Three new school records were set by the Ryan Cowgirl track squad, but it resulted in no medals and no points in the tough Konowa Invitational Track Meet last Thursday at Konowa.
The Cowgirls were to have competed at Velma-Alma on Tuesday before action in the Class A Regional Track Meet at Alex on Saturday.
Field events get under way at 9:30 a.m. with the running events scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m.
The regional meet determines the participants in the Class A State Track Meet on May 4-5 at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City.
At Konowa, the 3,200-meter relay team of Lilybet Harmon, Lily York, Holland Carter and Juliet Spangler managed an eighth place finish, but set a school mark with a time of 11:39.68.
The time was an improvement over the school record set just the week before at the Waurika Eight-Man Invitational.
The new school record was the third time this season this squad has set a new standard in the 3,200 meter relay.
Spangler also set a new school record in the 3,200 meter run. She was eighth among 30 competitors in the event with a time of 13:37.68.
This broke her school record of 13:38.16 that was set last season at the Waurika Invitational meet. Spangler holds the five best times in the 3,200 meters in school history.
Carter set a personal best time in the 800 meters with a mark of 2:47.5, but did not place among the field of competitors from mostly Class 2A and Class 3A schools.
In the final event of the day for the Cowgirls, the 1,600-meter relay team of Harmon, York, Carter and Spangler recorded a time of 5:03.63 to best the school mark set earlier this year at Elgin.
The 1,600 meter relay team for 2018 owns four of the five best times in school history for the event.
Although the basketball season is over, some Waurika players and coaches were recently selected for honors as a part of the Oilfield All Conference Teams.
Boys Basketball
Cache Arellano made the All-Conference team.
Seth Cathey made the All-Star team.
Girls Basketball
Madison Roberson made the All-Conference team.
Lexie Streeter made the All-Star team.
Coach Kalee Baxter of Waurika was selected as coach of the “Light” team.
Congratulations to these athletes and Coach Baxter.
Empire scored 40 unanswered points last Friday night against the Ryan Cowboys to record a 58-8 District B-4 victory on the Bulldogs’ home field.
The Cowboys trailed only 18-8 heading into the intermission, but the Bulldogs struck for some long-distance scoring runs in the second half to doom the Cowboys.
Ryan is now 3-3 on the year (including the forfeit from Temple) and is 0-1 in district play. The Cowboys will try to rebound from the big loss by taking on Waurika tonight (Thursday) at Bob Givens Sports Complex. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
The Cowboys who are still battling injuries and inexperience stayed with the Bulldogs throughout the first half, but Ryan struggled offensively to move the ball with any consistency throughout the contest.
Midway through the first quarter the Cowboys’ Grayson Tomberlin launched a 52-yard punt to put Empire on the move at the Bulldog 29. It took only five plays for the Bulldogs to drive for the initial score of the night.
The drive ended with a 51-yard scamper by Empire quarterback Mitchell Monteith. The Cowboys stopped the two-point conversion, but Empire was on top, 6-0, with 4:31 to play in the first quarter.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Late in the first quarter the Bulldogs took over after an unsuccessful fake punt the by the Cowboys inside Ryan territory at the 45 yard line.
The Cowboy defense stiffened but the Bulldogs kept plugging away even though it took Empire 12 plays to cover the 55 yards. Peyton Booth scored from four yards out after reversing the field to find an opening. The try for two failed, but Empire now owned a 12-0 lead with 9:49 left in the second quarter.
Ryan picked up only its second first down of the game on the next drive, but the Cowboy offense stalled at the Empire 39 and turned the ball over on downs.
After an incomplete pass, Booth took a pitch and raced 61 yards for the touchdown. The try for two failed, but Empire now held an 18-0 advantage with 4:47 left in the first half.
The Cowboys answered with their only scoring drive of the night. Ryan took the ball from its own 34 and in 13 plays picked up the score. Tomberlin found Andrew Villerreal wide open on the left side and Villerreal took the pass and waltzed into the end zone for the touchdown. Villerreal ran for the two-point conversion and the lead had been trimmed to 18-8 with just 41 seconds before halftime.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
The Bulldogs scored on their first three possessions of the second half with the third scored coming with 11:14 left in the game that gave Empire a 40-8 lead.
The Cowboys continued to struggle offensively and Empire took advantage of a Ryan fumble midway through the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs took possession at the Ryan 39 yard-line and on the first play Booth went the distance to increase the lead to 46-8 with 6:22 left in the game.
