Cowboys, Eagles Set To Renew Old Rivalry Tonight at Ryan

By

Trey Smart

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October 17, 2019

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A lot of things have changed in high school football since the first meeting between Ryan and Waurika 100 years ago.

The two schools are set to meet tonight for the 62nd time since that first meeting in 1919.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Givens Sports Complex in Ryan and a large crowd is expected.

Waurika has had an impressive season so far as the Eagles have carved out a 5-1 record that includes a forfeit from Temple.

Ryan has struggled through the first half of the season, but has managed to put together a 3-3 record that also includes a forfeit from Temple.

The Eagles are coming off a big 62-34 win over Wilson to open district play last Friday night, while Ryan suffered a 58-8 setback to Empire in its district opener last Friday night.

Waurika has dominated this rivalry through the years as the Eagles hold a 41-17-3 record in meetings against the Cowboys.

Ryan won the first of two meetings in 1919, 23-0, before Waurika came back to edge the Cowboys in the second meeting, 29-27.

It was the first year the two schools competed in football on the high school level and oddly enough the two teams did not meet again until 1927 when Ryan scored a 37-0 victory over the Eagles.

It is not known why the two schools, located only 10 miles apart, did not play between 1920 and 1926.

Changes in the sport have certainly occurred since those initial meetings 100 years ago.

One big change was the introduction of the T-formation with a quarterback under center. While the two schools employ a shotgun formation most of the time today, it was unheard of for the quarterback to be under the center to take the snap.

Conversion tries after touchdowns in those early days with worth only one point no matter if the try was kicked or it was a run or pass.

Equipment has greatly improved especially with the protection for the head. In the game 100 years ago the helmets were leather and were without any kind of facemask.

Today helmets have been upgraded to hopefully prevent concussions and have plenty of padding and a face mask.

High school football today features bigger and faster athletes, while the players 100 years ago were mostly tall and lanky.

But one thing has not changed through the 100 years of football – Ryan and Waurika love to beat each other.

And while the wins have been few and far between for the Cowboys overall, Waurika holds only a 4-3 advantage in meetings since Waurika dropped to eight-man football a few years ago.

The series took a long break between 1978 and 2011 with only two meetings during those years as a rare two-game series was played with Ryan competing in eight-man football and Waurika still playing 11-man football.

The Eagles won 14 of the final 15 meetings between the two schools when the Cowboys still played 11-man football. The only win during that time came in 1974 with the Cowboys scoring a 28-0 victory over the Eagles.

In last year’s contest, Waurika totally dominated the game taking advantage of six Ryan turnovers to earn a 58-0 victory over the Cowboys in a game that ended at halftime.

The Eagles will come into the game as a heavy favorite as the Cowboys are scrambling to find the right combinations to help develop an effective offense.

But, as with most meetings between the two schools over the past 100 years, it should be a hard-fought contest and one fans should not miss.

Here’s a look at the results of the long-running series:

1919: Ryan 23, Waurika 0

1919: Waurika 29, Ryan 27

1927: Ryan 37, Waurika 0

1928: Waurika 14, Ryan 6

1929: Ryan 20, Waurika 0

1930: Waurika 27, Ryan 0

1931: Waurika 7, Ryan 0

1932: Waurika 7, Ryan 0

1933: Waurika 13, Ryan 0

1934: Waurika 18, Ryan 0

1935: Waurika 32, Ryan 20

1936: Waurika 14, Ryan 0

1937: Ryan 6, Waurika 6

1938: Waurika 12, Ryan 6

1939: Waurika 27, Ryan 0

1940: Waurika 6, Ryan 0

1941: Ryan 19, Waurika 0

1942: Ryan 0, Waurika 0

1943: Ryan 0, Waurika 0

1944: Waurika 38, Ryan 7

1945: Ryan 13, Waurika 0

1945: Waurika 19, Ryan 6

1946: Ryan 15, Waurika 14

1947: Waurika 14, Ryan 6

1948: Waurika 38, Ryan 13

1949: Waurika 32, Ryan 0

1950: Waurika 60, Ryan 0

1953: Waurika 41, Ryan 14

1954: Waurika 7, Ryan 6

1955: Ryan 19, Waurika 12

1956: Ryan 19, Waurika 6

1957: Ryan 33, Waurika 12

1958: Ryan 18, Waurika 14

1959: Waurika 20, Ryan 0

1960: Waurika 12, Ryan 8

1961: Ryan 8, Waurika 6

1962: Ryan 33, Waurika 18

1963: Waurika 40, Ryan 8

1964: Waurika 58, Ryan 6

1965: Waurika 2, Ryan 0 (forfeit)

