The Cowboys will be back in action tonight (Thursday) when they play host to the Geary Bison. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

Geary fell to Canton, 50-16, last Friday night. The Bison are 0-1 for the season and this will be the first meeting between the two schools.

The contest with Bray-Doyle started badly as the Donkeys intercepted a deflected pass on the Cowboys’ first offensive play and returned it for a score.

On the Cowboys next possession, they were forced to punt and the Donkeys returned the punt for a score.

Bray-Doyle proceeded to score on seven of nine offensive possessions.

The Donkeys lost a fumble on one possession and took a knee to end the game on the final possession.

The Cowboys found themselves in a 16-0 hole after those first two scores, but the Cowboys were able to put together their only scoring drive of the night on the next possession.

The Cowboys went on a six-play, 57-yard drive for the score that included one play that lost 10 yards.

The big play in the drive came on Grayson Tomberlin’s 57-yard pass to Julian Rodriguez that set the Cowboys up at the Donkey 10.

Three plays later, Tomberlin scampered in from nine yards out for the score with 8:02 left to play in the first quarter. The run for two points failed, but Ryan had cut the lead to 16-6.

The rest of the night was filled with frustration for the Cowboys that was created by poor tackling, dropped passes, failure to convert on fourth downs and injury issues.

The Donkeys scored on drives of 77, 30, 76, 91, 59, 37 and 36 yards.

Trailing 34-6 at the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys opened the second frame by moving to the Donkey nine.

Racen Williams scrambled into the end zone from nine yards out, but the Cowboys were flagged for holding and that would be the final scoring threat for the Cowboys in the contest.

The Cowboy defense had no answer for Bray-Doyle’s Tyler Anderson who rushed 14 times for 185 yards and scored four times in addition to returning a punt 69 yards for a touchdown.

Cody Edwards also eclipsed the 100-yard mark rushing with nine carries for 113 yard and two touchdowns.

The Cowboys were unable to generate a lot of offense during the game, but Tomberlin did pass for 151 yards. However, the senior quarterback playing with a knee injury, was only nine of 32 passing.

COWBOY CORRAL: You have to go back to 1981 to find the last time the Donkeys defeated the Cowboys, however, the two schools did not meet between 1992 and 2015….The Donkeys broke a 16-game losing streak against the Cowboys…Ryan still leads the series, 22-4….The 60 points scored by the Donkeys is the most points scored against the Cowboys in a victory, but is the second highest total for Bray in the series…The Donkeys scored 74 points against the Cowboys in a wild 78-74 Ryan win in 2018….The six points scored by the Cowboys is the fewest by a Ryan team in the 26-game series with Bray-Doyle….The Donkeys did have six players on the field against the Cowboys that had not seen action in the season-opener or the pre-season scrimmage for Bray-Doyle.

Game In Figures

RHS BDHS

First Downs 6 13

Yards Rushing 14-24 28-385

Yards Passing 151 0

Passes 9-36 0-0

Passes Int. By 0 1

Fumbles, Lost 1-1 1-1

Punts 1-30 0-0

Penalties 3-40 4-35

SCORE BY QUARTERS

RYAN 6 0 x x—6

B-D 34 26 x x—60

FIRST QUARTER

B-D – Sam Woods 31 interception return (Tyler Anderson run), 11:37

B-D – Anderson 69 punt return (Weston Edwards run), 9:55

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 9 run (run failed), 8:02

B-D – Anderson 71 run (run failed), 6:58

B-D – Cody Edwards 30 run (pass failed), 5:45

B-D – C. Edwards 38 run (run failed), 1:32

SECOND QUARTER

B-D – Anderson 1 run (pass failed), 9:23

B-D – Anderson 7 run (Anderson run), 6:22

B-D – Anderson 37 run (pass failed), 4:18

B-D – W. Edwards 35 run (pass failed), 1:48

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RYAN: Rushing – Caleb Perrin 5-17, Racen Williams 7-6, Grayson Tomberlin 2-1; Passing – Tomberlin 9-32-151-1; Williams 0-4-0-1; Receiving – Skyler Wickware 4-36, Julian Rodriguez 2-83, Williams 2-27, Mason Adsit 1-5; Tackles – Rodriguez 6, Wickware 6, Perrin 6, Williams 5, Trey Bryant 3, Tomberlin 2, Ethan Burden 1, Adsit 1.

BRAY-DOYLE: Rushing – Tyler Anderson 14-185, Cody Edwards 9-113, Weston Edwards 3-80, Alex Alvarez 2-7.

Ryan, Waurika Draw Tough District Assignments

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

January 29, 2020

There is an old saying that goes something like this: “You have to beat the best to be the best.”

That will certainly be true of the Ryan and Waurika basketball squads if they hope to make a deep run into the Class A basketball playoffs.

Every high school basketball team in Oklahoma gets to begin post-season play – regardless of a team’s regular season record.

District assignments were released last weekend by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association and the tourneys are set to get under way the weekend of February 14 and 15.

Brackets for the tournament are set to be released today after district meetings were held earlier this past week.

The district champion and district runner up will advance to the regional tournament the following week.

Waurika will be traveling to Alex for the Area 3, District A-8 tournament. Joining the Eagles will be the host school and Fox.

The favorite for both the boys’ and girls’ side of the bracket in the district will be Fox. After last weekend’s play, the Fox boys were undefeated at 19-0 and ranked 14th in Class A. The Lady Foxes held a 13-5 mark after last weekend’s action.

The Eagles and Lady Eagles will need a first-round win to guarantee a spot in the Class A Regional Tournament slated to be held at Central High and Alex.

Ryan has been assigned to the Area 3, District A-5 tournament at Cyril. Joining Ryan is the host school and Central High.

