Lady Eagle Harriers Have Strong Showing at Velma-Alma

By

-

October 1, 2019

The eighth-ranked Waurika girls’ cross country squad turned in an impressive performance Tuesday afternoon at the annual Velma-Alma Invitational at the Wildhorse Golf Course.

Waurika finished fourth in the team race behind two Class 3A ranked teams and one ranked Class 4A squad.

Marlow won the meet with 61 points, while Blanchard was second with 120 and Purcell was third with 143 points. The Lady Eagles totaled 156 points – well ahead of the fifth-place team from Latta.

The junior high girls also had an outstanding meet as they earned third place with 124 points. Velma-Alma was the team champion with 29 points and Marlow was the runner up with 103 tallies.

The high school boys were short-handed and did not figure into the team race. The junior high boys also did not have enough participants to compete for the team title.

Three Lady Eagles earned medals in the high school division. Times were not available for today’s race.

Tallin Mora was the top competitor for the Lady Eagles with a 13th-place finish. Also earning medals were Liberti Simmons, who finished 21st and Lexie Streeter, who finished 22nd among the 92 competitors.

Also competing for the Lady Eagles were Faith Roberson (43rd), Hope Cummings (57th), Kacie Reynolds (73rd) and Savana Ritter (87th).

The best finisher for the high school boys was Gustavo Gomez who earned 38th place among the 96 competitors. Cache Arellano finished 46th and Nicolas Alvarado rounded out the Waurika participants with a 67th place finish.

The junior high girls had four medalists in the competition.

Kynlee Waters led the way for the junior high squad with a ninth-place finish. Among the other medal winners were Jaci Gholson (12th), Trish Julian (19th) and Skylar Garrett (29th).

Also competing were Caity Ramsey (55th), Sadie Smith (59th), Niesca Camarillo (62nd) and Tracy Ballard (77th). The junior high girls field featured 98 competitors.

Three junior high boys earned medals in the competition for the Eagles. Isaac Camarillo finished 18th and Aiden Jenkins was right behind with a 19th-place finish. Alex Gomez also won a medal with his 27th-place finish.

Malachi Dodson also competed for the Eagles and finished 72nd. There were 100 competitors in the junior high boys division.

Waurika also had three sixth graders compete in the meet and all three earned medals.

Dallie Young was 15th for the Lady Eagles, while Ryder Watkins and Jaxon Simmons were sixth and ninth, respectively, for the Eagles.

Waurika will next compete on its home course on Tuesday as they will play host to a number of Class 2A and Class 3A squads from this part of the state.

This will be an excellent chance for fans to see these teams run as they head toward the regional meet in the middle of October.

Rainy Friday Night at Maysville Unkind to Cowboys

By

Trey Smart

-

September 27, 2019

0

The Ryan Cowboys spotted Maysville 38 straight points and could never recover in dropping a 54-6 verdict to the Warriors in a game that ended at the half.

The contest was delayed twice by lightening, but the Cowboys were never really in the game that was played in rainy and miserable conditions.

The two delays totaled about two hours in length.

The Cowboys will try to get back on track tomorrow night (Friday) as they will play host to the Caddo Bruins in a homecoming contest. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

The Bruins will bring a 1-2 record to Ryan. Caddo lost its season-opener to Wilson, 58-16 and then fell to Dewar, 54-6. Last week the Bruins picked up their only win of the season with a 34-6 victory over Thackervile.

The game was barely underway when the first weather delay occurred and the Cowboys trailed only, 8-0.

But when play resumed, the Warriors got another score before the end of the quarter to up the lead to 16-0.

Early in the second quarter the Warriors increased the lead to 24-0.

From that point in the game it became the Gunner Aprill show for the Warriors as the talented quarterback scored four straight times for the Warriors.

The Cowboys got on the board late in the second quarter after a second weather delay and sandwiched between Aprill’s four touchdowns. Grayson Tomberlin broke loose for a 55-yard run which cut the Maysville lead to 36-6.

Aprill got the third and fourth of his scores to close out the scoring for Maysville. His third TD of the night came on a two-yard run.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors executed an onside kick and just one play later Aprill scooted 40 yards to seal the mercy-rule victory for the Warriors.

Tomberlin led the Cowboys in rushing with 70 yards on eight carries, but the Warriors held the Ryan offense in check most of the night.

Aprill finished the night with 125 yards on nine carries for the Warriors while Gunner Chambers added 101 yards on just six carries. The Warriors rolled up 322 yards on just 22 carries in the shortened contest.

Tomberlin led the defensive effort for the Cowboys with five tackles.

RYAN RAMBLINGS: Despite the loss the Cowboys hold a 4-3 lead in the series with Maysville….The 54 points scored by the Warriors is the most ever against the Cowboys….The combined total of 60 points by the two teams is the most in the seven-game series with the Warriors…Maysville is unranked in the Class C poll in The Daily Oklahoman, but is ranked sixth in the latest okprep.com poll…

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Ryan 0 6 x x—6

Maysville 16 36 x x—52

FIRST QUARTER

MAYSVILLE – Gunner Chambers 5 run (Aprill run)

SECOND QUARTER

MAYSVILLE – Chambers 25 run (Ty Wilmot run)

MAYSVILLE – Aprill 4 run (run failed)

MAYSVILLE – Aprill 52 run (McCallister run)

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 55 run (run failed)

MAYSVILLE – Aprill 2 run (Wilmot run)

MAYSVILLE – Aprill 40 run (Wilmot run)

Eagles Dominate Carnegie in 52-0 Victory in Home Opener

By

Trey Smart

-

September 27, 2019

0

Many schools across the southern part of Oklahoma did not complete their scheduled game or canceled their game last Friday night.

However, Waurika was able to make quick work of the Carnegie Wildcats before the worst of the storms moved into the area last Friday night at Cy Sloan Stadium.

The Eagles rolled to a 52-0 victory over the Wildcats on Norman West Field in the contest that ended at the half because of the mercy rule.

Kevin Garcia carrying the ball. Bowden Forsyth #61 can be seen blocking.
Photo by Adam Brinson

Waurika is now set for a much anticipated bout with Snyder. The two teams were scheduled to play last season, but the game was canceled because of flooding concerns.

This year both teams are ranked in the top ten in Class B and it figures to be an excellent contest on the Cyclones’ home field Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

This will be the third meeting between in the two schools in eight-man play. Each team has won one game.

Snyder is ranked seventh in The Daily Oklahoman Class B poll, while Waurika is sixth in the same poll. In the okpreps.com poll, Snyder holds down the fourth spot, while Waurika is ranked fifth.

The Cyclones come into the game at 3-0, while Waurika is 2-0. Snyder has defeated Waukomis, Fox and defending Class C state champion Tipton, 8-0, last week in a rain-shortened contest.

The Eagles have easily disposed of their two foes – Grandfield and Carnegie. Waurika’s season opener with Temple was canceled as the Tigers could not put together a team this season.

Last Friday, the Eagles scored in a variety of ways. They scored often. And, they scored quick.

