El Reno High School’s boys basketball team kicked off a four-game road swing on a sour note, losing a Class 5A top 10 battle with fifth-ranked Shawnee 57-46 in Suburban Conference action. The loss dropped El Reno, ranked ninth in the state, to 2-1 on the season and 1-1 in the league standings.
Like the EHS girls, the loss does count toward the Suburban Conference title.
Despite a three-week break, Calumet High School’s boys basketball team played well according to head coach Jacob Mayfield in the Chieftains first game of the new year.
Calumet, ranked fifth in Class A, remains undefeated with a 95-41 win over Lookeba-Sickles. The Chieftains improved to 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Washita Valley Conference standings.
The Chieftains shot 60 percent from the field in the 55-point blowout, hitting 27-of-37 shots from inside the arc (71 percent). The team was 9-of-23 from the perimeter (39 percent).
As 2020 moved into its final four months, the world and El Reno continued to struggle with the onslaught of COVID. Families lost loved ones to the disease. The economy was still being battered as election season arrived on both the local and national stage. And still, life continued to move forward, often with stories of hope, sharing and love.
September
Corliss Collins received word the man convicted of killing her elderly grandfather in 1985 had been released from prison.
Early November was a hectic time in El Reno. A late October ice storm had left thousands without power and tree limbs were everywhere. Children were home because there was no power and COVID continued to play havoc with schedules.
Although Donna Dyer’s home had no power and her grandchildren were with her that day, she was able to make a scheduled video conference call over her cell phone.
Dyer said she had no idea how happy she would be that the video call was able to connect.
This snowman on South Jensen was made from the nearly 8 inches of snow that fell on the city during the first day of 2021.
Commissioners finalized an agreement between Canadian County Emergency Management and OK-First.
The deal means the Oklahoma Climatological Survey will give the county the latest and most accurate updates for all weather, including potentially dangerous storms.
The measure was easily approved.
District 3 Commissioner Jack Stewart said he was happy that access to the data comes free of charge.
Facing a tough schedule is nothing new to El Reno High School’s boys basketball program, but even veteran skipper Rodney Haydon shakes his head in disbelief at the path ahead.
“I’ve been trying to tell people that the schedule is ridiculous, but the kids are excited and the coaches are excited too. Looking at the schedule and who we will be matching up against in the tournaments, it will be tough.
“Yet, if we are as good as we think we are, this will help us get ready for the playoffs,” said Haydon.
As the calendar turned to May, the mood remained somber. Politicians and citizens argued over the need for masks to protect against the spread of COVID, while long-held traditions were put on hold as gathering in public was off limits.
In El Reno, that meant no Burger Day and for a while, it looked like no high school graduation. And yet, some still found reason to celebrate, although with dire economic times, those moments were far fewer than normal.
May