The Cowboys failed to convert a fourth down on the next possession and handed the Bulldogs the ball at the Ryan 43. It took Empire just four plays with Booth carrying the ball three times including a 33-yard run. The third rushing play resulted in a six-yard run for the touchdown by Booth and with 4:13 left the Bulldogs were in front, 52-8.
On the next possession the Cowboys’ drive ended with an interception and Empire took over at the Bulldog 35 yard line with just 1:57 remaining in the game. Two plays netted eight yards and instead of running out the clock, the Bulldogs’ Monteith took the ball and broke into the Ryan secondary for a 57-yard scoring run that ended the game on the mercy rule with only 41 seconds left in the game.
COWBOY CORRAL: These two schools have met on the gridiron only six times since Empire started football in the 1974 season….The Bulldogs and Cowboys played four times before Ryan dropped to eight-man football….Ryan still leads the short series, 4-2….The 50-point margin of victory is the largest of the six-game series breaking the old mark of 46 points set in the 1977 game won by Empire, 64-18….The 58 points is the second most points scored by Empire in the series….Ryan tied for the fewest points in a game against Empire…The Cowboys scored only scored eight points in a 1976 win over the Bulldogs, 8-6….The 490 yards rushing by the Bulldogs is the fourth most by an opponent in school history…The other three totals are 684 against Grandfield in 1997, 535 against Grandfield in 2001 and 496 against Ringling in a 1947 contest….Ryan dominated the time of possession with a seven-minute advantage, but Empire scored twice on short, one-play drives….Ryan went one of seven on fourth-down tries, while Empire was four of six in fourth-down conversions.
Game in Figures
RHS EHS
First Downs 11 17
Yards Rushing 46-99 42-490
Yards Passing 51 130
Passes 3-14 10-17
Passes Int. By 0 1
Fumbles, Lost 3-1 1-0
Punts 3-31.7 0-0
Penalties 5-45 11-105
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Ryan 0 8 0 0—8
Empire 6 12 16 24—58
FIRST QUARTER
EMPIRE – Mitchell Monteith 51 run (pass failed), 4:31
SECOND QUARTER
EMPIRE – Peyton Booth 4 run (run failed), 9:49
EMPIRE – Booth 61 run (pass failed), 4:47
RYAN – Andrew Villerreal 14 pass from Grayson Tomberlin (Villerreal run), :41.5
While regular season records mean something for district tournament pairings and seeding, every basketball squad in Oklahoma starts the post-season with a 0-0 mark.
That is good news for the roundball squads at Waurika and Ryan as all four teams enter the playoffs with losing records.
Play begins tomorrow night (Friday) in the Class A District Tournament for both Waurika and Ryan.
Both Waurika teams will travel to Ft. Cobb-Broxton to face Ringling, while both Ryan teams will journey to Central High to face Bray-Doyle.
The girls’ tilts will open the tournament at 6:30 p.m. at both sites.
Awaiting the winner of the Waurika-Ringling games will be Ft. Cobb, while Central High will take on the winner of the Ryan and Bray-Doyle matchups.
The championship games will be played Saturday with the girls’ games tipping at 6:30 p.m.
Waurika and Ringling drew a tough assignment for the district tourney.
The only regular season meeting between the two Jefferson County schools was canceled because of the flu.
However, the boys’ team that survives that contest will have to face a legitimate state title contender.
Ft. Cobb-Broxton is 22-3 on the year and the only three losses have been to ranked teams in Class B, Class 2A and Class 5A. The Mustangs have won nine straight contests.
The Mustangs, ranked second in Class A, won the Caddo County Tournament and garnered runner up honors in tournaments at Chattanooga and Anadarko.
Ft. Cobb-Broxton will be well-rested as the Mustangs last played last Saturday against Walters giving them a week to prepare for the winner of Waurika and Ringling.
The Blue Devil boys come into the tournament with an 8-10 mark. They have been inconsistent much of the season, but should be competitive against the Eagles.
Coach Joe Masoner’s Waurika boys have also struggled to find wins in 2018. The Eagles were 4-13 heading into last Tuesday’s game with Grandfield.
Waurika has had three games canceled because of the flu and have only played once since January 23 before last Tuesday.
The Eagles have had turnover troubles most of the season averaging almost 20 miscues a game.
Cache Arellano has been the ringleader for the Eagles averaging over nine points a game and pulling down an average of eight rebounds a game.
