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Waurika Drops Pair to Velma-Alma’s Ranked Roundballers

By
Trey Smart
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0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Treyton Torrez led the Eagles in scoring with seven points.

Cowboys Gain First District Win in Convincing Fashion

By
Trey Smart
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0
Photo by Sheree Hanson

It was a remarkable night at Bob Givens Sports Complex last Friday night as the Ryan Cowboys rolled to an 84-38 victory over District B-4 foe Empire.

Scoring 84 points in a game is quite a feat, but it is incredible when you discover Ryan scored all 84 points in the final three quarters of play.

The Cowboys will try to maintain the momentum gained with the victory over the Bulldogs when they make the short drive up Highway 81 to battle Waurika tomorrow night (Friday). Kickoff at Cy Sloan Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m.

Both Waurika and Ryan enter the contest with a 1-0 mark in district play. Waurika is 5-0 overall, while Ryan is 4-2.

Last Friday’s first quarter was defined by two long drives by both Empire and Ryan that resulted in no scoring.

Ryan drove to the Empire 15 after getting an interception by Kalen Weldon on the first series of the game, but turned the ball over on downs.

Empire took over and took 16 plays to go from the Empire 19 to the Ryan 19, but on the next two plays the Ryan defense came up big and handed the Bulldogs losses of nine and two yards to turn the ball back to the Cowboys on downs late in the first quarter.

This gave the Cowboys their worst field position of the night at the Ryan 30, but the Cowboys methodically took the ball and drove the 70 yards for a score. Skylar Parkhill ran the final nine yards for the score and Dallas Fristoe ran for the two points to give Ryan an 8-0 lead with 7:50 to play in the second quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff the Cowboys perfectly executed a pooch kick and Weldon pounced on the ball before Empire could field it to put the Cowboys back in business.

The Cowboys took quick advantage of the Bulldog miscue and drove 38 yards in just three plays. Parkhill rushed for all 38 yards – the final carry covering five yards for the score. Parkhill ran for the two points and quickly Ryan was up, 16-0, with 7:06 left in the half.

Empire took possession at its own 48 yard line after an onside kick attempt and this time the Bulldogs answered with a scoring drive of 52 yards on eight plays. Peyton Booth ran the final 20 yards for the score and quarterback Mitchell Monteith ran for the two-point conversion to cut the Ryan lead in half at 16-8 with 4:46 left to play.

Possibly the play of the game for the Cowboys came on the ensuing kickoff when Travis Fristoe took the ball in the middle of the field at the Ryan 35 and maneuvered his way through a wall of tacklers and finally cut out to the left side for a clear path to the end zone. Parkhill ran for the two points and Ryan had a 24-8 lead with 4:40 left in the half.

The Bulldogs had an answer, however, as Empire took possession at its own 41-yard line following another short kickoff. Two straight running plays produced first downs and then Monteith found Mcray Weber wide open for a 37-yard touchdown pass. The run failed, but the Ryan lead was cut to 24-14 with 3:36 left in the half.

The Cowboys were not through scoring, however – not by a long shot as it turned out.

Ryan took the ball at the Empire 46 after another onside kickoff attempt and promptly drove 46 yards on seven plays for a touchdown. Grayson Tomberlin ran up the middle from the one-yard line for the score and then passed to Weldon for the two points to give Ryan a 32-14 advantage with just 16 seconds before the break.

As the third quarter got under way it looked like Ryan would take command as they drove 47 yards in four plays for a score. Parkhill got his third rushing touchdown of the night as he scampered 16 yards for the score. Parkhill ran for the two-point conversion and Ryan held a 40-14 lead with 10:33 left in the third quarter.

Empire, however, answered with a seven-play, 53-yard drive with much of the work being done by Booth. He got the score on a three-yard run and Booth also ran for the two points to cut the Ryan lead to 40-22 with 8:10 left in the third quarter.

The two squads then exchanged fumbles. Weldon raced to recover the snap over the quarterback’s head and this gave Ryan another short field at the Empire 33 yard line.

 On the first play, Parkhill raced 33 yards for the score and then Tomberlin found Fristoe on a two-point pass completion to put Ryan in front, 48-22, with 7:37 left in the third quarter.