On the opening kickoff of the game, Kevin Garcia fielded the ball at his own 15-yard line and sped 85 yards for the touchdown just 15 seconds into the game. Turner Mora added the two-point conversion and before many of the Eagle faithful were settled in their seats Waurika held an 8-0 lead.

Waurika’s next possession was capped by a 35-yard scoring run by Mora. Gabe Jenkins carried the ball on the successful two-point conversion giving the Eagles a 16-0 advantage with 8:09 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles scored again quickly as on the Wildcats’ next possession Waurika’s Payton Fletcher picked up a fumble and rambled 69 yards for a touchdown. Mora ran for the two points and Waurika was in front, 24-0.

Payton Fletcher scoring a touchdown after scooping up a fumble and running 89 yards for the end zone. Photo by Adam Brinson

With 2:06 remaining in the first quarter, Mora again found paydirt as the talented quarterback broke loose on a 33-yard scoring jaunt to give the Eagles a 30-0 lead.

But the Eagle were not done lighting up the scoreboard in the second quarter as Mora broke loose for another touchdown run – this time from 34 yards out with just a few seconds remaining in the first quarter.

With the 36-0 lead heading into the second quarter, it appeared likely this game would not see the third quarter.

The Eagles made sure of that with two scores in the middle of the second quarter.

The first one came on K. Garcia’s 19-yard run. Trent Arellano ran for the two point conversion giving Waurika a 44-0 lead with 7:36 left to play in the half.

Mora finished off the scoring with his fourth rushing touchdown – this time on a 78-yard run. Arellano added the two point conversion that put the Eagles comfortably in front, 52-0, with 4:24 left before the half.

The Eagles’ powerful ground game was in full force throughout the game. The Wildcats had no answer for Mora as he rushed for 246 yards on just 11 carries and scored four touchdowns and added a pair of two-point conversions.

The Eagles totaled 302 yards rushing on just 21 carries on the night.

EAGLE FLIGHTS: Waurika now leads the series with Carnegie, 4-0….The Eagles and Wildcats have met twice in eight-man contests….The shutout was the third in the four games for Waurika….You could not make this up – last year’s two games against Grandfield and Carnegie the Eagles scored 52 and 64 points respectively and this year that was reversed with the Eagles scoring 64 against Grandfield and 52 against Carnegie…This was the Eagles’ ninth shutout in 14 games over the past two seasons….The last time the Eagles came close to this kind of defensive dominance was the 1996 and 1997 seasons when the Eagles recorded eight shutouts over two complete seasons.

Game In Figures

CHS WHS

First Downs x 8

Yards Rushing x-x 21-302

Yards Passing x 0

Passes x-x 0-2

Passes Int. By 0 0

Fumbles, Lost 3-3 1-0

Punts x-x 0-0

Penalties 1-10 3-20

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Carnegie 0 0 x x—0

Waurika 36 16 x x—52

WAURIKA – Kevin Garcia 85 kickoff return (Turner Mora run), 11:45, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 35 run (Gabe Jenkins run), 8:56, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Payton Fletcher 69 fumble recovery return (Mora run), 8:09, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 33 run (run failed), 2:06, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 34 run (run failed), :07, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – K. Garcia 19 run (Trent Arellano run), 7:36, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 78 run (Arellano run), 4:24, 2nd Quarter

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Turner Mora 11-246, Kevin Garcia 4-38, Trent Arellano 2-8, Octavio Gomez 1-5, Treyton Torrez 2-3, Gabe Jenkins 1-2; Passing: Mora 0-2-0-0.

Cowgirl Softballers Head to District Tourney Looking for a Win

By

Trey Smart

-

September 27, 2019

0

It has been a very difficult season for the Ryan Cowgirl softball squad as the team is heading into today’s district tourney without a victory for the year.

The Cowgirls were seeking their first win today in the opening game of the Class B District Tournament at Big Pasture. The Cowgirls were slated to face Temple at noon.

The loser of that game will face Big Pasture at 2 p.m., while the winner of the first game will get a shot at Big Pasture at 4 p.m. If Big Pasture wins both games, they will face either Ryan or Temple in the finals at 6 p.m.

An if necessary game will be played Friday at 4 p.m. and the winner will move on to the regional tournament next weekend.

The Cowgirls dropped two more games this past week with a 12-2 loss at Frederick last Thursday and then fell to Geronimo on Tuesday, 13-0.

In the final regular season game for the Cowgirls, four seniors were recognized on Senior Day at Larry Ninman Field.

Savanna Lashley, Madisen Rhoads, Brooklyn Charmasson and Samantha Good were the four Cowgirls playing their final fast-pitch softball game for Ryan.

In Tuesday’s action, Geronimo jumped out in front 1-0 after one inning and that is where the score remained until the Lady Blue Jays exploded for 12 runs in the top of the third inning. Geronimo had five walks and seven hits – including a home run – that led to the scoring bonanza.

The Cowgirls got a single run in the top of the first inning against Frederick last week at Frederick.

Lindsey Reake singled and scored on Good’s single down the left field line.

Frederick took the lead in the bottom of the first as the Lady Bombers scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead.

The Lady Bombers added four runs in the bottom of the second to increase the advantage to 6-1.

In the top of the third inning Ryan trimmed the lead on Madison Rhoades’ solo home run to put the score at 6-2.

Frederick exploded in the bottom of the third inning with six runs to lead the contest, 12-2.

When the Cowgirls could not score in the top of the fourth inning the game ended on the run rule.

Good was 2-for-2 at the plate for the Cowgirls.

Top Ten All-Time Ryan Coaches Selected

By

Trey Smart

-

August 2, 2019

0

There have been a number of outstanding coaches of all sports at Ryan.

Many of them stayed at Ryan a short time and then bolted for greener pastures and ended up with highly successful careers.

This article will focus on the top ten coaches of all-time with a lot of consideration given to success but also tenure at Ryan. Some of them had short tenures but where highly successful. Others stayed a long time. A few coached more than one sport with success.

Not all the names of the coaches of boys and girls basketball, track and baseball have been identified – especially when you get before 1950.

However, the Cowboys and Cowgirls did not have a lot of success in those sports in the early days with a few notable exceptions. It would be a reasonable assumption that a coach has been left off this list and if so, this writer would be glad to hear from you.

Here’s the list that surely will create a bit of conversation among former Ryan athletes through the decades.

1. Raymon West

When you have your name placed on the basketball court and win a state championship, you are bound to be at the top of the list. Coach West put together an outstanding career at Ryan. The vast majority of his coaching career was spent with Cowboy and Cowgirl athletes. He had short tenures at Irving, Burkburnett and Duncan, but the rest of his coaching career was at Ryan. Coach West coached every sport at Ryan at one time. His 1962 boys’ basketball squad was the first roundball team at Ryan to qualify for the state tournament. He also coached a number of football teams during that time and coached baseball. He guided the 1965 Cowgirls to a state title – defeating three opponents by a total of four points. He returned to Ryan in 1970 to coach basketball and become the high school principal. Coach West was instrumental in the move from 11-man to eight-man football. He coached the final 11-man team and the first three eight-man squads – winning a district title in the first year of eight-man football. He coached boys’ basketball for 15 seasons and was at the helm of the Cowgirl basketball squads for a total of 11 years.