Ft. Cobb-Broxton handed Waurika an 81-28 loss in the first round of the Chattanooga Tournament.
The girls’ bracket of the district tourney at Ft. Cobb will be much the same as the boys’ bracket.
The Lady Mustangs will be the overwhelming favorite as they come in ranked 15th in Class A and won the Chattanooga Tournament and were the runner up at the tough Caddo County fray.
Ft. Cobb-Broxton is 15-10 on the year, but only 5-5 in its last 10 games.
Ringling’s girls will come into the tournament with a 9-6 record and have one tournament title to their credit – the St. Jo, Texas Invitational.
The Waurika girls have struggled all year under first-year coach Kalee Baxter and hold a 5-11 record not including Tuesday’s result with Grandfield.
The Lady Eagles have been led most of the season by Madison Roberson. Roberson has averaged 15 points a game and averages about 15 boards a game.
In the district tournament at Central High, none of the boys’ squads will enter the tournament with a winning record – and it isn’t close.
Ryan, with a mark of 5-16, was granted the top seed, but Bray-Doyle chose to match up with the Cowboys in the first round of the tournament.
Central High’s boys started the season 0-10, but earned the consolation title at the Black Diamond Tournament at Rush Springs at the beginning of 2018. The Bronchos are 4-16 on the year.
Bray-Doyle has had a tough year as well as the Cowboys and Bronchos.
The Donkeys will bring a 3-14 record into the tournament.
The Cowboys own a win over the Donkeys just before Christmas, but Bray-Doyle has been playing a bit better as of late.
Coach Judd Matthes’ squad has struggled to score during most of the season.
While a number of Cowboys can contribute points on a given night, Ryan lacks the go-to player that is a consistent scorer.
Skyler Parkhill has been the top point-getter for the Cowboys overall.
Central High drew the top seed in the girls’ bracket and came into the tournament with a 15-8 mark that does not include last Tuesday’s game with Sterling.
The Lady Bronchos won the Minco Invitational and were runner up at the Black Diamond Tournament.
Bray-Doyle’s girls own a two-point win over Ryan in a regular season meeting before Christmas and have a 12-8 mark not including last Tuesday’s contest with Oklahoma School for the Deaf.
The Lady Donkeys won the Maysville Shootout in December, but are only 4-7 since January 1 – not including the game with OSD.
The Cowgirls, under first-year coach Steve Spangler, have compiled a 7-14 record for the season.
It has been a struggle on the offensive end for the Cowgirls most of the season, but Lily York has been the top point-getter for the season especially in the recent part of the schedule.
The Cowgirls will start four sophomores and only one senior. The roster has been limited most of the season due to lack of participation and injuries.
Both the district champion and the district runner up will advance to next week’s regional tournament.
While the statistics from nearly three decades show increased participation in high school athletics, that trend may be about to change.
An earlier article documented some of the reasons participation has been increasing, but let’s examine the possibility that the trend may reverse in the next few years.
In an article published in 2015 it was noted that over 70% of children drop out of organized sports by the age of 13.
There are some legitimate reasons for this as competition begins to increase as a child begins to compete at the junior high and high school level therefore eliminating the kids who may not be as gifted in the athletic arena.
What are some of the reasons for kids to quit sports? Here are five reasons that are bound to influence participation at the high school level at some points.
1. Playing sports is no longer fun.
The simple fact is that as kids enter junior high and high school there is increased pressure to win. In kids’ sports, that is not always the case, unless you have a parent or coach that has lost perspective on the purpose of kids’ sports. As mentioned above, the kids who may not be as gifted are not going to enjoy the experience nearly as much as the pressure to win increases.
2. They have lost ownership in the experience.
This is a most interesting reason and much of the reason for this is the influence of the video game industry. Once a kid gets a controller in his/her hands, they are in charge of the experience. If they are playing a sports video game, they can choose their own players and put together a customized team. They determine how much playing time each person gets. They choose a strategy. They are in control of the experience. Obviously, if they participate in kids’ sports or stay around until the junior high or high school level, coaches are in control of their experience for the most part. Anyone with some age on them will have to let this reason sink in a bit because before the video game experience, this was no doubt not a factor in someone deciding not to compete in sports.
3. They don’t get enough playing time.
This is certainly a factor at the kids’ sports level. It is certainly all right to play to win at any level, but winning at all cost – including not including all the players – at the younger levels is not all right. Once students reach junior and particularly high school, competitiveness becomes a greater issue and the best players should be put on the field, court or diamond to help ensure success. However, when a team is getting drilled, it is appropriate to “clear the bench” and give everyone some playing time.
