Casady’s Graham Bennett commits to San Diego
Casady's Graham Bennett committed to play football at San Diego on Friday.
Casady defensive lineman Graham Bennett committed to San Diego on Friday.
Bennett was being recruited by several NCAA Division I schools.
“I came to camp here in the summer, and I really connected with the coaches,” said Bennett, who was in San Diego for the Toreros’ game Saturday against Marist.
Bennett added that he also picked San Diego for its academics, and in particular its business school.
Bennett recorded 37 tackles and eight sacks as a senior for the Cyclones.
Video: Sterling Shepard shines in Heritage Hall’s rout of Casady
Our man Jacob Unruh was at Heritage Hall’s 49-8 Polo Bowl win over Casady, and talked to quarterback Quinn Shanbour, receiver Sterling Shepard and running back Barry J. Sanders after the game. Enjoy!
Casady taking positives from loss, excited about challenge Heritage Hall presents
Quarterback Mac Katigan, left, and Casady face rival Heritage Hall next week. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
Casady senior quarterback and safety Mac Katigan saw a lot of positive in Friday’s season-opening loss, and is excited by his team’s potential.
The Cyclones lost 24-10 to All Saints (Fort Worth, Texas), but went up 10-0 early.
“In the first half, that’s the best I’ve seen us look,” Katigan said. “By coming out strong in that first half, I thought it showed what potential we have for this year. We’ve just got to learn how to finish.”
Another positive? The Cyclones were able to hold All Saints quarterback T.J. Millweard, who has committed to play at Arizona State, to 72 yards and no passing touchdowns.
“We had that as our key, shutting down the passing game,” Katigan said. “Our secondary really stepped up.”
Next week, the Cyclones face defending Class 3A state champion and arch rival Heritage Hall.
“It’s gonna take everything we’ve got,” Katigan said. “Everybody knows that they’re one of the best teams in the state. We’re excited by the challenege. Everybody wants a shot at them. It will be good to see how we match up.”
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OSSAA appeals: Good news for Piedmont’s Cassius Calhoun, no news for Union’s Davis brothers
The hardship waiver appeals are always one of the most difficult things to watch at the OSSAA board meetings, and Wednesday was no different. They’re always emotional and often frustrating, because of the division between it seems should happen and what the rules allow. All of the appeals on Wednesday were denied with the exception of two. Those cases happened to be the two higher-profile appeals involving football players. Here’s how those cases were handled:
Calhoun’s appeal upheld
Piedmont running back Cassius Calhoun will be eligible for his senior season after all. The OSSAA had initially denied his application for a hardship waiver after he transferred from Casady.
But on Wednesday, the Board upheld his appeal of the ruling after the family provided greater detail surrounding the reasons for his transfer during executive session.
“I didn’t really think I had a chance,” Calhoun said. “It was a real emotional process, but my parents, my athletic director, my coaches, my teammates all supported me through all of it.
“I knew I was gonna make it through, whether they said yes or no, but I’m glad they approved it.”
Davis brothers’ appeal delayed
The hardship appeal case of Tulsa Union’s Kendal and Joshua Davis had to be tabled after the family presented a significant amount of new information to the board. It is possible that the OSSAA staff could make a determination on the new information prior to the September board meeting.
Kendal Davis will be a senior and Joshua will be a sophomore after transferring from Sapulpa. Kendal, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound receiver has gained recruiting interest from some Big 12 programs.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Super 30: Class of 2012 is more than just Sanders, Shepard and Ross
Too early for 2013 class talk? Maybe, but Deer Creek's Joel Blumenthal is one to watch.
Before we get to the weekly news and notes on some of the top recruits, really think some recruiting experts are missing the boat on the class of 2012.
Heritage Hall’s Barry J. Sanders dominates the headlines and has for the last couple of years. And then when a program like Oklahoma offers players such as Jenks’ Alex Ross and Heritage Hall’s Sterling Shepard, that obviously makes people stand up and notice.
