Cowgirls Split Games; Cowboys Drop Two Games

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January 29, 2020

It has been a busy last few days for the Ryan Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball squads.

After playing in the Healdton Tournament over the weekend, the two squads had regular season games at Bray-Doyle on Monday and Geronimo on Raymon West Court at Ryan on Tuesday.

Ryan continues the busy schedule as the regular season begins to come to a close. The Cowboys and Cowgirls are slated to travel to Turner tonight and will return to action at Grandfield on Monday. Action begins at 6:30 on both nights.

In Tuesday’s contests, Geronimo took a 41-37 decision over the Cowgirls, while the Blue Jays completed the sweep with a 58-42 victory over the Cowboys.

The Cowgirls and Cowboys split the twinbill with Bray-Doyle. The Cowgirls picked up a 55-42 win over the Lady Donkeys, while the Cowboys dropped a tough 45-35 loss to Bray-Doyle.

One of the highlights on Tuesday night was a second Cowgirl was cited for joining the 1,000-point club during this season. Lily York, who reached the mark earlier, was honored after scoring her first points of the night.

The Cowgirls, however, struggled throughout most of the game on Tuesday against the Lady Blue Jays. Geronimo established a 10-5 lead after the first quarter and then found themselves trailing, 23-14, at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Cowgirls mounted a rally with a 17-5 run that saw Ryan take the lead at 31-28 after three quarters.

However, the task of playing five games in six nights caught up with the Cowgirls in the fourth quarter as they could not maintain the lead and Geronimo outscored the Cowgirls, 13-6.

Samantha Good, the other Cowgirl to reach the 1,000 point plateau, was the top scorer for the Cowgirls with 13 points, while Juliet Spangler added 11 tallies.

The Cowgirls have now lost six of the last seven meetings with the Lady Blue Jays.

The Cowboys fell to Geronimo for the sixth time in the past seven meetings and it was their fourth straight loss of this season.

The game was essentially decided in the first quarter as Geronimo used a 17-3 run to build a big lead.

The Cowboys were able to trim the deficit to 26-19 by halftime, but could not continue the rally.

The Blue Jays outscored the Cowboys, 19-11, in the third quarter to lead 45-30 and ensure there would be no come-from-behind success for the Cowboys on this night.

Andrew Villerreal and Landen Alexander each had 10 points for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys struggled at the free throw line as they connected on only 12 of 23 attempts from the charity stripe.

In Monday’s game at Bray-Doyle, the Cowgirls got off to a slow start.

Really it was more like an awful start as the Lady Donkeys built a 17-7 lead early in the game, but the Cowgirls rallied through the next three quarters to secure the win.

Free throw shooting can make a difference in a game as many contests are won and lost at the charity stripe.

One of the reasons for the slow start by the Cowgirls was only 4 of 12 shooting from the free throw line – a 33% mark.

Meanwhile, Bray-Doyle was a perfect six of six at the free throw line and that helped the Lady Donkeys to gain the early lead.

But, one of the key factors in the Cowgirl rally was sharper shooting at the free throw line in the second half as they connected on 13 of 16 free throws.

The Cowgirls actually took a narrow 20-19 lead into the intermission.

A 14-6 run in the third quarter helped the Cowgirls get control of the game as they led, 34-25, heading into the final quarter.

The Cowgirl offense came alive in the fourth quarter with 21 points and while they gave up 17 to the Lady Donkeys, the Cowgirls secured the 13-point win.

Three Cowgirls were in double figures. York was the top scorer for the Cowgirls with 20 points – including six of six free throws in the final quarter.

Good contributed 13 and Spangler added 11 points for the Cowgirls.

The 55 points against Bray-Doyle by the Cowgirls is the most since the 1992 season and the two teams have split the last six meetings.

There was no come-from-behind story for the Cowboys, however, as Bray-Doyle was able to pick up its first win of the season.

