No. 1 Union fends off late rally by No. 20 Sand Springs, Colt Savage scores 20

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 20 ranked Charles Page High School boys basketball team (7-9 overall, 1-6 conference) hosted No. 1 Union (16-0, 7-0) Tuesday night at the Ed Dubie Field-House and gave the undefeated Redskins a run for their money.

Union 75 CPHS 63

1Q Union 22-10
2Q Union 16-12
3Q CPHS 20-12
4Q Union 25-21

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 20, Keener 18, Cale Savage 11, Garbey 10, Taber 4. (Union) Chargois 22, Rodriguez 17, Jamerson 14, Garcia 12, McQuarters 4, Flood 4, Johnson 2. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 8, Garbey 1, Colt Savage 1, Taber 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 1, Wash 3, Taber 1, Keener 1, Durkee 1, Golightly 1, Price 1. 
Steals: Taber 2, Keener 1.
Assists: Colt Savage 3, Taber 2, Garbey 1.
Blocks: Keener 3.
Fouls: Taber 4, Garbey 3, Colt Savage 2, Cale Savage 2, Price 2, Golightly 1, Keener 1.

The Sandites never led, but hung right behind their foes for half of the first quarter. Jacob Garbey and Kyle Keener posted the first points of the game for Sand Springs. Union led 11-5 after a pair of free throws from Mo Garcia and a field goal from McQuarters, but Colt Savage went three-for-three from the charity stripe to pull it back in close.

Then Union lit it up. Adrian Rodriguez scored eight points in the final minutes and Ethan Chargois got in on the action with a field goal. Keener hit a layup to end the period, but the Sandites trailed 22-10.

Keener started off the second quarter with another layup, but Union went right back to work with three baskets from Flood and a two from Jamerson. Sophomore Cale Savage cut into the lead with a pair of threes, but the Redskins furthered the divide to 38-22 by half time.

Chargois came out of the break pumped and hit back-to-back layups, but then Sand Springs decided to play one of their best quarters of the season. Colt Savage sank a three, Keener hit a layup and a pair of free throws, then Savage added yet another three to cut it to 42-32. Chargois got on the board once again after a Union timeout, but then Sand Springs went right back to work with goals from Keener, Colt Savage, and Josh Taber to make it 44-38. Rodriguez sank a two-pointer and a bonus shot, but Keener got the last goal of the quarter and entered the fourth period 50-42. 

The Sandites outscored the Redskins 20-13 on field goals in the fourth quarter, but the Redskins made the most of their free throw opportunities and scored 12 points from the charity stripe to retain their lead. Overall, Union was 21-of-28 on free throws for the evening, which may very well be what won them the game.

Chargois led all scorers with 22 points, followed closely by Colt Savage with 20, Keener with 18, and Rodriguez with 17. 

The Redskins will travel to No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) Friday, while the Sandites will travel to No. 16 Owasso (10-6). Owasso prevailed over the Sandites 58-56 this past weekend at the Coffeyville Interstate Classic. 

No. 3 Lady Sandites throttle Union 78-58, Kersgieter and Johnson score 17 apiece

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 78 Union 58

1Q CPHS 28-13
2Q CPHS 19-14
3Q CPHS 23-10
4Q Union 21-8

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Kersgieter 17, Johnson 17, Pennington 14, Mutiri 13, McGee 7, Regalado 7, Collins 2, Taber 1. (Union) Malham 14, Thomas 8, Knapp 7, Choice 5, Moyer 5, Miller 4, Collins 4, Benson 4, Majidi 3, Burgess 2, Banks 1, Carr 1.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 4, Johnson 2, Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Mutiri 5, Kersgieter 4, Johnson 3, Taber 3, Pennington 1, McGee 1, Regalado 1, Grant 1, Solis 1. 
Steals: Pennington 3, Kersgieter 3, Mutiri 2, Taber 2, Johnson 1, McGee 1, Collins 1, Solis 1.
Assists: Kersgieter 5, Taber 2, Pennington 1, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 1, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1.
Fouls: Kersgieter 3, Johnson 3, Pennington 2, McGee 2, Regalado 2, Taber 2, Mutiri 1, Collins 1.

