Lady Tiger basketball seeks third consecutive Gold Ball Wrestling enters season with State Title expectations Speed, shooting a strength for Boys basketball New coach helping swimmers find their stroke, dedication
Deep, Talented Several players could contribute as Lady Tigers seek third straight title
Coach Mike Hughes pitted his potential starters against what he considered his second five. First team to seven was the winner. The two final scores: 7-6 and 7-5. The victories were split. On the floor for the first group were all four players - Aysia Evans, Alexis Gauldin, Darian Jackson and Jalise Smallwood – who started for last year’s Class 6A state champions. In back-to-back title-winning seasons, Hughes did not have the luxury of this much depth. “We feel confident that we have eight to 11 players that can give us some minutes and give players some rest,” Hughes said. “That is something we didn’t have last year.” Those four returning starters played the bulk of the minutes last year along with graduates Taylor Jones and Tierra Jones. Hughes’ challenge will be finding minutes for players on his talent-stricken roster. “If someone came in to watch us practice on a given day, and they had no idea who our kids were, they might pick one of eight or nine players as the best player on our team,” Hughes said. “That’s a good sign as to where we’ve come from.” Junior Katlyn Laughlin, a 6-2 junior whose family moved to Broken Arrow in the summer, will provide an inside presence to the guard heavy Lady Tigers. “Last year, we had a force inside (Taylor Jones), but this year I think we’ll be able to score more points inside when we are in our half court set,” Hughes said. “That, along with the way we shoot the ball and can penetrate, is going to make us hard to guard.” An early season evaluation by the coaching staff has this team “20-25 points better than we were a year ago at this time.” That was before (might want to mention her first name again) Evans, a Tulsa Washington transfer in 2014-15, was eligible and before girls developed as a cohesive unit. “Chemistry is a huge thing,” Hughes said. “The kids have really bought into the fact that we have to be a tight group and that we can’t be selfish,” he said. “It’s not about one person. If we win, we all win. If we lose, we all lose.” Losing is what Hughes and his girls have done little of the past two seasons, going 51-5 during that time. The Lady Tigers will be a favorite to capture its third consecutive gold ball. And though Hughes and his girls are confident, he knows winning the Frontier Valley Conference could be as difficult a task as winning that final tournament game. “Our conference is loaded,” Hughes said. “We’re going to have to play really well to beat some teams in our conference. “We have a lot of confidence, maybe sometimes too much. But I’d rather have too much confidence than not enough.” Confidence, depth, chemistry – that is a good recipe for success.
This free throw, by then sophomore Jalise Smallwood, broke a 67-67 tie in overtime of the last year’s state championship game against Muskogee at the ORU Mabee Center. Smallwood made both free throws and the Lady Tigers went on to a 71-67 victory and their second consecutive title.
Backcourt duo pushes each other to bring their...
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-GAME In seafaring days of yore, a wooden battleship would fire a shot “across the bow” warning another ship of a possible out-gunned confrontation. In tornado alley, sirens ring out danger of an on-rushing cyclonic threat. In Class 6A girls basketball, the alarm is sounding that Broken Arrow’s dynamic guard duo of Alexis Gaulden and Aysia Evans have improved on the game that helped propel the Lady Tigers to their second straight state title. “Teams are going to have to pick their poison,” said assistant coach Tiffany Jones. “Either girl, if you back off, can shoot from the outside. And, if you come out and pressure, they can go to the basket. They pass the ball so well and not just to each other. They have a great court sense. They get the ball to the right people in the right spots.” For these two teammates, the letter “A” is not just the beginning of their first names, it’s the descriptive letter of the game they bring to the court every night. They are confident in knowing, especially after playing nearly 80 AAU games together this summer, that if one’s game is not clicking, then the other will pick up the slack. Says Gaulden: “You’re not going to be at your best every game, so it’s awesome that you have someone you can rely on.” Says Evans: “If I know I’m not on, I know I can dish to Lex, because if I’m not going to hit it, she will. We’ve got each other’s back.” It’s hard to recall an off night for either girl during their junior season. So forecasting one for their senior campaign is more challenging than predicting when next spring’s first Oklahoma wall cloud will appear in the west. Both girls are physically stronger than a year ago, adding nearly 10-pounds of muscle since hoisting that second gold ball in March. As for self-evaluation, both say they are better shooters than a year ago. Aysia has developed a “deep pull-up jumper” while Alexis is now “hitting wide open jumpers.” Send out the S.O.S. Hoist the warning flag. Alexis and Aysia are even better than before.
