The Cowgirls posted a seventh-place finish in the Class 4A-2A division with two runners earning medals and another battling a nagging injury during competition at the Duncan Invitational last Saturday.

The Cowboys took only one runner – Mason Adsit. The sophomore runner, however, recorded his second best time of his career which was good for 78^th place in the crowded field of competitors.

His time over the five-kilometer course was 23:19.83.

Alicen Williams and Jasmine Villerreal led the Cowgirls to the seventh place team finish and both runners earned medals in the highly competitive meet.

Williams recorded a personal best time over the two-mile course. Her time of 13:54.22 was good for 18^th place overall.

Villarreal, running in her first meet at the high school level, finished in 24^th place with a time of 14:29.55.

Lilybet Harmon, the Cowgirls’ top returning runner from last year’s regional title team, has been battling an injury, but she still managed to finish 34^th in the meet with a time of 15:16.21.

Rounding out the performances for the Cowgirls were Katelynn Dabbs who finished 58^th with a time of 18:05.22.

Libby Carter was 69^th in the race with a time of 24:42.01. Carter is a recent addition to the Cowgirl squad and has had limited time conditioning for a cross country race.

Blanchard won the high school girls division meet with 46 points, while Merritt was second with 56 tallies. Ryan’s point total of 151 was seventh among the eight teams in the meet. A total of 70 high school girls competed in the meet.

Ryan will return to competition on Saturday when they travel to Geronimo for the first meet ever hosted by the school.

Duncan Invitational Junior High Results

Boys

9. Andrew Scott, 13:18.24; 12. Koble Lewis, 13;38.58

Girls

Merritt 47, Hollis 72, Comanche 90, Altus 108, Rush Springs 121, Blanchard 121, Duncan 184, Waurika 190, Ryan 226

41. Lilah Regehr, 13:55.68; 65. Harleigh Loftis, 15:54.40; 71. Lynnlee Tomberlin, 16:29.08; 80. Alyssa Harrison, 17:58.46; 82. Heather Poage,18:03.02; 89. Kayleigh Hodges, 20:29.52

Cowgirls Get First Win of Season; Cowboys Drop Three of Four

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

December 19, 2020

Ryan’s basketball squads played three games in three days last weekend to substitute for games lost in the canceled Black and Gold Invitational at Wilson.

The Cowgirls and Cowboys both dropped two of three contests, but for the Cowgirls the win was the first of the season.

In a quickly scheduled game on Tuesday night on Raymon West Court, the Ryan roundballers fell to Cyril.

Ryan hosted Elmore City-Pernell last Thursday and then hit the road to Wilson and Temple on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Cowgirls are now 1-6 on the year, while the Cowboys stand at 4-3.

Ryan’s next action will be tomorrow night (Friday) when they will play host to Maysville on Raymon West Court before breaking for the Christmas holiday.

Cyril 60, Cowgirls 42

Despite their best offensive performance of the young season, the Cowgirls could not handle the 10th-ranked Lady Pirates.

Cyril got off to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter and eventually built a lead the Cowgirls could not overcome aided by seven treys in the game.

The Cowgirls had three girls in double figures. Alicen Williams led the Cowgirls in scoring with 14 points, while Jasmine Villarreal and Maci Cooper added 10 points apiece.

Cyril 70, Cowboys 38

The 15th-ranked Pirates surged to a 19-5 lead after the first quarter and never looked back.

The Cowboys could not guard the three-point line as the Pirates had eight treys during the course of the contest.

Caleb Perrin scored 10 points for the Cowboys and was the only Ryan player in double figures.

Temple 35, Cowgirls 26

Temple outscored the Cowgirls, 11-4, in the first quarter, but Ryan managed to use a 10-3 scoring advantage in the second quarter to tie the game

In the second half, however, the Cowgirls could get little going on the offensive end and Temple outscored Ryan, 21-12 over the two quarters to snag the win.

Villarreal led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points, but had only six in the second half.

Cowboys 57, Temple 35

The Cowboys broke a two-game skid with their best offensive output of the young season against the Tigers.

Ryan raced to a 17-8 first quarter lead behind the shooting of Racen Williams and Perrin, who scored 15 of the Cowboys’ 17 points in the period.

Ryan maintained the lead at the half, 31-22.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys went on an 11-5 run to extend the lead to 42-27 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys put the game away in the final period with a 15-8 scoring advantage.

Three Cowboys scored in double figures – Perrin finished with 15 points, Williams added 14 and Landen Alexander added 12 points.

Cowgirls 31, Wilson 29

The Cowgirls picked up their first win of the year thanks to some clutch free throw conversions at the end of the game.

The Cowgirls led the Lady Eagles, 6-5, after the first quarter, but trailed at the half, 15-12.

The Cowgirls narrowed the Wilson advantage to 23-22 at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Lady Eagles 9-6 in the final quarter of the hotly contested game to get the victory.

Villarreal hit a pair of free throws and Cooper converted on another charity toss in the final seconds to secure the win for the Cowgirls.

Villarreal led the Cowgirls in scoring with 15 points.

Wilson 48, Cowboys 42

The Cowboys took an 18-7 lead in the first quarter, but the Eagles came alive and outscored the Cowboys, 40-24 the rest of the way to get the win.

Ryan clung to a 27-21 advantage at the half and led the game, 33-30, at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, however, the Cowboys committed some key turnovers and ran into some foul problems that aided the Wilson rally.

The Eagles converted 11 of 15 free throws in the quarter, while Ryan went to the line only five times and hit only two free throws.

Wilson outscored the Cowboys, 19-9, to pick up the come-from-behind victory.

Williams led the Cowboys in scoring with 13 points, while Alexander added 11 points.

EC-P 39, Cowgirls 20

In the home opener on Friday the Cowgirls hung with the Lady Badgers for the first part of the first quarter, but the inability to generate any offense turned out to be the demise of the Cowgirls.

Elmore City never trailed in the game, but after the Lady Badgers had opened a 7-2 lead, the Cowgirls had a brief spurt. Williams hit a three-point bucket to cut the margin to 7-5 before ECP added a free throw to extend the lead to 8-5.

Ryan’s Carter Combs connected on one of two free throws with 4:14 remaining leaving the Cowgirls trailing only 8-6.

But, the Lady Badgers finished out the quarter with an 11-2 run and Cowgirls never threatened the rest of the contest.

The Lady Badgers held a huge lead on the boards, 45-24, with many of those coming on the offensive end.

Williams led the Cowgirls in scoring with 14 points.

EC-P 71, Ryan 46

In the nightcap, the Badgers used a full-court press in the first quarter to help create 12 Ryan turnovers in the quarter and get out to a 12-0 lead with 2:54 left in the initial frame.

The Cowboys responded, however, and went on an 8-0 run to cut the gap to 12-8 with 1:35 left in the first quarter.

Westin Jennings hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds remaining to draw the Cowboys back to within two at 14-12, but the Badgers connected on a three-pointer with 10 seconds left to hold a 17-12 at end of the quarter.

The Cowboys would never be closer as the Badgers opened the second quarter on a 12-3 run to hold a 29-15 lead with 3:48 left in the half.

In the final minute, the Cowboys got a layup from Williams and a pair of free throws from Alexander to cut the margin to 29-21 with 10 seconds showing.

The Badgers got a free throw with just three ticks left on the clock and went to the locker room with a 30-21 lead.

The third quarter was a disaster for the Cowboys. Ryan did not score until Jennings hit a long three-pointer with 58 seconds left in the period.