2. Stan Mueggenborg

Coach Mueggenborg, who is the only current coach at Ryan to make this list, spent 11 seasons as the head football coach and head baseball coach. He compiled a 110-97 record during that span in baseball and recorded an 81-52 record in football. The 81 wins is the most by a coach in school history. The football squad made nine playoff appearances and won two district titles. Mueggenborg directed the Cowboys to a pair of double-digit win seasons and two semifinal appearances. He even directed the Cowboy basketball team for half of a season. He is currently serving as the fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball coach for the Cowgirls.

3. Phil Elerick

The long-time Oklahoma high school football coach made an incredible impression on the football program at Ryan. He is second to Mueggenborg in total number of wins, but it was accomplished in just six seasons – from 1984 to 1989. He guided the Cowboys to a 58-16 record during that time. Elerick was the first Ryan football coach to guide a team to the state semifinals and was also the first coach to take a squad to the state title game. The Cowboys had three state runner-up finishes, four district titles and five playoff appearances during his six years at the helm of the Cowboy grid program.

4. Lane Weldon

Weldon had a long tenure as the boys and girls basketball coach at Ryan. He coached both teams for 10 consecutive years – a feat unequaled in Ryan basketball history. During his tenure at Ryan the Cowgirls won three district titles and made two area tournament appearances. The Cowgirls made the regional tournament in eight of the 10 seasons Weldon was roaming the sidelines. The Cowgirls were 123-132 during the decade of Weldon’s influence. Prior to his arrival the Cowgirls had suffered through five different coaches in six seasons. The Cowboys were also successful under Weldon’s coaching prowess. All ten of his Cowboy basketball teams advanced to the regional tournament and the Cowboys won six district titles and advanced to the area tournament four times. The Cowboys were 164-96 under Weldon. Weldon also coached softball and baseball during his time at Ryan.

5. Gordon Garner

The only reason for Garner being behind Weldon was the number of years he stayed at Ryan. The veteran Oklahoma prep coach guided the Cowboy basketball team to a state tourney appearance – only the second time in school history. The boys’ teams during that time were 37-52 with one district crown. Garner guided the Cowgirls to a 62-32 mark and won two district titles. He also coached track for three of his four years at Ryan and was the assistant football coach with Elerick.

6. Richard Hendricks

Here is another coach that had a short but really successful coaching career at Ryan. He coached both the Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball teams for only two seasons – 1966 and 1967. His boys’ teams struggled, but the Cowgirls put together two outstanding seasons after claiming the state title in 1965. The Cowgirls won the district tournament in both seasons Hendricks served at Ryan. The 1966 squad attained a ranking as high as fourth in the state. Overall, Hendricks put together an astounding 40-9 mark in two seasons.

7. Travis Smith

Smith guided the Cowboy baseball squad for four seasons, but those four years were some of the most successful years of Cowboy baseball. His tenure came after the first two seasons of the renewed baseball program at Ryan. Smith guided the Cowboys to a 76-27-1 record and the Cowboy nine garnered two district titles. The 1996 squad finished 24-6 and was one game away from a state tournament appearance.

8. Bill Hunt

Hunt came to Ryan from Seiling and helped guide the Cowboys to one of the most successful 11-man seasons in school history. Hunt is the winningest 11-man coach at Ryan and is the only 11-man coach with a winning record in at least three seasons. The 1974 squad was 9-1 and dropped a tense 26-22 decision to Pernell in the fourth game of the season. That was the final season that only the district champion advanced to the playoffs. The 1974 team finished ranked eighth in the state – without an appearance in the post-season. Hunt is also responsible for revitalizing the boys’ track program at Ryan. The 1973 mile relay team won a state title and the 1972 team won the conference title and was the regional runner up. Hunt finished his career by coaching at Cache for over two decades.

9. Chy Waters

Waters coached girls’ basketball and softball at Ryan for five seasons. Her basketball squads put together a 70-49 mark and won two district titles. All five teams were either district champions or runner up. Two of her squads advanced to the area tournament, which is half of all the area tourney appearances made by a Cowgirl team. Waters guided the 2011 Cowgirl fast-pitch team to the district title and a regional tourney appearance – the only time in the short history of the program that has happened.

10. J.F. Robertson

It is likely that no one reading this article would remember Robertson. He coached the Cowboy basketball teams in 1916, 1917 and 1918. All three squads had winning marks – with the 1917 team putting together a 15-2 record. The 1918 team, for which a final win/loss record is unavailable, claims a mythical state title as that season preceded the first playoff system for basketball.

Honorable Mention List (no order): Gene Wells (coached three sports during his five years at Ryan – including the only district title in 11-man football and three district baseball titles and after leaving Ryan he established a powerful athletic program at Hobbs, New Mexico); G.J. Williams (the first Ryan football coach and if all the records were available may have more wins than coach Hunt); Andy Claborn (coached only two football seasons, but the Cowboys advanced to the state championship game in both seasons); Mattie Norman (was the first girls’ basketball coach to direct a squad to a district title and regional tournament appearance); Glen Alain (coached football for only two season, but the 1929 Cowboy squad defeated Yukon on Thanksgiving Day to claim the mythical state title); Frank Norman (coached track for the Cowboys for an unknown number of seasons, but the 1941 team claimed the county title and had two dominant relay teams that won a number of meets during the season).

Face of Eight-Man Football in Oklahoma Undergoing Change

By

Trey Smart

-

July 27, 2019

0

One thing you can be sure about in today’s world – not much stays the same.

An examination of the eight-man football participants in Oklahoma certainly would fit this description as the schools playing the eight-man brand of high school football has increased and continues to change.

It is no secret the population of small towns in Oklahoma is in great decline and that has a direct impact on the schools in those communities.

Sports in the small schools are experiencing a decline between two factors – declining population and declining participation – the impact is felt in those schools. The sport it has impacted the most is high school football.

A number of schools – both eight-man and 11-man – did not finish the 2018 season because of lack of participation and injuries.

Before 1955 there were no schools in Oklahoma playing eight-man football. A few schools played six-man in the years prior to this time. But, a number of schools in the panhandle and northwest Oklahoma began playing the eight-man game in the mid-50’s.

Eight-man football remained in that geographic area until the mid-70’s when schools in the northeast, central and southwest parts of Oklahoma began to play eight-man football.

As recent as 2007 eight-man football was limited to 72 schools, but that number has risen to 80. Look for that number to be increased in the near future.

Changes are routinely made to the eight-man classes as schools drop from 11-man to eight-man and other schools have been forced to drop the sport. A few of the schools that played eight-man football are no longer in existence.

It would seem some of the most dramatic change to the eight-man game has occurred in the past year or two.

At least two schools – Bokoshe and Copan – have dropped football after going 1-9 and 0-9, respectively in the 2017 season. But, the biggest change has come in the number of schools that are dropping to the eight-man grid version from the 11-man game.

And, what is amazing is some of those schools have been traditional powers in Class A football through the years including just a few years ago.

