Day 1: Chesapeake Challenge…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Well, vacation is officially over, huh? Back to the grind I go. First stop is the Chesapeake Challenge at Heritage Hall this weekend.
Just got back from a fun triple overtime battle between Kingfisher and Heritage Hall. The Yellowjackets won 62-58.
Kingfisher 62, Heritage 58 – 3OT
Kingfisher coach Craig Patterson was worried about conditioning coming in, now he’s really worried. The success of the football team prevented the Yellowjackets from playing one game before winter break.
You could tell early as Heritage Hall had a 24-13 lead in the second quarter before things really started to get rolling.
What a shock (not really) that it was Derek Patterson and Jordan Woods leading the charge. Patterson kept the team close in the first half while Woods was all business in the second half and overtimes.
Heritage has to feel like it let this one slip away. Star Collin Groves had a wide open game-winner rim out at the end of regulation. Guard Andrew Hudiburg had an errant attempt at a game-winner at the end of the first overtime. And James Lima also had a chance to win it at the end of the second overtime.
Once Kingfisher gets its parts and conditioning down, this team is going to be good. Freshman Grant Newton really stood out, scoring 10 points and stretching the defense with his perimeter shooting.
Now I see why Groves always dominates the box score. He had a game-high 27 points.
Woods led the ‘Jackets with 22 points while Patterson had 19. Great to see Patterson back after that horrible scene in the 2A football championship vs. Lincoln Christian.
Mild concussion and neck strain, and boom, he’s back out there. He looked good and said it felt great to be back out there again.
Reasons to be excited for Heritage. Sterling Shepard is an athletic freak but is sometimes out of control. Hudiburg does a great job of running the team. Groves is the real deal.
Heritage Hall 51, Colbert 34 (Girls)
Big-time outing by D Brown in this one as she led all scorers with 22 points. More importantly, she managed and controlled the game against Colbert’s press.
You can see Colbert lives off forcing turnovers, but Brown wouldn’t let it happen. And she didn’t just break the press, she would get something started. Fun to watch on this day.
The Chargers only led by four at halftime but poured it on in the second half. Murphy Burns added 13 points for Heritage.
Back for Day 2 on Friday and more of that good food. When I left, both Weatherford teams had also chalked up victories.
All-West Metro football team
I liked Boneman’s idea of an all-zone team, so here are your All-West Metro selections honoring the players from Mustang, Yukon and the Putnam City schools.
Instead of honorable mention, I went with a second team. No particular reason why. Just seemed like a neat idea. Don’t assume that this was easy. There were a lot of talented, deserving players that didn’t get on the list, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere. That resulted in several tough decisions.
Offensive Player of the Year: Daniel Farrow, Mustang
I didn’t watch every RB in the state, but I saw most of the good ones and I know I didn’t see one better than Farrow. As Glidden once pointed out to me, the 60-yarders weren’t the impressive runs. Those were the 6-yarders when two guys hit him at the line of scrimmage and a third or fourth hopped on as he carried the first two. I actually considered Glidden for this honor, because he impacts the game in more ways, scoring TDs on receptions, rushes, kick returns and interceptions. But Farrow’s ability to take over a game and still be productive when everyone in the stadium knew he was getting the ball lifted him to the top.
Defensive Player of the Year: Dillon Schooley, PC North
Why this kid doesn’t have a half-dozen Division I offers, I can’t understand. He has the speed, the size and the intangibles to play D-I. He can play cornerback or safety and return punts and kicks. And he’s a gamer. You couldn’t watch a PC North game without noticing No. 16. Maybe he’s not quite a Big 12-caliber DB, but he’s D-I. Dowty, with the bulky sack numbers, was the next-best contender for this spot
Coach of the Year: Todd Wilson, Yukon
Ty Prestidge at Mustang and Bob Wilson at PC North each had to replace a lot of starters and kept their teams at a playoff level, but Todd Wilson took a team with some new faces at key positions and a growing stigma of not being able to make the playoffs, and got them to Week 11 for the first time since 1998.
First Team Offense
QB Corben Jones, Yukon: Right off the top, this was one of the hardest decisions. It came down to Jones and Jace James of Putnam City North, but Jones’ efficiency and leadership in getting the Millers to the playoffs was huge. Jones had slightly better passing numbers and led his team in rushing.
