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Top Ten All-Time Ryan Coaches Selected

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Raymon West

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

2. Stan Mueggenborg

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

3. Phil Elerick

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

4. Lane Weldon

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

5. Gordon Garner

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

6. Richard Hendricks

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

7. Travis Smith

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

8. Bill Hunt

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

9. Chy Waters

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

10. J.F. Robertson

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

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

Impact of Ryan’s Coach West Goes Far Beyond Athletic Circles

By
Trey Smart
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 You might expect when a sports writer is asked to write a tribute to someone the focus would be on that person’s accomplishments as a coach or player.

 But, this article will be focused more on the person than his accomplishments.

Last week a large crowd gathered at Ryan’s First Baptist Church to say goodbye to legendary Ryan coach and principal, Raymon West.

Most anyone that has been under the instruction of Mr. West would probably choose to focus on the man because   

his contribution to the lives of people went far beyond the football field, basketball court or baseball diamond if they were tasked with writing a tribute.

As Bro. Mark Kunkel, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Terral, said numerous times while conducting the service, everyone was mostly there to honor the man Mr. West and not Coach West.

However, well over half the crowd identified themselves at one point in the service as having been coached by Coach West.

And certainly his coaching ability is not to be overlooked, but each person who has come under the influence of Mr. West would probably be quick to agree with Bro. Kunkel and this writer that his greatest achievements were what he poured into our lives.

You see the goal of Mr. West was not really to produce great athletes – although that did happen. His goal was to prepare high school students for life.

And, for the most part he was a master at teaching life lessons.

Mr. West was tough. He was a disciplinarian. However, he correctly knew that making life a bit difficult in the athletic arena would serve each person well when they began to tackle life as a young adult.

And, some of those lessons not only served us well as young adults, but throughout our life time.

As was noted in the funeral service, Mr. West cared deeply for people. He endeared himself to most every athlete he ever coached and those he taught.

The compassion Mr. West had for people carried over to his retirement years as he served people through his church and was frequently present when a need had to be met in the community.

Everything Mr. West did was with great passion – his family, ranching, teaching and coaching.

Mr. West’s accomplishments in the coaching profession should not go without mention. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1988. Most everyone knows he coached the 1965 Cowgirl squad that won the Class B state championship – the only state title in school history. He coached the Cowgirls for a total of 13 seasons.

He coached the Cowboy basketball team for 15 seasons and took the 1962 squad to the state tournament – one of only two boys’ teams to advance into the state tournament.

Mr. West’s contributions to the football program are more notable than most people might think. He coached football on three different occasions – in 1958, 1962-1963 and 1977-1980. The 1962 squad just missed out on a district title and finished 8-2 which tied the 1929 football team for the second most wins in a season up to that time.

 It is likely that one of the key decisions made by Mr. West while serving as principal and head football coach at Ryan was moving from 11-man football to eight-man football following the 1977 season. The decision probably saved the football program and he coached the Cowboys to the playoffs in the first year of eight-man football.

Mr. West also coached baseball in the early years at Ryan.

In the four sports coached by Mr. West, he led squads to 14 conference championships, three county championships, seven bi-county championships, 10 district titles, three regional crowns and one state championship.

No tribute, however, would be complete without personal stories because Mr. West had a profound impact on my life.

Late during my eighth-grade year and Mr. West’s first year back at Ryan after having coached at Burkburnett, Texas and Duncan, he noticed right away that my athletic genes were just about non-existent.

Mr. West came to me and asked me if I would be interested in being the student trainer, which I did after football season that year. He sent me that following summer by bus to Baylor University to attend the National Athletic Trainers Association annual convention.

I was definitely way out of my league (can you imagine a kid who just completed eighth grade going on a trip like that alone?), but I learned a few things and spent the rest of my high school days helping with all sports. Mr. West saw potential in me that I did not see in myself and giving me that responsibility helped me stay connected to sports.

As you can imagine we spent a lot of time together during basketball practices. During that time I learned a lot about basketball, but did not fail to pick up one or two life lessons along the way.

One of those came one afternoon after Ryan had suffered a loss in a game that was not well-officiated. And, as I have a tendency to do even today, I was griping about how poorly the officials called the game the night before.

I suppose Mr. West had heard enough and he looked at me and said, “You worry about the things you have control over. We have no control over the officiating.”

That little tidbit has remained with me through the years and has been invaluable in my life’s journey.

In the years following whenever I would make my way to Ryan I would try to make sure I came in contact with Mr. West.

A side note – most anyone coached by Mr. West were all afraid to ever call him anything but Mr. West or Coach West. It was always difficult to address him as “Raymon.” But, that is the kind of respect he commanded and deserved.

Many others and in particular his family could share similar stories about how Mr. West impacted their lives. I am just fortunate I had the opportunity to be the one to write this article.

I believe it is pretty easy to come to one conclusion – there will never be another Raymon West.

Waurika Wins District Championship

By
Trey Smart
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0

 The Waurika Eagles overcame a somewhat sluggish start to the first and second half of last Friday’s contest with Empire to claim a 68-22 victory over the Bulldogs.

The win earned the Eagles their first district title since 2016 and will ensure the squad of two home playoff games.

