Running Back U in 2011 for the state of Oklahoma
Heritage Hall's Barry J. Sanders is ranked No. 9 at RB by Rivals.com
At the beginning of last season, I turned to Scott Wright and said, ‘can you believe how good this RB class is going to be next year?’
Nearly 12 months later and nothing has changed. In fact, if anything, it’s gotten even better and even deeper. Rivals.com released position rankings this week, and it’s no shock that Oklahoma has three of the top 30 RBs in the nation.
It starts with Heritage Hall’s Barry J. Sanders, ranked ninth. Jenks stud Alex Ross (committed to OU) is No. 16 and Norman’s workhorse Donovan Roberts (committed to Arkansas) is No. 25.
Simply depends on what recruiting service you use when it comes to Ross and Sanders. Rivals likes Sanders. ESPN likes Ross. Heck, you’re not wrong with either guy.
But as the biggest Roberts booster around, it put a smile on my face to see Roberts crack the top 30. One thing I’ll say for Roberts is he’s ready right now to play college. His style of running, his body type, he could play for the Hogs right now.
The list stopped at 30, but how many more can you think of that would also be deserving? Anadarko’s Sheldon Wilson has to be up there. Also gotta find a place for Southmoore’s Andrew Long and Midwest City’s James Flanders.
If last year’s injuries didn’t slow him down, like what I’ve seen in the past from Putnam City North’s Dre Holman. Edmond North’s Jarion Tudman and Jared Benway might take carries away from each other, but they’re both solid backs.
Still believe the sleeper of the class is at Putnam City with Casey Curtis and don’t forget about Broken Bow’s Eric Dockins.
No matter your preference, this is going to be a running back class to remember.
Other Oklahomans to make the Rivals list include: Beggs QB Ramsey Hamilton (No. 28 dual-threat); Purcell QB Cole Swayze (No. 29 dual-threat); Broken Arrow’s Zac Veatch (No. 20 TE); Douglass’ Cayman Bundage (No. 20 OG); Heritage Hall’s Sterling Shepard (No. 34 WR); Lawton MacArthur’s Daniel Schwarz (No. 8 Kicker). Schwarz has committed to Tulsa, while Shepard has committed to OU.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Hennessey goes from hunter to hunted
Hennessey looks to duplicate this championship moment in 2011.
Hennessey is no longer the ‘little team that could.’ No sir. Under coach Shannon Watford, the Eagles haven’t had to take a backseat to anybody in terms of how successful the program has been.
That’s the good news. But what comes with that now is expectations. And this year it’s not just expectations, it’s a big ol’ target pointed squarely on Hennessey’s back.
The Eagles who made most of us media gurus look stupid last year in the semifinals (vs. Millwood) and championship (vs. Davis) are now going to find out that it’s one thing to win a championship, and it’s completely another to try to defend the crown.
“We realize we aren’t going to be under the radar anymore,” Watford said. “But this is the position you want to put yourself in.”
And don’t feel sorry for the Eagles. Winning the title has interest at an all-time high. Watford said he has gone from 38 lockers to 58 lockers this spring. But replacing Derrick Luetjen will be no easy feat.
Watford had to laugh when thinking about Luetjen as a freshman. Luetjen was 217 pounds and playing wide receiver. He finished his career at nearly 300 pounds, being one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the game and signing with Tulsa.
Though a big piece of the team is gone with Luetjen, Hennessey returns a lot of experience…and a lot of talent. Running backs Ivan Moreno and Levi Hill are back. They only combined for 3,000 rushing yards last year.
Quarterback Trey Leu has a year under his belt and the Pina boys (Orlando and Octavio) also return. I admit I haven’t put much thought into my 2A rankings just yet, but I cannot see how Hennessey could be any lower than a top 5-7 team.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Centennial’s historic run tops other memorable moments
Centennial boys winning the school's first title was certainly a moment to remember.
Same thing happens every year I’ve done my top moments of the year. Obviously I’ve left out great moments because if I wasn’t there to see them, there is no way I can accurately describe what I felt during that moment.
