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1973 Eagle Roundballers Lead List of Top Teams in Waurika History

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There is little doubt which team of Waurika boys’ basketballers should be at the top of the best teams in school history.

That would be the 1973 Eagles who not only won a state title, but went undefeated while doing it.

The rest of the teams that have made the state tourney are on the list of top ten Eagle basketball teams in school history.

After those six teams, the debate is wide open about which teams should be included, but that can work itself out in local conversations at the local coffee shop or in homes of families from Waurika that have impacted the history of basketball in the community.

As has been mentioned in previous articles of this nature, if you know of a team that should be considered for this list or even a team that could rank in the honorable mention category, please let this writer know.

Here is the attempt to rank the 10 best Waurika Eagle basketball teams of all-time:

1. 1973 Eagles

This team finished 28-0 on the year on the way to the gold ball. The Eagles were the only undefeated boys basketball team in Oklahoma during this season. Jerry Gipson was the face of this team as he finished the 1973 season averaging 31.4 points a game and earning all-state honors. In the state tournament the Eagles were tested in the first two rounds. Waurika edged  Silo, 42-40, in the quarterfinals behind Gipson’s 30-point outburst. In the semifinals, the Eagles managed to slip by New Lima, 72-70. The largest margin of victory in the state tourney came in the finals when the Eagles downed Boley, 66-58. The Eagles won the three games by a total of 13 points which was a state tournament record at the time for that class and stood for several years. The Eagles had breezed through the district, regional and area tournament with the toughest game of the post-season before the state tourney coming in the finals of the district tournament – a narrow 50-48 victory over Grandfield. Starters on this team included Gipson, Harrold Herron, Michael Ford, Dale Bates and Duane Christian. This team would garner consideration for one of the top Class A teams of all time in Oklahoma. Jerry Marsh was the coach of this squad.

2. 1989 Eagles

This squad is the only other team to play for a state title, but the 1989 squad came up short as they fell to Weleetka, 66-57, in the championship game. Doug Frost was the leading scorer in the game with 12 points – ten of which were scored in a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Eagles. The Eagles had advanced to the state finals by hammering Hennessey, 81-66, and defeating Porter, 75-72. Todd Overstreet scored 19 points in both wins to pace the Eagles in scoring. Waurika started the march to the state tournament with a 69-50 victory over Walters in the district finals. Waurika picked up a pair of narrow wins in the regional tournament. In the first round, Waurika defeated Carnegie, 65-56, on the Wildcats’ home floor. In the regional finals the Eagles squeezed by Cache, 60-58, in overtime. In the area tournament Waurika earned a 68-60 victory over Latta in the finals. Mikel Davison was the coach of this team that ended the season with a 21-6 record.

3. 1981 Eagles

This team finished the season with an impressive 22-6 mark and fell in the state semifinals to an undefeated Coyle team, 86-62. Kerry Lott had 14 points in the game. The Eagles were a surprise team to make the semifinals, but the squad scored an 57-55 upset victory over Taft in the semifinals. Floyd Gipson hit a bucket with 19 seconds left from inside the lane to give the Eagles the win. Gipson had battled flu symptoms the days preceding the state tourney. Jimmy Davis, a freshman and son of coach Ross Davis, led the Eagles in scoring with 22 points.  This was the first Waurika team to qualify for state since 1973. Waurika claimed its 18th district title with a win over Turner to begin the march to state. The Eagles defeated Bray, 63-48, and Sterling, 64-60, to advance to the area tourney. The Eagles dropped a heart-breaking 45-44 decision to Snyder, but came back the next night to defeat Cement, 56-47, to claim the area consolation title and a berth at the state tourney. This team was ranked only 14th in the class heading into the playoffs of the 1981 season. Coach Davis had played on a state title team at Calera in 1956.

4. 1965 Eagles

The 1965 edition of the Eagle basketball team was the first team in school history to land a berth in the state tournament. The Eagles finished the season with a 24-5 mark and were ranked 20th in the Class B rankings heading into the playoffs. In the district tourney the Eagles defeated three long-time rivals – Temple, Grandfield and Walters. The Eagles carried that momentum into the regional fray where they scored a 57-51 victory over Frederick and a 68-46 win over Cyril to advance to the state tournament. The first round game pitted the Eagles with Checotah, who had been ranked as high as sixth in the state, but came into this game unranked. The game was a barn-burner and the Eagles came out on top, 63-62, in double overtime. Greg Edwards had 30 points in the contest and was the only 30-point scorer in the state tournament that year. In the semifinals, the Eagles met second-ranked Oologah and the Mustangs proved to be too tough for the Eagles. The Mustangs advanced into the finals with a 63-49 victory over Waurika. Edwards had 17 points in the game and was named to the all-tournament team. Edwards, Bill Conrad, Jerry Beaver, Larry Kirkland and Steve Snider were the five starters most of the year. Ray Griffin and Mike Melton were among the reserves that played significant minutes. Gayno Shelton was the coach of the Eagles for this season.