Cyril will be the overwhelming favorite in both the boys and girls tournament. The Pirates are the top-ranked squad in Class A through last weekend, while the Lady Pirates are 15-4 and ranked 12th in Class A.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will also need a first-round win in order to extend their seasons by another week and advance to the regional at Central High and Alex.

Looking forward into the regional tourney, the boys’ side features two ranked teams in Cyril and Fox.

The girls’ regional will potentially feature the second-ranked Canute girls and Cyril, which is ranked 12th.

Only five of the 12 boys teams sport winning records, while on the girls’ side of the region eight of the 12 schools have winning marks.

Three schools from each regional will advance to the area tourney which is slated to be held at Chickasha. The regional champion, regional runner up and the regional consolation bracket champion will advance to the area tourney.

Assigned to the Area 3 are three other ranked boys teams – Vici, Arapaho-Butler and Southwest Covenent.

The girls’ side of the area features three more ranked teams – Vici, Arapaho-Butler and Cheyenne. Plus, Fletcher girls who finished third in the Comanche County Tournament last weekend will be among the possibilities for the area tourney.

It is possible that both Ryan and Waurika teams could advance to the regional tourney, but it would take some late-season improvement for the four squads to see success in the regional tourney or advance to the area tournament.

All four teams could use your support in the district tourneys at Cyril and Alex.

Senior Cowboy, Cowgirl Athletes Had Major Contributions

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

May 2, 2020

With the cancelation of graduation and other activities related to the 2020 senior class – including the all-sports banquet – it would be appropriate to recognize the accomplishments of the senior athletes at Ryan High School.

There were five seniors on the Cowboy football team last fall. While the team dropped to a disappointing 4-6 record in 2019, these seniors during their careers had two winning seasons and made playoff appearances as juniors and seniors.

Andrew Villerreal had an outstanding senior season as a running back on offense and a stellar defensive performer as well as the kickoff specialist for the Cowboys. For his accomplishments he was named to the District B-4 all-district first team.

Villerreal was a two-year starter for the Cowboys and moved to the running back position his senior season after leading the team in receptions as a tight end in the 2018 campaign. In the 2018 season Villerreal was a second team utility player on the District B-4 all-district squad.

Gunner Phillips and Walter Snider were both starters on the 2019 squad and Jonathan Clark and Parker Carey also contributed to the team in a reserve role as injuries hit the team during the season.

Three senior athletes led the Cowgirl cross country squad to an outstanding season. Juliet Spangler and Lily York – both four-year participants in the program – and Gracie Stamper, a newcomer during her senior year – helped the cross country team to a Class 2A regional title. The Cowgirls also won five other meets during the season.

Spangler and York were selected to the Class 2A All-Star Cross Country team and were instrumental in the program’s success the past four years.

Spangler was an individual state qualifier her freshman season and was part of the Cowgirl teams that qualified for state in her final three years of high school. Spangler had four top-ten finishes in meets during her senior season.

York battled some injuries during her senior campaign, but she was consistently among the top two to five Cowgirls during the season. York managed four top-ten finishes during the year.

Stamper, in her first year of competing in cross country, provided some much needed depth for the Cowgirls during the 2019 season.

Samantha Good and Brooklyn Charmasson finished their senior seasons in fast-pitch softball as all-conference honorees by the Southern Eight Conference. It was the second year in a row for Good to be named to the all-conference squad.

Both Charmasson and Good were three-year starters for the fast-pitch team and in their sophomore season the Cowgirls won what is believed to be a school-record 16 games.

Savannah Lashley and Madisen Rhoades also were members of the 2019 fast-pitch softball team and both were starters during their senior seasons on a team that struggled to a 2-19 record.

Villerreal as the only senior member of the Cowboy basketball team for 2020. He was a starter on a team that went only 6-17, but showed tremendous improvement from the past two seasons. Villerreal was also a starter on the 2019 squad.

Good, Spangler and York were key members of the 2020 Cowgirl cage squad. The three girls all became members of the 1,000-point club for their careers during their senior year and were part of the Cowgirls two straight winning seasons in their junior and season seasons.

All three girls played in the Southern Eight’s annual all-star game held at Ryan and the three girls will be furthering their basketball careers in college next fall.

Bailee Martin was also a senior starter on the Cowgirl team in 2020, while Charmasson saw considerable playing time off the bench as the Cowgirls had only seven or eight players much of the season.

Of course the spring sports seasons for the Ryan seniors were cut short by the nation-wide pandemic and the closure of schools across the state of Oklahoma after spring break.

The slow-pitch softball team managed to get in four games before the season ended. Good, Rhoades, Charmasson, Lashley and Stamper were members of the team that went winless at the beginning of the season.

The Cowgirl track squad made only one appearance before the cancellation of the season, but it was a good one. The Cowgirls won the Maysville Warrior Invitational and York and Spangler – the only two senior members of the team – played a significant role in the meet title for the Cowgirls.

York was a member of the 400-meter relay team that finished fourth and she was also part of the meet champion 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams. In the 800 meters, York earned a silver medal.

Spangler was also part of the two gold-medal winning 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams. She also captured a gold medal in the 1,600 meters and finished second in the 3,200 meters.

Both girls have been key components to the Cowgirl track program in the past four years. York was part of the regional runner up 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams in her junior season and was part of the 3,200-meter relay team that finished second in her sophomore year. In her freshman season York was part of the 1,600-meter relay team that finished as a regional runner up.

In additional to joining York on the relay teams at the regionals during her career, Spangler also finished second in the 3,200 meters and third in the 1,600 meters at regionals during her junior season. As a freshman, Spangler recorded a regional runner up finish in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

There were no senior male athletes that competed in track for the Cowboys in 2020 and Ryan failed to have enough players to field a baseball team during the 2020 season.

All of these seniors are to be commended for outstanding careers and contributions to the Ryan High School athletic program in their senior year and beyond.