Once again Empire proved its ability to score as they took the ensuing kickoff from the Empire 33 to the Ryan 41 in four plays. On third-and-six, Monteith found Lucas Contreras on a 41-yard touchdown pass and Daniel Alvarez caught a two-point conversion pass from Montheith to narrow the gap to 48-30 with 5:56 left to play.

That would be as close as the Bulldogs would get the rest of the night.

On Ryan’s next drive facing fourth and six at its own 49-yard line, the Cowboys pulled off a fake punt by snapping the ball to Parkhill and he broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown run. Fristoe ran for the two points and with 3:48 left in the third quarter, the Cowboys held a 56-30 advantage.

The Cowboys really put any hopes of an Empire rally to rest on the Bulldogs’ next drive.

Fristoe picked off an errant Bulldog pass in the middle of the field and quickly broke into open field on the left side and went 60 yards for a touchdown. The run failed, but now Ryan led, 62-30, with 2:32 left to play in the third quarter.

The Cowboys finally another stop on Empire’s next drive and took the ball over on downs at the Ryan 39.

In three plays, the Cowboys were on the scoreboard again. Justin Williams took a short pass from Tomberlin and took off on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 11:53 left in the game. Weldon caught a two-point conversion from Tomberlin to give Ryan a 70-30 lead.

Empire did not quit and on the ensuing drive traveled 62 yards on just two plays. Alvarez was on the receiving end of a 33-yard pass by Monteith for the score. Brandon Mendenall caught a conversion pass from Monteith and with 11:41 left to play, Ryan was in front, 70-38.

After holding the Bulldogs on the next drive, the Cowboys took over on downs at the Empire 25.

It took only two plays with Parkhill carrying the ball to the 10 on first down and then scoring on the next play. Tomberlin ran for the two-point conversion and the Cowboys were comfortably in front, 78-38, with 10:07 left in the game.

Empire put together the longest drive of the night moving from its own seven yard line to the Ryan 10 in 12 plays and helped along by a 15-yard penalty on the Cowboys.

On second down and goal from the 10, Monteith did not see Parkhill and the Cowboy senior picked the ball off at the one and went from the left side to the middle of the field and finally down the right sideline making a nifty move on the last Bulldog defender to prevent the score and danced into the end zone for a 99-yard touchdown return.

That put the Cowboys in front, 84-38, and with 4:48 left in the game the contest ended on the mercy rule.

Parkhill had a career night with 238 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns. He also recorded nine tackles and had the game-ending interception.

Weldon had a good night on defense with five tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception. Walter Snider, Fristoe and Tomberlin led the Cowboys in tackles with 13 stops each.

COWBOY CORRAL: Ryan now leads the series with Empire, 4-1, but this was the first meeting of eight-man teams….The 84 points scored is the third most in school history behind 97 scored against Devol in 1924 and 92 points scored against Comanche in 1922…The 84 points is the most ever scored by Ryan on the field where the Cowboys currently play breaking the previous high of 80 scored against Pernell in 1985….Parkhill’s interception return is now the longest in school history and broke the record of 94 yards set just last year by Dawson Tomberlin against Bray-Doyle….Because both teams used the onside or short kickoff most of the game much of the contest was played near midfield…Empire’s worst starting field position was its own seven-yard line, but only three drives out of 13 possessions started inside the Bulldog 30-yard line….Ryan had 10 possessions in the game and only three of those started inside the Ryan 40….Parkhill’s 238 yards rushing is the career high for the Cowboy senior and ranks as the 22nd best rushing total in school history….The six rushing touchdowns scored by Parkhill is the second most in school history behind the nine rushing touchdowns by Grant Carter in a 2015 game against Cement….Parkhill scored 48 total points in the contest and that is the second most in school history moving ahead of Nelson Turnbow’s 42 points scored in a 1940 game against Noble, but behind Carter’s total of 54 scored against Cement….Counting return yards and receiving yards, Parkhill finished the game with 351 all-purpose yards….The combined number of points scored – 122 – is the second most in school history behind the 138 points scoring in a 78-60 loss at Grandfield in 1997….The 84 points scored in this game is the fourth most in any game in Oklahoma this season behind Graham-Dustin’s 94 points in Zero Week and Tyrone’s 86 in Week 3 and Destiny Christian’s 86 points in Week 5.

