Video: Vinita’s full-court alley-oop at the buzzer
Back in December here on the blog, we held a contest for the best play of the football season. Well, we have an early favorite for basketball season already.
If you haven’t seen the video of Vinita’s full-court alley-0op off a made free throw with one second left, it’s definitely worth it to click below and check it out. Garret Maxey throws the inbounds pass, which bounces once, into perfect position to hit Jake Bullard in stride for the slam.
Now, when I initially heard the story, I was told it was also a game-winning dunk, which would have made it the play of the decade. But Vinita actually won the game 54-40. Still, a phenomenal play. And Class 4A folks around the OKC metro area will want to keep an eye on Vinita anyway. After reaching the state semis last year, they returned virtually everyone and will be one of the top contenders to end Douglass’ run of two straight titles.
Boys hoops: Edmond Memorial grinds out a win, Aaron Anderson beats the buzzer and Douglass gets an unexpected lift
Austin Garner and Centennial came up with a big win at John Marshall on Tuesday night.
I can’t remember a night during the regular season with so many great boys basketball games. Someone on Twitter told me I should have been at Edmond Santa Fe vs. Putnam City North, and he was right. And I should have been at Centennial vs. John Marshall, which turned out to be less of a game than I expected. And I should have been at Douglass-Southeast, which turned out to be more of a game than I expected. And I could have seen Deer Creek, Carl Albert, Del City, Northwest Classen, Westmoore and a few other teams pull out valuable victories as playoff seeding draws near.
And if I had been at any of those games, I would have missed No. 2 Edmond Memorial pull out a narrow win at No. 5 Midwest City.
Simply put, it was a phenomenal night of basketball in the city and around the state. Here’s a look at some of the best action in the OKC metro area from Tuesday night, with some additional analysis.
Edmond Memorial holds on at MWC
In an intense, if not artistic, battle between top-five teams, second-ranked Edmond Memorial came away with a hard-fought 48-46 win at No. 5 Midwest City Tuesday night.
After a first half highlighted by a flurry of 3-pointers from both teams, grinding, defensive basketball won out in the second half as Memorial rallied from seven points down late in the third quarter to win its 10th straight game.
“We’ve got to take these games and apply it in the future, like for the state tournament, because it’s gonna get tougher from here on out,” said Bulldog senior James Woodard, who had a game-high 12 points. “We didn’t play very well, but we gutted it out and got the win.”
Midwest City made seven 3-pointers — three by junior Daryck Jones — in the first half to take a 33-29 lead, but Memorial’s balanced scoring was too much in the second half.
Terrell Savala and Jordan Thomas combined for 11 of the Bulldogs’ 18 second-half points.
Jones and Torey Noel led Midwest City with 11 points apiece.
Scott’s take: As I tweeted during the game, I thought there was some questionable officiating. I think both teams had some legit gripes about calls throughout the game, including a couple late calls that could have had an impact on the end of the game.
That is not to be taken as a vague commentary on the non-call on Midwest City’s shot in the final seconds. From my spot on the scorer’s table, I was partially blocked from the play, so I couldn’t tell you with any kind of certainty if there was enough contact to warrant a foul call or not. In general, I’m a fan of officials letting the game play out, unless there is an obvious foul.
Midwest City has grown up a lot in the last 4-6 weeks, and they’ve got the talent to be right back at the Mabee Center for the state tournament once again.
Memorial’s balance is more impressive every time I see them. Reggie Sloan and Aaron Young made two 3-pointers apiece in the first half, and as I wrote, Thomas and Savala each came through with big buckets in the second half.
This was two totally different games. The teams were up and down the floor in the first half and combined for 12 3-pointers between them. But the second half was defense and more defense. Intense and fun to the end.
Anderson’s layup lifts Santa Fe
Edmond Santa Fe guard Aaron Anderson raced the length of the floor for a layup at the buzzer to lift the fourth-ranked Wolves to a 59-57 overtime win at No. 11 Putnam City North.
Shaquille Morris led the Wolves with 23 points. Anderson, a Fresno State signee, finished with seven points.
Boys hoops: Omega Harris powers PC West to a big win, Stephen Clark stays busy, and other notes
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark is averaging 51 points per game in his last three games and 42.4 for the month of January.
Sitting at dinner on Friday night, I still hadn’t decided which basketball game I would be attending. Should I go see the intense rivalry game between Putnam City and Putnam City West, or go see if Douglass PG Stephen Clark would go off again, and drop some ridiculous number on Millwood?
