19th Street Magazine December 2022

Gray Powers Sooners Featured Back

New Orthopedic Walk In Clinic Ortho Stat

Veteran of the Month Zach Lilley

Eric

State of the Schools by Lindsay Cuomo

Moore Chamber holds event highlighting learning institutions.

Charting a Course into Health Care

by Sharla Bardin New center program gives high school seniors a pathway into nursing careers.

Feature

Back

by Chris Plank Eric Gray realizes his potential powering the Sooner offense.

Locked In by Chris Plank Year 2 of the Porter Moser era begins.

Moore

Lions Winter Sports

by Connor Pasby Previews of basketbal and wrestling seasons.

Westmoore

Jaguars Winter Sports

by Connor Pasby Previews of basketbal and wrestling seasons.

Southmoore Sabercats Winter Sports

by Connor Pasby

Previews of basketbal and wrestling seasons.

High

School Swimming

by Connor Pasby Preview of Moore, Westmoore and Southmoore swim teams. 38 Norman

Regional Hospital: Ortho Stat by

Lindsay Cuomo

Veteran

Navy

Zach

of the Month:

Ortho Central opens an orthopedic care walk-in clinic. 42

Chief Petty Officer

Lilley

by Roxanne Avery Lilley takes pride serving his community, country and teaching others.

Cover photo by: Mark Doescher

State of the Schools

Moore Chamber holds event highlighting learning institutions

The Moore Chamber of Commerce invited Moore and south Oklahoma City schools, colleges and uni versities to speak to area business leaders during the annual State of the Schools luncheon. Representatives from five institutions spoke about current happenings and accomplishments and shared about future plans.

Here are some quick facts you need to know about the State of the Schools:

OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

OCCC was recently named a top 40 film school by MovieMakers, an annual list that recognizes post-sec ondary educational programs around the U.S. and Canada. Robert Ruiz, a representative from OCCC, confirmed that film is a fast-growing industry in Okla homa. According to the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, millions of dollars flow into the Oklahoma economy each year through film production, creating thousands of full and part-time job opportunities.

Additionally, OCCC welcomed a new president this year. Dr. Mautra Jones, the first woman and person of color to serve in this role, was named as both the 2021 National Mother of the Year and the 2021 Oklahoma Mother of the Year and serves in numerous communi ty leadership roles including with Langston University, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Watch and Okla homa City Chamber of Commerce.

2022 marked OCCC’s 50th year. The community col lege was founded Sept. 25, 1972.

MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Mid America came to Oklahoma from Houston in 1989 in a state of financial limbo. MaKailee Davis, the director of annual giving at Mid America, shared about the university’s prior difficulties due to significant debt and their current financial status.

“We are now out of debt completely,” Davis shared. The university is now focused on student quality of life initiatives. New president Rev. Philip A. Greenwald asked the question “wouldn’t it be great if…” and let students and staff fill in the blank. Recent projects have included pickleball courts, new resident halls, campus beautification, locker rooms and even a Chick-fil-A and Starbucks on campus.

MACU offers 157 degree programs and Davis touted MACU’s low teacher-student ratio as an asset for stu dent success.

RANDALL UNIVERSITY

Randall University was founded in 1959 and current ly offers 11 undergraduate degree programs and two graduate degree programs. Dr. Mike Harris, the uni versity’s representative, said that “virtually all students are on some level of scholarship” at Randall.

Randall recently expanded its alternative teacher edu cation program, offering additional resources and cur riculum to help emergency-certified teachers complete the state requirements to receive an Oklahoma teach ing certification. Both online and on-campus courses are offering in classroom management, psychology and instructional design.

MOORE NORMAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER

Moore Norman has 30 full-time programs in addition to numerous long-term and short-term programs for area high school students. Brian Ruttman, with the technology center, shared that more than 800 students are currently enrolled in the center’s STEM opportuni ties which includes a 4-year pre-engineering program and a medical assisting career program. Both are free to area high school students.

“In the new LPN program, high school students can graduate ready to pass the national certification and earn credit hours for OCCC’s nursing program with zero debt,” Ruttman said, about the center’s medical assisting program recently named No. 1 in the state by MedicalAssistantAdvice.com.

Moore Norman is expanding its impact in the STEM, healthcare, public safety, aerospace and construction industries “to better prepare for workforce demands,” Ruttman said.

A new public safety training location is under construc tion at the Franklin campus.

MOORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Among many other district accolades, Moore Public Schools had their District Teacher of the Year named as a finalist for Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year. Alona Whitebird teaches at Southmoore High School and was the 2021 Oklahoma History Teacher of the Year.

MPS now has licensed practical nurses at all school sites and added 14 counselors in a district effort to in crease access to mental health resources for teachers and students.

Several projects funded by the most recent bond issue are underway including baseball and softball turf fields and college and career centers at each high school as well as security updates and classroom additions in sev eral elementary and junior high schools.

Last year, students and staff raised nearly $350,000 for Moore Love, the district’s philanthropic initiative benefiting local nonprofits such as Regional Food Bank and Bridges Moore. Efforts are already underway for this school year’s campaign. 19SM

Charting a Course into Health Care

Anew program at Moore Norman Technology Center offers high school seniors a fast track into the nursing field. The PN Select program helps high school students gain experience in the nursing field and opens up possibilities for employment once they finish the program.

“This is their stepping stone to bigger and better things in nursing,” said J. Jeffery Jordan, program coordina tor for practical nursing and simulation.

In the program, the high school seniors learn tech niques and specialty areas of nursing, while also getting hands-on skills with simulations and clinical rotations at local medical facilities and offices.

New center program gives high school seniors a pathway into nursing careers

Once the seniors graduate from high school, they return to the technology center to complete the program through fulltime course work and clinical rotations from June to Decem ber. After they finish, they’ll be eligible to take the state licen sure exam to become a licensed practical nurse.

