Sports

With local cases of COVID-19 remaining high and Canadian County moving into the red zone on the Oklahoma State Department of Health Alert System, El Reno Public Schools has issued new policies concerning winter sports.

“We decided to do this as our way to battle the spread and trying to give the kids a chance to play. That is our number one goal. They signed up to play and that’s what we want them to do,” said El Reno Athletic Director Rodney Haydon.

A quick glance at her roster and it’s not hard to see why El Reno High School girls basketball coach Jennifer Douglas is excited to get the 2020-21 season started.

El Reno is coming off a 15-12 season which took the Indians to within one basket of making a fourth straight trip to the Class 5A state tournament.

From that squad, Douglas returns four starters and 10 total players with experience in one of the toughest conferences in the state.

In an eerie twist of fate, El Reno High School’s football team found itself in the same scenario in which it started the 2020 season – at home and in an overtime cliffhanger.

Unfortunately, the Indians would not have the same outcome.

McAlester’s defense knocked down a 2-point conversion pass in the back of the end zone as the Buffaloes defeated El Reno 43-41 in the Class 5A quarterfinals.

The loss halted a seven-game win streak for the Indians, who ended the season with a 9-3 record.

Larry Annuschat just lost three brothers and a sister in his longtime Okarche family to COVID-19, and he has battled the virus himself, hanging on and fighting through it.

His sister, Victoria Lynn Marks, 66, lost her battle Nov. 22.

Ronald “Ron” Annuschat, 58, died of COVID-19 Oct. 30. Then older brother, Paul “Mac” Joseph Annuschat, 68, died of the virus Oct. 31. Nicholas “Nick” Thomas Annuschat, 59, died Nov. 6.

All died at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, devastating the Okarche farming family and community.

The last time El Reno High School’s football team reached the quarterfinal round of the Class 5A playoffs, the Indians did so with a district championship in hand along with a multi-game winning streak.

As fate would have it, Chuck Atchison’s district championship team finds itself on a similar path as that of the 2009 Indians as El Reno rides a seven-game win streak into Friday night’s quarterfinal game at Memorial Stadium.

Ironically, the Indians face the same team it did back in 2009 – the McAlester Buffaloes.

In the regular-season meeting with Piedmont, El Reno High School’s football team struggled to put points on the scoreboard off opportunities provided from its defense.

The two teams met again in the bi-district round of the Class 5A playoffs, and this time, both units for the Indians were on the same page.

After all extracurricular activities were suspended for two days due to a possible COVID-19 situation at El Reno High School, athletics were allowed to resume practices last week.

The boys hosted Bishop McGuinness for a scrimmage under precautions.

No fans were allowed to attend and everyone in Jenks Simmons Field House had to wear a mask when not on the court.

Traditionally, a month into the basketball season would mean most small schools in Canadian County would have a month’s worth of practice time and up to six games under their belts.

However, there has been nothing traditional about 2020 heading into the Thanksgiving break.

Between lost power from a freak October ice storm and outbreaks of the coronavirus, Calumet has played just twice, while Okarche has had just one game.

El Reno's youth football recently won the 6-and-under, 9-and-under and 11-and under Central Oklahoma Football League titles with strong running.

MUSTANG – Three of the six age group championships awarded during the Central Oklahoma Football League's Super Bowl Saturday made their way back to El Reno.

El Reno’s 6-and-under, 9-and-under and 11-and-under football teams all defeated squads from Mustang. The city’s Little League program had the most titles by one over Mustang.

“I think that’s the first time we have won three titles,” said El Reno’s Mark Vincent.