The Badgers used their size advantage to the fullest in the quarter outrebounding the Cowboys 16-7 and most of them were on the offensive end. This helped the Badgers go on a 29-5 scoring barrage to put the game away.

Elmore City finished with a 52-28 advantage in rebounding and had 12 players hit the scoring column.

Julian Rodriguez led the Cowboys in scoring with 12 points, while Williams added 11.

Cyril 60, Ryan 42

(Girls)

Cyril 17 14 17 12–60

Ryan 6 9 10 17–42

CYRIL: K. McLemore 4-4-13, Miller 4-0-10, Snider 3-1-10, L. McLemore 2-4-9, Row 1-5-7, S. Thompson 3-0-6, Williamson 1-2-4, Wilson 0-1-1. PF: 19. Three-pointers: Snider 3, Miller 2, K. McLemore, L. McLemore.

RYAN: Alicen Williams 3-6-14, Jasmine Villarreal 4-1-10, Maci Cooper 3-1-10, Carter Combs 1-2-4, Raylee White 1-0-2, Libby Carter 1-0-2. PF: 17. Three-pointers: Cooper 3, Williams 2, Villerreal.

Cyril 70, Ryan 38

(Boys)

Cyril 19 18 17 16–70

Ryan 5 13 5 15–38

CYRIL: Hart 6-2-17, McClure 7-16, Carlson 5-2-12, Thompson 4-0-8, Chalepah 2-0-4, Day 1-1-4, Ash 1-0-3, Cochran 1-0-3 Eary 1-1-3. PF: 20. Three-pointers: Hart 3, McClure 2, Day, Ash, Cochran.

RYAN: Caleb Perrin 4-2-10, Landen Alexander 3-1-7, Racen Williams 1-5-7, Westin Jennings 2-0-5, Ethan Burden 1-0-3, Mason Adsit 0-3-3, Julian Rodriguez 0-2-2, Adan Lopez 0-1-1. PF: 10. Three-pointers: Burden, Jennings.

Temple 35, Ryan 26

(Girls)

Ryan 4 10 5 7—26

Temple 11 3 11 10—35

RYAN: Jasmine Villarreal 7-0-15, Libby Carter 2-0-4, Alicen Williams 1-2-4, Maci Cooper 1-0-3. PF: 19. Three-pointers: Villerreal, Cooper.

TEMPLE: Ashlynn Spurlock 6-5-18, Madyson Jones 3-0-6, Phoenix Jones 1-3-5, Ailey Laguna 1-2-4, Gabriela Toquothty 1-0-2. PF: 17. Three-pointers: Spurlock.

Ryan 57, Temple 35

(Boys)

Ryan 17 14 11 15—57

Temple 8 14 5 8–35

RYAN: Caleb Perrin 7-1-15, Racen Williams 5-1-14, Landen Alexander 5-1-12, Westin Jennings 2-2-7, Julian Rodrigue 2-1-6, Alex Uribe 1-0-3. PF: 18. Three-pointers: Williams 3, Rodriguez, Alexander, Uribe.

TEMPLE: Trey Crane, 6-2-18, Jake Smart 2-3-7, Jaramiah Chumley 2-3-7, Jamarcus Tisdale 1-0-2, Collin West 0-1-1. PF: 14. Three-pointers: Crane 4.

Ryan 31, Wilson 29

(Girls)

Ryan 6 6 10 9—31

Wilson 5 10 8 6—29

RYAN: Jasmine Villerreal 4-5-15, Alicen Williams 2-1-5, Carter Combs 1-2-4, Libby Carter 2-0-4, Raylee White 1-0-2, Maci Cooper 0-1-1. PF: 13. Three-pointers: Villerreal 2.

WILSON: Gunter 5-1-14, Brooks 3-2-8, Forsythe 1-1-3, Gray 0-2-2, Sloan 0-2-2. PF: 16. Three-pointers: Gunter.

Wilson 48, Ryan 42

(Boys)

Ryan 18 9 6 9—42

Wilson 7 14 9 19—48

RYAN: Racen Williams 3-5-13, Landen Alexander 4-3-11, Caleb Perrin 3-1-7, Westin Jennings 2-1-6, Julian Rodriguez 2-1-5. PF: 19. Three-pointers: Williams 2, Jennings.

WILSON: Fulton 6-4-16, Forsythe 5-5-15, Cain 1-6-8, Hunziker 1-3-7, Wharton 1-0-2. PF: 17. Three-pointers: None

ECP 39, Ryan 20

(Girls)

ECP 19 8 4 8—39

Ryan 8 5 3 4—20

ECP: Taylor 5-6-16, Riddle 2-1-6, Sherwood 2-0-4, Sawyer 2-0-4, Lahman 1-0-3, Lewis 1-0-2, Niblett 1-0-2, Patterson 1-0-2. PF: 18. Three-pointers: Riddle, Lahman.

RYAN: Alicen Williams 5-2-14, Maci Cooper 0-3-3, Carter Combs 0-2-2, Libby Carter 0-1-1. PF: 15. Three-pointers: Williams 2.

ECP 71, Ryan 46

(Boys)

ECP 17 13 29 12—71

Ryan 12 9 5 20—46

ECP: Sawyer 4-3-12, Dellin 4-3-10, Amparano 4-1-9, D. Frazier 4-1-9, Martin 4-0-9, Foster 1-2-5, N. Frazier 2-0-5, Rhodes 2-0-4, Knight 0-2-2, Ferris 1-0-2, Christie 1-0-2, Cornforth 0-2-2. PF: 22. Three-pointers: Dellin 2, Sawyer, Foster, Martin, N. Frazier.

RYAN: Julian Rodriguez 3-4-12, Racen Williams 4-2-11, Westin Jennins 2-3-9, Caleb Perrin 2-1-5, Landen Alexander 0-4-4, Adam Lopez 1-0-3, Trey Bryant 1-0-2. PF: 15. Three-pointers: Rodriguez 2, Jennings 2, Williams, Lopez.

Cowgirls Earn Third Place at Geronimo Meet

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

September 11, 2020

It was a relatively small meet at Geronimo last Saturday, but Ryan’s cross country squads came home with their share of medals.

The Cowgirls finished third in the team race behind team champion Munday, TX and runner up Waurika.

The Cowboys did not have enough competitors to compete for the team title. Waurika won the team title in the boys’ division.

Mason Adsit earned the only medal on the day for the Cowboys as he finished 25th with a time of 27:47 over the five kilometer course.

Tommy Self was the only other competitor for the Cowboys and he finished 29th with a time of 32:07.3. It was Self’s first competition of the season.

Alicen Williams, who is battling an injury, led the Cowgirls with an eighth place finish in the 3,200-meter race. Her time was 14:37.4.

Jasmine Villarreal also earned a medal for the Cowgirls with her 16th-place finish.

She turned in a time of 15:41.8 on the day.

Just missing out on a medal was Katelynn Dabbs. She finished 26th for the Cowgirls with a time of 17:44.8.

Joining the Cowgirls for this meet were Lindsey Reak and Alyssa Phillips.

Reak finished in 35th place with a time of 23:55.2, while Phillips was right behind with a clocking of 24:53.5, which was good for 36th place.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls next action for cross country will be September 19 at Prague.

The junior high squads also had a good day with the junior high girls capturing the team title at the first Geronimo Invitational.

Other Ryan Results at Geronimo

Junior High Boys (3,200 Meters)

3. Koble Lewis, 13:00.4; 4. Andrew Scott, 13:37.7.

Junior High Girls (1,600 Meters)

1. Ryan 15.

3. Harleigh Loftis, 6:51.7; 8. Lilah Regehr, 7:30.3; 10. Heather Poage, 7:40.4; 11. Hannah Williams, 8:10.9; 12. Lynnlee Tomberlin, 8:53.4; 13. Alyssa Harris, 9:01.0; 14. Kayleigh Hodges, 10:37.9.