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (14-0) continued their incredible season with a 78-58 victory over the No. 13 Union Redskins (9-6) Tuesday evening at the Ed Dubie Field-house. The Lady Sandites are one of only two undefeated teams left in Class 6A and they don't show any signs of dropping a game any time soon. The girls led by as much as 35-points before running the bench in the final stanza. Head Coach Dustin Morrow didn't play a single starter for the final six minutes and still rolled to a double-digit victory.

The Lady Sandites missed their first couple of shots and let Sadie Moyer draw first blood with a three-point field goal, but then they opened the floodgates. Gloria Mutiri and Sydney Pennington both posted two and Destiny Johnson scored five to make it 9-3 before DeAsia Thomas hit two from the charity stripe. From there the Sandites went on yet another nine-point run with three-straight goals by Kierra McGee before Thomas broke it up with a two to make it 18-7.

Holly Kersgieter scored five and Isabella Regalado sank her first three-pointer of the night to make it 27-9 before letting the Redskins back into contention. Union scored six-straight, but Mutiri got in the last word, 28-13. The second quarter was a tad closer, though still in the Sandites' favor and the home team carried a 47-27 advantage into half time, led by Kersgieter with 12 points and 7 assists and Mutiri with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Johnson stole the show in the third quarter, scoring eight points in the first two minutes. Mutiri scored another basket but left the game with a hurt ankle three minutes into the half. By the end of the third quarter the Sandites were up 70-37. Johnson added two more baskets early in the fourth quarter, but by the 6:00 minute mark the last of the starters were retired for the evening. The Redskins won the fourth quarter 21-8, but were too far gone to make a comeback. 

Kersgieter and Johnson led all scorers with 17 points apiece, followed by Pennington with 14 and Taylor Malham with 14 for the Redskins. Eight Sandites got in the scorebook and twelve saw action, while twelve players posted points for the Redskins. Sand Springs will return to action Friday night at No. 9 Owasso (11-5), who just topped No. 14 Broken Arrow (9-7) 48-41 tonight. Union will host No. 19 Sapulpa (6-9) Friday night. 

Frontier Valley Conference Men's Basketball Standings, Week Nine

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 season is well under way and the Frontier Valley Conference is as competitive as ever. Eight out of ten FVC teams are ranked within their divisions and the Union Redskins are currently the undefeated unanimous pick as the No. 1 team in the state. They are also the only remaining team undefeated in conference play. The FVC is currently ranked third out of the five 6A conferences in overall strength.

No. 1 Union (12-0, 6-0) holds the best defense in the whole state, allowing only 48 points per game, on average. They have the third-ranked offense in the conference and win by an average of 15.8 points. In the last two weeks they have topped Bishop Kelley 65-42, Owasso 62-39, and Muskogee 78-42. SMU-commit Ethan Chargois scored 22 against both Kelley and Muskogee, but sat out Owasso with a hand injury. In that game Mo Garcia stepped up to lead the team with 20 points. 

No. 9 Muskogee (8-2, 5-1) holds the second-best offense in the conference and the fourth-highest margin of victory. In the last two weeks they have topped Sand Springs 47-42 and Jenks 85-59, but were just hammered 78-42 by Union in what was expected to be a somewhat close match. Brooks Haddock has been the consistent top dog this season and posted 27 against Jenks, but could only muster a team-best 12 against the Redskins. Tyreece Berry has been back in action since the new year and led the team with 18 against Sand Springs. 

No. 13 Sapulpa (7-2, 4-1) has the top-rated offense in the conference, averaging more than 68 points per game. Both of their conference games this year have been close ones, 59-57 over Broken Arrow and 72-68 over Sand Springs. Keenan Balance led the Chieftains to a come-from-behind victory over their archrivals from Sand Springs with 23 points, closely followed by Keenan Balance with 21. Balance also posted a team-best 20 points against Broken Arrow.

No. 11 Broken Arrow (8-4, 4-2) holds the second-best offense in the conference, third in the state, allowing only 49.1 points per game for the third-best margin of victory in the FVC. The Tigers have had a tough start to 2017, falling 59-57 to Sapulpa and only topping Jenks 46-38 in a game that saw the entire starting line benched by a frustrated head coach. Make no mistake, the powerhouse program is still a solid contender for the conference title if they can over come Muskogee next week. 

