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.
Waurika’s fast-pitch softball team hit the road Monday and Tuesday for contests at Wilson and Ringling and the road was not kind to the Lady Eagles.
Tuesday at Ringling the Lady Eagles fell to the Lady Blue Devils, 11-1.
On Monday, Waurika dropped a 9-1 decision at Wilson.
The Lady Eagles will be back in action today (Thursday) when they host Temple and Fletcher.
Aubree Showalter up at bat! Photo by Karlee Brinson
Waurika travels to Temple on Saturday for the weather-shortened Temple Invitational Tournament.
The Lady Eagles will battle Ft. Cobb-Broxton in the first round of the now single elimination tournament. The first pitch is slated for 12:45 p.m.
If Waurika wins, they will meet the winner of the Grandfield and Bray-Doyle matchup at 3:15 p.m.
The championship game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Grace Hill warms up. Photo by Karlee Brinson
Waurika closes out its regular season on Monday by hosting Velma-Alma.
One week from today (September 24) the Lady Eagles will compete in the Class A District Tournament at Snyder.
Pairings for the district tournament were not available for this week’s paper.
In Tuesday’s action, Ringling struck for nine runs in the first three innings and Waurika could not rally.
In the bottom of the first the Lady Blue Devils used a pair of walks, five stolen bases, two doubles and a triple to produce the four runs – all after two were out.
Riley Howell at bat. Photo by Karlee Brinson
Ringling added to the lead in the bottom of the second with the benefit of three Waurika errors in the inning and only one hit. Ringling scored two runs to increase the lead to 6-0.
In the top of the third, the Lady Eagles finally got something going with a lead-off double by Grace Hill. She scored on Aubree Showalter’s ground out to narrow the gap to 6-1.
Ringling added three more runs in the bottom of the third on five hits and one error to move in front, 9-1.
The Lady Blue Devils added another run in the bottom of the fourth to end the game by the run rule.
Gracie Walling was 2-for-2 to lead Waurika at the plate.
Lewis. Photo by Karlee Brinson
In Monday’s loss to Wilson, the Lady Eagles had trouble getting that key base hit.
Wilson put up four runs in the bottom of the first inning with four hits – including two doubles and a triple – and one Waurika error.
In the bottom of the second inning Wilson added to the lead with an RBI-double to increase the margin to 5-0.
Waurika got its only run in the top of the third inning. Showalter reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on a ground out and a single by Landry Forsyth. Showalter scored by stealing home plate to cut the lead to 5-1.
Gracie Walling was 2 for 2 at the plate. Photo by Karlee Brinson
Wilson added a single run in the bottom of the fourth with the aid of another Waurika miscue and the lead stood at 6-1.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Wilson struck for three runs on two Waurika errors, a hit batter, a single and a double. This ended the game by the run rule.
Riley Howell was 2-for-2 in the game for the Lady Eagles.
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.
After a slow start to the fast-pitch softball season, the Ryan Cowgirls have shown some improvement and they hope the trend continues through the second half of the season.
The Cowgirls have had an extended layoff thanks to the schedule and to the weather which forced the postponement of a scheduled game with Waurika on Tuesday.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
Ryan is slated to return to action today when the Cowgirls play host to conference rival Temple on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.
On Monday, the Cowgirls will host Wilson and next weekend will compete in the Temple Invitational Tournament.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
The remainder of the regular season schedule will feature teams the Cowgirls have already seen during the first half of the schedule.
If the Cowgirls can continue to improve, a few more wins might be possible.
The Cowgirls have one scheduled game with Big Pasture and the two teams have split their two meetings.
The remainder of the schedule will prepare the Cowgirls for the Class B District Tournament that begins on September 24 and the site and pairings will be announced soon.
Photo by Shelley VillarrealPhoto by Shelley VillarrealPhoto by Shelley Villarreal
With last week’s decision by the state school board to dismiss live instruction at schools across the state came the disappointing news that all high school sports for the remainder of the school year would be canceled.
