Edmond North boys top tennis poll
Edmond North boys top poll
With much of its team returning from last season’s state championship squad, Edmond North’s boys are once again at the top of the Class 6A rankings in the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches poll released Tuesday.
The Huskies, with No. 1 singles runner-up Nate Roper and No. 2 singles champion Baylor Spring leading the way, came in ahead of Jenks, Tulsa Union and Edmond Memorial.
Edmond North’s boys are off until March 28 when they compete at the Duncan West event at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center, two days after the girls tournament there.
On the girls side, Jenks came in No. 1, ahead of Edmond North, Enid and Edmond Memorial.
In Class 5A, Metro Christian, Heritage Hall, Carl Albert and OCS are the top four in boys while Duncan, Heritage Hall, Cascia Hall and Tulsa Washington are tops on the girls side.
Anadarko’s boys are No. 1 in Class 4A, followed by Ada, Henryetta and Byng. Ada, Metro Christian, Elk City and Perry are the top four in girls.
OKLAHOMA TENNIS COACHES RANKING
CLASS 6A
Boys
1. Edmond North
2. Jenks
3. Tulsa Union
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Broken Arrow
6. Tulsa Kelley
7. McGuinness
8. Enid
9. Muskogee
10. Edmond Santa Fe
Girls
1. Jenks
2. Edmond North
3. Enid
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Tulsa Kelley
6. Broken Arrow
7. Tulsa Union
8. McGuinness
9. Bixby
10. Owasso
CLASS 5A
Boys
1. Metro Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Carl Albert
4. Oklahoma Christian
5. Cascia Hall
6. McAlester
7. Shawnee
8. Durant
9. Duncan
10. Ardmore
Girls
1. Duncan
2. Heritage Hall
3. Cascia Hall
4. Tulsa Washington
5. Tahlequah
6. Ardmore
7. Deer Creek
8. Carl Albert
9. Shawnee
10. Altus
CLASS 4A
Boys
1. Anadarko
2. Ada
3. Henryetta
4. Byng
5. Clinton
6. Elk City
7. Oologah
8. St. Mary
9. Seminole
10. Okmulgee
Girls
1. Ada
2. Metro Christian
3. Elk City
4. Perry
5. Midway
6. Byng
7. Beaver
8. Seminole
9. Oklahoma Christian
10. Anadarko
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.
Final Rankings: Class 5A
Class 5A
1. Guthrie (1)#14-0
2. McAlester (3)#12-1
3. Lawton MacArthur (2)#13-1
4. Tulsa Kelley (4)#8-3
5. Tulsa East Central (5)#10-2
6. Ardmore (7)#8-5
7. Pryor (6)#9-3
8. Carl Albert (8)#9-2
9. Duncan (9)#8-4
10. Coweta (10)#6-5
McAlester had a late lead on Guthrie before losing 28-25 in the semifinals in blustery winds that severely limited their high-powered passing game. That doesn’t mean anything in relation to Guthrie. The Bluejays won the game then went on to win the title. But when put up next to Lawton MacArthur’s 24-7 loss to Guthrie in the finals, I decided McAlester’s resume was better. It was awfully close but the Buffs get the edge. Tulsa Kelley gave Lawton MacArthur all it could handle in the second round and pushed McAlester to the brink as well. The Comets’ defense was very good. Tulsa East Central entered the season as the favorites but lost to Pryor midway through the season to finish second in their district. That led to a second-round matchup at eventual champion Guthrie. Guthrie won 20-14 in another nailbiter. Ardmore was a semifinalists but lost to Duncan late in the season. They did push McAlester but were blown out twice by Lawton MacArthur. The win over Carl Albert was clearly Ardmore’s high point. Pryor was also a playoff victim to Ardmore. Carl Albert, Duncan and Coweta remained in the bottom three spots. All of Coweta’s losses came to teams ranked ahead of them (And 4A champion Wagoner). They also beat Tulsa Central, so their resume was better than any team left out.