No. 19 Bartlesville (6-5, 3-2) is middle of the pack both offensively and defensively, but has still managed to come out on top more often than not. The Bruins fell 76-68 to Bixby in triple overtime last week and had their game against Sapulpa canceled due to weather, but got back in the win column Tuesday with a 64-57 victory over Bishop Kelley. Barron Tanner has been the top dog in both of the last two games, scoring 23 against Bixby and 28 against Kelley. 

5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (4-6, 2-4) has done a good job keeping up with the 6A public school competitors, but dropped both of their last two conference games. The Comets hold the fourth-best defense in the FVC, but fell 65-42 to Union and 64-57 to Bartlesville. Ryan Gendron posted 18 against Bartlesville, closely followed by Alex Woodruff with 17. 

No. 16 Owasso (7-5, 2-4) got off to a rough start with four straight losses to start the season, but have been making a solid comeback since the new year. After topping 5A No. 6 East Central (8-5) and No. 8 Booker T. Washington (9-3) to sweep the Skiatook Invitational, the Rams returned to conference play with a bang. They defeated Jenks 66-52 and Bixby 62-50, but fell 62-39 to Union. Jake Thompson posted 10 against both Jenks and Union, with 15 against Bixby. Josh Proctor led the team with 16 against Jenks and 13 against Bixby. Courtre led against Bixby with 17 and also had 12 against Jenks. 

Bixby (5-7, 2-4) won a 76-68 triple-overtime shootout with Bartlesville, but fell 76-71 to Sand Springs and 62-50 to Owasso. Will Fiser scored 17 against Bartlesville, 22 against Sand Springs, and 11 against Owasso. 

No. 18 Sand Springs (6-6, 1-5) notched their first conference win with a 76-71 performance against Bixby, but fell 47-42 to Muskogee and 72-68 to Sapulpa after leading for most of the game. The Sandites have the fourth-best offense and third-best defense in the conference. Colt Savage posted 20 against Muskogee and Sapulpa and 34 against Bixby. Jacob Garbey had 21 against Bixby and Kyle Keener had 21 against Sapulpa. 

Jenks (1-9, 0-6) is still looking for their first conference win, despite a 21-point performance from Cole Surrett against Owasso and a 17-point performance from Eli Harris against Broken Arrow. The Trojans fell 66-52 to Owasso, 85-59 to Muskogee, and 46-38 to Broken Arrow. 

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (51.5)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.4)
4. Green Country (43.1)
5. All-City 32.09

FVC Leading Scorers (points-per-game)

1. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 21.2
2. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 20.7
3. Keenan Balance (Sapulpa) 19.9
4. Eli Harris (Jenks) 19.7
5. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 18.9
6. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 17.1
7. Ethan Chargois (Union) 17.1
8. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 16.6
9. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 16.3
10. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 15.8

January conference schedule:
1/24 Union @ Sand Springs
1/24 Bartlesville @ Muskogee
1/24 Broken Arrow @ Owasso
1/24 Bixby @ Sapulpa
1/24 Bishop Kelley @ Jenks
1/27 Sapulpa @ Union
1/27 Muskogee @ Broken Arrow
1/27 Sand Springs @ Owasso
1/27 Jenks @ Bartlesville
1/27 Bishop Kelley @ Bixby
1/31 Bixby @ Union
1/31 Muskogee @ Bishop Kelley
1/31 Broken Arrow @ Bartlesville
1/31 Owasso @ Sapulpa
1/31 Sand Springs @ Jenks
 

Oklahoma Men's High School Basketball: Week Nine Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 Union (Last week No. 1)

Union (11-0) has continued their streak as the only undefeated team in the division with a 65-42 win over 5A No. 13 Bishop Kelley (4-5) and a 62-39 win over Owasso (6-5). They are also the unanimous pick as the top team with 28 votes. Ethan Chargois led against Kelley with 22 points, but broke his hand in practice and is out for the season. Mo Garcia scored 11 against Kelley and stepped up with 20 against Owasso, aided by Adrian Rodriguez and N'Kiel Jamerson with 14 apiece. 

The Redskins hold the No. 14 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 9 Muskogee (8-1). Muskogee is the only team undefeated in the Frontier Valley Conference, with their only loss coming to an out of state team. The Redskins will also host the Union/Jenks Tournament this weekend with a first round game against 3A Holland Hall (7-5). 

The picks:
Union 60 Muskogee 57.
Union 62 Union 48.

