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Ryan Basketball Squads Wrap Up Regular Season in a Flurry

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It was a mad dash to the end of the regular season for the Ryan Cowboys and Cowgirls as they played four contests in eight days in preparation to enter the post-season.

On Tuesday night the Cowboys and Cowgirls dropped a doubleheader at Empire after having swept Temple last Friday night on Senior Night on Raymon West Court.

Last Thursday, the two teams traveled to Turner and split a doubleheader and a week ago Tuesday, Ryan dropped both contests to Geronimo at home.

The Cowboys will enter district play with a 5-16 mark, while the Cowgirls hold a 7-14 record.

The seven wins by the Cowgirls is more victories than the previous two seasons combined.

Here’s a brief look at each contest from the last seven days of action:

Empire 59, Ryan 40 (Boys)

The Bulldogs and Cowboys battled to a 9-9 tie after one quarter, but Empire heated up in the second quarter to seize control of the contest.

The Bulldogs opened the second quarter on a 14-0 run and it wasn’t until Joseph Martin connected on a layup with 4:08 before halftime that Ryan was able to narrow the gap to 23-11.

Empire quickly answered with a bucket and scored six straight and was never threatened again.

The Bulldogs took advantage of 11 Ryan turnovers in the quarter and held a 35-13 advantage at intermission.

The Cowboys trailed 54-24 at the end of the third quarter, but were able to trim the deficit by outscoring the Bulldogs, 16-5, in the final quarter.

Grayson Tomberlin tied his season high with 17 points to lead the Cowboys. He was the only player in double figures.

Empire 59, Ryan 49 (Girls)

The lack of depth that has plagued the Cowgirls through most of the 2018 season reared its ugly head again at Empire.

The Cowgirls battled with the Class 2A Lady Bulldogs through most of the game, but could not finish.

Both teams were tied at 13 after one quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs forged to a seven-point advantage with 3:29 left in the first half.

Juliet Spangler completed a three-point play to trim the lead back to 26-22 with 2:53 before halftime and Kenzie Lewis’ layup with six seconds left brought the Cowgirls to within three at 29-26 going into the break.

Samantha Good opened the third quarter with a three-point basket to tie the score, Spangler connected on a short turnaround jumper and Good hit a short jumper to give the Cowgirls a 33-29 lead with 4:52 left in the third quarter.

Layups by MacKenzie Keith and Lily York gave Ryan its biggest lead of the game at 37-29 at the four-minute mark.

However, the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Cowgirls 13-3 the rest of the third quarter to hold a 42-40 advantage heading into the final quarter.

The Cowgirls pulled to within one point on two occasions in the fourth quarter – the last with 6:05 left in the game when York converted on one of two free throws.

The Lady Bulldogs pulled away from there outscoring the Cowgirls 14-5 to secure the win.

Missed free throws again hampered the Cowgirls as they missed nine attempts from the charity stripe in the final quarter.

York led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points, while Good added 11 points. Empire’s Korie Allensworth, a sophomore, led the Lady Bulldogs with 20 points.

Ryan 67, Temple 38 (Boys)

It was a good final home appearance for four Ryan seniors – River Williams, Tate Kimbro, Dawson Tomberlin and Martin.

The Cowboys got off to a 12-5 advantage after one quarter and the Tigers narrowed the gap to 14-10 on Quinzell Tisdale’s two free throws at the 4:25 mark of the second quarter.

However, from there the Cowboys took control and close the half on an 11-0 run to lead 27-11 at the half.

Skyler Parkhill converted a traditional three-point play with just 2.5 seconds left in the third quarter to give Ryan its largest lead of the game – 52-19.

The Cowboys overcame the outstanding performance by Tisdale and he dominated play for the Tigers. He finished with 33 of the team’s 38 points.

Ryan had five players in double figures with Martin leading the way with 15 tallies.

The Cowboys dominated the boards with a 56-26 advantage and many of those came on the offensive end of the court as Ryan outscored Temple, 18-0, on second chance points.

The 56 rebounds ties the school record for most rebounds in a game. The Cowboys hauled down 56 boards in a 2006 game against Grandfield.

The three highest scoring games for the Cowboys in the 2018 season have come against the Tigers and Ryan has now won seven of the last eight meetings with Temple.

Ryan 54, Temple 8 (Girls)

The Cowgirls said goodbye to their lone senior – Lewis – in resounding fashion by totally dominating an outmanned Lady Tiger squad.

The Cowgirls overcame the physical play of the Lady Tigers for a record-setting win. The eight points scored by Temple ties the school record for fewest points in a game by an opponent set in a 1946 game with Sugden.

The Cowgirl defense was stifling throughout the game as Temple did not score a field goal until 44 seconds remained in the third quarter.

Temple was whistled for 25 fouls in the contest – 12 of them in the first quarter. The Cowgirls, however, could only hit seven of 18 three throws in the quarter, but it helped them gain a 12-1 lead and at that point the game was essentially decided.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

The overwhelming victory was secured despite a less than stellar shooting performance by the Cowgirls. Ryan was only 14 of 34 from the charity stripe for the game (41%) and connected on only 18 of 61 from the field – a dismal 29.5%.

But, the Cowgirls played nearly flawless in most other categories. Ryan had a season-low six turnovers, while Temple recorded 27.

Ryan outrebounded the Lady Tigers, 52-27, to set the school record for most rebounds in a game. The previous mark was 43 set last year against Temple.