4. They are afraid to make mistakes.
Grade school kids want to please their parents and their coaches. They begin to find some acceptance when they succeed. On the negative side, overzealous parents and/or coaches can influence kids to become timid. Their will to try is diminished by the reaction of the parents.
5. They feel disrespected.
A 2014 study of characteristics that make up a great coach reveals the number one thing that gives a coach that label is “respect and encouragement.” Kids today have it tough. Many kids have a difficult life because of family circumstances. Some kids are in very difficult environments. They need an adult to come alongside them and care about them and encourage them. That doesn’t mean that a coach has to be soft. Kids are primarily looking for an adult that will invest in their lives.
What are the answers to these factors? Probably the most important one is that parents, coaches and administrators have the responsibility to create an environment that serves the needs, values and priorities of the kids – not just the adults.
This can be accomplished by communicating better with kids, understanding what they want out of the experience of participating in sports and then trying as much as possible to give some ownership of the experience to the participates.
Other articles bring up other reasons why participation in sports may be impacted.
Skyrocketing costs, sport specialization and the need for coaches to have more training has impacted the participation in kids’ sports which will at some point impact high school sports.
Traveling teams have been the number one reason for increased costs for families.
There is a movement to try and overcome the impact of sport specialization. Professional sports leagues have actually been working together to encourage kids to play more than one sport.
“The best athlete is a kid who played multiple sports,” said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in a recent article. Manfred spoke with commissioners of the National Basketball Association, National Football League and National Hockey League to come to this conclusion.
One other disturbing trend is watching high school athletes – many of them very talented – suddenly decide to give up a sport when they hit their junior or senior years.
Burnout has caused this to happen with many kids. They have been playing the sport competitively since a very early age and are simply tired of it.
Coaches and parents would be wise to help guard against this as kids grow up.
Next Week: One Sport Suffers From Declining Participation Above All
Cy Sloan Stadium will continue to be the place to be in Waurika on Friday night as the Eagles take on Cherokee in the second round of the Class B playoffs.
Waurika will be looking to advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1996 when they play host to the Chiefs.
Waurika advanced with a 48-0 victory over Cyril in the first round, while Cherokee earned a second-round playoff berth with a 36-16 victory over Turpin.
Much like the Eagles, the Chiefs have exceeded expectations during the 2018 season.
Cherokee was tabbed to finish third in District B-2, but earned the runner-up spot in the district after falling to Pioneer-Pleasant Vale, 58-40, in the final regular season game.
The Eagles were picked to finish third in District B-4, but rolled through the district competition to claim their first district title since 1988. Waurika scored mercy-rule victories over every district opponent except for Wilson.
The third round will be tougher for the team that advances from this encounter.
The winner will take on the winner of Davenport and Weleetka. Davenport, 11-0 on the year, is ranked second in Class B, while Weleetka, with an 8-3 mark, is ranked eighth.
Cherokee at Waurika
Time and Place: Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Norman West Field at Cy Sloan Stadium
Records: Cherokee is 7-4 on the year and was the runner-up in District B-2 with a 4-1 mark in district play. Waurika is 10-0 and was the champion of District B-4 with a 5-0 record.
State Rankings: Waurika is ranked ninth in the Daily Oklahoman’s Class B poll, while the Chiefs are unranked.
Coaches: Bryce Schanbacher is in his 11th season at the helm of the Chiefs and has a 96-52 mark with eight playoff appearances. Joe Allen is the first-year mentor for Waurika and has not lost in 10 games in 2018.
Series History: First meeting
Playoff History: Cherokee is in its 20th appearance in the playoffs with 12 of those coming in eight-man competition. The Chiefs have compiled a 19-17 mark in the playoffs and have won state titles in 2013 and 2010 when the Chiefs competed in Class C. The Chiefs also were state runner-up in 2014. The Chiefs missed the playoffs in 2017 ending a seven-year streak of qualifying for post-season play.
Waurika is in its 28th appearance in post-season play and the fourth time in eight-man play. Waurika has a 27-25-2 playoff record and one state championship in 1951. The Eagles earned their first district title in eight-man competition this season. Waurika will be looking for its 10th quarterfinal appearance in the playoffs win a win against Cherokee.
