At Robert Kalsu Stadium in Del City, the temperatures dipped into the low-40s and drizzle covered the field as the Del City Eagles were set to face divisional opponent, Capitol Hill. Still winless in their division—coming in at 1-and-5 overall—the Redskins had a hard time stopping the Eagles’ running attack.
Last week, in a winning effort against the Altus Bulldogs, sophomore quarterback Colin Watford, got his first start and win. He kept that momentum rolling as he led the way in a lopsided victory against Capitol Hill.
Coming in at 3-3, Del City wanted to make a statement in their Homecoming game against the bottom ranked Capitol Hill Redskins. Last year, the Eagles shut out Capitol Hill while scoring 61-points in the Redskins’ stadium. It did not take much time for a similar game to begin, but this time in Del City.
The Midwest City Bombers played host to the Lawton Eisenhower Eagles on a blustery rainy Friday night. This weather didn’t stop the Bomber defense from putting on a show for the fans on homecoming.
Midwest City started the game by allowing a 30-yard field goal by Brandon Schmit. After this score, the defense tightened down and put the clamps on the Eagle offense.
The offense was able to run the ball up the middle most of the night. RJ Goodman bullied his way in the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown. The extra point was good and the Bombers took a 7-3 lead.
This cold, wet Friday night proved to be a challenge for both the players and the fans as the Carl Albert Titans took on the Northwest Classen Knights in a nearly empty stadium. The Knights never could get a grasp on the weather, or the ball falling 52-14 to the Titans.
From the first drive, Carl Albert dominated the game as senior Chantz Woodberry ran the ball into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
Slippery conditions and frozen fingers led to several dropped plays by the Knights, starting with a fumble that allowed Robert Lolofie to score the second touchdown of the game.
Then running back Fre’Darian Ashley overcame a dropped snap for an 87-yard sprint for Northwest’s the first touchdown. He then went on to catch a pass from Eric McGee for a 2-point conversion.
On a chilly night at Wantland Stadium, the Yellowjackets squared off against the Edmond Memorial Bulldogs Thursday.
It was a rough night for the Yellowjackets.
Choctaw's defense started the game well on the first series forcing a field goal attempt for Memorial that was missed keeping the game squared away at 0.
Edmond’s running back Warren Wand had a career night. He scored his first touchdown with 4:39 left in the first quarter putting Memorial up 7-0.
It was an absolute blowout Thursday as the Harrah Panthers took on the Tecumseh Savages.
Harrah scored 50 points without any Tecumseh answer. The win brings the Panthers to 5-2 for the season, and the Savages 1-6.
Coach Eric Line attributes the team’s success against Tecumseh to their preparation saying, “We were ready to play; I think we were excited all week, [we want to] keep moving forward.”
Harrah scored the first of seven touchdowns on their opening drive as junior Blake Freeman ran the ball into the end zone.
Heading into Friday night's contest, Carl Albert had lost its last three meetings with archrival Guthrie.
In fact, the last time Carl Albert won the rivalry game was back in 2009 when the Titans trounced the Bluejays 40-14 on their way to a state title.
Though Guthrie outscored Carl Albert 91-66 in those three years, the last two games were decided by a total of seven points, so this game figured to be another barnburner, and the teams did not disappoint.
Fans from both teams watched as the top two ranked teams in 5A battled it out on the field, and in the end, it was Guthrie that came away with a 28-21 win.
It can be difficult for some teams to put a tough loss behind them. That was not the case for Del City tonight as they beat Altus 52-14 at Robert Kalsu Stadium.
The Eagles were coming off a 29-20 loss at Ardmore last week.
However, it wasn’t just the game that Del City lost. That game also saw an injury to starting quarterback Terry Wilson. He could be out up to two months with a broken collarbone.
The Midwest City Bombers went on the road tonight and faced a Putnam City North Panther team who had the same district record of 1-1.
It was hard hitting, smash mouth style game, which the Bombers would eventually lose by the slimmest of margins 21-20.
Putnam City got on the board found with 6:19 to go in the first quarter when Riley Sterling caught the 20 yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers ahead 7-0.
The Oklahoman’s Class 4A No. 8 ranked Glenpool Warriors hosted the unranked Harrah Panthers Friday night.
The Warriors let the game slip away from them in the fourth quarter after pulling within two points of the visiting team in what looked like might be a repeat of last week’s comeback win over McCloud.
