Colt Savage scores 30 as No. 20 Sandites fall 80-77 to No. 16 Owasso

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 20 Sand Springs (7-10) visited No. 16 Owasso (10-7) Friday night in a Frontier Valley Conference showcase, and junior Colt Savage scored 30 points for the second time this season. Owasso got the win, however, 80-77. 

Owasso 80 CPHS 77

1Q All 13-13
2Q Owasso 26-19
3Q Sand Springs 20-18
4Q Sand Springs 25-23

Free Throws:
CPHS 18-of-25
Owasso 21-of-32
2PTs:
CPHS 19-of-32
Owasso 25-of-28
3PTs:
CPHS 7-of-15
Owasso 3-of-10
Fouls: CPHS 24, Owasso 21.

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 30, Keener 14, Cale Savage 11, Garbey 8, Price 7, Smith 4, Taber 2, Durkee 1. (Owasso) Proctor 29, Pomeroy 14, Alexander 13, Peterson 8, Killion 6, Thompson 6, VanCuren 2, Mason 2,. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 2, Keener 1, Durkee 1, Smith 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 9, Keener 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Taber 6, Garbey 1.
Steals: Taber 3, Keener 2, Colt Savage 1, Durkee 1.
Blocks: Keener 7.
Fouls: Taber 5, Price 5, Garbey 4, Keener 3, Colt Savage 3, Cale Savage 2, Durkee 1, Wash 1.

The two teams were perfectly matched in the first quarter. Kyle Keener drew first blood, followed by a layup from Courtre Alexander. Cale Savage was next to find the bucket, then Alexander made another layup and sank his foul shot. Josh Proctor snagged a steal and dunk and the Rams may have briefly thought they would pull away, but Sand Springs had other plans.

Cole Durkee hit a free throw, Keener hit three more, then Colt Savage nailed a three to make it 11-7.

Garrett Killion nailed a two, Jaxon VanCuren snagged a steal and sent it to Proctor for a dunk, then Seth Pomeroy laid up for the lead. Keener had the final word of the period, however, and tied things at 13-13.

Owasso came out jacked in the second period and hammered Sand Springs in the first half of the quarter. The Rams scored eleven straight points, capped by back-to-back transition layups from Killion, before Cale Savage hit a three to put Sand Springs back in the game. Owasso went right back to it though, with three-straight baskets for a 30-16 lead.

The Sandites found their feet from there, however, and worked their way closer and finished with four-straight free throws to end the half down 39-32.

Sand Springs won the third quarter 20-17, setting things up for one of the most intense fourth quarters of the season. Both teams lead four times in the quarter and the game was tied six times. Owasso came out on top, however, with six free throw in the final minute to take the lead and finish 80-77, despite a last second layup from Colt Savage.

Sand Springs will return to action next Tuesday at Jenks (3-10), then will host 5A No. 15 Bishop Kelley (6-8) next Friday. Owasso will travel to No. 13 Sapulpa (10-3) next Tuesday and will host No. 7 Muskogee (12-2) next Friday.

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

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 Union (Last week No. 1)

Union (15-0) has continued their undefeated season by hammering the only other undefeated team in their conference and winning their home tournament. They knocked off No. 9 Muskogee (11-2) 78-42 on Tuesday, then topped Holland Hall (8-8) 79-51, 5A No. 6 East Central (9-7) 74-39, and No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) 61-53 at the Jenks/Union Tournament. The Redskins received 28 first-place votes.

Ethan Chargois averaged 25 points between the four games and broke 30 against Holland Hall and Santa Fe. Mo Garcia led the team against East Central with 19 and Adrian Rodriguez added 18. 

The Redskins hold the 12 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 20 Sand Springs (7-8) Tuesday, then will host No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) on Friday. 

The picks:
Union 59 CPHS 54.
Union 64 Sapulpa 56.

