Large-school girls basketball power poll: Edmond Santa Fe, Shawnee top rankings
Courtney Walker, left, and Edmond Santa Fe are the best girls' basketball team in the state. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
Here is my first girls’ basketball power poll. This one just covers the large schools (6A and 5A). Tomorrow, I’ll have one for 2A-3A-4A.
Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.
1. Edmond Santa Fe (6A, 21-0)
No brainer at No. 1. Texas A&M signee Courtney Walker and company are the clear favorites to win their second straight 6A title. The Wolves’ smallest margin of victory is 15. The biggest question mark surrounding this team is its strength of schedule. The Wolves haven’t really been tested this season.
Record vs. this poll: 2-0
2. Shawnee (5A, 21-0)
The Wolves lost Tulsa signee Caitlyn Ramirez to an ACL tear before the season, but it hasn’t seemed to affect them much at all. Move-ins Taylor and McKenzie Cooper obviously helped ease the blow, and guard Kelsee Grovey, another Tulsa signee, has shown herself to be one of the best players in the state.
Record vs. this poll: 3-0
3. Midwest City (6A, 21-0)
Two and three were tough to choose, because I think Midwest City has a terrific team and, I think, is the only team right now in 6A with a legitimate shot at beating Santa Fe. I watched the Bombers and Shawnee scrimmage in the preseason and it was a good matchup. After watching both teams play, I like the Wolves just a little better right now.
Record vs. this poll: 3-0
4. Tulsa East Central (5A, 21-3)
Shawnee’s chief competition in Class 5A. Two of the Cardinals’ losses were to out-of-state teams in a season-opening tourney in Tennessee, and the other came to Jenks on Jan. 20. But East Central has also beaten Jenks this season.
Record vs. this poll: 1-1
5. Edmond Memorial (6A, 16-5)
The Bulldogs five losses are: Twice to Santa Fe, twice to Midwest City and once to Shawnee. Memorial and Midwest City are lined up for a possible third game in areas.
Record vs. this poll: 1-5
6. Jenks (6A, 18-4)
Jessica Washington has returned from an injury but isn’t 100 percent. The Trojans lost in overtime to Muskogee on Tuesday.
Record vs. this poll: 2-3
7. Deer Creek (5A, 19-3)
Since a one-point loss to 4A Piedmont on Jan. 13, the Antlers have reeled off nine straight wins, including a big win at Carl Albert. Deer Creek is peaking at the right time and seems poised for a run at state.
Record vs. this poll: 2-1
8. Carl Albert (5A, 17-5)
The Titans go through rough shooting stretches, which cost them in recent home losses to Deer Creek and Shawnee. CA got a break in their playoff position and should be considered a lock for the state tournament.
Record vs. this poll: 0-2
9. Muskogee (6A, 16-6)
Since losing to Stillwater in the finals of the John Nobles Tournament in Moore on Jan. 21, the Rougers have reeled off seven straight wins, including Tuesday’s overtime upset of Jenks. Muskogee also has impressive wins over Tulsa Union and Bixby, and has beaten Sapulpa twice.
Record vs. this poll: 1-1
10. Bishop McGuinness (5A, 18-5)
Irish got off to a rocky start to the season after losing several starters, and adjusting to a new head coach, Shawn Clark. But the team has been on a roll, losing just twice since Dec. 17. Both of those losses — three points to Cascia Hall and in overtime to PC North — came with top scorer and rebounder Elyse Hight hurt.
Record vs. this poll: 0-2
Midwest City-Del City games moved to Saturday
T.J. Noel, left, and Midwest City will play rival Del City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
The top-10 boys and girls basketball games between Del City and Midwest City will be played Saturday afternoon instead of Tuesday, as they were originally scheduled.
The girls will play at 1 p.m., and the boys will follow at Del City High School.
The last time these schools met in mid-January, the games were also moved to Saturday afternoon.
Del City girls coach Karri Sears said the rescheduling was made by district administrators and that it is a “safety issue.”
The rescheduling will mean a quick turnaround for both schools, which each have games Friday night.
Del City’s boys and girls host Moore on Friday, and Midwest City travels to Westmoore.
Despite the inconvenience of playing back-to-back games, coaches agree that it is good preparation for the playoffs.
“It’s one of those things where Del City is in the same situation,” said Midwest City girls coach Art Bode.
“And when it comes to the state tournament, you need to be ready for a quick turnaround.”
Sears said: “It’s gonna be tough on our kids, but it’ll prepare us for the playoffs.”
Midwest City’s girls (21-0) are ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, and have beaten Del City (14-7), No. 6 in 5A, both times they’ve played this season.
On the boys’ side, Del City (16-5) is ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, and Midwest City (16-5) is No. 6 in 6A. The Bombers won the season’s first meeting at the Del City/Midwest City Holiday Invitational, and Del City won in the regular season at Midwest City.
