UPDATED: Kevin Kelly’s job as Blanchard girls basketball coach is open
Kevin Kelly said he won't return as Blanchard girls' basketball coach next season. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Blanchard girls basketball coach Kevin Kelly and superintendent Jim Beckham agree: Kelly hasn’t been fired and hasn’t resigned.
But Kelly told The Oklahoman on Monday that the Blanchard administration has opened his position up for applications.
The Lions were 23-4 in 2011-12, Kelly’s fourth season, during which the team went on an 18-game win streak and made a Class 4A area tournament appearance.
Beckham said he can’t comment on personnel issues, but that Kelly has not been dismissed and hasn’t quit.
Kelly, 32, is still teaching at Blanchard and echoed Beckham’s statement that he hasn’t been fired, but said he was called into the superintendent’s office shortly after the Lions’ season-ending loss to Cushing.
“I was told that expectations were not met, and they were opening my job up,” Kelly said.
Beckham wouldn’t confirm or deny if that conversation took place.
Kelly, originally from Plano, Texas, has spent six years at Blanchard; the last four as the girls’ head coach. Kelly went 72-35 during that run. Blanchard has not sent a girls’ basketball team to the state tournament in the five-on-five era.
Kelly was named the Canadian Valley Conference’s Coach of the Year for the last two seasons, and will coach the Middle West team at the Oklahoma Girls’ Basketball Coaches Association All-State games on June 2 in Weatherford.
“I’ve had parent complaints about me being too tough on the kids,” Kelly said. “I challenged them not only basketball-wise, but mentally and physically.
“I’ve been there six years, and (parents) have complained that whole time. I coach with tough love. When it comes down to it, I’m a young guy with old-school values. Sometimes parents don’t see it that way.”
During the 2011-12 season, Kelly’s team made headlines for its 18-game winning streak, which lasted from late December until back-to-back playoff losses that ended its season.
The Lions’ season-ending defeat was the toughest to swallow. Blanchard led Cushing by 7 points with 45 seconds left, but lost 40-39 in regulation.
“I’ll never get over how we lost our last basketball game,” Kelly said. “I’ll move on from it, but I don’t think I’ll ever get over that one.”
Kelly, who played college basketball at Southeastern Oklahoma State, said he is currently looking for another girls basketball head coaching job in Oklahoma.
“I like coaching girls,” Kelly said. “I heard on TV the other day, and I’ve been telling myself this a lot lately, ‘Don’t do what you want to do; do what you’re meant to do.’ I think I’m meant to coach girls basketball somewhere.”
Jenkins Award winners named
The Warren Spahn Award Gala organizers announced this year’s winners of the Ferguson Jenkins Awards on Thursday.
The awards honor the state’s best baseball and softball players and coaches.
Baseball winners are Broken Arrow’s Jacob Evans, Carl Albert’s Taylor Hawkins, Stillwater’s Corey Hassel, Deer Creek’s Isaac Hellbusch and Edmond Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley.
Softball winners are Tulsa Union’s Nicole Brady, McAlester’s Taylor Dewberry, Edmond Santa Fe’s Madison Martin, Blanchard’s Leslie Miller and Tuttle’s Caitlin Sill.
Guthrie baseball coach Jon Chappell and Tulsa Union softball coach Jerry Pease won coaching honors.
The awards will be presented at the gala Jan. 26 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum, the same ceremony where Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw will be awarded the Warren Spahn Award.
OCA All-State
The Oklahoma Coaches Association announced its All-State football team Monday. The OCA All-State Football Game will be played at 8 p.m. July 27 at a to-be-dtermined site in the Tulsa area.