5. 1990 Eagles

This is the first and only Waurika team to make back-to-back appearances in the state tournament. The Eagles carved out a 22-5 record, but fell to second-ranked Dale, 75-54, in the first round of the state tourney. Overstreet led the Eagles with 21 points in the loss. The playoffs started in impressive fashion for this team as the Eagles downed Empire, 88-41, to claim the district crown. The Eagles struggled in regional tourney play, but managed a 43-41 decision over Davis in the first round before falling to St. Mary’s, 66-54, in the regional finals. The Eagles entered the area tourney in the losers’ bracket but picked up wins over Snyder, 91-71, and Hollis, 64-58, to set up a rematch with St. Mary’s in the finals. The Eagles squeaked out a 60-59 victory to earn a berth in the Class 2A state tourney. Lonnie Nunley, Doug Frost, Stefan Hunt and David Davison all scored in double figures to lead the Eagles to the win. Those four players, along with Overstreet, were the starters for most of the season. Mikel Davison was also the coach of this team.

6. 1983 Eagles

The circumstances surrounding this team’s state tourney appearance are bizarre. First of all the team was 6-8 in January and won 13 of its final 15 games to make the state tournament. Secondly, it was thought the season was over following a 60-53 loss to Crooked Oak in the regional finals. But it was discovered early the next week that Crooked Oak had played an ineligible player that had transferred from Capitol Hill, thus forcing the Rufnex to forfeit all the wins of the season. This put Waurika in the area tournament consolation bracket. The Eagles took advantage of the opportunity with three wins in the area tourney to gain a state tournament berth. Waurika rolled over Pocola, 82-62, then beat Latta, 46-44, in the semifinals to set up a meeting with Lone Grove for a spot at the state tournament. The Eagles rolled to a 63-46 victory over the Longhorns. In the first round of the state tournament the Eagles faced Allen, who was ranked 12th in Class 2A and had a 21-4 record. The Mustangs were ranked fifth in the preseason that year. Waurika was not ranked in the preseason or in the final Class 2A rankings, but by the time the state tourney rolled around Waurika had put together a 19-10 record. The Eagles’ storybook season ended in the contest with Allen as the Mustangs got the 63-57 victory. Mike Nunley was the leading scorer on this team with a 20.0 per game average. The other starters were Lance Bruton, Roy Don Park, Russell Barrett and Quanah West. Mikel Davison was also the coach of this squad.

7.2006 Eagles

The 2005-2006 season started well as the Eagles soared to an 8-1 record at the Christmas break. The Eagles continue to pile up the victories and eventually worked themselves into the 17th-ranked team in Class A by February. Waurika sported a 21-2 record heading into the post-season.

The Eagles hosted the district tournament and the squad opened the playoff run with a 66-50 victory over Bray-Doyle.

The Eagles traveled east for the regional tournament and defeated Stratford, 74-63, in the first round played at Stonewall. The regional title game was played at Macomb but was postponed from the Saturday date to Monday because of inclement weather. The Eagles picked up a tense 56-54 victory to advance to the area tournament needing only one win to make the state tourney. Waurika faced 13th-ranked Thomas in the area winners’ bracket finals, but the Terriers earned the state tourney berth with a 41-34 victory over the Eagles. In the area consolation finals Waurika took on 11th-ranked Okarche and fell to the Warriors, 60-44. Jeremy Hogan was the coach of this team and it was the last boys’ squad to win at least 20 games finishing with a 24-6 record.

8. 1982 Eagles

This season was sandwiched between two seasons that the Eagles made the state tournament and while the squad fell short, it put together an impressive season. The second-ranked Eagles started the Class 2A playoffs with a district tournament win over Walters. In the regional tournament’s first round, the Eagles pounded Rush Springs, 70-34. The playoff run got very tough and In the tourney finals the Eagles dropped a heartbreaker to seventh-ranked Ninnekah, 57-55. The Eagles drew another tough assignment in the first round of the losers’ bracket in the area tournament in fifth-ranked Hollis. The Tigers rolled to a 57-36 victory and what was a very promising season ended on a difficult note. The Eagles finished with a 23-3 record after entering the playoffs with a 21-1 mark. Ross Davis, who coached the Eagles to a pair of 20-win seasons in his four years at the helm, directed this squad.

9. 1971 Eagles

This was the first of three Jerry Marsh-coached squads that produced at least 20 wins in a season. The Eagles were impressive throughout the regular season and started the playoff run with an 18-4 record. In the district tournament the Eagles dropped Temple, 57-53, and came back to claim the district title over Lawton MacArthur, 61-60. In the first regional tournament game the 15th-ranked Eagles managed a 56-54 victory over Cyril to advance to the regional finals. Cache, the 10th-ranked club in Class A handed the Eagles a 67-52 loss in the title game. This was the first year, however, that a team could lose a game (from the district finals forward) and remain in the playoffs. The Eagles played in their first area tourney at Oklahoma Christian College and defeated Kellyville, 70-68, in the first game. In the next game, the seventh-ranked Wellston Tigers eliminated the Eagles with an 82-57 victory. In the final rankings the Eagles finished 14th and the season ended with a 21-5 record.

10. 1972 Eagles

It was late January before this team experienced a defeat. The Eagles climbed to as high as fourth in the Class A rankings on January 24 as the team was sporting a sparkling 15-0 record. The Eagles stumbled a bit before the district tourney and held a 17-3 record and were ranked 15th in Class A. The Eagles benefitted from the new playoff system that allowed both teams from the district title game to advance to the regional tourney. Waurika won a first-round game over Temple, but fell to 11th-ranked Grandfield, 76-56, in the district finals. The Eagles were, however, impressive in the losers’ bracket of the regional tournament. Waurika defeated Granite, 81-80, in the first round and then handed Cyril a 60-57 overtime loss in the semifinals. In the finals the Eagles earned an area tourney berth with a thrilling 66-65 victory over Cheyenne. In those three regional games the Eagles margin of victory totaled five points. In the first game of the area tourney the Eagles had another close encounter and came out on top of Keyes, 85-82, at Southwestern State in Weatherford. The next night the Eagles faced 12th-ranked Cache and fell, 93-65. Jerry Marsh directed the Eagle fortunes for the season.