RB Daniel Farrow, Mustang: Had he played a full season, we’d be talking about one of the greatest years ever from a Class 6A back.
RB Dre Holman, PC North: Only a sophomore, he’s a hard runner with a great future.
WR David Glidden, Mustang: The scariest player in the state with the ball in his hands.
WR Antonio Johnson, PC North: Didn’t make a lot of flashy plays, but he was consistent and reliable.
WR Kollin Retter, Yukon: 100 percent pure football player with a good toughness/speed combo.
OL Bronson Irwin, Mustang: An all-around lineman — size, speed and smarts.
OL Mason Mathews, Yukon: Played all five spots on the line. And played them all well.
OL Taylor Prather, PC North: Played through pain as a leader on the Panthers’ underrated line.
OL Cody Murray, Mustang: Gave the Broncos a great pair of bookend tackles.
OL Jordan Anderson, PC West: Showed his talent against some of the best in 6A.
K Kris Godwin, Yukon: Hit some big kicks for the Millers with good range.
KR David Anwanwan, PC: An early injury and offensive struggles prevented him from showing his full talent, but he was dangerous.
First Team Defense
DL Alex Dowty, Mustang: Call him the Sackmaster, with 16 this year and 33 the last two years.
DL Brandon Banta, Yukon: A beast and a bruiser wherever he played, FB or DT.
DL Patrik Jones, PC: A true team player and one of the best on a solid PC defense that was sometimes overlooked.
DL Jeremy Tillman, PC North: The Panther D had its struggles, but Tillman held up his end.
LB Blake Wood, Mustang: A force in the box, despite missing a few games.
LB Alex Shannon, PC: Everything I said about Patrik Jones I could say about Shannon.
LB Ryan Tester, PC West: A linebacker in a DB’s body, he was one of the top tacklers in the state.
DB Dillon Schooley, PC North: Always performed at crunch time, whether at DB or WR (just ask Southmoore)
DB Braden Wiseley, Mustang: Though others got more attention, Wiseley always showed up to work for the Broncos.
DB Hunter Bohannan, Yukon: Extremely important to the Miller D in both run and pass coverage.
DB Antonio Jenkins, PC North: Big hitter didn’t make many mistakes at free safety.
P Kevin Cabello, PC North: How does the All-State kicker end up as the All-West Metro punter? For one, there weren’t any great punters in the West Metro, and Cabello was as good as or better than any of them when he started punting late in the season. Also, guys like Glidden and Retter punted for their teams, and they’re already on the first team. Godwin was more deserving as a kicker than any of the other guys at punter, so in an effort to honor the best players, Cabello ends up here.
PR Dominique Taplin, PC West: Can do a little bit of everything, and was a particularly good safety.
Second Team Offense
QB Jace James, PC North
RB Terry Jones, Yukon
RB Johnny Smith, PC West
WR Kaiden Horn, Yukon
WR Jon Luckey, Mustang
WR Covin Conrady, PC North
OL Daniel Burton, PC North
OL Brian Dean, Mustang
OL Logan LaPorte, Yukon
OL Mason Haun, Yukon
OL Scott Lemaster, PC
K Carson Lynn, PC
KR Casey Curtis, PC
Second Team Defense
DL DaShon Lovelace, PC
DL Clinton Alonzo, PC
DL Cory Cox, Mustang
DL Jake Doyle, Yukon
LB Ricky Johnson, PC North
LB Blake Moss, Mustang
LB Justus Elliott, Mustang
DB Casey Coyle, PC North
DB Andy Vowell, Yukon
DB Devon Bruner, PC
DB Atavian Blakeley, PC West
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Boneman’s All-OKC Private FB team…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
This was a little tougher as not all coaches sent in their forms. Now to officially turn the page to the winter sports season.
