Eagles Post Second Straight Shutout for 2-0 Start

By

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September 13, 2018

1-Waurika-Football-3 — Photo by Adam Brinson

It has not happened often, but for the second straight week to open the season the Waurika Eagles’ flexed their defensive muscle in shutting out their opponent.

The Eagles rolled to a 52-0 victory over Grandfield last Friday night at Cy Sloan Stadium.

Waurika has opened the season by shutting out the two opponents and that has not happened since the 1975 season and it has only happened eight other times since Waurika began playing football in 1919.

The defense will likely get a much tougher test Friday night when the Eagles travel to Carnegie to battle the Wildcats.

Carnegie did not play last week and comes into the contest with a 1-1 mark with a loss to Seiling and win over Mountain View-Gotebo.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

In last Friday’s contest, the Eagles got off to a slow start with only a single score in the first quarter.

Kevin Garcia busted loose for a 30-yard scoring run and Waurika was up 6-0 with 4:03 to play and that is how the score stayed for the remainder of the first quarter.

The Eagles got things going, however, in the second quarter as they exploded for 46 points in route to ending the game at the half because of the 45-point mercy rule.

Turner Mora opened the scoring in the second quarter for the Eagles with a six-yard rushing touchdown. Mora added the two-point conversion giving Waurika a 14-0 advantage just 31 seconds into the second quarter.

Colton Bryant became the third Eagle to score as he scampered 20 yards for a score. The two-point conversion run failed leaving Waurika with a 20-0 advantage with 9:22 to play in the first half.

The Eagles took to the air for the next score with Hunter Wesberry catching a 28-yard touchdown pass from Mora. Bryant ran for the two points and Waurika had opened a 28-0 lead with 8:32 left before intermission.

Mora got his second rushing touchdown of the night for the next Waurika score. Mora covered 13 yards for the score and Wesberry converted the two-point conversion and Waurika was pulling away at 38-0 with 6:04 left in the half.

The next score came on the defensive side of the ball as Bryant picked off the Grandfield quarterback on the ensuing drive after the Eagle score and raced 30 yards for the touchdown. Bryant ran for the two points to put Waurika on top, 44-0.

The final score came just 29 seconds before the half as Bryant galloped 78 yards for the touchdown. Matt Arriola ran for the two points to fashion the final margin.

Thanks to that big run, Bryant ended the night with 102 yards rushing on only four carries.

Mora was effective in the passing game with five completions in six attempts and 143 yards. Garcia caught two passes for 85 yards and Bryant added two catches for 30 yards. Wesberry had the other catch for a touchdown.

The Waurika defense held Grandfield to only 88 total yards on the night.

EAGLE FLIGHTS: This was the 40th meeting between the two schools with the first meeting coming in 1922…Waurika’s win over Grandfield narrowed the series margin to 18-19-3…The 52 points scored by the Eagles equals last year’s total in a 52-6 victory over the Bearcats….The 52 points is the most ever scored in a game against Grandfield….The 52-point margin of victory for Waurika is the largest ever against the Bearcats and is also the largest margin of victory by either team in the 40 meetings between the two schools…The previous largest margin of victory against Grandfield was 47 points in a 47-0 victory in 1939…Waurika is 2-0 for only the third time since beginning eight-man play in 2012….The back-to-back wins over Grandfield had not been accomplished by Waurika since the 1968 and 1969 seasons…The Eagles and Grandfield have only played each other five times since the 60’s….The back-to-back shutouts posted by Waurika is not a frequent thing – it has only happened twice since Waurika began eight-man football in 2012…Back-to-back shutouts at any point during the season has only happened 27 other times in school history….The most consecutive shutouts in a single season by Waurika came in 1933 when the Eagles recorded eight straight shutouts on the way to an 8-0-2 record.

Game in Figures

GHS WHS

First Downs 6 7

Yards Rushing 25-31 16-195

Yards Passing 57 143

Passes 3-9 5-6

Passes Int. By 0 1

Fumbles Lost 0 1

Punts N/A 1-36

Penalties 5-25 7-47

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Grandfield 0 0 x x–0

Waurika 6 46 x x–52

WAURIKA – Kevin Garcia 30 run (run failed)

WAURIKA – Turner Mora 6 run (Mora run)

WAURIKA – Colton Bryant 20 run (run failed)

WAURIKA – Hunter Wesberry 27 pass from Mora (Bryant run)

WAURIKA – Mora 13 run (Wesberry run)

WAURIKA – Bryant 30 interception return (Bryant run)

WAURIKA – Bryant 78 run (Matt Arriola run)

Waurika Takes Advantage of Carnegie Turnovers for Win

By

Trey Smart

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September 21, 2018

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A high school football game can quickly get out of hand when one team is making turnovers.