No. 2 Edmond North (2)

Edmond North (10-1) picked up a pair of wins last week, 73-50 over Southmoore (1-10) and 69-62 over No. 13 Norman (6-5). The Huskies hold the No. 4 offense, No. 13 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in 6A and will host No. 17 Mustang (6-4) Tuesday before taking on 2A No. 19 Millwood (3-9) in the first round of the Carl Albert Tournament Thursday. 

The picks:
EDN 61 Mustang 53.
EDN 67 Millwood 54.

No. 3 Midwest City (3)

Midwest City (10-2) topped 5A No. 6 Eisenhower (5-3) 87-70 last week and will host another top-ten team this Tuesday in No. 7 Putnam City West (8-6). They will also take on Bixby (5-6) in the first round of the Carl Albert Tournament this Thursday. The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 3 margin of victory in 6A.

The picks:
MWC 71 PCW 65.
MWC 70 Bixby 61.

No. 4 Westmoore (6)

Westmoore (11-1) dropped a few spots in the rankings in spite of a 66-46 victory over No. 17 Edmond Memorial (4-8). The Jags hold the No. 8 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in 6A. They will travel to Stillwater (5-7) Tuesday, then will take on Ponca City (1-8) in the first round of the Deer Creek Tournament this Thursday. 

The picks:
Westmoore 60 Stillwater 49.
Westmoore 64 Ponca 43.

No. 5 Norman North (7)

Norman North (6-2) moved up in the rankings after a bye week. Their Friday night game at No. 12 Yukon (7-4) was canceled due to weather. The Timberwolves hold the No. 1 offense and No. 2 margin of victory in 6A and will host Deer Creek (5-6) Tuesday before competing at the Shawnee Tournament this weekend. 

The pick: Norman North 80 DC 56.

No. 6 Putnam City North (5)

Putnam City North (8-4) picked up a close 67-64 road win over rival No. 20 Putnam City (5-7) last week and had a home game against Choctaw (4-5) canceled for weather. The Panthers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 12 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host 5A No. 14 Del City (6-6). They will then rematch Del City Thursday in the first round of the Bruce Gray Tournament. 

The pick: PCN 64 DC 60.

No. 7 Putnam City West (4)

Putnam City West (8-6) took a slight drop in the rankings after falling 54-52 to No. 15 Lawton (6-4). The Patriots hold the No. 10 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 3 Midwest City (10-2). 

No. 8 Booker T. Washington (8)

Booker T. Washington (9-3) picked up a pair of double-digit victories last week, 72-56 over Will Rogers (5-9) and 58-45 over 4A No. 2 Tulsa Central (9-4). The Hornets hold the No. 7 offense, No. 20 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Thursday at the Union/Jenks Tournament.

No. 9 Muskogee (9)

Muskogee (8-1) picked up a pair of conference wins last week, 47-42 over No. 18 Sand Springs (6-5) and 85-59 over Jenks (1-8). TyReece Berry scored 18 against Sand Springs, while Brooks Haddock scored 16 against the Sandites and 27 against the Trojans. 

The Roughers hold the No. 6 offense, No. 15 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host No. 1 undefeated Union (11-0).

No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10)

Edmond Santa Fe (7-3) had an unplanned bye week after their Friday night game against Deer Creek (5-6) was canceled due to weather. The Wolves hold the No. 13 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 12 Yukon (7-4). They will also compete at the Union/Jenks Tournament this weekend.

The pick: ESF 61 Yukon 58. 

No. 11 Broken Arrow (11)

Broken Arrow (7-4) suffered a 59-57 upset loss to No. 14 Sapulpa (6-2) last week despite a 24-point performance from Caleb Huffman. Braden Boyer added 15 and Tony Hall had 11. The Tigers hold the No. 19 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host Jenks (1-8). They will also play the John Nobles Tournament this weekend with a first-round match against Harding Charter (11-5). 

The picks:
BA 63 Jenks 51.
BA 58 Harding 50.

No. 12 Yukon (12)

Yukon (7-4) canceled their last week's game with No. 5 Norman North (6-2) due to weather and will be returning to the court Tuesday when they host No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (7-3). The Millers hold the No. 12 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 13 margin of victory in 6A. They will also be competing at the Sweet Pea Classic this weekend.

