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Waurika, Ryan Thinclads Tune Up For Regionals at V-A Meet

By
Trey Smart
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0

 A limited number of participants from Ryan and Waurika traveled to Velma-Alma a week ago Tuesday for a final competition before last week’s regional meets for the two schools.

It was less than ideal conditions as rain threatened to cancel the meet, but after a couple of rain delays, the final part of the meet was completed.

Plus, the meet featured a number of Class 2A and Class 3A teams that made the competition at the meet extremely tough.

The Ryan Cowgirls chose not to compete in the meet after running at Covington-Douglas the day before and not wanting to risk injury.

The Cowboys sent only one participate – Walker Rawlings – to the meet and he placed in both events he entered.

Rawlings finished sixth in both the shot put and discus. His mark for the shot put was 40-8 and his best throw of the discus was 121-8.

Seminole won the boys’ part of the meet with 124 points, while Ryan finished tied for 25th with two points and Waurika managed 11th place with 20 points but had the most points among the Class A teams competing in the meet that featured over 25 teams.

Only two of the Waurika relay teams managed to place in the meet.

The 800 meter relay of Kevin Garcia, Turner Mora, Nic Alvarado and Colton Bryant was sixth with a time of 1:37.09, which is the third best time posted in the 2019 campaign.

The 1,600 meter relay team for the Eagles earned a bronze medal with a time of 3:41.85. Garcia, Mora, Bryant and Cache Arellano finished the race for Waurika. It was the third best time this season for the relay squad.

The only other placer for the Eagles was Mora who managed a third-place finish in the 400 meters with a time of 53.28. The time was the best of the season for Mora – even better than last Saturday’s gold-medal regional performance.

The Lady Eagles also took a full squad, but found the competition to be tougher than expected as the Lady Eagles failed to place in any of the running events.

Pauls Valley was the team champion with 107 points, while Waurika finished 16th with 11 points.

Madison Roberson accounted for all the team points for the Lady Eagles.

Roberson’s throw of 36-4.5 in the shot put earned her gold medal honors. It was her fourth best throw of the season in the shot put.

In the discus event Roberson finished sixth with a throw of 99-0. The mark was her third best performance in the event in 2019.

Eagles Demolish Bray-Doyle to Claim District Championship

By
Trey Smart
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0
Gabe Jenkins

 Waurika used a smothering defense and a powerful offense to claim a second straight 60-0 victory – this time over Bray-Doyle last Friday Night on Norman West Field.

The win, coupled with an Empire loss, gave the Eagles their second straight district title and the third overall since beginning eight-man competition.

The Eagles will travel to Empire tomorrow night (Friday) for the regular season finale and Waurika will try to earn a second straight undefeated season among District B-4 foes. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on the Bulldogs’ home field.

Turner Mora
Photo by Adam Brinson

The Eagles, now 8-1 on the year counting a forfeit win from Temple, were no match for the hapless Donkeys that are now 2-7 for the season and winless in district play on a near perfect night for football.

It did not take the Eagles long to get the first score of the night as they drove 53 yards in five plays. Gabe Jenkins got the touchdown and Turner Mora added the two points on the ground to give Waurika an 8-0 lead just a little over one minute into the game.

The Eagles forced Bray to punt and this gave Waurika the ball at the Eagle 49. In just two plays the Eagles covered the 51 yards with Hunter Wesberry getting a 37-yard scoring strike from Mora. Jordan Watkins ran for the two points and Waurika held a 16-0 lead with 6:34 left in the first quarter.

Waurika’s Defense
Photo by Adam Brinson

The Donkeys could not make a first down on their next possession and the Eagles took over on downs at the Donkey 46. Mora scampered 46 yards for the score and this gave Waurika a 22-0 advantage with 4:40 left in the first quarter.

The Waurika defense continued its impressive play as Bray-Doyle’s next possession netted only one yard and Waurika took over on downs.

This time it took Waurika three plays to get the final score of the first quarter. Kevin Garcia swept around the right side and then zig-zagged across the field to score from 31 yards out. Mora ran for the two points giving Waurika a 30-0 lead with 2:07 left in the second quarter.

It was nothing doing for the Donkey offense as Bray-Doyle turned the ball back over to the Eagles at the Donkey 36.