Photo by Adam Brinson

 The first game will be tomorrow night at Cy Sloan Stadium when Waurika will play host to Cyril in a rematch of last year’s first-round contest. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Empire took the opening kickoff and moved 66 yards in 11 plays to get the first score of the game.

Rodolfo Martinez found a wide-open Lucas Contreras on a 23-yard touchdown pass and Martinez ran for the two points to put Empire in front, 8-0, with 7:58 to play in the first quarter.

Austin Dyer
Photo by Adam Brinson

The score by the Bulldogs apparently ignited the Eagles as they took the ensuing kickoff and in just two plays traveled 56 yards for the game-tying score. Turner Mora connected with Colton Bryant on a 43-yard pass play for the touchdown. Zac Brown added the two-point conversion to tie the game at 8-8.

Empire looked like it would answer the Eagle challenge as they drove the ball deep inside Waurika territory before a fourth down stop ended the threat at the Eagle 16.

Gatlin Black shutting down an Empire ball carrier.
Photo by Adam Brinson

On Waurika’s next possession the Eagles could not pick up a first down and on fourth down Empire blocked the Waurika punt and took possession at the Eagle 12.

The Bulldogs, however, handed the ball right back to Waurika as they fumbled at the Eagle 10 and the Waurika offense was back on the field.

The Eagles looked poised for the go-ahead score as a long drive ended the first quarter, but early in the second quarter the drive ended on a failed fourth down play just inside Empire’s 20-yard line.

Empire gambled on its next drive and it proved to be a costly one. On a fourth and short the Bulldogs elected to go for it but were stopped giving the Eagles excellent field position at the Bulldog 32-yard line.

Zac Brown looking for an opening in the Empire defensive life.
Photo by Adam Brinson

In just three plays the Eagles got the go-ahead score as Mora found Kevin Garcia for a 33-yard touchdown pass. Mora ran for the two points and Waurika’s lead expanded to 16-8 with 5:47 to play in the half.

 Another failed fourth down attempt on Empire’s next drive set Waurika up inside Bulldog territory at the 41-yard line.

 On the first play, Mora swept to the left side and scooted down the sideline 41 yards for the score. The try for two failed, but Waurika held a 22-8 lead with 4:11 left before intermission.

The Eagles were not through lighting up the scoreboard in the quarter as Empire failed on yet another fourth down attempt and gave Waurika the ball at the Empire 37.

Waurika could not move and was in punt formation on fourth down when Mora from punt formation took the ball and after being forced to reverse his direction, picked up 12 yards to keep the drive alive.

Edwin Garcia scoring a touchdown in Waurika’s game against Empire.
Photo by Adam Brinson

After an incomplete pass, Mora spotted a wide open Garcia for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Bryant added the two points and Waurika held a commanding 30-8 advantage heading to the locker room.

Empire threatened to tighten the game early in the second half. After stopping Waurika’s opening drive, the Bulldogs went 59 yards on three plays for a touchdown. The big play was a 38-yard scoring run by Peyton Booth and Brandon Mendenall caught the two-point conversion pass from Martinez to make it a 30-16 game with 8:52 left in the third quarter.

Again the Eagles shook off the uninspired effort and after a failed onside kick by Empire Waurika took the pigskin and traveled 49 yards on four plays. Mora found a wide open Edwin Garcia for a 35-yard scoring pass. After Bryant ran for the two-point conversion, the Eagles held a 38-16 advantage with 7:46 left in the third quarter.

Empire did not fold, however, and drove all the way to the Waurika 11-yard line before a fourth down effort resulted in a four-yard loss.

The Eagles took the ball and marched the length of the field helped a pass interference penalty and two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls on Empire. The score came on a 14-yard pass from Mora to Aaron Nitka to extend the Waurika lead to 44-16 with 11:19 to play in the game.

Turner Mora and the Waurika offensive line.
Photo by Adam Brinson

After another failed attempt on fourth down, Waurika took over at the Bulldog 27. On the first play, Brown found paydirt on a 27-yard scamper to the end zone. Bryant ran for the two points and the Eagles were firmly in command with a 52-16 lead.

The Bulldogs’ final score of the night came on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Martinez to Meray Weber. This put the margin at 52-22 with 5:44 to play in the game.

Empire attempted another onside kick, but this time Mora picked up the ball and sprinted 50 yards for a touchdown. Matt Arriolla ran for the two points and Waurika held a 60-22 lead with 5:35 left in the game.

Waurika’s offense.
Photo by Adam Brinson

The Bulldogs could not move on the next drive and punted to the Eagles. Brown capped the drive with a 29-yard run and after Bryant ran for the two-point conversion the game ended on the mercy rule with 3:14 left in the game.

With the Eagles getting a short field most of the night, the top ball carrier for Waurika, Mora, had only 73 yards on the ground, but the talented quarterback threw for 189 yards on the night. Brown added 64 yards and Bryant had 50 to help the Eagle offense.

