The Oklahoma City Area Baseball Coaches Association will play its annual all-star game at 6 p.m. Thursday at Palmer Field at Dolese Park.

An all-star team made up from these two rosters will play a Tulsa-area all-star team in a doubleheader at noon Saturday at Bishop McGuinness. OCS’ Ken McQueen and Tecumseh’s Chad Trahan will coach the Oklahoma City team.

NORTH
Starters
Pitchers: Brock Stuber, Piedmont; Parker Rigler, Edmond Memorial; Kyle Stephens, Edmond North
Catchers: Mike Hale, Putnam City North; Jon Denney, Yukon
First baseman: Cody Daylor, Edmond North
Second baseman: Daniel Costello, Edmond Santa Fe
Third baseman: Bryan Dutton, Guthrie
Shortstop: Dalen Edgar, Piedmont
Outfielders: Landon Eason, Yukon; Jack Hale, Edmond Memorial; Cole Lindley, Deer Creek
Utility: Austin Brooks, OCS
Desgnated hitter: Jacob Jerome, Edmond Santa Fe

Reserves: Chiante’ McKee, Star Spencer; Bradley Fitch, Bishop McGuinness; Reed Brooks, Putnam City; Jonathan Sergent, Classen

Coaches: Ken McQueen, OCS; Kory Williams, Piedmont

SOUTH
Starters
Pitchers: Alexander Svetgoff, Westmoore; Gage Trahan, Tecumseh; Nick Ward, Southmoore
Catchers: Lane Paul, Tuttle; Cameron Knight, Westmoore
First baseman: Dylan Mauk, Blanchard
Second baseman: Daniel Herron, Norman North
Third baseman: DJ Gasso, Norman North
Shortstop: Tre Edwards, Southmoore
Outfielders: Chevin Noone, Carl Albert; Hunter Heath, Bethel; Quade Nelson, Blanchard
Utility: Damion Orr, Midwest City
Designated hitter: Joel Davis, Midwest City

Reserves: Cooper Owens, Putnam City West; Colin Webb, Moore; Matt Foster, Norman; Casey Bowlan, Shawnee; Jovanny Hernandez, U.S. Grant; Zack Howry, Capitol Hill; Landon Vodka, Mustang.

Coaches: Chad Trahan, Tecumseh; Travis Owen, Tuttle

At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Class 6A
All games Wednesday, May 1
First Round
Westmoore vs. Southmoore, 10 a.m.
Tulsa Union vs. Muskogee, 10 a.m.
Moore vs. Jenks, 10 a.m.
Broken Arrow vs. Tahlequah, 10 a.m.
Semifinals
Westmoore-Southmoore winner vs. Tulsa Union-Muskogee winner, 12:30 p.m.
Moore-Jenks winner vs. Broken Arrow-Tahlequah winner, 12:30 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 3:15 p.m.

Class 5A
All games Wednesday, May 1
First Round
Cache vs. Seq. Tahlequah, 11:15 a.m.
Holdenville vs. Berryhill, 11:15 a.m.
Purcell vs. Bethel, 1:45 p.m.
Henryetta vs. Valliant, 1:45 p.m.
Semifinals
Purcell-Bethel winner vs. Cache-Seq. Tahlequah, 3:15 p.m.
Henryetta-Valliant winner vs. Holdenville-Berryhill, 3:15 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6:15 p.m.

Class 4A
All games Wednesday, May 1
First Round
Dale vs. Latta, 11:15 a.m.
Chisholm vs. Washington, 11:15 a.m.
Davis vs. Liberty, 12:30 p.m.
Tushka vs. Mangum, 12:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Dale-Latta winner vs. Davis-Liberty winner, 1:45 p.m.
Tushka-Mangum winner vs. Chisholm-Washington winner, 1:45 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 4:45 p.m.

Class 3A
All games Tuesday, April 30
First Round
Rattan vs. Rock Creek, 10 a.m.
Wayne vs. Fort Towson, 10 a.m.
Mooreland vs. Depew, 10 a.m.
Apache vs. Preston, 10 a.m.
Semifinals
Rattan-Rock Creek winner vs. Wayne-Fort Towson winner, 12:30 p.m.
Mooreland-Depew winner vs. Apache-Preston winner, 12:30 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 3:15 p.m.

Class 2A
All games Tuesday, April 30
First Round
Binger-Oney vs. Dewar, 11:15 a.m.
Okarche vs. Roff, 11:15 a.m.
Turner vs. Barnsdall, 1:45 p.m.
Pond Creek-Hunter vs. Soper, 1:45 p.m.
Semifinals
Binger-Dewar winner vs. Turner-Barnsdall winner, 3:15 p.m.
Pond Creek-Soper winner vs. Okarche-Roff winner, 3:15 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 6:15 p.m.

Class A
All games Tuesday, April 30
First Round
Red Oak vs. Arnett, 11:15 a.m.
Tupelo vs. Asher, 11:15 a.m.
Eagletown vs. Hammon, 12:30 p.m.
Buffalo Valley vs. Leedey, 12:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Red Oak-Arnett winner vs. Eagletown-Hammon winner, 1:45 p.m.
Tupelo-Asher winner vs. Buffalo Valley-Leedey winner, 1:45 p.m.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 4:45 p.m.

PC North defensive back Alex Clark, left, and the rest of the Panther defense will have to stick on its assignments to contain Moore's offense.

I love Thursday night football, especially since there usually isn’t any Tuesday or Wednesday night football. Tonight, we’re back on the field, and that’s a good thing.

I especially love meaningful Thursday night football, and that’s what we’ve got at Putnam City Stadium at 7 tonight.

Putnam City North hosts Moore in a game that is big for both teams, and Point No. 1 will tell you why:

Three Points

1. Season momentum. These two teams have had some rough spots in the first four games, but both could benefit greatly from a win tonight simply because of the need for a good boost going forward. Moore got its first win of the season last week, and has another potential win at home against Lawton Eisenhower next week. If they could snag a win tonight, it should give them some serious good vibes heading into the Ike game, and they could turn this into a three-game win streak with Yukon waiting in Week 7. Then you’re talking about playoff potential. PC North looks like it has the talent to be in the postseason mix already, but its schedule sets up a little differently. They need a win tonight to go into next week’s game at Midwest City with a good mindset. Then the Panthers have a stretch of games late in the season to pick up some more wins and stay in the playoff battle.

2. Assignment football. Moore’s flexbone look is a unique offense to prepare for, and stopping it comes down to patience, structure and tackling more than quickness or athletic ability. PC North faced Edmond North’s stout run game last week, and contained it for a while. Moore poses a different challenge, especially with quarterback Colin Webb’s versatility in the offense. The Panthers have a lot of speed in their defensive back seven, and those guys just have to make sure to stick to their jobs.

3. The Trick Truck. PC North knocked Edmond North on its heels early last week with a couple of big-strike trick plays right out of the gate. If coach Bob Wilson and his staff see the Lions unprepared for something similar, don’t be surprised to see them look for a trick to get some early momentum. My personal favorite is the Annexation of Puerto Rico.

The Pick

PC North 31, Moore 21: This will be a tight one, but I think the Panthers are a little ahead of the Lions right now. Moore coach Todd Watters definitely has the program heading in the right direction, but the Panthers have a strong senior class motivated to get back to the playoffs after missing out the last two years.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK

Tecumseh’s Thornton hired as Norman basketball coach

Matt Thornton’s basketball coaching career is taking a trip along Highway 9.

The Tecumseh boys coach was hired by Norman this week, filling the void created when Jeff McCullough left after two years to return to Texas.

Thornton has been a head coach for five seasons at Tecumseh, reaching the state semifinals in 2011.

Thornton is originally from Moore, and worked as an assistant coach at Westmoore prior to becoming a head coach.

Tecumseh might not be a place you immediately think about for producing top-notch basketball coaches, but the school has turned out some good ones in the recent past.

Jenks’ Clay Martin was a head coach there, as was Del City’s Tim Stogsdill. In addition, Plainview head man Jeremy Stewart was an assistant for the Savages, as was former Edmond Santa Fe coach Shawn Schenk. Now, Thornton adds his name to the list after a successful five-year stint in T-Town.

He takes over a young but talented team at Norman, though the Tigers did lose some valuable, athletic players from last year’s team. On top of that, Thornton is taking over very late, meaning he missed summer leagues and won’t have a lot of time to get to know his new team.

Norman North picks Paul as new AD

In addition to the hire of Thornton, Norman Public Schools officials approved the hire of former Bethel football coach Eddie Paul as Norman North’s new site athletic director.

He will replace Jack Harvey, who has retired. Paul is a long-time coach in Oklahoma and Texas, spending the last two seasons at Bethel.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Twitter: @ScottWrightOK

Friday
Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Oral Roberts
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A
At Tulsa Union
Thursday
Game 1: Shawnee vs. Claremore, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Skiatook vs. Carl Albert, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Guthrie vs. Durant, 4 p.m.
Game 4: McAlester vs. Deer Creek, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Oral Roberts
Championship game, noon

CLASS 4A
At Shawnee
Thursday
Game 1: Berryhill vs. Heritage Hall, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Anadarko vs. Tecumseh, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Hilldale vs. Byng, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Weatherford vs. Oologah, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 4 winner. 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, 5 p.m.

CLASS 3A
Thursday
At Edmond Memorial
Game 1: Marlow vs. Jones, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Henryetta vs. Metro Christian, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Salina vs. Plainview, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Verdigris vs. Spiro, 6:30 p.m.

At Shawnee
Friday
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game, noon

CLASS 2A
At Dolese Park
Thursday
Game 1: Dale vs. Fairview, 11 a.m.
Game 2: Silo vs. Hennessey, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Ketchum vs. Tushka, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Oktaha vs. Wister, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
At Shawnee
Championship game, 2:30 p.m.

at Jenks
Tulsa Kelley vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 1:30 p.m.
Tulsa Kelley vs. Deer Creek, 4 p.m.
Jenks vs. Deer Creek, 6:30 p.m.

Friday
at Broken Arrow
Broken Arrow vs. Deer Creek, 1:30 p.m.
Tulsa Memorial vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 4 p.m.
Broken Arrow vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 6:30 p.m.

at Jenks
Jenks vs. Edmond Memorial, 1:30 p.m.
Tulsa Kelley vs. Moore, 4 p.m.
Jenks vs. Moore, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday
at Broken Arrow
Tulsa Memorial vs. Deer Creek, 9 a.m.
Broken Arrow vs. Moore, 11:30 a.m.

at Jenks
Tulsa Kelley vs. Edmond Memorial, 9 p.m.
Jenks vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 11:30 p.m.

East No. 4 vs. West No. 4, 2:30 p.m.*
East No. 3 vs. West No. 3, 5 p.m.*

East No. 2 vs. West No. 1, 2:30 p.m.*
East No. 1 vs. West No. 1, 5 p.m.*
Sites for these games will be determined by finish of Broken Arrow and Jenks in pool play.

Defensive Players of the Year: Jordan Thomas, Edmond Memorial, and Cornell Neal, Midwest City

Offensive Players of the Year: Jordan Woodard, Edmond Memorial, and Rico Hogan, Norman

Coach of the Year: Shane Cowherd, Edmond Memorial

Newcomer of the Year: Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial

First Team
James Woodard, Edmond Memorial
Jordan Woodard, Edmond Memorial
A.J. Holland, Del City
T.J. Noel, Midwest City
Rico Hogan, Norman
Cornell Neal, Midwest City

Second Team
Brett Cannon, Del City
Terrell Savala, Edmond Memorial
Connor Madole, Norman
Jordan Thomas, Edmond Memorial
Tripp Fuller, Westmoore

Third Team
Dorian Gigger, Moore
Chris Hobgood, Moore
Steffon Herd, Del City
Trey Ayala, Westmoore
Jamal Mosely, Del City

Honorable Mention:
Sam Kaplan, Norman North
Jourdan Bean, Southmoore
Maurice Davenport, Moore
Kyle Lakin, Westmoore
Beau Palmer, Westmoore
George Kittle, Norman
Daniel Harper, Norman
Keith Glover, Del City
Deonte Long, Del City
Devin Bockhaus, Midwest City
Daryck Jones, Midwest City
Torey Noel, Midwest City
Kesean Brown, Midwest City
Reggie Sloan, Edmond Memorial
Aaron Young, Edmond Memorial

District 6A-1 All-District
Awards
Coach of the Year: Steve Huff, Midwest City
Most Valuable Player: James Flanders, Midwest City
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Corben Jones, Yukon
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian McDonald, Lawton Eisenhower
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Daniel Burton, Putnam North
Running Back of the Year: Dre Holman, Putnam North
Wide Receiver of the Year: Tae Douglas, Lawton Eisenhower
Defensive Player of the Year: Zeke Lewis, Midwest City
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Tyrone Beverly, Lawton Eisenhower
Linebacker of the Year: Taylor Lewis, Moore
Defensive Back of the Year: Derek Deeds, Yukon

All-District team
Choctaw: Luke Cotton, LB; Marcese Dickson, LB; Zac Reynolds, OL; Jared Nelson, OL; Jay Styers, WR.

Edmond Memorial: Matt Hickman, LB; Gavin Fouts, RB; Jon Scheihing, OL; Ry Huff, QB; Mac Wilsey, OL; Bryce Robinson, DB.

Lawton Eisenhower: Kacey Totte, LB; Kevin McClain, DB; Nick Shegog, DB; Grayden Gatlin, OL; Devante Baker, LB; Dee Simmons, DB; Dajon Reed, DL.

Midwest City: Ricky Reevs, DB; Zeke Lewis, LB; Ronnie Davis, DB; Austin Roberson, LB; James Flanders, RB; C.J. Smith, DL; Dakota Moran, OL; Chris Shannon, DL; Michael Wisby, WR; Devin Crisp, OL; Deonn McKay, LB; Antonio Martin, DB.

