Moore Lions Winter Sports Preview

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

MOORE LIONS

BY: CONNOR PASBY

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: Marcus 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 players. Head coach Gregg Hardin loves the mixture of talent 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 muscle,” 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.”

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 Memorial, 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 really 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 averaging 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,” Hodges 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, providing 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 another weapon to the offense. Point guard Shelby Sylvester (5’3”, Sr) is a transfer from Oklahoma Christian Academy 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 different ways and have multiple weapons that can score.”

The third starter returning for Moore is Tristan Hawkins (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.”

MOORE LIONS WRESTLING

Both the Moore girls and boys wrestling teams are coming off an impressive season and are looking to make another 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 tournament. The Lady Lions finished fourth in the State tournament. 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 campaign, 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 20- plus 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 freshman, 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, another incoming freshman, will be competing in the 100- lb 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 playoffs. 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 scholarship 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 Rumsey 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 experience from a year ago. We still have a lot to prove, and these guys are ready for that.”–19SM