Coach Joe Allen is congratulated with a Gatorade bath following Waurika’s victory over Empire.
Photo by Adam Brinson

EAGLE FLIGHTS: Waurika now holds a 21-11 advantage in the series with Empire that started in 1974 when Empire began playing football…The two schools have split the two meetings in eight-man competition…The 68 points scored by the Eagles is the most in the history of the series with the Bulldogs….The 22 points scored by the Bulldogs was the most for Empire in a losing cause in games with Waurika….The 46-point margin of victory for Waurika is tied for the third highest margin of victory in the 32 games with Empire…The game turned a bit ugly in the second half as the Empire bench was called for a total of three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and the head coach for the Bulldogs being ejected last in the game….This will be the fourth straight playoff appearance for Waurika after going 14 years without a playoff appearance….Waurika head coach Joe Allen is the first coach in school history to compile an undefeated regular season in the first year as a head coach.

Game in Figures

                             EHS        WHS

First Downs             11            9

Yards Rushing         45-214     37-203

Yards Passing         61            189

Passes                     3-12         6-13

Passes Int. By          0              0

Fumbles, Lost          2-2           0-0

Punts                       N/A          N/A

Penalties                  3-45         3-35

                SCORE BY QUARTERS

Empire     8              0              8              6–22

Waurika   8              22            8              30-68

EMPIRE – Lucas Contreras 23 pass from Rodolfo Martinez (Martinez run), 7:58, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Colton Bryant 43 pass from Turner Mora (Zachary Brown run), 7:06, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Kevin Garcia 33 pass from Mora (Mora run), 5:47, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 41 run (run failed), 4:11, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Garcia 25 pass from Mora (Bryant run), 1:00, 2nd Quarter

EMPIRE – Peyton Booth 38 run (Brandon Mendenall pass from Martinez), 8:52, 3rd Quarter

WAURIKA – Edwin Garcia 35 pass from Mora (Bryant run), 7:46, 3rd Quarter

WAURIKA – Aaron Nitka 14 pass from Mora (run failed), 11:19, 4th Quarter

WAURIKA – Brown 27 run (Bryant run), 9:49, 4th Quarter

EMPIRE – Meray Weber 30 pass from Martinez (run failed), 5:44, 4th Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 50 kickoff return (Matt Arriolla run), 5:35, 4th Quarter

WAURIKA – Brown 29 run (Bryant run), 3:14, 4th Quarter

                INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

WAURIKA: Rushing – Mora 17-73, Brown 5-64, Bryant 9-50, Garcia 6-16; Passing – Mora 6-13-189-0; Receiving – Bryant 2-78, E. Garcia 1-35, K. Garcia 1-33, Brown 1-29, Nitka 1-14

Waurika Celebrates Football Homecoming 2019

By
Curtis Plant
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Waurika Homecoming Court
(l-r) Kaci Reynolds, Gracie Walling, Gunner Myers, Alexa Breitigan (Seventh Grade Candidate), Gabe Jenkins, 
Tallon Mora (Sophomore Candidates and escorts), Coby Mead, Sara Ballard (Senior Candidates), Turner Mora, Travis Etheridge, 
Nicole Burton (Queen), Edwin Garcia, Seth Waid, Jordan Wadsworth (Senior Candidate and escorts), Jordan Watkins, 
Peyton Fletcher, Hunter Wesberry, Octavia Gomez, Asia Smith (Junior Candidates),
 Kaden Dobbs, Traci Ballard (Eighth Grade King and Queen), 
Cody Ramsey, Karlee Brinson (Freshman Candidate and Attendant with her escort), Lexi Streeter, Faith Roberson
High School Crown Bearer: Kade Torres Flower Girl: Harper Watkins (near center)
Junior High Crown Bearer: Daniel Neasbitt Flower Girl: Charlie Baxter (far right)
Photo by Adam Brinson
High School King and Queen
Edwin Garcia & Nicole Burton
Crown Bearer: Kade Torres
Flower Girl: Harper Watkins
Photo by Adam Brinson
Junior High King and Queen
Kaden Dobbs & Traci Ballard
Crown Bearer: Daniel Neasbitt
Flower Girl: Charlie Baxter
Photo by Adam Brinson

Lady Eagle Harriers Looking For Strong Finish to 2021 Season

By
Trey Smart
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0

…Eagle Runners Few in Number for 2021

A good returning nucleus of runners for the Waurika girls’ cross country squad has head coach Joe Masoner optimistic about another successful season.

The Waurika boys and girls cross country squads will open the season Saturday at the Duncan Invitational.

Last season the Lady Eagles finished sixth in the Class 2A state meet and were third in the regional hosted by Waurika.

As a team the Lady Eagles never finished lower than fifth during the regular season.

The Lady Eagles are the defending team champs at the Healdton meet and had runner up finishes at Velma-Alma, Walters and Geronimo a year ago.

Coach Masoner welcomes five of the runners that were part of the 2020 squad to the 2021 edition of the Lady Eagle cross country squad.

One of those five will not be able to run this year, but the other four returnees – Tallin Mora, Aubree Showalter, Jaci Gholson and Liberti Simmons – will be counted on to carry the squad during the season.

Mora, a senior for the Lady Eagles, was one of the ringleaders a year ago with six top-ten finishes during the season. She was fourth at the regional and finished 23rd at the state meet.

Showalter, a sophomore, had a top-10 finish at the Healdton meet for the Lady Eagles.

“Those four will be learned on hard to set the pace for us,” said Masoner about the 2021 edition of the Lady Eagles.