But perhaps you were. And as the slew of moments keep either getting commented on or being emailed to me, gonna go ahead and announce that the ‘best of the Varsity readers moments’ blog is is going to run Friday.
So what made you stand up and go nuts? Perhaps it was the Douglass double in football and basketball. While the boys basketball team was expected to make another championship run, the Trojans football team left no doubt about how great they were last year.
Nobody had a tougher road to the 4A title game, and it all culminated with the overtime victory against Wagoner.
Or just when you think the Backyard Bowl cannot get any better, Jenks and Union put on an absolute classic of a 6A final. That might end up being the greatest moment of Christian Hood’s life, and I think that would be OK. Being a part of that moment in a 50-47 victory…against your rival…for the title…yea, that’s nice. Hood should have a successful career at Central Oklahoma.
Who could forget the epic Union 50-47 win against Jenks in the 6A championship game?
Or maybe you’re a fan of firsts. And there arguably wasn’t a bigger first in the state than the Centennial boys winning its first state championship of any kind. And of course, gotta tag coach Scott Raper shaving his head as part of the deal.
Maybe you like watching greatness, and the incredible performance that Archie Bradley of Broken Arrow put on in the championship win against Owasso would certainly qualify for that.
Then again, there’s something about a simple moment. I fully admit that in basketball and baseball that it wasn’t state tournament games that are etched in the memory, but incredible atmospheres during regular season encounters.
Either way, you know what I saw and what I felt. Now we want to know what you saw and what you felt. Again, gonna compile every last moment in a readers’ voice blog Friday.
***
By Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Boneman’s top moments: Nos. 5-1
Hennessey proved it had no equal in Class 2A.
As much as I love wrestling and tennis and baseball, just tough to top these five moments in football and basketball. Again, these are the moments I’ve seen personally, not necessarily the unquestioned top moments of the year.
Without further ado, my top five moments of the ’10-11 school year.
5. Hennessey’s defense puts on a clinic in winning 2A football championship — Do people remember the wind from this game? Seriously, it’s the first thing I think about. There was no way anybody could have had an effective passing game in this one. But the Eagle defense made sure Davis didn’t have a good running game. Led by an incredible defensive effort, Hennessey took it home 14-0. In beating Millwood and Davis in back-to-back week, Shannon Watford’s boys left no doubt as to who was the best team in 2A last season.
4. Edmond Santa Fe girls snap Midwest City’s 50-game winning streak and take the title — It was all about confidence. Most teams when faced against the Bombers and Kaylon Williams and Ashley Clark and Marisha Wallace and company were simply beat before the game even started. Wallace out certainly changed the tone of the game, but the Wolves were waiting for this moment all year. Paced by MVP Courtney Walker, Santa Fe took over in the second half to cruise to the victory. It was the first girls basketball title for an Edmond Public School.
Small glimpse of the Edlam atmosphere.
3. Edlam showdown between Memorial and Santa Fe — There is standing room only, and then there is whatever you would call this Tuesday in January. In the girls game, Santa Fe overcame an 18-point deficit to win in overtime. Courtney Walker scored a school-record 41 points. The boys game, if possible, tried to top it. I’ve never seen Santa Fe coach Shawn Schenk more passionate, more crazy than on this night. Led by Josh Richardson and Aaron Anderson, the Wolves won at Memorial. It ended up being the only loss of the season for the Bulldogs. Memorial went 3-1 vs. Santa Fe.
2. Brandon Swindall saves the Soul Bowl for Millwood — In. Cred. Ible. I still have fun watching this video from the Soul Bowl between Millwood and Douglass. The battle between Aliston Cobb of Douglass and Brandon Swindall of Millwood. If you ask me (you didn’t), this was the coming out party for Swindall. While Texas signee Josh Turner admittedly had a good game, Swindall had a game for the ages. It all culminated with him knocking Shon Bridges out of bounds on the final play of the game to preserve the 36-31 victory. Douglass, at the time, was the GREATEST 0-2 team I’ve ever seen. The Trojans never lost again in winning the state championship.
