Midwest City’s Reeves heading to South Dakota
Midwest City cornerback Ricky Reeves has committed to South Dakota, Bombers coach Steve Huff said. Another Bombers defensive standout could be heading there as well.
Reeves took a visit to the school last weekend and made the decision to commit after the trip.
An Oklahoman All-State defensive back, Reeves (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) had 61 tackles and six interceptions as a senior and scored three rushing and a receiving touchdown on offense.
Linebacker Zeke Lewis is making a trip to the school this weekend. Lewis, also an all-stater, had a 6A-best 169 tackles and added six sacks and an interception.
Reeves joins James Flanders (Tulsa), Dakota Moran (Northeastern State), Devin Crisp (NSU) and C.J. Smith (Emporia State) as Midwest City players committed to play in college. Several others could decide between now and signing day, Feb. 1.
Ryley Claborn, Corben Jones and Tyler Bush make college choices
A trio of high school football players on the west side of the metro have made their college decisions this week.
Bethany quarterback Ryley Claborn verbally committed to Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford. Yukon quarterback Corben Jones will sign with Emporia (Kan.) State, and Yukon offensive lineman Tyler Bush has committed to Southeastern State in Durant.
Claborn quarterbacked the Bronchos to the state semifinals and quarterfinals in his final two seasons. As a senior, he threw for 1,883 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 122 of 207 passes (58.9 percent).
As a three-year starter for the Millers, Jones guided the team to three consecutive playoff appearances, snapping a decade-long postseason drought. In his senior year, 1,999 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight picks with a completion percentage of 59.6 (140 of 235). He also rushed for 500 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bush anchored the line of an offense that has averaged 32.2 points per game the last two seasons.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Norman’s Tanner Satterthwaite named state’s Gatorade Runner of the Year
Norman senior Tanner Satterthwaite was chosen as the 2011-12 Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
The award recognizes outstanding athletic performance as well as academics and character. The award puts him up for Gatorade’s National Boys Runner of the Year award.
Satterthwaite won the Class 6A state championship as a junior, and finished fourth at the state meet as a senior, helping Norman claim the 6A team title.
He was Oklahoma’s best finisher at the 2011 Nike Cross Nationals South Regional championships, placing 26th. He also won the Oklahoma Meet of Champions and the Oklahoma-Arkansas All-Star Cross Country Meet.
Satterthwaite remains undecided on a college choice.
Midwest City’s Moran commits to NSU
Midwest City offensive lineman Dakota Moran committed to Northeastern State University this weekend.
Moran was the anchor of the Bombers offensive line that helped Midwest City rush for nearly 3,500 yards this season. Midwest City was 11-1.
NSU was 7-5 last season, its last in the Lone Star Conference. NSU joins the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association next year.
Overcoming injury as a senior, Putnam City’s Desmond Tilly commits to Langston
Putnam City's Desmond Tilly verbally committed to play football at Langston next season.
I was standing on the sideline in the final minutes of Putnam City’s preseason scrimmage against Southmoore when PC running back/linebacker Desmond Tilly tore his ACL.
Saw him writhing in pain on the field. Saw the look on his face when they helped him off.
It was a crushing blow. In one quick moment, Tilly went from a kid who appeared to be on the verge of a breakout year to a spectator. That moment, and a similar one involving Northwest Classen’s Terry Arnold, inspired the story I wrote about the two injured seniors in November.
On Saturday, Tilly verbally committed to play football at Langston next year, a much-deserved opportunity for a hard-working kid.
Langston sees Tilly as a safety/outside linebacker hybrid, which seems like a perfect fit for the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder.
Earlier in the week, PC running back Casey Curtis committed to NEO, and other Pirates like Elie Rushing could be getting some college opportunities as well.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Edmond North’s Jared Benway, Troy Davis commit to NEO
Edmond North's Jared Benway has committed to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
The number of Oklahoma high school football standouts committing to begin their college football careers at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M continues to grow.
Edmond North running back Jared Benway and tight end Troy Davis both committed to the Miami, OK, junior college on Saturday.
Benway, who lost his entire junior season to a torn ACL, shared the backfield with speedster Jarion Tudman as a senior. Much of his role was a blocking one, but he also rushed for 574 yards and six touchdowns.