Moore: Brandon Eddins, LB; Grant Linstead, WR; Taylor Lewis, LB; Joe Haddox, LB; Jamal Carter, DL; Corey Reeves, QB; Dakota Gilbert, OL.

Norman North: Riley Nolan, C; Joe Toney, OL; Brad Birchfield, WR.

Putnam North: Daniel Burton, OL; Dre Holman, RB; Bray Humphreys, DL; Gaige Webster, WR; Vidale Grant, DB; Leigh Comfort, OL; J’mon Ratliff, OL.

Yukon: Corben Jones, QB; Derek Deeds, DB; Austin Bevill, WR; Tyrell Barker, DL; Lantz Parks, C; Sheldon Kearby, DL; Hunter Meyn, DB; Tyler Bush, OL; Will Paddock, OL; Zach Hazebaker, OL; Jansen Jarrett, LB.

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.

Edmond Memorial running back Daniel Smith, left, runs during his team's 13-10 win over Moore on Thursday. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Emptying my notebook from Edmond Memorial’s 13-10 win over Moore on Thursday at Wantland Stadium in Edmond.

* Edmond Memorial is now on a two-game winning streak after starting the season 0-3. The Bulldogs tried to go to a more pass-oriented offense early in the season, but they’ve returned to focusing on the run and it’s working.

* Senior running back Gavin Fouts, who rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown — and was really responsible for turning the momentum with an 86-yard run in the third quarter — said the Bulldogs are finally leaving it all on the field.

“The thing is, our boys just needed to get it in their heads to go hit somebody,” he said. “We were sitting back on our heels playing the pass game, and it really works to our advantage to take the punch to the defense. It’s working out great.”

* The win streak has Edmond Memorial gaining lots of confidence.

“I always believed in my team,” Fouts said. “I knew they had it; we just had to bring out the passion. I’m glad to see it finally come out, and hopefully we’ll continue to build on that.”

* Bulldogs coach Justin Meredith is quick to point out, though, that his team still has a long way to go. For example, Memorial was penalized 10 times for 85 yards.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that if we don’t quit making bone-headed mistakes that anybody can beat us, and we’re not gonna be very good,” Meredith said.

“We just can’t do those things. If they’re better than us, and they beat us, then so be it. But we can’t beat ourselves.”

* You have to give Moore tons of credit. The Lions just snapped a 24-game losing streak last week with a win over Choctaw, but they play as hard as any team I’ve seen this year.

And some teams might quit down 13-3 late in the fourth quarter, but not Scott Myers’ team.

You can see some of Myers’ attitude in his team — never quit, keep working, play hard. It’s that inspiring attitude Myers shows every day in his struggle with cancer.

* The Lions scored a touchdown to cut Edmond Memorial’s lead to three, and then recovered the ensuing onside kick. But a missed field goal with under two minutes left pretty much sealed the Bulldogs’ victory.

* I came away really impressed with Moore quarterback Corey Reeves. He kept several plays alive with his legs, but can also throw the ball.

Class 6A Baseball
West
At Putnam City North
Wednesday
Game 1: Putnam North vs. Norman, 1 p.m.
Game 2: Putnam City vs. Moore, 4 p.m.
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 7 p.m.
Thursday
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 7 p.m.
Friday
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 7 p.m. (if necessary)

Wednesday
At Memorial
Choctaw 16, Checotah 2
Norman North 7, Choctaw 4
Edmond Memorial 5, Southmoore 3
Edmond Santa Fe 17, Latta 2
At North
Moore 13, Norman 5
Westmoore 5, Moore 2
Edmond North 8, Westmoore 5

Thursday
At Memorial
Checotah vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Choctaw, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Norman, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 2:30
Latta vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Latta vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Friday
At Memorial
Southmoore vs. Norman North, noon
Edmond Memorial vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Checotah, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Moore, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 2:30
Norman vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Saturday
At Memorial
A5 vs. B5, noon
A3 vs. B3, 2:30
A1 vs. B1, 5 p.m.
At North
A4 vs. B4, 2:30
A2 vs. B2, 5 p.m.

Wednesday
At Memorial
Choctaw vs. Checotah, noon
Choctaw vs. Norman North, 2:30
Edmond Memorial vs. Southmoore, 5 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Latta, 7:30
At North
Norman vs. Moore, 2:30
Moore vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Westmoore vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Thursday
At Memorial
Checotah vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Choctaw, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Norman, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 2:30
Latta vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Latta vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Friday
At Memorial
Southmoore vs. Norman North, noon
Edmond Memorial vs. Norman North, 2:30
Southmoore vs. Checotah, 5 p.m.
Edmond Memorial vs. Checotah, 7:30
At North
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Moore, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 2:30
Norman vs. Westmoore, 5 p.m.
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Edmond North, 7:30

Saturday
At Memorial
A5 vs. B5, noon
A3 vs. B3, 2:30
A1 vs. B1, 5 p.m.
At North
A4 vs. B4, 2:30
A2 vs. B2, 5 p.m.

The last two years, the Mayor’s Cup between the three Edmond and three Moore high schools has been a regular event at the ballpark now known as RedHawks Field at Bricktown.

This season the schedule of games at the park expands with 17 high school and one college game scheduled for the park during April.

The 2011 Mayor’s Cup will be played Saturday with Edmond North and Moore at 11 a.m., Edmond Santa Fe and Westmoore at 2:30 and Edmond Memorial and Southmoore at 6 p.m. (Boneman’s note: I will be at The Brick for the Saturday games).

Crowder and Stuart will play at 7 p.m. Friday to start the series.

World Baseball Outreach will hold a baseball equipment drive during the Mayor’s Cup. Fans are asked to bring new or gently used baseball and softball equipment to help the organization provide equipment to at-risk youth in the state.

Other than the Mayor’s Cup, the other games in the series are free to the public.

Schedule (gates open an hour before game time):

Friday: Crowder vs. Stuart, 7 p.m.

Saturday: Edmond North vs. Moore, 11 a.m.; Edmond Santa Fe vs. Westmoore, 2:30 p.m.; Edmond Memorial vs. Southmoore, 6 p.m.

Tuesday: UCO vs. USAO, 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Amber-Pocasset vs. Cashion, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 7: Yukon vs. El Reno, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 8: Sterling vs. Elgin, 4 p.m.; Purcell vs. Sayre, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 9: Kansas vs. Westville, 5 p.m.

April 23: Stroud vs. Wellston, 2 p.m.; Cushing vs. Lone Grove, 5 p.m.

April 26: Carnegie vs. Clinton, 4 p.m.; Holdenville vs. Konawa, 7 p.m.

April 27: Carl Albert vs. Shawnee, 7 p.m.

April 28: Jenks vs. Choctaw, 7 p.m.

April 30: Midwest City vs. Muskogee, 2 p.m.; Comanche vs. Velma-Alma, 5 p.m.

Player of the Year:  Obi Emegano (Edmond Memorial)

Defensive Player of the Year:  Trez Colbert (Midwest City)

Offensive Player of the Year: Tilford Thornton (Southmoore)

Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Woodard (Edmond Memorial)

Coach of the Year: Shane Cowherd (Edmond Memorial)

1st Team
Obi Emegano  (Edmond Memorial)
Tilford Thornton  (Southmoore)
Brandon Lucas  (Southmoore)
Trez Colbert  (Midwest City)
Trael Colbert  (Midwest City)
Patrick Schaefer  (Norman North)

2nd Team
James Woodard  (Edmond Memorial)
Dorian Gigger  (Moore)
A.J. Holland  (Del City)
Jared Jobe  (Edmond Memorial)
Jordan Woodard  (Edmond Memorial)

3rd Team
Conner Madole  (Norman)
Greg Austin  (Midwest City)
Matt Southard  (Norman North)
Blake Pullium  (Westmoore)
Drew Smith  (Del City)

Honorable Mention
Brandon Southern  (Norman)
Jacques Murray  (Norman)
Jordan Thomas  (Edmond Memorial)
Gabe Bonzie  (Norman North)
T.J. Noel  (Midwest City)
Kody English  (Moore)
Beau Palmer  (Westmoore)

***

Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com

If you have All-District teams, go ahead and send ‘em.

6A – 1 All-District Selections

Coach of the Year:            Steve Huff        Midwest City
Offensive Player of the Year:        Louis Durant        Lawton Ike (RB)
Co-Defensive Player of the Year:    Connor Myers        Edmond Memorial (DT)
Co-Defensive Player of the Year:    Dan Davis        Norman North (LB)
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year:    Justin Durham        Lawton Ike (OG)
Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year:    Jesse Venzor        Midwest City (OG)
Defensive Lineman of the Year:    Brad Ross        Putnam City North (DT)

Tanner Hessman        QB                Choctaw
Corey Bennett            RB                Choctaw
Aaron Fournier        DB                Choctaw
Hunter Davis            DE                Choctaw
Brandon Drain            DE                Choctaw
Connor Myers            DT                Edmond Memorial
Jared Chambers        DE                Edmond Memorial
Kameron Doolittle        QB                Edmond Memorial
Jacob Wright            OL                Edmond Memorial
Jeff Balkenbush        DB                Edmond Memorial
Will Conant            Kicker/Punter            Edmond Memorial
Connor McElveen        DB                Edmond Memorial
Grant Bohuslavicky        LB                Edmond Memorial
Cale Olbert            RB                Edmond Memorial
Logan Ezell            OL                Lawton Ike
Nathan Locker            RB                Lawton Ike
Wayne  Tanner            OL                Lawton Ike
Adrain Woodard        WR                Lawton Ike
Dillon Pulliam            LB                Lawton Ike
Marty Northern        DL                Lawton Ike
JR. Hernandez            DL                Lawton Ike
Baccari Jackson        DB                Lawton Ike
Deshon Whartley        DB                Lawton Ike
Taylor Scott            DB                Lawton Ike
David Cowan            LB                Moore
Ryan Crain            DL                Moore
Vova Razryvin        QB                Moore
Kevin Ross            OL                Moore
Trystyn Kirby            OL                Moore
Greg Austin            QB                Midwest City
Trevon Lews            DE                Midwest City
Cameron Hishaw        DE                Midwest City
Carlos Morales        LB                Midwest City
Cortrez Colbert        WR                Midwest City
Jesse Venzor            OL                Midwest City
Landen Carson        OL                Midwest City
Cajun Cox            RB                Midwest City
Cortrael Colbert        WR                Midwest City
Ryan Wright            WR                Midwest City
Claude Donald        WR                Midwest City
Dan Davis            LB                Norman North
Raymond Demby        RB                Norman North
Caleb Cline            OL                Norman North
Daniel Moses            LB                Norman North
Derek Morton            DL                Norman North
Emilio Gatewood        DB                Norman North
Zac Pierce            LB                Norman North
Covin Conrady        WR                Putnam City North
Sam Wolfe            RB                Putnam City North
Brad Ross            DL                Putnam City North
Abe Almatasem        DE                Putnam City North
DeQuantae Colbert        DB                Putnam City North
Jace James            QB                Putnam City North
Billy Prater            DB                Putnam City North
Andy Bates            OL                Putnam City North
Eric Granado            WR                Yukon
Kaiden Horn            WR                Yukon
Kollin Retter            WR                Yukon
Jake Doyle            DE                Yukon
Terry Jones            RB                Yukon
Jordan Edwards        DB                Yukon
Ty Garza            DB                Yukon
Carson Mathews        LB                Yukon
Jake Henderson        LB                Yukon
Andrew Edwards        DE                Yukon

Lawton Ike (6-3) at Moore Lions (0-9)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Moore Schools Stadium

Lawton Ike (6-3)
Why the Eagles can win: Adrian McDonald. He will be one of the most dynamic players on the field Thursday. He has thrown for more than 700 yards and run for 900. He’s scored 14 touchdowns, but his running mate — running back Louis Durant — has 15.

Moore (0-9)
Why the Lions can win: No better time. The Lions are not only playing their best football of the season, but they don’t have another chance to win after this week. The Lions have gotten better and better the last three weeks. Moore played with a playoff team last week. Can they beat one this week?

Quote: “If you’ve shown that you can go play with them, go beat one of them.” — Moore coach Scott Myers said.

Key matchup: Lawton Ike’s running attack vs. Moore Lions defense. The Moore offense has proved it can score, but the defense will be put to the test Thursday. Lawton Ike has three runners with more than 400 yards and two with over 900.

The pick: Lawton Ike 42, Moore 13. The Lions offense got going against potentially playoff-bound Putnam City North, but the Lawton Ike defense is much better. The offense might be a little better too.

There’s a confidence brewing in Moore that is on the verge of bubbling over. After three straight weeks of 300-plus offensive yards and a 40-point burst that nearly won the Moore Lions their first game of the season, Scott Myers and company are feeling pretty good.

The Lions went down 13-0 early and came back to take a 14-13 lead. Then Putnam City North went back up by two touchdowns. Earlier in the year, Moore probably would have folded. The Lions would have given in and hung up the towel — content with the loss.

It was different Friday.

“It was more like, when are we going to score again,” Myers said. “We were fixing to score again. We were in the mentality that the points were going to keep coming.”

Moore (0-9) is finally starting to piece together an offense against teams that can compete for a Class 6A playoff spot. Putnam City North could be the No. 4 seed in Class 6A-1.

This week Moore plays Lawton Ike, the No. 3 seed in the same district. Moore seems to have an offense in hand, but it may just be a few weeks too late. Still the Lions have learned — and proved — that they can stick with a handful of teams.

“That’s where we’ve got our mindset,” Myers said.

This Speed Read will take a look at what Week 10 means to the teams still alive in the playoff hunt and what will be in store for them in the postseason — you know, the “and beyond” part.

Yukon

Week 10: The No. 2 spot is sewn up, so the Millers are just playing for the gratification of a 9-1 season, and to keep their momentum going into Week 11. Their game still has an impact on the playoff race, but we’ll get to that in the PC North section.

… and beyond: If Edmond North wins at home against US Grant Thursday  night, the Huskies will come to Yukon for the first round of the playoffs. If North loses, it could be Westmoore, Del City or Putnam City visiting Miller Pride Stadium.

PC North

Week 10: Most importantly, the Panthers have to beat Choctaw. If they don’t nothing else matters. But if they do that, it’s time for some scoreboard watching. PC North needs Yukon to beat Edmond Memorial and Midwest City to beat Norman North. The last possible scenario to get the Panthers in requires them to win, Memorial to lose and a Norman North victory in which it gains fewer than seven district points on PC North.

… and beyond: A trip to Lawton would be waiting for the Panthers if they get in. They lost a heartbreaker there in Week 9 last season, and went down there for a scrimmage in August, just for the experience of traveling, because coach Bob Wilson knew there might be a road trip in their playoff future.

Mustang

Week 10: Like Yukon, the Broncos have a No. 2 seed and home playoff berth wrapped up with no chance of improving their situation. So Friday’s game against Del City won’t mean much. Just get through it healthy and move on.

… and beyond: Week 11 was a disaster for the Broncos last year, and being on the home field will be more comfortable this time around. Lawton Eisenhower, which came to Mustang for the Pigskin Preview in August, will be the opponent..

Putnam City

Week 10: The Pirates will know the night before their Week 10 game at Edmond Santa Fe whether they have anything more than pride on the line. US Grant must defeat Edmond North on Thursday night for PC to have a shot at the playoffs. Even if that happens, PC will need a win over Santa Fe and a Del City loss at Mustang with PC  also picking up 17 or more district points on Edmond North and 11 or more district points on Del City.

… and beyond: If all that happens and the Pirates get in as the No. 4 seed, a trip to Midwest City would be in line.

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Few performances would have outranked the return of Southmoore quarterback Kendal Thompson. But Westmoore cross country runner Noemi Hernandez did.

In 11:26, Noemi Hernandez not only set a new career-low in the last race of her career but also won the Class 6A girls’ state cross country championship. She is the first Jaguar to do so since Summer Suchy won in 1998.

Hernandez defeated Mustang’s Emily Helms for the first time all year and has now made the All-State team in back-to-back years.

Hernandez spent two years behind Katelin Cherry and Taylor Painter. Despite accomplishing something neither of them did, Hernandez still feels that they will always be superior.

“I think, in my mind, they are always going to be better than me,” she said. “It feels pretty awesome. I feel like I gave everything to my school and I represented really well.”

Others in consideration:

Kendal Thompson, Southmoore football: After missing six straight weeks, Thompson returned triumphantly. He threw a touchdown on his first play and scored twice in only three drives. Southmoore scored every drive he was in the game.

The Lions’ offense, Moore football: The Lions put up more points than they had in the previous four weeks combined despite falling 42-40 to Putnam North last Friday. After 8 losses, kudos goes to an offense that still pushed hard until the very end.

FIRST TEAM MID-STATE CONFERENCE
Del City = Kayla Rogers, Rachel French
Edmond Memorial = Lindsay Littles, Alexis Bracaglia, Sommer Peterson
Midwest City = Brooke Hand, Brittany Hand, Shianne Hughes
Moore = Brianna Nunley, Hannah Coker, Raegan Sampson, Caiti Hall
Norman = Caitlyn Cosme, Summer Leitka
Norman North = Andrea Smith, Shelby Tiller
Southmoore = Haley Strawn, Chelsi Hill
Westmoore = Kendra Pierce, Taylor Green, Melaney Anderson

HONORABLE MENTION
Edmond Memorial = Rachel Baker, Charli Kroeker
Midwest City = Tiana Jordan, Carly Suellentrop, Ashlee Gesell
Moore = Hannah Lynch, Tianna Gutierrez, Qiana Harrison, Stephanie Couser
Norman = Catherine Lesser, Sami Alberts
Norman North = Jacy Glover, Michaela Smith, Tanner Moody
Southmoore = Hartley Tyler, Jackie Hilterbran, Katelyn Brown
Westmoore = Destinie Lookout

Putnam North (2-6, 1-4) at Moore Lions (0-8, 0-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Why the Panthers can win: This is a team hungry for a victory. The run game looked much better last week and the passing game has been at its best this month. Defensively, there have been some struggles, but overall, they’re solid.

Why the Lions can win: The Rushin’ Russian. The last two weeks, Vova Razryvin has taken his game to another level. In the air and on the ground, Razryvin has gone from the Lions’ primary offensive weapon to one of the best options in the Class 6A-1 district. There may be nothing Razryvin can’t do this week, but more than anything, he has to make sure he doesn’t hurt his team.

Quote: “We’re an 0-8 football team but we’ve competed in pretty much every game this year. We’ve got to get over that hump.” — Moore coach Scott Myers said.

Scott’s key matchup: Dre Holman vs. Moore front seven. Holman finally busted out last week, gong for 189 yards in the loss to Lawton Ike. Last season, he got stronger with each game he played, and it looks like this might be the same story. If he moves the ball on the ground, the passing attack of Jace James, Covin Conrady and the rest becomes far more effective.

Justin’s key matchup: Razryvin vs. the Putnam North defense. The Panthers’ defense has been a little questionable the last four weeks. During that stretch, Putnam North has lost four straight games and given up just shy of 100 points. Meanwhile, Razryvin is playing the best football of his career.

Scott’s pick: PC North 27, Moore 17. I know it doesn’t feel like it for the Panthers, but playoff dream is still alive. This team is frustrated with how the season has gone, because they’re more talented than a 2-6 team. So I’d look for them to put things together this week.

Justin’s pick: Moore 17, Putnam North 10. If Moore is going to win a game this season, this is probably its last chance. The Lions will lean heavily on Razryvin. If he holds up, the Lions could win.

Moore Lions (0-7) at Yukon (6-1)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Miller Pride Stadium, Yukon

Why the Lions can win: Similarity. When Moore coach Scott Myers throws on the film of Yukon, he sees a team very similar to his own. He sees a team with the same philosophy and a team that even runs some of the same plays. The Lions will need every advantage they can get Thursday to go along with an offense that appeared to click last week.

Quote: “I don’t see the superstars that a lot of other teams have. I see 11 really good football players on both sides of the ball that play with a lot of confidence in what they do and what they are trying to get done. They are having a lot of success with it.” — Moore coach Scott Myers on Yukon

Why the Millers can win: Other than a wild final few minutes, the Miller defense has been strong since the Midwest City loss. The run-pass threat has been there every week and that makes the offense hard to stop. And this is a team with big goals. They know they’ve got to win games they’re supposed to win to set themselves up for a home playoff game.

Key matchup: Yukon run game vs. Moore defensive front. With the Millers’ powerful offensive line opening holes, the Millers have had ground success against most everyone they’ve played. Even without top RB Terry Jones last week because of an ankle injury, Derek Deeds filled in and carried the load. QB Corben Jones has been ultra-efficient in the passing game, and the Lions will have to take away one facet of the offense and force Yukon to be one-dimensional.

Justin’s pick: Yukon 42, Moore 7. Moore’s offense clicked against a Norman North team that is a level below Yukon. Against the Millers, Moore will likely fall back in to familiar ground.

Scott’s pick: Yukon 35, Moore 6. As long as the Millers can stay focused, they should be able to control the game. With a few players banged up, staying healthy and getting their 15 district points will be the big keys.

Three weeks into its new offense, Moore finally made strides with the football. It did so by moving back to its old offensive setup. Not by choice, but because quarterback Corey Reeves injured his ankle and Vova Razryvin was forced to step back in.

Razryvin led the Lions with 250 yards of total offense and three touchdowns passes.

“We were the best we’ve been,” coach Scott Myers said. “That’s what every coach out there is looking for: To get better. We made huge strides.”

The Lions (0-7) were doing exactly the same thing as they have been the entire season, but now Moore is gaining confidence.

“It was the same exact plays that we called the previous 6 weeks, they just happened to get into a grove and click a little bit there,” Myers said.

Moore scored more points than it had in any of the first 6 weeks of the season and nearly outscored its entire output from the four previous weeks.

Razryvin was Moore’s quarterback through the first half of the season, but was moved out of the backfield to give the Lions offense a more dynamic attack. Myers wanted to get Razryvin more involved with the running game — mostly outside on option runs. It was when he moved back to quarterback that he seemed to find the most room.

“We had some things in that we knew we wanted to get Vova more involved,” Myers said. We knew he needed more touches somehow.”

This week’s Moore player of the week choice was a tough one. On one hand, there was an athlete accomplishing something she’d never done before. On the other hand, there was an athlete who chose to do something I’d never seen before.

It was tough, but in the end I had to go with Noemi Hernandez of Westmoore.

Hernandez won the individual Mid-State Conference championship while leading the Jaguars to a team title by one point. Westmoore edged Edmond Memorial 47 to 48. It was Westmoore’s fourth-straight conference championship.

Hernandez finished with a time of 11:37, a career-best.

Others in consideration…

Vova Razryvin, Moore football: Razryvin jumped back behind center when starting quarterback Corey Reeves went down with an injury and threw for three touchdowns and 181 yards. He also ran for 82, but Moore still lost to Norman North.

More importantly, when Norman North’s D.J. Hicks was injured and being driven off in an ambulance, it was Razryvin that quickly organized a game-wide prayer at midfield.

“I go church every Sunday and every Wednesday I get a chance to,” Razryvin said. “I saw that hit and it didn’t look good. I just thought, ‘Hey, we can’t do anything but God can.’ And just prayed for him.”

Andrew Long, Southmoore football: In a 56-28 loss to Broken Arrow, Long rushed for three touchdowns and 154 yards against a tough Tigers’ defense. He also caught three passes for 15 yards. Long has been key for the SaberCats as quarterback Kendal Thompson continues to miss games.

Caleb McKee, Westmoore cross country: McKee finished in fourth at the Mid-State Conference meet and led the Jaguars for a third place finish. He ran in a time of 17:05.

Moore softball: Raegan Sampson’s game-winning hit Thursday looked like a sign of good things to come. However, the Lions were bounced by Jenks and finished another great season.

Norman North (2-4, 1-2) at Moore Lions (0-6, 0-3)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Moore Stadium

Norman North (2-4)
Why the Timberwolves can win: There are signs that this team is heading in the right direction. Last week’s win over Putnam City North is obviously part of that, but the T-Wolves were up in the second half on Yukon the week before and the run game has begun to be more productive. 

Moore (0-6)
Why the Lions can win: Matchups. The Lions are strong upfront defensively and could slow down the Norman North running game. Offensively, it’s been three weeks since the new offense was installed. If the attack ever comes around, it should be soon.

Quote: “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions don’t turn it on fire and start scoring some points and we end up winning some games.” — Moore coach Scott Myers

Justin’s key matchup: Moore’s offensive against Norman North defense. The Lions’ offense has to get started sooner or later. If not this week, then it may never happen. Moore’s defense can slow down the Huskies’ offense, but will the Lions’ offense be able to keep up.

Scott’s key matchup: Norman North RBs vs. Moore defensive front. Emilio Gatewood has found a way to make some big plays, providing a home run threat alongisde the pounding Raymond Demby has done. But if Moore can stuff the run, it could be a struggle for the T-Wolves.

Justin’s pick: Moore 20, Norman North 13. If the Moore Lions are going to win a game this might be their last chance. Moore sets up good in this one, but only if its offense comes around. I think it’s likely.

Scott’s pick: Norman North 27, Moore 21. Momentum is big and Norman North is feeling more confident right now than it has all season.

There’ll be a level of familiarity on the field Thursday night when Moore faces Norman North. In fact, there could be a few heads turned by how much similarity there is.

Most of that comes from Moore assistant Greg Linstead. For three years, Linstead was the inside linebacker coach for Norman North. Now, he is on the Lions’ staff and brought some of the Norman North playbook along with him.

Moore coach Scott Myers said that both the process and the alignment of the two defenses are very similar and he wouldn’t be surprised if some of the audibles are the same. It comes down to a common ground between all the coaches though, not just one assistant switching sides.

“Their staff and our staff are good friends,” Myers said. “We have 7-on-7 in the summer together. We exchange a lot of ideas.”

One idea in particular where the two staffs differ is offensively. Norman North runs a power running game out of the I-formation, while Moore runs more of a spread. Then again, maybe they don’t differ on the idea, just the types of players on the roster.

“If I had (Norman North’s running backs) I’d be in an I (formation) and doing the same thing they are doing,” Myers said.

Westmoore’s defense showed on Friday that it is big-time. The Jaguars held Del City to only 6 points, but forced six-straight turnovers to end the game. One of the key forces on that defense is Tyler Newton, who is the Moore Player of the Week.

Newton finished the game with 9 tackles and two recovered fumbles. The second of the two fumbles was also the first touchdown of his career. He also gets the award for being one of the leaders on the defense.

To go along with Newton, Ricky Balogun, Bo Hurst, Cody Cates and Bryan Norris all had double-digit tackles.

Others in consideration:

Andrew Long, Southmoore football: Long rushed for 140 yards and scored three touchdowns in a loss to Norman. What makes this performance standout is that the junior almost led his team to a come-from-behind win. Two of his three touchdowns came in the fourth quarter. He also had one catch for 41 yards.

Zach VanDyke, Westmoore football: VanDyke factored into Westmoore’s victory in two ways. He returned a punt for a touchdown in the first half and intercepted a Del City pass in the second half as the Jaguars took control off the game. He also had 6 tackles out of the secondary.

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore cross country: Hernandez set a new season-low as she finished fourth at the Edmond Pre-State meet. Hernandez ran in a time of 11:54.27 as Westmoore edge Jenks to win the event by less than two seconds.

Caleb McKee, Westmoore cross country: McKee finished seventh overall at the Edmond Pre-State 5k and posted a 16:43.33. It bettered his previous season-best by nearly 10 seconds.

