2017-18
They’re Back!
BASKETBALL
PREVIEW A SUPPLEMENT TO
Durant Daily Democrat NOVEMBER 4, 2017
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Thursday, Nov. 2 Battiest at Victory Life; Rattan at Boswell; Stringtown at Achille Friday, Nov. 3 Bennington at Rock Creek; Colbert at Victory Life; Tushka at Boswell Tuesday, Nov. 7 Colbert at Achille; Rattan at Tushka; Rock Creek at Boswell; Wapanucka at Bennington Thursday, Nov. 9 Achille at Bennington; Boswell at Clayton; Victory Life at Soper Friday, Nov. 10 Bennington at Victory Life; Colbert at Calera; Rock Creek at Silo; Stuart at Tushka Tuesday, Nov. 14 Achille at Rock Creek; Boswell at Moyers; Caney at Tushka; Silo at Calera; Turner at Colbert Thursday, Nov. 16 Caddo at Bennington; Calera at Achille; Colbert at Tushka; Victory Life at Boswell; Wright City at Rock Creek Tuesday, Nov. 28 Bennington at Valliant; Calera at Colbert; Durant at Atoka; Kingston at Caddo; Silo at Boswell; Thackerville at Victory Life Thursday, Nov. 30 Caddo at Silo; Caney at Victory Life; Kiowa at Tushka; Soper at Achille Friday, Dec. 1 Achille at Grayson Christian;
Atoka at Kingston; Coalgate at Caddo; Plainview at Durant; Rock Creek at Colbert Saturday, Dec. 2 Lone Grove at Calera Monday, Dec. 4 Tushka at Hartshorne Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 5 Achille at Caddo; Boswell at Calera; Byng at Durant; Madill at Kingston; Moyers at Colbert; Silo at Kiowa; Victory Life at Coleman Thursday, Dec. 7 Bennington Tournament; Caddo at Quinton Tournament; Durant Lion Classic; Kingston at OBU Tournament; Rock Creek Tournament; Silo at Bethel Tournament Friday, Dec. 8 Calera at Coalgate Tuesday, Dec. 12 Ardmore at Durant; Bennington at Moyers; Caney at Calera; Rock Creek at Lone Grove; Silo at Kingston; Stonewall at Caddo; Tushka at Konawa; Victory Life at Achille Thursday, Dec. 14 Achille at Colbert; Mill Creek at Bennington; Rock Creek at Caddo; Stringtown at Tushka; Victory Life at Talihina Tournament Friday, Dec. 15 Kingston at Dickson; Roff at Silo Saturday, Dec. 16
2 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Marietta at Silo Tuesday, Dec. 19 Mill Creek at Achille Wednesday, Dec. 27 Kingston boys at Tournament of Champions (Tulsa) Tuesday, Jan. 2 Coleman at Colbert Thursday, Jan. 4 Achille Tournament; Calera at Tushka Tournament; Durant at Ada Tournament; Rock Creek, Silo at Kingston Tournament Friday, Jan. 5 Caddo at Rattan Tuesday, Jan. 9 Boswell at Caddo; Byng at Kingston; Calera at Rock Creek; Coleman at Victory Life; Durant at Ardmore; Tushka at Silo; Wapanucka at Achille Thursday, Jan. 11 Achille at Victory Life; Bennington at Milburn; Stringtown at Boswell Friday, Jan. 12 Antlers at Tushka; Bennington at Calera; Kingston at Madill; McAlester at Durant; Silo at Allen; Stonewall at Rock Creek Monday, Jan. 15 Bryan County Tournament Tuesday, Jan. 16 Durant at Ada; Marietta at Kingston; Victory Life at Mill Creek Thursday, Jan. 18 Durant at Moore Tournament;
Kingston girls at Tishomingo Tournament Friday, Jan. 19 Lakewood Christian at Victory Life Tuesday, Jan. 23 Achille at Milburn; Boswell at Soper; Caddo at Colbert; Calera at Wright City; Coleman at Bennington; Durant at Plainview; Kingston at Davis; Rock Creek at Tushka Thursday, Jan. 25 Boswell at Achille; Colbert at Bennington Friday, Jan. 26 Calera at Tupelo; Coalgate at Rock Creek; Duncan at Durant; Oktaha at Caddo; Plainview at Kingston; Silo at Latta; Stringtown at Bennington; Tushka at Wapanucka; Victory Life at Thackerville Tuesday, Jan. 30 Boswell at Bennington; Calera at Stonewall; Colbert at Caney; Kiowa at Caddo; Milburn at Victory Life; Silo at Atoka; Tushka at Coalgate Thursday, Feb. 1 Atoka at Durant; Bennington at Caney; Caddo at Savanna; Calera at Tushka; Rock Creek at Rattan; Silo at Colbert Friday, Feb. 2 Achille at Caney; Ada at Durant; Bennington at Soper; Kingston at Tishomingo; Rattan at Calera; Rock Creek at Tupelo; Tushka at Caddo
Monday, Feb. 5 Colbert at Boswell Tuesday, Feb. 6 Calera at Caddo; Caney at Rock Creek; Durant at McAlester; Lone Grove at Kingston; Milburn at Achille; Tishomingo at Silo; Tushka at Latta Thursday, Feb. 8 Caddo at Wright City; Coalgate at Colbert Friday, Feb. 9 Atoka at Calera; Durant at Duncan; Kingston at Comanche; Wright City at Rock Creek Monday, Feb. 12 Silo at Fort Towson Tuesday, Feb. 13 Sulphur at Kingston Saturday, Feb. 17 Durant at Tulsa Hale
ON THE COVER Many talented players return for the start of the 2017-18 basketball season and we have highlighted a few of those on this year’s Basketball Preview cover. Top row (from left): Bennington’s Keaton Robinson, Silo’s Daelyn Marshall, Achille’s Austin McClung, Colbert’s Leigha Brown and Calera’s Kody Toombs. Second row (from left): Silo’s Patch Hamilton, Durant’s Tristyn Hamilton and Colbert’s Josh Means. Third row (from left): Boswell’s Harleigh Belvin, Boswell’s Aaron Taylor, Calera’s Logan Mullens, Durant’s Brady Nichols and Achille’s Sommer Rater. Bottom row (from left): Rock Creek’s Darian James, Caddo’s Brittney Miller, Caddo’s Garrett McMichael, Bennington’s Maci Haislip and Rock Creek’s Lainey Jestis
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 3
ACHILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Achille sets sights higher for upcoming campaign BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com ACHILLE - With Andrew McClung taking the helm of both basketball programs this season, Achille has its sights set on major improvement during the course of the season. The Lady Eagles should have momentum following a tremendous summer while the boys may be primed for bigger things after getting battle-tested against large schools over the summer.
Girls The Lady Eagles finished with a 10-15 record a season ago, but showed outstanding promise during a January stretch in which they went 5-2 in a seven-game stretch. An experienced returning nucleus will look to duplicate and add onto those successes. “It’s an extremely young group,” McClung commented. “We’ve got three juniors and mostly underclassmen besides them. “They are talented group though and had a lot of success over the summer while surprising a lot of people. They didn’t lose many games at all during that stretch.” Keying that nucleus will be Sommer Rater at the point guard position as she will be coming off a tremendous sophomore season in which she had several scoring explosions. The Lady Eagles should have a quality weapon inside with 6-1 sophomore Karah Manry, who should continue to get better with more court time. “Rater is one of the best point guards around,” McClung added. “She really makes us go and has the potential to take over a game. That’s
what we are looking for her to do if she can. “Manry is a big post player that is very athletic. You don’t see that a lot in girls. The biggest thing for the girls is gaining confidence in what they can do. They’re confident defensively but have to develop more of that on the offensive end.” The Achille girls have also had the benefit this year of practicing at the same time as the boys team, which McClung feels has forced them to speed up their game a bit while picking up intensity and becoming a more physical unit. “We’re going to try and do a lot of the same things as the guys will, but obviously not as quickly,” he commented. “We’ll definitely be a little faster than what they have been the last year or two.”
The 2017-18 Achille Lady Eagles front row (from left): Emily Pitts, Taylor Davis, Calli Snyder and Cassidy Horn. Back row (from left): Victoria Simmons, Karah Manry, Jayme Todd, Jackie Todd, Sommer Rater and Jordan Cannon.