1966: Waurika 35, Ryan 14

1967: Waurika 46, Ryan 0

1968: Waurika 22, Ryan 6

1969: Waurika 38, Ryan 0

1970: Waurika 34, Ryan 8

1971: Waurika 64, Ryan 0

1972: Waurika 50, Ryan 0

1973: Waurika 28, Ryan 6

1974: Ryan 28, Waurika 0

1975: Waurika 13, Ryan 8

1976: Waurika 21, Ryan 0

1977: Waurika 33, Ryan 0

1990: Ryan 27, Waurika 6

1991: Waurika 27, Ryan 20

2012: Ryan 36, Waurika 16

2013: Ryan 44, Waurika 26

2014: Waurika 29, Ryan 24

2015: Waurika 34, Ryan 22

2016: Waurika 46, Ryan 0

2017: Ryan 44, Waurika 36 (2OT)

2018: Waurika 58, Ryan 0

Small Group of Ryan Thinclads Compete at Covington-Douglas

By

Trey Smart

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April 26, 2019

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A limited number of Ryan Cowgirl track team members made the three-hour drive to Covington-Douglas High School Monday to compete in the Covington-Douglas Invitational.

The Cowgirls, who did not compete in every event in the 36-team field, scored 32 points on the day to tie Sharon-Mutual for seventh place in the meet.

Thomas was the meet champion with 111 points followed by Pawhuska which finished with 79 points.

The meet was for Class A and Class 2A schools only.

The 3,200 meter relay team of Lilybet Harmon, Lily York, Juliet Spangler and Holland Carter brought home a silver medal with a time of 11:05.40.

The posted time is the third best in school history and the second best time recorded this season by the Cowgirl quartet.

Spangler and Alicen Williams finished second and third respectively in the 3,200 meter run. Spangler’s time was 14:08.8 – her second best time of the season. Williams was clocked at 14:34.95 and was over 30 seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher.

The only other scorer for the Cowgirls came in the 800 meters where Carter managed a fifth place finish. Her time of 2:41.30 is her best this season.

Explosive Wilson Offense Buries Cowboys in District Bout

By

Trey Smart

-

November 8, 2019

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The Wilson Eagles came into Ryan last Friday night and unleashed a powerful offensive attack in rolling to a 68-22 victory over the Cowboys at Bob Givens Sports Complex.

With the win, the Eagles are guaranteed second place in District B-4 and a home playoff game in the first round of the post-season.

The Cowboys will try to rebound from the loss in the final regular season game as they travel to Central High Friday to meet the Bronchos. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The game Friday is critical to both teams’ playoff hopes.

Last Friday Wilson used its team speed to its maximum potential as several receivers ran open through the Ryan secondary throughout the game that ended near the end of the third quarter.

Wilson rolled up 518 total yards and 313 yards were through the air – the fourth highest passing yards by an opponent in school history.

The Cowboys, however, contributed to Wilson’s success by failing to cover a pair of kickoffs and giving up the ball once on an interception and once on a fumble.

Wilson took the opening kickoff of the game and promptly marched 56 yards on five plays with Hayden Mantooth racing 27 yards on the ground for the first score of the game. Logan Schaaf ran for the two-point conversion giving Wilson an 8-0 lead with 10:17 left in the first quarter.

The Cowboys could not produce a first down on their first possession and were forced to punt and Wilson took possession at its own 36.

On first down Schaaf found a wide open Sane Honea – his favorite target of the night – for a 64-yard scoring play. Axson Hunsiker caught the two-point conversion pass and with 7:36 left in the first quarter the Eagles held a 16-0 advantage.

The Cowboys answered with a 63-yard drive on just three plays as Grayson Tomberlin scampered 45 yards for a score. Tomberlin ran for the two points and Ryan had cut into the Wilson lead with 6:11 showing in the first quarter.

The two teams exchanged punts and Wilson got the ball again at the Cowboy 40. In just four plays the Eagles found the end zone with Mantooth skirting 23 yards for the touchdown. The pass for two points was broken up by Tomberlin, but Wilson had a 22-8 lead with 1:07 left in the first quarter.