Moore softball: What a shock (not really). Stephanie Riley’s girls are headed back to the state tournament, and it’s a wide open field

Moore Lions (0-5) at Midwest City (5-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Jim Darnell Stadium, MWC

Moore (0-5)
Why the Lions can win: The Lions continue to get better and their banner defense has been able to keep them in ball games up until the fourth quarter. Last week against Edmond Memorial, the Lions were in a one-score game until the final 7 minutes.

Quote: “They’ll be as fast a football team as we’ve played. That’s the name of the game right now.” — Moore coach Scott Myers.

Midwest City (5-0) (W – Del City, W – Enid, W – Santa Fe, W – Yukon, W – Putnam North)
Why the Bombers can win: Because every week it feels like we learn more and more about the toughness of this group of Bombers. Nothing makes them flinch. And each week QB Greg Austin is getting better and better.

Justin’s key matchup: Moore’s offense vs. Midwest City’s defense. The Lions have to get going on offense at some point if they are going to win this season. The move of Vova Razyrvin from quarterback to wide receiver will give them help on the outside, but will it be enough?

Boneman’s key matchup: MWC start. For once, will the Bombers get rolling early? They’ve made it ‘interesting’ for their fans this season. This should be the game where MWC is clicking from the word go.

Justin’s pick: Midwest City 45, Moore 7. The Moore defense might keep the Lions in the game in the first half, but Midwest City’s offense will be just too much and the Lions’ offense will be too little.

Boneman’s pick: Midwest City 50, Moore 7. No late-game drama in this one as Bombers roll against outmatched but gritty Moore club.

As his quarterback continues to miss games, Southmoore running back Andrew Long does nothing but carry his team more and more. In a 51-27 victory against Sapulpa last Friday, Long rushed for 215 yards on 32 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 12 yards as he earned the Moore Player of the Week honor.

Long also eclipsed the 1,000-yard and 10-touchdown mark for the season and is averaging 11.3 yards per carry.

Others in consideration:

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore cross country: Hernandez led the Westmoore Jaguars to a second-place finish in Mustang last Thursday. With a time of 11:56.50, Hernandez finished in second place. It was also Hernandez’ best time of the season.

Hernandez has finish in the top-6 in all fives races this year and has finished in second place on three separate occasions.

Bryan Norris, Westmoore football: As the Jaguars earned their second-straight shutout, Norris hauled down 11 ball carriers. The senior linebacker led the team in total tackles as well as solo tackles — he had six.

Edmond Memorial (3-1) at Moore Lions (0-4)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Edmond Memorial (3-1) (W – Santa Fe 14-0, W – Stillwater 38-16, W – Ed North 17-6, L – PCNorth 17-7)
Why the Bulldogs can win: Because teams can tend to relax after losing their first game and begin to simply concentrate on the task at hand again. The defense is still one of the best in the state. And if it’s Kameron Doolittle or Ry Huff, should be able to put some points on the board.

Quote:

We were outplayed and outcoached last week. We definitely want to get back out there and play Memorial football.” – coach Justin Merideth

Moore (0-4)
Why the Lions can win: After three straight road games — and three straight road losses — there’s plenty to change in Moore. Coach Scott Myers has said that the Lions are likely to simplify the offense. If the offense can match the defense, which has been constantly improving, the Lions could surprise somebody. And the Bulldogs could be the first.

Boneman’s key matchup: Memorial defense vs. Moore offense. If the offense is struggling, sometimes the other side of the ball might put a little too much pressure to perform. The defense just has to stick to its plan.

Justin’s key matchup: Edmond Memorial ground game vs. Moore defense. The Bulldogs love to keep the ball on the ground — nearly two-thirds of their offense is from the run — and the Lions’ defense will have to yet again support its offense. The question is: Will the Lions be able to hold Edmond Memorial down long enough for the offense to do something?

Boneman’s pick: Memorial 28, Moore 7. Good bounce back performance by the Bulldogs as defense leads to offense.

Justin’s pick: Edmond Memorial 21, Moore 7. The Lions don’t have the offense they need yet, but even if they did, I don’t know if Edmond Memorial would let them have the ball.

Boneman’s Memorial prediction record: 3-1.

Four weeks into the season Moore coach Scott Myers sensed his offense needed a change. The Lions had struggled with the football. After a loss to Choctaw last week, Moore might get simpler offensively.

“It’s just something we’ll continue to work at,” Myers said. “A little bit of it is limiting some of the things that we do. Instead of trying to be decent at a lot of things, try to get really good at a few less things.”

Moore (0-4) is averaging less than 10 points per game and hasn’t been able to get consistent production from its offense all season. The Lions will host Edmond Memorial on Friday.

“I think we’ve continued to play well,” Myers said. “We’re just not finishing and getting everything synced up all the way through.”

***

Moore has one issue to correct with its defense that has been improving since Week 1. The Lions got dominated on the ground against Choctaw, but only statistically. Coach Scott Myers said most of the yards came off big plays, which were the result of being a little over anxious.

“I think a lot of it was we played well; we just gave up some big plays,” Myers said. “The majority of it was over pursuit.”

Luckily of Myers, that’s something that easily fixable.

“You can’t correct getting there faster, but I can correct slowing them down.”

Despite getting off to a losing start in the district, Moore coach Scott Myers isn’t quite worried.

Why?

Because there were plenty of other teams that lost unexpectedly, leaving Moore with a chance to stay in the mix.

“Obviously, it’s wide open,” Myers said. “ … We’ve got to find a way to pick up a couple of those that people don’t expect us to.”

Midwest City and Lawton Eisenhower both pick up district-opening victories, but Yukon and Edmond Memorial both lost to open the district. Both losses were the first of the season as well.

Moore gets another chance to earn its first win of the season Friday against Edmond Memorial before traveling to Midwest City.

“I think they’ll crank back up,” Myers said. “I don’t think it was a deal that we weren’t crank or didn’t play hard. We just got beat by a good football team.”

Moore Lions (0-3) at Choctaw Yellowjackets (1-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Choctaw

Moore (0-3)
Why the Lions can win: Moore has improved every game despite seemingly losing by worse and worse. The defense has taken its game to another level and coach Scott Myers feels like the team is playing better than it has in more than a year. There’s no substitute for strong momentum and a belief in victory. Right now, Moore has that and this might be its best chance to win a game this season.

Choctaw (1-2)
Why the Yellowjackets can win: The Yellowjackets can score, but defense has been the problem. Choctaw put up 22 points on a still undefeated Putnam City team in Week 3 and opened its season with a 42-point output against Putnam City West. Will the Yellowjackets’ offense be able to bounce back after back-to-back losses in time for the start of the district schedule?

Key matchup: Moore’s offense vs. the Choctaw defense. Moore has struggled offensively and hasn’t kept up with its improving defense. The Lions have scored only 30 points in their first three games. If they can score Friday, it’s likely the Moore defense will be able to hold Choctaw low. But can Moore score enough?

The pick: Choctaw 20, Moore 14. Moore will tie its season-high in points, but the defense won’t be able to slow down a Yellowjackets’ offense that is averaging 25 points per game.

After scoring only 30 total points in three losses to start the season, it would be strange to think that Scott Myers is invigorated and happy. But with the Moore War behind him and the start of the district schedule coming Friday in Choctaw, Myers is. And there’s reason to be.

“Starting the district, that’s the refreshing time for us,” Myers said. “Everybody is back even again and that’s the big thing that every school in the state is talking about.”

Moore is playing better now than it has in nearly three years. Myers said the Lions have learned a lot from the Moore War and the game against Norman. The Lions were in their first two games until the very end and learned they could compete with Southmoore — ranked sixth.

“We could play with them, but we’ve got to have that tenacity of staying with a good football team for 48 minutes or the outcome ends up being similar to what we saw. For about the first 24 minutes, we matched up with them,” Myers said. “… We’ve gone a little bit further from where we were, but definitely not where we need to be to be a playoff-caliber football team. That’s where we want to be.”

This week the Lions will get left tackle Van Gray back to full health. Gray struggled through a short week of practice leading up to Moore’s lost to Southmoore because of an injury, but will have a full week to prepare for the Lions’ first district game.

Moore Lions (0-2) at Southmoore SaberCats (2-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Moore (0-2)
Why the Lions can win: It’s obvious that the Lions are a completely different football team this season. Still loaded with juniors, the Lions will get better every week as that group gains experience. The defense has been the most impressive — only giving up five touchdowns in two games.

Southmoore SaberCats (2-0)
Why the SaberCats can win: There are plenty of options around sophomore quarterback Tre Edwards. Andrew Long can take it to the house on any play, but the real surprise is tight end Jackson Stallings. Stallings has become a major threat for the SaberCats’ offense.

Key matchup: Tre Edwards vs. Moore defense. The Lions’ defense has improved every week and Moore will lean on the unit against a sophomore quarterback. Meanwhile, Edwards will take his place behind center for his first high school start.

The pick: Southmoore 31, Moore 7. Southmoore’s offense will take a hit without Kendal Thompson behind center, but an improving defense will slow down the Lions. At the end of the day, Southmoore will have a little too much for Moore.

Moore jumped out to a 7-0 lead Friday. Then they lost it just before halftime and fell behind in the second half. But late in the game, the Lions had another chance to win the game. After intercepting a screen pass, they came up just inches short on a fourth-and-one try in Norman territory.

It was strange to talk to Moore coach Scott Myers this week. Even though his team is coming off back-to-back narrow defeats, he’s surprisingly upbeat.

“The kids continued to get better,” Myers said. “We just have to find a way to go score. Anytime you give up 13 points, you should win a ball game.”

There’s plenty of reason to be upbeat in Moore. Despite being 0-2, the Lions are already miles ahead of where they were last season. They held a lead against Norman — something that hasn’t been done in a while at Moore — and the Lions continue to improve. It’s safe to say that losing this way isn’t hurting the Lions.

“They can see the difference in where they were at last year — not being competitive,” Myers said. “We were only in two or three ball games total as far as being competitive. Right now, we feel like there’s two ball games out there that, a couple of different things happen, and we win the ball game. Their confidence is coming and believing in what they do. They are confident in their abilities.”

Losing the way they have is actually giving the Lions confidence, and considering their recent history, it should.

Last week was the best week of practice Moore had all season. It came after a narrow loss. After another narrow loss last Friday, I find it likely Moore might have another great week of practice as it prepares for Southmoore on Friday.

“Our intensity and preparation all four days last week was really good,” Myers said. “That’s what we’ll try to build on and try to prepare like that when you have scenarios where you have chances to win.”

His numbers may not be up to Player of the Weeks standards, but the feat Southmoore’s Tre Edwards pulled off earns him the spot. The sophomore quarterback filled in for Oklahoma-commit and senior quarterback Kendal Thompson midway through the third quarter and went on a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter to give the SaberCats a permanent lead.

Thompson led the SaberCats back against Westmoore and finished the game with 91 rushing yards and 108 passing yards. He ran for two touchdowns and three for a third in the 49-27 victory.

Others in consideration:

Tyler Thompson, Westmoore, Football: Thompson performed at a top level against one of the Jaguars’ toughest opponents of the season. In the Southwest Showdown, Thompson threw for 125 yards and rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown. He threw for two touchdowns.

Noemi Hernandez, Westmoore, Cross Country: Finished second at the OK Runner Classic in Norman with a time of 12:43. She led the Jaguars to a second consecutive first-place finish.

Brianna Nunley, Moore, Softball: The Lions are roaring again under Stephanie Riley. Nunley is leading the charge in the circle.

Moore Lions (0-1) at Norman Tigers (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Norman

Moore (0-1)
Why the Lions can win: The Lions showed last Friday that they could never be counted out of a game. There’s plenty of momentum to run with after nearly coming back against Westmoore. Quarterback Vova Razryvin took his game to another level in the final eight minutes of that game. If Razryvin can find that level again, there’s Moore than a chance for the Lions.

Quote: “I think we are a better football team at this point right now than we ever were last year. That’s going to continue to get better.” – Coach Scott Myers

Norman (1-0)
Why the Tigers can win: Because Greg Nation’s team showed it will be a force to contend with last week. It’s not just playmakers Donovan Roberts and Jaime Myers, either. The defense was a big reason for last week’s ‘upset’ victory.

Key matchup: Norman running game vs. Moore defensive front. Moore was cut up on the ground last week and gave up more than 300 yards. Norman ran over Norman North on the way to an upset. That doesn’t bode well for Lions, but looks good for Norman. If the front seven don’t sure up it could be a long day.

The pick: Norman 24, Moore 7. Norman will be too strong on the ground for the Lions. Don’t be surprised to see nearly 400 yards on the ground for the Tigers.

Moore: Momentum makes Lions better

Senior linebacker David Cowan made it very clear. The Lions’ second half last Friday gives them great momentum and makes them better. “Easily 10 times better than we were last year.”

Lions’ practice on Tuesday verified that statement. There was an extra jump in everybody’s step and there was a triumphant aura floating around.

“I think we’ve got what it takes to make a good team, we just have to get some little things down and fix some things,” Cowan said.

A team that is low on senior numbers sometimes needs that. A team that is low on confidence after a winless season sometimes needs that. Moore seems to have it as they prepare to travel to Norman on Friday.

“They’re all young and they are running around and started making catches and making plays in the second half,” Moore coach Scott Myers said. “That’s one positive that we’ve got to build on. We feel like the second half; we were a different football team. Our sense of urgency was different and that comes from confidence. We’ve got to take that confidence and get better.”

Moore: Facing a familiar physicality

Friday night brought Moore coach Scott Myers back half a decade. Then he was an assistant coach at Moore and Westmoore went by the “run it down you throat” mentality.

After facing that mentality again to open the season, Myers and the Lions will benefit from the change in Week 2 against Norman.

Norman runs with the same belief that Westmoore does. Moore will be even more likely to pay attention to Norman because of how Westmoore caught them off guard.

“We really didn’t build that into our kids as much as getting lined up and playing the game,” Myers said. “This week, now we know that’s the gameplan they’ve got and what they like to do.”

