Tulsa Area May 2014 Issues by Austin Chadwick

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MAKE YOUR OWN PATH

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TULSA TECH ATHLETE...

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for all the sports you play, we’re on your team. at eastern Oklahoma Orthopedic center, we’ve been caring for athletes just like you for many years. that means, when you’re seen by one of our sports medicine specialists, you’re seeing the same doctors who care for the elite athletes of the University of tulsa, Oral roberts University, and many other college and high school teams. from physicals to physical therapy and beyond, our team is here to help you be the best athlete you can be. call the sports medicine experts at eastern Oklahoma Orthopedic center at (800) 283-3662 today.

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21 | Patriot Baseball VYPE’s D.J. Jackson caught up with the Metro Christian baseball team as they prepare for the playoffs.

22 | Jenks Baseball The Trojans are off to their best start in years. Lynn Jacobsen sat down with head coach Danny Morgan to get the scoop on the Trojans.

27 | Coweta Football

Oklahoma Driving School

Jay Wilkinson leaves Broken Arrow to take over the football program at Coweta. Find out what coach Wilkinson expects out of the Tigers in 2014.

30 | Family Ties

When Broken Arrow baseball head coach Shannon Dobson isn’t on the diamond, you can find him watching daughter Taylor Dobson on the golf course.

Publisher Austin Chadwick Partner/Editorial Director Brad Heath Partner/Director of Operations Rod Coulter Partner/Three Rivers Director Bill Huddleston VYPE Oklahoma Senior Writer Lynn Jacobsen Editor at Large Kyle Kendrick Oklahoma Sales Director Roscoe Migliore Partner Mark Rodgers Contributing Writers Brad Heath, Lynn Jacobsen, D.J. Jackson, Sarah Dewberry, Kyle Kendrick Contributing Photographers Brad Heath, Kyle Kendrick, Steve Toney, Chris Barker, Marea Breedlove, Bluncks Photography, Defining Moment Photography, Josh Clough, Von Castor, John Hasler, Kevin Bishop, Michael Mayberry, Brett Rojo, Sara Carter, Sam Perry, Brandy Moton, Dean Majors, Trey Coursey

Contact Information Website: www.VYPEOK.com • Phone: 918.495.1771 • Fax: 918.495.1787 VYPE is published monthly by Trinity 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 correspondences will become property of VYPE.

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BEHOLD THE BACONATOR

BEEF, BACON & MORE BACON!

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F E AT U R E

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F E AT U R E

01 Lexy Dobson - Union Slow Pitch Photo: Brett Rojo 02 Bishop Kelley Signing Day Photo: brandy moton 03 Cadence Duke - Sapulpa Photo: brandy moton 04 Christian Davidson Berryhill Photo: Brandy Moton 05 Tyler HarrisOologah Photo: Brandy Moton 06 Chris CrawfordVictory Christian Photo: Blunck's 07 Cierra Kent - Sapulpa Photo: brandy moton 08 Cameron Booty - Jenks Photo: Bill Huddleston 07

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Athlete theYear of

S C H O L A R S H I P

May 2014 Mazzio’s Corporation and VYPE have teamed up to grant a $2,000 Scholarship for one boy and one girl to be presented in the June issue of VYPE. Here is how it will work: • Each month, VYPE will take nominations for an Athlete of the Month and a boy and girl will be elected the Mazzio’s Athlete of the Month. This will be a chance for boys and girls of all sports to be recognized for their performances. • Nominees can be mailed to scholarship. Oklahoma@VYPE.com. Give the nominee’s name, school, sport and reasons you believe the athlete should be awarded the scholarship. • The nominees will need to be seniors this season but keep in mind that their accomplishments as juniors will be taken into consideration as well. • Each monthly recipient will be a candidate for the scholarship that will be awarded in June. • All sports will be eligible to have a nomination. • The male and female athletes who are chosen each month will have a pictured bio, highlighting their accomplishments, placed on this page.

Peyton Jennings Cascia Hall Preparatory

Blake Enzbrenner Owasso High School

Senior Peyton Jennings is the No.1 singles tennis player for the Lady Commandos. Peyton is having a season to remember after recording wins at the Jenks Tournament and the Tournament of Champions. She also tied for 1st at the Union Tournament before it was stopped due to rain. Peyton is the defending state champion in Class 5A and is hopeful she can repeat as champion. After graduation Peyton plans on attending the University of Arkansas where she will play tennis for the Razorbacks.

Blake Enzbrenner is a senior at Owasso High School and is a member of the varsity baseball team. Blake is one of the top hitters in the state averaging .351 with 18 runs, 26 hits and 22 RBI’s to lead the Rams. Blake has accounted for four doubles, three home runs and three stolen bases this season. Blake plans to continue playing baseball in college, but has yet to decide where he will take his talents.

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PICTURE THIS

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01 Hunter Garroutte - Claremore Photo: Bill Huddleston 02 Kyndal Pirtle - Bixby Photo: Brett Rojo 03 Roxy Brown - Metro Christian Photo: KD Wells 04 trevor mccutchin Owasso Photo: Christian Campbell 05 Union Slow - Pitch Softball Photo: Brett Rojo 05 A U GM U SA YT 2 0 1 43

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Renaissance for all ages Celebrating the Spirit of the Renaissance! 19th Annual Oklahoma Renaissance Festival Ceilidh.

Costumed performers and artisans present Renaissance Music, Magic, Comedy, Juggling, Jousting, Tomfoolery, Arts, Food, Drink, and more!

The Renaissance was a rebirth of the human spirit, igniting a passion for beauty expressed through poetry, art, music, intellect, and romance. This pivotal time cultivated a desire for a noble life, for a freer opportunity for expression, and for the melding of

intellectual curiosity, diverse culture, and exotic commerce.

Experience a rich cultural tapestry, and the beauty and grandeur of Renaissance England, right here in Oklahoma! You’ll be transported back to the 16th Century as Castleton Village comes alive with over 600 costumed stage and street performers, merchants, and artisans providing an entertainment experience fit for Royalty. Enjoy special daytime events like the Queen’s Tea, the Royal Luncheon, and the King’s Smoker. And be sure to get tickets for the afterhours entertainment at the Masqued Ball, the Pirate’s Feaste, and the

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The Castle welcomes new performers for 2014! Wolgemut, formed in 1997 in Berlin, performs historical music on original instruments. Sirena is a spectacular group of singing mermaids, and The Swordsmen perform sharp-edged comedy! OKRF welcomes Circa Paleo back to The Cave for a limited engagement. And you’ll find all your other favorite acts appearing on the 15 stages on the Castle grounds.

You'll find a dazzling array of artisan creations at our 134 Renaissance merchant shops. OKRF is proud to include new merchants in the Village! Jezzy's Treasures features hair adornments. Find the spices you need to bring life to your kitchen creations at Garlic Festival. Twisted Family Creations, a “Made in Oklahoma” business, crafts unique items from sustainably harvested wood. Ye Jams and Jellies is another MIO company and offers delectable and unique homemade spreads. Be sure to visit the new Masque Shoppe adjacent to the Italian Quarter.