EAST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Andrew Hearon, Metro Christian
Tony Kiefer, McAlester
Running backs
Dakota Biswell, Stroud
Caleb Muncrief, Madill
Cole Scheulen, Catoosa
Willie Zackery, Woodland
Wide receivers
Levi Copelin, Broken Arrow
Michael Fraley, Adair
Ty Miller, Caddo
Victor Williams, Muskogee
Tight ends
Matt Gallagher, Owasso
Zac Veatch, Broken Arrow
Linemen
John Connor, Tulsa Kelley
Jeremy Iron, Pawhuska
Lance Kloker, Owasso
Talon Miles-Satepauhoodle, Hominy
Montana Poorboy, Catoosa
Sam Sabin, Jenks
Chris Wallace, Sperry
Punter/kicker
Tom Carwile, Tulsa Washington
DEFENSE
Linemen
Hunter Hart, Cascia Hall
Orion Jones, Jenks
Gcory Rahmings, Broken Bow
Travis Sandlin, Vian
Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
Gary Wilson, Sand Springs
Linebackers
Patrick Bartlett, Woodland
Jevonte Cross, Tulsa East Central
Aaron Dolan, Berryhill
Connor Sherwood, Cascia Hall
Blace Walser, Tulsa Union
Defensive backs
Kent Booze, Spiro
Adam Boyd, McAlester
Kevin Peterson, Wagoner
Dillon Proctor, Caddo
Jermy Reynolds, Wewoka
Jesse Vester, Stillwater
Coaches
Mike Mobra, Catoosa; Eddy Scott, Pawhuska; Kevin Harmon, McAlester; Darren Melton, Lincoln Christian.
WEST
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Corben Jones, Yukon
Garrett Lorah, Elgin
Running backs
Casey Curtis, Putnam City
James Flanders, Midwest City
Josh Way, Wayne
Sheldon Wilson, Anadarko
Wide receivers
Gage Diffee, Bethany
Javis Flynn, Watonga
Tre Kelley, Edmond Santa Fe
Tylor Seabolt, Jones
Sterling Shepard, Heritage Hall
Linemen
Blake Belcher, Guthrie
Daniel Burton, Putnam North
Brandon Dewitt, Lawton
Devin Dobbins, Millwood
Carrie Farmer, Minco
Adam Kelley, Wynnewood
Cole Parsons, Edmond North
DEFENSE
Linemen
Josh Crouch, Edmond Santa Fe
Patrick Diaz, Lawton
Kyle Factor, Westmoore
Markus Wakefield, Heritage Hall
Braylon Freeman, Lawton MacArthur
Ricky Rodriguez, Clinton
Linebackers
Landry Chappell, Guthrie
Zeke Lewis, Midwest City
Payton Marsh, Thomas
Brandon Nguyen, McGuinness
Wes Satoe, Anadarko
Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass
Defensive backs
Rashaad Copeland, El Reno
Jared Griffin, Duncan
Rico Hogan, Norman
Aaron Holden, Temple
Aaron McCandless, Shattuck
Ivan Moreno, Hennessey
Michael Thomas, Lawton MacArthur
Coaches
Bob Ward, Thomas; Curtis Lorah, Elgin; Tracy Scott, Blanchard; Jeremy Dombek, Edmond North.
3A-1 All-District
District 3A-1 All-District
Most Valuable Player: Sheldon Wilson, Anadarko
Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Melton, Anadarko
Defensive Player of the Year: Wes Satoe, Anadarko
Quarterback of the Year: Tyler Melton, Anadarko
Running back of the Year: D.J. Boles, Tuttle
Fullback of the Year: Sterling Hawkins, Tuttle
Co-Receiver of the Year: Kyle Bert, Anadarko
Co-Receiver of the Year: Aaron Lemay, Weatherford
Tight End of the Year: Blake Jarwin, Tuttle
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Daniel Smith, Anadarko
Co-Offensive Tackle of the Year: Jake Sarver, Bridge Creek
Co-Offensive Tackle of the Year: Jay Stinson, Weatherford
Co-Guard of the Year: Brendon Moser, Anadarko
Co-Guard of the Year: J.P. Vansicle, Bridge Creek
Center of the Year: Michael Miears, Tuttle
Linebacker of the Year: Judge Leiter, Bridge Creek
Inside Linebacker of the Year: Michael Lee, Bridge Creek
Outside Linebacker of the Year: Don Ervin, Weatherford
Secondary Player of the Year: Tanner Dearman, Anadarko
Co-Cornerback of the Year: Ty Chlouber, Tuttle
Co-Cornerback of the Year: Houston Perez, Riverside
Safety of the Year: Drew Smith, Weatherford
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Andy Smith, Anadarko
Defensive Tackle of the Year: Billy Wilson, Tuttle
Co-Defensive End of the Year: Tanner Nelson, Bridge Creek
Co-Defensive End of the Year: Talon Watkins, Weatherford
Nose Guard of the Year: Keaton Hodges, Blanchard
Punter of the Year: Chris Perraut, Bridge Creek
Fall signing day coming Wednesday
This might be the opening week of high school football playoffs, but it also includes signing day Wednesday for sports other than football. Know of an athlete signing? E-mail me at raber@opubco.com or leave it as a comment here. Please include as much information as possible.