Ryan Game in Figures

                                EHS          RHS

First Downs             23            18

Yards Rushing         39-166     42-335

Yards Passing         259          75

Passes                     16-35       3-6

Passes Int. By          0              3

Fumbles, Lost          1-1           1-1

Punts                       0-0           1-50

Penalties                  3-40         7-60

                SCORE BY QUARTERS

Empire     0              14            16            8–38

Ryan        0              32            30            22–84

                 SECOND QUARTER

RYAN – Skylar Parkhill 9 run (Travis Fristoe run), 7:50

RYAN – Parkhill 5 run (Parkhill run), 7:06

EMPIRE – Peyton Booth 20 run (Mitchell Monteith run), 4:46

RYAN – Fristoe 65 kickoff return (Parkhill run), 4:40

EMPIRE – Mcray Weber 37 pass from Monteith (run failed), 3:36

RYAN – Grayson Tomberlin 1 run (Kalen Weldon pass from Tomberlin), :16.4

                THIRD QUARTER

RYAN – Parkhill 16 run (Parkhill run), 10:33

EMPIRE – Booth 3 run (Booth run), 8:10

RYAN – Parkhill 33 run (Fristoe pass from Tomberlin), 7:37

EMPIRE – Lucas Contreras 41 pass from Monteith (Daniel Alvarez pass from Monteith), 5:56

RYAN – Parkhill 51 run (Fristoe run), 3:48

RYAN – Fristoe 60 interception return (run failed), 2:32

                FOURTH QUARTER

RYAN – Justin Williams 66 pass from Tomberlin (Weldon pass from Tomberlin), 11:53

EMPIRE – Alvarez 33 pass from Onteith (Brandon Mendenall pass from Monteith), 11:41

RYAN – Parkhill 10 run (Tomberlin run), 10:07

RYAN – Parkhill 99 interception return, (no try), 4:48 

               INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Empire: Rushing – Booth 17-89, Jackson Carrio 15-80, Monteith 6-13, Team 1- -16; Passing – Monteith 16-34-259-3; Contreras 0-1-0-0; Receiving – Alvarez 6-103, Mccray Weber 6-65, Contreras 3-77, Booth 1-14.

Ryan: Rushing – Parkhill 21-238, Tomberlin 13-106, Travis Fristoe 8-19; Passing – Tomberlin 3-6-79-0; Receiving – Williams 1-66; Parkhill 1-11, Fristoe 1- -2; Tackles – Walter Snider 13, Fristoe 13, Tomberlin 13, Pacen Wiest 12, Parkhill 9, Williams 8, Andrew Villerreal 7, Gunner Phillips 6, Weldon 5, Trey Bryant 4, Sam Brown 2, Raesh Casebolt 1.

District B-4 Squads Win Three of Four Contests

By
Trey Smart
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0

 It was a good week for the grid teams in District B-4 as four of the five schools won their contests as they continue to engage non-district foes.

This week the teams will engaged in another week of non-district contests while most of the rest of the state begins district play.

Most districts in all classes have eight schools, but the schools in District B-4 are with five other schools leaving more room for non-district games.

Wilson will take the week off, but the Eagles have fashioned an impressive 4-0 record to start the season. They have wins over two ranked teams in Class C – Fox and Paoli.

Wilson’s victory over Fox was probably the most impressive among the district schools.

Waurika is the other undefeated team among the district schools with wins over Temple, Grandfield and Carnegie – all by the mercy rule.

Ryan recorded its third win of the season and all three wins have come against Class C teams – Maysville, Temple and Grandfield. The Cowboys will step back into play against Class B teams when they face Caddo this week.

Bray-Doyle, 3-1 on the year, will have the week off, also. The Donkeys had been on a roll until last Friday when they were soundly defeated by Cyril, 52-6.

Central High got into the win column for the first time this season. The Bronchos defeated Temple but both schools suited out only 10 players for the game.

Empire, who had a bye week last week, will try to reach the .500 mark when they host Cyril.