Moore’s weaknesses were exposed in the first half against Westmoore and moving forward, it’s probably a good thing. They can fix those issues now. There’s plenty of options to fix and the Lions know that. It’s all in the prep work: Tackling drills during the week and being more aggressive on defense.

“Go at them instead of letting them attack us,” linebacker Joey Karp said. “That’s what we let Westmoore do for most of the game.”

There’s a good chance they’ll be ready because they’ve already seen how big a hole can be if they don’t.

Joe Haddox returns from scary hit

After taking a big hit against Westmoore on Friday, junior receiver Joe Haddox remained on the field for a few minutes before walking off. After the game, coach Scott Myers wasn’t sure of his status, but by Tuesday’s practice Haddox had returned at full health.

With a weekend full of big runners, there was one that stood out the most. Westmoore Noemi Hernandez finished second at the 3.2-kilometer race at Edmond Santa Fe with a 12:24.00 and led the Jaguars to a first-place finish. Westmoore beat Edmond North by 21 points in the first recorded meet of the season.

Behind Hernandez, Westmoore picked up 5 of the top-15 spots against an extremely tough field. The race featured Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe and Edmond Memorial. Hernandez is the Moore Player of the Week.

Westmoore runs again on Friday in the OK Runner Classic in Norman.

Others in consideration:

Cody Feuerborn, Westmoore, Football: Feuerborn carried the Jaguars to a 21-14 victory in the Moore War and scored all three touchdowns.

Andrew Long, Southmoore, Football: With the SaberCats trailing by 13 through the first quarter, Long turned 28 first-quarter yards in a game total of 324 and three touchdowns. Behind touchdown runs of 75 and 80 yards, Long brought Southmoore back for a 40-19 victory.

Caleb McKee, Westmoore, Cross Country: As Westmoore finished in second place as a team, McKee’s 16:54.00 was good enough for a individual fifth-place finish.

Raegan Sampson, Moore, Softball: The Lions remain one of the top teams in the state and Sampson is a big reason why. She’s hitting .486 with 15 RBIs.

Moore impressive in Week 1

There’s plenty to be impressed by on a football field. Big plays, big hits and high-scoring games usually top the list. But on Friday night at the Moore War, I was most impressed by how the Lions responded when scored on.

From the looks of things, the Lions were run up and down the field through the first three quarters. It kept getting worse. Westmoore running back Cody Feuerborn’s three-yard runs in the first half were turning in to 8- and 9-yard runs in the third quarter.

To make matters worse, on Moore’s first trip into the red zone since the first quarter they turned the ball over on downs. The Jaguars came back and scored again and took a 21-0 lead.

Then something happened that I didn’t expect: Moore scored. Then they stopped Feuerborn on the one-yard line. Then Moore scored again.

“That’s how big it is,” Moore coach Scott Myers said after the game. “Just playing for character or playing for pride to keep them out. Giving yourself a chance to win a game. … I was pleased with the effort.”

Coach, if you were pleased, I was shocked because Moore recovered the onside kick and had a shot at the end zone in the final seconds. Dominated for 40 minutes of a 48-minute game, and the Lions had the resolve to come back.

Chalk it up to a missing killer instinct from Westmoore, but I’m giving it to Moore. The Lions were efficient with the ball and proved, at least to me, that they’ll have more chances to pick up a win this season. If they can learn from Friday night’s experience, I wouldn’t bet against them winning at least one game this year.

Lions…you have my respect.

Welcome to the Saturday Morning Quarterback….Today’s edition: The Moore War.

Westmoore 21, Moore 14

This one had everything you could have possibly wanted in a season opener. There were plenty of big hits, big plays, great defense and even a Hail Mary in the final seconds that fell just a few yards short.

It also had everything you didn’t want in a season opener.

Seventeen combined penalties between the teams and 10 fumbles and amazingly none were lost. There were also a handful of key dropped passes and missed blocks. But hey, it’s the season opener, nobody was as sharp as they needed to be. Not even me.

Westmoore breakdown: The switch to a power running game sure works for Westmoore. The best part is they have a dynamic back to head the monster. Cody Feuerborn could be an elite level back in Class 6A by the time the season is done.

He finished with 40 carries, 274 yards and three touchdowns on Friday night. He didn’t display a great top-end speed, but a nice mix of power and lateral quickness let him accounted for 67 percent of Westmoore’s attack.

The Jaguars’ defense was stellar too. They didn’t allow a point until the fourth quarter, but didn’t allow the Lions into the red zone until halfway through the fourth.

Up next: The Moore War continues as Westmoore faces Southmoore in a game that was already being hyped in coach Billy Langford’s post-game speech.

Moore breakdown: There were plenty of positives for Moore despite a heart-breaking loss. The defense looked strong, even though they gave up an average of 6.2 yards per carry. The Lions set the tone early from a physical standpoint when linebacker Taylor Lewis snuck off the edge and laid a punishing hit on Westmoore quarterback Lionard Fombe.

The big hits continued and Moore seemed to wear down. Then came something more impressive than a 99-yard drive. It included a 99-yard drive, but that wasn’t it.

After being stopped in the red zone, Westmoore plowed back down the field and got to the one-yard line. Moore stopped them from taking a three-score lead and then proceeded to drive 99 yards to pull within a touchdown. The Lions recovered the onside kick and actually had a shot to tie it after being dominated for most of the game.

Coach Scott Myers was happy with his team’s resolve. I was down right impressed.

No one showed the turnaround better than quarterback Vova Razryvin. He started 6-for-18 for 94 yards, but then went 8 of 14 for 130 as Moore charged back.

Up next: Moore faces Norman next week looking to correct a few more issues and recover from a rivalry loss.

The 2010 version of the Moore War will come with an extra dose of power football. Moore already likes to keep the ball on the ground, but this season Westmoore should use force of will too. The first game of the season is a heated rivalry between two teams that like to pound the ball. I hope everyone comes out healthy.

Westmoore Jaguars (0-0) at Moore Lions (0-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Moore Stadium

Westmoore (0-0)
Why the Jaguars can win: The Jaguars will have a powerful running game this season and could very well impose their offense on the Lions. Despite running a spread-style offense, Westmoore has the ability to run right at teams and come out ahead.

Moore (0-0)
Why the Lions can win: When the game kicks off Friday night Moore might have the most electric offensive player on the field. Quarterback Vova Razryvin’s heart alone will give Moore a chance and that’s exactly what could tip this one in the Lions’ favor.

Key matchup: Vova Razryvin vs. Cody Cates. It’s not so much on either of these players to beat the other one, but instead how each leads his unit. Cates is the best playmaker on the Westmoore defense and Razryvin is a hard-nosed quarterback. These to will meet more than once on Friday and one of those times could be with the game on the line.

The pick: Westmoore 21, Moore 7. At the end of the day, Westmoore will just be too physical up front for the Lions.

Moore

Offensive outlook: Quarterback Vova Razryvin is an athlete under center. He was forced to be last year but still racked up more 1,200 yards of total offense. He needs help. Running back/wide receiver/quarterback Brandon Eddins brings athleticism to the Lions, but football is not a two-player game. Moore will have to find for help for Razryvin to break through on the win column this season.

Determining the defense: The man in the middle, senior David Cowan, registered 91 tackles last season and will probably need more for takedowns for a defense that needs a few extra playmakers after losing Chris Clark and Dalton Hillard. Van Gray, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, will provide some beef up front and could emerge as a playmaker, but there are question marks on the rest of the line.

Key game: If Moore is going to get out of the winless category, there may be no better time than early. The Lions get Westmoore in Week 1 and then Choctaw in Week 4. After that, the hope goes away thanks to the tough 6A-1 schedule the Lions have to run through. Moore goes on the road to Choctaw and I’m sure the Lions would rather have their best chance at a victory at home.

Bold prediction: Moore will erase their winless 2009 season. The Lions travel to Choctaw on Sept. 24 and experience their first victory of the season.

Moore boys run the road

The Moore Lions ran their first race of season this past weekend in the Moore War Run. In the 5-kilometer road race, coach Chad Mashburn had four runners finish in less than 20 minutes. Mashburn was extremely pleased with the times this early in the season from a team that made the Class 6A state meet last year.

“It’s hard to say right now how far we are going to be able to go,” Mashburn said. We’ve got 7 guys who are capable of running really well.

“… I know our top-4 guys are going to be top of the class. They can finish in the top-25 in my opinion. They’ve got to go out and run. A lot of things can happen between here and the state meet.”

The Lions will be running in the Brookhaven Run in Norman this weekend, another road race.

Moore girls playing the numbers game

Moore coach Lori Morgan has more runners out for the girls’ cross country team than ever before. She’s hoping that it turns into a Class 6A state meet berth by the end of the season.

“Our goals are sometimes a little bit simpler,” Morgan said. “I think we really have a chance to qualify as a team at state.”

Last year, Moore only had individuals qualify.

Sophomore Haley Gee is one of the leaders on the team, which will compete Friday at Edmond Santa Fe. Moore finished third in its first meet last Saturday at Guthrie.

Regular Norman and Moore blogger Justin Harper is having to leave for personal reasons and temporarily won’t be able to clue you in with what’s going on for the Tigers, Timberwolves, Lions, Jaguars and SaberCats. We wish Justin the best during this tough time.

Starting this week, we have a couple of new bloggers to try to fill the void. For all your Moore information, Justin Hite is going to be your guy. For news from Norman, OU student James Corley will be the man in charge. Here they are in their own words.

Justin Hite, Moore blogger:

The first game I ever covered was between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers in 1994. I mean, I was only 8 years old and it was actually a video game I had just played on SEGA Genesis, but it was a start.

I grew up in northern Virginia and I graduated from Elon University in North Carolina. After covering the NBA, NFL, PGA Tour as well as high school and college sports, I came to Oklahoma to pursue my career. I spent 17 months in Stillwater and then moved to Oklahoma City where I did freelance work for The Oklahoman and the Associated Press.

Now, it’s time for a little high school football. Everything about Moore, Southmoore and Westmoore, you can find here. From the Moore War to the Class 6A state playoffs, I’ll be there.

James Corley, Norman blogger:

You might say football is an obsession of mine. It basically has to be because of how I was raised.

My parents never fought when I was growing up except for one day out of the year: OU-Nebraska. Mom was a Husker and Dad was a Sooner. Eventually I would have to choose sides.

I studied journalism at both schools and worked for both school papers. Now I live in Norman and work for The Oklahoman.

I’ll be all over Norman and Norman North football this season, anything Tiger or Timberwolf. Football’s an obsession and it starts on Friday nights (Boneman’s Note: Or in this week’s case, Thursday

Heard a lot of rumblings the last few days about allegations against Southmoore in terms of ‘stealing’ kids from Moore as apparently five athletes from Moore have transferred to Southmoore in various sports.

But it’s not illegal, not with the new transfer policy passed by the Moore Schools in the spring. It’s only now people are starting to become aware of what this policy is actually saying:

“It allows students who live in one school’s district to transfer to another school without penalty for non athletic reasons.”

It’s a slippery slope, but so far, nothing illegal has been done. I talked to OSSAA executive secretary Ed Sheakley about this last week, and he said the OSSAA doesn’t have to do anything about this.

He’s right. It’s the district’s policy, has nothing to do with the Association. Much like Putnam City has changed its enrollment policy.

Obviously, not everybody likes it, but it’s what was passed.

In talking with Moore Schools AD Carl Franks, he said this was to give kids in the district more freedom and give them more of a choice.

He also said something heard a lot when it comes to OSSAA hardship appeals:

“When we look at any transfers, it’s not based on from what school to what school. We’re trying to determine if the reasons for the request meet the policy guidelines.”

It’s about meeting the criteria.

You could argue that Moore and Putnam City West (though it’s not exactly the same situation) are going to be the two schools affected by this the most, both now and in the future. It will be very interesting to see how the enrollment numbers fluctuate for those two programs in the future.

And Michael Kinney must have heard some rumblings, too, as here is his piece from The Moore American.

Tuesday is shaping up to be a pretty big day. On one hand, it’s the start of two-a-day football practices. But it’s pretty big elsewhere as the softball season gets officially underway.

Got ya covered with a softball guide in Tuesday’s paper, but here are some more thoughts I have going into this season:

- I don’t know how a team can beat Yukon this year. The loss of Dani Fox was killer last year, but the Millerettes return so many top stars.

Don’t believe me? You could easily argue that Amanda Madden, Kylie Lang, Madi Ellis and Caitlyn Halbert are four of the best players in the state. Madden and Lang are seniors and Madden was already good enough to make my first team All-City last year. Ellis and Mustang’s Kierra Miles might be the two best sophomores.

- Will this be a year of redemption for Purcell? Dragons were so close but got nipped in the championship. Still absolutely loaded with talent like Kayla Wyatt (my Little All-City Player of the Year), Bailey Goldsby, Logan Huey, etc. Nobody is going to be feeling sorry for coach Jamie Roberts anytime soon.

- Are Moore and Broken Arrow still the queens of the circle? I admit I don’t know much about BA but based on what they always do on a yearly basis, gotta think these two teams will be among the eight in October at ASA.

- Tuttle and Blanchard should be a great battle. Lions took out the Tigers in the championship last year. Leslie Miller and Liz Broyles (among others) return for Blanchard. Tuttle still has Caitlin Sill and if healthy, Nicole Workman is incredible. Amazingly, Miller and Sill are just juniors.

- Edmond North is so young, but I don’t think that’s going to matter. With girls like Kady Self and Jordan Dixon leading the charge, Huskies should be knocking on the door again.

- Caught up with Washington coach Bryan Howard at the coaches clinic. He is excited (rightfully so) about this year. Now that he’s in his second year, he’s a whole lot more comfortable. And if you had a pitcher like Lacey Paulk or a senior star like Jill Clemence, you’d want to get out there, too.

- Little Axe will intriguing to watch in all sports. How will the school respond after the devastating tornado in May? Indians got a couple of stars in senior Peyton Watson, a great leadoff hitter, and slugger Lacey Williams.