The fifth runner for the Lady Eagles will likely be Jaden Adams who is running cross country for the first time this fall.

Masoner will be counting on a pair of freshmen to help push the top five runners.

Sadie Smith and Destiny Foster, who have plenty of experience at the junior high level, will be competing for the varsity in their freshman season.

Coach Masoner has some lofty hopes for the team that graduated six members of the 2020 team.

“I feel we should be one of the top teams in the state by the end of the season,” said Masoner about his expectations for the coming year.

With a mixture of youth and experience, those expectations are certainly reachable for the Lady Eagles this year.

For the first time in a while the Waurika boys will not be able to have enough runners to be entered in the team competition.

Waurika had four seniors on last year’s squad and three other members of the 2020 team chose not to run cross country this fall.

Trent Arellano, a junior, and Alex Gomez, a sophomore, are the only two Eagles out for cross country they year.

“Alex has been working hard all summer,” said Masoner. “Both of them will have a chance to qualify as individual for the state meet.”

Despite being a freshman last year, Gomez had one top-10 finish at the Healdton meet. He was 30th in regional competition for Waurika.

Arellano has been running cross country the past two seasons for Waurika.

Lady Eagles Soar to Pair of Wins Before Christmas Break

By
Trey Smart
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0

…Eagles Split Pair of Games with Grandfield, Big Pasture

Waurika’s girls continued its winning ways last Friday as they rolled to a 73-39 victory over Big Pasture on the Lady Rangers’ home floor.

Big Pasture earned a split in the night’s action when they handed Waurika a 76-41 defeat.

Waurika captured a homecoming sweep last Thursday as the Lady Eagles handled Grandfield, 69-32, while the boys downed the Bearcats, 74-59.

Waurika’s next action on the hardwood will come on Tuesday, January 3 when they will play host to Wilson. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

In the first weekend of January, Waurika will compete in the annual Black Diamond Invitational at Rush Springs.

In Friday’s games, the Lady Eagles built a big first-quarter lead and never looked back in the big win over the Lady Rangers who are ow 1-8 on the season.

Waurika raced to a 24-8 first quarter lead behind Aubree Showalter’s 11 points in the quarter.

The Lady Eagles added to the lead by outscoring Big Pasture, 13-8, in the second quarter to hold a 37-16 lead at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Lady Eagles exploded for 21 points behind Liberti Simmons’ 14-point outburst.

This gave Waurika an insurmountable 58-27 advantage heading into the final quarter.

The Lady Eagles cleared the bench in the fourth quarter, but still outscored the Lady Rangers, 15-12, to set the final margin.

Simmons finished with 30 points on the night – a career high for the Waurika senior. Showalter added 16 and Cassidie Berry added 10 to give Waurika three players in double figures.

The 73 points scored by the Lady Eagles were a season high.

In the boys’ contest, it was the Rangers that got off to a hot start by outscoring the Eagles, 22-8, through the first period of play and the Rangers never let up.

Big Pasture outscored the Eagles, 17-13, in the second quarter to gain a 39-21 advantage at the half.

The Eagles held Big Pasture to only 12 points in the third quarter, but could only muster eight points on offense and the lead ballooned to 51-29 heading into the final quarter.

The Rangers got hot in the final quarter and outscored Waurika, 25-12, to establish the final margin.

Treyton Torrez led the Eagles in scoring with 19 points, while Jake Smart contributed 10 points. No other Eagles were in double figures on the night.

Last Thursday a large and raucous crowd gathered at the Waurika gym to see the Lady Eagles and Eagles pin losses on a pair of pesky Grandfield squads.

The Lady Eagles got off to a slow start and the Lady Bearcats took advantage by building a 5-0 lead in the first couple of minutes.

That spurt allowed the Lady Bearcats to have control of the first quarter, while the Lady Eagles fought to get back even.

Berry’s layup with 37 seconds left in the first quarter gave Waurika its first lead of the game, but Grandfield hit a trey with three seconds left to regain the lead, 16-14, at the end of the first quarter.

Berry opened the second quarter with another layup that knotted the score and assisted by five early Grandfield turnovers, the Lady Eagles gradually took control of the game.

Waurika went on a 19-0 run capped by Showalter’s layup with 31.9 seconds left in the second quarter that left Waurika with a 35-16 lead.

Grandfield got a bucket with 11.9 seconds left – its only points of the quarter before Simmons canned a layup with 1.6 seconds left before the half to give Waurika 37-18 lead.

What was a very competitive Grandfield five in the first quarter turned into a desperate group facing a big deficit the rest of the game.

Waurika added to its lead in the third quarter as they outscored the Lady Bearcats, 15-5, to double up on the Bearcats, 54-27.

In the final frame the Lady Eagles increased the lead as they outscored Grandfield, 15-5, in the quarter and the final margin was Waurika’s biggest lead of the game.

Grandfield scored only 16 points in the final three quarters after scoring 16 in the first period.

Four Lady Eagles scored in double figures led by Simmons and Showalter, who each poured in 17 points in the contest. Jasmine Henry added 14 points and Berry finished with 12.

Waurika outrebounded the Lady Bearcats, 43-22, while taking advantage of 28 Grandfield turnovers.

