Casady: Shanna Schuelein a star on the rise…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Sometimes you forget about things. Because the OSSAA no longer has diving as part of its winter championships, you forget that diving does still exist in the state. And in fact, Casady has one of the better ones.
Junior Shanna Schuelein has been diving since she was 9 years old and placed second at the Southwest Prep Conference Championships last month.
A lot of diving schools are giving her looks and one thing I know is that location won’t be the No. 1 reason on her making the choice.
Here’s a small sample of where she’s been for competitions: Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, California.
Heck, during the summer, she trains in California for 5-6 hours a day. Interesting to see how she develops here in the next couple of years or so.
Favorite movie: The Wizard of Oz
Favorite TV show: Friends
Favorite singer: Taylor Swift
And here’s the piece I wrote on Schuelein for Friday’s paper:
Casady diver got her start in gymnastics
By Robert Przybylo
When Casady junior Shanna Schuelein was 9 years old, she was headed toward a career in gymnastics.
Her mother has been a gymnastics coach for more than 20 years, and Schuelein was following in those footsteps.
Then came a chance meeting with diving legend Alik Sarkisian.
Private schools boys: Sophomores growing up…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
This is about as obvious as it gets. This year’s sophomore class in the private school realm is going to be extremely special, and that’s not to say they’re not already. But in these next two years, yeah, there are going to be some unforgettable moments.
Bishop McGuinness
The Irish are going to be led by Matt Christiansen and Joe Edmonds. That alone should make them reach the state tournament. Edmonds should be one of the best all-around players in the state while Christiansen should become one of the best low post players in the state.
The loss of Jameel Whitney and Kevin Caruthers will be tough for Tondrell Durham’s boys. But knowing Durahm, he’ll find a way to make it all work.
Heritage Hall
The crazy-good sophomore class in football didn’t exactly translate to basketball success for Mike Walker. But I do believe it can.
Collin Groves and Andrew Hudiburg will leave a void, but I think the Chargers are going to be a better team next year. Quintaz Struble is only going to get bigger and stronger. Markus Wakefield is a very intelligent player and serves his role well while Sterling Shepard is still a freakish athlete.
You don’t want to rein in someone like Shepard, but his style of play is so Dwyane Wade-ish that afraid he’s going to be all banged up by the time he gets a chance to become the star he will be.
Mt. St. Mary’s is taking a real hit, losing the bulk of the kids that brought them to state. The Wagner boys are coming back, so that’s a plus. However, coach Lenny Hatchett will make the pieces work…OCS is going to be back next year. T.J. Holland and Jack Warren return, and you know that team is going to be real motivated after what happened this season…Casady will be depleted with the loss of that tremendous senior class, but Preston Sullivan should lead the way for the Cyclones.
Casady: One more season for seniors…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s been a big turnaround season for Casady sports, thanks in large part to the tremendous senior class that has really gotten every single thing it can from its potential.
The boys have one final season to try to make something special happen, and coach Steve Shelley said he is excited about the prospects of this year’s baseball squad.
This is as about as good as we’ve been in the last four years. We’re much improved from where we were.”
Leading the way will be some familiar names as Cale Shivers and Ryan Shelley are both expected to produce big numbers for the Cyclones.
Shivers is being tabbed as the No. 1 starter.
But to go with the experience, there is a lot of youth. Steve Shelley said there are nine seniors but also nine freshmen on the team.
Private schools POW: Meagan Henson, CHA…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
You never know sometimes about undefeated teams. Are they that good, or were they a product of their schedule? And after the Christian Heritage girls lost in regionals, hmm, became skeptical.
But they fought and fought and fought some more. The girls worked their way through the losers’ bracket, a thrilling OT battle with Central Sallisaw and qualified for the state tournament.
The biggest reason is the play of senior Meagan Henson, who has been phenomenal all season. The TCU signee just finds a way to make the big plays.
She was the leading scorer in all three games this week and just has that certain ‘it’ factor that can’t be described or put in a box score.
CHA’s reward for all the battling is a date with perennial power Washington on Thursday at 2 p.m. at State Fair Arena.
Other contenders
Kevin Caruthers, Bishop McGuinness, Basketball: The senior guard was HUGE in the OT win against Woodward. Sometimes he’s a little too unselfish, but he definitely makes this team go. Irish play Cache at 2 p.m. at Oklahoma Christian University.
Elyse Hight, Irish, Basketball: You could argue the girls squad is the best team not playing this, but Hight did everything she could. A 10-point loss to Anadarko and a three-point loss to Clinton ended their season.
Vincent Mason, Mt. St. Mary’s, Basketball: A tough loss against Millwood put the Rockets up against a solid Bridge Creek club that had already beaten ‘em once. Led by Mason and Dalton Newsome, MSM won by 31 points. Rockets take on Hugo at 3:30 p.m. at Moore.
