For the Ryan Cowboys, tonight’s contest with Grandfield on the Bearcats’ home field, will have an impact on the post-season hopes for the Cowboys.
Kickoff tonight is set for 7 o’clock.
The Cowboys need a win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
District C-2 is not complicated at the top, but the battle for the final two playoff positions could be.
Geary needs to win one of its last two games to be assured of third place in the district.
If Ryan can pick up a victory over Grandfield, the Cowboys should be in a good place to earn fourth in the district race.
A loss by the Cowboys would all but eliminate Ryan from playoff consideration.
But, the positioning for the post season could get muddled if Geary were to fall in its final game with Corn Bible Academy.
The Cowboys must enter tonight’s game with Grandfield focused solely on the Bearcats.
After a forfeiting last week’s game with Destiny Christian, the Cowboys have had time to heal up from a number of injuries.
All but one of the injured Cowboys are expected to be available for tonight’s game with the Bearcats.
This series has been an interesting one over the years. The Bearcats hold a 36-28-5 advantage over Ryan, but the Cowboys have won 10 of the last 14 meetings including the last five consecutive meetings.
But, the series prior to that time has had some interesting outcomes.
In 2007, the teams battled through four overtimes with the Bearcats prevailing, 28-35.
Ryan won games in 2004 and 2006 but the games were decided by one and two points, respectively.
Ryan lost to Grandfield, 39-38, in a 2003 battle and also fell in overtime games in 2007 and 1992.
Maybe the wildest game in the series came in 1997 when Grandfield captured a 78-60 loss in a game that had several individual performances by the Cowboys that are among the best in school history.
Grandfield will bring a 3-5 mark into tonight’s game and a 1-3 mark in district play. Ryan is 4-4 on the year and 1-3 in district competition.
Game in Figures
RHS GHS
First Downs 13 20
Yards Rushing 353-196 44-383
Yards Passing 120 16
Passes 6-15 1-3
Passes Int. by 0 1
Fumbles, Lost 3-3 3-1
Punts 1-30 1-27
Penalties 4-45 4-40
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Ryan 0 8 0 14—22
Geary 0 16 8 14—38
SCORING SUMMARY
SECOND QUARTER
GEARY – Kale Smith fumble recovery in end zone (Jaiden Woods run), 6:33
GEARY – Woods 47 run (Woods pass from Jose Briseno), :57
RYAN – Larry Sewell 1 pass from Racen Williams (Williams run), :00
THIRD QUARTER
GEARY – Sergio Pineda 2 run (Woods run), 1:23
FOURTH QUARTER
RYAN – Williams 48 run (Foreman Casebolt pass from Williams), 6:02
RYAN – Julian Rodriguez 48 pass from Williams (pass failed), 4:42
GEARY – Landon Holt 2 run (Pollard pass from Woods), 1:55
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RYAN: Rushing – Racen Williams 16-131, Carsen Rodriguez 10-45, Xavier Guzman 3-14, Julian Rodriguez 1-8, Foreman Casebolt 3-7, Maddox Dabbs 1-1, Team 1-(-10); Passes – Williams 6-15-1-120; Receiving – J. Rodriguez 3-74, Guzman 2-45, Larry Sewell 1-1; Tackles – Kyson Tomberlin 12, J. Rodriguez 7, Andrew Scott 6, Williams 4, Casebolt 2, C. Rodriguez 1, Dabbs 1, Guzman 1, Mason Adsit 1.
GEARY: Rushing – Sergio Pineda 27-251; Jaiden Woods 11-131, Kale Smith 2-12, Landon Holt 2-6, Team 2-(-17); Passes – Woods 1-1-0-16, Smith 0-2-0-0; Receiving – Henry Brown 1-16.
It was a bitter ending to what was an outstanding season for the Ryan Cowboys’ football squad.
Last Friday night at Bob Givens Sports Complex, the Cowboys fell to Burns Flat-Dill City, 58-12, in a first-round playoff game.
While the margin of victory was great, the Eagles were the benefactors of some key plays early in the game that kept the Cowboys on their heels most of the night and finally resulted in the big win.
Ryan finishes its first season under Tony Tomberlin at 7-4, while BFDC improved to 6-5 and moves on to face Pioneer-Pleasant Vale in the second round of the Class B playoffs.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Three key events set the tone for the contest – a 90-yard touchdown run after Ryan fumbled deep in BFDC territory, an 84-yard kickoff return by the Eagles after a Ryan score and a successful onside kick recovery by the Eagles to begin the second half.
All of those plays happened at critical moments in the game and helped the Eagles control the contest.
BFDC also possessed some speed on both offense and defense and it stymied the Cowboys most of the night.
Photo By Sheree Hanson
The Eagles took the opening kickoff and moved 61 yards in nine plays to take a 6-0 lead at the 8:02 mark in the first quarter. Tracen Poor got the score on a seven-yard run.
The Cowboys were poised to answer the score as they moved from midfield after recovering an Eagle onside kick attempt to the BFDC nine-yard line. However, on a first and goal, the Cowboys fumbled and John Shorter alertly covered it for BFDC at the 10.
On first down talented running back Isaac Tubbs took the pigskin to the house breaking into the Cowboys’ secondary and racing down the left side for a 90-yard score. The run failed for two points, but instead of a lead or a tie for the Cowboys, the Eagles had a 12-0 advantage with six minutes to play in the initial quarter.
