VYPE OKC Area January 2011 by Austin Chadwick

America’s energy demand is growing. Oklahoma’s energy producers are delivering.

Tomorrow’s energy demand cannot be met with yesterday’s methods. Using breakthrough technology, Oklahoma oil and natural gas producers are achieving the production of 10 wells, from a single location, in half the time. America is counting on Oklahoma, and we’re delivering. Our leading producers are developing the most promising oil and natural gas discoveries America has seen in 40 years. Read more about our mission at oerb.com/AdvancingEnergy.

22 | Coach McCullough Head coach Jeff McCullough of the Norman boys basketball team took a few minutes from his busy schedule to talk Norman basketball, his move from Sherman Texas and what the Tiger faithful can expect from his basketball team.

Publisher/EIC Austin Chadwick Editorial Director Brad Heath Associate Editor Steve Braun Creative Director Chance Calvert Production Manager Megan Foster

30 | Charging for Gold Heritage Hall made an incredible run to a state championship this year and VYPE has the story. From the first game to the last you don’t want to miss this look back at a season to remember.

37 | Mid-America The Mid-America wrestling tournament is one of the top early tournaments in the state and VYPE has all the coverage. Find out which teams placed and what wrestlers made names for themselves.

Market Sales Director Mark Lockhart Graphic Design Leah Weigle Josh Hollander Senior Sales Representative Steve Marshall Bill Huddleston Cheryl McCorkle Amber Lee Contributing Writers Steve Braun, Austin Chadwick, Rod Coulter, Brad Heath, Bill Huddleston, Mark Lockhart Photographers Brad Heath, GSmithstudios.net, Jerry Palmer, Wes Sharp, Brett Rojo, Rip Stell, Kirk Wells, Dalton Buck, Rainette Rowland, Trey Coursey, Kim Hough, Michael Mayberry, Bryan Cook Cover Photo Michael Mayberry Clipart iclipart.com, shutterstock.com

41 | Isaac McKnight - Chickasha

44 | The Edge Looking for a way to start off the New Year right…then look at The Edge. This new training facility has all the tools and experience you’ll need to become a better athlete.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

JANUARY 2011

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Chickasha swimmer Isaac McKnight is quickly becoming one of the more talked about swimmers in the state. We wanted to know what keeps this guy in the water!

Next Month... As the action heats up inside on the court and in the pool, VYPE dives in and gets right in the middle of it. Look for basketball, swimming and of course wrestling to be the focus for the February issue.

Contact: Website: www.VYPE.com Digital Magazine: www.VYPE.com Editor: editor.easternoklahoma@VYPE.com Advertising: sales.easternoklahoma@VYPE.com Comments & Feedback: letters.easternoklahoma@VYPE.com Phone: 918.495.1771 Fax: 918.495.1787 Subscriptions: 918.495.1771 VYPE is published monthly by Trinty Media Group, LLC. Reproductions in whole or in part without permission are prohibited. VYPE is not responsible for the return of unsolicited artwork, photography or manuscripts and will not be responsible for holding fees or similar charges. All digital submissions and correspondence will become property of VYPE. Editorial Disclaimer All rights reserved. For editorial matters, please contact the editor. The views of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the policies of VYPE nor that of the publishers. VYPE has a clear commitment to inviting and publishing corrections of fact and clarifying errors of context. Corrections of errors and mistakes are a necessity in obtaining credibility in the magazine. VYPE supports and encourages our staff and contributing writers and photographers to make any potential error known to our editor. Advertising Disclaimer All rights reserved. The views and opinions of VYPE advertisers does not reflect that of VYPE High School Sports Magazine. In accordance with the NCAA Bylaws, VYPE and its advertisers have complied in all advertisements present in VYPE.

Pregame ®

A L etter f rom the E d itor

Douglass is no Joke

The NEXT

BIG

THING… As we were wrapping up the 2010 season at the VYPE office in Central Oklahoma, I found myself perusing a few of our some of the cool stuff that his magazine has done since

Just wanted to say I love the radio show and you should be on during drive time. It would beat anything we have presently! Timothy T. Tuttle, OK

common. We have been very privileged here at VYPE to

Home School Basketball

past magazines. I got to looking at covers and features and November 2006. Names like Sam Bradford, Samantha

Woodward, Blake Griffin, and Ryan Broyles were all too associate with, write about, and really get to know some great athletes.

Once I snapped out of my nostalgic haze, I had a moment

of clarity. As cool as it has been to get to cover high school athletes for the last few years, we still have some great

moments to look forward to. We get to watch the next Blake Griffin, Samantha Woodward, and Ryan Broyles evolve. We

get to sit right there on the sidelines and show you firsthand

what is going on in the lives of the next Oklahoma superstars. That really got me excited, and you should be excited too!

We hope that you all take a moment to look back and realize

how great the past really was, but we want you focused, along with us, on the next BIG THING in Central Oklahoma high

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

JANUARY 2011

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school sports. Oklahoma truly is a hotbed of superior athletic

Drive Time

It’s good to see the Trojans getting some love in your magazine. Not only were they the best team in football, but they are the best team in basketball regardless of class. Keep covering these kids! They make your magazine look good don’t they! Marcus W., Oklahoma City, OK

talent. We grow the athlete right here in the Sooner State. The coolest part about it is, that all throughout 2011, VYPE will STILL be there with covering the High School sport like we have done since that first November 2006 issue.

All of this keeps our batteries charged. It is what we live for. We want you along for the ride. Keep reading in 2011 and remember that…HARD WORK PAYS OFF.

We’re in the Game

Mark Lockhart Market Director

(Editor’s Note: Thanks Timothy. We have some big plans for our radio shows! Stay tuned!)

You should devote some time in researching the home school basketball teams in the area. They have a lot of good players and they do it without all the resources regular public school kids have. Just a thought. Rachel M. Norman, OK (Editor’s Note: Great thought Rachel. Our own Steve Marshall has been singing the praises of the home school teams so look for a feature coming soon.)

Swimmers Unite I think an article on how swimmers are never covered by local media would be interesting. I know VYPE has covered them, but not like you cover other sports during the winter. I just think when it comes to swimming it’s the one sport that gets overlooked more than any other. Janice B. Edmond, OK (Editor’s Note: Janice we are making a better effort to shoot more meets and cover more kids in swimming. This month we feature Isaac McKnight from Chickasha. Look for more next month!)

Just a Quick Thank You It probably gets said a lot, but I wanted to thank VYPE for placing a photo of my son in your magazine. He’s not the best player, heck he doesn’t even start. Regardless we grab the magazine every month and we were shocked to find a photo of him in your December issue. I guess some parents expect it, we don’t. He’s a senior this year and that really made his year. He’s not going to play sports in college and he’ll have this for the rest of his life and so will we. Thank you. A Proud Parent of a Role Player, Edmond, OK (Editor’s Note: That’s what this magazine is all about. Thanks for validating what we do.)

