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Hastings Was First Jefferson County School To Play For State Title

By
Trey Smart
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0

Hastings High School last played in a district tournament in 1958 – the final year Hastings had a high school.

But, the school was the first Jefferson County school to make an appearance in a state basketball tournament.

The town of Hastings, which was once known as Bayard, was established in 1902.

When the area was opened for settlement as part of the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache reservation, it was discovered the name of Bayard already existed in Indian Territory.

This forced the locals to come up with another name when the post office was established in 1902. Two residents suggested the community be named for their hometown – Hastings, Nebraska.

Hastings was a thriving community in those early years. Several businesses including a pair of banks, cotton gins and grain elevators along with a brick company were part of the new town.

There was even a Baptist college located in Hastings, but it was relocated to Mangum, Oklahoma by 1912.

The community hit its population high in 1910 when 727 residents were counted.

Since that time, the community has dwindled.

As early as 1914, however, Hastings had a high school boys’ basketball team.

The first district tournament appearance by the Bulldog roundballers came in 1924 when the squad lost to Lawton, 40-7, at Waurika.

No district tourney results are available from that time until 1929 when Hastings dropped a 19-17 decision to Waurika in the first round of the tourney at Waurika.

It was not until 1934 that the Hastings boys picked up their first win in district tournament play. The opponent and score are not available for the semifinal game.

The Bulldogs fell to Union Valley-Randlett in the finals at Walters, 34-30.

The first district title won by the Bulldog came in the banner year of 1939.

Hastings won three straight games to claim the district crown at Waurika.

In the first two games, the Bulldogs picked up wins over Ahpeatone and Union Valley-Ryan. Hastings edged Terral, 39-37, in overtime, in the championship game.

With the district title in hand the Bulldogs headed to the Class C regional tournament at Comanche to continue the quest for a state tournament berth.

In the first round of the regional tourney, Hastings eliminated Burrow School, located near Foster in Garvin County. Hastings moved into the regional finals with a 46-36 victory.

This set up a meeting with Orr, a small community in Love County, and the Bulldogs rolled to a 52-20 victory to qualify for the state tournament.

In the first round of the state tournament played at Central High School in Oklahoma City, Hastings met up with Caddo County school Bridgeport. Bridgeport came into the tourney as the second seed, but the Bulldogs whipped Bridgeport, 36-10, to move into the Class C semifinals.

The Bulldogs met Butner of Wewoka in the semifinals. Hastings held a slim 12-9 advantage at the half. Butner’s missed free throw with five seconds remaining in the game helped Hastings advance with a 21-20 victory.

Earlier in the contest Butner had called a timeout without possession of the ball which resulted in a technical foul. Roy Johnson, the star forward for the Bulldogs, calmly sank the free throw.

In the championship game Hastings met Nuyaka, which was located near Okmulgee.

Nuyaka came into the game undefeated and kept an unblemished record for the season with a 39-36 win over Hastings. Nuyaka finished 34-0 for the year.

Hastings actually led, 11-4, after the first quarter, but Nuyaka rallied in the second frame to take the lead at the half.

Johnson had 18 points in the losing effort for Hastings. Johnson and Elmer Kincannon were named to the all-tournament team for the Bulldogs.

That proved to be the only district title won by the Bulldogs and the only regional and state tourney appearance for the Hastings boys.

The first appearance in a district tournament for the Hastings girls came in 1929 when the Lady Bulldogs fell to Comanche, 25-6, in the quarterfinals of the tourney at Waurika.

After only one known appearance in a district tourney from 1929 to 1945, the Lady Bulldogs were able to pick up their initial district tourney win – a 34-30 victory over Addington in the tournament at Waurika.

The only district tournament won by the Lady Bulldogs came in 1957 – just a year before the high school was closed.

Hastings scored a 54-36 victory over Geronimo in the semifinals of the Class B tournament played at Walters.

In the championship game the Lady Bulldogs defeated Union Valley-Randlett, 55-37, to advance into the regional tournament.