Boys For the last few years the Eagles have been one of, if not the youngest groups in Bryan County. While they still just have one senior on the roster, it will be a much more seasoned unit when they take the court this season. Achille saw some positives in the growing process a year ago while notching 10 victories, including a 54-45 road win over Turner in the district championship. All five starters return from that unit that finished the season in the regional tournament. “It’s exciting to have everyone back this season,” McClung said. “This group was very successful in junior high and didn’t lose much to anybody. They’re smoother,
4 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
SEE SIGHTS, PAGE 5
Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Achille Eagles front row (from left): Dylan Trail, Colton Steward and Colten King. Middle row (from left): Haden Singleton, Cole Shull, Trent Gibby, Ryan Caceres, Cy Burden, Zediah Westbrook and Kirk Smith. Back row (from left): Jaren Marsh, Brayden Prater, Zack Staton, Alex Simmons, Austin Landrum and Austin McClung. Not pictured: Zack Eastep.
ACHILLE HIGH SCHOOL SIGHTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
smarter and just more experienced now. It’s a really good group of kids. We are looking forward to see what we can do.” The catalysts for the Eagles are once again expected to be the one-two combination of Austin McClung and Cy Burden, who averaged 15 and nine points a game respectively a year ago. They both have solid playmaking ability with the ability to get to the rim, but can also shoot the ball very well. Coach McClung also pointed to Ryan Caceres and Trent Gibby as talented contributors. Brayden Prater and Zediah Westbrook will be keys to the Eagle attack along with athletic freshman Haden Singleton. “We’re shooting the ball a lot better than in past years,” the Achille head coach stated. “We’ve got more shooters as a group than we have had in a while.
Westbrook will be a key on the boards. He’s long and lanky and knows how to rebound. We need that because we don’t have a lot of size. That’s our biggest obstacle. We have to play really good man defense and get into position to rebound.” One of the biggest reasons for McClung’s optimism is the Eagles’ performance this summer in a team camp at Cameron University. They faced a host of Class 4A, 5A and 6A teams from both Oklahoma and Texas in that event that had plenty of size. “That was big eye opener for us and I think it helped a lot,” the Achille coach said about the summer camp. “We figured out ways to offset that size disadvantage and we competed pretty well. “Even with the outstanding boys teams we have in Bryan County, we’re certainly not going to see anything we didn’t see this summer. Playing a quality schedule though should get us well prepared for the Class A playoffs.”
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 5
BENNINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
Bennington ready to make move with veteran cast BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com BENNINGTON - Loads of experience should help propel Bennington’s girls and boys as they make the move up to Class A. The Lady Bears have a nice returning cast but its the Bears that should be ready to make a major push with nearly their entire cast back from a year ago.
Girls Even making the move up to Class A this season, Lady Bears head coach Matt Ward is optimistic about his team’s chances with an experienced lineup leading the charge. Bennington (which finished 11-13 last year) welcomes back four starters and expects to have four-year starter Madison Currie back to full speed. She was leading the squad with approximately 14 points an outing when she was injured midway through last season. Kristin Jordan also returns after tossing in around 13 points per contest a year ago. Maci Haislip will also be back to quarterback the Lady Bear attack from her point guard position and be vital to the team’s success. The Bennington head coach is also excited about the prospects of several others that should make them deeper than a season ago. “We should have two good ones to lead us offensively with Currie and Jordan,” Ward said. “Haislip got to play a lot last year and is a very good leader for us. Emily Stevens is a real good defender and very intelligent. “Alexis Gibson got a lot
better over the summer and should be able to score for us. Makenzie Atwood is a movein from Caddo that I expect to come off the bench and give us a spark.” Lack of size will be a concern as the Lady Bears are smaller than last year but they should also be quicker. That will allow them to push the tempo more than in years past. “We’re going to try and run more than we have,” Ward commented. “We’ve got two or three off the bench that will be able to step in and help at any time so we’re definitely going to be able to go faster. “We’re much better defensively than last year and I think we are smarter as far as basketball sense. Fundamentally we have gotten a lot better. We just have to stay out of foul trouble.”
Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Bennington Bears front row (from left): Ashton Andrews, Jimmy McDonald, Keaton Robison, Andrew McDonald, Derek Hall, Ben Farris and Tucker McWilliams. Back row (from left): Gerry Haislip, Ryan Harrelson, Josh Rubio, Joe Rochelle, Jason Farris, Kobe Oliver, Austin Malone and Johnny Mays. Not pictured: Lance Minyard.
Boys With one of the deepest and most veteran casts in the area, Bennington looks to make some noise this year in the county as well as the playoffs. The Bears return all five starters from a 17-win club and a hosts of role players that have all been playing together for a number of years. Throw in a talented move-in from Caddo and they expect to be right in contention, especially when the Bryan County Tournament rolls around. “Bennington is going to be as competitive in the conference as we have ever been,” head coach Bobby Weil said. “I’ve told our guys that I am
6 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
SEE MOVE, PAGE 7
Submitted photo The 2017-18 Bennington Lady Bears front row (from left): Kenzi Conditt, Samantha Owens, Madison Currie, Mackenzie Atwood, Dallas Owens and Brianna Haislip. Back row (from left): Alyssa Snead, Josie Singleton, Maci Haislip, Emily Stevens, Alexus Gibson and Kristen Jordan.
BENNINGTON HIGH SCHOOL MOVE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
going to be disappointed if we aren’t playing in one of the main games of the county tournament on Saturday.” Experience will obviously be the strong suit for the Bears, who will look to take advantage of that depth with a much more up-tempo style of play. Last year they averaged around 45 points a contest with Weil expecting that number to increase to around 65 this season. “We’ve got 10 guys that are all about the same which should allow us to do some things and push the ball,” Weil added. “We looked good going more up tempo this summer so we
feel like we can have success going faster. We’re going to need to go faster moving up to Class A this year.” Leading the returning group is expected to be Keaton Robison, who averaged 12 points a contest a year ago, and Andrew McDonald, who chipped in about 11 a game. They have also added Lance Minyard from Caddo to the mix and Weil expects him to average double figures as well. Point guard Johnny Mays will once again engineer the attack with Joe Rochelle adding some size and versatility as what the Bennington coach describes as his best defender. Look for Austin Malone, Josh Rubio and Tucker McWilliams to be able to step in and contribute as well. With an even tougher schedule this time around, Weil has really stressed
defensive improvement to his veteran unit in the off-season. “Playing Rock Creek, Caddo, Tushka and Silo in the county on a nightly basis is challenging,” he added. “We’ve also added Valliant to the schedule this year. That should greatly prepare us for the playoffs in Class A.
“One of the biggest keys is getting better defensively. We have really stressed that and have been working on defense at least an hour every day in practice. That’s going to really dictate how successful we are going to be trying to get out and push the tempo. I’m hoping that defense will be our trademark.”
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 7
BOSWELL HIGH SCHOOL
Boswell aims for deeper playoff run in Class B BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com BOSWELL - While numbers are still limited for the girls program, the Boswell boys expect a talented core to lead a much deeper playoff push come February. The Lady Scorpions will look to thrive in a bit of a different system under a new head coach with the Scorpions relying on some talented juniors to lead the charge.
Girls With just one starter back from last year’s regional final finish, there’s definitely big shoes to fill for the Lady Scorpions but new head coach Josh Talley feels good about his group heading into the season. One good thing for Boswell will be additional numbers as the Lady Scorpions played much of last year with six or seven players but are expected to suit up eight this season. Talley is optimistic though, even with the lack of varsity experience. “We’re really young but we’ve got some talent,” he said. “I like the things we have done defensively so far and we are getting better every day offensively. It’s hard to do a lot in practice without the numbers, but I think we will get better and better as the season goes along. “We have eight girls that I think can give us minutes and help us though.” The unquestionable leader for the Lady Scorpions will be senior Harleigh Belvin, who should also be one of the top players in the Bryan County Conference. She had several strong scoring performances a year ago as Boswell averaged just over 50 points a game on the way to a 17-12 record
that included reaching the County Tournament semifinals. There are also high expectations for a pair of talented freshmen in Laney Pardue and Mattie Busby. “They are really solid players for freshmen and much more mature than their age,” Talley commented. “They have played most of their lives and will come in and contribute immediately for us.” With a new system and relatively new lineup comes some growing pains, but the Lady Scorpions should be benefited come playoff time with the drop to Class B. “I believe our strength will definitely be our defense,” Talley added. “They do a good job getting after people and are not afraid to try and steal the ball. And we do a really good job in transition once we get going. “We’re going to push the ball when we can but also have the ability to be methodical. We must stay out of foul trouble and use our fouls wisely with just eight players. We can’t afford to get silly fouls.”
Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Boswell Lady Scorpions front row (from left): Ashton Eastwood, Mattie Busby, Lydia Lowery and Zandy Belvin. Back row (from left): Head coach Josh Talley, Laney Pardue, Harleigh Belvin, Keyondra Williams and assistant coach John Talley. Not pictured: Miah VanDuren.
Boys One of the toughest districts in the state spelled an early end to the Scorpion season a year ago, but don’t be surprised if they build off that 16-15 finish with a much deeper playoff push this time around. A drop back to Class B where they reached the state tournament just two years ago with some of the same players will definitely help. The Scorpions welcome back three starters led by juniors Aaron Taylor and Hayden Dill, who each tossed in double figure averages as Boswell averaged
8 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
SEE DEEPER, PAGE 9
The 2017-18 Boswell Scorpions front row (from left): Blake Cress, Kaleb Virden, Kollin Edge, Kalin Westmoreland, Brett Anderson, Tristen James, Garrett James and Jarrett McIntyre. Back row (from left): Assistant coach Josh Talley, Jesus Rubio, Eli McIntyre, Ethan Beddo, Aaron Taylor, Hayden Dill, Kason Barker, Trevon Ware and head coach John Talley. Not pictured: Lee Roberts and Levi Russell.
BOSWELL HIGH SCHOOL DEEPER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
more than 70 points a contest. That pair along with senior Levi Russell return to spearhead what should be a deep lineup that includes several athletic newcomers and a very talented sophomore class. “We’ve got a lot of depth and a lot of new faces,” head coach John Talley stat-
ed. “As soon as we can all come together I think we can do better than last year. It was really a learning experience for most of them last season while trying to figure out what we were trying to do in my system. I think we will be able to compete better this year. “We should be able to do a lot more with a year under most of their belts. They should be able to move faster and develop quicker with what I want to do. We are
going to try and control the tempo, sometimes we will press and run and sometimes we will slow it down. It should give us an advantage against a lot of people with the ability to be versatile.” The Scorpion newcomer are actually returnees to the school system with junior Trevon Ware back from Irving MacArthur in Texas and Garrett and Tristen James returning after moving to Silo. It’s another difficult schedule for
Boswell as they look to prepare for the playoffs, this time in Class B. “I like playing a rugged schedule and back in B this year should help us a lot come playoff time,” Talley commented. “We start off with Rattan, then Tushka and Rock Creek. We also picked up Idabel this year on the road and they are always tough. We make take a few lumps but I want to get the kids ready for the postseason.”
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 9
CADDO HIGH SCHOOL
Caddo welcomes back experienced but youthful cast BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com CADDO - Experience in bunches has expectations high for both the Caddo girls and boys as they aim for taking the next step following area tournament finishes a year ago. Both squads lost just one starter from last season and will look to veteran, but still youthful cores of players to lead the charge.
Girls Despite the graduation loss off one of the most dynamic players in Bryan County over the last four years, don’t expect a major drop off for the defending conference tournament champions. The Lady Bruins welcome back four starters that got continually better throughout the squad’s 20-6 run to the area tournament. Instead of one obvious leader on the floor, Caddo should have much more balance this season, which head coach Vernon Johnson sees as a good thing once they develop more chemistry in their new style. “Everything we did last year kind of revolved around Alli (Adair),” he said. “This year we should be much more balanced with five that should all contribute. Everybody we have is capable of attacking and scoring. “We’re going to run a true motion offense where everyone will have the green light. I think that’s going to help us being much tougher to defend. Everyone is going to have to contribute to the scoring, but I’m excited about our prospects. By the time the playoffs roll around I think we will be really good if we shoot the
ball like we are capable.” Junior Brittney Miller leads that group after tossing in 12 points a contest a year ago. Senior Kacie Clower added 10 per game and sophomore Kynsey Dixon also returns after coming on and averaging just over eight points for the season. Miller and Dixon both notched double figures in most of Caddo’s playoff contests. “Miller can really shoot it well and will be a very tough matchup as will Dixon,” Johnson commented. “Carley Robinson is a move-in from Bennington that has a chance to see extensive minutes and make an impact right off the bat. How she develops as a freshman could determine how good we can be late. “We won’t be real big but senior Maeley Couch gives us a little size at 5-11. She had a pretty good summer and we are hoping she can be a force in the paint. Kyle Anderson is another solid freshman that can shoot it well.” The Lady Bruins will once again look to score in transition but should be more consistent scoring from the perimeter in half court sets.
Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Caddo Lady Bruins front row (from left): Alison Hawkins, Kennedey Morgan, Tanna Hightower, Brittney Miller, Kaley Watts and Kacie Clower. Back row (from left): Kynsey Dixon, Lynia Henry, Sydney Thompson, Maeley Couch, Carley Robison and Kylee Anderson.
Boys After surprising many people at the start of last season on the way to a 19-6 finish and Bryan County Tournament title, the Bruins won’t be sneaking up on anybody this season. Four talented starters are back for the club, which should be one of the best in the conference as well as challenging in the southeast part of the state in Class 2A. SEE EXPERIENCED, PAGE 11
10 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The 2017-18 Caddo Bruins front row (from left): Chandler Lackey, Alex Whitley, Gage McMichael, Cody Parker, Jaden Self and Jacob Long. Back row (from left): John Boyd, K.W. Adair, Kaden Johnson, Garrett McMichael, Matthew Jenkins, Braden Couch and Matt Argo. Not pictured: Jack Holbrook, Halen Triplett, Michael Creel, Chisolm Booth and Payton Brewer.
CADDO HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
Spurring the attack will be last year’s Bryan County tourney MVP Garrett McMichael, a senior that pumped in 19.5 points an outing a season ago. Sophomores Kaden Johnson and K.W. Adair emerged in their first high school campaigns to average 12 and seven points per game with senior sharpshooter Gage McMichael back with his 10 points a contest. They also have several others youngsters that should help provide additional depth to what should be an explosive attack. “We played three freshmen a bunch of minutes last year,” head coach Kolby Johnson said. “Sometimes it was good and sometimes it wasn’t. Getting to play that much though I expect them to be hooked up and ready to go
this year. “We have more experience now and guys are fired up. We ranked in Top 15 throughout the last half of the season and are ready to make a jump this year to where we think we should be. We were able to be the underdog most of time last year, but now there are no secrets. We have to come ready to work every day and get better.” This season will be much of the same for the Bruins with a guard-oriented attack, but they likely won’t be as deep inside the paint. They have also beefed up the schedule to have them well prepared in quest of trying to return to the state tournament for the first time since 2011. That includes adding regular season contests with traditional powers Oktaha, Savanna and Wright City. “We’re quick, still have good ball handlers and should be able to get up and down the floor pretty well,”
Johnson added. “We lost a little of our size but still have Matthew Jenkins in there. We have a few guys that get to the hole really well and a few guys that are good spot up shooters. They play off each other very well. We are trying to get our spot up shooters to improve ball handling where they can finish around the rim if we need them
to. “Our guys want to get back to state. It’s more of mindset than anything until you do it. We’ve added to the schedule to help prepare us. I don’t want to be in position where we are playing the best team we have played all year when the playoffs start. Our conference will help us as well.”
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 11
CALERA HIGH SCHOOL
Veteran leadership expected to key Calera squads BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com CALERA - Veteran leadership will be critical to the success of Calera’s girls and boys squad during the upcoming season. The Lady Bulldogs will continue to adapt to a new system under a new coach while the boys should settle in with a solid core of returnees.
