February 2025

Using a 21-point third period, El Reno High School’s girls basketball team pulled away from Lawton MacArthur for a 60-37 road win that secured a home regional for the defending Class 5A state champions.

The 23-point victory moved El Reno to 18-2 on the season and keeps the Indians in position for a shot at defending their district title with an 11-1 record.

Carl Albert (12-0) leads the district but only by a game over the Indians.

El Reno holds the tiebreaker edge over the Titans by a 161-160 margin despite losing the first meeting by four points.

A record-setting season which has already produced the program’s longest winning streak in two decades added yet another first for El Reno High School boys basketball and head coach Rodney Haydon.

The Indians used a 7-2 run in the final two minutes to secure a 58-53 road win over Lawton MacArthur to remain unbeaten in District 5A-1 play.

El Reno moves to 12-0 in the district standings and secured a home regional with the win over the Highlanders. The Indians are now two games in front of Carl Albert (10-2) and hold a 160-133 edge over the Titans in tiebreaker points.

Katie Parham knocked down a trio of 3-pointers as Okarche High School’s girls basketball team won its second straight game with a 49-34 decision over Minco.

The Warriors, ranked 20th in Class A, improved to 16-8 on the season.

Parham was the top scorer for Okarche with 17 points. Callie Cramer logged six baskets and went 4-of-6 from the line to highlight her 16 points.

Scout Payne had five points and Katie Baustert and Logan White added three points each.

Calumet 40, Binger-Oney 33

Kingston Arnold hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as Calumet High School’s boys basketball team retained the crown from the 2025 Washita Valley Conference Shootout for a fourth straight year.

The Chieftains, ranked No.1 in Class B, eclipsed the 20-win mark with the 54-52 win over Binger-Oney. It’s the ninth time since the 2013-14 season for Calumet (20-3) to reach 20 wins and the fourth straight season.

El Reno High School used the first national signing day to ink four football players to national letters of intent.

Seated from left are Noah Nicholson, Eric Parker, Latin Everheart and Elijah Fisher.

Nicholson and Parker signed with Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. Everheart and Fisher both inked with Southwestern
College in Winfield, Kansas.

Redlands Community College women’s basketball team was held to a season-low offensive effort last week with a 62-38 road setback to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

The loss dropped the Cougars to 11-9 on the season and 4-5 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings - alone in sixth place.

Redlands was held to single digits in two of the four periods and had only a high of 11 points. The Cougars were 15-of-43 (35 percent) from the field and 2-of-10 (20 percent) from the 3-point arc.

Despite having the ball for a final possession, Redlands Community College men’s basketball team could not get off a shot in a 90-89 road setback to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

The loss ended a two-game win streak for Redlands, which slipped to 17-6 on the season. The Cougars are now 5-4 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings for fifth place.

Redlands was led in scoring by Henry Sanchez with 29 points and three rebounds.

Savon Myers logged 21 points and three caroms.

Funeral services for Charles Ray Hewitt of Broken Arrow will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Ninde Funeral Home in Tulsa with Pastor Randy Scott officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Memorial Park.

Chuck passed away Feb. 8, 2025. He was born Nov. 5, 1933, in Webb City, Mo. He served 26 years in the Air Force, earning an Air Force Commendation Medal with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters. He was employed 20-plus years with the U.S. Post Office.

Bobby Lawless, born Aug. 1, 1939, at the family farmhouse in Lookeba, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, surrounded by his family. 

The Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with the City of El Reno last week in finding that a convicted sex offender could not live within 2,000 feet of Lake El Reno. 

Kelly Patrick Donaldson had sued El Reno after city officials told him he could not live near Lake El Reno.

State law says a registered sex offender cannot reside within 2,000 feet of a park. Donaldson’s residence was said to be 310 feet from Lake El Reno.