Once in the Italian Quarter, be sure to visit Absalom's Dreams - a new Hookah Bar and Silk Road experience. Find expanded seating in the Tournament Arena, where the Heroic Knights of Old clash with sword and lance in full contact jousting. Also watch The Royal Gauntlet Birds of Prey present thrilling conservation education with raptors. Then, move to the new seating area for the Living Chess Match and cheer on your favorites. Stroll down twisting, treecovered village lanes filled with quaint shops displaying one of

a kind, hand-crafted goods. Don the latest Renaissance fashions found in the marketplace, and stop at one of the inns for a flagon of ale. Follow the aroma of fire-roasted food, let the kids play some of the games, or watch the performers while you enjoy a huge smoked turkey leg. Entertainment for all ages will be found at the 2014 Oklahoma Renaissance Festival!

Dates and Hours: Weekends: May 3 - June 1, plus Memorial Day, Monday, May 26th, 10:30am-6pm (*Student Day May 9, 9am 3pm*) For more information and online discount ticket purchase: http://okcastle.com Like us on Facebook as The Castle of Muskogee

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<--Annaly Ferrell & Drew Gunsch-->

Cascia Hall

Drew Gunsch

Annaly Ferrell

Bishop Kelley

Annaly Ferrell Cascia

Hall Annaly Ferrell is a senior at Cascia Hall of the varsity socc er team. Annaly ca and a member and is a member rries a 3.9 GPA of a Student Counci the National Honor Society and l cl elected member ass representative. Annaly is an of the Safe Team at Cascia Hall an CAMP (Cascia Ha d ll's She also played th Augustinian Mentoring Program). e lead role in the pl Children’s Hour,” and is a Latin Club ay, “The of Annaly credits Ca scia Hall and its st ficer. aff for giving her the tools to pr epare for life beyo nd high school. “Cascia Hall has a very strong and loving community and it has shaped me into the person After graduation Annaly will attend I am today.” Brown University to continue her ed ucation and socc er career.

Drew Gunsy ch Bishop Kelle

elley and is r at Bishop K won io n se a is h Drew Gunsc No.1 doubles team that n e one half of th tle to wrap up great seaso ti e Drew was a conferenc tournament. s Player te a st e th re ke befo the Metro La nference d e m a n y tl n e e co rec er winning th focused on ft a r a Ye e th is of ssroom Drew title. In the cla 3.93 GPA while taking is maintaining h s AP Calculus AB, AP a h Geometry classes suc ebra, Pre-AP cludes lg A P -A re P , resume in Calculus BC lculus. Drew’s lay Production, a C P -A re P d P , an II, Journalism nd Chinese I and gy, Intro to Engineering a lo o h Piano, Psyc Engineering. Principles of

Submit your nomination for the TTCU Academic Athlete of the Month to: Oklahoma@VYPE.com

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TPS Track Update TPS Track & Field Contenders meters with a time of 22.62.

In field events the Hornets placed in the high jump and the pole vault. Taylor Sells recorded a jump of 5’2” for second place and Kendriana Washington was third with a jump of 5’0”. Jack Stockstill tied for second in the pole vault going 14’00”.

Tulsa Public Schools track athletes are having a great season and expect to bring home a cash of medals from the state meet. Booker T. Washington is the leader among Tulsa Public Schools with several state hopefuls preparing for the opportunity to represent the Hornets and Tulsa. Strong relay teams have a chance to sweep boys and girls in the 4X100 and the 4X200. During the Ram Relays the Hornets won both 100 meter events. The boys team also won the 200 meters, while the girls placed 2nd.

But the success wasn’t limited to Booker T. Washington. The Edison girls 4X400 team placed 4th at Owasso. During the TPS All-City track meet in March showcased the talents of several TPS athletes. •

Aaliyah Birmmingham from Central High School won the 100 meters, 200 meters and the 400 meters.

•

Sara Shanklin from Edison placed 2nd in the 400 meters.

•

Lauren Billie from East Central placed first in the 800 meters.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Chance Galloway from Memorial won the 400 and 800 meters. Katherine Charles from Edison won the 1600 meters. Lars Gardner from Booker T. Washington placed first in the 1600 and 3200 meters.

Rowan Waller from Edison won the 3200 meters. Michael Duke from Memorial won the 300 meter hurdles. Laja Jefferson from McLain placed first in the long jump.

Kennedy Payne from Rogers won the discus. Kristen Peters from Rogers placed 2nd in the discus.

Chance Lamho from East Central placed first in the discus. Anastasia White from Webster won the shot put. Raul Pando from Hale placed first in the shot put.

Arlando Brewer placed 2nd in the 100 meters and later placed first in the long jump with a distance of 23’05”. Malik Givens placed 4th in the 100 meter behind Brewer.

In the hurdles Shiane Williams won the 100 meters and placed 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles. Teammate Breonna Presley placed fourth in the 100 meter hurdles. Myle Tease placed third in the 200

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Athlete of the Month Keats Calhoon - Victory Christian As the old saying goes if you looked up excellence in athletics you may very well find a picture of Victory Christian sophomore Keats Calhoon. Calhoon played crucial roles in the success of the Victory Christian football and basketball teams this season. Calhoon was the starting quarterback for the Conquerors football team, helping them to an undefeated regular season and an 11-1 overall record after losing a heartbreaker to Lincoln Christian in the second round of the playoffs. During basketball season Calhoon averaged 12 points per game and helped guide Victory to the Class 4A state tournament. For his leadership on and off the field and his dedication to making the teams he plays for better, Keats Calhoon is recognized as the Excellence in Athletics player of the month.

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Indians Hunt 4A Gold

Catoosa Baseball Team Uses Challenging Schedule to Prepare for Postseason

Very few teams in Class 4A can say that they have played a schedule tougher than what the Catoosa Indians have faced. Through the team’s first 22 games the Indians have played 11 games against top 15 teams in either 3A or 4A. Navigating such a challenging schedule hasn’t been easy but the Indians did extremely well going 16-6 throughout that stretch of games. The biggest reason that the Indians have been able to handle such a difficult slate of games is a dominant 1-2 punch on the mound. Senior Nick Brown, a Missouri State University commit and VYPE Top 50 selection, has been the Indian’s ace on the hill this year going 8-1 with a 0.98 ERA. Senior Corey Balocca has been the heavy right hand to Brown’s jab going 4-2 on the mound with an ERA under 2. “We are pretty much right where I thought we would be at this time of the year. We have gotten quality pitching almost every game but we have been up and down at the plate and also with our defense,” Catoosa head coach Scott Mowrey said. Mowrey said that in order to improve at the plate the Indians need to just have a better game plan when they are at the plate.

“We just need to work on having a good approach at the plate. Stuff like swinging at quality pitches and knowing to sit on a fastball when you are in a fastball count,” Mowrey said. One major bright spot of the Indians’ offense this year has been senior Corbin Osburn. After leading the team in hitting last year Osburn has done the same this year hitting .431 with 33

runs batted in. As the Indians try to continue to improve at the plate they will be gearing up for the postseason with even more challenging games as they take on 4A No. 5 Metro Christian, 3A No. 8 Cascia Hall along with Sand Springs and Union from the 6A ranks. The tough home stretch of the season is something that Mowrey welcomes with open arms. “I think it will help in the long run. That is what you want really, it’s why we wanted to schedule such a tough schedule, because when you face quality teams and quality pitching it only makes you better,” Mowrey said.