It was the second quarter that the wheels really fell off for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys had a drive going, but facing a third and three at the Eagle 43, Tomberlin scrambled around before trying to hit a receiver and Manthooth stepped in front and intercepted the ball for Wilson giving the Eagles possession at their own 34.

The Eagles drove the 66 yards for the score, but it took eight plays. The Eagles converted two third downs along the way including the scoring play which was a 23-yard pass from Schaaf to Hunter Wyatt. Honea caught the two-point conversion pass and with 5:52 to play in the half the Eagles were in command with a 30-8 advantage.

On the kickoff by the Eagles the ball bounced pass the Ryan returner and Mantooth was right there to cover the loose ball for the Eagles.

This miscue, however, did not cost the Cowboys as five plays later Mantooth fumbled and Walter Snider came up with the ball for the Cowboys at the Ryan 11.

Andrew Villerreal broke off a 52-yard run to spur the drive that covered 89 yards in eight plays. Villerreal carried the pigskin in from four yards out and with 1:29 left the Cowboys had trimmed the lead to 30-14.

Wilson answered the score quickly as Schaaf hit Kaden Barron for a 61-yard touchdown pass and after Schaaf passed to Tommy Wright the Eagle lead increased to 38-14 with only 1:07 left before intermission.

On the kickoff, the Cowboys did not handle the ball cleanly and Caylen Fulton recovered the loose ball for the Eagles.

Three plays later Schaaf hit Honea from 16 yards out for a touchdown and then passed to Mantooth for the two points to increase the lead to 46-14 with 34 seconds showing on the clock.

This meant the Eagles scored 16 points within 33 seconds to end the half and essentially seal the win.

There was no scoring in the third quarter until almost halfway through the period.

Wilson ran the lead to 54-14 with a six-play, 37-yard drive that followed a Ryan fumble. Wyatt scored from the one and Schaaf ran for the two points with 7:18 showing remaining in the third quarter.

The Cowboys refused to quit, however, and after forcing the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs Ryan took the ball at its own 37-yard line. On first down Tomberlin took off up the middle and then cut to the right side and outran the Wilson defense for a 63-yard score. Caleb Perrin caught a pass from Tomberlin for the two-point conversion to narrow the gap to 54-22 with 4:32 left in the quarter.

Wilson closed out the game with a seven-yard scoring run by Schaaf and a 57-yard pass from Barron to Honea. When the Eagles’ Barron ran for the two points, the game was ended.

Honea dominated the receiving corps for the Eagles with six catches for 217 yards and three scores.

Tomberlin finished with 164 yards rushing on just 17 carries and Villerreal ended up with 120 yards on 14 carries for the Cowboys who rushed for 290 total yards.

Five Cowboy senior football players took the field for the final time at Bob Givens Sports Complex. Jonathan Clark, Parker Carey, Villerreal, Gunner Phillips and Snider made their final appearance at home in a Cowboy uniform and were introduced before the game as part of Senior Night festivities.

COWBOY CORRAL: The playoff picture for the Cowboys is unclear heading into Friday’s meeting with Central High….The only sure thing is that Ryan must win over the Bronchos to have a chance to make the post-season – and they must win by 10 points or more….A Ryan win and an Empire loss to Waurika would make a three-way tie in the district for third place and Empire would take third based on the point tiebreaker system….A Central win would give the Bronchos third place and Empire would take the fourth spot because of the win over the Cowboys earlier in the season….Central High would gain fourth place in the district if the Cowboys win by less than 10 points….Ryan now trails the series with Wilson, 13-8…..The first meeting in football between the two schools came in 1920…Wilson has won four of the last five meetings and seven of the last 10 dating back to 1970….The 68 points scored by the Eagles is the most ever against Ryan eclipsing the 54 points scored in 1965 against the Cowboys….The 90 points scored by both teams is the most ever in the 21-game series….The 22 points scored by Ryan is the third most against Wilson in a losing cause….This was the fourth game this season that Tomberlin and Villerreal have each rushed for 100 or more yards.