Honorable Mention: 1938 Eagles (lost to Blair in the regional finals; 1996 Eagles (This team lost in the regional finals to Apache); 1937 Eagles (Finished 17-14 on the year and was the district runner up); 1994 Eagles (Fell in the regional consolation finals to Burns Flat-Dill City); 1925 Eagles (this team finished 18-7 on the year but did not enter the district tournament.


Jefferson County Schools Among the Best in The State in Track

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It is not surprising to know that Jefferson County has produced some of the best track athletes in state history.

Given Waurika’s successes in the 1930’s when it was dubbed the “Track Capitol of Oklahoma”, you would assume the schools in this south central Oklahoma county would be among the best in track.

The state track meet began to be held in 1944 – just after some of the years of domination by the Waurika track team.

And, Waurika was the first Jefferson County school to crown a state champion.

But, the highest finish by a team from Jefferson County belongs to Addington – a state runner up finish in 1946 at the state track meet held at the University of Oklahoma.

The next highest finish by teams from Jefferson County is fourth and that has been done five times by three different teams.

The Waurika boys’ team has three fourth place finishes – all but one of them was a tie for fourth.

Ryan’s boys’ squad finished in a fourth-place tie in 1973, while the Waurika girls nabbed a fourth-place finish in the 2000 state track meet.

Both the boys and girls teams from Ryan, Ringling and Waurika have scored in the state track meet.

Addington and Sugden both scored in two times each before those schools were closed. Mountain Home also scored in the 1947 state track meet.

Hastings, Irving, Union Valley, Claypool and Terral did not score in the history of those schools at the state meet.

A quick glance of the regional meets show that Terral scored a single point in the 1951 regional, while Claypool scored points in 1955.

Of course, Mountain Home, Sugden and Addington scored in regional meets in the early years of the state track meets.

Hastings, Irving, Union Valley and Claypool all closed in the 1950’s, while Terral’s high school consolidated with Ryan after the 1985 season.

Five different squads have recorded fifth-place finishes – Waurika boys (twice), Ringling boys and Waurika girls (twice).

Addington had a sixth-place finish in the 1945 meet, while Ringling’s girls and Ryan’s boys tied for sixth place in 1973 and 1976, respectively.

Waurika’s girls also had a sixth-place finish in 1992.

Seventeen other schools have had finishes between seventh and 10th  – Sudgen (1948), Waurika girls (1999, 1974, 1991), Waurika boys (1947, 2021, 1998, 2005, 2017, 2018 and 1951), Ryan boys (1961), Ryan girls (1990), Ringling boys (1984, 1963 and 1983) and Ringling girls (1986).

The best finish by Ryan’s girls came in the 1990 season when the Cowgirls finished in a tie for ninth place.

Ringling’s best boys’ team finish came in the 1971 state meet when the Blue Devils recorded 21 points.

The best finish by the Lady Blue Devils was a tie for sixth place in the 1973 state meet – the second state meet ever held for high school girls.

The Waurika boys’ track squad has the most top ten finishes with 12.

The girls teams from Waurika have seven top 10 finishes since the first state meet was held in 1972.

The best finish in this century was recorded by the Waurika girls when they finished fourth at the state meet held at Putnam City High School. The Lady Eagles garnered 50 points in the meet.

The most recent best finish was this past spring when the Waurika boys finished eighth at the Class A State Track Meet held at Cherokee. The Eagles’ posted the seventh best finish ever this past spring.

There have been some droughts along the way by the boys and girls teams from Ryan, Ringling and Waurika where those teams did not score in the state meet.

The Cowboys went from 1944 to 1954 without having an athlete place at the state meet. The Cowgirls went from 1992 to 2011 without a competitor placing in the state meet.

Ringling has gone the longest without scoring in a state track meet. The Blue Devils did not score in a state track meet from 1985 to 2019 – but it can be assumed that no track teams were fielded in many of those years.

The Lady Blue Devils went 23 years without scoring – from 1995 to 2018 – but again there were probably several seasons where they did not have a team.

Waurika’s boys went from 1952 to 1964 without an athlete placing in the state track meet, while the Waurika girls went from 1975 to 1984 without scoring.

NEXT WEEK: A look at some individual performances by Jefferson County athletes at the State Track Meet.

Waurika Scores Huge Win over Wilson

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The Waurika Eagles took a big step toward a district title last Friday (October 5th) night as they handed Wilson a 38-6 defeat at Skinny Stewart Stadium in Wilson.

Waurika is now 5-0 on the year and faces a match up with rival Ryan Friday night at Cy Sloan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Eagles do have four more district games remaining and anything can happen, but Wilson came into the game 5-0 and it was widely thought Waurika and Wilson would be the two teams to beat in the district.

