Duncan’s Domonique Petties commits to Arizona
Domonique Petties, left, has found a home at Arizona. Dylan Dismuke, of course, is going to OU.
Unfortunately, I never got a chance to see Duncan’s Domonique Petties play in person. His highlight films sure were fun to watch, though.
After being ruled ineligible, wasn’t sure what would happen with Petties. Would he fall off the radar of top schools because he was too much of a risk? Would he mentally fall apart and become totally forgotten?
No and no. Petties has worked his butt off to get himself in good standing academically. And this last month, Petties was busy making the recruiting rounds. He went to Arizona and Pittsburgh in the last two weekends.
He said he loved the Arizona visit and made it official today. Petties, who also had offers from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, verbally committed to the Wildcats on Monday, said Duncan coach Jim Holloway.
I think Petties future is at safety. Or maybe a hybrid safety/linebacker. Either way, he’s got the size and the speed to play both spots so we’ll have to see.
That gives Duncan three top kids. Dylan Dismuke, of course, is going to Oklahoma. Lineman Dylan Laurens is headed to Southwestern Oklahoma State. And now Petties, who is actually going to sign with Arizona and NEO (explained in the story).
For the story, read after the jump:
Signing Day chaos
If you know of any Signing Day changes at your respective school, please let us know.
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Southmoore quarterback Kendal Thompson has waited all his life to make it official and sign to play football for the Oklahoma Sooners.
His wait will be over Wednesday even if his celebration might be delayed a couple of days.
With a winter storm expected to hit the state late Monday night and Tuesday, schools are already beginning to think about how they will adapt for National Signing Day on Wednesday.
Southmoore athletic director Dewayne Hunter said even if school is closed, which will most likely be the case if the storm hits as hard as predicted, the letters of intent will be faxed to the respective schools.
Hunter said the ceremony, scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m., will be changed to Friday at the same time. The SaberCats will have at least four students signing with perhaps more to come in the future. Joining Thompson will be football players Tylor Whitfield (East Central) and Austin Brooks (Wheaton College) and softball player Hartley Tyler (Mid-America).
“Yes, we’ve already planned ahead and will have the paperwork faxed Wednesday regardless,” Hunter said.
The faxed paperwork is crucial to the process. Without the universities receiving the information, the college coaches are not allowed to openly talk about that particular recruit signing.
If schools are closed, it shouldn’t hinder any official signings. In almost every signing ceremony, that is not actually when the student is signing the letter of intent.
Most LOIs are signed and faxed the very first thing in the morning of Signing Day. The ceremony is an opportunity for the students to be celebrated by their family and peers.
The Oklahoman’s Super 30 revisited, Pt. I
Back in August, we unveiled the Super 30 for the Class of 2011. Here’s where they’re all going as we get closer to Signing Day:
21. Connor Myers, Edmond Memorial (Weber State) — Hit the visit circuit hard this month before deciding on Weber State. A lot of Edmond products are there.
22. Trent Martin, Jenks (Tulsa) — Martin has also put on his recruiting hat in trying to lure some other Tulsa area products to the Golden Hurricane.
23. Emilio Gatewood, Norman North (Undecided) — Senior season didn’t go the way Timberwolves were hoping, but still a great talent.
24. Brayle Brown, Shawnee (Louisiana-Monroe) — What a story. Spends most of the year at WR because of labrum injury and will still play QB. Great heart.
25. Isaac Maselera, Glenpool (Oklahoma State) — Flirted with changing his commitment to Tulsa before deciding to stay with the Cowboys.
26. Derrick Alexander, Tulsa Washington (Tulsa) — A late change from Louisiana-Monroe to Tulsa, but a change you could see coming. On the field, there were few equals to Alexander this season.
27. John-Phillip Hughes, Tulsa Edison (Oklahoma) — A great senior year was taken away from him by injury but still a find at tight end. Said he plans to walk-on for the Sooners.
28. Jabral Johnson, Lawton (Oregon State) — Went from Arizona to Oregon State. Close friends with Zimmerman and two have found a home.
29. Brandon Swindall, Millwood (Undecided) — Nothing more Swindall could have done on a field to show he deserves a shot. Some school is receiving an incredible ‘get.’ Does have an offer from New Mexico, though.
30. Chazten Gonzales, Del City (TCU) — One of the best dual-threat QBs around, he’s been solid with TCU all year and having Naff join him is great for both and TCU.
Tuesday: Nos. 20-11.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Norman North’s Daniel Davis commits to Pennsylvania
The struggle and stress of the last two months for Norman North star Daniel Davis came to an end Sunday night.
The Timberwolves all-around talent announced he is committing to the University of Pennsylvania.
Davis was once a Stanford commit, having given his verbal to the Cardinal in December 2009. However, after a falling out with the coaching staff in which both parties decided to go their separate ways, Davis was back on the market in November.
A three-star prospect by Rivals.com as a linebacker, Davis was unable to find offers from some of the top schools. Not because of his lack of talent but because most schools did not have any offers to give out.