This meant that promising seasons for Waurika in baseball, boys track and girls track came to a close.
At Ryan it meant the end of the slow-pitch softball season and also track for boys and girls. The Ryan Cowgirls had posted a win in its first meet of the season and the season was shaping up to be a good one with a senior-laden team.
So while the teams were disappointed to not be able to compete the remainder of their scheduled season, it was more of a bitter disappointment for the seniors on those teams as they saw their athletic careers come to a close.
“I hate it for our seniors (the cancellation of the schedule),” said Waurika athletic director Everett Hodges. “A lot of memories are made in their high school careers.”
Ryan athletic director Tony Tomberlin echoed the sentiments of Hodges.
“I feel bad for all the kids playing spring sports, especially the seniors,” Tomberlin noted. “For all of them this would have been their last opportunity, whether they continue to the next level or not, to play high school sports.”
“Unfortunately the seniors this year will miss that chance,” Tomberlin added. “It is something these kids will never get back.”
At both schools there were seniors looking forward to put a crowning achievement on their sports careers.
At Waurika, however, the impact of no spring sports has its effect economically.
Waurika annually will host a number of track meets including two high school meets that attract a number of schools’ participation.
“Track has always been a money making sport for us,” Hodges said. “I hate that we are missing out on that.”
At both schools a small loss of revenue will be incurred as baseball season at Waurika and slow-pitch softball season at Ryan were lost although the admissions to most of those contests will barely cover expenses of hiring umpires and providing equipment.
But, it is also during this time that an opportunity for student-athletes to learn a certain perspective about sports.
Sports, while important and can teach life lessons, are not nearly as important as we sometimes would like to think.
The current athletes at Ryan and Waurika will come to understand that the health and well-being of people is more important than a game.
“Back in World War II seems to be the only time they shut a lot of things down in sports,” Hodges reflected. “That almost seems like those times – times of war.”
The impact of the loss of the games and competition pales in comparison to life and death circumstances which some in our state and nation are facing.
“I think I will really notice the lack of sports as we get into the end of season time frame,” said Tomberlin.
“If it carries on into football season, I really will notice and I think everyone else will as well,” added Tomberlin who will look forward to his third season at the helm of the Cowboy football program.
While the disappointments and void of no high school sports is real, the reality of a bigger life lesson learned during this time stands a bit larger than a game or track meet.
At some point in the future the student-athletes who have been impacted will come to realize that truth.
Ryan’s basketball squads played three games in three days last weekend to substitute for games lost in the canceled Black and Gold Invitational at Wilson.
The Cowgirls and Cowboys both dropped two of three contests, but for the Cowgirls the win was the first of the season.
In a quickly scheduled game on Tuesday night on Raymon West Court, the Ryan roundballers fell to Cyril.
Photo by Shelly Villarreal
Ryan hosted Elmore City-Pernell last Thursday and then hit the road to Wilson and Temple on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
The Cowgirls are now 1-6 on the year, while the Cowboys stand at 4-3.
Ryan’s next action will be tomorrow night (Friday) when they will play host to Maysville on Raymon West Court before breaking for the Christmas holiday.
Cyril 60, Cowgirls 42
Despite their best offensive performance of the young season, the Cowgirls could not handle the 10th-ranked Lady Pirates.
Cyril got off to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter and eventually built a lead the Cowgirls could not overcome aided by seven treys in the game.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
The Cowgirls had three girls in double figures. Alicen Williams led the Cowgirls in scoring with 14 points, while Jasmine Villarreal and Maci Cooper added 10 points apiece.
Cyril 70, Cowboys 38
The 15th-ranked Pirates surged to a 19-5 lead after the first quarter and never looked back.
The Cowboys could not guard the three-point line as the Pirates had eight treys during the course of the contest.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
Caleb Perrin scored 10 points for the Cowboys and was the only Ryan player in double figures.