Start the new year with everything you need to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Living Fit means hitting the gym hard.â&#x20AC;? However you choose to Live Fit, we carry your fitness essentials

VYPE.COM

:: JANUARY 2011

:: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

01 01 DAVIS DRUMMERS PHOTO: KIRK WELLS 02 CALE BLACK OF SOUTHMOORE PHOTO: BRAD HEATH 03 KELLY CLARKE AND THE YUKON BENCH PHOTO: JOHN HASLER

MOORE CHEER

04 NORMAN FANS

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

05 KODY ENGLISH OF MOORE TO THE BASKET

07 D BROWN OF NORMAN DRAINS ONE

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

08 PATRICK CUDJOE OF STAR

SPENCER COACHING THEM UP PHOTO: JOSH CLOUGH 09 TRAVIS GALBREATH OF ARMDMORE HITS A THREE PHOTO: JOSH CLOUGH 10 DESTINY TERRY OF YUKON GOING UP STRONG PHOTO: JOHN HASLER 11 ANTHONY HARDIMON SO SMOOTH

PHOTO: JOSH CLOUGH

PICTURE THIS

VYPE.COM

JANUARY 2011

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

11 07

05 04 02

PICTURE THIS

01 ZACHARY BEARD OF TUTTLE GETS THE PIN

PHOTO: BRAD HEATH

KIRK WELLS

02 DAVIS CHEER

PHOTO:

03 RICKY MCCARTY OF LAWTON

MAC ON THE MAT

PHOTO: BRAD HEATH

IT HOME

PHOTO: JOSH CLOUGH

STUDENT SECTION

05 NORMAN

PHOTO: MICHAEL MAYBERRY

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

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TALER BUCK OF DEER CREEK BRINGING

06 JON GRUBE OF EL RENO WORKING HARD PHOTO: BRAD HEATH

07 JACQUES MURRAY OF

NORMAN COMING UP COURT MAYBERRY

PHOTO: MICHAEL

08 MARK WILSON OF ARDMORE IN

THE HUDDLE PHOTO: JOSH CLOUGH

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L O C K E R TA L K

VYPE’s Top 5 Memories of 2010 & the Top 5 Anticipations for 2011 2010

2011

#5 – Danny Hodge and Perry Wrestling – It was our honor to feature Danny Hodge and the Perry wrestling team in the February issue in Central Oklahoma. Danny Hodge is a legend and the Perry wrestling team is always one of the best.

#5 – Douglass Boys – Are they as good as advertised? With this much talent the Douglass Trojans could become one of the best teams Oklahoma has seen in years. Now the question is can they put it together like the football team and win a gold ball in basketball?

#4 – VYPE University College Football Preview – Our first venture into the world of covering college football was a huge success and the response was tremendous. Looks like the second edition of VYPE-U will be even better.

#3 – Union Redskins Three-Peat – It was just a month ago, but with Union beating Jenks in the Class 6A finals for their third title in a row has to make the list. The Redskins were challenged many times in 2010 and had to come from behind, but they did it and were featured on the December cover in Eastern Oklahoma.

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#2 – Ready to Run Wild – In August, the Central Oklahoma magazine ran a feature on five of the states best running backs. Names like Barry Sanders, Andrew Long, Donovan Roberts, Dre Holman and Damien Shea are all juniors and all have big play potential.

#1 – Restoring Pride – September in the Eastern Oklahoma magazine we ran a story on the 2010 Caney Valley football team. It started when we ran a Flashback photo of the 1915-16 football team from Ramona (now under Caney Valley). The building where the original photo was taken was still standing and the current players and coaches got on board with the idea of recreating the picture. Then with a little Mac magic our design team placed coach Anthony Fogle and a few players into the shot from 1915. It was great to see the community rally around the current players and coaching staff.

#4 – 2011 Football Preview – VYPE shot more football games this season than ever and those photos are destined for the 2011 Football Preview. We’ll spend countless hours searching through game after game to find the best high school football pictures in the state.

#3 – Hornet’s Nest – With a full offseason and a state title under his belt, how good can coach Durrell Hall at Booker T. Washington make this Hornet ball club? Can coach Hall win three-in-arow at two different schools? Only time will tell, but we can’t wait to see what happens.

#2 – Jenks & Union – Yeah we’re all familiar with this story, but could we be seeing a new chapter? Both teams are looking for quarterbacks and both have lost a lot of seniors. Is this the year a West side team finally makes a push to bring the gold ball back to the West side? #1 – Edmond Santa Fe Baseball – How good are these guys? With players like Clayton Blackburn and Conor Costello the Wolves appear to be one of, if not the toughest team to contend with from the West. They have the potential to knock off perennial powerhouse Owasso. The 2011 baseball season has the potential to be the best we’ve seen in many years. Don’t forget several Oklahoma players appear to be high draft picks, but overall many players will be selected into Major League Baseball during the draft in June.

L O C K E R TA L K

t’s Wednesday. Practice starts at 3. You’ve got PT in the morning, the game is Friday, a quiz on Thursday, and something about the after party might be moving. And your phone has been on lockdown since last month when you blew up your text messages trying to keep up with it all. No worries. Where there’s an app, there’s a way!

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

JANUARY 2011

VYPE.COM

Cricket offers Android© smartphones at rate plans starting at $55 a month— this includes unlimited talk, text, pix, email, and much more with no contract or hidden fees! With full HTML browsing and quick access to the Android Market™ you’ll be back online and ready to hit the set in no time. Plus, all Cricket smartphones are Wi-Fi® enabled which means you won’t kill your data usage streaming ESPN Radio.

So what’s the big deal about Android? Android is the mobile operating system (OS) developed by Google for smartphones. It has just as many features as the Apple iPhone© OS, but is much more accessible to users and developers alike, and it comes on a wide variety of handsets. The industry game changer for both Android and Apple OS has been in applications, or “apps”. Apps are computer software that quickly perform specialized tasks and typically interface with the Web to make it simpler to access information versus regular browsing. Have you had a chance to check out Angry Birds yet? You can download the app for free on Android! To date, there are over 40,000 applications available on the Android Market™, both for free and for pay. There are multiple gaming apps like Angry Birds, iBasket, and PSX interface games that are free to download. Since Android is Google based, you get all the Google apps ready to go like Gmail, Google Latitude (helps you find your friends’ location

quicker than Facebook), and Google Maps for use with GPS navigation built-in on the handset. There are tons of sports apps for real-time updates on scores and stats like NBA Game Time (free) or ESPN Radio ($4.99). Yahoo Fantasy Football ’10 and College Football Scorecard remain the top free sports apps on Android Market. Serious fans can keep it real with live team wallpapers, also available for free.