Another failed onside kick attempt set the Cowboys up at their own 49 and Ryan moved right down the field in 11 plays and on a fourth and goal, quarterback Grayson Tomberlin scored from five yards out. The two-point conversion failed, but now Ryan trailed by only 12-6 with 1:26 left in the first quarter.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
On the kickoff, the Eagles made another pivotal play in the game as Tubbs took the ball at his own 16-yard line and went 84 yards for the touchdown. Poor ran for the two points and the Eagles had increased the lead to 20-6.
The Cowboys fought back and took care of another onside kick attempt by the Eagles to begin the offensive push at the Cowboy 46. Ryan covered the distance in seven plays with Tomberlin taking it in from 21 yards out for the score.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
After a penalty on the conversion attempt, the Cowboys tried a pass for the conversion, but it fell incomplete leaving Ryan with a 20-12 deficit with 10:22 to play in the second quarter.
On the next possession, BFDC looked like they would take control of the game driving deep into Ryan territory, but Tubbs fumbled the ball at the Ryan three after a 15-yard gain and Kalen Weldon got the recovery for the Cowboys.
Photo By Sheree Hanson
Ryan moved from its own three to the BFDC 46, but a fumble by the Cowboys, which was covered by Andrew Villerreal, set the Cowboys back at the Ryan 40 and three plays later the Cowboys were forced to punt.
The Eagles got through on the punt and blocked it to give them excellent field position at the Ryan 25 with only 1:25 showing on the clock before the half.
The Eagles worked their way to the Ryan four to get a first down stopping the clock with one second to play. Somehow the Eagles got the play off before the clock ran out and Poor found Robert Rush for a four-yard touchdown pass over the middle with no time left. Luis Margerum ran for the two points and the Eagles held a 28-12 halftime advantage.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Beginning the second half the Eagles tried yet another onside kick and this time the Cowboys mishandled it and BFDC got the recovery at midfield. On the fifth play of the drive, Margerum scored from nine yards to extend the lead to 34-12 at the 10:32 mark of the third period.
From this point, the Cowboys simply could not get much going offensively and the Eagles were able to frequently get into the Cowboy secondary for large gains.
After a failed fake punt attempt the Eagles extended the lead with a five-play, 57-yard drive. Margerum capped the drive with a one-yard plunge and Tubbs ran for the two points to put the margin at 42-12 with 8:35 to play in the third quarter.
The Cowboys were forced to punt on the ensuing possession after failing to pick up a first down and the Eagles took over at the Ryan 45. In only four plays the Eagles got a touchdown as Margerum scored his third rushing touchdown of the nine on a five-yard run. Margerum added the two-point conversion and with 5:38 left in the third quarter the Eagles were ready to end the game early with a 50-12 advantage.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Ryan tried to stay alive in the game but an incomplete fourth-down pass gave the Eagles another possession.
From the BFDC 31, the Eagles took the ball for the game-ending score. It took eight plays with the aid of 20 yards of Ryan penalties for the Eagles to cap the drive. It was a five-yard run by Tubbs for the score and the two-point conversion run by Margerum with 1:04 left in the third quarter that ended the game.
Tubbs finished with 209 yards rushing on only 19 carries. Add in the kickoff return and one pass reception and Tubbs finished the night with 290 all-purpose yards.
In his last game for the Cowboys, Skylar Parkhill finished with 90 yards on 15 carries to lead the Ryan offensive attack that was limited to 195 total yards for the contest.
Game in Figures
BFDC RHS
First Downs 2112
Yards Rushing 42-391 33-172
Yards Passing 3723
Passes 4-5 5-14
Passes Int. By00
Fumbles, Lost2-1 2-1
Punts 0-0 2-17
Penalties2-10 6-40
SCORE BY QUARTERS
BFDC20830x-58
Ryan660x-12
FIRST QUARTER
BFDC – Tracen Poor 7 run (run failed), 8:02
BFDC- Isaac Tubbs 90 run (run failed), 6:00
RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 5 run (run failed), 1:26
BFDC – Tubbs 84 kickoff return (Poor run), 1:11
SECOND QUARTER
RYAN – Tomberlin 21 run (pass failed), 10:22
BFDC – Robert Rush 4 pass from poor (Luis Margerum run), :00
All through the regular season – including the regional cross country meet – the Waurika girls’ cross country squad has been on the cusp of accomplishing great things.
And, all the hard work and competition of the 2019 season paid off last Saturday at the Class 2A State Cross Country Meet held at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee.
The Lady Eagles, who finished behind Ryan and Merritt at the regional on Waurika’s home course, outdistanced those two teams in the state meet to earn fifth place – the highest finish ever for a Waurika cross country squad at state.
Watonga claimed the team title over Hooker by one point. Watonga finished with 52 points, while the Lady Bulldogs had 53. Cherokee was fourth with 119 points and Boise City was fourth with 134 points. Waurika claimed fifth place with 175 points.
“I was very proud of the high school girls this year,” said long-time cross country coach Joe Masoner. “They started working towards state in June in the weight room.”
The course was a difficult one last Saturday as the recent rains produced a somewhat muddy path for the competitors in the crowded Class 2A field which featured 154 runners.
Asia Smith led the way for the Lady Eagles earning 21st place with a time of 13:43.06 – her second best time of the season. Smith was a late addition to the Lady Eagles’ squad and she really made a difference for the Lady Eagles in the last part of the season.
