Frontier Valley Conference Men's Basketball Standings: Week Eleven

Kyle Keener scored 13 in a game against Jenks this week. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 boys' basketball season is far from over, but the Frontier Valley Conference is nearing the end of its competition as only three teams remain with a shot at the title. It's been an exciting year thus far with lots of parity and circular losses, living up to the FVC's reputation as one of the most competitive conferences in the state.

No. 1 Union (19-0 overall, 10-0 conference) is the clear favorite to win it all this season. The Redskins are the only undefeated team left in 6A, and one of only three undefeated teams in the state. In the past week they've defeated Sapulpa 79-61, Bixby 64-54, and Bartlesville 53-41. Mo Garcia scored 23  against the Chieftains, Ethan Chargois scored 23 against the Spartans, and the two scored 13 apiece against the Bruins.

The Redskins hold the No. 2 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in the conference. All they need to do is win three out of four of their final games to clinch the title. They've already defeated Jenks 66-40, Broken Arrow 60-56, Bishop Kelley 65-42, and Owasso 62-39 thus far this season. 

No. 10 Broken Arrow (14-5, 8-2) has the closest shot of snatching the title from Union, but to do so they'll need to win out, and they'll need Union to lose three games. Or, if Union loses to Broken Arrow and one other team, the Tigers can win on point-differential if they top the Redskins by five points or more.

The Tigers are on a four-game win streak after topping Owasso 53-46, Muskogee 50-47, Bartlesville 49-48, and Bixby 65-46. Tony Hall scored 16 against the Rams, while Caleb Huffman led in the three games after that with 23 against the Roughers, 16 against the Bruins, and 14 against the Spartans.

Broken Arrow holds the No. 6 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in the conference. Of their four remaining opponents, they've already defeated Sand Springs 55-54 and Bishop Kelley 44-41, but they fell 60-56 to Union and 59-57 to Sapulpa. 

No. 12 Sapulpa (12-4, 7-2) also has an outside shot at the title, and possibly a better shot than Broken Arrow. They're on a two-game winning streak, beating Owasso 77-73 and Jenks 54-52, after falling 79-61 to Union. Keenan Balance posted 28 against Union and Julian Smith did the same to Owasso.

With five games left, they're in the same boat as the Tigers. They need to win out, and they need Union to drop three. They currently hold the No. 1 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 60-50, and Broken Arrow 59-57. Their early season matchup at Bartlesville was rescheduled, so they'll finish the season with back-to-back games against the Bruins. They'll also need to avenge their 58-50 loss to Muskogee.

No. 8 Muskogee (12-5, 6-4) has fallen on hard times with three-straight losses and is officially out of the title picture. Something has happened to Muskogee's mojo and they've fallen 50-47 to Broken Arrow, who they had previously beaten, 56-52 to Bishop Kelley, and 74-64 to Owasso, who they had previously beaten. TyReece Berry posted 20 against the Tigers and 19 against the Comets, then Clarence Parks scored 21 against the Rams.

The Roughers still hold the No. 3 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents, they've already beaten Bixby 65-63, Sapulpa 58-50, and Jenks 85-59. 

No. 17 Bartlesville (9-9, 4-5) picked up a a 56-45 win over Jenks last week, but fell 49-48 to Broken Arrow and 53-41 to Union this week. Barron Tanner led in all three games with 23, 17, and 25 points, respectively. 

The Bruins hold the No. 9 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents they've already defeated Owasso 47-42, and Sand Springs 53-39 and 63-53. They'll need to avenge a 76-68 overtime loss to Bixby, and they'll finish with back-to-back games against Sapulpa, who they have yet to face this season. 

No. 15 Owasso (11-8, 4-6) split wins this past week, falling 77-73 to Sapulpa, but upsetting Muskogee 74-64. Jake Thompson posted 26 against the Chieftains, while Courtre Alexander led with 25 against the Roughers.

The Rams hold the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 66-52, but they'll need payback wins against the other three. They fell 47-42 to Bartlesville, 59-57 to Bishop Kelley, and 62-39 to Union.

Sand Springs (9-10, 3-7) has picked up back-to-back conference wins for the first time this season, topping Jenks 51-44 and Bishop Kelley 46-43. Colt Savage led in both games with 19 against the Trojans and 21 against the Comets. 

The Sandites hold the No. 5 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bixby 76-61, but they'll need payback wins against Bartlesville and Broken Arrow. The Tigers trumped the Sandites 55-54, and the Bruins won 53-39 and 63-53.