Picks: Week 10
With a chance to all but put the regular-season title away, Ryan flubbed it last week, going 6-4. Picking Edmond North and Wynnewood turned out to be the difference as both Scott and Jason came out on the right ride of those picks and pulled two games closer.
Last week:
Ryan: 6-4, 1-0
Jason: 8-2, 1-0
Scott: 8-2, 1-0
Overall:
Ryan: 65-26, 8-1
Jason: 63-28, 7-2
Scott: 60-31
Ryan
Heritage Hall 40, Kingfisher 14
Jenks 35, Norman 28
Tulsa Union 35, Stillwater 28
Lawton 26, Westmoore 21
Pryor 17, Tulsa Central 13
Deer Creek 34, Ada 7
Anadarko 42, Weatherford 7
Midwest City 42, Norman North 7
McAlester 35, Tulsa Washington 20
Blanchard 22, Bridge Creek 14
Lock of the week: McAlester over Tulsa Washington. The Buffaloes offense has been just too good this season and the Hornets have struggled at times offensively themselves. McAlester wins the district title and remains undefeated.
Jason
Heritage Hall 31, Kingfisher 17
Stillwater 42, Tulsa Union 38
Jenks 27, Norman 14
Westmoore 14, Lawton 10
Pryor 17, Tulsa Central 13
Ada 31, Deer Creek 28
Anadarko 45, Weatherford 14
Midwest City 42, Norman North 24
McAlester 24, Tulsa Washington 17
Blanchard 14, Bridge Creek 9
Lock of the week: Westmoore over Lawton. Westmoore’s defense has been
impressive all season - save for last week’s shootout with Mustang -
and I think the Jaguars can hold the Wolverines out of the endzone just
enough to come away with a win. A Westmoore win would likely throw the
2nd, 3rd and 4th playoff spots into a three-way tie between these teams
and Edmond North. All three teams are close in district points, so such
a scenario favors North, which ends its season with U.S. Grant.
Scott
Heritage Hall 31, Kingfisher 17
Tulsa Union 42, Stillwater 38
Jenks 28, Norman 24
Lawton 23, Westmoore 20
Pryor 28, Tulsa Central 22
Deer Creek 21, Ada 17
Anadarko 42, Weatherford 35
Midwest City 48, Norman North 21
McAlester 34, Tulsa Washington 28
Blanchard 12, Bridge Creek 8
Lock of the Week: Tulsa Union over Stillwater. Often, the loss of a key player at a key time — in this case, the suspension of RB Kendall Holmes, who was having a huge year – seems like it will be devastating for a team. And many times, it is. But many other cases, it becomes a unifying moment. This could have been the last poke the Redskins needed to wake up for a run to the state title.
Blanchard’s Brock Lamle cleared to return Monday
Blanchard's Brock Lamle is brought down by Anadarko's Wes Satoe during their game on Thursday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Blanchard quarterback Brock Lamle was taken off the field in a stretcher during Thursday’s 45-8 loss to Anadarko, but is cleared to return to practice on Monday, he said.
“Whenever I got to the hospital, they said I had some strained muscles in my neck and back,” Lamle said. “I also had some spasms down my arms and legs.”
Lamle suffered the injuries when he was hit by Anadarko defenders on a pass play. He was down on the field for several minutes before being taken to the hospital by ambulance.
“I wasn’t too scared until I got in the ambulance,” Lamle said. “That’s when I thought something could be really seriously wrong. At first, laying on the field, I thought everything would be alright. I was just praying that everything would be alright.”
The Lions have lost two straight games, but are still in good position to make the playoffs out of District 3A-1. Blanchard ends with games against Marlow and at Bridge Creek.
Picks: Week 7
So somehow last week, Jason and I wound up picking 11 games since I apparently can’t count to 10. In the interest of padding the win total, we’ll let that stand and give Scott credit for the extra game (Wynnewood over Rush Springs, which Jason and I picked correctly). Scott needed the help after picking Putnam North and Putnam City to come out with wins. Everybody went with Tulsa Union and Lincoln Christian, leading to losses.
