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Green All-Stars Roll to 56-8 Victory Over White Team in Eight-Man Game

By
Trey Smart
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0
Ryan eight-man all-stars and cheerleaders are pictured with Ryan principal and Cowboy assistant football coach Tony Tomberlin (center) at the end of last Saturday’s eight-man all-star game in Miami. Pictured are, from left to right, Laken DeBoard, Joseph Martin, Coach Tomberlin, Dawson Tomberlin, Tate Kimbro and Holland Carter (photo provided).

…Local gridders on the wrong side of the scoreboard

 It was a tough evening for four Jefferson County football stars last Saturday evening in Miami at the Oklahoma Eight-Man Coaches Association All-Star game held at Northeastern A&M’s Red Robertson Field.

 But, the 56-8 loss by the White team, which featured players from Waurika and Ryan, did not dampen the experiences of the week for Seth Cathey of Waurika and Ryan standouts Dawson Tomberlin, Tate Kimbro and Joseph Martin.

 Martin was a late addition to the White squad and was able to join his two teammates for most of the week’s festivities.

In addition, two Ryan cheerleaders, Laken DeBoard and Holland Carter, were part of the all-star cheerleading group that performed during the game.

Tomberlin, who was awarded one of 12 scholarships by Oklahoma Farm Bureau during the awards banquet last Friday night, saw action at linebacker on defense.

 Tomberlin also carried the ball three times on offense in the game and accounted for a total of three yards.

(l-r) Dawson Tomberlin, Seth Cathey of Waurika, and Tate Kimbro. Photo by Jennifer Cathey

Kimbro anchored the White’s offensive line at the center position – much like he did through most of his high school career for the Cowboys, He had a tough assignment most of the night facing a couple of outstanding nose guards on the Green squad.

Martin, the defensive leader on the 2017 edition of the Cowboys, saw action at both defensive end and nose guard.

 Cathey, the Eagles’ lone representative at the game and the team leader on the 2017 playoff team, also saw action at defensive end and nose guard. In the fourth quarter, Cathey was in the White backfield on a number of plays and helped stop the Green’s final two-point conversion try.

The Green team scored on three straight possessions in the first quarter to build a 22-0 advantage.

Ryan eight-man all-stars and cheerleaders are pictured with Ryan principal and Cowboy assistant football coach Tony Tomberlin (center) at the end of last Saturday’s eight-man all-star game in Miami. Pictured are, from left to right, Laken DeBoard, Joseph Martin, Coach Tomberlin, Dawson Tomberlin, Tate Kimbro and Holland Carter (photo provided).

Early in the second quarter the White squad put its only points of the night on the board as Boogie Brown of Dewar capped a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a one-yard run. Brown caught a pass for the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 22-8.

That would be as close as the White team would get the rest of the night as the Green scored 34 unanswered points over the remainder of the game.  He gained the offensive most valuable player for the White.

The game capped off a five-day stay for the outstanding eight-man footballers in Oklahoma and the players participated in various events throughout the week.

The City of Miami and the Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) in partnership with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and the Oklahoma Eight Man Football Coaches Association (OEMFCA) sponsored the festivities.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNER – Ryan’s Dawson Tomberlin, front row, second from left, was one of 12 athletes honored at the Oklahoma Eight-Man Coaches Association awards banquet last Friday in Miami. Tomberlin received his award from Oklahoma Farm Bureau. (Photo courtesy Miami News Record)

Jim Thorpe Award February 8, 2018

By
Curtis Plant
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0

(l-r) Jon Waid, Minkah Fitzpatrick (this year’s Jim Thorpe award winner), and Richard Thorpe – son of legendary athlete Jim Thorpe.

Jon Waid and Richard Thorpe attend this year’s Jim Thorpe award ceremony in Oklahoma City Tuesday evening.

Photo by Curtis L. Plant

 Oklahoma City – Richard Thorpe, Jon Waid, Curtis and Kimberly Plant traveled to Oklahoma City to take part of the annual Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Ceremony.

Before the ceremony began, Jon Waid had a chance to visit with this year’s winner Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive back for the Univeristy of Alabama.

During their visit Fitzpatrick expressed that he was glad he didn’t have to face Oklahoma University’s potent offense in the title game.