Bixby (8-11, 3-7) is riding back-to-back losses after falling 64-54 to Union and 65-46 to Broken Arrow. Joey Homan scored 19 against the Redskins, while Will Fiser posted 20 against the Tigers.

The Spartans hold the No. 8 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 49-36 and Bartlesville 76-68, but they'll need payback wins against Muskogee and Sand Springs. The Roughers won 65-63 and the Sandites prevailed 76-71. 

5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (7-11, 3-7) picked up a huge 56-52 upset of Muskogee, but fell 46-43 to Sand Springs. Alex Woodruff led in both games with 18 against the Roughers and 11 against the Sandites.

The Comets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Owasso 59-57, but they fell 60-50 to Sapulpa, 65-42 to Union, and 44-41 to Broken Arrow.

Jenks (3-13, 1-9) has had an off year, but still has the bones to finish on a strong note. This past week they fell 51-44 to Sand Springs and 54-52 to Sapulpa. Ananias Carson posted 12 against the Sandites.

The Trojans hold the No. 7 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've fallen 66-40 to Union, 49-36 to Bixby, 66-52 to Owasso, and 85-59 to Muskogee. 

Remaining Conference Schedule

2/6 Muskogee @ Bixby
2/7 Sand Springs @ Broken Arrow
2/7 Bartlesville @ Owasso
2/7 Bishop Kelley @ Sapulpa
2/7 Jenks @ Union
2/10 Union @ Broken Arrow
2/10 Bartlesville @ Sand Springs
2/10 Jenks @ Bixby
2/10 Owasso @ Bishop Kelley
2/10 Sapulpa @ Muskogee
2/14 Sapulpa @ Broken Arrow
2/14 Bixby @ Bartlesville
2/14 Union @ Bishop Kelley
2/14 Owasso @ Jenks
2/17 Bishop Kelley @ Broken Arrow
2/17 Bartlesville @ Sapulpa
2/17 Sand Springs @ Bixby
2/17 Jenks @ Muskogee
2/17 Union @ Owasso
2/20 Sapulpa @ Bartlesville

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (48)
2. Green Country (47.66)
3. Big Ten (47.6)
4. Frontier Valley (45.7)
5. All-City (30.09)

FVC Leading Scorers
(points-per-game)

1. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 22.5
2. Keenan Balance (Sapulpa) 21.3
3. Ethan Chargois (Union) 18.8
4. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 18.4
5. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 18.1
6. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 17.4
7. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 16.9
8. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 16.4
9. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 15.8
10. Barron Tanner (Bartlesville) 15.2

Matt Price's last second layup clenches 46-43 victory over No. 17 Bishop Kelley

Matt Price has been a huge mid-season addition to the Sandite lineup. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School boys basketball team (9-10) played one of their most heated games of the season Friday night at the Ed Dubie Field House, and thanks to last minute heroics from Matt Price, they prevailed 45-43 in a payback win over 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (7-11).

The Comets overcame Sand Springs 45-42 in the second game of the year in an equally thrilling showdown at Kelley. That time the Sandites led 12-7 after the first and 23-17 at the half before the Comets came back in the third. 

CPHS 46 Bishop Kelley 43

1Q Sand Springs 12-4
2Q Bishop Kelley 14-7
3Q All 14-14
4Q Sand Springs 13-11

Free Throws: CPHS 10-of-12 Kelley 9-of-12
Field Goals: CPHS 17-of-37 Kelley 13-of-41
Fouls: CPHS 11 Kelley 14

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 21, Keener 14, Price 9, Garbey 2. (Kelley) Woodruff 11, Roy 10, Gendron 8, Edmonds 8, Musto 4, Jeffries 2.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 4, Taber 2, Price 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 8, Keener 5, Cale Savage 2.
Steals: Colt Savage 2.
Assists: Keener 2, Colt Savage 1, Taber 1, Price 1.
Blocks: Keener 5, Garbey 1.
Fouls: Colt Savage 4, Keener 2, Garbey 2, Price 2, Cale Savage 1.

This time Sand Springs played one of their best first quarters of the season and took a twelve-point lead before letting the Comets onto the board with a three-point basket from Joe Edmonds. Colt Savage made the first shot of the night, University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener rebounded and sent it right back to Savage for two. Keener made the next basket and a penalty shot, then added another off an assist from Josh Taber. Price was next in on the action then Keener added another. Ryan Gendron ended the quarter with a free throw and the Sandites led 12-4 behind Keener's seven.