The nightcap was a rough and tumble affair that was allowed to get physical by the officials.

The Eagles and Bearcats battled back and forth throughout the first quarter with the two squads separated by no more than four points – and each team led by three throughout the course of the initial frame.

It was Torrez’ 12-foot turnaround jumper with 18 seconds left in the first quarter that left Waurika with a two-point deficit, 21-19.

The second quarter followed the pattern of the first quarter, but Grandfield’s only lead came early in the quarter.

At the 5:14 mark of the second quarter, Torrez hit a layup that put Waurika in front, 24-23, and the Eagles would not trail the rest of the game.

The Bearcats, however, would remain in striking distance through the remainder of the quarter and a jumper from the free throw line by JaQuavius Brown left with Waurika with a 33-31 advantage with 1:15 left in the half.

The Eagles closed out the half with layups by Isaac Camarillo and Torrez that gave Waurika a 37-31 lead at the break.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Gavin Torrez and T. Torrez connected on layups that gave the Eagles their biggest lead of the game at 41-33 with 5:27 left in the third quarter.

Camarillo’s three-pointer with 4:46 left in the third quarter gave the Eagles their biggest lead of the game at 44-35, but Grandfield went on a 4-1 run that cut the margin to six, 45-39.

The teams battled on even terms the remainder of the third quarter and the Eagles began to slow the pace of what had been a rugged contest.

Waurika took a 51-45 lead into the fourth quarter.

A 10-4 run to open the fourth quarter helped the Eagles get into a more comfortable position with a 61-49 lead. Torrez hit a pair of free throws with 4:33 left in the game to give the Eagles the 12-point lead.

Grandfield would not go away and with 3:13 left, Hunter Vann completed a traditional three-point play that drew the Bearcats to within seven points.

That would be as close as the Bearcats would get as Waurika closed out the game on an 11-3 run.

The Eagles hit six of eight free throws down the stretch to keep the Bearcats from mounting a rally.

T. Torrez had a career-high 41 points to pace the Eagles. Camarillo added 13 points.

The Eagles won the battle on the boards with a 37-25 edge in rebounds.

While Grandfield was whistled for 24 fouls in the contest, it was still a very physical encounter that the Eagles survived for the 15-point win.

Waurika 73, Big Pasture 39

(Girls)

Waurika               24          13            21              15–73

Big Pasture            8            8            11              12–39

WAURIKA – Liberti Simmons 13-2-30, Aubree Showalter 4-6-16, Cassidie Berry 5-0-10, Jasmine Henry 4-0-8, Rylee Torrez 2-0-4, Bekah Mataska 1-1-3, Charlie Sellers 1-0-2. TOTALS: 30-9-73. PF: 15. Three-pointers: Simmons 2, Showalter 2.

BIG PASTURE – Kyleigh Martin 7-1-15, Charley Skinner 6-1-14, Jayni Green 3-0-8, Madison Brown 0-2-2. TOTALS: 16-4-39. PF: 9. Three-pointers: Green 2, Martin.

Big Pasture 76, Waurika 41

(Boys)

Waurika               8            13          8                12—41

Big Pasture         22            17        12               25—76

WAURIKA – Treyton Torrez 6-6-19, Jake Smart 3-3-10, Gavin Torrez 2-1-6, Jayden Leflore 1-0-2, Carson Williams 0-2-2, Cody Ramsey 0-2-2. TOTALS: 12-14-41. PF: 17. Three-pointers: T. Torrez, Smart, G. Torrez.

BIG PASTURE – Grayson Skocelas 5-4-17, Aiden McCullough 5-6-17, Lane Tinsley 4-2-10, Hayden Tinsley 4-1-9, Noah White 4-1-9, Dayne Rivers 3-3-9, Rolando Alvarado 1-0-3, Kaden Skinner 1-0-2. TOTALS: 27-17-76. PF: 16. Three-pointers: Skocelas 3, Alvarado, McCullough.

Waurika 69, Grandfield 32

            (Girls)

Grandfield            16           2            9                5—32

Waurika                14           23        17              15—69

GRANDFIELD – Richardson 5-0-11, Emma McCasland 1-3-5, Taylor Romero 2-0-5, Alexis James 2-0-4, Alvarez 1-0-3, Nadia Hall 1-0-2, Rihanna James 1-0-2. TOTALS: 13-3-32. PF: 13. Three-pointers: Richardson, Alvarez, Romero.

WAURIKA – Liberti Simons 4-9-17, Aubree Showalter 7-3-17, Jasmine Henry 7-0-14, Cassidie Berry 6-0-12, Jaden Adams 1-1-3, Sadie Smith 1-00-3, Bekah Mataska 0-1-1, Niecsa Camarillo 1-0-2. TOTALS: 27-14-69. PF: 8. Three-pointers: Smith.

Waurika 74, Grandfield 59

                  (Boys)

Grandfield            21         10          14              14—59

Waurika               19          18          14              23—74

GRANDFIELD – JaQuavious Brown 9-4-22, Lance Wood 6-0-13, Hunter Vann 5-1-11, Zavey Davis 2-2-6, Ayden Miracle 2-0-4, Jacob Storm 1-0-3. TOTALS: 25-7-59. PF: 24. Three-pointers: Wood, Storm.