All-Private Schools
Offense
QB: Jack Warren, OCS (all-around leader, excited for senior season)
RB: Barry Sanders, Heritage Hall (media buzz will only grow for super soph)
RB: LaRone Richardson, Bishop McGuinness (even with the injuries, a fun player to watch)
RB: Parker Randell, OCA (routinely put up the big numbers for the Eagles)
WR: Jon Sikes, OCS (one of the key components on an explosive team)
WR: Aaron Smith, Mt. St. Mary’s (good leader, big-play capability for MSM)
OL: Jeff Levy, OCS (better served on defense, but a dang-good HS OL, too)
OL: Markus Wakefield, Heritage Hall (big improvement from freshman to sophomore year)
OL: Dakota Leftwich, Bishop McGuinness (prob belongs on defense, leader for Irish)
OL: Sam Hoffman, Casady (made smooth transition to O-Line for senior year)
OL: Tyler Holt, OCA (DL by trade and came up big for Eagles)
K: Ian Sanders, Christian Heritage (easily one of the best in the OKC area)
KR: Kyle Ahmad, Bishop McGuinness (explosive speed always made him fun to watch)
Defense
LB: Logan McGrath, Heritage Hall (stellar senior season capped great career)
DL: Ryan Shelley, Casady (Cyclone D was a beast early, Shelley was a big reason why)
DL: Jared Clark, Christian Heritage (coach John Merrell raved about his play all season)
LB: Jameel Whitney, Bishop McGuinness (after being ‘snubbed’ in the other ones, ha ha, gets his spot, you know I loved watching him)
LB: Marc Robinson, Heritage Hall (a great first two years, look for even more in the next two)
LB: Jay Lester, Bishop McGuinness (became more of a vocal leader this year)
DL: Graham Bennett, Casady (just wait until he grows into his body, already a beast)
DB: Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall (plays with such intensity, hits like a LB and plays QB)
DB: Cale Shivers, Casady (heart and soul of Cyclones…end of story)
DB: Dalton Newsome, Mt. St. Mary’s (best athlete and most exciting player for MSM)
DB: Tyler Minx, OCA (Eagles have come a long way, Minx has been in the thick of things)
P: Austin Katigan, Casady (another solid all-around talent, could play just about anywhere)
Offensive Player of the Year: Sanders, Heritage Hall
Defensive Player of the Year: Whitney, Bishop McGuinness
Coach of the Year: Kenny Young, Bishop McGuinness
Honorable mentions: Bishop McGuinness: Sam Crabtree, DB; Camden Tharp, QB; Will Blaik, FB; Nick Callaway, DL. Casady: Bentley Williams, RB; Mac Katigan, DB; Garrison Lee; David Driskell. CHA: Josh Blair, LB; Heritage Hall: Cale Courtney, WR; Tanner France, WR; Travis Harrison, LB. OCS: Mac McDaniel, P; Skyler Sikes, WR; Jeff Smith, RB.
OPOY: Sanders. This was an easy one. Where to start? Hmm, how about 1,707 rushing yards, 21 receptions, 6 interceptions, 30 total touchdowns and a 35-yard average on punts? He learned a lot this year and is becoming much more than just an athletic freak. He’s learning to play within the system without taking anything away from his jaw-dropping ability.
DPOY: Whitney. Didn’t get to see the Irish too much or as much as I would have liked but knew where Whitney was on just about every play. He was sensational and played his best in the biggest games (which has to count for something). Whitney scored five touchdowns and had 127 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions. Had to be accounted for on every single snap, no doubt about it.
COY: Young. Boys basketball coach Tondrell Durham is in the same spot as Young as both are seeing what they can do now that the ‘cornerstones’ of the programs have moved on. Expected to be a down year for the Irish, McGuinness was in every game. Despite injuries to key components (Quinn Shanbour, Sam Crabtree and LaRone Richardson immediately come to mind), kept the team together. Team’s three losses came by a combined eight points (10-9 at Bishop Kelley), 21-20 at Weatherford and 20-14 at Sallisaw).
(Boneman’s note: I’ve been switching Logan McGrath (HH) and Graham Bennett’s (Casady) positions all season for some unknown reason. The changes have been made.)
West Metro boys making noise in Ardmore
The West Metro is guaranteed a spot in the finals on the boys side of the Ardmore Touranment, with the potential for taking both spots.
Putnam City West dispensed of Del City and Putnam City North topped Southeast, setting up the first of at least three meetings this year betwen the Patriots and Panthers tonight in the semifinals.
