Ryan Annual Sports Banquet

By

-

May 10, 2019

Ryan High School athletes were honored Monday night in the school’s cafeteria at the annual all-sports banquet.

A total of 47 athletes were recognized for their accomplishments in the 2018-2019 school year.

Two Ryan athletes were honored with a new award – Cowboy and Cowgirl Award. Holland Carter, a standout track, cross country and cheerleader, and Travis Fristoe, the school’s only four-sport letterman, were selected for the award.

Carter was also honored with a special letter jacket given to the girls cross country seniors that finish in the top ten in the state cross country meet. She was also presented with a special award for her contributions to cross country and track the past four years.

Their names will be on a plaque that will be placed in the lobby of the remodeled Ryan gym before the start of next year’s basketball season.

Athletic Director Tony Tomberlin also recognized two people for contributions to the Ryan athletic program. Ricky Phillips, the long-time public address announcer for the Cowboy football team, was presented a football signed by Ryan athletes in recognition of 20 years of service.

Ricky Phillips recognized for being the voice of the Ryan Cowboys for 20 years.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

This reporter was also recognized for contributions to the Ryan athletic program and was presented with a signed basketball.

Trey Smart was honored for being not only a journalist with distinction but for recording the story of the Cowboys in print.

Plaques were presented to the graduating seniors that participated in the various sports for the Cowboys and Cowgirls.

But, the evening belonged to the athletes that participated in the sports of cross country, cheerleading, fast-pitch softball, football, boys basketball, girls basketball, slow-pitch softball, track and field and baseball.

Letter awards were given to each of the athletes in every sport and special recognition was given to selected athletes in each sport. All-conference, all-district and conference all-stars were also presented certificates during the evening’s activities.

Coaches Cheryl Carter, Steve Spangler, Tony Tomberlin, Stan Mueggenborg, Austin Masoner and Tony Roberts presented the awards during the evening.

Special recognition was also given to grade school coach Shelly Cain. Tomberlin presented her with five tickets to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City for her contribution to the grade school, junior high and high school athletes.

Shelly Cain is presented with five tickets to the Women’s College World Series for her contribution to Ryan Athletics. Photo by Sheree Hanson

Here’s a list of the student-athletes honored during the evening:

Cross Country

Co-Most Valuable Participants: Lilybet Harmon, Juliet Spangler.

(l-r) Lilybet Harmon and Juliet Spangler
Photo by Sheree Hanson

Football

Lineman of the Year: Sam Brown; Newcomer of the Year: Mike Regehr; Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Fristoe; Offensive Player of the Year: Skyler Parkhill; Most Valuable Player: Grayson Tomberlin.

Fast-Pitch Softball

Teammate of the Year: Lily York; Most Valuable Player: Juliet Spangler.

Offensive Player of the Year: Samantha Good; Defensive Player of the Year: Laken DeBoard; Most Valuable Player: Emilee Martin.

(l-r) Laken DeBoard, Samantha Good, Kodi Duke, Emilee Martin

Girls Basketball

Newcomer of the Year: Alicen Williams; Most Improved Player: Bailee Martin; Defensive Player of the Year: Lily York; Offensive Player of the Year: Juliet Spangler; Most Valuable Player: Samantha Good.

(l-r) Samantha Good, Juliet Spangler, Lily York, and Alicen Williams.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

Boys Basketball

Sixth Man Award: Andrew Villerreal; Mr. Hustle Award: Travis Fristoe; Offensive Player of the Year: Kaine Howard; Defensive Player of the Year: Landen Alexander; Most Valuable Player: Grayson Tomberlin.

(l-r) Back Row: Andrew Villarreal, Kaine Howard.
Front Row: Grayson Tomberlin, Travis Fristoe, and Landen Alexander.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

Slow-Pitch Softball

Defensive Player of the Year: Justyce Keith; Offensive Player of the Year: Samantha Good; Most Valuable Player: Emilee Martin.

(l-r) Samantha Good, Emilee Martin, and Justice Keith.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

Baseball

Most Improve: Daniel Alsup; Co-Most Valuable Players: Travis Fristoe and Pacen Wiest.

(l-r) Pacen Wiest, Travis Fristoe, and Daniel Alsup.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

Boys Track

Most Valuable Player: Travis Fristoe.

Girls Track

9th Grade Letters: Landen Alexander (track, boys basketball), Raesh Casebolt (boys basketball, football), Carter Combs (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball, girls basketball), Carson Cooper (football, baseball), Katelynn Dabbs (track, cross country), Danielle Garza (slow-pitch softball), Kaine Howard (boys basketball), Caleb Perrin (football, baseball, boys basketball), Lindsey Reake (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball, girls basketball), Michael Regehr (football, boys basketball), Skylar Wickware (football, boys basketball, baseball), Alicen Williams (cross country, girls basketball, track).

(l-r) Travis Fristoe, Lily York, Holland Carter, and Juliet Spangler

10th Grade Letters: Daniel Alsup (baseball, boys basketball), Trey Bryant (football, basketball, baseball), Crystal Chazaretta (cheerleading), Diamond Chazaretta (slow-pitch softball), Kyla Essary-Phillips (slow-pitch softball), Lilybet Harmon (cheerleading, track, cross country), Eimilee Lowry (cheerleading), Trista Perry (slow-pitch softball), Grayson Tomberlin (football, boys basketball, baseball), Tawny Vanover (cheerleading).