Tallin Mora finished 34th with a time of 13:52.10 – also her second best time of the season.
Liberti Simmons, just a freshman for the Lady Eagles, earned 35th in her first appearance in the state meet with a time of 13:52.47 – her second best clocking of the season.
Lexie Streeter was 53rd for the Lady Eagles. She turned in a time of 14:08.62.
Rounding out the team scorers for the Lady Eagles was Faith Roberson. She finished 92nd in the race and turned in a season-best time of 15:07.12.
Also representing Waurika at the state competition was Hope Cummings. She finished 132nd with a time of 16:46.04 – also her best time of the season over a 3,200-meter course.
Kaci Reynolds finished not far behind Cummings in 140th place with a time of 17:33.54.
The fifth-place finish for the Lady Eagles was the highest team finish at the state meet in school history.
The Lady Eagles have qualified for the state cross country meet the past three seasons and have improved each year. In 2017, Waurika finished 14th and in 2018 the Lady Eagles were ninth.
Waurika also qualified for state in 2014 and 2013.
“These girls ran hard in practice and in meets,” said Masoner commenting on the 2019 season. “I was hoping for a regional title this year, but they gave themselves a chance.”
“The one thing about this group of ladies is they were determined to do better at state which they did by finishing fifth overall and beating the two teams that beat them at regionals,” added Masoner.
“I am super excited about next year getting everyone back next year except for Sara (Ballard),” noted Masoner. “We will add five girls moving up from the junior high team that will make us better.”
While the boys’ squad failed to qualify for the state meet, they claimed one meet title and performed well against some tough competition throughout the year.
“I am also proud of the boys’ team although we didn’t qualify for state,” said Masoner about the Eagles’ 2019 season. “The boys never seemed to get over the hump where their times started to go down.”
“They worked hard and ran close to each other which needs to be done to score well but only was able to do that in the front half of the pack in a couple of meets,” Masoner noted.
“It hurt not having Bryson (Hernandez) this year since he has been one of the team leaders the previous three years,” said Masoner. “We are losing half our team to graduation, but we will get some help from the junior high team.”
With the accomplishments of both teams this year, the Lady Eagles and Eagles have a lot to look forward to next fall for the 2020 cross country season.
A pair of outstanding individual performances highlighted the first meet of the season for the Ryan cross country teams.
The Cowgirls posted a seventh-place finish in the Class 4A-2A division with two runners earning medals and another battling a nagging injury during competition at the Duncan Invitational last Saturday.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
The Cowboys took only one runner – Mason Adsit. The sophomore runner, however, recorded his second best time of his career which was good for 78th place in the crowded field of competitors.
His time over the five-kilometer course was 23:19.83.
Alicen Williams and Jasmine Villerreal led the Cowgirls to the seventh place team finish and both runners earned medals in the highly competitive meet.
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
Williams recorded a personal best time over the two-mile course. Her time of 13:54.22 was good for 18th place overall.
Villarreal, running in her first meet at the high school level, finished in 24th place with a time of 14:29.55.
Lilybet Harmon, the Cowgirls’ top returning runner from last year’s regional title team, has been battling an injury, but she still managed to finish 34th in the meet with a time of 15:16.21.
Rounding out the performances for the Cowgirls were Katelynn Dabbs who finished 58th with a time of 18:05.22.
Libby Carter was 69th in the race with a time of 24:42.01. Carter is a recent addition to the Cowgirl squad and has had limited time conditioning for a cross country race.
Blanchard won the high school girls division meet with 46 points, while Merritt was second with 56 tallies. Ryan’s point total of 151 was seventh among the eight teams in the meet. A total of 70 high school girls competed in the meet.
Ryan will return to competition on Saturday when they travel to Geronimo for the first meet ever hosted by the school.
Duncan Invitational Junior High Results
Boys
9. Andrew Scott, 13:18.24; 12. Koble Lewis, 13;38.58
Turner Mora and Asia Smith each placed in two events to pace Waurika’s performance at the Alex Invitational a week ago today.
In the team competition, the Eagles finished tied for eighth place with Oklahoma School For the Deaf. Both teams had 14 points. Cordell won the meet with 146 points.
The Lady Eagles finished 10th in the team race with 27.5 points, while Rush Springs and Cordell tied for the team title with 101 points each.
Mora helped the Eagles’ point total by placing in the 400 meters and the long jump.
Mora circled the track in 55.76 to earth fifth place in the 400 meters. He managed a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 19-8.5.
Waurika’s other points came in the 3,200 meter and 1,600 meter relays. Both squads finished fifth.
The Eagles turned in a time of 9:49.32 in the 3,200 meter relay and posted a time of 3:52.64 in the 1,600 meter relay.
Smith, a freshman, placed fourth in both the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters to pace the Lady Eagles.
Smith’s time in the 1,600 meters was 6:29.55 and she turned in a time of 13:38.12 in the 3,200 meters.
Lexie Streeter, also a freshman for the Lady Eagles, finished fifth in the 3,200 meters with a time of 14:09.89.
Madison Roberson finished with a silver medal in the shot put. Her throw of 33-0 was her best performance of the season.
Sara Ballard also scored for the Lady Eagles by tying for fifth place in the high jump with a leap of 3-10.
The 3,200 meter relay team for the Lady Eagles accounted for the other team points. The squad finished fourth with a time of 12:39.57.