Kamiyah Thompson is one of 11 high school seniors in the PN Select program. The Southmoore High School student said she was interested in the program “because it is a great opportunity to get ahead in my pursuit to become a registered nurse.”

Thompson said she’s interested in becoming a nurse because of a “desire to help people. In addition, it offers great job se curity and flexibility.”

Thompson said she is enjoying the program and “the friend ships (established) through all of the study groups and activi ties we have both during and after class.”

Jordan said plans are to increase the number of students in the program to 16 next year. In addition, the center is redesign ing classrooms and adding additional simulation labs, which models a hospital room to give students hands-on training.

Money for the improvements came from federal pandemic aid that was allocated to Oklahoma through the American Rescue Plan Act. Jordan said the PN Select program is an opportunity to attract more students into nursing careers.

“There’s such a nursing shortage and there has been for quite a while,” he said.

For example, registered nurses rank as the second most crit ical occupation in a recent list from Oklahoma Works, the state’s workforce development initiative. The critical occupa tions list identifies occupations that are in high demand and are projected to have positive future growth.

For those interested in careers in health care, Jordan said the center offers a variety of programs that focus on different ar eas of health care. Some programs include dental assisting, diagnostic medical sonography, health careers certification, medical assisting, physical therapy services, practical nurs ing, veterinary assisting and surgical technology.

In addition, the center offers short-term health and safety classes that include courses to become an emergency medical technician or to train in First Aid and CPR, medical billing and insurance and medical coding.

For more information about the center’s health programs, visit mntc.edu.-19SM

by: Mark Doescher

Consistent, productive and constant - Eric Gray has been all three for the Oklahoma Sooners in a frustrating season. After a relatively quiet first season in Norman, Gray has been the breakout star the Sooners desperately need.

Gray has wowed during his senior season with his game-changing, play-making ability with jaw-dropping changes of direction and a newly found ability to run through defenders. The breakout season has been a magnification of his commitment and has rewarded an incredible amount of hard work and persistence.

In his first season with Oklahoma, after transferring from Tennessee, Gray did not have the results or impact he envisioned. The path was not easy but, in the end, it has been worth it for Eric Gray.

“I think last year I had some things to do mentally with my game that I over came this year,” Gray said. “That has allowed me to play as well as I have.”

THE PATH TO OKLAHOMA

Coming out of high school, Gray was the fourth-ranked all-purpose back in the nation and fifth-ranked prospect in Tennessee. Gray became the first-ever, three-time Mr. Football Award winner in the state of Tennessee and was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the state during a re cord-setting career at Memphis’ Lausanne Collegiate School.

He scored 138 total touchdowns and rushed for 7,901 yards, wowing college coaches all over the country. He was rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, where he was ranked the No. 99 overall player, No. 2 all-purpose back and No. 2 player from the state of Tennessee in the 2019 class.

With his choice of colleges, Gray had originally committed to Michigan, but reopened his recruitment and decided to go to Tennessee.

As soon as Gray stepped on the Tennessee campus in Knoxville, he made an impact. Gray rushed for a Tennessee freshman record 246 yards and three touchdowns in the Vols’ 2019 regular-season finale against Vanderbilt. He then had 86 yards and a touchdown in their 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win over Indiana, earning game MVP honors.

As the No. 1 back during his sophomore season, he led the Volunteers in rush ing with 772 yards and four touchdowns on 157 attempts during nine games. But after his second season in Knoxville, a coaching change was made, and rumors of NCAA violations swirled around the Tennessee program. In fact, Gray was held out of the Tennessee season as an investigation was made into potential NCAA violations. While Gray was never connected to any violations, Tennessee eventually fired head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Gray decided his best path was to leave Tennessee. He elected to transfer on Jan. 20, 2021.

“Vol Nation - I love you guys,” Gray tweeted. “You have been unbelievably supportive. Tennessee will forever be my home. You are the best fans in the country, and I just want to say THANK YOU for giving the young kid out of Memphis an opportunity to play at the next level. You are my FAMILY.”

The Memphis native finished his Vols career with 1,311 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving). Now, Gray was ready to take his talents to another Power 5 program at the University of Oklahoma.

“I kind of knew from the jump that this was the place I wanted to come to,” Gray said. “Looking at the past years, you see how great the offense is. I saw how great I could fit into the offense.”

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BY: CHRIS PLANK

BACK FEATURED

Gray was the third Tennessee transfer to join the Soon ers program during the offseason prior to the 2021 sea son. Gray followed offensive lineman Wanya Morris and defensive back Key Lawrence, who also picked Oklaho ma after entering the transfer portal during what was a forgettable offseason in Knoxville.

“We all didn’t even talk about it, it’s kind of just hap pened,” Gray said of rumors that the exile to Norman was coordinated. “It was definitely not planned. It was a coincidence for everybody just to come here.”

Now, Gray was ready for a fresh start in Norman and an opportunity to play for one of the most electric offenses in college football.

A FRUSTRATING FIRST SEASON

The initial impression of Gray in a Sooner uniform was an impressive one. In the 2021 spring game, Gray show cased his change of direction, leaving a Sooner defender in the dust and scoring a touchdown on one of his four carries.

It looked as if the Tennessee transfer who left Knoxville looking to play a key role was going to accomplish his goal. But, as the season progressed, his role seemed to diminish. Instead of being a go-to back, Gray was more of a change of pace back behind Kennedy Brooks.

“You can either look at it as an obstacle,’” said Gray. “Or you can look at it as an opportunity. You must make the best of your decision and ultimately you must go out there and dominate when you can.”

Gray finished the year with 412 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 78 carries. He finished the season third on the team in rushing yards, but Gray expected more.

“As a player… when things don’t go your way, you think about, ‘How can I get better?’” Gray said. “I think last year was just a way for me to get better. I think last sea son was a steppingstone for me and my growth to get ting better physically and mentally.”

