Edmond Santa Fe’s Justice Hansen picks up first offer
Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen picked up a Missouri offer on Saturday. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN
Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen picked up his first college football scholarship offer from Missouri during a visit there Saturday, he said in a text message to The Oklahoman.
Hansen was one of the state’s top sophomores in 2011 and was a key part of Edmond Santa Fe’s turnaround from 1-9 in 2010 to 10-2 this season.
As a sophomore and first-year starter, Hansen threw for 2,558 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 529 yards and eight scores.
Hansen’s offer came during Missouri’s Junior Day, which he was invited to even though he is a sophomore.
Hansen is widely considered one of the state’s top prospects for the class of 2014.
Sheldon Wilson headlines impressive Northeastern Oklahoma A&M class
Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson is part of an impressive Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Class of 2012. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Anadarko running back Sheldon Wilson isn’t used to competing for playing time.
After signing Wednesday with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, he’ll have to put in extra work as he fights for carries with other top backs the Norsemen signed.
“I’m gonna love that,” Wilson said. “I’ve never really had to compete for carries, so getting pushed and competing every day will make me better.”
Putnam City running back Casey Curtis, who rushed for 1,805 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior, signed with NEO on Wednesday, as did Edmond North’s Jared Benway and Broken Bow’s Eric Dockins.
Wilson rushed for 3,335 yards and set state records with 57 rushing and 64 total touchdowns as a senior on Anadarko’s first state championship football team.
After the season, he was named The Oklahoman’s 2011 All-State Offensive Player of the Year.
Dale Patterson first recruiting class in his second stint as NEO’s coach was impressive beyond running backs.
NEO signed three top Oklahoma high school quarterbacks in McAlester’s Tony Kiefer, Owasso’s Kason Key and Mustang’s Brandon Taylor.
Four Edmond North seniors — Benway, tight end Troy Davis and offensive linemen Trevor Barron and Will Wiedenmann — also signed with NEO.
Other city-area prospects who signed with the Norsemen include Midwest City defensive back Ronnie Davis, Oklahoma Christian School kicker Keegan Carter and Kingfisher offensive lineman Hunter Endres.
The amount of talent NEO signed has Wilson thinking title.
“Looking at these guys, we might be able to win a little championship up there,” Wilson said.
Wilson will be joined at NEO by two of his Anadarko teammates, offensive lineman Randy Martinez and linebacker Wes Satoe.
“That’s really cool to go up there with teammates I know,” Wilson said. “I don’t have to go up there and feel like I don’t know anybody.”
Jason Kersey
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Luther’s Justin Wilson signing with Emporia State
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Luther defensive lineman Justin Wilson, The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Defensive Player of the Year, will sign with Emporia State today.
Wilson (6-foot-1, 315 pounds) had 65 tackles and six sacks as a senior after moving back to the area from Georgia.
Here’s our Little All-City story on Wilson: Luther’s Justin Wilson is linemen king
Seminole’s Garrett Clark commits to OBU
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Seminole quarterback Garrett Clark became the first player from the 2012 class to commit to Oklahoma Baptist University.
Clark threw for 2,330 yards and 24 touchdowns with nine interceptions as a senior. He also rushed for 556 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“His work ethic has been phenomenal,” Chieftains coach Mike Snyder said. “He has so much upside to him on the field and off the field. I refer to him as the high school Tim Tebow because of the way he carries himself.”
Clark was a four-year starter at Seminole.
He visited Northwestern Oklahoma State also but felt OBU was the right fit.
The Bison are scheduled to play their first varsity game since 1940 in 2013.
“He’s realistic about things and can understand the bigger picture,” Snyder said of Clark’s decision to go to a program where there would be no games next year. “He was comfortable and familiar with OBU and that was where he wanted to go.”
Snyder said new Bison coach Chris Jensen contacted Clark soon after taking the job earlier this month.
A day after Jensen’s hiring, 2011 Jones graduate Tyler Bayless signed with the Bison.
Clark’s parents are both OBU graduates.
Midwest City’s Reeves heading to South Dakota
Midwest City cornerback Ricky Reeves has committed to South Dakota, Bombers coach Steve Huff said. Another Bombers defensive standout could be heading there as well.
Reeves took a visit to the school last weekend and made the decision to commit after the trip.