Ultimately, I chose what I thought would be the better game over the better individual performance. Here are all the details in Friday night’s roundup:
PC West holds off Putnam City rally
Coming off three frustrating losses, Putnam City West was ready for something positive to happen.
The Patriots’ good fortune almost ran out in the second half, but with some clutch free throw shooting in the fourth quarter, they hung on for a 72-68 win over visiting rival Putnam City Friday night.
Seniors Kevin House and Tavionne Pennon combined to go 12-of-14 at the free throw line down the stretch to close out the victory.
“We fought hard in practice all week, and we came out and got the win,” House said. “This was a big win. We lost three straight, and that wasn’t good.”
Putnam City had a fierce second-half rally that included a 19-5 run, eventually cutting a 21-point deficit to 70-68 with six seconds to play. Junior David Bush sparked the rally, scoring 16 of his team-high 20 points in the second half.
But PC West was able to get to the line when it counted, and convert the free throws.
“We worked very hard to get this win,” sophomore Omega Harris said. “We work on free throws every day, and we know we can hit those free throws.”
Harris, a 6-foot-2 guard, was key in building the Patriots’ big lead. He made three first-half 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 26 points.
Scott’s take: I remember standing next to Omega Harris at this time a year ago, and he appeared to be about 5-foot-10. I know he was shorter than me, and I’m 6 feet on a good day. Interviewing him after the game on Friday night, I can tell you he’s a legit 6-foot-2 — 6-5 if you count that hair. Only a sophomore, he should keep growing, too.
But his height isn’t what makes him impressive. He has the full range of skills. He can score from anywhere on the court, handles the ball well, incredible vision. I was impressed with him last year as a freshman at Midwest City, and he was hardly asked to score on that team. Now, he’s showing all of his offensive tools.
Add in his athletic ability and strong work ethic, he could be on his way to top 100 stature in the recruiting world. Kansas and Oklahoma are among the programs already showing interest in him.
All that said, it was House and Pennon who locked up the win on Friday. Free throws were huge, and Pennon had some big boards as well, finishing with 10 in all.
Watching the PC3 battle it out this year has been, and will continue to be, tons of fun. To recap, PC beat PC North, PC North beat PC West and PC West beat PC. And there’s still more to come.
Moore bounces back
Three nights after having its six-game win streak snapped by Midwest City, Moore got back in the win column with a 44-38 defeat of Southmoore.
Moore’s Chris Hobgood scored a game-high 17 points and Dorian Gigger added nine for the Lions, who have won seven of their last eight games and moved into the top 20 in the coaches’ rankings this week.
Scott’s take: On my list of biggest surprises so far this season, Moore probably makes the top three. Maybe top two. I think Stillwater currently has the top spot locked up, but the Lions are right there. I knew Gigger was a solid player, but the team performance so far, especially bouncing back from an 0-2 start, has been really good.
Douglass cruises behind Clark’s 37
Douglass guard Stephen Clark continued his red-hot January, scoring 37 points in the Trojans’ 88-66 win over Millwood.
Clark is averaging 51.0 points per game over the last three games, and 42.4 per game for the month.
Scott’s take: Just for fun, our Thunder beat writer Darnell Mayberry took in Clark’s performance on Friday, and based on his Twitter reaction, he was impressed. Douglass plays Northeast on Saturday, then it’s off to New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Basketball Classic. There will be some tough competition down there, and Clark will be asked to do a lot of scoring once again. So keep an eye out for more big numbers.
Deer Creek tops Piedmont
Continuing a string of solid performances, Deer Creek defeated Piedmont 49-33 for its fifth win in six games.
The Antlers were led by Garrett Hermanski, who scored a game-high 22 points. Deer Creek’s stout defense allowed only 18 points through the first three quarters.
Scott’s take: These guys are playing well of late, and they seem to be especially good at winning the ugly ones. Piedmont is a talented, athletic team with good size and the ability to put up some points. So holding them to 18 through three quarters is solid work.
Tip-ins
Carlbe Ervin scored 17 points as Carl Albert defeated Chickasha 63-58… Southeast knocked off star Spencer 75-70 in overtime, despite 29 points from Star’s Symon Smith… Jesse Nixon scored 22 points in Washington’s 65-45 win over Purcell… Capitol Hill had three players score at least 17 points in an 80-39 rout of the OKC Knights, with Nicco Meadows leading the way with 22.
Scott’s take: That’s two straight good scoring performances in victories from Ervin, who is very athletic. Carl Albert relies a lot on balanced offense and tough defense, but when Ervin has his offensive game going, he’s fun to watch.
