Few teams in Oklahoma high school softball are as hot right now as Tahlequah, which finds itself sporting a 20-1 record and No. 2 ranking in Class 5A.
Sure, Union (in 6A), Blanchard (in 4A) and Washington (in 3A) are hot in their own classes, but Tahlequah is storming through 5A competition right now, including two crucial District 5A-3 wins over Skiatook and Pryor this week.
As is always the case in fastpitch softball, if you have a good pitcher, you're sitting pretty. With that being the case, Tahlequah is loving life right now.
THS' pitcher Britney Johnson is 14-1 with an earned run average around one. And even at the 5A level — which includes other stellar pitching products, Haley Young (Pryor), Lindsey Dewberry (McAlester), Katie Kelley (Coweta) and Jessi Walker (Grove) — that's impressive.
Johnson's one lone slip-up — allowing six runs against Skiatook — was an example of how THS has become a complete team this season, despite losing three key seniors (Ashley Boswell, Jessie Patrick, Erica Sampson) from last year's state-tournament team. It seems when Tahlequah doesn't score many runs, Johnson is sharp and shuts down the opponent. And when Johnson doesn't have her A-game, her offense bails her out.
Even without Sampson's pop in the middle of the lineup this year, several players have stepped up to fill the void. Jenna Reed (center field), Randee O'Donnell (shortstop), Whittney Whittmore (third base) and Kaitlenn Rippetoe (first base) have up to task for Tahlequah on offense.
And even though Tahlequah is hot right now, there are still plenty of pitfalls ahead on the schedule. Next week Tahlequah plays at McAlester before entering in the Coweta tournament. And further down the road, THS plays road games at Skiatook, Pryor and Grove.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
One and done: THS loses 56-15 in first trip to Dual State.
By BEN JOHNSON
Press Sports Editor
SKIATOOK — Tahlequah’s first-ever trip to dual state was short-lived. But that’s to be expected when you start off in a 24-point hole.
“Anytime you give up 24 points to the No. 1 team in the state, it’s hard to rally from that,” said Tahlequah coach Brandon Benson, whose Tigers fell to Class 5A No. 1 Altus 57-15 in the quarterfinals of the 5A tournament. “But I’m not at all concerned about how my kids fought tonight.”
The Tigers, who forfeited at four weights to give Altus 24 points, did, however, come up with four victories at the Skiatook Multipurpose Activity Center. B.J. Herrlein (215 pounds), Austin McTrusty (heavyweight) and Mitch Sellers each won by decision while freshman Hestin Lamons came up with a fall at 103.
“Hestin has come a long way,” Benson said of Lamons, who was tied at zero with Andrew Revilla when he came up with a pin midway through the match. “He still has a little bit to go before regionals. We’re going to have a good showing at regionals, and I think Hestin has a chance to win it.”
For Lamons, his win was a byproduct of not wanting to let him teammates down.
“After I saw B.J. and Austin win,” Lamons said, “I didn’t want to lose after they started a winning streak.”
Starting at 152 pounds, Tahlequah forfeited two matches right off the bat, putting the Tigers in a 12-0 hole from the get-go. Altus added increased its lead to 24-0 when Drake Martel (171) pinned Kyle Easter at 1:28, and Tyler George (189) pinned A.J. Campbell in the third period at 4:33.
Herrlein followed by giving Tahlequah’s its first points, scoring a 6-4 decision over Cedric Jamesin.
“I was up 6-2, but then I got a little sloppy on top,” said Herrlein, one of four seniors for THS. “It was my bad for getting sloppy, but I’m happy to get the win though.”
And being a senior, Herrlein said the win at dual state holds some special value.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Especially going into regionals. It gives me some confidence going into regionals.”
McTrusty’s victory was a little harder to come by, squeaking out a 3-2 win over Sean Carson.
“Austin has come a long ways this season as well,” Benson said of McTrusty, who prevented Carson from taking him down for two points in the final minute. “He’s finally kind of started to get an identity with his offense.”
At 112, Sellers edged Fernando Tapia, 4-2, to give THS its final points of the night.
Altus answered with three wins by fall, two by forfeit (140 and 145) and 6-5 decision by Kanyon Weldon (135) over Max Easter.
“I knew whoever they put on the mat was going to be tough,” said Altus coach Nick Wiliams, whose team had, easily, the longest venture to Skiatook, traveling four-plus hours from southwest Oklahoma. “And I’m not sure how many matches we wrestled, but they won half of them I think.”
While the final score might not reflect it, Benson was happy to see his wrestlers perform well on the big stage.