The rebound edge helped the Cowgirls own a 12-0 advantage on second chance points.

The 54 points scored was the highest point total this season for the Cowgirls.

York led the Cowgirls in scoring with 21 points and she contributed four steals. Good added 11 points and Spangler contributed eight points and led the Cowgirls in rebounding with 13 boards.

This was only the second time this season the Cowgirls have won two games in a row.

Turner 40, Ryan 23 (Boys)

The Cowboys suffered from cold-shooting from the field and could not stay up with the Falcons.

Turner jumped out to a 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and maintained the margin at the half taking an 18-12 lead into the locker room.

The teams battled on even terms through the third quarter as the Falcons clung to a 27-21 lead, but outscored the Cowboys, 13-2, in the final quarter to secure the win.

The Cowboys were without two players – including one starter.

Andrew Villerreal was the leading scoring for the Cowboys with eight points.

The loss to Turner snapped a three-game winning streak over the Falcons.

Ryan 40, Turner 30 (Girls)

Despite shooting only nine of 19 from the free throw line, the Cowgirls snapped a three-game losing streak with a big victory over the Lady Falcons.

The Cowgirls built a 24-19 lead at the half and then got two critical treys from Good to help extend the lead to 33-25 heading into the fourth quarter.

Good returned to the Cowgirl squad after missing six games with an injury. She led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points – one of three Cowgirls in double figures.

Spangler and York each had 10 tallies for the Cowgirls.

The win avenged an earlier 19-point loss to the Lady Falcons in the Healdton Tournament and it ended a five-game losing streak to Turner.

Geronimo 56, Ryan 37 (Boys)

The Cowgirls fell behind 16-4 in the first quarter against the talented Blue Jays and were never really in the contest.

Geronimo increased the lead with 29-10 at the half and held the Cowboys at bay in the second half as each team scored 27 points.

Brock Smith and Villerreal each had eight points to lead the Cowboys in scoring.

The Cowboys have dropped four of the last five meetings with Geronimo.

Geronimo 45, Ryan 33

It was another tough night shooting for the Cowgirls in this fifth straight loss to the Lady Blue Jays.

Geronimo raced to a 26-5 advantage at the half thanks to six three-pointers – four of which came in the second quarter.

The Cowgirls could not keep pace as they connected on only one field goal in the first half.

After trailing 21-6 heading into the fourth quarter, the Cowgirls somewhat found the range and outscored Geronimo, 21-6 to cut the final margin to 12 points.

York paced the Cowgirls in scoring with 16 points – including two treys and four of four from the free throw line.

The Cowgirls have suffered from a lack of depth the entire season and only suited six players for this contest.

Cowgirls Nab Third Place at Bulldog Bash; Cowboys Drop Two

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The Ryan Cowgirls’ bid to win a second tournament this season fell just short last weekend as the squad finished third in the 11th annual Bulldog Bash at Healdton.

The Cowgirls defeated Wynnewood, 46-32, last Saturday in the third place game.

The Cowgirls dropped a 47-35 decision to the host school in the semifinal round on Friday.

In Thursday’s first round the Cowgirls dominated Elmore City-Pernell in a 52-30 victory.

All three of the opponents in the tournament for the Cowgirls were from Class 2A.

The Cowboys had a tough weekend as they dropped the first two games in the tournament.

The Fox Foxes handed Ryan a 50-36 defeat in the first round last Thursday and then Ringling pounded the Cowboys in the consolation semifinals, 50-30.

Fox boys and Healdton girls – both Ryan opponents during the tourney – claimed the tournament championship last Saturday night.

Cowgirls 46, Wynnewood 32

The Cowgirls dominated play in the second and third quarters to get the win over the Lady Savages.

The Lady Savages kept it close in the first quarter as Ryan held only an 11-10 lead at end of the quarter.

In the second quarter the Cowgirls went on a 12-4 run to take a 23-14 lead at intermission.

In the third quarter, Juliet Spangler and Samantha Good found the range and the Cowgirls dominated the Lady Savages, 17-5, to hold a commanding 40-19 lead heading to the final quarter.

 The Lady Savages cut the margin in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Cowgirls, 13-6, thanks mainly to the Cowgirls poor free throw shooting. Ryan connected on only four of 10 attempts in the fourth quarter and hit only 13 of 24 in the game.

Good led the Cowgirls in scoring with 21 points and was the only Cowgirl in double figures, but six of the seven players that saw action in the game scored.

Healdton 47, Cowgirls 35

Healdton avenged an earlier loss to the Cowgirls with a strong first-half performance and taking advantage of superior depth to earn a spot in the finals of the tourney.

The Cowgirls fell behind the Lady Bulldogs, 17-9, after the first quarter and could never get on track offensively. Healdton increased the lead to 28-15 at intermission.

In the second half, the Cowgirls could only stay even with the Lady Bulldogs.

The Cowgirls outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 15-13 in the third quarter to trim the advantage to 41-30, but Ryan could only score five points in the fourth quarter – including only one field goal – and could not cut in the deficit.

J. Spangler had 15 points and York added 10 points to pace the Cowgirls in scoring.

The Cowgirls have won only two of 14 meetings with Healdton since the 1993 season.

Cowgirls 52, ECP 30

The Cowgirls used a strong second and fourth quarters to earn the first round victory despite missing a number of shots from point-blank range.

The two squads were tied at eight apiece after one quarter, but Ryan went on a 16-6 run in the second period to take a 24-14 lead at halftime.