However this Friday night Glenpool fell short, losing 29-14 on homecoming evening.
Fall football is in full swing as we’ve completed an entire week of October. With each passing day, we get closer to the end of the year. This week, our games will comprise Week 6.
Once again, we start with the Carl Albert Titans. This week, the Titans host the Guthrie Bluejays at 7:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. The game will match the top teams in this week’s latest Oklahoman Class 5A poll.
Presently, the Titans sit atop the rankings with a record of 4-1. However, Guthrie is comes into the game with a perfect 5-0 mark. Last week, Carl Albert went on the road to Bishop McGuinnes and came away 35-21 winners.
District 2 is often dubbed the “SEC” of Class 5A football, and with the district boasting four top ten teams in, there is no denying the prestigious nickname.
On this night, it was top-ranked Carl Albert facing off against the tenth-ranked Bishop McGuinness Fighting Irish.
It was the second game of the Titans’ three-week gauntlet, having defeated Deer Creek 42-24 in the previous week.
Lawton High shook off a sloppy performance and a tough Choctaw squad to claim a 37-29 win Thursday at Cameron Stadium behind a school-record 301 yards rushing and three touchdowns from Mike Warren.
Warren’s 301 yards broke former Wolverine and OU star Dewell Brewer’s previous school record.
Midwest City head coach Darrell Hall said there was no hangover for his squad from last week’s loss to Norman North as his Bombers defeated US Grant 73-0 Friday night at Jim Darnell Stadium.
It was a night where every Bomber player got to see action. MWC improves to 4-1 on the year while US Grant falls to 0-5.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Hall said. “We had a good week of practice. We got to play everybody. We played sound on offense and defense and put points up. We tell the kids no matter who their opponents are they need to get better and I think we got better (tonight)."
Carl Albert 35 at McGuinness 21 Choctaw 29 at Lawton 37 Millwood 53 at Christian Heritage 0 Del City 20 at Ardmore 29 Destiny Chirstian 54 at Maud 27 Harrah 29 at Glenpool 14 Jones 46 at Bethel 0 Life Christian 0 at Timberlake 46 Luther 58 at Crooked Oak 59 US Grant 0 at Midwest City 73 Star Spencer 0 at Kingfisher 44
District 2 is often dubbed the "SEC" of Class 5A football, and with the district boasting four top ten teams in, there is no denying the prestigious nickname.
On this night, it was top-ranked Carl Albert facing off against the tenth-ranked Bishop McGuinness Fighting Irish.
It was the second game of the Titans' three-week gauntlet, having defeated Deer Creek 42-24 in the previous week.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City Barons opened the 2013-14 season Friday evening with a 3-2 loss to the Charlotte Checkers at the Cox Convention Center.
Brody Sutter scored the game-winning goal at the 14:44 mark of third period to give the Checkers the win.
Justin Peters earned the win in net for the Checkers, while Richard Bachman picked up the loss for the Barons (0-1-0-0).
Charlotte took an early lead with Chris Terry’s goal just 49 seconds into the game. Bachman recorded had two great saves against Nicolas Blanchard and Matt Marquardt, but Mark Flood put the Checkers up 2-0 at 11:51.
The Checkers led the Barons in shots 15-6 at the first intermission.
Midwest City head coach Darrell Hall said there was no hangover for his squad from last week’s loss to Norman North as his Bombers defeated US Grant 73-0 Friday night at Jim Darnell Stadium.
It was a night where every Bomber player got to see action. MWC improves to 4-1 on the year while US Grant falls to 0-5.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Hall said. “We had a good week of practice. We got to play everybody. We played sound on offense and defense and put points up. We tell the kids no matter who their opponents are they need to get better and I think we got better (tonight).
Lawton High shook off a sloppy performance and a tough Choctaw squad to claim a 37-29 win Thursday at Cameron Stadium behind a school-record 301 yards rushing and three touchdowns from Mike Warren.
Warren's 301 yards broke former Wolverine and OU star Dewell Brewer's previous school record.
"I didn't even know I had that many yards," he said. "But if it's a school record then I give a lot of the credit to coach (Dewell) Brewer because he used to coach me here. That's a big compliment to him."
One kick meant that Midwest City was not able to stay undefeated in 2013 as Norman North triumphed 45-42 Friday in Norman.
Previously, the Bombers’ trademark had been its defense and crunch time stops.
