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Coach Norman West Recognized/Field named in his honor

The West name is synonymous with sports in Jefferson County. Friday evening fans, friends and former players were on hand at Cy Sloan Memorial stadium to express their appreciation for Coach Norman and Louise West and family for their contributions to both education and sports by naming the Waurika football field “Norman West Memorial Field”.

Senator Chris Kidd reads a citation during the ceremony honoring Coach Norman West for his year’s of service. Photo by Adam Brinson

 Norman West graduated from Ryan High School in 1959. He attended and played football at Southeastern State University. In 1963 West graduated from college Since that time he and his wife have spent their lives as educators. Coach West has led sports teams for 39 years. Two of those years were spent in Paoli. Louise has always been by Norman’s side. They even worked track meets together after retirement.

Coach West moved to Waurika in 1965 and served as the head basketball coach for the boys and girls. He also served as the assistant football coach. At that time, there were only two coaches on the coaching staff. During fifteen seasons, his teams had a 75% winning record. 

Over the years, West also coached track and even helped revive the baseball team during the 1980s. He pioneered the concept of a seventh grade only team. This concept is still used in junior high athletics across the area today. 

For several years, West served as the middle school principal. 

The West Family.
Photo by Adam Brinson

He chaired the Waurika Summer Youth program for 11 years and as president of the Southern 8 Conference for 12  years. 

West spent several years as the Waurika Athletic Director. During that time he oversaw the building of the track and baseball facility. 

Norman and Louise have two sons: Quana and Byron.

Quana is married to Sharon. He is a school administrator in Wichita Falls. 

Byron is the head football coach and athletic director at Henrietta High School. 

The Wests also have five grandsons: Hayden, Zack, Parker, Grady, and Quade. Their two great-grandsons are Reece and Ramsey. 

During Friday evening’s ceremony, State Senator Chris Kidd presented Coach West with a citation from the state senate. 

The field was painted with words “Norman West Memorial Field” by former Head Coach and accomplished artist, Glenn Howard.

Artwork by Coach Glenn Howard
Photo by Adam Brinson

Athletic Director Everett Hodges presented not only the initial idea for the honor to be bestowed upon coach West, but also served as master of ceremonies for the night’s events. 

Mr. Nat Lunn, Waurika High School Principal supported the project from the beginning as well as Waurika Schools Superintendent, Cody  Simmons. 

Former players and current players pay their respects to
Coach Norman West at last Friday’s football game.
Photo by Adam Brinson

At the end of the ceremony, Superintendent Cody Simmons unveiled a new sign at the east end of the field designating the facility as “Cy Sloan Memorial Stadium and Norman West Memorial Field.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cowboys Set to Open District Play

It is time for serious football for the Ryan Cowboys.

 Tomorrow night the Cowgirls will host Empire for a

District B-4 contest at Bob Givens Sports Complex.

 Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

 The Cowboys will take a 3-2 record into the game with the Bulldogs, while Empire is 2-3 on the year.

 Ryan enjoyed a bye week last week and no doubt first-year head coach Tony Tomberlin helped identify the areas the Cowboys have struggled this year during the extra practice sessions.

 The break also gave the Cowboys opportunity to head from nagging mid-season injuries.

 This will be the first meeting between Ryan and Empire on the gridiron since 1977 when Ryan last played 11-man football.

 Empire dropped to eight-man football last season and made a playoff appearance in its first year.

The Bulldogs were the pre-season favorite in most polls to win the district title.

Waurika Falls Short In Fast-Pitch Softball District Tourney

Waurika dropped two straight games in the Class A District Tournament at Ringling last Thursday to conclude what has been a tough season.

The Lady Eagles dropped a tough 10-7 decision to Wilson in the first game of the tournament and then were eliminated by Ringling, 11-0.

Ringling took the district title with two straight wins over Wilson, 9-1, and 12-0.

Waurika played one of its better games of the year in the tourney opener against Wilson.

Waurika took the lead in the bottom of the first inning with two runs.

Faith Roberson had a lead off walk and stole second and that was followed by Gracie Walling being hit by a pitch.

F. Roberson stole home to give the Lady Eagles a 1-0 edge and then Walling scored on Landry Forsyth’s bases-loaded hit by pitch. That put Waurika ahead, 2-0, but the Lady Eagles left the bases loaded without scoring another run.

Wilson took the lead in the top of the second with four runs and carried a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the third inning.

Waurika moved back in front in the third with three runs.

Brooklyn Barnes got things started by being hit by a pitch and Forsyth followed with another hit by pitch.

After two outs, F. Roberson managed a walk to load the bases. Walling slapped a double to center field that cleared the bases and gave Waurika a 5-4 advantage after three innings.