REMEMBER THE ALAMO… BOWL

No play magnified the frustration of 2021 more for Gray than a late-game mistake against Oklahoma State. His fourth-quarter muffed punt at the OU 5-yard line in a Bedlam loss to Oklahoma State switched momentum and sparked the Cowboys’ victory.

With the frustration of the loss still fresh, then Sooner head coach Lincoln Riley decided just hours after the gut-wrenching loss to take the head coaching job at USC. Gray was left to ponder what his next step would betest the waters of the NFL, potentially look at transfer ring again or stay in Norman and make an impact with the new coach, whomever that might end up being. “When Lincoln (Riley) left, it put everybody in a bind,” Gray said. “DeMarco’s the reason I came, to be able to learn from a great, from somebody that played at that level I want to go to.”

Gray set an immediate goal to rebound from the poor play late in the season and start fresh during bowl preparation in hopes that a renewed focus would car

ry into his senior season. In the Alamo Bowl with Bob Stoops coaching the team, Gray did just that.

In the win over Oregon, Gray ended with 127 total yards (including a season-long 48-yard run) to close his season on a high note and set a tone for 2022.

“As a player, you have those ups and downs. It’s not how many times you fall, it’s how many times you get up,” Gray said. “If you keep going and you keep driving, you have no choice but to be the best.

“Like my dad always says, you can’t keep a good man down long.”

MAKING HIS MARK

Gray had made a commitment to make the most of his 2022 season. With the hiring of Brent Venables and re tention of DeMarco Murray, Gray took on a leadership role, catching the eye of the new head coach during off-season preparation.

“Eric’s been a pro,” Venables said.  “From the moment that we got here, he’s been the model of what it looks like. Eric’s been a great competitor. He always has this positive, matter-of-fact quality to him. It’s fun to watch that happen.”

Despite the struggles on the field for the Sooners, Gray has been one of the bright spots. He has been consis tent; it all comes from his work ethic and desire to be the best he can be.

“The best players individually or teams collectively have a routine,” Running back coach DeMarco Mur ray said. “At the beginning of the season, you’re fresher. You may not want to do those little things, but Eric has been a consistent player doing everything he can do to make sure he is healthy and successful and that plays a lot into the success that he is having.”

As the Sooners looked to right the ship after a 3-game losing streak, they turned to Gray to help change the momentum. In a must-win game against the Kansas Jayhawks, who came into a game in Norman ranked for the first time ever when the Sooners were unranked, Gray unleashed his best performance.

Gray carried 20 times for 176 yards and added a pair of touchdowns in the most productive rushing per formance of his OU career. The Sooners beat Kansas 52-42 as Gray had a career day to end the mid-season skid. All totaled Gray averaged 8.8 yards per carry. He powered a Sooners rushing attack that went for a sea son-high 298 yards and helped Oklahoma return to the win column for the first time in almost a month.

“I ultimately think that all of our guys in the room stepped up to that challenge in practice,” Gray said. “DeMarco talked about the Kansas week as our best

week of practice as a running back room, and I think it showed today. Big props to the O-line for getting me to the second level. It was great.”

When the Sooners hit the road for a showdown with Iowa State in Ames, Gray shined even while battling in juries. Against the top rushing defense in the Big 12, the Oklahoma Sooners’ top running back finished the day with 23 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and added eight receptions for 58 yards. The 31 touches were the second most he’d logged in a game and the most since he had 34 against Arkansas back in 2020 for the Tennessee Volunteers. It also came after Gray had spent three offensive series in the injury tent.

His toughness and physicality have found another level this season in leading the Oklahoma rushing attack and offense.

“He has been more physical, added some weight and has done a great job not only in the passing game, blocking game, but running the ball in between the tackles and in space making guys miss,” DeMarco Murray said of Gray. “He’s done a great job leading our group, being a leader offensively and on this team.”

THE FUTURE

Eric Gray did not find himself getting too caught up in the NIL world in the offseason. In fact, Gray even turned down opportunities so he could stay laser fo cused on his senior season. A decision that has paid off as NFL scouts are taking notice.

Gray is likely headed to the Senior Bowl and is showing up all over NFL Mock Drafts and media draft boards.  Gray “just missed” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s top 10 in the running backs category. NFL Draft Buzz proj ects Gray as the No. 8 running back prospect for 2023 and has him going in the third round of the NFL Draft.

The next level is important, but Gray is staying focused on the present.

“He’s concentrated and worried about this season but individually you have goals to play on Sunday,” Murray said. “I respect that, but he is the ultimate teammate and he’s putting this season first.”

The 2022 Oklahoma Sooner football season has not been what anyone expected. Through the challenges and the frustrations, Brent Venables has needed players like Eric Gray to buy in and put in the work. The payoff for Oklahoma was wins in 2022, but the payoff for the future of the program is invaluable.

“We have young guys that have a bright future,” Mur ray said.  “They are following that same regiment with the example laid out in front of them that will help them to trend towards the direction that Eric Gray has taken. He has been huge for the future of this program.” 19SM

by: Mark Doescher

Locked In

As Porter Moser embarks on year two as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Okla homa, the high-energy leader is driven by a desire to continue to get better.

The Sooners finished their first season under the di rection of Moser with a 19-16 record and finished 7-11 in the challenging Big 12. Despite missing the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma was selected as a No. 1 seed in the 2022 NIT, but eventually fell in the first round.

In every aspect of the game at every level within the program, Moser is driven to be the best, both on and off the court, and pours his relentless passion and energy into getting better every single day.

“There’s nothing that I could point to that I’m not ob sessed with getting better at,” he said. “I think that’s how you do it. We’re in year two, and I want to be better defensively. I want to be better offensively. I want to be stronger. I want to be better in situations. I want to have better togetherness. I want to be better shooting. We’re talking to our guys about that — it’s got to be constant and never-ending improvement. It’s got to be nonstop.”

In the transfer portal era, the Sooners have put together

a roster with a handful of experienced players mixed with an exciting blend of newcomers and youth that has put the Sooners in position to compete for a return to the NCAA Tournament.