Social networking gurus are well taken care of with Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and instant messaging apps ready to go. And about that quiz? Wikimobile Encyclopedia (free) offers the full use of Wikipedia’s site at the touch of an icon. And don’t forget to check your spelling using Dictionary.com (free). Rock your inner music genius with Shazam. Run with Nike’s GPS enabled fitness tracker. LOL on Failblog. Digg on Digg Nation. Read it on Reddit. Team up with Cricket and Android where possibilities are unlimited. •

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JANUARY 2011

Cricket Stores 2505 S.W. 29th St. 405-635-9220 7301 S. Western Ave. 405-632-2465 N.W. 23rd & Meridian 405-942-0045 2900 N Classen Blvd. 405-557-2510 Authorized Retailers Wireless Unlimited and More 1139 N. May Ave. 405-917-7811 4538-B S. May Ave. 405-684-9404 Greenlight Wireless 9240 N. Pennsylvania Ave. 405-767-9547 Jiminy Wireless 500 S. Telephone Rd. 405-793-9192 4732 S.E. 29th St. 405-619-3937 Mobilelink 232 Air Depot 405-455-3704 1016 S.W. 29th St. 405-602-0513 1608 N.E. 23rd St. 405-702-9017 1036 N. Douglas Blvd. 405-610-7690 3914 N. Pennsylvania Ave. 405-521-8787 1232 S. S.W. 59th St. 405-605-5595 Platinum Communications 1000 Alameda St. 405-360-7775 2426 N. Harrison St. Suite 500 405-273-2777 309 S.W. 59th St. Suite 101 405-361-7707 Premier Mobile 811 S. Broadway Ave. 405-359-9612 16317 N. Santa Fe Ave. Suite H 405-341-9650 6900 N. May Ave. 405-842-9100 2901 N. May Ave. 405-917-2272 Third Eye Communications 3502 N. MacArthur Blvd. 405-942-6422 5018 N. MacArthur Blvd. 405-787-4148 79 7911 Hefner Rd 405-720-5932 1204 N. Interstate Dr. Suite 120 405-549-0430 12325 N. May Ave. 405-751-2281 6728 N.W. Expressway 405-721-4785 VYPE.COM

L O C K E R TA L K

Courtney Walker is one of the top basketball players in the state and one of the best junior recruits in Oklahoma. Courtney is a guard for the Lady Wolves of Edmond Santa Fe. Will her answers be enough to trip up her mother, Tonda Walker and her coach, Paul Bass? Tonda Walker graduated from John Marshall High School and the University of Central Oklahoma. She currently works as an Accountant for PLICO and she enjoys playing softball. Paul Bass is in his 15th season as head coach of the Lady Wolves. Coach Bass also graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma. Which of the two Bronchos will pull out the victory?

Courtney Walker

Edmond Santa Fe Basketball

VYPE.COM

:: JANUARY 2011

:: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Courtney’s Mom

Paul Bass

Edmond Santa Fe Basketball Coach

Favorite subject in school?

Math

Calculus

Math

One thing Courtney can’t live without?

My teddy bear, Coco

Her stuffed animal, Coco

i-Pod

More likely to be a comedian or Comedian politician?

Comedian

Favorite place to eat?

Panda Express

KFC

Dancing with the Stars (w/Kobe Bryant)

Minute to Win It

What reality show would Courtney win?

Tonda Walker

Any Chinese place America’s Best Dance Crew

Favorite basketball movie?

Love and Basketball

Love & Basketball

Coach Carter

Career goal besides basketball?

Computer Engineering

Computer Engineer

Before every game Courtney does what?

Listens to music

Listens to her music

Courtney’s dream date?

Derrick Rose

Rajon Rondo

Dwyane Wade

One person Courtney can always count on?

My Nana and my Momma

Her Nana

Mom and Grandmother

8 Correct Great Job Mom!

5 Correct Nice Effort Coach.

TOTAL POINTS:

Day… TM

Jan. 1st, 1961 The Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-16 and won the first championship of the new American Football League. The AFL would later join the National Football League and the L.A. Chargers would move to San Diego.

Jan. 3rd, 1983

With the ball on their own one-yard line, Dallas Cowboy running back Tony Dorsett took the handoff and raced for 99 yards and a touchdown making it the longest rushing touchdown in NFL history. It still stands as an NFL record today.

Jan. 6th, 1988

Six college students from Cleveland State University took turns on a trampoline jumping up and down in the college gym. Fifty-three days later the six students had set a Guinness Book record for the longest consecutive jumps on a trampoline.

Jan. 10th, 1982

The Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers played the coldest playoff game on record this day. At kickoff the temperature was a freezing 9-below zero. With the wind chill the temperature felt like 59-below zero. The Bengals won the game, 27-7.

Jan. 16th, 1970

During a college basketball game at Pacific Lutheran University, Steve Myers hit a shot while standing out of bounds at the far end of the court. The shot, measuring just over 92 feet, was ruled illegal because Myer’s was standing out of bounds, but the officials would reverse the call after hearing it from the crowd. It’s still considered one of the longest made shots in college basketball history.

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Jan. 23rd, 1988

For the first time in the sports history, a perfect game was bowled on television by Bob Benoit at the Quaker State Open in Grand Prarie, Texas. The 300 game earned Benoit a $100,000 bonus. Not bad for bowling.

Jan. 27th, 1927

The Harlem Globetrotters were born today in Harlem, New York. Originally known as the New York Rens, the Globetrotters were the first all-black professional basketball team. The Globetrotters would go on to become the most recognized name in basketball, professional or amateur.

THE

TRAINERS TABLE

By Brad Heath

On This

Blister Prevention The first step in preventing blisters is ensuring your shoes fit

correctly. Improper fitting shoes can rub the heel or sides of the feet

and cause irritation. Using a second layer of skin or tape can prevent many of these types of blisters. Taping the foot near “hot spots”,

known for being more susceptible to blisters, will ensure the athlete can continue to perform without discomfort.

Keep your feet as dry as possible. Changing socks at halftime is a

great way to prevent blistering. It will also help maintain healthy feet and could prevent certain fungus such as athlete’s foot. The use of a

foot powder is another step to prevent blistering and unwanted odor. Some athletes wear two pairs of socks and although this practice

really has no proven prevention for blisters, it will cause the feet to

heat up and sweat much more than usual. Changing the inner layer of sock may be a requirement if you’re experiencing a blister problem. The first sign of a blister is redness to the skin. Check the back of

the heel, toes and instep after each game. Look for early warning signs that will alert you to the potential of blisters that could sideline you

for several games. If this occurs during a game, take the time to have a

trainer tape the area that is red. This may be enough prevention to get you through the game and keep you from being sidelined for more. Blister pads may be applied to an area where blisters have

occurred in the past. Blisters are different from corns, calluses and bunions. Blisters will eventually go away if you follow the correct steps to alleviate them.

If blisters continue check with a Podiatrist and find out from the

expert if your shoes are fitting properly and what steps you should take to alleviate yourself of this problem. •

L O C K E R TA L K

One Venue For The Basketball Championships: Stillwater Or The Big House? Last month we analyzed the relationship with the OSSAA and Stillwater for the football championships, If the OSSAA could arrange all classes to play at one venue, should Stillwater be considered as the host, or the Big House?

The Big House. By Austin Chadwick

A location synonymous with the basketball championships of Oklahoma high schools. Well, at least all classes 4A and below. The Big House (Oklahoma City State Fair Arena) has been labeled as the Promised Land for all small school basketball teams. All teams chalk up the Big House as a season-long goal.