Corbin Osburn M AY 2 0 1 4

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OKLAHOMA NATURAL GAS

Player of the Month These players bring the energy to their team! Brooke Hill Oologah Track Oologah junior track and field star Brooke Hill is the Oklahoma Natural Gas Female Athlete of the Month. Hill has been on the medal stand at every meet the Lady Mustangs have attended this year. Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest finish came at the awnee when she placed Oklahoma Baptist Meet in Sh second place finish da first in the discus. Hill also ha ional in Claremore. itat in the discus at the Zebra Inv rd place finishes at the The junior has racked up thi ore meets this season as Oologah, Owasso and Clarem

well. s won, Hill has etched her With all the hardware she ha tes to end up on the final name among the list of favori te meet in May. sta medal stand at the Class 4A

Tyler Base

Oologah Track

Oologah Mustangs senior Tyler Base is the Oklahoma Natural Gas Male Athlete of the Month. In the fall, Base starred as a dominant offensive and defensive lineman for the Mustangs football team. In the spring, Base was just as dominant as the reigning bro nze medalist in the shot put for Class 4A. This track season, Base has become a serious contender to be a State Cham pion at the state meet in May. Base started the track season with a second place finish at Catoosa. Then the senior really kicked things into high gear with wins in the shot put at the Oklahoma Baptist, Owasso, Claremore , Oologah and Glenpool meets.

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Oologah Baseball Mustangs Baseball Prepares for Postseason

Mustangs Looking to Run Wild on Class 4A The Oologah Mustangs baseball team has put together a stellar season starting the year 16-10. That record includes a 3-1 record at the Warrior Spring Classic in Anadarko and a 2-1 record at the Cushing Tournament. Oologah head coach Kerry Hallman said that he knew his squad had the potential to be very successful this year but admitted that he wasn’t sure just how good the Mustangs would be. “Honestly I didn’t know quite what to expect. We lost four seniors last year, including two of our best arms. I have started three freshman and four sophomores all season so I wasn’t sure how good we would be,” Hallman said. “I did know we would be athletic though and I knew we would compete and when you put those two things together you typically have a chance to be pretty good.” The Mustangs have also played

a very tough schedule this year, with 14 of their 26 games coming against teams ranked in the top 20 of either Class 4A or 3A. Hallman said he hopes that the difficult schedule will help his team when they get into postseason play. “That’s the goal, you hope that playing a difficult schedule can help you once you get in the playoffs because I think once you get there everyone you play is tough and the more exposure the kids get to those teams and players the better prepared they will be come playoff time,” Hallman said. A trio of sophomores have helped lead the Mustangs this year with Caleb Buchfink doing great work on the mound while Logan Armstrong and Kennan Farrier are both hitting over .350 to lead the team in hitting. Armstong and Farrier both started as freshman and have great chemistry together as the team’s starting shortstop and second baseman. Meanwhile

in the Oologah lineup Farrier hits in the two-hole with Armstrong coming up right behind him batting third. Senior Thomas Helvick has also stepped up and performed well on the mound for the Mustangs this year according to Hallman after not throwing a big amount of innings for the team a year ago. The Mustangs will get the postseason started by hosting a district tournament against Webster, but as the fifth ranked team on the East side in 4A, Hallman said he was unsure about if his team would get to host a regional or would have to be on the road. Nonetheless Hallman said he and the Mustangs wouldn’t be affected no matter where the regional is held. “No matter what, whether you host or not, you are always going to have to beat tough teams in a regional so we aren’t too worried about where those games will be held,” Hallman said. M AY 2 0 1 4

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Western Sun Federal Credit Union is proud to support....

The “Driven” Athlete of the Month Katelin Teter – Claremore Soccer Claremore senior Katelin Teter is the Western Sun Driven Athlete of the Month. Teter is a midfielder on the Lady Zebras soccer team and has been a vital part of the team ever since she was a freshman, starting at the varsity level for all four years of her high school career. Last year Teter helped the Lady Zebras make it to the Class 5A quarterfinals, losing a hard fought match to Booker T. Washington. This year Teter is helping the Lady Zebras to brand new heights by obtaining the No. 4 ranking in Class 5A. The Lady Zebras are currently riding a nine-game winning streak and hold a 10-1 record after dropping the very first match of the season to Sapulpa. The team’s nine wins this season also included a championship at the Claremore Tournament this year with wins over Sequoyah Claremore, Metro Christian and Pryor.

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Metro Baseball

“Its good to have seniors”

and infielder James Randall, who recently committed to Wesley University. Stafford leads the team with a batting average of .420 and already has 3 home runs.

Although the seniors are at the focal point of the team, coach Inglett still has three impressionable freshmen on his squad. He hopes that the older guys will be instrumental in showing the younger guys how things should be done. "I know freshman make mistakes at times, but I'm fortunate to have seniors that have leadership qualities by being vocal and uplifting helping the freshman move on to the next play," he said.

By D.J. Jackson Metro Academy baseball is having a great season with a record of 23-5, rightfully earning them a spot as one of the best Class 4A baseball teams across the state of Oklahoma. Coach Mike Inglett gives all the credit to his talented group of seniors. “They come into practice every day and work their tails off”, he said. All six seniors have contributed to their team’s success in one way or another. “This group is highly motivated and wants to win every day. They want to win, and they expect to win,” Coach Inglett said.

Iowa Western, and senior infielder, Jeremy Neal have both been key components in the team's success.

Inglett referred to Neal as being a jack-of-all-trades type of player for Metro, being able to affect the game in more than one aspect. Rounding off the super six are first baseman Hunter Stafford

The Metro Christian Academy baseball team hopes to continue their success into the latter portion of the season after a much needed tournament win in the Patriots Spring Break Classic.

This year was the team's first year hosting a tournament, in which eight different teams participated from throughout the state of Oklahoma. "After looking back on it, I believe it to be a successful tournament all the way around. It’s something we are looking to do more of for the years to come,” coach said.

The special clan of seniors begins with the pitchers, Luke Preaus and Jay Skaggs; No. 1 and 2 on the mound. Early in the year, the team faced some of Oklahoma’s top baseball teams, which in-turn gave Metro confidence for the duration of the season. Outfielder, Austin Judd, who has signed a letter of intent to play at

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Jenks Baseball

Trojan Seniors Set Sights on 6A Title Run

When it comes to repeat success, the 17 members of the Jenks baseball team understand what it takes. Their class has qualified for the Class 6A state baseball tournament every year. Simply getting there, though, is not the agenda, said senior Cadon Owens. “Playing the last Saturday of the season has been a goal of our’s since I’ve been here,” Owens said. “We haven’t been able to get it done in past years. But we want everybody to know that Jenks baseball is a dominant program. We have the ability to do that with our talent. “I think we can compete with anyone else in the other dugout. This year’s senior class has the confidence to do that. It’s just like our coaches told us, the