Wilson moved back in front with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, but Waurika answered with a couple of scores to regain the lead in the bottom of fifth.

Hope Cummings led off the rally with a single and stole second. She eventually scored by stealing home to tied the game.

Walling picked up her third hit of the game and came around to score on Madison Roberson’s two-bagger to left field that put Waurika back in front, 7-6.

Wilson came from behind with a run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to secure the win and Waurika could not answer in the final two frames.

Walling finished the game for the Lady Eagles with a 3-for-4 performance, three runs batted in and two runs scored.

In the second game of the tourney, Waurika had no answers for Ringling. The Lady Blue Devils scored four runs in the first inning, added one in the second, five in the third inning and one in the fourth frame to get the win in four innings.

The Lady Eagles could muster only two hits in the game by Kaci Reynolds and M. Roberson.

In the final regular season game a week ago Tuesday, Waurika outslugged winless Temple, 16-7, on the Lady Tigers’ home diamond.

Waurika jumped out on top of Temple with three runs in the first.

F. Roberson led off the game with a walk and moved to second when Walling reached on an error.

Destiny Barnes followed with a double to score F. Roberson and Walling followed with a score on M. Roberson’s RBI-ground out. D. Barnes came around to score giving Waurika 3-0 advantage and the Lady Eagles left two runners stranded.

Temple answered the Waurika uprising with a pair of runs to cut the margin to 3-2 after the first inning.

The Lady Eagles took control of the contest in the top of the third inning with five runs.

B. Barnes reached base after being hit by a pitch and she advanced to second on Forsyth’s free pass. Olivia Ralls was also hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Cummings reached on an error that scored B. Barnes. Forsyth, Ralls and Cummings each stole home for three more runs.

F. Roberson followed with a walk and eventually scored on another Temple error that put Waurika on top, 8-2.

Waurika added to the lead in the fourth inning.

Reynolds led off the inning by reaching on an error. Tallin Mora was the courtesy runner and advanced to third on walks by B. Barnes and Ralls.

Cummings was hit by a pitch that forced Mora home. Grace Hill, who ran for Ralls, and Cummings scored on Walling’s two-run single. Alayna Stallcup picked up an RBI-single that scored F. Roberson who had reached on a fielder’s choice.

The four-run rally put Waurika in front 12-2 and Temple was in danger of being run-ruled.

The Lady Tigers answered the challenge, however, and managed to score five runs in the bottom of the fourth to trim the Waurika lead to 12-7.

Waurika was not going to let this one slip away. The Lady Eagles answered the Temple rally with four more runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Two hit batsmen and a walk loaded the bases for the Eagles. B. Barnes scored on a fielder’s choice. Ralls and Cummings scored on F. Roberson’s two-run single to left.

Temple could not score and the game ended by the run rule.

Walling led the Lady Eagles at the plate with two hits in five at-bats. F. Roberson scored four times and Cummings scored three runs

M. Roberson picked up the win in the circle for the Lady Eagles.

Four Lady Eagles – D. Barnes, Madison Christian, Ralls and M. Roberson played their final games for the Lady Eagles in the district tournament.

 Waurika finishes the season with a 3-18 mark, but the Lady Eagles showed marked improvement in the final couple of weeks of the season.

Joe Allen Named New Eagle Football, Baseball Mentor

 Joe Allen was selected recently as the 38th head football coach in school history at Waurika High School.

Allen will not only be the grid mentor, but will also serve as the head baseball coach for the Eagles next spring.

 “I am really excited about coming to Waurika not just because of the job opportunities, but because my wife teaches at Waurika, we live here and my kids go to school here,” said Allen in a recent interview.

Allen, a 2009 graduate of Cameron University and a 2004 Ryan High School graduate, is looking forward to the challenge of continuing to build on the success Waurika has had in football the past couple of years.

For the past four seasons Allen has been the head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Walters High School. He guided the Blue Devils to one district title in baseball in the four seasons.

“The big selling point for the job was of course my family, but also the kind of athletes they had coming up at Waurika,” said Allen. “I was happy at Walters, so it had to be the right job for me to leave there.”

Allen began his coaching career as a lay coach for the Duncan High School baseball team for two years.

He became the head baseball coach at Rush Springs for two seasons before moving to Temple in 2013 to become the head football coach and head baseball coach for the Tigers.

It was his only season as a head football coach and he guided the Tigers to a 4-5 mark before the opportunity came to move over to Walters.

“Football and baseball were always neck and neck for me even when I was a little kid,” noted Allen when asked which sport was his favorite.

 Allen has not yet had an opportunity to meet with the football team, but is looking forward to getting together with them in the near future.

“Being in the area and living here in Waurika I have known the kind of athletes they have,” said Allen in reflecting on his new challenge.