(l-r) Back Row: Grayson Tomberlin, Kodi Duke, and Trey Bryant.
Front Row: Lilybet Harmon, Kyla Essary-Phillips, and Daniel Alsup.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

11th Grade Letters: Brooklyn Charmasson (cheerleading, slow-pitch softball, fast-pitch softball), Samantha Good (fast-pitch softball, girls basketball, slow-pitch softball), Avery Howard (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball), Savannah Lashley (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball), Bailee Martin (girls basketball), Gunner Phillips (football, boys basketball, baseball), Walker Rawlings (track), Madisen Rhoades (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball), Walter Snider (football), Juliet Spangler (cross country, girls basketball, track), Grace Stamper (cheerleading, slow-pitch softball), Andrew Villarreal (football, boys basketball, baseball), Lily York (cross country, girls basketball, track).

(l-r) Back Row: Andrew Villarreal, Juliet Spangler, Savannah Lashley, Avery Howard, Samantha Good, and Gunner Phillips.
Front Row: Lily York, Grace Stamper, Madisen Rhoades, Brooklyn Charmasson.
Photo by Sheree Hanson

12th Grade Letters: Samuel Brown (football, baseball), Holland Carter (cheerleading, cross country, track), Laken Deboard (cheerleading, fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball), Travis Fristoe (football, boys basketball, track, baseball), Justyce Keith (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball), Emilee Martin (fast-pitch softball, slow-pitch softball), Skyler Parkhill (football), Kalen Weldon (football), Pacen Wiest (football, baseball), Justin Williams (football).

(l-r) Back Row: Skyler Parkhill, Kalen Weldon, Pacen Wiest, and Sam Brown.
Front Row: Travis Fristoe, Justyce Keith, Holland Carter, Laken DeBoard, and Emilee Martin.
Photo by Sheree Hanson.

Ryan Softball Seniors Recognized at Last Home Game

By

Trey Smart

-

April 11, 2019

0

It has been a busy few days for the Ryan Cowgirl slow-pitch softball squad.

Last Thursday the Ryan Cowgirl slow-pitch softball team battled through pool play to advance to the championship game where they fell to Grandfield, 8-1.

Ryan advanced to the finals by defeating Wilson, 9-8, and handing Temple a 10-0 setback in the one-day tournament.

Grandfield earned a spot in the title game with a 10-5 victory over Geronimo and a 6-5 win over Thackerville.

Ryan hosted its own tournament for the first time at Larry Ninman Field and it featured five other schools divided into two pools. The winner of each pool played in the finals.

On Monday, the Cowgirls dropped their second straight game, 12-2, to Wilson. Wilson’s junior high squad nipped the Cowgirls, 8-7.

Tuesday’s game with Empire was postponed when Empire had only eight players. It was slated to be the final home game for the Cowgirls so seniors Emilee Martin and Laken DeBoard were honored after the junior high game.

The Cowgirl junior high squad defeated Empire, 9-3.

The Cowgirls were to have continued the season today competing in the 17-team Fletcher Invitational.

Ryan was to have met Bray-Doyle today at 10 a.m. The winner was to have met the winner of Verden and Fletcher at 12:15 p.m.

A loss by the Cowgirls would have them playing tonight at 5 p.m. A win in any game on Thursday would guarantee Ryan to be in action on Friday.

In the game with Wilson on Monday, the Lady Eagles took charge with five runs in the top of the first and held on to a 5-0 lead through two innings.

In the top of the third, the Lady Eagles exploded for seven more runs to hold a 12-0 lead.

The Cowgirls got their only runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Savannah Lashley and Samantha Good each had base hits and eventually came around to score.

However, the Cowgirls went down in order in the bottom of the fourth and the game ended on the run rule.

In the first two innings of the tourney title game the Cowgirls went down in order, while the Lady Bearcats left four runners stranded, but took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.

But, in the top of the third the Cowgirls managed to put a run on the board as Carter Combs reached base and scored on Lashley’s RBI-ground out to knot the game at 1-1.

Grandfield answered in the bottom of the fourth with a seven-run uprising and held off the Cowgirls in the top of the fifth to secure the title.

The Cowgirls scored in every inning in the encounter with Temple in the tourney.

In the first inning, Good walked and scored on Brooke Charmasson’s RBI-double that gave Ryan a 1-0 advantage.

The Cowgirls increased the lead in the second inning with a pair of runs. Lindsey Reake singled and eventually scored on Laken DeBoard’s RBI-single. DeBoard crossed the plate later in the inning and Ryan held a 3-0 lead.

Another pair of runs in the third inning put the advantage at 5-0 for the Cowgirls. Emilee Martin and Reake each singled and then Justyce Keith walked. Successive walks by combs and DeBoard drove in the two runs as the Cowgirls left the bases full to end the inning.

The Cowgirls added another two runs in the fourth inning. Kodi Duke got an infield single and she scored on Good’s double. Charmasson drove home Good with a double. The inning concluded with two Cowgirls stranded.

In the fifth inning, the Cowgirls got three runs – all after two outs. Lashley reached base and Grace Stamper came in to run for her. Duke followed with a single and Good picked up two RBI’s with a base hit. Good scored on Charmasson’s hit to set the final margin.

Keith got the shutout in the circle for the Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls picked up a dramatic win in the first game of the tournament.

Wilson took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Cowgirls recorded seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.

Martin started off the inning with a base hit and then Madisen Rhoads followed with a two-run homer run. After two outs, Combs got an infield hit and DeBoard and Lashley followed with hits. Duke drove in another run with a base hit that was followed by a grand slam by Good to give Ryan a 7-2 lead.