During the ceremony, Oklahoma’s All State team was recognized by the Daily Oklahoman.

(l-r) Bill Thorpe, Gov. George Nigh, Richard Thorpe

Former Governor George Nigh recognized Richard Thorpe, of Waurika and his brother and thanked them for keeping the memory of their father alive.

 

Abe Lemons, a respected coach who was born in Ryan, Oklahoma was mentioned during the ceremony.

The Jim Thorpe Award has been given to outstanding defensive backs since 1986.

Ryan Drops Road Game at Caddo

By
Trey Smart
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0
Photo by Sheree Hanson

A year ago the Ryan Cowboys traveled to Caddo and a rally fell short in a narrow loss, but in 2018 Caddo would not permit a Cowboy rally.

The Bruins scored 25 unanswered points in the second half and rolled to a 57-26 victory over the Cowboys on the Bruins’ home field last Thursday night.

The game was moved to Thursday to prevent playing in inclement weather and it proved to be a wise decision as many Friday night games were postponed to last Saturday or Monday.

The Cowboys will enjoy a bye week this week since they played in Zero Week. Ryan will begin district play when they return to the gridiron a week from Friday as Empire will come to Bob Givens Sports Complex.

The contest at Caddo started off well for the Cowboys as Grayson Tomberlin found Skyler Parkhill on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Parkhill ran for the two points and Ryan held an 8-0 lead with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

The Bruins answered and tied the score at the 2:56 mark of the first quarter. John Holbrook connected on the first of his five touchdown passes to put Caddo on the board. Chisolm Booth caught the touchdown pass and Avrey Brown grabbed the two-point conversion pass to knot the score at 8-8.

Ryan came back on its next drive to get a score. Travis Fristoe got the touchdown on a nine-yard run, but the two-point conversion failed and Ryan held a 14-8 lead with 39 seconds to play in the first quarter.

The second quarter proved to be the Cowboys’ downfall. Caddo scored three times and all three were touchdown passes by Holbrook. Booth, Brown and Payton Brewer were on the receiving end of the scores.

The first score came at the 8:26 mark and the play covered 42 yards. Brown was on the receiving end of the two-point conversion pass to put Caddo in front, 16-14.

Caddo got its second score with 1:37 to play before intermission and the pass to Brown covered four yards. Brown also caught the two-point conversion pass giving Caddo a 22-14 advantage.

The Cowboys then failed to cover an onside kick attempt by the Bruins and Caddo made the Cowboys pay with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Brewer. Cameron McClain ran for the two points to put Caddo in front, 30-14, with 1:25 left before intermission.

Ryan was able to trim the margin in the final seconds of the second quarter as they quickly drove down the field and Tomberlin scored on a two-yard run as the clock expired. The run for two points failed leaving Ryan trailing, 32-20.

The Cowboys started the second half like the first half. Ryan was able to get another score as Tomberlin found Parkhill for a 67-yard touchdown completion. A run for two points failed, but the Cowboys had cut the margin to 32-26 midway through the third quarter.

That would be final score of the night for the Cowboys.

Caddo answered the Cowboy threat with three touchdowns in the final 4:58 of the third quarter to give the Bruins a 50-26 lead heading into the final quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter the Bruins tacked on another score as Hunter Speers ran six yards for a score and Holbrook kicked the extra point for Caddo to set the final margin.

Turnovers played a key role in the contest as that thwarted many Ryan drives. The Cowboys lost three fumbles and had one interception.

The Cowboys also had trouble converting third downs. Ryan was only two of 11 on third down conversions, while Caddo was nine of 12.

Caddo rolled up 502 total yards on offense, but the Cowboys managed to record 465 yards of offense and both teams averaged 8.2 yards per play.

COWBOY NOTES: The 57 points scored by the Bruins marks the most points scored against Ryan in this eight-game series that dates back to 1970…The previous high by Caddo was 36 points in a 36-20 victory over Ryan in 1972…The series is now tied at 4-4 and Caddo has won three straight games from the Cowboys….The 83 points scored between the two teams is the highest number of points scored in the eight games the Bruins and Cowboys have played…This marked the second straight game Tomberlin has passed for over 200 yards in a game…Parkhill’s 189 receiving yards tied the school record for most yards receiving in a game…Parkhill set the new mark in the previous week’s victory over Maysville….Four different Caddo receivers caught touchdown passes in the game…The 502 yards of offense by Caddo is the sixth highest total by a Ryan opponent in school history.