Elementary Boys (1,600 Meters)

6. Kovin Lewis, 8:03.3; 7. Seth Duke, 8:15.7; 8. Clifford Self, 8:18.5; 11. Luke Burkhalter, 8:51; 16. Easton Rhoades, 10:34; 17. Bo Burkhalter, 10:48.2.

Elementary Girls (1,600 Meters)

1. Micah Villarreal, 7:50.4; 2. Annzlee Tomberlin, 8:22.5; 5. Haley Smith, 9:12.9; 6. Kinzee Parkey, 9:14.0; 7. Jordan Garcia, 10:02.0

Senior Cowboy, Cowgirl Athletes Had Major Contributions

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

May 2, 2020

With the cancelation of graduation and other activities related to the 2020 senior class – including the all-sports banquet – it would be appropriate to recognize the accomplishments of the senior athletes at Ryan High School.

There were five seniors on the Cowboy football team last fall. While the team dropped to a disappointing 4-6 record in 2019, these seniors during their careers had two winning seasons and made playoff appearances as juniors and seniors.

Andrew Villerreal had an outstanding senior season as a running back on offense and a stellar defensive performer as well as the kickoff specialist for the Cowboys. For his accomplishments he was named to the District B-4 all-district first team.

Villerreal was a two-year starter for the Cowboys and moved to the running back position his senior season after leading the team in receptions as a tight end in the 2018 campaign. In the 2018 season Villerreal was a second team utility player on the District B-4 all-district squad.

Gunner Phillips and Walter Snider were both starters on the 2019 squad and Jonathan Clark and Parker Carey also contributed to the team in a reserve role as injuries hit the team during the season.

Three senior athletes led the Cowgirl cross country squad to an outstanding season. Juliet Spangler and Lily York – both four-year participants in the program – and Gracie Stamper, a newcomer during her senior year – helped the cross country team to a Class 2A regional title. The Cowgirls also won five other meets during the season.

Spangler and York were selected to the Class 2A All-Star Cross Country team and were instrumental in the program’s success the past four years.

Spangler was an individual state qualifier her freshman season and was part of the Cowgirl teams that qualified for state in her final three years of high school. Spangler had four top-ten finishes in meets during her senior season.

York battled some injuries during her senior campaign, but she was consistently among the top two to five Cowgirls during the season. York managed four top-ten finishes during the year.

Stamper, in her first year of competing in cross country, provided some much needed depth for the Cowgirls during the 2019 season.

Samantha Good and Brooklyn Charmasson finished their senior seasons in fast-pitch softball as all-conference honorees by the Southern Eight Conference. It was the second year in a row for Good to be named to the all-conference squad.

Both Charmasson and Good were three-year starters for the fast-pitch team and in their sophomore season the Cowgirls won what is believed to be a school-record 16 games.

Savannah Lashley and Madisen Rhoades also were members of the 2019 fast-pitch softball team and both were starters during their senior seasons on a team that struggled to a 2-19 record.

Villerreal as the only senior member of the Cowboy basketball team for 2020. He was a starter on a team that went only 6-17, but showed tremendous improvement from the past two seasons. Villerreal was also a starter on the 2019 squad.

Good, Spangler and York were key members of the 2020 Cowgirl cage squad. The three girls all became members of the 1,000-point club for their careers during their senior year and were part of the Cowgirls two straight winning seasons in their junior and season seasons.

All three girls played in the Southern Eight’s annual all-star game held at Ryan and the three girls will be furthering their basketball careers in college next fall.

Bailee Martin was also a senior starter on the Cowgirl team in 2020, while Charmasson saw considerable playing time off the bench as the Cowgirls had only seven or eight players much of the season.

Of course the spring sports seasons for the Ryan seniors were cut short by the nation-wide pandemic and the closure of schools across the state of Oklahoma after spring break.

The slow-pitch softball team managed to get in four games before the season ended. Good, Rhoades, Charmasson, Lashley and Stamper were members of the team that went winless at the beginning of the season.

The Cowgirl track squad made only one appearance before the cancellation of the season, but it was a good one. The Cowgirls won the Maysville Warrior Invitational and York and Spangler – the only two senior members of the team – played a significant role in the meet title for the Cowgirls.

York was a member of the 400-meter relay team that finished fourth and she was also part of the meet champion 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams. In the 800 meters, York earned a silver medal.

Spangler was also part of the two gold-medal winning 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams. She also captured a gold medal in the 1,600 meters and finished second in the 3,200 meters.

Both girls have been key components to the Cowgirl track program in the past four years. York was part of the regional runner up 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams in her junior season and was part of the 3,200-meter relay team that finished second in her sophomore year. In her freshman season York was part of the 1,600-meter relay team that finished as a regional runner up.

In additional to joining York on the relay teams at the regionals during her career, Spangler also finished second in the 3,200 meters and third in the 1,600 meters at regionals during her junior season. As a freshman, Spangler recorded a regional runner up finish in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

There were no senior male athletes that competed in track for the Cowboys in 2020 and Ryan failed to have enough players to field a baseball team during the 2020 season.

All of these seniors are to be commended for outstanding careers and contributions to the Ryan High School athletic program in their senior year and beyond.

Ryan Falls Short in Homecoming Game

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

October 2, 2020

Just when you thought the football season for the Ryan Cowboys could not get worse, the Cowboys suffered a 64-8 defeat at the hands of Thackerville at Bob Givens Sports Complex last Friday night.

The loss was difficult but the Cowboys lost starting quarterback Racen Williams early in the game and the only option was to insert sophomore receiver Julian Rodriguez at quarterback who had not had any snaps at the position in practice or in games this season.

And while Rodriguez did an admirable job in the difficult circumstances, the lack of experience did limit the options for the Ryan offense in the homecoming contest with the Wildcats.

The Cowboys had already lost another player during the week and if Williams cannot recover from his injury, the Cowboys will have only 10 or 11 players to suit out in tomorrow night’s contest at Mountain View.

Mountain View-Gotebo comes into the district game with the Cowboys with a spotless 4-0 mark and ranked fourth in Class C. Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m.

With all of the difficult circumstances and adversity the Cowboys are facing last Friday night’s contest added to it as Thackerville hit for two quick scores in the first two minutes of the game.

The Wildcats scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass and passed for the two-point conversion to go on top 8-0 only 34 seconds into the game.

The Cowboys were forced to punt on their first possession and Thackerville wasted no time in scoring again – this time on a 49-yard pass. The pass for the two points was good and the Wildcats had a 16-0 lead with 10:13 still left in the first quarter.

On the next possession the Cowboys fumbled the ball and Thackerville recovered at midfield to set up a seven-play drive that included 20 yards of penalties against the Wildcats.

Blayne Giourgas, who had scored the first two touchdowns for the Wildcats, capped the drive with a 26-yard scoring run. The run for two points failed, but Thackerville was in front 22-0 with 7:25 to play in the first quarter.

On Ryan’s first play from scrimmage after the kickoff the Wildcats intercepted a Cowboy pass and returned it 26 yards to put Thackerville in business on offense at the Ryan 20.

It took Thackerville only four plays to score with Aziz Hernandez scoring from seven yards out. The conversion pass was successful and the lead had increased to 30-0 with 5:40 left in the first quarter.