a Jacob Knutson, Senior, 6-3, averaged four points and more than three rebounds off the bench a season ago. Coach Wallace Scouting Report: Our X-factor; Can shoot, dribble; One of our best rebounding guards and understands help-side defense
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Caleb Huffman, Sophomore, 6-3, averaged nearly four points in 17 varsity games as a freshman. Coach Wallace Scouting Report: Great scorer with an incredibly quick first step; Long defender on the outside
Tigers Projected Starting Five
Brandon Chaney, Sen starting point guard, ave and one steal per game la Coach Wallace Scouting on-ball defender; Offense day
Coach Wallace’s Overall Team Scouting Report I think we shoot the ball better than we did last year. We have multiple guys who can step out and shoot that shot. We can really stretch the defense and make them guard the whole floor. Our guards are tall, so they can post up. We can put people in different situations when they have a smaller guy on them. We’ve looked at playing more zone this year because of our length. But also because of the way they are calling the game. The emphasis this year is cleaning up the post play, so it will be easy for guys to get into foul trouble. We can play zone to get people out of rhythm because of our length. Because we are all about the same time, we can switch every guard screen and not worry about the height difference. This gives us a lot more freedom to do some things defensively.
Beau Knows Coach Wallace: shooting, speed strength of 2015-2016 squad
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nior, 6-2, returning eraged two assists ast season. g Report: Terrific e improving every
Tony Hall, Junior, 6-5, averaged nearly four points and three rebounds during 2014-2015 season. Coach Wallace Scouting Report: Strong rebounder and a lock-down defender; Shoots the ball well and can get to the rim
Ben Crider, Senior, 6-5, leads all returning players in points per game (6.6), rebounds (4.0), blocked shots (13), 3-point FG percentage (.407). Coach Wallace Scouting Report: Our best outside shooter; Good rebound who can run the floor
E SINGLETOF X P E C T A T I O N S Championship presumptions are the norm when wrestlers strap on BA gear
Isaiah Page (right) and returning state qualifiers (clockwise from upper left) Trenton Lieurance, Caleb Wise, Skyler Haynes, TaJuan Daniels, and Tyler Lawley all understand the expectations of being a Tiger wrestler.
For the first time this decade, Broken Arrow enters a wrestling season without a returning state champion. Gold medalists Marcus Simmons, Payden Bailey, Chris Kaser and Steven Allen graduated. But this is Broken Arrow and by no means is the wrestling cupboard bare. Six other state qualifiers – Tyler Lawley, TaJuan Daniels, Caleb Wise, Skylar Haynes, Isaiah Page and Trenton Lieurance – bring back more state tournament points than any other Class 6A team in the state. “We feel good about this group.” This low key statement was the beginning of a 10-minute explanation that ended as most conversations about BA wrestling do with Coach Shawn Jones – the talk of another title. “The whole season is about preparing them for that rodeo arena down there and winning a state championship,” said the coach, eager for the mats to unroll and the season to begin. The 2015-16 Tiger wrestling squad is a team of depth. “Much like other schools around the state,we don’t have those superstars. Amateur News is not calling wanting to do articles over any of the kids,” Jones said. “We lost five phenomenal dudes, but we’ve lost those type of guys before. We have some kids who can make a name for themselves.” On a side note about our state, an all-star team of Oklahoma wrestlers were high school national dual champions and sent more than a dozen wrestlers to NCAA Division 1 colleges. Qualifying 11 wrestlers for the state tournament is a likely scenario for the Tigers again this year. Getting eight placers, Jones said, will bring a second straight title back to Broken Arrow and the fifth since 2010. “There are expectations when you put on that new singlet, and it’s got that big Broken Arrow on the front of it,” Jones said. “We have expectations on how you perform and how you conduct yourself. “These kids have been in the program. They’ve watched all the kids before them. They’ve seen them at state on the top podium. They’ve seen them hoist the championship trophies.” The departure of Simmons, Allen and Davion Jeffries to Division 1 schools along with the graduation of Bailey and Kaser creates competition for five spots in the middle of the Tiger lineup. The “four-week grind” from the beginning of practice to the early season matches has proven the depth of this program is no illusion. “We don’t have any nationally ranked people but from head to toe you’re going to have to be very good to beat us,” Jones said. “You’re going to have to have better kids at all 14 weights than what we have.” The mix of wrestlers who performed in the “big barn” at the fairgrounds in Oklahoma City and those youngsters who have visions of competing there has created a competitive edge in workouts. “We’ve got that group of kids that go in there every day and will chew nails,” Jones said of wrestling workouts. “They’ll do anything in the world for you. It’s a good group of kids. We’ll be right back in the mix of it when the state tournament rolls around.”
