Jones ready for next step
Kris Vaughn has graduated, but Jones hopes to pick up right where it left off following a successful 2010 season.
Nobody was on the Jones bandwagon more than yours truly last year. And I heard it from Millwood fans and Davis fans for picking the Longhorns so much.
Still early in the game but get ready for the same thing. Jones is losing some quality players like Micah Thompson, Jeremy Barnhill and Tyler Bayless, among others, but a strong group returning has coach Dave Martin rightfully excited about the fall.
And why not? Jones beat state champion Hennessey 21-0 in Week 2 and lost 26-20 in overtime at Davis in the second round of the playoffs. Martin said watching the Eagles and Wolves battle for the gold ball is all the motivation his team has needed.
“We felt we were right there in that company,” Martin said. “Winning a championship is no longer something to hope for. It has become a reality to these kids.”
When looking at Jones, it starts with star wide receiver Tylor Seabolt. For the last two years feel he’s been a little underrated and perhaps overshadowed by kids like Bridge Creek’s Caden Locke and Millwood’s Brandon Swindall. Those studs are gone. Gotta believe it’s Seabolt’s turn to take the spotlight.
The development of quarterback Michael Lowe throughout last year was the No. 1 reason why I felt Jones was so competitive. Ya had to figure the defense was going to be stout, and it was. However, the question mark was on offense and Lowe answered that emphatically.
This is going to be a special year for Martin. This year’s crop of seniors were freshmen when Martin started out. You can ask any coach and those are the classes they normally remember the most. Maybe some teams are better, but you never forget that first group.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Archie Bradley over Dylan Bundy for Player of the Year not an easy choice
In an incredibly close decision, Broken Arrow's Archie Bradley (hoisting trophy) was named The Oklahoman's All-State Player of the Year.
OK, the feedback hasn’t been as negative as I thought. There have been questions about the selection but no irrational sentiments voiced so far.
Knew it was going to be an eye-opener to select Broken Arrow’s Archie Bradley instead of Owasso’s Dylan Bundy as The Oklahoman’s All-State Baseball Player of the Year.
Ryan Aber and myself did not make this selection to cause a stir, believe me. It was a tough one, and I still blame Ryan for why there will never be co-players of the year.
It stems back to the senior seasons of Keiton Page at Pawnee and Rotnei Clarke of Verdigris. Both won state championships. Clarke set the state scoring record. Incredibly tough. Ryan chose Page as the Player of the Year.
Since then, no matter what, it’s eliminated Co-Players of the Year. Though this is close to that, Page over Clarke is about the best case for the co-player honor.
I felt it last year in tennis with undefeated state champions (and clearly the two best singles players in the state) Mia Lancaster of Bishop McGuinness and Julie Labarthe of Heritage Hall. Picked Labarthe, definitely irked some but that’s OK.
So that brought us to this year. We were convinced on Bradley. Then Bundy was named the Gatorade Player of the Year. Then Bundy was named the National Player of the Year. Oy. But I’ve always viewed this as a high school award.
It’s what you did on the field/court/mat, etc. It’s not about potential. Bundy is projected to be the higher draft pick and that’s fine. And heck, it’s been great to see the genuine friendship between the two so I don’t feel there is a real rivalry.
Owasso's Dylan Bundy and Broken Arrow's Archie Bradley - two of the better Oklahoma HS pitchers in a LONG time.
This could have kinda been settled in April when the two teams were scheduled. It was rained out. This could have been settled at OneOK Field in Tulsa in the Class 6A state championship. Bundy didn’t pitch. Bradley did. And he pitched, maybe not his best, but the most important game of his life. He was dominant with 14 strikeouts and leading the Tigers to the state championship.
I don’t hold it against Bundy or his coaches/advisers that believed it was in Bundy’s best interest to not pitch. Heck, maybe it was after the backlash of what happened in 2010 with Bundy’s arm.
But I also wasn’t going to use it against Bradley for going out there and getting the job done on the biggest high school stage possible.