 Game in Figures

                                RHS         CHS

First Downs             19            24

Yards Rushing         39-246     41-260

Yards Passing         219          242

Passes                     8-18         14-20

Passes Int. By          1              1

Fumbles Lost           3-3           1-1

Punts                       1-29         1-36

Penalties                  6-35         5-30

                SCORE BY QUARTERS

Ryan        14            6              6              0–26

Caddo     8              24            18            7–57

                FIRST QUARTER

RYAN – Skyler Parkhill 21 pass from Grayson Tomberlin (Parkhill run), 5:29

CADDO – Chisolm Booth 18 pass from Jack Holbrook (Avrey Brown pass from Holbrook), 2:56

RYAN – Travis Fristoe 9 run (pass failed), :39

                SECOND QUARTER

CADDO – Booth 42 pass from Holbrook (Brown pass from Holbrook), 8:26

CADDO – Brown 4 pass from Holbrook (Brown pass from Holbrook), 1:37

CADDO – Payton Brewer 60 pass from Holbrook (Cameron McClain run), 1:25

RYAN – Tomberlin 2 run (pass failed), :00

                THIRD QUARTER

RYAN – Parkhill 67 pass from Tomberlin (run failed), 6:40

CADDO – Hunter Speers 7 pass from Holbrook (pass failed), 4:58

CADDO – Dalton Johnson 5 run (pass failed), 3:11

CADDO – Michael Creel 53 run (run failed), :54

                FOURTH QUARTER

CADDO – Speers 6 run (Holbrook kick), 3:20

                INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RYAN – Rushing: Parkhill 12-96, Tomberlin 17-93, Fristoe 9-57, Gunner Phillips 1-0; Passing: Tomberlin 8-18-219-1; Receiving: Parkhill 4-189, Kalen Weldon 2-6, Andrew Villarreal 1-18, Fristoe, 1-6; Tackles: Fristoe 5, Pacen Wiest 3.5, Parkhill 3, Villarreal 2, Weldon 2, Justin Williams 2, Phillips 1.5, Braden Jackson 1, Tomberlin 1, Trey Bryant 1, Sam Brown 1.

Ryan Tournament Changes Format After Temple Drops Out

By
Trey Smart
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0

Cowboys get one win in tourney and one regular season win.

The fifth annual Cowboy Classic baseball tournament had to make a last-minute switch from pool play to a five-team, double-elimination format after Temple dropped out of the tourney.

 Thackerville claimed the tournament title with a 14-4 victory over Waurika in the championship game.

 The tournament was played last Thursday and Friday which was a wise move considering last Saturday’s frigid weather.

 For the Ryan Cowboys it was a one-day appearance in their own tournament.

 The Cowboys opened the tournament with a 7-5 loss to Big Pasture but managed a 10-3 victory over Grandfield in an elimination game.

 In the next round, however, Waurika eliminated the Cowboy nine with a 10-3 victory.

 The Eagles advanced to the championship game by defeating Big Pasture, 6-4, after Thackerville had handed Big Pasture its first loss of the tournament.

 For the Cowboys, the loss to the Rangers was a tough won considering Ryan had managed a 15-13 victory over Big Pasture earlier in the week.

 In the tournament contest with Big Pasture, the two squads ended the first inning tied at 1-1. The Rangers, however, exploded for six runs in the top of the third inning to take a commanding 7-1 lead.

 The Cowboys were able to hold Big Pasture scoreless the rest of the way, while picking up two runs in the fourth and one run each in the fifth and sixth inning to draw within 7-5, but the time limit ended the game after six innings.

 The victory over Grandfield was also shortened by the time limit, but the Cowboys scored in every inning to secure the win.

 A double by Joseph Martin and a walk by Grayson Tomberlin helped give the Cowboys a 1-0 lead after one inning.

