Girls hoops roundup: Elyse Hight injured, but Bishop McGuinness picks up the slack to win fifth straight
Carl Albert's Gioya Carter shoots over Harrah's Sydney Hessman during the Titans' win Tuesday. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN
Bishop McGuinness was dealt a tough blow Monday in practice.
Senior Elyse Hight, the Irish’s top scorer and rebounder, suffered a hip injury that will keep her sidelined for the indefinite future.
The defending state champion Irish, ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, won its fifth straight game 43-36 over Stillwater on Tuesday.
Senior Kate Andrews, who led McGuinness with 16 points, said the team played for Hight.
“I think anytime you’re challenged with adversity, you have to come out and show you can play with just as much passion,” Andrews said. “We played in honor of her tonight. We really used this challenge to us to pick each other up and grow together.”
Andrews said replacing Hight is much more than making up for her points and rebounds.
“So many people just see the tons of boards and tons of points she puts up, but it was the little things,” Andrews said. “The blocks, steals, energy and leadership were missed.
“But where we lacked with her absence, everyone else really picked it up.”
Junior LaNesha Middleton led Stillwater with 17 points.
Jason’s take: I can’t emphasize enough how important it was for Bishop McGuinness to get this win in its first game without Elyse Hight. The Irish had just gotten a lot of their early-season kinks worked out, and losing a player of her caliber might have caused some teams to crumble. But the Irish got going quickly, shooting the ball well on its way to an 18-point first quarter and, ultimately, a fifth straight win. With Hight out for the foreseeable future, it’s encouraging for Irish fans to see the team performing well and beating a solid Stillwater team without her.
CARL ALBERT WINS AT HARRAH
Junior Gioya Carter scored 16 points and Class 5A No. 4 Carl Albert won at Harrah 49-35 on Tuesday.
The Titans (7-3) jumped out to a 22-8 lead after the first quarter and led 28-16 at halftime.
Junior Bailey Mack led Harrah (6-5) with 15 points. It was Harrah’s third straight loss.
Carl Albert plays next at Chickasha on Friday, while Harrah travels to Noble the same day.
Jason’s take: It was important for Carl Albert to win this one on the road after losing two of three games in the Westmoore tournament last weekend. For Harrah, it’s a third straight loss after a three-game winning streak. They should pick up a win over Noble, but then Class 5A No. 1 Shawnee looms on Jan. 17.
MASSEY SCORES 33 AS CHRISTIAN HERITAGE TOPS JONES
Junior Maclayn Massey scored 33 points as Christian Heritage held off Jones to win 66-65 at home on Tuesday.
Christian Heritage took a big lead after outscoring Jones 25-11 in the second quarter. But the Longhorns rallied, scoring 40 second-half points, including 24 in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Teddi Homan led the Longhorns with 22 points.
Jason’s take: An impressive performance by Massey, who was the Crusaders’ only returning starter from last year. Maybe the young Christian Heritage team is starting to gain some momentum with experience, and a win like this can only help the team going forward.
EDWARDS LEADS NORTHEAST PAST MILLWOOD
A run that started late in the third quarter gave Northeast enough cushion to hold off host Millwood 53-41.
Northeast’s T’ona Edwards sparked the run, scoring seven of her game-high 20 points in the third as the Vikings stretched a six-point advantage into a comfortable 20-point lead early in the fourth.
“(On Monday), we had practice without a basketball,” first-year Northeast coach Londaryl Perry said. “We had to have a reminder of who was in charge. I think it really brought us back together as a team instead of a bunch of individuals. I think that showed in how we played tonight.”
Shayla Williams scored 14 points and LaNesha Williams added 10 for Northeast. Millwood was led by Quira Demery with 14 points.
Jason’s take: Big thanks to Scott Wright for coverage of this game. Northeast got back on the right track after losing to Holland Hall in the finals of the Stroud Tournament. The Vikings are looking like they could be an awfully special team; their only other loss this year was a seven-point setback to Class 6A power Midwest City. Millwood lost its second straight after falling in the SNU/Bethany Classic finals to Norman North. The Falcons are still playing without junior starting guards Teanna Reid and Daneisha Threatt, who both have been injured all season.