After a 15-yard run by Mora, the talented senior quarterback found Garcia for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Watkins ran for the two points and with 11:10 left in the second quarter, Waurika was in command with a 38-0 advantage.

An interception on Bray’s next possession by Treyton Torrez put the Eagles in business at the Waurika 46. In two plays Waurika traveled the 54 yards for a score. Garcia picked up 37 yards on the scoring play and Watkins added the two points for a 46-0 lead with 8:50 left in the half.

Another interception – this time by Travis Etheridge – gave Waurika the ball. Trent Arellano capped the drive with a 25-yard scoring run to put Waurika in front, 52-0, with 6:17 left in the first half.

Hunter Wesberry
Photo by Adam Brinson

Following a Bray punt, the Eagles launched their final scoring drive of the night from the Bray 18. Torrez scored from 18 yards out and Seth Waid carried the ball over the goal for the two-point conversion to give the Eagles a 60-0 lead with only 1:51 left in the half and the game.

The quick scores and excellent field position did not allow for many impressive numbers, but the Eagles did manage 265 yards rushing on just 15 attempts. Mora led all Waurika rushers with 71 yards on only five carries.

Payton Fletcher
Photo by Adam Brinson

The Eagle defense had one of its most impressive performances of the season limiting Bray-Doyle to minus-seven yards on 19 carries. The Eagles also forced a pair of interceptions.

It was Senior Night for the Eagles and nine Eagle seniors were recognized before the start of the contest.

Donning the red and white for the final time in a regular season game at Waurika were Mora, Edwin Garcia, Wesberry, Waid, Watkins, Payton Fletcher, Bryson Hernandez (who has been injured most of the year), Etheridge and Colby Mead.

Turner Mora
Photo by Adam Brinson

EAGLE FLIGHTS: Even with a loss to Empire and a Wilson win against Bray-Doyle, the Eagles would have the tie-breaker over Wilson with the win earlier this season…The first round playoff opponent for the Eagles will be determined tomorrow night in the contest between Snyder and Cyril….Waurika will take on the loser of that game in Waurika….Waurika is now a perfect 10-0 against Bray-Doyle with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 2008…The 60 points ties with the 2016 team for the most points scored against the Donkeys….The 60 total points is the third most points scored by both teams in this 10-game series….The win was the third straight shutout for Waurika and that has been done only 12 other times in the past 100 years of football at Waurika….The longest shutout streak by the Eagles is eight recorded in the 1933 season that included one tie….This was the fifth consecutive game the Eagles have scored 50 or more points….The 60-point wins against Central High and Bray-Doyle mark only the second time in school history Waurika has scored 60 or more points in back-to-back games….Waurika held down the sixth spot again this week in the Class B poll by The Daily Oklahoman.

Game In Figures

                                    BDHS         WHS

First Downs                   2                  13

Yards Rushing            19-(-7)         15-265

Yards Passing                 1                  84

Passes                           1-4                3-6

Passes Int By                  0                   2

Fumbles Lost                0-0               0-0

Punts                            2-31             0-0

Penalties                       1-5               2-20

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Bray-Doyle       0         0          x        x—0

Waurika          30       30          x       x—60

                  FIRST QUARTER

WAURIKA – Gabe Jenkins 10 run (Turner Mora run), 10:44

WAURIKA – Hunter Wesberry 37 pass from Mora (Jordan Watkins run), 6:34

WAURIKA – Mora 45 run (run failed), 4:40

WAURIKA – Kevin Garcia 31 run (Mora run), 2:37

                  SECOND QUARTER

WAURIKA – Garcia 21 pass from Mora (Watkins run), 11:10

WAURIKA– Garcia 37 run (Watkins run), 8:50

WAURIKA – Trent Arellano 25 run (run failed), 6:17

WAURIKA – Treyton Torrez 18 fun (Seth Waid run), 1:51

Waurika To Host Southern Eight Fast-Pitch All-Star Game

By
Trey Smart
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0

 Waurika High School will play host to the Southern Eight Conference’s fast-pitch softball all-star game on Monday.

The first pitch at the Waurika diamond is slated for 6 p.m.

The game will feature players from the member schools including Waurika, Ryan, Grandfield, Big Pasture, Geronimo, Frederick and Temple.