“They have been really competitive in junior high and what I have been impressed with is they have a number of athletes that I have heard are willing to work hard to improve,” said Allen.

While the timing of his hiring did not allow him to get involved with Waurika’s summer league baseball team, he did see the squad in action in their final summer league game at Comanche.

Allen will take over for former Waurika football and baseball coach Glenn Howard, who moves over to Wilson to become an assistant for the Eagles.

“I was glad they had a team because it is hard to get a team together in many of the smaller communities around,” Allen said

Allen was an outstanding athlete during his high school career at Ryan. He excelled in football, baseball and track.

In the 2003 season football season Allen was the starting quarterback on the Cowboys’ semifinal squad that finished 9-4. He threw for 1,113 yards and connected for 11 touchdowns. He also contributed 553 yards rushing.

During his junior season for the Cowboy football squad Allen snared seven interceptions, which was the third most in the state among eight-man schools. He was also named to The Duncan Banner’s all-area football team.

Allen was a ringleader on the 2003 baseball squad that earned a district title – one of only three district titles for the Cowboys since 2000.

In track, Allen was a state track meet qualifier in the high jump in both 2003 and 2004 and was the Southern Eight Conference high jump champion in 2004.

Allen is married to the former Magen Wright of Ryan and she is currently a teacher in the Waurika Public Schools. They have three children with the oldest entering first grade at Waurika this fall.

Speedy Burns Flat Pins First-Round Playoff Loss on Cowboys

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It was a bitter ending to what was an outstanding season for the Ryan Cowboys’ football squad.

 Last Friday night at Bob Givens Sports Complex, the Cowboys fell to Burns Flat-Dill City, 58-12, in a first-round playoff game.

 While the margin of victory was great, the Eagles were the benefactors of some key plays early in the game that kept the Cowboys on their heels most of the night and finally resulted in the big win.

 Ryan finishes its first season under Tony Tomberlin at 7-4, while BFDC improved to 6-5 and moves on to face Pioneer-Pleasant Vale in the second round of the Class B playoffs.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

 Three key events set the tone for the contest – a 90-yard touchdown run after Ryan fumbled deep in BFDC territory, an 84-yard kickoff return by the Eagles after a Ryan score and a successful onside kick recovery by the Eagles to begin the second half.

 All of those plays happened at critical moments in the game and helped the Eagles control the contest.

 BFDC also possessed some speed on both offense and defense and it stymied the Cowboys most of the night.

Photo By Sheree Hanson

 The Eagles took the opening kickoff and moved 61 yards in nine plays to take a 6-0 lead at the 8:02 mark in the first quarter. Tracen Poor got the score on a seven-yard run.

 The Cowboys were poised to answer the score as they moved from midfield after recovering an Eagle onside kick attempt to the BFDC nine-yard line. However, on a first and goal, the Cowboys fumbled and John Shorter alertly covered it for BFDC at the 10.

 On first down talented running back Isaac Tubbs took the pigskin to the house breaking into the Cowboys’ secondary and racing down the left side for a 90-yard score. The run failed for two points, but instead of a lead or a tie for the Cowboys, the Eagles had a 12-0 advantage with six minutes to play in the initial quarter.

 Another failed onside kick attempt set the Cowboys up at their own 49 and Ryan moved right down the field in 11 plays and on a fourth and goal, quarterback Grayson Tomberlin scored from five yards out. The two-point conversion failed, but now Ryan trailed by only 12-6 with 1:26 left in the first quarter.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

 On the kickoff, the Eagles made another pivotal play in the game as Tubbs took the ball at his own 16-yard line and went 84 yards for the touchdown. Poor ran for the two points and the Eagles had increased the lead to 20-6.

 The Cowboys fought back and took care of another onside kick attempt by the Eagles to begin the offensive push at the Cowboy 46. Ryan covered the distance in seven plays with Tomberlin taking it in from 21 yards out for the score.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

 After a penalty on the conversion attempt, the Cowboys tried a pass for the conversion, but it fell incomplete leaving Ryan with a 20-12 deficit with 10:22 to play in the second quarter.

 On the next possession, BFDC looked like they would take control of the game driving deep into Ryan territory, but Tubbs fumbled the ball at the Ryan three after a 15-yard gain and Kalen Weldon got the recovery for the Cowboys.

Photo By Sheree Hanson

 Ryan moved from its own three to the BFDC 46, but a fumble by the Cowboys, which was covered by Andrew Villerreal, set the Cowboys back at the Ryan 40 and three plays later the Cowboys were forced to punt.

 The Eagles got through on the punt and blocked it to give them excellent field position at the Ryan 25 with only 1:25 showing on the clock before the half.