A 41-point win doesn’t tell us much about Capitol Hill, but I think they are going to be a team to watch down the stretch. A young team grew up a lot last year, and by March, they could be ready to take the next step.
In a bit of news that didn’t make the roundup, apparently Edmond Memorial’s James Woodard had a nasty dunk in the Bulldogs’ easy win over Norman North. They’re promising video will be posted online sometime Saturday, and I’ll share it on the blog. I don’t know if any dunk can live up to the Twitter hype this one was getting on Friday night, but still, I can’t wait to see it.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Boys hoops roundup: Stephen Clark drops 51, Allonzo Trier handles the pressure, and some big OT battles
Matt Christiansen and Bishop McGuinness had a fight on their hands with Stillwater Tuesday night.
Tons of good basketball action on Tuesday night… too much to fit into the roundup for Wednesday’s paper, but I did my best. Here’s a look at some of the games I touched on, along with a few extra thoughts.
Douglass’ Stephen Clark scores 51 on Star Spencer
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark picked up where he left off in Louisiana.
In his first game since scoring 65 points at a tournament in Bossier City, Clark had 51 points in a 114-71 win over Star Spencer on Tuesday night.
Clark, who already has scholarship offers from more than a dozen Division I colleges, didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter, with Douglass holding a 31-point lead. It wasn’t just a scoring barrage for Clark. The junior finished with 15 assists and eight steals as well.
The Trojans have a busy weekend, visiting Millwood on Friday and hosting Northeast on Saturday, before heading back to Louisiana next week. Douglass will take part in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Basketball Classic in New Orleans Jan. 19-21.
Scott’s take: There is not thesaurus big enough for me to keep coming up with adjectives to describe Clark’s performance this season. If you combine his second half from Bossier and first half from Tuesday, he scored 81 points in four quarters. The kid is for real. We get to watch him for another year-and-a-half, so if you haven’t seen him yet, pick a game and get out there.
McGuinness holds off Stillwater in OT
In a game when Bishop McGuinness struggled from the free throw line, it’s ironic that foul shots are how Tuesday’s 38-33, overtime win over Stillwater was sealed.
Joe Edmonds’ two late free throws in overtime gave the Irish a four-point lead, and Matt Christiansen added another as McGuinness eeked out a close victory over Stillwater (9-2), which continues to surprise given its lack of returning experience.
McGuinness missed nine of its 17 free throw attempts in the game.
“It came back and bit us, but we won,” said Edmonds, who himself missed a late free throw in the fourth quarter.
Christiansen and Edmonds, both seniors and San Francisco signees, scored 15 and 10 points, respectively, for McGuinness.
Junior John Holcomb led Stillwater with 13 points. Holcomb was the Pioneers’ leading returning scorer from last year, averaging just under three points in 2010-11.
“They’re a good team,” said McGuinness coach Tondrell Durham. “They’re a tough team, and we are very fortunate to win this game.”
Scott’s take: Gracias to Jason Kersey for doing the work on this one. McGuinness is a team full of guys who don’t mind doing the dirty work, and that’s a great quality to have. Beating Norman last week was impressive, and taking down Stillwater — one of the hottest teams around right now — was as well.
Stillwater might be the biggest surprise of the season so far. Hardly anyone with significant experience returning, but Michael Davis has them playing at a high level already. Keep an eye on the Pioneers the rest of the way. Jason is working on a VERY interesting story about what is at the heart of their team chemistry. You won’t want to miss it.
Northeast tops Millwood in OT
Northeast showed exactly how to win a game with free throws on Tuesday night.
The Vikings outscored Millwood 8-0 in overtime — all eight points coming at the line — to seal a 50-42 win.
Millwood rallied from an early double-figure deficit to take the lead in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter saw six ties and four lead changes.
Four Northeast players scored from the line in overtime, with senior point guard Gabe Houston making three of four as the Vikings closed out the win. Houston finished with a team-high 16 points and C.J. Jones had 11 as both teams struggled to make field goals.
“This is always a big rivalry game,” first-year Northeast coach Garland Parks said. “One of our goals is to do well in the conference, and Millwood is always tough, so this is a good win for us, especially on a night when we couldn’t put the ball in the basket. It was an ugly game, but we got the win.”
Wayne Jackson led the Falcons with 21 points, but he fouled out in the final minute of regulation.
Scott’s take: Glad I was finally able to catch a Northeast game. Once I saw they were dropping to 2A one season after playing for the 3A title, I knew that the time was right for them to strike. Garland Parks is a solid coach who seems to have a good handle on his new team.