Those three again were recognized with Sanders at No. 51, Shepard at No. 85 and Ross at No. 89 of the Scout 300. And then that was it. Really?
No love for Norman RB Donovan Roberts or Douglass OL Cayman Bundage? Or an OL like Blake Belcher from Guthrie? And we might all be sleeping on just how good Ramsey Hamilton of Beggs after how well he has fared in workout/combine atmospheres.
I really like this class. Hey, maybe I’m overestimating how good this class is going to be, but I can tell you that I’m already excited for the fall. Heck, even spring practice.
With that said, more news and notes:
- Edmond Santa Fe has been off the radar lately, but that should change this year. Not only is Ty Hensley a top baseball/football prospect, defensive back Conner Bays performed extremely well at an Under Armour combine last weekend in Houston. It’s going to be a new looks Wolves team so it will be very interesting to see how this team gels together.
- When you start talking about the 2013 class, it starts in Lawton with D.J. Ward, but I’m wondering just how far up the ranks Deer Creek’s Joel Blumenthal is going to go. He performed well at a combine in Dallas in late March and has been invited to Tampa for a top camp in the summer. It is invite only with 25 quarterbacks from 15 different states.
- Mention Casady recruiting for 2011, and you go right to DL Graham Bennett and LB Garrison Lee. However, don’t forget about Mac Katigan. He’s going to Princeton’s Junior Day this weekend and has also been invited to the junior days at Yale and Dartmouth. Dartmouth seems like a natural fit considering his older brother, Austin, is a freshman on the football team.
- Incredibly busy time of year when it comes to combines. Casey Curtis of Putnam City is off to a couple more on this weekend. We won’t call Curtis ‘Scott Wright’s boy,’ but Scott is very high (rightfully so) on the ability of Curtis. With more info, read Scott’s blog.
- OKVarsity.rivals.com is going to have its in-state combines next month. The Oklahoma City area one is May 21 at Yukon, while the Tulsa area is May 28 at Broken Arrow. For much more info, here ya go. I definitely intend to attend both combines but have no idea if I’ll be able to. Justin Mitchell does a great job with the OKVarsity site, and it’s a very well-run exhibition.
- A couple of forgotten kids are starting to make some noise. Edmond North RB Jared Benway missed all of his junior season with a broken leg but is back and looking good. Same can be said for Heritage Hall quarterback Quinn Shanbour. Shanbour left Bishop McGuinness a day before the season opener. HH coach Andy Bogert said Shanbour played a vital role in helping the team practice against opposing QBs last year. Shanbour just returned from a visit to the University of Arizona.
- As always, you got info, drop me a line. You went to a camp? Let me know how it went.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Injuries too much for Casady to overcome
Lost in all the hoopla of weather delays and makeup basketball games was the fact Casady kept truckin’ along playing against the Southwest Prep Conference.
And while the team initially played with a fire and inspiration following the torn ACL to leader Preston Sullivan, it was too much to ask for that energy to carry through. Not that the Cyclones didn’t try, but being shorthanded eventually caught up to Casady.
The Cyclones closed the year on an 11-game losing streak in the first season for Allen Dukes. Here are the box scores from the SPC games last weekend in Houston and some thoughts from Dukes.
SPC Championships in Houston, Texas:
Game 1 — Austin St. Stephens 64, Casady 49
Austin*12*19*15*18 — 64
Casady*9*10*16*14 — 49
Casady — English 12, Casey Roberts 10, Bennett 8, Shelley 8, Silver 6, Mason Roberts 5.
St. Stephens — Green 19, Livsay 12, Coates 8, Almanza 6, Brivenmore 6, Panda 5, Austin 4, Asante 4
Game 2 — Arlington Oakridge 43, Casady 17
Oakridge*16*9*12*6 — 43
Casady*7*4*0*6 — 17
Casady — Roberts 4, English 4, Silver 3, Bennett 2, Shelley 2, Fleming 2.
