Nineteen members of Waurika FCCLA have returned from their Oklahoma State FCCLA Convention held in Oklahoma City on April 4. The convention, held at the Cox Convention Center, followed the theme “Lead Fast, Lead Furious”. Members were motivated and encouraged as they listened to keynote speaker, Patrick Grady. They also attended break-out workshops designed for leadership development.
Kaytlyn & Mallory
On March 28, Freshmen Kaytlyn Williams and Mallory Adkins competed at the Oklahoma State Competitive Events in Stillwater. Their Illustrated Talk speech was on the topic of mental health. The two earned first place both at the district and regional levels in order to compete at State.
Sophomore, Hannah Owens, served as support staff at both events as she completed her duties as 2018-19 South 4 District Vice President of Public Relations.
Kolt Morrison served at the auctioneer this year for the Waurika FFA fundraiser.
Photo by Dalee Barrick
The Waurika Ag Education Boosters (WAEB) collaborated with the Waurika FFA and 4H and hosted a premium fundraiser on Thursday, February 18 at 6:30 p.m. This event was assembled in order to raise money for the Waurika 4H and FFA livestock exhibitors at the Jefferson County Premium Sale.
Lexie Streeter
The premium fundraiser was a great success. There was an overwhelming turnout from the community in support of our Waurika Ag youth. A great amount of money was raised, and not one homemade dessert, silent auction item, or handmade fire pit was left after the night was over.
On behalf of the Waurika FFA, Waurika 4H, and WAEB, we would like to thank all the people that participated in making this event as great as it was. We would like to especially thank all the great men that voluntarily prepared the delicious hamburgers. It was a wonderful evening.
I feel pretty good! I’m just glad we are almost done with our first nine weeks and we are still in school.
What Activities/Organizations have you participated in?
I am an officer in FCCLA, Beta, Student Council, and NHS. I play softball, cheer, run cross country, and play in Band.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to attend college and complete my nursing home career and go on to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Favorite memory at WHS?
I have a lot of WHS but my favorite would have to be the late nights our class would stay at school decorating hallways and making Sonic trips.
What teacher or class has best prepared you?
I attend Red River Technology school and those teachers have best prepared me for what college is going to be like. The other teacher that has best prepared me would have to be my mom; she has always told me straight forward “life is not easy.”
Give advice to an underclassman?:
Don’t let anyone bring you down. If you want to do something don’t let someone try and talk you out of it.
Who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank my mom. She has been to every game, banquet, and anything else I could think of. She has been my rock. Also I would like to thank Brooklyn for always being by my side and cheering me on.
What fears do you have about leaving?
I fear I will miss my friends more than I think I will. I don’t do very well when it comes to change, especially moving out and being on my own.
What are you going to miss most about being at WHS?
I’m going to miss being around all of my friends who I’ve grown up with. I’m going to miss eating lunch with my mom everyday.
What lessons have you learned from previous classes (class of 2020, etc)?
I have learned to enjoy the time spent in class with friends. Even though we all dislike work we will miss it one day.
What event did/do you most look forward to this year?
The event I look forward to the most this year is when I finally get an acceptance letter back from college.
Do you have any regrets?
I do not have any regrets. I have enjoyed my high school years.
The Waurika Eagles closed its 2019 baseball season in heart-breaking fashion by dropping the title game of the Class A District Tournament to Rock Creek, 7-6.
Last Thursday on the first day of the tourney the Eagles did manage one win in the tourney opener with a 10-6 victory over Ringling. Rock Creek had already defeated the Blue Devils so the loss to the Eagles eliminated Ringling.
This meant that Waurika or Rock Creek had to win two games to claim the district championship.
Late Thursday, Rock Creek got the first win, 11-3, setting up a championship round on Friday. The Eagles would have had to beat the Mustangs twice to win the tourney.
The Mustangs scored a run in the bottom of the seventh in the 7-6 win to claim the district crown.
Waurika finished the 2019 campaign with a 16-7 record.
In the final game on Friday Rock Creek took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
With the score tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth, the Mustangs took the lead on a two-run home run.
In the top of the seventh, the Eagles fought back to get a pair of runs – one on Jordan Watkins’ sacrifice fly.
Bowden Forsyth Photo by Curtis Plant
The Mustangs scored the winning run in the bottom of the inning to end the Eagles’ season and advance to today’s Class A Regional Tournament.
Hunter Wesberry was 3-for-4 in the game with a triple and two singles. Aaron Nitka finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.
Austin Dyer took the loss on the mound as he surrendered eight hits and struck out five in the game.
In Thursday’s nightcap of the tournament the Eagles fell behind early and could not launch a serious threat during the game.
Peyton Fletcher was the starting pitcher for the Eagles, but he gave up six runs on four walks and a hit and did not retire a batter.
The Mustangs made the 6-0 first inning lead stand the rest of the way.
The Eagles only had three hits in the game – one each by Nitka, Watkins and Colton Bryant. Nitka and Jordan each had doubles with Nitka driving in a run with his two-bagger.