Yukon, thanks to a buzzer-beater from just inside halfcourt by Shon Williams, defeated two-time defending 5A champ Guthrie 40-39, and will play Ardmore for a spot in the finals. Williams finished with a team-best 17 points.
Like Guthrie, Ardmore isn’t loaded with height, so it’s a good matchup for Yukon’s four- and sometimes five-guard lineup.
As for PC West-PC North, this will be a fun rivalry all year, because the teams have opposite strengths. PC North is limited in the paint, but they’ve got a wealth of athletic guards who will pressure the Patriots backcourt. But can they stop Tyler Neal and Amric Fields?
It was Marquis Green who came through with a career-high 18 points in the Pats’ win over Del City.
The teams meet again Jan. 15 and Feb. 16, plus could see each other at the PC Schools Invitational Jan. 7-9.
On the girls side from Ardmore, Yukon defeated the hosts and PC West fell to a powerful McGuinness squad. Yukon plays Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside in tonight’s semifinals.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Boneman’s All-Edmond FB team…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
As promised, here ya go:
All-Edmond
Offense
QB: Kameron Doolittle, Memorial (one of the best all-around threats in the state)
RB: Joe Aska Jr., North (heart and soul of Huskies’ offense)
RB: Brian Mills, Santa Fe (showed what real leadership means in tough season)
WR: Matt Leavell, Santa Fe (best WR you’ve never heard of)
WR: Nelson Medeiros, Memorial (better on defense, but a solid WR, too)
TE: Blake Gatewood, North (big target with good hands)
OL: Cale Coshow, Deer Creek (if he wasn’t a baseball star, he could make it at OL)
OL: Garrett Sullivan, Deer Creek (an absolute beast for the Antlers)
OL: Matt Hall, Memorial (EM’s line turned up down the stretch with Hall leading the way)
OL: Alex Land, Santa Fe (injuries depleted the group as a whole, but Land was solid)
OL: Tyler Goodrich, North (running game wasn’t the same when he was out)
K: Will Conant, Memorial (best kicker I saw this season)
KR: Qua’Don Henderson, North (injuries derailed what should have been a special season)
Defense
DL: Bryce Burget, Memorial (opposing coaches raved about him all year)
DL: Colton Byford, North (seemed like he was getting every sack for EN)
DL: Tyler Shaw, Santa Fe (force for the Wolves on underrated defense)
DL: Connor Myers, Memorial (next year will be even bigger for him)
LB: Randy Mack, Santa Fe (coach Gowen couldn’t say enough good things about him)
LB: Adrian Shoecraft, Memorial (size hurts, but nobody played better, IMO)
LB: Dakota Lambeth, North (was always in the middle of things no matter what)
DB: Xavier Smith, North (avoided most of the season, made best of limited opportunities)
DB: Rickey Lawyer, North (first year at CB and gave North a potent one-two combo)
DB: Jordan Marczewski, Memorial (not flashy but always effective, much like EM as a whole)
DB: Dakota Buck, Deer Creek (made big plays on both sides of the ball)
P: Cole Mount, Deer Creek (1a. with Conant as Mount has been solid for so long)
Offensive Player of the Year: Aska, North
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Shoecraft and Medeiros, Memorial
Coach of the Year: Justin Merideth, Memorial
Honorable mentions (5 max per team): Deer Creek: Alex Christensen, QB; Colten Sander, RB; Leighton Dilbeck, TE; Isaiah Byrd, LB; Michael Coleman, LB. Memorial: Cale Olbert, RB; Jacob Stivers, WR; Nick Wilkinson, OL; Jared Chambers, DL. North: Travis Townsend, QB; Jared Benway, RB; Austin Brasher, K; Brandon Downing, DB; Jon McNeill, WR. Santa Fe: Will Long, QB; Justin Brewer, OL; D.J. Sims, OL; Tevin Doss, RB; Antonio Stayton, DB.
OPOY: Aska. A lot was expected of Aska this season, and his results equaled what everyone thought his potential was. He was making waves for being one of the best in the state halfway through the season. But injuries to the line limited Aska’s effectiveness. Aska averaged more than 5 yards per carry with 1,126 yards and 16 touchdowns.