The second quarter was dominated by the Comets, however, who ended on an eleven-point streak and trailed only 19-18 at the half, thanks to Alex Woodruff with eight.

The Comets came out on fire in the second half. Keener scored the opening basket, Jacob Jeffries retaliated, Jacob Garbey posted his first points of the game, then Kelley went on a six-point run with two baskets from Ryan Roy and one from Edmonds for the lead.

It was back and forth from there but the Sandites didn't reclaim the lead till the last play of the quarter. Savage hit two, then Price got a rebound with mere seconds left, took it coast to coast for a layup, drew a foul and sank the shot to finish 33-32, foreshadowing the game's finale.

Savage started off the fourth quarter with back-to-back field goals, Gendron hit one for Kelly, then Roy and Savage both added free throws. Edmonds tied it up at 38-all, Savage scored another free throw, then Gendron sank two for the one-point lead. Savage took it right back in the same manner, then Woodruff hit a long three with 40 seconds left.

Savage drew a foul on a game-tying layup with 12.4 seconds left, but missed the free throw and Kelley got the ball. Kelley used a timeout with 6.3 seconds left, but didn't get the ball inbounds in time and gave up the turnover. Price hit the bucket with one second remaining, drew a foul, and sank his free throw for the 45-43 lead and the win. 

Savage led all scorers with 21 points and had the team-high for the fifteenth time this season. Keener posted 14, and Price's 9 points were a season-best. Woodruff led his team with 11, closely followed by Edmonds with 10. Roy and Gendron both scored 8.

The Sandites will return to action next Tuesday at No. 10 Broken Arrow (13-5) who they fell to in a close 55-54 shootout back in December. The Comets will travel to No. 12 Sapulpa (11-4) who defeated them 60-50 earlier this season. 

Seven Sand Springs seniors sign letters of intent to play college sports

View fullsize

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Seven Sand Springs High School students signed letters-of-intent Wednesday morning in the Ed Dubie Field House, bringing the grand total of college-bound athletes from the Class of 2017 to fourteen.

Sand Springs has two softball players, two cross-country runners, two baseball players, one basketball player, three football players, one volleyball player, and two soccer players all headed to the next level.

SEE RELATED: Lee Leslie signs LOI to play college volleyball at Oklahoma Wesleyan University
SEE RELATED: Hunter Greathouse signs LOI to play college baseball at Cowley County Community College
SEE RELATED: Megan Deshazo signs LOI to play college soccer at Northern Oklahoma College
SEE RELATED: Kendall Zicker signs LOI to play college soccer at Northeastern State University
SEE RELATED: Lincoln Adams and Dalton Morgan sign LOIs to play college football at Oklahoma Baptist University
SEE RELATED: Delvin Jordan signs LOI to play college football at Pittsburg State University
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Jessica Collins signs with Connors State College Softball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Jake Terry officially signs with University of Oklahoma baseball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Alexis Davis signs with SWOSU Cross Country
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Sydney Pennington signs with Oklahoma State University Softball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Kyle Keener signs with University of Central Oklahoma Basketball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Cheyenne Walden signs with Oklahoma State University Cross Country
SEE RELATED: National Champion Daton Fix signs to No. 1 Oklahoma State University wrestling

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

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 Union (Last week No. 1)

Union has continued to ravage their opponents, topping No. 20 Sand Springs (7-10) 75-63 and No. 13 Sapulpa (10-4) 79-61. Ethan Chargois led against the Sandites with 22 points, while Mo Garcia took the top spot against Sapulpa with 23.

The Redskins hold the No. 7 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Bixby (8-9) Tuesday and will travel to No. 17 Bartlesville (9-7) Friday. They received 27 first-place votes. 

The picks:
Union 63 Bixby 52
Union 60 Bartlesville 52

No. 2 Edmond North (2)

Edmond North (15-1) picked up their seventh-straight win 63-49 over No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-6) last week. The Huskies hold the No. 3 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 4 Westmoore (15-2) Tuesday and will host No. 19 Stillwater (8-9) Friday. They received one first-place vote.

The picks: 
EDN 61 Westmoore 60
EDN 63 Stillwater 54

No. 3 Midwest City (3)

Midwest City (16-3) took it easy last week, rolling to a 90-57 victory over Choctaw (5-11), an 88-57 victory over Enid (4-14), and an 80-51 victory over 5A No. 14 Del City (9-10). The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 2 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 14 Lawton (11-4) this week. 

