Clayton Giddens and Kaden Glass bring home Battle of the Belt titles

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Seven Sand Springs elementary and junior high wrestlers competed at the Battle for the Belt tournament this past weekend at the Oklahoma City Cox Pavilion and two took first place in their divisions.

Clayton Giddens (9-1) picked up his second first-place finish this season at 64 pounds in Division 1. He won a 12-0 major decision over Lawson Knox (Marlow), defeated Matthew Patton (Sperry) by 16-0 tech fall, and recorded two pins. He took down Andrew Havens (Sperry) in 1:23 and Krystian Moore (C4 WC) in 1:15.

Kaden Glass (6-0) competed in Division 5 at Heavyweight and took first place for his second-straight tournament. He defeated Colin Naney (Tiger WC) 3-0 and pinned Tony Davidson (Geary) in 0:27 to remain undefeated for the season.

Grady Mittasch (10-1) was just one win shy of his fourth-straight first place victory, instead settling for third place after a close 4-2 decision to OKUSA State Champion Camden Webb (Muskogee). He snapped back with a 4-1 decision over Wesley Madden (OWA), then pinned Legend Yates (Marlow) in 1:23 and Bo Ware (Cleveland) in 1:05 for yet another stellar performance. He competed in Division 3 at 70 pounds.

Carter Young (5-1) competed in Division 5 at 100 pounds and took second place. He majored Kolbe Madron (Premier WC) 9-0 and decisioned Caleb Williams (Tironook) 6-3, but was pinned in 2:29 by State Champion and Dual National team member Tucker Owens (Matrix).

Ethan White (2-1) wrestled his first tournament of the season and drew only one competitor. He was defeated 10-1 by Harley Andrews (Tiger WC), but received a pair of forfeits for second place. He competed in Division 4 at 120 pounds. 

Sam Harris (5-6) competed in Division 5 at 120 pounds and took fourth place. He lost 13-5 to Cody Hicks (Durant) and was pinned in 0:58 by Parrish Terry (Tiger WC), but received a forfeit from Luke McCain and defeated Brayden Early (Harrah) 6-4. 

Jaxon Trotter (8-5) competed in Division 3 at 85 pounds. He pinned Kenison Rodgers (StandFast WC) in 3:27 and Trey Linam (Marlow) in 0:43, but fell in 1:25 to Ladarion Lockett (Cowboy WC) and was defeated 6-0 by Tyler McCall (Catoosa).

Sixteen Sand Springs wrestlers take first-place at Sapulpa Tournament

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Forty three members of the Sand Springs Team Big elementary wrestling crew competed at the USA Oklahoma Wrestling Tournament at Sapulpa this past weekend, and sixteen took first place in their division. 

Zander Grigsby (8-1) competed in Division 3 at 61 pounds and took first place. He pinned Mason Lapham (Owasso) in 0:18, received a forfeit in the quarterfinal, then pinned Gunner Murray (Claremore) in 2:22 before posting a 9-2 decision over Isaiah Jones (Glenpool) in the finals. 

Cael Knight (4-0) competed in Division 1 Novice at 60 pounds and took first place with four pins. He defeated Preston Hollis (Claremore) in 1:22, Axl Branham (Vian) in 1:21, Josiah Moss (Berryhill) in 2:23, and Preston Hollis (Claremore) in 2:55. 

Skyler Wood (6-0) competed in Division 2 Novice at 64 pounds and took first place. He pinned Drake Blue (Sperry) in 0:45, then won a close 8-6 sudden victory round against Seth Inso (Berryhill). He defeated Brody Stevenson (Glenpool) 5-0 and Payson Robinson (Sapulpa) 6-1 for his second first-place finish this season. 

Jaxon Grigsby (7-0) competed in Division 2 at 49 pounds and won his second-straight tournament with three pins. He defeated Donnie Burgett (Sapulpa) in 0:58, Malaki Venetoff (Berryhill) in 2:33, and Naoh Neal (Glenpool) in 1:30.

Kaden Pope (3-0) competed in Division 2 at 55 pounds and won all three matches by pin. He defeated Bodie Elam (Pryor) in 3:00, teammate Daxton Smith in 1:30, and Kasen Whiteley (Stilwell) in 2:07 for first place. 

Abraham Flores (7-1) competed in Division 4 at 100 pounds and won all three matches by pin. He defeated Kylar Bearpaw (Sapulpa) in 4:22, Kevin Lund (Glenpool) in 1:25, and Jesse Lichtenberger (OWA) in 4:11. This is his second first-place finish this season.

Matthew Moore (4-3) competed in Division 3 Novice at 58 pounds and took first place. He pinned Luis Flores (Sapulpa) in 1:51 and teammate Joshua Spurgeon in 0:48, then scored a 16-9 decision over Elijah Montgomery (Sapulpa).