Waurika High School Band. Photo by Adam Brinson

Using a consistent rushing game Waurika took the opening kickoff and moved 54 yards on just seven plays for the first score of the night. Zachary Brown scored from five yards out and Turner Mora ran for the two-point conversion to give Waurika an 8-0 lead with 9:26 to play in the first quarter.

After the two teams exchanged punts, Wilson started a series at their own 45 with just 42 seconds left in the quarter. Trevor Schaff, the Wilson all-purpose senior athlete, rushed for three yards on the first play, but then went 52 yards for a score with just 26 seconds left to play.

The quarter ended with Waurika clinging to an 8-6 lead.

Waurika answered the Wilson threat with a 51-yard drive for a score. Waurika covered the distance in only four plays. Helped along by a Wilson personal foul penalty Mora capped the drive by covering the final nine yards. Mora ran for the two points and Waurika was in front, 16-6, with 11:40 to go before intermission.

Again the two teams exchanged punts, Wilson took possession at their own 20 after Mora’s punt went into the end zone.

Colton Bryant advancing down the field.
Photo by Adam Brinson

Wilson’s offense sputtered and was hampered by two holding penalties and eventually Waurika forced a punt.

But, Waurika turned the ball back over to the home team on their own turnover of the night giving Wilson the ball at the Waurika 40.

The Eagles drove to the Waurika 17 but a penalty and a tackle for loss set up fourth down and Wilson could not convert.

Waurika took over on its own 20 and on the first play from scrimmage Brown swept right and then cut back against the grain into the open field and outran the defenders for an 80-yard touchdown. The run for two points failed, but Waurika was now in front, 22-6, with 2:37 left before intermission.

Photo by Adam Brinson

After a Wilson punt, Waurika took over at its own 38-yard line with just over one minute to play. A penalty set the ball back to the 49 and an incomplete pass left Waurika with a second and long.

Colton Bryant ran for the first down setting up a last minute score for Waurika.

Waurika lined up with everyone to the left and Mora took the snap in an empty backfield and went right and ran 33 yards untouched for the score. Bryant ran for the two-point conversion putting Waurika in front, 30-6, with only 34 seconds left in the half.

The second half became a defensive standoff with stagnant offense and penalties.

Late in the third quarter Waurika took possession at the Wilson 40-yard line. Overcoming one penalty Waurika moved down the field, but it took 12 plays to get the final score of the night.

With 11:52 left in the game, Mora capped the drive with a two-yard run for the score. Mora added the two-point conversion leaving Waurika comfortably in front, 38-6.

Kevin Garcia.
Photo by Adam Brinson

Neither team could mount a serious threat for the rest of the game.

Brown led the Waurika offense with 107 yards on just six carries. Bryant was just behind with 98 yards on 13 carries.

Waurika rolled up 295 yards on the ground and that was the entire offensive output on the night for Waurika. Wilson had 317 total yards on the night, but three turnovers and a number of penalties kept Wilson off the scoreboard most of the night.

EAGLE FLIGHTS: Waurika now holds a 51-20-3 series edge with Wilson and is 3-0 in meetings since both schools began eight-man play….Waurika has won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools….Waurika holds a 9-6 advantage in the series since the 2000 season….Waurika gained the large advantage in the series with a 13-game winning streak from 1979 to 1991 – the longest of this season…Wilson and Waurika have met a total of 74 times since the first meeting in 1921, which is the second most games against a single opponent in school history….Waurika and Ringling have met 88 times on the gridiron….The 32-point win for Waurika is the largest margin of victory since a 46-7 win in 2010.

Game in Figures

                                Waurika    Wilson

First Downs                12           13

Yards Rushing           37-295   54-213

Yards Passing             0            104

Passes                       0-4           8-13

Passes Int. By              1              0

Fumbles, Lost            1-1           2-2

Punts                         n/a           n/a

Penalties                    8-80         8-60

                SCORE BY QUARTERS

Waurika   8              22            0              8–38

Wilson      6              0              0              0–6

WAURIKA – Zachary Brown 5 run (Turner Mora run), 9:26, 1st Quarter

WILSON – Trevor Schaff 52 run (run failed), :24, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 9 run (Mora run), 11:40, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Brown 80 run (run failed), 2:23, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 44 run (Colton Bryant run), :34, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 2 run (Mora run), 11:52, 4th Quarter

                INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Waurika: Rushing – Brown 6-107, Bryant 13-98, Mora 12-61, Kevin Garcia 5-19, Matt Arriola 1-10; Passing – Mora 0-4-0-0.

Ryan Opens Season with Split at Homecoming Contests

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It was the season opener for the Ryan Cowboys and Cowgirls Tuesday night and both games came down to the wire.

 The Cowgirls fell to Grandfield, 34-32, while the boys picked up a 37-31 victory over the Bearcats.

 Ryan begins play today in the St. Jo, Texas Tournament. The Cowgirls will play Alvord, Texas in the first round, while the Cowboys are set to play Paradise, Texas junior varsity.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

Both teams will return to action on Friday.

The Cowgirls trailed 11-10 after the first quarter, but managed to tie the game at the half, 17-17, despite hitting only three of 11 from the free throw line.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

 

Photo by Sheree Hanson

The Lady Bearcats managed to outscore the Cowgirls, 8-6, in the third quarter setting up a dramatic ending to the contest.

That two-point edge ended up being the difference in the game as the two teams battled on even terms in the fourth quarter.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

The Cowgirls had a game-winning three-pointer rim out at the buzzer.