Waurika’s Everett Hodges will coach one of the teams in the all-star game, while Ryan’s Stan Mueggenborg will coach the other squad.

The all-conference squad has also been announced by the conference.

Waurika has three first team selections.

Hope Cummings, Liberti Simmons and Landry Forsyth represent the Lady Eagles on the all-conference squad.

Gracie Walling and Riley Howell earned honorable mention honors.

The Cowgirls had two all-conference selections. Samantha Good and Brooklyn Charmasson were selected to the all-conference squad.

Named as honorable mention selections for the Cowgirls were Madison Rhoades and Lindsey Reake.

Ryan, Waurika Track Squads Battle Weather & Tough Competition

By
Trey Smart
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0
Track 3

 It was a tough day at the track last Thursday as Ryan and Waurika’s track squads competed at the Charles Butler Invitational at Wynnewood.

It was tough because of relatively bad wind through the duration of the meet.

But, the meet also attracted teams from Classes 5A down to Class A making the competition for Ryan and Waurika – both Class A schools – pretty tough.

No team scores were kept at the meet, but individuals from both schools turned in some good performances.

In the 3,200 meter relay the Lady Eagles and Cowgirls battled for the gold medal and the Lady Eagles came out on top with a time of 11:29.69. Asia Smith, Lexie Streeter, Faith Roberson and Tallin Mora comprised the winning team for the Lady Eagles.

Wewoka managed to slip in between the Lady Eagles and the Cowgirls putting the Cowgirls in third place with a time of 11:37.22.  The team of Lilybet Harmon, Lily York, Juliet Spangler and Holland Carter put in an effort that is the third best time this season and the sixth best time in school history.

In the individual race covering 3,200 meters, Ryan’s Spangler and Alicen Williams placed third and fourth, respectively.

Spangler had a time of 14:19.06, while Williams turned in a mark of 14:24.15

The only other placer for the Cowgirls was in the 800 meters where Harmon managed fifth place with a time of 2:49.91.

Smith and Streeter both placed in the 1,600 meter race. Smith took the gold medal with a time of 6:18.15, while Streeter was right behind at 6:18.50 to earn a silver medal.

The Lady Eagles placed in three different field events.

Madison Roberson claimed the title in the shot put with a toss of 38-3 – her personal best of the 2019 season.

Roberson also managed a sixth place finish in the discus with a toss of 82-9.

Mora finished fifth in the long jump with a leap of 15-7.75 – which was her best effort of the season until last Saturday’s performance at Waurika.

The Eagles sent a small contingent to the meet, but the 3,200 meter relay team of Cache Arellano, Turner Mora, Gustavio Gomez and Octavio Gomez brought home gold medals with a time of 9:33.78.

The only other placer for the Eagles was Tu. Mora, who earned a silver medal in the 400 meters with a time of 55.81.

 The Cowboys’ Walker Rawlings placed in both of the weight field events. Rawlings finished fourth in the shot put with a toss of 43-2 and managed sixth place in the discus with a throw of 106-7. The mark for the shot put was his best throw of the season in the event.

Proposed Football Districts For 2020 and 2021 Released

By
Trey Smart
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0

 Every two years the football schools in Oklahoma are regrouped into districts.

New enrollment figures place Waurika around the middle of Class B and Ryan will move to Class C for football for the next two seasons.

In early January the districts will be finalized by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.

The Oklahoma Football Coaches Association makes recommendations to the OSSAA and those recommendations have been released.

Class B is divided into eight six-team districts, while Class C is made up of four eight-team districts.

It is recommended that Waurika be assigned to District B-3.

Two of Waurika’s district foes from the past two years are part of the recommendations. Central High and Empire will probably join the Eagles in the new district.

Joining the three schools will more than likely be Cyril, Snyder and Tipton. Tipton, who has dominated play in Class C the past four years, has moved into Class B for the next two years.

Bray-Doyle, one of Waurika’s district foes this past season has been recommended for District B-4, while Velma-Alma will begin district play in District B-4 along with Alex, Caddo, Strother and Southwest Covenant.

The Eagles will have five non-district games on the 2020 schedule which will be finalized soon after the district recommendations have been approved.