Ryan was again forced to punt on the next possession and Giourgas fielded the punt at the Wildcat 42-yard line and raced 58 yards for the touchdown. The run failed, but the Wildcats held a 36-0 lead with 3:47 left in the first quarter.

Both teams turned the ball over on their next possessions with Trey Bryant recovering a Wildcat fumble to give Ryan the ball at the Thackerville 41.

On first down, Rodriguez found Skyler Wickware on a short pass and Wickware broke a couple of tackles and sped down the right sideline for the 41-yard touchdown.

Rodriguez found Carson Cooper on a pass for the two-point conversion and Ryan had cut the lead to 36-8 with 2:15 left in the first quarter.

Thackerville answered with another score before the end of the quarter. An onside kick was covered by the Wildcats and it put Thackerville at its own 49 to start the scoring drive.

In five plays Thackerville found the end zone as Giourgas made a diving catch just inside the goal line for a 14-yard score. The try for two failed, but the Wildcats had built an insurmountable 42-8 lead with just 21 seconds left in the first quarter.

Ryan turned the ball over on downs on its next possession and Thackerville began another scoring drive. This time it took the Wildcats only four plays to move 37 yards. Hernandez scored on a 17-yard run and Wade Oglesby caught a two-point conversion pass to increase the lead to 50-8 with 9:23 left in the second frame.

Thackerville added two more scores before halftime to end the game by the mercy rule.

Hernandez caught a 29-yard pass with 4:14 to play in the second quarter to put the Wildcats in front, 56-8.

Justice Rodriguez capped the Thackerville scoring onslaught with a 56-yard run with 2:56 left before the half. The Wildcats ran for the two-point conversion to set the final margin.

The Cowboys could not muster anything on offense most of the night as they picked up only one first down – and that was on the scoring play.

COWBOY CORRAL: The Cowboys are now 0-4 on the season and the last time Ryan has opened a season with four straight losses came in the 1994 season….Ryan finished the night with minus-9 yards rushing and that is a new school record that broke the old mark of minus-3 against Snyder in the 2018 playoff game…The 64 points scored by the Wildcats is the highest total scored in the series with Ryan….The previous high score by Thackerville as 50 points in a 1993 loss….The 56-point margin of victory by the Wildcats is the most in the series that dates back to 1980….The previous greatest margin of victory for Thackerville against Ryan was 46 in a 2013 contest….This was the second loss to Thackerville in a homecoming game in two homecoming encounters….Ryan is 6-4 in the last 10 homecoming games.

Game In Figures

THS RHS

First Downs 13 1

Yards Rushing 28-233 12-(-9)

Yards Passing 14 58

Passes 6-10 5-18

Passes Int. By 3 0

Fumbles, Lost 1-1 3-2

Punts 1-17 2-29

Penalties 4-35 1-10

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Thackerville 42 22 x x—64

Ryan 8 0 x x—8

THACKERVILLE -Blayne Giourgas 31 pass from Justice Rodriguez (Giourgas pass from Rodriguez), 11:26, 1st Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Giourgas 49 pass from Rodriguez (Giourgas run), 10:13, 1st Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Giourgas 26 run (run failed), 7:25, 1st Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Aziz Hernandez 7 run (Colt Scarbrough pass from Rodriguez), 5:40, 1st Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Giourgas 58 punt return (run failed), 3:47, 1st Quarter

RYAN – Skyler Wickware 41 pass from Julian Rodriguez (Carson Cooper pass from Julian Rodriguez), 2:15, 1st Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Giourgas 6 pass from Rodriguez (pass failed), :21, 1st Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Hernandez 17 run (Wade Oglesby pass from Rodriguez), 9:23, 2nd Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Hernandez 29 pass (pass failed), 4:14, 2nd Quarter

THACKERVILLE – Rodriguez 56 run (Scarbrough run), 2:56, 2nd Quarter

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

THACKERVILLE: Aziz Hernandez 15-149, Justin Rodriguez 4-47, Blayne Giourgas 1-26, Colt Scarbrough 4-8, Peyton Cartright 4-3; Passing – Rodriguez 6-10-146-0; Receiving – Giourgas 4-102, Dylan Weir 1-17, Hernandez 1-29.

RYAN: Rushing – Caleb Perrin 5-1, Racen Williams 2-(-1), Julian Rodriguez 5-(-9); Passing – Williams 3-4-12-0, Rodriguez 2-14-46-3; Receiving – Skyler Wickware 5-58; Tackles – Trey Bryant 7, Wickware 7, Perrin 6, Rodriguez 5, Williams 3 Mason Adsit 3, Carson Cooper 2, Mike Regehr 2, Will Regehr 2.

Waurika Gridders Are Gunning For Third Straight District Title in 2020

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

September 3, 2020

Coming off back-to-back double-digit win seasons the 2020 edition of the Waurika Eagle football squad will be facing somewhat of a rebuilding task and a more daunting schedule.

Waurika has three games on the schedule that feature teams that have won state titles within the past five years – a couple of them have more than one gold ball in that time.

And, the Eagles will be competing in District B-3 with three new district foes – all of which were playoff teams a year ago.

Waurika will open the 2020 football season Friday night as they host old rival Grandfield on Norman West Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

While the Eagles lost a number of contributors to the success of the team the past two years, the squad is not devoid of plenty of talent that it will take to put together another successful season.

For the first time in a number of years there will be someone not named Mora at the quarterback position.

Sophomore Treyton Torrez will be directing the Eagle offense in 2020.

“Treyton is explosive out of the backfield and has been impressive so far,” said head coach Joe Allen, who begins his third season at the helm of the Eagles.

“He (Treyton) is always wanting to figure things out and asking questions,” Allen added about the sophomore quarterback. “He is a natural leader for us at quarterback.”

The top offensive returning starter for the Eagles is running back Kevin Garcia.

Garcia has been a mainstay in the Eagle backfield the past couple of years and in 2019 rushed for 1,187 yards a year ago.

Garcia was also impressive as a receiver from his jet sweep spot in the offense. He also returned two kickoffs for scores a year ago.

“I really like to get him (Garcia) out in space and that is where he is more effective,” Allen noted about the 2019 all-district back.

Waurika will have plenty of talent at the receiver positions. Octavio Gomez will get the start at tight end for a few games after Houston Scott suffered an injury.

Mason Houston will be the wide receiver for the Eagles and Trent Arellano will back up Garcia.

Gabe Jenkins and Matt Arriola will see action at the tailback position for the Eagles.

“We have more skill position kids this year than the previous two years at Waurika,” Allen said. “We are two deep and there is not much of a drop off at those positions.”

The defense for the Eagles is loaded with talent and experience.

Slade Cathey and Arriola will join newcomer Cory Sampson along the defensive line that will be tough to penetrate for most Eagle opponents this season.

Arellano and Jenkins will be the linebackers and Torrez, Garcia and Houston will roam the secondary for the Eagles.

Jenkins collected 68 tackles as a sophomore last season

Gomez will see action at both cornerback and linebacker to give some relief for the starts.

The Eagles have 23 players on the roster and will have the luxury of having depth to face the challenging schedule ahead.

“We scheduled these teams to give our kids a sense of where we need to be,” Allen said. “We will find out early what it takes to be in the spot of a true contender.”

Waurika’s district for the next two seasons will be a bit tougher than the past couple of years. Tipton moved up from Class C where they have been a dominant team the past few years. Snyder joined the district and they have made a playoff appearance the past two seasons.

Waurika is tabbed as the runner up behind district favorite Snyder which would mean a home playoff berth in the first round of the playoffs.