Team Capsules: Cherokee features a one-two punch on offense led by quarterback Cade Chace and running back Payton Ream. In the team’s win over Turpin, both players rushed for over 100 yards with Ream getting 112 yards and Chace finishing with 146 yards. Both scored two touchdowns in the game. Chace has been splitting time with Rustin James after the starting quarterback suffered a season-ending injury midway through the season. Ream had 124 yards in a loss to Pioneer-Pleasant Vale on the final night of the regular season in a game that settled the District B-2 race. Ream had five touchdowns, rushed for 262 yards and had 131 yards receiving in a wild 82-48 win over Kremlin-Hillsdale. Chace had all three scores in a tense 18-12 overtime win over Ringwood in week nine. The Chiefs are averaging 34.9 points per game on offense, but are surrendering 32 points a game. Cherokee racked up a season-high 678 total yards in the win over Kremlin-Hillsdale. The Chiefs have won five of their last six games.
The Eagles continued what will no doubt be one of the greatest seasons in school history with the first-round playoff win over Cyril. Waurika has the advantage as the district champion of hosting for the second round of the playoffs. If you are looking for impressive numbers by the Eagles, they are scarce because Waurika has ended its games early in nine of the 10 games making it difficult to compile any impressive statistics. Waurika played into the third quarter for only the third time in 2018 against Cyril. Turner Mora, Colton Bryant, and Zac Brown will be counted on in the running game, but Kevin Garcia had one of his best games last week in the first-round victory over Cyril. Aaron Nitka has been a favorite target of Mora when the Eagles have gone to the air. The Eagles have played beyond halftime only three times in 10 games. The Eagles are averaging an astounding 53.4 points a game while giving up only 4.2 points a game.
Outlook: Waurika must come up with another outstanding defensive performance similar to last Friday’s impressive performance against Cyril. But, the Eagles have been dominant on defense most of the year. It should be strength against strength as both teams have been able to score lots of points throughout the season. The Eagles’ quickness on defense should be the determining factor and if Waurika is prepared to handle the offensive onslaught of the Chiefs, they should move on to the quarterfinal round of the Class B playoffs.
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 1924
Yards Rushing 39-246 41-260
Yards Passing 219242
Passes 8-18 14-20
Passes Int. By11
Fumbles Lost 3-3 1-1
Punts 1-29 1-36
Penalties6-35 5-30
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Ryan14660–26
Caddo 824187–57
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
It was another amazing contest at Bob Givens Sports Complex last Thursday night as Ryan scored a come-from-behind 78-74 victory over Bray-Doyle.
The Cowboys have a huge district contest tomorrow night (Friday) as they travel to Skinny Stewart Field in Wilson to battle the Eagles. Ryan, Wilson and Central High are in a battle for the runner-up spot in District B-4.
The fans who stuck around for the end of last Thursday’s battle with the Donkeys will be talking about this one for a long time. A number of fans departed after Ryan established an 18-point advantage with 7:33 left in the game.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
To Bray-Doyle’s credit, the Donkeys battled back to take the lead with 43 seconds to go before Ryan got the winning score with just four seconds left in the game.
The game had a number of momentum shifts and featured an offensive show by both teams. A number of school records were established during the game.
The Cowboys’ performance on offense was even more impressive considering they had to overcome 218 yards in penalties – many of which were against the offense.
Ryan scored first on Grayson Tomberlin’s 12-yard run that capped a 61-yard drive in six plays. The try for two failed, but Ryan led 6-0 with 8:44 to play in the first quarter.
Bray-Doyle came back to snag the lead with two touchdown catches by Curtis Cox – the first one for 14 yards and the second for 22 yards from quarterback Justin Miller. Both were outstanding catches. Mark Kilbourne ran for the two-point conversions and Bray held a 16-6 lead after the first quarter.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
The Cowboys put together a 10-play, 54-yard drive with Tomberlin finding Skylar Parkhill on a 16-yard touchdown pass to narrow the score to 16-12 with 11:53 left in the second quarter.
Bray-Doyle answered with a 59-yard drive in just four plays. Dalton Whitehead got the final six yards on the ground and with 10:44 to play before intermission the Donkeys led, 22-12.
The Cowboys answered with a five-play, 58-yard drive. Parkhill got the rushing touchdown from 18 yards out. Kalen Weldon caught the two-point conversion pass from Tomberlin and Ryan had trimmed the lead to, 22-20, with 9:12 left in the half.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Donkeys failed to cover the pooch kick and Parkhill sped downfield to cover the loose ball.