The fact that teams (and communities) from across the state converge on Oklahoma City to partake in the state basketball championships is apparent. It seems like entire towns travel to follow their teams as they compete in the Big House. Unless you have experienced the aura of the Big House, it is hard to explain. It is an old arena, a little out-of-date, but to witness a capacity crowd, cheering vigorously for their school, is something quite magical. For two weekends in a row, the State Fair Arena will be packed to the gills and will be the site for all state championship game from Class 4A to B.

JANUARY 2011

:: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

If we take the theory of breaking up the state championship weekends to where large schools (6A4A) played one week and small schools (3A-B) played the next week, then there may be the argument that the OSSAA could play the state championship games for all classes at the Big House on consecutive weeks as well. Much depends on the arrangement and agreement the OSSAA is able to negotiate with the venues, but let’s say for the sake of argument that Stillwater and the State Fair Arena were equally beneficial for the OSSAA and the schools, and the OSSAA could schedule all schools at one venue in consecutive weeks. Which would you like to see? Would the state of Oklahoma like to watch their schools in the historic Gallagher-Iba Arena, or at the tradition-rich State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City? This month’s poll question on www.VYPE.com/OK. •

With this information, let’s generate some conversation, shall we? The attendance for the Class 6A and 5A championships over the last five years runs at about 2,000-8,000, depending on what year and who is playing. With this, it has always been thought that the larger schools need to play in a larger arena. But most of the time the larger arena is half empty when the

Unless the tournaments are moved to mid-week, or played consecutively from morning to night, using one location is almost impossible. But if it were possible, would Stillwater be a good place to host them? The success of the football state championships was quit well when Stillwater hosted all the title games this past fall. Perhaps, if the OSSAA can negotiate the same type of deal to utilize Gallagher-Iba Arena, it would bode well for everyone. If this were possible, then how would the OSSAA schedule all classes for one arena? Perhaps one thought is to break up the large and small schools on consecutive week? Classes 6A-4A play one week, and Classes 3A-B play the next week. The latter would be a little difficult as four of the state’s classes would be converging at one time, but it is possible. VYPE.COM

In the larger classes of 6A and 5A the site for the state championship is alternated between the Oklahoma City area and Tulsa. Last year saw the finals played at the Mabee Center (Home of Oral Roberts University) in Tulsa, the fist time since 2006 that the state tournament for large schools has been in Tulsa. Quite fitting for 5A considering that the finals for boys and girls featured all Tulsa teams, but it was a bit unfortunate for the 6A teams as many OKC area schools had to travel to Tulsa.

large school finales take place. Some might argue that they need to move those tournaments to the Big House along with the other classes. However, it would be nearly impossible as the Big House is only one location and is completely full for the two weeks it hosts the Class 4A-2A tournaments one week, and the Class A-B tournaments the next week.

Jeff McCullough By Wayne Bunch, Photo by Michael Mayberry

Jeff McCullough is in his first year as head coach of the Norman High School boys

basketball team after moving from Texas,

where he coached for 13 years at Sherman

High School as an assistant and head coach. The last five seasons he averaged 25 wins a

year. McCullough played college basketball at Southeastern State for Tony Robinson.

VYPE: Why move to Oklahoma from Texas after such a successful career?

McCullough: I needed a change of scenery,

something new and different. I looked at a few

different things and had a few offers on the table and felt like in the long run Norman was the

best fit. It’s a unique fit, with OU here and able to meet and visit with their coaches. I am an outdoor guy and this gives me an opportunity to do some other

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

JANUARY 2011

VYPE.COM

things around the area.

VYPE: What’s the big difference between

Oklahoma and Texas basketball?

McCullough: The biggest thing

is that in Texas

there are so many schools. I’ve been asked how many

L O C K E R TA L K

state tournaments I have been to in Texas

coming off football that we feel can help us,

four teams out of 225 in our class, which was

real excited about is Connor Madole (6-5,

and I haven’t been to one. To be in a state

tournament in Texas you have to be in top

but right now we are getting them acclimated to playing basketball. One player that we are

225. It’s also a single elimination tournament

Jr.) Who we think has some college potential.

Everything is just bigger in Texas, that’s the

post up. Plus we have nine seniors on this

and as far as playoffs go that’s pretty rough. But there are so many athletes thats the difference. biggest change. However, the basketball is

better in Oklahoma and the coaching is better

because of your access to the kids. In Texas you

couldn’t work out your kids outside the season. So in the summer you couldn’t coach, or take them to summer leagues.

VYPE: What are you expectations at Norman?

McCullough: I inherited a program that has been winning about five games each year. We’ve had to change the mentalities and the culture a

little bit. We are getting there. Anytime you through growing pains. Playing in

VYPE: What players are you on track?

McCullough: We have

several kids that are

VYPE: What is the outlook in the Mid-State Conference for Norman?

McCullough: I haven’t seen the whole state

yet or all the teams in our conference, but

looking at it I think it has to be the toughest

conference in the state. Especially when you start looking at the rankings. You start with Edmond Memorial who is the top ranked team in the state, go to Midwest City who may be the second best team in the state.

Then there is Del City who has five returning starters and PC West who has had a lot of

success. Mix that in with Southmoore and Norman North and then us thats a pretty tough league. Everyone has big kids and

shooters. There is not an easy one any night.

It’s very competitive but maybe it will pay off come playoff time. •

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

getting the program back

end their senior year on a winning note.

counting on to help in

the change year and ready to prove they can

JANUARY 2011

any easy ones.

team. They are real hungry and excited about

Mid-State Conference we don’t get

shoot the ball and put it on the floor and

VYPE.COM

have change it’s a process. We are going

He can step out on the perimeter and really

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JANUARY 2011

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This month we highlight some of our VYPE Oklahoma Top 100 basketball players who were featured in the Oklahoma Statewide Basketball Preview.

Josh Richardson

Liz Donohoe

Edmond Santa Fe – Combo Guard

Edmond North – Guard/Post

“5:30 practices, healthy meals, crazy school assemblies…you know it’s basketball season!” – Josh Richardson. Josh expects Edlam to be tough this season because it’s Edlam and any team ranked higher than ESF. He loves an upset! His strengths are his length and jumping ability. Before each game Josh puts on his right sock, then left sock, then right sock, then left sock again, right shoe, and left shoe and finally his uniform. In college Josh wants to study Pre-Med and Orthopedics.

“Phil 4:13.” – Liz Donohoe. If there is one school Liz loves to compete against it’s Edmond Memorial. Her work ethic might be the strongest part of her game. Her pregame ritual is to listen to music and shoot around. After high school Liz is considering a career in Law Enforcement or Sports Medicine.

Kamra King

Kaylon Williams

Norman – Point Guard

Midwest City – Forward/Post

“Shall I fear no man but God.” – Kamra King. Kamra tagged Kaylon Williams of Midwest City and Mariah Turner of Norman North has her two toughest competitors. Her ability to play big in her little body is her best strength. Before each game Kamra eats a Subway sandwich. Presently she is undecided as to what she wants to study in college.