 In the second inning, Andrew Villerreal reached on a walk to open the inning and after two were out, Walter Snider got an RBI-single and he eventually came around to score giving the Cowboys a 3-0 advantage.

 Grandfield cut the margin to 3-1 with a single tally in the top of the third inning, but the Cowboys answered the modest Bearcat rally with three more runs in the bottom of the third.

 G. Tomberlin and Tate Kimbro led the inning off with a pair of singles and them Dawson Tomberlin picked up a two-run double. Tomberlin came around to score after a Grandfield error to extend the Cowboys’ lead to 6-1.

 In the bottom of the fourth, G. Tomberlin tripled after one out and then scored before the Bearcats could retire the Cowboys. Ryan now led, 7-1, heading to the fifth inning.

 In the top of the fifth inning the Bearcats produced three singles coupled with an error and three stolen bases accounted for two runs cutting the lead to 7-3.

 The Cowboys ended all hopes of another rally by Grandfield by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Those runs came without the benefit of a base hit thanks to two walks, three stolen bases and two Grandfield errors that put the final score at 10-3.

 This set up an elimination game between Waurika and the Cowboys.

 The Cowboys got off to a good start in the top of the first inning as D. Tomberlin and Martin led off by reaching base to give Ryan a 2-0 lead.

 The Eagles responded in the bottom half of the inning, however, striking for six runs. Bryson Hernandez, Hunter Wesberry, Zachary Brown and Gatlin Black led off the inning by reaching base and all four came around to score.

 Austin Dyer and Michael Bryant got on base after one out and eventually scored before the end of the inning to give the Eagles a 6-2 advantage.

 After a scoreless second inning, the Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning sending eight batters to the plate.

 Jordan Watkins and Dyer led off the inning by getting on base and Colton Bryant got a two-run single to put the Eagles in front 8-2. The Eagles left two men stranded before the end of the inning.

 The Eagles were not finished, however, sending eight more batters to the plate in the fourth inning. Watkins and Dyer both got one-out walks and eventually came around the score to give the Eagles a 10-3 lead after four innings.

 In the fifth inning, the Eagles scored three more runs and scored a run-rule victory over the Cowboys. Brown, Black and Dyer scored runs for the Eagles to seal the victory.

 Dyer finished the game with four runs scored after reaching base three times on walks.

 This set up another elimination game for the Eagles and Waurika responded to the challenge by scoring a 6-4 victory over Big Pasture earning a spot in the championship game against Thackerville.

 The Wildcats were too much for the Eagles and earned the title with a run-rule victory. It was the second invitational tournament the Wildcats have won this season.

 Earlier in the week the Cowboys picked up their second win over the season at Big Pasture.

 Ryan got off to a 2-0 lead after one inning when Martin reached base and after a G. Tomberlin single and an error, Martin put the first run on the board for the Cowboys.

 G. Tomberlin eventually scored on a two-out, RBI-single by River Williams.

 Things got really interesting in the bottom of the third inning as the Rangers scored five runs with only one hit. A Ryan error and three walks helped the Rangers snag the lead.

 The Cowboys regained the lead in the top of the fourth exploding for eight runs to hold a 10-5 lead.

 Singles by Martin, C. Villerreal and A. Villerreal along with four bases on balls and an error accounted for the five Cowboy runs.

 In the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers cut into the lead with three runs of their own. Two errors and two walks helped the Rangers cut the Ryan lead to 10-8 heading into the fifth inning.

 Big Pasture took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs. An error, a fielder’s choice, a walk, a single and a double contributed to the rally that put the Rangers in front, 11-10, heading to the sixth inning.

 Ryan answered with four runs in the top of the sixth with three walks and a single by Martin helping produce the go-ahead runs. The Cowboys also left the bases loaded but Ryan held a 14-10 lead.

 After holding Big Pasture scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, the Cowboys managed another run in the top of the seventh inning. Martin was hit by a pitch and eventually scored giving the Cowboys a 15-10 lead.

 Big Pasture tried to rally as the Rangers scored two runs with one out, but the Cowboys were able to get the final two outs.

 D. Tomberlin and A. Villerreal each paced the Cowboys at the plate with two hits apiece. Martin scored four runs for the Cowboys in the contest which ties the school record for most runs scored by an individual in a game.

