Heritage Hall’s Markus Wakefield commits to Howard
Heritage Hall's Markus Wakefield committed to Howard on Monday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Heritage Hall lineman Markus Wakefield committed play his college football at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon on his official visit to the school.
“The first thing was the top level education,” Wakefield said of his commitment. “Then I fell in love with the people.
“I also like coach (Gary) Harrell and the direction they were going with the program.”
Howard, which plays in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision, finished 5-6 last season, its first under Harrell.
Wakefield (6-foot-1, 280 pounds) was a first-team offensive lineman on The Oklahoman‘s 2011 All-State team, but he was key to the Chargers’ success on both sides of the ball.
Heritage Hall coach Andy Bogert said in November that his team, which featured Stanford commit Barry J. Sanders in its backfield, would “probably have trouble running the ball” without Wakefield.
Bogert said he designed the Chargers’ offensive scripts each week with Wakefield in mind on each play.
Wakefield will sign with Howard on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.
Mount St. Mary to honor Mike de la Garza at halftime of Friday’s basketball game
Former Edmond Memorial basketball coach and athletic director Mike de la Garza will be honored at halftime of Friday's Mount St. Mary boys basketball game. De la Garza graduated from St. Mary and began his coaching career there. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
Mount St. Mary will honor Mike de la Garza at halftime of its boys basketball game against Oklahoma Christian School on Friday.
De la Garza, who was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame last July, is a 1964 Mount St. Mary graduate. He began his coaching career as the Rockets’ boys basketball coach in 1969 before going on to coach at Edmond for more than 20 years.
He led the school to the 1993 state championship, and was Edmond Memorial’s athletic director when it took home its next boys basketball state title in 2011. He retired in May.
St. Mary will host a reception at 7 p.m. in the school’s Mollman Fitness Center for all of de la Garza’s former Rockets players and classmates.
Michael Onuoha ’50-50′ on decision between Oklahoma and Missouri after visits
When Michael Onuoha walked into Missouri’s facilities last weekend for his official visit, he got some stares.
“A couple people were looking at me like I had something on my face,” the Edmond Santa Fe senior said. “I was like, ‘Why are they staring at me?’”
Finally, one Missouri player spoke up.
“Hey dude, you look like Aldon Smith,” the player said.
Onuoha wasn’t exactly sure who Smith was, but looked him up. After deciding he looks nothing like him — “I think I look like Michael, not Aldon Smith” — he realized what they were talking about.
Smith came to Missouri in 2008 raw, fairly thin and with long arms after getting a late start in his high school football career because basketball was his first love. Just like Onuoha.
In 2011, as a rookie for the San Francisco 49ers, Smith recorded 37 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and 14 sacks
Onuoha (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) visited Oklahoma this weekend, and said he is “50-50″ on which offer he will sign on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.
“I’m from Oklahoma,” Onuoha said. “Everybody that i met down there said it’s a great place, and said I should stay in Oklahoma because I’m an Oklahoman.”
Onuoha burst onto the recruiting scene after a strong performance at Oklahoma’s summer camp. He didn’t play much his junior year because of an injury.
As a senior, Onuoha recorded 87 tackles and six sacks.
He got his first offer in early December from Missouri, then the Sooners offered just after the new year.
Missouri and Oklahoma each have two current defensive ends commitments in their classes of 2012
Video: Quintaz Struble talks about his dad, Mandrell Dean
Heritage Hall’s Quintaz Struble is proud of his father’s legacy as one of Oklahoma’s greatest-ever high school athletes.
But he also knows well the lessons of Mandrell Dean‘s tragic demise.
Check out this video interview with Quintaz, where he talked to me about his dad, his mom and his family’s legacy.
(Note: This interview was filmed well before his official visit to Arkansas State, where he committed Sunday, was planned).
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.
Quintaz Struble commits to Arkansas State
Heritage Hall's Quintaz Struble committed to Arkansas State on Sunday. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Heritage Hall’s Quintaz Struble will do Wednesday what his father couldn’t nearly 20 years ago — sign with an NCAA Division I college football program.
Struble committed this morning to Arkansas State on his official visit, he said.
He held offers from some smaller, non-Division I schools, and Wyoming wanted him to “grayshirt,” meaning he’d join the program next January as part of its class of 2013.
Struble’s commitment to a Division I program is significant because of his father’s legacy. Mandrell Dean, considered one of Oklahoma’s greatest high school athletes ever, committed to Oklahoma out of Millwood but couldn’t qualify academically.
I wrote a feature in this morning’s Oklahoman about Struble and the lessons of his father. Struble found out late last month that he had qualified academically for D-I football.
Struble joins a Red Wolves team coming off a 10-3 season and an appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Former Auburn, Tulsa and Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is entering his first season as Arkansas State’s head coach.
After his senior season, Struble was named to The Oklahoman’s elite, 25-man All-State football team.
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.
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.
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.
Ryley Claborn, Corben Jones and Tyler Bush make college choices
A trio of high school football players on the west side of the metro have made their college decisions this week.
Bethany quarterback Ryley Claborn verbally committed to Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford. Yukon quarterback Corben Jones will sign with Emporia (Kan.) State, and Yukon offensive lineman Tyler Bush has committed to Southeastern State in Durant.
Claborn quarterbacked the Bronchos to the state semifinals and quarterfinals in his final two seasons. As a senior, he threw for 1,883 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 122 of 207 passes (58.9 percent).
As a three-year starter for the Millers, Jones guided the team to three consecutive playoff appearances, snapping a decade-long postseason drought. In his senior year, 1,999 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight picks with a completion percentage of 59.6 (140 of 235). He also rushed for 500 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bush anchored the line of an offense that has averaged 32.2 points per game the last two seasons.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK
