Sports

Thursday’s cancellations put a damper on the atmosphere surrounding the rivalry game with Piedmont as final touches on the historic makeover of Memorial Stadium were being wrapped up.

“I think we are about 95 percent complete now. King Electric was out there Wednesday running the new lines and wiring to the scoreboard and clocks and those will be hooked up to the main power. Everything should be ready to go by Friday night,” said El Reno Athletic Director Rodney Haydon.

While both El Reno High School softball and volleyball programs lost games last week due to COVID-19 complications with opposing teams, Athletic Director Rodney Haydon does not see the virus as a growing problem for sports just yet.

“It really has not been an issue until this week. We had an athletic directors meeting last week and we didn’t even discuss cancellations. I think it’s not so much a COVID-19 issue but more of a numbers game and being cautious,” said Haydon.

Union City High School’s softball team won the first round of the Canadian County Bedlam Series with Calumet last week before dropping a two-run game to Class B’s fifth-ranked Lookeba-Sickles in a triangular with both schools.

The Tigers defeated the Chieftains 12-0 before having their six-game win streak snapped with a 7-5 loss to the Panthers. The split left Union City with a 10-6 record after wins over Bray-Doyle (9-7), Okarche (11-10) and Fletcher (11-3) leading up to the triangular.

CALUMET – After being held to two hits by Jaxon Olive in a 9-0 shutout loss to Class B’s fourth-ranked Fort-Cobb/Broxton a day earlier, Calumet High School’s baseball team snapped a three-game losing steak with a 12-2 win over Verden.

The Chieftains improved to 4-4 on the fall with the come-from-behind win over the Tigers.

Calumet’s offense took advantage of seven errors and four walks in the win, while James Daughety and Gavin Tinsley were both hit twice by pitches. One of those free passes and a hit batsman came with the bases loaded during a seven-run second inning.

Redlands Community College’s soccer team is still searching for its first win of the 2021 season after a 14-1 road loss to Seminole State College.

The loss dropped the Cougars to 0-2 on the season and in the NJCAA Region 2 standings.

The Cougars did get a team goal for their first points of the season and also gave RCC a 1-0 lead before the Trojans ripped off 14 straight goals.

Redlands had just three shots in the loss, one each from Yalexy Rodriguez, Stephany Soto and Ariana Whitfield.

El Reno High School’s football program has canceled its last two non-district games due to COVID-19 exposure stemming from the season-opener last week in Cache and a subsequent positive test among one of its own players.

El Reno Superintendent Craig McVay said Cache officials informed El Reno Athletic Director Rodney Haydon Thursday morning via a text message that one of its players had tested positive.

“Apparently the Cache player was showing signs during the game and now has tested positive for coronavirus,” said McVay.

A double plume of smoke shoots out the back of Texan Robin Reed’s boat as it digs out of the water off the start line during the 2021 Hunter Showdown on Lake El Reno over the weekend.

It was the season-ending points event for the Southern Drag Boat Association.

When Piedmont unveiled its new turf field four years ago, El Reno High School’s football team played the spoiler role on the night’s festivities with a 13-point win.

El Reno head coach Chuck Atchison knows the Wildcats have been itching for some payback.

“We went over there four years ago when they opened their new field and won and I know they want to come over here and do the same,” said Atchison.

Posting wins in the first and last games, El Reno High School’s softball team emerged from the Shawnee tourney with a 2-2 record but more importantly, an offense hitting its stride.

El Reno improved to 3-6 on the season with wins over Woodward (11-1) and Del City (14-1).

Those were split by losses to Claremore (20-7) and Durant (4-3).

The Indians had 10 players log hits as the squad went 40-of-104 from the plate for a .385 average.

Six of those hits were doubles, two each from Chenoa White and C.C. Medders. Bailey Brothers and Maddie Moss had one each.

El Reno High School’s volleyball team, ranked No.11 in Class 5A, ran into an early-season rough patch with losses in three of five matches last week, including a 2-2 effort in the Community Christian School tourney.

The three setbacks came to ranked teams in Class 5A’s No.3 Carl Albert (2-0), Class 4A’s No.10 Cache (2-0) and Class 3A’s No.2 Community Christian (2-0).

The 2-0 wins were over Blanchard and CCS’ junior varsity in the tourney. The victories left El Reno with an 8-4 overall record.