Last Week’s Results

Central High 44, Temple 18

Cyril 52, Bray-Doyle 6

Ryan 30, Maysville 14

Waurika 64, Carnegie 14

Wilson 56, Fox 28

This Week’s Games

Carnegie at Central High 1-2

Cyril at Empire 1-2

Ryan at Caddo 3-1

Snyder at Waurika 3-0

Bray-Doyle does not play 3-1

Wilson does not play 4-0

Southern Eight Basketball Honorees Shine in All-Star Game

By
Trey Smart
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0
Dawson Tomberlin (left) and Mackenzie Lewis (right) of Ryan were presented scholarships Monday during the conference all star games. The two Ryan seniors were awarded the scholarships based on participation, academics and entering an essay on how high school athletics have influenced their lives. (photo provided)

The annual Southern Eight Conference All-Star basketball games were played at Temple last Monday night and both games came down the wire.

In the girls’ contest, the White team made up of players from Big Pasture, Temple and Ryan came out on top, 50-49, over the Dark team that consisted of players from Waurika, Grandfield and Geronimo.

In the nightcap, the Dark squad (players from Big Pasture, Waurika and Ryan) used 11 three-pointers, including one in the final seconds, to get a 64-63 win over the White team which was comprised of players from Geronimo, Temple and Grandfield.

Steve Spangler, the head coach of the Ryan girls, directed the White team, while Kalee Baxter of Waurika coached the Dark team.

In the girls’ game, the White team overcame the 18-point performance of Waurika’s Madison Roberson, to get the victory.

The White team got off to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter thanks to Ryan’s Juliet Spangler’s five points.

However, the Dark team came back in the second frame to narrow the lead to 30-28 at the break.

The Dark managed to grab the lead at 43-41 heading into the fourth quarter, but it was the scoring efforts of the Ryan duo of Lily York and MacKenzie Lewis that rallied the White team to the victory.

Dawson Tomberlin (left) and Mackenzie Lewis (right) of Ryan were presented scholarships Monday during the conference all star games. The two Ryan seniors were awarded the scholarships based on participation, academics and entering an essay on how high school athletics have influenced their lives.
(photo provided)

Topping the scorers for the White team was Ryan’s Samantha Good with nine points. Spangler finished with seven, York had six and Lewis added five points.

Nine of the 10 members of the White team scored.

Adding to Roberson’s game-high point total was Grandfield’s Laylee Ramirez that totaled 13 points in the losing effort.

Asia Smith of Waurika contributed two points, while the Lady Eagles’ Lexie Streeter played but did not score.

The Cowboys’ Judd Matthes coached the Dark team to the narrow victory thanks to Big Pasture’s Dalton Groves’ long-range trey with three seconds to play to decide the contest.

The Dark team managed a 14-11 lead after the first quarter, but the White squad snared a 30-29 advantage at the half.

The Dark outscored the White, 17-15, in the third quarter to hold a slim one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The two teams battled on even terms in the fourth quarter with Groves’ trey ultimately giving the Dark team the win.

The Dark team was able to gain the victory thanks to four three-pointers in the final quarter including two from Ryan’s Skylar Parkhill.

Groves and his Big Pasture teammate Conner Boydston led the Dark team with 11 points apiece.

Parkhill finished with eight points and his teammate, Dawson Tomberlin, added three points.

Among the Waurika players, Cache Arellano had eight points, while Kevin Garcia and Seth Cathey each totaled seven tallies. Turner Mora scored two points to round out the Waurika contingent.

Ryan’s Tomberlin and Lewis were each awarded a $250 scholarship by the conference.

Cowboy Nine Drops Twinbill to Turner

By
Trey Smart
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0

After an extended time off because of scheduling conflicts the Ryan Cowboy baseball squad was back in action Tuesday at Larry Ninman Field.

The Cowboys hosted Turner in a doubleheader and Ryan found itself on the wrong side of the scoreboard in both games.

The Falcons defeated the Cowboys, 12-2, in the pair of contests that ended early because of the run rule.

Ryan is slated to be back in action today at Larry Ninman field when the Cowboys play host to Grandfield. The high school game will start around 6 p.m.