Other Waurika athletes competing at Alex included Kevin Garcia, Octavio Gomez, Gustavo Gomez and Nick Alvarado for the Eagles and Kaci Reynolds, Dallas Fristoe, Madison Christian and Brooke Williams for the Lady Eagles.
The next action for the Waurika track squads will be tomorrow when the Eagles will host their eight-man invitational competition. The meet begins at 9 a.m. at the Waurika track.
Very seldom in the history of this rivalry has a game lived up to expectations especially in terms of being a close game. But, the 60th edition of the series between Ryan and Waurika did not disappoint in living up to expectations as Ryan came away with a 44-36 double overtime victory last Friday night at Bob Givens Sports Complex.
Both teams return to action tonight (Thursday) with Ryan traveling to Bray-Doyle and Waurika hosting Central High in another big game for the Eagles.
Ryan moved to 5-2 on the year and 2-0 in district play, while Waurika dropped to 3-4 and 1-1 in district competition.
The contest last Friday was one where both teams put forth supreme effort with Waurika jumping out to a big advantage and Ryan coming back in the second half to even the score and send the game into overtime.
The fast-pace Waurika offense gave the Cowboys problems most of the night, but several costly miscues running the offense led to failed two-point conversions and loss of yards at crucial times.
The Cowboys overcame four turnovers that helped the Eagles get out to a three touchdown lead in the first half.
The Cowboys had to drive 69 yards with no timeouts and only 1:14 showing on the clock to tie the score in the fourth quarter. But exactly one minute later the Cowboys got the game-tying score.
Earlier in the game every time the Cowboys made a charge, the Eagles answered with a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.
Ryan got off to a good start after a Waurika onside kick recovered by the Cowboys gave them excellent field position.
It took the Cowboys 12 plays to drive 53 yards as Grayson Tomberlin scored from two yards out to cap the drive. The two-point conversion failed, but Ryan held a 6-0 advantage with 6:07 left in the first quarter.
The Eagles immediately answered.
Waurika took possession of the kickoff at their own 24 and drove 76 yards in just eight plays.
Quarterback Aaron Nitka found Seth Cathey for a 24-yard pass and catch for the score. The two-point conversion failed leaving the score knotted at 6-6 with 4:02 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff the Cowboys misplayed the ball and also were penalized for holding sending the Cowboys back to their own eight-yard line to start the drive.
A key third-down conversion on G. Tomberlin’s pass to Wesley Clark got the Cowboys out of the shadow of their end zone, but a fumbled snap at their own 47 yard line that was recovered by Waurika’s Scott Showalter ending the Cowboys’ hopes of regaining the lead.
The Eagles did not waste much time in taking advantage of the turnover.
Waurika drove 43 yards in eight plays – overcoming two holding penalties – to get the go-ahead score.
Kevin Garcia covered the final eight yards on the ground to put Waurika up, 12-6, with 11:13 left in the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed.
The Cowboys’ next possession also ended in a turnover. Garcia picked off an errant Cowboy pass and returned it 24 yards to give Waurika the ball at the Ryan 40 yard line.
Waurika scored in seven plays – overcoming another holding penalty and a sack. Aaron Nitka found Colton Bryant for a 37-yard touchdown pass to give Waurika an 18-6 lead with 3:28 left before the half.
The Eagles attempted another onside kick, but it was recovered by the Cowboys’ Kalen Weldon.
However, on Ryan’s first play – a pass completion to Weldon – was fumbled and the Eagle defender fought off Weldon for the ball to set Waurika up again with a short field.
On the first play after the turnover, Nitka found Hunter Wesberry wide open for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 3:12 still left before the half. The two-point conversion once again failed, but Waurika held a commanding 24-6 lead.
Weldon recovered yet another Waurika onside kickoff attempt giving the Cowboys excellent field position at the Ryan 42-yard line. Another third down completion, a 16-yard run and a Waurika personal foul penalty helped the Cowboys move to the Waurika seven.
G. Tomberlin capped the 58-yard drive with a seven-yard scamper for the score diving into the right corner of the end zone with just 30 seconds left in the half. The Cowboys tried a halfback pass for the two-point conversion, but the receiver ran the wrong way and the pass fell incomplete
However, the Cowboys had narrowed the gap to 24-12 heading into intermission.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Eagles moved from their own eight to the Waurika 42 before the drive stalled. On fourth down the Eagles faked a punt, but the pass from Turner Mora to Cathey was stopped for no gain giving Ryan the ball.
In just four plays the Cowboys drove the distance with G. Tomberlin finishing off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. The two point conversion failed, but with 7:34 left in the third quarter Ryan had narrowed the score to 24-18.
The Eagles’ next drive ended at the Ryan 24 when a fourth-down play was stopped by the Cowboy defense after an errant snap from scrimmage by the Eagles.
The Cowboys could not take advantage as Cathey recovered another Ryan fumble at the Ryan 48 to give Waurika an opportunity to increase the lead.
The Eagles did exactly that.
In just five plays – aided by a Ryan personal foul penalty – Waurika went the distance for the score. Cathey capped the drive with a one-yard run.
On the two-point conversion the Eagles completed a pass, but the receiver was ruled to be ineligible and on the second try, the Eagles’ rushing attempt was thwarted leaving the score at 30-18 with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
The Cowboys took possession at the Cowboy 25 after the kickoff return and were able to drive 75 yards in eight plays. G. Tomberlin found River Williams for a 29-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed again, but Ryan had narrowed the gap to 36-30 with 7:16 left in the game.