Waurika Gridders Are Gunning For Third Straight District Title in 2020

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

September 3, 2020

Coming off back-to-back double-digit win seasons the 2020 edition of the Waurika Eagle football squad will be facing somewhat of a rebuilding task and a more daunting schedule.

Waurika has three games on the schedule that feature teams that have won state titles within the past five years – a couple of them have more than one gold ball in that time.

And, the Eagles will be competing in District B-3 with three new district foes – all of which were playoff teams a year ago.

Waurika will open the 2020 football season Friday night as they host old rival Grandfield on Norman West Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

While the Eagles lost a number of contributors to the success of the team the past two years, the squad is not devoid of plenty of talent that it will take to put together another successful season.

For the first time in a number of years there will be someone not named Mora at the quarterback position.

Sophomore Treyton Torrez will be directing the Eagle offense in 2020.

“Treyton is explosive out of the backfield and has been impressive so far,” said head coach Joe Allen, who begins his third season at the helm of the Eagles.

“He (Treyton) is always wanting to figure things out and asking questions,” Allen added about the sophomore quarterback. “He is a natural leader for us at quarterback.”

The top offensive returning starter for the Eagles is running back Kevin Garcia.

Garcia has been a mainstay in the Eagle backfield the past couple of years and in 2019 rushed for 1,187 yards a year ago.

Garcia was also impressive as a receiver from his jet sweep spot in the offense. He also returned two kickoffs for scores a year ago.

“I really like to get him (Garcia) out in space and that is where he is more effective,” Allen noted about the 2019 all-district back.

Waurika will have plenty of talent at the receiver positions. Octavio Gomez will get the start at tight end for a few games after Houston Scott suffered an injury.

Mason Houston will be the wide receiver for the Eagles and Trent Arellano will back up Garcia.

Gabe Jenkins and Matt Arriola will see action at the tailback position for the Eagles.

“We have more skill position kids this year than the previous two years at Waurika,” Allen said. “We are two deep and there is not much of a drop off at those positions.”

The defense for the Eagles is loaded with talent and experience.

Slade Cathey and Arriola will join newcomer Cory Sampson along the defensive line that will be tough to penetrate for most Eagle opponents this season.

Arellano and Jenkins will be the linebackers and Torrez, Garcia and Houston will roam the secondary for the Eagles.

Jenkins collected 68 tackles as a sophomore last season

Gomez will see action at both cornerback and linebacker to give some relief for the starts.

The Eagles have 23 players on the roster and will have the luxury of having depth to face the challenging schedule ahead.

“We scheduled these teams to give our kids a sense of where we need to be,” Allen said. “We will find out early what it takes to be in the spot of a true contender.”

Waurika’s district for the next two seasons will be a bit tougher than the past couple of years. Tipton moved up from Class C where they have been a dominant team the past few years. Snyder joined the district and they have made a playoff appearance the past two seasons.

Waurika is tabbed as the runner up behind district favorite Snyder which would mean a home playoff berth in the first round of the playoffs.

The Eagles’ final tune up scrimmage slated for last Friday against Thackerville was cancelled because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Love County schools including Thackerville.

If the Eagles can stay healthy throughout the season, they could be equipped to make a deeper run in the playoffs than the past two seasons – even if the win-loss ledger is not as good.

Here’s a preview of the Waurika opponents for 2020:

Grandfield

Coach: Darren Lamar, 3rd year (4-15)

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 7th or 5th in District C-2

Last Year’s Record: 3-7

Last Playoff Appearance: 2017, lost to Tyrone, 76-30 in first round of Class C playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 64, Grandfield 0, in 2019

First Meeting: Grandfield 9, Waurika 3, in 1922

Series Record: Series is tied at 19-19-3

BEARCAT BEAT: The Bearcats are like a lot of Class C eight-man schools in that they are fighting a numbers game. The Bearcat offense will be led by junior quarterback Ethan Hammer. At running back, Blake Houston returns to provide a threat any time he touches the ball. Grandfield returns four starters on the defensive side of the ball. The 2020 squad overall will be young and inexperienced and it looks like the string of losing seasons may continue for the Bearcats that currently have 12 players on their roster.

Laverne

Coach: Tanner Woods, 2nd year (9-3)

Last Year’s Record: 9-3

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (4th); The Tulsa World (2nd); The Daily Oklahoman (8th); 2nd in District B-1.

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Alex, 44-30 in second round of Class B playoffs.

Series Record: These two schools have never met in football

Zero Week Result: lost to Cherokee, 28-20

TIGER TARGETS: Laverne will make the long drive from northwest Oklahoma to south central Oklahoma after posting back-to-back 9-3 seasons. The Tigers have been a contender in Class B for a number of years and won a state title in 2016 with a 15-0 record. Laverne also won state championships in 2012 and 2013 and over the past seven seasons has won 81 games while losing only 11 contests. The Tigers return seven starters on offensive side of the ball. Peyton Freeman returns to direct the offense at the quarterback position and the junior compiled 886 yards rushing a year ago and passed for 843 yards on just 47 completions. Overall the Tigers are loaded with talented returnees – most of whom are juniors – and will present a tremendous challenge for the Eagles in the second game of the season.

at Wilson

Coach: Kenny Ridley, 3rd year (14-6)

Last Year’s Record: 8-2

Preseason Ranking: Competing as an independent this year

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Snyder, 64-18, in the first round of the Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 62, Wilson 34 in 2019

First Meeting: Wilson 14, Waurika 0, in 1921

Series Record: Waurika leads, 52-20-3, in known results

Zero Week Result: defeated Cyril, 56-32

EAGLE FLIGHTS: Wilson will try to repeat the success of last season, but they have chosen to go to independent status for the next two years which means they will not compete for post-season play. For Wilson to have success in 2020 they will depend on some younger players that played behind the experienced players from the past two seasons. The top returnee is Tre Richardson a senior lineman that will anchor both the offensive and defensive lines. Two sophomores – Caylen Fulton and John Gunter – will be counted on to provide an offensive threat. The Eagles are entering the season with great enthusiasm and attitude, but will have to overcome the inexperience that will dot the lineup for the squad.

at Shattuck

Coach: Craig Hixon, 2nd year (14-0)

Last Year’s Record: 14-0, Class B State Champions

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (2nd); The Tulsa World (1st); The Daily Oklahoma (1st); 1st in District B-1.