- And it will be good to see Chelsea Jones back pitching for El Reno. Family issues had her at Putnam City North last season, but she has returned to the Indians.

Got softball news and notes? Send ‘em this way.

REGION III US Youth Soccer Championships
Baton Rouge, LA
Friday’s games involving Oklahoma teams

BOYS
U14: Lonestar (TX) 96 Red 3, TSC-96 Red (OK) 0
U15: Brentwood (TN) 95 Premier 1, OFC 95 (OK) 0
U16: TSC 94 Black (OK) 3, Dallas Texans San Antonio 94 Red (TX) 0
U17: Celtic 93 Green (OK) 4, KFC Crush 93 Blue (TN) 1; TSC 93 Red (OK) 1, DFW Tejanos 93 Premier (TX) 0
U18: 92 Louisiana Fire Red (LA) 2, Celtic 92 Green (OK) 1; OFC 92 (OK) 6, Dallas Texans Houston 92 Red (TX) 1
U19: Tulsa Soccer Club (OK) 2, Louisiana Fire (LA) 2

GIRLS
U14: East Lake Arsenal (FL) 3, OFC 96 (OK) 0
U15: Hurricane 95 Rhein (OK) 2, BUSA 95 Elite (AL) 0
U16: Solar Red 94 (TX) 2, North OKC OFC 94 (OK) 0
U17: Hurricane FC 93 Shubert (OK) 4, Mandeville Lakers (LA) 0
U18: 91 TFC Navy (NC) 4, Hurricane FC 92 Cussen (OK) 1

Former Oklahoma football standout Antonio Perkins will be on hand to sign autographs.

The blood drive will be held at Dimensions Academy (1101 E Main St.) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To donate contact Donny Griffits at 579-1880 or at donaldg@norman.k12.ok.us.

Drummond, who has coached the Tigers since the sport’s debut at the school in 1984, guided Norman to state titles in 1986, 1993, 1997 and 1999. This season, he led Norman to the 6A semifinals and an eight-game winning streak after a 2-5 start.

Norman had a team-high five players named to the all-district squad, Ray Jennings Clark, Cal Cornwell, Dacota Sanor, Alec Lee and Matt Eckart.

Putnam City North had four players chosen in Tyler Groh, Matt Bray, Bryan Byars and Kevin Cabello.

The remainder of the team is as follows  —  Spencer Falcon, Nick Lovett, Garrett Molinsky (Edmond North); Matt McClain, Kris Godwin (Yukon); Alexis Velasco (Choctaw), Anthony Buchannan (Midwest City), Cody Inger (Lawton), Zach Holetzky (Moore).

Edmond North is off to a good start in its Class 6A state golf championship defense on Monday at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course. The five-time defending champs shot a first-round 301 for a four-stroke lead over Edmond Santa Fe. Host Norman North is six back.

Edmond Memorial’s Taylor Moore finished his first round with a 2-under-par 70, one of two golfers under par in the opening round. The other was Edmond North’s Austen Fuller at 71.

Santa Fe’s Cody Reed and Norman North’s Bryce Barnard came in at 73; Tate Williamson, the No. 5 man from Broken Arrow, shot 74, along with Norman North’s Jett Johnson and Shawnee’s Dillion Mooreland, who is playing as an individual. At 75 were Broken Arrow’s Brent Williamson, Edmond North’s Alec Heinen 75, Bixby’s Jack Fiscus and Norman’s Kyle Raberding 75.

Everyone will play between 19 and 28 holes on Tuesday, with the first groups reaching No. 18 in the second round before play was halted. The last group was on the No. 9 tee.

The damage to holes 5-8 could impact play. About one-fourth of the groups still have all or some of those holes to play, because they started their rounds on No. 10.

There was a large tree uprooted on No. 7, which could change the thought process of how a player attacks the hole. Talking to some of the players, the tree prevents many players from hitting driver off the tee, because you need an accurate tee shot to have an open look at the green. Anything on the left side of the fairway was trouble. But without that tree, the hole becomes easier… basically a fairly open, straight par 4, and one of the shorter ones on the course.

But whether or not the Jimmie Austin folks can get the tree removed from the course in time for Tuesday’s action is questionable. That’s not an easy chore, so we’ll have to see what it looks like when everyone returns to the course on Tuesday morning.

Here are the team scores through the first round:

1. Edmond North 301
2. Edmond Santa Fe 305
3. Norman North 307
4. Edmond Memorial 310
5. Tulsa Union 312
6. Broken Arrow 313
7. Bartlesville 315
8. Jenks 318
T9. Putnam City North 321
T9. Stillwater 321
11. Owasso 325
12. Choctaw 326

And here’s the updated first-round individual scoring:

Top Individuals
70 — Taylor Moore, Edmond Memorial
71 — Austen Fuller, Edmond North
73 — Cody Reed, Edmond Santa Fe; Bryce Barnard, Norman North
74 — Dillion Mooreland, Shawnee; Tate Williamson, Broken Arrow; Jett Johnson, Norman North
75 — Brent Williamson, Broken Arrow; Alec Heinen, Edmond North; Jack Fiscus, Bixby; Kyle Raberding, Norman

Others
Edmond North: Eli Armstrong 77, Chase Griggs 78, Caleb Meyers 79
Edmond Santa Fe: Matt Helms 77, Landon Morgan 77, Max McGreevy 78, Brandon Stewart 78
Norman North: Drew Wright 80, Alex Newell 80, Matt Krutz 80
Edmond Memorial: Rex Greene 78, Mason Wright 81, Connor Kurtz 81. Bobby Todd 85
Tulsa Union: Bobby Goben 76, Garrett Hagood 77, Brodie Hinkle 78, Ryan Allen 81, Brady Richardson 89
Broken Arrow: Julian Rom 80, Sam Greenleaf 84, Nathan Swisher 88
Bartlesville: Brad Hager 78, Brandon Wong 78, Braxton Clopp 79, Josh Strimple 80, Clint Jones 81
Jenks: Colton Staggs 77, Brandon Jelley 79, Aaron Davis 81, Will McDonald 81, Hunter Miller 82
Putnam City North: Zach Tucker 76, Tripp Walcher 76, Sawyer McKaughan 84, Conrad Walcher 85, Terry Wiles 89
Stillwater: Tyler Grantham 76, Taylor Onley 76, Parker Dolezal 80, Skyler Patton 89, Brice Clark 91
Owasso: Zach Enzbrenner 79, Austin Clark 80, Ryan Hunninghake 81, Brad Kershaw 85, Cole Morgan 86
Choctaw: Drew Posada 77, Luke Fesner 80, Hunter Eisenhour 83, Heath Vessels 86, Taylor Gossett 93
Lawton: Russell Cozad 79
Lawton Eisenhower: Cullen Stahl 83, Tyler Jimenez 88
Moore: Ryan Harris 84
Muskogee: Stephen Allen 81
Sand Springs: Cole Stephenson 90
Sapulpa: Brody Moses 79
Southmoore: Iain Tesney 86
Westmoore: Garrett Cooley 83, Cory Montgomery 85
Yukon: Adam Cooper 79

– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com

Third-ranked Mustang topped the Jags 2-0 to advance to the 6A semis. The Broncos will face Tulsa Union Tuesday for a berth in the finals.

With Lauren Vabolis and Mia Vabolis leading the way, Westmoore overcame a 1-4 start to the season by winning seven of nine games prior to Friday’s loss. Two of Westmoore’s three losses since the month of March came to the powerful Mustang squad and the other was by the narrowest of margins to Norman North in a shootout. The Jags close out at 8-7, but exit as one of 6A’s hottest teams at the end of the year.

Lauren Vabolis and Mia Vabolis each ended the season with a team-best tying 12 goals. Mia added a team-high eight assists. Chelsea Swisher added eight goals and five assists for the Jaguars.

The Moore cheer and pom squads will perform at the event and patrons will have the opportunity to make a $2 donation at the gate. All proceeds will go to benefit the Special Olympics.

Jade Staggs, Westmoore

Girls golf

Even while playing in swamp-like conditions and heavy winds, Staggs won the Mid-State Conference championship. Staggs carded a 1-under par 70 at Westwood Park Golf Course and ran away with the title by 10 strokes.

If it’s slowpitch softball season, then you know Moore is knocking on the door for a championship. The Lions have been so dominant on a consistent basis.

It sure hasn’t changed this year. This team is so deep, however, that it’s tough for any one player to stand out in a crowd.

But senior third baseman Alex Milligan made a strong statement Tuesday. She already led the state in home runs entering the day, and she put some serious distance between the rest of field by hitting a whopping seven homers in three games as the Lions cruised to three more wins.

I’ve never seen anything like that. They were all hit solid. It wasn’t one of those things where the wind helped carry them out

That second game (against Norman North), I was surprised they let her hit those final two times.” – assistant coach Stephanie Riley

Milligan has 25 home runs this season and is hitting better than .750 this year. Moore has won 11 consecutive games.

The Lions scored 65 total runs Tuesday while beating Putnam City West once and Norman twice. In game one against Norman, Milligan had four home runs and 10 RBIs. She only had two HRs and six RBIs in the second win against the Tigers.

The most amazing thing? Riley told me this is the first year Milligan has played slowpitch, “she’s doing it just for fun.” Well, if I could hit .750 and hit home runs like that, I guess I would consider that ‘fun,’ too.

FRIDAY

Baseball: Moore at Enid, 7 p.m.

Soccer: Moore at Choctaw, girls at 6 p.m.; boys at 8 p.m.

Softball: Southmoore at Moore, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY

Baseball: Moore at Clinton, 12 p.m.

MONDAY

Baseball: Moore at Westmoore, 6:30 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Purcell, 5 p.m.

TUESDAY

Baseball: Westmoore at Moore, 6:30 p.m.

Soccer: Moore at Midwest City, girls at 6 p.m.; boys at 8 p.m.

The event will be held from June 10 through June 13 at the Indian Springs Sports Complex.

Oklahoma City hosted a regional in 2007.

“We cannot wait to host the 2010 US Youth Soccer Region III President Cup in Broken Arrow and provide the teams and their families with the perfect environment for this great event,” said Tom Wedding, Oklahoma Youth Soccer Association second vice president. “Oklahoma Soccer Association is excited about the significant economic impact the Region III Presidents Cup will bring to Broken Arrow and the experience we will be able to provide to our guests from across the southern region.”

More than 2,000 players, 120 teams and 6,000 fans are expected. Under-13 through Under 17 boys and girls teams will compete. Winners will advance to the national tournament, to be played July 8-11 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

THURSDAY

Baseball: Moore at Norman, 6:30 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Weatherford Tournament

FRIDAY

Softball: Moore at Weatherford Tournament

Soccer: Edmond North at Moore, girls at 6 p.m.; boys at 8 p.m.

SATURDAY

Baseball: US Grant at Moore, 12 p.m.

Baseball: Norman at Moore, 2:30 p.m.

MONDAY

Softball: Harrah at Moore, 4:30 p.m.

Softball: Norman at Moore, 7 p.m.

Baseball: Moore at Del City, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Baseball: Del City at Moore, 6:30 p.m.

Six different players scored in a win over US Grant, four of whom scored twice (Boulware, Hodgen, Taylor Jester and Emily Witty). In the 10-0 win over Putnam City West a whopping eight players found the back of the net, with Hodgen and Witty each tallying twice.

As a result of the balanced scoring, Mustang is the only team in 6A with five players with four or more goals. Boulware, an Oklahoma signee, leads the way with 13, while Hodgen, who has committed to OU, leads in assists with 10 and had 12 goals.

Michael Moore, Moore

One of the school’s best all-around athletes, Moore placed first in the long jump and second in the high jump (although no one cleared a height greater than what he did), leading the Lions’ field event athletes.

Moore logged a leap of 22-11.75 to edge Tulsa Union’s Luke Snider by less than a full inch in the long jump. In the high jump, Moore cleared 6-foot, four-inches, the same height as winner Atavian Blakely of Putnam City, but Blakely was awarded the gold by virtue of judges ruling.

Others:

Julian Wilson, Southmoore

Track

Wilson led Southmoore to the boys team title at the John Jacobs Invitational with a gold in the 200-meter run and a runner-up finish in the 100.

A football signee for Oklahoma, Wilson posted a time of 22.60 to win the 200 and ran a 10.90 in the 100, just five-tenths of a second off of the winning time.

Ethan Baker, Southmoore

Track

Baker, a standout safety for the SaberCats’ football team, won two goals and a silver at the John Jacobs Invitational. Baker placed first in the 200-meters and ran a led in the SaberCats’ winning 400-relay team. The senior also was runner-up in the 400.  

Derek Serowski, Southmoore

Track

Serowski took first place in the 100 meters for the second time in two meets. The senior posted a time of 10.85 at the John Jacobs Invitational to take the gold and edge teammate Julian Wilson, one of the fastest sprinters in the state.

With two freshman and a sophomore among the leaders in goals and assists in Class 5A and with a record of 8-2, Chickasha is making waves in the present. Hannah Elrod, just a ninth-grader, leads the team with 14 goals and has added five assists. Sophomore Kylie Williams has eight goals and five helpers, while another freshman, Kelsey Taylor, leads the team in assists with 7 and has five goals.

That trio has accounted for all but four of Chickasha’s goals and all but four of the team’s assists. The threesome accounted for all the team’s goals in a 7-1 win over Altus Friday, including a hat trick by Taylor.

Coach Steve Scott’s club faces its biggest challenge of the season Tuesday, visiting Class 5A No. 5 Carl Albert at 5:30 p.m.

EDMOND MEMORIAL 2, EDMOND SANTA FE 0 – FINAL

Here’s what I wrote for the paper:

Bulldogs down Santa Fe, claim championship

Another great pitching outing, another win against a rival and now a tournament championship.