It didn’t take the Lady Eagles long to answer. After one out, four consecutive Wilson batters reached base and scored. After two were out an infield hit produced another run and the game was tied at 7-7.

In the bottom of the third the Cowgirls got a solo home run from Martin giving the Cowgirls an 8-7 advantage.

Wilson tied the game in the top of the fourth to tied the score at 8-8 and set up the dramatic win for the Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls were retired in order in the bottom of the fourth and Wilson did the same in the top of the fifth.

Good led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and moved to third on Charmasson’s double down the left field line. Martin’s single scored Good giving the Cowgirls the victory.

Empire Uses Big Second Half to Gain Big Victory over Ryan

By

Trey Smart

-

October 18, 2019

0

Empire scored 40 unanswered points last Friday night against the Ryan Cowboys to record a 58-8 District B-4 victory on the Bulldogs’ home field.

The Cowboys trailed only 18-8 heading into the intermission, but the Bulldogs struck for some long-distance scoring runs in the second half to doom the Cowboys.

Ryan is now 3-3 on the year (including the forfeit from Temple) and is 0-1 in district play. The Cowboys will try to rebound from the big loss by taking on Waurika tonight (Thursday) at Bob Givens Sports Complex. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Cowboys who are still battling injuries and inexperience stayed with the Bulldogs throughout the first half, but Ryan struggled offensively to move the ball with any consistency throughout the contest.

Midway through the first quarter the Cowboys’ Grayson Tomberlin launched a 52-yard punt to put Empire on the move at the Bulldog 29. It took only five plays for the Bulldogs to drive for the initial score of the night.

The drive ended with a 51-yard scamper by Empire quarterback Mitchell Monteith. The Cowboys stopped the two-point conversion, but Empire was on top, 6-0, with 4:31 to play in the first quarter.

Late in the first quarter the Bulldogs took over after an unsuccessful fake punt the by the Cowboys inside Ryan territory at the 45 yard line.

The Cowboy defense stiffened but the Bulldogs kept plugging away even though it took Empire 12 plays to cover the 55 yards. Peyton Booth scored from four yards out after reversing the field to find an opening. The try for two failed, but Empire now owned a 12-0 lead with 9:49 left in the second quarter.

Ryan picked up only its second first down of the game on the next drive, but the Cowboy offense stalled at the Empire 39 and turned the ball over on downs.

After an incomplete pass, Booth took a pitch and raced 61 yards for the touchdown. The try for two failed, but Empire now held an 18-0 advantage with 4:47 left in the first half.

The Cowboys answered with their only scoring drive of the night. Ryan took the ball from its own 34 and in 13 plays picked up the score. Tomberlin found Andrew Villerreal wide open on the left side and Villerreal took the pass and waltzed into the end zone for the touchdown. Villerreal ran for the two-point conversion and the lead had been trimmed to 18-8 with just 41 seconds before halftime.

The Bulldogs scored on their first three possessions of the second half with the third scored coming with 11:14 left in the game that gave Empire a 40-8 lead.

The Cowboys continued to struggle offensively and Empire took advantage of a Ryan fumble midway through the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs took possession at the Ryan 39 yard-line and on the first play Booth went the distance to increase the lead to 46-8 with 6:22 left in the game.

The Cowboys failed to convert a fourth down on the next possession and handed the Bulldogs the ball at the Ryan 43. It took Empire just four plays with Booth carrying the ball three times including a 33-yard run. The third rushing play resulted in a six-yard run for the touchdown by Booth and with 4:13 left the Bulldogs were in front, 52-8.

On the next possession the Cowboys’ drive ended with an interception and Empire took over at the Bulldog 35 yard line with just 1:57 remaining in the game. Two plays netted eight yards and instead of running out the clock, the Bulldogs’ Monteith took the ball and broke into the Ryan secondary for a 57-yard scoring run that ended the game on the mercy rule with only 41 seconds left in the game.

COWBOY CORRAL: These two schools have met on the gridiron only six times since Empire started football in the 1974 season….The Bulldogs and Cowboys played four times before Ryan dropped to eight-man football….Ryan still leads the short series, 4-2….The 50-point margin of victory is the largest of the six-game series breaking the old mark of 46 points set in the 1977 game won by Empire, 64-18….The 58 points is the second most points scored by Empire in the series….Ryan tied for the fewest points in a game against Empire…The Cowboys scored only scored eight points in a 1976 win over the Bulldogs, 8-6….The 490 yards rushing by the Bulldogs is the fourth most by an opponent in school history…The other three totals are 684 against Grandfield in 1997, 535 against Grandfield in 2001 and 496 against Ringling in a 1947 contest….Ryan dominated the time of possession with a seven-minute advantage, but Empire scored twice on short, one-play drives….Ryan went one of seven on fourth-down tries, while Empire was four of six in fourth-down conversions.