Girls Coming off a campaign in which they won just six games, enthusiasm seems to be high for the Calera Lady Bulldogs in the first season under new head coach Bobby Moore, who comes from Waurika, where he guided the girls program the last two seasons. He’s originally from the southeast part of the state however, graduating from Southeastern and also did his student teaching in this area. “I got to know most of the girls over the summer,” Moore commented. “We’re still getting used to each other though. We’ve got a solid senior class and some good juniors. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is they hate to lose, which is a great trait to have.” Scoring was the key for Calera a season ago. When they were able to score 50 or more points they usually won, only dropping two of those contests. The team posted two victories in a row on three different occasions. This year’s squad is expected to run through the play of seniors Dally Halbrooks, Logan Mullens and Hannah Carter, each of which has gained valuable experience over the past couple of seasons.
Mullens averaged around 17 points a contest to lead the team offensively as a junior. Moore expects juniors Amber Berryhill and Maddi Virgin to step into much bigger roles this season along with Kendra St. Clair becoming a factor in the post. Sophomore Kya Daniel saw time a year ago and should be a solid backup in the post while freshman Lazariae Mayes adds additional size and athleticism. Caylee Thompson gives the squad good depth on the perimeter as well. “I would like to run up-tempo style but learned a long time ago in coaching you can’t make players fit a system, you have to make system fit the players,” Moore added. “We’re going to find things to suit their strengths and give us the best chance to get best outcome possible. We have size, quickness and some shooters. If we can score inside and out we should have good balance offensively. “I think we will be able to attack the basket and our outside shooting will come along as the season comes along. We’ll probably be an attacking team most of the time though. Limiting second chance opportunities on the defensive end will be critical to our success.”
Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Calera Lady Bulldogs front row (from left): Caylee Thompson, Elizabeth Langley, Bailey Roland, Maddison Virgin and Nichaise Smith. Middle row (from left): Raven Lawrence, Dally Halbrooks, Logan Mullens, Hannah Carter and Amber Berryhill. Back row (from left): Lexi McAnally, Samantha Cowen, Madison Childers, Lazariae Mayes, Kya Daniel and Kendra St. Clair.
Boys With a full year of his system in place, Calera coach Brian Wingfield is excited about the prospects of his 2017-18 squad. The Bulldogs welcome back three starters from a 7-18 finish and two of those only played portions of the season.
12 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
SEE KEY, PAGE 13
The 2017-18 Calera Bulldogs front row (from left): Michael Epps, Keith Jeffreys, Jerry Smith, Zach Taylor, Brayden Langley, Kody Toombs, Jaylen Dunn, Dusty Jeffreys and Chase Weddle. Back row (from left): Michael Jaimes, Jude Beshirs, Tyler Shupert, Fisher Hutchins, Bodie Smith, Tytus West, Shawn McKinney, Parker Barkley, Landon Robinson and Kobe Anderson.
CALERA HIGH SCHOOL KEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Leading that cast is Zach Taylor, who pumped in roughly 20 points an outing. Brayden Langley also averaged a double-double after becoming eligible after a midseason move. Those should be the club’s offensive catalysts and huge contributors all year. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do playing together for a full season,” Wingfield said. “We didn’t have much experience going into last year so that is definitely going to be an upgrade. We have several players that got time a season ago and have got some new faces as well that should be able to contribute. That group should be pretty solid.” The Calera head coach expects big things from senior Kody Toombs, who played for the first time last season,
along with Wade Hearod, an off-season move-in from Bennington that should be a good scorer and defender. They’ll also be bolstered by the addition of 6-3 junior Tytus West, who hasn’t played basketball the past two years. “We have a good combination of experience and young guys that will get some playing time as well,” Wingfield stated. “We are going to try to transition as much as possible and take advantage of our quickness. We’re pretty fast and athletic and I think we’ll be a pretty good three-point shooting team. “We should be better defensively with more depth and more experience so we will probably play more man defense than last year. More size this year will definitely help us. We’re going to still run a perimeter based offense with motion but we’ll have some options with what people do defensively against us.”
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COLBERT HIGH SCHOOL
Colbert teams aim for continued improvement BY KEVIN FARR
The 2017-18 Colbert Lady Leopards front row (from left): Brady Rowland, Leigha Brown, Brooklyn Jones, Toree Buck, Danica Olguin and Preslee Jordan. Back row (from left): Hannah Rhoades, Taylor Pierce, Gracie McMahan, Kiana Love, Kinzee Coker and Lauren Montgomery. Not pictured: Presley Swindell. Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat
kevin@durantdemocrat.com COLBERT - Improving on a daily basis is the goal for Colbert basketball squads as they continue the rebuilding process. The Lady Leopards have much more experience while the Leopards should improve their offensive production this year.
Girls It was a struggle much of last year with an inexperienced squad trying to learn a new system in the first season under the direction of Jay Depanion. Everyone returns this season with more optimism and obviously more seasoning as they build off their four wins of a year ago. “We had a really good summer league and the girls learned a lot,” Depanion commented. “They have a real good work ethic. We are just trying to find the right style for us right now.” While the Lady Leopards had difficulty scoring much of the 2016-17 campaign, they did find a bit of rhythm midseason reeling off four straight victories, including a consolation championship at the Bennington Tournament. They’ll have a nice returning core to build around led by junior Brady Rowland along with fellow junior Toree Buck as well as sophomore Leigha Brown. “Leigha shot the ball very well last year, especially toward the end of the year,” Depanion stated. “Toree is very
capable if she just gets her rhythm down. Brady is one of our big leaders. She’s an all-around team player. Takes it to the hole and shoots the ball well. She can score in lot of different areas.” Three new additions have Depanion very excited, especially with the opportunity to incorporate more into practice with added numbers. One of those is senior Taylor Pierce, who should bolster things despite not having played in a couple of years. Senior Kiana Love is back with good size in the middle along with sophomore Kinzee Coker. “We have a couple of girls that can shoot the ball well, but we have to do a better job rebounding,” Depanion added. “We stood and looked a lot last year instead of rebounding and gave people two or three shots almost every possession. You just can’t let that happen, but
we worked hard and got much better on that this summer.” Overall, the Colbert coach knows it’s a work in progress during the rebuilding phase for the Lady Leopards but likes the direction they are heading. “Expectations are higher,” he said. “I think we will be better and compete better than we did last year. We were basically starting from scratch last year and you can already tell the work ethic is better. The girls are in good spirits about how well they competed in summer league. We’re still grasping the concept of man defense but will continue to work to get there. “Our goal is to go compete and continue to get better every night on the
court.”
Boys The building process continues for the Colbert boys, who will still be extremely young this season with only two players old enough to even drive a car. Even with that youth, the Leopards will actually head into the season with much more experience as four starters return from last year’s 11-14 finish. “We’re more experienced but still very young,” head coach Tony Robinson said. “We have some guys that got valuable playing time last year but we are still going through some growing pains obviously. “They’re a fun group to work with though. They work hard and have a lot of energy. That’s all I ask for.” Josh Means is the club’s lone senior and will look to add to his five points a game from a season ago. The squad’s other returning starters are sophomores Dillon Winger (who notched eight points an outing), Braden Mueller (7.5 a contest) and Carlos Segura (five per game). The Leopards will also rely on junior Brandon Denton and have several other underclassmen that should step up and contribute as well. “Josh is without a doubt our leader,” Robinson added. “He leads by examSEE IMPROVE, PAGE 20
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The 2017-18 Colbert Leopards front row (from left): Cody Baker, Brandon Denton, Alex Loya, Josh Means, Braden Mueller, Carlos Segura and Elias Miguel. Middle row (from left): Reynaldo Gonzalez, Randen Gibson, McKye Marquez, Dillon Winger, Josh Herrick, Logan Trevino, Lawson Guymon and Parker Dawson. Back row (from left): Huner Peebles, Kyle Sneed, Jacob Olsen, Tyler Sinor, Aaron Staple, Sean Baker, Dusty Peebles and Braydon Means.