1. Sterling Shepard puts the Chargers on his back in 3A state championship game — Part of the reason this game is my favorite is because of my boy Scott Wright. When Scott said he would take care of stats from the press box, it allowed me to be on the field. And wow, that was so much fun. Kingfisher and Derek Patterson would not be denied. Yellowjackets were up 14-0 at halftime when Heritage coach Andy Bogert put the game in Shepard’s hands. Shepard rushed for nearly 200 yards and scored all four touchdowns in a 28-21 victory. Kingfisher had a chance to score on the final play of the game but couldn’t convert. Incredible game between two heated (yet very respected) rivals. This was the launching pad for Shepard, who committed to Oklahoma mere months after the game.
I’ll give a couple more days for readers to send in their own memories. Some good ones so far, keep ‘em coming.
Saturday: Moments 10-6.
Friday: Moments 15-11.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Boneman’s top moments: Nos. 10-6
Welcome to the Michael Fulmer part of the countdown. The Antlers star is in two of the five moments included.
We’re through the first part of the countdown. Let’s continue on with Nos. 10-6.
10. Putnam City’s LaShawn Jones leads Pirates to memorable triple overtime win against Choctaw — Putnam City just had a string of bad luck throughout the year. Nobody wants to be labeled the best ‘bad’ team, but Putnam City was a solid club. In this game, Jones was sensational in scoring 26 points and swatting shot after shot in helping PC eliminate the Yellowjackets.
9. The first day of the MLB Draft — Oh, I hate being prisoner of the moment, but I admit from 6:20 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. Monday was some exciting stuff. Owasso star Dylan Bundy was selected with the fourth pick of the draft by the Orioles, while Broken Arrow’s Archie Bradley was seventh by the Diamondbacks. And then later in the night Deer Creek’s Michael Fulmer went 44th to the Mets. It was cool seeing Bradley and Bundy on MLB Network and that smile from Bradley that couldn’t be surgically removed.
8. Bryan Dutton, Kentrell Brothers put on a show in win at Carl Albert — 40-14, that’s all the Bluejays remembered from the year before. It was a rout at Jelsma. Now at Carl Albert, Guthrie returned the favor with a 32-14 victory. Dutton threw for 233 yards and five touchdowns, while Brothers had four of those touchdowns. You could argue the game wasn’t that
It was a coming out party for Bryan Dutton in a win at rival Carl Albert.
memorable, but if you were there that night, it was an electric atmosphere.
7. Final day of boys state tennis tournament — Not the whole day, but there was about a two-hour block that was simply incredible. On the top three courts, you had 6A finals in No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles. And then far off in the distance you had Heritage Hall battling Cascia Hall in No. 2 doubles to help crown a 4A champion. In a span of about 30 minutes, Putnam North’s Chris Haworth won his third title, Edmond North’s David Hager won his first and the Chargers won to force a tie with Metro Christian.
6. The showdown: Clayton Blackburn outduels Michael Fulmer in 1-0 battle — If you were there, you remember it. Heck, Fulmer said it was one of the best moments he’s been a part of. Blackburn hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the first inning, and the pitching studs did the rest. One 90 + mph pitch after another. One strikeout after another. It marked the first in-state loss for Deer Creek. And if you didn’t think Fulmer or Blackburn were going to get drafted, well, you weren’t watching closely enough.
Sunday: Moments Nos. 5-1.
Friday: Moments Nos. 15-11.
Boneman’s top moments: Nos. 15-11
Alright, time for the first installment. Once again the qualifier is I had to see the moment actually happen. You still have time to get your favorite moment turned in. I’ll post some reader suggestions either Sunday or Monday. Some pretty good reader submitted choices so far, keep ‘em coming.
As for my list, let’s get it rolling.
Chickasha mourns the death and celebrates the life of football player Kody Turner — I refuse to put a number on this, but it’s hard for me to think about the ’10-11 school year without bringing this up. Turner, an offensive lineman for the Chicks, collapsed at practice and died three days later. I was there in Chickasha for the first home game after Turner’s death, and it’s a scene I won’t forget. For more on that, here’s a flashback. RIP Kody.