No. 13 Sapulpa (14)

Sapulpa (6-2) scored a 59-57 upset over No. 11 Broken Arrow (7-4) last week thanks to a 20-point performance from Keenan Ballance, a 17-point performance from Trey Phipps, and 12 points from Julian Smith. The Chieftains hold the No. 9 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action with a Highway 97 rivalry game at No. 18 Sand Springs (6-5). They will also take on Stillwater (5-7) in the first round of the Shawnee Tournament Thursday. 

The picks:
CPHS 62 Sapulpa 57.
Sapulpa 67 Stillwater 48.

No. 14 Norman (13)

Norman (6-5) is coming off back-to-back losses, falling 48-41 to Mustang (6-4) and 69-62 to No. 2 Edmond North (10-1). The Tigers hold the No. 16 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 11 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host Southmoore (1-10). They will also be competing at the Carl Albert Tournament this weekend.

The pick: Norman 60 Southmoore 50.

No. 15 Lawton (15)

Lawton (6-4) fell 83-78 to No. 20 Putnam City (5-7) last week in overtime, but topped No. 4 Putnam City West (8-6) 54-52. The Wolverines hold the No. 11 offense in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at 5A No. 16 Bishop McGuinness (5-8). They will compete at the Shortgrass Tournament this weekend. 

The pick: Lawton 61 McG 57

No. 16 Owasso (unranked)

Owasso (6-5) topped Jenks (1-8) 66-52 last week, but fell 62-39 to No. 1 Union (11-0). Joshua Proctor scored 16 against Jenks, while Jake Thompson scored 10 against both opponents. The Rams hold the No. 18 offense, No. 11 defense, and No. 15 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at unranked Bixby (5-6), then will compete at the Coffeyville Invitational this weekend. 

The pick: Owasso 58 Bixby 55.

No. 17 Mustang (unranked)

Mustang (6-4) earned their way into the rankings with a 48-41 upset of No. 13 Norman (6-5), followed by a 57-37 victory over Southmoore (1-10). The Broncos hold the No. 1 defense and No. 19 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 2 Edmond North (10-1) before taking on Putnam City (5-7) in the first round of the Bruce Gray Invitational. 

The pick: Mustang 56 Putnam 55.

No. 18 Sand Springs (18)

Sand Springs (6-5) put up a tough fight against No. 9 Muskogee (8-1) before falling 47-42 and notched their first conference win 76-71 against No. 19 Bixby (5-6). Colt Savage scored 20 against Muskogee and a career-high 34 against Bixby. Jacob Garbey also had a career-best 21 against the Spartans. The Sandites hold the No. 17 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday against Highway 97 rival No. 13 Sapulpa (6-2), then will travel to the Coffeyville Invitational this weekend.

No. 19 Bartlesville (16)

Bartlesville (5-5) slipped in the rankings after a 76-68 overtime loss to No. 19 Bixby (5-6) and had their Friday night game against Sapulpa canceled. Barron Tanner scored 23 against Bixby, aided by AJ Archambo with 14 and Tayo Dina with 12. The Bruins hold the No. 9 defense in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at 5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (4-5) before competing in the Coffeyville Invitational this weekend. 

The pick: Bartlesville 51 BK 50.

No. 20 Moore (unranked)

Moore (6-5) won a close 62-58 victory over Stillwater (5-7) last week, led by Charles Watkins with 16 points and Beau Archer with 14. The Lions will return to action Tuesday when they host unranked Edmond Memorial (4-8).

The pick: EDM 56 Moore 52. 

Dropped out: No. 17 Edmond Memorial, No. 19 Bixby, No. 20 Putnam City.

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (51.5)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.4)
4. Green Country (43.1)
5. All-City (32.09)

No. 1 Sandite Wrestling thrashes No. 6 Union 68-9, wins 10 of 12 matches

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School varsity wrestling team (4-0) continued their dominating undefeated streak with their biggest blowout of the season, and it was over their highest-ranked competitor yet. 