The team also relied on a strong running game through the first three weeks of the season. This time Midwest City’s offense stepped up its output in the passing game when the running game stalled.
District play kicked off last week for our local high schools, starting the race for the playoffs.
The players last week showed us some fancy footwork and high speed runs as they dashed into the end zone, and passes that zipped from player to player connecting for photo finishes at the goal line.
To see where these players are rushing to next, let’s take a look at this week’s football preview.
Deer Creek 24 at Carl Albert 42 Putnam West 35 at Choctaw 59 Christian Heritage 32 at Northeast 8 Lawton Mac 18 at Del City 38 Destiny Chirstian 20 at Corn Bible 0 Santa Fe South 0 at Harrah 69 Jones 15 at Marlow 14 Windsor Hills 52 at Life Christian 12 Luther 26 at Dibble 14 Midwest City 42 at Norman North 45 John Marshall 26 at Star Spencer 20
It just wasn’t in the cards for the Edmonton Oilers, the NHL parent club of the OKC Barons, when they came to town for a preseason game against the Dallas Stars Friday night.
The fans were out in waves, including a large number of Stars fans.
The game was off to a quick start when former OKC Baron Arcabello excited the crowd with a near miss on a breakaway mid-way through the first.
Homecoming proved to be a successful celebration for the Choctaw Yellowjackets Friday night as they defeated Putnam City West 59-35 at Bill Jensen Field.
Choctaw improves to 3-1 and the Patriots fall to 2-2 on the year.
Choctaw head coach Todd Dilbeck said his squad did a good job of avoiding the distractions of homecoming and focusing on the task at hand.
It was a dominant Homecoming performance for the Harrah Panthers Friday night at Evans Field. The Panthers won by the final score of 69-0 over the Santa Fe South Saints.
The win was an all around effort in the mind of Phil Webb, the Harrah head coach.
“I felt like we did a good job tonight in all aspects,” He said. “Really proud of the boys. Just a great all around team win.”
Homecoming proved to be a successful celebration for the Choctaw Yellowjackets Friday night as they defeated Putnam City West 59-35 at Bill Jensen Field.
Choctaw improves to 3-1 and the Patriots fall to 2-2 on the year.
Choctaw head coach Todd Dilbeck said his squad did a good job of avoiding distractions of homecoming and focused on the task at hand.
It was a dominant Homecoming performance for the Harrah Panthers Friday night at Evans Field. The Panthers won by the final score of 69-0 over the Santa Fe South Saints.
The win was an all around effort in the mind of Phil Webb, the Harrah head coach.
“I felt like we did a good job tonight in all aspects,” Really proud of the boys. Just a great all around team win tonight.”
For those seeking drama and tension in their football, the 2013 edition of the annual Del City-Midwest football rivalry game did not disappoint.
Although not the prettiest piece of pigskin action, the Eagles and Bombers keep things interesting from start to finish. In the end, it was the Bombers who went home the victors by the score of 16-8.
The Choctaw Yellowjackets scored their 2nd win of the season by defeating the Putnam City Pirates 45-28. The Yellowjackets overcame some adversity this week and managed to get a huge win on the road.
“Our kids played hard and overcame some adversity,” coach Dilbeck said, “We lost a couple people this week and also had a kid make his first start.” The way Choctaw played against PCO on the road, gave no sign of any adversity.
Carl Albert and Duncan are no strangers to each other.
Friday night’s game marked the ninth time in the past eight years the teams have faced off, all of the victories belonging to the Titans, outscoring the Demons 277-87 in that time span.
It was a game of missed opportunities for the Harrah Panthers who failed to capitalize on two trips inside the redzone as it dropped a hard fought contest to Chandler, 14-7 at Evans Field on Friday night.
The Panthers (1-2) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter as they marched 89 yards in 10 plays, with a steady dose of Dylan Queen and Eli Drew.
Carl Albert and Duncan are no strangers to each other. Friday night's game marked the ninth time in the past eight years the teams have faced off, all of the victories belonging to the Titans, outscoring the Demons 277-87 in that time span.
Unfortunately for Duncan, none of that changed as the Titans cruised to a 28-6 win.
It did not take long for the scales to tip in Carl Albert's favor.
On the first play from scrimmage, the Demons coughed up the football and the Titans' defense was all over it, giving senior quarterback Steven Thompson and his offense a short field to work with.