TIP-INS
Senior Courtney Walker, a Texas A&M signee, scored 22 points and Class 6A No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe rolled past Putnam City West 83-30 at home. Santa Fe (12-0) plays at Yukon on Friday. … Class 5A’s top-ranked team, Shawnee, improved to 11-0 with a 55-24 home win over El Reno. Junior Micaela Yu led the Wolves with 18 points, and senior forward Taylor Cooper, an Oral Roberts signee, added 12. … Junior Kaitlyn Peterson scored 18 points and Edmond North (2-7) upset 6A No. 11 Putnam City North 40-37 on Tuesday. It was the Panthers third straight loss. … Senior Kenzie Solberg led Chandler with 28 points as it won 52-47 in overtime at Seminole.
Jason Kerseyjkersey@opubco.com
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Final Rankings: 4A
Class 4A
1. Wagoner (3)#13-1
2. Clinton (2)#12-2
3. Catoosa (1)#12-1
4. McGuinness (4)10-3
5. Sallisaw (5)#9-3
6. Hilldale (6)#9-3
7. Glenpool (7)#7-5
8. Harrah (8)#8-3
9. Woodward (9)#6-6
10. Douglass (10)#8-3
Not much here at the top that needs explaining as the top 4 are pretty clear. Sallisaw was clearly the best team not to make the semifinals. Hilldale pushed Wagoner early in the season although Sallisaw and Clinton beat them comfortably. Glenpool came back from an 0-3 start to finish second in its district and is at No. 7. Harrah, the only first-round loser in the top eight, pushed McGuinness in the first round before falling 14-7. Their other losses came to Glenpool and defending champion Douglass. Woodward upset Douglass in the first round on a wild finish but their resume, with losses to Weatherford and Piedmont made it hard to put the Boomers in the top eight. Douglass looked championship-caliber at times this season but also had inexplicable losses to Cushing and Woodward. So even with wins over Glenpool and Harrah, Douglass is at No. 10.
All-District 4A-2 posteseason honors
Here are the coaches’ selections for All-District in 4A-2:
Player of the Year: Dawson Myers, Cushing
Offensive Player of the Year: Eddie Reynolds, Harrah
Defensive Player of the Year: Cayman Bundage, Douglass
Special Teams Player of the Year: Chris Compton, Douglass
Receiver of the Year: Abraham Luna, Santa Fe South; Eric Delay, Cleveland
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Diamonte McClellan, Douglass; Blaine Atchely, Tecumseh
Quarterback of the Year: Ivan Zavala, Santa Fe South
Offensive Back of the Year: Alton Adkins, Glenpool
Tight End of the Year: Richard Griffin, Harrah
Defensive End of the Year: Brock Hubble, Cushing; Travis Johnson, Harrah
Defensive Tackle of the Year: Josh Smith, Glenpool; Dustin Malloy, Cleveland
Inside Linebacker of the Year: Jas’Sen Stoner, Douglass; Brandon McDonald, Harrah
Outside Linebacker of the Year: Drake Stevens, Glenpool; Kyle Knight, Cushing
Safety of the Year: Phillip Spess, Cleveland; Tanner Shepard, Tecumseh
Cornerback of the Year: Jake Queen, Harrah
Kicker of the Year: Ben Henley, Cleveland
Special Recognition: Blake Murray, Cushing
Coaches of the Year: Barrett Shupe, Cushing; Jerry Braziel, Santa Fe South
All-District by team
Cleveland: Frankie Mackey, Kolton Hansen, Matt Gayle, Josh Casebott
Cushing: Marshal Dilley, Ben Loftis
Douglass: Andrew Bailey, O’Sha Clark, Deonte Childs, Camron Dizer
Glenpool: Zach Parnell, Tyler Harrison, Connor Ferrell, Austin Wills, Matt Lafitte, Matt Meeks, Trent Cleveland, Hunter Green, Tyler Dunn, Taylor Howell, Jordan Bullock, Matt Lena, Cody Marshall
Harrah: Tyler Humphrey, Corey Beder, Houston Ward
Sante Fe South: Daniel Gardado, Abel Hererra, Aaron Johnson
Tecumseh: Jacob Bender, Jackson Ryan
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.