 The Eagles worked their way to the Ryan four to get a first down stopping the clock with one second to play. Somehow the Eagles got the play off before the clock ran out and Poor found Robert Rush for a four-yard touchdown pass over the middle with no time left. Luis Margerum ran for the two points and the Eagles held a 28-12 halftime advantage.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

 Beginning the second half the Eagles tried yet another onside kick and this time the Cowboys mishandled it and BFDC got the recovery at midfield. On the fifth play of the drive, Margerum scored from nine yards to extend the lead to 34-12 at the 10:32 mark of the third period.

 From this point, the Cowboys simply could not get much going offensively and the Eagles were able to frequently get into the Cowboy secondary for large gains.

 After a failed fake punt attempt the Eagles extended the lead with a five-play, 57-yard drive. Margerum capped the drive with a one-yard plunge and Tubbs ran for the two points to put the margin at 42-12 with 8:35 to play in the third quarter.

 The Cowboys were forced to punt on the ensuing possession after failing to pick up a first down and the Eagles took over at the Ryan 45. In only four plays the Eagles got a touchdown as Margerum scored his third rushing touchdown of the nine on a five-yard run. Margerum added the two-point conversion and with 5:38 left in the third quarter the Eagles were ready to end the game early with a 50-12 advantage.

Photo by Sheree Hanson

 Ryan tried to stay alive in the game but an incomplete fourth-down pass gave the Eagles another possession.

 From the BFDC 31, the Eagles took the ball for the game-ending score. It took eight plays with the aid of 20 yards of Ryan penalties for the Eagles to cap the drive. It was a five-yard run by Tubbs for the score and the two-point conversion run by Margerum with 1:04 left in the third quarter that ended the game.

 Tubbs finished with 209 yards rushing on only 19 carries. Add in the kickoff return and one pass reception and Tubbs finished the night with 290 all-purpose yards.

 In his last game for the Cowboys, Skylar Parkhill finished with 90 yards on 15 carries to lead the Ryan offensive attack that was limited to 195 total yards for the contest.

 Game in Figures

                             BFDC       RHS

First Downs             21            12

Yards Rushing         42-391     33-172

Yards Passing          37            23

Passes                     4-5           5-14

Passes Int. By          0              0

Fumbles, Lost          2-1           2-1

Punts                       0-0           2-17

Penalties                  2-10         6-40               

SCORE BY QUARTERS

BFDC      20            8              30            x-58

Ryan        6              6              0              x-12                   

FIRST QUARTER 

BFDC – Tracen Poor 7 run (run failed), 8:02

BFDC- Isaac Tubbs 90 run (run failed), 6:00

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 5 run (run failed), 1:26

BFDC – Tubbs 84 kickoff return (Poor run), 1:11

                SECOND QUARTER

RYAN – Tomberlin 21 run (pass failed), 10:22

BFDC – Robert Rush 4 pass from poor (Luis Margerum run), :00

                THIRD QUARTER

BFDC – Margerum 9 run (run failed), 10:32

BFDC – Margerum 1 run (Tubbs run), 8:35

BFDC – Margerum 5 run (Margerum run), 5:38

BFDC – Tubbs 5 run (Margerum run), 1:04                 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

BFDC: Rushing – Tubbs 19-209, Margerum 10-94, Poor 13-88; Passing – Poor 4-5-37-0; Receiving – Rush 3-40, Tubbs 1- -3.

RYAN: Rushing – Skylar Parkhill 15-90, Tomberlin 15-87, Travis Fristoe 2-9, Team 1- -14; Passes – Tomberlin 5-12-23-0, Parkhill 0-2-0-0; Receiving – Kalen Weldon 3-10, Parkhill 2-13; Tackles – Tomberlin 14, Parkhill 12, Fristoe 12, Justin Williams 9, Andrew Villerreal 7, Walter Snider 7, Weldon 5, Pacen Wiest 4, Gunner Phillips 1, Trey Bryant 1

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.


Ryan Looks to Overcome Depth Issues to Have Successful 2020 Season

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The move down to Class C for the Ryan Cowboys could not have come at a better time.

The Cowboys have battled a numbers problem the past two seasons and went into a couple of games in 2019 with only one or two players on the sideline.

But some talented players returning from 2019, the Cowboys hope the move to Class C will be a profitable one.

The 2020 season gets underway Friday as the Cowboys travel to Bray to face the Bray-Doyle Donkeys. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

While the Cowboys have won the past 16 meetings with the Donkeys, there have been some very competitive games – especially the past two seasons.

The Cowboys will feature one of the top players in Class C at the quarterback spot in Grayson Tomberlin, who has directed the Cowboy offense in each of the past three seasons.

However, Tomberlin was hurt in the only scrimmage held by the Cowboys and will likely miss most of the non-district schedule for the Cowboys.