HARRAH -- It was a game of missed opportunities for the Harrah Panthers who failed to capitalize on two trips inside the redzone as it dropped a hard fought contest to Chandler, 14-7 at Evans Field on Friday night.
The Panthers (1-2) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter as they marched 89 yards in 10 plays, with a steady dose of Dylan Queen and Eli Drew.
The two running backs plowed through the Lions' defense on the drive, with Drew taking it in from 25-yards out with 7:59 remaining in the second quarter. Dak Stephens tacked on the PAT to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Del City head coach Nick Warehime had a simple message for his Eagles squad after losing to rival Midwest City Friday night 16-8.
That message was that one game doesn’t make a season and how they respond to that loss will determine whether they make the 5A playoffs. Del City fell to 1-2 on the year and Midwest City remains undefeated at 3-0.
“This was not an end-all for the football season,” Warehime said. “If it was, we would have our football banquet next week and we are not. There are bigger things to come.”
For those seeking drama and tension in their football, the 2013 edition of the annual Del City-Midwest football rivalry game did not disappoint.
Although not the prettiest piece of pigskin action, the Eagles and Bombers keep things interesting from start to finish. In the end, it was the Bombers who went home the victors by the score of 16-8.
The win also meant atoning for last season’s 29-28 loss to the Eagles.
Midwest City head coach Darrell Hall called it a big win.
“They’re our rivals,” He said. “We’ll see these guys a lot. [Del City head coach] Nick Warehime and his guys do a very good job with their talent and they’re going to be tough in 5A. They got us last year.”
The Choctaw Yellowjackets scored their 2nd win of the season by defeating the Putnam City Pirates 45-28. The Yellowjackets overcame some adversity this week and managed to get a huge win on the road.
“Our kids played hard and overcame some adversity,” coach Dilbeck said, “We lost a couple people this week and also had a kid make his first start.”
The way Choctaw played against PCO on the road, gave no sign of any adversity.
An early offensive blitz was enough for the Midwest City Bombers to prevail 28-22 over the Stillwater Pioneers Friday night.
In their 2013 home debut, Midwest City jumped out to an early 20-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to touchdown runs by Tre’jon Sherffield, Kameron Martin and Roscoe Gatewood.
High school football’s third week of play is nearly upon us. This week offers some intriguing matchups and strong storylines.
The first game of Week 3 pits the Choctaw Yellowjackets against the Putnam City Pirates. Choctaw (1-1) makes its road debut at Putnam City (2-0) 7 p.m. tonight at Putnam City Stadium.
Last week, the Yellowjackets were beaten 42-3 at home by the visiting Edmond North Huskies. Meanwhile, Putnam City handled their rivals, Putnam City West, by a score of 43-12 last week.
Ten Oklahoma high schools are forming a new athletic conference that will begin play in the 2014-2015 school year. The new conference will be dubbed the Oklahoma Big 10 Conference.
Del City, Midwest City and Choctaw will join Bishop McGuiness, Enid, Lawton, Lawton Eisenhower, Putnam City, Putnam City North and Putnam City West in the new conference.
Carl Albert 43 at Coweta 7 Christian Heritage 33 at St. Mary 14 Edmond North 42 at Choctaw 3 Norman North 41 at Del City 38 Piedmont 0 at Harrah 29 OKC Patriots 40 at Destiny Christian 74 Jones 13 at Hennessey 40 Wichita Warriors 46 at Life Christian 0 Hinton 22 at Luther 36 Stillwater 22 at Midwest City 28 Southeast 6 at Star Spencer 22
Del City head coach Nick Warehime described his team’s game against Norman North as “like playing Xbox.”
That is the perfect way to define the 41-38 shootout that saw the Wolves reign victorious. The win ended the Eagles’ bid to defeat a state runner-up from last season in back-to-back weeks.
Del City was coming off a monster 52-27 win and was looking to start the year 2-0 for the first time since 2009.
Choctaw head coach Todd Dilbeck knew his young Yellowjackets squad would be facing a tough battle against a physical Edmond North team Friday night at Bill Jensen Field.
That proved to be the case as Edmond North beat Choctaw 42-3 with the Yellowjackets scoring their only points in the first half with a 23 yard field goal from Jacob McMullen.
Choctaw falls to 1-1 on the year while the Huskies improved to 1-1 after losing to Edmond Memorial last week.
The lights were bright Friday night at Evans Field as the Harrah Panthers defeated the Piedmont Wildcats 29-0. It was the first victory of the year for the Panthers and the first win for head coach Phil Webb.