15. Kris Wooten’s buzzer beater gives Carl Albert the win at Piedmont — A random Monday in the basketball season, and you just never know what you’re going to get. This was a good battle between the Wildcats and the Titans. Piedmont’s Keith Vick tied it up in the closing seconds only for the Titans to drive down the court and for Wooten to play hero. He told me later on his name is not ‘Chris’ but ‘Kris.’ I apologize, Kris.
14. Signing Day — What made this one so special? Um, how about all of this was done in the comfort of the apartment? Yea, if you remember, we were hit bad by winter storms and signing ceremonies all over the state was postponed and canceled. Led to an eventful Signing Day of calling kids to find out if they were able to fax their Letter of Intent in. Some pretty good stories there about what kids to get the info in.
13. Western Heights’ Kenneth Mayfield shoots out the lights, but the Saints win — A fifth-place game at the Deer Creek Classic won by OCS 74-72. Jack Warren of OCS and Alton Whittaker went nuts in the first half. Mayfield and T.J. Holland responded in the second half. Warren and Holland: 51 points. Mayfield and Whittaker: 54 points and Mayfield shooting the lights out (lights randomly went out after he made a 3-pointer). Great showdown between four very talented players.
Yukon's championship was definitely a special moment this year.
12. Billy Wilson leads Tuttle to dual win at Deer Creek — I’m probably speaking out of turn here, but I think Tuttle had the best wrestling team in the state. And in late January the Tigers made the trip to Deer Creek and won 36-29. Up 24-23, Billy Wilson scored a fall that clinched the victory. The Tigers and Antlers exchanged forfeits leading to the 36-29 outcome. Tuttle was battling multiple kids being sick but still pulled it out. High drama.
11. Fastpitch softball state tournaments — No singular favorite here. Whether it was Bryana Wade cementing her spot as one of the best places in the state in helping Mt. St. Mary’s to a title. Or the Lacey Williams and Peyton Watson show the Little Axe girls put on. Or Carl Albert reclaiming the title under the leadership of Whitney Robinson. Or Yukon finishing the job the Millerettes started last year until Dani Fox got injured. You know I love me some softball and this year wasn’t any different.
Saturday: Moments 10-6.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
MLB Draft coming out party for Deer Creek
Deer Creek's Michael Fulmer was drafted by the New York Mets, while Brian Anderson was drafted by the Minnesota Twins.
State championships are nice but this might rank right up there for the Deer Creek baseball program.
One day after another there was an Antler or former Antler being selected in the MLB Draft. Deer Creek is in a unique position in terms of location. It’s like its own isolated community.
But that’s part of what makes it special, baseball coach Ron Moore said. It wasn’t just Michael Fulmer, Brian Anderson and Derek Vaughn celebrating, the whole Deer Creek community played a role.
“This is an accumulation of not just one person but of the whole program,” Moore said. “One of the things we talk about is individual recognition comes from team success.”
It started Monday night when Fulmer, a right-handed pitcher, was selected by the New York Mets with the 44th overall selection. Anderson followed Tuesday afternoon when chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round.
Anderson was an interesting case because Moore said Anderson was being looked at hard by some teams as early as the ninth round as a pitcher. However, Anderson chose to enter the draft as a shortstop. It made him fall a little bit down the draft, but he’s still in a pretty good spot.
As for Vaughn, a Deer Creek graduate now at Texas Wesleyan, he was picked in the 47th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Anderson and Fulmer have both signed with Arkansas.
So in talking to Moore, I put him on the spot: ‘you ready to go through all of this again with Isaac Hellbusch?’
“It’s funny because at our first practice we had more than 40 scouts,” Moore said. “They came to see Michael and Brian, but it was an opportunity for everybody to get noticed. Ike certainly took advantage of that.
“He took more of an ownership of the team this year. Even though he was just a junior, he felt like this was his team, too.”