Game in Figures

RHS EHS

First Downs 11 17

Yards Rushing 46-99 42-490

Yards Passing 51 130

Passes 3-14 10-17

Passes Int. By 0 1

Fumbles, Lost 3-1 1-0

Punts 3-31.7 0-0

Penalties 5-45 11-105

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Ryan 0 8 0 0—8

Empire 6 12 16 24—58

FIRST QUARTER

EMPIRE – Mitchell Monteith 51 run (pass failed), 4:31

SECOND QUARTER

EMPIRE – Peyton Booth 4 run (run failed), 9:49

EMPIRE – Booth 61 run (pass failed), 4:47

RYAN – Andrew Villerreal 14 pass from Grayson Tomberlin (Villerreal run), :41.5

THIRD QUARTER

EMPIRE – Booth 6 run (kick failed), 11:14

EMPIRE – Booth 39 run (kick failed), 6:22

EMPIRE – Booth 6 run (run failed), 4:13

EMPIRE – Monteith 57 run (no try), :41.5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RYAN: Rushing – Andrew Villerreal 19-58, Grayson Tomberlin 20-24, Caleb Perrin 7-17; Passing – Tomberlin 3-12-51-0; Villerreal 0-2-0-1; Receiving – Villerreal 2-39, Skyler Wickware 1-2; Tackles – Tomberlin 13, Gunner Phillips 10, Trey Bryant 10, Villerreal 8, Walter Snider 6; Parker Carey 4, Jonathan Clark 4, Wickware 3, Perrin 2. EMPIRE: Rushing – Peyton Booth 29-331; Mitchell Monteith 7-136, Logan Whitten 3-19; #85 3-4; Passing – Monteith 9-16-122-0; Booth 1-1-8-0; Receiving – Daniel Alvarez 4-90, Mcray Weber 5-32, #85 1-8;

Ryan Track Squads Find State Competition to Be Tough

By

Trey Smart

-

May 10, 2019

0

The state track meet in all classes is challenging for every school in Class A.

While the performances posted by the larger schools are almost always better, there are many more Class A schools and that results in a real challenge for a school to score points in the state meet.

That is what the track squads from Ryan discovered at last weekend’s Class A State Track Meet conducted at Western Heights High School in Oklahoma City.

The Cowgirls finished in a tie for 40th place among the 47 schools that scored points in the state track meet. The Cowgirls finished with two points and tied with Cimarron, Red Oak and Kremlin-Hillsdale.

The Cowboys finished tied for 47th at the meet with just a single point. The Cowboys finished tied with Depew, Okarche and Indiahoma.

Thomas was the boys’ team title with 120 points and Boise City-Keyes was the team runner up with 58 points.

Boise City-Keyes turned the tables on Thomas in the girls’ team race by claiming the title with 125 points, while the Lady Terriers finished second with 75 points.

Many more teams scored points in the 2019 state meet with the new format in team scoring. Eight places earned points in each event and the top six finishers received medals.

The Cowgirls’ 3,200 meter relay team of Lilybet Harmon, Lily York, Juliet Spangler and Holland Carter managed eighth place with a time of 11:02.5 – just ahead of rival Waurika. The two teams have battled back and forth at nearly every meet in the 2019 season and the state meet was no different.

The time posted was the third best in school history and the second best in the 2019 campaign.

A few other Cowgirls competed in the state meet, but did not score. Carter posted her second best time of the season in the 800 meters, but it was good for only 11th place, while Harmon also posted her second best time in the same event, but managed only 14th place. Carter’s time was 2:36.55 and Harmon posted a time of 2:41.00.

Spangler also competed in two individual events. The junior finished well back in the field in both the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters. Her time in the 1,600 meters was 6:26.21 and was her second best of the season and the seventh best in school history.

In the 3,200 meters, Spangler posted a mark of 14:08.71 and was her third best time of the season.

The only other event the Cowgirls competed in was the 1,600 meter relay and despite setting a school record for the event finished only 15th – just behind Southern Eight Conference rival Geronimo.

The team of Harmon, York, Spangler and Carter finished with a time of 4:40.70, which was five seconds better than the previous school record of 4:45.71. That time was posted by the squad at the regional meet the week before the state meet.

For the Cowboys Walker Rawlings and Travis Fristoe competed at the state meet.

Rawlings was the only placer for the Cowboys as he finished eighth in the discus with a throw of 120-0 – his third best performance of the season.

In the shot put, Rawlings recorded a throw of 40-1 – his fifth best of the season. He finished 10th among the 16 throwers in the competition.

Fristoe competed in the 110 meter high hurdles for the Cowboys and recorded a time of 18.75 – his best time of the season. Fristoe’s performance was 14th among the 16 runners in the event.

SEASON-ENDING NOTES: Rawlings placed in the discus and becomes the second in his family to place in the event at the state meet….McCain Rawlings placed in the discus four consecutive years with the last year coming in 2015….In the discus, the Cowboys have placed 13 times in the state meet….Gary Waitman was the last Cowboy to win the state title in the discus and that came in 1988….Fristoe was the first Cowboy to compete in the 110 meter high hurdles at state meet since Rickey Hill finished second in the event in 2003….The Cowboys scored at the state meet for the first time since 2015 when they finished tied for 16th….The Cowboys have managed to score in a state meet only five times in the past 16 years…The best finish by a Cowboy track squad at state came in 1973 when Ryan finished fourth and won the mile relay state title….The Cowboys have only three top ten team finishes in state competition….The Cowgirls also scored in the state meet for the first time since 2014…..The Cowgirls’ best team finish at the state meet came in 190 when Ryan managed a tied for ninth place….The Cowgirls have scored at the state meet only 10 times since meets for girls began in 1972….The strength of the Cowgirls’ track squad the past few years have been in the distance relays….The 1,600 meter relay team has broken the school record 11 times in the past two seasons….The 3,200 meter relay team from the past two seasons holds 14 of the top 15 times in school history….The 2019 3,200 meter relay team became the first Cowgirl relay team to place at the state meet in school history.