DURANT HIGH SCHOOL
Plenty of new faces dot Durant lineups this season BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com Fans may definitely need a game program this season as both the Durant girls and boys squads work in a bevy of new faces into the regular rotation. The Lady Lions have just one starter back from a five-win campaign while the Lions also have just one regular starter as well after posting 10 victories a year ago. Girls Girls basketball Hall of Fame head coach Phil Daniel begins his fourth year at the helm of the Lady Lion program with easily his youngest cast. Durant returns only one starter in junior Tristyn Hamilton, who was a solid perimeter shooter a season ago while averaging roughly six points a contest. They’ll be looking to a lot of younger players to step in bigger roles while learning under the heat of fire. “We’ve only got a handful of upperclassmen so those sophomores and freshmen are going to have to step in and get significant minutes,” Daniel said. “I like this group of young kids but they are going to have to learn on the fly. They are going to be okay but will just have to mature quickly and get experience despite playing against 5A competition on a nightly basis. “They are a hard-working group though that never complains. Our goal with them
is to get better every game and steadily improve throughout the season.” The Lady Lion head coach pointed to sophomores Annalee Jones, Alli and Madi Keel as well as Karli Westmoreland, all of which got playing time a year ago and will be counted on even more heavily this season. Daniel also pointed to athletic freshmen Allee Raney, Demi Hood and Landri Sims as potential key contributors as the season goes along. “We’re going to have to get more consistent scoring from our post players and shoot the ball better overall,” he stated. “We’re small but quick overall so we are going to try and be aggressive defensively and make things happen. We should get better offensively as we go along. “Hamilton is a very good shooter and will lead us but Westmoreland, the Keels and Raney can all shoot it pretty well as well. Hood is a tenacious defender and Sims also has a nice touch around the basket.” Boys There will be plenty of new faces for the Lions as they look to replace the bulk of their offensive production from a season ago. Coach Aaron George will look for better shot selection and try to limit the number of possessions, but will have to take care of the basketball in order to do so.
The 2017-18 Durant Lady Lions front row (from left): Karli Westmoreland, Madi Keel, Tristyn Hamilton, Deanna Wall, Bradi McLemore, Gracie Powell, Destiny Tom and Alli Keel. Back row (from left): Emma Stafford, Ally Kennedy, Allee Raney, Annalee Jones, Brandasha Young, Kristen Pipkens, Chelsie Wilmoth and Balee Polson. Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat “We’ve got to be more discipline on offense,” he commented. “We are going to push the ball up the floor to see if we can get transition points, but if not we are going to have to be patient and work for good shots. We have to limit the number of possessions, which will also help us defensively.
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The 2017-18 Durant Lions front row (from left): Julian Compean, Caleb Washington, Carter Womble, Gabriel Powell, Ky Carper, Jose Arroyo and Skyler Tidwell. Middle row (from left): Blake Burkhalter, Aaron Floyd, Bryson Lyday, Zyarius Clark, Hayden Burchfield, Zach White and Colton Wilson. Back row (from left): James Supple, Gavin Carter, Tyler Hamblin, Kyle Hughes, Brady Nichols, Jared Morgan, Drake Cates and Tyler Wilson. Not pictured: Daniel Long, Hunter Haislip, Brandon Davis, Tanner Davidson, Dominic Wynn and Cody Garlington.
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“We must try to limit the opposing team to under 50 points to give us the best chance to win.” Durant’s lone returning regular starter will be senior Brady Nichols, who contributed 7.5 points and 6.9 rebounds a season ago. SEE FACES, PAGE 21
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 15
KINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL
Sky is the limit for up-and-coming Kingston squads BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com KINGSTON - Goals are high for Kingston basketball this season with tremendous experience back for both the girls and boys. The youthful Lady Redskins have a full year of seasoning under most of their belts while the Redskins are thinking gold ball after reaching state for the first time.
Girls Excitement is brimming for the squad coming off their best finish in two decades as they reached the area round of the playoffs. With three starters and a host of young talent there is definite reason for optimism with a steadily improving young squad.
“Last year we had two seniors and just one this year so our young girls have played a lot the last couple of seasons,” head coach Chad Rumer commented. “We started two freshmen and had two or three others that came off bench last season so the future is looking pretty good for us. “We are expecting a pretty exciting year. Hopefully it lives up to the potential that they think they have and I think they have.” The Lady Redskins have a definite leader both on and off the court in senior Kes Reeves, who will be starting for the fourth straight season. She averaged 16 points a contest in last year’s 18-10 finish. Kingston also welcomes back Britt Henderson and her 13 points an outing as well as Kassie Bailey with nearly six points a game. A major addition will be 6-1 freshman Avri Weeks, a talented young post
player that will give the Lady Redskins an added dimension. “We have speed and the ability to get up and down the floor,” Rumer said. “Having Weeks and her size inside gives us something we haven’t had the past. We also have a couple of our best shooters back. Once we find a gel and everyone working on the same page I think it’s going to be much more of an inside-outside game than we have been able to play and feed into the post a lot.” With his large group of talented underclassmen, the Kingston head coach expects to utilize an eight-player rotation with the ability to go even deeper as the freshmen get more seasoning. Pressure defense and taking care of the basketball will be major keys once again for another deep postseason push.
Boys Basketball fans around Kingston knew they had a special group going into last year and the Redskins showed it with the school’s first ever state tournament appearance. Now with all but one player back from
their 23-5 club, expectations are at an alltime high. “Obviously it’s a pretty exciting time,” head coach Taylor Wiebener said. “We really wanted to make that jump and get to the state tournament and a taste of that as young as we were. Now the objective is to go win some games at state and see if we can bring home a championship.” The Redskins should be one of the favorites in Class 3A at the start of the season with all kinds of weapons at their disposal. That crew is led by 6-10 junior Jacob Germany, who averaged nearly a double-double a season ago with 14 points and nine rebounds per contest. Also back to spearhead the balanced assault as junior returning starters are Conner Brister (11.0 points an outing), Jacob Whipkey (10.0 points) and R.J. Weeks (9.0 points). “We’ve got a lot of options on the offensive end which is good because opponents can’t really key on one person because they can all do a lot of different things,” SEE SKY, PAGE 13
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Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Kingston Lady Redskins front row (from left): Taylor Spence, Grace Burt, Emi Osteen, Torin Brown and Abbie Carlile. Back row (from left): Dana Wagnon, Tyla Bohannon, Kassie Bailey, Britt Henderson, Avri Weeks, Kes Reeves and Brittany Osteen. Not pictured: Sierra Brown and Kiara Pirce.
KINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL SKY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Wiebener stated. “I feel like we have all the tools to be very successful. We can shoot it a little, handle the ball, play defense and have a pretty solid inside-outside combination. “We have one hole to fill (graduation loss of Ryan Capps) and that’s going to be key in working that out. It’s just a matter of how long it takes us to get in a groove.” Wiebener has several different options for replacing Capps in the starting lineup, including junior sharpshooter Trey Keatts, sophomore Tyler Blanchard and talented freshmen Jase Hayes, Jesse Rose and Bryant Watts. That group along with a few others should provide outstanding depth and versatility to boot. “We hope to rely more on Blanchard this year,” the Redskin coach commented. “He is small but quick and handles the ball very well. Keatts had a really good summer and might be purest shooter on the team. Hayes, Rose and Watts are talented freshmen that are
big, physical kids that could get some time. We’ll see how they progress but excited about their prospects.” One thing the Redskins cannot afford is to become complacent after their tremendous success a year ago. They can undoubtedly expect them to get everybody’s best effort with a bullseye on their backs. “Just because we made the state tournament last year doesn’t mean its automatic you make it this year,” Wiebener added. “It’s expected but not a given. You see a lot of teams make it one year and don’t get back the next year despite having a lot of returning players. “I don’t know what the preseason polls are going to look like but we’ll probably be ranked pretty high. We have earned that, but it also puts a big target on our back. We have to be prepared to get pretty much everybody’s best shot. In order to be a championship caliber team you have to come ready to play night in and night out and find a way to win games. That should only make us better along the way.”
Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Kingston Redskins front row (from left): Matthew O’Steen, Isaac Burns, Mitchell Smith and Colby Carter. Back row (from left): Drew Capps, Conner Brister, Jacob Germany and R.J. Weeks. Not pictured: Stoney Lowe, Jacob Whipkey, Trey Keatts, Rylee Holmes, Tyler Blanchard, Coltin Knape, Jase Hayes, Bryant Watts, Jesse Rose, Conner Short, A.J. McKinney, Jakey Williams, Jaron Morgan
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2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 17
ROCK CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
Rock Creek fueled by optimism in new season BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com BOKCHITO - Optimism is high for Rock Creek basketball teams with lots of experience back in 2017-18. The Lady Mustangs lost just one starter while the Mustangs will be looking to a veteran nucleus for first-year head coach Craig Andrus.