Game in Figures

WHS RHS

First Downs 18 13

Yards Rushing 30-205 32-290

Yards Passing 313 15

Passes 11-16 2-9

Passes Int. By 1 0

Fumbles, Lost 2-1 3-2

Punts 1-45 2-31

Penalties 4-35 5-37

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Wilson 22 24 22 x—68

Ryan 8 6 8 x—22

WILSON- Hayden Mantooth 27 run (Logan Schaaf run), 10:17, 1st Quarter

WILSON -Shane Honea 64 pass from Schaaf (Axson Hunziker pass from Schaaf), 2:36, 1st Quarter

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 45 run (Tomberlin run), 6:11, 1st Quarter

WILSON – Mantooth 23 run (pass failed), 1:07, 1st Quarter

WILSON – Hunter Wyatt 23 pass from Schaaf (Honea pass from Schaaf), 5:52, 2nd Quarter

RYAN – Andrew Villerreal 4 run (run failed), 1:29, 2nd Quarter

WILSON – Kaden Barron 61 pass form Schaaf (Tommy Wright pass from Schaaf), 1:07, 2nd Quarter

WILSON – Honea 16 pass from Schaaf (Mantooth pass from Schaaf), :34.6, 2nd Quarter

WILSON – Wyatt 1 run (Schaaf run), 7:18, 3rd Quarter

RYAN – Tomberlin 63 run (Caleb Perrin pass from Tomberlin), 4:32, 3rd Quarter

WILSON – Schaaf 7 run (pass failed), 3:08, 3rd Quarter

WILSON – Honea 57 pass from Barron (Barron run), :36.5, 3rd Quarter

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

WILSON: Rushing – Hayden Mantooth 13-131, Logan Schaaf 2-36, Kaden Barron 5-26, Hunter Wyatt 5-12; Passing – Schaaf 10-15-256-0, Barron 1-1-57-0; Receiving – Shane Honea 6-217, Caylen Fulton 2-15, Barron 1-61, Wyatt 1-23, Mantooth 1-(-3).

RYAN: Rushing – Grayson Tomberlin 17-164, Andrew Villerreal 14-120, Caleb Perrin 1-6; Passing – Tomberlin 1-8-5-1, Villerreal 1-1-10-0; Receiving – Tomberlin 1-10, Villerreal 1-5; Tackles – Villerreal 11, Try Bryant 7, Tomberlin 7, Gunner Phillips 6, Jonathan Clark 5, Skyler Wickware 4, Perrin 3, Walter Snider 3, Parker Carey 3.

Eagles Fall in District Tourney Title Game to Rock Creek

By

Trey Smart

-

April 26, 2019

0

The Waurika Eagles closed its 2019 baseball season in heart-breaking fashion by dropping the title game of the Class A District Tournament to Rock Creek, 7-6.

Last Thursday on the first day of the tourney the Eagles did manage one win in the tourney opener with a 10-6 victory over Ringling. Rock Creek had already defeated the Blue Devils so the loss to the Eagles eliminated Ringling.

This meant that Waurika or Rock Creek had to win two games to claim the district championship.

Late Thursday, Rock Creek got the first win, 11-3, setting up a championship round on Friday. The Eagles would have had to beat the Mustangs twice to win the tourney.

The Mustangs scored a run in the bottom of the seventh in the 7-6 win to claim the district crown.

Waurika finished the 2019 campaign with a 16-7 record.

In the final game on Friday Rock Creek took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

With the score tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth, the Mustangs took the lead on a two-run home run.

In the top of the seventh, the Eagles fought back to get a pair of runs – one on Jordan Watkins’ sacrifice fly.

The Mustangs scored the winning run in the bottom of the inning to end the Eagles’ season and advance to today’s Class A Regional Tournament.

Hunter Wesberry was 3-for-4 in the game with a triple and two singles. Aaron Nitka finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.

Austin Dyer took the loss on the mound as he surrendered eight hits and struck out five in the game.

In Thursday’s nightcap of the tournament the Eagles fell behind early and could not launch a serious threat during the game.

Peyton Fletcher was the starting pitcher for the Eagles, but he gave up six runs on four walks and a hit and did not retire a batter.

The Mustangs made the 6-0 first inning lead stand the rest of the way.

The Eagles only had three hits in the game – one each by Nitka, Watkins and Colton Bryant. Nitka and Jordan each had doubles with Nitka driving in a run with his two-bagger.

In the tournament’s second game on Thursday, Waurika took the lead for good with five runs in the fourth inning.

Waurika had the lead in the second inning when Wesberry picked up a run-scoring double.

The Blue Devils seized the lead in the top of the third inning, but the Eagles came back in the bottom of the third to take the lead in the game for good.