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talent level is there but it’s the team chemistry is there this year and I think that will take us to a new height if we will believe.” Danny Morgan is in his first year as the Trojans baseball coach but brings a wealth of experience himself. An 800-game winner as head coach, Morgan is working towards 900 career victories. “We have a good group of kids and excellent staff,” Morgan said of the team’s success that includes 25 victories in their first 28 games. “I’m very, very blessed to be here. I’m fortunate of where we are at and I’m fortunate to be the head coach at Jenks. “It’s a good group of seniors. They’ve bought in with what we are trying to do. The leadership of these seniors has been

excellent.” Morgan’s staff includes Darrell Beeler, Jeff Owens, Sandy Farrell, Dustin Hughes and volunteer coach Chris Armstrong. Owens, an outfielder, is one of four seniors who have signed Division I scholarships. The Oral Roberts-bound Owens, bats three-hole and is leads the team in batting (.442) and runs batted in.(27), as of press time. “He’s probably as good an outfielder as I have had,” Morgan said. “He has excellent speed and an excellent arm.” Pitcher Bryce Ward, who has signed with Kansas State, leads the team with a 7-0 record and a 1.04 earned run average. Cale Tims, another ORU signee, is 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA. “They both have stepped up in

the absence of Allan,” Morgan said, referring to Allan Beer, the team’s shortstop and pitcher. Beer, who has signed with Bradley, injured his elbow in the Owasso game and was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery, according to Morgan. “He’s as good a kid as I have ever coached,” said Morgan. Senior second baseman Grant Guest, a Harding signee, hits two-hole and is already closing in on 20 RBIs. “He can hit and run, bunt, pretty much hit anywhere in the lineup,” Morgan said. Morgan said. senior catcher Ty Haisten is doing a “great job behind the plate handling the pitchers.” “Ty’s deal is to handle the pitching and throw out

runners,” Morgan said. “He’s thrown out 10 of the 19 base runners. Anything we get offensively is just a blessing.” Senior first baseman Chris Hendrix boasts a .427 batting average in the leadoff position. He leads the team in stolen bases with 15 and has some pop in his bat with a pair of home runs. His 24 RBIs is another plus from the leadoff spot. Another senior key component is senior third baseman Shane Varela, who is batting .403 in the fourhole spot. Matthias Johnson is another of the talented senior core. The left fielder is batting .324 at the sixhole spot.

Ty Haisten

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Jenks Soccer

Getting to Know: Munashe Raranje Raranje: I think my biggest accomplishment in soccer has been either winning the President's Day Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona or the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Virginia with my club team.

VYPE: Do you want to play college soccer? Raranje: Yes, playing college soccer has always been a goal of mine.

VYPE: What's it like in your house during the World Cup?

Growing up in Jenks, OK doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem like a place that would breed soccer players. Jenks is a football town, right? Or is it a Futbol town? Munashe Raranje grew up watching older brother Joe Raranje play football and soccer at Jenks High School, but for Munashe his passion was soccer and that would never change. We sat down with Munashe to discuss Jenks soccer, the World Cup and what his future in the sport involves. VYPE: What age did you start playing soccer and who do you model your game after?

Raranje: I started playing soccer when I was five years old. I model my game after the advice my dad gives me and from the playing styles of my two favorite players, Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane. VYPE: What position do you play?

Raranje: I play attacking midfielder, winger, and forward. VYPE: What's been your biggest accomplishment in soccer? 24

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Raranje: My house gets crazy during the world cup. The TV channel never changes from ESPN for the whole month. Everyone in my family has their favorite international team that they cheer for. It's pretty exciting. VYPE: Do you think you would want to ever play professionally?

Raranje: Playing soccer professionally is one of my ultimate goals in life. VYPE: In your opinion who is the greatest soccer player of all-time?

Raranje: I believe PelĂŠ is the best player of all-time.

VYPE: What club team do you play for? Raranje: I play for Oklahoma Football Club 97 Boys.

VYPE: Can Jenks soccer get it done this year? Raranje: We're really motivated this year and if we keep our focus then we can definitely get it done. VYPE: Who are some of your teammates at Jenks you need to mention?

Raranje: The three captains: Michael Mitrik, Tyler Ridner and Truman Berghall. They really keep the team organized when we're looking out of shape. Also Tinashe Chigede is on fire, he can't stop scoring right now. VYPE: Last question. If you could play in one soccer game at any level, what game would you choose and where would it be played?

Raranje: If I could play any game at any level, it would be in the Uefa Champion's League final at the Emirates Stadium in London, England.

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Join other young Oklahoma voices at OKSWAT.com For more information contact Nedal Nofal at nnofal@tulsa-health.org or 918-595-4551.

Big Tobacco is everywhere. They want control. Control of your mind. Your body.

And eventually, your life.

Tobacco companies spend $186 million annually on marketing in Oklahoma. Stand out. Speak up. Seize control. Join SWAT! Join other young Oklahoma voices at OKSWAT.com For more information contact Nedal Nofal at nnofal@tulsa-health.org or 918-595-4551.

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Coweta Football

Jay Wilkinson takes over at Coweta and looks to lead the Tigers.

A question newly hired Coweta head football coach Jay Wilkinson is frequently asked is if he is related to legendary Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson. “I’m not,” said Jay, “but I am named after his son, even the identical middle name (Allen),” said the Coweta coach. “I got the chance to meet him a couple of years ago and introduce myself to him. My dad was a football coach in the early 70s and liked the first name Jay and I ended up with the same middle name.” VYPE: How have your first few months gone? Wilkinson: It’s been extremely busy, but a lot of fun. Between the kids and the community, working around the field house and the bond issue being voted in, trying to

hire a staff, it’s been extremely busy but it’s been a lot of fun. The kids are working hard and have bought in. I like the direction we are heading. VYPE: Why was the timing right to pursue another head coaching position? Wilkinson: When I left UCO to go be offensive coordinator at BA, I knew this would be the next step. I wasn’t going to just take a job it had to be the right job. Coweta was always one job that was extremely high on my list. I knew it was one that was highly coveted. VYPE: Have you filled your staff? Wilkinson: I’ve hired Tyler Caid as defensive coordinator. I worked with him at Broken Arrow and UCO. Bryan Freeman is my offensive coordinator. We also worked together at UCO. Gary Tuell is our offensive line coach, David McGrath is our D-line coach and Alex Elliott will coach secondary. I am promoting Kenny Moore to coach wide receivers. VYPE: What schemes to you plan to run on offense and defense? Wilkinson: Great question. Right now I have three quarterbacks in baseball and haven’t seen any of them throw. But I think we will be

somewhat of a no-huddle spread like the other places I’ve been. Defensively, we want to put some athletes on the field and be able to apply a little bit of pressure. One thing Coweta has always been known for is to have kids run to the football and be physical when they get there. VYPE: Will you continue to call plays? Wilkinson: Yes, that is the plan right now. That’s something I will probably do until the time I get out of coaching. I want to be a hands-on coach. I want to be involved in all three phases of the game. VYPE: Who have been the biggest influences in your coaching career? Wilkinson: There’s been so many who have given me an opportunity. Guys that come to mind off the top of my head are Allan Trimble and Bill Blankenship as far as me being a young coach on their staffs. The guy who probably had the biggest impact was Dave Rader when I was a wide receiver at the University of Tulsa. VYPE: What are you looking to accomplish in spring practice? Wilkinson: We want to install our base offense and defense, evaluate the kids. we will divide our team equally and have a little better competition. Not necessarily first or second string, but divide the team of equally where we can get a true evaluation. VYPE: Let’s introduce your family to Coweta fans. Wilkinson, My wife Jaime and I have four children, Gunnar, 10, Gabbi, 8, Grady 4, Gia, 1. M AY 2 0 1 4

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Spring Football

The VYPE Team Checks in With Three Tulsa Area Squads to Give You a Springtime Gridiron Fix games. Roller is a great compliment to the Bixby passing attack as a 230-pound running back who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year. East Central

Nic Roller Bixby Spartans

Kenny Evans, brings 32 years of college coaching experience with him to the position as East Central’s head man this season after this offseason saw former head coach Bobby Klink leave the Cardinals head coach to become a coordinator at Broken Arrow for the Tigers new head coach Dave Alexander. Evans was previously the head coach at Northeastern State

Fans should be excited about what is transpiring in Bixby this offseason according to Spartans head coach Loren Montgomery.