The Lady Bulldogs traveled to Marlow for the Class B regional and in the first round, Hastings managed a 41-34 victory over Middleberg.

In the semifinals, Hastings nipped Leon, 33-31, to earn a spot in the regional finals.

Sickles, which is now consolidated with Lookeba to form Lookeba-Sickles schools, edged the Lady Bulldogs, 44-42, in the finals and moved on to the state tournament.

While success for the Hastings basketball squads was limited, the town can always say they were the first from Jefferson County to make the state basketball tournament.

Here’s a brief summary of the playoff history of Hastings High School.

Lady Blue Devils, Wilson Stop Lady Eagle Fast-Pitch Softball Squad

By
Trey Smart
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0

Waurika’s fast-pitch softball team hit the road Monday and Tuesday for contests at Wilson and Ringling and the road was not kind to the Lady Eagles.

Tuesday at Ringling the Lady Eagles fell to the Lady Blue Devils, 11-1.

On Monday, Waurika dropped a 9-1 decision at Wilson.

The Lady Eagles will be back in action today (Thursday) when they host Temple and Fletcher.

Aubree Showalter up at bat! Photo by Karlee Brinson

Waurika travels to Temple on Saturday for the weather-shortened Temple Invitational Tournament.

The Lady Eagles will battle Ft. Cobb-Broxton in the first round of the now single elimination tournament. The first pitch is slated for 12:45 p.m.

 If Waurika wins, they will meet the winner of the Grandfield and Bray-Doyle matchup at 3:15 p.m.

The championship game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Grace Hill warms up. Photo by Karlee Brinson

Waurika closes out its regular season on Monday by hosting Velma-Alma.

One week from today (September 24) the Lady Eagles will compete in the Class A District Tournament at Snyder.

Pairings for the district tournament were not available for this week’s paper.

In Tuesday’s action, Ringling struck for nine runs in the first three innings and Waurika could not rally.

In the bottom of the first the Lady Blue Devils used a pair of walks, five stolen bases, two doubles and a triple to produce the four runs – all after two were out.

Riley Howell at bat. Photo by Karlee Brinson

Ringling added to the lead in the bottom of the second with the benefit of three Waurika errors in the inning and only one hit. Ringling scored two runs to increase the lead to 6-0.

In the top of the third, the Lady Eagles finally got something going with a lead-off double by Grace Hill. She scored on Aubree Showalter’s ground out to narrow the gap to 6-1.

Ringling added three more runs in the bottom of the third on five hits and one error to move in front, 9-1.

The Lady Blue Devils added another run in the bottom of the fourth to end the game by the run rule.

Gracie Walling was 2-for-2 to lead Waurika at the plate.

Lewis. Photo by Karlee Brinson

In Monday’s loss to Wilson, the Lady Eagles had trouble getting that key base hit.

Wilson put up four runs in the bottom of the first inning with four hits – including two doubles and a triple – and one Waurika error.

In the bottom of the second inning Wilson added to the lead with an RBI-double to increase the margin to 5-0.

Waurika got its only run in the top of the third inning. Showalter reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on a ground out and a single by Landry Forsyth. Showalter scored by stealing home plate to cut the lead to 5-1.

Gracie Walling was 2 for 2 at the plate. Photo by Karlee Brinson

Wilson added a single run in the bottom of the fourth with the aid of another Waurika miscue and the lead stood at 6-1.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Wilson struck for three runs on two Waurika errors, a hit batter, a single and a double. This ended the game by the run rule.

Riley Howell was 2-for-2 in the game for the Lady Eagles.

Faith Hill at bat. Photo by Karlee Brinson

District Basketball Tournaments Have Long History in Oklahoma

By
Trey Smart
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0

 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 Runners Post Impressive Performances in Initial Meet

By
Trey Smart
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0

The Waurika high school cross country squads opened the season last Saturday by competing in the Duncan Invitational at Duncan.