And, that was the case last Friday night as Waurika rolled to a 64-14 victory over Carnegie on the Wildcats’ home field.

Austin Dyer is handling kick-off responsibilities this season.
Photo by Adam Brinson

Carnegie made six turnovers in only one half of play and Waurika returned two of the miscues for scores to propel the Eagles’ to their third straight win to start the season.

Waurika will face its biggest test of the season thus far tomorrow night when Snyder comes to Cy Sloan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Turner Mora making a stop against the Carnegie Wildcats Photo by Adam Brinson

The Cyclones are ranked 10th in Class B and scored a big 34-24 victory over Class C juggernaut Tipton. Snyder is 4-0 on the year.

Waurika got its scoring parade started in the first quarter as Colton Bryant scored on a six-yard run. The two-point conversion failed leaving Waurika in front, 6-0, with 7:23 to play in the first quarter.

The Eagles got two more scores before the end of the first quarter on touchdown passes.

The first TD pass came as quarterback Turner Mora found Hunter Wesberry for a 27-yard scoring pass. Mora ran for the two points and Waurika held a 14-0 advantage with 3:57 left in the first quarter.

Waurika picked up the first of four interceptions on the night on Carnegie’s next drive as Bryant picked off the pass and returned it to the Wildcat 12.

In just two plays the Eagles covered the short distance with Mora finding Bryant on a 10-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed, but with 2:09 still to play in the first quarter Waurika had put together a 20-0 lead.

Colton Bryant attempting to get into the endzone. Photo by Adam Brinson

The Wildcats tried to stay up with the Eagles as quarterback Xavier Nesahkluah hit Kaden Akins on an 11-yard touchdown pass overcoming two penalties on the drive. Nesahkluah tossed the two-point conversion to Andrew Cano and Carnegie had narrowed the gap to 20-8 with 10:53 left before the half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mora took the ball at the Eagle 30 and raced 75 yards for the score. The try for two points failed, but Waurika had increased the lead to 26-8 at the 10:42 mark of the second quarter.

Carnegie answered with another score on the Wildcats’ next drive – a six-play, 69-yard drive. Nesahkluah threw his second touchdown pass of the game – this time to Cano – from 10 yards out. The try for two failed, but with 8:22 left before intermission Waurika’s lead was cut to 26-14.

This is when the wheels began to fall off for the Wildcats and the Eagles pounced on the opportunity to put the game away.

Hunter Wesberry intercepting a Carnegie pass.
Photo by Adam Brinson

On Waurika’s first play after the kickoff, Zac Brown broke loose for a 55-yard scoring run and after Mora added the two-point conversion Waurika increased the lead to 34-14 with 8:06 left in the quarter.

Waurika’s defense got in on the scoring onslaught just 21 seconds later as Wesberry picked off an errant Wildcat pass and raced 36 yards on the return for the score. Bryant ran for the two points and Waurika was now in front, 42-14, with 7:45 to play before the half.

Another Carnegie turnover resulted in Waurika’s next score. Gatlin Black scooped up a Wildcat bobble and took it to pay dirt from 40 yards out. Mora ran for the two-point conversion and the Eagles led, 50-14, with 4:45 still to play in the half.

Wesberry’s second interception of the night set up the next Eagle score. Mora got his second score of the game on a 41-yard rushing touchdown. Bryant ran for the two points and the Eagles had a 58-14 lead with 2:27 left in the quarter.

Another turnover by the Wildcats sealed the mercy-rule fate for Carnegie. Waurika recovered another fumble to give the Eagles the ball at the 23-yard line.

A couple of plays later, Brown made his way into the end zone from one yard out. The run for two points failed, but Waurika had a 64-14 lead with just 57 seconds left in the half.

Carnegie’s last drive of the night was ended in the final seconds when Kevin Garcia got another interception and ran out the clock on the return.

“We challenged our team all week in practice and they stepped up to the challenge,” said head coach Joe Allen after the game. “This was the best half of football we have played this season.”