“Our spring workouts have been the best ever. We have Club 225 for athletes that can Power Clean 225 lbs. We had 8 athletes in 2010, 14 in 2011, 29 in 2012, 42 in 2013, and anticipate having 50 this year,” Montgomery said. “We are working out of the Spartan Power House, our brand new 5,000 square foot weight room. The room has 36 Powerlift platforms and a 30yard turf area. This year we also hired Nick Whitmer, a full time certified strength coach who has revolutionized the way we are training our athletes.” Montgomery also said that returners JJ Cantrell, Brandon Dyson, Casey Saied and Jake Spriggs have all done extremely well this spring and highlighted Nic Roller and Tanner Griffin as other important players to watch. Cantrell will play wide receiver and safety for the team while Dyson and Saied play on the offensive line and Spriggs excels at outside linebacker. Griffin meanwhile is a young quarterback who saw time last year racking up an 80 percent completion percentage in varsity

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Trevon Cherry University and said that the transition to his new job at East Central has been a good one due to the help of several people associated with the school and the program. “It has been really good. I owe a lot of that to the administration, Dr. Ballard and Gil Cloud. Also coach Klink and coach (Travis) Hill, who was the coach here before coach Klink. I have really relied on them a lot for info on the school and program and they have made this transition easy,” Evans said. “I just want to build on what they have done here. East Central has always been a school with good tradition and

a lot of talent and that is one thing that really drew me to the job.” Victory Christian

The spring has also gone well for the Victory Christian Conquerors according to head coach Brent Marley.

“Track has been a big part of the spring because we encourage our guys to do track, especially our skill guys. This spring when the track guys go run we have our lineman and our offseason football guys lifting then when the track guys are done they come lift and the others go to work on their agility,” Marley said.

Several athletes like center Noah Tedescucci, linebacker Cole Bailey and the extremely athletic John Michael Terry have all filled leadership roles this spring according to Marley. Terry will play defensive end, tight end and receiver for the team and has clocked times in the 100-meters of 11.5 seconds according to Marley. The Conquerors are also looking forward to adding a talented group of freshmen led by Caleb Calhoon, the younger brother of Victory’s starting quarterback Keats Calhoon. Another player for fans to keep their eye on this year will be running back Miguel Adesokan who looks to take over the duties as the team’s feature back.

Miguel Adesokan

Tiger Track Teams Gear Up for State off his state championship time of 10.50. His best 200-meter time this spring as of press time was 21.86 seconds, four-tenths off last year’s pace of 21.43.

“We hope to be at full strength by the conference meet,” Morgan said. “Gyasi is running but he’s not full strength yet. Warren ran once but re-aggravated his hamstring again.”

Pole vaulters Chase Snider and Austin Hannoch have each had solid years. Coach Scotty Morgan’s defending 6A boys state champions have a pair of top five finishes to build upon as they ready themselves for another run. The boy’s team finished second at its own meet and fourth at Norman. The team has dealt with some health issues in defending 100- and 200-meter champ Warren Leak, who has battled a hamstring issue this spring. Also battling the injury bug is hurdler Gyasi Akem, who has suffered through a foot injury.

Leak is starting to come around. His fastest time this spring in the 100 is 10.82, three-tenths of a second

“They are both jumping extremely well,” Morgan said.

The Lady Tigers – who finished fourth last year - already have won four meets this year – Jenks, Broken Arrow, Owasso and Yukon. “We knew going into this year we had a chance to be pretty good,” Morgan said. “Everyone has stayed fairly healthy. Taylor Jones was second last year in the shot put.” Jones’ personal best this season is 38-9 at the Tahlequah meet.

The two-mile relay team of Paige Eberle, Megan Leber, Kelsey Bottomly and Ainsley Ivison have won three events and finished in top three in every meet this spring. Here is a look at the Broken Arrow top performers this outdoor season with their top finish, time and meet: Boys

100 meters – Warren Leak, 2nd, 10.82, Tahlequah 200 meters – Warren Leak, 1st 21.86, Tahlequah

1,600 meters – Jared Haltom, 9th 4:32.99, Owasso 3,200 meters – Jared Haltom, 9th9:57.99, Tahlequah

110 Hurdles – Caleb Elder, 5th 15.06, Yukon; Gyasi Akem, 7th 15.10, Yukon

300 hurdles – Gyasi Akem 3rd 39.80,

Owasso; Caleb Elder 8th 40.32, Yukon; meet; Isaac Armstead, 9th 40.69, Broken Arrow

High jump – Damian Howard, 2nd 6.06, Jenks; Tim Gardenhigh, T-7th 6-02, Jenks

Pole Vault – Chase Snider, 2nd 14-06, Jenks; Austin Hanoch, T-7th 13-06, Broken Arrow Shot Put – Matt Looney, 5th 5101.00, Jenks; Alex Bradley, 9th 4900, Yukon 400 Relay – 8th, 42.75, Broken Arrow

3,200 Relay – 9th 8:26.39, Yukon GIRLS

400 meters – Shelley McGilbray, 5th 59.60, Broken Arrow; 3200 meters – Kelsey Bottomly, 9th 12:01.89, Norman 300 hurdles – Michelle Sheppard, 10th 48.15, Owasso Shot Put – Taylor Jones, 4th 38-9, Tahlequah

Discus – Taylor Jones, T-9th 116-3, Owasso

Pole Vault – Shelby West, T-7th 9-6, Jenks 400 Relay – 3rd 4:07.01, Yukon

800 Relay – 5th 9:53.87, Yukon M AY 2 0 1 4

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BA head baseball coach Shannon Dobson and daughter Taylor have a lot in common

Taylor Dobson At age 6, Taylor Dobson was hitting golf balls in the pasture of her grandparents’ farm. At age 7, she was enrolled in the First Tee program in Broken Arrow and by age 8 she won her first tournament. At age 11, Taylor was beating her father, Broken Arrow baseball coach Shannon Dobson, regularly. The two no longer play golf, as Dad no longer presents a challenge. A year ago, Taylor, at a mere 14 years old, placed eighth in the Class 6A girls state tournament, the highest finish of any of her Broken Arrow teammates. Other high school accolades already include a hole-in-one and a personal best low round of 69. Today at age 15 she plays first bag for the Broken Arrow girls golf team. Growing up, Taylor admits she tried all sports but none captivated her like golf.