Hollis, who is playing an independent eight-man schedule this season, won the Class A state title in 2013 and won 10 games or more for at least four seasons from 2013 to 2016. The Tigers will play three 11-man games this season as the 2019 season will serve as a transition to eight-man football.

Velma-Alma and Okeene are two more traditional powers in Class A over the past two or three decades and both are moving to eight-man football and will play an independent schedule for this season.

Quinton, located in eastern Oklahoma, and Wellston and Beaver are three additional schools that are making the move to eight-man football. Quinton and Wellston both have a pretty large average daily membership, but were approved by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association to move to eight-man football.

All of those schools will be assigned to an eight-man district for the 2020 season.

Temple and Balko are two eight-man schools that did not complete their schedules last year. Temple played two or three games last season and finished one of those games with only seven players. Balko played five games before being forced to forfeit the remainder of the schedule. Welch also had a difficult year putting a team on the field in 2018.

Temple will likely be able to compete this season, but Balko has formed a co-op with Forgan giving kids from Forgan the chance to compete in football for the first time since the 2012 season when the Bulldogs played for a state title.

Over the past 10 to 15 years, over 10 schools that played football no longer play the sport. This includes some former Ryan opponents such as Duke, Cement and Gracemont.

Waurika is part of a significant number of schools that moved from 11-man to eight-man football within the past 10 years. Waurika began eight-man play in 2012 and since that time nearby schools, Empire and Wilson, have joined the eight-man ranks.

Not all schools are experiencing decline. In fact a few of the schools that have played eight-man football most recently may be forced to move to 11-man football when the final average daily membership numbers are released in September and new football district assignments are revealed in January.

Central High and Caddo, both teams on the schedule for this year for Waurika and Ryan, may be two of those schools along with Ryan’s 2018 playoff opponent, Burns Flat-Dill City.

Waurika’s average daily membership has increased to 107.42, but that number should put the Eagles in the middle of the eight-man schools that will make up Class B.

Ryan has seen its average daily membership drop to 82.47 and it is probable the Cowboys will move to Class C for the 2020-2021 seasons.

It is possible that three-time Class C defending champion Tipton may move up to Class B.

Some of the possible district foes for 2020 and 2021 for Waurika may be Wilson, Empire, Velma-Alma, Bray-Doyle. The remaining member of the district could be Tipton (if they move to Class B), Alex or Bray-Doyle. Waurika will have five schools in the new district besides the Eagles.

Ryan will be looking at some familiar foes if they make the move to Class C. Possibilities include Fox, Thackerville, Paoli, Maysville, Mountain View-Gotebo, Temple, Grandfield and Corn Bible Academy. Ryan will likely have seven other schools in its district.

Of course none of this is official until the final numbers are posted in September, but the eight-man game will likely continue to grow as more and more schools in rural parts of the state continue to decline.

The 2019 season is slated to get underway in just a few weeks with preseason practices, scrimmages and the regular season slate of games. Ryan will travel to Velma-Alma in the season opener on August 30 while Waurika will begin the season a week later with a home game against Temple.

1973 Eagle Roundballers Lead List of Top Teams in Waurika History

By

Trey Smart

-

July 27, 2019

0

There is little doubt which team of Waurika boys’ basketballers should be at the top of the best teams in school history.

That would be the 1973 Eagles who not only won a state title, but went undefeated while doing it.

The rest of the teams that have made the state tourney are on the list of top ten Eagle basketball teams in school history.

After those six teams, the debate is wide open about which teams should be included, but that can work itself out in local conversations at the local coffee shop or in homes of families from Waurika that have impacted the history of basketball in the community.

As has been mentioned in previous articles of this nature, if you know of a team that should be considered for this list or even a team that could rank in the honorable mention category, please let this writer know.

Here is the attempt to rank the 10 best Waurika Eagle basketball teams of all-time:

1. 1973 Eagles

This team finished 28-0 on the year on the way to the gold ball. The Eagles were the only undefeated boys basketball team in Oklahoma during this season. Jerry Gipson was the face of this team as he finished the 1973 season averaging 31.4 points a game and earning all-state honors. In the state tournament the Eagles were tested in the first two rounds. Waurika edged Silo, 42-40, in the quarterfinals behind Gipson’s 30-point outburst. In the semifinals, the Eagles managed to slip by New Lima, 72-70. The largest margin of victory in the state tourney came in the finals when the Eagles downed Boley, 66-58. The Eagles won the three games by a total of 13 points which was a state tournament record at the time for that class and stood for several years. The Eagles had breezed through the district, regional and area tournament with the toughest game of the post-season before the state tourney coming in the finals of the district tournament – a narrow 50-48 victory over Grandfield. Starters on this team included Gipson, Harrold Herron, Michael Ford, Dale Bates and Duane Christian. This team would garner consideration for one of the top Class A teams of all time in Oklahoma. Jerry Marsh was the coach of this squad.

2. 1989 Eagles

This squad is the only other team to play for a state title, but the 1989 squad came up short as they fell to Weleetka, 66-57, in the championship game. Doug Frost was the leading scorer in the game with 12 points – ten of which were scored in a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Eagles. The Eagles had advanced to the state finals by hammering Hennessey, 81-66, and defeating Porter, 75-72. Todd Overstreet scored 19 points in both wins to pace the Eagles in scoring. Waurika started the march to the state tournament with a 69-50 victory over Walters in the district finals. Waurika picked up a pair of narrow wins in the regional tournament. In the first round, Waurika defeated Carnegie, 65-56, on the Wildcats’ home floor. In the regional finals the Eagles squeezed by Cache, 60-58, in overtime. In the area tournament Waurika earned a 68-60 victory over Latta in the finals. Mikel Davison was the coach of this team that ended the season with a 21-6 record.

3. 1981 Eagles

This team finished the season with an impressive 22-6 mark and fell in the state semifinals to an undefeated Coyle team, 86-62. Kerry Lott had 14 points in the game. The Eagles were a surprise team to make the semifinals, but the squad scored an 57-55 upset victory over Taft in the semifinals. Floyd Gipson hit a bucket with 19 seconds left from inside the lane to give the Eagles the win. Gipson had battled flu symptoms the days preceding the state tourney. Jimmy Davis, a freshman and son of coach Ross Davis, led the Eagles in scoring with 22 points. This was the first Waurika team to qualify for state since 1973. Waurika claimed its 18th district title with a win over Turner to begin the march to state. The Eagles defeated Bray, 63-48, and Sterling, 64-60, to advance to the area tourney. The Eagles dropped a heart-breaking 45-44 decision to Snyder, but came back the next night to defeat Cement, 56-47, to claim the area consolation title and a berth at the state tourney. This team was ranked only 14th in the class heading into the playoffs of the 1981 season. Coach Davis had played on a state title team at Calera in 1956.