Boneman’s note: Because of all the basketball coverage (B-6A), I admit to not having much knowledge at all at how the first week of spring sports went. If you have someone you would like to nominate for a POW from the spring sports, send it along. Appreciate the assistance.
Private schools POW: Vincent Mason, Mt. St. Mary’s…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
A little uneven week in the world of the OKC-area private schools. Only a couple of schools were able to survive the week without tasting a defeat.
One of those teams was a club I got to see for the first time this season, the Mt. St. Mary’s Rockets. And though MSM wasn’t clicking on all cylinders against Heritage, they found a way to win and they picked up two more Ws in the process.
It’s really more of a team award, but I’ll go ahead and give this week’s honor to Vincent Mason. I was impressed with all the little things he did against the Chargers, and he followed that with solid outings, especially against Christian Heritage.
This is a solid bunch that plays hard for each other and for coach Lenny Hatchett. Mason and Dalton Newsome make the team go, but there are so many key contributors for this team that it’s tough to single out anybody.
Christian Hill and Jake Peace come up big on defense while Jeremy Wagner provides a spark off the bench with his outside shooting.
Class 3A is wide open, and it’ll be fun to track the Rockets’ run to the gold ball.
Other contenders
Lissy Fuller, Bishop McGuinness, Basketball: Of all the talk of the post players, she’s the one running the show at point. She’s maybe a little too unselfish, but Fuller is as solid as they come. Good wins at Union and Lawton MacArthur for the Irish.
Ryan Shelley, Casady, Basketball: Cyclones fought hard in the Southwest Prep Conference tournament in Houston and showed that tremendous spirit that has epitomized this senior class.
Quintaz Struble and Collin Groves, Heritage Hall, Basketball: Tough week for Mike Walker’s club, but you get that when you play MSM, OCS and Northeast. Struble is starting to come around while Groves is most consistent scorer.
D Brown and Murphy Burns, Heritage, Basketball: Shocker here, huh? They make this team go, it’s all about the supporting cast for Leslie Warner’s club.
Hunter Hogan, OCS, Basketball: Friday’s win vs. Heritage was the best game I’ve seen from Hogan this season, and the Saints will need those type of outings in the playoffs.
Meagan Henson, CHA, Basketball: Christian Heritage remains undefeated, thanks in large part to Henson. Interesting to see how CHA fares heading into playoffs.
Casady: Uphill battle for Cyclones…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
As I type this, the Casady basketball teams are on their way to Houston for the Southwest Prep Conference tournament this weekend.
It’s going to be a tough weekend for the Cyclones of Jen Warden and Josh Bottomly as the girls are last in the North Zone of the SPC and the boys are second-to-last.
But there are reasons to be optimistic as the boys team has been good enough to beat Heritage Hall and Capitol Hill this season. And like most teams, the Cyclones’ confidence is pretty high when making shots.
There is no question the boys team is more suited for the football field, and Bottomly openly admits that. However, he’s also been extremely quick to point out how hard this group works.
The drive carried over from the football field, even if the success didn’t. Ryan Shelley has been the ringleader while Bentley Williams plays WAY bigger and tougher than his size would indicate. Alex Dudley has become a clutch performer while Preston Sullivan will be someone to watch for next season.
Before we start looking ahead, there is this season to close out.
For the girls, Shelby Cornelson and Sarah Roush have led the team, but I’ve also been impressed with the play of Molly Brown. Either way, this weekend should be a great experience for the Casady clubs.
Swimming: Here comes the next batch…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I remember two years ago how excited I was to see all these great young swimmers at the state championship meet. It’s always fun to meet the young kids because you can grow your relationship with them from the start.
Some of those young stars are now the class of the state now. I’m talking about names like Chickasha’s Isaac McKnight, Norman North’s Wilson Wei, Southmoore’s Paul Le, etc.
But from looking at the top qualifying times this season and now the results of the Mid-State and Metro conference meets this weekend, here comes a new group of kids looking to dominate.
Right now Southmoore freshman Alex Ballard is standing out amongst the crowd. She’s been fantastic all season and proved it with a big-time outing at the Mid-State meet. She won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free.
She was dominant in both events, and ironically, Norman sophomore Jacque Medina was second in each of those events.
From there, I think you have to go to Kimmie Reneau of Westmoore. The sophomore won the 50 free and 100 backstroke and gives Westmoore another star to go with Dakota Wheeler.
The Edmond schools are littered with underclassmen that are already dynamite. From Carlie Pearson to Sean Simpson to Sara Riggs and up and down the lineup, the best is yet to come for them.
Norman schools, too. From Medina to Bradley Quy, it’s incredible how deep the Norman teams are starting to become.