“It was good to see my kids compete and not get starry-eyed,” Benson said. “I was worried about that with my young ones becuase it’s like going to the state tournament — it’s a big deal. “To me, the way they wrestled, I’m extremely proud.”
Even in his first year with the varsity squad, Lamons knows what making it to dual state this year will mean in the future.
“It’s a big step,” said Lamons, whose team will host the Class 5A East Regional on Friday and Saturday at the TMAC. “We were awful the last few years. But we made a name for ourselves this year, and we’ve got some good kids coming up too.”
Altus 56, Tahlequah 15
(The dual started at 152)
103: Hestin Lamons (THS) pinned Andrew Revilla at 3:30.
112: Mitch Sellers (THS) won 4-2 decision over Fernando Tapia.
119: Jordan Litton (AHS) pinnd Shawn Eller at 1:54.
125: Christian Roney (AHS) pinned Trent Patrick at 4:31.
130: Matt Wilhite (AHS) pinned Justice Bailey at 1:05.
135: Kanyon Weldon (AHS) won 6-5 decision over Max Easter.
140: Ty Stevens (AHS) won by forfeit.
145: Keilan Torres (AHS) won by forfeit.
152: Kanyon Cunningham (AHS) won by forfeit.
160: Jeremy Delzer (AHS) won by forfeit.
171: Drake Martel (AHS) pinned Kyle Easter at 1:28.
189: Tyler George (AHS) pinned A.J. Campbell at 4:33.
215: B.J. Herrlein (THS) won 6-4 decision over Cedric Jamesin.
285: Austin McTrusty (THS) won 3-2 decision over Sean Carson.
Press Sports Editor
SKIATOOK — Tahlequah’s first-ever trip to dual state was short-lived. But that’s to be expected when you start off in a 24-point hole.
“Anytime you give up 24 points to the No. 1 team in the state, it’s hard to rally from that,” said Tahlequah coach Brandon Benson, whose Tigers fell to Class 5A No. 1 Altus 57-15 in the quarterfinals of the 5A tournament. “But I’m not at all concerned about how my kids fought tonight.”
The Tigers, who forfeited at four weights to give Altus 24 points, did, however, come up with four victories at the Skiatook Multipurpose Activity Center. B.J. Herrlein (215 pounds), Austin McTrusty (heavyweight) and Mitch Sellers each won by decision while freshman Hestin Lamons came up with a fall at 103.
“Hestin has come a long way,” Benson said of Lamons, who was tied at zero with Andrew Revilla when he came up with a pin midway through the match. “He still has a little bit to go before regionals. We’re going to have a good showing at regionals, and I think Hestin has a chance to win it.”
For Lamons, his win was a byproduct of not wanting to let him teammates down.
“After I saw B.J. and Austin win,” Lamons said, “I didn’t want to lose after they started a winning streak.”
Starting at 152 pounds, Tahlequah forfeited two matches right off the bat, putting the Tigers in a 12-0 hole from the get-go. Altus added increased its lead to 24-0 when Drake Martel (171) pinned Kyle Easter at 1:28, and Tyler George (189) pinned A.J. Campbell in the third period at 4:33.
Herrlein followed by giving Tahlequah’s its first points, scoring a 6-4 decision over Cedric Jamesin.
“I was up 6-2, but then I got a little sloppy on top,” said Herrlein, one of four seniors for THS. “It was my bad for getting sloppy, but I’m happy to get the win though.”
And being a senior, Herrlein said the win at dual state holds some special value.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Especially going into regionals. It gives me some confidence going into regionals.”
McTrusty’s victory was a little harder to come by, squeaking out a 3-2 win over Sean Carson.
“Austin has come a long ways this season as well,” Benson said of McTrusty, who prevented Carson from taking him down for two points in the final minute. “He’s finally kind of started to get an identity with his offense.”
At 112, Sellers edged Fernando Tapia, 4-2, to give THS its final points of the night.
Altus answered with three wins by fall, two by forfeit (140 and 145) and 6-5 decision by Kanyon Weldon (135) over Max Easter.
“I knew whoever they put on the mat was going to be tough,” said Altus coach Nick Wiliams, whose team had, easily, the longest venture to Skiatook, traveling four-plus hours from southwest Oklahoma. “And I’m not sure how many matches we wrestled, but they won half of them I think.”
While the final score might not reflect it, Benson was happy to see his wrestlers perform well on the big stage.