If you wanna play the stat game, Bundy was slightly better than Bradley in most major categories on the mound and at the plate. There weren’t many glaring differences between the two. You’re talking about hundredths separating ERAs. Three earned runs for Bradley compared to two for Bundy.
It’s nitpicking no matter which way you slice it. So instead of trying to knock down Bundy or Bradley to give out the honor, I chose to reward Bradley for an outstanding season that culminated with a magical outing on that Saturday in May.
Obviously expect both players to hear their names called Monday night, and it should be an incredible feeling for both of them. But I also feel the right choice was made for the All-State Baseball Player of the Year.
And if you wanna read even more on Bradley and Bundy, here is a tremendous piece by Matt Baker of the Tulsa World. Baker spent the majority of this week with the super studs to see what’s on their minds hours away from their lives being changed forever.
- All-State Player of the Year, Archie Bradley of Broken Arrow
- Big All-City Player of the Year, Michael Fulmer of Deer Creek
- Little All-City Player of the Year, Blake Estep of Jones
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Central Oklahoma Conference basketball awards
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE
ALL-CONFERENCE
GIRLS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
HALEY WEATHERS—LUTHER
1ST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
MORGYNE WEAVER—MOUNT ST. MARY
KELSEY DAWKINS—BRIDGE CREEK
CRISSY JOYNER—LEXINGTON
BAXLEE HORTON—JONES
AIMEE RISCHARD—MOUNT ST. MARY
2ND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
HANNAH HOLASEK—LEXINGTON
SHARON VOSS—LUTHER
NIKKI BRANDT—BRIDGE CREEK
SARAH TROSPER—CROOKED OAK
BRYANA WADE—MOUNT ST. MARY
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA CONFERNCE
ALL-CONFERENCE
BOYS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
RYAN SPANGLER—BRIDGE CREEK
1ST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
SHAWNEIL SKANES—CROOKED OAK
BLAKE GIFFORD—LEXINGTON
KYLE FOREHAND—LEXINGTON
RYAN GIBSON—LUTHER
JUSTIN WAGNER—MOUNT ST. MARY
TYLOR SEABOLT—JONES
2ND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
BRAD BEAHAN—MOUNT ST. MARY
JAKE PEACE—MOUNT ST. MARY
NATHAN COOPER—JONES
JEREMY WAGNER—MOUNT ST. MARY
JOSH PERSHICA—BRIDGE CREEK
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA CONFERENCE
COACHES OF THE YEAR
AND
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
GIRLS CHAMPION
BRIDGE CREEK
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR
SKIP ASHWORTH, BRIDGE CREEK
BOYS CHAMPION
BRIDGE CREEK
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR
JASON SANDERS, BRIDGE CREEK
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Jones’ Baxlee Horton leads improbable comeback win
The Jones girls basketball team was 3-14 entering Tuesday’s game against McLoud. Its star player, Baxlee Horton, was on the bench in the first quarter with two fouls. The Longhorns trailed 43-20 at halftime.
Not all great stories include the best teams. This was a comeback by a team that had every reason to go through the motions and play it out. Instead, Jones outscored McLoud 49-22 in the second half and won 69-65.
“It was unbelievable,” coach Connie Backhus said. “I don’t have the film with me, but I cannot wait to watch the second half. I’m so proud of the girls.”
A lot of things were needed to spur the comeback, and they all happened. Backhus said Jones settled for perimeter shots in the first half. In the second half, the Longhorns were more aggressive in taking it to the hole. As a result, McLoud picked up 17 fouls in the second half.
Backhus said the team utilized a full court press for most of the second half, and it worked better than it has ever done before.
“They were just possessed. They wanted the ball,” Backhus said.
And then the free throw line lived up to its moniker of being a charity stripe. Jones, a team that shoots under 50 percent said Backhus, went 18 of 29 from the line. Included in that was an 11-for-14 performance from Danielle Williams.
But really the comeback started at halftime. Backhus said Horton was fired up and told the team that it could pull this off. Horton led by example as she scored a team-high 19 points. Williams had 17.