Success on Diamond For Waurika Has Not Been Frequent

By

Trey Smart

-

May 24, 2019

0

2019 Waurika Baseball Season Hopes to Be Foundation to the Future

With the recently completed successful baseball season, it is time to take a look back at the history of high school baseball at Waurika.

Waurika baseball has struggled over the years much like every football-playing school that has to compete against schools that also play in the fall of the year.

The recently completed 2019 season, however, could serve as a foundation for a good future for the Eagles.

This past season saw the Eagles fashion a 16-7 mark and they played for the district title for the first time since 2012.

The Eagles had the most valuable player in the Oil Field Conference in Aaron Nitka. He also played in the recent Southwest Oklahoma Coaches Association all-star game in Lawton.

The Eagles also dominated the first team selections with five – Gatlin Black, Bowden Forsyth, Hunter Wesberry, Zac Brown and Austin Dyer.

The 16 wins are the most wins in a season since that 2012 club put together 18 wins.

Research has not yielded a lot of information about baseball at the school but it is thought that no teams were fielded from at least 1953 to 1986. Prior to 1953, baseball might have been offered but it is hard to find results.

Only eight seasons in the past 29 years when baseball was brought back to Waurika have the Eagles won more than 16 games. There are four seasons where the final record could not be determined.

Baseball at Waurika returned in 1987 after the school had not fielded a team since as far back as 1952 when Waurika lost to Ryan in the county tournament finals, 13-4.

Even prior to that time it is hard to discern if Waurika fielded many baseball teams which may be attributed to the tremendous success Waurika had in track.

But in 1987, Norman West put together the first Waurika team and they began the season with a doubleheader sweep of Terral. The Eagles finished 8-5 in that inaugural season.

Todd Overstreet, Byron West, Doug Frost and Jay Chapman were some of the ringleaders of that first squad. Frost was named to The Duncan Banner’s all-area team at the conclusion of the season.

The next season Waurika slipped to 1-16 before coming back in 1989 and putting together a 13-9 record.

That would be West’s final season coaching baseball and he finished with a 22-30 mark in the sport.

Don Patchin took over the baseball program for the next two years, but a final record for either year could not be located.

Patchin became the first of four different coaches in four years and the Eagles managed only one winning record in that stretch – an 18-17 record in 1992.

The 1993 squad earned district runner up honors despite a 10-22 final record.

In 1994, Tim Hightower took over the reigns of the Waurika program for the next five years. During his tenure the Eagles claimed their first district title in 1997.

The Eagles earned the district crown as the tourney host and defeated Walters in the best-of-three series for the district title. The Eagles defeated the Blue Devils, 13-1, and 17-7, for the title.

However, the 1997 team found the regional tournament to be too tough. Ringling was the tournament host and the Blue Devils downed the Eagles in the first round. Velma-Alma eliminated the Eagles in the next game.

The 1998 squad – the last coached by Hightower – finished second in the Southern Eight Conference tourney.

The Eagles claimed their second district title in 1999 under the direction of Buddy Husted. Husted coached the Eagle nine for two seasons and finished with a 30-24 record.

The 1999 Class 2A district tournament was also a best-of-three series and the Eagles played host to Empire. Waurika downed the Bulldogs in impressive fashion, 19-5, and 25-4.

Waurika traveled to Healdton for the Class 2A regional tourney and lost to Velma-Alma, 16-0, in the first round and to Washington, 11-0, in an elimination game.

Brad Logan assumed the coaching duties for the baseball program in 2001 and he served six seasons.

During that time the Eagles were district champions in 2002. The Eagles traveled to Turner for a best-of-three series and the Eagles won the first two games, 21-0, and 7-4, to earn the district crown.

Waurika was sent to Dewar for the Class A regional and the Eagles dropped a pair of one-run games. In the first round, Dewar defeated the Eagles, 2-1. In the elimination game, Okay edged the Eagles, 9-8, to end the season.

In 2005, the Eagles hosted the conference tournament and claimed the title with a 12-7 victory over Big Pasture in the championship game.

The next season, Waurika was the conference tournament runner up. This time Big Pasture claimed the conference title with a 9-1 victory over the Eagles at Walters.

Keith Henderson stepped in as the Waurika coach in 2007, but after a 5-10 mark, Everett Hodges coached the Eagles for two seasons.

Under Hodges in those two seasons, the Eagles did not win a district title but put together the first 20-win season at Waurika in 2009. The Eagles did finish as the district runner up in 2009. The 2009 team traveled to Sterling for the district tourney and won a 6-4 contest against Empire before falling twice to the host school Sterling, 18-0 and 11-0.

Larry Vanbeber coached baseball for the 2010 and 2011 seasons and the Eagles were district runner up both seasons.

The 2010 squad had a 24-6 record – the most wins ever for a Waurika baseball team. Velma-Alma eliminated Waurika in the district finals that season.

The 2011 club claimed the conference tournament title. The tournament was played at Empire and the Eagles cruised to victories over Big Pasture, 18-3; Temple, 22-2; and, Walters, 11-2.

Waurika finished the season with a 16-16 record and were eliminated by Chattanooga in the district finals.

Hodges took over the program again in 2012 and coached the baseball team for five seasons. The 2012 team claimed the district title and finished with an 18-7 record – the fourth most wins in school history.

Waurika hosted the district tournament and earned a first-round win over Empire, 11-1. The Eagles then defeated Healdton, 13-3, and came back to shutout Healdton, 9-0, in the championship game.

The Eagles traveled to Caddo for the Class A regional tourney and as in previous regional appearances, the Eagles dropped the first two games. Waurika fell to the host school, 7-1, and then fell to Elmore City-Pernell, 6-4, in an elimination game.