“It was good to see my kids compete and not get starry-eyed,” Benson said. “I was worried about that with my young ones becuase it’s like going to the state tournament — it’s a big deal. “To me, the way they wrestled, I’m extremely proud.”
Even in his first year with the varsity squad, Lamons knows what making it to dual state this year will mean in the future.
“It’s a big step,” said Lamons, whose team will host the Class 5A East Regional on Friday and Saturday at the TMAC. “We were awful the last few years. But we made a name for ourselves this year, and we’ve got some good kids coming up too.”
Altus 56, Tahlequah 15
(The dual started at 152)
103: Hestin Lamons (THS) pinned Andrew Revilla at 3:30.
112: Mitch Sellers (THS) won 4-2 decision over Fernando Tapia.
119: Jordan Litton (AHS) pinnd Shawn Eller at 1:54.
125: Christian Roney (AHS) pinned Trent Patrick at 4:31.
130: Matt Wilhite (AHS) pinned Justice Bailey at 1:05.
135: Kanyon Weldon (AHS) won 6-5 decision over Max Easter.
140: Ty Stevens (AHS) won by forfeit.
145: Keilan Torres (AHS) won by forfeit.
152: Kanyon Cunningham (AHS) won by forfeit.
160: Jeremy Delzer (AHS) won by forfeit.
171: Drake Martel (AHS) pinned Kyle Easter at 1:28.
189: Tyler George (AHS) pinned A.J. Campbell at 4:33.
215: B.J. Herrlein (THS) won 6-4 decision over Cedric Jamesin.
285: Austin McTrusty (THS) won 3-2 decision over Sean Carson.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Things to watch this weekend
With the weekend upon us, here some items to keep an eye on:
1) Tahlequah basketball — As both THS teams head to Tulsa tonight, both will be looking for some payback after an early-season sweep at the hands of Bishop Kelley. Both Tahlequah teams have improved since early December, but Bishop Kelley is still dangerous and tough to beat at home.
If the Tahlequah girls, ranked 17th in Class 5A, are to win, they'll have to shoot better than they did Tuesday night — 25 percent — in a 30-28 win over Coweta.
And let's say the Lady Tigers beat BK tonight, they could be staring down a potential six-game winning streak with three consecutive home dates (Pryor, Bartlesville, Skiatook) on the horizon before a road trip to Collinsville.
Even with a loss or two in that stretch, Tahlequah ought to be in good shape as playoff pairings and seedings are released in mid-February. The main objective is to avoid being a No. 4 seed in any of the four east-side regional tournaments.
As for the Tahlequah boys, they just need to win to feel good about themselves and to forget about Tuesday night's 50-48, overtime loss to Coweta.
My predictions for tonight: Tahlequah girls knock off Bishop Kelley 43-40, while the Tahlequah boys can't quite shake Tuesday night from their memory in a 58-51 loss at BKHS.
2) Hulbert basketball — Both Hulbert teams dive back in Big Six Conference — aka the Big Eight Conference a year ago before Keys became an independent and Boynton dropped its basketball program — tonight against Vian at Rider Fieldhouse. And that's where I'll be.
The Hulbert girls are currently on a three-game winning streak, thanks in large part to Allison Arnall, Lindsay Hutson and Lindsay Krueger. Arnall scores in double figures nearly every game, while Hutson and Krueger hover around the 10-point mark.
To beat Vian tonight, the Lady Riders will have to contain Leiloni Smith and Chelsie Drew — both dangerous scoring threats.
It should be entertaining watching Arnall and Drew go at it out on the perimeter.
The Hulbert boys, after an 0-5 2010 portion of the schedule, will be looking for win No. 3 on the 2011 side of the slate. The Riders, in fact, are aiming for their second straight win after beating Prue, 47-44, in the fifth-place game of the Kiefer tournament on Monday.
I'm interested to see how Terrance Blue has taken control of the reins since the departure of six seniors from last year's 2A state tournament team. Blue, Craig Potts, Ricco Wynn and Jake Teague have banded together to led Hulbert this season.
My predictions: The Hulbert girls are starting to find their stride as they win their fourth straight game in a 45-39 game, and the Hulbert boys win for the first time at home, 50-46.
3) Sequoyah and Keys basketball on the road — Both Cherokee County rivals will be on the road with Sequoyah venturing across Fort Gibson Lake to play Wagoner, and Keys will head east to Westville.
All four teams are in search of wins to strengthen postseason berths.
The game to watch out of those four will be the girls matchup between Westville and Keys. The two have already met — with Westville winning 64-57 in the Locust Grove tournament — and they could pair up again at some point in the playoffs.
