Douglass point guard Stephen Clark offered scholarship by Oklahoma
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark received a scholarship offer from Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger on Monday.
Add Oklahoma to the list of college basketball programs seeking the services of Douglass point guard Stephen Clark.
Clark was invited to the Sooners’ game against Missouri on Monday night, and head coach Lon Kruger offered the 5-foot-10 junior a scholarship, as first reported by ESPN.
“Coach Kruger told us he wanted Stephen as a Sooner,” said Dorshell Clark, Stephen’s mother. “So maybe we can begin building a relationship with him and the other coaches.”
Oklahoma joins more than a dozen other programs pursuing Clark, along with the likes of Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Connecticut, Missouri, Memphis and Marquette.
Clark is the third in-state player the Sooners have offered a scholarship, along with Edmond Memorial point guard Jordan Woodard and Tulsa Washington shooting guard Juwan Parker.
If you’re looking for some extra reading on Clark, here’s a quick look at his 65-point game in January.
Here’s a story from December about Clark’s transition to point guard.
And here’s Monday’s piece on Clark and the rest of the state’s star-studded 2013 recruiting class.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Douglass guard Stephen Clark selected for USA junior team
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark has been selected to compete for the Junior Olympic team in Germany later this year. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
A good season keeps getting better for Douglass junior Stephen Clark.
The Trojans’ point guard has been shooting the lights out virtually every time he steps on the floor, college scholarship offers are rolling in, and now, he has been selected to play for the USA junior team that will compete in Germany later this year.
The team will compete in Mannheim, Germany, from April 3-14 in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, an event with teams from 15 other countries, including Argentina, Australia, China, Serbia and Spain.
Because of NCAA recruiting rules, the players must pay the cost of the flight to and from Germany on their own.
Recruiting has remained steady for Clark as well. Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger was up to see him at practice and in a game earlier this week, and according to Clark’s mother, Dorshell, a Baylor coach was in attendance on Friday night when he scored 18 points in a win over Capitol Hill.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Video: Mandrell Dean, one of Oklahoma’s greatest high school athletes
Ever seen an eighth-grader break a backboard?
That’s exactly what Millwood’s Mandrell Dean did in junior high.
The footage is here, in a video I recorded with Oklahoman sports editor Mike Sherman, who covered Mandrell as a high school beat writer in the early 1990s.
We talk about Dean, his legacy, and his son, Heritage Hall’s Quintaz Struble.
Coming Sunday: The story of Quintaz Struble, son of an Oklahoma legend
Millwood legend Mandrell Dean's son, Quintaz Struble, is a senior at Heritage Hall. PHOTO BY DOUG HOKE, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
Five years ago today, an Oklahoma high school legend died.
Mandrell Dean is one of the greatest athletes in Millwood — and Oklahoma high school — history.
His 85 total touchdowns — including a stunning 28 on kick returns — had college football programs flocking to eastern Oklahoma City to recruit him.
He committed to Oklahoma in January 1993, but never signed with the Sooners because of academic issues.
After touring the country playing for semipro and arena teams, Dean returned home, became involved with the wrong people and was shot and killed while allegedly committing a home invasion.
His son, Quintaz Struble, is a senior at Heritage Hall and is on the verge of a college football career his father didn’t have.
This story was originally supposed to run two weeks ago, but we held it to gather more information and plan for a big presentation. I posted a blog about it then, but took it down when we decided to hold off on the story. I apologize for jumping the gun back then, but I think you’ll see this weekend that it was worth the wait.
Heritage Hall senior Quintaz Struble's father is Millwood legend Mandrell Dean. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Pick up a copy of The Oklahoman on Sunday to read the inspiring story of a young man with some of his father’s talent, but few of his personal burdens, and the mother who sacrificed everything to make him who he is today.
Also Sunday, on NewsOK.com, we’ll have lots of photographs, a video interview with Quintaz Struble about his dad and video highlights of Mandrell Dean.
I’ve been working on this story since October, and I’m so excited for you all to read the final product.