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, defeated Regent Prep, 25-19, in Class B state finals.

Last Meeting: Waurika 25, Shattuck 8 in 1988 Class B quarterfinals (11-man)

First Meeting: Waurika 25, Shattuck 8 in 1988

Series Record: Waurika leads 1-0

Zero Week Result: defeated Tipton, 46-0

INDIAN NOTES: The fourth week of the season will provide another stern test for the Eagles as they travel to northwest Oklahoma to face the three-time state champion Indians. The program has dominated eight-man football in the 21st century winning six straight titles from 2003 to 2008 and have won 11 titles overall since 2003. The first state championship won by Shattuck came in 1991 when the Indians downed Ringling, 18-0, for the Class A crown. The Indians will put a strong and experienced offensive and defensive line on the field, but will also future a great deal of talent in the skilled positions on offense. Jayden Frazier is a 6-1, 185-pound senior running back that will benefit from the bulky offensive line. Coaches believe Frazier could play at the next level. As the Eagles draw near to district play this game will provide a gauge on how much progress the team has made.

Canton

Coach: Caleb Howell, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 4-6

Preseason Ranking: Unranked; 6th in District B-1

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009, lost to Garber, 50-2, in Class B state finals

Series Record: These two teams have never met in football

Zero Week Results: defeated Okeene, 20-0

TIGER TALES: Canton has fallen on hard times over the past few seasons, but last year’s record was the best the Tigers have done since posting a 4-6 mark in 2012. Canton does return seven starters from the 2019 squad and four of those players are seniors giving the Tigers a boat load of experience. Seth Bromlow is a four-year starter that will play tailback, fullback and tight end and he will also be a ringleader on defense from the linebacker position. This game could give the Eagles some confidence as they head into the district season.

Cyril

Coach: John Williamson, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 5-6

Preseason Ranking: Unranked; 5th or 4th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Waurika, 54-6, in the first round of the Class B playoffs

Last Meeting: Waurika 54, Cyril 6, in 2019

First Meeting: Cyril 56, Waurika 28 in 2012

Series Record: Series is tied at 4-4

Zero Week Result: lost to Wilson, 56-32

PIRATE PREVIEW: Cyril made its fourth straight playoff appearance last season and for the last several years the Pirates have been competitive. The Pirates return four offensive starters including sophomore quarterback Kole Carlson who threw for 1,267 yards a year ago. Up front the Pirates will feature a mixture of youth an experience s they will start one senior, one junior and two sophomores. This will be the first district test of the 2020 season for the Eagles and after a blowout loss to Waurika in the 2019 playoffs, the Pirates will be looking for some measure of revenge.

at Central High

Coach: Gerald White, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 4-6

Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked; 6th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Burns Flat-Dill City, 54-6, in first round of Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 60, Central High 0, in 2019

First Meeting: Central High 50, Waurika 22 in 2012

Series Record: Series is tied at 3-3

Zero Week Result: defeated Paoli, 48-12

BRONCHO BITES: The last few seasons have been a struggle for the Bronchos as they have bounced between 11-man and eight-man football, but optimism is high in the Central High camp after they hired Tipton assistant Gerald White to man the sidelines at Central High for 2020. Ryan Minden returns from last year’s playoff team for the Bronchos and he will see action at tailback and receiver. Dylan Hargrove, a four-year starter for Central High, will be anchoring the offensive line and he will be counted on to provide leadership to some of the younger members of the 2020 team. Sean Klein, a 6-0, 280-pound senior, is another lineman that will give the Bronchos experience along the line on both sides of the ball. The Eagles cannot afford to look past Central High as they enter the closing stretch of the district schedule that features the three playoff contenders.

at Empire

Coach: Brant Hayes, 2nd Year (4-7)

Last Year’s Record: 4-7

Preseason Ranking: Unranked; 4th or 5th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Alex, 52-6, in first round of Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 56, Empire 22, in 2019

First Meeting: Waurika 48, Empire 0, in 1974

Series Record: Waurika leads, 22-11

Zero Week Result: defeated Wellston, 66-20

BULLDOG BARKING: Empire returns seven starters on offense and the plan is to use an up tempo offense for the 2020 season. Mitchel Monteith returns to guide the Bulldog offense at quarterback. Monteith passed for over 1,500 yards a year ago. Kaden Pekah will be the key cog along the defensive line for the Bulldogs after recording 48 tackles a year ago. Santos Benitez also returns along the defensive line and he was the leading tackler for Empire a year ago.

vs. Tipton

Coach: Travis White, 7th year (69-10)

Last Year’s Record: 9-3

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (unranked); The Tulsa World (8th); The Daily Oklahoman (12th); 3rd in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Waynoka, 72-48, in Class C semifinals

Last Meeting: Waurika 29, Tipton 0 in 1989

First Meeting: Waurika 50, Tipton 0 in 1935

Series Record: Waurika leads, 7-2

Zero Week Result: lost to Shattuck, 46-0

TIGER TALK: Tipton will be looking to make its 14th straight playoff appearance but will have to do so in Class B instead of Class C were Tipton has been competing for the majority of those years. The Tigers have seven state titles in school history and five of those championships have come in the past eight years. For 2020, the Tigers will depend on a big and experienced offensive line and the experience of senior signal-caller Tayler Waugh who threw for 512 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Defensively, the Tigers will be led by senior defensive end Trey Mains who had 48 tackles and three sacks last season. The move to Class B may present some challenges for the Tigers early in the season but by the time they head to Cy Sloan Stadium, Tipton will provide a stiff challenge for the Eagles.