This gave Ryan excellent field position at the Donkey 40 and Travis Fristoe finished the short drive with a 25-yard rushing burst for the score with 7:01 still to play in the second quarter. The Cowboys were back on top, 26-22.
The Donkeys looked poised to score again moving to the Ryan 22, but Tomberlin intercepted a pass in the end zone and after a Ryan penalty on the return, the Cowboys found themselves at their own two.
The Cowboys narrowly escaped disaster as a handoff was fumbled in the end zone, but Tomberlin alertly picked it up and made it out to the Cowboy 3.
After a critical third-down conversion, Tomberlin executed perfectly a screen pass to Parkhill and the Cowboy senior took it 70 yards for the score. Tomberlin found Andrew Villerreal for the two-point conversion pass and Ryan extended the lead to 34-22 with 1:49 left to play in the half.
Photo by Sheree Hanson
Another penalty on the Cowboys on the kickoff return gave the Donkeys the ball at the Cowboy 39. It took six plays, but Kilbourne found Tully Booth on the halfback pass for a 17-yard score. Whitehead ran for the two points and the Cowboy lead was narrowed to 34-30 with just 20 seconds left to play in the half.
After Gunner Phillips returned the kickoff 14 yards to the Ryan 35, Tomberlin and Parkhill connected on another screen pass and Parkhill raced 65 yards and crossed the goal line as the halftime buzzer sounded. Tomberlin ran for the two points and the Ryan lead was stretched to 42-30 at the half.
The Donkeys took the second-half kickoff and marched 54 yards on seven plays with Whitehead getting the score from one yard out. Kilbourne ran for the two points and the Cowboy margin was cut to 42-38.
Ryan answered with a 68-yard drive on only four plays. Tomberlin again found Parkhill loose and Parkhill took the pass and covered the final 50 yards for the score. Tomberlin ran for the two points and Ryan was in front, 50-38, with 7:24 left in the third quarter.
Another Donkey drive was thwarted by a Tomberlin interception at the Ryan five and after yet another Ryan penalty the Cowboys set up on offense at the Ryan 13.
It took Ryan only three plays to travel 87 yards. Fristoe scampered for 36 yards on first down, Parkhill got seven on the next play and then Tomberlin bolted 43 yards for a touchdown. The run failed, but with 4:45 left in the third quarter Ryan was now in front, 56-38.
The Donkeys answered, however, with Whitehead getting a four-yard rushing touchdown and Miller adding the extra point to trim the lead back to 56-44 with 2:28 left in the third frame.
Phillips had another outstanding return on the ensuing kickoff as he fielded the ball at the Cowboy 17 and took it 44 yards to the Bray-Doyle 34. It took Ryan six plays, but Fristoe ended the drive with a four-yard rushing score putting Ryan back in front, 62-46, with 11:23 to play in the game.
The next Donkey drive was aided by 31 yards in Ryan penalties and covered 62 yards in only six plays. Miller got the score on a quarterback sneak from one yard out and the Ryan lead was cut to 62-52 with 9:43 still left in the game.
The Cowboys answered the threat with a four-play, 81-yard drive for a score. Parkhill carried the ball the final 29 yards for the score and after Tomberlin added with two-point conversion the Cowboys seemed comfortably in front, 70-52.
The Donkeys had no quit in them. They took the kickoff and marched 56 yards in six plays helped along by a targeting penalty. Miller ran for the score from eight yards out and Kilbourne ran for the two points and with 4:43 left in the game Ryan held a 70-60 advantage.
What the Cowboys could not afford happened on the next drive as on the first play the Cowboys fumbled and the Donkeys recovered giving Bray-Doyle possession at the Ryan 39.
A highly-questionable pass interference call aided the Donkey cause and a key pass play that bounced off Weldon’s hands into the hands of the Donkey receiver helped Bray put together the scoring drive. Whitehead finished the effort with a five-yard run and after Kilbourne ran for the two points, Ryan clung to a 70-68 lead with 3:12 left to play.
The Cowboys proceeded to try to run out the clock and moved the ball from the Ryan 26 to the Donkey 38 when another borderline call went in favor of the Donkeys as Bray recovered a fumble that appeared to happen after Tomberlin was on the ground.
This put Bray with possession at the 1:37 mark and 72 yards away from the go-ahead score. Two 15-yard penalties on the Cowboys and two big plays moved the ball to the Ryan 18 with one minute left. Two plays later Miller found the end zone from six yards out to give Bray-Doyle the lead.