Temple 35, Cowgirls 26
Temple outscored the Cowgirls, 11-4, in the first quarter, but Ryan managed to use a 10-3 scoring advantage in the second quarter to tie the game
In the second half, however, the Cowgirls could get little going on the offensive end and Temple outscored Ryan, 21-12 over the two quarters to snag the win.
Villarreal led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points, but had only six in the second half.
Cowboys 57, Temple 35
The Cowboys broke a two-game skid with their best offensive output of the young season against the Tigers.
Ryan raced to a 17-8 first quarter lead behind the shooting of Racen Williams and Perrin, who scored 15 of the Cowboys’ 17 points in the period.
Ryan maintained the lead at the half, 31-22.
In the third quarter, the Cowboys went on an 11-5 run to extend the lead to 42-27 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys put the game away in the final period with a 15-8 scoring advantage.
Three Cowboys scored in double figures – Perrin finished with 15 points, Williams added 14 and Landen Alexander added 12 points.
Cowgirls 31, Wilson 29
The Cowgirls picked up their first win of the year thanks to some clutch free throw conversions at the end of the game.
The Cowgirls led the Lady Eagles, 6-5, after the first quarter, but trailed at the half, 15-12.
The Cowgirls narrowed the Wilson advantage to 23-22 at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Lady Eagles 9-6 in the final quarter of the hotly contested game to get the victory.
Villarreal hit a pair of free throws and Cooper converted on another charity toss in the final seconds to secure the win for the Cowgirls.
Villarreal led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points.
Wilson 48, Cowboys 42
The Cowboys took an 18-7 lead in the first quarter, but the Eagles came alive and outscored the Cowboys, 40-24 the rest of the way to get the win.
Ryan clung to a 27-21 advantage at the half and led the game, 33-30, at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, however, the Cowboys committed some key turnovers and ran into some foul problems that aided the Wilson rally.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
The Eagles converted 11 of 15 free throws in the quarter, while Ryan went to the line only five times and hit only two free throws.
Wilson outscored the Cowboys, 19-9, to pick up the come-from-behind victory.
Williams led the Cowboys in scoring with 13 points, while Alexander added 11 points.
EC-P 39, Cowgirls 20
In the home opener on Friday the Cowgirls hung with the Lady Badgers for the first part of the first quarter, but the inability to generate any offense turned out to be the demise of the Cowgirls.
Elmore City never trailed in the game, but after the Lady Badgers had opened a 7-2 lead, the Cowgirls had a brief spurt. Williams hit a three-point bucket to cut the margin to 7-5 before ECP added a free throw to extend the lead to 8-5.
Ryan’s Carter Combs connected on one of two free throws with 4:14 remaining leaving the Cowgirls trailing only 8-6.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
But, the Lady Badgers finished out the quarter with an 11-2 run and Cowgirls never threatened the rest of the contest.
The Lady Badgers held a huge lead on the boards, 45-24, with many of those coming on the offensive end.
Williams led the Cowgirls in scoring with 14 points.
EC-P 71, Ryan 46
In the nightcap, the Badgers used a full-court press in the first quarter to help create 12 Ryan turnovers in the quarter and get out to a 12-0 lead with 2:54 left in the initial frame.
The Cowboys responded, however, and went on an 8-0 run to cut the gap to 12-8 with 1:35 left in the first quarter.
Westin Jennings hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds remaining to draw the Cowboys back to within two at 14-12, but the Badgers connected on a three-pointer with 10 seconds left to hold a 17-12 at end of the quarter.
The Cowboys would never be closer as the Badgers opened the second quarter on a 12-3 run to hold a 29-15 lead with 3:48 left in the half.
In the final minute, the Cowboys got a layup from Williams and a pair of free throws from Alexander to cut the margin to 29-21 with 10 seconds showing.
The Badgers got a free throw with just three ticks left on the clock and went to the locker room with a 30-21 lead.