“Be two steps ahead of your opponent!” – Kaylon Williams. Kaylon said Norman Lady Tigers Kamra King and Jeannie Ramon are two players she loves to compete against as well as Mariah Turner of Norman North. Her biggest asset to the team is her ability to rebound. Kaylon has a pregame ritual of eating a piece of gum before each game. Kaylon’s plan after high school is to go into Medicine.

Courtney Walker

Putnam City – Shooting Guard

Edmond Santa Fe – Guard

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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, it’s that we’re powerful beyond measure.” – Courtney Walker. Edmond Memorial is one team she loves to play against. Courtney said her ability to drive the ball and jump are her strongest assets. No real pregame ritual for Courtney other than listening to music. Her interests after high school include Computer Engineering and Computer Programming.

“The team is only as strong as its weakest player.” – Dominique Raney. Dominique believes his toughest opponent is whoever is playing good at the time and PC North because they’re rivals. Dominique is great at getting his teammates involved and getting to the rim whenever he wants. Before each game Dominique enjoys a cup of coffee with his dad and takes a nap while listening to music. His plans are to study Business in college.

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Dominique Raney

SPOTLIGHT

Trai Jordan

Stephen Clark

Southeast – Combo Forward

Douglass – Combo Guard

“Hard work gets you to the top.” – Trai Jordan. Trai points out that the entire team at Douglass is a group of players he loves to compete against. One aspect of his game is once he decides to take it to the basket; very few people can stop him. Before each game he clears his head by listening to music. After high school Trai wants to pursue a career in basketball and Carpentry.

Devante Smith Douglass – Point Guard

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“Ready to go get’em!” – DeVonte Smith. DeVonte said when they practice especially against Stephen Clark and Dorrian Williams, he loves the competition and steps his game up. His strength on the court is driving the lane and getting his teammates involved in the offense. Before each game DeVonte listens to Lil Boosie. He plans to major in Education in college.

“Same team equals one family, committed to March 12th. Never take anything for granted, using the gift God gave me.” – Stephen Clark. Stephen just loves competition on the court. His strongest area of his game is his shooting, but overall he’s become a wellrounded player. Before the game Stephen will settle in with some Jay-Z. Stephen wants to major in Education in college.

Bretlin Sanders Cache – Point Guard “I am really excited about this season. It will be tough, but I can’t wait.” – Bretlin Sanders. Competing against highly ranked teams in bigger classes is something Bretlin looks forward to during the season. Bretlin is an excellent passer and handles the rock extremely well. Her pregame ritual is listening to the same play list on the bus ride to the game. Bretlin plans to study nursing in college.

Alysia Whitiker

Cortrael Colbert

Northwest Classen – Small Forward

Midwest City – Point Guard

“Though young, but battle tested will result in more heart for the game than ever.” – Alysia Whitiker. One player Alysia loves to compete against is Ashley Clark from Midwest City. On the court Alysia has a whatever-it-takes approach to the game. Her pregame involves listening to music, getting relaxed, calming down and staying stretched. After high school Alysia wants to pursue a career in Forensic Science.

“Will to win. Play with a chip on your shoulder.” – Cortrael Colbert. One person Cortrael never gets tired of competing against is his brother Cortrez. Cortrael handles the rock very well and has a nice jumper. Every game Cortrael will say a prayer, get some dribbles down the hall and listen to coaches pregame speech. In college Cortrael wants to pursue something in the computer field.

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Fall Sports Post Season Honors Photos By Michael Mayberry

Football All-City First Team Dwight Dobbins Alex Polston

All-City Second Team Kyle Croak Anthony Frazier Quincy Johnson

All-City Honorable Mention Kenton Whittington

Cheer All-State

Natalie Dommert

Softball

ALEX POLSTON

KYLE CROAK

All-City First Team Madisyn Long Whitney Robinson Player of the Year (Daily Oklahoman)

All-City Second Team Jenni Lane

Cross Country All-City Honorable Mention Josh Metcalf

DWIGHT DOBBINS

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Photos by Michael Mayberry

The Heritage Hall Chargers Capped Off A Magical 2010 Season With A Perfect 15-0 Record And Accomplishments That Will Never Be Forgotten.

2010 CLASS 3A State Champions 15-0

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ndy Bogert knew he had a quality team coming into 2010. But since the Chargers were moving up from Class 2A to 3A, he knew it was going to be even tougher than he imagined.

“We have worked extremely hard all year and we are very excited about what we were able to accomplish,” said Bogert. “Moving up in classification was going to be difficult, but our team persevered and attained their goals.” Looking back on 2010, the Chargers got off to a good start with a 35-16 win over a game Casady team in week one. In week two, the Chargers flexed their muscles against Clinton in a 24-17 victory. Barry J. Sanders finished with 165 total yards and two TDs while

Sterling Shepard hooked up with Cooper Cloud on a fake punt to put the Chargers on top. Sanders ran for a 90-yard touchdown and had three scores as the Chargers took care of business against Davis 21-12. The defense, led by Markus Wakefield, Ross Clifton and Grant Busby held the Wolves to 12 points and 250 yards below their season average.

Weeks four and five proved to be good games for Charger reserves to get playing time as Heritage Hall beat Centennial and Noah 61-13 and 5234 respectively. The same can be said for games against Newcastle and John Marshall as the Chargers blitzed the two schools 56-14 and 42-12.

A.J Knowles and Brent Gaddis found themselves in the endzone a few times during the span. By the end of week six, Sanders had atoned for over 1,100 yards and 16 TDs while averaging over 12 yards per carry.

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Captains: Graham Busby – 1, Bill Johnston – 74 Coby Brownrigg – 24, Cooper Cloud – 13 However, the Chargers took a hit as Sanders went down with a foot injury and was out for the remainder of the season outside of a brief showing against Bridge Creek in the playoffs. Cue Cooper Cloud and company. The senior quarterback, who was stellar in the first half of the season, was now looked upon to help lead the Chargers without the talismanic running back.

“We had such great attitudes on both sides of the ball and we knew that Cooper would be able to lead us after Barry went down,” said Bogert. “The defense stepped up and we found ways to get into the endzone offensively.” The Chargers defense proved their worth by beating SeeWorth Academy 15-0 in week 7 and then a tough test against district foe Bethany found the Chargers

coming out on top 14-7. Quintaz Struble and Wakefield combined for a handful of sacks in those two defensive struggles.