The Donkeys sped to a 19-8 lead after the first quarter and managed to thwart any hope of a Cowboy rally.

Marshall Loveday led the Donkey offensive output in the first quarter with 12 of his game-high 19 points coming in the initial quarter.

The Cowboys cut into the lead before the half with an 11-6 advantage in the second quarter to leave the deficit for the Cowboys at 25-19 at the half.

It was a brutal third quarter that sealed the Cowboys’ fate as they managed only three points in the quarter. The Donkeys were able to extend the lead to 34-22 at the end of the period.

The Cowboys were able to gain a 13-11 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome the Bray-Doyle lead.

Below average free throw shooting helped prevent any hope of a Ryan comeback as the Cowboys connected on only nine of 20 free throws for the game.

Villarreal and Grayson Tomberlin paced the Cowboys in scoring with eight points each.

The Cowboys have now lost three straight to the Donkeys.

Cowgirls Snap Seven-Game Skid With Win Over OSD

By

Trey Smart

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February 2, 2018

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Ryan-Basketball-1 — Photo by Sheree Hanson

Juliet Spangler exploded for 31 points to lift the Ryan Cowgirls over Oklahoma School for the Deaf, 46-29, at Sulphur Tuesday night.

In the boys’ game Oklahoma School for the Deaf broke out to a nine-point lead early and fought off a Cowboy rally to claim a 54-50 victory over the Cowboys.

Spangler’s scoring spree for the Cowgirls was the most points scored by a Cowgirl since Alana Martin poured in 38 points against Grandfield in 2009.

In the first quarter Spangler, a sophomore, scored eight of the Cowgirls’ 10 points as Ryan took a 10-6 lead over the Lady Indians heading to the second period.

The Cowgirls needed every point by Spangler in the first half as OSD hung tough and trailed, 24-18, at intermission.

In the third quarter, the Cowgirls buckled down on defense holding the Lady Indians to only a single point, while the Cowgirls were putting up 16 points to extend the lead to 40-19.

Spangler had only four points to finish out the contest, but she had 12 two-pointers, one trey and connected on four of nine free throws to account for the 31 points.

Lily York also scored in double figures with 12 points for the Cowgirls who are still short-handed because of the injury bug.

Steve Spangler’s club improved to 5-10 on the year and the Cowgirls hold a 9-0 lead in the series with OSD that began in 2013.

The Cowboys fell behind early, 14-5, after the first frame, but narrowed the gap to 21-15 by halftime.

Thanks to some pin-point shooting from the outside, the Cowboys knotted the game at 29 after the third quarter.

The Cowboy rally was aided by three treys – one each by Dawson Tomberlin, Grayson Tomberlin and River Williams.

The fourth quarter turned into a real dog fight.

The Cowboys scored 21 points in the final quarter, but OSD managed to put 25 on the board behind Dylan Evans’ 16-point outburst.

Poor free throw shooting doomed the Cowboys as they hit only three of 10 attempts from the charity stripe. OSD was not much better but had nearly three times the opportunities. The Indians finished 14 of 28 for the game.

Evans finished with 28 points for the Indians, while G. Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 14 points. Joseph Martin added 12 points for Coach Judd Matthes’ squad.

The Cowboys fall to 3-12 on the year and it was the first loss to OSD in 10 meetings with the Indians on the hardwood.

Cowboys Get Thrilling Comeback Win over Bray-Doyle

By

Trey Smart

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October 26, 2018

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It was another amazing contest at Bob Givens Sports Complex last Thursday night as Ryan scored a come-from-behind 78-74 victory over Bray-Doyle.

The Cowboys have a huge district contest tomorrow night (Friday) as they travel to Skinny Stewart Field in Wilson to battle the Eagles. Ryan, Wilson and Central High are in a battle for the runner-up spot in District B-4.

The fans who stuck around for the end of last Thursday’s battle with the Donkeys will be talking about this one for a long time. A number of fans departed after Ryan established an 18-point advantage with 7:33 left in the game.