Splash New coach makes a
Put a check mark by the early season goals: a Team Unity aProud to be a swimmer Next up: Performance Goals “We have given them a clear picture of what their goal is,” said Samantha Evans, first year Tigers swim coach. “We are going to push them further than they think they can go.” That pushing has paid preseason dividends. Junior Chris Helton, the boys top returning freestyler has cut a second off of his time from a year ago. He is alone on that island of improvement. “With our recent time trials , we have already had swimmers beat times from last year’s regionals,” Evans said. “That is just incredible. That should not be done this early. That gets me excited to get the season started.” For Helton, had it not been for weightlifting on Mondays, he was going to pass on swimming. “When I heard the team was doing weights, I decided to come back,” said the junior who swims the 50-free. “I’m glad I did. It’s great to be part of this team.” Evans said it was “minimal” changes that led to Helton shaving a second off his 50 time. But in that race, a second is the “difference between first place and 12th place,” the coach added. “Tiny changes made a huge difference.”
DETERMIN
CAPTAIN
Michaela Stabler Merit Semifin When new swim coach Samantha Evans greeted her team for the first time the captains were already in place. In Michaela Stabler, a National Merit Semifinalist with career aspirations of being a psychiatrist, Evans said the choice could not have been better. “I’m excited she is one of our captains,” Evans said. “She knows what concerns her teammates have without them expressing it. She knows the vibe of how everything is. She is a peer who is able to help direct them and make sure that everyone is on the same page.” From school to work and from swim practice to volunteer projects, it’s amazing that Stabler is able to find time to keep her own life in balance. Self-described as “determined” and “resilient,” Stabler is not merely a goal setter. She is a goal achiever.
“I can say that I have worked very hard, and I don’t feel like it’s bragging,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be captain of the swim team, now here I am. Since I knew what National Merit was… well, I’m a semifinalist and that’s almost there.” Prestigious institutions such as Vanderbilt, Columbia and Yale top her list of college choices. Though she is a month away from taking her SAT, she has registered a 34 on her ACT. Those results, combined with her 2016 BAHS class rank of 18 and extracurricular involvement, should go a long way in helping her fulfill her educational dreams.
Chris Helton listens to instructions from Coach Samantha Evans during swimming practice.
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Accomplishments are a part of how Stabler measures success: her smile beams a little brighter when she recalls being part of a statemedal winning relay team last spring. When talking about those four areas – work, volunteering, school and swimming – that inhibit her waking hours Stabler’s maturity glistens like morning sunlight through an open window. “I have success as a waitress when I feel I’m on top of things and not just faking a smile,” said the Pizza Hut server, who puts in 15 hours or more a week. “To me, being successful at work is enjoying the pressure of a fast-paced job. “Also, I don’t define it as making a lot of tips. I could go into work and make twice as much in tips as I did the night before, but if I don’t feel like I was in the swing of things then I wouldn’t consider it a successful night.” Then there’s her volunteer time, which includes Special Olympics, a youth leadership role at her church and tutoring teammates. “Any type of volunteer work is a success in itself,” Stabler said. “Even if you just feel obligated to do it, you’re still doing something that’s beneficial for someone else. That is the bonus.” School is where she uses accomplishment as a barometer of success. “If I see that I have a high grade then I know that I worked for it and I earned it,” Stabler said. Swimming she measures by effort. And, the clock. “Getting a faster time than my last time - a new personal record - is a success,” said the wavy-haired strawberry blond standing beside the Salvation Army
Boys and Girls Club Pool. “Honestly, if I beat the person in the lane next to me, that’s a success too. Just achieving more than you could a week ago is a good feeling.” That “good feeling” is often nowhere to be found in the mind of Stabler. This intelligent, hard-working, organized and charmingly sweet young lady is haunted by an anxiety disorder. She openly talks about that what others view as normal day-to-day occurrences are assaults on her senses of reason and fear. “Simple everyday things are really, really difficult for me,” Stabler explains. “I freak out about everything sometimes. It makes even the smallest things stressful for me. When I’m out to eat, if I need to go up to the counter and ask for extra sauce packets that scares the crap out of me.” It’s the battle with the body’s natural chemicals which attack her brain that has drawn her to pursuing a medical school degree in psychology. “My personal struggles have made things a lot harder, but I also feel it has made me a lot stronger person,” she said. “I want to give back to that avenue of kids that experience mental disorders.” She is proving as a high school senior that she has the determination to be successful in her desired field of work. “I realize whether you have nothing to do and you’re sitting there staring at the wall or whether you are going from place to place without a minute to stop and breathe, life is still about just how much you want to move past this obstacle you have,” Stabler said, speaking like a doctor already. “My anxiety can be an obstacle. Shear will is a factor in how I handle that rather than how busy I keep myself.”