Senior Baseball Players were recognized at Monday’s Baseball Game.
Seniors pictured with their parents and/or those special in their lives (l-r) Chad Black, Gatlin Black, Miranda Black,
Zachary Brown, Michelle Salazar, Colton Bryant, Heather Bryant,
Bobby Dyer, Austin Dyer, Lisa Dyer, Megan Allen, Gavin Fitzgerald, Coach Joe Allen, Aaron Nitka, and Sloan Roberson
Photo by Curtis Plant

One of the big hits in the inning was Bowden Forsyth’s run-scoring single.

Watkins also doubled to score two runs and a Ringling error produced another run to put Waurika on top, 6-3, after four innings.

The Eagles continued to pad the lead and held off the Blue Devils the rest of the way.

Zac Brown, Forsyth and Watkins each had two hits for the Eagles. Watkins finished 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in. Dyer, Fletcher, Wesberry and Forsyth all had doubles in the game.

The Eagles helped produce the 10 runs on the base paths as they stole 10 bases during the game.

Nitka picked up the win on the mound despite giving up six runs of which only two were earned. Nitka struck out nine Blue Devils in four innings of work. Fletcher pitched three innings in relief and recorded the save.

SEASON ENDING NOTES: The 16 wins by Waurika in 2019 is the most by a Eagle baseball squad since the 2012 season when Waurika finished with an 18-7 mark….The 16 wins by coach Joe Allen’s squad is also tied for the eighth most wins since baseball returned to the high school sports menu in 1987 (with four seasons missing final records)….The district tourney runner up finish was the best performance in a district tourney since 2012 when the Eagles last won a district championship in baseball….The 16 wins is the fourth best by a first year coach since 1987.

Cowgirl Softball Squad Drops Two Contests at District Tourney

By

Trey Smart

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April 26, 2019

0

It was a quick exit for the Ryan Cowgirl slow-pitch softball team at the Class 2A District Tournament last Thursday in Sterling.

The Cowgirls dropped the opening game of the tournament to Sterling, 12-0, and lost to Geronimo in the second game, 10-3.

Ryan finishes the slow-pitch softball season with a 6-10 record.

The Cowgirls could get nothing done at the plate in the tourney opener against Sterling.

Ryan had only four base runners in the game shortened to four innings because of the run rule.

The Lady Tigers scored three runs in the first inning and added two more in the third inning before exploding for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

In the elimination game against Geronimo, the Lady Blue Jays scored early and often.

Geronimo plated six runs in the first inning and added four more in the second inning.

The Cowgirls managed one run in the third inning when Samantha Good drove in Carter Combs to cut the Geronimo advantage to 10-1.

The Cowgirls added two more runs in the fifth inning with Lindsey Reake and Brooke Charmasson crossing the plate for Ryan.

In the sixth inning the Cowgirls put three runners on base but could not score and in the seventh inning the Cowgirls also had three runners on base but failed to cut into the Geronimo lead.

Central High claimed the district title with two wins over Sterling last Thursday night.

SEASON ENDING NOTES: The Cowgirls’ 2019 record is a slight improvement over last year’s 4-8 mark…The six wins is the most for a slow-pitch team since 2004 when the Cowgirls won seven contests…Up to five of those years Ryan did not field a slow-pitch team….The school record for most wins in a season is 19 accomplished by the 2001 season…The first slow-pitch team at Ryan was fielded in 1998…In district tournament play the Cowgirls have now lost six straight games…Ryan has won only eight district tournament games since beginning the sport in 1998…The Cowgirls won two games in 2017, but you have to go back to 2008 to find another district tourney win for the Cowgirls….Slow-pitch softball has never won a district title.

Face of Eight-Man Football in Oklahoma Undergoing Change

By

Trey Smart

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July 27, 2019

0

One thing you can be sure about in today’s world – not much stays the same.

An examination of the eight-man football participants in Oklahoma certainly would fit this description as the schools playing the eight-man brand of high school football has increased and continues to change.

It is no secret the population of small towns in Oklahoma is in great decline and that has a direct impact on the schools in those communities.

Sports in the small schools are experiencing a decline between two factors – declining population and declining participation – the impact is felt in those schools. The sport it has impacted the most is high school football.

A number of schools – both eight-man and 11-man – did not finish the 2018 season because of lack of participation and injuries.