A positive, Davis said, to committing to Pennsylvania is Ivy League schools do not give out athletic scholarships. So if something happens at a bigger school where a signee drops out, Davis is able to transfer and not be penalized.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I’ll do whatever is asked of me. I’m never going to stop working hard and giving everything I have,” Davis said.
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Davis had given me every inclination in my interview with him last week that Penn was going to be his destination. You really cannot discount the fact that he is able to get on out if something happens at a major school.
But let me also say football doesn’t define Davis. His education, where he looks to focus on business, is probably even more important to him at this point in his life.
Watching Davis play the last two years, I’ve thought he’s among the 10 best all-around players I’ve seen. He’s got the goods and will be able to contribute wherever he goes. If it’s Penn, more power to him. He’s learned a lot about who he is and his character in the last couple of months so I know he’s comfortable in his own skin right now.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Hennessey’s Derrick Luetjen changes commitment to Tulsa
Another Derrick in Kingfisher County, another commitment to Tulsa. A day removed from Kingfisher’s Derek Patterson committing to Tulsa, Hennessey’s Derrick Luetjen said Sunday he has switched his commitment from Louisiana-Monroe to Tulsa.
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Luetjen switches to Tulsa
The last week has been a crazy time for Hennessey senior Derrick Luetjen. But he’s confident that he has made the right choice.
The Eagles star defensive tackle has switched his commitment from Louisiana-Monroe to Tulsa, Luetjen said Sunday night.
“It was a great visit, loved everything about it,” Luetjen said.
Luetjen said he had nothing bad to say about Louisiana-Monroe, but the advantage of Tulsa being so close to Hennessey was something he could not pass up.
Luetjen has been one of several defensive tackles on Tulsa’s radar. Reports came out last week that Tulsa was looking for defensive tackles and Luetjen was one of the prospects they were looking at.
Luetjen, 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, had a phenomenal senior season for Hennessey, helping lead the team to its first state championship. He was named first-team Little All-City and second-team All-State by The Oklahoman.
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Luetjen was confident with his choice of the Warhawks. But Tulsa has always been on his wish list. He knew if he received an offer, he would be good to go.
It’s been an insane week for Luetjen. He kept his options open after learning Tulsa was searching out defensive tackles. They don’t come much better than Luetjen.
“It’s been absolutely crazy,” Luetjen said. “Cannot believe all of this is happening for me.”
More than his play on the field, I’ve always been impressed by Luetjen’s leadership. I saw it first hand against Davis in the 2A championship game. He was not going to be denied, and he made sure the rest of the team was following his lead.
Still a couple days away from Signing Day so who knows what’s in store?
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Jalyn Jackson sparks Deer Creek to win vs. Carl Albert
I watched it with my eyes, and I still cannot really comprehend how the Carl Albert and Deer Creek girls basketball game had a 27-point swing.
Seriously. Carl Albert was up 17-1 and sophomore Gioya Carter was unstoppable with 15 of those points. But late in the fourth, it was 52-41 Deer Creek. Or in other words, 51-24 from that point on. The final score ended up being 54-48 for the Antlers, who bounced back nicely after a loss to Piedmont.
Freshman Whitney Jones led Deer Creek with 13 points, but this game belonged to junior post Jalyn Jackson. I call her a post, but she’s also probably the best ball handler on the team. Battling illness, Jackson gutted it out and scored nine of her 12 points in the second half. She also had three assists in the third quarter.
There really was no stopping Carter, but she wasn’t as involved in the second and third quarters. One point in the second and six in the third (though most were free throws). Carter closed the night with 30 points. The dropoff was substantial with Aaliyah Sebock next with seven points.
Cherrell Price and Alicia Frazier just couldn’t get it going on this day.
Carl Albert 60, Deer Creek 52 (Boys)
The Titans flipped the script in this one. Jay Price’s boys were down 32-20 early in the third before rallying for a much needed road victory.
First time I got to see Carl Albert, and I want to see them again. Is this team always this balanced? There wasn’t one player you have to see, but there were a handful of solid contributors from Dondre Brookins to Carlbe Ervin and Darrain Winston and Antonio Marshall. Add in the shooting of Jared Price off the bench, interesting group this season.
Eventually, Carl Albert turned up the intensity on defense and Deer Creek did not respond well to the pressure. And then Garrett Hermanski picked up two fouls in 20 seconds to give him four fouls. He never got into a rhythm.
Carl Albert was up 53-52 with 1:06 left and thought we were headed for another buzzer beater. Not to be as the Titans iced the game at the foul line and Deer Creek was never able to hit that big shot.
Jalen Burnett had a game-high 13 points for the Antlers, while Ervin led four Titans in double figures with 12 points.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Kingfisher’s Derek Patterson commits to Tulsa
It’s good to see good things happen to good people. I wasn’t sure if Kingfisher’s Derek Patterson was going to be able to find a home in college football.
He’s such a great athlete in several different ways, but I wasn’t sure if there was one way that he would actually stand out. A top-notch quarterback. Solid in the secondary. Anchors the basketball team at point guard. A leader on the baseball team.