WAURIKA – Treyton Torrez 16-9-41, Isaac Camarillo 5-1-13, Gavin Torrez 2-2-6, Jake Smart 2-2-6, Carson Williams 1-4-6, Nic Wilson 0-2-2. TOTALS: 26-20-74. PF: 9. Three-pointers: Camarillo 2.

Woods and Waters June 7 2018

By
Mike Gaines
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0

 As I write this, we are enjoying a fabulous Sunday afternoon with temps in the 80s and moderate winds. Quite a relief from last week – whew! It was flat hot!

 If you haven’t started fishing yet, then you better get going before the summer passes you by. It’s difficult for me not to think about fishing, living next to the Cathey boys and getting many calls a week from Hoot about his most recent lunker bass!

   Well, we have talked about getting our fishing gear ready and cleaned up for the upcoming season and with the current temps , it seems like the time might be here.

   In fact, as I was working on this article, I got a call from Houston Scott and was asked to accompany he and his brother, Lodge, for an afternoon of fishing on some of their ponds. We had a great trip, caught several bass and crappie, with all returned safely back to the water. No monsters but spending an afternoon with two quality young men in the outdoors is hard to beat! They certainly come from “good stock”!

Houston Scott

  Growing up it was different, fishing was such a simple affair back then. A quick trip to the barn or my mother’s flower beds and in a few minutes you would have dug up enough juicy worms to fill up a tin can; it was going to be a good day! It didn’t matter if you were after catfish, perch or anything, they were all suckers for a fresh red worm. A simple cane pole with a hook and cork was all you needed to be masters of the water. We could sit for hours and watch that cork “bob” on the water waiting for that slight twitch which signaled a fish was interested.

  Back then a mess of perch and yellow cats was a good day! My, how things have changed. With thousands of lure and bait options available it’s easy to get lost in the process and sometimes it gets so complicated you feel like you need a degree in fishology, if there is such a thing!

  On a brighter note, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. You don’t have to use a cane pole, but they are fun if you haven’t tried them. Just grab your rods and reels, hooks, sinkers and bobbers, if you wish, and some bait. As we mentioned, tried and true worms are hard to beat but if you are after catfish you might add some chicken livers and bait shrimp! I might add if you use bait shrimp be sure to wash your hands well before returning home. Your wife will appreciate it!

  Now that we have everything together let’s head out to our favorite fishing hole, whether a pond, lake or creek it doesn’t matter. This is a great time of year for creek fishing if you don’t mind snakes. A hot day in the shade of a tree while sitting on the creek bank is a pretty good way to spend the afternoon, especially if you have a nice breeze. An occasional bite and the company of a good buddy, like grandkids or your spouse just makes it better.

What a beautiful Monday!

  Fishing should be relaxing and a time of peacefulness and reflection. OK, I’ll admit those days when the sand bass are running, and you’re wearing out a silver jig or small spoon, thinking your arm will fall off from casting so many times are pretty hard to beat. But so is sitting on a quiet pond or creek in the early morning while watching the woods come alive with bird and wildlife – it is hard to beat!

Take a buddy!

  Remember our Saviour, Jesus Christ was the greatest fisherman of all time and he didn’t have a bass boat! Slow down and take time to witness and enjoy all that our Creator has blessed us with and get out and renew your acquaintance with our beautiful Oklahoma outdoors!

  And remember, take someone with you!

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

By
Trey Smart
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0

Two unbeaten boys’ teams met up Tuesday night at Velma-Alma but it was the underdog Waurika Eagles that came out on top of the Comets.

Velma-Alma came into Tuesday’s contest with a 4-0 mark and fresh off the tourney title at the Comet Invitational. The Comets had climbed to fifth in the Class A rankings released earlier this week.

The Eagles were not phased, however, and after trailing 2-0 early in the game led throughout the remainder of the game in scoring an impressive 48-37 win.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

The Lady Eagles did not fare as well against the 12th-ranked Lady Comets as Waurika fell, 31-24, to the Oil Field Conference foe.

Before’s Tuesday’s clash at Velma-Alma, the Waurika teams played three games in three days last week.

The Waurika girls picked up wins over Indiahoma, Springer and Cement, while the Eagle boys had close encounters with Indiahoma, Springer and Cement.

All three games were part of the Chattanooga Festival, which was originally scheduled to be an invitational tournament, but the format was changed.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

The Eagles are now 6-0 on the year, while the Lady Eagles stand at 4-2 heading into the final two games before Christmas break.

The two squads are back in action tonight when they will play host to Grandfield. Tip for the girls’ game is slated for 6:30 p.m. in the Waurika gym.

Tomorrow night (Friday), the Waurika boys and girls will travel to Big Pasture to take on the Rangers. The girls’ contest will begin at 6:30 p.m.

V-A 31, Lady Eagles 24

In the game with the Lady Comets, Waurika could never get on track offensively, despite putting forth great effort on the defensive end.

The Lady Eagles were also short-handed in the contest because of quarantine issues.

Waurika trailed, 9-5, after one quarter and the offense did not improve in the second quarter as the Lady Eagles could muster only a single point points to trail 15-6 at the break.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

The Lady Eagles mounted a rally in the third quarter as they outscored the Lady Comets, 9-4, to trim the margin to 19-15 heading into the final quarter.