The Vikings won this one without making many jumpers, and without a big contribution from senior Caleb Crayton, who spent much of his night battling inside with Wayne Jackson. Crayton is a very athletic 6-foot-3 swingman who will get a chance to play at a decent college next year. Houston Baptist was on hand to see him play Tuesday, and he has had some interest from some mid-major D-I programs as well.
Jackson was huge for the Falcons, but he fouled out on an interesting call late in regulation. He was whistled for an intentional foul. From my angle on the opposite end of the floor, it appeared the foul was because he got a little too rough during a tie-ball situation. Tough call to make at that situation of the game, especially with how physical the second half had been. Northeast tied the game with the free throws from the intentional foul.
Edmond Santa Fe fights off PC West
Aaron Anderson had a game-high 15 points and Edmond Santa Fe’s stout defense powered a 56-45 win over Putnam City West in a battle of top-10 teams.
The eight-ranked Patriots were led by Deontee Ogles with nine points. Phoenix Bills contributed 11 for fourth-ranked Santa Fe.
Scott’s take: Santa Fe hasn’t always looked pretty, but they have the talent to win big games. When they can get some decent point production, they are going to be tough to beat. The job they did on PC West’s top three scorers — holding each of them to eight or fewer — is impressive.
Trier’s 37 points power Storm
Freshman Allonzo Trier scored 10 of his game-high 37 points in overtime as the OKC Storm defeated Tulsa Central. Trier only had six points in the first half, but exploded to help the Storm rally from a 12-point halftime deficit.
The Storm’s Jacob Hammond, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, made a layup in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.
Tulsa Central was led by Revey Norton with 18 points.
Scott’s take: According to Barry Lewis of the Tulsa World, Central coach Eli Brown III called Trier the best guard his team has played all year. Based on the freshman’s performance in crunch time, it’s easy to see where that opinion originated. I’m going to be writing in-depth about Trier soon. He’s not your typical freshman, and his life story is going to be a fun one to tell.
Tip-ins
Conner Haydon scored 30 points to lead El Reno to an 83-72 win over Shawnee, which got 31 points from Dejoun Sanders… Heritage Hall’s Tanner Tepe scored 13 in a 50-49 win over Casady… Choctaw picked up a 60-51 win over Yukon behind 27 points from Reggie Wright… Carl Albert junior Carlbe Ervin had a game-high 26 points as the Titans downed Harrah 63-54.
Scott’s take: This should tell you how fun a night it was in high school hoops. These games had to be relegated to the “Tip-ins” section: Dueling 30-point scorers, a one-point Heritage Hall win, and a couple kids scoring in the upper 20s to lead their teams to important victories. It’s only the second week of January. This can only get better.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Boys hoops: Rounduing up a wild day at McGuinness, Putnam City tournaments
When first-round games are this good, I can’t wait to see what the semifinals and finals have in store. I made my way around to McGuinness and Putnam City for opening-round games, and I’ll probably hit both sites again on Friday, while also trying to check in on the action at Bethany.
Here’s the roundup from Thursday night, along with some extra thoughts:
Putnam City pulls out OT win
Putnam City North made a late comeback in regulation, and nearly pulled off another in overtime, but Putnam City was able to hold on for a thrilling 64-62 overtime victory in the first round of the PC Invitational Thursday night.
Ronnie Boyce made a 3-pointer, then Putnam City got buckets from David Bush and Richmarr Smith to build an early lead in the overtime period. PC North’s rally fell short when Panther players missed their final three free throw attempts of the game.
PC North was led by T.J. Jones with 21 points, and Joe Summers added 17.
Juniors Boyce and Bush scored 14 points apiece to lead Putnam City, while sophomore Stephen Edwards had 10, eight of which came after halftime.
PC will face Midwest City in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Friday in a rematch of last year’s PCI championship game, which Midwest City won.
PC West downs Ike
With only one player on the roster taller than 6-foot-4, Putnam City West gained some confidence in Thursday’s 62-52 win over Lawton Eisenhower, which boasts 6-foot-9 Tulsa signee D’Andre Wright and 6-foot-7 freshman Douglass Moore.
Of course, it was still the Patriots’ talented collection of guards who did the most damage in their first-round game at the PC Invitational, with senior Kevin House scoring 17 points, while Omega Harris and Tavionne Pennon had 13 apiece.
At 6-foot-4, Pennon was asked to do most of the defensive work inside on Wright, who finished with 19 points.
