The game did not count but Bartlesville made sure it mattered
Andy Dossett | The Wiley Post
Aug. 22, 2026
It was the game that didn't count — but totally mattered.
Bartlesville's first test of the fall was technically a scrimmage. No standings changed, and no record improved. Still, a 22-3 half-game win over Bishop Kelley on Friday night at Custer Stadium offered the Bruins plenty to feel good about.
Michael Kent put on a show through the air. Price Lusk provided the fireworks, including a 62-yard touchdown catch. And the Bruin defense forced turnovers while allowing Bishop Kelley only a field goal.
But some of the clearest signs of what head coach Matt Hennesy expects came from the sideline.
Heat radiated off artificial turf that had baked in the sun all day, with barely a breeze offering relief inside Custer Stadium. Still, Bartlesville's sideline looked the part — coaches and volunteers in matching polos, hats and pants.
When the ball boys weren't where they were supposed to be, Hennesy let them hear about it. It was a small moment in a game full of bigger plays, but it said plenty.
Professionalism wasn't just expected from the players between the lines. Everyone on the Bartlesville sideline had a job to do, and Hennesy expected it done with purpose.
For two 12-minute quarters, that attitude showed on the field, too.
"Winning feels good," Hennesy told his team afterward. “This game didn’t count, but it matters.”
Bartlesville will turn its attention to the one that does count next. BHS hosts Skiatook on Friday, Aug. 28, at Custer Stadium in the first official game for Hennesy.