No. 2 Edmond North (2)

Edmond North (14-1) is the only other team still receiving first-place votes, with two. The Huskies topped No. 17 Mustang (8-6) last Tuesday, then swept the Carl Albert Tournament. They defeated 2A No. 19 Millwood (5-11) 85-49, No. 14 Norman (8-7) 78-63, and 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (14-1) 70-64.

Will Boyd scored a team-high 22 points against Millwood, while Marques Wilson scored 23 against Norman and 20 against Carl Albert. The Huskies hold the No. 3 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4).

The pick: EDN 63 ESF 60.

No. 3 Midwest City (3)

Midwest City (13-3) had a solid week, topping No. 7 Putnam City West (8-7) 90-62, Bixby (7-8) 86-47, and No. 14 Norman (8-7) 60-52, but falling 88-73 to 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (14-1). Keyshawn Embery led his team throughout the tournament with 35 points per game.

The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 5 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Choctaw before hosting Enid on Friday. 

The picks:
MWC 80 Choctaw 50.
MWC 80 Enid 55

No. 4 Putnam City North (6) 

Putnam City North (12-4) went undefeated last week, beating 5A No. 14 Del City (7-9) 75-57 in a conference game and 62-59 in a tournament. They also hammered Edmond Memorial (7-8) 48-30 and topped No. 4 Westmoore (14-2) 59-48 to win the Bruce Gray Tournament. 

The Panthers hold the No. 6 offense and No. 11 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 10 Putnam City West (8-7). 

The pick: PCN 66 PCW 62.

No. 5 Westmoore (4)

Westmoore (14-2) picked up three wins over unranked opponents last week before falling 59-48 to No. 6 Putnam City North (12-4). They defeated Stillwater (8-8) 75-64, Ponca City (1-10) 70-25, and Putnam City (7-9) 65-49 and placed second at the Deer Creek Invitational.

The Jaguars hold the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday when they host No. 17 Mustang (8-6). 

The pick: Westmoore 58 Mustang 49.

No. 6 Norman North (5)

Norman North (9-3) picked up a trio of wins last week, but also an upset by an unranked team. They topped Deer Creek (6-9) 86-54, Coweta (5-10) 99-39, and 5A No. 3 El Reno (12-2) 72-63, but fell 80-77 to Stillwater (8-8). All-American Trae Young led the scoring in all four games, averaging 42.

The Timberwolves hold the No. 1 offense and No. 1 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Friday at Edmond Memorial (7-8).

The pick: NN 75 EDM 50.

No. 7 Muskogee (9)

Muskogee (11-2) rebounded from a harsh 78-42 loss to No. 1 Union (15-0) by going undefeated at the John Nobles Tournament. They defeated New Way Christian 92-63, No. 20 Moore (7-8) 78-62, and No. 11 Broken Arrow (10-5) 60-57. Brooks Haddock averaged 18 points per game while Tyreece Berry contributed 15. 

The Roughers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 8 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 18 Bartlesville (9-6) Tuesday before traveling to a rematch at Broken Arrow on Friday.

The picks:
Muskogee 60 Bartlesville 56.
Muskogee 57 BA 55.

No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10)

Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) picked up a trio of wins last week before falling 61-53 to No. 1 Union (15-0) in the Jenks/Union Tournament finals. They defeated No. 12 Yukon (10-5) 79-72, Jenks (2-11) 64-49, and No. 8 Booker T. Washington (11-4) 63-60.

The Wolves hold the No. 14 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 14 Norman (8-7) Tuesday and No. 2 Edmond North (14-1) Friday.

The pick: ESF 59 Norman 57.

No. 9 Booker T. Washington (8)

Booker T. Washington (11-4) picked up a pair of quality wins last week and one close loss. They defeated Sunrise Christian Academy 60-35 and 5A No. 6 East Central (9-7) 56-48, but fell 63-60 to No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4). 

The Hornets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Daniel Webster (5-12) Friday. 