Waurika set up its next possession at the Eagle 48 following a 28-yard kickoff return by Mora. The Eagles were able to drive to the Ryan 37, but on fourth down, G. Tomberlin intercepted a pass and the Cowboys took over.
After two incomplete passes and a bad snap that resulted in a 17-yard loss, the Cowboys were forced to punt and Waurika took over with only 5:12 left in the game.
The Eagles were able to drive to the Ryan 16, but a penalty and two plays that resulted in losses of 10 yards put the Eagles in a fourth-and-23 situation.
The fourth down pass fell incomplete giving Ryan the ball at the Cowboys’ 31-yard line with 1:14 left.
This is where G. Tomberlin went to work for the tying score. A key fourth down pass to Williams resulted in a first down at the Waurika 47.
On first down, G. Tomberlin found his brother Dawson and the Cowboy back caught the pass and rambled 32 yards before being brought down at the Waurika 15.
G. Tomberlin spiked the ball on first down leaving the Cowboys with 26 seconds to try to tie the game.
A second down pass fell incomplete with 21 seconds left setting up a third down.
G. Tomberlin was able to find Skyler Parkhill in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard scoring pass that tied the score with 14 seconds left.
The quarterback sneak on the two-point conversion was stopped just short of the goal line to deprive the Cowboys of the win in regulation.
In the first overtime period, the Eagles took possession first and lost five yards on first down. A second-down pass fell incomplete and after a third down play resulted in a penalty pushing the Eagles back to the Ryan 20.
The third down pass was incomplete as Nitka was under heavy pressure. The fourth down pass was intercepted by Williams to end Waurika’s first overtime possession.
The Cowboys’ first two plays from scrimmage resulted in six yards to the Ryan 4, but a third down pitch was errant causing D. Tomberlin to lose his balance resulting in a three-yard loss.
A fourth down pass fell incomplete ending the first overtime.
The Cowboys got the ball first in the second overtime and G. Tomberlin covered the 10 yards on the first play from scrimmage with a run right up the middle for the score. The two-point conversion-pass from G. Tomberlin to D. Tomberlin was good to put the Cowboys in front, 44-36.
Waurika threatened to score in its possession as a first down play resulted in a six-yard gain by Cathey. Nitka’s lateral to Mora resulted in three yards with the Cowboys making the stop at the one.
A third-down rush resulted in a loss of two yards and on fourth and three, the Eagles fumbled the snap and the ball rolled around before being recovered at the Ryan seven.
That sent the Cowboy bench and the home crowd into a frenzied celebration.
Nitka was outstanding at quarterback for the Eagles as he was able to pick apart the Cowboys’ secondary – especially in the first half. Nitka finished the night with 21 of 36 for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
Cathey, the outstanding senior tight end for the Eagles, finished with nine catches for 119 yards and one touchdown. He also added a touchdown on the ground.
G. Tomberlin, the Cowboys’ freshman signal-caller, finished the night with 99 yards rushing on 21 attempts and four touchdowns. He connected on 10 of his 19 attempts for 224 yards and three touchdowns giving him a hand in every Ryan touchdown.
HIGHWAY 81 RIVALRY MUSINGS: The 362 yards passing by the Eagles is the second most ever by a Ryan opponent….The 44 points scored by the Cowboys ties the mark for most points scored in the series with the Eagles….Both teams had over 400 total yards of offense – 465 for Waurika and 403 for Ryan….The Eagles had only four runs of 10 yards or more in 39 attempts, while Ryan was not much better with six runs of 10 or more yards in 21 attempts…The 224 yards passing by the Cowboys was the eighth most in school history….The 224 yards passing by G. Tomberlin is also the eighth best mark in school history….Waurika still leads the series with the Cowboys, 40-17-3….The eight-man meetings have resulted in each team having three wins….This was the first time in 60 meetings a game has gone into overtime since the rule was instituted in 1975…The overtime game for Ryan was the first for the Cowboys since 2007, while Waurika’s last extra-period game was in 2010…This game was one of only three games across Oklahoma that went into overtime last week…The 36 points scored by Waurika is the third most points scored in a losing cause in school history behind the 54 points scored last year against Seiling and the 39 points scored against Ringling in 1980…The Eagles also scored 36 in a loss to Cyril in 2013…Waurika converted Ryan’s first three turnovers into scores in building a 24-6 advantage in the first half of the game…The Eagles also scored after Ryan’s fourth turnover….The win by the Cowboys breaks a three-game winning streak by Waurika in this series….A large crowd witnessed this thriller – possibly as many as 800 fans were at the game.
While all the games played up to this matter certainly have meaning, they do not match the intensity that is about to occur tomorrow night as the District B-4 schools begin district play.
All districts across the state began play a couple of weeks ago, but because of Class B having eight districts, each district only has five or six teams.
So for the remaining five weeks of the season Ryan and Waurika and the rest of District B-4 will be playing for a district title and a playoff spot. The top four teams in the district qualify for post-season play.
Only two schools – Waurika and Wilson – finished the non-district play with wins last Friday.
And, both Waurika and Wilson went through the non-district slate unbeaten.
Wilson is 5-0 on the year, while Waurika is 4-0. The two teams open district play by facing off at Wilson tomorrow night (Friday).
Last Friday Wilson rolled to a 54-6 victory over Maud, while Waurika scored a 48-0 road victory over Caddo.