Racen Williams, a freshman, will get the nod at the quarterback position for the season opener.

“He can do a good job for s and is pretty athletic,” said third-year coach Tony Tomberlin.

One of the best linemen in Class C returns at center for the Cowboys in Trey Bryant. Bryant has been a three-year starter for the Cowboys.

Joining Bryant on the offensive line are returning starter Mike Regher and newcomer Clayton Applin.

There are still some question marks for Coach Tony Tomberlin and assistants Tony Roberts, Kenny Barnes and Zak Roberts.

The Cowboys will have to find a replacement for graduated senior Andrew Villerreal at the running back position and the defense will feature players in some new positions than what they have played before.

And, numbers will still be an issue for the Cowboys even against Class C competition.

Ryan has 12 players out for football and can ill afford a series of injuries. If that happens, the 2020 season that seems so promising could end abruptly.

Caleb Perrin returns for the Cowboys at fullback. Ethan Burden will see action in the backfield in the Cowboys’ new offense for 2020.

The Cowboys will be talented at the receiver positions. Julian Rodriguez will be the wide receiver, while Skyler Wickware and Mason Adsit will man the tight end positions.

“Offensively, we will be OK, but defense will be a question mark,” coach Tomberlin reflected. “But, the defense really played well in our scrimmage at Wilson.”

Bryant will return at nose guard and Adsit and Regher will be at the defensive end positions.

Perrin will man the middle linebacker spot with Williams and Wickware at the other linebacker positions.

Burden and Rodriguez will be counted on in the defensive backfield for the Cowboys.

“This is group may be the most fun group I have coached,” coach Tomberlin noted.

“We have good chemistry and they really get along well,” coach Tomberlin added. “They work hard and do everything we have been asking them to do and that will lead to success.”

The district competition will be top heavy, but the Cowboys could challenge for the title or the runner up spot which would feature a home playoff game.

Mountain View-Gotebo is the consensus favorite to win the district title and Maysville will be in the thick of things as well.

The other teams in the district will present a challenge to the Cowboys because with the lack of numbers, the Cowboys are not likely to dominate any team on the schedule.

The Cowboys were ranked 12th in The Daily Oklahoman’s preseason poll.

Here’s a preview of the 2020 Cowboy opponents:

at Bray-Doyle

Coach: Marcus Knight, 3rd year (5-16)

Last Year’s Record: 2-8

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 4th or 6th in District B-4

Last Playoff Appearance: 2018, lost to Snyder, 62-12 in the first round of the Class B playoffs

Last Meeting: Ryan 30, Bray-Doyle 14, in 2019

First Meeting: Ryan 21, Bray-Doyle 0, in 1977

Series Record: Ryan leads, 22-3.

Zero Week Result: lost to Maysville, 38-0

PREVIEW: While the record for 2019 did not reflect it, the Donkeys put an improved product on the field. With eight starters returning on offensive for Bray-Doyle, the outlook is optimistic after winning only 16 games over the past 12 seasons. Five of the eight returning starters are juniors. Tyler Anderson will likely lead the offensive attack for the Donkeys. The senior running back rushed for 973 yards a year ago. The Donkeys have a legitimate shot at the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and this will be a good test for the Cowboys in the season opener.

Geary

Coach: David Ellis, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 1-9

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 6th or 7th in District C-1

Last Playoff Appearance: 2016, lost to Depew, 42-20, in Class B Quarterfinals

Last Meeting: N/A

First Meeting: N/A

Series Record: This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

PREVIEW: The Bison return five players on offense and three starters on defense and will be looking to improve from the 1-9 mark in each of the past two seasons. The Bison will be learning a new offensive scheme and a new defensive system, but with the returning experience for the Bison, they should pick things up quickly.

at Central High

Coach: Gerald White, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 4-6

Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked; 6th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Burns Flat-Dill City, 54-6, in first round of Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Central High 56, Ryan 20, in 2019

First Meeting: Ryan 50, Central High 0 in 1978

Series Record: Central High leads the series, 23-14.

Zero Week Result: defeated Paoli, 48-12

PREVIEW: The Bronchos face somewhat of a rebuilding year in 2020 and they will do it with a new first-year coach in Gerald White. White brings a wealth of experience, however, as he has been an assistant at Tipton the past few years and was part of the Tigers’ recent success. Quarterback Payton Spencer, who was a starter as a freshman a year ago, will head the offensive attack for the Bronchos. Three returning senior starters on offense will give Spencer some experience around him. Jax Hansen will spearhead the defense. The 5-10, 175-pound senior was a two-way starter last year for the Bronchos. This will be an excellent test for the Cowboys in a final tuneup before district play begins.