Snyder

Coach: Joe Garrison, 4th year (27-9)

Last Year’s Record: 8-4

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (8th); The Daily Oklahoman (10th)

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Cherokee, 52-6, in the second round of the Class B playoffs

Last Meeting: Snyder 22, Waurika 20, in 2019

First Meeting: Waurika 23, Snyder 8, in 1982

Series Record: Snyder leads, 6-3.

Zero Week Result: defeated Corn Bible Academy, 52-6

CYCLONE COMMENTARY: The Cyclones nipped the Eagles a year ago in a contest that saw Waurika commit eight turnovers in a two-point loss. A couple of the offensive performers that hurt the Eagles a year ago are back for the 2020 campaign for the Cyclones including veteran quarterback Ryan Kelley who rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns a year ago against the Eagles and threw for another 123 yards. Jervon Galvan returns at tailback for the Cyclones and he scored a touchdown and added a two-point conversion last year against Waurika. The Cyclones have size and experience up front on both sides of the ball as well and that is why they are tabbed as the district favorite for the upcoming season. The district title could come down to this final game as the Eagles will be after their third straight district crown.

Cowgirl Fast-Pitch Squad Hopes To Rebound From Winless 2019 Season

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

August 7, 2020

It was a tough season last year for the Ryan High School fast-pitch softball squad.

The 2019 team was 0-19 for the fall season and is looking to improve that mark as the 2020 season kicks off Tuesday at Waurika.

The Cowgirls will stage the home opener one week from today (Thursday) when they will play host to Big Pasture on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

Youth will be counted on by third-year coach Stan Mueggenborg as last year’s team featured four seniors. This year’s roster has only three seniors.

But, while the Cowgirls may be short on experience, they will have more talent on the field.

Mueggenborg is looking to start as many as three freshmen, including the likely starting pitcher, Jasmine Villerreal.

“She (Villerreal) has good speed and has a good fast ball and has been working on some off-speed pitches,” Mueggenborg said.

With Villerreal in the circle for the Cowgirls, that leaves a hole at shortstop where Villerreal was slated to play when pre-season practices started a few weeks ago.

Three returning starters – Kodi Duke, Diamond Chazaretta and Linsdsey Reake will be counted on to provide the offensive punch for the Cowgirls.

“Diamond has been hitting the ball well and a lot better than last year,” Mueggenborg said of the Cowgirl senior.

Reake, who returns a first base for the Cowgirls, should provide some power as she will probably hit in the four spot.

“Lindsey has a great attitude and works harder than just about anyone,” Mueggenborg noted.

Emily Harris, a sophomore, will see some playing time in the circle for the Cowgirls and will hopefully provide some offensive punch.

Harris and Reake were cited by Mueggenborg as two of the hardest working girls on the team.

“We are a little more talented and faster than a year ago,” Mueggenborg said. “We have the opportunity to do some things on the base paths that we have not been able to do previously.”

That speed will not only be an asset to the Cowgirls on the base paths, but also in the field.

The Cowgirls will have a bit of depth as Mueggenborg has 13 players currently preparing for the upcoming season.

Kyla Este’Phillips is one senior that will hopefully provide some depth in the outfield when needed.

Carter Combs looks to be the starter behind the plate, while sophomore Libby Carter will probably be holding down the second base position.

“Libby loves playing softball,” Mueggenborg said. “She is here every day and works at it and has gotten better every year.”

Kaitlyn Dabbs, another speedster for the Cowgirls, will be joining Duke and Chazaretta in the outfield.

Alexis Shockley is the other infielder for the Cowgirls and will see action at both shortstop and third base.

Overall the Cowgirls may be better, but with the schedule loaded with teams that return most or all of their players from a year ago, the Cowgirls may find a difficult time finding the win column.

But, as the younger players progress through the early part of the season, Mueggenborg is hopeful the wins will eventually come.“We are going to hustle every chance we get,” said Mueggenborg.

Look for the Cowgirls to be a bit more competitive on the diamond, but without the experience in the circle and teams such as Geronimo, Grandfield and Waurika returning key players from a year ago, it will be tough for the Cowgirls especially early in the season.

Cowgirl Fast-Pitch Softball Schedule

August

11: at Waurika; 13: Big Pasture; 17: at Wilson; 20, 22: Southern Eight Conference Tournament; 24: at Geronimo; 25: Grandfield.

September

1: Waurika; 3: Temple; 8: Wilson; 10, 12: Temple Tournament; 14: at Grandfield; 15: Frederick; 17: at Big Pasture; 21: Empire; 24: District Tournament.

Ryan’s Spangler Named FCA All-Stater for 2020

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

May 30, 2020

The recognitions for standout Ryan athlete Juliet Spangler continue to mount.

The 2020 Cowgirl senior was named to the Oklahoma Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-State squad it was announced recently.

Spangler, a three-sport letter winner in her senior season, was honored for achievement in the classroom and on the athletic field while being involved in her local Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle.

For the past three years Spangler has been a member of the Cowgirl cross country, basketball and track squads. In her freshman season, Spangler lettered in four sports – cross country, fast-pitch softball, basketball and track.

Spangler was a four-time state qualifier and a two-time regional medalist in cross country and recently signed to continue her basketball career at Cowley County Community Junior College in Kansas. She has numerous achievements in track and basketball.

The FCA all-state selections are high school seniors nominated for the award. The FCA all-state awards have been given since 1975 to students in both large and small schools in Oklahoma.