Grandfield’s only win this season came in an earlier meeting with the Cowboys.

The Cowboys close out the regular season with a twinbill with Waurika on Monday. The doubleheader will start at 4 p.m. at the Ryan diamond.

The Eagles have two wins over the Cowboys in an earlier meeting.

Following the final two regular season games the Cowboys will travel to Sterling for the Class B District Tournament.

No other details were provided on the pair of losses to Turner.

Cowboy Thinclads Finish Fifth At Red River Invitational

By
Trey Smart
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0

….Alicen Williams the only placer for Cowgirl track squad at Waurika and V-A

Grayson Tomberlin picked up his first gold medal this season in the shot put to lead a small contingent of Cowboy tracksters to a fifth place finish at Waurika’s Red River Invitational last Saturday.

The Cowboys totaled 41 points – which tied with Rush Springs for fifth place. Waurika won the meet with 122 points and Frederick was second with 100 points.

Alicen Williams was the only Cowgirl to place in an event at the Waurika meet and her totals gave Ryan eight points, which tied for 12th place in the team race with Grandfield.

A small contingent of Ryan thinclads journeyed to Velma-Alma to compete in a large field at the Velma-Alma Comet Invitational on Tuesday.

The Cowboys accumulated 10 points, which tied Ryan for 18th place in the team standings among the 29 schools that scored during the day at Velma-Alma.

Williams was also the only scorer for the Cowgirls at the V-A meet and her performance gave the Cowgirls six points, which tied them for 22ndamong the 28 teams that scored.

Ryan’s track squads will head to the Class A Regional Track Meet at Alex on Friday. The meet will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the top three finishers in each event will qualify for the Class A State Track Meet in Cherokee on May 8.

On Tuesday, Tomberlin turned in another good performance in the shot put. His throw of 39-3 was good enough for third place at the V-A meet.

Tomberlin finished just ahead of his teammate, Caleb Perrin, in the shot put. Perrin had a throw of 38-9.5, which was good enough for fourth place.

Williams was the only placer among the Cowgirls that participated in the meet at V-A.

In the 3,200 meters, Williams finished fifth with a time of 14:05.75, which was her fourth best time in the event this year.

Williams was fourth in the 1,600 meters and her time of 6:21.82 gave her fourth place. It was her second best time this year and the 11th best performance by a Cowgirl in the 1,600 meters.

At Waurika last Saturday, Williams was third in the 3,200 meters with a time of 14:02.15.

In the 1,600 meters, Williams finished fifth with a time of 6:19.69 – which is her career best in the event and the eighth best time in school history by a Cowgirl thinclad.

Tomberlin joined Perrin in finishing one-two in the shot put to help aid the Cowboy cause.

Tomberlin had a throw of 40-7, while Perrin’s best mark in the shot put was 39-8.

The 3,200-meter relay team of Julian Rodriguez, Mason Adsit, Westin Jennings and Landen Alexander managed a runner up finish in the even with a time of 10:54.65.

Adsit was also fourth in the 3,200 meter run with a time of 13:16.25.

In the 200 meters, Alexander finished fifth with a time of 26.12.

Rodriguez managed to finish sixth in the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:54.40.

Pair of Ryan Athletes Attend Sports Leadership Camp in Costa Rica

By
Trey Smart
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0
READY TO BOARD - Ryan’s Jasmine Villerreal (left) and Alicen Williams (center) are pictured with former Ryan athlete Whittany Spangler of Moss getting ready to board a plane to Costa Rica to spend 10 days at a sports leadership camp. (Photo provided)

 Two Ryan student athletes recently returned from a sports leadership camp experience in Costa Rica.

Jasmine Villerreal and Alicen Williams, both students at Ryan High School, spent 10 days at the camp that is a sports leadership experience for high school female athletes.

Former Ryan athlete, Whittany Spangler, was also part of the select group of athletes chosen to participate in this elite camp.

The leadership camp is operated by Beyond Sports and was founded by two former college athletes that were inspired by the power of cross-cultural understanding through sports and wanted to create opportunities for student athletes to travel abroad and create meaningful connections and unique experiences through their sport.

Since 2010 the camp has hosted over 3,000 athletes and the facility is located within walking distance to a beach.

