Memory Of Heartbreaking Defeat Led To Dog’s Dominance In Powerlifting
The moment that built a dynasty didn’t end with a trophy.
It ended with a four-point loss.
In 2016, the Sulphur Bulldogs walked out of the state powerlifting meet close enough to taste a championship, but just far enough away to feel it linger. For a program already known for its toughness, it wasn’t defeat that defined that year — it was memory. The kind that sticks through every rep, every early morning lift, every strained deadlift in a quiet weight room.
They didn’t forget. Ayear later, in 2017, Sulphur returned to the state stage with something more than confidence. They brought experience, urgency — and a refusal to let history repeat itself.
It nearly did. After the squat rotation, the Bulldogs found themselves in unfamiliar territory, chasing instead of leading. For a program built on dominance in the squat rack, it was an uneasy start. But what followed became the foundation of everything Sulphur powerlifting would become.
They answered. Lift by lift, the Bulldogs clawed their way back into contention during the bench press, setting the stage for the final discipline — the deadlift. There, in the meet’s closing moments, Sulphur didn’t just recover.
They separated.
By day’s end, the Bulldogs had turned last year’s heartbreak into a 15-point victory, capturing the 2017 Class 3A State Championship — the first in program history under head coach Keith Garrett.
It wasn’t just a win. It was a shift.
“That was a wild day,” Garrett said at the time. “They didn’t quit and they weren’t going to let it happen again.”
That mindset — forged in the narrowest of losses — didn’t fade after the celebration. It multiplied.
What began as redemption has since grown into one of the most dominant runs in Oklahoma high school athletics.
Earlier this month in El Reno, Sulphur once again stood atop the podium, capturing their ninth consecutive state championship and completing an undefeated season in the Class 3A division. The numbers tell part of the story — 145 team points, multiple individual champions, and record-setting performances — but they don’t fully explain the consistency.
Because the standard was set long before the streak began.
Today’s champions, like Jason Gleason and Connor Sullivan, are the latest to carry it forward. Gleason rewrote the record books in the 242-pound class, while Sullivan delivered historic lifts of his own in the 275-pound division. Their dominance mirrors what Sulphur has become — relentless, deep, and unshaken on the biggest stage.
But dynasties aren’t built on a single class or a single season.
They’re built on response. From Brendan Lawson’s strategic drop in weight in 2017 to help secure crucial points, to the depth shown by 18 state qualifiers in 2026, Sulphur’s strength has always extended beyond individual success. It’s a program identity — one that values sacrifice, balance, and finishing strong when it matters most.
Nine straight titles later, the origin story still matters.
Because before the banners, before the records, before the dominance — there was a team that came within four points of everything.
And decided that would never be enough again.
Sulphur’s Brendan Lawson shows off his individual state powerlifting championship plaque in 2017, a win that helped the Dogs capture their first lifting title. Nine years later, Sulphur is still winning powerlifting championships, and will be going for 10 in a row next year. PHOTO BY BRODERICK STEARNS
