Phoenix Murphy and Owen Eshelman

Phoenix Murphy in the game against Edmond Santa Fe and Owen Eshelman in the game against Southmoore. 

 Sutton Spinner/OU Daily

Phoenix Murphy and Owen Eshelman started their paths together. 

The two were teammates at Whittier Middle School, with Murphy playing quarterback and Eshelman playing wide receiver. Eshelman became one of Murphy’s go-to targets, developing a connection they’d use to help the Warriors on offense.

The two played basketball together, traveled together and hung out after practice, forming what would prove to be a lasting friendship. Even at a young age, the two shared the same competitive desire, hoping to make their names known once they moved to high school. 

“When I was in middle school with (Owen), we did a lot of things together,” Murphy said. “I felt like we always thought the same way and both had the same plans for the future, even back then. We both want to make it.”

Now, the two juniors are the starting quarterbacks at Norman’s two high schools. Murphy is at Norman High (2-5, 2-2 6A-I District 2), where he’s scored nine total touchdowns and thrown for 1,035 passing yards. Eshelman starts at Norman North (5-2, 2-2 6A-I District 1), where he’s recorded 1,373 total yards and 11 total touchdowns. 

Murphy and Eshelman have taken similar paths. Both are dual-sport athletes playing football and basketball. Both had a long, hectic 2023 offseason by traveling to camps, working with personal coaches and playing 7-on-7 football in the summer. 

The two also faced a quarterback competition before the season started, beating out others to earn their starting spots. So far this season, both have guided their teams to playoff positions as the Tigers and Timberwolves sit in fourth place in their respective districts. 

Murphy’s “pro-style” skillset and Eshelman’s dual-threat ability make them different quarterbacks. However, they share the same mentality as they try to lead their teams to playoff glory. 

“We’ve always been Norman counterparts,” Eshelman said. “We’re both good quarterbacks and really good friends. We have a pretty good understanding of each other, and we both know what we want for the future.”

Murphy and Eshelman started their varsity careers in similar ways. 

Murphy spent most of the 2022 season backing up then-senior Tias McClarty, who became his role model. The two kept in constant contact, with Murphy developing his passing skills by learning from McClarty. 

Even though he was the backup, Murphy played five regular season games in 2022. Then, McClarty suffered a back injury to start Norman High’s first round playoff matchup with Broken Arrow. Despite the Tigers’ 47-20 loss, Murphy threw for two touchdowns. 

“Anytime you get thrown in during a playoff game as a sophomore, it’s hard. But he did good,” said Norman High coach Rocky Martin. “We mixed it up earlier and had him get some reps, and I think him seeing that (in) live action allowed him to handle it well.”

Similarly, Eshelman saw his first extended varsity action due to an injury. He backed up Kamden Sixkiller, who suffered a shoulder injury in Norman North’s final regular season game against Enid. It meant Eshelman’s first start would come in the Timberwolves’ first playoff game against Owasso, where he threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-34 loss. 

Like Murphy, Eshelman was thrown into the fire, but found a way to make it work.

“He was very calm and collected under that pressure,” said Norman North coach Justin Jones. “We’ve seen guys that have folded, … but he stepped up to the challenge and he met the challenge head on.”

Murphy and Eshelman found each other again during offseason camps at Oklahoma and North Texas, reuniting to help polish their passing skills.

Both have individual trainers as well. Murphy works with former OU quarterback Charles Thompson, who Murphy says helps him with his mental game as much as his physical one. The two would spend hours watching film together during the offseason, working to sharpen Murphy’s mind on and off the field.

Eshelman works with Landry Klann, whose trainees include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush. Eshelman credits Klann with helping him build confidence as well as refining his throwing motion. 

Murphy and Eshelman also emphasized improving their leadership skills to build trust with their teammates. 

“I wanted to be able to lead and help people grow,” Murphy said. “I feel like my teammates can look up to me and we can just feed off each other with mutual trust.”

For Eshelman, he specifically wanted to become a more vocal leader. 

“In the past, I settled for just being a leader by example and I wanted to change that,” Eshelman said. “I wanted to work on being more vocal and talking to my teammates because I want everyone around me to stay focused.”

The two share off-field characteristics, like their devout Christian faith and strong relationships with friends and family. Eshelman has four siblings and maintains a close relationship with his older sister, Avery, who he says is his biggest influence in life. 

Murphy takes his entire offensive line out to eat once a week and has his younger brother, sophomore wide receiver Ryder, as a teammate. The brothers have translated their close relationship into games, connecting for three passing touchdowns this season. 

“They’ve been doing everything together for their whole lives,” said Terra Murphy, Phoenix and Ryder’s mother. “They’ve been really close through everything. They never fight, and they definitely take care of each other.”

After Murphy earned the starting job over sophomore quarterback Crew Noles and Eshelman beat out former junior quarterback Lee Turnipseed, the two were ready to lead their teams. They played each other to start, as Eshelman scored a rushing touchdown to help Norman North beat Murphy’s Norman High 21-0 in the Crosstown Clash on Aug. 31. 

After that, both have had their share of good moments. Norman High’s two wins against Edmond North and Edmond Memorial came in part due to Murphy, as he threw four touchdowns against the Huskies and 326 passing yards against the Bulldogs. For Eshelman, he’s scored multiple touchdowns in five of Norman North’s seven games, including five against Yukon on Sept. 15 and four against Southmoore on Oct. 12. 

Both have three games to go, with Norman North facing Moore (4-3, 1-3 6A-I District 1) on the road at 7 p.m. Thursday and Norman High facing Mustang (4-3, 1-3 6A-I District 2) on the road at 7 p.m. Friday. As they approach the end of their junior seasons, Murphy and Eshelman have two similar goals — getting their teams back to the playoffs and playing college sports after high school. 

Through it all, they check in on each other, knowing they’re both taking similar roads to achieve them. 

“I love him, and I support him,” Murphy said. “He’s a great guy and a great quarterback. We’re both good in what we do, both on and off the field, and I wish nothing but the best for him.”

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