“This win was important, going against one of the best big men in the state,” Pennon said. “It was about speed, getting back down the court and making sure we swarmed him when he touched the ball.”
Ultimately, it came down to free throws, with the Patriots hitting 10 of 12 tries in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
PC West will take on No. 1 Tulsa Union at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Every game of the PC Invitational is being streamed live online at www.zpreps.com.
Scott’s take: The PC trio can play some ball. All three of those teams are good, and the PCI field is incredible. Lawton Ike and PC North will both be playing in the loser’s bracket on Friday, and not because either of them were upset by inferior teams. The field is just that good.
PC West vs. Union in one semifinal, and PC-Midwest City in the other will make for a fun evening. PC West proved it can handle going against size with Lawton Ike on Thursday, but Union is a different animal. Lots of size everywhere, and good athletes who do things right. There’s a reason the ‘Skins are No. 1 in the coaches’ poll right now.
PC and MWC are two teams with a lot of young guards who play fast and with a lot of confidence. They’re both playing at a higher level than I expected of them this early in the season. You expect them to be good in the final month of the season, but I thought there would be some growing up to do for both of them, and they seem to have gotten that out of the way quickly.
Guthrie’s Parker sinks game-winner
A blown lead and a busted final play were all forgotten when Shron Parker’s last-second 3-point attempt swished through to give No. 9 Guthrie a 71-69 win over No. 8 Northwest Classen in the McGuinness Classic.
Guthrie led by as many as 18 points in the second half, before Northwest Classen rallied to take a 69-68 lead on Terry Arnold’s putback with seven seconds left.
As Guthrie point guard Jerrick Warren dribbled up the court, he found himself trapped by two Knight defenders about 28 feet from the basket. But he was able to find an open Parker, who launched the game-winner as the horn sounded.
“At first, all I was thinking was that the play wasn’t going to work,” Parker said. “I got open and just shot it, and it went in.”
Parker finished with 13 points. Guthrie was led by Codee Gross with 19 and Warren with 17. Paco Jones had a game-high 28 points for Northwest Classen and Jamil Donovan added 19.
McGuinness, Norman advance
Possibly on a crash course for a championship showdown, both Bishop McGuinness and Norman advanced with first-round wins at the 52nd annual McGuinness Classic.
McGuinness’ Matt Christiansen scored 12 points in the Irish’s 45-24 win over Yukon. The Irish scored the game’s first 13 points and never looked back, building a 28-8 lead by half.
Norman scored the last 11 points of the first half to turn a deficit into an eight-point lead by the break, beating Edmond North 52-40 at the McGuinness Classic. The Huskies led 24-21 before the barrage, which included five points from Rico Hogan.
Scott’s take: Thanks to Ryan Aber for the help in covering the night session at McGuinness. I think McGuinness and Norman have a slight edge on the rest of the field at the Classic, but don’t count out Guthrie. I really didn’t see them handling Northwest Classen, but they did, despite nearly letting it slip away.
Guthrie has an incredibly balanced offense, but they don’t have a lot of size, which McGuinness has plenty of — Christiansen at 6-foot-8 inside and Joe Edmonds at 6-foot-5 on the wing, for starters.
Norman seems to be playing with a lot of confidence lately, and I think they’re only going to keep getting better. They battled some health issues early, and they’re incorporating a talented new point guard in Rico Hogan (who you can read more about right here).
Douglass wins big in Louisiana
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark had 25 points, nine assists and four steals, sitting out the fourth quarter of the Trojans’ blowout win over Booker T. Washington of Shreveport, La., in the showcase portion of the Bossier (La.) Invitational. The actual tournament begins Friday.
Scott’s take: Umm… Stephen Clark is good. Really good. A college scout once described him to me as a more athletic version of Keiton Page. In other words, he can dribble, shoot and pass. Great basketball savvy. And he’s lightning-quick. In case you missed it, here’s my story from Dec. 26 on Clark’s transformation into a point guard.
There will be lots more coverage to come on Friday, and if you’re interested in keeping up with scores and other info as I travel around the metro for all the hoop action, I suggest following along on Twitter.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Fan Poll: Vote for Oklahoma’s High School Football Play of the Year
In accordance with our other postseason honors that have been announced this weekend, we’d like to give the fans a chance to sound off on this particular category: Play of the Year.
Take a few minutes to watch the following five videos, and cast your vote.