Overcoming injury as a senior, Putnam City’s Desmond Tilly commits to Langston
Putnam City's Desmond Tilly verbally committed to play football at Langston next season.
I was standing on the sideline in the final minutes of Putnam City’s preseason scrimmage against Southmoore when PC running back/linebacker Desmond Tilly tore his ACL.
Saw him writhing in pain on the field. Saw the look on his face when they helped him off.
It was a crushing blow. In one quick moment, Tilly went from a kid who appeared to be on the verge of a breakout year to a spectator. That moment, and a similar one involving Northwest Classen’s Terry Arnold, inspired the story I wrote about the two injured seniors in November.
On Saturday, Tilly verbally committed to play football at Langston next year, a much-deserved opportunity for a hard-working kid.
Langston sees Tilly as a safety/outside linebacker hybrid, which seems like a perfect fit for the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder.
Earlier in the week, PC running back Casey Curtis committed to NEO, and other Pirates like Elie Rushing could be getting some college opportunities as well.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
McDonald’s All-American nominees announced
The nominees for the 2012 McDonald’s All-American game were announced Wednesday.
The 24 boys and girls selected to participate in the All-American Game will be announced at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 on ESPNU. This year’s games will be held March 28 in Chicago, with the girls game tipping off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 8:30.
Only Texas and Iowa had more nominations on the girls side than Oklahoma’s 26.
Boys
Nino Jackson, Ardmore
Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial
Austin Thrash, Cheyenne
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial
Girls
Kate Andrews, McGuinness
Kelsey Barnwell, Kansas
Ashley Clark, Midwest City
Taylor Cooper, Shawnee
Courtney Cowan, Kansas
Alie Decker, Edmond Memorial
Quira Demery, Millwood
I’Knique Gaines, Tulsa East Central
Mariah Gilliam, Tulsa Washington
Daisha Gonzaque, Edmond Santa Fe
LaShanda Green, McAlester
Kelsey Grovey, Shawnee
Elyse Hight, McGuinness
Sydney Hill, Edmond Memorial
Shelley Knight, Wayne
Deena Manning, Wayne
Madison Mercado, Sapulpa
LaNesha Middleton, Stillwater
Bria Pitts, Tulsa East Central
Caitlyn Ramirez, Shawnee
Toni Smith, Del City
Caitlyn Spurgeon, Vinita
Jordynn VanPelt, Snyder
Courtney Walker, Edmond Santa Fe
Antoinet Webster, Western Heights
Adriana White, Midwest City
The Oklahoman’s Class 2A All-State
Class 2A
Offense
QB: Michael Lowe, Jones
RB: Dakota Biswell, Stroud
RB: Ivan Moreno, Hennessey
RB: Rowdy Simon, Vian
WR: Tylor Seabolt, Jones
WR: Rylan Russell, Cordell
OL: Gavin Willyard, Alva
OL: Rob Boyd, Vian
OL: E.J. Tillinger, Watonga
OL: Devin Dobbins, Millwood
OL: Martin Torres, Wyandotte
K: Nathan Lee, Jones
KR: Demetric Sanders, Millwood
Defense
DL: Justin Wilson, Luther
DL: Aaron Johnson, Morris
DL: Blake Gordon, Stroud
LB: Chris Humphrey, Jones
LB: Marc Robinson, Millwood
LB: Max Simmons, Lincoln Christian
LB: Taylor Bilyeu, Jones
DB: Orlando Pina, Hennessey
DB: Hunter Eubank, Lindsay
DB: Justin Walton, Wyandotte
DB: Brandon Long, Coalgate
P: Nolan Fanning, Coalgate
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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Boys hoops roundup: Stephen Clark drops 51, Allonzo Trier handles the pressure, and some big OT battles
Matt Christiansen and Bishop McGuinness had a fight on their hands with Stillwater Tuesday night.
Tons of good basketball action on Tuesday night… too much to fit into the roundup for Wednesday’s paper, but I did my best. Here’s a look at some of the games I touched on, along with a few extra thoughts.