Working with a short field much of the night did not produce very many impressive statistics. Brown was the leading rusher with 82 yards on just five carries. Mora was effective in the passing game with four completions on just six attempts for 71 yards.

EAGLE FLIGHTS: The 64 points scored is the second highest total by a Waurika squad since the Eagles began eight-man play in 2012….The 64 points is tied for ninth highest number of points scored in school history….Waurika has not scored more than 64 points in a game since putting 80 on Fox in 2016…Carnegie has never beaten Waurika in three meetings with the Eagles….The 50-point margin of victory eclipses the 49-point winning margin against Carnegie in the first meeting between the schools in 1996…The 3-0 start is the best for Waurika since 2015, but it is only the second time since 1997 the Eagles have started a season with three straight wins….Waurika has started 3-0 only 14 times in 99 years of football….The Waurika defense has scored at least one touchdown in all three games this season….The 14 points scored by Carnegie are the first points allowed by the Waurika defense this season….Waurika has ended each of its first three games at halftime.

Game in Figures

WHS CHS

First Downs 7 9

Yards Rushing 21-177 17-34

Yards Passing 71 141

Passes 4-6 9-21

Passes Int. By 4 0

Fumbles Lost 1-0 2-2

Punts 0-0 1-24

Penalties 5-45 6-50

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Waurika 20 44 x x–64

Carnegie 0 14 x x–14

WAURIKA – Colton Bryant 6 run (run failed), 8:23, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Hunter Wesberry 27 pass from Turner Mora (Mora run), 3:57, 1st Quarter

WAURIKA – Bryant 10 pass from Mora (run failed), 2:09, 1st Quarter

CARNEGIE – Kaden Adkins 12 pass from Xavier Nesahkluah (Andrew Cano pas from Nesahkluah), 10:53, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 75 kickoff return (run failed), 10:42, 2nd Quarter

CARNEGIE – Cano 10 pass from Nesahkluah) (pass failed), 8:22, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Zac Brown 55 run (Mora run), 8:06, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Wesberry 36 interception return (Bryant run), 7:45, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Gatlin Black 40 fumble return (Mora run), 4:45, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Mora 41 run (Bryant run), 2:27, 2nd Quarter

WAURIKA – Brown 1 run (run failed), :57.6, 2nd Quarter

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

WAURIKA: Rushing – Brown 5-82, Mora 8-63, Kevin Garcia 4-22, Bryant 4-10; Passing – Mora 4-6-71-0; Receiving – Wesberry 2-57, Bryant 1-10, Edwin Garcia 1-4.

Ryan Drops Road Game at Caddo

By

Trey Smart

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September 27, 2018

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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 Girls, Waurika Boys Take Title at Waurika Meet

By

Trey Smart

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September 21, 2018

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The ninth-ranked Ryan Cowgirl cross country team dominated the small field last Thursday at the Waurika Invitational Cross Country meet.

In an even smaller field, the Waurika boys took the team title, but were the only school with enough runners to figure into the team scoring.

(l-r) Alicen Williams, Lilybet Harmon, Katelyn Dabbs, Holland Carter, Lily York, Juliet Spangler and Coach Steve Spangler
Photo by Trey Smart

Only 26 runners participated in the high school boys division.

In the girls’ competition, Waurika finished second with 57 points – well behind Ryan’s 28 points. Velma-Alma was third with 58 points and Lone Grove and Davis rounding out the field.

(l-r)Kynlee Waters, Corely Coffin, Skylar Garrett, Trish Julian, Jaci Gholson, Tracey Ballard, Aubree Showalter, Libi Simmons
Photo by Joe Masoner

Both schools were to have participated at Walters on Tuesday. Waurika will travel to Cache Saturday for a meet, while Ryan will be back in action on Tuesday at Velma-Alma.

The Cowgirls were able to capture the title with the top five runners finishing in the top ten of the 46 competitors.

Juliet Spangler was fourth with a time of 13:45, which is her career best over a 3,200-meter course.

Holland Carter was fifth for the Cowgirls with a time of 13:56 and Lilybet Harmon finished sixth with a time of 14:05. Lily York was right behind in eighth place recording a time of 14:18.

Katelyn Dabbs rounded out the team points with a 10th-place finish covering the course in 14:22. Alicen Williams also earned a medal for the Cowgirls with a 23rd-place finish and a time of 16:13.