A dominant defense and a strong running game were the keys to success for the Panthers. Senior running back Dak Stephens led the way with two rushing touchdowns. He also added an interception to close the first half. Stephens was excited to get the first win of the season. Thursday, September 19, 2013
EastWord News’ Matt Caban recently spoke with Midwest City free safety Will Sunderland, Jr. about attention he’s received from Division I college football programs.
EastWord: Is it correct that OU offered you a scholarship two weeks ago and OSU offered you a scholarship after the Stillwater game last week? Specifically, I spotted Tim Duffie, OSU safeties coach, at the Stillwater game.
Local soccer fans prepare for the USA vs. Mexico World Cup qualifying match Sept. 10 at Wes Welker’s Bar & Grill in Oklahoma City. The watch party was hosted by the OKC NASL soccer franchise. The club was represented at the event by soccer consultant Chris Taylor and owner Tim McLaughlin. OKC NASL gave away branded club merchandise. The team, which begins play in 2015, recently unveiled its temporary team crest. It can be viewed at www.okcnasl2015.com. Thursday, September 19, 2013
An early offensive blitz was enough for the Midwest City Bombers to prevail 28-22 over the Stillwater Pioneers Friday night.
In their 2013 home debut, Midwest City jumped out to an early 20-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to touchdown runs by Tre’jon Sherffield, Kameron Martin and Roscoe Gatewood.
Midwest City head football coach Darrell Hall praised his squad.
“It was a total team performance,” He said.
However, the visiting Pioneers increased the tempo during a second half comeback attempt. Stillwater scored 16 unanswered points after halftime to give Midwest City fans some tense moments as the clock wound down.
Del City head coach Nick Warehime described his team's game against Norman North as "like playing Xbox."
That is the perfect way to define the 41-38 shootout that saw the Wolves reign victorious. The win ended the Eagles' bid to defeat a state runner-up from last season in back-to-back weeks.
Del City was coming off a monster 52-27 win over East Central and was looking to start the year 2-0 for the first time since 2009.
Norman North was hungry for a win themselves, trying to avoid starting the season off 0-2 following a heartbreaking upset by to the hand of their cross-town rival, Norman, 38-31, last week.
Choctaw head coach Todd Dilbeck knew his young Yellowjackets squad would be facing a tough battle against a physical Edmond North team Friday night at Bill Jensen Field.
That proved to be the case as Edmond North beat Choctaw 42-3 with the Yellowjackets scoring their only points in the first half with a 23 yard field goal from Jacob McMullen. Choctaw falls to 1-1 on the year while the Huskies improved to 1-1 after losing to Edmond Memorial last week.
Dilbeck said he was disappointed in the final score but he was proud of his team’s effort.
“Overall we didn’t execute on offense like we needed to,” Dilbeck said.
The lights were bright Friday night at Evans Field as the Harrah Panthers defeated the Piedmont Wildcats 29-0. It was the first victory of the year for the Panthers and the first win for head coach Phil Webb.
A dominant defense and a strong running game were the keys to success for the Panthers.
Senior running back Dak Stephens led the way with two rushing touchdowns. He also added an interception to close the first half.
Stephens was excited to get the first win of the season.
Midwest City won their opening game of the season 3-0 thanks to a third quarter field goal from senior kicker Osvaldo Estipinan. The Bombers were helped by a strong defense led by junior free safety Will Sunderland.
This week Midwest City will host the Stillwater Pioneers 7 p.m. Friday. The Pioneers lost their season opener 47-34 to the McAlester Buffaloes.
Carl Albert, the reigning 5A state champions, fell to the 6A Southmoore Sabercats by the score of 37-14. The Titans were held to 254 total yards on offense.
Look for quarterback Stevie Thompson and tight end Trenton Ball to try and reinvigorate the team’s passing game after they were held to 112 passing yards last week.
Carl Albert travels to Coweta, who were 21-2 losers to 4A’s Wagoner last week.
Two late scores helped Choctaw snare a season opening victory as the team begins a new era under Head Coach Todd Dilbeck.
The team’s leader was proud of his team’s effort.
“We marched it down there and scored when we had to,” Dilbeck said. “We did what we needed to finish a game.”
A 43 yard touchdown dash by senior running back Kenny Tisdale with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter broke a 28-28 deadlock. An extra point by senior kicker Jacob McMullen made the score 35-28 Yellowjackets.