Landyn Barnes (5-0) competed in Division 3 Novice at 67 pounds and took first place for the second time this season. He pinned Andrew Winkle (Coweta) in 1:31 and Kursten Burns (Bristow) in 0:22 and scored a 15-0 tech fall over Mavrick Aunko (Collinsville).

Jesse Moore (5-1) competed in Division 3 Novice at 76 pounds and took first place with three pins. He defeated Braylen Miller (Sapulpa) in 2:39, Karleigh Blankenship (Owasso) in 2:28, and Mia Fruits (Bristow) in 0:20.

Tabor Reiss (7-1) competed in Division 1 at 37 pounds and took first place with three pins. He defeated Tennessee James (Sapulpa) in 0:27, Ivy Mullin (Stilwell) in 0:19, and teammate Bentley Cole in 1:11 for his second first-place finish this season. 

Robert Burke (7-2) competed in Division 3 at 64 pounds and took first place. He defeated Michael Blendowski (Catoosa) by 11-3 major decision and pinned Mason Moore (Owasso) in 1:09. This is his second first-place finish this season. 

Dariuz Black (5-1) competed in Division 3 at 73 pounds and took first place with a pair of technical falls. He defeated Andrew Haynes (Glenpool) 15-0 and Aiden Wolfe (Pryor) 18-2. 

Jayden Pait (2-0) competed in Division 4 Novice at 64 pounds and drew only one competitor. He pinned Justin Kendall (Sapulpa) in 0:36 and 0:34 in a best-of-three series for first place. 

Ryder Barnes (5-0) competed in Division 4 Novice at 100 pounds and drew only one competitor. He pinned Kaleb Simmers (Sapulpa) in 0:27 and 1:44 for his second first-place finish this season. 

Ayreson Reiss (3-4) competed in Division 3 at 52 pounds and took first place. He pinned Parker Warren (Collinsville) in 3:18 and Cavin Peper (Sapulpa) in 2:14. 

Jacob Lewis (2-2) competed in Division 4 Novice at 88 pounds and took first place. He pinned Cameron Smith (Bristow) in 0:34 and Ashlyn Estes (Sapulpa) in 2:12.

Ryder Flores (7-1) competed in Division 1 Novice at 40 pounds and took third place. He lost his opening match in a 4-1 decision to Noah Thompson (Coweta), but rebounded with four-straight pins. He defeated Noah White (Pryor) in 0:55, Camden Reid (Pryor) in 0:16, Rylan Sams (Sapulpa) in 1:45, and Rowden Benavidez (Sperry) in 0:29.

Daxton Smith (3-1) competed in Division 2 at 55 pounds and took third place. He won his opening match with a 6-4 sudden-victory overtime decision over Kale Fruits (Bristow), but was pinned in 1:30 in the next round by teammate Kaden Pope. In the consolations he pinned Bodie Elam (Pryor) in 1:14.

Bentley Cole (2-1) competed in Division 1 at 37 pounds and took second place. He won his first two matches by pin, taking down William Thompson (Sapulpa) in 0:07 and teammate Wyatt Stott in 0:23, before falling in 1:11 to teammate Tabor Reiss. 

Adrian Flores (7-5) competed in Division 3 at 100 pounds and took second place. He pinned Brennan Watkins (Sapulpa) in 1:30 and scored a 5-2 decision over Kylar Bearpaw (Sapulpa) before falling 13-2 to Jacob Cook (Sperry). 

Dawsen Briscoe (2-1) competed in Division 3 at 58 pounds and took second place. He lost his first match in an 18-7 major decision to Cole Vaughan (Cushing), but rebounded with a 9-2 decision over teammate Colt Cothran and pinned Camden Whitby (Collinsville) in 2:03.

Brody Wofford (2-1) competed in Division 1 Novice at 55 pounds and took second place. He pinned Kelly Tabor (Berryhill) in 0:37 and defeated teammate Hayden Luce by 7-2 decision before falling 15-5 to Sheldin Kelly (Owasso).

Joshua Spurgeon (9-2) competed in Division 3 Novice at 58 pounds and took second place. He won a 16-14 sudden victory round over Elijah Montgomery (Sapulpa) and pinned Luis Flores (Sapulpa) in 1:21, but was pinned in 0:48 by teammate Matthew Moore.

Hunter Spencer (2-1) competed in Division 2 at 61 pounds and took third place. He lost his first match 11-6 to Seth Kysar (Cleveland), but won out with an 0:34 pin of Mack Powell (Bristow) and a 6-3 decision over Tohmi Carney (Broken Arrow).

Carter Wood (2-3) competed in Division 2 at 67 pounds and took third place. He lost his first match in a 9-7 sudden victory round against Dane Jensen (Claremore), but won out with pins of 0:59 and 2:33 against Cooper Barrington (Berryhill) and William Cade (Coweta), respectively. 

