team’s motivation.

“They really felt like they let Marlow down last year,” Gilbert said. “That was talked about a lot. So to look up there on Saturday night, how packed that place was, they weren’t wanting to let Marlow down. That was a pretty cool experience.”

Gilbert said that the leadership in the locker room, particularly from the seniors on the team, cultivated the winning atmosphere.

“Our locker room was tight,” Gilbert said. “We just had a bunch of guys with one common goal and that was to win. They didn’t get caught up in ‘who scored, who made what tackle.’

“That’s a piece that people couldn’t see,” Gilbert said. “They could go to games and see kids having success but the underneath part is our locker room and how tight they were. Our seniors just led, and it wasn’t one; it was all 22 of them.”

Wilson echoed that.

“One of the biggest parts of our success was our locker room,” Wilson said. “Everyone got along, and that’s a big part of our wins.

“Our senior leadership was amazing,” Wilson added. “Even guys you wouldn’t expect stepped up to be an example for underclassmen.”

Wilson also said that the support from Marlow and from fellow students made a difference in the season and the championship game.

“It wasn’t just the football players that won,” Wilson said. “Anyone involved helped motivate the team. Like, there were a couple of times that we could’ve given up but the band had our back.”

The senior added that the community send-offs, the painted decorations, bows, and signs on Main Street also gave the team a push.

“We were surprised,” Wilson said. “We didn’t know [the art students] were going to do that.”

“It’s a culture we have developed for a long, long time,” Coffman said. “Our school has tried to make sure we have our kids feel like they’re a part of something….We’ve got about 350 high school kids. Eighty of those are football players. Ninety-five are band members. Twenty are cheerleaders. Twenty are Bootleggers, and about 40 of those are Blue Crew. Add it together and on any given Friday night that’s about 300 kids fighting together for the same goal.

“When you all fight for the same goal, amazing things can happen.”