Sports

Redlands Community College women’s basketball team rallied from a nine-point deficit to open the fourth quarter last week to steal a 51-48 win over Southwestern Christian College’s junior varsity.

The victory was part of a holiday split as the Cougars dropped a 72-68 game to Crowder College. Redlands took a 5-5 season record back into NJCAA Region 2 action at Eastern Oklahoma State College.

Redlands put up an 18-point fourth period against the Eagles to sweep the season series, getting eight points in the paint from Jaiana Wiggins and three more from Isabelle Stafford.

Coming back to the bench two years ago, head coach Rodney Haydon said it would take time and patience to retool El Reno High School’s boys basketball program back into a state-tournament team.

Tuesday night the Indians head to Shawnee to begin Haydon’s third season of his second stint as head coach with roster pieces that could very well send El Reno back to the Big Eight in Class 5A.

“We for sure have a lot of playing time and experience coming back and several move-ins that could get a lot of playing time. We have a chance to have a lot of depth,” said Haydon.

Tyrone Lewis knew it would take time to rebuild El Reno High School’s wrestling program into the national powerhouse it was when he won multiple state titles under his mentor Archie Randall.

Now entering his sixth year as head coach, Lewis feels all the pieces of that rebuilding puzzle rest before him, it’s just a matter of getting them to fit into the right spots.

Redlands Community College women’s basketball team used a 26-8 second-period scoring blitz to rally from a four-point deficit en route to its first NJCAA Region 2 win of the season.

The Cougars outscored Seminole State College 41-18 over the middle two periods to secure a 72-58 win over the Trojans. The victory moved the Cougars to 4-4 on the season and 1-1 in the region standings.

Redlands trailed 17-13 after one frame but uncorked a scoring blitz behind a trio of Macy Moore 3-pointers.

It’s been a close but no cigar kind of start to the NJCAA Region 2 schedule for Redlands Community College men’s basketball team as the Cougars dropped back-to-back single-digit losses.

Redlands had a two-game win streak snapped with an 83-77 setback at Northern Oklahoma College of Enid, then returned home for a see-saw 84-77 loss to Seminole State College.

The Cougars, slated to play Saturday at Frank Phillips College in Texas, dropped to 4-5 on the season with the league losses.

A big portion of the numbers from El Reno High School’s football season was generated by underclassmen, but head coach Russell Cook is quick to point out their success was spearheaded by senior leadership.

Six of the players from the class of 2023 were honored last week with spots on the 2022 All-District 5A-1 team, including two superlative awards on defense.

Representing El Reno on the senior-only team were Evan Roman Nose, Ryan Sigler, Devonne Smith, Diante Palmer, Nate Karty and James Reveles.

An alum from one of the program’s two undefeated regular season teams in the 1990s, Shannon Carter has always kept a close eye on the progress of El Reno High School football – even if it was from hundreds of miles away.

“It had been 13 or 14 years since I had gotten to see El Reno play but I had always followed them and always will,” said Carter.

Unable to watch in person the team he once quarterbacked, Carter used social media platforms and the Internet to follow the Indians while coaching at different high schools throughout Texas.

El Reno High School’s wrestling program held its annual Blue/White exhibition and ranking dual last week.

The Indians kick off their dual season Nov. 29 against Midwest City inside Jenks Simmons Field House.
 

El Reno High School post player Lilly Thomas shoots over an Edmond Santa Fe defender during a scrimmage last week at the Jenks Simmons Annex.

The Indians are working toward their 2022-23 season opener Nov. 29 at Shawnee.

El Reno native Caroline Huber, back row seventh from left, recently played in the 2022 NJCAA National Women’s Soccer Championships in Georgia.

Huber plays for Seminole State College, winner of Region 2 and the West Plains District Championships to earn the fifth seed at nationals.

The Trojans, however, lost to Iowa Western and Polk State by duplicate 3-1 scores at nationals.