The Impact of Brooks Mosier
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(Mosier, center, two years ago flanked by Parker Burnett, Bryan Owen and Taylor Daniels. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman)
I really shouldn’t be the one writing a Brooks Mosier career retrospective. Two years ago, I hadn’t met the man and didn’t even know who he was.
I didn’t know about all of his various coaching stops (Southeast, Northwest Classen, John Marshall, U.S. Grant, Western Heights, Newcastle and OCS, to name a few) or his near 50 years in the coaching profession.
All I knew he was some legendary coach everyone talked about who was returning to coaching after beating cancer.
But it only took a couple of meetings to realize what a special human being he was. So maybe in that regard, I’m the perfect person to be writing this.
I only met Mosier a couple of times. I would call him occasionally to see how things were going at Community Christian. And in my brief conversations with him, I quickly learned what the fuss was all about.
After every conversation, I was either left laughing or smiling about something he said or about some odd comparison he made.
It reached a point where I would start to go out of my way to find out how things were going at the small Christian school in Norman.
I remember talking to Mosier the day after this year’s Christian schools championship where Destiny Christian defeated CCS on a hook-and-lateral.
The finish alone is worth talking about, but the fact that Mosier watched the game from his car is something I still can’t fathom.
He was just so weak from the cancer, but he wanted to be out there for those kids so bad. And in talking to CCS players and coaches and his wife, Wanda, that’s where the real legacy of Mosier will be: his kids.
Mosier passed away three weeks ago after another battle with cancer. He was 73. It happened during the state basketball tournaments, so it kinda got lost in the shuffle.
Former NFL and Oklahoma football player Josh Norman is taking over as the new head coach at CCS but within a couple of minutes of talking with Norman, easy to realize Mosier is not far from his heart as he got choked up a couple of times during our conversation.
I remember it was Brooks’ birthday during the season. It was a day before a game. So at the game, it was announced that it was his birthday. We brought out this big birthday card.
You figure it would be signed by the entire football team. It was signed by the entire school because that’s how much those kids loved him.
Norman said while Mosier taught him some things about football, what he taught him and the kids the most about was life and the importance of having Christ in their lives.
Norman said when he would visit with Mosier during this last season, all Mosier could talk about was being back out there with the kids.
No matter how sick he was or how weak he was feeling, that was always the first thing he would ask about.
Paul Potter, a long time friend who helped convince Mosier to come back to coaching, had this to say.
I remember it was just a couple of weeks before his death, and he was telling me ‘you know, I’m starting to feel better, and I think everything is going to be fine.’
He was always so optimistic and positive. He was such a special person, and I feel blessed to have gotten to spend all that time with him.
Potter coached CCS this year while Mosier was going through treatment. With that said, Mosier only missed one game his entire career.
It seems everyone has their own Brooks Mosier story. Here’s mine:
I remember talking to Brooks after that memorable championship game. And of course, the first thing I asked was: “well, how you feeling?”
He laughed and sighed and said “The sun still came up today. It’s still going to set at night. Everything will be fine.”
I remember him telling me how he was just trying to console those kids. But the kids, like Taylor Daniels and Chris Potter, didn’t need any real consoling. After seeing what Mosier had gone through all season, it hurt to not win that game for Mosier, but they knew they would be just fine.
But like I said, everyone has their own Brooks Mosier story. So I throw it out to you, what is your Brooks Mosier story?
(and Mosier one more time. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman)
Wrapping up 6A…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Well, we’ve reached the end. And this will be the shortest one of them all because I didn’t see one minute of any 6A girls games and only caught the semifinals of the boys.
Boys champion: Putnam City, 72-48 vs. Jenks
Girls champion: Del City, 29-27 vs. Midwest City
Del City won a big game, and I wasn’t even there. As you know, I’ve joked about how the Eagles have played their best with The Boneman in attendance.
A big win vs. Union in the Carl Albert finals and an even bigger win vs. Norman in the area final.
But this was the sweetest of them all, beating their rivals and ending MWC’s hope for an undefeated season.
Anyone who was there, how did the two best teams in 6A play a game that couldn’t even get to 30 points?
I do hope to watch this on Fox Sports eventually, if only because I’ve never seen Mariah White or Richa Jackson of the Bombers play. And wouldn’t mind seeing DC’s Toni Young and Desiree Jeffries one more time.
The boys, well, Brandon Chatmon’s videos have said all that needs to be said about that.
All I’ll add is how I’m already gushing about Tre Payne. He’s a freshman who doesn’t look like it. And he loves to play defense. It’s so tough, sometimes, to get kids to play both ways. Not Tre.
