Sports
A look back at Grady County Sports in 2007
CHICKASHA — We’re now just days away from ringing in 2008, which can only mean it’s time for our annual look back at the “Year in (Local) Sports.”
It’s been a busy year with a lot of stories of special interest. Rather than risk leaving anyone out with the “top-ten” format used in the past, I’ve decided to expand this year’s edition a little. (And still hope I haven’t left anyone out.)
Starting off with individual achievements, Verden baseball coach Roy Edwards won his 1,000th career game (all as the Tigers’ skipper) and his son Daniel threw a twelve-strikeout no-hitter to get it for him. Number 1,000 came in a 7-0 shutout of Navajo at Binger’s Johnny Bench Wood Bat tourney back in April. Only eight other Oklahoma high school baseball coaches have reached this mark.
Am-Po senior Kristen Mays repeated as the 400M state champion at the 2A State Track Meet hosted by Mustang HS in May and threw in a gold medal in the long jump to boot. Her time of 1:00.29 was almost five seconds faster than her preliminary time and a full second faster than the second place finisher. Her leap of 17-10 blew away the field in the long jump by eighteen inches.
Chickasha wrestler Travis Wilkinson went 36-1 and won the 160-lb state title in February, which earned him All-State honors and a wrestling scholarship to Missouri Valley College, one of the elite wrestling programs in the NAIA. After an early-season tournament loss, Travis was ranked second for most of the year behind Woodward standout Zach White, who was undefeated until Travis beat him in the finals of the Chickasha Invitational, the West Regional finals and the state tournament championship match.
Former Lady Chicks Holly Hardin and Kisha Gaspard continued to excel at the collegiate level. Both girls were named All-Americans in their freshman years, Holly in basketball and Kisha in track. Holly was also recently named a pre-season All-American for her sophomore year and is getting a lot of looks from D-1 programs for her final two years. Kisha transferred to UT-Arlington this year to compete at the NCAA level.
In week five of the football season, Rush Springs tailback Dustan McClenny broke an eighteen-year-old school career rushing record, rambling for 126 yards on eight carries in the Redskins’ 53-0 rout of Dibble. The big bruiser finished his senior campaign with 1,943 yards and 24 touchdowns and his career with 5,680 yards and 89 touchdowns, eclipsing the old record by 1,318 yards. Dusty also finished third all-time in career tackles with 485 from his linebacker spot.
Chickasha golfer Ashley Fincher broke the “gender” barrier at the Washita Valley Golf Tournament this summer, becoming the first female competitor in the history of the 79-year-old tournament. The 16-year-old, who was shooting in the low 80s, had some adjustment problems hitting off the longer men’s tees for the first time but plans to be back next summer and do better.
Jessica Cate became the first player in the history of the Lady Chick volleyball program to earn All-State honors. Jessica finished an incredible senior season with 230 kills, 101 aces (93%), 14 assists, 53 digs and fifteen blocks. She was the first full-time four-year starter and the team MVP every year but her freshman year.
CHS administrator/coach Yohance Brown was inducted into Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in February and became Chickasha’s new Director of Secondary Student Activities in July. An All-State linebacker at Altus HS, Brown was a captain on Southwestern’s NAIA national championship football team in his senior year (1996), All-Conference all four years, a three-time All-American, was the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Daily Oklahoman All-Century Football Team.
In the “so close and yet so far” category, three area schools came up just shy in their quests for state championships. In baseball, Chickasha lost to Carl Albert 3-0 and Verden took a tough 12-0 loss to Rock Creek in their state championship games. Defending state champion Preston ended the Am-Po girls’ outstanding 24-5 basketball season with a 61-45 loss in the 2A state semifinals.
Chickasha’s investments in their sports facilities bore fruit, with the new Sports Complex hosting approximately 400 teams through eighteen tournaments in its first year of operation and the new Activity Center showing what it could do hosting tournaments in its first year. Overflow, standing-room only crowds of loud, “into-it” hoops fans blew the roof off of the new Center for the entire 4A area tourney weekend. If you were there, you know what was a blast it was! Both facilities will be even more active this year.
Saving the best for last, this was certainly a year that showed that area folks put their money where their mouths are when it comes to the kids and sports.
Chickasha grads and NFL players Sam Rayburn and Steven Alexander made an unspecified contribution (estimated at over $20K) to upgrade the high school weight room, Troy Smith (new owner of Mama Carol’s) made a $20K donation to the middle school athletic program and Glenn and Brenda McNatt, owners of Royal Filter, donated $10K to the Chickasha wrestling program for new mats and other needed equipment. (This was the second donation by the McNatt family in as many years. Glenn’s father, Gene A. McNatt, donated $5K to the Ninnekah baseball program last year for a new scoreboard.)