TULSA --- The Del City Eagles made its 2013 debut in Class 5A Friday knocking off last year's state runner-up Tulsa East Central Cardinals. The team rolled up close to 500 yards of offense on its way to a 52-27 victory on Friday night.
"I wouldn't say it was a statement win, but I think our kids came out tonight and did a lot of good things. We wanted to move the ball up and down the field offensively and we were able to do that tonight," head coach Nick Warehime said. "It was a good win for us, good way to start the season."
Senior quarterback Will Trotter had a big night for the Eagles rushing for two touchdowns and 98 yards on the ground while going 7-of-15 through the air for 195 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore quarterback Terry Wilson also got in on the action with 65 yards rushing and two scores, while adding a passing touchdown.
It was a perfect night for football as the Carl Albert Titans squared off against the Southmoore Sabercats at Moore Stadium. Thursday night's game marked the opening of both team's seasons.
Both teams started fast with each team scoring within the opening two minutes of the game.
Southmoore was first out of the gate with an opening play 65 yard touchdown run by Sabercats Senior running back Pierce Spead.
Carl Albert answered quickly with a 58 yard touchdown run coming from senior running back Chantz Woodberry.
Stifling defense and a 32 yard field goal helped Midwest City nab a 3-0 road win over the Edmond Santa Fe Timberwolves Thursday night at Wantland Stadium.
The game’s lone score came in the third quarter courtesy of senior kicker Osvaldo Estipinan.
“It feels great to have a W in week one,” Bomber head coach Darrell Hall said. “We beat a very good team. Of course, they weren’t at full strength, but a win is a win.”
Defense ruled the day as both offenses struggled to sustain drives throughout the evening.
Here is the text of a question and answer session with team spokesman Alex Freedman.
EastWord: What is the atmosphere around the franchise as this is the first playoff berth since 2010?
Freedman: Very good. Everyone here is excited. Since joining the PCL in 1998, we have never won a title, and the last time Oklahoma City won a baseball title was in 1996 in the old American Association. We finished with the league’s best record during the regular season, and we feel we have a team that can win it all.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Major League Soccer veteran and Oklahoma City native Chris Taylor has joined the city’s North American Soccer League franchise as a consultant, leading the efforts to reach out to soccer fans and soccer players.
Taylor was a high school and college standout in Oklahoma before being drafted by the MLS, where he played for the Portland Timbers. He was the 22nd pick overall in the 2011 MLS Super Draft and led the 2011 Portland reserve team in minutes played. Taylor played for Portland from 2011 to 2013.
That is the message from Darrell Hall, head football coach of the Midwest City Bombers following their disappointing 3-7 campaign last fall.
The 2012 season remains etched in Hall’s mind.
“The taste is still pretty bitter,” he said. “It was just bad.”
Hall said that a 3-7 will not cut it at Midwest City considering the school’s tradition of success. What seems to particularly irk Hall is not the 2012 record itself, but how the Bombers got there.
“3-7 is never good,” he said, “but there is a difference between going 3-7 when you are competing hard and going 3-7 and you give up. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Carl Albert Titans’ drive to the Class 5A state title in 2012 may turn out to be one for the ages. After all, the squad sputtered out of the gate, winning only one of its first six games.
And although the memory of the championship is still fresh on the minds of many, it is not at the forefront of the mind of Gary Rose, the team’s head football coach.
“Well, last year’s first six games were a disaster,” he said. “But we kept getting better. Then, we got healthy. We won eight in a row to win the state championship.”
For Rose, things appear to be that straightforward. He, along with the rest of Carl Albert program have their sights set squarely on a return to the top. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Del City Eagles search to replace quarterback Jon McBride will continue for a while longer.
In the July 4th issue of the Eastword News, we reported that three players, junior Will Trotter and sophomores Terry Wilson and Colin Watford were competing to be the Eagles’ new signal caller.
Nick Warehime, Del City’s head football coach, tabbed Trotter as the likely starter at that time.
However, all three quarterbacks played one series apiece with the other offensive starters.
The trio flourished in a scrimmage against Carl Albert on Aug. 23 as the Eagles offense moved the ball well. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Leadership changes are part of all level of sports. In high school football, this can mean new coaches, a shift in systems, and even moving at a different pace from day to day.
While these can be tricky propositions, it’s so far, so good for the Choctaw Yellowjackets since the arrival of Todd Dilbeck and his staff earlier this year.