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“I would play mostly with my dad,” she said. “Probably when I was 10 or 11 I was started to consistently beat him. We don’t play so much anymore. Dad used to play all the time, now he just watches me.” Taylor, in fact, has one of the largest galleries at most of her tournaments with her parents, Laura and Shannon, grandparents Sondra and Sherman Holt, and Sharon and Joe Dobson and her uncle, Matt Dobson. “They are always supporting me,” Taylor said. “I like a lot of people watching me. I actually think I play better. I’m very thankful, my grandparents help support my golf financially.” For her father, watching his daughter gives him the opportunity to turn in his coach hat for a dad hat. “For me, it’s actually been a lot of fun,” Shannon said. “It’s such a different environment than baseball. The transition has been good for me. The competitive style is still there. Every shot counts and you kind of have that knot in your stomach.” As for his participation, Shannon said, “I’ve shied away from playing because she beats me so bad. She started whipping me pretty bad so I just watch now. It’s been so much fun to be able to just be dad and support her.” Taylor’s mom saw the natural ability in her daughter at a young age. “They used to call her Annika Sorenstam at First Tee,” Laura said. “I don’t play with her anymore. I did play in the golf team’s fundraiser

but I think she’s embarrassed to have me golf with her. Taylor countered, “Oh no, I don’t allow her on the golf course with me. She takes too long.” In addition to the daily practices with her teammates, Taylor can often be found at Forest Ridge every Saturday and Sunday. “Golf is pretty much all I do on the weekends,” said Taylor, a 3.8 student who says she enjoys camping and hanging out when friends. “My goal is the LPGA. I’ve sent out some resumes and would love to stay close to home and go to Tulsa, OU or OSU.” For now, her focus is on winning a state championship. “That’s my goal,” she said.

Bixby Softball

Record does not reflect Lady Spartans’ success. more than ready to come out and compete with the big boys.

Makailyn Mays By Sarah Dewberry

The Bixby Lady Spartans slow-pitch softball team is currently 14-11. Don’t let the record persuade you to look past the Lady Spartans’ success out on the field.

The Lady Spartans are currently in their third season. For head coach Joy Galliart, her team has come a long way than what it was during their humble beginnings.

“This main difference between this season and when we first got our start is that my fast-pitch players were not buying into playing slow-pitch,” Galliart said. “I was building a team and competing with other schools with kids who weren’t even starters on my JV team.” The last couple of years, Galliart‘s teams were young and inexperienced. But Gilliant’s team showed resilience, and this year, the Lady Spartans are

“We definitely are better-rounded this season,” Galliart said. “This season, I have most of my fast-pitch kids playing this season. I’ve also got four of my seniors that are playing. Two of them are playing slow-pitch for the first time. Out of the four of them, three of them are going to play ball in college.” Before those seniors head off to college, though, they are making of name for themselves in Class 6A by putting up big-time stats to show everyone they mean business.

Senior P/3B Torrye Tillman is crushing the competition with some big-league stats of her own. In 25 games, Tillman is currently hitting .657, 12 HRs and 52 RBIs. Galliart said Tillman is one of two seniors that are leading them this season in the offensive category.

“Tillman has played every year we’ve had slow-pitch at Bixby, so she is more experienced at this than the other girls are,” Galliart said. “This season marks the first year she has pitched for us in slow-pitch, so that’s been really good for us to have that versatility.”

Other players that make up the heart of Bixby’s lineup is senior 3B Shala Sutter, senior 2B Hayley Young and freshman 1B Hayley Womack.

In her first year playing slow-pitch, Sutter is hitting .541, with 2 HRs and 26 RBIs. Young is hitting .370, with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs, and not to be outdone by her senior counterparts, Womack is hitting .524 and 28 RBIs.

Shala Sutter pitch a lot longer than we have had, but we’ve also beaten them, too.” Galliart explained that if you aren’t firing on all cylinders, offensively and defensively, you’ll watch another team claim the prize.

“Slow-pitch is one of those games where you can hit really well and if you hit everything right at us, you’re not going to have anything to show for it,” Galliart said. “Defense is a major, major key in slow-pitch because balls are being put into play with every batter, and if you don’t take care of things defensively you’re not going to be very successful.”

As Bixby prepares to go up against Broken Arrow, Booker T. Washington and McClain in regionals, they have one thing on their mind: to be crowned 6A state champions.

With the girls knocking in runs left and right, people would think their record should reflect what’s going on out on the field. Not so fast, Galliart said.

Sierra Skaggs

“You look at our record, see that we are 14-11 and you’re like, ‘How does that happen when you have so many RBIs?’” Galliart said. “People around here might know what’s going on, but people who aren’t from around here might not know what’s going on. We’re playing against teams who’ve had slow-

Hayley Womack M AY 2 0 1 4

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Alex Schmitz Metro Christian

How long have you been involved with FCA? I have been involved with FCA for three years, beginning my freshman year.

Who influenced you to join? The guy who influenced me to come my freshman year was a senior named Andrew Hearon. We played football and baseball together.

How has FCA made an impact in your life on and off the field? FCA has given me the tools to keep my composure in pressure situations on the field, by allowing me to know that I can only control my attitude and effort on the field. It has also given me great friends who are also athletes that I can relate to off the field and that I can walk with in God’s plan he has for us. How have your beliefs helped you as an athlete? My beliefs as a Christian have helped me as an athlete in that they have given me the mindset that each day is a privilege along with the ability God has given me. With knowing these things it has helped me to work towards my goals to play college level baseball. My beliefs have also helped me reach out to others through the sports I play. Whether being the attitude I have, the effort I put forth, or being an example on and off the field. I know that through baseball and football I can show the Lord’s love to others by using my abilities God has trusted in me. Lastly my beliefs have assured me that the Lord has plans to prosper me and that those who are in Christ and I have a bright future ahead. What is your favorite Bible verse and why? My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 32:8 NIV. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” It is my favorite because it assures me that the Lord will guide my steps as I continue to glorify him through sports and that he will counsel me in a manner that shows his love for me so that I may show it to others. 32

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Bixby Track

Spartans and Lady Spartans Prepare for Final Straightaway of the Season

The Bixby track and field teams have experienced a good amount of success this season and are quickly preparing for regionals and the Class 6A state meet. On the boys side of things the Spartans 4x200-meter relay team has been a major bright spot according to head coach Lane Frailey. The relay team has been comprised of some combination of five runners this year including Roderick Hood, Kale Mulkey, J.J. Cantrell, Justin Williams and Blake Cooper. The Spartans have logged one of the top four times in the event this year and will be a heavy favorite to medal at the state meet this year. Mulkey and Williams also both run the 200-meter dash and have done well for themselves in that event while Cantrell has done the

same in the long jump. Another individual that has produced good results for the boys team is 110-meter hurdler Kyle Rhine. A junior, Rhine has qualified for state in the event each of his first two years of varsity track and should once again be in the field at state this season. Rhine has also been a member of the 4x100 relay team at times this year rotating in with some combination of the five runners listed above. For the girls team seniors Amber Tiger and Samantha Splitter have been two of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top leaders. Tiger has run in the Open 400 and is also a member of the girls 4x400 relay squad. Splitter meanwhile is a member of all of the Lady Spartans relay teams. The Lady Spartans also feature

junior hurdler Olivia Bradshaw who has taken an unusual path to her place on the team. Up until this year Bradshaw was a middle distance runner competing in the 800-meter run but this year the junior came to coach Frailey wanting to take a stab at the hurdling events. Although the two events arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t closely related Frailey let Bradshaw give the hurdles a shot and Bradshaw has taken to them like a fish to water doing very well in both hurdling events and should have a good chance to do make the field at the state meet. Sophomores Neasha Brown, Addison Richards and Sydney Stout are also key figures on the girls team as are freshmen Alea Wright and Kayla Carter. M AY 2 0 1 4

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Union Soccer Girls soccer coach Brian Elliott

encourages his girls to "finish strong."