The Sooners return 44.1% of their scoring, 52.9% re bounding and 38% assists from the 2021-22 team.

“This year, having Jalen Hill, Jacob Groves, Tanner Groves, and CJ Noland… we have five guys that know what we were about,” Moser said of his returning production. The focus and intent of the Sooners have been reassur ing to the second-year head coach.

“They’re just locked in,” Moser said. “There’s not an uncertainty on what it is to play for Oklahoma and me. I’ve talked a lot about it with Tanner and Jacob Groves, Bijan Cortes, CJ Noland, Jalen Hill. They have more of a sense of what to expect. And that’s valuable.”

JALEN HILL

Jalen Hill returns after starting every game last season. During his breakout junior season, the 6-6 forward from Las Vegas was aggressive in getting to the free throw line, leading the Sooners in both free throws made and

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attempts, and led the Sooners with 205 total rebounds. Hill also has a chance to take yet another step forward in his role with the Sooners this season. Moser has a motto - the Sooners play by “DCO” which stands for defense creates offense. The focus is on defense before trying to score.

Hill not only emerged as a rebounding machine for the Sooners but as a defensive stopper, leading the Sooners with 32 steals. Now, Moser is ready for Hill to find yet another level defensively.

“Jalen has taken another step defensively,” Moser said. “You’ll look at him and say he looks as good as he’s ever been in his career. That’s his physical condition and lean muscle. His pride level on defense is off the charts. You can just see his confidence in what we’re doing defensive ly. I won’t need to tout it. Jalen’s actions will tout it.”

Scoring, rebounding, defending - Hill has truly become a do-it-all guy for Moser and the Sooners, and it is a role that he is embracing.

“When I was growing up, my dad was all like, ‘You should just try to be as good as you can at everything.’

So, I legit work on everything that I can,” Hill said.

“Like, this offseason, I’ve been working on my shot to improve that because I just didn’t shoot the ball well last year, just to be frank, and everybody knows it. Every day working on my shot, and then also still improving on the other things that I do… rebounding, defense, moving the ball and those things.”

Hill has also been motivated by the disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament last season. It was the second time over the last nine seasons that the Sooners were denied a bid to the Big Dance.

“It fuels us a lot this season because knowing last year that we could have been there,” Hill said of last season. “We were probably one game out. We had seven, eight games that came to one possession, one play. So, I think the value that we’re placing on every single possession this year, every single play, every single offensive play, de fensive possession, our value that we’re bringing to that is going to be so much bigger because we know what it takes to get there now and don’t want to be left out.

“This year, we want to make a statement.”

TANNER GROVES

Tanner Groves made his impact with the Sooners in his

first season in Norman. Groves averaged 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in his first season after transferring from Eastern Washington. But Groves realized he need ed to get bigger and stronger to be the type of player he needed to be in the post in the Big 12. With as many as 15 pounds tacked on, Groves is now listed at 242 pounds with a build he now feels will have him better suited to conference play when the calendar turns to 2023.

“I think that extra weight is definitely helping me and I’m excited to see how it translates against some Big 12 opponents,” Groves said. “We’ve got a lot of goals, a lot of big goals. I think that our ceiling is incredibly high. I think with this group we’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of opportunity.”

NEW FACES

The Sooners will need some new faces to help reach the lofty goals set for this season. With eight offseason de partures and only five scholarship returners from last season’s team, the 2022-23 Sooners will rely on a pair of experienced transfer guards in Grant Sherfield and Joe Bamisile.

Oklahoma is the third school for Sherfield after starting 84 games in three seasons between Wichita State and Nevada. The Sooners also represent the third stop for Bamisile who played a season at Virginia Tech and was named a 3rd team all-Atlantic 10 performer during his one season at George Washington.

Bamisile is known for his shooting and the Sooners will count on him to help OU space the floor with his threepoint range and athleticism. For Sherfield, he’ll use his versatility, believing he can bring a shooting and pass ing element to the Sooners’ offense. Sherfield was also voted Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.

“Bamisile can score in a lot of different ways,” Moser said. “He can really knock down a three. He can give you a scorer’s mentality … and a couple of quick bas kets. He can also be a disruptor defensively, and that’s where we’ve challenged him the most. We’ve really hit on a two-way player.

“Grant can really score and pass, so I think we add ed a good piece to fit our needs. Now, we’ve just got to get him defending. Situationally with a guy like Grant, there’s different things you can do with him.”

The sky is truly the limit for the Sooners this season. Despite some early season adversity, Moser is confident in his roster and the team’s mindset will help take the Sooners to another level in the challenging Big 12 Con ference and beyond.

“What does success look like? If you’re intentional with every day getting your team closer, building relation ships, pouring into your guys — that’s what it looks like to get better,” Moser said. “I’m focusing on that every day. That’s what success is gonna look like. It’s gonna pay dividends if you’re focused on those right things.” 19SM

STRAWBERRY MOJITO OH-SO-CHERRY RASPBERRY LEMONDROPTINI

MOORE LIONS

MOORE LIONS BASKETBALL

The Lions made an imposing run to the State title game last year, but fell inches short, losing to Edmond North 56-50. They finished the season with a record of 21-8, winning 14 of their first 18 games.

Moore loses some key weapons from a year ago: Mar cus Dockins Jr., Lonato Henderson and Rejond Hayes, but they bring back three of their five starters. It’s a young, hungry bunch that has some experienced play ers. Head coach Gregg Hardin loves the mixture of tal ent he has this year.

Malachi Lee (6’2”, Sr) had a great junior campaign and gives the Lions length on defense.

“He’s really come along this summer,” Hardin said. “He’s working hard in the offseason and has a chance to have a great senior season.”

The Lions also bring back Darian Grant (6’4”, Jr), who started a year ago but played a small role. He will be asked to do more offensively by providing size and toughness.