But Patterson has found a home at Tulsa. Patterson had a meeting with Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship on Saturday and committed to the Golden Hurricane to play football.
“I’ve known a bunch of coaches here, and it’s a natural fit,” Patterson said. “I was playing basketball last night. And me and my dad drove up here and got to Tulsa like at 12:45 in the morning. It’s been a crazy 24 hours.”
Patterson said he is being recruited as an athlete. I could see him as a defensive back or wide receiver. He’s a natural leader so he’ll find a home somewhere.
Patterson accounted for more than 3,000 total yards of offense, throwing for 20 touchdowns and rushing for 16 more. He also had four interceptions on defense.
Patterson said he was also considering Southern Nazarene and Northeastern State but admits he was getting a little nervous having not committed anywhere this close to signing day.
Kingfisher coach Jeff Myers told Patterson that Tulsa planned on getting in touch with Patterson this week so Patterson was waiting and waiting. Call came Thursday night. Scott Wright and myself put Patterson at punter on the Little All-City team just because we were trying to get him on there someway. He’s earned it, that’s for sure.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Matt Christiansen a force in McGuinness overtime victory
I’m giving myself credit. Yea, that’s right. I picked Edmond Memorial and Edmond Santa Fe on Tuesday and Stillwater and Bishop McGuinness on Friday.
Good call. One great atmosphere after another. I wrote about Cody Coyle in Saturday’s paper because he was the head-scratcher, but the Irish don’t come anywhere close to a 77-70 overtime win without Matt Christiansen.
With his running mate, Joe Edmonds, in foul trouble (had four in the third quarter) Christiansen did everything in his power to keep McGuinness in the game. He had 12 points in the first half, 17 in the second half and three in overtime for 32 points.
However, have to give credit to Connor Lamb of Stillwater. Every time it looked like the Irish faithful could relax, Lamb hit another huge three.
The first came with 1:05 left in the fourth to tie the game at 56-56. Then with 26 seconds left, it was 60-56 for the Irish and boom, Lamb hit another.
That set the stage for Austin Brinker to tie the game with about two seconds left at 61 to send us into overtime.
In OT, Christiansen had the place rockin’ with a dunk to make it 66-62. Was thinking game over at that point when Lamb hit another three-pointer. However, that’s when Coyle made his name.
Coyle, primarily a defensive stopper, was on the floor because of the injury to Miles Newcomb. The Irish were up 68-65 and just had a defensive stop. OK, slow it down, pass it around and wait for the foul. Or if you’re Coyle, bomb a three from the corner and send the place into a frenzy. Not sure what would have happened had he missed it, but he doesn’t have to worry.
McGuinness hit its free throws to earn a big win. Coach Tondrell Durham was a little more excited than I thought he’d be for this one, the win meant a lot to him.
Lamb finished with 21 points, while Alex Budke had 16 for Stillwater. Edmonds had 14 for the Irish. Look for a video with Coyle on NewsOK this weekend.
McGuinness 53, Stillwater 31 (Girls)
Did not see this one coming. McGuinness’ defense was stifling all night, limiting a good Stillwater team to 17 points through the first three quarters.
Coach Jennifer Burch said it was all about defense. Against Putnam North on Monday (lost at the buzzer), the defensive breakdowns led to the Panthers getting back in it.
Not the case in blowout wins against Ponca City and the Pioneers. One big thing, too, was having Kate Andrews back against Stillwater. In the first game (a narrow 50-46 win at Stillwater), Andrews did not play. Though she only scored seven points, she made a huge difference on defense.
An 11-0 run in the first quarter got the Irish rolling and Stillwater never mounted a run. It was a comfortable margin the rest of the way.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Edmond North, Harrah, Tuttle, Little Axe among wrestling district winners
Here is the list of district winners in wrestling:
6A
Edmond North
Moore
Westmoore
Yukon
Sand Springs
Broken Arrow
Muskogee
Sapulpa
5A
Altus
Duncan
Deer Creek
Harrah
Shawnee
Claremore
Collinsville
Tahlequah
4A
Tuttle
Weatherford
Blackwell
Cushing
Bristow
Sallisaw
Catoosa
Vinita
3A
Perry
Little Axe
Hinton
Geary
Comanche
Newkirk
Pawhuska
Vian
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Edmond Memorial’s Connor Myers commits to Weber State
Edmond Memorial defensive tackle Connor Myers made the rounds in the last month, visiting three different campuses in three weekends.
It helped him make us his mind as Myers has verbally committed to Weber State, said his father, Scott Myers, in an e-mail Friday morning.
Myers, 6-foot and 287 pounds, was a first-team selection for Big All-City by The Oklahoman and was one of the leaders of a stout Bulldogs defense.
Myers also visited Florida Atlantic and Air Force in the last month. Myers said he likes the attitude of the Weber State coaches.
It also doesn’t hurt that former Memorial players David James and Anthony Morales are there. Edmond Santa Fe alums Willie Okwuonu, Alex Land and Trevor Pletcher are also at Weber State. Del City wide receiver Marquis Walters has also committed there.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