The Eagles’ final tune up scrimmage slated for last Friday against Thackerville was cancelled because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak in Love County schools including Thackerville.

If the Eagles can stay healthy throughout the season, they could be equipped to make a deeper run in the playoffs than the past two seasons – even if the win-loss ledger is not as good.

Here’s a preview of the Waurika opponents for 2020:

Grandfield

Coach: Darren Lamar, 3rd year (4-15)

Preseason Ranking: Not ranked; 7th or 5th in District C-2

Last Year’s Record: 3-7

Last Playoff Appearance: 2017, lost to Tyrone, 76-30 in first round of Class C playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 64, Grandfield 0, in 2019

First Meeting: Grandfield 9, Waurika 3, in 1922

Series Record: Series is tied at 19-19-3

BEARCAT BEAT: The Bearcats are like a lot of Class C eight-man schools in that they are fighting a numbers game. The Bearcat offense will be led by junior quarterback Ethan Hammer. At running back, Blake Houston returns to provide a threat any time he touches the ball. Grandfield returns four starters on the defensive side of the ball. The 2020 squad overall will be young and inexperienced and it looks like the string of losing seasons may continue for the Bearcats that currently have 12 players on their roster.

Laverne

Coach: Tanner Woods, 2nd year (9-3)

Last Year’s Record: 9-3

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (4th); The Tulsa World (2nd); The Daily Oklahoman (8th); 2nd in District B-1.

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Alex, 44-30 in second round of Class B playoffs.

Series Record: These two schools have never met in football

Zero Week Result: lost to Cherokee, 28-20

TIGER TARGETS: Laverne will make the long drive from northwest Oklahoma to south central Oklahoma after posting back-to-back 9-3 seasons. The Tigers have been a contender in Class B for a number of years and won a state title in 2016 with a 15-0 record. Laverne also won state championships in 2012 and 2013 and over the past seven seasons has won 81 games while losing only 11 contests. The Tigers return seven starters on offensive side of the ball. Peyton Freeman returns to direct the offense at the quarterback position and the junior compiled 886 yards rushing a year ago and passed for 843 yards on just 47 completions. Overall the Tigers are loaded with talented returnees – most of whom are juniors – and will present a tremendous challenge for the Eagles in the second game of the season.

at Wilson

Coach: Kenny Ridley, 3rd year (14-6)

Last Year’s Record: 8-2

Preseason Ranking: Competing as an independent this year

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Snyder, 64-18, in the first round of the Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 62, Wilson 34 in 2019

First Meeting: Wilson 14, Waurika 0, in 1921

Series Record: Waurika leads, 52-20-3, in known results

Zero Week Result: defeated Cyril, 56-32

EAGLE FLIGHTS: Wilson will try to repeat the success of last season, but they have chosen to go to independent status for the next two years which means they will not compete for post-season play. For Wilson to have success in 2020 they will depend on some younger players that played behind the experienced players from the past two seasons. The top returnee is Tre Richardson a senior lineman that will anchor both the offensive and defensive lines. Two sophomores – Caylen Fulton and John Gunter – will be counted on to provide an offensive threat. The Eagles are entering the season with great enthusiasm and attitude, but will have to overcome the inexperience that will dot the lineup for the squad.

at Shattuck

Coach: Craig Hixon, 2nd year (14-0)

Last Year’s Record: 14-0, Class B State Champions

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (2nd); The Tulsa World (1st); The Daily Oklahoma (1st); 1st in District B-1.

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, defeated Regent Prep, 25-19, in Class B state finals.

Last Meeting: Waurika 25, Shattuck 8 in 1988 Class B quarterfinals (11-man)

First Meeting: Waurika 25, Shattuck 8 in 1988

Series Record: Waurika leads 1-0

Zero Week Result: defeated Tipton, 46-0

INDIAN NOTES: The fourth week of the season will provide another stern test for the Eagles as they travel to northwest Oklahoma to face the three-time state champion Indians. The program has dominated eight-man football in the 21st century winning six straight titles from 2003 to 2008 and have won 11 titles overall since 2003. The first state championship won by Shattuck came in 1991 when the Indians downed Ringling, 18-0, for the Class A crown. The Indians will put a strong and experienced offensive and defensive line on the field, but will also future a great deal of talent in the skilled positions on offense. Jayden Frazier is a 6-1, 185-pound senior running back that will benefit from the bulky offensive line. Coaches believe Frazier could play at the next level. As the Eagles draw near to district play this game will provide a gauge on how much progress the team has made.

Canton

Coach: Caleb Howell, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 4-6

Preseason Ranking: Unranked; 6th in District B-1

Last Playoff Appearance: 2009, lost to Garber, 50-2, in Class B state finals

Series Record: These two teams have never met in football

Zero Week Results: defeated Okeene, 20-0

TIGER TALES: Canton has fallen on hard times over the past few seasons, but last year’s record was the best the Tigers have done since posting a 4-6 mark in 2012. Canton does return seven starters from the 2019 squad and four of those players are seniors giving the Tigers a boat load of experience. Seth Bromlow is a four-year starter that will play tailback, fullback and tight end and he will also be a ringleader on defense from the linebacker position. This game could give the Eagles some confidence as they head into the district season.

Cyril

Coach: John Williamson, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 5-6

Preseason Ranking: Unranked; 5th or 4th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Waurika, 54-6, in the first round of the Class B playoffs

Last Meeting: Waurika 54, Cyril 6, in 2019

First Meeting: Cyril 56, Waurika 28 in 2012

Series Record: Series is tied at 4-4

Zero Week Result: lost to Wilson, 56-32

PIRATE PREVIEW: Cyril made its fourth straight playoff appearance last season and for the last several years the Pirates have been competitive. The Pirates return four offensive starters including sophomore quarterback Kole Carlson who threw for 1,267 yards a year ago. Up front the Pirates will feature a mixture of youth an experience s they will start one senior, one junior and two sophomores. This will be the first district test of the 2020 season for the Eagles and after a blowout loss to Waurika in the 2019 playoffs, the Pirates will be looking for some measure of revenge.

at Central High

Coach: Gerald White, 1st year

Last Year’s Record: 4-6

Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked; 6th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Burns Flat-Dill City, 54-6, in first round of Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 60, Central High 0, in 2019

First Meeting: Central High 50, Waurika 22 in 2012

Series Record: Series is tied at 3-3

Zero Week Result: defeated Paoli, 48-12

BRONCHO BITES: The last few seasons have been a struggle for the Bronchos as they have bounced between 11-man and eight-man football, but optimism is high in the Central High camp after they hired Tipton assistant Gerald White to man the sidelines at Central High for 2020. Ryan Minden returns from last year’s playoff team for the Bronchos and he will see action at tailback and receiver. Dylan Hargrove, a four-year starter for Central High, will be anchoring the offensive line and he will be counted on to provide leadership to some of the younger members of the 2020 team. Sean Klein, a 6-0, 280-pound senior, is another lineman that will give the Bronchos experience along the line on both sides of the ball. The Eagles cannot afford to look past Central High as they enter the closing stretch of the district schedule that features the three playoff contenders.

at Empire

Coach: Brant Hayes, 2nd Year (4-7)

Last Year’s Record: 4-7

Preseason Ranking: Unranked; 4th or 5th in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Alex, 52-6, in first round of Class B playoffs.