Before starting the playoffs, the Chargers needed to get through defending 2A runner-up Kingfisher in the district finale. Cloud accounted for four touchdowns, throwing three of them to Shepard. The Chargers came out on top 4214, but Bogert knew that the Jackets may be seen again in the playoffs. “They are a good football team and they will be back in the playoffs.” The Chargers started their playoff run against Little Axe and dispatched the Indians 27-7 after Shepard got the offense off to a fast start before leaving the game with a hip injury. Cloud, Gaddis and the defense took over from there and ensured the victory. The next week Sanders attempted a comeback

Sterling Shephard against Bridge Creek and was on the receiving end of a Cloud touchdown. Shepard also returned form injury to jolt the Chargers to a 34-0 win over Ryan Spangler and the Bobcats. Shaun TKack picked off one of Spangler’s passes and helped the defense to the shutout win. The quarterfinals pitted the Chargers against Spiro and the duo of Cloud and Shepard did not disappoint. Shepard scored five times, four on passes from Cloud, and the defense was game in holding Spiro in a 49-30 victory. That set up a semifinals matchup against district runner-up Bethany. Markus Wakefield was the hero of the game, hooking up with Shepard on a 24yard TD pass with some trickery, then recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown to seal the deal against the Bronchos. The defense held Bethany to nine yards in the second half to set up another

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DFKSAJFDKSJA

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Sterling Shepard, Graham Busby

MOORE-NORMAN AREA

ACADEMIC ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Dustin Alexander North is a senior at Norman North High School. Three years ago he gave up football and stated running cross country and track. Since then, he's been All State two years in a row including this year and this season he was named to the All City Cross Country boys team. He stays active in school and has an accumulative 3.0 GPA. G

Dustin Alexander North Norman North High School

Bob Moore Nissan is proud to honor Dustin Alexander North as their Academic Athlete of the month for January 2011!

2505 W. MAIN • 405-329-2222 NORMANCADILLAC.BOBMOORE.COM

I-35 & TECUMSEH RD • 405-217-7000 BOBMOORENISSAN.COM

NORMAN HIGH • NORMAN NORTH • WESTMOORE • SOUTHMOORE • MOORE HIGH Nominations for the “Academic Athlete of the Month” can be emailed to jkrase@bobmoore.com or mailed to 3901 Journey Parkway, Norman, OK. 73072. Please give the nominee’s name, school, sport, and the reason why you think they should be awarded the Bob Moore Nissan Academic Athlete of the Month award.

SHIFT_expectations

Respectfully ... Bob Moore!

F E AT U R E

DFKSAJFDKSJA

Barry J. Sanders

Sterling Shepard

Graham Busby - 1 Drew Dunham - 42 Markus Wakefield

district rematch against Kingfisher for the 3A state crown.

This was the game to remember. After trailing 14-0 at halftime after turning the ball over three times in the first half, the Chargers needed a spark. “We had tried a few gimmick plays and started off by trying to throw them off balance, but in the second half we just needed to play sound on defense and get Sterling the ball.”

09-17 at Davis - W, 21-12 09-23 at Centennial - W, 61-13 10-01 vs. Tulsa NOAH - W, 52-34 10-08 vs. Newcastle - W, 56-14 10-14 vs. - John Marshall - W, 42-12 10-21 vs. - SeeWorth - W, 15-0 10-29 at - Bethany - W, 14-7 11-05 vs. - Kingfisher - W, 42-14 11-12 vs. - Little Axe - W, 27-7

Markus Wakefield - 24 yards, 1 TD

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Sterling Shepard - 202 yards, 3 TDs

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP – STATS PASSING Cooper Cloud - 1934 yards, 26 TDs

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FIRST ROUND 11-19 vs. - Bridge Creek - W, 34-0 SECOND ROUND 11-26 vs. - Spiro - W, 49-30 QUARTERFINALS 12-04 vs. - Bethany - W, 28-14 SEMIFINALS 12-10 vs. - Kingfisher - W, 28-21 – 3A

“It was an amazing season and we can’t thank our fans and community enough,” said Bogert. “These kids were extremely resilient and we are so very proud of them. “ •

09-10 vs. Clinton - W, 37-17

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Quintaz Struble

Shepard was the hero, carrying the ball for 199 yards total and 172 of those yards came in the second half as the Charges went on to win 28-21. Shepard accounted for all four touchdowns in the second half and the Chargers handed the Jackets their second straight state championship defeat (2A finals against Lincoln Christian last year).

RESULTS 09-02 at Casady - W, 35-16

F E AT U R E

Heritage Hall Cheerleaders

Heritage Hall Student Body

Barry Sanders - 79 yards, 2 TDs

Drew Dunham - 5

Shaun Tkach – 56 yards

Graham Busby - 5

Cooper Cloud - 55 yards, 1 TD

Nick Pierson - 2

TACKLES

Rushing

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Barry Sanders – 1168 yards, 16 TDs

Sterling Shepard - 575 yards, 10 TDs Brent Gaddis - 494 yards, 5 TDs Chedon Shockley - 333 yards AJ Knowles - 264 yards, 4 TDs

Matt Allen – 1

Markus Wakefield - 137

Interceptions

Ross Clifton - 133

Sterling Shepard - 8

Graham Busby - 107

Brandon Moews - 3

Quintaz Struble - 104

Graham Busby - 2

Sterling Shepard - 103

Demaria Walters - 1

Cale Courtney - 93

Shaun Tkach - 1

Chedon Shockley - 89

Matt Allen - 1

Brandon Moews - 70

Chedon Shockley - 1

Drew Dunham - 55

Drew Dunham - 1

Nick Pierson - 47

Cale Courtney - 1

Coby Brownrigg - 44 Brent Gaddis - 33 AJ Knowles - 27 Shaun Tkach - 27 Matt Allen - 21

Cale Courtney - 119 yards

SACKS

Shaun Tkach – 59 yards, 1 TD

Markus Wakefield - 15

RECEIVING

Quintaz Struble - 15

Sterling Shepard - 1015 yards, 18 TDs

Cale Courtney - 10

Cale Courtney - 582 yards, 5 TDs

Brandon Moews - 9

Chedon Shockley – 160 yards, 2 TDs

Ross Clifton - 6

Quintaz Struble - 88 yards, 2 TDs

Chedon Shockley - 6

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F E AT U R E

Mid America Nationals Brings Entire State Together to Compete Against the Best From Kansas and Texas

The field of 30 teams converged on the Union High School in Tulsa for an exciting two days of wrestling. - Story and Photos By Brad Heath

he 2010 Mid America Nationals played host to 30 wrestling teams from three states and the talent level was higher than ever before. Several nationally ranked wrestlers were there to prove they belong amongst the best in the country. Three teams from Texas and four teams from Kansas made the journey to compete and show they have what it takes to compete against Oklahoma’s best.

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At 171-pound the No.2 seed Andrew Dixon of Edmond North had an uphill climb with nationally ranked 160-pounder Kyle Crutchmer of Union in the bracket. The two would square off in the finals and Crutchmer would get the win, 14-8. For Dixon it was an opportunity to prove he

At 215-pounds Westmoore’s Kyle Factor placed second after a close match against the No.1 seed from Allen, Texas, Nick Cobb. Factor was the No.2 seed in the bracket and wrestled well according to his coaches, but the surprise of

Austin Schafer of Edmond North and Desmond Block of Lawton MacArthur proved the seeding may not mean much as the No.4 and No.8 respectively placed third and fourth in what was considered an extremely tough bracket at 189-pounds. Schafer and Block faced off in the consolation finals and Schafer was able to get a major decision over Block, 16-2. VYPE.COM

Norman North’s heavyweight Caleb Cline showed why he’s considered one of, if not the best 285-pound wrestler in the state. Cline went through Josh Friend from Grove, Patrick Diaz from Lawton and Stone Drulman from Allen, Texas to face the No.3 seed Brock Bennett from Pittsburgh, Kansas. Cline wasted little time jumping Zachary Beard out to an early lead Tuttle maintaining control for most of the match and winning by decision, 6-1.

the bracket might be Daniel Moses of Norman North. Moses was the No.5 seed coming into the tournament. Moses lost to the eventual champion in the semifinals, which put him in the semifinals of the consolation bracket where he beat Mikey Miears from Tuttle then defeated the No.3 seed in Chase Robinson from Claremore by major decision, 13-3 to take third place.