The second-place Lady Eagles were led by Asia Smith’s second-place finish. She recorded a time of 13:42. Lexie Streeter was seventh with a time of 14:15.

Lexie Streeter and Asia Smith
Photo by Joe Masoner

Three other lady Eagles brought home medals – Tallin Mora in 17th place with a time of 15:35, Dallas Fristoe in 18th place with a time of 15:41 and Faith Roberson in 24th place with a time of 16:41.

Waurika’s boys were equally impressive as they had four runners finish in the top eight among the 26 runners.

Bryson Hernandez led the way for the Eagles with a third-place finish in a time of 19:57 across the five kilometer course. Cache Arellano was fifth with a time of 20:58 and Kevin Garcia managed a sixth-place finish with a time of 21:02. Gustavo Gomez rounded out the top ten finishers for Waurika by finishing eighth with a time of 21:20.

Three other Eagles earned medals in the meet – Octavio Gomez (13th, 22:12), Edwin Garcia (15th, 23:18) and Nicolas Alvarado (23rd, 26:46).

Waurika’s junior high girls also won the team title with 48 points – just ahead of Rush Springs who finished with 60 points. Seven teams competed for the team title. Ryan did not have enough girls to figure in the team competition. A total of 67 runners competed in the junior high girls division.

The Ryan junior high boys earned runner up honors in the meet. Geronimo won the title with 47 points, while Ryan finished with 64 points. Bray-Doyle, Healdton and Frederick were the other schools with teams. The field included 48 competitors.

Waurika Junior High Results

Girls: 4. Aubrey Showalter, 10:46; 10. Liberti Simmons, 10:59; 11. Jaci Gholson, 11:09; 15. Kynlee Waters, 11:15; 24. Trish Julian, 11:48; 42. Skylar Garrett, 13:28; 50. Corley Coffin, 14:30; 53. Tracy Ballard, 15:15.

Boys: 12. Treyton Torez, 14:24; 13. Alex Gomez, 14:27; 14. Trent Arellano, 14:32; 32. Malachi Dodson, 17:01.

Trent Arellano (left)
Photo by Joe Masoner

Ryan Junior High Results

Girls: 20. Jasmine Villarreal, 11:34; 21. Whittney Spangler, 11:34.

Boys: 5. Julian Rodriguez, 13:19; 16. Mason Adsit, 14:49; 21. Tommy Self, 15:32; 30. Alex Uribe, 16:43; 34. Landen Alexander, 17:15; 48. Adam Lopez, 20:58.

Cowgirls End Season with Two Tough Losses in District Play

By

Trey Smart

-

September 27, 2018

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One of the most disappointing things in sports is losing a game at the very end.

That is exactly what happened in the district tourney elimination game with Turner last Thursday at Thackerville.

The Cowgirls led throughout the contest before allowing Turner to score four runs in the seventh and final inning to drop a 6-4 encounter with the Lady Falcons.

In the first district tournament game the Cowgirls fell to Thackerville, 10-6.

Thackerville went on to claim the district title with two victories over Turner.

In the opening game of the tournament the Lady Wildcats got off to a 6-0 lead before the Cowgirls could find the scoring column.

In the bottom of the fourth, Sadie Guzman led off with a single and Emilee Martin followed with another base hit. Carter Combs came on to run and her and Guzman both scored to cut the Thackerville lead to 6-2.

Neither team scored in the fifth, but Thackerville padded its lead in the top of the sixth with four runs to take a commanding 10-2 advantage.

The Cowgirls got one run back in the bottom of the sixth as Brooklyn Charmasson reached on an infield single and scored on Lindsey Reak’s RBI-single to make it 10-3.

So the Cowgirls faced a seven-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh and it looked like Ryan had a chance to extend the game.

Samantha Good, Kodi Duke and Guzman – the first three batters in the inning – all reached base and came around to score. Duke and Martin both had runs batted in during the uprising.

However, the final three hitters for Ryan were retired ending the contest.

This sent Ryan into a must-win situation with Turner.

The Cowgirls took command of the second game with a four-run first inning.

Good and Duke walked to start the inning and then Guzman, Martin and Charmasson each got an RBI-single. Combs, who ran for Martin eventually scored and the Cowgirls held a 4-0 lead after one inning.