Thackerville (HC)

Coach: Hunter McCage, 3rd year (1-19)

Last Year’s Record: 0-10

Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked; 6th or 7th in District C-2

Last Playoff Appearance: 2017, lost to Pond Creek-Hunter, 48-0, in the first round of the Class C playoffs

Last Meeting: Ryan 40, Thackerville 8 in 2017

First Meeting: Ryan 44, Thackerville 18 in 1980

Series Record: Ryan leads the series, 21-9.

PREVIEW: The Wildcats have fallen on hard times the past two seasons as they have won only one of the past 20 contests. The two tough seasons followed seven straight years of playoff appearances for the Wildcats. Six starters return on offense for the Wildcats including sophomore running back Lucas Rickwa. Lucas Scarborough, a 6-2, 225-pound junior, will return at quarterback. His targets will likely be 6-2, 165-poound Blayne Giourgus and Brady Pendargraft, a 6-4, 155-pound junior. Six starters also return on defense where quickness will be the strength of the Wildcats on that side of the ball. The Cowboys will need a strong performance to open the district slate on a successful note.

Mtn. View-Gotebo

Coach: Jeff Coakley, 4th year (18-15)

Last Year’s Record: 8-3

Preseason Ranking: Class C: VYPE (3rd), The Tulsa World (2nd); The Daily Oklahoman (6th); 1st in District C-2

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Timberlake, 28-24, in the first round of the Class C playoffs.

Last Meeting: Mt. View-Gotebo 64, Ryan 36, in 2015

First Meeting: Ryan 47, Mt. View-Gotebo 14 in 1990

Series Record: Ryan leads, 10-6

PREVIEW: The Tigers will try to build on last year’s 8-3 campaign and are predicted to do exactly that as they have been tabbed as the favorites in District C-2. Heading the bevy of experience returning for the Tigers is Rylan Belcher, a 5-8, 180-pound junior who had 1,110 yards passing a year ago. He added 1,305 yards rushing and scored 21 touchdowns. All of the returning starters for the Tigers are juniors or seniors. Two talented defensive ends, Connor Leiphardt and Jarrett Butler, will anchor the defense that will feature quite a bit of speed. The Tigers were ranked second in The Tulsa World’s Class C preseason poll. If the Tigers can avoid the injury bug, they could make a deep run into the Class C playoffs.

at Paoli

Coach: Lance Sumner, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 2-8

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 5th or 6th in District C-2

Last Playoff Appearance: 2018, lost to Pond Creek-Hunter, 54-8, in the Class C semifinals

Last Meeting: Ryan 40, Paoli 0 in 2009

First Meeting: 6-6 tie in 1966

Series Record: Ryan lead the series, 20-12-1

Zero Week Result: Lost to Central High, 48-12

PREVIEW: It has been over a decade since these two teams have met on the gridiron, but the Pugs will pose threat to the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs. After two very successful seasons in which Paoli was 18-6, the Pugs slipped to just 2-8 in 2019. Four starters are set to return for the Pugs on offense and while Paoli will feature a lot of young players, the quarterback is the most experienced position with Chase Parker directing the Pugs’ attack. He threw for 987 yards a year ag and added 623 yards rushing. Andrew Finley should be the ringleader on defense from the defensive end position. He had 78 tackles for the Pugs last season. The Cowboys cannot afford a lost to the Pugs if they hope to make a playoff appearance in 2020.

October 15: Maysville

Coach: Dace Lemieux, 3rd year (11-11)

Last Year’s Record: 7-4

Preseason Ranking: Class C: VYPE (7th); The Daily Oklahoman (10th); 2nd or 3rd in District C-2

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Waynoka, 52-28, in first round of Class C playoffs

Last Meeting: Maysville 54, Ryan 8 in 2019

First Meeting: Ryan 6, Maysville 0, in 1949

Series Record: Ryan leads, 4-3.

Zero Week Result: defeated Bray-Doyle, 38-0

PREVIEW: The Warriors have an abundance of talent coming back for the 2020 season after a 7-4 campaign in 2019. The Warriors have made the playoff in five of the past six seasons and are hoping for a deep run in the post-season for 2020. Noah Chambers, a senior, returns to direct the Warriors on offense. He will have a veteran running back  to hand the ball to in Gunner Chambers. Brodie Albright, a 6-6, 285-pound senior defensive end figures to be the top defender for the Warriors. He had 80 tackles and 10 sacks a year ago. If the Cowboys want to contend for the district title, this will be a key contest on the schedule.

at Temple

Coach: Barry Giles, 2nd Year

Last Year’s Record: Did not play season

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 8th in District C-2

Last Playoff Appearance: 2012, lost to Forgan, 64-0, in first round of Class C playoffs.

