Sports

Redlands Community College’s basketball teams earned spots in the NJCAA Region 2 Championships, set to be played in Okmulgee.

It’s the first time in three years for Redlands to send both teams to the postseason, with the winner of each championship advancing in the NJCAA playoffs.

The RCC women closed the regular season in fourth place in the region standings at 9-7, tied with Connors State College.

Jay Niehues’ team was slated to play Connors State Thursday in the quarterfinals.

PIEDMONT – It took less than 24 hours for El Reno High School’s boys basketball team to answer any questions about how it would respond to losing the Class 5A West Area 2 Championship to Del City.

And the Indians did it with a record-setting voice.

El Reno used a 20-0 run in the first period to kick-start a 102-36 win over John Marshall to win the Area 2 Consolation Championship. With the 66-point win comes a lower seed in this week’s 5A Boys Oklahoma State High School Basketball Championships.

Earning a state berth for a fifth straight year, one might expect El Reno High School’s girls basketball team, the defending Class 5A state champion, to see making the Elite Eight as old hat.

Yet that would be far from the truth.

“The vibe I get is that they are excited and ready to go. They are ready to have fun and enjoy the process,” said El Reno head coach Jennifer Douglas.

El Reno takes a 22-4 record into state and will be looking to be the ninth team in Class 5A history to repeat as state champions.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The third time really is a charm.

In its third straight trip to the finals riding a multi-game win streak, top-ranked Calumet avenged last year’s loss to Henryetta-Wilson with a 56-43 victory to claim the 2025 Class B Oklahoma Boys State High School Basketball Championship.

“We’ve had a lot of great players who did not win state and deserved to be state champs. This is awesome to have (title) and there is a big difference from winning and losing that last game,” said Calumet head coach Jacob Mayfield.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The final small school game to ever be played inside the Big House proved to be a record-setting night for Okarche as the Warriors defeated No.4 Okay 67-54 to win the Class A Boys Oklahoma State High School Basketball Championship.

“My dad would be loving this right now. We came here for games ever since I could walk. All the great players who have been through this place before and for our kids to get out on this floor and experience it once more is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Fifteen turnovers and 30 percent shooting over the middle periods cost Okarche a spot in the finals at the 2025 Class A Girls Oklahoma State High School Basketball Championships.

Okarche, ranked 20th in the state, ended its season at 23-10 with a 56-34 setback to third-ranked Cyril. The Warriors were making their 12th semifinal appearance in school history but the first since 2017.

Denver Hayes Tahah has listened to his mom, Brett coach every Okarche High School girls basketball game this season, but he’s never seen her on the court.

That all changed last week.

Arriving three weeks and two days early, mom and her newborn were both inside the Jim Norick Arena for Okarche’s Class A state quarterfinal game with Amber-Pocasset.

BRIDGE CREEK – A simple message from head coach Jennifer Douglas to her players after the third period ignited a fire that carried El Reno High School’s girls basketball team back to state for a fifth straight year.

“Coach Douglas told us to stay calm, poised and do our job,” said senior guard Raegan Bugaj.

El Reno did just that, rallying from a five-point deficit to defeat Del City 51-48 to win the Class 5A West Area I Championship.

OKLAHOMA CITY - For the third year in a row, El Reno sent a wrestler to the finals of the Class 6A Oklahoma State High School Girls Wrestling Championships, resulting in a runner-up finish by Remy Whitney.

The freshman dropped a 10-2 decision to Westmoore’s Kyrain Perez in the 100-pound finals to cap a 2-1 run in the event. El Reno closed the event with two placers and an 11th-place team effort with 27 points.

Whitney reached the finals with a 1:41 fall over Bishop McGuinness’ Nora Thompson and a 5-0 decision over Tulsa Union’s Dakota Harris in the semifinals.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite pushing four of its six qualifiers into day two of the Class 5A Boys Oklahoma State High School Wrestling Championships, El Reno was able to land only one on the medals stand.

Senior Matthew Snyder took fourth at 138 pounds after dropping a 13-1 major decision to Gunner Murray of Claremore for third.

Snyder posted a 2-2 overall mark with a 7-1 win over Guthrie’s Luke Lyons and a 1-0 nail-biter over McAlester’s Anthony Noble.

His seven team points helped El Reno to a 16th-place finish.