The Lady Eagles managed a fourth-place finish competing against several of the best teams in this part of the state – including two that will compete in a higher class.

Blanchard was the team champion with 46 points, while Merritt finished with 56. Waurika came in with 91 points.

In the boys’ competition, the Eagles finished 10th, but had to run against the likes of Duncan, Cache, Elgin and Lawton Eisenhower. Cache was the team champion with 45 points and Duncan finished second with 98. Waurika had 241 points – just one point behind Lawton Eisenhower.

Tallin Mora led the way for the Lady Eagles as she earned ninth place with a time of 13:34.21, which is her second best time ever.

Asia Smith also earned a medal by finishing 17th place with a time of 13:50.66.

Aubree Showalter came in at the 27th spot in the crowded girls’ field with a time of 14:53.21.

The fifth runner for the Lady Eagles, Faith Roberson, managed to finish 39th giving the Lady Eagles five runners in the top 40 of the meet. Roberson’s time was 15:40.11.

Brooklyn Barnes headed the junior varsity group for the Lady Eagles. Her overall finish of 55th was good enough to medal among the JV competitors. She finished the two-mile course with a time of 17:34.55.

Kaci Reynolds was 63rd (19:44.52) Savanna Ritter was 65th (20:27.45) and Hope Cummings was 67th (21:22.53) to round out the Lady Eagle competitors.

Waurika was competing against teams from Class 4A through Class 2A.

The Eagles had to compete in one division that included schools from every class – from Class 2A to 6A. Waurika held their own, however, against the bigger schools.

Cache Dunn paced the Eagles on the day with a 31st-place finish. His time was 20:00.30.

Gustavo Gomez was 51st with a time of 21:41.05 for the Eagles, while Trent Arellano earned the 62nd spot, but was just behind Gomez with a time of 22:20.17.

Alex Gomez was 64th (22:22.80) and Kevin Garcia earned 74th place (23:11.83) to round out the scorers for the Eagles.

Octavio Gomez (81st, 23:32.64), Malachi Dodson (117th, 29:06.55) and Colby York (121st, 30:24.30) rounded out the competitors for the Eagles in the meet.

Waurika will return to action Saturday when they travel to Madill for the Madill Cat Run.

Junior High Results at Duncan

Waurika Boys

Team Scoring: Elgin 63, Altus 73, Blanchard 74, Hollis 87, Duncan 106, Waurika 113, Cache 126.

15. Aiden Jenkins 13:45.33; 32. Jaxson Simmons, 14:58.83; 36. Ryder Watkins, 15:15.99; 38. Ledger Watkins, 15:53.63; 41. Austin Eck, 16:48.64; 

Waurika Girls

Team Scoring: Merritt, 47, Hollis 72, Comanche 50, Altus 108, Rush Springs 121, Blanchard 121, Duncan 184, Waurika 190, Ryan 226.

20. Charley Sellers, 12:38.21; 47. Niesca Camarillo, 14:15.78; 50. Destiny Foster, 14:36.96; 77. Gabby Gunter, 17:20.55; 85. Chancy Sellers, 18:19.99; 87. Paisley Young 18:28.27.

Ryan Softball Squad Eyes Second Half of Season for Improvement

By
Trey Smart
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0

 After a slow start to the fast-pitch softball season, the Ryan Cowgirls have shown some improvement and they hope the trend continues through the second half of the season.

The Cowgirls have had an extended layoff thanks to the schedule and to the weather which forced the postponement of a scheduled game with Waurika on Tuesday.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal

Ryan is slated to return to action today when the Cowgirls play host to conference rival Temple on Larry Ninman Field at the Bob Givens Sports Complex.

On Monday, the Cowgirls will host Wilson and next weekend will compete in the Temple Invitational Tournament.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal

The remainder of the regular season schedule will feature teams the Cowgirls have already seen during the first half of the schedule.

If the Cowgirls can continue to improve, a few more wins might be possible.