The Cowgirls were able to extend the lead after three quarters with a 13-10 advantage giving Ryan a 37-24 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

In the final period the Cowgirls pulled away by outscoring the Lady Badgers, 15-6.

The Cowgirls were impressive on the offensive board with 14 rebounds compared to the Lady Badgers’ two offensive rebounds. Overall, the Cowgirls held a 40-16 advantage on the boards.

On the defensive end, the Cowgirls produced nine steals in the game.

York led the Cowgirls in scoring with 20 points, while J. Spangler added 15 points.

With this win the Cowgirls hold a 3-1 advantage over the Lady Badgers since the 1990 season.

Ringling 50, Cowboys 30

It took the Cowboys three quarters to get on track offensively and by that time the Blue Devils had built a big lead to earn a spot in the consolation finals.

Ringling sped to a 17-6 advantage after the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Cowboys could not find the basket as they scored only three points – all on free throws. In the meantime the Blue Devils were expanded the lead to 26-9 at the half.

The Blue Devils increased the lead to 39-15 after the end of the first quarter.

The Cowboys finally began to put points on the scoreboard in the final frame, but the deficit was too much for Ryan to overcome.

The 15 points scored in the quarter by Ryan was as many as the previous three quarters combined.

Andrew Villerreal topped the Cowboys in scoring with 13 points, but no other Cowboy could hit for double figures.

This was the fifth straight loss to the Blue Devils dating back to 2017.

Fox 50, Cowboys 36

Despite missing a pair of starters the undefeated Foxes rallied for the first round win over the Cowboys.

The Cowboys assisted with the comeback by committing over 20 turnovers in the contest.

The Cowboys jumped out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter, but Fox found the shooting range in the second quarter and outscored the Cowboys 17-6 to hold a slim 21-18 lead at halftime.

Fox increased the lead in the third quarter with a 10-6 scoring advantage to take a 31-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Foxes pulled away in the final quarter with a 19-12 scoring advantage.

Logan McCurtain hurt the Cowboys with his outstanding outside shooting. McCurtain finished the game as the leading scorer with 19 points and that includes five three-pointers.

Grayson Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 12 points.

Ryan still holds a 6-2 record against the Foxes with one year’s result unknown dating back to the 1996 season.

Photo By Sheree Hanson


Lady Eagles Drop Two Contests to Open Season

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The Waurika fast-pitch softball squad got its 2018 season underway Monday and the Lady Eagles dropped contests to Wilson and Elmore City-Pernell.

 The Lady Eagles fell to the Lady Badgers from Elmore City-Pernell, 10-0, before losing to Wilson, 10-2, in the final of three contests.

 Both games ended after five innings because of the run-rule.

 Elmore City-Pernell defeated Wilson, 4-2, in the opening game of the day on Wilson’s home diamond.

 Waurika was to have been back in action Tuesday at Velma-Alma (0-1) before traveling to Ryan today (weather permitting) to battle the Cowgirls in their season-opener.

Next Tuesday the Lady Eagles will host Empire in the season’s home opener. Both the high school and junior high squads will be in action and the games will begin at 4:30 p.m.

 Waurika’s season will continue one week from today when the Lady Eagles will travel to Grandfield to meet the Lady Bearcats and Olustee. The contests will begin at 5:30 p.m.

 Last Monday, Elmore City-Pernell scored early and often in moving to 2-0 on the young season.

 The Lady Badgers took a 2-0 lead after the first inning and picked up a total of nine hits in the contest.

The Lady Eagles could get nothing going at the plate as they were limited to two hits – one each by Landry Forsyth and Gracie Walling.

 Madison Roberson took the loss in the circle for coach Sloan Robertson’s squad. She gave up only six hits, but did not receive all the support from her fielders to be able to contain the Lady Badgers.

 The Lady Eagles closed out the evening by allowing Wilson to explode for seven runs in the bottom of the third inning. Wilson collected six hits, including a triple and a double, to produce the big inning.

 Wilson finished the game with 14 hits.

 Waurika was able to produce two runs on just three hits for the game.

 Walling suffered the loss for Waurika.

 “We did so many good things,” Robertson said, “but we have some work to do.”

Waurika Boys Claim Cameron Title; Girls Finish Second

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Bryson Hernandez finishes the 5K high school boys race at the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational at Lawton last Friday. Pictured behind Hernandez is Cache Arellano. The two runners finished third and fourth, respectively, in leading the Eagles to the team title. Photo by Trey Smart

LAWTON – After finishing second in two straight meets, the Waurika boys’ cross country squad surged to the title at the Cameron University Invitational here last Friday.

 The Waurika girls’ squad also ran impressively with a second-place finish to Ryan bolstered by the first and second place finishes of Asia Smith and Lexie Streeter, respectively.

 Both teams will travel to Velma-Alma for Saturday’s Class 2A Regional Cross Country meet at the Wildhorse Golf Course at Velma.

 The Lady Eagles are pitted with six other top 15 teams at the V-A regional. Waurika is ranked 12th in Class 2A.

 The Waurika boys are unranked, but come with some momentum after the win last weekend and two straight runner-up finishes. Four top 15 teams will be competing on the boys’ side of the regional.

Cache Arellano crosses the finish line in fourth place for Waurika at the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational last Friday at Lawton’s Big Green Soccer facility.
Photo by Trey Smart

 Waurika will be trying to qualify for next week’s state meet which will require the squads to finish in the top seven of the teams. The top 10 competitors not on a team that qualifies for state will also be tabbed to compete in the state meet.