Before 1955 there were no schools in Oklahoma playing eight-man football. A few schools played six-man in the years prior to this time. But, a number of schools in the panhandle and northwest Oklahoma began playing the eight-man game in the mid-50’s.

Eight-man football remained in that geographic area until the mid-70’s when schools in the northeast, central and southwest parts of Oklahoma began to play eight-man football.

As recent as 2007 eight-man football was limited to 72 schools, but that number has risen to 80. Look for that number to be increased in the near future.

Changes are routinely made to the eight-man classes as schools drop from 11-man to eight-man and other schools have been forced to drop the sport. A few of the schools that played eight-man football are no longer in existence.

It would seem some of the most dramatic change to the eight-man game has occurred in the past year or two.

At least two schools – Bokoshe and Copan – have dropped football after going 1-9 and 0-9, respectively in the 2017 season. But, the biggest change has come in the number of schools that are dropping to the eight-man grid version from the 11-man game.

And, what is amazing is some of those schools have been traditional powers in Class A football through the years including just a few years ago.

Hollis, who is playing an independent eight-man schedule this season, won the Class A state title in 2013 and won 10 games or more for at least four seasons from 2013 to 2016. The Tigers will play three 11-man games this season as the 2019 season will serve as a transition to eight-man football.

Velma-Alma and Okeene are two more traditional powers in Class A over the past two or three decades and both are moving to eight-man football and will play an independent schedule for this season.

Quinton, located in eastern Oklahoma, and Wellston and Beaver are three additional schools that are making the move to eight-man football. Quinton and Wellston both have a pretty large average daily membership, but were approved by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association to move to eight-man football.

All of those schools will be assigned to an eight-man district for the 2020 season.

Temple and Balko are two eight-man schools that did not complete their schedules last year. Temple played two or three games last season and finished one of those games with only seven players. Balko played five games before being forced to forfeit the remainder of the schedule. Welch also had a difficult year putting a team on the field in 2018.

Temple will likely be able to compete this season, but Balko has formed a co-op with Forgan giving kids from Forgan the chance to compete in football for the first time since the 2012 season when the Bulldogs played for a state title.

Over the past 10 to 15 years, over 10 schools that played football no longer play the sport. This includes some former Ryan opponents such as Duke, Cement and Gracemont.

Waurika is part of a significant number of schools that moved from 11-man to eight-man football within the past 10 years. Waurika began eight-man play in 2012 and since that time nearby schools, Empire and Wilson, have joined the eight-man ranks.

Not all schools are experiencing decline. In fact a few of the schools that have played eight-man football most recently may be forced to move to 11-man football when the final average daily membership numbers are released in September and new football district assignments are revealed in January.

Central High and Caddo, both teams on the schedule for this year for Waurika and Ryan, may be two of those schools along with Ryan’s 2018 playoff opponent, Burns Flat-Dill City.

Waurika’s average daily membership has increased to 107.42, but that number should put the Eagles in the middle of the eight-man schools that will make up Class B.

Ryan has seen its average daily membership drop to 82.47 and it is probable the Cowboys will move to Class C for the 2020-2021 seasons.

It is possible that three-time Class C defending champion Tipton may move up to Class B.

Some of the possible district foes for 2020 and 2021 for Waurika may be Wilson, Empire, Velma-Alma, Bray-Doyle. The remaining member of the district could be Tipton (if they move to Class B), Alex or Bray-Doyle. Waurika will have five schools in the new district besides the Eagles.

Ryan will be looking at some familiar foes if they make the move to Class C. Possibilities include Fox, Thackerville, Paoli, Maysville, Mountain View-Gotebo, Temple, Grandfield and Corn Bible Academy. Ryan will likely have seven other schools in its district.

Of course none of this is official until the final numbers are posted in September, but the eight-man game will likely continue to grow as more and more schools in rural parts of the state continue to decline.

The 2019 season is slated to get underway in just a few weeks with preseason practices, scrimmages and the regular season slate of games. Ryan will travel to Velma-Alma in the season opener on August 30 while Waurika will begin the season a week later with a home game against Temple.

Lady Eagles Turn In Impressive Performance At State Meet

By

Trey Smart

-

November 8, 2019

0

All through the regular season – including the regional cross country meet – the Waurika girls’ cross country squad has been on the cusp of accomplishing great things.

And, all the hard work and competition of the 2019 season paid off last Saturday at the Class 2A State Cross Country Meet held at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee.