Ryan has been placed in District C-2 by the coaches’ association. All the other teams in the district have been in Class C the past two years.

None of the teams recommended for placement in District C-2 will be totally unfamiliar to the Cowboys.

The district will likely include Temple and Grandfield – both long-time rivals of Ryan.

Also recommended to be in the district are Fox, Maysville, Mountain View-Gotebo, Paoli and Thackerville.

All of those schools have been on the Cowboys’ schedule but it has been 10 years since the Cowboys have faced Fox and Paoli in the regular season.

The districts are to be finalized at a meeting on January 15.

Eagle Roundballers Pick Up Consolation Title at Comet Classic

By
Trey Smart
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0

Waurika’s boys basketball squad rebounded from a first-round setback by winning two consecutive games and claimed the consolation title of the Comet Classic at Velma-Alma last weekend.

The Waurika girls won a first-round game in the tourney, but fell in the next two contests to finish fourth.

The Waurika boys fell in the first round to Walters, 55-46, before taking a 52-41 victory over Marlow Junior Varsity and handing Sterling a 46-30 defeat in the consolation finals of the tourney last Saturday night.

The Lady Eagles claimed a 35-33 victory over Konawa in the first round of the tourney last Thursday, but fell in the semifinals to Amber-Pocasset, 51-28, and to Sterling, 40-29, in the third place clash.

The first-round win by the Lady Eagles was close throughout.

Waurika held a 10-6 lead after the first quarter and both teams battled on even terms in the second quarter to give the Lady Eagles a 17-13 advantage at the intermission.

Konawa took the lead after three quarters by outscoring the Lady Eagles, 12-7, to hold a 25-24 lead entering the final period of play.

Liberti Simmons and Asia Smith hit key free throws down the stretch and Tallin Mora hit two of her four three pointers in the fourth quarter to give Waurika the win.

 Mora paced the Lady Eagles in scoring with 12 points.

In the semifinals, the Lady Panthers proved to be too much for the Lady Eagles after Waurika had a hard time scoring in the first quarter.

The Lady Panthers moved out to a 13-2 advantage after the first quarter and Waurika really never got on track on the offensive end of the court.

Am-Po increased the margin to 27-11 at the half.

Waurika narrowed the gap to 35-21 at the end of the third quarter, the Lady Panthers went on a 16-7 scoring run in the fourth quarter to dash any hopes of a Waurika rally.

Smith was the only Waurika player in double figures with 12 points.

In Saturday’s third place game the Lady Tigers held a slim 5-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and increased the lead to 12-9 after the second period.

The Lady Tigers added to the lead in the third quarter with an 11-8 advantage to lead 23-17 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Lady Tigers pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 17-12 run to secure the victory.

Smith was the leading scorer for the Lady Eagles with nine points.

The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season in the first round of the tournament.

Walters took a 14-5 first quarter advantage, but the Eagles cut the deficit to 23-18 by the end of the first half.

The Eagles continued to chip away at the Blue Devil advantage and trailed 35-32 at the end of the third quarter.

The game was close throughout the final quarter, but Walters converted 12 of 17 free throws to hold off the Eagles and stretch the lead to the final margin.

Treyton Torrez had a season-high 21 points for the Eagles, but no other Waurika player was in double figures.

The Eagles got back on the winning track in the consolation semifinals with an impressive 11-point victory over the Outlaw Junior Varsity.

In the first quarter neither team could score and Waurika ended the quarter with just a 6-2 lead.

The Eagles increased the margin to 24-16 by halftime and pulled away with 28 points in the second half while holding the Outlaws to only 15 points in the final two quarters.

Peyton Fletcher led the Eagles in scoring with 15 points, while Torrez added 12.

In Saturday’s consolation championship game, the Eagles had to rally from a 12-4 deficit in the first quarter.

Waurika outscored the Tigers, 13-7, in the second quarter to trail only 19-17 heading to the locker room.

The Eagles took command of the game in the third quarter with a 14-3 scoring advantage to lead 31-22 going into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers made a run at the Eagles, but the Eagles were able to connect on nine of 12 free throw attempts to get the win.

Torrez had 15 points to pace the Eagles in scoring.