By D.J. Jackson Coach Brian Elliott, who is now the current coach of the highly talented Union Redskins and former ORU Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer coach, has the No. 1 6A girls soccer team in the state of Oklahoma. Coach Elliott explained; "This team is built around unity, the girls are a really close group and are very talented." The Union girls soccer team is made up of talent with 13 girls having the potential to play at the collegiate level. The Union soccer team is lead by a core group of talented players. Senior captains Anna Beffer and Maddie Logsdon. Beffer, who has committed to play at Oklahoma State, is also up for some of the top awards for girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer in the state. Logsdon who

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has signed to NSU. Among the list of other notable contributors; Megan Thomas who has five goals, two assists. Freshman Haylee Lewis, who is the teams leading scorer

Bella Beffer

with eight goals, two assists. Haley Melton, who is among the best girls soccer players in the nation and is also committed to University of Tulsa. And the list continues with players such as; Jordan Hobart, Allison Hurd, Rachel and Hayle Vanfossen. The Redskins are a talented group of girls. "It just depends on who I put into position to do what, at any time any girls on this team is capable make an impacted at anytime. "We have so much talent and depth that even the girls that come off the bench would be starters at any other school," says Elliott. The Redskins pride themselves on staying humble and taking care of business. And not be doing these things they know these are the intangibles that will get them results they want by the end of the season. But however it just doesn't stop with the players,

Hailey Melton

Megan Thomas, Anna Beffer, Maddie Logsdon

the Coach Elliott is a assisted by a Amanda(last) who played at LSU and Jamie(last) North Dakota State in their collegiate days. The Redskins have scored 33 goals has only given up 6 to their competitiors. When asked the question how does he manage all this talent, he explained. "Our thing every day is ‘Cross the line’, when we step on the field it's time to train.” This is something that Coach Elliott has preached during his 6 years at union, "These girls are well rounded, all the way around, academically and athletically," says coach Elliott.

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Tulsa-area Tennis Players Shine

VYPE Talks to Four Local Tennis Stars about Life on the Court

Peyton Jennings Four area tennis players who will be looking for hardware in May will be Cascia Hall's Peyton Jennings, Metro's Jackson Fine, Bishop Kelley's Madison Westby, and Booker T. Washington's Olivia Hauger. VYPE: What is your favorite tournament to play in? Either during the high school season or in the summer? Westby: My favorite tournament to play in is hard court super nationals in San Diego because it's the last tournament of the summer and it's like a big reunion with all my friends from all over the country. Jennings: My favorite tournament to play in is state because all of your friends and teammates can come out and watch. Fine: Probably the Claremore

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school tournament because the competition is REALLY tough, but I always go and put in all I've got to win it. Hauger: My favorite tournament to play in has been the Australian Open. I got to play in the tournament this past January. I got to the quarterfinals and it was one of the best experiences of my life. VYPE: How long have you been playing tennis and what first got you interested in the sport? Westby: I have grown up around the courts because my mom played and my brother, Briggs, also played tennis competitively. I didn't start getting serious until I was about 10 years old though. Jennings: I've been playing since I was 10, and I became interested when a friend took me to a tennis

camp for fun. Fine: I've been playing for 4 years and I was inspired by my friend William Genesen. Hauger: I have been playing tennis since I was about seven. My grandparents played and got me into it. I realized I had some talent in the sport so I decided to pursue it as a dream. VYPE: If you could win one tournament in the world what tournament would you want to win and why? Westby: If I could choose any tournament to win it would be the US Open because I think it would be so cool to represent my country and win the Grand Slam that is on my home turf. Jennings: If I could win one tournament, I'd win Wimbledon because it's in England, you get

Jackson Fine

to play on grass, and you get to wear white. Fine: If I could win any tournament it would probably be the boys 18's Tulsa Futures. Hauger: If I could win one tournament in the world it would be Wimbledon because it is the most well known tournament that contains such high class. It is such an accomplishment to win this significant of an event. VYPE: How much practice time do you put in on a daily basis and how do you divide that time in hitting, cardio and weight training? Westby: I practice for about 3 hours a day and spend an hour and a half on fitness training. It's hard to balance it all out sometimes but my coaches and trainers do a good job of knowing when to have intense practices and when to just take it easy. Jennings: My practice time varies from week to week. Some weeks I play matches to prepare for a tournament that next weekend and other weeks I stick to drills and lessons. I

Madison Westby occasionally like to participate in yoga classes to keep up with my flexibility and core strength. Fine: I probably play tennis for four hours, weights for one hour, and cardio for an hour. Hauger: I play about two to three hours of tennis everyday. After, I have a fitness schedule that includes a variety of running and weight, medicine ball training. I divide these different forms of fitness on an

Olivia Hauger

every other day schedule. This hard training regimen requires me to take two days off a week to recover and refuel. VYPE: If you could play against any professional tennis player who would you want to play against and why? Westby: If I could play against anyone it would be Maria Sharapova because I love how classy she is and how she has such great sportsmanship. I also really like her outfits. Jennings: I would play against Nadal to see if I could handle his spin. Fine: If I could play any tennis player it would be Ashley Watling because he makes every ball and is such a great player. Hauger: If I could play against any professional tennis player I would choose Roger Federer. He would be fun to play against because I could observe his world-class tennis by competing with him. Also, his composure on the court is so outstanding. He is such a great player and person that anyone could learn so much from. M AY 2 0 1 4

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Rams Ready For Playoff Challenges

Losing two key players might make some teams take pause. At Owasso, it simply signals next man up. “It’s taken a toll for sure,” head coach Larry Turner said of seasonending injuries to preseason AllAmerica candidates Mason O’Brien and Braden Webb. “But we’ll figure it out. The guys have come together and are starting play well.” O’Brien, a senior outfielder/first baseman who has signed with Oklahoma State, tore his ACL prior to the start of the season while Webb, a senior pitcher who has signed with South Carolina, injured his throwing arm in game in Florida. Turner knew 6A would be a wideopen race this season with so many talented teams, including his own defending state champions. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given day this year for sure,” Turner said. “We’ve split with Jenks and Stillwater. From what I’ve seen, it’s just wide open.”

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Of course, the Rams are no strangers to wearing a bulls-eye. With nine state championships since Class 6A was introduced in 1996, Owasso is more than capable of holding its own. “Our kids approach the playoffs like its another game,” Turner admitted. “They tend to not get caught up in the moment.” Kind of a been there, done that atmosphere? “Exactly,” said Turner. “I guess they’ve been around it so long, then tend to just think of it as another game. Last year after we won regionals the guys high five each other like any other game. I’m kind of like hey guys, this is the playoffs, get fired up. You want the emotion without them getting overhyped.” Among the players the Rams are counting in the stretch run are pitcher Jeb Bargfeldt, Bryce Colt and Gabe Neph on the bump. The trio has combined for 10 victories

in the absence of Webb, as of press time. Bargfeldt has signed with Wichita State while Colt has signed with Eastern. “Jeb has won a lot of important games for us over his career,” Turner said. “He’s shouldering the No. 1 matchups. Gabe and Bryce have also helped us on the mound.” Trevor McCutchen and Jonah Bride also are taking times on mound in addition to duties at first base and shortstop. Pitching has become the team’s strength. “We had a couple of games where we didn’t play very good defense and at times hitting has not carried us,” Turner said. “But pitching is keeping us in the games even without Braden.” Owasso’s ace in the hole is the 10th man mentality the team has adopted following the injury to O’Brien. “Our wristbands say ‘the 10th man and No. 33,” Bargfeldt said. “ We

want to rally around Mason and obviously it’s heartbreaking for Braden too. We want them to know their last year as a Ram isn’t wasted.” Bargfeldt is confident that the Rams’ tradition will be a plus in the playoffs. “They really do teach that here,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to win a state championship. There’s always a target on our backs. Instead of playing not to lose, we want that drive to succeed. “Last year was something special (36-0). You aren’t always going to have those seasons. Each team is different. Every team’s goal has been the same – a state championship. The goal is still the same, to be playing on that final Saturday.“

Bryce Colt

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Claremore Soccer

Coach Robin Sutherland is taking Claremore soccer to new levels.