Last Meeting: Waurika 56, Empire 22, in 2019

First Meeting: Waurika 48, Empire 0, in 1974

Series Record: Waurika leads, 22-11

Zero Week Result: defeated Wellston, 66-20

BULLDOG BARKING: Empire returns seven starters on offense and the plan is to use an up tempo offense for the 2020 season. Mitchel Monteith returns to guide the Bulldog offense at quarterback. Monteith passed for over 1,500 yards a year ago. Kaden Pekah will be the key cog along the defensive line for the Bulldogs after recording 48 tackles a year ago. Santos Benitez also returns along the defensive line and he was the leading tackler for Empire a year ago.

vs. Tipton

Coach: Travis White, 7th year (69-10)

Last Year’s Record: 9-3

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (unranked); The Tulsa World (8th); The Daily Oklahoman (12th); 3rd in District B-3

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Waynoka, 72-48, in Class C semifinals

Last Meeting: Waurika 29, Tipton 0 in 1989

First Meeting: Waurika 50, Tipton 0 in 1935

Series Record: Waurika leads, 7-2

Zero Week Result: lost to Shattuck, 46-0

TIGER TALK: Tipton will be looking to make its 14th straight playoff appearance but will have to do so in Class B instead of Class C were Tipton has been competing for the majority of those years. The Tigers have seven state titles in school history and five of those championships have come in the past eight years. For 2020, the Tigers will depend on a big and experienced offensive line and the experience of senior signal-caller Tayler Waugh who threw for 512 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Defensively, the Tigers will be led by senior defensive end Trey Mains who had 48 tackles and three sacks last season. The move to Class B may present some challenges for the Tigers early in the season but by the time they head to Cy Sloan Stadium, Tipton will provide a stiff challenge for the Eagles.

Snyder

Coach: Joe Garrison, 4th year (27-9)

Last Year’s Record: 8-4

Preseason Ranking: Class B: VYPE (8th); The Daily Oklahoman (10th)

Last Playoff Appearance: 2019, lost to Cherokee, 52-6, in the second round of the Class B playoffs

Last Meeting: Snyder 22, Waurika 20, in 2019

First Meeting: Waurika 23, Snyder 8, in 1982

Series Record: Snyder leads, 6-3.

Zero Week Result: defeated Corn Bible Academy, 52-6

CYCLONE COMMENTARY: The Cyclones nipped the Eagles a year ago in a contest that saw Waurika commit eight turnovers in a two-point loss. A couple of the offensive performers that hurt the Eagles a year ago are back for the 2020 campaign for the Cyclones including veteran quarterback Ryan Kelley who rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns a year ago against the Eagles and threw for another 123 yards. Jervon Galvan returns at tailback for the Cyclones and he scored a touchdown and added a two-point conversion last year against Waurika. The Cyclones have size and experience up front on both sides of the ball as well and that is why they are tabbed as the district favorite for the upcoming season. The district title could come down to this final game as the Eagles will be after their third straight district crown.

District Basketball Tournaments Have Long History in Oklahoma

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

June 18, 2020

The district basketball tournament for high school girls’ and boys’ teams is the first step in the long process of competing for a state basketball championship in Oklahoma.

The Class A and B schools were able to complete that process this past March with the crowning of state champions, but the upper classes were not able to complete their state tourneys in Oklahoma City and Tulsa because the pandemic forced the cancellation of those events.

In today’s prep basketball world the district tournament is the first of three steps to earning a spot in the state tournament each year for classes B through 4A. The district tourney sends the champion and runner up to the regional tournament. From there teams compete to advance to the area tournament and ultimately the state tournament.

Today’s district tournaments are much smaller than the district frays held 40 to 60 years ago when district tournaments featured six to eight teams. Of course, there were more high schools in Oklahoma prior to 1970 than exist today.

District tournaments in Oklahoma were started in 1919 and the winners of those district tournaments were the qualifiers for the state tournament. There was one class for boys and one class for girls and only eight district tournaments.

A few years later the regional tournament was added and for a number of years a team had to win just two regional tournament games to qualify for state.

At some point regional tournaments had eight teams and a squad had to win three games to earn the state tourney berth.

The Jefferson County schools did not compete in a district tournament until 1922 when the Waurika boys sent a team to the district tourney.

Hastings, Terral and Addington sent teams over the next three seasons to compete in the district tournament.

The Terral, Ryan and Hastings girls were the first female squads to compete in a district tournament in 1929.

The first year for Ryan’s boys to compete in a district tournament was in 1929.

Irving boys, Hastings girls and Sugden’s boys and girls teams also entered district tournament play in 1929.

Claypool, Ringling and Union Valley’s boys’ teams first competed in a district tournament in 1931.

While most schools had a girls’ team compete in a district tournament at some point, nearly all Jefferson County schools went several years without a girls team entered in a district tournament.

Around 1948 all the Jefferson County schools did have girls teams competing in the district tournament.

Ryan and Waurika have snared more district titles than any of the other schools, but they continue to compete in basketball today along with Ringling.

All the other high schools that existed around Jefferson County closed by about 1960.

The introduction of more than one class of basketball for boys and girls also had an impact on the success of the county teams.

All schools in Oklahoma competed in the same class until 1931 when two classes of boys basketball began. In 1980 there were six classes of boys’ basketball and since 1996 there have been seven classes that crown state champions.

Girls’ basketball in Oklahoma has undergone the biggest changes through the decades. Girls played six-on-six for many years.

There was only one class for girls up until 1950 when schools were divided into two classes. In 1964, three classes of play began.

In the 1980’s the larger schools in Oklahoma began to play five-on-five and in 1988 the first five-on-five champion was crowned.

The last six-on-six champions in Oklahoma were crowned in 1995 and Oklahoma was the last state to switch to five-on-five for all schools. From that point on, there have been seven classes in girls’ basketball.

Ryan, Waurika and Ringling were many times classified in a different class from the rest of the schools in the county.

There was a period of time that Waurika and Ringling were in a class above Ryan, but in the last few years all three schools have been in Class A.

Most often the county teams gathered for the district tournament at Waurika or Walters – especially in years prior to 1960. Ringling was the exception as they competed in a district tourney that was most often held at Healdton.

Once consolidation hit and several county schools closed the district tournament began to be held at schools that required more travel.

Since district tournaments are now over 100 years old this would be a good time to examine the history of the county high schools and their achievements in the basketball playoffs that began with a district tournament,

NEXT WEEK: The high school basketball playoff history of Waurika.

Waurika to Face Laverne for Rematch

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

November 28, 2020

Waurika will continue its playoff march tomorrow night when they travel to Laverne for a third-round Class B post-season clash.

The Eagles advanced last week with a 58-36 victory over Southwest Covenant, while the Tigers had its game with Seiling canceled when Seiling could not field enough players for the game because of Covid-19.

The two teams met in the second game of the regular season at Waurika and the Tigers handed the Eagles a 42-18 defeat.

In that contest the Eagles scored first, but Laverne rattled off 42 straight points before Waurika got a couple of late scores to set the final margin.

The two teams have two common opponents. Both teams had big wins over Canton. Waurika dropped a 56-14 decision to Shattuck, but Laverne downed the Indians, 50-14, in the final game of the regular season.

Laverne has a host of talented juniors that make up the roster and they have turned in some impressive performances on the season with a powerful offensive and a stifling defense.

The Tigers have won seven straight games. Last week’s playoff game is considered a no contest and does not count in the win/loss records.

Waurika continues to experience an up-and-down season and last weekend’s big win over Southwest Covenant was an example of what the season has been like.

The Eagles got off to a 16-0 lead, but allowed the Patriots to cut it to 16-8. A big second quarter gave Waurika another big lead, but the Patriots scored 20 straight points to narrow the game to two scores early in the fourth quarter.

The 2020 season for the Eagles was disrupted twice with cancelations plus Waurika scheduled Laverne and Shattuck – both traditional eight-man powerhouses – for non-district games.