Samantha Good led the Cowgirls in scoring with 14 points. Lily York was the only other Cowgirl in double figures as she finished with 10 points.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

Free throw shooting, which hampered the Cowgirls most of the 2018 season, was the Achilles heel for Coach Steve Spangler’s squad in the season opener. Ryan connected on only seven of 17 from the charity stripe in the game.

 

In the boys’ contest, the Bearcats looked like they would run the Cowboys out of the gym.

The Bearcats took a 7-2 lead after the first quarter and increased the lead to 20-11 at intermission.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

The two teams played on even terms in the third quarter and the Cowboys entered the fourth quarter trailing, 29-19.

However, in the final frame, the Cowboys caught fire and outscored the Bearcats, 18-2, to capture the victory.

The game did not exactly feature great shooting. The Cowboys managed to shoot 36% from the field but were only one of nine from the three-point line.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

The Bearcats were much worse. Grandfield connected on only nine of 35 two-point field goal attempts and only connected on two of 25 three-pointers for a dismal 18% from the field.

The Cowboys might have stayed closer in the first half, but they made only three of 11 free throws and finished the game hitting only 25% from the line.

Defensively, the Cowboys had 10 steals and out-rebounded the Bearcats, 42-34.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

Grayson Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 15 points and was the only Cowboy in double figures.

Cowboy coach Austin Masoner garnered his first coaching win with the victory over Grandfield.

After competing in the tournament at St. Jo, the Cowboys and Cowgirls will be off until one week from today when they begin play in the Black and Gold Classic at Wilson.

GRANDFIELD 34, RYAN 32 (Girls)

Grandfield 11           6              8              9–34

Ryan        10            7              6              9–32

RYAN – Samantha Good 6-2-14, Lily York 4-1-10, Alicen Williams 1-4-6, Lilybet Harmon 1-0-2. TOTALS: 12-7-32. Three-pointers: York.

RYAN 37, GRANDFIELD 31 (Boys)

Grandfield                7              13            9              2–31

Ryan                        2              9              8              18–37

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 6-2-15, Skyler Parkhill 3-1-7, Andrew Villerreal 2-1-5, Brock Smith 2-0-4, Travis Fristoe 2-0-4, Landon Alexander 1-0-2. TOTALS: 16-4-37. Three-pointers: Tomberlin.

Waurika Looks to Take Control of District Race Against Ryan

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 Not much has to be said or written about the rivalry between Waurika and Ryan.

 With the two communities just 10 miles apart, it is natural for the two schools to be rivals in all sports competition.

 The football version of the rivalry is tomorrow night at Waurika’s Cy Sloan Stadium and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

 In many of the years of this series the two teams have also been competing against each other for district honors and 2018 is no different.

The Waurika Football Team.
Photo by Shelly Mora

 And even though the series in football took a break (except for two seasons) after Ryan moved to eight-man football, the rivalry on the gridiron was resumed in 2012 when Waurika dropped to eight-man football.

The series of eight-man meetings have been split at three wins apiece for the two teams. Ryan won the first two and then Waurika won three straight before last year’s thrilling 44-36, double-overtime victory by the Cowboys in 2017.

It will be Waurika’s homecoming and that will give the Eagles added incentive to be able to revenge last year’s heart-breaking loss.

Waurika has a huge advantage overall in the series that dates back to 1919 – the first year the two schools played football. The Eagles lead the series 40-17-3.

The Eagles built a good part of that advantage with 11 straight wins between 1963 and 1973 before Ryan broke the string in the 1974 season with a 28-0 victory over Waurika on the Eagles’ home field.

The Ryan Football Team.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

The game has been close and it has been lopsided. There have been two one-point games between the Cowboys and Eagles – in 1946 and 1954 – and each team came out on top once.

Waurika’s largest margin of victory came in a 1971 conquest of the Cowboys as the Eagles whitewashed Ryan, 64-0.

In 1937, Ryan earned its largest margin of victory over the Eagles with a 37-0 win.

Ryan has twice scored 44 points against Waurika – the highest number of points scored by the Cowboys in the series and both of those games were eight-man contests.

Waurika’s greatest margin of victory was the 64-point win in 1971.

Two of the three ties in the series were scoreless and they came in back-to-back years in 1942 and 1943.

Waurika has 15 shutouts over the Cowboys through the years, while Ryan has seven of shutouts. Both include the two scoreless games.

Waurika comes into this year’s game with a 5-0 record, while Ryan is 4-2 on the year.

Waurika had its biggest win of the year last week with a 38-6 decision over Wilson.

The Cowboys exploded for an 84-38 victory over Empire last Friday night, but that was helped along by two defensive scores and a kickoff return.

So, both offenses are potent and it could be an old-fashioned eight-man shootout.

Waurika has been a bit more dominating with only last week’s win over Wilson going past halftime.

The Cowboys will have to try to corral the team speed of the Eagles and figure out a way to keep the offensive momentum gained against Empire going against Waurika.

The two schools have three common opponents this season – Temple, Grandfield and Caddo. Both teams had runaway wins over Temple and Grandfield, but Ryan dropped a 57-26 decision to the Bruins, while Waurika rolled to a 48-0 win over Caddo.

Waurika features a potent running attack with Turner Mora, Colton Bryant, Kevin Garcia and Zachary Brown.