No. 1: Jones’ Tylor Seabolt won’t be stopped for a TD in the 2A state title game:
No. 2: In a 21-21 game, Millwood’s Marc Robinson blocks a potential game-winning field goal and Larry Lambeth returns it 90 yards for a TD on the game’s final play:
No. 3: Moore’s Corey Reeves hits Grant Linstead for a 99-yard TD on fourth-and-10 to force overtime vs. Yukon:
No. 4: OCS’ Clyde Jasper scoops up a blocked punt and returns it for a game-winning TD in the final minute:
No. 5: Woodward’s Garrett Roach returns a fumble 99 yards in the final minute for a game-winning TD in the playoffs:
Voting will end at 5 p.m. Jan. 7 and the results will appear in The Oklahoman on Jan. 8.
Boys hoops: Guthrie’s speed, PC playing for a tournament title and more
Guthrie's J.T. McFadden shoots over Harrah's J.J. Jaworski during Tuesday's game.
A short schedule means a short roundup on the last night of hoops before the holiday break for most teams. There are a lot of intriguing holiday tournaments coming up, but let’s not skip too far ahead. Let’s get right to Tuesday’s roundup:
Guthrie too quick for Harrah
Powered by a speedy, balanced lineup, Guthrie is beginning to show itself as a team to watch in Class 5A.
Led by Jerrick Warren with 19 points, five Bluejays scored at least eight Tuesday night in a 75-55 home win over Harrah to move Guthrie to 3-0 on the young season.
Senior Codee Gross scored 17 for Guthrie, while Kai Callins added 14, as the Jays’ short but quick lineup proved too much for Harrah.
“We’re not big, but we have some quickness with a lot of guys who work hard,” Guthrie coach Pete Papahronis said. “I’m very happy with where we’re at. Any guy on any night can step up and give us points.
“We believe we can compete. Time will tell how good we can be.”
Guthrie flashed its speed in building an early lead, which only grew the rest of the night. Harrah was able to hang around through the first half, thanks to the hot shooting of Adam Keiffer, who had 13 of his 17 points before halftime.
But Warren, a junior guard, went to work in the second half with 13 points, including 11-of-14 at the free throw line.
My take: With wins over El Reno and Piedmont — two teams that went to state last year — to open the season, I was curious about Guthrie, and they came through with another solid win. Gross will be the go-to guy when they need someone, but in general, their ability to get points from several different players will be key.
There are probably a couple teams at the top of 5A that are a notch above the rest of the field, but there’s not a lot of separation from 5-15 in the rankings. Guthrie is going to make some noise.
Memorial rolls in Edlam
Senior Terrell Savala scored 15 points and Class 6A No. 3 Edmond Memorial bounced back from its first loss last week to rout crosstown rival Edmond North 69-39.
The Bulldogs (7-1), the defending 6A state champions, lost to Class 5A’s top-ranked team, Del City, on Dec. 13.
“You always want to come back and play well after a loss,” said Memorial coach Shane Cowherd. “We learned from it.”
Brothers James and Jordan Woodard scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Memorial, which jumped out to a 23-8 lead after the first quarter.
Savala, who transferred this summer from Edmond Santa Fe, has added another dangerous weapon to the already stacked Bulldogs.
“He’s come in and worked hard,” Cowherd said. “He’s working to adapt to the Memorial culture.”
My take: Thanks to Jason Kersey for the coverage of Edlam in his first chance to see the Memorial boys. It was clear that the Bulldogs were anxious to get back on the court after last week’s loss to Del City and it didn’t take them long to get going. I think Quinn Wooldridge is a good guy for the Edmond North job, but this will be a tough year, win-loss-wise, as he tries to build his program.
PC advances to finals
David Bush and Ronnie Boyce powered Putnam City to a 70-61 win over Baldwin County (Fla.) in the semifinals of the Wildcat Holiday Classic in Pensacola, Fla., putting the young Pirates in the tournament finals.
Bush scored 26 points and Boyce had 20, with Orlando Goldsmith adding 11, as Putnam City erased a six-point fourth-quarter deficit. The Pirates outscored Baldwin County 22-7 in the final period.
Boyce also scored 20 in Monday’s first-round win, 84-45 over Pensacola-based Escambia.
The Pirates will play for the tournament title at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
My take: Not much to add here, beyond what I wrote about the Pirates in Monday’s paper. These guys are looking good so far.
Tip-ins
T.J. Jones scored 21 points as Putnam City North knocked off Yukon 67-47… Stroud had four scorers in double-figures in a 90-45 win over Jones… Christian Foster had a game-high 18 points in Piedmont’s 46-44 win over Woodard.