When the Eagles won on Jan. 14, it was the first time they’d beaten Midwest City in more than a decade.
Justice Hansen wants to enjoy the ride of recruiting; Despite family history, Sooners aren’t favored
Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen is playing basketball after recovering from a groin injury. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen got his first college football scholarship offer from Missouri at the school’s Junior Day last weekend, but he isn’t planning on making any decisions anytime soon at all.
The Missouri offer is likely the first of dozens Hansen will receive.
As a sophomore and first-year starter in 2011, Hansen was a force through the air and on the ground as the Wolves went 10-2 and were district champions.
“I’ve got two years,” Hansen said. “I want to go through the ride and see what all happens.”
Hansen grew up an Oklahoma fan, and his dad Dusty was on the Sooners’ 1994 national championship baseball team. He said he dreamed of playing football at OU when he was younger, but now OU isn’t a team he is sitting around waiting for.
“OU isn’t really favored at all,” Hansen said. “I want to weigh all the options I get and go where I can excel the most.”
He said he’s received letters from several schools, but hasn’t had more contact than that with any program except Missouri.
MORE ON THE OFFER
Hansen wasn’t expecting anything more than a campus tour when he accepted an invitation to Missouri’s Junior Day.
But Pinkel made Missouri the first school to offer a scholarship to Hansen, who
“It was pretty crazy,” Hansen said. “I just figured I’d go up there and look around; I didn’t expect anything like that.”
Hansen said Pinkel had seen film of some of the Wolves’ games from last season. The sophomore quarterback added that he thinks the Tigers’ recruitment of defensive end Michael Onuoha, who signed with OU, helped him get noticed.
“I think because they had been breaking down film of Mike, they got interested,” he said.
After Pinkel made the offer, he took in the Tigers’ mens’ basketball game win over Baylor and met with current Missouri quarterback James Franklin.
“I talked to him for a while,” Hansen said. “He was a great guy.”
PLAYING THROUGH PAIN
Hansen admitted that he finished last season with a groin injury, and played through it “the last few weeks of the season.”
Weeks would start out painful on Mondays, and the groin would gradually get worked out throughout the week as he practiced.
Then, the process would start over.
“At first, they were thinking it was a hernia,” he said. “It was probably a pretty bad pull or a slight tear.”
Hansen missed the first part of basketball season because of the injury, but is now back at full strength.
“It’s another game you have to compete for,” Hansen said of playing hoops, adding that the constant running in basketball is helping him stay in shape.
He is pretty fired up, though, to return to the gridiron. The Wolves were 1-9 in 2010, but made a drastic turnaround in Hansen’s first year under center.
“That was the funnest football season I’ve ever played in,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back in there, build on that and see what we can do this next year.”
Jason Kerseyjkersey@opubco.com
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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.
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark offered scholarship by Oklahoma
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark received a scholarship offer from Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger on Monday.
Add Oklahoma to the list of college basketball programs seeking the services of Douglass point guard Stephen Clark.
Clark was invited to the Sooners’ game against Missouri on Monday night, and head coach Lon Kruger offered the 5-foot-10 junior a scholarship, as first reported by ESPN.
“Coach Kruger told us he wanted Stephen as a Sooner,” said Dorshell Clark, Stephen’s mother. “So maybe we can begin building a relationship with him and the other coaches.”
Oklahoma joins more than a dozen other programs pursuing Clark, along with the likes of Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri, Memphis and Marquette.
Clark is the third in-state player the Sooners have offered a scholarship, along with Edmond Memorial point guard Jordan Woodard and Tulsa Washington shooting guard Juwan Parker.
If you’re looking for some extra reading on Clark, here’s a quick look at his 65-point game in January.
Here’s a story from December about Clark’s transition to point guard.
And here’s Monday’s piece on Clark and the rest of the state’s star-studded 2013 recruiting class.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Bishop McGuinness’ Elyse Hight has big game in return from injury
McGuinness' Elyse Hight returned from a hip injury and scored 23 points Saturday. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
Bishop McGuinness senior Elyse Hight, who tore muscles in her hip in practice on Jan. 9, returned to action Saturday in the Irish’s 51-45 win over Tulsa Bishop Kelley and led all scorers with 23 points.
Hight, who missed 10 games with the injury, helped lead the Irish to the Class 5A championship last season as a junior.
This season, she was averaging over 20 points a game before the injury.
She was on crutches for about a week after injuring her hip, and then began an intense rehabilitation regimen.
The McGuinness girls, who are 16-5 and ranked No. 6 in 5A, went 8-2 in Hight’s absense and said they dedicated their performance to her.
“That pushed me to work so much harder to get back into it,” Hight said. “To hear them say they played for me when I was having a hard time was really uplifting.”