The generosity of these investments in our area’s youth will pay incredible dividends for years to come and these folks deserve a big “thank you” from the community.
Like a good, solid win in a first-round tournament game, all this was really nice but there’s more to come, so enjoy what took place and reflect quickly. The second half of the season starts with the annual Chickasha Seventh-grade Tourney tipping off on Thursday then the high schools are back out on the hardwood on Friday. The second half is here.
- Sports
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Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
Sooners' announcer to retire
NORMAN (AP) — Bob Barry Sr. announced Tuesday that he plans to retire as the radio play-by-play voice of Oklahoma football and men's basketball after the upcoming season.
Barry has been the radio voice of the Sooners for the last 20 years and he also had a 12-year stint in the job at the beginning of his career. In between, he handled the play-by-play for Tulsa basketball games and then for Oklahoma State football and basketball. -
Big 12 fans target Huskers during last go-round
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Cornhuskers shouldn't expect a fond farewell from fans when they go on the road this fall.
Century-old relationships will end when Nebraska leaves the Big 12 for the Big Ten in 2011, meaning this season's visits to places like Kansas State and Iowa State could be it.
Folks in those old Big Eight haunts already are planning raucous sendoffs.
The message from Iowa State fan Adam Gray: "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." -
Eagle project gives discs flight at park
Early this spring, Tanner Tibbetts, a scout from Troop 4306 in Chickasha began to plan his Eagle Scout Project. He decided on a Disc Golf Course.
He had seen a disc golf tournament at Duncan Lake while he was attending a camporee. There were more than a hundred campers who attended the weekend Disc Golf event at Duncan Lake. He continued to see this event for five consecutive years, because it was held on the same weekend as an annual scout camp.
It was surprising to him see so many people involved in an event that was unavailable in Chickasha. -
Alex visits Ryan for final scrimmage
RYAN – Alex coach Justin Savage took his Longhorns back home to Ryan Friday for their final scrimmage and came away pretty happy with his team’s performance.
With the new re-alignments, Ryan dropped to Class C this year but will still be pretty good despite losing quarterback Colby Barrett to graduation. Vype’s pre-season football magazine picked them to finish second behind Temple in a tough District C-2. -
Chicks struggle with Reds' run game
Clinton, ranked sixth in the Vype Pre-Season 4A poll, brought their powerful running game to Memorial Stadium Thursday for both teams’ final tune-up and presented Chickasha with some new challenges on both sides of the ball.
Tailback Saul Pina, who rushed for just under 1,200 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns last year, ran roughshod behind the Reds’ big front line and gave the Chick defense fits. -
Drover Baseball, softball programs host alumni weekend
The USAO baseball and softball programs, in conjunction with the Alumni Association, will host an alumni weekend in August for former players to come together socially and competitively.
“I think it’s a great thing. It keeps them involved in our programs and it provides tradition,” softball coach Jenn White-Cody said. “And I think people love to come back … It’s a way they can reconnect with the guys and gals they played ball with.”
Baseball and softball alumni will meet for dinner and drinks beginning at 5 p.m. August 28, and will follow with an alumni baseball or softball game, beginning at 1 p.m. the following day at Bill Smith Ballpark. Registration for both is $30. Any additional guests — including spouses — are $15 each. -
Chickasha splits matches in Lawton
Chickasha was at Lawton Tomlinson Thursday night for some middle school volleyball and came home with a split. The “A” team lost a close, three-game set and the “B” team won in straight games.
The “A” team prevailed in game one 27-25 but Tom answered with a 22-25 win to even things up and took the rubber game 12-15.
“Elizabeth Wilson and Chloe Moore both served for a five-point runs and Esteria Sanchez had a lot of good hits,” coach Amy Widener said.
Chickasha “B” came out on top in game one 25-19 and held Tom off 25-23 for their straight-game win. Widener said that Devyn Crosley and Athena Stallard both served well for the Chicks in that match.
“Everyone got to play and the girls were very excited,” the coach said. “They worked hard for their points, moved their feet well and never gave up.
“I was very proud of their effort tonight.”
The high school team will be at the Skiatook tournament Saturday then everyone will be back in action Monday at Tecumseh. Matches start at 4 p.m.
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Woods struggles during second round at Barclays
PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) — Tiger Woods was poised to take control at the Barclays on Friday. Instead, he went the other way.
Woods missed a 20-inch putt for one of his four bogeys over the last eight holes and shot a 2-over 73.
The difference from the rest of the year is this only cost him the lead, not a chance of winning.
Jason Day, the 22-year-old Australian who won his first PGA Tour event earlier this year, made three straight birdies late in his round and finished with a good par for a 4-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead.
Day was at 8-under 134, one shot ahead of Kevin Streelman (63) and Vaughn Taylor (70). - More Sports Headlines
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