4) NSU women's basketball — The men are off, so it's all about the women this weekend. The RiverHawks will host Texas Woman's at Jack Dobbins Field House in a key Lone Star Conference North Division contest on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Both teams are 4-1 in the North and looking at Central Oklahoma in the standings.
In the end, I would pick NSU's core group of players rather than Texas Woman's. I'll take Jasmine Webb, Taylor Lewis and Tosha Tyler or the Pioneers' Kayla Weaver, Brooke Shepherd and Jessica Hanna.
Plus, NSU can count on its bench if necessary. Alix Perkins, Sarah Green and Katy Harsen all provide good energy in reserve, and I think the starters feed off that a lot of times.
My prediction: NSU beats TWU, 68-58, to step up two huge games against UCO this week.
Also in case you missed it, the NSU women are ranked No. 1 in the South Central Region, which bodes will for the RiverHawks' chances of making the NCAA tournament. If NSU can maintain its top spot, the RiverHawks could campaign to host the South Central Regional, which includes the first three rounds of the national tournament.
NSU, however, might have to overcome some hurdles in hosting the regional. The most glaring obstacles would be the availability of hotel rooms and the capacity of Jack Dobbins Field House. But I've been told the NSU athletic department is trying to put together a solid bid in order to give the RiverHawks a true home-court advantage during the month of March.
Here's a quick look at top 10 in the South Central Region:
1. NSU; 2. Washburn; 3. Tarleton State; 4. NW Missouri St.; 5. Emporia St.; 6. West Texas A&M; 7. Central Oklahoma; 8. SE Oklahoma State; 9. Missouri Southern; 10. Texas Woman's.
5) OU, OSU, TU and ORU men's basketball — While Oklahoma looks to continue a recent string of solid play, Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Oral Roberts are all looking for wins in any way, shape or form.
OUSooners?
The Cowboys are licking their wounds as they head to Texas Tech. A win is a necessity in Lubbock, Texas, if NCAA Tournament aspirations are still on the docket for OSU.
Tulsa just needs to piece together a complete game. But it'll be hard to do when Conference USA leader, UTEP, arrives at the Reynolds Center. A win, however, could boost TU's spirits after a crushing loss to SMU on Wednesday.
Oral Roberts needs to win at IPFW to continue vying for the second spot in the Summit League. Oakland seem to have the top spot wrapped up.
6) OU/OSU women's basketball — It'll be Bedlam in Stillwater, and it ought to be a good one. Oklahoma is the only one ranked in the top 25, but OSU hasn't been too far off the top-25 pace throughout the season.
Enjoy the weekend and all the basketball.
1) Tahlequah basketball — As both THS teams head to Tulsa tonight, both will be looking for some payback after an early-season sweep at the hands of Bishop Kelley. Both Tahlequah teams have improved since early December, but Bishop Kelley is still dangerous and tough to beat at home.
If the Tahlequah girls, ranked 17th in Class 5A, are to win, they'll have to shoot better than they did Tuesday night — 25 percent — in a 30-28 win over Coweta.
And let's say the Lady Tigers beat BK tonight, they could be staring down a potential six-game winning streak with three consecutive home dates (Pryor, Bartlesville, Skiatook) on the horizon before a road trip to Collinsville.
Even with a loss or two in that stretch, Tahlequah ought to be in good shape as playoff pairings and seedings are released in mid-February. The main objective is to avoid being a No. 4 seed in any of the four east-side regional tournaments.
As for the Tahlequah boys, they just need to win to feel good about themselves and to forget about Tuesday night's 50-48, overtime loss to Coweta.
My predictions for tonight: Tahlequah girls knock off Bishop Kelley 43-40, while the Tahlequah boys can't quite shake Tuesday night from their memory in a 58-51 loss at BKHS.
2) Hulbert basketball — Both Hulbert teams dive back in Big Six Conference — aka the Big Eight Conference a year ago before Keys became an independent and Boynton dropped its basketball program — tonight against Vian at Rider Fieldhouse. And that's where I'll be.
The Hulbert girls are currently on a three-game winning streak, thanks in large part to Allison Arnall, Lindsay Hutson and Lindsay Krueger. Arnall scores in double figures nearly every game, while Hutson and Krueger hover around the 10-point mark.
To beat Vian tonight, the Lady Riders will have to contain Leiloni Smith and Chelsie Drew — both dangerous scoring threats.
It should be entertaining watching Arnall and Drew go at it out on the perimeter.