Photos By Kirk Wells The former Rogers State standout, turned Claremore head coach paused her busy schedule in the middle of the season to talk about the Lady Zebraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and their 2014 run to the playoffs. VYPE: Thanks for speaking with us coach. Your team has played very well heading into the playoffs. The early lose to Sapulpa was your only blemish through April. Were you surprised by that?

Sutherland: The loss to Sapulpa was a tough first game for us. I'm really proud of the way the girls

bounced back from it though. We worked out a few kinks and haven't looked back since. Am I surprised with the way the girls have played? Not at all. I think the coaching staff and the kids all knew that the talent was there. How quickly the girls responded to incorporating a few freshmen into our lineup was what really surprised me. The early bump in the road only helped refocus the team.

VYPE: Regardless of class, beating Verdigris is a big deal because they have been good for so long. What did that 3-0 win do for the team?

Anna McGuire

Sutherland: Since I have been at Claremore, any inter-county game is huge, but lately the Claremore vs. Verdigris rivalry has been pretty fiery. Both teams know each other so well. The victory really helped set the tone for the season especially for our defense. Being able to shut out some of the top forwards in the area gave us a great spark. VYPE: Who are some of the players that really stepped up

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for you this season? Sutherland: I have a great group of seniors this year. Katelin Teter has really been a force at center-mid for us for the last couple years. She has really devoted herself to this team and has a "whatever it takes" attitude. Anyone who plays with her can immediately notice her love and passion for the game. The team really feeds off of her and she loves that. Jentry Cruce and Anna McGuire set the

Jentry Cruce

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tone for our defense. The two seniors have played in the back together for three years now and have developed a really nice chemistry. Chandler Payne has a great leg in the back and complements are other backs quite nicely. She takes a lot of set pieces and has scored numerous goals in her short career thus far. I have a two-headed monster up top this year. Taylor Williams and Olivia Maulsby have nearly 20 goals between them and are always looking to create opportunities not only for themselves but others around them. Brylee Brasher my sophomore GK is a huge reason why we have had some big time shutouts. The second year starter keeps getting better with every practice and every game. A couple of other girls I would like to recognize are Carly Robinson and Lauren Chancellor are great supporting players for Katelin Teter in the center mid. Both have come in and made strong contributions to the team. Lauren has seven goals and Carly has three on the season. Dailey Thomas has really solidified herself as a dangerous midfielder as well. The speed we have throughout the field makes this team so fun to coach and to watch. They have been really moving the ball well inside out and outside in and have proven to be dangerous from all areas. I'm so lucky to have a deep bench this season. I have two seniors Bailey Bacon and Emily Parkinson who have started many games throughout their careers and are playing at the next level in the fall. They recently committed to Rose State. To have two players with a wealth of experience coming off of the bench is a coaches dream. Bailey Steckline and Jordan Pettay are also strong players off VYPEOK.COM

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Katelin Teter the bench. Both have had multigoal games this year.

VYPE: Claremore has never won a girls or boys soccer title. What will it take to win one? Sutherland: Thanks for the reminder (laughs). Man I wish I knew that secret recipe that would get us to the elusive final game. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than just hard work and dedication. It takes a certain type of person to stay committed to giving 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, and to find an entire team willing to put that in is extremely rare. It really boils down to being balanced throughout all aspects of the game and of course a little bit of luck. Keeping everyone healthy while still maintaining a high fitness level has really been key for us too. Who knows maybe we

have found that type of balance this year and just maybe that one ingredient that makes that secret recipe so good.

VYPE: Deer Creek, Carl Albert, Noble, Claremore and Skiatook are all playing great soccer. Is Class 5A as tough as its ever been? Sutherland: Absolutely. Every year the competition gets more fierce as more players and teams get a taste of success. I've been amazed at some of the games I've watched this year and have seen a vast improvement in the level of play. Every district this year is very competitive which makes every match that much more difficult to prepare for.

VYPE: Thanks coach and good luck with the rest of the season. Sutherland: Thank you.

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Great Performances On the Diamond

On The Mound Quite possibly a first at Holland Hall as there was a no hitter thrown in both baseball and softball on the same weekend. Junior baseball pitcher Jackson Goddard threw a no hitter on Friday April 25th vs. Fort Worth Country Day and sophomore softball pitcher Taylor Zanca threw a no hitter on Saturday the 26th vs. Dallas Greenhill. At The Plate Dutch baseball hit with a lot of power their last three regular season games as senior John Byers hit two grand slams followed by Jackson Goddard, freshman Michael Burke and junior Nick Holm have all gone yard as well. In softball, senior Maddie Gilbert hit her first home run of her career on Monday versus Hockaday in her last at bat.

Dutch Baseball:

The Dutch baseball team has finished their regular season with a record of 20-6 (9-1 in SPC conference play). The Dutch will be the number one seed from the North Zone at SPC. On April 25th, the Dutch defeated Fort Worth Country Day 10-0, followed that the next day versus Greenhill with a 12-0 victory, and picked up their third consecutive shutout on Monday with a 10-0 win over Haskell.

Softball:

The softball team picked up three quality wins in the final weekend of regular season play as the Dutch defeated Fort Worth Country Day 9-2, Greenhill 16-2 and Hockady 15-0. The softball team finished the year 8-0 in SPC and has now won the North Zone six of the last seven years. The girls will be the number one seed from the North Zone at SPC.

Boys Tennis

The boys tennis team picked up an important victory on the last weekend of regular season play as the Dutch defeated Fort Worth Country Day and qualified for Division I at SPC. The boys will be the #4 seed and play Kinkaid. The boys played well the next day, but fell to north zone champion, Greenhill, 3-2.

Girls Tennis

The girls tennis team defeated Fort Worth Country Day 5-0, but fell to both Greenhill and Hockaday 4-1. The Dutch finished fifth in the North Zone and will play the winner of Oakridge or St. Stephen's in the first round.

Track and Field

The Dutch have been led by SPC champions Michaela McGregor and Lizzy Adelson. Michaela has broken her own school record in the 100m again this year with a time of 12.12. She currently has the second fastest time in the state and is focusing on winning her fourth consecutive SPC title in the 100m. Lizzy has the second highest jump in the state at 5-7. She will hope to repeat as SPC champion when jumped 5-8 last year.

Golf

Despite high winds and a couple of strokes back after day one at SPC golf, junior Arjun Reddy fired a -3 par to win the SPC individual title. This is the first time a Holland Hall golfer has won the individual SPC boys golf title. Marcella Pierre finished fourth over all for the girls. The boys team of senior Peter Boylan, juniors Arjun Reddy and Sajan Patel, sophomore Jake Van Hooser and freshman Cooper Williamson finished fourth overall at SPC in the team standings.

Miceala McGregor

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