TOURNAMENT NOTES: Velma-Alma girls and boys won the tournament titles on Saturday…The was the second straight year the Waurika teams have competed in the Comet Classic….The boys improved on last year’s 0-2 performance by taking the consolation title, while the Lady Eagles finished fourth after winning the consolation title in the 2018 tourney…Torrez finished the tourney by averaging 16 points in the three games….Smith was the top point-producer in the tourney for the Lady Eagles with 28 points in three games.

Roberson Wins State Title, Waurika Places at State

By
Trey Smart
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0

Roberson becomes first girl thinclad to win a state title in the shot put.

Madison Roberson added to the rich heritage of Waurika track and field by claiming the state title in the shot put at last weekend’s Class A State Track Meet held at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City.

 Roberson is the first girl to win a state title in the shot put for Waurika and only the second girl to win a title in a field event.

 The multi-sport athlete for the Lady Eagles is only the second Waurika athlete to win a title in the shot put. The only other person to win a title in the event is the late Bob Bodenhamer who claimed a title in 1945 – the second year a state track meet was conducted.

 Her title-winning toss was 35-2.5 and oddly enough was only her fifth best mark of the 2019 season. Her best toss was 38-3 at a meet in Wynnewood a few weeks ago.

 Roberson competed in the shot put last Saturday after having placed sixth in the discus on Friday before the rest of the meet was delayed until Saturday because of rain.

 Roberson’s throw in the discus was 104-6 and was her second best throw of the season for the Lady Eagles.

 The Lady Eagles finished tied for 14th among the Class A schools in the annual track and field championships. The Lady Eagles racked up 16 points and finished in a tie with Empire, Weleetka and Davenport.

 Boise City-Keyes won the meet with 125 points, while Thomas finished second with 75. Oil Field Conference member Velma-Alma finished third at the state meet with 68 points.

 This year’s meet featured a new scoring format and it meant 54 different schools scored points. Points were earned by individuals and relays from places one to eight. The top six places earned medals.

 The Lady Eagles had only one other competitor place at the state track meet. Asia Smith finished sixth in the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:45.37.

 Smith’s time at the state meet was her best time of the season and was 15 seconds better than her second best time posted at the regional meet the week before. She sliced over a minute off her time posted at the first meet of the season.

 Lexie Streeter competed in the 3,200 meters but managed only to finish 11th among the 16 individuals in the event. However, her time of 13:41.20 was her best time of the season.

 The 3,200 meter relay team of Smith, Streeter, Faith Roberson and Tallin Mora also competed at state and just missed scoring by finishing ninth with a time of 11:06.32 – the team’s second best time of the season.

 The Waurika boys finished in a tie for 14th in the team race at the state meet. The Eagles accumulated 18 points and finished tied with Cyril.

 Thomas won the state team title with 120 points, while Boise City-Keyes finished well behind with 58 points. Southern Eight Conference rival Grandfield finished just ahead of the Eagles with 20 points.

 Leading the way for the Eagles was a fifth-place finish by Turner Mora in the 400 meters. His time of 52.68 was his best time of the season. Like Streeter, Tu. Mora improved throughout the season in the event.

 The other individual that scored for the Eagles was senior Aaron Nitka. He finished seventh in the discus with a toss of 122-6, which was his second best throw of the season behind his performance of 128-3 at the regional track meet.

 Waurika had three relay teams that competed in the meet, but only two of the teams placed.

 The 800 meter relay team of Tucker Mora, Colton Bryant, Nick Alvarado and Kevin Garcia put together a sixth place finish with a time of 1:37.38. The time was the fifth best of the season for the Eagles.

 The 1600 meter relay team also finished sixth and recorded a time of 3:35.13 – the best time of the season. Garcia, Tu. Mora, Bryant and Cache Arellano represented the Eagles on the team.

 The 3,200 meter relay team finished 10th in a tough field. Arellano, Bryson Hernandez, Gustavo Gomez and Octavio Gomez recorded a time of 9:05.85 and it was their best time of the year.

 Nitka and Alvarado also competed in events at the state meet, but did not place. Nitka’s toss of 39-7.5 in the shot put was his second best mark of the season. Alvarado’s time in the 200 meters was 24.62 and it was his second best time of the season.