The Hulbert boys, after an 0-5 2010 portion of the schedule, will be looking for win No. 3 on the 2011 side of the slate. The Riders, in fact, are aiming for their second straight win after beating Prue, 47-44, in the fifth-place game of the Kiefer tournament on Monday.
I'm interested to see how Terrance Blue has taken control of the reins since the departure of six seniors from last year's 2A state tournament team. Blue, Craig Potts, Ricco Wynn and Jake Teague have banded together to led Hulbert this season.
My predictions: The Hulbert girls are starting to find their stride as they win their fourth straight game in a 45-39 game, and the Hulbert boys win for the first time at home, 50-46.
3) Sequoyah and Keys basketball on the road — Both Cherokee County rivals will be on the road with Sequoyah venturing across Fort Gibson Lake to play Wagoner, and Keys will head east to Westville.
All four teams are in search of wins to strengthen postseason berths.
The game to watch out of those four will be the girls matchup between Westville and Keys. The two have already met — with Westville winning 64-57 in the Locust Grove tournament — and they could pair up again at some point in the playoffs.
4) NSU women's basketball — The men are off, so it's all about the women this weekend. The RiverHawks will host Texas Woman's at Jack Dobbins Field House in a key Lone Star Conference North Division contest on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Both teams are 4-1 in the North and looking at Central Oklahoma in the standings.
In the end, I would pick NSU's core group of players rather than Texas Woman's. I'll take Jasmine Webb, Taylor Lewis and Tosha Tyler or the Pioneers' Kayla Weaver, Brooke Shepherd and Jessica Hanna.
Plus, NSU can count on its bench if necessary. Alix Perkins, Sarah Green and Katy Harsen all provide good energy in reserve, and I think the starters feed off that a lot of times.
My prediction: NSU beats TWU, 68-58, to step up two huge games against UCO this week.
Also in case you missed it, the NSU women are ranked No. 1 in the South Central Region, which bodes will for the RiverHawks' chances of making the NCAA tournament. If NSU can maintain its top spot, the RiverHawks could campaign to host the South Central Regional, which includes the first three rounds of the national tournament.
NSU, however, might have to overcome some hurdles in hosting the regional. The most glaring obstacles would be the availability of hotel rooms and the capacity of Jack Dobbins Field House. But I've been told the NSU athletic department is trying to put together a solid bid in order to give the RiverHawks a true home-court advantage during the month of March.
Here's a quick look at top 10 in the South Central Region:
1. NSU; 2. Washburn; 3. Tarleton State; 4. NW Missouri St.; 5. Emporia St.; 6. West Texas A&M; 7. Central Oklahoma; 8. SE Oklahoma State; 9. Missouri Southern; 10. Texas Woman's.
5) OU, OSU, TU and ORU men's basketball — While Oklahoma looks to continue a recent string of solid play, Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Oral Roberts are all looking for wins in any way, shape or form.
OUSooners?
The Cowboys are licking their wounds as they head to Texas Tech. A win is a necessity in Lubbock, Texas, if NCAA Tournament aspirations are still on the docket for OSU.
Tulsa just needs to piece together a complete game. But it'll be hard to do when Conference USA leader, UTEP, arrives at the Reynolds Center. A win, however, could boost TU's spirits after a crushing loss to SMU on Wednesday.
Oral Roberts needs to win at IPFW to continue vying for the second spot in the Summit League. Oakland seem to have the top spot wrapped up.
6) OU/OSU women's basketball — It'll be Bedlam in Stillwater, and it ought to be a good one. Oklahoma is the only one ranked in the top 25, but OSU hasn't been too far off the top-25 pace throughout the season.
Enjoy the weekend and all the basketball.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tahlequah/Coweta aftermath plus MLC notes
Just a couple of thoughts and notes following Tuesday night's action in the Metro Lakes Conference.