4. 1965 Eagles

The 1965 edition of the Eagle basketball team was the first team in school history to land a berth in the state tournament. The Eagles finished the season with a 24-5 mark and were ranked 20th in the Class B rankings heading into the playoffs. In the district tourney the Eagles defeated three long-time rivals – Temple, Grandfield and Walters. The Eagles carried that momentum into the regional fray where they scored a 57-51 victory over Frederick and a 68-46 win over Cyril to advance to the state tournament. The first round game pitted the Eagles with Checotah, who had been ranked as high as sixth in the state, but came into this game unranked. The game was a barn-burner and the Eagles came out on top, 63-62, in double overtime. Greg Edwards had 30 points in the contest and was the only 30-point scorer in the state tournament that year. In the semifinals, the Eagles met second-ranked Oologah and the Mustangs proved to be too tough for the Eagles. The Mustangs advanced into the finals with a 63-49 victory over Waurika. Edwards had 17 points in the game and was named to the all-tournament team. Edwards, Bill Conrad, Jerry Beaver, Larry Kirkland and Steve Snider were the five starters most of the year. Ray Griffin and Mike Melton were among the reserves that played significant minutes. Gayno Shelton was the coach of the Eagles for this season.

5. 1990 Eagles

This is the first and only Waurika team to make back-to-back appearances in the state tournament. The Eagles carved out a 22-5 record, but fell to second-ranked Dale, 75-54, in the first round of the state tourney. Overstreet led the Eagles with 21 points in the loss. The playoffs started in impressive fashion for this team as the Eagles downed Empire, 88-41, to claim the district crown. The Eagles struggled in regional tourney play, but managed a 43-41 decision over Davis in the first round before falling to St. Mary’s, 66-54, in the regional finals. The Eagles entered the area tourney in the losers’ bracket but picked up wins over Snyder, 91-71, and Hollis, 64-58, to set up a rematch with St. Mary’s in the finals. The Eagles squeaked out a 60-59 victory to earn a berth in the Class 2A state tourney. Lonnie Nunley, Doug Frost, Stefan Hunt and David Davison all scored in double figures to lead the Eagles to the win. Those four players, along with Overstreet, were the starters for most of the season. Mikel Davison was also the coach of this team.

6. 1983 Eagles

The circumstances surrounding this team’s state tourney appearance are bizarre. First of all the team was 6-8 in January and won 13 of its final 15 games to make the state tournament. Secondly, it was thought the season was over following a 60-53 loss to Crooked Oak in the regional finals. But it was discovered early the next week that Crooked Oak had played an ineligible player that had transferred from Capitol Hill, thus forcing the Rufnex to forfeit all the wins of the season. This put Waurika in the area tournament consolation bracket. The Eagles took advantage of the opportunity with three wins in the area tourney to gain a state tournament berth. Waurika rolled over Pocola, 82-62, then beat Latta, 46-44, in the semifinals to set up a meeting with Lone Grove for a spot at the state tournament. The Eagles rolled to a 63-46 victory over the Longhorns. In the first round of the state tournament the Eagles faced Allen, who was ranked 12th in Class 2A and had a 21-4 record. The Mustangs were ranked fifth in the preseason that year. Waurika was not ranked in the preseason or in the final Class 2A rankings, but by the time the state tourney rolled around Waurika had put together a 19-10 record. The Eagles’ storybook season ended in the contest with Allen as the Mustangs got the 63-57 victory. Mike Nunley was the leading scorer on this team with a 20.0 per game average. The other starters were Lance Bruton, Roy Don Park, Russell Barrett and Quanah West. Mikel Davison was also the coach of this squad.

7.2006 Eagles

The 2005-2006 season started well as the Eagles soared to an 8-1 record at the Christmas break. The Eagles continue to pile up the victories and eventually worked themselves into the 17th-ranked team in Class A by February. Waurika sported a 21-2 record heading into the post-season.

The Eagles hosted the district tournament and the squad opened the playoff run with a 66-50 victory over Bray-Doyle.

The Eagles traveled east for the regional tournament and defeated Stratford, 74-63, in the first round played at Stonewall. The regional title game was played at Macomb but was postponed from the Saturday date to Monday because of inclement weather. The Eagles picked up a tense 56-54 victory to advance to the area tournament needing only one win to make the state tourney. Waurika faced 13th-ranked Thomas in the area winners’ bracket finals, but the Terriers earned the state tourney berth with a 41-34 victory over the Eagles. In the area consolation finals Waurika took on 11th-ranked Okarche and fell to the Warriors, 60-44. Jeremy Hogan was the coach of this team and it was the last boys’ squad to win at least 20 games finishing with a 24-6 record.

8. 1982 Eagles

This season was sandwiched between two seasons that the Eagles made the state tournament and while the squad fell short, it put together an impressive season. The second-ranked Eagles started the Class 2A playoffs with a district tournament win over Walters. In the regional tournament’s first round, the Eagles pounded Rush Springs, 70-34. The playoff run got very tough and In the tourney finals the Eagles dropped a heartbreaker to seventh-ranked Ninnekah, 57-55. The Eagles drew another tough assignment in the first round of the losers’ bracket in the area tournament in fifth-ranked Hollis. The Tigers rolled to a 57-36 victory and what was a very promising season ended on a difficult note. The Eagles finished with a 23-3 record after entering the playoffs with a 21-1 mark. Ross Davis, who coached the Eagles to a pair of 20-win seasons in his four years at the helm, directed this squad.

9. 1971 Eagles

This was the first of three Jerry Marsh-coached squads that produced at least 20 wins in a season. The Eagles were impressive throughout the regular season and started the playoff run with an 18-4 record. In the district tournament the Eagles dropped Temple, 57-53, and came back to claim the district title over Lawton MacArthur, 61-60. In the first regional tournament game the 15th-ranked Eagles managed a 56-54 victory over Cyril to advance to the regional finals. Cache, the 10th-ranked club in Class A handed the Eagles a 67-52 loss in the title game. This was the first year, however, that a team could lose a game (from the district finals forward) and remain in the playoffs. The Eagles played in their first area tourney at Oklahoma Christian College and defeated Kellyville, 70-68, in the first game. In the next game, the seventh-ranked Wellston Tigers eliminated the Eagles with an 82-57 victory. In the final rankings the Eagles finished 14th and the season ended with a 21-5 record.

10. 1972 Eagles

It was late January before this team experienced a defeat. The Eagles climbed to as high as fourth in the Class A rankings on January 24 as the team was sporting a sparkling 15-0 record. The Eagles stumbled a bit before the district tourney and held a 17-3 record and were ranked 15th in Class A. The Eagles benefitted from the new playoff system that allowed both teams from the district title game to advance to the regional tourney. Waurika won a first-round game over Temple, but fell to 11th-ranked Grandfield, 76-56, in the district finals. The Eagles were, however, impressive in the losers’ bracket of the regional tournament. Waurika defeated Granite, 81-80, in the first round and then handed Cyril a 60-57 overtime loss in the semifinals. In the finals the Eagles earned an area tourney berth with a thrilling 66-65 victory over Cheyenne. In those three regional games the Eagles margin of victory totaled five points. In the first game of the area tourney the Eagles had another close encounter and came out on top of Keyes, 85-82, at Southwestern State in Weatherford. The next night the Eagles faced 12th-ranked Cache and fell, 93-65. Jerry Marsh directed the Eagle fortunes for the season.