Last Meeting: Ryan 46, Temple 0, in 2018 before last year’s forfeit by Temple

First Meeting: Temple 35, Ryan 0, in 1921

Series Record: Temple leads, 49-32-5

PREVIEW: Hopefully the Tigers can return to the gridiron in 2020 after sitting out the 2019 season. Before that, the Tigers had suffered through back-to-back 0-10 seasons – and one of those seasons included four forfeits. Temple has not played a football game since October of 2018. The Tigers will be young and inexperienced and it could be another tough season for Temple.

October 30: Grandfield

Coach: Darren Lamar, 3rd year (4-15)

Last Year’s Record: 3-7

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 7th or 5th in District C-2

Last Playoff Appearance: 2017, lost to Tyrone, 76-30 in first round of Class C playoffs.

Last Meeting: Ryan 66, Grandfield 20 in 2019

First Meeting: Ryan 12, Grandfield 6 in 1923

Series Record: Grandfield leads, 36-25-5

PREVIEW: The Cowboys have had their way with the Bearcats the past two seasons, but Grandfield always poses a threat because they consistently have team speed and 2020 figures to be no different. Blake Houston returns at running back to provide a threat any time he touches the ball. Ethan Hammer, a junior quarterback, is small but has some ability. Defense may be the strong part of the Bearcats in the upcoming season with four starters returning. The Bearcats have not had a winning season since 2016 and with the inexperience of the 2020 squad, it figures to be another tough season. The Cowboys cannot afford an upset in this contest.

at Fox

Coach: Brent Phelps, 12th season (85-41)

Last Year’s Record: 3-6

Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked; 3rd in District C-2.

Last Playoff Appearance: 2017, lost to Carnegie, 62-16, in first round of Class B playoffs

Last Meeting: Ryan 42, Fox 6 in 2017

First Meeting: Ryan 20, Fox 6 in 1933

Series Record: Fox leads the series, 15-10-3

PREVIEW: Fox will be looking to rebound from a disappointing season in 2019 and will be the Cowboys’ chief competitor for a playoff spot in District C-2. The Foxes will have experience on their side as they return six players on offense including talented senior tight end Robert Davis. Davis will likely be the top target of returning quarterback Hawk Anderson and he will be a key blocker for returning senior running back Blain Anderson. Six starters also return on the defensive side of the ball. Davis figures to be a problem whether he plays linebacker or defensive end for the Foxes. This final game of the regular season could decide the third and fourth positions in the district.

It’s about time for fishing season

Fishing is just around the corner, although with a temperature of 18 right now, it’s a little hard to imagine. It won’t be long however before I start  getting pictures of Houston Scott and Slade Cathey with huge bass taken from their local ponds! As warm afternoons and sunshine raise the temps, the big bass will start hanging out in the shallows.

New Heritage 40th Anniversary Tracker for $9,995.00

This really signals the beginning of fishing season and the lake bite will quickly follow. With that in mind it’s time to start getting your fishing rig ready to go. We discussed a few weeks ago about working on your tackle during this down time but now you need to concentrate on your boat.

After being winterized and stored for a few months, we need to do a complete check; batteries, controls, electrical and have the engine serviced, including oil change. Hopefully, making that first trip to your favorite spot trouble-free.

It doesn’t matter if your ride is a $40,000 bass boat, Jon boat, pontoon or your family pleasure boat as long as you get out and enjoy our Waurika Lake.

A lot of you may not remember, but in the early 70’s, “bass boats” existed, but not as we know them now. They were small, around 14ft and very narrow to have access to brushy shoreline areas. They were driven from the bow seat using a stick drive, which took a little practice to get used to!

Skeeter Boats, I believe, was the first to manufacture what would be known as a bass boat.

 

The First Bass Tracker in 1978

The earliest of what could truly be called a bass boat is credited to Holmes Thurman who founded the Skeeter Boat Company of Liberty, Texas in 1948.

The first Skeeter boats were part flat-bottomed jonboat and part powerboat. The name came from the appearance of its distinct bow. Thurman thought it looked like a mosquito. Made from molded plywood, the first Skeeters rapidly became popular with Texas and Louisiana anglers.

Skeeter began building improved fiberglass models in the early 1950’s. The 1961 Skeeter Hawk was one of the first mass produced fiberglass bass boats available.

The basics of the modern bass boat came together for the first time; more hydrodynamic hull design, swivel fishing chairs, bow mounted electric motor, and rod holders. Not quite a Wright Brothers to space shuttle difference but close.

As anyone knows, if you wanted a boat of any kind in the 1970’s, you went to the dealer of your choice, picked out the model you wanted and then decided what kind of motor and other accessories you wanted on the boat and paid them to rig it out.

