Sports

El Reno High School’s baseball team was one of four teams to sweep District 5A-1 openers this week, taking two games from Shawnee to remain unbeaten on the season.

The Indians won their home opener over the Wolves by a 13-0 score, then completed the sweep a day later in Shawnee by a 12-4 margin. The series came on the heels of a 15-1 road win over Capitol Hill in the 2024 season opener.

El Reno went 24-of-82 (.293) from the plate for the three games, logging 40 runs and 24 runs batted in.

The Indians took advantage of 21 walks against 19 strikeouts.

Luke Lembke scored his first hat trick of the season as El Reno High School’s boys soccer team defeated Tuttle last week 7-2 at Memorial Stadium.

The win over the Tigers squad, a mix of male and female players, lifted El Reno to 1-1 on the season.

Tuttle, which has not had a soccer program in over five years, had only the one mixed squad.

Lembke got El Reno on the scoreboard first in the 31st minute of the first half when he took a rebound off a missed Alan Gonsalez shot and shot into the lower left corner of the net.

Minutes after his high school career ended, Okarche senior Caden Schieber looked up at the stands at the Oklahoma State Fair Arena and smiled.

At that moment his eyes and mind were not locked on the thousands of fans cheering on the Warriors to the Class A Boys State Championship, but a rather empty Section 317 and a promise made to his grandfather – longtime Okarche head coach Ray West.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Okarche High School’s boys basketball team upheld the age-old adage that defense wins championships, especially if you sprinkle in some consistent offense in the process.

The Warriors (27-4) ended a 45-year title drought by defeating Caddo, the defending state champ, 56-38 in the championship game of the 2024 Class A Oklahoma State High School Basketball Championships.

“I’m so proud of these guys. They represent so many former players and teams. It was an awesome feeling to hear the roar of the crowd when we knew we had it in the bag.

OKLAHOMA CITY – While a loss to Wilson in the championship battle was not the end game Calumet High School was expecting, head coach Jacob Mayfield still considers both the state tourney and the 2023-24 season a success.

“You’re supposed to play a good team in the finals. We played better than everyone else up to that point, we just didn’t get it done on the day.

“It was still an excellent season,” said Mayfield.

EDMOND – Having beaten Shawnee in two close games during district play, El Reno High School head coach Jennifer Douglas and her players knew it would take four solid periods to defeat the Wolves for a third time.

Mission accomplished.

El Reno played four solid periods on both ends of the floor to post a 64-29 win over Shawnee in the Class 5A West Region 1 championship game.

The 35-point victory, the 24th of the season by double digits, lifted the Indians back into the state tournament for a fourth straight season.

The number of championships won is usually a stipulation when referring to a program as a dynasty.

It’s why El Reno High School head girls basketball coach Jennifer Douglas avoids using the word when talking about her program’s playoff success over the past eight seasons.

“I don't think about stuff like that. When I think dynasty, you have to have championships and we have not done that yet. So dynasty is not plausible yet,” said Douglas.

Yet no one can argue against the fact the road to winning a state title runs through El Reno.

Okarche and Calumet High School's boys teams made the finals of the 2024 Oklahoma Boys State High School Basketball Championships for Class A and B over the weekend.