Since Dilbeck joined the program in April, he has added five other coaches with previous head coaching experience to his staff; most notably, Ty Prestidge, who led Mustang from 2006 to 2012.
“Those guys have been there so they understand what I am doing,” he said. Dilbeck and Prestidge worked together to help build Mustang into a contender in 6A. After a trip to the state championship game in 2005, Dilbeck spent a year coaching at Rice University. He then led Alma High School (Ark.) to playoff appearances five of his six seasons there. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Early morning workouts, closing games, and a renewed focus on the little things are priorities for the Harrah Panthers as they look to bounce back under new Head Coach Phil Webb.
Webb, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator last season, described the squad’s 1-9 season in 2012 as a “snake bite year”. Seven of the team’s nine losses were decided by seven points or less.
“Those are district games,” Webb said disappointedly. “I’m not gonna go into coach speak and say we had injuries [and the like] because the bottom line is we didn’t win.”
The Panthers’ penchant for close losses shows a need for renewed focus, Webb said.
“The close losses tell me that the problem isn’t with our schemes,” he said, “it’s with the intangibles.” Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Despite outscoring opponents 455 to 176 over 14 games in 2012, it’s not all offense for the Jones Longhorns. Rather, the squad and its coaches are focused on defense and its role in the program’s tradition.
The Longhorns’ defense gave up an average of 12.6 points per game last fall. This figure includes the team’s final game; a 35-7 loss at Blanchard in the Class 3A playoffs.
Dave Martin, Jones head football coach, said the defeat is an incentive for players and coaches alike.
“You think about it all summer,” He said, “but our kids are anxious to get on the field.” Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Shawn Meek and the Luther Lions are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2012 season, as Meek enters his second season as the team’s head football coach.
In 2012, the Lions went 2-8 overall with a 1-5 record in class 2A, District 2. Meek said various factors contributed to the Lions’ losing record.
“Four games into the schedule we started our district games,” he said. “At that point, injuries started to pile up.”
The Lions also were hampered by a young secondary and limited time to prepare for games week to week.
“There was too much on their shoulders,” Meek said. “Each week you only have three days to prepare for a team.
You have to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.”
This season will mark Meek’s fifth at the school. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Star Spencer Bobcats are looking to take the next step as coach James Harding starts his third year leading the SSHS Bobcats.
“The kids we have had really bought into what we are trying to do here at Star Spencer.”
After winning a state title in 2009, the Bobcats went 1-9 in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Harding’s brand of tough love paid dividends as the 3A squad improved to 5-6 in 2012.
“I told them this ship is off course,” he said, “I told them you have to set it back on course and that’s what we set out to try and do.” Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The goal for the Christian Heritage Academy football team is a simple one: be great, not just good. John Merrell, the Crusaders head coach, makes this very clear.
“Essentially, good is the enemy of great,” he said. “We want to be the best.”
When asked about his expectations for the 2013 season, Merrell does not offer a goal in terms of wins and losses. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
As they head into the 2013 season, the Destiny Christian Wildcats are looking to replace four seniors; including three who started for last year’s title-winning squad.
Most importantly is finding replacements for departed offensive linemen Shawn Edwards and Jacob Rookard, Biddle said. Edwards, a right guard, is now a scholarship football player at East Central University in Ada while Rookard, a center, has a walk on try out at the University of Oklahoma.
“They are going to be hard to replace,” Biddle said. “The missing ingredient (this year) is the line. Once it is sewn up we’ll be ready to repeat (as state champions).” Wednesday, August 28, 2013
In observing practice, it is clear there is a two-person battle for the starting QB position for the Life Christian Academy Eagles.
The competitors in this race are sophomores Cole Shipman and Caleb Scott.
Although the duo eventually split reps when the team goes through drills, Head Football Coach Tayler Burchett doesn’t offer a hint of who will get the job. Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Destiny Christian Wildcats finished 2012 with a resounding 72-26 win over the Oklahoma Patriots in the Oklahoma Christian Schools Athletic Association title game. At one point, a championship looked out of reach.
“We lost three tough games early in the season and had to find ourselves,” said Joe Biddle, Destiny Christian’s head football coach.
The losses Biddle referred to were: Oklahoma Patriots 44-24 in Week 3, Community Christian 54-8 in Week 4 and Maud 36-30 in Week 6.
However, the squad responded by taking on their head coach’s fiery personality.