Last Friday the Lady Eagles were second to Ryan in the team competition. Ryan had 26 points and Waurika finished with 35 points.

Smith recorded a time of 13:12.86 in taking the girls’ title, while Streeter was not far behind with a time of 13:20.80.

Asia Smith crosses the finish line in first place at the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational in Lawton last Friday.
Photo by Trey Smart

Tallin Mora also earned a medal for the Lady Eagles with her 10th-place finish. She recorded a time of 14:09.52.

 Faith Roberson was 19th on the day with a time of 15:24.23, while Dallas Fristoe was right behind in 20th place with a time of 15:37.02.

Rounding out the competitors for the Lady Eagles were Kaci Reynolds (22nd, 15:37.02), Hope Cummings (31st, 16:56.97), Gracie Walling (39th, 17:53.48), Madison Roberson (43rd, 18:25.86) and Sara Ballard (48th, 20:49.57).

 The Eagle squad claimed the title by nudging out Purcell. Waurika finished with 42 points, while Purcell tallied 45 points.

 Bryson Hernandez led the finishers among the Waurika boys’ competitors just as he has in all but one meet this season. Hernandez crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 19:44.50.

Bryson Hernandez finishes the 5K high school boys race at the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational at Lawton last Friday. Pictured behind Hernandez is Cache Arellano. The two runners finished third and fourth, respectively, in leading the Eagles to the team title.
Photo by Trey Smart

 Teammate Cache Arellano was right behind in fourth place with a time of 19:45.96. Arellano and Hernandez were the only two medalists for the Eagles.

 Gustavo Gomez was 13th in the race with a time of 21:38.53, while Octavio Gomez was 16th with a time of 21:21.09. Travis Etheridge rounded out the harriers for Waurika by finishing 29th with a time of 24:14.81.

Waurika & Ryan Honor Seniors at Football Games

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Prior to the last regular season home games, Waurika and Ryan honored their seniors.

Waurika Senior Night
(l-r) Curtis Ballard, Sara Ballard, Christina Ballard, Larry Etheridge, Travis Etheridge, Vicki Etheridge, Antonio Garcia, Edwin Garcia, Lourdes Garcia, John Hobbs, Hannah Hobbs, Emily Follis, Lisa Waid, Seth Waid, Dowd Waid, Jarriett Watkins, Porscha Woods, Jordan Watkins, Veronica and Clint Rhodes, Boomer Wesberry, Hunter Wesberry, Stephanie Wesberry, Turner Mora, Shelly Mora, Joe Hernandez, Bryson Hernandez, Glenda Hernandez, Jim Fletcher, Payton Fletcher, Peggy Fletcher, Michael Burton, Nicole Burton, Celeste Burton, Benny Juarez, Nic Alvarado, Leslie Juarez (Photo by Adam Brinson)

Ryan Senior Night
Front Row: (l-r) Juliet Spangler, Lily York, Gunner Phillips, Andrew Villarreal, Samantha Good, Walter Snider Jr., Parker Carey, Jonathan Clark, Grace Stamper, Brooklyn Charmasson.
Back Row: (l-r) Steve Spangler, Amanda Spangler, Amy Schrick, Donna Westberry, Jason Phillips, Amanda Phillips, Martin Villarreal, Carrie Villarreal, Tim Good, Teresa Good, Stephanie Snider, Walter Snider Sr., Victoria Clark, Gaylon Clark, Tanya Diaz, Rudy Diaz, Deonna Charmasson, Josh Charmasson.  Photo by Sheree Hanson

Brian Major Honored

Front Row: (l-r) Chris Williams, Martin Villarreal, Dana Major, Cal Major, Joe Hernandez. Back Row: (l-r) Randy Kimbro, Dustan Bryant, Ross Terrel. As part of the recognition of 100 years of football, Ryan recognized 1989 and Brian Major at Ryan Friday evening. 

Brooklyn Charmasson was recognized before the Ryan game as the only senior cheerleader.
Photo by Trey Smart
Samantha Good was honored on Senior night for her service as one of the team managers.
Photo by Trey Smart

Cowgirls Fall in District Title Game to Central High

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Central High raced to a 14-2 first quarter lead and never looked back in earning the district title over the Ryan Cowgirls last Saturday at the Central High gym.

The Lady Bronchos earned a 47-21 decision to advance into the regional tourney that begins today.

Ryan also advances to today’s regional tournament in the consolation bracket.

The Cowgirls were to have met Ringling at 1:30 p.m. today at Central High. The winner will advance and the loser’s season will end.

If the Cowgirls get by Ringling they would play at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Union City.

In the district championship game the Cowgirls came into the contest with one girl diagnosed with the flu and another player with flu-like symptoms. This severely limited the Cowgirls’ attempt to pull off an upset and claim the district crown.

After dominating the first quarter, the Lady Bronchos ended the second quarter with Meagan Anderson hitting two treys – her second and third of the quarter – to give Central High an insurmountable 27-7 advantage at the half.

The Cowgirls came out of the locker room and scored the first three points of the third quarter to close the gap to 27-10, but that was as close as the Cowgirls would get the rest of the contest.

Lily York led the Cowgirls with 13 points, but nine of those points came from the charity stripe.

Anderson had 13 for Central High and she was one of nine players that scored for the Lady Bronchos.