The pick: BTW 70 Webster 45.

No. 10 Putnam City West (7)

Putnam City West (8-7) lost their only game last week, falling 90-62 to No. 3 Midwest City (13-3). The Patriots hold the No. 13 offense and No. 19 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 4 Putnam City North (12-4).

No. 11 Broken Arrow (11)

Broken Arrow (10-5) had a solid week, picking up three wins before falling 60-57 to No. 9 Muskogee (11-2) in the John Nobles Invitational finals. They defeated Jenks (2-10) 46-38 earlier in the week, then won their first two tournament games 75-29 and 51-41 over Harding Charter (11-7) and 3A No. 2 Douglass (11-3), respectively. Tony Hall led all scorers against Muskogee with 18 points. 

The Tigers hold the No. 18 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 16 Owasso (9-6), then will host a rematch with Muskogee on Friday. 

The pick: BA 53 Owasso 52.

No. 12 Yukon (12)

Yukon (10-5) fell 79-72 to No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) early last week, then swept the Sweet Pea Classic, defeating Classen SAS (0-10) 95-55, 4A No. 12 Blanchard (12-4) 64-62, and 4A No. 3 Ada (12-2) 63-43. 

The Millers hold the No. 9 offense, No. 18 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday when they host No. 19 Stillwater (8-8). 

The pick: Yukon 61 Stillwater 55.

No. 13 Sapulpa (13)

Sapulpa (9-3) dropped a 60-55 upset to Stillwater (8-8) last week, but topped No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 72-68, Coweta (5-10) 64-53, and Choctaw (5-8) 70-59. Keenan Balance led the team with 23 points per game, followed by Julian Smith with 17 and freshman Trey Phipps with 13.

The Chieftains hold the No. 8 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Bixby (7-8) on Tuesday, then will travel to No. 1 Union on Friday. 

The pick: Sapulpa 63 Bixby 59.

No. 14 Norman (14)

Norman (8-7) is coming off a so-so week with two wins and two losses. They topped Southmoore (3-12) 63-44 and 5A No. 13 Ardmore (8-9) 62-45, but fell 60-52 to No. 3 Midwest City (13-3) and 78-63 to No. 2 Edmond North (14-1). 

The Tigers hold the No. 15 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 14 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4), then will travel to Moore (7-8) Friday.

The pick: Norman 60 Moore 54.

No. 15 Lawton (15)

Lawton (10-4) went undefeated last week, topping 5A No. 16 Bishop McGuinness (5-9) 65-54 in a Tuesday night conference game, then swept the Altus Shortgrass Tournament. They defeated 5A No. 10 Lawton MacArthur (10-5) 64-60, HCYA Houston, Texas 82-37, and 3A No. 5 Star-Spencer (8-5) 64-57. 

The Wolverines hold the No. 11 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to 5A No. 5 Lawton Eisenhower (7-4) Tuesday, then will visit Choctaw (5-8) Friday. 

The picks:
Ike 65 Lawton 63
Lawton 61 Choctaw 60.

No. 16 Owasso (16)

Owasso (9-6) had a good week, topping Bixby (7-8) 62-50 and taking second place at the Interstate Classic. They defeated the Booker T. Washington JV team 62-29 and No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 58-56 before falling 53-46 to Bishop Miege.

The Rams hold the No. 4 defense and No. 15 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 11 Broken Arrow (10-5) Tuesday and No. 20 Sand Springs Friday. 

The pick: CPHS 55 Owasso 54.

No. 17 Mustang (17)

Mustang (8-6) split games last week, falling 55-45 to No. 2 Edmond North (14-1) and 52-37 to Putnam City (7-9), but topping Ponca City (1-10) 47-40 and Deer Creek (6-9) 48-46. The Broncos hold the No. 3 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Moore (7-8) and Friday at No. 5 Westmoore (14-2). 

The pick: Mustang 54 Moore 51.