The third quarter was a disaster for the Cowboys. Ryan did not score until Jennings hit a long three-pointer with 58 seconds left in the period.
The Badgers used their size advantage to the fullest in the quarter outrebounding the Cowboys 16-7 and most of them were on the offensive end. This helped the Badgers go on a 29-5 scoring barrage to put the game away.
Elmore City finished with a 52-28 advantage in rebounding and had 12 players hit the scoring column.
Julian Rodriguez led the Cowboys in scoring with 12 points, while Williams added 11.
Cyril 60, Ryan 42
(Girls)
Cyril 17 14 17 12–60
Ryan 6 9 10 17–42
CYRIL: K. McLemore 4-4-13, Miller 4-0-10, Snider 3-1-10, L. McLemore 2-4-9, Row 1-5-7, S. Thompson 3-0-6, Williamson 1-2-4, Wilson 0-1-1. PF: 19. Three-pointers: Snider 3, Miller 2, K. McLemore, L. McLemore.
RYAN: Alicen Williams 3-6-14, Jasmine Villarreal 4-1-10, Maci Cooper 3-1-10, Carter Combs 1-2-4, Raylee White 1-0-2, Libby Carter 1-0-2. PF: 17. Three-pointers: Cooper 3, Williams 2, Villerreal.
RYAN: Jasmine Villerreal 4-5-15, Alicen Williams 2-1-5, Carter Combs 1-2-4, Libby Carter 2-0-4, Raylee White 1-0-2, Maci Cooper 0-1-1. PF: 13. Three-pointers: Villerreal 2.
Waurika High School is scheduled to begin the 2020-2021 basketball season Friday night when they travel to Geronimo for a doubleheader.
The girls’ game is set to begin at 6:30 p.m., while the boys will tip at the conclusion of the girls’ game.
Both girls’ coach Kalee Baxter and boys’ mentor Garret Bachand are optimistic about the upcoming seasons after seeing success during 2020.
The Lady Eagles finished with a mark of 15-11 in 2020 and the season ended in the regional tournament.
The Eagles had a 13-11 mark in 2020 and it was the most wins since the 2012 season.
Every game on the Waurika schedule will have meaning as they are playing only Southern Eight and Oil Field Conference foes during the regular season.
Both teams will also compete in three invitational tournaments at Chattanooga, Marlow and Rush Springs.
Bachand conducted his first practices of the season this week and the starting lineup will feature four returning starters and a bit of depth that will have to transition quickly from the gridiron to the hardwood.
Three of the returnees are seniors giving the Eagles an experienced squad for the first time in a few years.
Kevin Garcia and Cache Dunn – both seniors – figure to play a big role.
Dunn was an honorable mention selection on the Southern Eight Conference all-conference squad last year and led the Eagles in rebounding.
Garcia will be counted on to provide leadership to the team – much like he did throughout the recently completed grid season for the Eagles.
Another senior and starter a year ago, Bowden Forsyth, will give the Eagles a big presence on the inside and will be counted on to have an impact on both ends of the court.
Treyton Torrez, who was a starter as a freshman, led the team in scoring and will be counted on for point production throughout the season. Torrez was an all-conference selection by the Southern Eight Conference and the Oil Field Conference in 2020.
Torrez averaged almost 18 points a game for the Eagles a year ago.
“I don’t want to leave Cache and Kevin off the scoring list,” said Bachand. “I think either one is due for some explosive scoring nights – especially with their talent and experience.”
The other starting spot may be up for grabs according to Bachand, who will be in his second season as the head coach of the Eagles.
The other starting spot may be up for grabs according to Bachand, who will be in his second season as the head coach of the Eagles.
Matt Arriolla, Tre Horne, Dylan Brown and Mason Houston will likely battle for the remaining spot.
Arriolla will likely challenge Dunn for top honors on the boards and will be a force inside.