The Girls Leadership Academy for Service and Sport (GLASS) is the event Villerreal and Williams attended. A team of current college athletes served as mentors for the group of girls on a campus that has been developed in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica.

Each session of the camp consists of 18 or less students and each attendee fills out an application that includes personal information, the sports they participate in and essay questions.

Based on the applications, the girls are chosen to participate at their expense in the camp. Financial assistance is available for participants.

Williams and Spangler were slated to attend last summer but the camp was canceled because of COVID-19 and this year, Villerreal decided to try and join her friends for the experience.

“I really wanted to try something new and learn more about leadership and service while being in another country,” Williams said about this unique opportunity.

Villerreal was also excited to attend this camp because of its location out of the United States.

“Stepping out of my comfort zone and traveling out of the country by myself was a big factor for me wanting to go,” Villerreal noted. “Meeting a bunch of new girls from all over was also a factor for me.”

Both girls were elated to find out they were accepted to the camp that has only a few sessions each summer.

“I was really nervous but super excited,” noted Villerreal. “I actually started packing the day I found out because I was so excited.”

Williams echoed Villerreal’s comment about finding out she had been accepted. “I was super excited to get the opportunity to go have fun and learn so much with other amazing girls.”

Each day’s activities began with a workout and then time with their appointed mentor. After breakfast the group went on an excursion.

After lunch and a short amount of free time, the girls had another workout and then conducted sports clinics in the community giving them opportunities to interact with the culture.

Following dinner, the girls engaged in a leadership development workshop each evening.

Williams and Villerreal did not have any trouble sharing the benefits from the experience.

“The camp showed me different aspects of my life I never could have seen by myself,” Villerreal explained. “Trying to be a leader is hard especially having that mindset that you have to be perfect. People tend to lose sight of who they really are when trying to be that perfect.”

“For me the greatest benefit of the week was getting to learn more leadership skills that help with serving others,” said Williams.

No doubt the camp enhanced the opportunities that await the pair of Cowgirls in the upcoming sports seasons.

READY TO BOARD – Ryan’s Jasmine Villerreal (left) and Alicen Williams (center) are pictured with former Ryan athlete Whittany Spangler of Moss getting ready to board a plane to Costa Rica to spend 10 days at a sports leadership camp. (Photo provided)

Villerreal is a four-sport athlete at Ryan participating in fast-pitch softball, cross country, basketball and track.

“I carried a lot of weight on my shoulders due to lack of confidence this past year,” Villerreal said. “I realized you can’t do everything by yourself and people are going to have opinions.”

“I want to come into the year more confident and having fun,” Villerreal added. “Having fun and doing whatever you enjoy doing can change your whole perspective.”

Williams, who will be a senior for the Cowgirl cross country, basketball and track teams this coming school year came away with focus in regard to the upcoming seasons.

“I think it will help me to be a better leader for our team as well as being a good teammate,” Williams commented.

Both girls obviously took away memories from the experience that will last a lifetime.

“My greatest memory was getting to help out with the CEPIA kids,” Williams said, “I loved getting to play soccer and kickball with them and it was also so cool to see the culture down there and how others live.”

CEPIA is a non-profit organization that promotes culture and educational opportunities for the kids in Costa Rica.

Villerreal mentioned the opportunity to work with the kids but she also talked about relationships built and the opportunities to serve.

“Getting to meet everyone and becoming loser and seeing how fast e built those connections in just 10 days was amazing,” Villerreal said. “Doing services such as dog walking, environmental clean ups and helping with the kids was a great memory.”

Williams urged anyone to try to attend the camp.

“For any girl who would like to experience it, I would definitely say to go for it because I loved it such much and learned so many thing while making connections,” Williams said.

From al the comments of Williams and Villerreal, it is evident that the mission statement of GLASS – empowering the next generation of female leadership through sports, service and global engagement – was accomplished and will make a difference in their experiences in the upcoming sports seasons.

New Ryan Boys’ Basketball Coach Knows The Territory

By
Trey Smart
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0

Being familiar with your surroundings makes anyone a little more comfortable – even if it is your first job.

 Such is the case for the newly named Ryan boys’ basketball coach, Austin Masoner.