The first boat of this type I bought was from Lakey’s Marine in Wichita Falls in 1975. I can’t remember the brand but it was a 14ft green and white fiberglass boat that was so narrow that sitting in the bow seat you could rest your hands on the gunnels without reaching! Rigged with a 25hp Johnson motor, I thought it was the cat’s meow.

The First Bass Boat

That all changed in 1978 when Johnny Morris introduced the first “Bass Tracker”, the industry’s first fully accessorized, ready-to-fish boat, motor and trailer package at an unheard-of nationally published price of $2,995 and advertised it in their fishing catalog. The boat was an instant hit; I remember seeing my first tied up at my friends dock on Lake Arrowhead in 1979 – I was impressed! Then in 1982, TRACKER Boats opened its first plant in Lebanon, MO. It was dedicated solely to the manufacture of TRACKER fishing boats. In 1988, the company’s custom boat trailer factory opened in Ozark, MO. Each trailer is factory matched, custom fit, sized and color coordinated to the boat it will carry. In 2008, TRACKER Boats celebrated 30 years as the #1 builder of aluminum fishing boats, and as the acknowledged leader in innovative aluminum boat technology. Today, Tracker still builds some of the best, most affordable fishing boats in the nation.

There are a lot of great bass boat/fishing boats out there these days for you and your family’s enjoyment, hope this gives you an idea of how it all got started! Get in one and get out and enjoy your great Oklahoma outdoors!

Cowgirls Claim Fifth Team Title for 2018 Season

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CAMERON CHAMPS - Pictured are members of the Ryan Cowgirl cross country squad that claimed the title of the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational last Friday in Lawton. Pictured are (left to right) Juliet Spangler, Lily York, Holland Carter, Katelynn Dabbs, Lilybet Harmon and Alicen Williams. Photo by Trey Smart

LAWTON – Coach Steve Spangler and the members of the Ryan Cowgirl cross country squad set some goals before the season started.

One of the goals was to win five meets during the cross country season.

Last Friday, the Cowgirls met that goal as they claimed the title of the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational II here.

Lily York crosses the finish line at the recent Cameron University Cross Country Invitational and earned a medal with a ninth place finish for the Cowboys last Friday.
Photo by Trey Smart

Unlike most courses, the Lawton course was fairly wide open and a strong south wind made the event a little tougher even though only four teams competed for the team title.

The Cowgirls claimed the first-place trophy with 26 points, edging out Waurika who finished with 35 points. Lone Grove was third with 83 points and Lawton High finished fourth with 85 points.

This was the final meet of the regular season as the Cowgirl squad will compete in the Class 2A Regional Cross Country meet on Saturday at Velma-Alma’s Wildhorse Golf Course.

Julie Spangler edges out a competitor from Lone Grove to finish seventh in the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational at Lawton last Friday.
Photo by Trey Smart

The fourth-ranked Cowgirls will be joined by top-ranked Watonga in the Velma regional, which is somewhat surprising considering Velma is over twice as far from Watonga as the northwest regional to be held in Enid.

The top seven teams will advance to the Class 2A State Cross Country meet at Shawnee a week from Saturday.

Lilybet Harmon crosses the finish line in third place last Friday at the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational in Lawton.
Photo by Trey Smart

The Cowgirls will not only have the top-ranked squad to face, but will have five other teams that are ranked in the top 15 in the state in the Velma-Alma regional including the hosts, Waurika and Merritt.

For the second meet in a row, Lilybet Harmon led the contingent of Cowgirl harriers with a third-place finish at the Cameron meet. Her time of 13:35.20 was the best of the season in the 3,200-meter distance.

Katelynn Dabbs (front) and Holland Carter are (back) shown finishing the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational meet in Lawton last Friday. Dabbs finished fifth and Carter was sixth in the race.
Photo by Trey Smart

Katlynn Dabbs was fifth for the Cowgirls and finished with a time of 13:54.40 – also her best time of the season.

Holland Carter was just a half a second behind Dabbs and finished sixth with a time of 13:54.92. But, it was also Carter’s best time of the year.

Juliet Spangler, who was battling a nagging minor injury, finished seventh in the race with a time of 13:59.27.

CAMERON CHAMPS – Pictured are members of the Ryan Cowgirl cross country squad that claimed the title of the Cameron University Cross Country Invitational last Friday in Lawton. Pictured are (left to right) Juliet Spangler, Lily York, Holland Carter, Katelynn Dabbs, Lilybet Harmon and Alicen Williams.
Photo by Trey Smart

Lily York rounded out the medal winners for the Cowgirls with a ninth-place finish and a time of 14:07.92, which was also her personal best in 2018.

Alicen Williams finished 23rd in the race, but also posted her best time of the season at 15:43.68.

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