To Bray-Doyle’s credit, the Donkeys battled back to take the lead with 43 seconds to go before Ryan got the winning score with just four seconds left in the game.

The game had a number of momentum shifts and featured an offensive show by both teams. A number of school records were established during the game.

The Cowboys’ performance on offense was even more impressive considering they had to overcome 218 yards in penalties – many of which were against the offense.

Ryan scored first on Grayson Tomberlin’s 12-yard run that capped a 61-yard drive in six plays. The try for two failed, but Ryan led 6-0 with 8:44 to play in the first quarter.

Bray-Doyle came back to snag the lead with two touchdown catches by Curtis Cox – the first one for 14 yards and the second for 22 yards from quarterback Justin Miller. Both were outstanding catches. Mark Kilbourne ran for the two-point conversions and Bray held a 16-6 lead after the first quarter.

The Cowboys put together a 10-play, 54-yard drive with Tomberlin finding Skylar Parkhill on a 16-yard touchdown pass to narrow the score to 16-12 with 11:53 left in the second quarter.

Bray-Doyle answered with a 59-yard drive in just four plays. Dalton Whitehead got the final six yards on the ground and with 10:44 to play before intermission the Donkeys led, 22-12.

The Cowboys answered with a five-play, 58-yard drive. Parkhill got the rushing touchdown from 18 yards out. Kalen Weldon caught the two-point conversion pass from Tomberlin and Ryan had trimmed the lead to, 22-20, with 9:12 left in the half.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Donkeys failed to cover the pooch kick and Parkhill sped downfield to cover the loose ball.

This gave Ryan excellent field position at the Donkey 40 and Travis Fristoe finished the short drive with a 25-yard rushing burst for the score with 7:01 still to play in the second quarter. The Cowboys were back on top, 26-22.

The Donkeys looked poised to score again moving to the Ryan 22, but Tomberlin intercepted a pass in the end zone and after a Ryan penalty on the return, the Cowboys found themselves at their own two.

The Cowboys narrowly escaped disaster as a handoff was fumbled in the end zone, but Tomberlin alertly picked it up and made it out to the Cowboy 3.

After a critical third-down conversion, Tomberlin executed perfectly a screen pass to Parkhill and the Cowboy senior took it 70 yards for the score. Tomberlin found Andrew Villerreal for the two-point conversion pass and Ryan extended the lead to 34-22 with 1:49 left to play in the half.

Another penalty on the Cowboys on the kickoff return gave the Donkeys the ball at the Cowboy 39. It took six plays, but Kilbourne found Tully Booth on the halfback pass for a 17-yard score. Whitehead ran for the two points and the Cowboy lead was narrowed to 34-30 with just 20 seconds left to play in the half.

After Gunner Phillips returned the kickoff 14 yards to the Ryan 35, Tomberlin and Parkhill connected on another screen pass and Parkhill raced 65 yards and crossed the goal line as the halftime buzzer sounded. Tomberlin ran for the two points and the Ryan lead was stretched to 42-30 at the half.

The Donkeys took the second-half kickoff and marched 54 yards on seven plays with Whitehead getting the score from one yard out. Kilbourne ran for the two points and the Cowboy margin was cut to 42-38.

Ryan answered with a 68-yard drive on only four plays. Tomberlin again found Parkhill loose and Parkhill took the pass and covered the final 50 yards for the score. Tomberlin ran for the two points and Ryan was in front, 50-38, with 7:24 left in the third quarter.

Another Donkey drive was thwarted by a Tomberlin interception at the Ryan five and after yet another Ryan penalty the Cowboys set up on offense at the Ryan 13.

It took Ryan only three plays to travel 87 yards. Fristoe scampered for 36 yards on first down, Parkhill got seven on the next play and then Tomberlin bolted 43 yards for a touchdown. The run failed, but with 4:45 left in the third quarter Ryan was now in front, 56-38.