Houston gave the Eagles a boost on offense during summer league play and he will also provide a strong presence on the board and on defense.
“We plan on using our speed to open things up for transition and our outside scoring,” said Bachand when identifying some of the projected strengths of this year’s squad. “We will need to see our rebounding and low post defense improve for us to be successful.”
Bachand hopes the Eagles can produce another winning season and if they do it will be the first back-to-back winning seasons in basketball since the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
“We have an experienced group that can compete every night and I think they will give our team a chance to win both conferences,” added Bachand.
The Eagles should battle Big Pasture for the Southern Eight Conference title and will face stiff competition from fourth-ranked Velma-Alma in the Oil Field Conference race.
Expectations for the Lady Eagles may be even higher than the male counterparts.
The Lady Eagles appeared in their fourth regional tourney in five seasons after making only three regional tourney appearances in the previous 15 years.
The Lady Eagles have managed to compile a winning record in six of the previous seven seasons and the outlook for 2021 is bright as all five starters return from last year’s team.
Leading the way will be the Southern Eight Conference’s defensive player of the year Asia Smith. Smith was also an Oil Field Conference selection.
Lexie Streeter returns and will provide some offensive punch for the Lady Eagles. She was a Southern Eight Conference all-conference pick last season.
“Streeter and Smith are going to be key aspects in our program,” said Baxter of the two top scorers for the Lady Eagles a year ago.
Tallin Mora, Gracie Walling and Faith Roberson are the other three returning starters for the Lady Eagles.
Roberson will be manning the point for the Lady Eagles.
“Faith has been doing an excellent job heading our offense,” added Baxter.
Mora, Liberti Simmons and Aubree Showalter will provide the Lady Eagles with offense from the outside, which will help open up the inside for Walling, Cassidy Berry and Alana Lewis.
Depth will be one of the strengths for the Lady Eagles.
“Backing those girls will be a bench of players ready and able to help as well,” Baxter noted.
“We have so much talent and potential building off of the last few years of success,” Baxter said. “We are just excited to go compete hard every chance we get.”
The Lady Eagles should be the favorite in the Southern Eight Conference, but will have to contend with Class A’s 10th-ranked Velma-Alma Lady Comets for the Oil Field Conference title.
The Lady Eagles hope to contend for a district title – something that has eluded Waurika’s girls’ squads since 2017.
Waurika Basketball Schedule
December
8: at Geronimo; 10-12: at Chattanooga Tournament; 15: at Velma-Alma; 17: Grandfield; 18: at Big Pasture.
January
5: Wilson; 7-9: Black Diamond Tournament at Rush Springs; 12: at Ringling; 15: Empire; 18-23: Stephens County Tournament at Marlow; 26: Healdton; 29: Walters.
February
2: at Central High; 9: Elmore City-Pernell; 12-13: District Tournament.
The Ryan Cowgirls’ bid to win a second tournament this season fell just short last weekend as the squad finished third in the 11th annual Bulldog Bash at Healdton.
The Cowgirls defeated Wynnewood, 46-32, last Saturday in the third place game.
The Cowgirls dropped a 47-35 decision to the host school in the semifinal round on Friday.
In Thursday’s first round the Cowgirls dominated Elmore City-Pernell in a 52-30 victory.
All three of the opponents in the tournament for the Cowgirls were from Class 2A.
The Cowboys had a tough weekend as they dropped the first two games in the tournament.
The Fox Foxes handed Ryan a 50-36 defeat in the first round last Thursday and then Ringling pounded the Cowboys in the consolation semifinals, 50-30.
Fox boys and Healdton girls – both Ryan opponents during the tourney – claimed the tournament championship last Saturday night.
Cowgirls 46, Wynnewood 32
The Cowgirls dominated play in the second and third quarters to get the win over the Lady Savages.
The Lady Savages kept it close in the first quarter as Ryan held only an 11-10 lead at end of the quarter.