The Eagles struggled in one district game – the 28-22 overtime loss to district champion Empire.

Waurika came back with a big district win over Snyder and after a week off with a first-round bye picked up the playoff win over Southwest Covenant.

The winner of Friday’s contest with Laverne will advance to the Class B quarterfinals and face the winner of Summit Christian and Davenport.

Waurika and Tipton are the only remaining teams from District B-3 in the third round of the playoffs. Empire was eliminated by Alex and Snyder fell in an overtime thriller to Velma-Alma.

Laverne’s most famous alumni is not an outstanding athlete. Jane Jayroe was a Laverne graduate and was the 1967 Miss America. She worked in television news for two Oklahoma City stations and continues to be an ambassador for the state of Oklahoma.

Here’s a brief look at this week’s playoff game:

Laverne at Waurika

Time and Place: Friday at 7 p.m. at Laverne High School Stadium

How to Get There: Take US 81 North to El Reno; Take I-40 West to the US 281 Spur toward Geary and Watonga; at Geary take US 270 to Watonga, Seiling and Woodward; Continue on 270 and turn north on US 283 to Laverne. Allow about four and half hours driving time.

Records: Laverne is 7-1, while Waurika is 6-3.

Coaches: Tanner Woods is in his second season as the coach of the Tigers. He has compiled an 17-4 mark and has led the team to the playoffs in both seasons. Joe Allen is in his third season at the helm of the Eagles. Under Allen the Eagles have a 27-6 mark.

Series History: Laverne won the only meeting between the two schools earlier this season.

Playoff History: Laverne is making is 43rd appearance in the playoffs and a 15th straight appearance. The Tigers have made the playoffs every year of eight-man play which began in 2006. Laverne has won three state titles and finished as the state runner up three other times – all in eight-man play. Laverne made three semifinal appearances between 1945 and 1958. The Tigers own a 48-39 mark in all playoff games and are 33-11 in eight-man playoff games.

Waurika is making its 30th appearance in the playoffs and the sixth since joining the eight-man ranks. Waurika is 30-26-2 in all playoff games. The 1951 Eagles won the state title and Waurika has five other semifinal appearances – all in 11-man play. Since entering eight-man play in 2012 the Eagles are 5-5 in all playoff games. Waurika is making its sixth straight appearance in the playoffs.

Team Capsules: Laverne is putting together another impressive season. The Tigers lost the season opener to Cherokee but have reeled off seven straight victories including an impressive 50-12 victory over Shattuck that ended the Indians’ long winning streak. The Eagles will have to figure out a way to stop Houston Bockelman, who ran for 230 yards on just 13 carries against the Eagles in the regular season meeting. He had touchdown runs of 32, 55, 33 and 40 yards against Waurika in the earlier meeting. The Eagles will also try to figure out the Laverne defense which has given up no more than two touchdowns to an opponent since the early-season meeting with Waurika and the opener against Cherokee

The Eagles played admirably last week without Torrez, but went through stretches of the game against Southwest Covenant where the team seemed to be disengaged. Kevin Garcia responded to the challenge of filling in at quarterback for the Eagles and rushed for 178 yards and was effective through the air by completing five of eight passes for 99 yards. Waurika continues to rely on a strong running game that is helped along by a consistent offensive line of Angel Garcia, Bowden Forsyth and Bobby Aldape. Slade Cathey adds to the offensive line from the tight end position. The defense continues to improve, despite giving up 36 points to a talented Southwest Covenant team in the first round of the playoffs.

Outlook: The Eagles will have to play an error-free game and be able to corral the Tiger offense that is averaging over 47 points a game. If the Eagles can accomplish this against Laverne, they should have the opportunity to move into the quarterfinals. However, this will prove to be the toughest challenge of the season for the Eagles as they face an improved Laverne squad from the one they faced early in the regular season.

2020 Laverne Season Results

Cherokee 28, Laverne 20

Laverne 42, Waurika 18

Laverne 50, Pioneer 14

Laverne 58, Balko12

Laverne 46, Seiling 0

Laverne 52, Canton 6

Laverne 56, Turpin 0

Laverne 50, Shattuck 16

Four Jefferson County Thinclads Tabbed for All-State Honors

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

June 18, 2020

In a year when nothing is normal, all-state honors for track took on a different look for the 2020 season.

With much of the season canceled including the regional and state track meets, the Oklahoma Track Coaches Association developed a process where athletes from the six classes of track were selected for all-state status.

Four of those athletes came from Jefferson County schools – three at Waurika and one at Ryan.

Sara Ballard, Nic Alvarado and Turner Mora are the three all-staters from Waurika and Juliet Spangler is the all-state selection from Ryan.

The Oklahoma Track Coaches Association took nominations from coaches for all-state honors and the best performances from the 2019 season were taken into account. Only seniors were selected for all-state for the 2020 season.

Normally, the winners of each event in each class at the state track meet are given all-state status in track.

Less than a dozen student-athletes from each class were selected for the elite honor and in Class A – which Ryan and Waurika are classified for outdoor track – eight girls and 11 boys were named to the squad.

Spangler has been an integral part of the Cowgirl track program for the past four years. A promising senior season opened with Spangler winning the 1,600 meters and finishing second in the 3,200 meters. She was part of the gold-medal winning 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams in the only meet this past spring.

Spangler was a big part of the scoring that gave the Cowgirls the meet title at Maysville in the only competition for 2020 and she played a role in helping the Cowgirls to tie for the meet title at the Waurika 8-Man Invitational in 2017.

The former Cowgirl, who will be taking her talents to Cowley County Junior College in Kansas to play basketball, holds the third best time in school history in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

Spangler was part of the 1,600-meter relay team that holds the school record of 4:40.70 set at the 2019 Class A State Track Meet. She was also part of the 3,200-meter relay team that set the school mark of 10:52.01 in the 2019 Red River Invitational at Waurika.

For her four-year career at Ryan Spangler has won four 1,600 meter titles, five 3,200 meter titles, one 1,600-meter relay title and four 3,200-meter relay crowns. That is a total of 14 gold medals.

Spangler also won a total of 27 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. She placed in events – meaning fourth through sixth place – a total of 21 times.

Spangler’s dad, Steve, served as her coach in track, cross country and basketball all four years of her high school career.

Ballard has been a mainstay for the Lady Eagles in cross country and track, however, her senior season was cut short by an injury.

The 2020 Waurika graduate excelled in the long jump for Coach Joe Masoner’s Lady Eagle thinclads. In her career she won the event once, finished second on two occasions and was third three times.

Ballard also placed a total of eight times in the long jump in three seasons.

In the 100 meters, Ballard won two bronze medals and placed five other times. She also scored in the 200 meters and the high jump in meets.

Ballard also was part of the 400-meter relay team, the 800-meter relay team and the 1,600-meter relay team for the Lady Eagles.

Alvarado was a consistent performer for coach Roger Jessie’s Eagle thinclads in his four seasons competing in the sport.

In the only competition for 2020, Alvarado helped three relay teams – the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,600- meter squads – to place at the Velma-Alma Invitational. The 400-meter relay team was fifth, while the 1,600-meter relay captured fourth place. Alvarado helped pace the 800-meter relay to a bronze medal performance in the meet.

In Alvarado’s career, the outstanding three-sport athlete was a key participant in the 800-meter relay that saw great success for the Eagles.

He helped lead the squad to four gold-medal finishes – including a regional title – and four runner up finishes.

He helped Waurika earn a bronze medal in the event during his career and helped the squad place in three other meets.