Honorable Mention: 1938 Eagles (lost to Blair in the regional finals; 1996 Eagles (This team lost in the regional finals to Apache); 1937 Eagles (Finished 17-14 on the year and was the district runner up); 1994 Eagles (Fell in the regional consolation finals to Burns Flat-Dill City); 1925 Eagles (this team finished 18-7 on the year but did not enter the district tournament.

Top Ten Cowgirl Thinclads Easier to Identify Than Male Counterparts

By

Trey Smart

-

July 18, 2019

0

Girls track at Ryan High School does not have near the history because girls track was much slower to be developed in Oklahoma and at the local level.

The Cowgirls would put together a team and compete in the Red River Rebel Conference track meet in the 1960’s, but there were few, if any, meets to enter in Oklahoma during that time. The 1966 group that competed in the conference meet won the team title.

A regional and state track meet for girls in Oklahoma was not held until 1972 and it was not until 1975 that the Cowgirls competed in a regional meet.

However, through the years the Cowgirls have had some outstanding individuals hit the oval and so the top ten competitors have been selected for the sport. It is much easier pouring through 45 years of results than trying to go through over 100 years of the sport on the boys’ side.

Making it a little easier was the fact the Cowgirls still did not field a team every year. There has been a total of 14 years since 1975 the Cowgirls did not send competitors to the regional meet.

The Cowgirls have not been able to win an individual title in any event at the state meet despite coming close a couple of times through the years. It has become increasingly difficult to be able to place at a state track meet with many more schools competing in girls’ track.

Nearly every small-school meet today has a boys’ and girls’ division. In the early days of the girls track schools attended different meets designated for each of the genders.

To help produce some more conversation, however, the top 10 girls are listed below:

1. Tonya Martin

Martin is the school’s only four-time regional champion in one event. She claimed the regional title in the 400 meters from 1988 to 1991. During that time she also won the regional title in the 800 meters in 1989-1991. She holds the school record in both of those events. In the 1990 state track meet, Martin and another girl ran under the state meet record time for the 800 meters with Martin finishing second. Martin also finished second in the 800 in 1989 and third in 1991. In the 400 meters she placed fourth twice and had a fifth-place finish in 1989 and a sixth-place finish in 1988. She was the conference meet champion in the 400 and 800 meters in 1990 and 1991. Results from the conference meet in 1988 and 1989 are unavailable.

2. Karona Conkling

Conkling was the first regional champion in school history. She claimed the mile run title in the 1982 regional meet. In 1983, Conkling won the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters at the regional competition. Those are the only two years results are available. The regional and state meets are the only results available for those two seasons for Conkling. Like Martin, Conkling could never quite win the gold medal in the state meet. Her best finish was in 1983 when she finished second in the 3,200 meters. Her time of 13:03.19 is the school record in the event. She also holds the school record for the 1,600 meters and in 1983 she earned the bronze medal at the state track meet. She also qualified for state in 1983 in the 800 meters and finished sixth in the event making her the only state placer in three events in school history.

3. Roshanda Lewis

Lewis made her mark in the sprints and helping the 400 meter and 800 meter relay teams for the Cowgirls. In 2012, she earned third place in the state track meet after finishing fourth in the event at regional. She qualified as an additional qualifier and ended up placing in the top three at state. Her best regional finish came in 2014 when she was the runner up in the 100 meters. She also placed in the high jump at regional twice including 2012 when she finished second because of more misses. Lewis helped the 400 meter relay team to a pair of third-place finishes and one fourth-place finish at regional. She also was part of the 800-meter relay team that finished fourth in 2014 and 2012. She holds the school record in the high jump and has three of the top four performances. She also has the five best times in the 100 meters of any Cowgirl competitor.

4. Kara Hawkins

Hawkins placed in the state track meet twice – in 2012 she was sixth in the 100 meters and in 2013 was fifth in the long jump. She was a regional champion in 2011 in the long jump. Hawkins placed in the long jump all four years of high school. She also ran on the 400 meter relay and the 800 meter relay for the Cowgirls. In the 400 relay, the team placed in the regional in each of Hawkins’ four seasons running track for Ryan. Hawkins holds the two best times in school history in the 200 meters, but her best performance in the event at the regional was fourth place her freshman season.

5. Whitney Roark

Roark was a hurdler for the Cowgirls and her best performance came at the 1995 regional meet when she finished third in the 300 meter hurdles. She was also the conference champion in the 100 meter hurdles in the 1996 Southern Eight meet. She holds the school record in both events. Her school record time of 20.41 earned her a third place finish in the 1997 Southern Eight meet. In the 1996 regional, Roark was fourth in the 300 meters with a school record time of 60.98.

6. Kourtni Gore

Gore, along with Lewis, is the last regional champion in an individual event for the Cowgirls. Gore was the regional champion in the discus with a toss of 93-9 in the 2014 event. Gore went on to place fifth in the discus at the state track meet that season with a mark of 107-5, which is the school record for the event. Gore also finished fourth in the shot put in 2015 and was the regional runner up in the discus in 2015.

7. Natalie Grantham

Grantham earns a spot on this list because she was the first three-event qualifier for the state track meet. She was the 1975 regional runner up in the 75-yard dash, the 100-yard dash and the long jump. She was also the conference champion in the 1975 Red River Rebel Conference track meet at Temple. Grantham did not place in the 1975 state track meet.

8. Juliet Spangler

Spangler is one of the final four on this list and she has a chance to move up on the list as she just completed her junior season for the Cowgirls. This past season she was the regional runner up in the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters. She was also the regional runner up in the 2017 regional meet in both events. Spangler helped the 3,200 meter relay team in 2019 to an eighth place finish in the state track meet – the first year that eight places earned team points. It was the first relay team to place in a state meet in school history. Spangler holds the third best time in school history in the 1,600 meters which was recorded at this season’s regional meet. Spangler was part of the 1,600 meter relay team that holds the school record set in the 2019 state meet – even though the team did not place. Spangler is also a standout on the Cowgirl cross country team.

9. Holland Carter

Carter gets the nod for this spot because of her accomplishments not only in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter relays but also because of her individual performances in the 800 meters. She placed second in the 800 meters at the 2019 regional and also had a third place finish in the 2018 regional competition. She medals in most meets during the 2019 season in the 800 meters in additional to her spot on the relay teams that excelled throughout the 2919 season. Carter was also a standout for the cross country squad.

Harmon also has not completed her career at Ryan as she is set to enter her senior year this fall. Harmon is part of the 1,600 and 3,200 meter relay teams for the Cowgirls that have made their mark at meets throughout the south central part of the state – including the 3,200 meter team that placed at the 2019 state meet. Harmon runs the first leg of the two relay races and has helped set the momentum for these two relay teams to finish with a medal in most of the meets they competed in during the 2019 campaign.

10. (tie) Lily York, Lilybet Harmon

You could make an argument that Spangler, Harmon, York and Carter should all get an equal spot on this list. York and Harmon will return to the Cowgirl track squad in 2020 and will look to assist the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter relay teams of which they have been a part of the past three seasons. Harmon has also competed in the 800 meters and will be trying to qualify for state in her final year for the Cowgirls.