2015-2016 Winter Varsity Sports Schedules B A S K E T B A L L
12/3/15 12/8/15 12/15/15 12/29/15 1/5/16 1/12/16 1/15/16 1/19/16 1/21-23/16 1/21-23/16 1/26/16 1/29/16 2/2/16 2/5/16 2/9/16 2/12/16 2/16/16 2/19/16 2/25-27/16
TBA TBA 6:30/8:00 PM TBA 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM TBA TBA 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM 6:30/8:00 PM TBA
Willard Tournament Bishop Kelley Jenks Sapulpa Tournament Owasso Muskogee Bartlesville Bixby Jenks/Union Tournament (Girls) Moore Tournament (Boys) Sand Springs Union Sapulpa Bishop Kelley Jenks Owasso Muskoge Bartlesville Regional Tournament
Willard, Mo. Bshp Kelley HS Tiger Field House Sapulpa Owasso HS Tiger Field House Tiger Field House Bixby HS Jenks Moore HS Tiger Field House Tiger Field House Sapulpa HS Tiger Field House Jenks Tiger Field House Muskogee HS Bartlesville HS TBA
w R E S T L I N G
11/14/15 11/21/15 11/25/15 12/3/15 12/5/15 12/11-12/15 12/15/15 1/7/16 1/8-9/16 1/14/16 1/15-16/26 1/22/16 1/26/16 1/28/16 2/4/16 2/5-6/16 2/12-13/16 2/19-20/26 2/26-27/16
9:00 AM 10:00 AM 9:00 AM 7:00 PM 9:00 AM TBA 5:30 PM 5:00 PM TBA 6:00 PM TBA TBA TBA TBA 7:00 PM TBA TBA TBA TBA
BA Open Cascia Hall (Scrimmage) Edmond Pre-Turkey Muskogee Gardner Edgerton Invitational Walsh Jesuit Ironman Jenks Choctaw Geary Invitational Sand Springs Sand Springs Invitational Stillwater Claremore,Sapulpa,BTW Bixby Union Bishop Kelley Invitational Dual State East Regionals State Tournament
Tiger Field House Cascia Hall Edmond Memorial Tiger Field House Gardner, Kansas Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Jenks Choctaw Geary, Ok Sand Springs Sand Springs Tiger Field House Claremore Bixby Tiger Field House Bshp Kelley TBA Tiger Field House OKC State Fair Arena
10/27/15 11/12/15 11/14/15 11/19/15 12/3/15 12/15/15 1/12/16 1/14/16 1/22-23/16 2/5-6/16 2/19-20/16
5:30 PM 5:30 PM 12:00 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM TBA TBA TBA
Black & Gold Preview Jenks & Stillwater Union Owasso Bixby Invitational Bartlesville & Sapulpa Conference Championship Bishop Kelley Jenks Invitational Eastern Regional State Meet
BA Boys & Girls Club Jenks Aquatic Center Union Middle school Owasso HS Bixby M.S. Bartlesville HS Jenks Aquatic Ctr BA Boys & Girls Club Jenks Aquatic Center Jenks Aquatic Center Jenks Aquatic Center
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Eye on the Tiger 2015-2016 Winter Sports Preview Volume 2, Issue 2 Photo Credits: Jason Kelly, Ruth Kelly Studios Jeremy Scott, BA Ledger Steve Cowen, BAPS Sports Information Coordinator
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