First up, a look back at the Tahlequah/Coweta games:
Metro Lakes Conference standings
Conf Ovr
Girls W-L W-L
Claremore 6-1 11-3
Bishop Kelley 5-2 8-6
Skiatook 4-3 9-8
Tahlequah 3-3 7-6
Collinsville 3-4 5-9
Coweta 2-4 6-6
Pryor 0-6 3-12
Tuesday's Games
Tahlequah 30, Coweta 28
Claremore 45, Bishop Kelley 39
Collinsville 53, Skiatook 42
Friday's Games
Tahlequah at Bishop Kelley
Pryor at Skiatook
Coweta at Claremore
Saturday's Game
Oologah at Collinsville
Conf Ovr
Boys W-L W-L
Claremore 7-0 12-1
Coweta 6-0 12-3
Bishop Kelley 5-1 7-7
Skiatook 3-4 4-13
Pryor 2-4 4-8
Tahlequah 1-5 3-10
Collinsville 0-7 1-14
Tuesday's Games
Coweta 50, Tahlequah 48, OT
Claremore 92, Bishop Kelley 78
Skiatook 52, Collinsville 39
Friday's Games
Tahlequah at Bishop Kelley
Pryor at Skiatook
Coweta at Claremore
Saturday's Game
Oologah at Collinsville
First up, a look back at the Tahlequah/Coweta games:
- Tahlequah/Coweta girls game review: My prediction of Tahlequah winning 50-44 was a tad bit off — missing the total points by a wide margin. But I still picked the right winner. ... As for the game, neither team could find the bottom of the basket, resulting in Tahlequah shooting 25 percent (11 of 44) and Coweta at a measly 11.9 percent (5 of 42). Of Coweta's five fields goals, Lindsay Nowlin recorded three of them with all coming after halftime. ... After allowing Nowlin to get 27 points in the first meeting, I thought Tahlequah did a much better job of shutting Nowlin down on Tuesday night. Yes, she ended up with a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds), but she had to work for every single bit of that. ... As for Class 5A No. 17 Tahlequah, now 7-6 overall and 3-3 in the Metro Lakes Conference, it got the Lady Tigers within a half game of Skiatook, who currently owns third place in the standings. Tahlequah might have to win some more ugly games along the way, but I don't think the Lady Tigers will mind if it gets them a No. 2 or 3 seed in a regional tournament in late February. ... And I know Randee O'Donnell was frustrated last night, scoring only eight points on 2 of 18 shooting. But the freshman guard for Tahlequah did the right thing in continuing to shoot the ball. Her team relies on her to score, so she has to keep putting it up. ... Going forward, Tahlequah was some pretty good depth inside, being able to go with Erica Sampson, Jessie Patrick, Vanessa Rivas and Casey Beaston. While Patrick might be the best scorer, all four can rebound and do some dirty work on the block.
- Tahlequah/Coweta boys game review: This one might sting for awhile for Tahlequah. The Tigers were able to take advantage of Coweta's lack of interest — or so it appeared — by leading the majority of the game. But in clutch situations, Coweta made the bigger plays, coming up with a key offensive rebound by Trevor Sumpter, which ended up being the game-winning play for 5A No. 11 Coweta. ... I wasn't terribly impressed with Coweta on offense. I thought, at times, it was just a matter of four players posting up behind the 3-point line while Zach Norris tried to create off the dribble. The Tigers have some decent size, but they don't seem interested in getting the ball on the block. ... Despite the loss, Tahlequah's Big 3 (Lain Wright, Spencer Risenhoover and Courtland Glock) established themselves as the key core of the Tigers. Risenhoover and Glock controlled the paint, and they'll need to do so if Tahlequah wants to get anywhere near .500 before season's end. ... With games against Skiatook, Pryor and Collinsville coming up, Tahlequah (3-10, 1-5) must take advantage, winning games against the teams at the bottom of the standings in the Metro Lakes Conference.
- Claremore established itself as the girls team to beat in the MLC. Behind Jordan Schultz's 30 points, the Lady Zebras moved to 6-1 in the league and 11-3 overall.
- The shocker of the night came when Collinsville's girls beat Skiatook, 53-42. Collinsville managed to limit Skiatook's Correy Moyer to nine points.
- The most impressive performance of the night was turned in by Claremore's boys, beating Bishop Kelley 92-78. Northeastern State signee Alex Miller tallied 38 points as the Zebras moved to 7-0 in the conference and 12-1 overall. Coweta is now the only other unbeaten team in league play, sporting a 6-0 mark.
- The other boys game played on Tuesday night was a 52-39 victory by Skiatook over Collinsville.