The Donkeys answered, however, with Whitehead getting a four-yard rushing touchdown and Miller adding the extra point to trim the lead back to 56-44 with 2:28 left in the third frame.

Phillips had another outstanding return on the ensuing kickoff as he fielded the ball at the Cowboy 17 and took it 44 yards to the Bray-Doyle 34. It took Ryan six plays, but Fristoe ended the drive with a four-yard rushing score putting Ryan back in front, 62-46, with 11:23 to play in the game.

The next Donkey drive was aided by 31 yards in Ryan penalties and covered 62 yards in only six plays. Miller got the score on a quarterback sneak from one yard out and the Ryan lead was cut to 62-52 with 9:43 still left in the game.

The Cowboys answered the threat with a four-play, 81-yard drive for a score. Parkhill carried the ball the final 29 yards for the score and after Tomberlin added with two-point conversion the Cowboys seemed comfortably in front, 70-52.

The Donkeys had no quit in them. They took the kickoff and marched 56 yards in six plays helped along by a targeting penalty. Miller ran for the score from eight yards out and Kilbourne ran for the two points and with 4:43 left in the game Ryan held a 70-60 advantage.

What the Cowboys could not afford happened on the next drive as on the first play the Cowboys fumbled and the Donkeys recovered giving Bray-Doyle possession at the Ryan 39.

A highly-questionable pass interference call aided the Donkey cause and a key pass play that bounced off Weldon’s hands into the hands of the Donkey receiver helped Bray put together the scoring drive. Whitehead finished the effort with a five-yard run and after Kilbourne ran for the two points, Ryan clung to a 70-68 lead with 3:12 left to play.

The Cowboys proceeded to try to run out the clock and moved the ball from the Ryan 26 to the Donkey 38 when another borderline call went in favor of the Donkeys as Bray recovered a fumble that appeared to happen after Tomberlin was on the ground.

This put Bray with possession at the 1:37 mark and 72 yards away from the go-ahead score. Two 15-yard penalties on the Cowboys and two big plays moved the ball to the Ryan 18 with one minute left. Two plays later Miller found the end zone from six yards out to give Bray-Doyle the lead.

The Cowboys, however, did not give up. The Cowboys took possession at their own 33 after a 14-yard return by Phillips on the kickoff.

After a first-down incompletion, Tomberlin found Fristoe across the middle for a 48-yard gain putting the ball at the Donkey 19 with 22 seconds left.

An 18-yard scamper by Tomberlin put the ball near the goal line. Tomberlin finished off the drive with a one-yard score and also ran for the two points giving Ryan the lead again.

Bray-Doyle had one final play but the halfback pass fell incomplete and Ryan had sealed the win.

Parkhill and Tomberlin were again outstanding for the Cowboys on offense. Parkhill rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries and had 215 yards receiving on five catches.

Tomberlin combined for 549 yards of offense with 273 yards rushing on 25 carries and 276 yards passing on just seven completions. Add 13 yards of interception returns and he had a total of 562 all-purpose yards.

Four school records were broken in the contest.

Game in Figures

BDHS RHS

First Downs 31 24

Yards Rushing 50-356 47-366

Yards Passing 151 276

Passes 9-14 7-10

Passes Int. By 0 2

Fumbles, Lost 1-0 6-2

Punts 0-0 1-34

Penalties 6-52 24-218 SCORE BY QUARTERS

Bray-Doyle 16 14 14 30–74

Ryan 6 36 14 22–78

FIRST QUARTER

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 12 run (run failed), 8:44

BRAY-DOYLE – Curtis Cox 14 pass from Justin Miller (Mark Kilbourne run), 7:26

BRAY-DOYLE – Cox 22 pass from Miller (Kilbourne run), 4:39

SECOND QUARTER

RYAN – Skylar Parkhill 16 pass from Tomberlin (run failed), 11:53

BRAY-DOYLE – Dalton Whitehead 6 run (pass failed), 10:44

RYAN – Parkhill 18 run (Kalen Weldon pass from Tomberlin), 9:18

RYAN – Travis Fristoe 1 run (pass failed), 7:01

RYAN – Parkhill 70 pass from Tomberlin (Andrew Villerreal pass from Tomberlin), 1:49

