Sports

It may not be as dramatic as Lt. Col. William Travis drawing a line in the sand at the Alamo, but El Reno High School head coach Russell Cook feels strongly that winning or losing rests with his young men on the line.

El Reno’s offense is coming off a record-breaking 2023 season in which a veteran group of linemen blocked for Malachi Nicholson’s school records for the most yards in a single game, season and career.

Much like the offense, El Reno High School head coach Russell Cook says the success of the Indians Blue Crush defense in 2024 will rest with the efforts of the players in the trenches.

Keeping those linemen healthy will be the hurdle since many will be two-way starters.

“We’ve got a lot of guys back from last year but many of them are the same ones that are on offense. They are going to have to go both ways, so we’re going to have to have some young kids step up and give them breaks.

Stymied to four hits, El Reno High School’s fast-pitch softball team had its four-game win streak snapped by the host of last week’s 2024 Elk City Festival.

The Elks handed El Reno a 6-2 setback which dropped the Indians to 1-1 overall for the festival and 4-2 for the season. Bri Michalicka’s team opened the event with an 8-3 win over Leedey.

El Reno’s bats were held to a pair of singles by Micah Woods and Sarah Hernandez in the loss. 

YUKON – After a close opening game, El Reno High School’s volleyball team was unable to get on track offensively in its cross-county battle with Southwest Covenant School. El Reno led three times late in the first game before the Patriots rallied for a 25-23 win.

Southwest Covenant then posted scores of 25-13 and 25-15 to win the match 3-0.

The loss dropped the Indians to 3-4 on the season after winning the Silver Bracket Championship at the 2024 El Reno Invitational.

UNION CITY – Bragging rights in the Canadian River Rivalry went south as Minco defeated Union City High School’s fast-pitch softball team 9-0 in their only scheduled meetings this season.

The loss to the Bulldogs was part of a triangular with Amber-Pocasset, with the Tigers winning 13-1 after scoring 13 unanswered runs. The split left Union City with a 4-4 overall record following a 2-2 run in the recent Olustee Invitational. The Tigers defeated Granite (9-0) and Calumet (5-2) but fell to Geronimo (1-0) and Carnegie (5-2).

Kyler Thiessen struck out the final batter in the bottom of the eighth inning last week as Calumet High School’s baseball team snapped a two-game losing streak to Fort Cobb-Broxton with a 2-1 victory.

The Mustangs defeated Calumet twice last year in the state championship games of the fall and spring seasons.

The Chieftains win leaves CHS with a 2-1 record this fall after a close road loss at Okarche (2-0).

NORTHEAST

Birch: Elevation is 1 ft. below normal and stable, water temperature 85°F and stained.
Crappie good on jigs and minnows around brush structure.

Copan: Elevation is normal and stable, water temperature 84°F and stained.
Blue, channel and flathead catfish good on chicken liver, cut bait, live bait, live shad, shad, sunfish and worms below the dam, main lake, riprap, rocks and shorelines. Crappie slow on hair jigs, minnows, PowerBait, small lures and tube jigs around brush structure and docks.

El Reno High School’s football program held its annual Moms 101 Boot Camp over the weekend.

More than 40 moms or guardians of players in grades seventh through 12th took part in the event.

Head coach Russell Cook joked the moms, when they are done, will understand what their husbands are yelling about in the stands on Friday night.