Evan Williams (8-3) competed in Division 3 Novice at 90 pounds and took second place. He pinned Cain Clay (Bristow) in 0:34 and scored a 12-5 decision over Christopher Harris (Owasso) before falling 4-0 to Jack White (Berryhill).

Dallas Flores (2-2) competed in Division 2 at 67 pounds and took second place. He pinned Cooper Barrington (Berryhill) in 0:50, but lost a 6-5 decision to Dane Jensen (Claremore).

David Cline (2-3) competed in Division 2 Novice at 70 pounds and took second place. He was pinned in 0:33 by Hudson Claggett (Bristow) and in-turn pinned Braden Cook (Sapulpa) in 0:30.

Chase Kelley (1-1) competed in Division 4 Novice at 130 pounds and took second place. He was pinned in 0:35 by Caleb Turner (Sapulpa) and he won a 7-5 decision over Brady Rodgers (Coweta). 

Samuel Moore (8-4) competed in Division 1 Novice at 46 pounds and took fourth place. He pinned Jonathan Valadez (Sperry) in 0:44 and Hudson Williams (Pryor) in 0:24 before giving up a 9-0 major decision to Luke Boren (Claremore). In the consolation bracket he pinned teammate Aaerick Collins in 2:18 before falling in 1:41 to Blake Ketcher (Pryor) in the third-place match. 

Aaerick Collins (7-6) competed in Division 1 Novice at 46 pounds. He pinned Jerzy Wren (Claremore) in 1:48, but was sent to the consolation bracket after a 12-6 decision to Blake Ketcher (Pryor). He snapped back with an 18-10 major decision over Julian Keys (Catoosa) and pinned Liam Kunkle (Catoosa) in 2:36 before falling in 2:18 to teammate Samuel Moore.

Bennett Mikles (3-2) competed in Division 1 Novice at 49 pounds. He pinned John Draffin (Sapulpa) in 0:32, but was defeated 8-6 in the next round by Karson Johnson (Berryhill). He scored a 7-2 win over Isaiah Wilderson (Claremore) and an 11-4 decision over Liam Chism (Coweta) before falling in 1:44 to Kayson Graham (Pryor).

Dayne Ficken (2-2) competed in Division 2 Novice at 55 pounds and took fourth place. He defeated teammate Blayton Collins 7-0 and pinned Axton Stevenson (Glenpool) in 0:34, but fell in 0:52 to Colten Smith (Vian) and 1:43 to Landyn Smith (Berryhill). 

Colt Cothran (2-5) competed in Division 3 at 58 pounds and took third place. He won his opening match with a 6-5 decision over Camden Whitby (Collinsville), but was defeated 9-2 by teammate Dawsen Briscoe and 7-4 by Cole Vaughan (Cushing). 

Hayden Luce (3-3) competed in Division 1 Novice at 55 pounds and took third place. He lost a 16-4 major decision to Sheldin Kelly (Owasso) and a 7-2 decision to teammate Brody Wofford, but pinned Kelly Tabor (Berryhill) in 0:17.

Wyatt Stott (1-2) competed in Division 1 at 37 pounds and took fourth place. He pinned Tennessee James (Sapulpa) in 0:43, but was in-turn pinned in 0:23 and 0:47 by teammate Bentley Cole and Ivy Mullin (Stilwell), respectively.

Easton Tanner (1-4) competed in Division 1 Novice at 40 pounds. He was pinned in 0:33 by Noah White (Pryor), but rebounded with a 17-0 tech fall over Wyatt Woodson (Owasso) before falling 27-16 to Knox Lopez (Pryor).

Jaxton Grundy (6-5) competed in Division 1 Novice at 43 pounds. He won his opening match 16-10 over Max Dunkelberger (Sapulpa) before falling in 1:25 to Aiyden Robertson (Claremore) and 0:40 to Kyson Buckner (Sapulpa).

Blayton Collins (3-8) competed in Division 2 Novice at 55 pounds. He was defeated 7-0 by teammate Dayne Ficken and gave up a close 6-4 decision to DJ Colley (Glenpool). 

Brody Wilson (0-2) competed in Division 2 at 61 pounds. He was pinned in 0:58 by Jase Loftis (Pryor) and lost a 7-2 decision to Mack Powell (Bristow).

Bryher Collins (1-4) competed in Division 1 Novice at 37 pounds. He was pinned in 0:32 by Mekko Stites (Berryhill) and 0:29 by Rocco Tyler (Berryhill).

Ivan Barham (0-3) competed in Division 3 Novice at 85 pounds. He was pinned in 1:53 by Mathew Franklin (Owasso) and 0:54 by Garritt Hunt (Vian), and gave up a 9-0 major decision to Couper Daniels (Pryor). 

Trey Scott (0-4) competed in Division 3 at 61 pounds. He was pinned in 0:43 by Isaiah Jones (Glenpool) and 3:37 by Gunner Murray (Claremore) and forfeited two rounds. 