Honorable Mention: Kristi Kilpatrick (third in the 1990 regional in the 1,600 meters); Charlotte Denning (1966 Red River Rebel Conference champion I the high jump with the third best mark in school history); Gail Shoffner (the first state qualifier for the Cowgirls in a field event with her 1975 performance in the high jump); Tobi Gunter (owns two of the four top marks in the discus and was fifth in the state track meet in 1990).

Waurika High School Athletes Feted At Recent All-Sports Banquet

By

Curtis Plant

-

May 25, 2019

0

A number of recognitions were handed out to Waurika High School athletes at the recent All-Sports Banquet held at the school a week ago Tuesday.

All athletes were given their letters for participation in fast-pitch softball, baseball, powerlifting, football, boys basketball, girls basketball, baseball, boys track, girls track and cross country.

It was an eventful year as many of the teams had great accomplishments, but on this night it was all about individual honors that were well-deserved.

The Waurika Athletic Booster Club presented scholarships to two senior athletes – Aaron Nitka and Madison Roberson.

Each of the coaches took time to recognize the athletes for honors or performances they achieved in the 2018-19 school year.

Here is a list of some of the notable accomplishments by sport:

Cross Country

State Medalist: Asia Smith

Class 2A All-Star: Asia Smith

Regional Medalist: Asia Smith, Lexie Streeter

Fast-Pitch Softball

All Southern Eight Conference: Destiny Barnes, third base; Madison Roberson, second base.

All Southern Eight Conference Honorable Mention: Hope Cummings, shortstop; Landry Forsyth, 1st base.

Football

Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association All-Stars: Aaron Nitka, Colton Bryant.

Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association All-Star Alternates: Gatlin Black, Zachary Brown.

District B-4 Player of the Year: Turner Mora

District B-4 Offensive Lineman of the Year: Gatlin Black

District B-4 Defensive Lineman of the Year: Aaron Nitka

District B-4 Newcomer of the Year: Zachary Brown

District B-4 First Team: Colton Bryant, running back; Jordan Watkins, guard; Edwin Garcia, linebacker; Kevin Garcia, cornerback.

District B-4 Second Team: Seth Waid, center; Gabe Jenkins, defensive end; Hunter Wesberry, cornerback; Austin Dyer, defensive end.

Power Lifting

Oklahoma State Power Lifting Meet: Gustavo Gomez, 4th (645 total pounds); Hunter Wesberry, 5th (630 total pounds).

Oklahoma State Power Lifting Meet Results by Division: Madison Christian, 3rd; Olivia Ralls, 7th; Landry Forsyth, 10th.

State Eight-Man School Meet: 123 Pound Division: 3rd – Gustavo Gomez, 625 pounds; 5th – Hunter Wesberry – 600 pounds; 13th – Dallas Fristoe, 400 pounds; 132 Pound Division: 15th – Sara Ballard, 400 pounds; 145 Pound Division: 6th – Colton Bryant, 765 pounds; 157 Pound Division: 15th – Landry Forsyth, 580 pounds; 198 Pound Division: 10th – Olivia Ralls, 665 pounds

Boys Basketball

Oil Field Conference 1st Team: Aaron Nitka

Oil Field Conference 2nd Team: Kevin Garcia

Oil Field Conference Honorable Mention: Cache Arellano, Turner Mora

Southern Eight Conference 2nd Team: Kevin Garcia, Turner Mora, Cache Arellano.

All-Area Basketball: Aaron Nitka

Girls Basketball

Oil Field Conference 1st Team: Madison Roberson, Asia Smith

Oil Field Conference 2nd Team: Lexie Streeter.

Oil Field Conference Honorable Mention: Hope Cummings, Madison Dees, Tallin Mora, Faith Roberson, Gracie Walling

Southern Eight Conference Most Valuable Player: Madison Roberson

Southern Eight Conference 1st Team: Asia Smith

Souther Eight Conference 2nd Team: Gracie Walling, Tallin Mora.

All-Area Basketball: Madison Roberson

Boys Track

Regional Champions: 800 Meter Relay (Kevin Garcia, Turner Mora, Nic Alvarado, Colton Bryant); 1,600 Meter Relay (Kevin Garcia, Turner Mora, Colton Bryant, Cache Arellano); 400 Meters, Turner Mora; Discus, Aaron Nitka

State Track Meet Medalists: 400 Meters, Turner Mora; 800 Meter Relay (Turner Mora, Colton Bryant, Nic Alvarado, Kevin Garcia); 1,600 Meter Relay, (Kevin Garcia, Turner Mora, Colton Bryant, Cache Arellano)

State Track Meet Qualifier: 3,200 Meters (Cache Arellano, Bryson Hernandez, Gustavo Gomez, Octavio Gomez.

Girls Track

Regional Champion: Shot Put, Madison Roberson.

State Track Meet Champion: Shot Put, Madison Roberson

State Track Meet Medalists: 1,600 Meters, Asia Smith; Discus, Madison Roberson.

State Track Meet Qualifier: 3,200 Meters (Asia Smith, Lexie Streeter, Faith Roberson, Tallin Mora.

Baseball

Oil Field Conference Most Valuable Player: Aaron Nitka

Oil Field Conference First Team: Gatlin Black, catcher; Bowden Forsyth, first base; Hunter Wesberry, infield; Zac Brown, outfield; Austin Dyer, outfield.

Oil Field Conference Honorable Mention: Jordan Watkins

Southwest Coaches Association All-Area: Aaron Nitka

Region Five All-Stars: Austin Dyer, Gatlin Black, Zachary Brown.

Success on Diamond For Waurika Has Not Been Frequent

By

Trey Smart

-

May 24, 2019

0

2019 Waurika Baseball Season Hopes to Be Foundation to the Future

With the recently completed successful baseball season, it is time to take a look back at the history of high school baseball at Waurika.

Waurika baseball has struggled over the years much like every football-playing school that has to compete against schools that also play in the fall of the year.

The recently completed 2019 season, however, could serve as a foundation for a good future for the Eagles.

This past season saw the Eagles fashion a 16-7 mark and they played for the district title for the first time since 2012.

The Eagles had the most valuable player in the Oil Field Conference in Aaron Nitka. He also played in the recent Southwest Oklahoma Coaches Association all-star game in Lawton.

The Eagles also dominated the first team selections with five – Gatlin Black, Bowden Forsyth, Hunter Wesberry, Zac Brown and Austin Dyer.

The 16 wins are the most wins in a season since that 2012 club put together 18 wins.

Research has not yielded a lot of information about baseball at the school but it is thought that no teams were fielded from at least 1953 to 1986. Prior to 1953, baseball might have been offered but it is hard to find results.

Only eight seasons in the past 29 years when baseball was brought back to Waurika have the Eagles won more than 16 games. There are four seasons where the final record could not be determined.

Baseball at Waurika returned in 1987 after the school had not fielded a team since as far back as 1952 when Waurika lost to Ryan in the county tournament finals, 13-4.

Even prior to that time it is hard to discern if Waurika fielded many baseball teams which may be attributed to the tremendous success Waurika had in track.

But in 1987, Norman West put together the first Waurika team and they began the season with a doubleheader sweep of Terral. The Eagles finished 8-5 in that inaugural season.