The Cowboys, however, did not give up. The Cowboys took possession at their own 33 after a 14-yard return by Phillips on the kickoff.
After a first-down incompletion, Tomberlin found Fristoe across the middle for a 48-yard gain putting the ball at the Donkey 19 with 22 seconds left.
An 18-yard scamper by Tomberlin put the ball near the goal line. Tomberlin finished off the drive with a one-yard score and also ran for the two points giving Ryan the lead again.
Bray-Doyle had one final play but the halfback pass fell incomplete and Ryan had sealed the win.
Parkhill and Tomberlin were again outstanding for the Cowboys on offense. Parkhill rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries and had 215 yards receiving on five catches.
Tomberlin combined for 549 yards of offense with 273 yards rushing on 25 carries and 276 yards passing on just seven completions. Add 13 yards of interception returns and he had a total of 562 all-purpose yards.
Four school records were broken in the contest.
Game in Figures
BDHS RHS
First Downs 3124
Yards Rushing 50-356 47-366
Yards Passing 151276
Passes 9-14 7-10
Passes Int. By02
Fumbles, Lost1-0 6-2
Punts 0-0 1-34
Penalties6-52 24-218SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bray-Doyle161414 30–74
Ryan 6361422–78
FIRST QUARTER
RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 12 run (run failed), 8:44
BRAY-DOYLE – Curtis Cox 14 pass from Justin Miller (Mark Kilbourne run), 7:26
BRAY-DOYLE – Cox 22 pass from Miller (Kilbourne run), 4:39
SECOND QUARTER
RYAN – Skylar Parkhill 16 pass from Tomberlin (run failed), 11:53
BRAY-DOYLE – Dalton Whitehead 6 run (pass failed), 10:44
RYAN – Parkhill 18 run (Kalen Weldon pass from Tomberlin), 9:18
RYAN – Travis Fristoe 1 run (pass failed), 7:01
RYAN – Parkhill 70 pass from Tomberlin (Andrew Villerreal pass from Tomberlin), 1:49
BRAY-DOYLE – Tully Booth 17 pass from Miller (Whitehead run),: 20.3
RYAN – Parkhill 65 pass from Tomberlin (Tomberlin run),: 00
It was a last minute addition to the Ryan baseball schedule and even though the Cowboys picked up some extra games, the results were not favorable.
The Cowboy nine dropped a 19-0 decision to eventual tournament champion Comanche on Thursday and suffered a 10-9 loss to Velma-Alma in last Friday’s game.
The Cowboys are now 1-4 on the year heading into action against Thackerville at the Wildcat diamond on Monday.
The Cowboys will return to Larry Ninman Field on Tuesday at Bob Givens Sports Complex against Turner.
Ryan will end the busy week with a matchup against Comanche on the road next Thursday.
In the first-round game with Comanche, the Cowboys managed only two base runners and no base hits in the three-inning contest.
The Cowboys had two base runners in the first inning on an error and a walk, but could not get the timely hit needed to try and rally after Comanche had scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning.
The Indians added nine more before the game was halted.
In Friday’s game with Velma-Alma, the Comets scored the winning run in the bottom of the fifth (and final inning) as the first three Comet batters reached base on two walks and a hit batsman. An error by the Cowboys gave the Comets the go-ahead run.
Velma-Alma got off to a 7-0 lead after two innings before the Cowboys mounted a five-run rally in the top of the third inning.
Pacen Wiest got things started for the Cowboys with a one-out walk and then Dawson Tomberlin singled. A two-out single by Grayson Tomberlin was followed by singles by Tate Kimbro, Gunner Phillips and Andrew Villerreal. Coupled with a Comet error, the Cowboys had scored five runs before the end of the inning to narrow the score to 7-5.
The Cowboys actually took the lead in the top of the fourth inning with four runs that included a three-run triple by Villerreal. A single by River Williams drove in Villerreal to put the Cowboys in front, 9-7, heading to the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Comets responded in the bottom of the fourth with two runs to tie the game. V-A gained the lead as two hits and two errors led to two runs leaving the score knotted at 9-9 heading to the final frame.
In the top of the fifth the Cowboys went in order setting up the Comets to score the winning run.
The Cowboys the scored their first win of the year last Tuesday with a victory over Grandfield as previously reported.
The Cowboys fell behind 3-0 after one inning of play against the Bearcats but rallied for four runs in the bottom of the second inning.