The Cowgirls earned the spot in the championship game by upsetting the second seed Bray-Doyle, 46-31, last Friday at Central High.

In Friday’s game, the Cowgirls fell behind 7-2 in the first quarter, but two buckets by Samantha Good narrowed the gap to 7-6 at the end of the period.

The Lady Donkeys kept the Cowgirls at bay during the second quarter with the biggest led coming at the 3:42 mark when Kyndalin Byrd sank two charity tosses to build the lead to 14-9.

The Cowgirls were the only team to score the rest of the half and that came on a York free throw with 1:41 left in the half to put the margin at 14-10 heading to the intermission.

Bray-Doyle extended the lead to six in the early moments of the second quarter, but a three-point play and a layup by York put Ryan within one at 16-15 with 5:59 left in the third quarter.

It was at this point the Cowgirls took over the contest with a 11-6 spurt to close the third quarter.

The Lady Donkeys were able to cut into the lead and trailed 31-28 with 4:50 left in the game, but that was as close as Bray-Doyle would get the rest of the night.

Juliet Spangler connected on two charity tosses and Kenzie Lewis drained a trey to build the lead to 36-28 – the biggest of the night at that point.

Bray-Doyle would cut the lead to five at the 3:02 mark, but two free throws by Good and another layup by York gave Ryan a 40-31 advantage with 2:43 to play and from that point it was a matter of hitting enough free throws to thwart any hope of a rally by Bray-Doyle.

Down the stretch the Cowgirls connected on only six of 12 free throw attempts, but the Lady Donkeys could not take advantage of the misses partly due to missing four charity tosses during the same time frame.

The largest lead of the game was the final score that gave the Ryan a 15-point cushion. Good closed out the scoring with two free throws with :27.4 left in the game.

York led the way for the Cowgirls with 15 points, while Good contributed 12 and Spangler added 10.

The Cowgirls only shot 55 percent from the charity stripe, but were outstanding taking care of the basketball with only nine turnovers.

The Cowgirls committed only two turnovers in the second half, while Bray-Doyle had 20 turnovers for the game – 13 of them in the second half.

Ryan also held a 34-32 advantage in rebounding.

The Cowboys suffered a 50-42 upset at the hands of Bray-Doyle last Friday at Central High in the first round of district tourney play.

Bray-Doyle avenged a 30-point loss to the Cowboys with the upset victory.

The Cowboys led throughout the first half holding a 19-9 lead at the 4:40 mark of the second quarter when Dawson Tomberlin connected on a three-point field goal.

A Grayson Tomberlin layup with 1:51 left before the break gave Ryan another 10-point lead, but Curtis Cox connected on a trey for Bray-Doyle with 1:21 to play in the half to set the halftime score at 24-17.

The second half, however, was a nightmare for the Cowboys as they could simply not score.

G. Tomberlin opened the second half with a steal and a layup that put the Cowboys in front, 26-17, but the Donkeys answered with a bucket.

At the 5:16 mark, G. Tomberlin connected on a 10-footer giving Ryan a 28-19 advantage but from that point the Donkeys controlled the rest of the quarter.

The Donkeys went on a 14-5 run to end the third quarter and knot the game at 33 to begin the final period.

The Cowboy defense went to sleep in the final frame as the Donkeys hit five layups during the fourth quarter en route to outscoring the Cowboys, 17-9, in the quarter.

The Donkeys overcame 23 turnovers, but 15 of them were committed in the first half.

The Donkeys managed to get the victory despite hitting only 12 of 26 free throw attempts, but the Cowboys were not any better connecting on only nine of 21 attempts.

G. Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro each had eight points to lead the Cowboys in scoring.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT NOTES:

The Cowboys dropped to 71-66 in district tournament games since first entering the district tournament in 1929….It was only the second meeting between the Cowboys and Donkeys in a district tournament and the Donkeys have won both games….The five wins for the Cowboys is the fewest since the 2009 season when Ryan managed only a pair of victories for the season….The loss to the Donkeys snapped a three-game winning streak by the Cowboys….Playing their final game in a Cowboy basketball uniform were Joseph Martin, Dawson Tomberlin, River Williams and Tate Kimbro…The Cowgirls are now 62-62 in district tourney games in school history and hold a 20-24 mark in district championship games….Ryan’s girls are 0-2 against Central High in district tourney games….The Cowgirls have lost five of the last six meetings with Central High….The 21 points scored by the Cowgirls is the fewest points in a district tourney game since 2000 when the Cowgirls could manage only 19 points against Waurika….The victory for the Cowgirls over Bray-Doyle was the first meeting ever between the two schools in a district tournament.

Central High 47, Ryan 21 (Girls)

Ryan                2          5          7          7–21

Central High      14         13         7          13–47

RYAN – Kenzie Lewis 0-1-1, Juliet Spangler 2-1-5, Lily York 2-9-13, Samantha Good 0-2-2. PF: 13.

CENTRAL HIGH – Megan Anderson 5-0-13, Kylee Sparks 2-2-7, Leigha Harris 2-1-5, Charlcie Parker 2-0-4, Kelsi Clement 1-0-3, Marissa Guttenby 2-0-4, Madi Kuntz 2-0-4, Brea Edens 1-2-4, Erica Minden 1-0-3. Three-pointers: Anderson 3, Sparks, Clement, Minden. PF: 21.