Sandite boys fall to Bartlesville despite 20-point performance by Colt Savage (with stats)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 20, Keener 12, Cale Savage 7. (Bartlesville) Gronigan 21, Archambo 12, Tanner 11, Dina 6, Colbert 3.

(Sand Springs Only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 2, Golightly 2, Garbey 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 6, Cale Savage 3, Keener 2, Durkee 2, Golightly 1.
Steals: Keener 2, Colt Savage 2, Garbey 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Cale Savage 2, Taber 1, Garbey 1, Golightly 1.
Blocks: Keener 1.
Fouls: Keener 5, Garbey 3, Taber 2, Cale Savage 2, Colt Savage 1, Durkee 1, Golightly 1.

The No. 14 ranked Charles Page High School boys basketball team (0-1 overall, 0-1 conference) hit a speed bump to start the season, falling 53-39 Tuesday night at unranked Bartlesville (1-0). The young team returns only two starters from last year's successful 14-10 team and started two sophomores, but showed strong bones to build on over the course of the season.

The leader for the Sandites was 6'5" junior Colt Savage with 20 points, followed by 6'6" senior Oklahoma Baptist-commit Kyle Keener with 12. Keener was three-for-six on field goals and six-for-six on free throws. Savage was six-of-ten on two-pointers, two-for-seven on threes, and two-for-two at the charity stripe. 

Sand Springs led at the end of the first and second periods, and only trailed by six going into the final period when desperation fouls gave the home team their double-digit finish. 

The game started fairly back-and-forth with Savage scoring nine in the first period, complemented by a pair of layups by Keener. Oral Roberts baseball commit A.J. Archambo hit a pair of baskets for five to start the second quarter with a 16-13 Bartlesville lead, but the Sandites went on a five-score run to close the half. Savage hit a two, followed by a pair Keener. Cale Savage, the sophomore brother of the leading scorer, hit his first three of the season and Keener closed it out with a 28-21 halftime lead. 

The younger Savage impressed throughout the game with a trio of rebounds, a steal, and two assists. The son of Head Coach Eric Savage saw limited play as a freshman, scoring 20 points over the course of the season. He finished with seven points in his first game as a starter and was just a basket shy of matching his career-high 9 points from his varsity debut. 

The Sandites were plagued by turnovers in the second half and scored only three points in the third quarter while giving up sixteen for a six-point deficit. In the fourth quarter they were outscored sixteen to eight after giving up seven-straight points in desperation free throws. The Sandites committed fifteen fouls compared to the Bruins' nine and Keener fouled out near the end, severely limiting their rebound potential. 

Senior Jacob Garbey and sophomore Cole Durkee both saw their first varsity starts and sophomore Peyton Golightly made his varsity debut. Senior Josh Taber saw limited play time while Mack Thompson and Caleb Wash didn't play at all. All three were members of the State Semi-Finalist Football team that just wrapped up the season a few weeks ago. 

The Sandites will return to action next Tuesday when they take on 5A unranked Bishop Kelley (0-0) on the road. 

SEE RELATED: Week 2 Men's Basketball Rankings and Predictions
SEE RELATED: Pennington scores 21 in season opening win at Bartlesville

Week 2 Women's Basketball Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The week two basketball rankings have been released by the OSSAA and several teams have shuffled around in the order, despite zero games having actually been played.

No. 1 Choctaw (Last week No. 1)

The overwhelming favorite to take State this year is the Choctaw Yellowjackets (0-0) with sixteen first-place votes. Choctaw finished last season 23-3, dropping two games to Midwest City and the State Quarterfinal to Owasso. They graduated a whole mess of starters last season, but retained their top two in University of Oklahoma signee Ana Llanusa and junior Bailey Golden. The Yellowjackets will kick off the season on the 29th against 5A No. 10 Del City.

The picks:
Choctaw 66, Del City 54.
Choctaw 73, Enid 32.
Choctaw 75, Lawton 34.

No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (Last week No. 2)

The Lady Wolves (0-0) picked up four first-place votes. They went 22-6 last year, falling 58-46 to Muskogee in the State Tournament. All six of their losses were to top-ten teams and only one was by double-digits. They return a highly experienced team after graduating only two seniors and keeping four of their top five scorers. They start the season with Edlam against No. 12 Edmond Memorial.

The picks:
ESF 47 EDM 44
ESF 52, Moore 36
ESF 70, Southmoore 65

No. 3 Owasso (Last week No. 5)

The Lady Rams (0-0) finished last year 22-8 as State Runners-Up, falling 45-40 to Midwest City. Their only losses were to ranked opponents and four of those were to top-five teams. They graduated several starters, including ORU freshman Rachel Skalnik. They held on to their top three scorers, however, all juniors, led by Arkansas-commit Mya Bhinhar. Bhinhar is recovering from off-season knee surgery, but is expected to make it back by their first game against No. 7 Bartlesville on December 2nd. They brought in three first-place votes.

