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Junior guard Gab Atwell works against the Walters defense at team camp Wednesday. Atwell is in the mix for a starting spot as the Lady Chicks completely rebuild out front.
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Lady Chicks conclude team camp
FLETCHER – Matt Layman’s Lady Chicks wrapped up their summer team camp schedule Wednesday and will be back in the gym next week instead of heading for the Macarthur camp as originally planned.
The team was at Fletcher Wednesday and played Walters, which lost just three games last year and achieved some notoriety after hanging 103 points on Grandfield just before the break. Sam Hale had fifteen girls suited up and rotated three full teams in at a time. Layman had six girls, with one sitting out injured.
Therein lies his biggest concern.
“We just don’t have any numbers,” the second-year coach said. “We had one girl at a camp this week and a couple of freshmen sick today but even with everyone here, we still wouldn’t have enough.”
Another big concern for the upcoming season is out front. After graduating all three of last season’s guards, he had one junior (Gab Atwell) who didn’t play last year and three sophomores (Mary Elizabeth Allen, Lauren White and Dawn’Shaye Blakes) whose freshman team didn’t finish last season due to injuries and low numbers.
“With the exception of Paige (senior post Hightower), we’re basically a JV team playing varsity level,” Layman said.
Still, he looks at the silver lining.
“It’s good for the younger ones. They’re taking some lumps but it’s helping them get better. It’s not easy to see and they may not even see it, but I see them growing up and maturing. They’re getting stronger, they’re learning how to make good decisions and they’re learning how to play tougher against older, more experienced players.
“That’s what this has to be about because of the situation we’re in.”
Compounding things, sophomore forward Hailey Harris, one of the better shooters in the group, was sidelined again with what appeared to be the same nagging back injury that kept her off the court last year.
“When you don’t have a lot of numbers, one injury or one sickness magnifies and really has an effect,” the coach said. “Hailey has had a lot of back problems and that affects other parts of her body. That’s what happened today. She needs a lot of rest and some time off to heal it up properly.”
On the upside, the Ladies will be tough inside, with seniors Hightower and Diamon Heath patrolling the lanes. Heath was at camp this week and Hightower played with her usual ferocity down low by herself.
“Diamon’s at the OSU camp this week but was with us at Anadarko and played really well,” Layman said. “She really showed a lot of improvement. When she wants to play hard, she’s as good as anybody.
“Paige sometimes tries to play too hard and do too much but when she just lets the game come to her, she’s really good. We’ll probably be pretty one-dimensional but by far that’s the strength of our team.”
Even playing with just five girls, the Chicks hung with Walters until they hit back-to-back threes in the final minute or so for an eight-point win.
“I’m proud of these girls,” Layman said. “They’re out here spending their summer trying to make themselves better and help us get better. It’s not easy sometimes.”
The team will pass on next week’s camp at Macarthur.
“We just don’t have the numbers right now for another team camp,” the coach said. “We have so many basic things to work on and so many young girls that we decided to just stay home and get back in the gym.”
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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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