FCA recognizes the character, academic and athletic achievement and the Christian faith of individual student-athletes.

In addition to her athletic achievements, Spangler has excelled in the classroom as well. She was a member of the Ryan High School Beta Club and maintained a 3.5 grade point average through high school. She will graduate fourth in her class. She was also on the yearbook staff.

Spangler, along with Lily York, Brooklyn Charmasson and Samantha Good were instrumental in beginning the FCA chapter at Ryan. Spangler is a member of Ryan’s First Baptist Church.

“Throughout my years of playing basketball, I have been blessed to be able to travel overseas and compete,” Spangler said in a recent interview. “I have competed in Australia and Costa Rica and it was awesome.”

Steve Spangler, who coached his daughter in cross country, track and basketball this past season also serves as the huddle leader for the local Ryan FCA chapter.

The 46th annual Honors FCA Banquet was scheduled for April but was canceled because of the recent pandemic. Spangler was honored at a virtual awards ceremony last Sunday night.

During the ceremony 34 athletes were cited by the FCA organization for upholding the core values of the organization – teamwork, integrity, service and excellence.

Eight coaches were also recognized for their service to FCA huddles in schools around the state of Oklahoma.

The virtual broadcast featured a testimony from one female all-stater, one male all-stater and one of the all-state coaches.

John O’Dell, the executive director of the Oklahoma FCA, presided over the ceremony.

District Basketball Tournaments Have Long History in Oklahoma

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

June 18, 2020

The district basketball tournament for high school girls’ and boys’ teams is the first step in the long process of competing for a state basketball championship in Oklahoma.

The Class A and B schools were able to complete that process this past March with the crowning of state champions, but the upper classes were not able to complete their state tourneys in Oklahoma City and Tulsa because the pandemic forced the cancellation of those events.

In today’s prep basketball world the district tournament is the first of three steps to earning a spot in the state tournament each year for classes B through 4A. The district tourney sends the champion and runner up to the regional tournament. From there teams compete to advance to the area tournament and ultimately the state tournament.

Today’s district tournaments are much smaller than the district frays held 40 to 60 years ago when district tournaments featured six to eight teams. Of course, there were more high schools in Oklahoma prior to 1970 than exist today.

District tournaments in Oklahoma were started in 1919 and the winners of those district tournaments were the qualifiers for the state tournament. There was one class for boys and one class for girls and only eight district tournaments.

A few years later the regional tournament was added and for a number of years a team had to win just two regional tournament games to qualify for state.

At some point regional tournaments had eight teams and a squad had to win three games to earn the state tourney berth.

The Jefferson County schools did not compete in a district tournament until 1922 when the Waurika boys sent a team to the district tourney.

Hastings, Terral and Addington sent teams over the next three seasons to compete in the district tournament.

The Terral, Ryan and Hastings girls were the first female squads to compete in a district tournament in 1929.

The first year for Ryan’s boys to compete in a district tournament was in 1929.

Irving boys, Hastings girls and Sugden’s boys and girls teams also entered district tournament play in 1929.

Claypool, Ringling and Union Valley’s boys’ teams first competed in a district tournament in 1931.

While most schools had a girls’ team compete in a district tournament at some point, nearly all Jefferson County schools went several years without a girls team entered in a district tournament.

Around 1948 all the Jefferson County schools did have girls teams competing in the district tournament.

Ryan and Waurika have snared more district titles than any of the other schools, but they continue to compete in basketball today along with Ringling.

All the other high schools that existed around Jefferson County closed by about 1960.

The introduction of more than one class of basketball for boys and girls also had an impact on the success of the county teams.

All schools in Oklahoma competed in the same class until 1931 when two classes of boys basketball began. In 1980 there were six classes of boys’ basketball and since 1996 there have been seven classes that crown state champions.

Girls’ basketball in Oklahoma has undergone the biggest changes through the decades. Girls played six-on-six for many years.

There was only one class for girls up until 1950 when schools were divided into two classes. In 1964, three classes of play began.

In the 1980’s the larger schools in Oklahoma began to play five-on-five and in 1988 the first five-on-five champion was crowned.

The last six-on-six champions in Oklahoma were crowned in 1995 and Oklahoma was the last state to switch to five-on-five for all schools. From that point on, there have been seven classes in girls’ basketball.

Ryan, Waurika and Ringling were many times classified in a different class from the rest of the schools in the county.

There was a period of time that Waurika and Ringling were in a class above Ryan, but in the last few years all three schools have been in Class A.

Most often the county teams gathered for the district tournament at Waurika or Walters – especially in years prior to 1960. Ringling was the exception as they competed in a district tourney that was most often held at Healdton.

Once consolidation hit and several county schools closed the district tournament began to be held at schools that required more travel.

Since district tournaments are now over 100 years old this would be a good time to examine the history of the county high schools and their achievements in the basketball playoffs that began with a district tournament,

NEXT WEEK: The high school basketball playoff history of Waurika.

Central High Uses Big First Half Subdue Cowboys

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

September 25, 2020

CENTRAL HIGH – Central High raced to a 52-14 victory over the Ryan Cowboys here last Friday night.

The Cowboys, 0-3 on the year, will return home tomorrow night (Friday) to host Thackerville in a homecoming contest.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with homecoming festivities beginning around 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

Ryan suited out only 11 players last week, but the Cowboys opened the game with a long drive that ended when they came up one yard short of a first down at the Central five-yard line.

The Cowboys had moved from their own 28 to the Central 12, but on the 10th play of the drive, the Bronchos stopped the Cowboys on fourth down.

Ryan forced Central High to punt but after picking up a first down the drive stalled at the Cowboy 37 and the Cowboys punted the ball back to the Bronchos.

