Sports

CHOCTAW – While the contest produced only a few points toward the team standings, El Reno High School track coach Graham Snelding was pleased with both the effort and team numbers for the season opener.

Running in the 2023 Yellowjackets Invitational, El Reno took 47 thinclads to the meet and fielded two teams in the boys division and one in the girls, who took 10th place with two points.

“I’m proud of how our kids competed and with our numbers. We have a lot of work still to do and will focus on beating our old times at each meet,” said Snelding.

El Reno High School’s boys soccer team finished as runner-up in the 2023 Rose Rock Invitational hosted by Noble, following a 5-1 defeat by Shawnee in the championship game.

El Reno went 2-1 in the event to improve to 2-3 on the season.

The Indians lone score in the championship game was a Tristan Chandler goal off an assist from Edgar Perez.

El Reno earned its first win of the season in the opening round with a 4-3 defeat of Miami in sudden death penalty kicks. Scoring goals for the Indians were Chandler, Angel Martinez, Mauricio Ruiz and Diego Mateo.

Bouncing back from an opening round shutout loss to Ada, El Reno High School’s girls soccer team clinched the consolation championship from the 2023 Rose Rock Invitational.

The Indians defeated Del City 4-0 in the consolation championship game, getting goals from Lily Hayes, Joey Lierle, Lilyana Menjivar and Payton Brickey.

El Reno reached the match with the Eagles by way of a 3-1 win over the Miami Wardogs. Scoring goals for the Indians were Menjivar, Kristina Conner and Maddison Rochdi.

Hampered by what head coach Keith Hill called a “steady dose of secondary pitches,” El Reno High School’s baseball team struggled at the plate in losses to Comanche and Bridge Creek in the 2023 Chickasha Invitational.

El Reno went 1-2 in the event, dropping a 3-1 game to Comanche and an 8-1 decision to Bridge Creek. The Indians went a combined 5-of-42 (.119) in the two setbacks with nine walks against 21 strikeouts.

Hill said the pitchers faced in the two losses had average speed.

The inability to avoid big innings by opponents once again haunted El Reno High School’s baseball team as the Indians were swept by the Guthrie Bluejays in District 5A-1 play.

El Reno opened the series on the road with a 6-1 setback, before losing 9-1 at the Hub Reed Complex.

The sweep dropped the Indians to 3-7 on the season and 0-4 in the 5A-1 standings, for a tie for fifth with three other squads.

Gusting winds played havoc with pitching on both offense and defense last week for Calumet High School’s slow-pitch softball team as the Chieftains split games with Geary and Sentinel.

Calumet defeated the Bison 18-10 with 18 of the combined 28 runs being scored in the first inning, which took over 52 minutes to complete. There were just three base hits in the frame between the two schools but more than a dozen walks due to the wind.

The Chieftains were shut out a day later by Sentinel 8-0, to drop their season record to 2-4.

Bragging rights in the Canadian River baseball rivalry between Union City and Minco will stay on the north banks for another season following the Tigers 12-3 win.

In their only scheduled spring meeting, Class A’s 15th-ranked Tigers used a 10-hit attack to extend their current win streak to three games. Union City moved up two spots in the latest poll and takes a 7-1 record into its own Wooden Bat Tourney.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives gave the stamp of approval to legislation to legalize sports betting and potentially bring in over $9 million a year to the state budget.

Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, filed House Bill 1027, which adds in-person and mobile sports betting as a supplement to the state-tribal model gaming compact. The state would receive a percentage of gaming revenue.

“Right now, Oklahoma is missing out on a huge financial opportunity for both our state and our tribes,” Luttrell said.

Six El Reno players were named to various lists on the 2023 Boys All-Suburban Conference squads after helping the Indians through one of the most challenging schedules in recent history.

Carter Roman Nose earned a first-team selection, followed by a second-team pick for James Reveles.

Alex Elizondo earned a third-team nod, while Evan Roman Nose was selected for both the All-Defensive Team as well as honorable mention.

Diante Palmer and Matthew Tofpi both earned honorable mention status.