F E AT U R E

Colby Witten Norman North could stay in there for three periods against one of the states best and he did just that.

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Tuttle High School is known for always having a great wrestling and this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squad is proving they are ready to carry on that tradition. As a team, the Tigers finished sixth overall but many of their wrestlers placed. Levi Berry (140) placed fourth, Gunnar Laffoon (112) placed third, Isaac Beard (145) placed third, Brody Spencer (125) placed second, and Zachary Beard (160) placed third. Overall Tuttle had seven wrestlers make it to the podium.

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Kyle Factor westmoore

Mikey Miears Tuttle

Edmond North stood out as well with nine wrestlers taking their spot on the podium including Derek White (119) who placed fourth and Jacob Armstrong (130) who placed fourth. Other Edmond North wrestlers with outstanding performances include Bryce Hendricks (140), Hunter Smith (145), Ethan Strange (145), Sean Scruggs (135) and Hunter Bright (125). Southmooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tyler Secrist placed third at 140-pounds and teammate Nathan Marek placed fourth at 152-pounds. Southmoore as a team finished in the top 20 just behind Bixby High School.

Final team standings were as follows; Union Red 260.5, Allen TX 235.5, Claremore 179.5, Edmond North 174.0, Collinsville 150.0, Tuttle 141.0, Sallisaw 139.0, Westmoore 137.0, St. James Academy KS 125.0, Norman North 91.5, Pittsburgh KS 88.5, Grove 82.0, Owasso 80.5, Mustang 78.0, Maize KS 71.5, Bixby 71.0, Southmoore 64.5, Lawton 61.0, Columbus KS 51.5, Dumas TX, 49.0, Inola 49.0, Lawton Mac 41.0, Noble 40.0, East Central 31.0, Bishop Kelley Black 27.0, El Reno 20.5, Woodlands TX 19.0, Barnsdall 14.0, Bishop Kelley Red 4.0, Union Black 0.0.

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F E AT U R E

And he brought his uniqueness to the Chickasha swimming program. When his family moved from Carthage, Missouri to Chickasha, Isaac was in the eighth grade. Although the high school had a swim team, at the middle school the team only swam for exhibitions.

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“I’ve been teaching since 1975 and I’ve never met anyone like him,” Coach Galloway said.

hickasha senior Isaac McKnight has plenty of awards. He was named to USA Swimming Scholastic All-American team two times, holds 5 conference records and is a four time 5A state champion swimmer. But he never brags and he never will. Chickasha swim coach Terri Galloway said it’s not in his nature.

JANUARY 2011

Story by Megan Foster, Photos by Rainette Rowland

Chickasha Fighting Chicks take to the pool and are led by USA League standout

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Isaac McKnight

F E AT U R E

“It’s always been competitive, but not to the point that it is now,” Coach Galloway said. “When Isaac first moved here, we were getting disqualified left and right.” Isaac’s father, Max, even helped the team.

“He came out to our practices and taught us all he little things we weren’t aware of that judges were looking for,” Coach Galloway said.

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For Isaac, swimming is second nature.

"I've been swimming since I was 4 or 5 years old,” Isaac said. “ I used to go to the country club when I was a kid and take swim lessons.” When the summer lessons ran out, he went on to join a swim team, which later lead him to the Jasper County Killer Whales. Since then, he’s been keeping himself busy with two swim teams: his school team and the USA league. “USA swimming is more intense and competitive,” Isaac said. “It was where I wanted to be, so I shied away from the summer league.” This year, he was invited to a national competition in Atlanta. The town was a blast, Isaac said, but the competition was better.

"It was pretty crazy to go out to a national level competition and see how fast other people across the nation are,” Isaac said. And while he

was gone, you can bet he stayed in touch with the team in Chickasha.

“When he’s not here he’s interested in where we are and what we’re doing,” Coach Galloway said. “He encourages the kids to do their best. He’s there to help. He loves the sport.” Isaac’s packed with advice for his teammates and he spreads is advice to his teammates. He was voted team captain four years in a row, and he earns it every season. “Isaac is a daily example of what dedication, persistence and had work are all about,” Coach Galloway said. “Isaac is a winner because of his work ethic. Not because he got lucky. ” When he’s not at a meet, Isaac practices and cross trains. The old adage practice makes perfect is his motto.

Now the Chickasha team is having to get used to meets without their captain’s texts and phone calls because he graduates in May. Isaac thinks they’ll do fine. Earlier this year, Chickasha took home a first and second place title while Isaac was swimming with the USA League. “You get what you put in out of it,” Isaac said. “It’s all you.” And he said his teammates know that. •

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FEATURE

The EDGE welcomes competitive athletes and adults who want to improve strength, speed, agility and overall health By Hudson Leavell

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ake notice athletes and adults of all kinds and from all sports-The EDGE Strength & Conditioning is now here. Denny Bonewitz, owner of The EDGE, doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to the type of workout programs athletes and adults should expect at the EDGE.

“I say let’s get to the point,” says Denny Bonewitz, one of the partners and Head Coach of Performance for The EDGE. “If you don’t like to sweat, be pushed beyond your limits and work to get results then don’t show up. We are not a health club, there won’t be any fluff. We want athletes and adults to gain results and an edge plain and simple” The EDGE offers area athletes, of all ages and sports, specific programs designed to help develop their speed, agility, strength and conditioning and will deliver better, faster and longer lasting results.

The EDGE offers year-round sports fitness training inside Legacy Sports Academy at 418 Enterprise Dr. in Edmond, OK. Legacy is one of the most recognized athletic facilities in the area known for offering the best baseball lessons in the area.

“I am so excited to have The EDGE be inside our facility,” said Pat Berglund owner and operator of The Legacy. “We have worked hard to become the premier baseball facility in OKC and now with The EDGE joining forces with us we can now offer the best strength and conditioning programs as well.”

Whatever the training goals are of an athlete or adult, the EDGE has programs through sports performance training, team training, small group or individual one-on-one sessions. When it comes to their philosophy on training athletes, even Rocky Balboa would be impressed. “We will be athlete’s choice for hardcore, results driven training,” said Bonewitz.

Bonewitz also owns and operates The EDGE down in Keller, TX. He started The EDGE after 15 years as a Division-I strength and conditioning coach at schools such as University of Houston, California, New Mexico and North Texas. “The time is right for OKC to offer area athletes the chance to train in an athletic environment and help them gain an edge on competition,” said Bonewitz. The former Division I coach states a big difference between The EDGE and generic gyms will be how

FEATURE The EDGE will design a program specific for each athlete even if he or she signs up to be in a group. “Every sport requires a unique set of athletic attributes and the EDGE coaching staff will design a program for the individual that will address their athletic needs even if they are working out in a group environment.” The EDGE personnel sternly states to all the athletes it will not be a place to hang out and socialize, but a place for competitive athletes to be coached by competitive coaches. Another big difference between The EDGE and other training facilities is the individual analysis each athlete undergoes and the result program designed for that athlete based on his/her individual goals and performance.