Douglass’ Stephen Clark scores 51 on Star Spencer
Douglass point guard Stephen Clark picked up where he left off in Louisiana.
In his first game since scoring 65 points at a tournament in Bossier City, Clark had 51 points in a 114-71 win over Star Spencer on Tuesday night.
Clark, who already has scholarship offers from more than a dozen Division I colleges, didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter, with Douglass holding a 31-point lead. It wasn’t just a scoring barrage for Clark. The junior finished with 15 assists and eight steals as well.
The Trojans have a busy weekend, visiting Millwood on Friday and hosting Northeast on Saturday, before heading back to Louisiana next week. Douglass will take part in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Basketball Classic in New Orleans Jan. 19-21.
Scott’s take: There is not thesaurus big enough for me to keep coming up with adjectives to describe Clark’s performance this season. If you combine his second half from Bossier and first half from Tuesday, he scored 81 points in four quarters. The kid is for real. We get to watch him for another year-and-a-half, so if you haven’t seen him yet, pick a game and get out there.
McGuinness holds off Stillwater in OT
In a game when Bishop McGuinness struggled from the free throw line, it’s ironic that foul shots are how Tuesday’s 38-33, overtime win over Stillwater was sealed.
Joe Edmonds’ two late free throws in overtime gave the Irish a four-point lead, and Matt Christiansen added another as McGuinness eeked out a close victory over Stillwater (9-2), which continues to surprise given its lack of returning experience.
McGuinness missed nine of its 17 free throw attempts in the game.
“It came back and bit us, but we won,” said Edmonds, who himself missed a late free throw in the fourth quarter.
Christiansen and Edmonds, both seniors and San Francisco signees, scored 15 and 10 points, respectively, for McGuinness.
Junior John Holcomb led Stillwater with 13 points. Holcomb was the Pioneers’ leading returning scorer from last year, averaging just under three points in 2010-11.
“They’re a good team,” said McGuinness coach Tondrell Durham. “They’re a tough team, and we are very fortunate to win this game.”
Scott’s take: Gracias to Jason Kersey for doing the work on this one. McGuinness is a team full of guys who don’t mind doing the dirty work, and that’s a great quality to have. Beating Norman last week was impressive, and taking down Stillwater — one of the hottest teams around right now — was as well.
Stillwater might be the biggest surprise of the season so far. Hardly anyone with significant experience returning, but Michael Davis has them playing at a high level already. Keep an eye on the Pioneers the rest of the way. Jason is working on a VERY interesting story about what is at the heart of their team chemistry. You won’t want to miss it.
Northeast tops Millwood in OT
Northeast showed exactly how to win a game with free throws on Tuesday night.
The Vikings outscored Millwood 8-0 in overtime — all eight points coming at the line — to seal a 50-42 win.
Millwood rallied from an early double-figure deficit to take the lead in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter saw six ties and four lead changes.
Four Northeast players scored from the line in overtime, with senior point guard Gabe Houston making three of four as the Vikings closed out the win. Houston finished with a team-high 16 points and C.J. Jones had 11 as both teams struggled to make field goals.
“This is always a big rivalry game,” first-year Northeast coach Garland Parks said. “One of our goals is to do well in the conference, and Millwood is always tough, so this is a good win for us, especially on a night when we couldn’t put the ball in the basket. It was an ugly game, but we got the win.”
Wayne Jackson led the Falcons with 21 points, but he fouled out in the final minute of regulation.
Scott’s take: Glad I was finally able to catch a Northeast game. Once I saw they were dropping to 2A one season after playing for the 3A title, I knew that the time was right for them to strike. Garland Parks is a solid coach who seems to have a good handle on his new team.
The Vikings won this one without making many jumpers, and without a big contribution from senior Caleb Crayton, who spent much of his night battling inside with Wayne Jackson. Crayton is a very athletic 6-foot-3 swingman who will get a chance to play at a decent college next year. Houston Baptist was on hand to see him play Tuesday, and he has had some interest from some mid-major D-I programs as well.