Girls Despite 17 wins a year ago it was a disappointing season finish for the Lady Mustangs as they dropped their final three contests including a 57-40 loss to Tishomingo in the district tournament. Five players with starting experience return for Coach Wade Johnson as they shoot for a much deeper playoff run this
time around. Leading that pack will be seniors Lainey Jestis, Jacey Angello and Jordan Nelson, although Angello will be out until January while recovering from an ACL injury. All three had solid scoring efforts at various times last season. They’ll be joined by junior Hannah Heflin as well as sophomore Teeronie McCann, giving the Lady Mustangs outstanding versatility as well as numerous offensive options. “I’m very excited about our prospects this year,” Johnson said. “We have several players with starting experience and I feel our bench has gotten a lot stronger since last year. We will be able to go 9-10 players deep on a regular basis. “We won’t have a great deal of size but with our depth hopefully be able to cause opponents a lot of problems with our
speed and quickness.” Juniors Brittany Farrington and Macy Converse are expected to step into bigger roles with more playing time and Rock Creek will also have a solid crew of sophomores and freshmen that should gain valuable experience during the course of the season. “We have potential to be a very balanced squad by the time the playoffs come around,” Johnson added. “Several different players are capable of leading us in scoring on a given night. We just need to continue progressing and work to be playing our best at the end of the year.”
Boys With lots of experience back from a 21-7 club, expectations are strong for the Mustangs heading into the season. New head coach Craig Andrus inherits a team that welcomes back three starters along with several others that garnered a great deal of experience. The Mustangs notched several close calls against highly-ranked opponents a season ago, including a narrow one-point decision to Talihina in the regional finals, and will look to get over that hump this time around. SEE OPTIMISM, PAGE 19
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Photo by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Rock Creek Lady Mustangs front row (from left): Angela Greenhaw, Kala Anderson, Marrah Berka, Lainey Jestis, Jacey Angello and Brittany Farrington. Back row (from left): Kameron Curtis, Karissa Blackburn, Hannah Heflin, Jordan Nelson, Macy Converse, Teeronie McCann, Jolie Pery, Emily Hamill and assistant coach Devyn Johnson. Not pictured: Lily Cordell.
ROCK CREEK HIGH SCHOOL OPTIMISM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
Sam Roper, Karson Dry and Darian James are back as starters for Rock Creek, although James may be out of the lineup until almost Christmas while recovering from off-season knee surgery. “I’m very excited about this year’s team,” Andrus said. “I know what to expect from the three starters we’ve got back but probably even more so to see what some of these other guys can do that are stepping into bigger roles. “The really good thing Coach Frederick did last year was get several of these guys playing time and they advanced all the way into the area round of the playoffs. I am very excited to take a job with that much experience back from last year. I think some of those guys will make some real noise. There are a lot of potential leaders in that group.”
That cast of returnees includes seniors Austin Green and Christian McGowan as well as sophomores Sammy Cahill and Luke Jestis. With that foursome as well as several others, Rock Creek should have outstanding depth which will allow them to play an up-tempo, full-court style once again, which is a little different than what Andrus normally likes to play. “My style of basketball is totally different than what they have been playing but I am going to do what’s best for these guys,” Andrus commented. “We’ve tackled a bunch of half court issues the last two or three weeks so I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for us to play that way. We’re going to put guys into position to run but feel like we’ll be solid in the half court if we have to. Just being able to run makes up for lack of size a lot of times.” The Mustangs will look for additional early scoring to make up for the absence of James, who was an All-Region per-
former as season ago while leading the team in scoring as a sophomore. “He’s chomping at the bit to be back,” Andrus added. “There’s no replacement for the kid, but we’ve got some horses in the stable to make up for some of his production.” While the squad eyes another 20-win campaign, the ultimate goal for Rock Creek this season is to win come area and
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advance to state despite a rugged schedule. “We are blessed with a great schedule,” the head coach said. “It’s refreshing for me to have a tough schedule. It will get us ready for the playoffs. “Our goal as a team is to win in area. They haven’t done that in three years so achieving that goal will put us in place to be where we want to be.”
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SILO HIGH SCHOOL
Frank leads both Silo squads loaded with youth BY KEVIN FARR kfarr@durantdemocrat.com SILO - There’s a familiar face in charge of the Silo Lady Rebel program this season as Brett Frank will be doing double duty as the head coach of both the boys and girls squads this season. The girls squad will be looking for key contributions from a strong crew of underclassmen while the boys aim to be right back in the thick of things come playoff time.
Girls Frank is definitely familiar with the women’s game, cutting his teeth helping coach collegiate women’s basketball at Southeastern as well as Fresno State and the University of Mississippi. At Silo, he takes over a girls’ squad that has struggled the past couple of seasons with numbers but looks to be on the way up with an influx of young talent that has been highly successful at the junior high level. “It’s kind of fun,” Frank said of his double duty. “It’s been a few years since I have coached girls but that’s obviously where I got my start and the majority of my coaching career has been. “We’ve got a fun and energetic group that is eager to make strides with this program.” A year ago with injuries and inexperience, the Lady Rebels struggled to just three victories but welcome back a solid nucleus which to build around with the youthful newcomers. Senior Kensea Eppler is the
IMPROVE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
ple as well as vocally. I think Mueller will have a very good year after really coming on
Photos by Dan Pennington | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Silo Lady Rebels front row (from left): Randi McLarry, Alys Parr, Kensea Eppler, Daelyn Marshall, Danielle Hayden and Hannah Jones. Back row (from left): Cherish Huffman, Tammy Miller, Hallie Jones, Gracie Lawless, Taylor Shives, Cheri Stampley and Ryan Herndon. catalyst of that group with several double-figure scoring games a season ago as she was named All-Conference and is a multiyear All-Star. Fellow seniors Alys Parr and Daelyn Marshall were also starters last year and are expected to be leaders again. “Kensea is our anchor and leader on the floor,” Frank commented. “Daelyn is a physical defender and rebounds very well. Alys is a great defensive player that is very fast. She has the ability to disrupt things because she is long and reads the passing lanes well. She can guard just about anybody on the floor.” Sophomores Randi McLarry along with Hallie and Hannah Jones saw action off the bench last season and are expected to fill in much bigger roles this time around. They will be joined by talented freshmen Ryan Herndon and Gracie Lawless. “A big part of our success will be how quickly those underclassmen can step in and feel comfortable at the high school
level,” the Silo coach said. “We are going to rely heavily on our youth to change the dynamics of our program and the style we have been playing. They are imperative to our success this year and hopefully the experience they gain will lead us to success down the road.”
as a freshman. He has gotten bigger. Winger, Denton and Segura all played well at times and contributed last season. I expect big things out of them again.” As with most Robinson
20 • November 4, 2017 • 2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The 2017-18 Silo Rebels front row (from left): Preston Pratt, Juan Luciano, Ty Herndon, Korben Ford, Britt Duncan, Tre Cook and Brannon Burrows. Back row (from left): Jessen Pratt, Austin Thomas, Marshall Ludrick, Patch Hamilton, Dylan Turner, Dustin Barron, Jacob Lawless and Chase Corbin. Not pictured: Cameron Bridges.
Although the Rebels return just one starter from last year’s area tournament finalist, don’t expect a major drop off this season as they welcome back some quality experience and several newcomers that may need just a little time to gel together. “Obviously it’s somewhat of a rebuilding year after losing four starters like we did,” Frank commented. “We have several players returning, they just haven’t spent a lot of time on the court together. Early on it’s going to be more about finding our chemistry and who works best together.” Senior Austin Thomas averaged 8.5 points a contest during
the Rebels’ 24-7 campaign a season ago and will be back to key the offensive charge. He should have a couple of solid compliments in sophomores Patch Hamilton and Korben Ford, who saw a lot minutes coming off the bench last season. All three will be capable of big scoring games. “We got great production from Patch in the playoffs last year,” Frank said. “He had huge games against Mangum and Latta in the regional tournament. Korben was doing some really good things for us with huge minutes on the perimeter but unfortunately got sick late in the season and missed the area tournament.” Look for bigger contributions as well from junior Jacob Lawless, who saw a lot of significant minutes over the past two seasons, including stepping in to start a few times a year ago on the perimeter. The Rebels also welcome back Dylan Turner, who didn’t play last season but should fill a key role inside along with Jessen
Pratt after playing some key minutes in 2016-17. Both are expected to be regular contributors. Even possibly without the offensive firepower they possessed last year, Frank expects to use the same principles and style of play while tweaking things just a bit. “We are going to be based on the same principles as last year but throw some new wrinkles in,” he stated. “We’re going to tweak some things to make this group successful. We’ll mix things up more defensively and probably use a little more post play offensively. I expect to see us spread the floor and do some things we haven’t done offensively before. “On defense we are going to be long and we will continue to try and play at a fast pace. The key is how quickly we can gel together. We are going to play at least an 8-man rotation and hopefully by end of the season add one or two to that mix. As quick a pace as we want to play and style want to play the deeper our bench is the better the chance of us being successful.”
coached teams, defense will be the focal point, but he expects this Colbert squad to be able to score more as well thanks to improved shooting and execution. “I think we’ll be very com-
petitive,” he commented. “We’ll get better and better as the season goes. We execute pretty well and have some kids that can shoot a little bit. They play real hard. “We’ll defend. We always
defend. We’ve tweaked our offense a little bit and think the guys feel a little more comfortable in it. I think we will be able to manufacture a lot more points this year and be very competitive most every night.”