BRAY-DOYLE – Tully Booth 17 pass from Miller (Whitehead run),: 20.3

RYAN – Parkhill 65 pass from Tomberlin (Tomberlin run),: 00

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

BRAY-DOYLE: Rushing – Kilbourne 20-145, Whitehead 18-109, Miller 12-102; Passing – Miller 8-12-136-2; Kilbourne 1-2-15-0; Receiving – Kilbourne 3-62, Cox 3-47, Booth 2-28, Whitehead 1-16.

RYAN: Rushing – Tomberlin 25-273, Parkhill 14-117, Fristoe 8-76; Passing – Tomberlin 7-10-276-0; Receiving – Parkhill 5-215, Fristoe 1-48, Villerreal 1-13; Tackles – Pacen Wiest 15, Tomberlin 11, Villerreal 11, Walter Snider 9, Justin Williams 7, Gunner Phillips 5, Parkhill 5, Trey Bryant 4, Weldon 4, Sam Brown 3, Caleb Perrin 2, Raesh Casebolt 1.toe 5, Justin Williams 3, Parkhill 3, Phillips 1.

Eagles Intercept Cherokee Threat to Earn Playoff Win

By

Trey Smart

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November 21, 2018

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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.

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.

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 12 23

Yards Rushing 34-132 54-374

Yards Passing 102 133

Passes 8-12 9-16

Passes Int. By 1 5

Fumbles, Lost 1-1 3-2

Punts 2-33 2-39

Penalties 4-30 10-95

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Cheroke 0 14 0 0–14

Waurika 8 24 12 14–58

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

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

CHEROKEE: Rushing – Chace 18-76, Payton Ream 16-44, Labato 5-12; Passing – Chace 8-17-102-5; Receiving – Ream 3-38, Hall 2-27, Jacob Mustard 2-14, Blaine Hellar 1-23.

WAURIKA – Rushing – K. Garcia 14-170, Arriolla 11-105, Mora 14-54, Brown 9-39, Bryant 5-9, Austin Dyer 1- -3; Passing: Mora 9-16-133-1; Receiving: Nitka 3-62, Arriola 2-22, Hunter Wesberry 1-26, Brown 1-13, Bryant 1-5, K. Garcia 1-5

One More Go-Around For Three Jefferson County Grid Stars

Sports

By

Trey Smart

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June 14, 2018

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Two Ryan graduates and one Waurika graduate are set to compete in the annual Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Association’s all-star game in Miami which will feature nearly 80 of the top eight-man seniors from all parts of Oklahoma.

The contest kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Red Robertson Field. Game tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the gate. Concessions and game day merchandise will be available for purchase.

This annual event was designed to recognize and honor the finest eight-man football players throughout Oklahoma. Around 3,000 fans from across Oklahoma are expected to attend the game.

Dawson Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro of Ryan along with Waurika’s Seth Cathey will be competing for the Gold team in the annual showcase of eight-man football talent in Oklahoma.

In addition two Ryan cheerleaders, Holland Carter and Laken DeBoard will be part of the cheerleader squads for the game.

Serving as a counselor for the week-long all-star game preparation is Ryan assistant coach Tony Tomberlin.

Coaches for the Gold team include Tipton’s Travis White, Shane Weathers of Coyle, Gus Overstreet of Pioneer, Josh Been of Dewar and Cave Springs’ coach Tom Osburn.

The other participants from District B-4 of which Ryan and Waurika competed this past season are district champ Central High’s T.J. Birdwell and Hayden Cooper.