Jackson was huge for the Falcons, but he fouled out on an interesting call late in regulation. He was whistled for an intentional foul. From my angle on the opposite end of the floor, it appeared the foul was because he got a little too rough during a tie-ball situation. Tough call to make at that situation of the game, especially with how physical the second half had been. Northeast tied the game with the free throws from the intentional foul.
Edmond Santa Fe fights off PC West
Aaron Anderson had a game-high 15 points and Edmond Santa Fe’s stout defense powered a 56-45 win over Putnam City West in a battle of top-10 teams.
The eight-ranked Patriots were led by Deontee Ogles with nine points. Phoenix Bills contributed 11 for fourth-ranked Santa Fe.
Scott’s take: Santa Fe hasn’t always looked pretty, but they have the talent to win big games. When they can get some decent point production, they are going to be tough to beat. The job they did on PC West’s top three scorers — holding each of them to eight or fewer — is impressive.
Trier’s 37 points power Storm
Freshman Allonzo Trier scored 10 of his game-high 37 points in overtime as the OKC Storm defeated Tulsa Central. Trier only had six points in the first half, but exploded to help the Storm rally from a 12-point halftime deficit.
The Storm’s Jacob Hammond, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, made a layup in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.
Tulsa Central was led by Revey Norton with 18 points.
Scott’s take: According to Barry Lewis of the Tulsa World, Central coach Eli Brown III called Trier the best guard his team has played all year. Based on the freshman’s performance in crunch time, it’s easy to see where that opinion originated. I’m going to be writing in-depth about Trier soon. He’s not your typical freshman, and his life story is going to be a fun one to tell.
Tip-ins
Conner Haydon scored 30 points to lead El Reno to an 83-72 win over Shawnee, which got 31 points from Dejoun Sanders… Heritage Hall’s Tanner Tepe scored 13 in a 50-49 win over Casady… Choctaw picked up a 60-51 win over Yukon behind 27 points from Reggie Wright… Carl Albert junior Carlbe Ervin had a game-high 26 points as the Titans downed Harrah 63-54.
Scott’s take: This should tell you how fun a night it was in high school hoops. These games had to be relegated to the “Tip-ins” section: Dueling 30-point scorers, a one-point Heritage Hall win, and a couple kids scoring in the upper 20s to lead their teams to important victories. It’s only the second week of January. This can only get better.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
Looking back on Stephen Clark’s 65-point night
Douglass PG Stephen Clark scored 65 points on Friday night.
There was some confusion right around the time of our print deadline on Friday night as to exactly how many points Douglass point guard Stephen Clark had scored, but the number was nailed down overnight.
Clark scored 65 points, including a perfect 27-of-27 at the free throw line and an 8-of-14 performance from 3-point range in Douglass’ 106-92 loss to Airline High School of Bossier City, La., in the Bossier Invitational.
“He did it all,” Douglass coach Terry Long said. “He defended, he scored, hit 3s, penetration, dishing the ball. He left everything on the floor.
“He played a key role in just about every possession we scored on. It was a phenomenal show. I took him out at the end, and the entire crowd gave him a standing ovation.”
Clark scored 52 of the 65 points in the second half.
“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Clark said. “I was just worried about trying to win the game. We had a couple guys get in foul trouble, so I had to be the scorer.
“I just wanted to win, though. That’s all I care about at the end of the day. This was probably good for us, because we can figure out what we need to do to become a better basketball team.”
The loss eliminated the Trojans from the tournament, dropping their record to 4-3 with all three losses coming to out-of-state competition. They will be back in action at Star Spencer on Tuesday.
Long said the performance recalled memories from when he was younger, watching Larry Bird.
“It was one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen,” Long said. “It reminded me of one of those nights watching Larry Bird when he just couldn’t miss. It was phenomenal.”
Clark is only seven games into his junior season. Last week, I witnessed him score 34. Over Thanksgiving, he dropped 42 at a tournament in Texas, and now this. If you’re looking for a show, this might be the one to watch.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