 Ryan was to have met Waurika and Dickson on Tuesday on the Eagles’ home diamond.

 Today the Cowboys travel to Grandfield for a contest with the Bearcats and on Friday the Cowboys are scheduled to host Alex on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports complex.

 The Cowboys close out the regular season Monday at Geronimo with a three-way matchup with the Blue Jays and Waurika.

Individuals Led To Waurika’s Track Excellence During The 30’s

By
Trey Smart
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0

Track is one of those sports where team and individual performances are tied together.

 A string of strong individual showings in a few events can go a long way in helping a team earn a meet title.

 At Waurika in the decade of the 1930’s there was no shortage of outstanding individual performances.

 A number of these individuals for the Eagles went on to participate in track in college. Or, track played a role in them earning a spot on collegiate football squads.

 Results for the first four years of the decade are scarce, but a few performers can be identified as standouts for the Eagles.

 In 1930, Charles Rhoades was a ringleader for the Eagle squads. He won the conference title in the pole vault and placed in the 440-yard dash, the mile run, the long jump, the javelin and the 880 in the county meet held at Ryan that year. He aided the Eagles to earn a team title over the Cowboys.

 Rhoades was the champion at the 1931 county meet in the 440 and he placed in the 100, 200 and the pole vault as Waurika earned the team title.

 One of the standouts during the 1932, 1933 and 1934 track seasons was Tillie Roach. He went on to give up track and play football at the University of Tulsa.

 Roach was the conference champion in the 120 high hurdles at the conference meet in 1932 and he placed in the same event as well as the 200 yard dash at the OU Invitational.

 Another outstanding performer for the Eagles beginning in 1933 was R.V. Wright. He won the 120 high hurdles at OU and had the best time in the state in that event at 16.1. He went on to star in track at Oklahoma A&M, where in 1939 he was the team captain for the Aggie track squad.

 R.V. Wright also ran in an invitation only 120 high hurdles race during halftime of the 1939 Sugar Bowl football game.

 He was also part of the seven-man team that was so successful in 1934. Roach was on this squad along with Roscoe Long, Tubby Daniel, Elmer Wright, Fuzzy Fowler and Hurschel Sparkman.

 The mile relay team of Roach, R.V. Wright, Long and Daniels was the conference champion in the mile relay with a time of 3:33.7.

 Sparkman won the 220 low hurdles, while Daniel won the 440 and Fowler earned the title in the mile run and the 880.

 In the 120 high hurdles, R.V. Wright set a meet record in winning the race, while Sparkman and Roach were second and third respectively. Elmer Wright rounded out the meet champions with a first place finish in the discus.

 Elmer Wright eventually went on to a track career at Connors State in Warner.

 At the OU meet in 1934, Roach was the 220 yard low hurdles and R.V. Wright finished second and Sparkman was third. R.V. Wright also earned the title in the 120 yard high hurdles.

 Fowler was a meet champion at OU in the 880 and the mile run and Elmer Wright was the champion in the discus, setting a meet record in the process.

 In 1935, fewer results are available, but Sparkman began to establish himself as an outstanding hurdler. He won both the 200 low hurdles and the 120 high hurdles at the OU meet that season and set meet records along the way. Sparkman eventually went on to run track at Oklahoma A&M.

 Sparkman, Fowler and Long returned for the 1936 track season.

 Sparkman continued to dominate the hurdles events, while Fowler won the mile run in every meet he participated in during the 1936 season.

 Jackie Taylor, who became an outstanding athlete at Waurika, began to make his mark during the 1936 season. Taylor earned a runner up spot in the 220 yard dash and third place in the 440 yard dash at the OU meet.

 At OU that same season, Sparkman won both hurdles’ events and Fowler was a champion in the mile run.

 Those performances spurred Waurika to the team title in 1936 at OU.

 Taylor began to dominate in the sprints during the 1937 track season. He was a county champion in both the 100 and 220 and also the shot put.

 Taylor won three events – the 100, 220 and the 440 – at the OU meet which would be equal to sweeping the state title in three events today, which is rarely done. Taylor also anchored the 888-yard relay to a first-place finish for Waurika at OU.