The Gold team is made up of all-stars from the even numbered districts in both Class B and C, while the Green team is comprised of players from the odd numbered districts in the two eight-man classifications.

This is the 16th year for the city of Miami to host the game. Prior to 2003, the game had been held in Alva since its inception in 1973. The first state champion for eight-man football was crowned in 1959.

Sponsors of the game include the City of Miami, the Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and the Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association (OEMFCA).

The players and coaches from around the state arrived in Miami on Tuesday and participated in a full schedule of activities that will lead up to Saturday’s game.

Those activities include a night at the night at the Historic Coleman Theatre, a cook-out in Riverview Park and swimming at the state’s largest municipal pool as well as an evening with hypnotist Joe Comet. The players will team up with the Ottawa County Boys & Girls Club on Friday for an afternoon of bowling at PlayLand Lanes.

Tomorrow night (Friday), the players, coaches and cheerleaders will participate in the annual awards banquet. The OEMFCA and the local organizing committee will award some $11,000 in scholarships for 10 players. The OEMFCA awards an additional $1,000 in scholarships for two of the all-star cheerleaders.

Cowgirl Harriers On A Roll Heading Into Regional Meet

By

Trey Smart

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October 18, 2019

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The fourth-ranked Ryan Cowgirl cross country team has accomplished something no team has ever done at Ryan – win three consecutive meets.

That feat was accomplished last Saturday when the Cowgirls claimed the team title at the Healdton Invitational on a cold fall morning near Healdton Lake.

And, the performances could not come at a better time as the Cowgirls prepare for the Class 2A Regional Cross Country meet on Saturday hosted by Waurika in Harmon Park.

The Cowgirls recorded 25 team points – the fewest in school history – and outdistanced second-place Waurika who finished with 41 points. The previous best score by a team was 26 set earlier this year at Frederick and last year at the Cameron meet.

Lilybet Harmon continued her outstanding senior season with another first-place finish in the individual race. It was also her third straight individual title.

Harmon covered the 2.1-mile course in a time of 13:23.88. She also won the meet titles at Sulphur and Frederick.

Katelyn Dabbs, perhaps the most improved runner for the Cowgirls this season, nabbed second place with a time of 13:39.44, which was 14 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.

Lily York captured sixth place with a time of 14:11.89 and Juliet Spangler finished eighth with a time of 14:15.94. Alicen Williams finished out the top ten performances by finishing 10th time a mark of 14:25.09.

Whittany Spangler also medaled for the Cowgirls by finishing in the 22nd spot, which is just one spot below her season-best set at Frederick. Her time was not available.

Grace Stamper finished 29th in the race – her best finish of the season.

The junior girls squad finished third in the team race behind Velma-Alma and Waurika.

The high school boys did not compete at Healdton

The high school girls and boys will be in action Saturday at the Class 2A Regional Cross Country Meet at Waurika on Saturday. The girls will run at 12 noon, while the boys will compete at 12:45 p.m.

The Cowgirls have an excellent chance to win the meet which would be the first regional title in school history and only the third time for a team to advance to the state meet. The top seven teams will qualify for the state competition.

Ryan Junior High Results

GIRLS: 5. Aubree Showalter; 9. Jasmine Villarreal; 21. Healther Poague. Alexis Shockley; Hannah Williams, Alyssa Phillips.

BOYS: 4. Koble Lewis, 11. Alex Uribe

Ryan Elementary Results

GIRLS: 1. Micah Villarreal; 2. Harleigh Loftin; 4. Lilah Regehr; 10. Annzlee Tomberlin; 12. Tianna Galindo; 13. Alyssa Harrison; 20. Lynnlee Tomberlin.