In the second quarter the Cowgirls went on a 12-4 run to take a 23-14 lead at intermission.
In the third quarter, Juliet Spangler and Samantha Good found the range and the Cowgirls dominated the Lady Savages, 17-5, to hold a commanding 40-19 lead heading to the final quarter.
The Lady Savages cut the margin in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Cowgirls, 13-6, thanks mainly to the Cowgirls poor free throw shooting. Ryan connected on only four of 10 attempts in the fourth quarter and hit only 13 of 24 in the game.
Good led the Cowgirls in scoring with 21 points and was the only Cowgirl in double figures, but six of the seven players that saw action in the game scored.
Healdton 47, Cowgirls 35
Healdton avenged an earlier loss to the Cowgirls with a strong first-half performance and taking advantage of superior depth to earn a spot in the finals of the tourney.
The Cowgirls fell behind the Lady Bulldogs, 17-9, after the first quarter and could never get on track offensively. Healdton increased the lead to 28-15 at intermission.
In the second half, the Cowgirls could only stay even with the Lady Bulldogs.
The Cowgirls outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 15-13 in the third quarter to trim the advantage to 41-30, but Ryan could only score five points in the fourth quarter – including only one field goal – and could not cut in the deficit.
J. Spangler had 15 points and York added 10 points to pace the Cowgirls in scoring.
The Cowgirls have won only two of 14 meetings with Healdton since the 1993 season.
Cowgirls 52, ECP 30
The Cowgirls used a strong second and fourth quarters to earn the first round victory despite missing a number of shots from point-blank range.
The two squads were tied at eight apiece after one quarter, but Ryan went on a 16-6 run in the second period to take a 24-14 lead at halftime.
The Cowgirls were able to extend the lead after three quarters with a 13-10 advantage giving Ryan a 37-24 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
In the final period the Cowgirls pulled away by outscoring the Lady Badgers, 15-6.
The Cowgirls were impressive on the offensive board with 14 rebounds compared to the Lady Badgers’ two offensive rebounds. Overall, the Cowgirls held a 40-16 advantage on the boards.
On the defensive end, the Cowgirls produced nine steals in the game.
York led the Cowgirls in scoring with 20 points, while J. Spangler added 15 points.
With this win the Cowgirls hold a 3-1 advantage over the Lady Badgers since the 1990 season.
Ringling 50, Cowboys 30
It took the Cowboys three quarters to get on track offensively and by that time the Blue Devils had built a big lead to earn a spot in the consolation finals.
Ringling sped to a 17-6 advantage after the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Cowboys could not find the basket as they scored only three points – all on free throws. In the meantime the Blue Devils were expanded the lead to 26-9 at the half.
The Blue Devils increased the lead to 39-15 after the end of the first quarter.
The Cowboys finally began to put points on the scoreboard in the final frame, but the deficit was too much for Ryan to overcome.
The 15 points scored in the quarter by Ryan was as many as the previous three quarters combined.
Andrew Villerreal topped the Cowboys in scoring with 13 points, but no other Cowboy could hit for double figures.
This was the fifth straight loss to the Blue Devils dating back to 2017.
Fox 50, Cowboys 36
Despite missing a pair of starters the undefeated Foxes rallied for the first round win over the Cowboys.
The Cowboys assisted with the comeback by committing over 20 turnovers in the contest.
The Cowboys jumped out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter, but Fox found the shooting range in the second quarter and outscored the Cowboys 17-6 to hold a slim 21-18 lead at halftime.
Fox increased the lead in the third quarter with a 10-6 scoring advantage to take a 31-24 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Foxes pulled away in the final quarter with a 19-12 scoring advantage.
Logan McCurtain hurt the Cowboys with his outstanding outside shooting. McCurtain finished the game as the leading scorer with 19 points and that includes five three-pointers.
Grayson Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 12 points.
Ryan still holds a 6-2 record against the Foxes with one year’s result unknown dating back to the 1996 season.