The Lady Eagles, who finished behind Ryan and Merritt at the regional on Waurika’s home course, outdistanced those two teams in the state meet to earn fifth place – the highest finish ever for a Waurika cross country squad at state.

Watonga claimed the team title over Hooker by one point. Watonga finished with 52 points, while the Lady Bulldogs had 53. Cherokee was fourth with 119 points and Boise City was fourth with 134 points. Waurika claimed fifth place with 175 points.

“I was very proud of the high school girls this year,” said long-time cross country coach Joe Masoner. “They started working towards state in June in the weight room.”

The course was a difficult one last Saturday as the recent rains produced a somewhat muddy path for the competitors in the crowded Class 2A field which featured 154 runners.

Asia Smith led the way for the Lady Eagles earning 21st place with a time of 13:43.06 – her second best time of the season. Smith was a late addition to the Lady Eagles’ squad and she really made a difference for the Lady Eagles in the last part of the season.

Tallin Mora finished 34th with a time of 13:52.10 – also her second best time of the season.

Liberti Simmons, just a freshman for the Lady Eagles, earned 35th in her first appearance in the state meet with a time of 13:52.47 – her second best clocking of the season.

Lexie Streeter was 53rd for the Lady Eagles. She turned in a time of 14:08.62.

Rounding out the team scorers for the Lady Eagles was Faith Roberson. She finished 92nd in the race and turned in a season-best time of 15:07.12.

Also representing Waurika at the state competition was Hope Cummings. She finished 132nd with a time of 16:46.04 – also her best time of the season over a 3,200-meter course.

Kaci Reynolds finished not far behind Cummings in 140th place with a time of 17:33.54.

The fifth-place finish for the Lady Eagles was the highest team finish at the state meet in school history.

The Lady Eagles have qualified for the state cross country meet the past three seasons and have improved each year. In 2017, Waurika finished 14th and in 2018 the Lady Eagles were ninth.

Waurika also qualified for state in 2014 and 2013.

“These girls ran hard in practice and in meets,” said Masoner commenting on the 2019 season. “I was hoping for a regional title this year, but they gave themselves a chance.”

“The one thing about this group of ladies is they were determined to do better at state which they did by finishing fifth overall and beating the two teams that beat them at regionals,” added Masoner.

“I am super excited about next year getting everyone back next year except for Sara (Ballard),” noted Masoner. “We will add five girls moving up from the junior high team that will make us better.”

While the boys’ squad failed to qualify for the state meet, they claimed one meet title and performed well against some tough competition throughout the year.

“I am also proud of the boys’ team although we didn’t qualify for state,” said Masoner about the Eagles’ 2019 season. “The boys never seemed to get over the hump where their times started to go down.”

“They worked hard and ran close to each other which needs to be done to score well but only was able to do that in the front half of the pack in a couple of meets,” Masoner noted.

“It hurt not having Bryson (Hernandez) this year since he has been one of the team leaders the previous three years,” said Masoner. “We are losing half our team to graduation, but we will get some help from the junior high team.”

With the accomplishments of both teams this year, the Lady Eagles and Eagles have a lot to look forward to next fall for the 2020 cross country season.

Roberson Wins State Title, Waurika Places at State

By

Trey Smart

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May 10, 2019

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.

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

By

Trey Smart

-

May 2, 2019

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 Overwhelm Cowboys In District Clash

By

Trey Smart

-

October 25, 2019

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.

2019 Articles

Waurika High School Athletes Feted At Recent All-Sports Banquet

Face of Eight-Man Football in Oklahoma Undergoing Change

Roberson Wins State Title, Waurika Places at State

Waurika & Ryan Honor Seniors at Football Games

Ringling Brings State Grid Title Back to Jefferson County

Cowboys, Eagles Set To Renew Old Rivalry Tonight at Ryan

Small Group of Ryan Thinclads Compete at Covington-Douglas

Explosive Wilson Offense Buries Cowboys in District Bout

Game in Figures

Eagles Fall in District Tourney Title Game to Rock Creek

Cowgirl Softball Squad Drops Two Contests at District Tourney

Face of Eight-Man Football in Oklahoma Undergoing Change

Lady Eagles Turn In Impressive Performance At State Meet

Roberson Wins State Title, Waurika Places at State

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

Eagles Overwhelm Cowboys In District Clash

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