Ryan 46, Bray-Doyle 31 (Girls)

Ryan                6          4          16         20–46

Bray-Doyle        7          7          8          9–31

RYAN – Lily York 4-7-15, Samantha Good 4-4-12, Juliet Spangler 3-4-10, Kenzie Lewis 2-1-7, MacKenzie Keith 1-0-2. Three-pointers: Lewis 2. PF: 18.

BRAY-DOYLE – Kyndalin Byrd 2-5-9, Alyson Long 2-1-7, J-Cee Edwards 3-0-7, Sydney Kovar 1-1-4, Tristen Spivey 2-0-4. Three-pointers: Long 2, Edwards, Kovar. PF: 25.

Bray-Doyle 50, Ryan 42 (Boys)

Bray-Doyle        7          10         16         17–50

Ryan                8          16         9          7–42

BRAY-DOYLE – Skyler Cash 4-3-14, Curtis Cox 4-3-12, Chris Anderson 4-0-8, Mark Killborne 2-3-7, Justin Miller 3-0-6, Tyler Anderson 0-3-3. Three-pointers: Cash 3, Cox. PF: 18.

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 4-0-8, Tate Kimbro 3-2-8, Joseph Martin 3-1-7, Skyler Parkhill 3-0-6, Dawson Tomberlin 1-

2-5, Andrew Villerreal 2-0-4, Brock Smith 0-4-4. Three-pointers: D. Tomberlin. PF: 22

Trend of Increased Participation in High School Athletics May Be Changing in the Future

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While the statistics from nearly three decades show increased participation in high school athletics, that trend may be about to change.

An earlier article documented some of the reasons participation has been increasing, but let’s examine the possibility that the trend may reverse in the next few years.

In an article published in 2015 it was noted that over 70% of children drop out of organized sports by the age of 13.

There are some legitimate reasons for this as competition begins to increase as a child begins to compete at the junior high and high school level therefore eliminating the kids who may not be as gifted in the athletic arena.

What are some of the reasons for kids to quit sports? Here are five reasons that are bound to influence participation at the high school level at some points.

1. Playing sports is no longer fun.

The simple fact is that as kids enter junior high and high school there is increased pressure to win. In kids’ sports, that is not always the case, unless you have a parent or coach that has lost perspective on the purpose of kids’ sports. As mentioned above, the kids who may not be as gifted are not going to enjoy the experience nearly as much as the pressure to win increases.

2. They have lost ownership in the experience.

This is a most interesting reason and much of the reason for this is the influence of the video game industry. Once a kid gets a controller in his/her hands, they are in charge of the experience. If they are playing a sports video game, they can choose their own players and put together a customized team. They determine how much playing time each person gets. They choose a strategy. They are in control of the experience. Obviously, if they participate in kids’ sports or stay around until the junior high or high school level, coaches are in control of their experience for the most part. Anyone with some age on them will have to let this reason sink in a bit because before the video game experience, this was no doubt not a factor in someone deciding not to compete in sports.

3. They don’t get enough playing time.

This is certainly a factor at the kids’ sports level. It is certainly all right to play to win at any level, but winning at all cost – including not including all the players – at the younger levels is not all right. Once students reach junior and particularly high school, competitiveness becomes a greater issue and the best players should be put on the field, court or diamond to help ensure success. However, when a team is getting drilled, it is appropriate to “clear the bench” and give everyone some playing time.

4. They are afraid to make mistakes.

Grade school kids want to please their parents and their coaches. They begin to find some acceptance when they succeed. On the negative side, overzealous parents and/or coaches can influence kids to become timid. Their will to try is diminished by the reaction of the parents.

5. They feel disrespected.

A 2014 study of characteristics that make up a great coach reveals the number one thing that gives a coach that label is “respect and encouragement.” Kids today have it tough. Many kids have a difficult life because of family circumstances. Some kids are in very difficult environments. They need an adult to come alongside them and care about them and encourage them. That doesn’t mean that a coach has to be soft. Kids are primarily looking for an adult that will invest in their lives.

What are the answers to these factors? Probably the most important one is that parents, coaches and administrators have the responsibility to create an environment that serves the needs, values and priorities of the kids – not just the adults.

This can be accomplished by communicating better with kids, understanding what they want out of the experience of participating in sports and then trying as much as possible to give some ownership of the experience to the participates.

Other articles bring up other reasons why participation in sports may be impacted.

Skyrocketing costs, sport specialization and the need for coaches to have more training has impacted the participation in kids’ sports which will at some point impact high school sports.

Traveling teams have been the number one reason for increased costs for families.

There is a movement to try and overcome the impact of sport specialization. Professional sports leagues have actually been working together to encourage kids to play more than one sport.

“The best athlete is a kid who played multiple sports,” said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in a recent article. Manfred spoke with commissioners of the National Basketball Association, National Football League and National Hockey League to come to this conclusion.

One other disturbing trend is watching high school athletes – many of them very talented – suddenly decide to give up a sport when they hit their junior or senior years.

Burnout has caused this to happen with many kids. They have been playing the sport competitively since a very early age and are simply tired of it.

 Coaches and parents would be wise to help guard against this as kids grow up.

 Next Week: One Sport Suffers From Declining Participation Above All

District Basketball Titles Are Few For Ringling Roundball Teams

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Most everyone knows about the tremendous football tradition that has been established by Ringling over the past 45 years.

There have been several state titles won by the Blue Devil gridders, but the success has not carried over to the hardwood at the eastern most school in Jefferson County.