My take: PC North hit the Oklahoma sports trifecta with a visit from Justin Blackmon at Tuesday’s game. They had OU football players at last Tuesday’s game, then the Thunder scrimmaged before their win Friday at PC West, now the OSU star. Blackmon’s visit wasn’t just a coincidence. PC North’s Rick Harris coached Blackmon at Plainview.
Beating Woodward is a solid win for Piedmont. I’m still convinced the Wildcats are going to be one of the better teams in 4A, but they’re also very young, so that will play a factor in their early season development. Keep an eye on them in March and beyond.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Can you name the three football teams with four straight semifinal appearances?
OK, time for some Oklahoma high school football playoff trivia. Name the three high school football teams to reach the semifinals of their state playoff bracket each of the last four years.
Think about it for a minute before you skip ahead to read the answers. The first two should be easy.
Jenks and Tulsa Union are no-brainers. But the third is a little less obvious.
A hint, this team will be playing for a state championship this weekend.
You might have guessed one of these five programs, which have made the semifinals in three of the last four seasons: Guthrie, Lawton MacArthur, Heritage Hall, Cascia Hall and Shattuck.
And the winner is…?
The Hennessey Eagles, who will try to defend the Class 2A state championship against Jones at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, are the only other team to reach the semifinals the last four years.
“It’s something special,” Hennessey coach Shannon Watford said. “You’re talking about a program that floundered in obscurity. It’s really special, and it’s tough to get there. It’s a good group of kids, man. They’re fighters.”
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
1954: The year Oklahoma high school football had no playoffs
This cartoon appeared alongside Daily Oklahoman sports editor John Cronley's column on Nov. 3, 1953. The column lambasted the Oklahoma Highschool Athletic association's decision to abolish high school playoffs for the 1954 season. FROM THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
What started as research for a story turned into a fascinating look into one odd year in Oklahoma high school football.
In October 1953, the Oklahoma Highschool Athletic association voted to abolish football playoffs.
The playoffs had been around for nine seasons, and would go on as scheduled for 1953. But in 1954, there were no crowned state football champions.
On the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities’ Association website, on the page where it lists past football state champions, 1954 says, “No championship due to membership vote of ‘too much football.’ Had regular season games only, but were reinstated the next year.”
According to Daily Oklahoman archive stories, common reasons given to abolish the playoffs were 1) too much emphasis on winning; 2) increased pressure on coaches; 3) a longer season.
The vote was taken the association’s annual business meeting, but, according to reports, representatives from a large number of schools weren’t present at the meeting.
A Nov. 3, 1953 Daily Oklahoman column by sports editor John Cronley reported, “with more than 200 schools playing the grid game, only 122 votes were cast.”
The official vote was 78-44, in favor of abolishing the playoffs.
Cronley’s column went on to lambaste the association’s decision. Here are some excerpts:
… Where is the harm in giving the boys something extra to play for, a giant goal each year, an added incentive to strive for, an objective of which to be so proud if achieved?”
Why not decide on the field of battle just what teams are supreme? Isn’t that the basic aim of all sports?
Now it will be back to that ‘mythical’ business, with nothing settled entirely to the satisfaction of all.
(That remind you of anything?)
It all makes for more youngsters playing a better brand of football, and in some places the big kid program is sold primarily on the grounds of being something for the after school hours rather than roaming of streets.
Now ask yourself, what is the youths’ goal from grade through highschool if it isn’t the hope of some day being able to claim he played on the best darn prep team in the country?
So it may be that the die is cast permanently. If so, let the voters answers these queries — If a moderate helping of football is good for a boy, is more of it bad, and if football playoffs are undesirable, why allow to stand such practices in basketball and baseball?
The playoffs were abolished with a simple majority vote, but to reestablish the playoffs would take a three-fourths vote, which was considered all but impossible.
The association tried something different in December 1953 that was as confusing as it was unlikely to work.
The association’s secretary, Lee K. Anderson, and the board of control devised a plan that would have schools vote on having playoffs by classes.
Here was the catch, though: If a majority of schools in any class voted to reestablish playoffs for their class, another vote was conducted of all football playing schools, and that vote would require a three-fourths majority.
A Dec. 8, 1953 Daily Oklahoman article read: “Anderson said the board took the view that most school administrators would take action to give any class the playoffs if schools in that class indicated they wanted the championship series.”
Some classes did vote to reestablish their playoffs, but the wider vote failed, and there were no playoffs in the 1954 season.
Polls and the general sentiment of Oklahomans at the time were firmly for a playoff system.