V-A scored the first five points of the quarter to open a nine-point advantage, but Waurika would come back to cut the lead to 28-24 until V-A scored the final three points to close out the game.

Aubree Showalter topped the Lady Eagles in scoring with eight points.

Eagle 48, V-A 37

Treyton Torrez poured in a season-high 30 points to help the Eagles score the upset over the Comets.

The Eagles wrestled the lead from the Comets early in the first quarter as Torrez netted 14 of his 29 tallies in the first period.

But the Eagles went cold in the second quarter and scored only four points as V-A cut the margin to 22-21 at the half.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

The Comets managed to tie the game at 26 in the third quarter, but Waurika finished the period on an 8-2 run to hold a 34-28 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter the Comets pulled to within three at 38-35, but Waurika finished off the upset victory with a 10-2 run despite missing seven free throws in the quarter.

Cache Dunn had 10 points for the Eagles, but no other Eagles were in double figures.

Lady Eagles 77, Cement 27

The Lady Eagles were effective from the outside with 10 three-pointers and five players scored in double figures in rolling to the third win in three nights.

Waurika jumped out to a 20-3 advantage after one quarter and finished the first half with an overwhelming 42-5 lead.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

The Lady Eagles continued the onslaught by outscoring the Lady Bulldogs, 23-12, in the third quarter before the bench was cleared in the fourth quarter.

Tallin Mora led all scorers with 14 points and she hit four treys in the contest. Asia Smith and Liberti Simmons each hit for 13 points, while Cassidie Berry added 12 tallies and Aubree Showalter finished with 10.

Eagles 52, Cement 45

Trailing by seven heading into the final quarter, the Eagles put on a furious rally to come out on top.

Matt Arriola was on fire in the first quarter as he connected on four field goals, but the Eagles still trailed the Bulldogs, 15-13, at the end of the period.

Waurika trailed by one at the break after outscoring Cement, 7-6, in the second quarter that gave the Bulldogs a slip 21-20 advantage.

Cement exploded for 18 points in the third quarter, while the Eagles could only muster 12 points to trail, 39-32, heading into the final quarter.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles were able to take advantage of foul trouble by the Bulldogs and converted on 11 of 14 from the charity stripe to help secure the win.

In the meantime, the Waurika defense buckled down and allowed Cement only two baskets and two free throws on the way to a 20-6 run to close out the game.

Torrez paced the Eagles in scoring with 22 points, while Dunn added 12 points. Arriola chipped in 10 points for the Eagles.

Lady Eagles 62, Springer 28

Waurika started well against the Lady Cardinals with a 22-10 advantage in the first quarter and the Lady Eagles added to the lead at halftime, 31-14.

Waurika put the game away with a 17-2 scoring spurt in the third quarter.

Smith led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 19 points, while Mora added 11 points and Berry contributed 10 points.

Eagles 53, Springer 51

It was a dramatic finish for the Eagles for the second straight night.

The Cardinals got off to a 17-12 first quarter lead and the Eagles were able only to trim the lead to 28-24 at intermission.

In the third quarter, the Eagles narrowed the gap again by outscoring the Cardinals, 16-14, to trail, 42-40, heading to the final quarter of play.

With the game tied at 51-51, Waurika had the last possession.

Torrez dribbled the ball out front and made a move into the middle of the lane where he connected on a short jumper as time expired to hand Waurika the win.

Torrez poured in 27 points for the Eagles, while Dunn added 13 points.

Lady Eagles 77, Indiahoma 31

Waurika started the festival with an outstanding offensive output.

The Lady Eagles jumped out to a 21-7 lead over the Lady Warriors in the first quarter and increased the margin by outscoring Indiahoma, 14-3, to hold a 35-10 led at the break.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

Waurika put the game away in the third quarter by outscoring Indiahoma, 24-9, to move in front, 59-19, heading into the final frame.

Berry led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 14 points. Showalter added 11 points, while Roberson, Smith and Mora all scored 10 points each to give the Lady Eagles five players in double figures on the night.

Eagles 39, Indiahoma 38

The game began with some cold shooting as the Eagles managed only a 5-4 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Warriors outscored the Eagles, 14-9, to hold an 18-14 lead at the half.

Indiahoma added to the lead in the third quarter and had a 32-26 advantage heading into the final quarter.

The game went back and forth in the final eight minutes, but Kevin Garcia tipped in a missed shot and Torrez added a pair of free throws to give Waurika the lead at 39-38.

The final seconds were a flurry of fouls by the Warriors to try and get the back, but the Eagles prevailed.

Torrez was the top scorer for the Eagles with 18 points.

V-A 31, Waurika 24

(Girls)

Waurika                     5                1                9                9—24

Velma-Alma              9                6                4                12—31

WAURIKA: Aubree Showalter 3-0-8, Faith Roberson 2-1-5, Lexie Streeter 1-2-4, Asia Smith 1-1-4, Tallin Mora 1-0-3. PF: 13. Three-pointers: Showalter 2, Smith, Mora.