Metro Lakes Conference standings
Conf Ovr
Girls W-L W-L
Claremore 6-1 11-3
Bishop Kelley 5-2 8-6
Skiatook 4-3 9-8
Tahlequah 3-3 7-6
Collinsville 3-4 5-9
Coweta 2-4 6-6
Pryor 0-6 3-12
Tuesday's Games
Tahlequah 30, Coweta 28
Claremore 45, Bishop Kelley 39
Collinsville 53, Skiatook 42
Friday's Games
Tahlequah at Bishop Kelley
Pryor at Skiatook
Coweta at Claremore
Saturday's Game
Oologah at Collinsville
Conf Ovr
Boys W-L W-L
Claremore 7-0 12-1
Coweta 6-0 12-3
Bishop Kelley 5-1 7-7
Skiatook 3-4 4-13
Pryor 2-4 4-8
Tahlequah 1-5 3-10
Collinsville 0-7 1-14
Tuesday's Games
Coweta 50, Tahlequah 48, OT
Claremore 92, Bishop Kelley 78
Skiatook 52, Collinsville 39
Friday's Games
Tahlequah at Bishop Kelley
Pryor at Skiatook
Coweta at Claremore
Saturday's Game
Oologah at Collinsville
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tahlequah/Coweta notes
As the Tahlequah and Coweta get Metro Lakes Conference action going again, here's a couple of quick-hitters as tip off nears at the TMAC:
- Conference play picks up: With all the regular-season tournaments now behind us, the Metro Lakes Conference kicks it into high-gear until mid-February. As of right now, Claremore is the team to beat for both the boys and the girls. But watch out for Bishop Kelley in both and Coweta on the boys side. Other league sleepers could be: Tahlequah (girls) and Skiatook (girls). The race for the girls crown should be a good one.
- O'Donnell vs. Nowlin: Last time Tahlequah and Coweta hooked up in girls basketball, the game went 15 extra minutes before Coweta prevailed. Nowlin posted 27 points, and THS coach Chad Walker said his team failed to execute its gameplan — fronting Nowlin to prevent her from getting the ball. Watch for double-downs on Nowlin, creating open looks for Katie Kelley. For THS, Randee O'Donnell, a freshman guard, is beginning to break out of her freshman shell. She is Tahlequah's leading scorer, and if she catches fire, she's hard to stop. Should be fun to watch Nowlin and O'Donnell go toe-to-toe.
- Upset necessity: On Monday, Tahlequah boys coach Wes Hayes talked about avoiding the bottom four spots on the east side of the state in Class 5A — basically avoiding an impossible game to win in the opening round of the postseason. If Tahlequah wants to avoid a East Central, a Memorial or a Central in the first round, it needs to pick up a couple of upset victories along the way in MLC play. Beating Coweta would go a long way to help the cause. If not, Tahlequah must sweep Collinsville, Pryor and pick up a win against Skiatook to convince others in the state that the Tigers deserve a shot in the first round.
- Predictions for tonight: In the girls game, Tahlequah gets some revenge, beating Coweta 50-44. In the boys game, Coweta continues its impressive season, coming up with a 58-49 road victory.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tournament/Athletic event cancellations
As expected, there are a myriad of postponements and cancellations for high school athletics across the state.
Tahlequah, Sequoyah and Hulbert will not play in their respective basketball tournaments today because of inclement weather across Green Country.
Here's a list of all the events called off today:
Tahlequah, Sequoyah and Hulbert will not play in their respective basketball tournaments today because of inclement weather across Green Country.
Here's a list of all the events called off today:
- The Union/Jenks Invitational: The Tahlequah basketball teams will have to wait an extra day to tip off in the Tulsa-area tournament. Union officials said the tournament will just be pushed back a day, meaning Thursday games will be played on Friday and so on with the tournament ending on Monday. If schools are closed on Friday, the tournament will be called off altogether, according to Union officials in the athletic office.
- The Tri-State Classic in Jay: Both Sequoyah basketball teams were slated to play in the tournament semifinals today. According to Sequoyah athletic director Larry Grigg, the tournament will still try to finish on Friday and Saturday. Grigg said winner's bracket games would be played in the main gym at Jay High School while the loser's bracket would be played in the secondary gymnasium.
- The Dale Calvert Invitational in Kiefer: With the Hulbert basketball teams in the field, the tournament will try to resume Friday with games being pushed back a day. The final day of the tournament will be on Monday.
- Sequoyah (wrestling) at Pawhuska; Hulbert (wrestling) at Woodland.
- The John Nobles Tournament in Moore (Muskogee girls basketball)
- The Old Fort Classic in Fort Gibson (Wagoner, Ft. Gibson, Eufaula and Stilwell).
- The Mounds tournament (Oktaha and Checotah).
Friday, December 10, 2010
12/10 Tahlequah basketball recaps
Enid 34, Tahlequah 28 (girls)
Saying there were nearly as many points as turnovers tells the tale between Tahlequah and Enid on Friday. The two clubs combined for 62 points and 47 turnovers.