“He’s been in the weight room, putting on more mus cle,” Hardin said. “He was mainly rebounding and blocking shots for us last year, but we’re going to ask him to do a lot more.”

Nivy Chibitty

Payton Thomas

The third starter returning for Moore is Tristan Haw kins (6’2”, So). Hawkins is a talented young player who saw playing time as a freshman. He has great size and shows the ability to pass and score. Hardin says the ceiling is high for Hawkins.

“He’s getting a few D1 offers already,” Hardin said. “He’s going to be asked to run point and contribute to scoring. He’s a really smart kid for his age. He knows when to distribute the ball and when to take the game in his own hands.”

The Lions will rely on younger players to fill the gaps. Cameron Smith (6’, Sr) provided a spark off the bench, but he will be asked to do more this season. He’s a 3-point shooter that’s been developing an all-around game. Sophomore guards Jakari Davis and Josiah Thomas will be energy off the bench.

Hardin expects some low-post players to step up this season. Edi Bortey (6’7”) will give the Lions an interior presence.Messiah Bunting (6’3”) is another post player that will get playing time.

“Our team has the potential to be pretty good,” Hardin said. “We will take our lumps early on and just start learning. Hopefully, we will be there at the end, like we were last year.”

BY: CONNOR PASBY

The 2021-2022 season was impressive for Brent Hodges and the Lady Lions. They finished with a 15-9 record, winning eight of their last nine regular-season games, including six wins against ranked 6A opponents. The season ended with an Area playoff loss to Edmond Me morial, providing some motivation heading into the 2022-2023 season.

Coach Hodges is entering his eighth year as head coach of the Lady Lions. They bring back several veteran players, including some key transfers.

Moore hosted their annual “Moore Super Scrimmage” in early November. Hodges loves what he’s seen from his squad, as they get ready for the 6A slate.

“We’ve had some good scrimmages so far, beating a real ly good Broken Arrow team,” he said. “We look great in a lot of areas, but there’s always room for improvement.”

The Lady Lions bring back 63% of their scoring. Two players in their dynamic backcourt are back this season. Guard Madeline Bills (5’10”, Sr) returns, after averag ing 12.5 ppg a year ago. Starting point guard Albany Bryles (5’7”, Sr.) returns, after averaging 12.3 ppg last season. Hodges talks highly of the two guards.

“Both of them are very good basketball players,” Hodg es said. “Very smart and cerebral kind of kids. It’s always good when your one and two guards are your smarter basketball players.”

A few transfers will make an impact this year, provid ing more scoring options. Guard Taryn Cottrel (6’, Jr) is a transfer from Noble. She establishes length with her 6-foot frame and the ability to score, adding anoth er weapon to the offense. Point guard Shelby Sylvester (5’3”, Sr) is a transfer from Oklahoma Christian Acad emy that can provide a spark. Sylvester is a very quick guard and provides a defensive presence.

“It’s been very beneficial to have them two move in,” Hodges said. “We can do a bunch of different things with them when they’re in the game.”

The Lady Lions have many strengths and very few weaknesses, which makes sense for a team that finished with 15 wins last season and averaged just over 53 ppg as a team.

“Our depth is a really big strength for us,” Hodges said. “We can run about nine to ten kids out on the floor and not really skip a beat. We can also score in a bunch of dif ferent ways and have multiple weapons that can score.”

MOORE LIONS WRESTLING

Both the Moore girls and boys wrestling teams are com ing off an impressive season and are looking to make an other deep run into the State tournament. Head coach Karissa Avallone and her team made quite the statement last season, qualifying six wrestlers in the state tourna ment. The Lady Lions finished fourth in the State tour nament. They do lose Rylie Osteen and Heidi Noisey to graduation but return four of their state qualifiers.

Harley Stringer (Sr) was impressive in her junior cam paign, ending the season with an 18-2 record, placing 2nd in State in the 107-lb weight class. Shelbey Kemp (Jr.) had a sensational run in her sophomore season, capping off a 16-3 record and placing third in State in the 126-lb weight class.

“They were impressive to watch last season, and they should be exciting to watch this year,” Avallone said. “We will be in contention, once again. It’s important for us to work hard and believe in our team concept.”

Two years ago, the Moore girls wrestling team had 20plus kids with zero wrestling experience. They won their first Regional championship in 2021, and that’s when everything took off.

It’s an experienced group that Avallone will have on the mat, mixed with some young talent. An incoming fresh man, Hannah Lopez will be a wrestler to watch out for. She’s been wrestling across the country and waiting to show her talent at the high school level. Kylee Smith, an other incoming freshman, will be competing in the 100lb weight class and has impressed the coaching staff.

The boys wrestling team finished with an 8-2 regular season record and had three state qualifiers. Robert Washington is entering his 28th year as the boys head coach and is looking for another deep run in the play offs. He brings back all three state qualifiers, including Payton Thomas (Sr), Jaylen Pounds (Sr) and Jax Rumsey (Sr). Thomas placed third in State in the 182-lb weight class and ended the regular season with a remarkable 25-5 record. He will be heading to Navy on a scholar ship after this season.

The Lions are also led by Jaylen Pounds, who finished with a 13-6 record in the 202-lb weight class. Jax Rum sey had a 22-11 record in the 285-lb weight class. He’s also committed to Oklahoma State for football.

Washington is excited about this team and what they can accomplish this season.

“The boys are doing really well,” Washington said. “We are a little young at spots, but still bring back experi ence from a year ago. We still have a lot to prove, and these guys are ready for that.” 19SM

WESTMOORE JAGUARS

WESTMOORE BASKETBALL

Westmoore’s 2021-2022 season had ups and downs ending with a 13-11 record. The Jaguars are hoping to carry their explosive offensive attack into this season.

They return 80% of their scoring from a year ago, a good sign for Todd Millwee and his veteran team. Millwee is entering his fourth season as the boys head coach. Over the summer, the Jaguars went 6-1 in the ORU basketball tournament against some solid eastside schools.