This time Central High drove from their own 13 in five plays for the score. Ryan Minden took the ball into the end zone from 14 yards out, but the two-point conversion pass was intercepted by the Cowboys’ Racen Williams and Central was in front, 6-0, with only 30 seconds showing on the clock.

Central High dominated play in the second quarter with three scores.

The first drive came after another fourth down try by the Cowboys came up short. Central High took possession at the Ryan 32 and in only four plays went the distance. The scoring play came on a well-executed option play when Levin Young took the pitch from Minden and raced 27yards for the score. Jax Hansen ran for the two points giving the Bronchos a 14-0 lead with 11:06 left before the half.

A Ryan fumble that gave Central High the ball at their own 30 set up the next score. The Bronchos drove the 50 yards (Central High plays on an 80-yard field) in six plays and overcame two penalties to get the touchdown.

Hansen scored the touchdown from 15 yards out and Kolten Bethune caught a two-point conversion pass from Minden to increase the lead to 24-0 with 5:16 left in the second quarter.

On the ensuing drive the Cowboys could not pick up a first down and were forced to punt.

Central High took possession at its own 17 and six plays marched 63 yards for the score. Minden caught a 36-yard pass from Hansen and maneuvered through the Cowboy secondary for the score. Payton Spencer ran for the two points and Central High held a commanding 30-0 lead with just 1:30 left before halftime.

The Bronchos took the second half kickoff at the Ryan 38 after a failed onside kick attempt by the Cowboys. It took Central High only three plays to travel 38 yards. Young covered the final 15 paces for the score and Cooper Walters caught a two-point conversion pass from Minden to put Central High in front, 38-0.

The two teams exchanged possessions and after Ryan stopped Central High on a fourth down try, the Cowboys took over at their own 18.

Williams hit a wide open Caleb Perrin on first down and Perrin went the distance for a 62-yard touchdown pass. The try for two failed, but Ryan had trimmed the margin to 38-6.

Central High answered as they began a scoring drive at the Ryan 35. The Bronchos overcame two penalties in getting the touchdown. The final play of the drive came on Young’s 15-yard run for the score. The two-point pass was incomplete, but Central held a 44-6 lead with 7:06 to play in the third quarter.

The Cowboys did not quit, however, and they answered the score by Central High with a 61-yard drive in 13 plays.

Williams found Skyler Wickware in the back of the end zone and Wickware made the catch for the score from 11 yards out. The try for two failed leaving Ryan with a 44-14 deficit with just 29 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Central High scored for the final time as they took just 29 seconds to go 48 yards. Bethune caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Minden and Aidan Randall ran for the two points with only seven seconds left to play in the third quarter.

The Cowboy offense was a bit more effective in the contest as they rushed for 149 yards and threw for 173 yards.

Williams led the Cowboys in rushing with 69 yards on 19 totes, while Perrin had 68 yards on 18 carries.

The favorite target for Williams in the game was Wickware who finished with seven catches for 77 yards. Perrin had four catches for 85 yards.

Trey Bryant turned in another good performance for the Cowboy defense with 15 tackles. Perrin added 11 stops.

COWBOY CORRAL: This was the 38th meeting between Central High and Ryan – all eight-man encounters as Central High did not play football until 1978….Central High leads the series, 24-14….The 52 points for Central High is the third most points in the series with Ryan….Ryan is 0-3 for the first time since 2000…For some reason the officials changed the score at halftime taking two points off the board for Central High and it was never corrected, however, Central High did score 52 points in the game…Ryan’s senior quarterback Grayson Tomberlin did not suit out for the Cowboys and was slated for season-ending knee surgery last Wednesday.

Game In Figures

RHS CHS

First Downs 14 19

Yards Rushing 40-149 40-276

Yards Passing 173 141

Passes 13-26 8-14

Passes Int. by 1 1

Fumbles, Lost 22 2-0

Punts 2-31.5 1-45

Penalties 9-49 8-80

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CENTRAL – Ryan Minden 14 run (pass failed), :30.1, 1st Quarter

CENTRAL – Levi Young 27 run (Jax Hansen run), 11:06, 2nd Quarter

CENTRAL – Hansen 15 run (Kolten Bethune pass from Minden), 5:16, 2nd Quarter

CENTRAL – Minden 36 pass from Hansen (Payton Spencer run), 1:30, 2nd Quarter

CENTRAL – Young 15 run (Cooper Walters pass from Minden), 11:12, 3rd Quarter

RYAN – Caleb Perrin 62 pass from Racen Williams (pass failed), 8:38, 3rd Quarter

CENTRAL – Young 15 run (pass failed), 7:06, 3rd Quarter

RYAN – Skyler Wickware 11 pass from Williams (Wickware pass from Williams), :29.2, 3rd Quarter

CENTRAL – Bethune 38 pass from Minden (Aidan Randall run), 7.5, 3rd Quarter

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Ryan: Rushing – Racen Wiliams 19-69, Caleb Perrin 18-68, Skyler Wickware 3-12; Passing – Williams 13-26-173-1; Receiving – Wickware 7-77, Perrin 4-85, Mason Adsit 2-11; Tackles – Trey Bryant 15, Perrin 11, Wickware 9, Williams 8, Joshua Denton 7, Carson Cooper 4, Adsit 3, Ethan Burden 3, Mike Regehr 3, Will Regehr 1.

Central: Rushing – Levi Young 9-110, Ryan Minden 9-47, Payton Spencer 4-46, Jax Hansen 6-36, Cody Zimmerman2-27, Aiden Randall 9-14, Jerry Allen 1-(-4); Passing – Minden 6-12-99-1, Hansen 1-1-36-0, Zimmerman 1-1-6-0; Receiving – Kolton Bethune 1-38, Spencer 3-37, Minden 136, Hansen 1-12, Cooper Walters 1-10, Coltin Ladd 1-6.