Edmond Memorial pitcher Brad Honeycutt only surrendered four hits as the Bulldogs blanked rival Edmond Santa Fe 2-0 to win the Edmond Wood Bat Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

“Anytime you can beat a rival, it’s a good thing,” Memorial’s Landon Hallam said. “Brad threw an outstanding game, and our defense made some big plays.”

Hallam and Drew Dahlberg provided the offense as each had two hits with Hallam producing two RBI singles.

Honeycutt let his defense carry the day as he only had one strikeout. However, Memorial had no errors compared to Santa Fe’s four.

Santa Fe defeated Memorial on Thursday night.

***

A well-played game, except for the errors. Santa Fe had one big scoring opportunity in the sixth inning. The Wolves had runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the sixth with Jordan Lopez and Caleb Hallman coming up.

However, Honeycutt was able to get both stars to fly out to end the inning.

Thought Memorial was going to get bitten by only getting one run in the fifth. The ‘Dogs had bases loaded with one out when Dylon Sturges was relieved by Cody Rosecrans. Rosecrans struck out the next two batters (both looking) and did a great job to close out the game.

Santa Fe faces another rival with Monday-Tuesday battles with Edmond North. Memorial has Midwest City on Monday.

MOORE 8, NORMAN NORTH 3 – FINAL (9 INNINGS)

The Lions came alive with five in the top of the ninth. Norman North’s defense came a little unglued as well as errors have been a big factor so far.

Moore coach David Hinckley was happy with the win, but he said his team needs to start to grow up. The team is young, but he doesn’t want to use that as an excuse.

We performed when we needed to, but we need to start putting some wins together.” – Hinckley

Moore and Norman North play Monday and Tuesday, so no love lost there. Not so sure about hitting stats, but I know Moore’s Robbie Washington had at least two hits and drove in four runs. His two-run hit in the ninth was big in terms of getting the team feeling good about itself again.

***

Got here for Moore and Norman North around the fourth inning or so. Moore scored three in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

I say commanding because pitcher Preston Barnard had a no-hitter through six innings for the Lions.

And then…

Leadoff single. Error (first and second). Error (bases loaded). RBI FC (first and third). Runner at third picked off (runner goes to second). Ground ball to pitcher, throw goes wide, safe at first. Runner from second comes home and scores in the commotion. And that’s how you score two runs on one hit. We’re in the ninth now, still waiting for the championship between Edmond Memorial and Edmond Santa Fe.

Pool A: Memorial (3-1), Norman North (2-2), Norman (1-3), Moore (1-3).
Pool B: Santa Fe (4-0),  Choctaw (3-1), Edmond North (2-2), Latta (1-3).

Edmond Wood Bat Tournament
Wednesday
At Memorial
Latta 8, Norman North 0
Memorial 15, Latta 3
Memorial 4, Choctaw 3
At North
Santa Fe 3, Moore 2
Choctaw 9, Norman 4
Norman North 3, Edmond North 0

Thursday
At Memorial
Choctaw 3, Moore 2
Santa Fe 9, Norman North 0
Santa Fe 3, Memorial 1
At North
Norman 12, Latta 0
Edmond North 10, Moore 4

Friday
At Memorial
Choctaw 3, Norman North 2
Moore 6, Latta 3
At North
Santa Fe 8, Norman 1
Edmond North 6, Norman 1.
Memorial 5 Edmond North 1

Saturday Championship
At Memorial
Memorial vs. Santa Fe, 3:30
At North
Choctaw vs. Latta, 1 p.m.
At North
Edmond North vs. Norman, 3:30 p.m.
At Memorial
Norman North vs. Moore, 1 p.m.
(at least if I did my calculations correctly these are the matchups)

Pool A: Memorial (2-1), Norman North (2-1), Norman (1-1), Moore (0-3).
Pool B: Santa Fe (3-0),  Choctaw (2-1), Edmond North (1-1), Latta (1-2).

Edmond Wood Bat Tournament
Wednesday
At Memorial
Latta 8, Norman North 0
Memorial 15, Latta 3
Memorial 4, Choctaw 3
At North
Santa Fe 3, Moore 2
Choctaw 9, Norman 4
Norman North 3, Edmond North 0

Thursday
At Memorial
Choctaw 3, Moore 2
Santa Fe 9, Norman North 0
Santa Fe 3, Memorial 1
At North
Norman 12, Latta 0
Edmond North 10, Moore 4

Friday
At Memorial
Norman North vs. Choctaw, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 3 p.m.
At North
Norman vs. Santa Fe, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 3 p.m.
Memorial vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.

Saturday
At Memorial
A3 vs. B3, 1 p.m.
A1 vs. B1, 3:30
At North
A4 vs. B4, 1 p.m.
A2 vs. B2, 3:30

I’ll be at North all day Friday and Memorial all day Saturday.

Pool A: Memorial (2-0), Norman North (1-1), Moore (0-1), Norman (0-1).
Pool B: Santa Fe (1-0),  Choctaw (1-1), Latta (1-1), Edmond North (0-1).

Edmond Wood Bat Tournament
Wednesday
At Memorial
Latta 8, Norman North 0
Memorial 15, Latta 3
Memorial 4, Choctaw 3
At North
Santa Fe 3, Moore 2
Choctaw 9, Norman 4
Norman North 3, Edmond North 0

Thursday
At Memorial
Moore vs. Norman, noon
Norman North vs. Santa Fe, 3 p.m.
Memorial vs. Santa Fe, 6 p.m.
At North
Norman vs. Latta, 3 p.m.
Moore vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.

Friday
At Memorial
Norman North vs. Choctaw, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 3 p.m.
At North
Norman vs. Santa Fe, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 3 p.m.
Memorial vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.

Saturday
At Memorial
A3 vs. B3, 1 p.m.
A1 vs. B1, 3:30
At North
A4 vs. B4, 1 p.m.
A2 vs. B2, 3:30

I’ll be at North all day Friday and Memorial all day Saturday.

The tournament starts in an hour or so. Three days of pool play, and then championship Saturday. Originally split up between Santa Fe and Memorial, all games are at North and Memorial. I’ll be out there all day Friday and Saturday.

Pool A: Memorial, Norman North, Moore, Norman.
Pool B: Santa Fe, Edmond North, Choctaw, Latta.

Edmond Wood Bat Tournament
Wednesday
At Memorial
Norman North vs. Latta, noon
Memorial vs. Latta, 3 p.m.
Memorial vs. Choctaw, 6 p.m.
At North
Moore vs. Santa Fe, noon
Norman vs. Choctaw, 3 p.m.
Norman North vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.

Thursday
At Memorial
Moore vs. Norman, noon
Norman North vs. Santa Fe, 3 p.m.
Memorial vs. Santa Fe, 6 p.m.
At North
Norman vs. Latta, 3 p.m.
Moore vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.

Friday
At Memorial
Norman North vs. Choctaw, noon
Moore vs. Latta, 3 p.m.
At North
Norman vs. Santa Fe, noon
Norman vs. Edmond North, 3 p.m.
Memorial vs. Edmond North, 6 p.m.

Saturday
At Memorial
A3 vs. B3, 1 p.m.
A1 vs. B1, 3:30
At North
A4 vs. B4, 1 p.m.
A2 vs. B2, 3:30

Painter took first individually in the 800-meter run in 2:30, the 1,600 in 5:32 and the 3,200 in 12:02. She also led the Jags to first place in the 3,200 relay.

Westmoore’s girls team placed second in the team standings to Midwest City.

Taylor Painter, Westmoore

Girls track

Painter took first in three events at the Moore track meet Friday. The senior won the 800-meter run in 2:30, the 1,600 in 5:32 and the 3,200 in 12:02.

Others:

Lauren Vabolis, Westmoore

Girls soccer

The junior forward recorded a hat trick in the Jaguars’ win over Putnam City West on Thursday to raise her teamleading scoring total to five goals.

Vabolis led Westmoore to a win over Putnam City as well, scoring a goal and helping the Jags snap a two-game losing streak.

Derek Serowski, Southmoore

Boys track

Serowski placed first in the 100-meter dash at Friday’s Moore track meet, breaking the tape in 10.38. The senior also took second in the 200.

Edmond Santa Fe 5, Moore 1

The Wolves got off to a quick start and then cruised to a win to give Edmond the win in the second Mayor’s Cup.

Clayton Blackburn pitched six strong inning for the Wolves before giving way to Kyle Shaw in the seventh.

Blackburn struck out eight and walked none.

Santa Fe scored two in the first, then added one each in the second, fifth and seventh.

The Wolves got back-to-back triples from the bottom of their order to get on the board in the second after Cody Rosecrans drove in a run with a single in the first.

The high school baseball teams from Edmond and Moore will play in the second “Battle of the Brick for the Mayor’s Cup” Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark.

The even will start with Southmoore-Edmond North at 11 a.m., followed by Westmoore-Edmond Memorial at 2:30 p.m. and ending with Moore-Edmond Santa Fe at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $15 at the gate. Proceeds from today’s ticket and t-shirt sales will be split between the schools.

Dylen Brammer, Moore

Track and field

Brammer capped a three-event medal showing by anchoring the Lions’ 1,600 meter relay team to a first-place showing. The victory in that race gave the Lions the boys team title at the Gregg Byram Track Classic at Norman High School Saturday.

In cold and seriously windy conditions, Brammer excelled in a trio of races, but sealed the team crown for Moore by overtaking race-leader Del City in the final lap.

Other standouts:

Victoria Svetgoff, Westmoore

Track and field

Wind curtailed top performances and kept heights down in the high jump and pole vault competition at the Gregg Byram Track Classic, but Svetgoff topped all challengers in the pole vault, winning her second gold of the season.

FRIDAY

Baseball: Moore at Chickasha Tournament

Boys soccer: Moore at Mustang Tournament, 4 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Hall of Fame Classic

SATURDAY

Baseball: Moore at Chickasha Tournament

Boys soccer: Moore at Mustang Tournament, 9 a.m.

Softball: Moore at Hall of Fame Classic

Track: Moore at Greg Byram Classic at Norman High School, 9 a.m.

MONDAY

Girls tennis: Moore at Owasso

Boys golf: Moore at Norman Tournament at the Trails

Track: Moore at Edmond Memorial

Baseball: Southmoore at Moore, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Boys tennis: Moore at Owasso

Boys golf: Moore at Edmond Tournament at Kickingbird, 8 a.m.

Baseball: Moore at Southmoore, 6:30 p.m.

Softball: Moore at Westmoore, 6 p.m.

Special thanks to Edmond Memorial coach Shane Cowherd for passing along the info. That really tells you about the job Dewayne Bradley did with the Bombers this year. The conference player award went to Obi Emegano of Memorial and the offensive player award went to Southmoore’s Brandon Lucas. But it was the Bombers who were playing for the gold ball.

Conference Player of the Year: Obi Emegano (Edmond Memorial)

Defensive Player of the Year:  Trez Colbert (Midwest City)

Offensive Player of the Year: Brandon Lucas (Southmoore)

Newcomer of the Year: Chris Stevenson (Del City)

Coach of the Year: Dewayne Bradley (Midwest City)

1st Team:
Obi Emegano (Edmond Memorial) JR
Xavier McClish (Midwest City) SR
Brandon Lucas (Southmoore) JR
Austin Haywood (Southmoore) SR
Patrick Schaefer (Norman North) JR
Jared Boersma (Norman) SR

2nd Team:
Trez Colbert (Midwest City)  JR
Chris Stevenson (Del City) JR
Tilford Thornton (Southmoore) JR
Trael Colbert (Midwest City) JR
Jared Jobe (Edmond Memorial) JR

3rd Team:
Dalton Mitchell (Norman North) SR
Austin Pulliam (Westmoore) JR
James Woodard (Edmond Memorial) SO
Colton Coale (Norman) SR
Jarod Beal (Norman North) SR

Honorable Mention:
A.J Holland (Del City) SO
Abram Cobb (Moore) SR
Matt Southard (Norman North) JR
Kalen Parks (Midwest City) SR
Jordan Thomas (Edmond Memorial) SO

Lauren Vabolis, Westmoore

Girls soccer

Vabolis booted a goal in the final minute to force overtime against perennial power Norman. Westmoore fell 2-1 in a shootout, but Vabolis’ score gave the Jaguars a chance at the upset and raised the junior’s team lead in goals.

Baseball

Symonds hit .571 and had six RBIs, seven runs scored and two walks as Southmoore went 4-1 last week. The senior also made his mark defensively, including a diving catch in the outfield.

The SaberCats concluded a terrific postseason run Saturday, falling in the area tournament to No. 3 Norman. Standout sophomore Sidney Cook led the SaberCats with nine points, which is nothing new as Cook  —  a Division I prospect  —  is Southmoore’s leading scorer on the season. However, Cook is far from a one-player show. Kayla Tucker had seven points and Rosa Meadows scored six, as did Kaylan Haywood. Reagan Widener chipped in with five.

Of those five players, only one, Meadows, won’t return next season. In fact, the SaberCats will bring back 11 of its top 12 players in 2011.

And that fact gives me reason to believe Southmoore’s girls basketball team could equal Southmoore’s football team in regards to unreal turn-arounds in one season. The football squad went from a 2-9 season in 2008 to an 11-2, state semifinal showing in 2009.

This SaberCats club could likely  —  actually, I’m going to say that they will  —  be a state tournament team next season. Maybe even contend for the title if the youngsters gain big-game savvy, which only comes from experience. And that’s where this surprise postseason will help. It gives them confidence that will stay throughout the offseason. The Cats will begin next year feeling as if they are already among the elite in 6A because of what they did in the playoffs. It won’t take several weeks of the season to foster that attitude.

For those who don’t know, this team had just five regular season wins, but was one of the biggest stories of the 6A postseason. The SaberCats had the biggest first-round upset, beating No. 8 Lawton. Then they eliminated defending champion Del City in the area tournament.

It all spells out a great outlook for the future. And, as said before, generally a 19-loss season does not inspire greatness. But this particular one most certainly could.

