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.
CENTRAL
Arcadia: March 4.
Elevation is normal and stable, water temperature 50°F and stained.
Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits, jerk baits and plastic baits around brush structure, creek channels and points. Crappie slow on hair jigs, minnows and slabs around brush structure, docks and rocks. Blue and channel catfish slow on cut bait, hot dogs and shad around channels, coves and points.
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.
The two tickets to this week’s Class 5A Oklahoma Boys State High School Basketball Championships from the top side of the West Area bracket came down to three teams from District 5A-1.
Unfortunately, El Reno High School was the odd man out.
The Indians had their season halted with a 58-49 loss to district champ Carl Albert in the 5A West Area I Consolation Championships.
It was El Reno’s third meeting this season with the Titans, who slipped into the winner-take-all battle for state after losing the area title to Crossings Christian.
El Reno High School opened the 2024 soccer season last week at home against Class 6A power Yukon.
The boys lost 9-0 to Yukon despite shots on goal by Carlos Garcia and Kenneth Solis.
Aldo De La Torre had six saves in goal for EHS.
OKLAHOMA CITY – A year after becoming El Reno High School’s first female wrestler to win a state championship, Kaylee Davis added another milestone to her record-setting career in an EHS singlet.
The senior pinned Bixby’s Jayla Ford in 1:31 to win the Class 6A 145-pound title at the 2024 Oklahoma State High School Wrestling Championships. By doing so she becomes the first El Reno female to win back-to-back titles.
This is the first year for girls to have two classifications at state, with Davis winning the 145-pound title last season.