Todd Overstreet, Byron West, Doug Frost and Jay Chapman were some of the ringleaders of that first squad. Frost was named to The Duncan Banner’s all-area team at the conclusion of the season.

The next season Waurika slipped to 1-16 before coming back in 1989 and putting together a 13-9 record.

That would be West’s final season coaching baseball and he finished with a 22-30 mark in the sport.

Don Patchin took over the baseball program for the next two years, but a final record for either year could not be located.

Patchin became the first of four different coaches in four years and the Eagles managed only one winning record in that stretch – an 18-17 record in 1992.

The 1993 squad earned district runner up honors despite a 10-22 final record.

In 1994, Tim Hightower took over the reigns of the Waurika program for the next five years. During his tenure the Eagles claimed their first district title in 1997.

The Eagles earned the district crown as the tourney host and defeated Walters in the best-of-three series for the district title. The Eagles defeated the Blue Devils, 13-1, and 17-7, for the title.

However, the 1997 team found the regional tournament to be too tough. Ringling was the tournament host and the Blue Devils downed the Eagles in the first round. Velma-Alma eliminated the Eagles in the next game.

The 1998 squad – the last coached by Hightower – finished second in the Southern Eight Conference tourney.

The Eagles claimed their second district title in 1999 under the direction of Buddy Husted. Husted coached the Eagle nine for two seasons and finished with a 30-24 record.

The 1999 Class 2A district tournament was also a best-of-three series and the Eagles played host to Empire. Waurika downed the Bulldogs in impressive fashion, 19-5, and 25-4.

Waurika traveled to Healdton for the Class 2A regional tourney and lost to Velma-Alma, 16-0, in the first round and to Washington, 11-0, in an elimination game.

Brad Logan assumed the coaching duties for the baseball program in 2001 and he served six seasons.

During that time the Eagles were district champions in 2002. The Eagles traveled to Turner for a best-of-three series and the Eagles won the first two games, 21-0, and 7-4, to earn the district crown.

Waurika was sent to Dewar for the Class A regional and the Eagles dropped a pair of one-run games. In the first round, Dewar defeated the Eagles, 2-1. In the elimination game, Okay edged the Eagles, 9-8, to end the season.

In 2005, the Eagles hosted the conference tournament and claimed the title with a 12-7 victory over Big Pasture in the championship game.

The next season, Waurika was the conference tournament runner up. This time Big Pasture claimed the conference title with a 9-1 victory over the Eagles at Walters.

Keith Henderson stepped in as the Waurika coach in 2007, but after a 5-10 mark, Everett Hodges coached the Eagles for two seasons.

Under Hodges in those two seasons, the Eagles did not win a district title but put together the first 20-win season at Waurika in 2009. The Eagles did finish as the district runner up in 2009. The 2009 team traveled to Sterling for the district tourney and won a 6-4 contest against Empire before falling twice to the host school Sterling, 18-0 and 11-0.

Larry Vanbeber coached baseball for the 2010 and 2011 seasons and the Eagles were district runner up both seasons.

The 2010 squad had a 24-6 record – the most wins ever for a Waurika baseball team. Velma-Alma eliminated Waurika in the district finals that season.

The 2011 club claimed the conference tournament title. The tournament was played at Empire and the Eagles cruised to victories over Big Pasture, 18-3; Temple, 22-2; and, Walters, 11-2.

Waurika finished the season with a 16-16 record and were eliminated by Chattanooga in the district finals.

Hodges took over the program again in 2012 and coached the baseball team for five seasons. The 2012 team claimed the district title and finished with an 18-7 record – the fourth most wins in school history.

Waurika hosted the district tournament and earned a first-round win over Empire, 11-1. The Eagles then defeated Healdton, 13-3, and came back to shutout Healdton, 9-0, in the championship game.

The Eagles traveled to Caddo for the Class A regional tourney and as in previous regional appearances, the Eagles dropped the first two games. Waurika fell to the host school, 7-1, and then fell to Elmore City-Pernell, 6-4, in an elimination game.

Waurika is 0-8 in all regional tournament games.

The 2012 team had three players on The Duncan Banner all-area baseball squad. Gage Pittman was named as a catcher and pitcher and Taylor Fuller was tabbed for the team as a pitcher and third baseman. Tyler Fuller earned the area’s pitcher-of-the-year honors.

The Eagles fell on hard times during the rest of Hodges’ coaching days and did not win more than eight games in any season.

Hodges finished with a 77-79 mark in his six total seasons coaching baseball, but that did include one district title and one district runner up finish.

The 2013 team did have one all-area selection – Mason Wilkerson as a pitcher.

Glenn Howard took over the team in 2017 and 2018. The first year under Howard the Eagles could only manage a 6-14 mark, but improved to 10-15 in 2018.

Joe Allen was handed the baseball coaching duties when he was named the football coach last year. The first-year mentor hopes a foundation has been laid for future success on the diamond for the Eagles.

Allen will have to find replacements for six seniors – five of which were starters for all or much of the season.

Here are the full names of the 1920 WHS baseball team seen in the picture above.

Harrell Cotner

Ray Powell – Left Field

Herschel Alexander – Right Field

Bill Bradford – 2nd Base

Coach J.J. Corbett

Jake Turnage

Charles Thompson – Pitcher

Byrd Adams (Mascot)

Maurice Prescott (Captain) – Center Field

Clifford Bone – Pitcher

Leslie Stone – 1st Base

Ernest Dickey – 3rd Base

Leon Boyles – Short Stop

Pierce Carter – Catcher

Roy Scott (Score Keeper)

Record

WHS 8 – Ryan High School 9

WHS 10 – Addington First Team 6

WHS 7 – Ryan High School 13

WHS 11 – Sugden First Team 11

WHS 22 – Hastings High School 6

WHS 13 – Ryan High School 13

WHS 6 – Hastings First Team 17

WHS 13 – Hastings High School 10

WHS 6 – Terral High School 4

2019 Articles

Cowgirls Drop Championship Game to Lone Grove in Wilson Tourney

Waurika Drops Pair to Velma-Alma’s Ranked Roundballers

Ringling Brings State Grid Title Back to Jefferson County

Proposed Football Districts For 2020 and 2021 Released

Eagle Roundballers Pick Up Consolation Title at Comet Classic

Lady Eagle Harriers Have Strong Showing at Velma-Alma

Rainy Friday Night at Maysville Unkind to Cowboys

Eagles Dominate Carnegie in 52-0 Victory in Home Opener

Cowgirl Softballers Head to District Tourney Looking for a Win

Top Ten All-Time Ryan Coaches Selected

Face of Eight-Man Football in Oklahoma Undergoing Change

1973 Eagle Roundballers Lead List of Top Teams in Waurika History

Top Ten Cowgirl Thinclads Easier to Identify Than Male Counterparts

Waurika High School Athletes Feted At Recent All-Sports Banquet

Success on Diamond For Waurika Has Not Been Frequent

FOLLOW US

RECENT POSTS

Waurika Chief of Police Report

Sheriff’s Report

Jeffco COOP News

Manger Thought