 Sparkman won the county meet in the 200 low hurdles, but finished second to teammate Rex Lewis in the 120 high hurdles.

 Oral Hairston was a key member of the 1937 squad as he also competed in the hurdles for the Eagles.

 During the 1938 season, Hairston took over for Sparkman in the hurdles and was nearly as dominate. He won the 120 high hurdles at the Southwestern Exposition Invitational at Fort Worth and helped Waurika to the team title.

 Hairston was the top point producer at the 1938 Southern Six Conference meet as he was responsible for 15.25 of Waurika’s title-winning 83.3 points.

 At OU in 1938, Hairston was the champion in the 120 high hurdles and the hop, skip and jump event. He finished third in the 220 low hurdles.

 Hairston finished out his career at Waurika in 1939. He was the conference champion in the 200-yard low hurdles and finished third in the 120 high hurdles. He also won the pole vault that season at the conference meet. Waurika won the 1939 conference title in overwhelming fashion.

 These men and a number of others were the people responsible for Waurika becoming the “track capitol of Oklahoma” during the decade of the 1930’s.

District B-4 Squads Win Three of Four Contests

By
Trey Smart
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0

 It was a good week for the grid teams in District B-4 as four of the five schools won their contests as they continue to engage non-district foes.

This week the teams will engaged in another week of non-district contests while most of the rest of the state begins district play.

Most districts in all classes have eight schools, but the schools in District B-4 are with five other schools leaving more room for non-district games.

Wilson will take the week off, but the Eagles have fashioned an impressive 4-0 record to start the season. They have wins over two ranked teams in Class C – Fox and Paoli.

Wilson’s victory over Fox was probably the most impressive among the district schools.

Waurika is the other undefeated team among the district schools with wins over Temple, Grandfield and Carnegie – all by the mercy rule.

Ryan recorded its third win of the season and all three wins have come against Class C teams – Maysville, Temple and Grandfield. The Cowboys will step back into play against Class B teams when they face Caddo this week.

Bray-Doyle, 3-1 on the year, will have the week off, also. The Donkeys had been on a roll until last Friday when they were soundly defeated by Cyril, 52-6.

Central High got into the win column for the first time this season. The Bronchos defeated Temple but both schools suited out only 10 players for the game.

Empire, who had a bye week last week, will try to reach the .500 mark when they host Cyril.

Last Week’s Results

Central High 44, Temple 18

Cyril 52, Bray-Doyle 6

Ryan 30, Maysville 14

Waurika 64, Carnegie 14

Wilson 56, Fox 28

This Week’s Games

Carnegie at Central High 1-2

Cyril at Empire 1-2

Ryan at Caddo 3-1

Snyder at Waurika 3-0

Bray-Doyle does not play 3-1

Wilson does not play 4-0

Cowgirl Harriers Finish Seventh In First Meet of the Season

By
Trey Smart
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0

A pair of outstanding individual performances highlighted the first meet of the season for the Ryan cross country teams.

The Cowgirls posted a seventh-place finish in the Class 4A-2A division with two runners earning medals and another battling a nagging injury during competition at the Duncan Invitational last Saturday.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal

The Cowboys took only one runner – Mason Adsit. The sophomore runner, however, recorded his second best time of his career which was good for 78th place in the crowded field of competitors.

His time over the five-kilometer course was 23:19.83.

Alicen Williams and Jasmine Villerreal led the Cowgirls to the seventh place team finish and both runners earned medals in the highly competitive meet.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal

Williams recorded a personal best time over the two-mile course. Her time of 13:54.22 was good for 18th place overall.

Villarreal, running in her first meet at the high school level, finished in 24th place with a time of 14:29.55.

Lilybet Harmon, the Cowgirls’ top returning runner from last year’s regional title team, has been battling an injury, but she still managed to finish 34th in the meet with a time of 15:16.21.

Rounding out the performances for the Cowgirls were Katelynn Dabbs who finished 58th with a time of 18:05.22.

Libby Carter was 69th in the race with a time of 24:42.01. Carter is a recent addition to the Cowgirl squad and has had limited time conditioning for a cross country race.