The picks:
Owasso 40, Bartlesville 35.
Owasso 61, Muskogee 56.

No. 4 Deer Creek (Last week No. 3)

Deer Creek (0-0) went 20-8 last season with a 54-43 first round loss to Broken Arrow at State. They picked up two first-place votes and return a solid lineup behind senior East Central University signee Maddie Rehl. They will take on No. 15 Mustang on the 29th. 

The picks:
DC 62, Mustang 54.
DC 55, Stillwater 33.
Westmoore 45, DC 40.

No. 5 Putnam City West (Last week No. 4)

Putnam West (0-0) is coming off a a 19-7 season that saw losses only to ranked teams, six of which were top-ten. They graduated a few seniors, but retained top-scoring junior Ce'Nera Skanes to anchor a young and talented team. They will start the season off on the 29th against unranked Enid and received one first-place vote.

The picks:
PCW 66, Enid 40.
PCW 69, PCN 55.
PCW 63, PC 52.

No. 6 Westmoore (Last week No. 7)

The Lady Jags (0-0) ended last year 24-3, starting 9-0, and finishing 10-0 before their State Tournament first round loss to Midwest City. They were hit hard by graduation, losing three of their top five scorers, but retain a deep bench of talented youngsters. They start the season on the 29th against unranked Southmoore. 

The picks:
West 75, South 40.
West 70, Norman 50.

No. 7 Bartlesville (Last week No. 6)

Bartlesville (0-0) finished last season 10-14 but is a historically good program. They lose only one of their top five scorers and return a young team with several talented sophomores who saw action last year and will anchor the team for years to come. The Bruins will start the season on the 29th with No. 8 Sand Springs.

The picks:
Bartlesville 50, Sand Springs 54.
Bartlesville 50, Union 45.

No. 8 Sand Springs (Last week No. 10)

The Lady Sandites (0-0) are set up for their best shot at a State Tournament appearance in years after finishing 17-9 last season and only losing one senior. At one point they ran with an eight-game winning streak. Their season came to a close with a 58-42 loss to Owasso at Area. Led by Oklahoma State softball-commit Sydney Pennington and Ohio State volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri, they run a deep bench with their second-straight freshman class of undefeated Conference Champions from the eighth-grade level. 

The pick: SS 65, Bishop Kelley 50

No. 9 Broken Arrow (Last week No. 8)

The State Semi-Finalists from Broken Arrow (0-0) finished last season 24-4 and picked up one first-place vote. Their only losses were to State Champ Midwest City, State Runner-Up Owasso, No. 2 (at the time) Sapulpa, and No. 2 (at the time) Muskogee. They took heavy losses, graduating their top three scorers, and the next three scorers are seniors this year. The Lady Tigers will kick things off on December 2nd at 5A No. 12 Bishop Kelley. 

The picks:
BA 50, BK 30.
BA 60, Bixby 40.

No. 10 Midwest City (Last week No. 9)

The defending State Champions (0-0) graduated four of their top-five scorers, including University of Texas freshman Chinna Fair after their 25-4 season. The new class of ballers will be lead by senior Coriauna Burkhalter. Their season begins on the 29th against unranked Putnam City. 

The picks:
MWC 65, Putnam 60.
MWC 71, Del City 54.

No. 11 Booker T. Washington (Last week No. 13)

Booker T. (0-0) finished last season 16-10 after a three-point loss to Sand Springs at Area. They only lost to ranked opponents and six of those losses were to top-five teams. They will kick off the season on the 29th at unranked 5A Edison.

The pick:
BTW 70, Edison 30.
East Central 59, BTW 50.
BTW 70, Nathan Hale 30.

No. 12 Edmond Memorial (Last week No. 11)

The Lady Dogs (0-0) finished last year 16-10 after a 60-50 loss to Putnam City at Area. All of their losses were to ranked opponents. They took heavy losses this season, but retain Sophomore Taylor Norman and junior Kendra Levings, both of whom have been known to do damage. 

The picks: 
EDM 65, EDN 60.
EDM 60, Mustang 52.

No. 13 Sapulpa (Last week No. 14)

The Lady Chieftains (0-0) finished last season 22-5, falling to Midwest City at Area. They're in for a rebuilding year after graduating their top three scorers, including two Division One athletes. Their season starts December 6th at Jenks.

The pick: Sapulpa 60, Jenks 42.

No. 14 Norman North (Last week No. 12)

Norman North (0-0) finished last season 12-14 and ending the season with a 64-60 loss to Putnam West at Area. They graduated a pair of starters, but return solid bones to build on. They will kick off the season on the 29th against No. 19 Edmond North.

The pick:
NN 55 EDN 45
NN 50, Stillwater 25.