Hellbusch was one of the better pitchers in the area. And combined with Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley, is another potential big prospect for next year’s class.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Public-private proposal voting breakdown
Public-private proposal
It was revealed Tuesday that the public-private schools proposal passed by a vote of 265-49 by the member schools. It had already been approved by the OSSAA Board of Directors in April. This will lead to some non-public schools’ athletic programs moving up a classification and goes into effect July 1.
Here’s a breakdown of the vote:
Ballots ruled invalid because not signed by the delegate:
Tulsa Washington, Bishop McGuinness, Gage, Madill, Mannford, Oilton, Tulsa Hale, Tulsa Memorial, Waukomis.
Ballots ruled invalid because postmarked after the deadline:
Cordell, Frontier, Glenpool, Kellyville, Metro Christian, Ponca City, Shawnee, Bluejacket, Oklahoma Union, Victory Life.
Schools that voted in favor of the proposal:
Ada, Adair, Afton, Agra, Alex, Aline-Cleo, Allen, Altus, Alva, Anadarko, Arapaho-Butler, Asher, Atoka, Balko, Barnsdall, Bartlesville, Beaver, Bennington, Berryhill, Bethany, Bethel, Big Pasture, Billings, Blackwell, Blair, Boise City, Bokoshe, Boone-Apache, Boswell, Bridge Creek, Bristow, Broken Arrow, Burlington, Burns Flat-Dill City, Byng, Cache, Calera, Calumet, Cameron, Canadian, Caney, Caney Valley, Canute, Carney, Catoosa, Cement, Central Marlow, Central Sallisaw, Chattanooga, Checotah, Chelsea, Cheyenne, Chickasha, Chisholm, Chouteau-Mazie, Claremore, Claremore Christian, Colcord, Coleman, Collinsville, Comanche, Commerce, Copan, Covington-Douglas, Coweta, Coyle, Crossings Christian, Cushing, Dale, Davenport, Davidson, Davis, Deer Creek, Depew, Dewar, Dewey, Dickson, Dover, Drummond, Duncan, Durant, Dustin, Eagletown, Earlsboro, Lawton Eisenhower, El Reno, Eldorado, Elgin, Elk City, Elmore City-Pernell, Empire, Fairland, Fairview, Fargo, Fletcher, Forgan, Foyil, Frederick, Freedom, Fort Gibson, Garber, Geary, Geronimo, Glencoe, Gracemont, Graham, Grove, Guthrie, Guymon, Hammon, Hardesty, Harding Fine Arts, Harrah, Hartshorne, Haskell, Haworth, Healdton, Henryetta, Hilldale, Hobart, Holdenville, Hominy, Howe, Hugo, Idabel, Inola, Jenks, Jones, Kansas, Keys (Parkhill), Kiefer, Kingston, Kiowa, Kremlin-Hillsdale, Latta, Lawton, Leedey, Lexington, Liberty, Lindsay, Little Axe, Lone Wolf, Lookeba-Sickles, Marietta, Marlow, Maud, Maysville, McLoud, Medford, Meeker, Merritt, Miami, Midwest City, Milburn, Millwood, Minco, Moore, Mooreland, Morrison, Moss, Muldrow, Mulhall-Orlando, Muskogee, Mustang, Newcastle, Norman, Norman North, Noble, Oaks, Oklahoma Christian Academy, Okmulgee, Olustee, Owasso, Paden, Panola, Paoli, Pauls Valley, Pawhuska, Pawnee, Perkins-Tryon, Pioneer-Pleasant Vale, Plainview, Porter, Poteau, Prague, Preston, Prue, Pryor, Purcell, Putnam City, Putnam North, Quapaw, Quinton, Reydon, Ringling, Ripley, Rock Creek, Roff, Roland, Rush Springs, Ryan, Sallisaw, Sand Springs, Sasakwa, Savanna, Sayre, Schulter, Seminole, Sentinel, Sequoyah-Claremore, Sharon-Mutual, Shattuck, Snyder, Southmoore, SW Covenant, Sperry, Sterling, Stillwater, Stilwell, Stonewall, Stratford, Stringtown, Stroud, Taloga, Tecumseh, Thackerville, Thomas, Tishomingo, Tonkawa, Turpin, Tushka, Tuttle, Valliant, Vanoss, Varnum, Velma-Alma, Verden, Verdigris, Vian, Vici, Vinita, Wakita, Walters, Wanette, Wapanucka, Warner, Washington, Weatherford, Webbers Falls, Welch, Wellston, Westmoore, Westville, Wetumka, Wilburton, Wilson-Henryetta, Wilson, Woodland, Woodward, Wright City, Wyandotte, Wynnewood, Yale, Yarbrough, Yukon.