The goal for the Christian Heritage Academy football team this year is a simple one: be great, not just good. A conversation with John Merrell, the Crusaders head coach, makes this very clear.
“Essentially, good is the enemy of great,” he said. “We want to be the best.”
When asked about his expectations for the 2013 season, Merrell does not offer a goal in terms of wins and losses.
“I go into every game wanting to win,” he said. “Why should we want to lose any games?”
Although the high school football season hasn’t kicked off yet, there is something for football fanatics in the meantime. Multiple EOC schools have lined up scrimmages for the next two weeks.
We’ve provided a list of upcoming scrimmages to help fans keep up with the action.
Harrah basketball player Collin Jennings verbally committed to the University of Missouri-Kansas City, his father confirmed to The Oklahoman on Monday.
Jennings is a 6-foot-4 guard. He averaged 17.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a junior in the 2012-2013 season.
Jennings helped lead the Panthers to the Class 4A state tournament. Thursday, August 22, 2013
Tyler Burchett has a job description unlike most people his age. The 20-year old has been tasked with leading the football team of his alma mater, Life Christian Academy.
In spite of his age, Burchett brings his own experience to the table.
First, he played four varsity seasons for the LCA Eagles before graduating in 2011. Then, Burchett played quarterback at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany during the 2011 season. Thursday, August 15, 2013
Last season’s Christian Heritage Academy girls’ volleyball squad appears to be a tough act to follow.
That team went 29-9 in 2012 on its way to an appearance in the Class 5A state semifinals. Their opponents, Heritage Hall, would go on to defeat CHA in three games by scores of 25-15, 25-21, and 25-14.
This fall, CHA looks to reload after a strong 2012 campaign. Thursday, August 15, 2013
Shawn Meek and the Luther Lions are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2012 season, as Meek enters his second season as the team’s head football coach.
In 2012, the Lions went 2-8 overall with a 1-5 record in class 2A, District 2.
Meek said various factors contributed to the Lions’ losing record.
James Harding’s business card says all you need to know, “Star Spencer High School where character comes first!”
While X’s and O’s play a strong role, Harding’s coaching philosophy starts elsewhere.
Harding is inspired by his family, chiefly his parents Gilbert and Mildred Harding. He said they worked together to raise their children and this included holding them accountable for their actions.
The ongoing legal dispute between the owners and operators of OKC FC and the United Soccer Leagues (USL) may be decided outside of the court room.
According to a document filed July 26 in US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, “the parties are currently considering whether alternative dispute resolution may provide a solution to their dispute.”
Additionally, sources with knowledge of the situation, who are not authorized to publicly comment, advised Eastword News the dispute is being mediated by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
Basheerah Ahmad (left), celebrity trainer, completed a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa on Monday, July 8. Ahmad is a Carl Albert High School alum. Thursday, August 08, 2013
Preparation and due diligence appear to be buzzwords for the people behind Oklahoma City’s USL PRO soccer team.
The people, also known as Prodigal LLC, have been making preparations for the upcoming 2014 USL PRO season since the franchise was formally announced on July 2 in a press conference at the Devon Tower.
Much can change over the course of 36 years. Such has been the case with the Oklahoma Outlaws American Legion baseball program and its founder and manager Doug Weese.
The organization, which started in 1977, recently held its inaugural baseball camp from July 15 to July 19 at the Rose State College Baseball Field.
On July 19, the Oklahoma City Redha-wks’ home field, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, was named one of the country’s best minor league ballparks by USA TODAY’s Travel Media Group.
To celebrate the contest, Eastword News visited the Redhawks home game on July 26 to find out what fans love most about the team and its home stadium.
Plans are underway to build a riverfront soccer-specific stadium in Downtown Oklahoma City, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation have confirmed to Eastword News. Sources have advised Eastword News that the stadium will be built by the owners and operators of local soccer team, Oklahoma City FC (OKC FC), and other partners as part of a bid to bring the North American Soccer League (NASL) to Oklahoma City. Thursday, July 25, 2013
Despite outscoring opponents 455 to 176 over 14 games in 2012, it’s not all offense for the Jones Longhorns. Rather, the squad and its coaches are focused on defense and its role in the program’s tradition.
The Longhorns’ defense gave up an average of 12.6 points per game last fall. This figure includes the team’s final game; a 35-7 defeat to Blanchard in the Class 3A playoffs. Thursday, July 25, 2013