In fact, of the 32 individual titles in the two conferences, 11 of the Metro titles were underclassmen and 14 of the Mid-State were underclassmen for 25 of the 32 going to non-seniors. Westmoore’s Wheeler was the only senior to win titles at the Mid-State event.
But for how great the youth have been, how will they react to the biggest stage of them all at state? Though most get to swim at the Aquatic Center at OCCC during the season, there is no atmosphere that can equal the state meet.
Believe me, I’m working on year No. 3 of being the swimming dude, it gets a lot more crazy at that pool than anyone would think possible. It’s a fun weekend.
Private schools POW: Elyse Hight, Irish…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It was a battle between a couple of Bishop McGuinness standouts for this week’s honor, but I thought this sophomore made a bigger impression this week.
The Irish girls basketball team was in danger of not only blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter but doing it at home…on homecoming…against their rival.
But there would be no miracle comeback for Bishop Kelley because of Elyse Hight. Scoring more than half the team’s points and derailing the comeback attempt makes her the Private schools Player of the Week.
Hight scored 20 points in the 39-35 win. And the way she played in the second half opened my eyes. She’s had a couple of big games this season (most notably in a loss to Edmond North), but the way that she played Friday has to have Irish supporters a little bit giddy.
McGuinness is being powered by its post, and you thought that just meant Cara Pugh and Alexa Lienhard. But Hight is showing when she gets a chance, she’ll make the most out of it.
I said it Friday night, but it’s how strong she is with the ball that is setting her apart. She’s able to convert when she gets a hit, and there’s a big difference in always going for three-point plays vs. shooting two free throws.
If the Irish are going to make a run in an ultra-deep 4A, they’re going to need more big-time performances from places they don’t normally look.
Other contenders
Jameel Whitney, Basketball/Football, Irish: Big week for Whitney. Signed with East Central to play football Wednesday and scores game-high 15 points in win vs. Bishop Kelley on Friday.
Ryan Shelley, Basketball, Casady: Cyclones went 0-3 last week but not because of Shelley. Good week for the senior, who moved into sixth on the all-time scoring list.
Daniel Blackwood, Basketball, OCS: You know about Jack Warren and T.J. Holland, but Blackwood returned this last week as OCS pulled out two more Ws vs. Riverside and Christian Heritage.
Hans Thun, Basketball, OCA: This is more of a ’season achievement’ award as Thun has been almost beyond sensational for the Eagles this season.
Note: Heritage Hall did not compete in basketball this week.
Casady: Ryan Shelley bright spot in loss…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It was senior day at Casady for the boys basketball team Saturday morning against Dallas St. Mark’s. The Cyclones hung in there early, but Will Dickson and the Lions were too much in a 59-44 win for DSM.
I was confused after Ryan Shelley’s first basketball for Casady as the game was stopped. But then it was explained that Shelley had moved into 6th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,146 points. He passed Casady grad and now Holland Hall boys coach Brad Shelley. Brad was in attendance Saturday.
Shelley would finish the afternoon with 1,157 points and 13 on Saturday.
Rough week for Casady with three losses heading into the Southwest Prep Conference tournament in Houston next week.
The Cyclones led 33-32 at halftime but only managed 11 points in the second half. Missed free throws, good defense led to a tough final 16 minutes for Casady.
DSM’s Will Dickson could pretty much do whatever he wanted in there, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. And after a slow second quarter, got going again in the second half to finish with 22 points.
Early in the fourth, it was 45-42 for the Lions, who then went on a 14-2 run to close out the show.
Seniors Bentley Williams and Alex Dudley each had nine points for the Cyclones.
Casady had senior ceremonies before the game and two things stood out: 1. Big senior class for Casady as I believe there were six seniors introduced.
2. All of them said one of their favorite basketball memories was the win at Heritage last month. Gotta love those rivalries.
There was no girls game.
Full-contact alumni games looking for players
By Ryan Aber
raber@opubco.com
Alumni Football USA is looking for former players from at least 30 local high schools to participate in full-contact alumni football games in May.
Cost for the game is $75 per player with equipment provided. The first 40 players to register from each school will be accepted.
Among the rivalry games open for registration are: Millwood-Douglass, Moore-Westmoore, Carl Albert-Guthrie, Casady-Heritage Hall, Del City-Midwest City, Putnam City-Putnam West, Southeast-Northeast, Norman-Norman North, Yukon-Mustang, Edmond Santa Fe-Edmond North, McGuinness-Tulsa Kelley, Edmond Memorial-Putnam North, John Marshall-Star Spencer, Little Axe-Washington and Tuttle-Blanchard.
Additional games may be added if there is interest.
There will also be a series of games featuring Tulsa area high school alumni, also in May.
To register or for more information, call 877-578-8576, e-mail tjcavender@sbcglobal.net or register online at AlumniFootballUSA.com.