So that wraps up the basketball season, to spring we go. If you remember from last year, I’ll be your man on the tennis courts. Can anyone take down the McGuinness girls? Is there a favorite in the boys? Looking forward to another great tennis season.
And finally, here are all three of Brandon Chatmon’s All-Access videos with Putnam City. Special thanks to the Pirates for the access.
Wrapping up 5A…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Now we’re getting to the big boys. 5A and 6A just have a different feeling about them. It’s tough to explain.
Boys champion: Guthrie, 47-45 vs. Thomas Edison
Girls champion: Booker T., 42-40 vs. Carl Albert
Did not see the girls game live, but I watched it Sunday on Fox Sports Oklahoma (how’s that for a shameless plug?). I gushed about Taleya Mayberry after her outing in last year’s championship vs. Coweta.
A year later and nothing’s changed. She’s a fighter. She makes some plays where you go “yep, she’ll be playing somewhere in college.”
That final sequence was crazy, made me wish I was there live. Mayberry goes for the steal, which leads to Booker T. needing to play help defense.
That leaves Desiree Bradley open in the corner for the championship-winning three. It’s off, Kylie Mayes of CA gets the rebound, put back doesn’t go, and that’s it.
Credit goes to the Titans for pushing Booker T. like no other team and huge kudos go to Booker T. for displaying the heart of a champion. BTW had hardly been tested all season but showed when it was, it could deliver with its second straight title.
The boys was quite a shock with Edison upsetting Booker T. in the semifinals. I didn’t think anyone could stop that three-guard offense of the Hornets.
So then you start thinking Edison is a team of destiny. Steven Hamilton hits the game-winner vs. Carl Albert. Clyde Hill hits the game-winner vs. Booker T. And head coach Michael Parish has some of the coolest reactions of any coach I can remember.
I could watch a whole game and just watch is reactions and emotions. In fact, I have sometimes spent more time watching his reactions.
But Guthrie has Donte’ Foster and Keaton Callins. And since I didn’t see the final, that’s about all I can really say.
Bluejays also showed some heart, coming back for an eight-point deficit in the third quarter. Almost as if the BTW girls and Guthrie boys had mirror image games of each other as each won their second championship in a row.
All that’s left is 6A.
Wrapping up 4A…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Halfway through our look back at the state championships. This one will be abbreviated as I did not see one 4A boys game, so I’m not going to comment on it.
All I’ll say is I was shocked that McGuinness with Daniel Orton could not defend its title. Must really say something about how talented that Star Spencer team is when they put it all together.
But I did see a lot of the 4A girls.
Boys champion: Star Spencer, 67-61 vs. McGuinness
Girls champion: Vinita, 51-45 vs. Cache
One last time to watch Cache’s Taylor Thompson. What an absolute treat she’s been. She can just pull up from 25 feet and nail it. Or she can take you off the dribble and score. Not to mention, her defense.
But the Vinita team was clearly the best in the tournament. As Justin Harper pointed out to me while there, the Hornets beat No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6. Couldn’t beat No. 3 because that’s what they were.
Three girls really stood out for Vinita: Dana Downing, Tosha Tyler and Caitlyn Spurgeon.
Spurgeon is/was just a freshman, so it was kinda amazing to watch not only her poise but her big-time clutch performances in both the semifinals and the championship.
Thompson scored 20 points but didn’t score one in the fourth quarter. The lingering image for me from this year’s tournament is Thompson crouching down in tears with the Vinita team celebrating about 10-12 feet away from her.
Wow.
In fact, the whole Cache team really took that loss hard. Every team is disappointed about not winning it all, but some of those Cache girls were almost beyond devastated.
Anyway, congrats to Vinita and Thompson, hey, be keepin’ tabs on ya at Fresno State.
And finally, if you haven’t had a chance to catch Brandon Chatmon’s “Mic’d Up” with McGuinness coach Tondrell Durham, here is your chance. Special thanks goes to McGuinness for allowing Brandon to do this. It means a lot to us.
Wrapping up 3A…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
We continue our trip down memory lane. Monday, we looked at Class 2A where Pawnee reigned supreme.
Now let’s look at 3A where each had their own unique story.
Girls champion: Adair, 63-47 vs. Millwood.
Boys champion: Cascia Hall, 67-52 vs. Okemah.
Really thought the girls game was going to be one of those all-time classics. Can Millwood go back-to-back? Or could Kevi Luper go out in style after years of falling short?
It was the latter and by a wide margin. I wasn’t around when Luper was in her sophomore season, so I didn’t get all the hype.’
Last year, of course, she was out with the torn ACL, so she couldn’t do anything there.
But after watching her for two days, must say, I get it. I get why people gush over her talent.
