Owasso Football – Blake Cherry
By Bryce McKinnis
Blake Cherry knew the offers would soon come rolling in.
“When I got pulled up as a freshman, I realized I had a chance to be good,” the 6-foot-6, 290-pound Owasso High School senior offensive tackle said, “but during my sophomore year, after my head coach, Antonio Graham, started talking to me about NCAA stuff, I began to realize I could play at the next level.”
No later than a month after that conversation, Cherry received his first Division I offer from Texas Tech. Tulsa, Kansas and UNLV followed shortly. The attention was flattering — and signaled that his football career was progressing — but Cherry knew there was more work to do to fulfill his football dreams that formed when his father, Trevor Cherry, signed him up to play at seven years old and coached his team.
“He coached me all the way up until sixth grade, so I learned a lot from him. I find myself still using the stuff he taught me in every game I play,” Cherry said. “Whether it be something with my technique or thinking something mentally, I use what he taught me every day in football and in everything I do.”
Everything Cherry learned about the game from his father could not protect him from injury, nor soften its blow. Cherry suffered a fractured foot midway through his junior year. Every game matters in 6A-I football, and at a time when he was battling for a scholarship, Cherry was sidelined two district games.
“It was hard not being able to play the sport I love or be able to help my teammates out. I had to figure out how to help my team in a different way during that time and stay positive,” Cherry said.
Cherry adjusted his focus to becoming his teammates’ greatest supporter. He could not practice, yet refused to miss a minute of it. He maintained his steady voice on Owasso’s sideline. He cheered when his teammates made a play and celebrated like he had done it himself.
“Every practice I did everything I could to get the guys going with my words rather than my gameplay. Having that injury made me learn different ways to be a good teammate,” Cherry said. “It’s reminding me every day that there’s more ways to be a great teammate and a great leader. In the future, I think it’ll help me become a better player and teammate. It already has.”
As it turned out, missing those games did little to stunt Cherry’s recruiting. In January, he was offered by Arkansas, and on June 1, the latest SEC recruit out of Tulsa County committed to the Razorbacks.
“They [Arkansas] treat me like family and they care about the players they recruit,” Cherry said. “They are great people and have a hard-working team.”
Cherry still has unfinished business in the high school game: “To prove that I’m the best O-Lineman in the state,” he said, and to lead Owasso to its first state title since 2019. Owasso’s season opens with the “Battle of the ‘Burbs’ against Bixby on Friday, Aug. 30.
“I want to thank God, my coaches, my teammates and my family,” Cherry said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without them. They have helped me every step of the way.”