BOYS: 3. Kolton Rodriguez; 7. Breydon Brackeen; 8. Aaron Ortiz; 11. Keller Adsit; 13. Brian Porterfield; 14. Keylan Rodriguez; 20. Jake Reagan ; 21. Seth Duke;

Cowgirl Harriers Finish in Fifth Place Tie at State Meet

By

Trey Smart

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October 26, 2018

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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.

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.

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.

Businesses Invited to Decorate Doors

Sports

By

News Release

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September 9, 2022

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The Waurika High School Student Council is inviting downtown businesses to once again participate in the annual Homecoming Door Decorating Contest!

The theme this year is “Once Upon An Eagle… (fairy tale edition!)” Businesses are asked to decorate the outside of their businesses and show their spirit for Homecoming, taking place on Friday, September 16th. Doors will be judged Friday before the parade, and the winning business will be announced at the Homecoming parade held at 2pm downtown.

The winning business will get to display the traveling Eagle Spirit Trophy for the year!

Waurika Sports Accomplishments in 2019-2020 Noted

By

Trey Smart

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April 9, 2020

0

The story of high school sports at Waurika High School for the 2019-2020 school year will be forever incomplete.

The nationwide pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus forced schools across Oklahoma to close thus ending the spring sports at Waurika.

Despite the disappointing ending to the sports slate for the Eagles and Lady Eagles, the year produced some memorable moments and the accomplishments of the teams for the school year should be noted.

The Lady Eagles’ fast-pitch softball team under the direction of first-year coach Everette Hodges was the first team to complete its season.

The Lady Eagles finished a disappointing 5-16 season and while the wins were few the team won more games than the previous two seasons combined.

The Lady Eagles softball squad did not have a senior on the team and the future looks bright.

Hope Cummings, Liberti Simmons and Landry Forsyth were Southern Eight Conference honorees.

The cross country season was a successful one for Waurika.

The Eagle squad finished ninth in the regional cross country meet and had two other top-five finishes in meets earlier in the year including the team title at the Healdton Invitational.

Kevin Garcia was the top runner for the Eagle harriers that were coached by Joe Masoner.

The Lady Eagle runners turned in an outstanding season. The squad finished fifth in the Class 2A State Cross Country Meet and were third in the regional meet hosted by Waurika.

The Lady Eagles had six other top-five finishes in meets at Duncan, Cameron University, Walters, Velma-Alma, Oklahoma Baptist University and Healdton.

Lexie Streeter and Tallin Mora were the top competitors for Coach Masoner’s squad and Asia Smith joined the squad late in the year and was the top Waurika runner at the regional and state meets.

Waurika’s football squad enjoyed a second straight outstanding season last fall.

Second-year coach Joe Allen led the Eagles to a 10-2 record and a second straight district title and fifth straight playoff appearance – the second longest streak in school history.

The Eagles ended the season with a tough 38-14 loss to Pioneer-Pleasant Vale in the second round of the Class B playoffs.

Waurika had advanced to the second round with a resounding 54-6 victory over Cyril in a contest that ended at halftime.

Only seven teams in school history have posted a better record than the 2019 squad.

Turner Mora was named the District B-4 player of the year and Jordan Watkins earned the defensive lineman of the year honors. Gabe Jenkins was named the district’s newcomer of the year.

Kevin Garcia, Brandon Forsyth, Payton Fletcher and Hunter Wesberry were also honored by being named to the all-district team.

Basketball took the limelight for the winter months with both the Lady Eagles and Eagles finishing the year with winning seasons.

For the Eagles the 13-11 mark was the first winning season since 2020 in coach Garret Bachand’s first year at the helm of the Eagle roundballers.

The Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the district tournament at Alex.

Treyton Torrez, a freshman, was the top scorer for the Eagles on the hardwood and he was named all-conference for both the Southern Eight and Oil Field conferences.

Coach Kalee Baxter led the Lady Eagles to a 15-11 mark in her third season directing Waurika girls’ basketball program.