5A-2 All-District
District 5A-2 All-District Team
Coach of the Year: Brett Manning, Lawton MacArthur
Co-Player of the Year: Jared Griffin, Duncan
Co-Player of the Year: Braylon Freeman, Lawton MacArthur
Defensive Player of the Year: Bradley Carletti-Silva, Duncan
Offensive Player of the Year: Taylor Chasteen, Lawton MacArthur
Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year: Spencer Robinson, Ardmore
Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year: Cordell Zalenski, Durant
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Treyvan Lawson, Ardmore
Defensive Back of the Year: Michael Thomas, Lawton MacArthur
Offensive Back of the Year: Brandon Carletti-Silva, Duncan
Linebacker of the Year: Tyler Day, Ardmore
Co-Receiver of the Year: Quinton Paras, Lawton MacArthur
Co-Receiver of the Year: T.J. Turner, Lawton MacArthur
Special Teams Player of the Year: Daniel Schwarz, Lawton MacArthur
All-District
Quarterbacks: Travis Galbreath, Ardmore; Keaton Webb, Durant.
Running backs: Jordan Alesky, Duncan; Dom Nortonen, Altus; Ashton Perry, Ardmore.
Wide receivers: Jacobi Davis, Chickasha; Won Davis, Chickasha; Jace Hammock, Durant; Marvin Kirbo, Northwest; Josiah Reed, Ardmore.
Tight end: Christian Kneisel, Altus.
Offensive linemen: Michael Buben, Duncan; James Gibson, Duncan; Austin House, Altus; Christian Joy, Ardmore; Cameron Sralla, Ardmore; Cole Stamps, Lawton MacArthur.
Defensive linemen: Marcus Johnston, Durant; Evan McGee, Ardmore; Codie Noland; Northwest; Kaynon Sadler, Altus; Dwayne Sanford, Lawton MacArthur; Braxdan Turner, Chickasha.
Linebacker: Tyler Dixon, Ardmore; Austin Payne, Lawton MacArthur; Francis Taylor, Capitol Hill; Andrew Weaver, Durant.
Defensive backs: Jywayne Allen, Ardmore; Jeff Ervin, Duncan; Trey Fish, Ardmore; Tyler Henley, Durant; Daniel McCoy, Duncan; Jacob Warner, Lawton MacArthur.
Punter: Luis Leyva, Capitol Hill.
Kicker: Juan Campos, Northwest.
Class 5A Top 10
Like my rankings in 6A, this didn’t run in the paper as we stop running rankings after the first round of the playoffs until the postseason is complete. But here’s how the top 10 stands after round 2:
Class 5A
1. Guthrie (1)#12-0
2. Lawton MacArthur (2)#12-0
3. McAlester (3)#12-0
4. Tulsa Kelley (4)#8-3
5. Ardmore (7)#8-4
6. Tulsa East Central (5)#10-2
7. Carl Albert (7)#9-2
8. Pryor (6)#9-3
9. Duncan (9)#8-4
10. Coweta (10)#6-5
The biggest challenge came after the top 3. I decided to keep Tulsa Kelley fourth. They lost to McAlester by one during the regular season and played Lawton MacArthur as close as any 5A team had this season. Ardmore leaped to No. 5. I considered keeping Tulsa East Central ahead of Ardmore as well but East Central fell to Pryor during the regular season while Ardmore was able to pull off the win at Pryor.
Picks: First round of the playoffs
Ryan stayed in first place with another strong week despite missing on Tulsa Central, Ada and Bridge Creek. Jason was the only one to miss on his lock, losing out on Westmoore-Lawton.
Last week:
Ryan: 7-3, 1-0
Scott: 7-3, 1-0
Jason: 6-4, 0-1
Overall:
Ryan: 72-29, 9-1
Jason: 69-32, 7-3
Scott: 67-34, 8-2
Ryan
Midwest City 35, Westmoore 21
Owasso 21, Norman 17
Edmond North 21, Yukon 19
Tulsa East Central 32, Tulsa Washington 20
Tulsa Kelley 28, Coweta 14
Duncan 14, Ada 7
Glenpool 35, Piedmont 27
Harrah 21, McGuinness 20
Sequoyah Tahlequah 28, Berryhill 27
Lawton 21, Norman North 14
Lock of the week: Tulsa East Central over Tulsa Washington. East Central won the regular-season matchup at they’ll win again here as their defense slows down the Hornets while their offense continues to roll.