The Ringling basketball squads have never made an appearance in a state tournament. And, the Ringling boys have never played in an area tourney since that layer of playoffs began in 1970.

The Ringling boys and girls basketball teams have only played for a regional title a total of four times. Three of those regional championship games involved the Lady Blue Devils. Ringling lost all four of those games.

The Blue Devils have played in two regional loser’s bracket championship games, but dropped contests to Wynnewood and Healdton.

The Lady Blue Devils have appeared in the regional loser’s bracket title game four times and hold a 2-2 mark in those contests. The Ringling girls advanced to the area tourney after wins over Elmore City in 1989 and Healdton in 1986.

The Ringling girls have made four appearances in the area tourney, but hold just a 1-5 record. The only win came in a 1991 Class 2A area at Chickasha as Ringling defeated Apache, 69-47.

The last district title for the Blue Devils came in 2004 at the Class 2A tourney at Walters. Ringling handed Walters a 42-39 setback in the title game.

Ringling won its first district championship in 1946 at the Class B tournament hosted by Dundee. The Blue Devils edged Healdton, 17-16, in the semifinals and then downed Fox, 30-12, in the championship game.

While it is possible not all the district tourney results have been located, it is believed that the Blue Devils played in their first district tournament at Waurika in 1931. Ringling fell to Ryan, 21-19, in the first round.

The latest district tournament title for the Lady Blue Devils came in 2007 when Ringling rolled to a 48-31 victory over Healdton in the Class 2A tourney at Healdton.

Out of the 15 district titles claimed by the Lady Blue Devils, five of them were won because Ringling was the only entry in the Class A tournament played at Healdton from 1950 to 1954.

The first time the Lady Blue Devils won a championship game came in 1956 when Ringling defeated Fox, 38-29, in a contest played at Healdton.

The first result of a district tournament game played by the Ringling girls came in 1948 in the first round of the Class B fray at Healdton. The Lady Blue Devils fell to Dundee, 19-17.

It is possible Ringling’s girls competed in a district tournament before that, but the 1948 encounter is the first result that was located.

Both Ringling teams have played for a number of district titles, but that is because in recent years the Class 2A districts have featured only two teams.

Ringling most often played the district tournament at Healdton. The Ringling boys have played in the district tourney at Healdton a total of 30 times. The Lady Blue Devils have been in 25 district tourneys at Healdton.

Ringling first hosted a district tournament in 1951. The Lady Blue Devils were the only entry and the Blue Devils picked up a 25-21 win over Healdton and then fell to Wilson, 68-27, in the championship game.

The district tourney for Ringling has been played at Ringling a total of 10 times through the years with 2006 being the last time Ringling served as the host.

The last four seasons Ringling has competed in Class A, but prior to that Ringling was in Class 2A for 31 of the previous 37 years.

This past season the Blue Devils fell to Verden, 58-53, in the semifinals and it was the 75th loss for Ringling’s boys in district tournament play. The Lady Blue Devils won a first-round game over Verden, but fell to Canute, 92-53, in the title game.

Here is a summary of the playoff history for the Ringling basketball squads:

Boys

District Titles: 7

All-Time District Record: 34-75

District Final Appearances: 33

Most Frequent Opponent in District Finals: Wilson (9-12)

Longest Winning Streak: 4, 1962-1963

Longest Losing Streak: 16, 1965-1980

Most Points Scored: 80, vs. Elmore City-Pernell

Least Points Scored: 9, vs. Ardmore 1935

Girls

District Titles: 15

All-Time District Record: 36-56

District Final Appearances: 46

Most Frequent Opponent in District Finals: Lone Grove (0-8)

Longest Winning Streak: 4, 1989-1991

Longest Losing Streak: 6, 2011-2017

Most Points Scored: 72, vs. Wilson 1972 & Velma-Alma 1989

Least Points Scored: 13, vs. Walters 2011

Other Playoff Facts

Ringling Boys: Regional Appearances: 25; Regional Record: 10-28; Area Appearances: 0; Area Record: 0-0; State Appearances: 0; State Record: 0-0.

Ringling Girls: Regional Appearances: 38; Regional Record: 18-41; Area Appearances: 5; Area Record: 1-5; State Appearances: 0; State Record: 0-0.

NEXT WEEK: Terral playoff basketball history

Cowboys, Cowgirls Go Winless In Bulldog Bash

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Photo by Sheree Hanson

The Ryan basketball squads found the going a bit tough last weekend in the annual Bulldog Bash at Healdton High School.

Neither team could capture a win in the tourney.

The Cowboys fell to Elmore City-Pernell last Thursday in a first round contest, 56-46, and then fell in the consolation semifinals to Wilson, 51-32.

It was a difficult outing for the Cowgirls as only six players were available for the first round game with Wilson and the Cowgirls lost another player in the game and eventually fell to the Lady Eagles, 37-27.

Last Friday in the consolation semifinals against Turner, the Cowgirls’ Kenzie Lewis suffered an injury in the first half forcing the Cowgirls to play with only four players most of the game and the Lady Falcons took full advantage to capture a 46-31 win.

Those four players that remained on the floor for the Cowgirls in Friday’s game were all sophomores, but they managed to outscore the Lady Falcons in the second half, 24-15, even though Turner left their starters in the game the entire way.

It was the hot shooting from the outside for the Lady Falcons that allowed them to build an insurmountable lead.