TRACK TIDBITS: The Lady Eagles’ tie for 14th place is the best finish at the state meet since finishing 12th in 2014….The Lady Eagles also finished 14th in 2016….The 16 points scored is the most for the Lady Eagles at state since scoring 21 points in 2012…Waurika’s girls also scored 16 points in 2014….The best finish for a Waurika girls’ track squad at state is fourth during the 2000 event at Putnam City… The Lady Eagles have had seven top 10 finishes at the state meet since the first meet was held in 1972….M. Roberson’s state title is the 25th by a Waurika athlete in school history….She is the 12th Waurika Lady Eagle to claim an individual title at a state track meet….The Eagles’ 18 points scored at state is the most since Waurika scored 30 points in 2017….The 30 points scored equals the total scored in 2005 and is the most by a Eagle squad at the state meet in school history….The Eagles have eight top ten team finishes since the initial state track meet was held in 1944….The Eagles have finished fourth in the state meet twice and those came the first two years of the meet – 1944 and 1945….The Eagles have finished no better than eighth at the state meet since finishing fifth in the 1950 event.


Lady Eagle Harriers Qualify for State Meet For Third Straight Year

By
Trey Smart
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0
Waurika Girls Qualify for state competition. (lr) Tallin Mora, Liberti Simmons, Kaci Reynolds, Hope Cummings, Asia Smith, Lexie Streeter, Faith Roberson. Photo by Curtis Plant

The Waurika girls cross country team turned in a third-place performance at the Class 2A Regional Cross Country meet held last Saturday at Harmon Park.

The third-place finish put the Lady Eagles in Saturday’s Class 2A State Cross Country Meet at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee. The girls’ race begins at 12:30 p.m.

It will be the third straight year for Waurika to send the high school girls cross country team to the state meet.

The Ryan Cowgirls claimed the regional crown with 58 points, while Merritt was the runner up. The Lady Eagles finished two points behind Merritt in third place.

The Class 2A girls’ competition featured 110 runners and 11 teams – the largest number of runners of any of the three regionals last weekend.

The top 15 runners earned medals at the regional meet and the Lady Eagles had three runners awarded medals.

Waurika Girls Qualify for state competition. (lr) Tallin Mora, Liberti Simmons, Kaci Reynolds, Hope Cummings, Asia Smith, Lexie Streeter, Faith Roberson. Photo by Curtis Plant

Asia Smith led the way with a sixth-place finish. She turned in a time of 13:17.36 – nearly 40 seconds better than her best time of the season – over a 3,200-meter course.

Tallin Mora was right behind her teammate and finished seventh. She also bested her top time of the season. Her time of 13:21.21 was 30 seconds better than her best mark of the year.

Liberti Simmons finished ninth in the crowded field with a time of 13:29.31 to round out the medal winners for the Lady Eagles.

Lexie Streeter finished 18th with a time of 13:49.94, while Faith Roberson finished 68th with a time of 16:01.47 to contribute to the team scoring.

Also competing for the Lady Eagles were Kaci Reynolds (75th, 16:14.77) and Hope Cummings (84th, 17:00.51).

The previous best finish at a regional meet for Waurika’s girls has been fifth place and they accomplished that three times – in 2013, 2014 and 2017.

The 73 points scored by the Lady Eagles was by far the best mark of any regional competition since 2007 when Waurika first had enough runners for the team competition. The previous best point total was 123 points set in 2013.

The Waurika boys competed in the regional meet, but finished ninth with 205 points. Only the top seven teams qualify for the state meet.

The top seven individuals not on a qualifying team also advance to the state meet.

Waurika Boys
(l-r) Nick Alvarado, Cache Dunn, Kevin Garcia, Bryson Hernandez, Edwin Garcia, 
Gustavo Gomez, Octavio Gomez, Cody Ramsey. Photo by Curtis Plant

Kevin Garcia was Waurika’s top finisher and he finished 30th with a time of 20:16.28. He was just two places off qualifying for a spot in the state meet. His time was the second best of the season for the Waurika junior.

The other competitors for the Eagles included Gustavo Gomez (44th, 21:09.54), Octavio Gomez (49th, 21:30.39), Cache Arellano (58th, 22:16.61), Edwin Garcia (79th, 24:01.92), Nic Alvarado (90th, 25:09.6) and Cody Ramsey (95th, 26:34.22).