The Cowboys will counter on offense with a more wide-open attack behind quarterback Grayson Tomberlin, who has thrown for over 900 yards this season. He has also rushed for 655 yards.

However, the Cowboys are not one-dimensional as Skylar Parkhill has been the favorite target of Tomberlin’s passing attack. The Cowboy senior has rushed for 466 yards and 10 rushing scores.

Both teams will be challenged defensively to stop the offensive attacks.

Look for a contest with plenty of scoring if Ryan can solve the Waurika defense that has only allowed three touchdowns in five games.

Here’s a look at the results of the long-running series:

1919: Ryan 23, Waurika 0

1919: Waurika 29, Ryan 27

1927: Ryan 37, Waurika 0

1928: Waurika 14, Ryan 6

1929: Ryan 20, Waurika 0

1930: Waurika 27, Ryan 0

1931: Waurika 7, Ryan 0

1932: Waurika 7, Ryan 0

1933: Waurika 13, Ryan 0

1934: Waurika 18, Ryan 0

1935: Waurika 32, Ryan 20

1936: Waurika 14, Ryan 0

1937: Ryan 6, Waurika 6

1938: Waurika 12, Ryan 6

1939: Waurika 27, Ryan 0

1940: Waurika 6, Ryan 0

1941: Ryan 19, Waurika 0

1942: Ryan 0, Waurika 0

1943: Ryan 0, Waurika 0

1944: Waurika 38, Ryan 7

1945: Ryan 13, Waurika 0

1945: Waurika 19, Ryan 6

1946: Ryan 15, Waurika 14

1947: Waurika 14, Ryan 6

1948: Waurika 38, Ryan 13

1949: Waurika 32, Ryan 0

1950: Waurika 60, Ryan 0

1953: Waurika 41, Ryan 14

1954: Waurika 7, Ryan 6

1955: Ryan 19, Waurika 12

1956: Ryan 19, Waurika 6

1957: Ryan 33, Waurika 12

1958: Ryan 18, Waurika 14

1959: Waurika 20, Ryan 0

1960: Waurika 12, Ryan 8

1961: Ryan 8, Waurika 6

1962: Ryan 33, Waurika 18

1963: Waurika 40, Ryan 8

1964: Waurika 58, Ryan 6

1965: Waurika 2, Ryan 0 (forfeit)

1966: Waurika 35, Ryan 14

1967: Waurika 46, Ryan 0

1968: Waurika 22, Ryan 6

1969: Waurika 38, Ryan 0

1970: Waurika 34, Ryan 8

1971: Waurika 64, Ryan 0

1972: Waurika 50, Ryan 0

1973: Waurika 28, Ryan 6

1974: Ryan 28, Waurika 0

1975: Waurika 13, Ryan 8

1976: Waurika 21, Ryan 0

1977: Waurika 33, Ryan 0

1990: Ryan 27, Waurika 6

1991: Waurika 27, Ryan 20

2012: Ryan 36, Waurika 16

2013: Ryan 44, Waurika 26

2014: Waurika 29, Ryan 24

2015: Waurika 34, Ryan 22

2016: Waurika 46, Ryan 0

2017: Ryan 44, Waurika 36 (2OT)

Ryan Girls Cagers Garner More Honors

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 Post season awards continue to come in for three Ryan girls’ basketballers.

 Juliet Spangler, Samantha Good and Lily York – members of this past season’s Ryan Cowgirl basketball team that went 14-10 on the year – were honored by The Sunday Oklahoman newspaper.

The paper handed out its annual all-state and Super 5 girls’ basketball players in Oklahoma last Sunday.

The three Ryan standouts were all named on the honorable mention list of the Class A Super 5 team.

Spangler, Good and York were part of 32 girls selected to receive honorable mention status from all Class A high schools around the state.

Good – the team’s leading scorer this past season – finished with a scoring average of 14.7 and she was 16th in the state among the leading scorers in Class A for the 2020 season.

Samantha Good and her family Photo by Sheree Hanson

Right behind Good in the scoring list was Spangler who finished 17th in the state among Class A scorers with her 14.2 average.

York, who averaged 13.7 points a game, came in at 19th among the Class A girls in scoring average.

Lily York and her family. Photo by Sheree Hanson

The only school across the state to have more players make honorable mention Super 5 in Class A was Glencoe. Ryan joined Canute and Ripley that had three players on the list.

The Super 5 honorable mention selections were from all freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors in Class A.

On Monday, the three girls were also honored by the Oklahoma Girls High School Coaches Association.

York, Spangler and Good were selected to the All-District Team for the Small West. The girls were named to the squad from all over western Oklahoma’s smaller schools.

The three girls, who have all committed to play at the next level, were among 31 senior girls selected to the team from the western side of the state.

Juliet Spangler and her family. Photo by Sheree Hanson

Waurika Nine Falls To Empire In District Title Game

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Hunter Wesberry

 It was a wild district tournament for the Waurika Eagles at Central High last Thursday and Friday.

 Normally, when a team scores 30 runs in two games they come out on top on both. But, when a team gives up 27 runs, they normally lose both contests.

 However, Coach Glenn Howard’s squad went 1-1 in the first two games of the district tourney. The Eagles dropped a 15-5 decision to Empire in the first game of the tourney, but came back to defeat Central High, 25-12, to earn a berth in the district title game.