The Redskins’ Kylie Newsom was dang near unstoppable. “There was nothing we could do against her,” Backhus said. The McLoud post scored 31 points and converted on at least four or five ‘and 1s’ as she punished the Jones defense.
Jones outscored McLoud 33-15 in the fourth quarter and took its first lead with just under two minutes left in the game.
“Those girls deserved something good. They’ve never stopped working hard. We’re young, but I like what we have here,” Backhus said.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Jones: New school and gym a sight to see…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Welcome to the new Jones, ladies and gentlemen.
Jones athletic director Dave Martin had warned me about it. Jones senior Micah Thompson show more emotion describing it than anything else I’ve ever talked to him about.
But still, until you see the Jones gym/commons area in person, you cannot fully comprehend how great it is for the school and community.
The Stevens-Chase Center opened this fall, and it is a thing of beauty. The home side has a lower and upper level of bleachers, while the visitors side has a lower level. There is a track that goes all the way around the gym in between the levels.
The scoreboard is one of those that helps folks like yours truly by having the points for all players in the game at that particular time. The Longhorn logo takes up a good chunk of center court. Really nice place.
But think the outside/commons area is a bigger draw. Talking with Jones principal Carl Johnson, he said Prom attendance had been down the recent years. With that commons area, boom, that’s gone.
It’s huge and has a stage. Martin said all school dances and team banquets, etc., can take place in that room. He’s right. Definitely a sense of pride right now in Jones.
Jones is holding its first ever tournament, and it’s been a pretty good success. I was only there 2-3 hours Saturday, and I couldn’t help overhear passersby talk about the facility.
Look for a video with Tylor Seabolt on NewsOK later today. And for my story on Jones, here ya go.
Jones: Micah Thompson commits to North Texas…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Jones defensive tackle Micah Thompson stands out pretty much wherever he goes. But at a Class 2A school, it’s hard to ignore somebody that is 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds.
It was hard for colleges to ignore that, too. Thompson recently committed to North Texas, said Jones head coach Dave Martin.
The defensive tackle was the heart of the defensive line for the Longhorns, registering 78 tackles, three sacks and an interception.
“He’s obviously really excited as are we about the situation,” Martin said. “We feel it’s going to be a great fit for him.”
Interest in Thompson picked up over the summer as Tulsa, among others, started to give the Longhorns lineman some attention. Jones reached the second round of the playoffs, losing in an overtime thriller at Davis.
All-Best of the Rest football team…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours from the Varsity staff. I’ma go back to being Uncle Bob to my niece and nephew here in Kansas.
Here’s the final installment with an all-best of the rest. Basically, teams in the OKC area that aren’t in one of the set zones.
Here ya go:
All-Best of the Rest
Offense
QB — Ryan Spangler, Bridge Creek
RB — Devin Campbell, Bethany
RB — Blake Riojas, Newcastle
WR — Caden Locke, Bridge Creek
WR — Abraham Luna, Santa Fe South
WR — Travis Carroll, McLoud
OL — Landon Chappell, Newcastle
OL — Caleb Craig, Harrah
OL — Blake Belcher, Guthrie
OL — Dexton Robertson, Cashion
OL — Gonzalo Delatorre, Kingfisher
K — Nathan Lee, Jones
P — Derek Patterson, Kingfisher
Defense
DL — Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie
DL — Darren Davenport, Bethany
DL — Micah Thompson, Jones
DL — Derrick Luetjen, Hennessey
LB — Kenny Dennison, Blanchard
LB — Landry Chappell, Guthrie
LB — Jeremy Seaton, Cashion
DB — Tanner Koons, Tuttle
DB — Tylor Seabolt, Jones
DB — Orlando Pina, Hennessey
DB — Mike Miller, Davenport
KR — Jeremy Smith, Kingfisher
Offensive Player of the Year: Derek Patterson, Kingfisher
Defensive Player of the Year: Kentrell Brothers, Guthrie
Coach of the Year: Shannon Watford, Hennessey
Kinda get a glimpse into a lot of our Little All-City team with this list. I’ll have much more to say when the LAC team comes out Thursday, Dec. 30.