Last week
Ryan: 7-4, 1-0
Scott: 5-6, 1-0
Jason: 7-4, 1-0
Overall
Ryan: 44-17, 5-1
Jason: 44-17, 4-2
Scott: 42-19, 5-1
Ryan
Guthrie 21, Carl Albert 17
Kingfisher 14, Bethany 10
Owasso 41, Stillwater 35
Tulsa Washington 17, Tulsa Kelley 14
Metro Chr. 28, Seq. Tahlequah 21
Hennessey 22, Oklahoma Chr. 14
Lawton MacArthur 40, Duncan 20
Weatherford 13, Blanchard 8
Lawton Eisenhower 28, Edmond Memorial 22
McGuinness 28, Elgin 13
Lock of the week: Hennessey over OCS. Hennessey took some lumps in the non-district schedule but is still among the top teams in 2A. Tonight is their chance to prove that against a solid OCS team.
Jason
Guthrie 24, Carl Albert 16
Bethany 21, Kingfisher 17
Owasso 38, Stillwater 35
Tulsa Washington 24, Tulsa Kelley 17
Metro Christian 24, Seq. Tahlequah 10
Oklahoma Christian 24, Hennessey 23
Lawton Eisenhower 21, Edmond Memorial 13
Lawton MacArthur 31, Duncan 13
Bishop McGuinness 35, Elgin 14
Blanchard 16, Weatherford 9
Lock of the Week: Guthrie over Carl Albert. Both teams are fantastic, and both teams are legitimate Class 5A contenders. But at this point in the season, Guthrie’s defense is just too good for Carl Albert’s still-developing offense.
Scott
Guthrie 21, Carl Albert 20
Bethany 35, Kingfisher 31
Owasso 45, Stillwater 42
Tulsa Washington 21, Tulsa Kelley 14
Sequoyah-Tahlequah 35, Metro Christian 28
Hennessey 30, Oklahoma Christian 21
Lawton MacArthur 48, Duncan 31
Blanchard 14, Weatherford 12
Edmond Memorial 20, Lawton Eisenhower 17
McGuinness 28, Elgin 21
Lock of the Week: Lawton MacArthur over Duncan. Ever since watching the Highlanders in the preseason scrimmage at Mustang, I’ve had a strong feeling that these guys could win it all in 5A. I needed to see some results in the regular season first to support my gut feeling, and they’ve done that — even while battling some nagging injuries. There are a lot of factors left to be determined regarding the gold ball, but I definitely think Mac wins this week.
6A-4A softball state tournament brackets
At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Class 6A
Thursday
Field 3
Moore vs. Tulsa Union, 11 a.m.
Mustang vs. Broken Arrow, 1 p.m.
Owasso vs. Edmond North, 3 p.m.
Jenks vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 5 p.m.
Friday
Field 4
Mustang/Broken Arrow winner vs. Moore/Tulsa Union winner, noon
Owasso/Edmond North winner vs. Jenks/Edmond Santa Fe winner, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Field 1
Championship, 4 p.m.
Class 5A
Field 1
Thursday
Carl Albert vs. Coweta, 11 a.m.
McAlester vs. Deer Creek, 1 p.m.
Tahlequah vs. Shawnee, 3 p.m.
Lawton MacArthur vs. Grove, 5 p.m.
Friday
Carl Albert/Coweta winner vs. Lawton MacArthur/Grove winner, 2 p.m.
McAlester/Deer Creek winner vs. Tahlequah/Shawnee winner, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 1:30 p.m.
Class 4A
Thursday
Field 4
Blanchard vs. Bethany, 11 a.m.
Oologah vs. Purcell, 1 p.m.
Fort Gibson vs. Tuttle, 3 p.m.
Berryhill vs. Harrah, 5 p.m.
Field 1
Friday
Blanchard/Bethany winner vs. Oologah/Purcell winner, noon
Berryhill/Harrah winner vs. Fort Gibson/Tuttle winner, 2 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 11 a.m.
Rankings preview: Sept. 24
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#4-0
2. Jenks (2)#3-1
3. Midwest City (3)#4-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#3-1
5. Norman (5)#4-0
6. Lawton (6)#3-1
7. Edmond North (7)#4-0
8. Owasso (9)#2-2
9. Putnam City (10)#4-0
10. Stillwater (NR)#3-1
With Westmoore falling out from No. 8 after its loss to Edmond Santa Fe, there were two logical candidates to take the spot: Edmond Santa Fe, who was ranked before its loss to Midwest City the week before, and Stillwater. I chose the Pioneers based on their recent performances but just barely. Santa Fe gets a tough test next week at Lawton. A good performance there, win or lose, gives the Wolves a chance to move back in.