In the tournament’s second game on Thursday, Waurika took the lead for good with five runs in the fourth inning.
Waurika had the lead in the second inning when Wesberry picked up a run-scoring double.
The Blue Devils seized the lead in the top of the third inning, but the Eagles came back in the bottom of the third to take the lead in the game for good.
Senior Baseball Players were recognized at Monday’s Baseball Game. Seniors pictured with their parents and/or those special in their lives (l-r) Chad Black, Gatlin Black, Miranda Black, Zachary Brown, Michelle Salazar, Colton Bryant, Heather Bryant, Bobby Dyer, Austin Dyer, Lisa Dyer, Megan Allen, Gavin Fitzgerald, Coach Joe Allen, Aaron Nitka, and Sloan Roberson Photo by Curtis Plant
One of the big hits in the inning was Bowden Forsyth’s run-scoring single.
Watkins also doubled to score two runs and a Ringling error produced another run to put Waurika on top, 6-3, after four innings.
The Eagles continued to pad the lead and held off the Blue Devils the rest of the way.
Zac Brown, Forsyth and Watkins each had two hits for the Eagles. Watkins finished 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in. Dyer, Fletcher, Wesberry and Forsyth all had doubles in the game.
The Eagles helped produce the 10 runs on the base paths as they stole 10 bases during the game.
Nitka picked up the win on the mound despite giving up six runs of which only two were earned. Nitka struck out nine Blue Devils in four innings of work. Fletcher pitched three innings in relief and recorded the save.
SEASON ENDING NOTES: The 16 wins by Waurika in 2019 is the most by a Eagle baseball squad since the 2012 season when Waurika finished with an 18-7 mark….The 16 wins by coach Joe Allen’s squad is also tied for the eighth most wins since baseball returned to the high school sports menu in 1987 (with four seasons missing final records)….The district tourney runner up finish was the best performance in a district tourney since 2012 when the Eagles last won a district championship in baseball….The 16 wins is the fourth best by a first year coach since 1987.
On September 26, motivational speaker Nick Moore visited WMS and WHS to speak to the student body. Moore’s speech focused mainly on motivation and to never give up. Moore, 47, spoke passionately about reaching your goals and striving to be the very best you can be.
Moore, from Wichita Falls, Texas, visits 65-80 schools a year to spread his message and his story. Moore is not only a motivational speaker. He is a father, a youth fitness trainer, a referee, a personal fitness trainer, and an author. His book, Never Too Late, is a motivational book. He pulls from his own experiences in his book and in his talks in order to help children.
Moore originally wanted to be an NFL football player, but an injury in college and having a child led him down a different path. He was and still is very passionate about sports and in motivational speaking he found a way to combine his passions, sports and helping people.
During his speech he pulled volunteers from the audience. He had them try to shoot shots from the free throw line, 3 point line, and half court. While not all the students made all the shots they tried, which was the point of the demonstration. It may not always work out, but as long as you try that’s all that matters. When asked why he was so passionate about what he does he said his elementary school principal contributed to it a lot. Moore went to Sam Houston Elementary school in Wichita Falls, Texas. “You know, being in elementary, my grandparents didn’t go to college so I was thinking I was just gonna work straight out of high school. College wasn’t even an option until he introduced it to me,” Moore is quoted saying. Moore attended college in Arizona and has his Associate’s degree in sociology and is currently working on his Bachelor’s and Masters.
When asked to provide advice for students in high school he said, “Just believe in yourself, push yourself, have some goals in front of you, short-term and long-term goals. Figure out what you want to do and kind of figure out a path. Google anything you need to know online on whatever it takes to be successful in this career. Just go figure out what school you can apply for and get in. Apply for that school. If you get in , accept the scholarship, accept the financial aid, get in that school and just push. That’s the big thing, just push yourself and try not to start something and don’t finish. Thats a big thing, try to finish whatever you can.”
You can find Nick Moore on social media. His Facebook is Nickie Moore, his Instagram is mtovatornick, and his twitter is NickMoo8888.
(front row left to right) RIVER WILLIAMS, ABBIE BOLIN, MACKENZIE LEWIS, RANDI LINTON, ASHLEY BURDEN, MORGAN MCGHGHY. middle row: ANTHONY MUNOZ, CARA WILLIAMS, MICHAEL GORE, TEDDY BROWN, JAMES ELLSBURY, CASSIDY CHARMASSON, DAWSON TOMBERLIN, KAYLYN SELF. back row: JOSEPH MARTIN, KRIS BRINK, JESSE HELLOMS, CAMRON VILLARREAL, WESLEY CLARK, TATE KIMBRO, TY GARRETT Photo by Sheree Hanson.
Tate Kimbro – Photo by Sheree Hanson.
Dalee Barrick Photo by Curtis Plant
Teddy Brown and Pastor Mghy Photo by Sheree Hanson
Reagan McKelroy Photo by Curtis Plant
Ricky Phillips Photo by Sheree Hanson
Michael Bryant and Riley Hobbs Photo by Curtis Plant