V-A: Kimbough 5-2-13, Wofford 3-2-8, Ille 2-0-4, McGuire 1-0-3, Smith 1-0-2, McClain 0-1-1. PF: 13. Three-pointers: Kimbrough, McGuire.

Waurika 48, V-A 35

            (Boys)

Waurika                     18              4                13              13–48

Velma-Alma              10              11              7                9–37

WAURIKA: Treyton Torrez 8-11-30, Cache Dunn 4-2-10, Kevin Garcia 2-0-4, Matt Arriola 0-2-2, Bowden Forsyth1-0-2. PF: 9. Three-pointers: Torrez 3.

V-A: N/A.

Waurika 77, Cement 27

            (Girls)

Cement    3                2                12              10–27

Waurika   20              22              23              12—77

CEMENT: McDaniel 4-0-12, Call 2-0-6, Mix 1-0-3, Varga 0-2-2, Malone 0-2-2, Murray 0-1-1, Chandler 0-1-1. PF: 12. Three-pointers: McDaniel 3, Call 2, Mix.

Photo by Kaci Reynolds

WAURIKA: Tallin Mora 5-0-14, Asia Smith 5-1-13, Liberti Simmons 3-6-13, Cassidie Berry 6-0-12, Aubree Showalter 4-0-10, Faith Roberson 3-0-7, Lexie Streeter 2-0-4, Grace Hill 1-0-2, Lewis 1-0-2, Alana Lewis. PF: 17. Three-pointers: Mora 4, Smith 2, Showalter 2, Roberson, Simmons.

Waurika 62, Springer 28

            (Girls)

Waurika   22              9                17              14—62

Springer   10              4                2                12—28

WAURIKA: Asia Smith 9-0-19, Tallin Mora 5-0-11, Cassidie Berry 5-1-11, Liberti Simmons 2-2-6, Aubree Showalter 3-0-6, Grace Walling 2-0-4, Lexie Streeter 2-0-5. PF: 11. Three-pointers: Smith, Mora, Streeter.

SPRINGER: Kaylee Johnson 7-0-14, Mimi White 3-0-8, Jalyn Dewberry 2-0-4, Kalli St. Claire 1-0-2. PF: 7. Three-pointers: White 2.

Waurika 77, Indiahoma 31

 (Girls)

Indiahoma                 7                3                9                12—31

Waurika                     21              14              24              18—77

INDIAHOMA: Katelyn Kimble 6-3-15, Kyla Wilson 2-0-5, Cozad 1-0-3, Carlie Salinas 1-0-3, O’Brien 1-0-3, Harmony Hall 1-0-2. PF: 10. Three-pointers: Salinas, Wilson, Cozad.

WAURIKA: Cassidie Berry 6-2-14, Aubree Showalter 5-1-11, Faith Roberson 4-1-10, Asia Smith 5-0-10, Tallin Mora 4-2-10, Lexie Streeter 3-2-8, Liberti Simmons 4-0-8, Gracie Walling 3-0-6. PF: 12. Three-pointers: Roberson.

Waurika 52, Cement 45

            (Boys)

Cement    15              6                18              6—45

Waurika   13              7                12              20–52

CEMENT: Seibold 8-3-21, Mink 4-2-10, Tallent 1-3-6, Bailey 2-1-5, Hooferel 1-0-2, Richardson 0-1-1. PF: 19. Three-pointers: Seibold 2, Tallent.

WAURIKA: Treyton Torrez 5-10-22, Cache Dunn, 2-8-12, Matt Arriola 5-0-10, Bowden Forsyth 3-0-6, Kevin Garcia 1-0-2. PF: 16. Three-pointers: Torrez 2.

Waurika 53, Springer 51

            (Boys)

Waurika   12              12              16              13–53

Springer   17              11              14              9–51

WAURIKA: Treyton Torrez 12-0-27, Cache Dunn 5-3-13, Kevin Garcia 4-0-8, Bowden Forsyth 2-0-4, Matt Arriola 0-1-1. PF: 7. Three-pointers: Torrez 3.

SPRINGER: N/A

Waurika 39, Indiahoma 38

            (Boys)

Indiahoma                 4                14              14              6—38

Waurika                     5                9                12              13—39

INDIAHOMA: Plaster 7-0-15, Idohasan 5-0-11, Thomason 2-0-6, Reyna 1-2-4, Watson 1-0-2. PF: 12. Three-pointers: Thomason 2, Plaster, Idohosan.

WAURIKA: Treyton Torrez 7-3-18, Kevin Garcia, 3-2-8, Matt Arriola 3-0-7, Cache Dunn 2-0-4, Bowden Forsyth 1-0-2. PF: 8. Three-pointers: Torrez, Arriola.

Meet The Eagles Saturday Night

By
News Release
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0

Come out for an evening of family fun! Meet your Waurika Eagles for football, cross country, cheerleading, and softball. The brand new Eagle’s Nest spirit store will be open! We will also feature player introductions, autographs, photos with players, and walking tacos.

District Champs!

By
Curtis Plant
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0

The Waurika Eagles won the District Championship tonight at home against the Empire Bulldogs. It was an exciting game. Obviously the complete story will be in this upcoming week’s paper told by Trey Smart, but for now we just wanted to say congratulations to the Waurika Eagles on a perfect season.

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