Ryan had a bye last Friday and will take a 3-2 mark into district play tomorrow night against Empire at home.
Empire is 2-3 on the year, but has played a slightly tougher schedule than the Cowboys including last week’s 52-24 loss to Class B’s fifth-ranked Alex Longhorns.
Two Stephens County rivals – Central High and Bray-Doyle square off in the other district fray.
Bray-Doyle carries a 2-3 mark into district action, while Central High is 1-3.
Central High, who continues to struggle with injuries and depth, fell to a talented Cyril club, 46-0.
Bray-Doyle met Strother in the final non-district game for the Donkeys and came out on the short end of a 48-16 game. The Yellowjackets had seven players ejected in a skirmish during the game and Bray-Doyle had one player tossed out of the game.
Katelynn Dabbs and Juliet Spangler pushing each other at the state Cross Country meet in Shawnee
Photo by Amy Morgan
The Ryan Cowgirl cross country team finished the most successful season in school history last Saturday at Shawnee’s Gordon Cooper Technology Center – the site of the Class 2A State Cross Country Meet.
The Cowgirls finished in a tied for fifth place with Cherokee. Both teams had 192 points. Team places are settled by the finish of the sixth runner on each team and Cherokee earned the tie-breaker.
Katelynn Dabbs and Juliet Spangler pushing each other at the state Cross Country meet in Shawnee Photo by Amy Morgan
Boise City-Keyes won the Class 2A girls’ title with 78 points, but Hooker was right behind with 80 points and Watonga was third with 90 points.
It was a much more conducive day for a cross-country race than last week’s regional meets around the state. The Class 2A girls’ division featured the 21 teams that qualified in the regionals last week and 157 total runners.
Photo by Amy Morgan
Lilybet Harmon placed the Cowgirl team members with a 42nd-place finish. Her time was 13:39.3 over the 3,200-meter course. Harmon’s time was just short of her best time of the season set at the Cameron University meet a couple of weeks ago.
Holland Carter, the only senior on Coach Steve Spangler’s squad, was 47th for the Cowgirls and finished with a time of 13:50.1, which was an individual best for the 2018 season.
Photo by Amy Morgan
Finishing 53rd for the Cowgirls was Juliet Spangler with a time of 13:55.4. Spangler was appearing in her third state meet after qualifying as an individual her freshman year.
Freshman Katlyn Dabbs was 54th for the Cowgirls with a time of 13:56.9 and that was just two seconds above her best finish of the season which came at the Cameron meet.
Coach Spangler presented Senior, Holland Carter with a heartfelt speech and a photo album of her Cross Country career Photo by Amy Morgan
Lily York was next for the Cowgirls and finished just behind Dabbs in 56th place with a time of 13:58.2. York’s time was also a personal best for the 2018 season.
Rounding out the team finishers for the Cowgirls was Alicyn Williams, who was 111th and recorded a time of 15:32.6. The Cowgirl freshman bested her top time of the season by over 10 seconds in the state meet.
Lilybet Harmon lead the Ryan Cowboys at State Cross Country in Shawnee Photo by Amy Morgan
The competition at state marked the end of incredible achievements by the Cowgirl cross country squad in only their third season of competing as a team.
The Cowgirls won meets at Waurika, Walters, Frederick, Healdton and Cameron University. The team successfully defended the titles won in 2017 at Waurika and Healdton.
The Cowgirl harriers also finished second at Sulphur and third at the Class 2A regional and were ranked among the top 10 girls’ cross country teams in Class 2A all season.
In was a slow start for the Waurika Eagles last Friday night in the second round playoff contest with Cherokee, but the Eagles broke loose for a 58-14 win over the Chiefs with the aid of five Cherokee interceptions.
Waurika will hit the road for the quarterfinal round. The Eagles travel to Davenport on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Eagles had a few turnover problems, too, as the first two Eagle drives ended with a fumble and an interception.
Turner Mora looking for an open receiver. Photo by Curtis Plant
But the Waurika defense held its ground and forced Cherokee to punt on its first two offensive thrusts.
After the second punt, the Eagles took the ball at the Waurika 18 and marched 82 yards in just eight plays for the first score of the game.
Turner Mora connected with Aaron Nitka and Hunter Wesberry on two big pass plays to help the Eagles advance down the field.
Kevin Garcia racing toward the end-zone. Photo by Curtis Plant
Zac Brown capped the drive with a six-yard run and Colton Bryant ran for the two points to give the Eagles an 8-0 advantage with 1:40 left in the first period.
Cherokee answered the score after Kade Chace returned the kickoff to the Cherokee 44 yard line. It took the Chiefs five plays to get the game-tying score.
On the first play of the second quarter, Chace found 6-8 wide receiver Blake Hall in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Chace added the two-point conversion with 11:55 left before intermission.
Photo by Curtis Plant
The Eagles were forced to punt on the ensuing series and the Chiefs took over at their own 27-yard line.
The Chiefs drove down the field, but on a second down pass by Chace, Waurika’s Wesberry made a diving interception to thwart the drive and give the Eagles possession at their own two.
Disaster struck on the first play for the Eagles as they fumbled the handoff and Cherokee’s Damein Labato recovered just inside the end zone for the Chief touchdown. The run failed, but the Chiefs were in front, 14-8 with 7:23 left before the half.
The Waurika Defense. Photo by Curtis Plant
This was only the second time this season the Eagles have trailed in a game, but they responded well to the challenge.