Waurika is 0-8 in all regional tournament games.

The 2012 team had three players on The Duncan Banner all-area baseball squad. Gage Pittman was named as a catcher and pitcher and Taylor Fuller was tabbed for the team as a pitcher and third baseman. Tyler Fuller earned the area’s pitcher-of-the-year honors.

The Eagles fell on hard times during the rest of Hodges’ coaching days and did not win more than eight games in any season.

Hodges finished with a 77-79 mark in his six total seasons coaching baseball, but that did include one district title and one district runner up finish.

The 2013 team did have one all-area selection – Mason Wilkerson as a pitcher.

Glenn Howard took over the team in 2017 and 2018. The first year under Howard the Eagles could only manage a 6-14 mark, but improved to 10-15 in 2018.

Joe Allen was handed the baseball coaching duties when he was named the football coach last year. The first-year mentor hopes a foundation has been laid for future success on the diamond for the Eagles.

Allen will have to find replacements for six seniors – five of which were starters for all or much of the season.

Here are the full names of the 1920 WHS baseball team seen in the picture above.

Harrell Cotner

Ray Powell – Left Field

Herschel Alexander – Right Field

Bill Bradford – 2nd Base

Coach J.J. Corbett

Jake Turnage

Charles Thompson – Pitcher

Byrd Adams (Mascot)

Maurice Prescott (Captain) – Center Field

Clifford Bone – Pitcher

Leslie Stone – 1st Base

Ernest Dickey – 3rd Base

Leon Boyles – Short Stop

Pierce Carter – Catcher

Roy Scott (Score Keeper)

Record

WHS 8 – Ryan High School 9

WHS 10 – Addington First Team 6

WHS 7 – Ryan High School 13

WHS 11 – Sugden First Team 11

WHS 22 – Hastings High School 6

WHS 13 – Ryan High School 13

WHS 6 – Hastings First Team 17

WHS 13 – Hastings High School 10

WHS 6 – Terral High School 4

Cowgirl Cross Country Squad Captures Team Title at North Rock Creek

By

Trey Smart

-

October 1, 2019

0

The Ryan Cowgirls conquered a talented field to win the North Rock Creek Cougar Invitational last Saturday morning.

The Cowgirls not only beat the field, but also beat the rain that came after the girls’ competition had been completed.

Ryan, who was ranked 12th in Class 2A heading into the meet, finished with 50 points, well ahead of Class 3A’s sixth-ranked squad, Christian Heritage that finished with 68 points. Konawa was third with 71 points and Prague, ranked 19th in Class 3A, finished fourth with 91 points.

After the impressive performance last Saturday, the Cowgirls moved to third in the Class 2A rankings. Christian Heritage also moved up to third in the Class 3A rankings. Konawa is now ranked sixth in Class 2A. Watonga and Hooker are the top two teams in Class 2A and have been all season.

All five Cowgirls that counted toward the team total earned a medal in the race that was run on a relatively new course.

And, the Cowgirls had to overcome the first and second place finishes by competitors from Christian Heritage.

Lilybet Harmon led the way for the Cowgirls as she finished fourth with a time of 13:43 over the two-mile course.

Juliet Spangler finished 11th among the nearly 90 competitors with a time of 15:16.

Lily York and Katelynn Dabbs finished the race in a near tie. York nosed out her teammate to finish 16th and Dabbs finished 17th. Both finished with as time of 14:31.

Alicen Williams rounded out the medal winners for the Cowgirls by finishing 22nd with a recorded time of 14:51.

Also competing for the Cowgirls were Whittany Spangler, who finished 38th with a time of 16:01 and Grace Stamper who recorded a time of 18:25 and finished 53rd in the crowded field of over 65 runners.

The Cowgirls will be in action again on October 1 when they will travel up the road to Waurika for a meet over the Waurika Golf Course.

Cowgirl Harriers Claim First Regional Team Title In School History

By

Trey Smart

-

October 24, 2019

0

1-Ryan-Cowgirls-Champions — Above: (l-r) Whittany Spangler, Grace Stamper, Lily York, Juliet Spangler, Lilybet Harmon, Alicen Williams, and Katelynn Dabbs

It has been a season of many firsts for the Ryan Cowgirl cross country squad.

The Cowgirls added to the list last Saturday by claiming the regional championship in the Class 2A division of the meet held at Waurika.

The Cowgirls will be competing Saturday at the Class 2A State Cross Country meet at Shawnee’s Gordon Cooper Technology Center. The race time is set for 12:30 p.m. for the Class 2A girls.

Ryan topped the crowded field at the Waurika regional with 58 points – the fewest points ever scored in a regional meet by the Cowgirls. Merritt finished second with 71 points, while the host Waurika earned third place with 73 points.

“The victory was the result of months of hard work, dedication and commitment from the girls,” said coach Steve Spangler.

The fourth-ranked Cowgirls did overcome some adversity to take the regional meet. While the squad wore the favorite’s role coming into the regional meet, the Cowgirls had a few nagging injuries and one runner actually suffered an ankle injury about one quarter into the 3,200 meter race.

“We ran well despite some nagging injuries,” noted coach Spangler. “This was a testimony to their mental toughness and their desire to win.”

The Cowgirls had two runners win medals, but were able to lock up the team title because of great depth. Ryan finished with five runners in the top 26 in the field of 110 participants.

Lilybet Harmon led the way for the Cowgirls as she has in all but one meet during the season.