 Zac Damico, Southmoore

Wrestling

Damico not only won a state championship at 103 pounds, he did it in grand fashion, beating No. 1-ranked Josh Lindsey of rival Moore. Damico took the title with a 2-1 triumph.

OTHER STANDOUTS:

 Sidney Cook, Southmoore

Girls basketball

The sophomore standout guided the SaberCats to the biggest upset of the Class 6A regional opening round last Thursday, scoring a game-high 17 points in a 54-50 overtime win over Lawton.

Then, on Saturday in the regional championship game against Edmond Santa Fe, Cook again played terrific, scoring a team-high 16 points in a 61-51 loss to the fourth-ranked Wolves.

Southmoore is still alive in the playoffs and will face Del City Thursday. A win in that game would pit the SaberCats against the loser of the Norman-Midwest City game. The winner of that contest will advance to the state tournament.

Norman is used to hosting regional tournaments. The Tigers are also accustomed to victories over Moore and they got a third on the season Thursday with a 67-26 triumph over the Lions.

The Tigers, 19-4 and ranked third in 6A, have hosted a regional every year since 2002. Kamra King led Norman with 17 points and Jordan Franks tossed in 11.

As for Moore, the Lions are used to Tara Martini leading the way. And she did again. The gutsy senior has been very good in a long and difficult season for the Lions and finished her career with a team-high seven points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL POWER POLL: BIG SCHOOLS

1. Midwest City (6A), 19-2: Playoffs have arrived  —  finally. Now maybe the Bombers will have to break a sweat.

2. Harrah (4A), 23-1: Three of last four foes have scored less than 30 points.

3. Edmond Santa Fe (6A), 19-3: Wolves showed what they’re made of with clutch victory over No. 2 Edmond North.

4. Edmond North (6A), 19-3: Loss to Santa Fe gives Huskies incentive for playoffs.

5. Norman (6A), 18-4: Tigers seeking sixth consecutive trip to state tourney.

6. Cache (4A), 22-0: Up for a challenge. Won regular-season finale 72-14.

7. Carl Albert (5A), 18-4: The Titans’ long-awaited chance to get back to the state final for the second straight season starts Thursday.

8. Weatherford (4A), 20-0: Completed unbeaten regular season.

Although the Lions lost three games, the senior had a remarkable week. Moore started the week with a respectable nine points in a loss to Southmoore on Tuesday. But his Thursday and Friday outings were terrific. The 5-10 standout scored 24 points and almost led the Lions to a stunning upset of Norman North in a one-point loss Thursday. Friday he followed up with 20 points against Midwest City.

Moore’s totals were game-highs in two of his three games last week.

OTHER STANDOUTS:
Tim Snyder, Moore
Boys basketball
Snyder scored a combined 21 points in two games, including 14 against Southmoore.

Austin Salyer, Moore
Boys basketball
The junior scored a season-high 18 points in a loss to Southmoore and capped the week with 10 points against Midwest City.

Blake Pulliam, Westmoore
Boys basketball
The 5-11 junior was outstanding in a pair of games for the Jaguars, scoring team-highs in games against Edmond Memorial and Norman.
Pulliam scored 20 points against the Bulldogs and followed with 16 against Norman.

Beau Palmer, Westmoore
Boys basketball
Palmer had his second-highest scoring game of the season with 12 points against Edmond Memorial on Tuesday.

Austin Haywood, Southmoore
Boys basketball
Haywood, an All-State football player, was terrific in two one-bucket victories. The Oklahoma signee scored a game-high 20 points in a 66-64 victory win over rival Moore. Then he followed with a team-high 18 points in a 63-61 overtime win over Norman North.

Kendal Thompson, Southmoore
Boys basketball
Thompson hit a pair of buzzer-beaters to lead Southmoore to a victory over Norman North. The junior hit a three-pointer at the horn to tie things up at the end of regulation, then hit an 18-footer on the final shot of the game in overtime. He scored 10 points in the game.

Tilford Thornton, Southmoore
Boys basketball
The SaberCats’ leading scorer had a combined 27 points in two two-point victories.

Brooke Hagemann, Westmoore
Girls basketball
Hagemann, the Jaguars’ leading scorer on the season, had a combined 21 points in losses to Edmond Memorial and Norman.

Tara Martini, Moore
Girls basketball
The Lions’ top player and leading scorer carried the team as far as it could go in losses to Southmoore and Midwest City. Martini scored a team-high 17 against the SaberCats and 10 against the Bombers.

Sidney Cook, Southmoore
Girls basketball
The sophomore star-on-the-rise had a combined 28 points in two game, including 18 against rival Moore.

Kaylan Haywood, Southmoore
Girls basketball
Haywood led the SaberCats to a win over Moore and in a loss to Del City, scoring 27 points total.

Reagan Widener, Southmoore
Girls basketball
Widener showed that the future of Southmoore basketball is in good hands, scoring a combined 29 points in two games last week.

Dalton Myers, Moore
Swimming
Placed first in the consolation final and ninth overall in the 100 Freestyle at the state championships. He teamed with Ryan Hoy, Tanner Daugherty, Gannon Koehler to place 12th in the 200 Free Relay.

Dakota Wheeler, Westmoore
Swimming
Won two more individual titles at state, taking home the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke.

Paul Le, Southmoore
Swimming
Le made huge strides all season that culminated with a victory in the 100 backstroke at the state championships. He was second in the 100 free.

Alex Ballard, Southmoore
Swimming
Just a freshman, Ballard rose to the occasion at state, finishing second in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke.

Kimmie Reneau, Westmoore
Swimming
Showed she’s worth the hype, placing third in the 100 backstroke and fifth in the 50 Free at state.

After Friday’s loss to No. 1 Midwest City, things figured to get batter for Moore’s girls basketball team. Turns out that’s not the case.

Midwest City emptied the bench and nearly everybody scored as the top-ranked Bombers rolled to a 72-36 victory in the Lions’ regular season finale Friday. Moore, which trailed 29-6 after eight minutes, got 13 points from Michaela Campo. Senior Tara Martini, who has led the Lions in scoring for all but four games, had 10.

But next up for Moore is No. 3 Norman in its regional tournament opener. The Tigers have twice beaten the Lions by large margins this season (51-24 on Jan. 5 and 63-23 on Feb. 9) and this time the season is on the line.

Despite the efforts of Martini, the Lions have lost 11 of their last 12 games. The lone win, though, was against rival Westmoore. It will take probably more than Moore has to upset Norman Thursday, but the 5-17 Lions won’t go down without a fight.

THURSDAY

Girls basketball: at Norman, 8 p.m. (Regional playoffs)

FRIDAY

Boys basketball: at Putnam City West, 8 p.m. (Regional playoffs)

Wrestling: State tournament at State Fair Arena (Class 6A state championships)

SATURDAY

Girls basketball: vs. TBA at Norman, 1:30 p.m. if win Thursday (Regional playoffs)

Boys basketball: vs. TBA at Putnam City West, 7 p.m. if win Friday (Regional playoffs)

Wrestling: State tournament at State Fair Arena (Class 6A state championships)

GIRLS BIG SCHOOL Basketball Power Poll

1. Midwest City (6A), 17-2: One coach didn’t vote the Bombers No. 1 in Class 6A in the rankings last week. Seriously? Only one team has played MWC within 20 in its last nine games, and that was Edmond Memorial’s 19-point loss last Tuesday.

2. Harrah (4A), 21-1: Only one opponent has scored in the 40s on the Panthers since December.

3. Norman (6A), 17-3: Tonight’s game at Midwest City is basically a state tournament warm up.

4. Edmond North (6A), 18-2: Quietly taking care of business game in and game out. Tonight’s meeting with Edmond Santa Fe will tell a lot.

5. Edmond Santa Fe (6A), 16-3: In the past 10 days, the Wolves lost key player in Jimi Blagowsky and were beaten twice by Choctaw. Tonight’s game against rival Huskies can answer a lot of questions.

6. Cache (4A), 21-0: Actually got a test last week in seven-point win over Clinton.

7. Carl Albert (5A), 17-4: The Titans are so ready for the playoffs to start. They’ve basically been counting the seconds since the buzzer of the championship game last March.

8. Vinita (4A), 20-1: Completely unchallenged in the month of February.

1. Kansas (3A), 19-1: Just killing time until playoffs.

2. Adair (3A), 20-1: Same situation as Kansas.

3. Cyril (B), 19-3: Win over Calumet was serious message sender before starting run at the Class B crown.

4. Bethel (3A), 19-2: Warming up for postseason with pair of games against 4A squads this week.

5. Dale (2A), 21-3: Big-time statement by walloping Konawa by 17 points in No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown.

6. Konawa (2A), 18-3: Still set for strong run at state tourney despite setback to Dale.

7. Chattanooga (A), 21-3: Allowed 37 points total in last two games.

8. Calumet (A), 23-1: Unbeaten streak is over, but hopes for a state crown still alive.

Brandon Lucas, Southmoore

Boys basketball

The 6-4 junior was unstoppable last week, scoring 28 points in a victory over Norman North and 23 in an overtime loss to Midwest City. The SaberCats needed every one of Lucas’ 28 to get past the T-Wolves in a tight-fit 58-55 victory.

OTHER STANDOUTS:

Kale Holman, Southmoore

Boys basketball

Holman scored a season-high 13 points in the SaberCats’ three-point win over Norman North last Tuesday.

Blake Pulliam, Westmoore

Boys basketball

Pulliam was terrific in a loss to Norman North, scoring a game-high 20 points.

Beau Palmer, Westmoore

Boys basketball

Palmer scored a combined 14 points in losses to Del City and Norman North.

Tony Taylor, Westmoore

Boys basketball

The sophomore had a great two-game stretch, scoring a combined 16 points in games against Norman North and Del City.

Tim Snyder, Moore

Boys basketball

Snyder led the Lions with 12 points against Del City and again with 12 points against Edmond Memorial.

Dorian Gigger, Moore

Boys basketball

The freshman continued to surge as the season goes on, scoring nine points on Tuesday and eight on Friday.

Tara Martini, Moore

Girls basketball

The Lions’ leading scorer for the season, Martini scored a combined 13 points in three games last week.

Brooke Hagemann, Westmoore

Girls basketball

Regularly the leading scorer for the Jaguars, Hagemann paced Westmoore with 13 points against Norman North and had 19 points total for the week.

Kabria Harkey, Westmoore

Girls basketball

Harkey was one of just two players to score in double figures in a loss to Norman North, netting 11 points.

Kaylan Haywood, Southmoore

Girls basketball

The younger sister of Southmoore football and basketball standout Austin Haywood scored a team-high eight points in a loss to No. 1 Midwest City.

Leading scorer Tara Martini led the Lions with seven points. The Bulldogs were only up by three after one quarter, but a 22-6 run in the second period blew the game open.

Moore hosts rival Southmoore Tuesday at 6 p.m.

In a 46-16 loss, six Moore players scored, but non had more than four points. The Lions went scoreless in the first quarter and everything went south from there. Del City led 28-4 at halftime.

Moore, now 5-14, got three points from Jazzmine Mayes and Heavin Taliaferro.

The Lions look to rebound tonight when they visit Edmond Memorial.

Playing a make-up game from Jan. 29, the Lions fell 56-46 to the Eagles. Junior Tim Snyder scored 12 points to lead all scorers and freshman Dorian Gigger tossed in nine points. But a 19-9 third-quarter surge by Del City cost the Lions a shot at winning their fourth game of the season.

FRIDAY

Basketball: Moore at Edmond Memorial, girls at 6:15 p.m., boys at 7:45 p.m.

Wrestling: Moore at Dual State

TUESDAY

Basketball: Southmoore at Moore, girls at 6:15 p.m., boys at 7:45 p.m.

 FRIDAY

Basketball: Midwest City at Moore, girls at 6:15 p.m., boys at 7:45 p.m.

Wrestling: Moore at regional tournament, site TBD

The first-round will be played Thursday, Feb. 25

WEST

At Midwest City
Mustang vs. Yukon
Midwest City vs. U.S. Grant

At Putnam City
Norman vs. Moore
Putnam City vs. Lawton Eisenhower

At Edmond Santa Fe
Lawton vs. Southmoore
Edmond Santa Fe vs. Putnam West

At Edmond North
Choctaw vs. Del City
Edmond North vs. Westmoore

EAST

At Norman North
Sand Springs vs. Putnam North
Norman North vs. Bixby

At Jenks
Ponca City vs. Broken Arrow
Jenks vs. Muskogee

At Shawnee
Owasso vs. Enid
Shawnee vs. Stillwater

At Tulsa Union
Edmond Memorial vs. Sapulpa
Tulsa Union vs. Bartlesville

First-round games will be played Friday, Feb. 26

WEST

At Edmond Santa Fe
Del City vs. Lawton
Edmond Santa Fe vs. U.S. Grant

At Midwest City
Southmoore vs. Norman
Midwest City vs. Westmoore

At Putnam City
Lawton Eisenhower vs. Edmond North
Putnam City vs. Yukon

At Putnam West
Choctaw vs. Mustang
Putnam West vs. Moore

EAST

At Broken Arrow
Enid vs. Bixby
Broken Arrow vs. Shawnee

At Norman North
Putnam North vs. Sapulpa
Norman North vs. Sand Springs

At Edmond Memorial
Jenks vs. Stillwater
Edmond Memorial vs. Owasso

At Muskogee
Tulsa Union vs. Ponca City
Bartlesville vs. Muskogee

King nearly outscored Moore by herself in Norman’s 63-23 victory Tuesday. The junior point guard had 19 points and got the Tigers off to a 27-2 explosion in the first quarter and from there it was academic.

Chelsea Key scored 11 points for the fourth-ranked Tigers and Jeannie Ramon added 11. Norman is now 15-3 and will meet fifth-ranked Norman North Thursday. The Tigers held the Lions to two points in both the first and third quarters. Tara Martini scored a team-high six points for Moore.