No. 18 Bartlesville (19)

Bartlesville (8-6) won a conference game at 5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (6-6) 64-57 Tuesday, then went 2-1 at the Interstate Classic. They topped No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 63-53 and the Wichita Defenders 76-50, but fell 60-39 to Bishop Meige. Baron Tanner posted a season-high 28 points against Kelley.

The Bruins hold the No. 9 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 7 Muskogee (11-2) before hosting Jenks (2-10) on Friday. 

The pick: Bartlesville 59 Jenks 53.

No. 19 Stillwater (unranked)

Stillwater (8-8) had their best week of the season and cracked the rankings for the first time this year. They posted an impressive 75-64 performance against No. 4 Westmoore (14-2), then topped No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) 60-55, No. 5 Norman North (9-3) 80-77, and 5A No. 8 Shawnee (8-4) 48-46.

The Pioneers hold the No. 11 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Friday at No. 12 Yukon (10-5).

No. 20 Sand Springs (18)

Sand Springs (7-8) had a rough week, topping Field Kindley 64-57, but falling 72-68 to No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3, 58-56 to No. 16 Owasso (9-6), and 63-53 to No. 19 Bartlesville (8-6). Junior Colt Savage averaged 25.5 points per game and Kyle Keener added 16.

The Sandites hold the No. 16 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 13 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 1 Union (15-0) Tuesday, then will travel to Owasso for a rematch on Friday. 

Dropped out: Moore (20)

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (50.4)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.5)
4. Green Country (41.2)
5. All-City (29.18)

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
 

No. 13 Sapulpa overcomes No. 18 Sand Springs 72-68; Kyle Keener scores 21

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Sapulpa 72 CPHS 68

1Q Sapulpa 13-10
2Q Sand Springs 18-14
3Q Sand Springs 23-18
4Q Sapulpa 27-17

Fouls: Sand Springs 18, Sapulpa 13.
Free Throws: Sand Springs 16-of-20. Sapulpa 13-of-24.
Field Goals: Sand Springs 24-of-46. Sapulpa 22-of-41.
Three-pointers: Sand Springs 4-of-11. Sapulpa 10-of-20. 

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Keener 21, Colt Savage 21, Garbey 8, Cale Savage 6, Taber 4, Durkee 4, Golightly 3, Wash 2. (Sapulpa) Smith 23, Balance 21, Phipps 17, Hoggatt 11, Combs 2, Williams 2. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Golightly 3, Cale Savage 2, Colt Savage 1, Durkee 1, Wash 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 11, Keener 6, Durkee 3, Wash 2, Cale Savage 1, Taber 1.
Steals: Keener 1.
Assists: Cale Savage 2, Wash 2, Taber 1, Keener 1.
Blocks: Keener 3, Durkee 1.
Fouls: Keener 4, Garbey 4, Wash 3, Colt Savage 2, Cale Savage 2, Durkee 1, Taber 1, Golightly 1.

The Sandites won half of the game, but they couldn't win the whole thing. Entering the fourth quarter with a 51-45 lead over their archrivals, the No. 18 ranked Charles Page High School boys basketball team (6-6) was outscored 27-17 and had victory wrestled from their grip. 

No. 13 Sapulpa (7-2) was deadly from three-point range throughout the night, and it was a series of threes in the fourth period that gave them the momentum to reclaim their lead. The Chieftains shot 50% from three-point range and 54% on field goals overall, and it was that killer accuracy that allowed them to overcome the fifth-ranked defense in Class 6A.

The game was heavily contested throughout and never slowed down for a second. The scoring snowballed as the night went on with more points being scored in each period than the one before it. 