The Cowgirls have one scheduled game with Big Pasture and the two teams have split their two meetings.

The remainder of the schedule will prepare the Cowgirls for the Class B District Tournament that begins on September 24 and the site and pairings will be announced soon.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal
Photo by Shelley Villarreal
Photo by Shelley Villarreal

Cowgirls Split Games; Cowboys Drop Two Games

By
Trey Smart
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0

It has been a busy last few days for the Ryan Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball squads.

After playing in the Healdton Tournament over the weekend, the two squads had regular season games at Bray-Doyle on Monday and Geronimo on Raymon West Court at Ryan on Tuesday.

Ryan continues the busy schedule as the regular season begins to come to a close. The Cowboys and Cowgirls are slated to travel to Turner tonight and will return to action at Grandfield on Monday. Action begins at 6:30 on both nights.

In Tuesday’s contests, Geronimo took a 41-37 decision over the Cowgirls, while the Blue Jays completed the sweep with a 58-42 victory over the Cowboys.

The Cowgirls and Cowboys split the twinbill with Bray-Doyle. The Cowgirls picked up a 55-42 win over the Lady Donkeys, while the Cowboys dropped a tough 45-35 loss to Bray-Doyle.

One of the highlights on Tuesday night was a second Cowgirl was cited for joining the 1,000-point club during this season. Lily York, who reached the mark earlier, was honored after scoring her first points of the night.

The Cowgirls, however, struggled throughout most of the game on Tuesday against the Lady Blue Jays. Geronimo established a 10-5 lead after the first quarter and then found themselves trailing, 23-14, at the intermission.

 In the third quarter, the Cowgirls mounted a rally with a 17-5 run that saw Ryan take the lead at 31-28 after three quarters.

 However, the task of playing five games in six nights caught up with the Cowgirls in the fourth quarter as they could not maintain the lead and Geronimo outscored the Cowgirls, 13-6.

 Samantha Good, the other Cowgirl to reach the 1,000 point plateau, was the top scorer for the Cowgirls with 13 points, while Juliet Spangler added 11 tallies.

 The Cowgirls have now lost six of the last seven meetings with the Lady Blue Jays.

 The Cowboys fell to Geronimo for the sixth time in the past seven meetings and it was their fourth straight loss of this season.

The game was essentially decided in the first quarter as Geronimo used a 17-3 run to build a big lead.

The Cowboys were able to trim the deficit to 26-19 by halftime, but could not continue the rally.

The Blue Jays outscored the Cowboys, 19-11, in the third quarter to lead 45-30 and ensure there would be no come-from-behind success for the Cowboys on this night.

Andrew Villerreal and Landen Alexander each had 10 points for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys struggled at the free throw line as they connected on only 12 of 23 attempts from the charity stripe.

In Monday’s game at Bray-Doyle, the Cowgirls got off to a slow start.

Really it was more like an awful start as the Lady Donkeys built a 17-7 lead early in the game, but the Cowgirls rallied through the next three quarters to secure the win.

Free throw shooting can make a difference in a game as many contests are won and lost at the charity stripe.

One of the reasons for the slow start by the Cowgirls was only 4 of 12 shooting from the free throw line – a 33% mark.

Meanwhile, Bray-Doyle was a perfect six of six at the free throw line and that helped the Lady Donkeys to gain the early lead.

But, one of the key factors in the Cowgirl rally was sharper shooting at the free throw line in the second half as they connected on 13 of 16 free throws.

The Cowgirls actually took a narrow 20-19 lead into the intermission.

A 14-6 run in the third quarter helped the Cowgirls get control of the game as they led, 34-25, heading into the final quarter.

The Cowgirl offense came alive in the fourth quarter with 21 points and while they gave up 17 to the Lady Donkeys, the Cowgirls secured the 13-point win.

Three Cowgirls were in double figures. York was the top scorer for the Cowgirls with 20 points – including six of six free throws in the final quarter.

Good contributed 13 and Spangler added 11 points for the Cowgirls.