Oakridge — Deques 11, Umbalance 10, Beck 6, Wall 6, Harder 2, Seidler 2, Clark 2, Ford 2, Garrett 2.
Game 3 — San Antonio St. Mary’s Hall 57 Casady 56
St. Mary’s Hall*15*13*16*13 — 57
Casady*17*16*15*8 — 56
Casady — Bennett 15, Silver 14, Roberts 10, Shelley 8, English 6, Henderson 3
St. Mary’s Hall — D. Rockherre 13, McNar 12, Greenwalt 10, Momin 10, Lopez 3, T. Rockherre 2.
Coach Allen Dukes sums up the season:
“After a great start to the season (9-3 at one time) a combination of injuries, bad weather, flu, and tougher than expected SPC made our stretch run tough as we lost the last 11 games and finished with an overall record of 9-14. We lost 2 starters because of ACL injuries (it took 5 players to replace what Preston Sullivan did) I knew the SPC was going to be tough, but it was tougher than I expected. I was especially impressed with the caliber of coaching in the conference, but we played a lot of younger kids down the stretch and should be twice as good next year.”
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Casady: Matt Silver video…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
How long can Casady play this inspired ball? The Cyclones won most of Saturday’s game without the services of Preston Sullivan.
Found out Sullivan tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season only to respond with a blowout win against rival Heritage Hall.
Now this weekend Allen Dukes’ boys begin play in the Southwest Prep Conference. Ooh boy, won’t be easy. I won’t be there Friday night, but I plan on making my way back to Grantham-Griffing Fieldhouse for Casady’s home date Saturday afternoon.
Anyway, here is a short video with Silver after the win against the Chargers. He took a shot late in the game so he was a little bloodied, but he’s doing alright. And he’s wearing No. 12 the rest of the way.
Casady: Matt Silver, Cyclones play inspired for injured teammate…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Horrible news to start the day, great news to end it for the Casady boys basketball team. In front of a standing-room-only crowd at Grantham-Griffing Fieldhouse, Cyclones got out fast and never looked back.
Guard Matt Silver connected on three three-pointers in the first quarter as the Cyclones took care of rival Heritage Hall 48-33 on Tuesday night.
I thought Casady would win in a tight one. However, once I found out Preston Sullivan tore his ACL, I flip-flopped to the Chargers.
But boy did the Cyclones come out fired up and inspired to play for their fallen leader. It started with Silver, who made the gesture to wear the No. 12 jersey the rest of the season. Sullivan had worn it and this was Silver’s way to honor his friend and teammate.
Just as important was the dunk by Graham Bennett. All it did was make it 5-0 at the time, but the building went nuts on the dunk and really never let up until Casady had the game in control.
Back-to-back big games by Bennett as he is starting to put it together more in basketball. We all know he’s a great football player, but he’s learning how to use his size on the court.
I won’t say Heritage would have won, but Quintaz Struble picking up two fouls in the first four minutes of the game was HUGE. He sat the rest of the first half and it was 29-13 at halftime. Struble actually finished with a game-high 13 points, but the Chargers never made a serious run.
Casey Roberts had 10 points for Casady, while Bennett led the way with 13. Look for a video with a bloodied Silver (he’s OK) on NewsOK on Wednesday.
Heritage Hall 42, Casady 18 (Girls)
I don’t want to call Ericka Wakefield a star just yet, but the freshman is an incredible talent. Every game I see her she is getting smarter and smarter out there.
She’s learning when to shoot the three, when to drive and when to look for her teammates. In fact, that first half was the best I’ve seen Leslie Warner’s club look all year.
Wakefield scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half as Heritage took a 29-6 lead into halftime. After a pedestrian 7-4 first quarter, the Chargers came alive and outscored the Cyclones 22-2 in the second quarter.
Much like the boys, Casady was playing without its leader, injured Shelby Cornelson.
Madison Garrett had seven points to help the cause for Heritage, who moved to 6-5 with the victory.