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.
It was a quick end to what has been a difficult season for the Ryan Cowboys last Friday night in northwest Oklahoma.
In the first-round playoff game at Buffalo, the Bison rolled to a 46-0 victory over the Cowboys in a contest that ended at the half.
The Cowboys were simply outmanned and the athleticism and quickness of the Bison was too much for Ryan to handle in a playoff game that was only made possible by the state athletic association allowing all schools to participate in the football playoffs because of numerous games not played this past season.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Buffalo came into the game ranked in the top five in Class C in every poll and the Cowboys left town with a complete understanding of why they are worthy of those rankings with what is now a 9-1 mark heading into tomorrow’s contest with Boise City in the second round of the playoffs.
The Cowboys could not get anything going offensively as the Bison were part of the Ryan backfield throughout the contest.
And, the Cowboy defense was simply no match for the Bison’s explosive offense.
The Bison ran only 12 offensive plays over two quarters. They scored on six of those plays.
The Cowboys ran 30 plays on offense and produced only 29 total yards. Six of those offensive plays were punts.
After forcing a Ryan punt on the first possession of the game, the Bison took over at their own 26-yard line. Buffalo drove 74 yards in five plays and overcame two penalties for the first score of the game.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Dalton Cosby finished off the drive from three yards out and Blaise Rogers ran for the two-point conversion giving Buffalo an 8-0 lead with 8:03 left in the first quarter.
The Cowboys were forced to punt again and after a short punt was returned 20 yards, Buffalo was beginning its second drive at the Ryan 20.
On the first play, Colton Eskew found Eli Alley for a 20-yard touchdown pass and catch. Kade Harlan ran for the two points and with 7:08 left in the first quarter Buffalo was in front, 16-0.
Ryan tried to respond and had one of its longest drives of the night following the kickoff. After picking up one first down the drive stalled and the Cowboys were forced to punt again.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
After a penalty on the punt return, the Bison drove 42 yards in just two plays with Harlan finishing the short drive on a 42-yard scamper. Blaise Rogers ran for the two points and Buffalo was in command, 24-0, with 1:08 showing in the first quarter.
Buffalo dominated the second quarter and at some point in the period a running clock was instituted. Buffalo scored on plays of 57, 23 and 80 yards to put the game out of reach during the second quarter.
The longest play from scrimmage for the Cowboys came on the next-to-last possession of the game as Racen Williams found Mason Adsit over the middle for a 30-yard completion that moved the Cowboys into Bison territory for the only time in the game.
After the final touchdown by the Bison – an 80-yard run by Harlan, the Cowboys’ Trey Bryant wrapped up the runner on the two-point conversion leaving the score at 46-0 with 3:02 left in the game.
The Bison ran only nine running plays over the two quarters and rolled up 242 yards rushing.
Two Ryan seniors played their final game of their high school career – Bryant and Clayton Applin. Grayson Tomberlin, another senior on the squad, missed the majority of the season with a knee injury.
COWBOY CORRAL: The Cowboys finished the season with a 1-10 mark and that is only the second time in 101 years of football Ryan has recorded 10 losses in a season….This was the eighth time in school history the Cowboys have finished a football season with only one win…The Cowboys are now 1-2 against the Bison and all three meetings have been in the playoffs….The minus-nine yards rushing ties a school record set earlier this year against Thackerville….This was the fifth time the Cowboys have lost a playoff game by the mercy rule….It was also the third shutout loss for the Cowboys in the playoffs in school history – the other two were losses to Balko and Central High….Ryan is now 24-28 in playoff games in school history and 23-27 since beginning eight-man play in 1978…In playoff games played on the road, the Cowboys are now 3-14 in school history….Buffalo’s last scoring play of 80 yards tied for the second longest scoring play by an opponent in the 2020 season….The Cowboys had previously given up two scoring plays of 90 yards against Thackerville and Geary.