 Empire proved to be too much for the Eagles and hand Waurika a 12-0 defeat to claim the district championship.

 Empire will move on to the Class A Regional at Amber-Pocasset today and they were to have met the host school in the first round.

 In Friday’s championship game, the Eagles could get nothing going at the plate.

 Empire had a 3-0 lead after two innings and struck for six runs in the top of the third. The Bulldogs added two runs in the fourth and another run in the fifth that ended the game after Waurika could not score in the bottom of the fifth.  

In the first game of the tourney the Eagles got off to a good start. Zachary Brown got an infield hit with the bases loaded to score a run and give Waurika 1-0 lead after one inning.

The Eagles added two more runs in the top of the second on Hunter Wesberry’s two-run double, but Empire came back with a run in the bottom of the inning leaving Waurika with a 3-1 lead after two innings.

The Eagles added another run in the top of the third as Jordan Watkins led off with a triple and Gatlin Black scratched out an infield hit to score Watkins.

Empire responded with another run in the bottom of the inning, but the Eagles clung to a 4-2 lead after three innings.

In the top of the fourth, Michael Bryant was hit by a pitch and came around to score to put the Eagles in front, 5-2.

Empire knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth with three runs that included a two-run double and an RBI-single.

The wheels came off in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Eagles as Empire exploded for 10 runs to end the game on the run-rule.

The Bulldogs capitalized on four walks by adding eight hits and three stolen bases. The big hits in the inning came on a bases-loaded double and a two-run double.

This set up an elimination game between the Eagles and Central High and it was a wild affair.

Central High picked up six runs in the bottom of the first inning and things looked dismal for the Eagles to advance.

In the top of the third, however, Waurika struck for seven tallies helped along by three walks in the inning – two of those with the bases loaded gave the Eagles their first two runs.

Seth Waid followed with an RBI-single. M. Bryant followed with a bases-loaded walk and Jordan Watkins had a two-run single to cap the uprising.

Central High regained the lead at 8-7 in the bottom of the third with two runs helped along by two walks and an error.

Waurika responded, however, essentially blowing the game open with a six-run uprising.

Kevin Garcia was hit by a pitch, Ben Hernandez walked and Waid followed with a two-run double.

Colton Bryant walked to load the bases and M. Bryant followed with a bases-loaded walk. Brown followed with a two-run single and Watkins belted a two-run double that scored two more to put Waurika ahead, 13-8.

But, the Eagles were far from done as they added seven runs in the top of the fifth. Big hits included Waid’s RBI-single, M. Bryant’s RBI-infield single, Brown’s two-run double and another RBI-single by Watkins.

The Eagles left the bases loaded, but had a commanding 20-8 advantage heading to the bottom of the fifth.

The Bronchos tried to make it interesting with four runs in the fifth including a sacrifice fly and a three-run home run that cut the lead to 20-12.

The Eagles put all hopes of a Central High rally with five more runs in the top of the sixth.

A run-scoring single by Watkins and an RBI-double by Black were followed by a two-run triple by Kevin Garcia. Garcia scored on an error to set the final margin.

Watkins had four hits in the contest that led to four runs batted in. Waid had three hits and three runs batted in and M. Bryant scored four runs and had three runs batted in.

 The Eagles had 18 hits in the game.

The victory over the Bronchos ended a five-game losing streak by Waurika in district tournament play.

Waurika closed out the 2017 campaign with a 10-15 mark.

The future is somewhat bright for the Eagles on the diamond as the entire team returns for 2019 with the exception of M. Bryant, who played his final game for the Eagles in the district tournament.

“I was happy with our season,” said coach Glenn Howard on reflected on the season. “The team chemistry was good and I felt like we really started to put things together after spring break.

“Hopefully we can continue that improvement next season with the numbers we have returning,” added Howard, who finished his second year as the head coach of the Eagles.

Reasons for High School Sports Participation Varies

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Traditionally in small towns across Oklahoma and most of the nation, high school sports are a point of pride.

For instance, in most small towns in Texas, you will find a sign along the main highway through town that directs you to the high school football stadium.

In large metropolitan areas, high school sports are not as important to the population at large, but still participation in both large and small cities in high school sports is at an all-time high.

The reasons for high school students choosing to play sports will vary.

Some students love the cheer of the crowds, the talk in the locker room, the shared experiences of teammates, the ability to meet new people (usually in larger schools) and being able to represent their school or community.

On the negative side, some students are participating in sports because of pressure from parents or from their friends.

Others are simply trying to earn a college scholarship, although the reality of that happening is relatively slim if you look at statistics.

Many high school students have been playing their respective sports since grade school.

Some sports such as wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, baseball and basketball can start competitively as young as five or six years old.

Other sports such as softball, football, track and field, lacrosse (primarily a sport in the upper Midwest and northeast) and cross country come along a little later.

But, one trend that seems to be happening in schools both large in small is the specialization of sports. In other words more athletes are choosing to compete in only one sport and maybe two.

Most of the time the choice to focus on one sport is fueled that hope of furthering the athletic career beyond high school.

That is a somewhat unrealistic dream as only about two percent of high school athletes make it to the next level according to a study in 2012.

In 2017, the percentage increased slightly, but it is still not very high. The percentage of participants going on to compete in any level of college sports from the sports offered at Ryan and Waurika, for instance, would be approximately five percent. The percentage is the same for both boys and girls.