Harmon’s time of 13:14.8 was her second best time of the year and the mark earned her fifth place in the competition. Her time was just one second out of fourth place.

Also winning a medal for the Cowgirls was Juliet Spangler. She posted a season-best time of 13:41.33 to claim the 15th spot in the race.

This will be J. Spangler’s fourth straight trip to the state meet as she qualified as an individual her freshman year and with the team the other three seasons.

The other three runners – Katlyn Dabbs, Lily York and Alicen Williams – were the key to the Cowgirls claiming the team title as they finished between 17th and 26th in the meet.

Each of the three girls posted their best times of the season. Dabbs was 17th with a time of 13:45.27, while York managed to finish 23rd with a time of 14:00.5. Williams came in 26th with a time of 14:11.43.

Also competing for the Cowgirls were Whittany Spangler who was 65th with a time of 15:58.40 and Gracie Stamper who turned in a season-best performance of 16:51.59 to finished 82nd.

W. Spangler’s time was the best among the sixth place finishers on teams competing for the title. That is significant because had there been a tie for the team title, that would have been the tie-breaker.

Mason Adsit was the lone Cowboy to compete in Saturday’s Cross Country Meet.
He finished with his best time of the season.
Photo by Curtis Plant

It was a talented field overall at the Waurika regional.

The individual champion was Kira Berkey of Hydro-Eakly. She covered the 3,200 meters in a time of 12:46.62.

“Our seniors, Lily York and Juliet Spangler have been tremendous leaders this year,” said coach Spangler. “They have encouraged, led by example and held the team accountable for their actions.”

The Cowgirls will join the other two regional meet champions, Watonga and Hooker, at the state meet on Saturday.

Boise City and Cherokee will also send strong teams to the state meet and the Cowgirls will have to turn in their absolute best performance of the season if they have any hope of upsetting Watonga, the favorite to take the state title.

Hooker, Boise City and Cherokee will also provide stiff competition for the Cowgirls if they hope to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish at the state meet.

Above: (l-r) Whittany Spangler, Grace Stamper, Lily York, Juliet Spangler, Lilybet Harmon, Alicen Williams, and Katelynn Dabbs
Photo by Curtis Plant

“Watonga and Hooker are great teams that will be difficult to beat,” noted coach Spangler. “If I have learned anything this year, however, it is our girls love a challenge and I think they will rise to the competition.”

“I am proud of these girls – not just because of what they accomplish on the course, but also because of their actions off the course,” added coach Spangler.

The Cowboys had one representative at the regional meet.

Mason Adsit finished 67th in the race, which featured 105 runners. However, his time of 22:59.66 over the five kilometer course was his best time of the season.

COWGIRL HARRIER NOTES: The Cowgirls have qualified for the state meet for three straight years….Ryan’s girls won a total of six meets this season, which topped last year’s school record mark of five titles…The fourth-place ranking among Class 2A cross country teams is the highest ranking in the short history of the sport at Ryan….The previous best finish in a regional meet for the Cowgirls was in 2017 when they finished second….In 2018, the Cowgirls were third and in 2016 – the first year for team competition at the regional meet – Ryan finished tied for seventh place….This will be Harmon and York’s third straight appearance in the state meet….Harmon has three of the top four best times in 3,200-meter races in school history and will be seeking to become only the second girl in school history to post a time of under 13 minutes when she competes at the state meet….This was the first time in regional competition the Cowgirls had two runners on the awards stand….It was the first time in school history the Cowgirls had five runners finish in the top 30 in the regional meet….The top four times for the Cowgirls in the regional marks the first time four runners have posted times of 14 minutes or better….Juliet Spangler becomes the first Cowgirl in school history to earn a medal in two regional meets….Over the past three seasons the Cowgirls have won 13 meet titles – one of the top marks in the state.

Waurika Drops Pair to Velma-Alma’s Ranked Roundballers

By

Trey Smart

-

December 24, 2019

0

Waurika hosted the Velma-Alma Comets Tuesday night for a doubleheader encounter and the visitors came away with a pair of victories.

The Lady Comets bested the Lady Eagles, 44-33, while the Comets toppled the Eagles, 53-29.

The Lady Comets are 7-0 and ranked 17th in the latest Class A rankings. The Comets are now 5-1 and are ranked sixth in Class A.

The Lady Eagles dropped to 3-3 with the loss and the Eagles are now 4-2.

Waurika will close out the December portion of the schedule with a Friday matchup with Grandfield on the Bearcats’ home court. Tipoff for the girls’ game is 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Waurika will return home and face Big Pasture. The girls’ game will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Waurika gym.

The Lady Eagles were in front of the Lady Comets after one quarter of play, 14-10.

In the second quarter, however, the Lady Eagles went ice cold and scored only two points. Fortunately, the Lady Comets only managed eight points, but it was enough to give them an 18-16 lead at the half.

The third quarter was a battle with Velma-Alma coming out of the period with an 11-10 advantage to lead 29-26 heading into the final quarter.

The Lady Comets outscored the Lady Eagles, 15-7, to secure the victory in the fourth quarter.

Velma-Alma had three girls in double figures and all three were responsible for the Lady Comets’ fourth-quarter surge.

Jaycee Kimbrough and Shain Ille each had 13 points, while Destinee Wofford added 12 points.

Waurika’s Tallin Mora had 13 points including eight in the first quarter to help the Lady Eagles hold the lead. Asia Smith added 10 points for the Lady Eagles.

The Eagles simply could not keep pace with the talented Comets.