Jacob Garbey came out with a layup on the first possession to draw first blood for the Sandites and Kyle Keener sank a free throw to make it 3-0, but Keenan Balance sank back-to-back twos to claim the first Sapulpa lead. Colt Savage tied it up on a free throw and Keener made his first field goal of the night to reclaim the advantage, but Julian Smith sank a deep three immediately after. Caleb Wash subbed in for the Sandites and scored on his first possession of the game, but Balance and Trey Phipps hit back-to-back threes to make it 13-8. Josh Taber ended the period off with a two-pointer.

The Sandites won the second quarter handily, thanks to twelve points from Keener, four from Colt Savage, and two from Cole Durkee to take a 28-27 lead into the half. The Sandites played their best period in the third, outscoring Sapulpa 23-18. Once again Garbey started off the half, and once again Sapulpa battled right back and the two teams exchanged leads.

Sand Springs took its final lead of the night with a two point basket from Colt Savage, followed by a steal and dunk from Keener to make it 43-39. Colt Savage and Peyton Golightly added three more apiece to make it 49-39, their highest lead of the evening. Smith added yet another three pointer, followed by a two from Durkee. The Sandites ended the period up 51-45, but Sapulpa finished on a strong note as Phipps went three-for-three from the charity stripe in the final second. 

Sand Springs staved off their opponents till midway through the final stanza, but Phipps and Hunter Hoggatt hit back-to-back threes to cut things to 60-59 and Smith hit a two for the lead. Garbey went one-for-two from the charity stripe to tie it back up, but Smith took the lead once again, and this time for good. Hoggatt made another three and the Sandites resorted to desperation fouls to try and win it. Smith sank five free throws in the final minute and a last second three-pointer from Cale Savage wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. 

Smith led all scorers with 23 points, followed by Keener and Balance with 21 each and Colt Savage with 20. Phipps wasn't far behind with 17 and Hoggatt had 11. Keener's 21 marked his fourth game this season leading the Sandites, and was just two points short of breaking the career-high he set a month ago against the OKC Storm. The University of Central Oklahoma committed senior is averaging just under 17 points per game this season. Colt Savage also picked up 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

The Sandites will look to reclaim their winning record this weekend at the Interstate Classic in Coffeyville, Kansas and to build some momentum before taking on undefeated No. 1 Union (12-0) next Tuesday at home. Sapulpa will compete at the Shawnee Invitational this weekend before hosting unranked Bixby (5-6) next Tuesday. 

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)

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

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The last of the undefeated teams have fallen, leaving Union as the indisputable top-dog in 6A basketball. 

No. 1 Union (Last week No. 1)

Union (9-0) pulled in 28 first-place votes after winning the Putnam City Invitational last week. They defeated No. 20 Mustang (4-4) 49-37, 4A No. 7 Heritage Hall (5-4) 84-77, and No. 7 Putnam City West (8-5) 58-50. The Redskins hold the No. 15 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in 6A, while playing one of the toughest schedules. They will return to action Tuesday when they host 5A No. 13 Bishop Kelley (4-3), then they will host unranked Owasso (5-4) on Friday. 

The picks:
Union 57 BK 45
Union 59 Owasso 47

No. 2 Edmond North (2)

Edmond North (8-1) pulled in two first-place votes and held on to their second-place spot after a bye week. The Huskies hold the No. 3 offense, No. 13 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in 6A and will travel to unranked Southmoore (1-8) on Tuesday and No. 13 Norman (6-3) on Friday. 

The picks:
EDN 65 Southmoore 52
EDN 62 Norman 59

No. 3 Midwest City (3)

Midwest City (9-2) picked up a dominating 83-54 win over No. 16 Lawton (5-3) last week. The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 4 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action when they host 5A No. 6 Eisenhower (4-2) on Tuesday. 

The pick: MWC 73 Ike 64.

No. 4 Putnam City West (7)

Putnam West (8-5) leapfrogged over the competition after a pair of quality wins at the Putnam City Invitational. They topped Putnam City (4-6) 65-56 and No. 6 Putnam City North (7-4) 91-88 in overtime before falling 58-50 to No. 1 Union (9-0). The Patriots hold the No. 10 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host No. 15 Lawton (5-3). 