Boys
TUSHKA HIGH SCHOOL
Tushka girls look to build off state appearance BY KEVIN FARR
There’s lots of holes to fill for the Tigers as they look to replace their entire starting rotation under the direction of new head coach Chris Howard, who comes over after spending the past nine years at Lane. He will eye four returning lettermen to pick things up and lead the charge this season. That group includes seniors Shelby Milam, Jacob Spradlin and Trevin Wainright. “Milam is a solid post guy, Spradlin will lead us at point guard and Wainright is a quality shooter,” Howard stated. “All of
them have played quite a bit and will be a big part of what we do as they step into new roles.” One big addition for the Tigers is junior Darin Brown, who moved in from Boswell, where he was a three-point sharpshooter a season ago. That should be one of the team’s strengths along with their quickness. “Brown is a big addition for us and very capable of shooting 40 percent or better from the threepoint line,” Howard added. “We should be versatile with him on the perimeter. Spradlin is quick and can drive and make things happen and Trevin is capable of finishing around the rim.” They also have several talented underclassmen that should contribute as they continue to mature and gain experience during the course of the season. That group includes sophomores Josh Hauff and Tucker Potts as well as freshman Tanner Easley. That should help provide an eight-to-nine player rotation according to their head coach. “I feel like we will be much deeper than they were a year ago,” Howard said. “We have several guys that can come off the bench and give us good minutes. A lot of underclassmen that will be getting valuable experience. “They haven’t played much together and we’ve only been in the gym about three weeks. As the season goes along though I think they’ll gel really well together.”
only other player that saw much of any court time as year ago, coming off the bench to add a spark at times late in the season. George also pointed to seniors Drake Cates and Brandon Davis, juniors Tyler Hamblin and Dominic Wynn as well as sophomores Zyarius Clark and Bryson Lyday as potential key contributors as they get varsity experience.
“A lot of those guys had good summers for us,” George added. “Long gave us some good minutes last year and will help us a lot. He’s an old school type player and has the ability to play guard or can go in and play in the post if needed. “Davis will bring us some relentless defense with his athletic ability. He’ll step in and help us.”
kevin@durantdemocrat.com TUSHKA - Fresh off a state tournament appearance a season ago, Tushka’s Lady Tigers have their sights set on being right in contention once again in March. The Tushka boys meanwhile will try to reload in a hurry in Chris Howard’s first season at the helm of the Tigers.
Girls Even though they have some big shoes to fill from last year’s state tournament squad, the Lady Tigers welcome back plenty of experience that should have them in contention again. Three full-time starters and another part-time starter are back and that doesn’t even include the return of senior Lauren Ford, who missed all of last year with an ACL injury after starting as a sophomore. Leading the charge will be four-year starter Ryann Cochran, who is the club’s top returning scorer with 15 points an outing. Fellow senior Grace Wall should be a force inside at 5-11 after notching eight points a game last season. Junior point guard Alissa Kindred is also back to spur the offensive charge after tossing in about seven points per contest a year ago. “We’ve got a decent amount of experience,” head coach Lori Ford commented. “Obviously we
FACES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
They also welcome back senior Kyle Hughes, who saw quite a bit of playing time and a few starts, but has been limited a bit due to injury. Fellow senior Tanner Davidson also saw action off the bench last season and should fill
Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Tushka Lady Tigers front row (from left): Jalynn Milam, Sarah Ridgway, Lauren Ford, Tenley Wainright and Adriene Percell. Back row (from left): Hanna Hodge, Ryann Cochran, Jacy Eaves, Grace Wall and Taylor Chambers. Not pictured: Alissa Kindred, Kayelin Kindred, Morgan Bess and Kristen Masters.
The 2017-18 Tushka Tigers front row (from left): Gary Hoover, Seth Daniel and Tanner Easley. Middle row (from left): Judson Griffith, Matt Goodson, Darin Brown, Jacob Spradlin, Tanner Hyatt and Josh Hauff. Back row (from left): Lucas Callicoat, Cody Loar, Cole Broughton, Trevin Wainright, Shelby Milam, Brock Tisdale and Tucker Potts. Not pictured: Tyler Hyatt, Jerrid Hobbie, Seth Meadows and Hunter Justice.
have a lot of confidence in Cochran and I feel like Grace Wall will step up in a much bigger role this year. Kindred was really solid at the point for us last season and she is capable of doing a lot more this year. “Lauren is going to help us on the boards and gives us some points after missing last season and Taylor Chambers gave us some outstanding minutes off the bench a year ago. She shoots the ball well and is athletic. All five of our starters will be able to put in some points and spread things around more evenly than we have in the past. I think all five of them will be able to lead us in scoring on a given night.” Ford expects to have solid depth with a regular eight-player
rotation that includes a couple of newcomers in Tenley Wainright and Kayelin Kindred. She expects the Lady Tiger athleticism to be key to their success. “Wainright and Kindred have looked really good so far and we expect good things from both of them coming off the bench this season,” the Tushka head coach said. “There shouldn’t be much of a drop off when we go the bench. We’ll have some size there as well. “We are going to try and take advantage of our athleticism and push the tempo when we can. We’ve got several that can shoot the ball and some that are very good off dribble drive and capable of feeding the post. We’re definitely going to look to transition and
into a bigger role. “We just don’t have anywhere near as much experience as we have had in the last few years,” George stated. “We are going to have to find a groove and gel together as the season goes along. Being patient will be critical, but I do think we will be a lot more balanced offensively. Hopefully we can get four or five players with 8
to 10 points apiece. Nichols will be key for us and hopefully Hughes can stay healthy. “Improving on the defensive end is going to be vital to our success along with rebounding better than we have. We’re going change it up a lot from zone to man defensively and try to get the other team guessing as to what we are in.” Sophomore Daniel Long is the
probably penetrate more this year to make things happen in our half court offense.”
Boys
2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 21
VICTORY HIGH SCHOOL
Victory Life looks to fill big holes BY KEVIN FARR kevin@durantdemocrat.com Chris Valliere is back at the helm of both Victory Life high school squads as they focused on filling some big holes. The Lady Eagles lost their three leading scorers but the Eagles will have a high-scoring threat returning to lead the reloading.
Girls It’s definite rebuilding mode for the Lady Eagles, who must replace the brunt of their offensive production from a season ago after the graduation of Scarlett Stinchcomb, Larra Lankford and Tara Dollar. Coach Chris Valliere won’t have much depth either with only six players on the roster to start the season, four of which are freshmen. Juniors Jackie Genser and Sidney Montgomery will be counted on to carry much of the load after gaining extensive playing time a year ago. Freshman MeCayla Taylor is expected to make an immediate impact with others filling in as well. “We lost a lot last year,” Valliere commented. “Stinchcomb, Lankford and Dollar were our top three scorers. We are expect-
Photos by Kevin Farr | Durant Democrat The 2017-18 Victory Life Lady Eagles (from left): Head coach Chris Valliere, Jackie Genser, Signey Montgomery, McCayla Taylor and Jessica Colvert. Not pictured: Faith Servance and Ariel Turner. ing a lot of the two juniors we have (Genser and Montgomery). They are going to have contribute much more offensively for us. “Taylor is a good should and will contribute for us right off the bat. She was a really good leader in eighth grade, is a solid point guard and runs the offense well. We’ve got two or three others that haven’t played a lot of basketball so it will be interesting. It will be a learning year for them and hopefully they will pick up on it as we go along.” With just six players, lack of depth will be a regular issue so Valliere hopes to have the Lady Eagles in the best shape possible
and be very discipline along the way. Foul trouble would be a definite killer.