“We got to see what we need to work on,” Millwee said. “Overall, I like where our team is heading into the sea son.”

The Jaguars return four of their starters, including leading scorer in back-to-back seasons Evan Barber (6’2”, Sr). Barber averaged 19 ppg in his junior season and will be a catalyst on offense. He recently signed to play basketball at UCO.

Zach Hays (6’3”, Sr) was the second-leading scorer last year, averaging just over 18 ppg. Hays provides threepoint shooting and the ability to finish around the rim. He has gotten college scouts’ attention after his junior campaign.

Nick Shaffer

They need younger players to step into bigger roles. Anthony Pulido (6’, Jr) is a talented guard that will give the offense a spark. Grant Loper (6’, So) and Garrett Loper (6’, So) are quick, flashy guards who will bring depth to the backcourt.

Millwee knows their offense is a strength, so they’ve been focusing on the other end of the floor.

“We have a lot of good shooters and ball handlers,” Millwee said. “We feel like defense will be a strength for us as well. That’s something we’ve been focusing on in the offseason, the ability to defend at a high level.”

The Lady Jaguars finished the 2021-2022 season with a 7-17 record that included many single-digit losses. Head coach Abby Chafey is entering her first year as the head coach after spending four years at SNU in Bethany and one year as an assistant coach. Chafey is excited to see what her team is made of.

“Our goal is to play four solid quarters of basketball ev ery single night and leave nothing behind,” Chafey said. “We want our opponents to leave the floor knowing that they had to play Westmoore tonight, and it was hard.”

Westmoore will have a young, tough team on the floor. Dee Frost (5’7”, So) is a key returner. Frost made an early impact in her high school career as the starting

Aubrianna Smith

BY: CONNOR PASBY

point guard her freshman year. Blythe Crawley (5’7”, So) is another returning playmaker. Both Frost and Crawley provided scoring and playmaking as freshmen last season.

The Lady Jags bring back some veteran players to help the young backcourt. Ruta Andrews (5’8”, Sr) brings toughness and physicality down low. Accayla King (5’8”, Sr) is another post player that is expected to play a bigger role this year. King is also a softball standout and is committed to Grayson College.

“They are pretty dominant in the post game for us,” Chafey said “We will be counting on them to protect the paint and score on the offensive end.”

Cassidy Gomez (5’8”, Jr) is a combo guard that be a playmaker. She has seen her minutes go up each season, due to her play on both ends of the floor.

The past few seasons have been a struggle, but they have a tough, gritty team that is ready to take the next step.

WESTMOORE WRESTLING

Will Evans enters his fifth season as the boys and girls wrestling coach and has high expectations for both clubs. Most of the team is back from a year ago, only losing three seniors. Both the girls and boys bring ex perience and excitement for this season. Evans says it’s one of the best pre-seasons they’ve ever had.

The Lady Jags return Aubrey Smith (Sr), who was the State runner up last year. She’s the lone senior and will take on a leadership role. Smith has been an exceptional talent, and she has her mind set on another State placement.

The girls roster consists of: Aubrey Smith, Aileen Alver ez, Juliya Brannum, Rosa Zapata and Mariah Robbins, a young group that keeps getting better, according to Evans.

This season will be a great opportunity for different wrestlers to showcase the hard work they put in during the offseason. The growth of Westmoore girls wrestling just keeps getting stronger.

After a 8-2 regular season record last year, the Jaguars had four wrestlers qualify for State, three of them placed, which is an impressive task in the State tournament.

Holdon Martin (Sr) placed fourth in the State tourna ment wrestling at 175 and 190 throughout the year. He’s a three-time National Team member. The talented se nior has quite the resume.

Devon Miller (So) earned a State placement too, get ting the bronze medal. He’s one of the young talented wrestlers that Evans speaks highly of. It’s not easy for a freshman to place in State, but Miller made it look easy.

Trae Rios (So) was able to place fourth in State, which capped off an astonishing sophomore season.

“We are young, but we have a good group of seniors,” Evans said. “It’s a pretty unique group that we have, mixed with young guys and older guys.”

The junior high development continues to be a big strength for Westmoore. Evans will continue to produce young talent on both the girls and boys side. 19SM

SOUTHMOORE SABERCATS

SOUTHMOORE BASKETBALL

Southmoore boys basketball heats up in a hurry, but can also have cold spells. Last season was a bit of a seesaw, finishing with a 10-13 record last year, los ing six of their last eight games.

They bring back scoring threats and key ball handlers. Entering his seventh season, head coach Tim Stogsdill has been impressed with the hard work and dedication in the offseason.

“The weight room has been good for us,” Stogsdill said. “I give credit to Coach Daniel Harper for doing a great job in the weight room.”

Ryan Guerrero (5’11”, Sr) has been the rock for the Sa bercats for four years. He was the leading scorer last year with 15 ppg. Don’t be surprised if that number goes up.

“He’s done a great job for us throughout his career,” Stogsdill said. “He’s not a vocal leader, but the kid is great at leading by example.”

Jess Ledbetter (6’, Jr) is a key player returning that got a handful of minutes last year and will step into a bigger offensive role. A handful of other players will also take on a bigger role. Stogsdill said Rodney Gray is “out of the doghouse” for this year.

“He’s really had a good preseason, I’ve been impressed with how he’s played,” Stodgsill said. “He’s explosive and will provide another tough matchup for our oppo nents.”

Kolton Brammer (6’, Fr) is the name to keep an eye on this season and many years to come. He’s been find ing his way in the starting lineup during the preseason scrimmages.

“We threw him in the mix early and the kid is ready to go,” Stodgsdill said. “He makes freshman mistakes but has such a high basketball IQ. He will play some point guard for us whenever we move Guerrero over to shooting guard.”

The Sabercats lack size, but the defense has been on full display. Despite going 2-8 in the last ten games, the Sabercats held their opponents to 58 ppg.