An error helped Kimbro reach base and then after two were out, the Cowboys were able to put four runs on the board with the benefit of only one hit – a single by Joseph Martin.
Grandfield answered with a run in the top of the third and after Ryan failed to score, the game was tied at the end of three innings, 4-4.
The Bearcats took the lead in the top of the fourth inning as a walk eventually led to a run. It was the only base runner for Grandfield in the inning to give the Bearcats a 5-4 advantage.
In the bottom of the fourth inning the Cowboys exploded for six runs to essentially put the game away.
G. Tomberlin had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double. Four Bearcat errors and three walks helped contribute to the big inning for the Cowboys.
In the bottom of the sixth Ryan put two more runs on the board without the aid of a base hit.
G. Tomberlin got the win on the mound for the Cowboys and helped his own cause with two hits – both doubles – and two runs batted in.
Only four competitors made up the Ryan Cowgirl track squad last Friday at the Waurika Eight-Man Invitational, but those athletes turned in some impressive performances.
The Cowgirls finished fourth in the team race with 80 points – just a single point behind third-place Bray-Doyle. Empire won the meet with 138 points.
Leading the way as they have all season, the 3,200-meter relay team of Lilybet Harmon, Lily York, Holland Carter and Juliet Spangler earned the gold medal with a time of 11:44.33. The time is one of the best posted in the event among Class A competitors this season.
That time broke the school record of 11:56.76 set just a couple of weeks earlier at the Cache Invitational.
The same four girls also competed in the 1,600-meter relay and the team narrowly missed setting the school mark for the second time this season.
Harmon, York, Carter and Spangler recorded a time of 5:13.59, which was good enough for second place and was just behind the school mark of 5:12.17 set just a few days before at the Elgin Invitational.
Spangler had the top individual performance by the Cowgirls with a first-place finish in the 1,600 meters. Her time of 6:30.43 set a meet record and it is the sixth best time in school history, but just off her best time of the 2018 season.
Harmon earned a bronze medal in the 1,600 meters with a time of 6:52.46 and York was just behind her in fourth place with a time of 7:04.47.
Carter turned in her best performance of the season in the 800 meters and finished second in the meet with a time of 2:48.81. Harmon finished right behind Carter in the event to earn a bronze medal with a time of 2:57.79.
In the 3,200 meters, Spangler earned a third-place finish with a time of 14:33.54. York was fourth in the same event with a time of 15:19.77.
The 80 points scored by the Cowgirls is the second highest total ever in a meet. The highest point total ever for the Cowgirls is 87 points in last year’s Waurika Eight-Man Invitational.
Walker Rawlings competed in the meet for the Cowboys and he came away with points in both the shot put and discus.
Rawlings was third in the discus with a throw of 108-9 and he earned fifth place in the shot put with a toss of 37-6.
That gave Ryan eight points in the meet to finish ninth – just one point behind eighth-place Temple.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will compete Saturday in Waurika’s Red River Invitational (weather permitting) and will also be in action Tuesday at the Velma-Alma Comet Invitational.
The junior high track squads also had good performances at the Waurika Eight-Man Invitational. The Cowboys finished third in the meet with 80 points, which was nine points behind runner up Tipton and well behind team champion Fox who finished with 134 points.
The Cowgirl squad finished with 56 points which was good enough for a fifth-place tie with Fox in the team race. Bray-Doyle was the team champion with 102 points.
The Cowboys were led by the gold-medal performances of Jullian Rodriguez in the 3,200 meters and Trey Bryant in the shot put.
Rodriguez also finished second in the 1,600 meters and Bryant was second in the discus.
Tommy Self earned a silver medal in the 3,200 meters and Ethan Burden was right behind to gain a bronze medal for the Cowboys.
Caleb Perrin had a second place finish in the shot put and placed fourth in the discus.
Mason Adsit was the other medal winner for the Cowboys with a third-place finish in the 1,600 meters. Perrin was also fourth in the 1,600 meters.
Self also scored points for the Cowboys in the long jump with a fifth place finish.
For the Cowgirls, Katlynn Dabbs earned three gold medals in the meet. She was the top runner in the 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters.
Alicen Williams also earned a silver medal in the 3,200 meters and a bronze finish in the 800 meters. She also scored points with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600 meters.
Whittany Spangler rounded out the medal winners for the Cowgirls with a bronze medal finish in the 3,200 meters. She was also fourth in the 800 meters.