Jason
Midwest City 31, Westmoore 24
Owasso 21, Norman 14
Edmond North 27, Yukon 14
Tulsa East Central 23, Tulsa Washington 14
Coweta 27, Tulsa Kelley 21
Duncan 24, Ada 14
Glenpool 31, Piedmont 17
McGuinness 17, Harrah 13
Sequoyah Tahlequah 35, Berryhill 24
Lawton 31, Norman North 17
Lock of the week: Edmond North over Yukon. Yes, Yukon is fired up because of the way last year’s game ended. But that won’t be enough to make up for the Huskies’ talent. Edmond North wins and moves to a showdown at Tulsa Union.
Scott
Midwest City 35, Westmoore 21
Owasso 28, Norman 17
Yukon 21, Edmond North 20
Tulsa East Central 35, Tulsa Washington 24
Tulsa Kelley 28, Coweta 24
Ada 28, Duncan 24
Glenpool 33, Piedmont 27
Harrah 21, McGuinness 17
Sequoyah Tahlequah 38, Berryhill 28
Lawton 28, Norman North 21
Lock of the Week: Owasso over Norman. Norman RB Donovan Roberts is a game-changer. If he’s able to play, it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be at full speed after the ankle injury he suffered last week. And the Tigers need him to be effective to keep the offense balanced. Without that X-factor, Owasso should put this one away.
Guthrie stays No. 1 in Class 5A
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
In the six days now since the news broke that Guthrie would have to forfeit eight games, I’ve had discussions with plenty of people–coworkers, other high school writers, coaches–about how I would handle the Bluejays in the Class 5A rankings.
Before the ruling came down, Guthrie was No. 1. I left them No. 1 this week and imagine, barring something wild happening in the first round (assuming Guthrie isn’t reinstated), they’ll stay there next week. That will be my last rankings until after the playoffs are concluded.
It’s not a protest vote. Far from it. I considered what I’d seen from Guthrie this year and even with the exclusion of the player ruled ineligible, the Bluejays would not only be undefeated but would still be my pick to win 5A. Their defense is outstanding, especially in the front seven. Their offense is balanced and they get excellent play from the quarterback spot.
Not everyone agreed with that stance, though many did. In The Associated Press poll of writers and broadcasters, just two of eight voters left Guthrie off their ballots. The other six voted the Bluejays No. 1. Barry Lewis from the Tulsa World also left Guthrie atop Class 5A.
Here’s the complete top 10 in 5A:
1. Guthrie (1)#2-8*
2. Lawton MacArthur (2)#10-0
3. McAlester (3)#10-0
4. Carl Albert (4)#10-0*
5. Tulsa Kelley (5)#7-2
6. Tulsa East Central (7)#9-1
7. Pryor (6)#8-2
8. Coweta (9)#6-4
9. Duncan (NR)#7-3
10. Tulsa Central (NR)#8-2
*Guthrie forfeited eight games, including win over Carl Albert, pending Wednesday appeal.
Had I dropped Guthrie out and needed another team to fill my top 10, I would’ve gone with Ardmore (6-4) over Ada (7-3). That decision would’ve been easy. Not only did Ardmore beat Ada head to head, 28-0, on the road to start the season but they played Carl Albert and McAlester much closer than Ada did.
What Guthrie forfeits mean for Class 5A
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Stunning news came down Thursday night that Guthrie, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, would be forced to forfeit eight of their nine wins. The forfeits would knock the Bluejays out of the playoffs and turn the 5A bracket upside down.
Guthrie will appeal the OSSAA’s decision but, barring a reversal by the Board of Directors next week, here are the ramifications:
El Reno and Noble would be alive in the playoff race, with El Reno holding the upper hand. An Indians win over Western Heights would put them in the postseason. Noble’s playoff scenario is very slim. They’d need a win over 8-1 Carl Albert and a loss by El Reno to 1-8 Western Heights to advance.
But although El Reno’s season figures to be extended by a week, the real beneficiaries figure to be the loser of Friday’s Deer Creek-Ada game. That team was slated to go on the road to face District 5A-2 champions Lawton MacArthur, who enter Friday’s game at Northwest undefeated. Instead, the winner of that game will host Ardmore while the loser will go on the road to a Duncan team that stands 6-3 entering the season finale. That sets up a much better draw for the loser.
Carl Albert will go from having to play Pryor on the road in the second round as the No. 2 seed (assuming both teams win their playoff openers) to a likely second-round matchup with Tulsa East Central. That game, though, would be played at Carl Albert. It also puts the Titans on the opposite side of the bracket from Lawton MacArthur.