Schools that voted against the proposal:
Amber-Pocasset, Am. Christian, Beggs, Tulsa Kelley, Bixby, Canton, Carl Albert, Cascia Hall, Cashion, Christian Heritage, Cleveland, Corn Bible, Crescent, Deer Creek-Lamont, Edmond Memorial, Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe, Eufaula, Fort Supply, Granite, Hennessey, Heritage Hall, Indiahoma, Keyes, Kingfisher, Lincoln Christian, Locust Grove, Lomega, Luther, Lawton MacArthur, Morris, St. Mary, Ninnekah, Okarche, Okeene, Oklahoma Bible, Oklahoma Christian, Oktaha, Oologah, Panama, Putnam West, Salina, Smithville, Tipton, Tupelo, Tulsa Union, Victory Christian, Western Heights, Wewoka.
Some notable non-public schools that voted against the proposal: Kingfisher, Morris, Beggs, Hennessey, Carl Albert and Western Heights. All three Edmond Public Schools voted against the proposal.
And for those that don’t remember the proposal terms, here ya go:
Any school moves up a class if it meets three of the four criteria:
- Does it have selective enrollment?
- Do 25 percent or less of their students in grades 9-12 qualify for free or reduced lunches?
- Is the school located within a 15-mile radius of a Class 6A or 5A school?
- Has the school’s enrollment in grades 9-12 gone up by at least 50 percent in the last three years?
From there, it is determined by a sport-by-sport basis on the athletic success standard if that school’s respective program stays in the higher class. If a program has reached at least the top eight at state in three of the last five years, the program remains in the higher class. If not, it drops down. However, in sports where there are boys and girls activities, if one gender meets the standard, both genders stay in the higher classification.
UPDATE: Fearless leader Darla Smith went through and found out all the schools that did not send in anything. And I hope I didn’t forget any when typing them.
Schools that did not send in a ballot:
Choctaw, Del City, Enid, Sapulpa, US Grant, Ardmore, Capitol Hill, Tulsa Central, Tulsa East Central, McAlester, Northwest Classen, Skiatook, Southeast, Tahlequah, Tulsa Edison, Tulsa Rogers, Blanchard, Broken Bow, Clinton, Classen, Tulsa Webster, Douglass, Harding Charter Prep, Jay, John Marshall, SeeWorth Academy, Lone Grove, Tulsa McLain, Piedmont, Santa Fe South, Star Spencer, Wagoner, ASTEC Charter, Antlers, Chandler, Coalgate, Crooked Oak, OKC Dove Science, Heavner, Northeast, Nowata, Okemah, Centennial, Perry, Riverside, Sequoyah-Tahlequah, Spiro, Stigler, Sulphur, Bray-Doyle, Carnegie, Colbert, Crowder, Dibble, Drumright, Gore, Haileyville, Hinton, Hollis, Hulbert, Ketchum, Konawa, Mangum, Mounds, Navajo, Newkirk, Okay, Pocola, Porum, Rattan, Silo, Summit Christian, Talihina, Watonga, Wayne, Wister, Achille, Binger-Oney, Bowlegs, Caddo, Cave Springs, Cimarron, Clayton, Cyril, Tulsa Dove Science, Fox, Fort Cobb-Broxton, Fort Towson, Gans, Hooker, Hydro-Eakly, Indianola, Keota, Laverne, Macomb, New Lima, Olive, Pond Creek-Hunter, Ringwood, Seiling, Soper, South Coffeyville, Strother, Stuart, Texhoma, Turner, Union City, Watts, Waurika, Weleetka, Arkoma, Arnett, Battiest, Braggs, Buffalo, Buffalo Valley, Butner, Calvin, Cherokee, Duke, Erick, Felt, Goodwell, Grandfield, Hanna, Kinta, Leflore, Mason, McCurtain, Midway, Mill Creek, Moyers, Mount View-Gotebo, Oklahoma School for the Deaf, Pittsburg, Red Oak, Shidler, Springer, Sweetwater, Temple, Timberlake, Tyrone, Waynoka, Wesleyan, Whitesboro, Wynona.