CPHS 68 Union 9

106 #3 Riley Weir forfeit.
113 #2 TJ Long d. #3 Tanner Ward 11-10
120 #4 Michael Ritchey d. #2 Caron Watson 5-0
126 #5 Blake Sargent p. Verdell Schoats 1:07
132 #1 Daton Fix p. Moises Davalos 1:02
138 #3 Jack Karstetter p. Ashad Rufia 1:42
145 #2 Beau Bratcher p. Cameron Traylor 5:38
152 #1 Payton Scott forfeit.
160 #8 Noah Almy t.f. Bryce Burdick 17-2
170 #2 Zane Basma p. Elijah Tomlin 1:22
182 Luke Bratcher p. Darius Boone 1:16
195 #10 Gage Fain p. John Bolton 1:40
220 #1 Delvin Jordan p. David Sandoval 0:21
285 #5 Elwood Tomlin p. Dominique Pipes 2:27

The Sandites traveled to No. 6 Union (2-2) and secured a 68-9 victory Tuesday evening. They received two forfeits and won ten out of twelve matches, including eight pins. Three of the Sandites' four duals this season were won by fifty points or more, but they can expect a far tougher opponent Thursday when they travel to No. 3 Broken Arrow (2-1).

Broken Arrow took third at the Geary Invitational while the Sandites placed fourth, but the Sandites forfeited two weight classes at Geary and were without Jack Karstetter and Zane Basma. Both wrestlers returned to the Sandite lineup Tuesday at Union. The Tigers fell 38-22 to No. 1 Choctaw (2-0) last Thursday.

Sophomore State Qualifier Riley Weir (15-6 season, 36-18 career) received a forfeit at 106 pounds and the Sandites had the lead for the duration of the dual.

Senior State-placer Tanner Ward (13-7, 89-19) had one of the toughest opponents in the State in TJ Long, a sophomore who recently upset a nationally ranked wrestler to win the Geary Championship. Ward struck first with an early takedown, but he couldn't hold Long more than a few seconds as the Union wrestler escaped and stayed on his feet throughout the first. Long started the second period down and immediately tied things up. He took the lead with 0:50 left in the second, but Ward escaped ten seconds later and scored a takedown of his own. Long reversed with four seconds left and added a trio of nearfall points as time expired. Ward started the third period down, escaped, scored a takedown, cut Long loose, then took him down again. He tied it up 10-10, but cut Long loose to look for more points. He didn't find any, and fell 11-10.

Senior State-qualifier Michael Ritchey (15-7, 44-31) had a tough opponent in Caron Watson, but didn't give up a single point in his win by decision. Ritchey scored first on a shot taken by Watson and utilized strong legwork to keep control of his opponent through the first period. He started the second period down and this time it was Watson who rode for the duration. Watson bottomed to start the third and this time Ritchey rolled him for three nearfall points early into the period. Watson avoided the pin, but fell by 5-0 decision.

Junior State-placer Blake Sargent (15-6, 67-20) had no difficulty with his opponent, scoring a takedown in five seconds and nearfall points on two separate occasions. He led Verdell Schoats 8-0 before finally getting the pin in 1:07. Oklahoma State University-signed senior Daton Fix (20-0, 138-0) was equally commanding in his victory. He led Moises Davalos 7-0 before getting his pin in 1:02.

Senior State Runner-Up Jack Karstetter (6-1, 79-16) made his first appearance on the mat since the Perry Tournament a month ago. He manhandled Ashad Rufia for a 6-0 lead before giving up a point on an illegal hold. He scored back-to-back nearfall points to make it 10-1 before pinning the Redskin in 1:42.

Senior State Runner-Up Beau Bratcher (17-5, 108-28) posted a quick two again Cameron Traylor, then added nearfall points for a 5-0 lead after the first. The second period started neutral and Traylor went on the offensive, but once more it was Bratcher with the only points of the period. The Sandite took a 7-0 lead into the third and started on bottom. He push it into major decision territory with an escape halfway through the period, but ended instead with a pin at 5:38.

Sophomore Noah Almy (9-9) quickly went to work on Bryce Burdick at 160 and led 6-0 with nearfall points before giving up an escape. Burdick nearly had a takedown of his own, but he was out of bounds and the young Sandite didn't give him another shot. Almy led 10-1 after the first, started the second neutral and quickly got a takedown. Burdick escaped, briefly, but was reeled right back in for back-to-back nearfalls and a 17-2 tech fall in only 2:56. 