Picks: Week 8
Ryan had a big week last week, picking up three games on Jason and four on Scott after picking Kingfisher, Hennessey, Lawton Eisenhower and Weatherford correctly. All three of us missed out on Stillwater’s win over Owasso and Tulsa Kelley’s over Tulsa Washington.
Last week:
Ryan: 8-2, 1-0
Jason: 5-5, 1-0
Scott: 4-6, 1-0
Overall:
Ryan: 52-19, 6-1
Jason: 49-22, 5-2
Scott: 46-25, 6-1
Ryan:
Wagoner 21, Catoosa 18
Douglass 20, Harrah 17
Deer Creek-Lamont 26, Timberlake 20
Pryor 20, Coweta 17
Weatherford 21, Tuttle 14
Broken Arrow 40, Norman 14
Lawton 21, Edmond North 20
Sallisaw 21, Hilldale 14
McGuinness 28, Piedmont 21
Putnam City 35, Westmoore 24
Lock of the week: Deer Creek-Lamont over Timberlake. DC-Lamont will finally get pushed but they come out on top in a possible state championship game preview.
Jason
Wagoner 31, Catoosa 21
Douglass 28, Harrah 21
Deer Creek-Lamont 42, Timberlake 30
Coweta 21, Pryor 14
Tuttle 17, Weatherford 10
Broken Arrow 42, Norman 28
Edmond North 24, Lawton 14
Hilldale 24, Sallisaw 20
McGuinness 31, Piedmont 28
Westmoore 27, Putnam City21
Lock of the week: Westmoore over Putnam City. The Pirates have faced one really strong defense all year, Edmond North, and were shut down offensively. Westmoore’s defense has shown itself to be tough all season, and I think they can keep Casey Curtis in check and come away with the win.
Scott
Wagoner 23, Catoosa 20
Douglass 21, Harrah 14
Deer Creek-Lamont 48, Timberlake 33
Pryor 20, Coweta 17
Tuttle 27, Weatherford 21
Broken Arrow 38, Norman 28
Edmond North 24, Lawton 21
Hilldale 28, Sallisaw 27
McGuinness 21, Piedmont 17
Putnam City 30, Westmoore 24
Lock of the Week: Wagoner over Catoosa. This should be one heck of a ballgame, but I think Wagoner has the leadership, the experience and the talent to get back to the title game this year, maybe win it all. Guys like Kevin Peterson and Jeremy Applegate, among others, have been around long enough to help keep the team composed in a big game — and this is a huge one.
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: Oct. 1
Class 6A
1. Tulsa Union (1)#5-0
2. Jenks (2)#4-1
3. Midwest City (3)#5-0
4. Broken Arrow (4)#4-1
5. Norman (5)#5-0
6. Edmond North (7)#5-0
7. Putnam City (9)#5-0
8. Edmond Santa Fe (NR)#4-1
9. Owasso (8)#3-2
10. Lawton (6)#3-2
A couple of times a year I throw out my rankings and start fresh, take an overall look at the season and don’t constrain myself with past rankings. This is one of those weeks and while their figures to be other classes that are more drastically affected, there is a bit of that here. The biggest questions in my mind were where to place Edmond Santa Fe (and Lawton) and what to do with Putnam City. I considered dropping Broken Arrow a spot but the Tigers still stand as the only team to really challenge Union this season and I’ll give them their small bump Friday. Edmond Santa Fe goes from just outside to No. 8 after their win at Lawton. The Wolverines drop to No. 10. Owasso stays in at No. 9 but has a tough test this week against Union.
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.
Harrah outlasts Altus in memorable showdown
The Harrah boys after winning their first swimming championship
Splitting up swimming into two separate sessions is a great idea for fans and the schools. It makes for an incredibly long weekend for media members and the workers at OCCC.