No. 15 Mustang (Last week No. 16)

Mustang (0-0) returns from a 13-11 season with a 59-50 Regional loss to Edmond Memorial after graduating two of their top six scorers. Seniors Logan Haller and Abby Niehus will anchor a young, but talented team that only lost to ranked opponents last season and went on an eight-game winning streak to close the regular season. 

No. 16 Moore (Last week No. 15)

Moore (0-0) ended last year 11-13 with four losses to unranked teams. They will start the season on the 29th against unranked Yukon. 

The picks:
Yukon 60, Moore 55.
Moore 50, EDN 40.

No. 17 (tied) Edmond North (Last week No. 19)

Edmond North (0-0) ended last season 13-11, dropping off toward the end of the year and losing five of their last six games. They return a solid but young team. 

No. 17 (tied) Muskogee (Previously unranked)

Muskogee (0-0) ended last season 24-3, falling in overtime to Midwest City in the State Semi-Finals. All three of their losses were to top-ten teams. They graduated two D-1 starters, but return senior North Texas commit Trena Mims who averaged 12 points per game last season.

No. 19 Union (Previously No. 17)

Union returns four of their top five scorers after a 8-16 season came to an end at the hands of Sand Springs at Regionals. Of their sixteen losses, only three were to unranked opponents. Their season begins on December 6th against Bartlesville. 

No. 20 Putnam City North (Previously No. 18)

Putnam North finished last season 15-11, falling to Midwest City at Area and return only one of their top-five scorers. They kick off the year on the 29th against 5A No. 20 Bishop McGuinness. 

The picks:
PCN 45, BM 40.
PCN 50, Enid 42.

Week 2 Men's Basketball Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Though only two 6A games have been played since the first OSSAA High School Basketball rankings were released a week ago, several teams have shuffled around in the standings. Here's the breakdown on what to expect this season, as well as our Editorial Board's pick for the week two games.

No. 1 (tied) Edmond North Huskies (last week No. 1)

Receiving seven first-place votes is last season's 27-1 State Semi-finalists. The Huskies (0-0) went undefeated all season before falling to eventual State Champion, Putnam City West. They graduated three of their top-five scorers, but return Oklahoma Baptist commit Harrison Stoddard and Lehigh commit Marques Wilson to anchor an annual powerhouse program. They also picked up three quality transfers in Damion Thornton, formerly of U.S. Grant, and Marvin Johnson and Carlos Coppage, both formerly of 5A No. 8 Ardmore. They'll start the year with a heavyweight matchup against No. 5 Norman North (0-0) on the 29th.

The picks:
Edmond North 74, Norman North 72.
Edmond North 72, Edmond Memorial 70.
Edmond North 85, Moore 70.

No. 1 (tied) Midwest City (last week No. 2)

Midwest City picked up two first-place votes this week, tying them in overall points with Edmond North. The Bombers are unique in that they didn't even qualify for State last year, despite going 22-4 and losing only to State-Qualifying teams. They have graduated two of their top-five scorers from last season, but return three juniors including the explosive Keyshawn Embery. Their year begins on the 29th against No. 15 Putnam City (0-0). 

The picks:
MWC 82, PC 70
MWC 71, Lawton 50
MWC 89, Del City 50.

No. 3 Union (Last week No. 4)

The Union Redskins bumped up a spot with six first-place votes, putting them just one point behind the top-two teams. They qualified for State last year but fell in the opening round to the eventual Champions and ended the season 22-5. They had a fifteen-game winning streak before their season ended, and will return four of their top-five scorers from last year. They begin the season December 6th against unranked Bartlesville. 

The pick: Union 50, Bartlesville 40.

No. 4 Putnam City West (Last week No. 5)

The returning State Champions (2-0) graduated two of their leading scorers after finishing last season 24-5, and return three starting seniors. They picked up nine first-place votes after picking up wins of 75-68 against Dallas Kimball (3-2) and 77-75 against Euless Trinity (3-1) at the Nike Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville, Texas. They will take on unranked Enid (0-0) on the 29th.

The pick:
PCW 76, Enid 45.
PCW 67, PCN 66
PCW 70, PC 68

No. 5 Norman North (Last week No. 3)

Last year's State Runners-Up (0-0) slipped in the rankings, but retained one first-place vote. They finished the season 24-4 after losing by a single point in the Finals. They graduated three of their top-five scorers, but retained Iowa State football recruit Charlie Kolar and Trae Young, the point guard ranked number two in the nation by ESPN, who averaged 33 points per game.

The pick: NN 80, Stillwater 60

No. 6 Booker T. Washington (Last week No. 7)

The Hornets (0-0) lost senior forward Tariq Bitson, but returns an otherwise salty team that went 19-8 last season for a State Tournament performance. The Hornets swept the Green Country Conference Championship last season, which features mostly 5A teams, but performed well on the 6A circuit as well before falling 73-67 to Edmond North in the opening round of State. Their season kicks off on the 29th against 5A No. 7 Edison Prep. 