Douglass guard Stephen Clark selected for USA junior team
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark has been selected to compete for the Junior Olympic team in Germany later this year. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
A good season keeps getting better for Douglass junior Stephen Clark.
The Trojans’ point guard has been shooting the lights out virtually every time he steps on the floor, college scholarship offers are rolling in, and now, he has been selected to play for the USA junior team that will compete in Germany later this year.
The team will compete in Mannheim, Germany, from April 3-14 in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, an event with teams from 15 other countries, including Argentina, Australia, China, Serbia and Spain.
Because of NCAA recruiting rules, the players must pay the cost of the flight to and from Germany on their own.
Recruiting has remained steady for Clark as well. Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger was up to see him at practice and in a game earlier this week, and according to Clark’s mother, Dorshell, a Baylor coach was in attendance on Friday night when he scored 18 points in a win over Capitol Hill.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Edmond Memorial’s Woodard brothers take over; Jordan to visit Memphis on Saturday
Edmond Memorial's James Woodard had 22 points in a win over Del City on Friday.
Edmond Memorial senior James Woodard knows that as the season goes on, he’s going to be asked to play inside at times, and help to power the team’s rebounding efforts. As one of the tallest players on the team at 6-foot-3, he draws the job almost by default.
His athleticism and long arms help the cause, too. But more than any of those things, it was his pure effort that made the difference on Friday night. He was going to the boards hard on both ends of the floor, and his offensive game was on point, as well.
He and little brother Jordan Woodard put on quite a show, especially in the second half, when they accounted for all but four of the Bulldogs’ points to put Del City away.
Here’s what I wrote about the game for Saturday’s newspaper:
With their team in a tight ballgame against the only team to beat them this year, second-ranked Edmond Memorial’s brother duo of James and Jordan Woodard took control.
The brothers combined for 25 of the Bulldogs’ 29 points in the second half Friday night on the way to a 60-48 win over Class 5A’s No. 1 team, Del City.
“It’s almost tournament time, so coach (Shane Cowherd) preaches to us every day that everybody’s got to elevate our game right now,” said Jordan Woodard, who had 18 points. “We’re just trying to click every game from now on, until the championship game.”
Del City defeated the Bulldogs in December, and Memorial didn’t want to experience that again. James Woodard had 22 points and worked hard going after rebounds.
“When we lost to them, rebounding hurt us,” he said. “We knew we had to play harder than them and hustle harder than them to get rebounds, because that’s how we win.”
Sophomore Brett Cannon led Del City with 15 points.
After the game, Jordan Woodard was scheduled to leave for an unofficial visit at the University of Memphis. The Tigers, along with Oklahoma and San Francisco, have offered the junior a scholarship.
Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger has been out to see Jordan play multiple times, keeping a close eye on one of his prime in-state targets, and Kansas coach Bill Self continues to show strong interest.
Other than the eight-hour car ride in the middle of the night, Jordan was looking forward to the opportunity to check out Memphis, which hosts Xavier on Saturday.
“We’ve been planning this trip for a long time, but the season has been hectic,” he said. “This is the perfect opportunity for me to get out there. It’s gonna feel good going out there after a win. I’m pretty excited.”
Self was in town to see Woodard score 29 points in a win over Edmond Santa Fe two weeks ago. Though Kansas hasn’t offered a scholarship yet, Self told Woodard that he would continue to keep in touch with him, and he wants Woodard to schedule a trip to the campus as well.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
McDonald’s All-American nominees announced
The nominees for the 2012 McDonald’s All-American game were announced Wednesday.
The 24 boys and girls selected to participate in the All-American Game will be announced at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 on ESPNU. This year’s games will be held March 28 in Chicago, with the girls game tipping off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 8:30.
Only Texas and Iowa had more nominations on the girls side than Oklahoma’s 26.
Boys
Nino Jackson, Ardmore
Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial
Austin Thrash, Cheyenne
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial
Girls
Kate Andrews, McGuinness
Kelsey Barnwell, Kansas
Ashley Clark, Midwest City
Taylor Cooper, Shawnee
Courtney Cowan, Kansas
Alie Decker, Edmond Memorial
Quira Demery, Millwood
I’Knique Gaines, Tulsa East Central
Mariah Gilliam, Tulsa Washington
Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
LaShanda Green, McAlester
Kelsey Grovey, Shawnee
Elyse Hight, McGuinness
Sydney Hill, Edmond Memorial
Shelley Knight, Wayne
Deena Manning, Wayne
Madison Mercado, Sapulpa
LaNesha Middleton, Stillwater
Bria Pitts, Tulsa East Central
Caitlyn Ramirez, Shawnee
Toni Smith, Del City
Caitlyn Spurgeon, Vinita
Jordynn VanPelt, Snyder
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe
Antoinet Webster, Western Heights
Adriana White, Midwest City
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
