Sports

Ramping up toward the upcoming Class 5A regional meet, El Reno High School freshman Ethan Brooks spoiled a 1-2 finish attempt for a pair of Elgin runners on their home course.

Brooks posted a time of 16 minutes, 32.40 seconds to take the silver medal at the 2024 Elgin Invitational.

Brooks’ time was less than five seconds back of the Owls top runner and meet winner Zachary Williams (16:27.70), while beating EHS’ Ethan Jones (16:45) by over 13 seconds.

A second-place finish in league play helped net Union City High School five spots on the 2024 All-Southern Plains Conference fast-pitch softball team – including two superlative awards.

Senior Morgan Brothers was named the Pitcher of the Year, while junior Jaidyn Grandstaff earned the conference’s Most Valuable Player Award. Also named to the team were senior Skylar Morgan and sophomores Kamryn Cook and Mia Gambel.

A string of bad luck in the postseason haunted El Reno High School’s volleyball team yet again this season as the Indians dropped a 3-0 semifinal match to No.12 Collinsville in the 2024 Class 5A, Region 4 Championships.

Played at sixth-ranked Duncan, which went on to win the regional and a state ticket, El Reno slipped to 13-17 for the year with a 25-16/25-16/25-17 loss to Collinsville.

It snapped El Reno’s three-game win streak going into the postseason.

It was the ninth time in the last 10 seasons for El Reno to make a first-round exit, all by 3-0 scores.

While it wasn’t a mark in the win column, Redlands Community College’s soccer team ended a six-match losing streak with a 4-4 tie at home with Connors State College.

The tie moved the Cougars to 1-11-2 on the season and 1-9-1 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings. Redlands remains in the cellar of the standings but moved a half game back of both the Cowboys and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Ashanti Lewis scored all four goals for Redlands off 10 shots. Miya Ingram posted four shots and an assist. Elizabeth Bolden and Nina Vidic added an assist each.

Over a 24-hour period, Calumet High School players felt the highs and lows of the Class B Fall State Baseball Championships.

The Chieftains defeated Hammon in a 15-0 shutout in the semifinals. 

A day later, top-ranked Calumet suffered a 6-1 loss to second-ranked Fort Cobb-Broxton in the finals. It was the second year for Calumet to lose the Fall Classic title to its archrival.

See Saturday’s paper for a tourney recap.

No matter if he was playing quarterback, running back or punter, El Reno High School’s football team had no answer to the question - how to stop Colton Carlock?

The Guthrie senior rushed for 121 yards and accounted for 142 of the team’s 352 yards and three touchdowns as the Bluejays rolled to a 49-0 win over El Reno.

In a mirror-image of day one results, El Reno High School’s fast-pitch softball team dominated Lawton MacArthur before having its season end with a shutout loss to rival Guthrie in the Class 5A, Region 1 Championships.

El Reno ousted the Highlanders from the playoffs for a second straight season with a 16-4 victory in an elimination game.

That moved the Indians into the championship round against Guthrie needing to beat the Bluejays twice to make state for the first time since 2021.

Playing its first event of the fall against a field of two-year programs, Redlands Community College women’s golf team showed its dominance with an 18-stroke win at the 2024 Lady Aggie Invitational.

Hosted by Murray State College on the Lake Murray Resort Course, Redlands carded a 36-hole total of 644 (320/324) to beat Texas-based Weatherford College (662). North Central Texas College (690) was 46 strokes back of the Cougars to take third.

Seminole State College (706) and Murray State (716) rounded out the top five.

Calumet slugger Kaleb Thiessen smiles as he touches the helmets of teammates after hitting a grand slam in the recent regional tourney game with Vici.

Calumet, the top-ranked team in the state, opened the Class B Fall State Baseball Championships Thursday with a 13-1 win over No.11 Moss.

El Reno High School’s Special Olympics team traveled to Owasso last week and took second place in the 2024 Special Olympics State Soccer Tournament.

Team members, front row from left, Ariana Estrada, Kayden Miller, PJ Hall, Bella Resendiz, Brisa Gonzalez and coach Kim Garner. Back row from left, coach Abbie Branstool, Lylah Tallbear, Gunner Collier, Trevor Felz, Christian Garcia, Harley Huber, Heath Shelton and Jacob Richey. (Courtesy photo)