Oklahoma Christian claimed the team title with 61 points, while Carnegie was the runner up with 66 points. Silo was third with 98 points.

Waurika also played host to the Class 3A and Class 4A regional competition for the boys and girls.

Marietta and Plainview girls tied for the Class 3A crown with Marietta claiming the championship on the tie-breaker. Each team had 35 points.

Marietta also won the boys’ title for Class 3A with 47 points. Marlow was the runner up with 77 points.

In the Class 4A division, the Madill girls took the title with 55 points, while Pauls Valley was the runner up with 64 points. The Cache girls finished third.

Madill claimed the boys’ title with 27 points, well ahead of Byng’s 61 points and Cache was third with 83 points.

Eagles Overwhelm Cowboys In District Clash

By
Trey Smart
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0

 Waurika halted Ryan’s initial drive of the game near midfield and went on to crush the Cowboys, 52-0, at Bob Givens Sports Complex last Friday night.

Waurika moved to 6-1 and travels to Central High Friday with the kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

Ryan, 3-4 for the season, will be back in action tonight trying to shake off two straight big losses as they travel to Bray-Doyle to battle the Donkeys. Kickoff is slated for 7:30.

The Cowboys simply had no answer for the powerful Waurika offense last Friday night.

Gunner Phillips makes a tackle assisted by Trey Bryant.
Photo by Adam Brinson

The Eagles scored four times on one-play drives and only one score was from less than 15 yards out.

The big-play scores were simply too much for the grind-it-out Cowboy offense to keep up with. A pair of turnovers by Ryan and two onside kick recoveries by the Eagles also contributed to the rout.

The Cowboys punted on their first drive and Grayson Tomberlin launched a 41-yard punt which Waurika’s Kevin Garcia fielded and returned it to the Waurika 43.

Kevin Garcia tackles Grayson Tomberlin in Friday night’s game.
Photo by Adam Brinson

In just four plays the Eagles moved 57 yards. Turner Mora found connected with Payton Fletcher for a 28-yard touchdown pass to put Waurika up, 6-0, with 8:18 to play in the first quarter.

On the ensuing drive, the Cowboys fumbled and Hunter Wesberry recovered for the Eagles to give Waurika the ball inside Ryan territory at the 46-yard line,

Mora again found Fletcher – this time wide open over the middle – and Fletcher did the rest to complete a 46-yard scoring play. Mora ran for the two points and with 7:15 left in the first quarter the Eagles had a 14-0 advantage.

The wheels began to fall off for the Cowboy as they could not field the kickoff and Octavio Gomez was there to cover the ball for the Eagles at the Ryan 43.

Garcia picked up 18 yards on first down and after a Waurika penalty, Mora broke into the Ryan secondary and scampered 24 yards for the score. Garcia added the run for the two points to increase the lead to 22-0.

In just a little more than 90 seconds the Eagles had scored 22 points and that wave of scoring was too much for the Cowboys to overcome.

Kevin Garcia looking for the end zone.
Photo by Adam Brinson

The Cowboys put together their best offensive thrust of the night after Jonathan Clark fielded the short kickoff and returned it to the Waurika 48.

It took nine plays, but the Cowboys had moved the ball to the Waurika 30 after overcoming a holding penalty, but on a fourth down Tomberlin was sacked by Fletcher and Jordan Watkins to give the Eagles the ball at the Waurika 40.

On the first play Mora ran through the Cowboy defense for a 60-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys had stopped the two-point conversion, but Ryan was flagged for a penalty and on the second try Garcia converted to put Waurika in front, 30-0, with 1:40 still showing on the first quarter clock.

The second Ryan turnover of the night – an interception by Treyton Torrez – set the Eagles up deep in Ryan territory at the Cowboy 24. In five plays – the longest drive of the night for the Eagles – Waurika had another score.

Garcia took a direct snap and weaved his way through the Cowboy defense for a 14-yard scoring run. Mora ran for the two points and with 10:44 left in the second period the Eagle lead was now 38-0.

The Cowboys’ Andrew Villerreal returned the kickoff to the Ryan 46 and on first down Tomberlin found some gaps in the Waurika defense for a 23-yard run.

But two sacks, an incomplete pass and a failed fake punt gave Waurika the ball again at the Ryan 42.