“We’ve been taking pride in that in the preseason,” Stodgsdill said. “We’re not very big, but we can switch everything.”

The Sabercats have been known for taking quick shots and firing from the 3-point line. They’re not afraid to get in offensive shootouts with teams.

Audrey Osborn

Ryan Guerrero

BY: CONNOR PASBY

“We can spread it out on people, and I think we’re a tough team to cover,” Stodgsdill said. ”We’re a very up tempo type of team.”

In year one, girls head coach Kayla Fourkiller is already changing the culture at Southmoore. Before Fourkiller’s arrival, the Sabercats were coming off a 2-17 record in the 2020-21 season. Now, the Lady Sabercats had one of their most dominant seasons in the last five years.

They racked up 18 wins and made a deep run in the 6A playoffs. Now, the expectations are higher, due to the amount of talent that returns. Fourkiller expects more from her young, talented team this year.

“The young girls stepped up last year, and we’re expect ing big things from them,” Fourkiller said. “We’re ex pecting them to have a good season for us and to carry on what we accomplished last season.”

The Lady Sabercats return most of their scoring, which is a challenging sign for opponents. Southmoore is led by two sophomore sensations that kept getting better. Bri anah Wren (5’8”, So) has made an imprint early at the high school level and will be a big part of the backcourt.

Kaydence Pettit (5’5”, So) joins Wren in the backcourt. The two guards bolted Southmoore to an 18-8 record last year. A dynamic backcourt is key to have at the 6A level, and the Lady Sabercats have their dynamic duo for three more years.

“They both started last year for us and helped us in a big way. I feel like this is going to be a breakout year for both of them,” Fourkiller said.

Alana Edwards (5’10”, Jr) is a post player that will play a big role again. She has been playing well in the pre season scrimmages.

Kenzi Shipman (5’5”, Jr) is a sharpshooter from the out side. Fourkiller is glad to have her back, after suffering an injury last season.

The ability to score the basketball was no problem last season. The Lady Sabercats had seven games where they put up over 60 points, including an 80-point game against Moore. The Lady Sabercats have had success shooting from the perimeter, as well as in the paint.

“We’re going to have more girls contribute for us this season, which will give us more team effort,” Fourkiller said.

There are still goals intact heading into year two for Fourkiller. She loved everything her team accomplished last season, but there’s still room for improvement.

“We’re just trying to get the girls to mesh,” Fourkiller said. “That’s going to be one of the keys this year for our team. It may take a little bit, but I feel like we have the right parts there.”

SOUTHMOORE WRESTLING

There’s great excitement surrounding the Southmoore wrestling team. The boys are returning most of their production from last year, losing just one senior from a year ago. The girls are at full strength, returning every wrestler.

Zac George is entering his eighth season with the pro gram and third season as head coach. George has seen improvement across the board and is expecting to com pete at a high level.

“We have significantly improved from a year ago,” George said. “We’ve been looking good in the presea son. The kids just keep getting better each day.”

The preseason has been successful for Southmoore, George said.

“We did a variety of different events this summer with camps and workouts,” George said. “Also, a lot of team bonding, and it’s been thrilling to see that.”

The girls return their leader, Ciana Grate, who was a State qualifier last year and is expected to get there again. She had an honest chance to get to the State fi nals but came up short.

“Ciana Grate had a great season,” George said. “She’s a great wrestler, and we’re expecting her to have a bet ter season this year.”

Blayklee Vasquez also had a great season. She competed in the 100-lb class and was one match away from qual ifying for State. Serenity Vaughn was also one match away from qualifying for State, competing in the 155-lb club. Both players are looking to get over that hump.

Hayze Ivey has been a wrestler to keep an eye on. Ivey placed fourth in a preseason Nationals meet. He is ex pecting to make a deep run late in the season and have a chance to get his name qualified for State. Noah Reyn olds (Jr) is coming along in this Southmoore program. Reynolds was in the 113-lb group and was an alternate State qualifier last season. Reynolds will be relied on to put up points for this Sabercats team, along with Ivey.

George has a young, talented group this season, which includes sophomores stepping into bigger roles.

“Our freshmen from last year are really talented, so now they’ll be weathered sophomores with some expe rience under their belt,” George said.

George expects the boys team to be more competitive this season and have a chance to qualify more wrestlers.

“We’re trying to build towards where we were three years ago,” George said. “This year is a chance to get back to being better.” –19SM

High School Swimming

Audrey Osborn Southmoore Swim Team

Brent Long has been the head coach for all three Moore Schools for over seven years now. He loves the growth that Southmoore, Westmoore and Moore have shown in the offseason. All three teams are looking to continue their success from a year ago and get back to State, thanks to a very talented group of swimmers between the three teams.

“We’ve got more experience this year than we’ve had in a long time,” Long said. “We have fewer beginners which is always big for us. For a few years, we would recruit pretty hard on kids who have swimming expe rience. All three schools have juniors and seniors that have swam in high school before.”

The start of the season was a very difficult stretch for Moore schools. They took the trip to Norman to take on the Norman/North squad, one of the more formi dable and experienced teams in 6A at the moment. Ac cording to Long, the Norman meet was a great experi ence for all three teams.

“Those meets went well,” Long said. “We went to Nor man and they’ve been a force the last few seasons. The first time out, we had some kids swim well. It was a great competition for us to start the season.”

The Westmoore boys swim team is coming off an im pressive run to the State tournament. The Jaguars had two State qualifiers in Nick Shaffer and Adam Stone. Shaffer placed in the 100 backstroke, and Stone placed in the 100 breaststroke. On the girls side, Westmoore’s

Southmoore’s Matt Hall had an imposing accomplish ment by making the OCA All-State Team to end the 2021-2022 season.

The Southmoore and Moore teams didn’t have any individual state qualifiers, but they each qualified in State for relays. We will see if that turns around this season with the talented young swimmers that South moore and Moore provide in the pool.