Turner cut into the margin in the top of the second with a one and then added another run in the top of the fifth to leave the Lady Falcons trailing, 4-2.

In the top of the sixth inning, Turner added another run but Ryan clung to a 4-3 lead after six innings.

In the top of the seventh the Lady Falcons put together a three-run rally to take a 6-4 lead.

The Cowgirls went down in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game and the season for Ryan.

A week ago Tuesday the Cowgirls rolled to a 15-1 victory over Springer at the Lady Cardinals’ home field.

It was a slow start for the Cowgirls as they led 1-0 after two full innings when Charmasson walked and eventually scored to get Ryan on the scoreboard.

In top of the third inning the Cowgirls sent 16 batters to the plate and scored nine runs.

The Cowgirls were credited with six runs batted in and had seven hits in the inning to take a 10-0 lead.

Ryan added five more runs in the top of the fourth inning. This time the Cowgirls were helped along by four walks and a hit batsman.

The Lady Cardinals struck for one run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but it was not enough to keep the game from ending by the run rule.

Guzman led the Cowgirls at the plate by going 3-for-4 in the game with three runs batted in. Good was 2-for-3 with a run batted in and she scored three times.

Martin picked up the win in the circle for the Cowgirls allowing only two hits and striking out eight Springer batters.

Ryan finished with a 7-16 record in Stan Mueggenborg’s first season as head coach.

COWGIRL NOTES: Ryan is now 3-3 against Thackerville in district tourney play…The Cowgirls have never beaten Turner in 12 outings in district tournaments….Ryan is only 10-33 in district tournament competition since beginning fast-pitch softball in 2002….Five of the seven wins for the Cowgirls came in contests with Waurika and Temple…The seven wins ties the mark for the second most wins since the 2012 season….The fast-pitch softball team played for its third coach in three years in 2018….Ryan has won only one district title since beginning fast-pitch softball in 2002….This was the second year in a row that Turner has ended the Cowgirls’ season.

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

By

Trey Smart

-

September 20, 2018

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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.

Lady Eagles’ Rally Comes Up Short Against Bray-Doyle

By

Trey Smart

-

September 21, 2018

0

It has been a rough season for the youthful and inexperienced Waurika fast-pitch softball squad.

But, the Lady Eagles suffered their narrowest defeat of the season to Bray-Doyle, 10-8, Monday on the Lady Donkey’s home diamond.

In the second game with Ninnekah, the Lady Eagles fell, 7-2

The Lady Eagles were to have met Temple Tuesday.

Today Waurika begins play in the Class A District Tournament at Ringling. The Lady Eagles were to have met Wilson at 12 noon today and the loser of that game was scheduled to face Ringling at 1:30 p.m.

The winner of the first game was scheduled to meet Ringling at 3 p.m.

The tournament is double-elimination with the championship game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today and an “if necessary” game at 6 p.m.

In Monday’s action, the Lady Eagles spotted Bray-Doyle an 8-0 lead after the third inning.

In the top of the fourth, the Lady Eagle’s bats came alive.

Gracie Walling reached on an error and scored on Kaci Reynold’s RBI-single. Madison Roberson, who singled and Reynolds scored on Landry Forsyth’s double to center field.

Tallin Mora also singled and eventually scored on Hope Cummings’ ground out cutting the Bray-Doyle lead to 8-4.

The Lady Donkeys extended the lead to 10-4 in the bottom of the fourth and that proved to be the difference in the game.

Waurika refused to give up despite the deficit. Faith Roberson led off the rally with a triple and scored on Walling’s single to left. M. Roberson and Reynolds singled with Walling scoring on Reynolds’ single.

M. Roberson scored on Mora’s ground out and Reynolds crossed the plate on Forsyth’s single to cut the margin to 10-8, but the rally ended with a fly out.

In the second game of the three-way meeting at Bray, Ninnekah got off to a 1-0 lead after scoring in the top of the third.

Ninnekah added five more runs in the top of the fourth inning to move in front, 7-0.

The Lady Eagles managed two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Destiny Barnes singled and advanced to third on M. Roberson’s single. Barnes scored on an error and M. Roberson scored on a wild pitch.

After holding Ninnekah scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Lady Eagles got a one-out single from F. Roberson, but the next two Lady Eagles were retired to end the game.