Boys There are several big shoes for the Eagles to fill this season but they have a major returnee to lead the charge in Daniel Burt. The senior sharpshooter was one of the area’s top three-point threats a season ago while pumping in 20-plus points on a regular basis to lead the offensive charge. Combined with junior Kaleb Parker, Victory Life should have a legitimate one-two punch which to rely on early on in the season. “Daniel is going to be our lead-
The 2017-18 Victory Life Eagles front row (from left): Ryan McCusker, Kaleb Parker, Matthew Weaver and Jose Cano. Back row (from left): Head coach Chris Valliere, Sam Welch, Chase Williams, Kevin Smee, Ian Lawrence, Ronnie Backus and assistant coach Gage Mosley. Not pictured: Daniel Burt, Jacob Washington and Wally Hite. er but we are counting on much bigger numbers from Kaleb as well,” head coach Chris Valliere stated. “Daniel got hot several times last year, hit a lot of threes and scored some big points while leading us to some victories. Hopefully he can do that again.” Success was limited last season but the Eagles did reach the regional round of the Class B playoffs after a 64-44 district tournament win at Wapanucka. In addition to the two returning starters, Victory Life will look to sophomore Wally Hite,
who added some key minutes off the bench in his first high school campaign, as well as newcomer Ronnie Backus, a junior with good size. “We’re missing some big numbers that we have to replace but I feel like some of our younger guys are ready to step up,” Valliere added. “Our strengths should be shooting and our defense. I think we will be a little more vocal this season and we are a little bigger overall, but not quite as athletic as we were last year.”
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SOUTHEASTERN WOMEN
SE women set sights on conference title BY MATT THOMAS mthomas@se.edu Southeastern women’s basketball heads into the 2017-18 season looking to build on its solid run and sets its sights on a Great American Conference championship and beyond. “We are very excited about our team this year,” said head coach Darin Grover, “We have one of the best players in the conference returning in Katie Webb, Sa’Liesha Hunter returns as our point guard, and Emem David returns as a post player. This gives us 3 out of 5 starters returning in very important positions. I think if we can have our other returners step into the positions vacated by Wallace and Potter, we should have a solid team.” SE heads into the season picked to finish fourth in the poll and finished behind Arkan-
Dan Hoke | Southeastern Oklahoma State University The 2017-18 Southeastern women’s basketball team. sas Tech, while Harding was the favorite to win the league, earning 11 of the 12 first place votes, with Southwestern Oklahoma State picked second. The Storm are coming off a 17-10 season a year ago and finished tied for third in the conference standings, and head into the 2017-18 season looking to replace two of its
top three scorers, including all-conference performer Olivia Potter. “Courtney Brady, Alix Robinson, and Tracy Johnson will all see significant time at all of the guard positions,” said Grover. “These will be important with replacing the experience that we lost. All of these ladies played important minutes for us a year ago, we expect them to contribute at a high level.” “Ariannah Kemp,” he continued, “Returns as perhaps our most efficient and explosive player. Ariannah is going to need to play more minutes for us to be a good basketball team.” The Storm returns its top scorer from last season and All-GAC honoree in Webb, who turned in 13.5 ppg and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per outing during her sophomore season. The Storm also returns starters Hunter and David, with Hunter dishing out nearly
four assists per game while scoring 7.6 per contest, while David was adding 6.9 ppg and hauling in 7.3 rebounds per game. “Our newcomers,” said Grover, “Who are all freshmen, are one of the most talented groups that we have had in here. All five have showed us in practice just how talented they are, specifically I expect Katie Branam and Taten Hyde to battle for playing time immediately. Both of these ladies are skilled and strong and know the game of basketball.” “Our goal,” he added, “Is always first to win the regular season GAC title, if we accomplish that it will put us in the running for a NCAA bid. The GAC Tournament Championship is also always a goal.” Southeastern opens the season at home when it hosts the GAC/MIAA Challenge Nov. 10-11, facing Central Oklahoma at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday with Northeastern state.
SOUTHEASTERN MEN
Plenty of new faces on Savage Storm roster BY MATT THOMAS
The 2017-18 Southeastern men’s basketball team. Dan Hoke | Southeastern Oklahoma State University
mthomas@se.edu Southeastern men’s basketball will head into the 2017-18 season looking to embrace the underdog role and mix its key returners with a plethora of new faces to surprise the doubters. “We hope to “take off” where we “left off” last season,” said head coach Kelly Green, “And be in a position to compete for a conference championship and a place in the GAC tournament in Bartlesville at the end of the season.” “We have many new faces,” he continued, “To go along with our returnees, Jett Jobe, Kevin Buckingham, James Donelan, Bobby Johnson, Anthony Palmer and Jose Libanio who played last season and gained experience throughout the season and were very important in us finishing last season on a 3 game winning streak.” The Storm missed out on postsea-
son play a season ago after finishing the year 12-16 and 8-14 in league play, but did finish the season on a three-game winning streak by downing SWOSU, HU and ATU. The Savage Storm was picked to finish 10th in the Great American Conference preseason poll, narrowly behind Southwestern Oklahoma State in ninth place, but noticeably ahead of Northwestern Oklahoma State in 11th and Oklahoma Baptist in 12th. Arkansas Monticello was picked to win the league with 121 points and 11 first place votes, while Arkansas Tech was next up with 98 points and one first place vote, one
point ahead of East Central in third. SE will be looking to replace its top two scorers, including first team all-conference selection and 1,000-point career scorer Anton Cook who averaged 19.6 ppg on the season. The Storm does return its number three and four scorer in Kevin Buckingham and Jett Jobe. Buckingham is the top returner in points and rebounds at 10.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg, while Jobe was averaging 8.4 ppg and dishing out 5.3 assists per outing. “Four year college transfers, A’Torey Everett, Stefan Rosic, and local product Markell Henderson
of Boswell,” coach added, “Will be expected to provide valuable experience after transferring from respective NCAA Division I universities.” “Medical Redshirts DJ Henderson, achilles injury, Ziga Zategic, ACL injury, Ryan Scott-McGuire and Myles Nesbitt will give depth and add experience of being in the program for a year.” “We believe we were playing some of the best basketball in the conference at the conclusion of last season,” said Green. “But we put ourselves in a difficult situation early by losing some very close games.” “It will be a challenge but we believe the pieces are here to reach those goals.” The Savage Storm will open the season on Nov. 10-11 at the GAC/ MIAA Crossover in Alva, Okla., and will tip off the home portion of the schedule on Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Bloomer Sullivan Arena against Austin College.
Southeastern 2017-18 Schedule Nov. 10-11 MIAA/GAC Challenge TBA Nov. 13 Austin College (men) Home Nov. 16 Harding Home Nov. 18 Arkansas Tech Home Nov. 24-25 Arkansas Fort Smith Classic (men) Away Nov. 26 Texas A&M-Commerce (women) Away Nov. 30 Arkansas-Monticello Away Dec. 2 Southern Arkansas Away Dec. 6 Southern Nazarene Home Dec. 9 Rogers State (women) Away Dec. 30 OK Christian (men) Home Dec. 30 Tarleton State (women) Away Jan. 4 Ouachita Baptist Home Jan. 6 Henderson State Home Jan. 11 Oklahoma Baptist Away Jan. 13 Southwestern Home Jan. 16 East Central Away Jan. 18 Northwestern Away Jan. 25 Arkansas Tech Away Jan. 27 Harding Away Feb. 1 Southern Arkansas Home Feb. 3 Arkansas-Monticello Home Feb. 8 Henderson State Away Feb. 10 Ouachita Baptist Away Feb. 15 Southwestern Away Feb. 17 Oklahoma Baptist Home Feb. 20 East Central Home Feb. 22 Southern Nazarene Away Feb. 24 Northwestern Home
2017 BASKETBALL PREVIEW • November 4, 2017 • 23
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