So sometimes, yea, I admit to being a little tired during that second session. But I woke right back up during the 5A boys battle between Harrah and Altus.
The Panthers ultimately came out on top to earn their first championship. How close was it? Let’s go event-by-event with a breakdown:
Event No. 1 – 200 Medley Relay
Less than .5 separated the first from third-place teams. Fort Gibson ended up with the win, followed by Harrah and Altus. Altus came in with best qualifying time so this was a bonus for Harrah. Points: Harrah 34-32.
Event No. 2 – 200 Freestyle
Obviously there is no touching Chickasha’s Isaac McKnight. He was dominant as he’s been all four of his years with the Chicks. Altus’s Brandon Alcorta was fourth. Points: Harrah 63-56.
Event No. 3 – 200 IM
Great performance by Heritage Hall’s Matt Veneklasen in this one as he earned his first individual championship. Harrah’s Matt Reaves placed third. Points: Harrah 85-81.
Event No. 4 – 50 Free
This is where the tide went toward Altus. Harrah Braden Hobaugh came in with the top qualifying time, but it was Altus’ Brady George who got the win. That’s a six-point swing right there. By .06 George edged out Hobaugh. Points: Altus 112-109.
Event No. 5 – 100 Butterfly
Miami’s Khyle Hill had a banner day, including winning the 100 fly. Huge points for Altus as Harrah didn’t have one person qualify in this event. Michael Rogers placed third. Points: Altus 139-109.
Event No. 6 – 100 Freestyle
Once again it was McKnight of Chickasha carrying the day. Hobaugh bounced back to place fifth to edge the Panthers a little bit closer. Points: Altus 155.5-136.
Event No. 7 – 500 Freestyle
Bishop Kelley’s Brendan Dolan picked up the win here as Harrah got even closer. Riley Bunyard finished fourth for the Panthers. Points: Altus 169.5-163.
Event No. 8 – 200 Free Relay
And here is where Harrah starts to take control. This is the only event Harrah won, but it was huge. Harrah’s Caleb McCord, Daniel Fijalka, Hobaugh and Reaves were impressive in winning this one. Altus was third. Points: Harrah 203-201.5.
Here was a 15-minute break where I spoke with Harrah coach Guy Worth. He said it would be tight, but he had a lot of swimmers in the 100 back and breaststroke that should give his club the advantage. He was right.
Event No. 9 – 100 Backstroke
Hill was dominant again in easily winning this one. Harrah’s William Fifield finished third as Harrah had two placers to Altus’ one. Points: Harrah 230-210.5.
Event No. 10 – 100 Breaststroke
Kingfisher’s Mason York earned his first title, beating Veneklasen after Veneklasen beat York in the 200 IM. Alcorta placed third, but it was strength in numbers again. Harrah had four placers and Altus had three. Points: Harrah 268-242.5. In other words, as long as Harrah didn’t get DQ’d, it would win.
Event No. 11 – 400 Free Relay
Worth’s message to his team before this one was to not get greedy. Just race your race, and we’ll win. Harrah posted a season-best time in placing second. Altus won the event, but the Bulldogs only gained six points with the victory. Final points: Harrah 302-282.5.
For my story on Harrah’s championship, go here.
Harrah wrestling in familiar spot
Harrah wrestling coach Bryan Miller wasn’t sure how this season was going to turn out after losing so many quality wrestlers.
Being the smallest team in terms of classification in 5A didn’t help matters, either. However, the Panthers are heading back to the dual state competition in two weeks.
Harrah defeated Carl Albert 39-28 on Tuesday night in the district duals.
“I’m just so proud of the kids,” Miller said. “They’ve put in so much work, and they deserve this.”
Miller said one big turning point of the match came at 215 pounds. Harrah’s Matt Hasty was able to get a pin on Carl Albert’s Kyle Croak and that helped the Panthers pull off the victory. It is the fourth year in a row for Harrah to make it to dual state.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