Davis caught 31 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Edmond North finished the season 9-3 with a tough, 17-16 loss in the Class 6A quarterfinals to eventual state champion Tulsa Union.
Edmond North's Troy Davis will also start his college career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
Benway and Davis’ commitments come after news that Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson, The Oklahoman‘s 2011 Offensive Player of the Year, and Putnam City running back Casey Curtis were also both committing to NEO.
Oklahoma Christian School kicker Keegan Carter is also starting his college career at the junior college.
Putnam City’s Casey Curtis verbally commits to NEO
Putnam City running back Casey Curtis announced that he has verbally committed to NEO on Thursday.
Putnam City running back Casey Curtis made his college decision final on Thursday. He told The Oklahoman that he verbally committing to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college in Miami.
Curtis rushed for 1,805 yards and 28 touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry as a senior at Putnam City.
Curtis is excited about the opportunity, especially with Thursday’s news that Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson also plans to attend NEO as well. The two will be competing for playing time in the fall.
“I’m excited to play with somebody like that,” Curtis said. “I love to compete. That’s life. YOu compete with people all the time.”
Curtis, who ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash last summer, hopes the junior-college program will help him continue his quest to receive an NCAA Division I scholarship. He was being recruited by multiple D-I schools last year.
Curtis said Oklahoma State coaches stayed in contact with him and expect to recruit him again after his two seasons at NEO.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Jenkins Award winners named
The Warren Spahn Award Gala organizers announced this year’s winners of the Ferguson Jenkins Awards on Thursday.
The awards honor the state’s best baseball and softball players and coaches.
Baseball winners are Broken Arrow’s Jacob Evans, Carl Albert’s Taylor Hawkins, Stillwater’s Corey Hassel, Deer Creek’s Isaac Hellbusch and Edmond Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley.
Softball winners are Tulsa Union’s Nicole Brady, McAlester’s Taylor Dewberry, Edmond Santa Fe’s Madison Martin, Blanchard’s Leslie Miller and Tuttle’s Caitlin Sill.
Guthrie baseball coach Jon Chappell and Tulsa Union softball coach Jerry Pease won coaching honors.
The awards will be presented at the gala Jan. 26 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum, the same ceremony where Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw will be awarded the Warren Spahn Award.
Broken Arrow’s Levi Copelin switches from Houston to Missouri
Broken Arrow defensive back Levi Copelin, who was on The Oklahoman‘s All-State first team, has decommitted from Houston and will commit to Missouri this weekend on his official visit, he confirmed in a text message.
His switch was first reported by Rivals.com.
Copelin was a jack of all trades for Broken Arrow as a senior. He intercepted eight passes, blocked four kicks and scored 12 total touchdowns, the last of which was a 40-yard reception in the Class 6A state championship loss to Tulsa Union.
He committed to Houston in October, and said in December that he was keeping his options open after Kevin Sumlin left the Cougars to become Texas A&M’s coach. Then, he said that “other opportunities” were weighing heavy on his conscience.
McDonald’s All-American nominees announced
The nominees for the 2012 McDonald’s All-American game were announced Wednesday.
The 24 boys and girls selected to participate in the All-American Game will be announced at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 on ESPNU. This year’s games will be held March 28 in Chicago, with the girls game tipping off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 8:30.
Only Texas and Iowa had more nominations on the girls side than Oklahoma’s 26.
Boys
Nino Jackson, Ardmore
Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial
Austin Thrash, Cheyenne
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial
Girls
Kate Andrews, McGuinness
Kelsey Barnwell, Kansas
Ashley Clark, Midwest City
Taylor Cooper, Shawnee
Courtney Cowan, Kansas
Alie Decker, Edmond Memorial
Quira Demery, Millwood
I’Knique Gaines, Tulsa East Central
Mariah Gilliam, Tulsa Washington
Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
LaShanda Green, McAlester
Kelsey Grovey, Shawnee
Elyse Hight, McGuinness
Sydney Hill, Edmond Memorial
Shelley Knight, Wayne
Deena Manning, Wayne
Madison Mercado, Sapulpa
LaNesha Middleton, Stillwater
Bria Pitts, Tulsa East Central
Caitlyn Ramirez, Shawnee
Toni Smith, Del City
Caitlyn Spurgeon, Vinita
Jordynn VanPelt, Snyder
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe
Antoinet Webster, Western Heights
Adriana White, Midwest City