The Lady Falcons hit three three-pointers in the first quarter in building a 15-3 advantage and then hit four more in the second quarter to take a 31-7 lead into the locker room.

Juliet Spangler led the Cowgirl scoring attack with 18 points, while Lily York added 10 points. Bailey Martin contributed three points to round out the scoring for the Cowgirls.

In the Cowboys’ consolation semifinal contest with Wilson, it was also the opponent’s hot shooting from the outside that doomed the Cowboys.

Wilson managed a 14-10 lead after one quarter and held a 21-16 advantage at halftime. Three of the Eagles made baskets in the first half were beyond the arc.

In the second half, the Eagles took advantage of poor shooting by the Cowboys and built a 33-21 lead after the third quarter.

Wilson outscored the Cowboys, 18-11, in the final frame to capture the win.

Grayson Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with nine points.

In the first round game with Wilson, the Cowgirls fell behind after one quarter, 13-7 and could never rally the rest of the bout with the Lady Eagles.

Wilson led, 22-9, at the break thanks to four treys. The Cowgirls battled on even terms much of the second half, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Spangler and Lily York led the Cowgirls in scoring with nine points each. The Cowgirls had another tough night at the free throw line as they connected on only six of 14 free throws.

The Cowgirls finished with only five players as Kenzie Keith dislocated a finger early in the game.

In the first-round game against Elmore City-Pernell, the Cowboys kept the contest close throughout the first half and actually held a 25-24 lead at intermission.

But, the Badgers went on a tear in the third quarter as they outscored the Cowboys, 19-0, to take control of the game with a 43-25 advantage.

The Cowboys managed to trim the lead in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Badgers, 21-13.

The Badgers did much of their damage at the foul line hitting 23 of 35 free throws, while the Cowboys connected on only 13 of 24 charity tosses.

The game was marred by 45 fouls.

Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 11 points.

Ryan will play host to Thackerville tonight on Raymon West Court before traveling to Healdton for a doubleheader with the Carter County School on Friday.

Next Tuesday the Cowboys and Cowgirls return home for a matchup with Southern Eight foe Geronimo.

Cowboys Set to Battle Snyder for Season Opener

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The 99th season of high school football at Ryan is slated to begin tomorrow night (Friday) when the Snyder Cyclones invade the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

 Kickoff for the season opener for both teams is set for 7:30 p.m.

 This will be the earliest season opener in school history as the contest is part of Zero Week in high school football in Oklahoma.

 Teams can elect to start the season one week early and forego a second scrimmage date. The advantage is teams that play during Zero Week will have a week off during the regular season.

 Snyder ended the Cowboys’ season a year ago at Ryan as the Cyclones took advantage of numerous Ryan turnovers to post a 38-8 victory.

It was the first year returning to the playoffs for Ryan after a two-year absence and the Cowboys of first-year head coach Tony Tomberlin are looking to improve on last season’s 6-5 record.

Tomberlin will be taking over for long-time head coach Stan Mueggenborg after serving as an assistant for the veteran coach the past 12 years.

The outlook for the Cowboys for 2018 is guarded. The coaching staff faces the tall task of replacing six of eight starters on the defensive side of the ball.

 However, quarterback Grayson Tomberlin returns for his sophomore campaign after starting all 11 games a year ago as a freshman.

Joining Tomberlin, last season’s district newcomer of the year, in the backfield will be talented senior and all-district running back Skyler Parkhill.

Both players will give Ryan a solid nucleus from which to build on offense.

Tomberlin finished last season with 638 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. He also threw for 731 yards on 44 completions and 12 touchdown passes.

Parkhill was the second leading rusher last season with 620 yards on 93 carries and five rushing touchdowns.

The Cowboys will feature a freshman in the backfield with Caleb Ferrin expected to start at the other running back position.

Kalen Weldon will return at one end for the Cowboys and Andrew Villerreal will move from the backfield to the other end position.

Two seniors, Sam Brown and Justin Williams, along with sophomore Trey Bryant will be counted on to try to open up running lanes for the backs and give Tomberlin time to find receivers.

The Cowboys will feature a bit more wide-open attack with more spread offense and implementing the pistol formation.

 Defensively, things are a bit unsettled. Not only will there be six new starters, but coming out of last week’s scrimmage, there are still some battles going on for starting positions.

Pacen Wiest and Bryant are battling for a starting role at nose guard and the defensive end positions are still up for grabs in the 3-2 defense.

The defense will need to mature quickly as Snyder, the Cowboys’ first opponent, will bring a potent offensive attack that will feature one of the state’s top sprinters in Trevor Evans. He was the state champion in Class A in the 400 meters and the runner up in the 100 meters last spring.

“I would say at this point the offense is a step ahead of the defense,” Tomberlin noted heading into this week’s final few days of practice.

“On defense we are still trying to figure some things out,” Tomberlin said.

Tomberlin was not particularly pleased with the Cowboys’ scrimmage with Maud last week.

 “We have a lot of improving to do, but we will watch film and we will get better,” said Tomberlin.

 “We are looking forward to some things and we are trying to get some excitement back in the program. The kids’ attitudes are good and we are lifting every day and they are getting stronger,” Tomberlin added.

Snyder will provide a tough challenge for the Cowboys’ season opener. The Cyclones are picked fourth District B-3, but ahead of them are Carnegie, Alex and Cyril – all top 15 teams in the preseason.

 Tomberlin will be assisted by first-year coach Austin Masoner.

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