The picks:
BTW 66, Edison 50.
BTW 65, East Central 60
BTW 70, Nathan Hale 62

No. 7 Edmond Santa Fe (Last week No. 6)

The Wolves (0-0) are looking good this year, returning four of their top-six scorers from last season, with the addition of first-year head coach Josh Williams. Last year they went 16-11 and fell to Putnam North in Area. Of those eleven losses, six were to top-five teams. Williams spent the last five season at No. 10 Edmond Memorial (0-0) as an assistant, and helped the Bulldogs to four State Tournament appearances with one Title and one Runner-Up performance. He will return to Memorial on the 29th for Edlam to start the season. 

The picks:
ESF 78, EDM 76.
ESF 84, Moore 60
ESF 82, Southmoore 70

No. 8 Westmoore (Last week No. 8)

Westmoore (0-0) returns a young but talented team after going 14-10 last season and falling at Regionals. The Jags graduated only one of their top-six scorers, and return four sophomores and a junior to anchor a team that will be looking sharp for season to come. Of their eight in-state losses, nine were to top-ten teams. They will start the season on the 29th at No. 20 Southmoore (0-0).

The picks:
West 72, South 52. 
West 74, Norman 62.
West 73, Deer Creek 63

No. 9 Putnam City North (Last week No. 9)

Putnam North (0-0) finished last season 19-9 with a State Tournament appearance, but took a heavy blow in graduated SNU freshman Micah Speight, who also had an offer from ORU. They return four of their top-five scorers and will start the season on the 29th with a home game against 5A. No. 6 Bishop McGuinness (0-0).

The picks:
PCN 68, McGuiness 54.
PCN 75, Enid 50.

No. 10 Edmond Memorial (Last week No. 12)

The Bulldogs (0-0) finished last season 18-9 with a State Tournament appearance, but graduated two of their top-five scorers including University of Oklahoma freshman Kristian Doolittle. 

The pick: EDM 72, Mustang 68 

No. 11 Broken Arrow (Last week No. 10)

The Tigers (0-0) had a rough season last year, finishing 9-17, then graduating three of their top-five scorers. They retained ESPN SportsCenter top-ten playmaker Caleb Huffman, who led the team overall, but will need to bolster their ranks if they want to make it past Area this year. The Tigers will start the season December 2nd against 5A unranked Bishop Kelley (0-0).

The pick:
BA 51, BK 48.
BA 48, Bixby 46.

No. 12 Yukon (Last week No. 11)

Yukon (0-0) returns a highly experienced team with all five of their leading scorers in tact. The Millers went 11-13 last season with only one loss to an unranked team. They will start the season on the 29th against unranked Moore (0-0).

The picks:
Yukon 65, Moore 50.
Yukon 60, Norman 50.

No. 13 Owasso (Last week No. 14)

The Rams (0-0) finished last season 19-8 with an overtime loss to Booker T. at Area. They lost two of their top scorers in Kinzer Lambert and Rogers State freshman DeShannon Lowe, but return Josh Proctor, Jake Thompson, and Courte Alexander. They will kick off the season December 6th against No. 19 Muskogee (0-0).

The pick: Owasso 74, Muskogee 62.

No. 14 Sand Springs (Last week No. 19)

The Charles Page High School program (0-0) has improved every year since former 5A State Championship winning coach Eric Savage, formerly of Tulsa Memorial, took over in 2013. Last year they started the season with seven-straight wins before running out of momentum at the end of the season. They finished 14-10 with an overtime loss to Broken Arrow at Regionals. They graduated only one starter, but lost leading-scorer Brooks Haddock on a transfer to No. 19 Muskogee. They still return four solid scorers and several talented young players and will kick off the season on the 29th at unranked Bartlesville (0-0).

The picks:
Sand Springs 66, Bartlesville 64.
Sand Springs 57, Bishop Kelley 53.

No. 15 (tied) Putnam City (last week No. 13)

The Pirates (0-0) finished last year 14-12, falling at Area 97-60 to Edmond Memorial. Since then they have graduated their top-two scorers. 

No. 15 (tied) Sapulpa (Last week No. 18)

The Chieftains (0-0) had a solid season last year, finishing 19-7 after a 68-59 loss to Edmond Santa Fe at Area. They lost three big scorers from last season, but return their top-two in Keenan Balance and Julian Smith. Their season begins on December 6th against No. 18 Jenks (0-0).

The pick: Sapulpa 48, Jenks 46

No. 17 Norman (Last week No. 15)

Norman (0-0) finished last season 3-21 after a 91-33 loss to Mutang at Regionals, but look to rebuild under former Midwest City State Championship coach Rodney Dindy. The season begins on the 29th against unranked Stillwater.