Class breakdown of who did not turn in ballot (based on basketball classification):
6A: 5
5A: 11
4A: 16
3A: 17
2A: 27
A: 34
B: 36
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Santa Fe’s Conor Costello, Clayton Blackburn almost selected back-to-back
Edmond Santa Fe's Clayton Blackburn and Conor Costello (not pictured) were drafted two picks within each other Tuesday.
Edmond Santa Fe’s Conor Costello had to interrupt his own celebration for another one. I guess that’s a pretty good reason, right?
Costello was excited about being selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 505th pick (16th round) of the MLB Draft. By the time he could let it all sink in, another Santa Fe player was selected. Not two minutes later, pitching star Clayton Blackburn was picked by the San Francisco Giants at No. 507.
“This feels so awesome,” Costello said. “I’ve been playing with him the last five years so to get drafted right by him is really cool.”
Blackburn and Costello were two vital cogs of a crazy-talented group of Wolves that reached the 6A state semifinals.
Costello has signed with Arkansas and was a first-team Big All-City selection, while Blackburn was a first-team Big All-City selection and first-team All-State pick by yours truly. Blackburn is headed to Oklahoma.
Blackburn was also involved in one of my favorite moments of the year, an epic pitching duel won by Blackburn in a 1-0 win at Deer Creek against Michael Fulmer.
Fulmer, of course, could also be headed to Arkansas. He was selected with the 44th pick by the New York Mets. And another Antler, Brian Anderson, is gonna be a Hog, too. So it’s possible to have Blackburn, Fulmer and Costello all in the same lineup.
“If we end up all going there, it’s going to be awesome because we’re all supposed to be roommates,” Costello said. “It’s an exciting time.”
Costello, 6-4 and 200 pounds, hit .373 with five home runs and 33 RBIs. He also was 5-2 on the mound with 57 strikeouts in 44 innings. Blackburn, 6-4 and 22o pounds, was 10-1 with a 1.37 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 66 innings. He hit .375 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs.
UPDATE: Heh, didn’t take long. Anderson got drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round (No. 628). Anderson is a phenomenal shortstop and hitter. Fulmer has given Anderson a lot of credit for Fulmer’s success as a hitter this season. Anderson was first-team All-State and Big All-City.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Deer Creek’s Michael Fulmer: ‘I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.’
Deer Creek's Michael Fulmer is one step closer to accomplishing his dream of playing in MLB.
Deer Creek’s Michael Fulmer was busy making the rounds after being selected with the 44th pick of the MLB Draft by the New York Mets.
Was able to get in touch with him recently and here are some of the nuggets.
On the last hour:
“This has been unbelievable. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. This is a dream come true.”
On the night’s event:
“We had a big watch party with more than 100 people. We had the entire baseball team and all the families. I want to thank them for all their support and their contributions to my success.”
On when the Mets first contacted him:
“They called around the end of the first round. My agent got back to me and said if I was still around, the Mets were thinking about taking me with the 44th pick.”
On the moment of hearing his name:
“We got the call from the Mets area scout. My eyes lit up. I didn’t say a word to anybody. And then when they said my name the whole place just exploded. It was the happiest moment of my life.”
On other interested teams:
“From my understanding, the Rangers gave a call to my agent. The Rays were the team I thought. They had a lot of picks, and we had a great relationship with their area scout. They made a lot of great picks tonight, too. Right now, I’m just happy to be a Met. They’ve been in contact with me throughout the season, and I just kind of had that gut feeling.”
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