The Comets jumped out to a 13-8 lead and increased the margin to 31-15 by the break.

In the third quarter the Comets put the game away with an 18-6 run to open up a 49-21 lead going into the final frame.

Waurika outscored the Comets, 8-4, in the fourth quarter, but the game was out of reach by that time.

Treyton Torrez led the Eagles in scoring with seven points.

Cowgirls Drop Championship Game to Lone Grove in Wilson Tourney

By

Trey Smart

-

December 24, 2019

0

Playing in their second championship tournament game this season, the Ryan Cowgirls fell to Lone Grove, 58-34, at the Black and Gold Classic last Saturday night at Wilson.

The Cowboys picked up their second win of the season in the tourney, but dropped games to Lone Grove and Pauls Valley Junior Varsity to finish sixth in the tournament.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls close out the first semester part of the season with a road trip to Temple Friday night. Tipoff for the girls’ game will be 6:30 p.m.

The championship game for the Cowgirls was a tough one as Lone Grove rolled to a 28-2 lead before the Cowgirls managed to close out the quarter with four straight points to trail, 28-6.

The Lady Longhorns never looked back despite the Cowgirls’ attempt to rally.

The Cowgirls cut into the lead in the second quarter by outscoring the Lady Longhorns, 18-9, but still trailed at intermission, 37-24.

The Lady Longhorns ruined any hopes of a dramatic comeback by the Cowgirls with a 17-6 run in the third period to hold an insurmountable lead, 54-30, heading to the final quarter.

It was the hot outside shooting of the Lady Longhorns that propelled them to a big lead. Lone Grove connected on 10 three-point buckets in the contest.

Samantha Good and Lily York each connected for 14 points for the Cowgirls and Juliet Spangler chipped in six points, but they were the only three players to score for the Cowgirls.

In last Friday’s semifinal contest with Healdton the Cowgirls recorded a 39-32 victory over the Lady Bulldogs.

The two teams were tied at the end of one period, but the Cowgirls took charge in the second quarter with a 12-2 run and led at the half, 19-9.

The Lady Bulldogs cut into the lead in the third quarter by putting up 16 points and holding Ryan to only 11 points, but the Cowgirls clung to a 30-25 advantage heading to the final frame.

The Cowgirls sealed the game in the fourth quarter by hitting four of five free throws down the stretch to hold off the Lady Bulldogs.

Good finished with 17 points for the Cowgirls which included an 11 of 15 performance from the line. York added 11 tallies.

As a team the Cowgirls finished only 19 of 31 from the charity stripe.

In the first round of the tourney the Cowgirls edged past the host school, 39-30.

The Cowgirls led 9-4 after the first quarter and held a 21-9 advantage at the half thanks to three first-half treys by Good.

In the third quarter the Lady Eagles trimmed the margin to 29-21, but the Cowgirls held off the Lady Eagles in the final quarter to secure the win.

It was a cold shooting night from the field for both teams as Ryan finished only 12 of 55 in the game. Wilson was not much better as they connected on only nine of 36 field goal attempts.

Good finished with 17 points and York added 11 points.

The Cowboys hung tough with Class 3A Lone Grove in the first-round game last Thursday as they trailed by only 10 points with six minutes to play.

However, the Longhorns outscored the Cowboys, 20-6, in the final quarter to pull away for the 55-25 victory.

No Cowboys were able to hit double figures in scoring, but Skyler Wickware paced the Cowboys with eight points in the game.

In the victory over Temple in the consolation semifinals on Friday the Cowboys had to rally from a first-half deficit to secure their second win of the season.

Ryan led the Tigers, 7-5, after one period, but the Tigers dominated play in the second quarter and held a 25-15 advantage at the half.

The Cowboys buckled down on defense in the second half and the Tigers suffered from poor shooting as they managed only four points in each of the final two periods.

The Cowboys poured in 23 points in the second half to gain the victory.

Landen Alexander led the Cowboys in scoring with 16 points and Julian Rodriguez added 10 points.

Ryan connected on only three of 10 from the free throw line in the victory.

The Cowboys continued to suffer free-throw shooting woes in Saturday’s consolation finals as they converted only six of 21 attempts from the free throw line in the 53-38 loss.

The Panthers’ JV raced to a 14-7 lead after the first quarter and held off the Cowboys through the remainder of the game.

It was a 28-20 game at the half, but the Panthers outscored the Cowboys in the third quarter, 15-8, to gain a 43-28 advantage and the Cowboys could not pull any closer as both teams recorded 10 points in the final quarter.

Andrew Villerreal was the top scorer for the Cowboys with 16 points and Rodriguez added 10.

TOURNAMENT NOTES: Good was selected to the all-tournament team for her performance in the three games for the Cowgirls….Good averaged 16 points a game for the Cowgirls in the tourney…The Cowgirls avenged last year’s 52-41 defeat by Healdton in the semifinals with the victory last Friday night….This was the first time since 1991 that a Cowgirl basketball team has played in two tournament championship games in a season….Both teams have one more invitational tournament – the Bulldog Bash at Healdton – in January….The Cowboys’ first-year coach, Kenny Barnes, picked up his 200th career win in the win over Thackerville earlier this season…This was the third straight sixth-place finish by the Cowboys in this tournament and the fifth overall appearance for Ryan in this tournament…The Cowboys finished second in 2016 and third in 2014….The runner up finish by the Cowgirls in the tourney is the second time Ryan has dropped the championship game of the Black and Gold Classic….The Cowgirls also played for the tourney title in 2017, but lost to Healdton.