The pick: Norman 63, Stillwater 57.

No. 18 Jenks (Last week No. 17)

The Trojans (0-0) are coming off a 12-11 season with a 72-63 loss to Edmond Santa Fe at Regionals. They graduated three of their top scorers and will kick off the season December 6th against Sapulpa.

No. 19 Muskogee (Previously unranked)

The Roughers (0-0) are coming off a 14-9 season that ended in a 71-69 overtime loss to Booker T. at Regionals. Their team received a solid addition this year in the Sandites' top-scoring transfer Brooks Haddock Their season begins December 6th against Owasso.

No. 20 Southmoore (Previously unranked)

Southmoore (0-0) is coming off an 11-16 season that ended in a 60-34 loss to Putnam West at Area. Their season begins on the 29th against No. 8 Westmoore.

The picks:
Carl Albert 67, South 52.
Memorial 82, South 70

Moore, Flores, Furr, Spurgeon all take first place at Team Neo Tournament

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Fourteen members of the Sand Springs Team Big wrestling club competed at the OKUSA Team Neo Tournament at Union Intermediate High School recently, and four took first place in their division. Samuel Moore, Ryder Flores, Bentley Furr, and Joshua Spurgeon all took home the gold.

Samuel Moore (5-2) competed in Division 1 Novice at 46 pounds and took first place. He won a close 8-7 decision over Corde Williams (Bristow), pinned Gunner Killingsworth (Warner) in 0:16 and Jonathan Valadez (Sperry) in 1:11, then defeated Weston Little (Bristow) 11-7.

Ryder Flores (3-0) competed in Division 1 Novice at 40 pounds and took first place. He won a close 10-7 decision over Johnny Ray Ashcroft (Bartlesville), pinned Barry Ritter Jr. (Coweta) in 0:19, then defeated Zaden Emerson (Catoosa) 15-8.

Bentley Furr (6-2) competed in Division 1 Novice at 60 pounds and drew only two competitors. He pinned John Harvill (Cushing) in 0:45, then won a close 9-8 decision over Xander Maggard (Sperry) for his second first-place finish this season. 

Joshua Spurgeon (7-1) competed in Division 3 Novice at 58 pounds and drew only two competitors. He won a close 9-7 decision over teammate Mathew Moore, then majored Jimmy Groden (Coweta) 8-0 for first place. 

Brysyn Jones (6-4) competed in Division 2 Novice at 43 pounds. He pinned Santos Valencia (Collinsville) in 1:22, but was in-turn pinned in 0:16 and 0:27 by Cody Horner (Sapulpa) and Benson Hunt (Warner), respectively.

Jesse Moore (2-1) competed in Division 3 Novice at 76 pounds and took second place. He defeated Clay McKiddy (Cushing) 15-8, then pinned Reece McCutchen (Sperry) in 0:58 before giving up a close 5-3 decision to Cable Golden (Collinsville). 

Evan Williams (6-2) competed in Division 3 Novice at 90 pounds and took second place. He won a 7-1 decision over Jackson O'Kelley (Cushing), then pinned Christopher Akers (Sperry) in 0:19 before falling 14-2 to David Cooper (Bartlesville).

Sammy Naugle (4-4) competed in Division 4 Open at 88 pounds and took third place. He lost a 16-4 major decision to Eli Zar (Terminator WC), but came back to pin Blake Radford (NEO) in 2:45, then won a close 1-0 decision over teammate Ethan Norton.

Dallas Flores (1-1) competed in Division 2 Novice at 67 pounds and drew only two competitors. He pinned Bryce Ward (Cushing) in 4:!7, but lost a close 8-6 sudden-victory overtime match to Dane Jensen (Claremore) and took second place.

Matthew Moore (1-3) competed in Division 3 Novice and drew only two competitors. He lost his opening match 9-7 to teammate Joshua Spurgeon, but rebounded with a 7-6 decision over Jimmy Groden (Coweta) for second place. 

Aiden Wilkerson (1-1) competed in Division 3 Novice and drew only two competitors. He won his opening match with an 8-1 decision over John McDougal (Bristow), but lost 6-3 to Dylon Link (Cushing) to take second place.

David Cline (1-2) competed in Division 2 Novice at 70 pounds. He lost his first match in a close 4-1 decision to William Cade (Coweta), but rebounded with a 14-0 major decision over Jaxson Matthews (Owasso) before falling in 2:42 to Griffin Goins (Broken Arrow). 

Colt Cothran (1-3) competed in Division 3 Open at 55 pounds. He was defeated 9-0 by Cayden Cupps (Catoosa) and 6-0 by Cavin Peper (Sapulpa).

Ethan Norton (4-6) competed in Division 4 Open at 88 pounds. He was pinned in 0:50 by Kai Shultz (Pryor) and gave up a close 1-0 decision to teammate Sammy Naugle for fourth place.