After a 12-yard kickoff return by Kevin Garcia, the Eagles were in business at their own 48. Overcoming a penalty, the Eagles drove the distance in seven plays with Mora getting the score on a one-yard plunge. Mora connected with Aaron Nitka for the two-point conversion and Waurika was back in front, 16-14, with 4:19 left in the second quarter.
Things began to turn south from this point as Treavor Green could not handle a pooch kickoff by the Eagles and Austin Dyer was there to recover the ball for the Eagles.
Cherokee forced another Waurika punt, but Payton Ream let the ball go through his hands and Edwin Garcia was downfield for the Eagles to recover the ball.
Coach Joe Allen talking with Turner Mora. Photo by Curtis Plant
A Cherokee penalty on the play put Waurika at the Chiefs’ seven-yard line and in just two plays the Eagles’ Mora got the score from five yards out. Matt Arriolla ran for the two-point conversion giving Waurika 24-14 lead with 2:21 left in the half.
Following a Cherokee penalty on its first play, Wesberry picked off his second pass of the game and returned it to the Cherokee 24 giving the Eagles another golden opportunity.
The Eagles covered the distance in just four plays with Mora getting the touchdown on a two-yard run. K. Garcia ran for the two points and with just 40 seconds showing on the clock, Waurika held a commanding 32-14 lead.
Waurika sideline. Photo by Curtis Plant
The second half belonged to the Eagles. The defense stepped up and thwarted three of the four Cherokee possessions by snaring interceptions. The other possession the Eagles held Cherokee on fourth down.
Meanwhile, the Waurika offense continued to churn out scoring drives to dominate the second half.
On Cherokee’s first possession of the second half, K. Garcia picked off an errant Cherokee pass and returned the ball 33 yards to the Cherokee 27 yard line.
K. Garcia went the distance on first down for the score to increase Waurika’s lead to 38-14 with 9:15 to play in the third quarter.
Waurika defensive player stopping a Cherokee runner. Photo by Curtis Plant
The next Cherokee drive also ended with an interception by Mora. He returned it 23 yards from the Waurika one, but a Waurika holding penalty set the Eagles back to the Waurika 15.
The Eagles engineered a 10-play, 85-yard scoring drive and the scoring play was a 22-yard pass from Mora to Nitka. After the two-point conversion failed, the Eagles held a 44-14 lead with 3:12 left in the third quarter.
Cherokee was able to pick up a first down on the ensuing possession, but the Eagle defense stuffed a fourth down and short run to take the ball over on downs.
This time it took the Eagles 12 plays to cover 60 yards for another score. Arriolla was heading into the end zone for the score but fumbled and Jordan Watkins fell on the loose ball for the Waurika touchdown. Mora ran for the two-point conversion giving Waurika a 52-14 lead with just 7:52 left in the game.
Front row (l-r) Mallory Adkins, Nicole Burton, Lexi Streeter, Tallon Mora, Faith Roberson, Back row: (l-r) Kaci Reynolds, Emily Waid, Regina Bradley, Gracie Walling, Olivia Ralls, Madison Christian, and Kaitlyn Washburn Photo by Curtis Plant
On the kickoff, Cherokee failed to field the ball and Mora raced down the field to cover the ball giving the Eagles possession at the Cherokee 28. On the first play, Mora raced 28 yards for the score. The two-point conversion that would have ended the game by the mercy rule failed, but with 7:44 remaining in the game the final margin was established.
Cherokee moved the ball to the Waurika 16 on the following possession, but K. Garcia ended that threat with an interception in the end zone and Waurika successfully ran off the final 3:07 of the game to secure the win.
K. Garcia picked up 170 yards on 14 carries for the Eagles, while Arriolla, who came in for an injured Bryant, added 105 yards on 11 carries.
Wesberry and K. Garcia each had two interceptions for the Waurika defense and that helped limit the Chiefs to only 58 offensive plays compared to Waurika’s 72 plays.
EAGLE FLIGHTS:
After the Chiefs scored their second touchdown in the second quarter it marked only the second time all season Waurika has trailed an opponent….The 58 points scored is the second highest total by Waurika in a playoff game…The 1951 state championship team put up 65 points on Okemah in the state finals that year….The 170 yards rushing by K. Garcia is the top rushing mark for the season by a Waurika player….Mora’s four touchdowns on the ground was a season-high for the Eagle quarterback….It is also the most rushing touchdowns by any Waurika player this season…The 10 penalties whistled against the Eagles is the most this season and the 85 yards in penalties against Waurika is the most yards penalized this season….The 58 points scored by Waurika is tied for the third highest number of points scored in a game in 2018…Arriolla’s 105 yards rushing is also the top mark of the season for the freshman running back…The 374 yards rushing for the Eagles is the most this year and the first time they have topped the 300-yard mark mainly because only two games went the full four quarters during the season.