District B-4 Squads Win Three of Four Contests

By

Trey Smart

-

September 21, 2018

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

Cowboys Pull Out 30-14 Homecoming Victory over Maysville

By

Trey Smart

-

September 21, 2018

0

It was quite a show of offense last Friday night at Bob Givens Sports Complex by Ryan and Maysville.

It just did not result in a lot of points.

The Cowboys, however, had just enough firepower to record a 30-14 victory over the Warriors in Ryan’s homecoming game.

Now the Cowboys hit the road for the third time in four games as they travel to Caddo tomorrow night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Caddo is 1-2 on the year.

The Cowboys rolled up 453 total yards in the game but turnovers and the inability to convert two-point conversions kept the Cowboys from lighting up the scoreboard.

The Cowboy defense came up with a few big plays to thwart a number of Maysville scoring threats to help Ryan earn its third victory of the season.

The Cowboys scored on their opening drive of the game marching 70 yards on seven plays. Skyler Parkhill covered the final four yards for the score. The two-point conversion failed, but Ryan held a 6-0 lead with 9:34 left in the first quarter.

Maysville threatened to answer the Cowboys’ score, but the Warriors’ drive bogged down after a delay of game penalty and a nine-yard loss on a quarterback sack by Parkhill on a fourth down play from the Ryan 28.

The Cowboys took over at their own 37 and it took Ryan only two plays to score. Parkhill picked up seven yards and then sophomore quarterback Grayson Tomberlin had a nifty 56-yard run for the score. The two-point conversion failed, but Ryan held a 12-0 advantage with 3:51 to play in the first period.

On the ensuing kickoff the Cowboys perfectly executed an onside kick as Andrew Villerreal combined to kick the ball and recover the onside kick giving Ryan possession at midfield.

It took Ryan seven plays to drive to the Maysville 33 and that is when the game’s momentum slipped from the grasp of the Cowboys. Talented Maysville quarterback and defensive back Gunner Aprill picked off an errant Tomberlin pass and returned the interception 41 yards to give Maysville possession at the Ryan 48.

Ryan HS Cheerleaders
Photo by Sheree Hanson

The Warriors drove the ball deep into Ryan territory, but Tomberlin picked off a pass in the end zone to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.

The Cowboys turned the ball back over the Warriors just two plays later on a mishandled exchange and this time Maysville took advantage. On the first play of the drive, Aprill scampered 24 yards for the touchdown and also ran for the two points to cut Ryan’s lead to 12-8 with 7:30 left in the first half.

Ryan answered the score with a seven-play, 63-yard scoring drive. The big play of the drive was a 42-yard completion to Parkhill that gave the Cowboys a first-and-goal at the Warrior seven.

After a loss and a 10-yard penalty, Kalen Weldon picked up 16 yards on a counter and then Tomberlin found Parkhill across the middle of the end zone for a four-yard touchdown pass. Again the Cowboys failed to convert the two-point try, but led 18-8 with 3:33 left before intermission.

Maysville answered the Cowboy score quickly. A 25-yard kickoff return put the Warriors in business at the Ryan 45 and in just three plays went the distance for the score. Aprill found Damon McCallister behind the Cowboy defense for a 47-yard touchdown pass. The try for two failed, but with 2:02 left before the half the Warriors had trimmed the lead to 18-14.

The Cowboys threatened to score again by driving to the Maysville 25, but the Warriors intercepted another pass in the end zone to turn back the Cowboys and the half ended with Maysville running out the remaining seconds.

On Maysville’s opening drive of the second half Aprill took the Warriors from their own 36 to the Ryan 32 as he carried the ball on every play with the exception of one pass incompletion. Ryan stopped the Warriors on fourth down and took the ball over on downs.

The Cowboys took 11 plays to move 72 yards with Weldon’s key 21-yard spectacular catch keeping the drive alive on a fourth down. Parkhill went around left end for the final 12 yards and Ryan held a 24-14 lead with 4:03 left in the third quarter.

Maysville went on another long drive and moved the ball to the Ryan 23, but on fourth down Villerreal chased down Aprill for a six-yard loss that gave the Cowboys the ball on downs.

On the third play of the drive Tomberlin found Parkhill open on the left side and after the Cowboy senior dodged a couple of tacklers, he sprinted 71 yards for the score with 9:00 left in the game. The run for two points failed again, but Ryan was in front, 30-14.

Two of Maysville’s final three drives resulted in the Cowboy defense getting key stops on fourth downs to help preserve the victory.