Waurika Girls Snap Three-Game Skid with Win Over Healdton

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

January 29, 2020

Tuesday night the Waurika basketball squads traveled to Healdton and came away with a split of the doubleheader.

The Lady Eagles picked up a tense, come-from-behind victory over the Lady Bulldogs, 45-44, while the Eagles fell to Healdton, 63-48.

The Waurika girls snapped a three-game slide with the victory and it also ended Healdton’s four-game winning streak after the Lady Bulldogs had claimed their own tournament title last weekend.

The Lady Eagles actually held a 14-10 advantage after the first quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs pulled even with a 9-5 advantage in the second quarter to put the score at 19-19.

Healdton tried to take charge of the game in the third quarter with a 12-6 scoring advantage that gave the Lady Bulldogs a 31-25 lead going to the final quarter.

In the final quarter the Lady Eagles lit up the scoreboard with 20 points while limiting Healdton to 13.

But the game came down to the final seconds.

Waurika was up four late in the contest and a couple of missed free throws and a Waurika turnover enabled Healdton to tie the game at 44-44.

Faith Roberson came up with a huge steal on an inbound play with two seconds left and she went to the line and connected on the first one and missed the second intentionally with only nine tenths of a second left in the game to give the Lady Eagles the win.

Five different Lady Eagles contributed to the rally in the fourth quarter.

Gracie Walling led the Lady Eagles in scoring with season-high 13 points – six of which came in the final quarter. Tallin Mora added 10 points for coach Kalee Baxter’s club.

In the boys’ contest, Healdton used an 11-0 run to open the game and went on to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Eagles never really recovered and Healdton continued to build on the big lead with the halftime deficit for Waurika at 32-15.

The Bulldogs continued the scoring barrage to begin the second half and led after the third quarter, 50-26.

The Eagles were able to trim the margin with a 22-13 advantage in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome such a large disadvantage.

Treyton Torrez led the Eagles in scoring with 23 points.

Waurika will travel to Walters tomorrow night (Friday) for a twinbill and then will return to action on Tuesday with home contests against Central High.

Lady Eagles Look To Build On Last Year’s Diamond Success

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

August 7, 2020

A year ago first-year coach Everett Hodges put a young squad on the diamond for the Waurika fast-pitch softball squad and experienced limited success.

The 2019 version of the Lady Eagles fashioned a 5-16 mark, but that was a vast improvement over the previous few seasons and the outlook for the 2020 campaign is optimistic as the Lady Eagles return all the starters for last year’s team.

Waurika will open the season Monday when they host Wilson and Big Pasture. The Lady Eagles will return to action Tuesday by hosting Ryan.

Grandfield will come to Waurika one week from today to close out a busy first week of the fast-pitch season.

Besides being long on experience, the Lady Eagles will also feature some depth for the first time in a number of years as 14 players make up the pre-season roster.

Leading out in the circle for the Lady Eagles will be Riley Howell. Liberti Simmons, Alana Lewis and Faith Roberson will also be counted on to provide Coach Hodges with some options with the pitching staff.

One of the areas of concentration in pre-season workouts has been at the plate and Coach Hodges thinks fans will see the difference.

All the leading hitters from last year return for the Lady Eagles including two seniors – Hope Cummings and Landry Forsyth. Gracie Walling will also be counted on to provide some offensive punch for the Lady Eagles.

Cummings, Simmons and Forsyth were all-conference selections a year ago for Waurika.

“This might be the first year I feel we can have all nine hitters in the lineup able to hit,” said Hodges in talking about the upcoming season.

“We also might have the fastest outfield in this part of the state with Simmons, Showalter (Aubree) and Barnes (Brooklyn),” added Hodges.

Simmons recently was cleared to play after a recent ACL injury.

Look for Faith Hill, MacKenzie Taylor, Alexia Henry and Harley Bradshaw to also provide help off the bench in the 2020 season.

“Our season sets up to have a little success early,” Hodges noted.

In reflecting on this year’s schedule Hodges believes with the strength of the pitching staff for the Lady Eagles they can compete with anybody.

“Ringling is always tough and Temple will be improved,” Hodges said.

Kassie Bohot is serving as an assistant coach this fall for the Lady Eagle fast-pitch squad.

With experience, depth and talent, the Lady Eagles are poised to have the best season in years and could possibly contend for their first district title in school history.

Lady Eagles Fast-Pitch Schedule

August

10: Wilson and Big Pasture; 11: Ryan; 13: Grandfield; 17: at Ringling; 18: at Velma-Alma; 20, 22: Southern Eight Conference Tournament; 27: Temple and Geronimo at Temple.

September

1: at Ryan; 3: at Grandfield; 8: at Central High; 10, 12: at Temple Tournament; 14: at Wilson; 15: Ringling; 17: Temple; 21: Velma-Alma; 24: District Tournament.

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2020 Articles

Ryan Looks to Overcome Depth Issues to Have Successful 2020 Season

Waurika Runners Post Impressive Performances in Initial Meet

Waurika Boys Score Big Win Over 5th-Ranked Velma-Alma

Buffalo Storms Past Cowboys To End Ryan’s Grid Season

Cowgirls Get First Win of Season; Cowboys Drop Three of Four

Bad Start Signals Doom for Cowboys In Season Opener

Ryan, Waurika Draw Tough District Assignments

Senior Cowboy, Cowgirl Athletes Had Major Contributions

Waurika Gridders Are Gunning For Third Straight District Title in 2020

Cowgirl Fast-Pitch Squad Hopes To Rebound From Winless 2019 Season

Ryan’s Spangler Named FCA All-Stater for 2020

District Basketball Tournaments Have Long History in Oklahoma

Central High Uses Big First Half Subdue Cowboys

Waurika Girls Snap Three-Game Skid with Win Over Healdton

Lady Eagles Look To Build On Last Year’s Diamond Success

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