Senior State-placer Zane Basma (5-1, 63-25) made his return at 170 after taking a month off to recover from Perry. He quickly worked over Elijah Tomlin for a 4-0 lead before pinning him in 1:22. Sophomore Luke Bratcher (3-0) took on Darius Boone at 182 and quickly ended the match. The two took half a dozen shots each before Bratcher got on top of his opponent and pinned him in 1:16. Junior Gage Fain (13-6, 26-28) took a 3-2 lead over John Bolton before getting the pin in 1:40.

Senior State Qualifier Delvin Jordan (19-2, 50-14) scored a huge takedown early into his match against David Sandoval before getting the pin in 0:21. Jordan leads the team with fifteen pins this season.

Sophomore Dominique Pipes (0-1, 0-3) made his season debut at heavyweight against State-qualifier Elwood Tomlin and put up a tough effort. He only trailed 2-0 after the first period, but Tomlin eventually worked up a 5-0 lead before pinning the Sandite in 2:27 to conclude the dual.

Oklahoma Mens High School Basketball: Week Seven Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

There's a new top dog in 6A after the previously No. 3 Union Redskins upset both of the top-two teams back-to-back to remain undefeated and win the Tournament of Champions. Only two other undefeated teams remain and Westmoore has the best record at 10-0.

No. 1 Union (3)

Union (6-0) made noise this past week at the Tournament of Champions, sweeping the tournament and the top two teams as well. They doubled 3A No. 4 Tahlequah Sequoyah (5-5) 81-40, then edged out No. 2 Midwest City (8-2) 45-42 and No. 1 Edmond North (8-1) 68-65. Ethan Chargois and Adrian Rodriguez each averaged 16 points per game, propelling their team to the top of the rankings with 23 first-place votes. 

The Redskins hold the No. 15 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action at the Putnam City Invitational with a first-round matchup against No. 20 Mustang (2-3) this Thursday. 

The pick: Union 57 Mustang 49.

No. 2 Edmond North (1)

Despite their 68-65 loss to No. 3 Union (6-0), Edmond North (8-1) still received three first-place votes after a runner-up performance at the Tournament of Champions. The Huskies hammered Class A No. 1 Ft. Cobb Broxton (9-2) 73-53 and 5A No. 2 Tulsa Memorial (10-2) 77-60 before their finals loss. Seven different players scored in the double digits over the course of the tournament and three averaged double digits. Marvin Johnson led the pack with 16 points per game, including 22 against Union.

The Huskies hold the No. 4 offense, No. 13 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action at Southmoore (0-6) on the 10th. 

No. 3 Midwest City (2)

Midwest City (8-2) topped 4A No. 2 Tulsa Central (8-3) 87-77 and 5A No. 2 Tulsa Memorial (10-2) 96-89 in overtime at the Tournament of Champions, but fell 45-42 to No. 3 Union (6-0). Though his team may have lost, Keyshawn Embery was the star of the tournament, averaging 30 points per game, and became only the sixth player in the tournament's 52-year history to score 50+ points in a single game. Jalen Redmond averaged 15.3 points per game and two other players doubled during the tournament. 

The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 5 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host No. 16 Lawton (5-1).

The pick: MWC 73 Lawton 65.

No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe (tied for 5)

Edmond Santa Fe (6-1) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and will return to action Thursday at the Bishop McGuinness Classic. The Wolves hold the No. 14 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in 6A. They will take on 5A No. 17 Bishop McGuinness (2-6) in the first round of the tournament.

The pick: ESF 71, McG 41.

No. 5 Westmoore (tied for 5)

Westmoore (10-0) is the winning-est team in 6A at 10-0 after a sweep at the Duncan Holiday Tournament. They dominated U.S. Grant (2-5) 82-32 and Elgin (2-5) 69-43, then topped No. 20 Sand Springs (5-4) 62-47 in the finals. Four players doubled in the victory over Sand Springs.

The Jaguars hold the No. 8 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in 6A and will travel to No. 8 Norman North (2-2) Tuesday for their toughest match of the season.

The pick: Westmoore 70 Norman North 57.

No. 6 Putnam City North (4)

Putnam North (6-2) dipped a few spots in the rankings after back-to-back bye weeks. The Panthers hold the No. 5 offense, No. 20 defense, and No. 11 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action at the Putnam City Invitational with a Thursday matchup against the Oklahoma City Storm (16-12).

The pick: PCN 70 OKC 58.