DPOY: Shoecraft and Medeiros. Tough to pick between the two. While Shoecraft was the best player on the field, Medeiros is one of the best leaders I’ve seen. All you need to know (or see) is when Medeiros was put on the shoulders of his teammates after the North win. Shoecraft had 119 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions while Medeiros had 30 tackles and four interceptions and 11 receptions and a TD on offense.
COY: Merideth. I thought people were underestimating what the Bulldogs were capable of all season. You could sense how much this team was rallying behind Merideth. Practices were fun yet tough. The coaches enjoyed being with each other, and it carried over into the kids. Memorial was 1-3 before going on a seven-game winning streak to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since the Edmond split.
Tournament of Champions game blog
The final day of the 45th Tournament of Champions boys basketball tournament was entertaining, even though the tournament’s biggest blowout came in the finals as Putnam City routed Tulsa Washington Wednesday night at the Tulsa Expo Square Pavilion. Here are the final results. Updates and other thoughts below:
Monday’s results
Game 1: Tulsa Memorial 47, Garber 33
Game 2: Putnam City 72, Roff 50
Game 3: Tulsa Washington 57, Pawnee 39
Game 4: Sequoyah-Tahlequah 65, Muskogee 63
Tuesday’s results
Game 5: Garber 51, Roff 48
Game 6: Muskogee 73, Pawnee 64
Game 7: Putnam City 63, Tulsa Memorial 62
Game 8: Tulsa Washington 72, Sequoyah-Tahlequah 55
Wednesday’s results
Seventh place: Pawnee 56, Roff 39
Consolation: Muskogee 63, Garber 54
Third place: Tulsa Memorial 57, Sequoyah-Tahlequah 51
Championship: Putnam City 70, Tulsa Washington 47
Wednesday updates
Putnam City-Tulsa Washington
11 p.m.: The Pirates coast to the title, 70-47. Dominique Raney finished with 25 points and Tre Payne had 21. Tharone Chilton led Tulsa Washington with 21 points.
Football team(s) conundrums…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
The e-mails have been coming in a-plenty since our All-State team was released. Figured they would. I appreciate the passion the readers have shown.
You don’t have to agree with all the selections, but I assure you we did the best we could and picked the best players possible. In a perfect world they could play in their right positions, but that’s not possible.
Some positions were loaded, some weren’t. It’s like that in just about every sport and players get left out. It’s a shame, but it’s the way it goes.
Spent about 20 hours spread out through three different days working on Little All-City, Big All-City and All-State. We watched countless number of highlight DVDs (by the way, the technology is ridiculous on some of those). We argued back and forth on selections.
Wrapping up my vacation back in Ohio with a couple of days left. But now that the teams are released, just some of my issues with the teams.
LAC: Hmm, this is an easy one. Were there too many reps from Millwood, Douglass and Star Spencer? The three schools had more than half the players on the first team.
But you look at numbers, look at the competition the teams played, look at how those players performed in the toughest situations, there were a lot of good-to-great players from OKCPS this year.
Toughest part: One where I was able to get ‘my way’ and one where I wasn’t. I pushed hard for Bridge Creek’s Ryan Spangler to be the quarterback, so I was thrilled he got it. He deserved it, and the Bobcats had a great season. To go with that, WR Caden Locke was someone I pushed for.
I went down in flames with Bishop McGuinness’ Jameel Whitney. Fought hard to get him on the first team, but it just wasn’t enough. Whitney was one of the most impressive players I saw on defense this year. My mythical team ran a 2-5-4, so Whitney could be that fifth LB.
BAC: Oh boy, how do you keep Shawnee’s Brayle Brown off the team? That was an absolute toughie. But when you look at what Carl Albert’s J.T. Realmuto did and Southmoore’s Kendal Thompson, man oh man, it’s not easy.
A big problem for me was Edmond Memorial. Tied with Jenks in the fourth quarter in the quarterfinals, but who do you reward? Picked LB Adrian Shoecraft because he was the best player on the field.