Casady: Casey Roberts, Graham Bennett stepping up…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Good rivalry week coming up in my neck of the woods in basketball. Gonna kick it off (or tip it off) Tuesday night with Heritage Hall and Casady. Edmond North and Edmond Santa Fe are going at it Tuesday as well and Midwest City and Del City will lock up Friday night (I’ll be there).
As for the Chargers and Cyclones, expecting a couple of tight, competitive games for the boys and girls.
Like what the Chargers are doing under first-year coach Chris Hamilton. Quintaz Struble has emerged as a beast and interested to see how Tanner Tepe, a transfer from Piedmont, looks now that he has a week under his belt.
As for Casady, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the first person that comes to mind is Preston Sullivan. However, a couple of other players came up big for Allen Dukes at the Crooked Oak Bricktown Bash.
One we know from football as junior Graham Bennett played all 32 minutes and scored a career-high 19 points in the third-place win against Crooked Oak.
The other, junior Casey Roberts, went off for a career-high 23 points in the 73-58 victory.
Intense tournament for the Cyclones and great preparation for what’s in store the rest of the way. Pulled out a thrilling 52-51 win vs. Harding Prep in the first round. Came back and lost to Capitol Hill 45-43 when a game-winning three caromed off.
Should be a fun atmosphere at Casady on Tuesday night.
Private schools basketball: Boneman’s crystal ball…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s not technically the second half of the season, but it’s close enough. After winter break, the games mean more and you start to see what teams are really made of.
Let’s start, shall we?
Bishop McGuinness
Boys: Look out, 5A. With Joe Edmonds back, this team is going to do some damage in the next couple of months. Matt Morrissey and Miles Newcomb have come up big, and Matt Christiansen should only become even more of an impact player with Edmonds back in the saddle. Get to see the complete Irish team this weekend at the McGuinness Classic (gonna be a fun 3 days).
Girls: Umm, though not original, look out, 5A. The Irish have not played their best ball, said coach Jennifer Burch. However, their only loss is to Santa Fe and have wins over Cache and Edmond Memorial and Weatherford. Great balance, led by Alexa Lienhard and Elyse Hight. The development of Kate Andrews and Theresa Nash is going to be key.
Heritage Hall
Boys: With the football boys back in the saddle, first-year coach Chris Hamilton should be able to perk up. Quintaz Struble might actually be better in basketball than football, something I would not have said last year. And with Tanner Tepe becoming eligible, Chargers have a chance to surprise some people.
Girls: It’s one thing to be young, it’s another to look young. Leslie Warner’s girls are incredibly small but showed some signs last week. Ericka Wakefield is going to become a player, and I think sophomore Carter Cloud is really going to develop as long as she becomes more aggressive. She gets down on herself too easy. She’s good. Starting lineup is three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior.
Casady
Boys: Coach Allen Dukes is loving his first year with the Cyclones, but the schedule is about to get infinitely tougher with Southwest Prep Conference play beginning this month. Preston Sullivan makes this team go, but it will be interesting to see how Matt Silver and Cecil Ray, among others, develop over the second half of the year.
Girls: I’ve heard it said that as a coach, Jen Warden might be the best coach in the Oklahoma City area. There is good improvement from last year in Warden’s second year, but it will be tough for the Cyclones. Shelby Cornelson should lead the charge.
OCS
Boys: Feel like I can repeat what I said from last year. You know what you’re getting with T.J. Holland and Jack Warren, but who will be that consistent third option? If Trent Toler finds one, Saints will be punching that state tournament ticket, I guarantee it.
Girls: Sometimes the ambitious boys schedule hurts the girls, but this is not a bad 3A team. From junior guard Dani Childress to post Jordan Gooch (stay healthy), the Saints have the pieces for a solid season.
Mt. St. Mary’s
Ohh, gotta admit I haven’t seen either team play yet (it’s on my list of things to do). I know Lenny Hatchett’s boys will be around come March. Not sure when I’ll see dem Rockets, but I’ll figure it out.
