Sports

Urged by the love of his life as well as his longtime coach, a man enters a national tournament in an unknown sport and ends up stunning the field by winning a championship.

Sounds like the script for a Hollywood movie?

“One-hundred percent,” said Brandon Shelton.

Yet, that's just what happened to the former EHS standout wrestler who now teaches several sports through his Shelton Wrestling Academy in Norman.

On a whim he entered the 2024 United States Sambo Championships, held in Denton, Texas, and walked away with the gold medal at 79 kilograms (173.9 pounds).

Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of a two-part look into the rise and fall of Sellout Crowd website. It originally appeared on www.readfrontier.org.

Berry Tramel is not a man who makes rash decisions. But he had taken a risky leap. 

El Reno High’s baseball team closed out its first summer independent schedule with a 12-7 setback to Weatherford.

The squad, made up of varsity and junior varsity players, went 12-of-34 (.353) from the plate with two extra base hits. Mason Fulton logged a double for his lone hit in four at bats, while Gage Lesperance hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third.

Dawson Davidson (3-for-4) and Garrett March (3-for-3) paced the hitting and combined for a run scored and another batted in.

Despite logging 10 hits, Calumet High School’s baseball team closed out the summer schedule with a 15-14 shootout loss to Bethany in Red Dirt League action.

The Chieftains closed out its first season in the RDL with a 5-1 record, while the loss to the Broncos dropped the team’s overall record for the summer to 8-2-1.

“I think it (RDL) was good for the guys. We were able to get those kids that don’t play travel ball 10 to 20 at bats that they needed and we got our pitcher that we needed to throw the innings we wanted.

Players and coaches from El Reno High School’s baseball team held a Baseball Skills Camp recently at the Hub Reed Complex.

Forty campers ranging in different ages and skill levels took part in the three-day camp that focused on fundamentals such as throwing, catching, fielding and hitting.

Sending 21 batters to the plate over the final two innings, El Reno High School’s baseball team used a hybrid roster to rally past Chickasha 15-7 in the summer version of the U.S. 81 Series.

El Reno scored a run in the bottom of the first as Mason Fulton tripled before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hernan Blanco.

Chickasha answered with five runs in the top of the second off four hits and two errors by the Indians defense. Four of those runs by the Chicks came with two outs.

Nine pitchers allowed just five hits as Calumet High School’s summer baseball team remains undefeated in Red Dirt League action with wins over Perkins-Tryon and Heritage Hall.

The Chieftains defeated Perkins-Tryon 16-3 and backed that up with a 9-2 win over the Chargers to improve to 5-0 in the RDL standings. Calumet moved to 8-1-1 on the summer season with the sweep.

From the plate, Calumet went 29-of-61 (.475) with eight extra base hits. Brett Reed logged two doubles, followed by one each from Konnor and Kyler Thiessen and Riley Whitebead.

CENTRAL

Arcadia: June 17.
Elevation is normal and stable, water temperature 78°F and stained.
Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and flukes around channels, coves and points. Channel and flathead catfish fair on cut bait, dough bait and shad around coves and rocks. Crappie fair on hair jigs, minnows and tube jigs around brush structure, docks and rocks.

Though it’s been more than three months since El Reno High School captured its first-ever state championship in girls basketball, the events of the 2023-24 season still seem fresh in the minds of players and coaches.

“No, it really hasn’t sunk in yet. I think about it all the time that we are state champs and we went undefeated but it still seems so surreal.

“It’s just a testament to everything we preach every day and all the hard work. I’m glad the girls got to experience it,” said El Reno head coach Jennifer Douglas.

Coming off an injury, Andrew Dennis was on a pitch count for the third-place game of the Union City Summer Wooden Bat Tournament.

However, his cap numbers never came into play as the Tigers southpaw carried the host team to an 8-3 win over rival Minco.

“Andrew was going to be limited since coming off a hamstring injury. Yet he worked well each inning and kept his pitch count low. He has a nice three years ahead of him, especially as a pitcher,” said Union City head coach Ludy Griggs.

Dennis threw five complete innings, allowing just two runs.