The pick: PCW 66 Lawton 63.

No. 5 Putnam City North (6)

Putnam North (7-4) moved up a spot in the rankings despite losing two out of three games last week. They defeated the OKC Storm (16-14) 77-55 in the first round of the Putnam City Invitational, but fell 91-88 to Putnam West (8-5) and 71-55 to 4A No. 7 Heritage Hall (5-4). The Panthers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 11 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action at No. 20 Putnam City (4-6) on Monday, then will host unranked Choctaw (4-4) on Friday. 

The picks:
PCN 64 Putnam 61
PCN 63 Choctaw 61

No. 6 Westmoore (5)

Westmoore (10-1) slipped a spot in the rankings after giving up a 78-63 upset to No. 8 Norman North (6-2). The Jaguars hold the No. 9 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action Thursday when they host No. 17 Edmond Memorial (4-6). 

The pick: Westmoore 59 EDM 51.

No. 7 Norman North (8)

Norman North (6-2) is coming off a big week as they swept the Bishop McGuinness Tournament and upset No. 5 Westmoore (10-1) 78-63. They topped No. 12 Norman (6-3) 70-68, the OKC Knights (4-12) 120-42, and No. 14 Yukon (7-4) 72-51. The Timberwolves hold the No. 1 offense and No. 2 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Friday with a rematch at No. 12 Yukon. 

The pick: NN 80 Yukon 68.

No. 8 Booker T. Washington (9)

Booker T. Washington (7-3) moved up a spot in the rankings after taking second place at the Skiatook Invitational, despite suffering an overtime upset to an unranked team. They defeated 5A No. 20 Pryor (4-5) 67-49 and No. 11 Broken Arrow (7-3) 62-50, but fell 72-71 to Owasso (5-4). The Hornets hold the No. 8 offense and No. 13 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday against Will Rogers (5-7), then will travel to 4A No. 2 Tulsa Central (8-3) on Friday.

The picks:
BTW 68 Rogers 60
Central 70 BTW 67

No. 9 Muskogee (10)

Muskogee (6-1) finally lost their first game of the season, 77-69 to Life Prep Academy (2-6) at the Muskogee Shrine Tournament, but they're still undefeated against Oklahoma teams and in conference. The Roughers hold the No. 6 offense, No. 19 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in 6A and will host No. 18 Sand Springs (5-4) on Monday before traveling to unranked Jenks (1-6) on Friday. 

The picks: 
Muskogee 59 CPHS 57
Muskogee 68 Jenks 56

No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (4)

Edmond Santa Fe (7-3) dropped hard in the rankings after a stunning 47-45 upset by 5A No. 17 Bishop McGuinness (3-8), whom they were expected to throttle. They also lost a close 44-39 matchup to unranked Deer Creek (5-6) before finally snapping out of it with a 103-41 victory over the OKC Knights (4-12). The Wolves hold the No. 13 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Friday when they get a home court rematch against Deer Creek. 

The pick: ESF 60 DC 50

No. 11 Broken Arrow (11)

Broken Arrow (7-3) won two of three games at the Skiatook Invitational, hammering Daniel Webster (2-9) 72-42, falling 62-50 to No. 9 Booker T. Washington (7-3), then topping 5A No. 5 East Central (7-4) 59-45. Caleb Huffman averaged 16.3 points per game, followed by Tony Hall with 14.3 and Braden Boyer with 12. The Tigers hold the No. 19 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 14 Sapulpa (5-2). 

The pick: BAHS 60 Sapulpa 57

No. 12 Yukon (14)

Yukon (7-4) won two of three games at the Bishop McGuinness Tournament and took second place last week. They topped Deer Creek (5-6) 64-57 and 5A No. 17 Bishop McGuinness (3-8) 65-58 before falling 72-51 to No. 8 Norman North (6-2) in the finals. The Millers hold the No. 11 offense, No. 18 defense, and No. 14 margin of victory in 6A and will get a rematch against Norman North on their home court Friday. 