Game in Figures
CHS WHS
First Downs 1223
Yards Rushing 34-132 54-374
Yards Passing 102133
Passes 8-12 9-16
Passes Int. By15
Fumbles, Lost1-1 3-2
Punts 2-33 2-39
Penalties4-30 10-95
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Cheroke 01400–14
Waurika 8241214–58
WAURIKA – Zac Brown 6 run (Colton Bryant run), 1:40, 1st Quarter
CHEROKEE – Blake Hall 12 pass from Kade Chace (Chace run), 11:55, 2nd Quarter
CHEROKEE – Damien Labato recovered fumble in end zone (run failed), 7:23, 2nd Quarter
WAURIKA – Turner Mora 4 run (Aaron Nitka pass from Mora), 4:19, 2nd Quarter
WAURIKA – Mora 5 run (Matt Arriolla run), 2:21, 2nd Quarter
WAURIKA – Mora 2 run (Kevin Garcia), :40, 2nd Quarter
WAURIKA – Garcia 27 run (run failed), 9:15, 3rd Quarter
WAURIKA – Nitka 22 pass from Mora (run failed), 3:12, 3rd Quarter
WAURIKA – Jordan Watkins recovered fumble in end zone (Mora run), 7:52, 4th Quarter
WAURIKA – Mora 28 run (run failed), 7:44, 4th Quarter
Track is one of those sports where team and individual performances are tied together.
A string of strong individual showings in a few events can go a long way in helping a team earn a meet title.
At Waurika in the decade of the 1930’s there was no shortage of outstanding individual performances.
A number of these individuals for the Eagles went on to participate in track in college. Or, track played a role in them earning a spot on collegiate football squads.
Results for the first four years of the decade are scarce, but a few performers can be identified as standouts for the Eagles.
In 1930, Charles Rhoades was a ringleader for the Eagle squads. He won the conference title in the pole vault and placed in the 440-yard dash, the mile run, the long jump, the javelin and the 880 in the county meet held at Ryan that year. He aided the Eagles to earn a team title over the Cowboys.
Rhoades was the champion at the 1931 county meet in the 440 and he placed in the 100, 200 and the pole vault as Waurika earned the team title.
One of the standouts during the 1932, 1933 and 1934 track seasons was Tillie Roach. He went on to give up track and play football at the University of Tulsa.
Roach was the conference champion in the 120 high hurdles at the conference meet in 1932 and he placed in the same event as well as the 200 yard dash at the OU Invitational.
Another outstanding performer for the Eagles beginning in 1933 was R.V. Wright. He won the 120 high hurdles at OU and had the best time in the state in that event at 16.1. He went on to star in track at Oklahoma A&M, where in 1939 he was the team captain for the Aggie track squad.
R.V. Wright also ran in an invitation only 120 high hurdles race during halftime of the 1939 Sugar Bowl football game.
He was also part of the seven-man team that was so successful in 1934. Roach was on this squad along with Roscoe Long, Tubby Daniel, Elmer Wright, Fuzzy Fowler and Hurschel Sparkman.
The mile relay team of Roach, R.V. Wright, Long and Daniels was the conference champion in the mile relay with a time of 3:33.7.
Sparkman won the 220 low hurdles, while Daniel won the 440 and Fowler earned the title in the mile run and the 880.
In the 120 high hurdles, R.V. Wright set a meet record in winning the race, while Sparkman and Roach were second and third respectively. Elmer Wright rounded out the meet champions with a first place finish in the discus.
Elmer Wright eventually went on to a track career at Connors State in Warner.
At the OU meet in 1934, Roach was the 220 yard low hurdles and R.V. Wright finished second and Sparkman was third. R.V. Wright also earned the title in the 120 yard high hurdles.
Fowler was a meet champion at OU in the 880 and the mile run and Elmer Wright was the champion in the discus, setting a meet record in the process.
In 1935, fewer results are available, but Sparkman began to establish himself as an outstanding hurdler. He won both the 200 low hurdles and the 120 high hurdles at the OU meet that season and set meet records along the way. Sparkman eventually went on to run track at Oklahoma A&M.
Sparkman, Fowler and Long returned for the 1936 track season.
Sparkman continued to dominate the hurdles events, while Fowler won the mile run in every meet he participated in during the 1936 season.
Jackie Taylor, who became an outstanding athlete at Waurika, began to make his mark during the 1936 season. Taylor earned a runner up spot in the 220 yard dash and third place in the 440 yard dash at the OU meet.
At OU that same season, Sparkman won both hurdles’ events and Fowler was a champion in the mile run.
Those performances spurred Waurika to the team title in 1936 at OU.
Taylor began to dominate in the sprints during the 1937 track season. He was a county champion in both the 100 and 220 and also the shot put.
Taylor won three events – the 100, 220 and the 440 – at the OU meet which would be equal to sweeping the state title in three events today, which is rarely done. Taylor also anchored the 888-yard relay to a first-place finish for Waurika at OU.
Sparkman won the county meet in the 200 low hurdles, but finished second to teammate Rex Lewis in the 120 high hurdles.
Oral Hairston was a key member of the 1937 squad as he also competed in the hurdles for the Eagles.
During the 1938 season, Hairston took over for Sparkman in the hurdles and was nearly as dominate. He won the 120 high hurdles at the Southwestern Exposition Invitational at Fort Worth and helped Waurika to the team title.
Hairston was the top point producer at the 1938 Southern Six Conference meet as he was responsible for 15.25 of Waurika’s title-winning 83.3 points.
At OU in 1938, Hairston was the champion in the 120 high hurdles and the hop, skip and jump event. He finished third in the 220 low hurdles.
Hairston finished out his career at Waurika in 1939. He was the conference champion in the 200-yard low hurdles and finished third in the 120 high hurdles. He also won the pole vault that season at the conference meet. Waurika won the 1939 conference title in overwhelming fashion.
These men and a number of others were the people responsible for Waurika becoming the “track capitol of Oklahoma” during the decade of the 1930’s.
