December 2023

While the roster had only five grapplers, it produced close to 150 points as El Reno High School’s girls wrestling team placed seventh in its first tournament outing of the season.

El Reno posted 147 points in the Wrestle Like a Girl Invitational hosted by Cache. The Indians were one of 12 teams to top the 100-point barrier but EHS was only 16 points from the top five. The effort was led by returning state champion Kaylee Miller (145), who logged 32 team points with a first-place effort.

El Reno High School’s wrestling team took 12 grapplers to the 2023 Mid-America Nationals in Enid, with the entire squad placing 28th or better at their respective weights. The 37-team field featured 21 schools from Oklahoma as well as teams from Kansas, Texas and Washington. Among the state schools were Class 4A’s top-ranked Tuttle and Class 6A powers Mustang, Sand Springs and Tulsa Union.

El Reno placed 27th as a team with 97.5 points, missing the top 25 by five and a half points.

Haley Mitchel is no longer a part of the program in which she’s had a major impact as both a player and coach over the span of two decades.

Mitchel informed Okarche Superintendent Josh Sumrall on Sunday that she was resigning her duties as girls basketball coach, effective immediately. She made it official Monday night when she read a tearful, emotional resignation letter to the Okarche Board of Education members during their December regular meeting.

Just days before earning the lion’s share of first-place votes in the second Class B poll of the season, Calumet High School’s boys basketball team defeated 18th-ranked Lomega 62-52 to win the 2023 Canton Invitational.

It was the second victory of the season over the Raiders as undefeated Calumet extended its regular-season win streak to 29 games dating back to last season.

Despite rebounding from a sub-par offensive effort in the tourney-opening loss to Lomega, Calumet High School’s girls basketball team suffered back-to-back losses in the 2023 Canton Invitational.

The Chieftains remain winless on the season after the two losses to the Raiders (72-13), ranked third in Class B, and to Cherokee (66-36).

Calumet struggled to score from 2-point range in the two losses, going 4-of-34 (12 percent), but did hit 10-of-48 shots from behind the 3-point arc for 21 percent.

The Chieftains were 11-of-22 from the free-throw line.

Services for Mary Alice Younger will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 at Sunrise Baptist Church, with burial to follow at the El Reno Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, Dec. 15 at Wilson Funeral Home from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Family will be present for the entire duration.

El Reno is about to set a record.

City Manager Matt Sandidge said 2023 will establish a “record” in the category of new home construction,

“We will set a new record in new residential units,” Sandidge said.

He said the city has issued, so far this year, 163 permits for new home construction.

“Our next highest year was in 2021 with 154 new homes,” he said.

Sandidge said the volume shows there’s obviously interest from home builders in El Reno.

“Despite high interest rates, home builders have kept building,” he said.

El Reno High School held its Native American Heritage Night recently during the season-opening basketball games at Jenks Simmons Field House.

The event featured drummers from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes who sang the national anthem in both languages.

Dancers, wearing colorful authentic outfits, performed various routines that reflected their outfits history and culture.

The event capped off a week of events at EHS honoring Native American Heritage Month.

Just in time for the recent Thanksgiving holiday, the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office, El Reno Police Department and El Reno Fire Department received homemade pumpkin pies courtesy of students in the BlueSTEM AgriLearning Center.

Students planted pumpkins earlier this year in a large raised bed garden, said Dr. Kristy Ehlers, BlueSTEM director. The resulting crop produced a variety of mature fruit this fall.

Brad Baker will retain his seat on the El Reno Public Schools Board of Education after no one filed against the incumbent, whose current term is set to expire in April.

“I’m very happy to have another term on the El Reno School Board. Elections are always good for both the district and the persons running because it brings out issues that may need to be addressed but that didn’t happen.

“This does not damper my excitement of being on the school board either by running unopposed or an election,” said Baker.