The pick: Norman North 68 Yukon 65

No. 13 Norman (12)

Norman (6-3) took a slight dip in the rankings after winning two of three games at the Bishop McGuinness Tournament. They topped No. 15 Edmond Memorial (4-6) 41-38 and 5A No. 17 Bishop McGuinness (3-8) 50-48, but fell 70-68 to No. 8 Norman North (6-2). The Tigers hold the No. 14 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Mustang (4-4), then will host No. 2 Edmond North (8-1 on Thursday).

The pick: Norman 57 Mustang 52

No. 14 Sapulpa (13) 

Sapulpa (5-2) dropped a spot despite a 78-66 win over Newcastle (2-6) in the first round of the Ada Tournament, which was cancelled on day two. The Chieftains hold the No. 6 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in 6A and will host No. 11 Broken Arrow (7-3) Tuesday before traveling to No. 16 Bartlesville (5-4) on Friday. 

The pick: Sapulpa 58 Bartlesville 56

No. 15 Lawton (16)

Lawton (5-3) moved up a spot in the rankings despite getting hammered 83-54 by No. 3 Midwest City (9-2). The Wolverines hold the No. 12 offense in 6A and will travel to No. 4 Putnam City West (8-5) Tuesday, then will host No. 20 Putnam City (4-6) on Thursday. 

The pick: Putnam City 62 Lawton 60.

No. 16 Bartlesville (17)

Bartlesville (5-4) moved up a spot in the rankings after a second place performance at their home tournament. They defeated Enid (3-10) 63-57 and Southmoore (1-8) 44-36, but fell 63-44 to 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (11-0). Barron Tanner led the team with 14 points per game, followed by A.J. Archambo with 13.3. The Bruins hold the No. 6 defense in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 19 Bixby (4-5) before hosting No. 14 Sapulpa (5-2) on Friday. 

The pick: Bartlesville 52 Bixby 51.

No. 17 Edmond Memorial (15)

Edmond Memorial (4-6) had a rough go at the Bishop McGuinness tournament, defeating the OKC Knights (4-12) 79-27, but falling 41-38 to No. 12 Norman (6-3) and 52-51 to unranked Deer Creek (5-6). The Bulldogs hold the No. 2 defense and No. 19 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host unranked Stillwater (4-6). They will travel to No. 6 Westmoore (10-1) on Thursday.

The pick: EDM 53 Stillwater 49.

No. 18 Sand Springs (19)

Sand Springs (5-4) moved up a spot in the rankings after a bye week. The Sandites hold the No. 16 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in 6A and will travel to No. 9 Muskogee (6-1) on Tuesday, then will host No. 19 Bixby (4-5) on Friday. 

The pick: CPHS 58 Bixby 50

No. 19 Bixby (18)

Bixby (4-5) dropped a spot in the rankings after winning only one of three games at the Bartlesville Tournament last week. They fell 79-61 to 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (11-0) and 52-51 to 5A No. 15 Del City (4-6) before topping unranked Enid (3-10) 62-60 in overtime. The Spartans hold the No. 14 defense in 6A and will host No. 16 Bartlesville (5-4) on Tuesday before traveling to No. 18 Sand Springs (5-4) on Friday. 

No. 20 Putnam City (unranked)

Putnam City (4-6) entered the rankings after winning one of two games at the Putnam City Invitational last week. They fell 65-56 to No. 7 Putnam West (8-5) and 54-48 to No. 20 Mustang (4-4), but defeated the OKC Storm (16-14) 64-53. 

Conference Strength

1. Big Ten (52.5)
2. Central Oklahoma (46)
3. Green Country (45.33)
4. Frontier Valley (45.3)
5. All-City (31.5)