WATONGA EAGLES
Coach: GREG JOHNSON
1-9
Watonga enters 2026 in year two under head coach Greg Johnson, looking to turn a young roster’s experience into on-field improvement after a 1-9 campaign. Johnson notes that the Eagles have a young team with a lot of young players returning and believes that simply being in the second year of the system gives them the opportunity to see improvement this season. The emphasis this offseason has been on “changing attitude and building culture,” as the staff works to raise expectations and toughness across the program. With six starters back on each side of the ball and a true two-way anchor, Watonga feels it is positioned to take a meaningful step forward.
Offensively, the Eagles return six starters and will run a diversified spread scheme built around RPOs and zone concepts. Johnson describes it as a “spread offense very diversified RPO zone inside and outside [with] a few misdirection, power and counter” elements, all built around the idea of getting “the ball to our best people so they can make plays.” Senior tight end and defensive end Wade Manke (6-4, 200) is one of those best people, serving as both the leading receiver and a physical edge presence. Sophomore running back Charles Black (5-9, 180) brings power and returns as the leading scorer after finding the end zone five times, giving Watonga a downhill back who can finish drives. Sophomore receiver and return specialist Mathew White Buffalo (6-2, 180) adds another weapon on the perimeter and in the kicking game, helping the Eagles stretch the field and flip field position.
Defensively, Watonga also brings back six starters and will align in a 3-4 front with multiple looks and an expanded blitz package. Manke again plays a central role as a defensive end and is the team’s leading tackler and a defensive player of the year honoree, giving the Eagles a proven playmaker on the edge. Sophomore linebacker Kaisen McGee (5-9, 170) is another key defender as a young, active second-level piece around whom the staff can build. With a core of returners at all three levels, Watonga hopes improved communication and comfort in the scheme will cut down on big plays allowed.
Manke is Watonga’s VYPE Top 100 nominee, and Johnson raves about his versatility and upside. A four-year starter, Manke has “played stand-up linebacker, multiple positions, defensive end [and] tight end,” and coach Johnson believes he “has a frame to put on a lot of weight” and “could possibly be a tackle” at the next level. He is credited as the “leading tackler and defensive player of the year” and is counted on as the leader of a roster that is still learning how to win on Friday nights. Black is highlighted as a “big running back, powerful [and] explosive” who can “get on the edge and make some big plays” and “catch the ball out of the backfield,” making him “very exciting to watch” as the next offensive focal point. With that core and a second year in Johnson’s system, Watonga’s success will hinge on how quickly its young talent turns culture change into scoreboard change.
8-28 – at Apache
9-11 – vs. Newkirk
9-18 – vs. Blackwell
9-25 – at Crescent
10-2 – vs. Fairview
10-9 – at Hinton
10-15 – vs. Tonkawa
10-23 – at Hooker
10-30 – vs. Merritt
11-6 – at Sayre
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