Experience gets brought up a lot between these three schools. The reason why they’re getting better is that they have a season of swimming already under their belt. There’s only a handful of new kids that the coach ing staff had to teach, but other than that, it’s nearly the same group as last season.

“The big thing this year is how many swimmers we bring back from a year ago, across all three teams,” Long said. “Almost everybody on all three teams is back from a year ago. It will be our biggest strength heading into this season.”

Long talked about how much of a privilege it is to coach these kids and to see their hard work paying off.

“They’re well rounded, easy kids to coach and good kids,” Long said. “They do a great job of taking care of their business and what they need to get done. They know exactly what to expect when we go to meets. 19SM

Isabella Little was a State qualifier, and they expect big things from her again this season.

Ortho Central opens orthopedic care walk-in clinic

Ortho Stat

In response to challenges in emergency room acces sibility and patient needs, Ortho Central recently opened a walk-in orthopedic acute care clinic near the Norman Regional HealthPlex campus. Patients can now access same-day orthopedic care during ex tended hours and even on weekends with no appoint ment necessary.

“During COVID, we had to reevaluate how we deliv ered patient care and how we could help unburden emergency rooms,” said Heather Kuklinski, director of operations for Ortho Central. “We saw that there was a need for acute orthopedic care provided by orthope dic specialists.

“Patients can now access a cost-effective alternative to the emergency room for non-life-threatening orthope dic injuries without long waits or unnecessary exposure to contagious illnesses.”

Because injuries rarely happen at convenient times, Ortho Stat will see patients ages 3 and up for suspected broken bones and sprains, minor dislocations, lacera tions, swollen joints as well as sport- and work-related orthopedic injuries seven days a week.

“At Ortho Stat, we understand that a referral next week doesn’t always work,” shared Kuklinski. “That’s why we have created a one-stop clinic dedicated to provid ing same-day orthopedic care for pediatric and adult bone and joint injuries.”

Patients can access advanced imaging, x-rays, splint ing, bracing, casting and other orthopedic devices, and begin a continuum of care with experienced providers, radiologists and medical technicians.

“Because the walk-in clinic is within Ortho Central, you are going to get the same level of care you get at a regular Ortho Central visit,” confirmed Kuklinski.

“Patients will have immediate access to an experienced orthopedic specialist who will provide timely, efficient and appropriate care.

“Also, you can walk out with your follow-up visits al ready scheduled, taking out those extra steps.”

The clinic located at 3400 W Tecumseh Rd inside Or tho Central will be staffed by two physician assistants, Jordan Hobbs and Michael Crawford. Both are certi fied by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and specialize in orthopedic care.

Crawford, who has practiced in Norman for 10 years, said patients can expect a provider who will take the time to listen to their concerns.

“I aim to get patients on their way to recovery as quick ly and safely as possible,” he said.

Ortho Stat is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. No call ahead or appointment is needed. Simply bring a driv er’s license, valid ID and insurance information.

To learn more, visit OuchOrthoStat.com. 19SM

ORTHO STAT – SAME-DAY ACUTE ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC WITHIN ORTHO CENTRAL

3400 W TECUMSEH RD • 405-515-5575

CARE INCLUDES:

• BROKEN BONES WITH CLOSED FRACTURES

• SPRAINS & STRAINS

• MINOR DISLOCATIONS

• LACERATIONS & CUTS

• RECENT INJURIES INCLUDING SPORTS & WORK RELATED

Michael Crawford

Jordan Hobbs

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Veteran of the Month: Navy Chief Petty Officer Zach Lilley

When high-priority cargo needs to be moved from Point A to Point B and Point B is miles out to sea steaming at 30 knots, a Naval Air crewman Mechanical is the person to do the job. Some one like Zach Lilley, Navy Chief Petty Officer from Oklahoma.

“We do a little bit of everything,” he said.  “Not only are we responsible for pre-flight and post-flight on the air craft but we also do weight balance and take-off perfor mance and we’re on the flight deck with the pilots. We monitor and operate all the aircraft systems in flight and when deployed, we can also do all the maintenance.”

Born in Texas, Lilley grew up in Oklahoma going to school in Healdton, Paul’s Valley and Durant. He joined the Navy in November of 1998 and began his career as an aviation electrician and a naval air crewman.

“I was stationed at Jacksonville, Florida, and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii as well as Whidbey Island, Washington, and then here at Tinker Air Force Base,” he shared.

On some of his tours of duty, Lilley did combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also been deployed to Oman, Bahrain, Djibouti, the Philippines, Japan, El Salvador and Italy.

“I used to fly on the P-3C Orion aircraft,” he said.  “I did that from 1999 to 2012.  From 2012 to now, I am on the E-6B Mercury Aircraft as a flight engineer.”

As a Navy Chief, Lilley serves as a flight engineer instruc tor. He said flying is the most exciting part of his career.

“I’ve

flying in the Navy since 1999,” he shared.   A graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant in 2008, Lilley holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics as a pilot. He also has civilian FAA certifi cations as well.

Lilley said he also enjoys teaching. His advice to any one who thought about flying or the aviation industry is to “find a way to get in the air because there’s noth ing like it.”

“I like to teach all the new guys and gals coming through the pipeline and make sure they know the job,” he said.  “I flight instructed at Southeastern too.”

Lilley and his wife Sarah have four children and their daughter is thinking about becoming a pilot. As mem bers of the Civil Air Patrol, the official volunteer aux iliary of the United States Air Force, their daughter re cently had her first orientation flight.

“I stayed on the ground,” Lilley laughed. “Sometimes it’s better for parents to step back and let somebody else teach their kids.”

In his free time, Lilley enjoys hanging out with his kids and family and enjoys motorcycling.

A member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Associ ation® (CVMA®), the motorcyclists fundraise specifi cally for combat veterans and veterans in Oklahoma. Lilley said he has truly enjoyed his service to the com munity and the country. 19SM

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