A Nov. 15, 1953 column by Daily Oklahoman sports writer Lew Johnson said: “In our travels around the state, and during chats with coaches, players and fans, we have found the people to be angry and disgusted with the association.”
Here are excerpts from a Nov. 8, 1953 letter to the editor from Ada resident W.A. Hubbard:
Personally, I am of the opinion that the playoff system was the most progressive move made by the Oklahoma Highschool Athletic Association in the past 20-odd years and its abolition the most retarding.
With the playoff setup, every, the players, student body, and fans, had something to anticipate: competition, honor to be gained and a goal to be reached. Without the playoffs, what’s left? A conference title over a small portion of the state; a rearrangement of schedules; a mythical championship, perhaps, which proves nothing.
Momentum began building to bring back the playoffs between the 1953 and 1954 football seasons.
And by the Oct. 29, 1954 business meeting, the restoration of the playoffs in Classes A, B and C was No. 1 on the agenda.
(Class 2A schools remained firmly against a playoff and didn’t have one again until the 1956 season).
A Ray Soldan Daily Oklahoman column, which ran five days before the board meeting, listed six reasons why the playoffs should be restored:
1) The players themselves want the playoff
2) Fans favor them
3) A better brand of football is produced under the playoffs because there is an added incentive for coaches and players alike
4) Clear-cut state champions are determined
5) It actually shortens the season for all schools except the playoff participants. And those schools certainly don’t mind a lengthened campaign
6) Other assets include financial gains for the schools and increased salaries for the coaches.
Morris superintendent John B. Turner led the charge, speaking passionately at the meeting before the balloting. Turner first began lobbying for a playoff system in 1943.
Saying he represented the fans and student-athletes that weren’t present, Turner went into a impassioned plea for the playoffs while blasting the “slovenly approaches to football players in Oklahoma,” according to a Oct. 30, 1954 Daily Oklahoman article.
He went on to blast school officials for, “not supporting coaches who sweat for two hours every day, and thereby hold your jobs and get raises in pay for you by producing winning teams.”
He continued, saying that playoffs are, “a full expression of democratic process,” and that adding “manly competition in football stops juvenile delinquency.”
After Turner’s speech, Classes A, B and C voted to restore football playoffs for the 1955 season.
In a Dec. 5, 1954, football postseason column, Soldan called the lack of playoffs that season the “Disappointment of the year.”
“With fans, players and coaches like rallying to the defense of the playoff system, the highschool officials saw the error of their previous decision and overwhelmingly voted the football championships back in for the 1955 season,” Soldan wrote.
The 1955 season would be memorable for two reasons — the return of the playoffs, and the first season where black and white athletes played together in many schools, according to Soldan’s Sept. 4, 1955 column.
Then, at the association’s business meeting in October of that year, Class 2A playoffs were restored.
So there is your Oklahoma high school football history lesson for the day.
I love history, so once I started to realize how interesting this was, it became my Sunday evening.
Hope you enjoyed this little trip back in time. I sure did.
Fan Poll: Vote for the OKC-Area Football Player of the Week for the third round of the playoffs
The season is winding down, but you still have a chance to let us know who you thought was the Player of the Week in Week 3 of the high school football playoffs around the Oklahoma City area.
Pick one of the five selections from the poll below, or write in your own candidate in the comments section, where you can tell us why your choice deserves Player of the Week honors.
The results of the poll will appear in Wednesday’s Oklahoman. Voting ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
So cast your vote, discuss and debate the best performance from Week 3 of the playoffs:
Bryan Dutton, QB, Guthrie
Scored a rushing touchdown and threw for two more TDs to help seal Guthrie’s spot in the Class 5A state championship game with a 28-25 win over McAlester on Saturday.
Hennessey defense
Vian came in having scored at least 34 points in every game, and at least 47 in eight of their last nine, but Hennessey gave up just over 200 yards and just seven points to advance to the Class 2A semifinals.
Michael Lowe, QB, Jones
Threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score, both in the fourth quarter of Jones’ 29-28 comeback win over Stroud in the Class 2A quarterfinals. Lowe also had another rushing TD earlier in the game.
Marc Robinson, RB/LB, Millwood
Rushed 16 times for 105 yards and three touchdowns, while also helping the Millwood defense shut down the Lincoln Christian run game in a 40-14 Falcon win in the 2A quarterfinals.
Barry J. Sanders, RB/DB, Heritage Hall
Sanders got it done on both sides of the ball, scoring from the running back position, and also with a pick-six as the Chargers routed Seminole 49-20 on Friday to advance to the 3A semifinals.