The Lady Eagles fell in the district finals to Alex, but advanced in the consolation bracket to the regional tournament where they defeated Ringling, but fell to Binger-Oney in the consolation semifinals at Alex.

Asia Smith was named the defensive player of the year for the Southern Eight Conference and she led the Lady Eagles in scoring.

The Lady Eagles had no seniors on the squad and with a lot of experience and talent returning next year the expectations will be high.

The spring sports of baseball, boys and girls track and golf were unable to finish the season.

Coach Joe Allen was in his second year at the helm of the Eagle baseball squad and the team had managed a 2-2 mark in the early part of the scheduled.

The Eagles had games with Geronimo and a doubleheader with Frederick postponed before the season was abruptly halted.

The Eagles had won the first two games of the year and dropped the final two games played and almost half the squad was made up of seniors.

It was believed the Eagles will be in the running for the district title in 2020, but district pairings were still a month away from being announced when the season ended.

The track season had featured only one meet – the Velma-Alma Invitational.

The Eagles of coach Roger Jessie finished eighth in the meet with 34 points, while Coach Joe Masoner’s Lady Eagles also finished eighth with 26 points.

Tallin Mora won the long jump at the V-A meet.

The golf squad of coach Kalee Baxter had not begun competition before the interruption of the season.

Proposed Football Districts For 2020 and 2021 Released

By

Trey Smart

-

December 24, 2019

0

Every two years the football schools in Oklahoma are regrouped into districts.

New enrollment figures place Waurika around the middle of Class B and Ryan will move to Class C for football for the next two seasons.

In early January the districts will be finalized by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.

The Oklahoma Football Coaches Association makes recommendations to the OSSAA and those recommendations have been released.

Class B is divided into eight six-team districts, while Class C is made up of four eight-team districts.

It is recommended that Waurika be assigned to District B-3.

Two of Waurika’s district foes from the past two years are part of the recommendations. Central High and Empire will probably join the Eagles in the new district.

Joining the three schools will more than likely be Cyril, Snyder and Tipton. Tipton, who has dominated play in Class C the past four years, has moved into Class B for the next two years.

Bray-Doyle, one of Waurika’s district foes this past season has been recommended for District B-4, while Velma-Alma will begin district play in District B-4 along with Alex, Caddo, Strother and Southwest Covenant.

The Eagles will have five non-district games on the 2020 schedule which will be finalized soon after the district recommendations have been approved.

Ryan has been placed in District C-2 by the coaches’ association. All the other teams in the district have been in Class C the past two years.

None of the teams recommended for placement in District C-2 will be totally unfamiliar to the Cowboys.

The district will likely include Temple and Grandfield – both long-time rivals of Ryan.

Also recommended to be in the district are Fox, Maysville, Mountain View-Gotebo, Paoli and Thackerville.

All of those schools have been on the Cowboys’ schedule but it has been 10 years since the Cowboys have faced Fox and Paoli in the regular season.

The districts are to be finalized at a meeting on January 15.

Sports

Ryan Looks to Overcome Depth Issues to Have Successful 2020 Season

Cowgirls Claim Fifth Team Title for 2018 Season

Long-Range Shooting Lifts Cowboys to Homecoming Victory

Cowgirl Softball Squad Drops Two Contests at District Tourney

Waurika Roundball Squads Fall to Velma-Alma in Road Confrontation

Cowgirls Split Games; Cowboys Drop Two Games

Cowgirls Snap Seven-Game Skid With Win Over OSD

Cowboys Get Thrilling Comeback Win over Bray-Doyle

Eagles Intercept Cherokee Threat to Earn Playoff Win

One More Go-Around For Three Jefferson County Grid Stars

Cowgirl Harriers On A Roll Heading Into Regional Meet

Cowgirl Harriers Finish in Fifth Place Tie at State Meet

Businesses Invited to Decorate Doors

Waurika Sports Accomplishments in 2019-2020 Noted

Proposed Football Districts For 2020 and 2021 Released

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