 If that last name sounds familiar, it should because Austin is a 2014 Waurika High School graduate.

 His father, Joe, has served on the coaching staff at Waurika for over 20 years, so he has been involved in plenty of competition between Ryan and Waurika.

 But, the coaching name doesn’t stop there. Austin’s grandfather, Roy, coached at Temple, Walters and Tipton.

 Roy Masoner actually coached a couple of years with Ryan graduate Doug Cathey when the former All-Big Eight defensive end was the head coach at Temple.

 So the territory which Austin Masoner enters with his first paid coaching job will be familiar. He grew up competing against Ryan as an outstanding athlete at Waurika.

 Masoner, who just graduated earlier this month with a bachelor of science degree in sports and exercise science from nearby Cameron University in Lawton.

 Last month, he was named the new junior high and high school boys’ basketball coach at Ryan.

 “I really am excited,” said the younger Masoner. “When they first called me and told me they would be meeting, I was really anxious.

 “But, they called me back late the night of the meeting and offered me the job,” Masoner noted.

 “It was surprising to get this job,” said Masoner. “I didn’t expect to be hired as a head coach right off, but it was a great experience.”

 Austin has hit the ground running as he met with potential basketball players for the 2019 season last Monday night.

 “It (the meeting) went well,” said Masoner. “It was kind of a last-second deal, so I am not sure the word got out to everyone.”

 Masoner will face a tough situation in his first year of coaching as he inherits a Cowboy squad that counted only four wins during the 2018 campaign. Two starters from that team are expected to return in 2019.

 Masoner’s expectations are realistic. “If they buy in and put fort the effort with the schedule we have I think we can be a .500 team,” Masoner commented. “I want to be competitive every night.”

 On that schedule will be Ryan’s long-time rival and Masoner’s former school – Waurika. And, the current boys coach at Waurika just happens to be his dad.

 “It will be real interesting,” said Masoner when asked about the unique experience of coaching against his dad who is a graduate of Walters High School. “We didn’t always see eye-to-eye when I was playing so it will be good to see who comes out on top.

 “I know he won’t let me hear the end of it if he beats me,” Masoner noted with some laughter.

 As Austin begins his coaching career he can draw on a varied number of experiences from his high school days competing in football, basketball, track and baseball.

 Masoner was all-area all four years in basketball for the Eagles and was also an Oil Field Conference and Southern Eight Conference all-star all four years. In his freshman season he was selected as the defensive MVP in the Southern Eight.

 In football, he was all-area for three years and possibly could have been his senior year, but a knee surgery forced him to forego his senior year on the gridiron.

 Masoner will likely try to employ a high-tempo, fast-paced offense as he takes the reins of the Cowboys.

 “I hope we can get up and down the floor because that is what I like to do,” Masoner commented.

 The first-year coach will try to experiment a great deal on defense hoping to switch defenses on nearly every possession.

 Not only will Masoner be in his first year of coaching, but he should enjoy the new improvements slated to get under way soon for the Ryan gymnasium.

 The nearly 60-year-old facility will be undergoing a face lift with a new concession area, new entry, new home locker rooms for both boys and girls and additional seating on the south side of the gym.

 It will be the first major renovations since the gym was built.

 “It will be a great thing and it can also be seen as starting something new – both with the building and with the team,” said Masoner. “The job is always a little easier with new facilities.”

 So Masoner has his work cut out for him, but knowing the area and no doubt some of the people will be an asset as he launches what surely will be a fruitful and long coaching career.

Ryan Track Squads Find State Competition to Be Tough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ryan Softball Seniors Honored at Home Game

By
Curtis Plant
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The Ryan Senior girls were honored recently at recent home game. The community expressed their gratitude for their commitment and hard work….

The following is a picture of the seniors and their parents.

(l-r) Darwin Deboard, Laken Deboard, Regina Reimer, Kory Reimer, Candice Keith, Justyce Keith, C.J. Keith, Sebastian Guzman, Sadie Guzman, Susan Torress, Josie Martin, Emilee Martin, and Jason Martin. These Seniors along with their parents were honored at the last home softball game of the season.Photo by Sheree Hanson

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