Whether the choice of playing only one sport is driven by the individual coaches or a parent, it is having impact at all sizes of schools.

Typically in smaller schools like Ryan and Waurika, the participation of every student athlete in most sports is necessary for the school to be competitive in the sports offered.

There are simply not an abundance of bodies in the local schools for that trend not to impact sports at Ryan and Waurika and schools like them across the state and nation.

But, it has a great impact on larger schools as well. It is just different.

A student-athlete that chooses to focus on one sport is potentially an outstanding athlete in other sports as well. So, at the larger schools, the impact of this is felt in the quality of the product placed on the field, court or diamond by the school.

Whatever drives student-athletes to compete in high school sports will hopefully motivate them to compete in multiple sports so that schools like Ryan and Waurika can remain competitive in all sports.

Next Week: Reasons for Lack of Participation in Sports

Ryan, Waurika Draw Tough District Assignments

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There is an old saying that goes something like this: “You have to beat the best to be the best.”

That will certainly be true of the Ryan and Waurika basketball squads if they hope to make a deep run into the Class A basketball playoffs.

Every high school basketball team in Oklahoma gets to begin post-season play – regardless of a team’s regular season record.

District assignments were released last weekend by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association and the tourneys are set to get under way the weekend of February 14 and 15.

Brackets for the tournament are set to be released today after district meetings were held earlier this past week.

The district champion and district runner up will advance to the regional tournament the following week.

Waurika will be traveling to Alex for the Area 3, District A-8 tournament. Joining the Eagles will be the host school and Fox.

The favorite for both the boys’ and girls’ side of the bracket in the district will be Fox. After last weekend’s play, the Fox boys were undefeated at 19-0 and ranked 14th in Class A. The Lady Foxes held a 13-5 mark after last weekend’s action.

The Eagles and Lady Eagles will need a first-round win to guarantee a spot in the Class A Regional Tournament slated to be held at Central High and Alex.

Ryan has been assigned to the Area 3, District A-5 tournament at Cyril. Joining Ryan is the host school and Central High.

Cyril will be the overwhelming favorite in both the boys and girls tournament. The Pirates are the top-ranked squad in Class A through last weekend, while the Lady Pirates are 15-4 and ranked 12th in Class A.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will also need a first-round win in order to extend their seasons by another week and advance to the regional at Central High and Alex.

Looking forward into the regional tourney, the boys’ side features two ranked teams in Cyril and Fox.

The girls’ regional will potentially feature the second-ranked Canute girls and Cyril, which is ranked 12th.

Only five of the 12 boys teams sport winning records, while on the girls’ side of the region eight of the 12 schools have winning marks.

Three schools from each regional will advance to the area tourney which is slated to be held at Chickasha. The regional champion, regional runner up and the regional consolation bracket champion will advance to the area tourney.

Assigned to the Area 3 are three other ranked boys teams – Vici, Arapaho-Butler and Southwest Covenent.

The girls’ side of the area features three more ranked teams – Vici, Arapaho-Butler and Cheyenne. Plus, Fletcher girls who finished third in the Comanche County Tournament last weekend will be among the possibilities for the area tourney.

It is possible that both Ryan and Waurika teams could advance to the regional tourney, but it would take some late-season improvement for the four squads to see success in the regional tourney or advance to the area tournament.

All four teams could use your support in the district tourneys at Cyril and Alex.

Cowgirl 3,200-Meter Relay Squad Sets School Mark

In only their second outing of the outdoor track season, the Ryan Cowgirls’ 3,200-meter relay team turned in a record-breaking performance at the Cache Invitational last Thursday at Cache High School.

 The relay team of Lilybet Harmon, Lily York, Holland Carter and Juliet Spangler smashed the school record with a time of 11:56.76 – besting the old mark by nearly 11 seconds that was set in the 1990 Southern Eight Conference track meet.

 The Cowgirls, however, could manage only a fourth place finish in the 3,200-meter relay in a tough meet that featured a large and small school division.

 The small school division was comprised of schools from Class 4A down to Class A. Marlow claimed the team title with 137 points – well ahead of runner up Rush Springs that finished with 96 points.

 Ryan tied Hobart for ninth place in the small school division with both teams earning 20 points in the meet.

 Spangler was the only Cowgirl competitor to score in any other events in the meet.

 The Cowgirl sophomore was third in the 1,600 meters with a time of 6:24.33. That time is the third best in school history with Spangler owning the two fastest times in the event.

 Spangler also claimed a bronze medal in the 3,200 meter run with a time of 13:45.36.

 That time is the second best mark in the event in school history and Spangler owns the school record at 13:38.16.

 The Cowgirls’ 1,600-meter relay team of Harmon, York, Carter and Spangler did not score in the meet finishing in seventh place, however, their recorded time of 5:21.37 is thought to be the second best time in school history and just six seconds off the school record of 5:15.0 set in the 1990 Southern Eight Conference meet.

 Other competitors included Carter in the 800 meters who also finished one spot out of earniing points, while Harmon finished 11th in the event.

 York was eighth in the 3,200 meters.

 Sadie Guzman and Justyce Keith also competed for the Cowgirls in the sprint events.

 The Cowgirls will be in action again tomorrow at the Stratford Invitational and will compete on April 13 at the Southern Oklahoma 8-Man Invitational hosted by Waurika.

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