Maybe it’s not the most accurate comparison, but I almost saw her like James Watson of Stringtown. Referees had no idea how to officiate someone of Watson’s skill at the B level.
And in the semifinals and finals, Luper was in ridiculous foul trouble because I don’t think refs knew what to do with her.
Luper made some fantastic moves, especially in the championship. She scored 30 points and thwarted every attempted Millwood comeback.
I never count out Millwood, not with Shea Bowden and JohVonna Mitchell. Kept waiting for that one final push by the Falcons.
But it wasn’t to be. With all the hype about Luper, Chelsey Stricklen shouldn’t be forgotten. The guard was dynamic as well.
For the boys, Okemah may have been a great story, but Cascia Hall was simply better.
And it’s tough to not enjoy the Bryant brothers story. Will and Luke don’t play football, so the last two years haven’t meant as much to them as say someone like Sam Clancy.
But Saturday was their day and Will really impressed me with his “will” (no pun intended) to win.
I was harping like a broken record that Rashad Dunn just needed to keep shooting for Okemah. He had a great game but disappeared at strange times.
He was on the bench at times when I was scratching my head. Think I just would have left Dunn out there all 32 minutes and just let him go out the way a senior should.
Don’t know if it would have mattered as Cascia was too big and too good on that day.
Wrapping up 2A…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Hope everyone will get a chance to enjoy spring break. Last season, spring break was the week after the basketball championship, so it’s a little strange this year.
Would apologize about the lack of blog posts, but from our up-to-the-minute scoreboard updates and stories to the great videos by Brandon Chatmon, I promise you that we did all we could to give you the best coverage possible.
But now with a little time on our hands, I’m going to do a Class per day, and let’s start with 2A.
Boys champion: Pawnee, 44-43 OT vs. Talihina.
Girls champion: Pawnee, 54-45 vs. Newkirk.
In the girls championship, Pawnee once again had the magic potion against Newkirk. The Lady Bears were the only team in the state to solve the Tiger riddle.
Going in, thought it was a toss-up. Though Pawnee had beaten Newkirk twice, Newkirk won the third meeting. So maybe Newkirk had figured out what to do.
It was clear early that Pawnee wasn’t going to be denied. Even though Britney Morgan had probably her worst shooting performance of her life, Pawnee looked like the more confident team.
Newkirk’s chances were hurt by the foul trouble of senior Hayley Luis. She picked up her fourth foul extremely early in the third quarter but didn’t sit out long and fouled out midway through the third.
I considered it done at that point, but Kaylyn Pulley kept it close, getting it down to five at one point in the fourth.
However, the championship was all about Whitney LeGrand. She came up big on the biggest stage – that’s all you can ask.
It is the Pawnee girls first championship. They admitted being pumped up after watching the boys win last year.
Segue to the boys and the best championship at State Fair Arena. I admit to not knowing much about Talihina coming in, but I was really impressed by those boys.
Especially Taggart Lockhart. Only a sophomore, we’ll be hearing that name for sure for another two years. Oh yeah, and Jordan Eagle Road. That’s one heck of a one-two punch right there for Chris Gillespie.
It was weird watching it because even though Talihina was doing so well, I just felt like it was only a matter of time until Pawnee took control.
While it never actually happened, Pawnee did pull out the win. And David Page and company should be back, too. Most impressed with junior Ralston Moore and sophomore Desmond McCosar.
McCosar came up with the huge blocks at the end of regulation and overtime.
It only took until the fourth game of the day but finally got that classic you hope for in a championship.
Tuesday: 3A.
Eagles soar vs. Norman…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
If you ask me, I don’t know how the Del City girls basketball team has ever been defeated. Simply put, I’ve seen them in their finest hours.
At the Titan Classic, they ran the table, beating Carl Albert and Tulsa Union in the process.
I spoke with girls guru Justin Harper before this game about what to expect and was shocked to learn about how Norman had dominated the season series so far. Well, maybe dominate is too strong a word as the Tigers had won 64-59 and 50-46.
The third bout was tonight at Edmond North. Winner goes to state and loser, well, might still go to state anyway.
Del City was impressive. Sparked by Toni Young, the Eagles put the clamps on Norman in a 47-39 win to advance to state.
The Eagles are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself again. The last three years Del City has lost to the eventual state champion.
Young came out possessed and had eight points as Del City ran out to a 12-7 lead. But then she picked up her second foul with 2:08 left in the first and didn’t see the court again in the first half.
Norman, though, didn’t take full advantage of it. Yeah, the Tigers took the lead, but it felt like they needed to do a lot more than a 27-23 halftime lead.
Desiree Jeffries had 11 of her 13 in the first half to keep things close and then Young and Bobbie Marshall took over.
Mostly Young, but Marshall drained two key 3-pointers, and Del City’s defense was the star in the second half.