Alvarado was also part of the 400-meter relay that claimed two meet titles, one silver-medal finish and two bronze medal performances in his career. Results from his freshman season and his participation in the relays was not available.

Individually, Alvarado most often represented the Eagles in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. He has one silver medal in the 100 meters and has placed in the event two other times. He also has placed in the 200 meters on two occasions.

Mora comes from a legacy of athletic prowess at Waurika. His older brother Turner, his sisters, Tara and Tatum and his dad Guy preceded Turner on the oval. And, his younger sister, Tallin, still has two more years to continue the family’s tradition of athletic excellence.

The four-sport athlete has enjoyed not only a stellar track career at Waurika, but also a tremendous football career as the starting quarterback for the Eagles. Turner was the player-of-the-year in Waurika’s football district this past season and helped lead the Eagles to a 21-3 mark the past two years including two district titles.

Mora’s track accomplishments are many over the past four years.

In the only meet in 2020 at Velma-Alma, Mora led the Eagles’ 800-meter relay team to a third place finish and was part of the 1,600-meter relay that notched fourth place. He was also fourth in the long jump.

The 1,600-meter relay team has been outstanding for the Eagles for the past four seasons and Mora is just one of the reasons for the success in that event. In his freshman season, the 1,600-meter relay won the state title and in 2018 the Eagles were second.

In four years in just the 1,600-meter relay, Mora was part of at least nine meet titles, three silver medals and one bronze medal. Mora was part of the squad that placed four other times. Some of the results from his freshman seasons were not available.

Mora was also part of all the other relays at one time or another, but the most frequent participation came in the 800-meter relay. Mora helped the Eagles to four gold medals in the event, along with three silver medals and two bronze medal finishes. He was part of helping the Eagles place in the event three other times.

Individually, Mora competed in the long jump and 400 meters for the Eagles. He holds five gold medal finishes in the 400 meters along with one runner up finish and four bronze medals. He also placed one other time. In the long jump, Mora acquired two silver medals and placed in four other meets.

Mora and Alvarado were also part of the Coach Jessie’s Eagle track squad that won the 2017 Class A Regional Track Meet. Both were also part of the 2019 Eagle team that finished second at the Class A regional. The two competitors helped the Eagles secure the meet title in the Waurika 8-Man Invitational all three years of their careers.

Boise City had four members of the Class A all-state squads making Cimarron County and Jefferson County the only two counties in the state with four all-state track athletes from the Class A list.

Cowgirls Nab Third Place at Bulldog Bash; Cowboys Drop Two

Sports
2020 Articles

Trey Smart

January 29, 2020

The Ryan Cowgirls’ bid to win a second tournament this season fell just short last weekend as the squad finished third in the 11th annual Bulldog Bash at Healdton.

The Cowgirls defeated Wynnewood, 46-32, last Saturday in the third place game.

The Cowgirls dropped a 47-35 decision to the host school in the semifinal round on Friday.

In Thursday’s first round the Cowgirls dominated Elmore City-Pernell in a 52-30 victory.

All three of the opponents in the tournament for the Cowgirls were from Class 2A.

The Cowboys had a tough weekend as they dropped the first two games in the tournament.

The Fox Foxes handed Ryan a 50-36 defeat in the first round last Thursday and then Ringling pounded the Cowboys in the consolation semifinals, 50-30.

Fox boys and Healdton girls – both Ryan opponents during the tourney – claimed the tournament championship last Saturday night.

Cowgirls 46, Wynnewood 32

The Cowgirls dominated play in the second and third quarters to get the win over the Lady Savages.

The Lady Savages kept it close in the first quarter as Ryan held only an 11-10 lead at end of the quarter.

In the second quarter the Cowgirls went on a 12-4 run to take a 23-14 lead at intermission.

In the third quarter, Juliet Spangler and Samantha Good found the range and the Cowgirls dominated the Lady Savages, 17-5, to hold a commanding 40-19 lead heading to the final quarter.

The Lady Savages cut the margin in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Cowgirls, 13-6, thanks mainly to the Cowgirls poor free throw shooting. Ryan connected on only four of 10 attempts in the fourth quarter and hit only 13 of 24 in the game.

Good led the Cowgirls in scoring with 21 points and was the only Cowgirl in double figures, but six of the seven players that saw action in the game scored.

Healdton 47, Cowgirls 35

Healdton avenged an earlier loss to the Cowgirls with a strong first-half performance and taking advantage of superior depth to earn a spot in the finals of the tourney.

The Cowgirls fell behind the Lady Bulldogs, 17-9, after the first quarter and could never get on track offensively. Healdton increased the lead to 28-15 at intermission.

In the second half, the Cowgirls could only stay even with the Lady Bulldogs.

The Cowgirls outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 15-13 in the third quarter to trim the advantage to 41-30, but Ryan could only score five points in the fourth quarter – including only one field goal – and could not cut in the deficit.

J. Spangler had 15 points and York added 10 points to pace the Cowgirls in scoring.

The Cowgirls have won only two of 14 meetings with Healdton since the 1993 season.

Cowgirls 52, ECP 30

The Cowgirls used a strong second and fourth quarters to earn the first round victory despite missing a number of shots from point-blank range.

The two squads were tied at eight apiece after one quarter, but Ryan went on a 16-6 run in the second period to take a 24-14 lead at halftime.

The Cowgirls were able to extend the lead after three quarters with a 13-10 advantage giving Ryan a 37-24 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

In the final period the Cowgirls pulled away by outscoring the Lady Badgers, 15-6.

The Cowgirls were impressive on the offensive board with 14 rebounds compared to the Lady Badgers’ two offensive rebounds. Overall, the Cowgirls held a 40-16 advantage on the boards.

On the defensive end, the Cowgirls produced nine steals in the game.

York led the Cowgirls in scoring with 20 points, while J. Spangler added 15 points.

With this win the Cowgirls hold a 3-1 advantage over the Lady Badgers since the 1990 season.

Ringling 50, Cowboys 30

It took the Cowboys three quarters to get on track offensively and by that time the Blue Devils had built a big lead to earn a spot in the consolation finals.

Ringling sped to a 17-6 advantage after the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Cowboys could not find the basket as they scored only three points – all on free throws. In the meantime the Blue Devils were expanded the lead to 26-9 at the half.

The Blue Devils increased the lead to 39-15 after the end of the first quarter.

The Cowboys finally began to put points on the scoreboard in the final frame, but the deficit was too much for Ryan to overcome.

The 15 points scored in the quarter by Ryan was as many as the previous three quarters combined.

Andrew Villerreal topped the Cowboys in scoring with 13 points, but no other Cowboy could hit for double figures.

This was the fifth straight loss to the Blue Devils dating back to 2017.

Fox 50, Cowboys 36

Despite missing a pair of starters the undefeated Foxes rallied for the first round win over the Cowboys.

The Cowboys assisted with the comeback by committing over 20 turnovers in the contest.

The Cowboys jumped out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter, but Fox found the shooting range in the second quarter and outscored the Cowboys 17-6 to hold a slim 21-18 lead at halftime.

Fox increased the lead in the third quarter with a 10-6 scoring advantage to take a 31-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Foxes pulled away in the final quarter with a 19-12 scoring advantage.

Logan McCurtain hurt the Cowboys with his outstanding outside shooting. McCurtain finished the game as the leading scorer with 19 points and that includes five three-pointers.

Grayson Tomberlin led the Cowboys in scoring with 12 points.

Ryan still holds a 6-2 record against the Foxes with one year’s result unknown dating back to the 1996 season.

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