Tomberlin and Parkhill accounted for most of the 453 total yards on offense for the Cowboys.

Parkhill set the school record for most yards receiving in a game with 189 yards on just seven receptions. He also rushed six times for 30 yards.

Tomberlin finished with 151 yards rushing on 19 carries. He was 12 of 20 passing for 249 yards, but he did have three interceptions.

On defense, Tomberlin and Parkhill played big roles. Tomberlin was in on 17 tackles on the night, while Parkhill added nine stops. Villerreal, who had 11 tackles, and Parkhill put pressure on the Maysville quarterback much of the night.

COWBOY CORRAL: The win broke a two-game losing streak in homecoming games for Ryan not including last year’s homecoming game with Grandfield which Ryan won by forfeit…..Ryan now leads the short series with Maysville, 4-2….This was the first meeting between the two schools in an eight-man game….The last time Ryan played Maysville was in 1975 with the Cowboys coming away with a 9-6 victory….Tomberlin’s passing performance was the sixth most yards passing by a quarterback in school history….It was also the sixth most passing yards by a Cowboy team in school history….The 12 receptions in the game ties for the ninth most in a single game in school history along with the 12 receptions in a 1940 contest with Grandfield…The 30 points scored by Ryan is the second most in the series with Maysville just behind the 34 points scored in a 34-0 victory by the 1974 squad….The 1988 Ryan Cowboys, the first Ryan football team to play for a state title, were introduced at halftime along with coaches Phil Elerick and Gordon Garner.

Game in Figures

MHS RHS

First Downs 14 14

Yards Rushing 49-218 29-204

Yards Passing 77 249

Passes 2-6 12-21

Passes Int. By 3 1

Fumbles, Lost 2-0 1-1

Punts 0 0

Penalties 6-35 6-45

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Maysville 0 14 0 0–14

Ryan 12 6 6 6–30

FIRST QUARTER

RYAN – Skyler Parkhill 4 run (run failed), 9:34

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 56 run (run failed), 3:51

SECOND QUARTER

MAYSVILLE – Gunner Aprill 24 run (Aprill run), 7:30

RYAN – Parkhill 4 pass from Tomberlin (run failed), 3:33

MAYSVILLE – Damon McCallister 47 pass from Aprill (run failed), 2:02

THIRD QUARTER

RYAN – Tomberlin 12 run (run failed), 4:03

FOURTH QUARTER

RYAN – Parkhill 71 pass from Tomberlin (run failed), 9:00

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

MAYSVILLE – Rushing: Aprill 35-166, Bentley Stevens 3-22, Junior Simmons 6-12, Luke Dobson 2-9, Jacob Owen 1-7, McCallister 2-2; Passing: Simmons 0-2-0-0; Aprill 2-4-77-1; Receiving: McCallister 2-11.

RYAN – Rushing: Tomberlin 19-151, Parkhill 6-30, Kalen Weldon 1-16, Travis Fristoe 1-8, Gunner Phillips 2- -1; Passing: Parkhill 0-1-0-0; Tomberlin 12-20-249-3; Receiving: Parkhill 7-189, Weldon 2-48, Fristoe 1-10, Andrew Villerreal 1-5, Phillips 1- -3; Tackles: Tomberlin 17, Villerreal 11, Parkhill 9, Weldon 7, Justin Williams 5, Walter Snider 4, Gunner Phillips 3, Trey Bryant 3, Pacen Wiest 3, Sam Brown 2.

September 2018 Articles

Waurika Falls Short In Fast-Pitch Softball District Tourney

Waurika Takes Advantage of Carnegie Turnovers for Win

Ryan Girls, Waurika Boys Take Title at Waurika Meet

Ryan Drops Road Game at Caddo

Lady Eagles’ Rally Comes Up Short Against Bray-Doyle

Eagles Post Second Straight Shutout for 2-0 Start

Waurika Takes Advantage of Carnegie Turnovers for Win

Game in Figures

Ryan Drops Road Game at Caddo

Ryan Girls, Waurika Boys Take Title at Waurika Meet

Cowgirls End Season with Two Tough Losses in District Play

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

Lady Eagles’ Rally Comes Up Short Against Bray-Doyle

District B-4 Squads Win Three of Four Contests

Cowboys Pull Out 30-14 Homecoming Victory over Maysville

Game in Figures

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