But how do you omit the team’s heart and soul, Nelson Medeiros? The talent of Connor Myers and Bryce Burget? The unselfishness of Kameron Doolittle? The accurate leg of Will Conant? Some teams are just that, great teams.
The only other big thing, for me, was what to do with Mustang’s Daniel Farrow? He was almost beyond sensational in his seven games but missing those first four hurt. Putting him at RB was a good compromise. Part of me was thinking he had the credentials for Offensive Player of the Year.
All-State: This is easy. You’re always scared you overlooked someone that you don’t get to see too often. That’s where the highlight DVDs came in handy. They settled a lot of arguments.
Finally got to see how good Owasso’s Aaron Colvin was. He was outstanding. Skiatook’s Drake Keys belongs in that conversation, too. Madill’s Darryl Fields is going to be someone to watch at the next level.
Took a chance on Lincoln Christian’s Roman Wilson, but he sealed his fate with a phenomenal game against Kingfisher in the 2A championship.
All All-State players had a story, capsule and video component on NewsOK, so hope you got/get a chance to check that out.
All-Edmond and All-OKC-area Private schools teams to come out later in the week. Hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas (know I did).
Legacy lives on for Yukon’s Jarred Hayes
The holiday season can be difficult for families who have lost loved ones. But out of tragedy, something very positive can come.
Jarred Hayes’ story is one of those.
Like most young boys, Hayes played sports while growing up in Yukon. Basketball was his passion.
He played on the basketball team at Yukon High School until being diagnosed with a brain tumor as a sophomore in 2000. Hayes died later that year, but thanks to some of his friends, he is still impacting the lives of others nine years later.
Hayes’ friends organized a golf tournament in his honor, with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald Foundation. In three years, the tournament has raised nearly $25,000 after bringing in $10,000 back in September.
“We chose the Ronald McDonald Foundation, because Jarred’s parents would stay at the Ronald McDonald House when they would go to Dallas for Jarred’s treatment,” said Josh Mueggenborg, one of the friends who headed up the development of the memorial golf tournament. “It all comes back to helping kids in same situation as Jarred.”
The tournament raised so much money, that when Children’s Hospital built a new wing earlier this year, one of the rooms was named in Hayes’ honor. It’s called “Jarred’s Place.”
His mother designed it in a sports theme with memorabilia from Hayes’ favorite teams, the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs, so that the room really does feel like Jarred’s place.
Out-of-town families of children at the hospital can use the room to try to rest during their child’s stay at the hospital.
On Friday, Jarred’s mother, father and two younger brothers will celebrate Christmas without him for the 10th time. But thanks to Jarred’s continuing legacy, they can know he is touching the lives of other children and their families at the holidays.
Tragedy turned positive.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
West Metro Holiday Speed Reads
A Speed Read to keep you busy while waiting for Santa. Happy holidays, everyone:
Putnam City
Boys: The only West Metro team in action right now, the Pirates are getting some great competition at the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic in the Denver area. After defeating Fairview Boulder (No. 9 in the state’s largest class) on Monday, PC knocked off Arapahoe (No. 2 in the largest class) on Tuesday.
They’re scheduled to play twice today if weather permits. More concerning than basketball right now is the drive home. They took Interstate 70 going up, but will come home on the southern route through New Mexico and Amarillo, Texas, because portions of I-70 have already been closed because of weather.
Girls: With the win over Edmond North behind them, it’s time to use the break to refocus on their goals, and make sure that the big upset doesn’t become the biggest moment of their season. The talent is there. Time to build on what they’ve done so far. The Lady Pirates surged to No. 9 in this week’s coaches’ poll, so people are recognizing their talent.
Putnam City West
Boys: After falling short in the Bartlesville Tournament earlier in the month, you can bet the Patriots are motivated to win the Ardmore Tournament next week. The key for PC West will be the development of its perimeter defense. Coach Tim Stogsdill is looking for contributions from young players at guard to boost the defense there.
Have a question about the All-State selection process?
Every year, we pick our All-State football team around this time and every year, we write something about the selection process. Our All-State team comes out Sunday and in advance of that, I was wondering if anyone had any questions about the process we use to select our team, or anything else regarding the selection of All-Staters. Either post them here or e-mail them to me at: raber@opubco.com. Thanks.
