​For the first time in Claremore’s program history, the Zebras will open their football season in Week Zero, marking an earlier start to the campaign than ever before. Thanks to OSSAA’s revised calendar, preseason practice has been moved up a week, meaning Claremore will officially begin preparations for the 2026 season sooner than usual. Coach Jarrett Hurt noted that the schedule shift has forced the team to adjust its daily routine, including moving practices to 7 a.m. during the first two weeks in an effort to beat the heat while complying with the OSSAA’s new wet-bulb heat safety guidelines.
“We’re facing some new times,” Hurt said. “Practice starts on Aug. 3 this year, which is a week earlier than we’ve ever started in Oklahoma, so that has kind of condensed our summer and will be a challenge for all of us starting a week earlier. We plan to start in the morning and practice at 7 a.m. to try to beat the heat because we’re also under some new scrutiny with the wet bulb that will take effect this year, so we want to be able to practice and get our entire practice in.”
The earlier start aligns with another milestone for Claremore: the Week Zero opener will be on the road at Sallisaw, introducing the season with an immediate test before district play commences. This marks the first time Claremore will begin with an extra non-district challenge, joining a slate that already includes Bartlesville and Muskogee.
“It’s a tough matchup,” Hurt said of Sallisaw. “Sallisaw is a solid football program, and they have been for a long time, so we will definitely have to bring our A-game that night, and it will definitely be hot. Our conditioning will be a factor, and we want our guys in peak shape so we can perform well in those conditions.”
Despite the demanding schedule, Hurt has been encouraged by the summer progress. A standout area this season appears to be the receiving corps. After a productive summer of 7-on-7 competition, Hurt believes Claremore has assembled one of its deepest groups of playmakers in recent years, giving opposing defenses plenty to worry about.
“A number of our skill guys really stood out during 7-on-7 this year,” Hurt said. “Our receiving corps is as deep as it’s ever been. I would hate to single out any individual kid at this point, but our wide receivers are deep, and we’re excited about that. We have a lot of weapons. It’s going to be hard for teams to try to cover a guy one-on-one or double-cover a guy because of our depth and how good we are across the board at wide receiver right now. If we stay healthy, we have a chance to be pretty good in that area.”
“We’re going to be able to run the ball, and we’re going to be able to throw the ball. That’s going to make us dangerous, I think, on offense.” Hurt’s optimism about the offense stems from both the depth at wide receiver and the potential to balance a strong ground game with an effective aerial attack, giving Claremore a versatile approach as the season unfolds.