Carolyn Orton Memorial Festival schedule…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
The goal for teams in Class B-4A is to make it to the Big House in March. Teams from all over the state will get a taste of what State Fair Arena is like this weekend.
Several teams in Class A-4A will be competing at the Carolyn Orton Memorial Festival this weekend at State Fair Arena.
Six games will be played Friday and eight more Saturday. Teams competing in the boys and girls event are Luther, Jones, Comanche, Marlow, Snyder, Carnegie, Tuttle, Kingfisher, Perkins-Tryon, Wellston, Walters, Elmore City, Cashion and Frontier.
Admission is $5. Orton was the mother of former McGuinness star Daniel Orton and former OSU player Terrance Crawford. She died of lupus.
Carolyn Orton Memorial Festival
At State Fair Arena
Friday
Luther vs. Jones, 1 p.m. (girls)
Luther vs. Jones, 2:30 (boys)
Comanche vs. Marlow, 4 p.m. (girls)
Comanche vs. Marlow, 5:30 (boys)
Snyder vs. Carnegie, 7 p.m. (girls)
Snyder vs. Carnegie, 8:30 p.m. (boys)
Saturday
Walters vs. Elmore City, 10 a.m. (girls)
Walters vs. Elmore City, 11:30 a.m. (boys)
Wellston vs. Perkins-Tryon, 1 p.m. (girls)
Wellston vs. Perkins-Tryon, 2:30 p.m. (boys)
Tuttle vs. Kingfisher, 4 p.m. (girls)
Tuttle vs. Kingfisher, 5:30 p.m. (boys)
Cashion vs. Frontier, 7 p.m. (girls)
Cashion vs. Frontier, 8:30 p.m. (boys)
Jones vs. Davis Capsule…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Jones (9-2) at Davis (9-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Davis HS (wish I could be there)
Jones
Why the Longhorns can win: Because this team has played with a chip on its shoulder all year after what happened last year. A minor hiccup vs. Perkins in Week 1 led to a change in intensity and philosophy. Since then, what more could you ask for from this team? Michael Lowe has been great at QB, and it has had great balance all around.
Quote:
We’re as healthy as we possibly can be. This is a huge challenge, but we’re glad we’re in this type of game. This is great for the program.” – coach Dave Martin
Davis
Why the Wolves can win: Because all year Jody Weber’s club has played like the second best team in 2A, maybe even the best. It’s not just the winning tradition, but it’s the formula that has worked all through this season, too. A loss to Heritage Hall (with Barry J. Sanders and Sterling Shepard healthy) is nothing to be ashamed of.
Key matchup: Jones defense vs. Davis rushing attack. It’s simple. If Tyler Bayless, Micah Thompson and the rest of the Longhorns defense stop the Wolves rushing game, we’re gonna be in for quite a treat.
The pick: Jones 19, Davis 18. In a game worthy of being billed the top one of the week, Tylor Seabolt makes the game-changing play in the fourth quarter.
Boneman’s Jones prediction record: 9-2.
Boneman’s Davis prediction record: 10-0.
Jones: Ready for Davis challenge…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Jones (9-2) at Davis (9-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Davis HS
I know it. You know it. Jones coach Dave Martin knows it. Davis coach Jody Weber knows it. We’re all being treated to a semifinal-quality matchup in the round of 16 on Friday when the Longhorns visit the Wolves.
Jones has looked unbeatable since a thriller against Millwood. Davis has looked unbeatable for, well, nearly the whole season. A 21-12 loss to a full strength Heritage Hall team is the only blemish.
“Davis is Davis. They have a tremendous tradition there,” Martin said. But it’s not just reputation alone. They’re once again an incredible team.”
Martin said if Jones is going to pull off the win it cannot let Davis control the clock and time of possession. Davis knows how to shorten the games against its opponents.