In the end, Enid prevailed, beating Tahlequah 34-28 in the consolation semifinals of the 2010 Tahlequah Basketball Classic at the TMAC.
Tahlequah rallied from a 23-16 halftime time deficit to take a 25-23 lead with 2:38 to go in the third quarter on a Randee O'Donnell 3-pointer. THS limited Enid to one point in the third period, forcing the Pacers into 11 turnovers and 0 of 7 shooting from the field.
In the fourth quarter, however, Enid used eight Courtney Chelf points to claim a victory. The Enid sophomore led all scorers in the game with 19 points.
With the teams tied at 28, Enid scored the final six points of the contest. Bayli Jones hit a jumper and Chelf added four free throw's to down Tahlequah.
O'Donnell led Tahlequah with 13 points and eight rebounds. Jessie Patrick chipped in 11 rebounds with five points, including a putback at the 1:25 mark in the fourth quarter to knot the game at 28.
Bentonville (Ark.) 29, Tahlequah 25 (boys)
Jon Roy and Nick Smith both scored eight points as Bentonville (Ark.) won an ultra-low scoring battle, 29-25, to down Tahlequah in the consolation semifinals on Friday.
Tahlequah, despite falling behind 19-6 in the third period, managed to tie the game at 23-all in the fourth quarter when Kevin Busch nailed a jumper. Busch, who led all scorers, paced Tahlequah with 13 points — 11 of which came in the third.
The game was highlighted by Tahlequah's first possession of the game. After Bentonville won the tip, Roy missed a running jumper, and Tahlequah's Quincy McDowell grabbed the rebound.
Then the game came to a screeching halt.
Tahlequah point guard Lain Wright, under instruction from the bench, stood near midcourt with the ball under his arm. And he didn't move for seven minutes.
Despite pleading from the fans — mainly Bentonville's girls team in the stands — Wright didn't begin the possession until there was less than 30 seconds left in the opening period.
After the long delay, Tahlequah's first offensive possession, which ended in a turnover, drew sarcastic cheers from all those in attendance.
Both teams combined for four shots from the field in the opening quarter and neither team made one.
The first basket of the game didn't come until the 7:32 mark in the second period when Roy put in a short jumper for Bentonville.
Saying there were nearly as many points as turnovers tells the tale between Tahlequah and Enid on Friday. The two clubs combined for 62 points and 47 turnovers.
In the end, Enid prevailed, beating Tahlequah 34-28 in the consolation semifinals of the 2010 Tahlequah Basketball Classic at the TMAC.
Tahlequah rallied from a 23-16 halftime time deficit to take a 25-23 lead with 2:38 to go in the third quarter on a Randee O'Donnell 3-pointer. THS limited Enid to one point in the third period, forcing the Pacers into 11 turnovers and 0 of 7 shooting from the field.
In the fourth quarter, however, Enid used eight Courtney Chelf points to claim a victory. The Enid sophomore led all scorers in the game with 19 points.
With the teams tied at 28, Enid scored the final six points of the contest. Bayli Jones hit a jumper and Chelf added four free throw's to down Tahlequah.
O'Donnell led Tahlequah with 13 points and eight rebounds. Jessie Patrick chipped in 11 rebounds with five points, including a putback at the 1:25 mark in the fourth quarter to knot the game at 28.
Bentonville (Ark.) 29, Tahlequah 25 (boys)
Jon Roy and Nick Smith both scored eight points as Bentonville (Ark.) won an ultra-low scoring battle, 29-25, to down Tahlequah in the consolation semifinals on Friday.
Tahlequah, despite falling behind 19-6 in the third period, managed to tie the game at 23-all in the fourth quarter when Kevin Busch nailed a jumper. Busch, who led all scorers, paced Tahlequah with 13 points — 11 of which came in the third.
The game was highlighted by Tahlequah's first possession of the game. After Bentonville won the tip, Roy missed a running jumper, and Tahlequah's Quincy McDowell grabbed the rebound.
Then the game came to a screeching halt.
Tahlequah point guard Lain Wright, under instruction from the bench, stood near midcourt with the ball under his arm. And he didn't move for seven minutes.
Despite pleading from the fans — mainly Bentonville's girls team in the stands — Wright didn't begin the possession until there was less than 30 seconds left in the opening period.
After the long delay, Tahlequah's first offensive possession, which ended in a turnover, drew sarcastic cheers from all those in attendance.
Both teams combined for four shots from the field in the opening quarter and neither team made one.
The first basket of the game didn't come until the 7:32 mark in the second period when Roy put in a short jumper for Bentonville.
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