No. 7 Putnam City West (8)

Putnam City West (6-4) is coming off a bye week and will return to action Thursday at the Putnam City Invitational with a first-round matchup against Putnam City (3-4). The Patriots hold the No. 12 offense and No. 15 margin of victory in 6A.

The pick: PCW 62 Putnam 60.

No. 8 Norman North (7)

Norman North (2-2) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and will return to action Tuesday when they host No. 5 Westmoore (10-0). The Timberwolves hold the No. 1 offense and No. 13 margin of victory in 6A.

No. 9 Booker T. Washington (11)

Booker T. Washington (5-2) is coming off a bye week and will return to action Thursday at the Skiatook Tournament. The Hornets hold the No. 6 offense and No. 14 margin of victory in 6A and will take on 5A No. 20 Pryor (2-4).

The pick: BTW 78 Pryor 61.

No. 10 Muskogee (10)

Muskogee (6-0) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and won't return to action till the 10th when they host No. 19 Sand Springs (5-4). The Roughers hold the No. 7 offense, No. 14 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in 6A.

No. 11 Broken Arrow (9)

Broken Arrow (5-2) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and will return to action Thursday at the Skiatook Invitational with a first round matchup against Daniel Webster (1-7). The Tigers hold the No. 18 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 12 margin of victory in 6A.

The pick: BA 68 Webster 59.

No. 12 Norman (14)

Norman (4-2) will have taken nearly a month off by the time they take on the Bishop McGuinness Tournament this weekend. The Tigers hold the No. 9 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in 6A. They will take on No. 15 Edmond Memorial (3-4) in the first round of the tournament on Thursday. 

The pick: Norman 69 EdM 68.

No. 13 Sapulpa (13)

Sapulpa (4-2) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and will return to action with a first-round matchup against Newcastle (1-5) Thursday at the McDonald's Classic in Ada. The Chieftains hold the No. 10 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in 6A.

The pick: Sapulpa 67 Newcastle 60.

No. 14 Yukon (12)

Yukon (4-3) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and will return to action with a first-round matchup against Deer Creek (3-4) Thursday at the Bishop McGuinness Classic. The Millers hold the No. 11 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in 6A. 

The pick: Yukon 62 DC 53.

No. 15 Edmond Memorial (16)

Edmond Memorial (3-4) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks and will return to action this Thursday at the Bishop McGuinnes Classic with a first-round game against No. 12 Norman (4-2). The Bulldogs hold the No. 11 defense in 6A.

No. 16 Lawton (15)

Lawton (5-2) is returning from a solid performance at the Hobbs Invitational in Las Cruces, New Mexico where they went 2-1 against impressive teams with winning records. They defeated the Cleveland Storm (9-3) 70-66 and the Hobbs Eagles (7-4) 89-80, but fell 61-49 to Las Cruces (12-1). The Wolverines hold the No. 13 offense and No. 18 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 3 Midwest City (8-2).

No. 17 Bartlesville (18)

Bartlesville (3-3) hasn't played in nearly four weeks and they'll jump back into action Thursday at the Arvest Invitational. The Bruins hold the No. 5 defense and No. 20 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action against Enid (3-7).

The pick: Bartlesville 57 Enid 51.

No. 18 Bixby (17)

Bixby (3-3) is coming off back-to-back bye weeks. The Spartans hold the No. 6 defense in 6A and will take on 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (8-0) this Thursday at the Bartlesville Arvest Invitational. 

The pick: CA 67 Bixby 54.

No. 19 Sand Springs (tied 20)

Sand Springs (5-4) secured a pair of dominating wins this past weekend at the Duncan Holiday Tournament and gave No. 5 Westmoore (10-0) a run for their money. Kyle Keener averaged 20 points per game and Colt Savage averaged 16.5. Savage had previously averaged 21 points per game this season, and was unable to play in the finals against Westmoore. They defeated Duncan (1-10) 87-34 and 5A No. 12 Northwest Classen (3-2) 58-41 before falling 62-47 to Westmoore.

The Sandites hold the No. 16 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action on the 10th when they travel to No. 10 Muskogee (6-0).

No. 20 Mustang (19)

Mustang (2-3) hasn't played a game in nearly a month and will return to action this Thursday at the Putnam City Invitational. The Broncos hold the No. 7 defense in 6A and will take on No. 1 Union (6-0).