Bonewitz also believes training in a group environment helps athletes continue their development to compete, while at the same time promote a supportive environment that develops relationships between the athletes.

He is fired up to bring The EDGE inside The Legacy Sports Academy, a top notch sports facility. “The relationship is a perfect match between The EDGE and Legacy,” said Bonewitz. “Pat (Berglund) is so professional in his approach and that was attractive to me. We recognized immediately Legacy was well known in this area and we sincerely appreciate the opportunity Pat and Legacy is providing us.” Legacy Sports has several multi-use batting and pitching tunnels for lessons and are equipped with sliding nets, which allow the tunnel area to be

converted into a large open field for clinics as well as team and fielding instruction. Legacy also offers two regulation dirt pitching mounds and portable mounds.

Bonewitz also wants to start building relationships with area coaches and gain their trust with the players in their program just as Berglund has done with Legacy. “I would say to the coaches, let our years of experience with high school, college and pro athletes be an advantage for your program and your own athletes” said Bonewitz. “Getting results is having a systematic workout program coupled with the coach’s practice and game plans to take the athletes to the next level.” While athletes are a focus point of The EDGE, Bonewitz says male and female adults are also an integral part of their programs and asks for adults to come work out and gain a healthier lifestyle at the EDGE.

“Every one of us is an athlete in some kind of way no matter what our age is and what shape we are in,” said Bonewitz. “We encourage adults to come to The EDGE but we will bring the same philosophy to them as we do the athletes-gain results.”

Bonewitz is quick to point out studies have shown that adults looking to improve their fitness levels benefit from athletic training in areas of weight loss and improved fitness and health. The EDGE will offer adult sessions and one-on-one personal fitness training.

To reserve workout sessions now at The EDGE, please call Coach Denny Bonewitz at (940) 391-3711 or go to www.edgesportsfitness.com. •

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GAME PLAN

Health

Collateral Ligament

Injuries of the Knee By David L. Saxton, M.D. With football season upon us, the number of knee injuries will again be on the rise. The ACL is the ligament most people hear about when an athlete gets injured, but its only one of four ligaments stabilizing the knee. The two ligaments that give it side-to-side stability are the MCL (medial collateral ligament) and LCL (lateral collateral ligament). These two ligaments perform the same function on opposite sides of the knee but behave completely differently when injured. The MCL Ligament

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••• David Saxton, M.D. is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at McBride Clinic and McBride Orthopedic Hospital. He practices in Oklahoma City, Edmond and Shawnee.

So there you have it. The MCL and LCL don’t get the glory that the ACL does, but are important none-the-less. Let’s just hope you never have to put this information to use. •

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The LCL has one layer and is about the size of your little finger. It’s located on the outside of your knee. Its function is to keep the knee from folding open into a bow-legged shape. It can be injured when a player is tackled from the inside of the knee driving the knee away from the other leg. The same categories for sprains exist but with the LCL there is almost never a partial tear. It’s all or nothing. A grade 1 sprain means the ligament is injured but the knee is stable and just like the MCL the athlete can return to the game with a brace (of course, it hurts enough that the player might not be able to return right away). If the ligament gets torn it typically tears completely. This makes the knee fold open on the outside with the foot moving towards the other foot.

The LCL Ligament

With both MCL and the LCL surgeries the season is over for the player. Fortunately the more severe injuries are uncommon. Parents frequently want to know if wearing a knee brace will help prevent these injures. Two big studies were performed to answer this question. The first used West Point athletes and showed no protective benefit from bracing an uninjured knee. The second study was performed using multiple universities and showed there might be a protective benefit for lineman, but not for other positions. In short, if you’re not a football lineman and you don’t have an injured knee, you don’t need a brace.

A Grade 1 sprain means the ligament is injured but the knee is stable. With this injury the athlete can return to playing with a knee brace and expect to get better over a 6-8 week period. A Grade 2 sprain means the ligament

This typically requires surgery to fix. Unlike the MCL you need to reconstruct the ligament using cadaver tissue to replace what was torn. These injures do poorly if the surgeon simply sews the torn ends back together.

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The MCL has two layers of broad tissue that spread out across the inside (or medial aspect) of the knee. Its function is to keep the knee from folding away from the other foot in a straight sideways direction (into a knock-kneed position). It can be injured when a player is tackled from the outside of the knee driving it toward the other leg. This ligament almost never needs surgery for athletes to do well. Ligament sprains are classified into three categories called Grade 1, 2, and 3. Think of them as mild, medium and severe.

is partially torn and allowing some unnatural side-to-side motion of the knee. When this occurs the athlete is out of sports for at least the next 6 weeks and is placed in a different brace to help force the knee back to its natural position while the ligament heals. The last category (Grade 3) is rare, and the only one that might need surgery. A Grade three sprain means the ligament is completely torn in two and the knee is grossly unstable. This also means the season is over for the athlete. Bracing will normally make the knee stable again without surgery but when it doesn’t the knee can be fixed surgically by either tightening the ligament that’s left or by reconstructing the ligament using cadaver tissue. Next, you’ll see why the LCL is completely different from the MCL despite performing the same function on opposite sides of the knee.

January

VYPE has combed through everyone’s schedules to give you all the big games and events that you don’t want to miss. Check out the calendar to set up your playbook every month.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1 3

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• Norman @ Midwest City-BB • El Reno @ Western Heights-BB • Edmond Memorial @ Westmoore-BB

• Westmoore @ Southmoore-BB • Choctaw @ Yukon-W • Tuttle @ Washington-BB

• Westmoore @ Del City-BB • Choctaw @ Edmond Santa Fe-W • Lexington @ Crooked Oak-BB

• El Reno @ Piedmont-BB • Westmoore @ Stillwater-S • Jones @ Crooked Oak-BB

• PC West Duals-W • Wellston Basketball Tournament

• Pauls Valley @ Blanchard-W • Deer Creek @ Guthrie-W

• Plainview Basketball Tournament • Blanchard @ Newcastle-W

• PC North Tournament-W • Lexington/Blanchard @ Little Axe-W

KEY: BB=Basketball, S=Swimming, W=Wrestling

• Geary Invitational-W • Heritage Hall Invitational-S

• Norman @ Westmoore-BB • Harrah @ El Reno-BB • Del City @ Midwest City-BB

8 • Geary Invitational-W

• Casady Invitational-S

• Edmond Memorial @ Edmond NorthBB

• Norman North @ Norman-BB • Westmoore @ Midwest City-BB • Moore @ Del City-BB

Muscle Plus MPG 305HP/31mpg Hwy

2011 FORD MUSTANG

See the 2011 MUSTANG with the aluminum V6 at

I-40, Exit 125 in El Reno • 405.262.4546 • 1-800.491.4401 • www.diffee.com