 The 55 points against Bray-Doyle by the Cowgirls is the most since the 1992 season and the two teams have split the last six meetings.

There was no come-from-behind story for the Cowboys, however, as Bray-Doyle was able to pick up its first win of the season.

The Donkeys sped to a 19-8 lead after the first quarter and managed to thwart any hope of a Cowboy rally.

Marshall Loveday led the Donkey offensive output in the first quarter with 12 of his game-high 19 points coming in the initial quarter.

The Cowboys cut into the lead before the half with an 11-6 advantage in the second quarter to leave the deficit for the Cowboys at 25-19 at the half.

It was a brutal third quarter that sealed the Cowboys’ fate as they managed only three points in the quarter. The Donkeys were able to extend the lead to 34-22 at the end of the period.

The Cowboys were able to gain a 13-11 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome the Bray-Doyle lead.

Below average free throw shooting helped prevent any hope of a Ryan comeback as the Cowboys connected on only nine of 20 free throws for the game.

Villarreal and Grayson Tomberlin paced the Cowboys in scoring with eight points each.

 The Cowboys have now lost three straight to the Donkeys.

Cowgirl Harriers Finish Seventh In First Meet of the Season

By
Trey Smart
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0

A pair of outstanding individual performances highlighted the first meet of the season for the Ryan cross country teams.

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.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal

The Cowboys took only one runner – Mason Adsit. The sophomore runner, however, recorded his second best time of his career which was good for 78th 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.

Photo by Shelley Villarreal

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

Villarreal, running in her first meet at the high school level, finished in 24th 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 34th in the meet with a time of 15:16.21.

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

Libby Carter was 69th 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

Waurika Gridders Are Gunning For Third Straight District Title in 2020

By
Trey Smart
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0

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.

Ryan Falls Short in Homecoming Game

By
Trey Smart
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0

 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 Girls Snap Three-Game Skid with Win Over Healdton

By
Trey Smart
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0

Tuesday night the Waurika basketball squads traveled to Healdton and came away with a split of the doubleheader.

The Lady Eagles picked up a tense, come-from-behind victory over the Lady Bulldogs, 45-44, while the Eagles fell to Healdton, 63-48.

The Waurika girls snapped a three-game slide with the victory and it also ended Healdton’s four-game winning streak after the Lady Bulldogs had claimed their own tournament title last weekend.

The Lady Eagles actually held a 14-10 advantage after the first quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs pulled even with a 9-5 advantage in the second quarter to put the score at 19-19.

Healdton tried to take charge of the game in the third quarter with a 12-6 scoring advantage that gave the Lady Bulldogs a 31-25 lead going to the final quarter.

In the final quarter the Lady Eagles lit up the scoreboard with 20 points while limiting Healdton to 13.

But the game came down to the final seconds.

Waurika was up four late in the contest and a couple of missed free throws and a Waurika turnover enabled Healdton to tie the game at 44-44.

Faith Roberson came up with a huge steal on an inbound play with two seconds left and she went to the line and connected on the first one and missed the second intentionally with only nine tenths of a second left in the game to give the Lady Eagles the win.

Five different Lady Eagles contributed to the rally in the fourth quarter.

Gracie Walling led the Lady Eagles in scoring with season-high 13 points – six of which came in the final quarter. Tallin Mora added 10 points for coach Kalee Baxter’s club.

In the boys’ contest, Healdton used an 11-0 run to open the game and went on to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Eagles never really recovered and Healdton continued to build on the big lead with the halftime deficit for Waurika at 32-15.

The Bulldogs continued the scoring barrage to begin the second half and led after the third quarter, 50-26.

The Eagles were able to trim the margin with a 22-13 advantage in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome such a large disadvantage.

Treyton Torrez led the Eagles in scoring with 23 points.

Waurika will travel to Walters tomorrow night (Friday) for a twinbill and then will return to action on Tuesday with home contests against Central High.

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