This is the second time in three years that the 5A playoffs have been thrown into turmoil shortly before the postseason began. In 2009, Tulsa Washington had to forfeit two games initially and then had a third added shortly thereafter. The forfeits left the Hornets out of the playoffs. Tulsa Washington won the Class 5A title in 2008 and again in 2010.
Bill Tipton VII Baseball Bracket
Bill Tipton VII
Wednesday
At Carl Albert
McAlester vs. OKC Broncos, 11 a.m.
Carl Albert vs. Weatherford, 1:30
Blanchard vs. Duncan, 4 p.m.
Blanchard vs. Clinton, 6:30
At Shawnee
Yukon vs. Lawton Mac, 11 a.m.
Yukon vs. Bishop McGuinness, 1:30
Shawnee vs. McGuinness, 4 p.m.
Shawnee vs. Ada, 6:30
Thursday
At Carl Albert
Duncan vs. Carl Albert, 11 a.m.
Clinton vs. Carl Albert, 1:30
Altus vs. Clinton, 4 p.m.
Altus vs. Weatherford, 6:30
At Shawnee
McGuinness vs. OKC Broncos, 11 a.m.
McGuinness vs. Ada, 1:30
Yukon vs. McAlester, 4 p.m.
Lawton Mac vs. McAlester, 6:30
Friday
At Carl Albert
Blanchard vs. Altus, 9:30 a.m.
Blanchard vs. Weatherford, noon (I’ll be there)
Duncan vs. Weatherford, 2:30
Duncan vs. Clinton, 5 p.m.
Carl Albert vs. Altus, 7:30
At Shawnee
McAlester vs. Ada, 9:30 a.m.
OKC Broncos vs. Ada, noon
OKC Broncos vs. Lawton Mac, 2:30
Lawton Mac vs. Shawnee, 5 p.m.
Shawnee vs. Yukon, 7:30
Saturday
Games at both sites at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m. Championship game is at Carl Albert at 4 p.m.
No dominant team in girls tennis
Tennis
Tournament of Champions
At Heritage Hall
Girls
Team scoring: 1. Edmond Memorial 25; 2. (tie) Edmond North, Jenks 22; 4. (tie) McGuinness, Enid 20; 6. Duncan 16; 7. Heritage Hall 15; 8. Cascia Hall 8.
Championships
No. 1 singles: Chiaf, McGuinness, def. Bowen, Heritage Hall, 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 singles: Montgomery, Edmond Memorial, def. Hayes, Edmond North
No. 1 doubles: Pepper-Reed, Edmond North, def. Waldron-Wei, Jenks, 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Dick-Zaloudek, Enid, def. Siegler-Siegler, Jenks, 6-3, 7-6
Chiaf earns title
It’s evident that the Bishop McGuinness girls tennis team won’t be the dominant force that it’s been in recent years.
But don’t think the Irish still won’t be in the hunt for another state championship. Senior Ashleigh Chiaf earned the No. 1 singles championship with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Heritage Hall’s Sarah Bowen on Friday afternoon at the Tournament of Champions at Heritage Hall.
It was the first time the girls had played against each other in two years when Bowen had defeated Chiaf at this same tournament.
“It was about ‘want to’ today,” Chiaf said. “I really wanted this win. We always play tough matches, but I was able to persevere in the tough points.”
It is the first year at singles for Chiaf after winning three state championships in doubles.
Bowen had a three-set battle with Piper Huey of Jenks in the semifinals, while Chiaf cruised to the final. Chiaf was really on her game in this tournament. You can tell that she is taking a lot of pride in being a senior and leading this team.
Bulldogs win team championship
If Friday’s competition was any indication of what the state tournament is going to be like, it’s an open field.
Four different teams won the individual championships with Edmond Memorial taking home the team title.
For the Bulldogs, it was about consistency. Every player won at least two matches and No. 2 singles player Megan Montgomery earned the championship with a win against Edmond North’s Annie Hayes.
The Huskies and Jenks tied for second, while McGuinness and Enid tied for fourth in the eight-team field.
Gonna be interesting to see the lineups being tinkered with. Definitely think Edmond North is going to be fluctuating all season until coach Dee Ann Wallar makes up her mind. A lot of talent there, just about finding the right spot.
Kinda surprised that Edmond Memorial took home the crown but says a lot about what Randy Mays is doing there. You go 9-3 against a field like this, well, you have nothing to be ashamed about.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