Blanchard won the high school girls division meet with 46 points, while Merritt was second with 56 tallies. Ryan’s point total of 151 was seventh among the eight teams in the meet. A total of 70 high school girls competed in the meet.

Ryan will return to competition on Saturday when they travel to Geronimo for the first meet ever hosted by the school.

Duncan Invitational Junior High Results

Boys

9. Andrew Scott, 13:18.24; 12. Koble Lewis, 13;38.58

Girls

Merritt 47, Hollis 72, Comanche 90, Altus 108, Rush Springs 121, Blanchard 121, Duncan 184, Waurika 190, Ryan 226

41. Lilah Regehr, 13:55.68; 65. Harleigh Loftis, 15:54.40; 71. Lynnlee Tomberlin, 16:29.08; 80. Alyssa Harrison, 17:58.46; 82. Heather Poage,18:03.02; 89. Kayleigh Hodges, 20:29.52

Waurika Runners Post Impressive Performances in Initial Meet

By
Trey Smart
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0

The Waurika high school cross country squads opened the season last Saturday by competing in the Duncan Invitational at Duncan.

The Lady Eagles managed a fourth-place finish competing against several of the best teams in this part of the state – including two that will compete in a higher class.

Blanchard was the team champion with 46 points, while Merritt finished with 56. Waurika came in with 91 points.

In the boys’ competition, the Eagles finished 10th, but had to run against the likes of Duncan, Cache, Elgin and Lawton Eisenhower. Cache was the team champion with 45 points and Duncan finished second with 98. Waurika had 241 points – just one point behind Lawton Eisenhower.

Tallin Mora led the way for the Lady Eagles as she earned ninth place with a time of 13:34.21, which is her second best time ever.

Asia Smith also earned a medal by finishing 17th place with a time of 13:50.66.

Aubree Showalter came in at the 27th spot in the crowded girls’ field with a time of 14:53.21.

The fifth runner for the Lady Eagles, Faith Roberson, managed to finish 39th giving the Lady Eagles five runners in the top 40 of the meet. Roberson’s time was 15:40.11.

Brooklyn Barnes headed the junior varsity group for the Lady Eagles. Her overall finish of 55th was good enough to medal among the JV competitors. She finished the two-mile course with a time of 17:34.55.

Kaci Reynolds was 63rd (19:44.52) Savanna Ritter was 65th (20:27.45) and Hope Cummings was 67th (21:22.53) to round out the Lady Eagle competitors.

Waurika was competing against teams from Class 4A through Class 2A.

The Eagles had to compete in one division that included schools from every class – from Class 2A to 6A. Waurika held their own, however, against the bigger schools.

Cache Dunn paced the Eagles on the day with a 31st-place finish. His time was 20:00.30.

Gustavo Gomez was 51st with a time of 21:41.05 for the Eagles, while Trent Arellano earned the 62nd spot, but was just behind Gomez with a time of 22:20.17.

Alex Gomez was 64th (22:22.80) and Kevin Garcia earned 74th place (23:11.83) to round out the scorers for the Eagles.

Octavio Gomez (81st, 23:32.64), Malachi Dodson (117th, 29:06.55) and Colby York (121st, 30:24.30) rounded out the competitors for the Eagles in the meet.

Waurika will return to action Saturday when they travel to Madill for the Madill Cat Run.

Junior High Results at Duncan

Waurika Boys

Team Scoring: Elgin 63, Altus 73, Blanchard 74, Hollis 87, Duncan 106, Waurika 113, Cache 126.

15. Aiden Jenkins 13:45.33; 32. Jaxson Simmons, 14:58.83; 36. Ryder Watkins, 15:15.99; 38. Ledger Watkins, 15:53.63; 41. Austin Eck, 16:48.64; 

Waurika Girls

Team Scoring: Merritt, 47, Hollis 72, Comanche 50, Altus 108, Rush Springs 121, Blanchard 121, Duncan 184, Waurika 190, Ryan 226.

20. Charley Sellers, 12:38.21; 47. Niesca Camarillo, 14:15.78; 50. Destiny Foster, 14:36.96; 77. Gabby Gunter, 17:20.55; 85. Chancy Sellers, 18:19.99; 87. Paisley Young 18:28.27.

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

By
Trey Smart
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0

 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.

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