Bartlesville High School’s Gavin Thomas has quickly become one of the Bruins’ most versatile athletes, bringing speed, resilience and a team-first mindset to the varsity football program. Entering the upcoming season, the rising standout is focused on elevating both his performance and the standard for Bartlesville football at the Class 6A level.
Thomas lines up on both sides of the ball, embracing the challenge of playing multiple positions. “I play receiver, corner, and I like learning new ways to run routes and releases,” he said, describing how much he enjoys the technical side of the game and the constant opportunity to improve. His speed is his calling card, but he knows adding strength will be critical as he prepares for the physical demands of the season. “My strength is my speed, and I need to gain weight before season starts,” Thomas said.
This summer has carried extra meaning after Thomas returned to workouts from a serious health setback. “I just got back into summer workouts from my collapsed lung, and it’s been good, I’ve learned that our team has always had what it needed to be great, the only thing that we were missing is a coach like coach Hennessy to push us,” he said. That experience has sharpened his appreciation for both the game and the new leadership guiding the Bruins.
Thomas also draws motivation from the players who came before him, including former teammate Ian Badjie. “Ian Badjie left an impression on me this last season, he graduated this year, and he was my workout partner since summer pride last year, he was an upperclassman that treated me just like he treated his seniors,” Thomas said. That example shapes how he approaches his own role in the locker room as he grows into an upperclassman himself.
Competing in 6A, Thomas understands the challenge Bartlesville faces and the identity the Bruins must embrace. “Last season I learned that in order for us to win at Bartlesville we need to be the toughest team and the hardest workers, being from Bartlesville we are a smaller school at the 6A level, and we don’t have the most talent compared to the teams we play which means that we need to out-work and out-hustle other teams to beat them,” he said.
Away from wins and losses, Thomas is already thinking about his future beyond high school. “When I graduate, I want to go to college for physical therapy and play football and/or baseball,” he said. He enjoys the mix of personalities in the program, saying, “What I love most about our team is we have a lot of personalities, and they all go with each other.”
At the center of it all is his biggest inspiration—his dad. “My dad inspires me, I’ve always looked up to him, he’s smart and thinks through a lot of scenarios and he also sacrifices a lot for me and my sports career,” Thomas said. With that support and his own drive, Thomas is poised to help Bartlesville push forward in one of Oklahoma’s toughest classifications.
