Sports

A small but determined group of El Reno residents are trying to rekindle the fire under a popular recreation sport which has caught on in other parts of the country and Canadian County, but found itself “in a pickle” locally.

Of course, we are talking about the sport of pickleball.

“It really has not caught on here. Part of the reason is that there are not enough places to play,” said Allen Carson, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church and a player himself.

The first two photos show the rock base of the new turf playing surface at Memorial Stadium is down and near completion.

The white rolls are the playing surface, which is slated to be installed this week according to El Reno High School head coach Chuck Atchison.

The Enid Outlaws and the Oklahoma Outlaws both clinched basketball titles over the weekend.

The Enid squad won two games over the Houston Push to claim the Central Division Championship of The Basketball League (TBL) playoffs. The team moves into the conference finals to face West Division Champion San Diego Guardians with the winner reaching the TBL finals.

The Oklahoma Outlaws won the Minor League Basketball Association (MLBA) Championship.

Both teams are owned by El Reno’s Jonathan Reed and based out of his OnPoint Hoops Academy.

CENTRAL

Overholser: July 6.
Elevation above normal, water low 80s and clearing.
Striped bass (hybrids) slow on crawfish and flukes in the main lake and along shorelines. Channel catfish good on cut bait and worms around points and shorelines. Bluegill good on crickets and worms along shorelines.

NORTHEAST

While certain aspects of the timed events found on the national series has crept into the format of the Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races, fans can rest assured the event will not forget its roots.

“We will always be the fastest to the finish, Outlaw-style racing. There will be no index racing at Smoke on the Water. Run what you bring and it’s always fastest to the finish,” said event co-organizer Josh Finnigan.

In its first year of existence, the Enid Outlaws (24-2), owned and operated by El Reno’s Jonathan Reed, have reached the Central Conference Championships of the 2021 The Basketball League playoffs.

The Outlaws, winners of TBL’s Central League’s regular season title with a 22-2 record, went into weekend action at the Stride Bank Center in Enid needing to win two games against the Houston Push.

Houston won the first game of the series 118-98.

Our friends with the Oklahoma Youth Hunting Program (OYHP) pair experienced hunters with youth who have never been hunting and their parents for a weekend of deer hunting memories during Oklahoma’s youth deer gun season.

The program relies on volunteer guides, cooks, drivers and other experienced helpers to pull off this incredible event.

CENTRAL

Overholser: July 6.
Elevation above normal, water low 80s and clearing.
Striped bass slow on crawfish and flukes in the main lake and along shorelines. Channel catfish good on cut bait and worms around points and shorelines. Bluegill good on crickets and worms along shorelines.

NORTHEAST

Sydney Haggins started her career as an endurance athlete a long time ago on a beach far, far away.

However, the El Reno doctor’s success in the sport of triathlons came to a head last week by qualifying for the 2021 IronMan 70.3 World Championships.

During the IronMan 70.3 qualifying event in Lubbock, Texas, the Okarche resident posted a career-best time of six hours, 19 minutes and 18 seconds.

In a special meeting June 28, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission approved significant changes for wild turkey hunting season date