A penalty set the Eagles back five yards, but it made little difference as Mora broke loose again for a 47-yard scoring run. The Cowboy stopped the two-point conversion, but now it was 44-0 with 8:17 still left in the half.

Gomez recovered the kickoff for the Eagles after the Cowboys could not field the ball and on first down Garcia crossed the goal line from 32 yards out. Torrez ran for the two-point conversion and that would wrap up the scoring in the game with 8:01 left in the half.

The Cowboys punted on the next drive and the Eagles cleared the bench, but moved from the Waurika 31 to the Ryan 25 in eight plays. The drive ended in a fumble that was recovered by Ryan’s Walter Snider, but only 1:55 remained in the half.

Ryan attempted to score to keep the game from ending at the half, but the Waurika defense held up and the game clock expired and the game ended on the mercy rule.

Mora once again dominated the offensive attack for the Eagles with 165 yards on just five carries and three touchdown runs and a pair of touchdown passes.

The Eagle defense was equally impressive holding the Cowboys to only 38 yards rushing and 52 total yards in the game.

Waurika faced a third down only twice in the game and converted on both of them. Ryan was only one of eight on third downs.

HIGHWAY 81 RIVALRY NOTES: Waurika now holds a 42-17-3 advantage in the series that began in 1919….This is the second straight year the Eagles have shutout the Cowboys…Waurika has recorded 20 shutouts in the 62-game series excluding ties and a forfeit….Three of those shutouts have come in the past four years….The Eagles have scored 50+ points against the Cowboys for two straight years and that has happened only one other time in the series – in 1971 and 1972…Waurika has won five of the last six meetings between the two rivals….The 52 points scored is the fifth most points scored by the Eagles in contests against the Cowboys….Waurika moves to 2-0 in district play, while the Cowboys are 0-2…The Eagles remained sixth in The Daily Oklahoman Class B poll for this week…The Eagles are ranked as high as fifth in Class B in one poll…The 52 total yards for the Cowboys is a season low.

 Game in Figures

                                    WHS           RHS

First Downs               13              5

Yards Rushing         17-278     24-38

Yards Passing          74              14

Passes                       2-5            2-8

Passes Int. By          1                0

Fumbles, Lost          1-1            1-1

Punts                          0-0            2-40

Penalties                   4-40          3-30

                  SCORE BY QUARTERS

Waurika   30              22              x                x—52

Ryan         0                0                x                x—0

                  FIRST QUARTER

WAURIKA – Payton Fletcher 28 pass from Turner Mora (run failed), 8:18

WAURIKA – Fletcher 46 pass from Mora (Mora run), 7:15

WAURIKA – Mora 24 run (Kevin Garcia run), 6:46

WAURIKA – Mora 60 run (Garcia run), 1:40

                  SECOND QUARTER

WAURIKA – Garcia 14 run (Mora run), 10:44

WAURIKA – Mora 47 run (run failed), 8:17

WAURIKA – Garcia 32 run (Treyton Torrez run), 8:01

                  INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

WAURIKA: Rushing – Turner Mora 5-165, Kevin Garcia 5-69, Treyton Torrez 2-14, Colby Mead 2-6, Octavio Gomez 2-14; Passing – Mora 2-5-74-0; Receiving – Payton Fletcher 2-74; RYAN: Rushing – Grayson Tomberlin 14-19, Andrew Villerreal 8-16, Caleb Perrin 2-3; Passes – Tomberlin 2-7-14-0, Villerreal 0-1-0-1; Receiving – Perrin 2-14; Tackles – Jonathan Clark 8, Trey Bryant 6, Villerreal 5, Walter Snider 3, Gunner Phillips 3, Tomberlin 2, Skyler Wickware 2, Perrin 2, Parker Carey 1.

1973 Eagle Roundballers Lead List of Top Teams in Waurika History

By
Trey Smart
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0

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. 1973 Eagles

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

2. 1989 Eagles

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

3. 1981 Eagles

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

4. 1965 Eagles

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

5. 1990 Eagles

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

6. 1983 Eagles

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

7.2006 Eagles

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

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

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

8. 1982 Eagles

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

9. 1971 Eagles

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

10. 1972 Eagles

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

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


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