Norman only scored 12 points in the final 16 minutes and didn’t register its first field goal in the fourth until the final minute.
Del City trailed 32-31 at the end of the third but went on a 12-0 run to start the fourth and put the game away.
Jeffries impressed me at the Titan Classic, and tonight was Young’s turn. She produced the goods tonight.
This was the first time I’ve ever seen the Norman girls play since covering HS sports. Kamra King impressed me for the Tigers while I can see why people are so high on Ashley Bruner, but she just had an off night with nine points.
Norman still has a chance to advance to state with a win Saturday afternoon at Harrah. I wouldn’t bet against them.
But right now, my money is on Del City. That combo of Young and Jeffries is too tough to stop.
Bailey (Catoosa) vs. White (Woodward)
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Amateur wrestling is hit-and-miss. For every great match, there are a bevy of stinkers that either have two guys just laying on each other or have two guys unwilling to take shots and you get a stall-fest.
That’s the beauty of high school wrestling. You’re not going to see that. And sometimes you see something extremely special.
Like Saturday night.
Dallas Bailey of Catoosa and Zach White of Woodward had split their first two meetings of the season. Both are going to Oklahoma State. Bailey was looking to become a four-time champion while White was looking for his second state title.
So the 4A final at 171 pounds was more about giving wrestling fans one last show before moving on.
And they did.
Everyone talked about this match going into the tournament. Everybody talked about it at the end of the first day and before the championships started Saturday night.
And since they wait for every class to get done before starting the championship matches, I was able to video the entire match. I got a good spot and wouldn’t budge.
So without further ado, here is Bailey vs. White for the 171-pound championship and postmatch comments. Bailey is in the dark colors with White in the gold/black.
Perfect Quartet video…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Here is the first state wrestling video. A look at the four four-time state champions. If you don’t know ‘em by now, don’t what to say. I think myself and my fellow chum Matt Patterson have said enough about Perry’s Ladd Rupp, Cushing’s Jarrod Patterson, Catoosa’s Dallas Bailey and Stillwater’s Chris Perry.
Special thanks to all four for taking the time out to talk with me.
State wrestling lives up to hype…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
There is just something about wrestling and wrestlers in particular. They’re just a different breed.
They wear their emotions on their sleeves like nobody else when it comes down to the state championship.
That can lead to memorable moments like last night with Del City’s Trayvon Lee, throwing the headgear up into the crowd and running around like a wild man. Great stuff.
My personal mission last night was to get match and postmatch video with four I’ve dubbed “The Perfect Quartet.” It’s not the coolest name, but it’s the first one that came to mind so I’m sticking with it.
Your Perfect Quartet: Perry’s Ladd Rupp, Cushing’s Jarrod Patterson, Catoosa’s Dallas Bailey and Stillwater’s Chris Perry.
All four won and all won in a different way. Rupp never went into a second period this weekend. He was scary good as always. Rupp won by pin at 1:39 in the first. His final record is 163-13. He will attend Oklahoma State.
Patterson got up big early and made sure he didn’t get caught in an 11-5 decision win. He picked up some early takedowns, cut his opponent but never put himself in any real danger. Patterson is going to Oklahoma and has final career mark of 160-3.
Bailey, oh boy, what a match between Bailey and Zach White of Woodward. The two are going to be teammates at Oklahoma State, but that’s not what last night was about. The two had split their first two meetings this season.
White scored the early takedown, but Bailey earned a two-point reversal. Bailey then elected to cut White but eventually scored an escape point of his own. Late in the third, White took a shot and had Bailey close to a takedown but time expired.
In sudden victory, Bailey proved to be too much as the two put on the match of the tournament. Bailey closes out at 131-5. I shot the entire match on video, now just have to edit da dang thing.
No such drama for Perry. He was up big the entire time and actually earned a technical fall right as time was expiring (not that it really mattered). To me, it seemed like Perry could just toy with every wrestler at that tournament. He could have pinned them whenever he felt like, but he wanted to have some fun. Perry’s ridiculous record is 132-1 that he will take to Oklahoma State.
Perry was beyond dominant and so was Stephen Swan. Any other year Swan might be the story of the tournament, just not this year.
Tuttle put it together in the consolation rounds and won just enough of their five finals to walk away with the 4A title. Bobby Williams led the squad with his third state title.
Moment of the night: Del City’s Tyler Dorrell scoring a takedown with maybe :02 left to turn a 4-3 loss into a 5-4 win against Dustin Reed of Choctaw.
Halfway home through these winter championships. Look for wrestling video of The Perfect Quartet as well as the Bailey/White match on NewsOK in the next couple of days. Now we move on to basketball.