An Oklahoman All-State defensive back, Reeves (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) had 61 tackles and six interceptions as a senior and scored three rushing and a receiving touchdown on offense.
Linebacker Zeke Lewis is making a trip to the school this weekend. Lewis, also an all-stater, had a 6A-best 169 tackles and added six sacks and an interception.
Reeves joins James Flanders (Tulsa), Dakota Moran (Northeastern State), Devin Crisp (NSU) and C.J. Smith (Emporia State) as Midwest City players committed to play in college. Several others could decide between now and signing day, Feb. 1.
Midwest City’s Moran commits to NSU
Midwest City offensive lineman Dakota Moran committed to Northeastern State University this weekend.
Moran was the anchor of the Bombers offensive line that helped Midwest City rush for nearly 3,500 yards this season. Midwest City was 11-1.
NSU was 7-5 last season, its last in the Lone Star Conference. NSU joins the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association next year.
Fall signing day coming Wednesday
This might be the opening week of high school football playoffs, but it also includes signing day Wednesday for sports other than football. Know of an athlete signing? E-mail me at raber@opubco.com or leave it as a comment here. Please include as much information as possible.
Del City’s Toni Smith commits to Fresno State
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Del City’s 6-foot Toni Smith committed to Fresno State recently after taking an official visit to the school.
“She had a tremendous summer,” Del City coach Karri Sears said. “She played a lot more 3-4 and handled the ball a little bit more. She’s excited about her commitment. It’s a great thing for her and a great thing for Del City.”
Smith, who averaged 11 points and nearly nine rebounds per game last year, is expected to sign in November.
The Eagles drop to 5A this year after making the 6A state tournament a year ago. Smith, who will be a senior, was part of Del City’s state title team as a freshman.
“She wants to bookend her career with titles,” Sears said.
Smith had been drawing interest from Arkansas-Little Rock, Henderson State and Texas A&M-Commerce before her breakout summer.
She’d also talked to Wichita State. Her brother, former Southeast standout Ben Smith, plays for the Shockers.
Dynamic duo debate: Why Sterling Shepard is better
Heritage Hall's Sterling Shepard has committed to OU.
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Barry Sanders or Sterling Shepard?
The answer is easy, yet difficult.
Choose one and either way you get a fantastic player. But the choice is agonizing.
Both are terrific players with terrific bloodlines.
But sometimes tough decisions have to be made.
So I’m going with Sterling Shepard. Sanders might wind up being the better college player (and possibly beyond) of the two. But if I’m starting a high school team and I have the No. 1 pick, I’m going with Shepard.
Coming to the answer was not easy. The reason Shepard wins out in the end, though, is. Versatility.
Need a big-time, game-breaking run? Shepard can deliver. Need a dazzling catch to win a game? He can do that too. Need an arm to throw that pass? Shepard’s got that covered. Need a playmaker to go up and keep the other team’s top receiver from pulling down that pass? By now you’ve figured it out. Shepard can just about do it all.
Just take a look at his stats from last year, when he stayed healthy after suffering through concussion issues as a sophomore. He ran for 575 yards and 10 touchdowns, had 1,015 yards receiving and 18 scores, he threw for three touchdowns and racked up 103 tackles and eight interceptions on the defensive side.
You can’t go wrong with making Sanders the choice. Some get Barry Sanders burnout because we’ve heard about him for so long but go watch him play and you know he’s legit. If he had any other last name, he might not be quite as highly publicized but he’d be every bit as deserving.
But in the high school game, where creativity and versatility can get you a long way, I’ll take Sterling Shepard.
Edmond Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley commits to Ole Miss after All-America Game
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Edmond Santa Fe right-hander Ty Hensley walked to the mound at Wrigley Field on Saturday, starting for the American team in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game.
He got the first batter he faced to ground out, then worked out of a two-on, one-out situation with a double play to cap a scoreless inning.
“It was a blast,” Hensley said. “It was so much fun to be able to do that.”
Hensley hit 94 on the radar run during his performance.
After getting back from Chicago, Hensley made his college choice official when he committed to Ole Miss.
He chose the Rebels over Arizona State and Texas.
He said he had known he wanted to commit to Ole Miss for awhile but wanted to wait to make it official.
“I just wanted to make sure that it was for sure where I wanted to go,” he said. “I felt like it was a place where I could develop as both a pitcher and a hitter better than anyplace else.”