The pick: MWC 74 Lawton 65

No. 4 Westmoore (5)

Westmoore (15-2) got back in the win column last week with a 56-39 victory over No. 17 Mustang (9-7). The Jags hold the No. 8 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 2 Edmond North (15-1) Tuesday and will travel to No. 11 Yukon (11-5) Friday. 

The pick: Westmoore 62 Yukon 57

No. 5 Putnam City North (4)

Putnam City North (14-4) picked up their sixth and seventh-straight wins last week, 65-49 over No. 10 Putnam City West (8-8) and 75-65 over Choctaw (5-11). The Panthers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 8 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Enid (4-14) Tuesday and will travel to 5A No. 8 Eisenhower (8-6) Friday. 

The picks:
PCN 70 Enid 56
PCN 64 Eisenhower 52

No. 6 Norman North (6)

Norman North (10-3) hammered Edmond Memorial (7-9) 76-51 last week. The Tigers hold the No. 1 offense and No. 1 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to Southmoore (4-12) Tuesday, No. 18 Mustang (9-7) Thursday, and No. 16 Norman (9-8) Friday. 

The picks:
NN 83 Southmoore 46
NN 64 Mustang 55
NN 67 Norman 62

No. 7 Booker T. Washington (9)

Booker T. Washington (13-4) picked up a pair of easy wins last week, 52-46 over the OKC Storm and 81-62 over Daniel Webster (5-14). The Hornets hold the No. 11 offense, No. 15 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to 5A No. 11 Edison Prep (9-7) Friday.

The pick: BTW 66 Edison 55

No. 8 Muskogee (7)

Muskogee (12-3) topped No. 18 Bartlesville (9-7) 51-47, but fell 50-47 to No. 11 Broken Arrow (12-5). The Roughers hold the No. 12 offense, No. 18 defense, and No. 11 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (6-10) Tuesday and No. 15 Owasso (10-7) Friday. 

The picks:
Muskogee 58 BK 53
Muskogee 59 Owasso 58

No. 9 Edmond Santa Fe (8)

Edmond Santa Fe (10-6) had a tough week, falling 67-65 to No. 14 Norman (9-8) and 63-49 to No. 2 Edmond North (15-1). The Wolves hold the No. 14 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to Stillwater (8-9) Tuesday and No. 18 Mustang (9-7) Friday. 

The picks:
ESF 63 Stillwater 52
ESF 56 Mustang 52

No. 10 Broken Arrow (11)

Broken Arrow (12-5) had a big week with wins of 53-46 and 50-47 over No. 16 Owasso (10-7) and No. 7 Muskogee (12-3), respectively. The Tigers hold the No. 1 defense and No. 7 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 17 Bartlesville (9-7) Tuesday and Bixby (8-9) Friday.

The picks:
BA 55 Bartlesville 51
BA 58 Bixby 51

No. 11 Yukon (12)

Yukon (11-5) picked up a 59-51 win over No. 19 Stillwater (8-9) last week. The Millers hold the No. 10 offense, No. 17 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 18 Mustang (9-7) Tuesday and No. 4 Westmoore (15-2) Friday. 

The pick: Yukon 57 Mustang 54

No. 12 Sapulpa (13)

Sapulpa (10-4) split wins last week, knocking off Bixby (8-9) 65-53, but fell 79-61 to No. 1 Union (17-0). Keenan Balance put up a valiant effort against the Redskins with a game-high 28 points. The Chieftains hold the No. 9 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 15 Owasso (10-7) Tuesday, Jenks (3-11) Friday, and 4A No. 15 McLain (8-6) Saturday. 

The picks:
Sapulpa 61 Owasso 59.
Sapulpa 67 Jenks 59
Sapulpa 64 McLain 63

No. 13 Putnam City West (10)

Putnam City West (8-8) is riding a four-game losing streak after taking on three top-five teams and being upset by No. 15 Lawton (11-4). Don't let their record fool you--they're good. Last week they traveled to No. 4 Putnam City North (14-4) and fell 65-49. The Patriots hold the No. 13 offense and No. 20 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will look to end the streak Tuesday when they host Putnam City (8-10), then they'll take on 5A No. 14 Del City (9-10) Friday. 

The picks:
PCW 61 Putnam 55
PCW 61 DC 59

No. 14 Lawton (15)

Lawton (11-4) had a great week, upsetting 5A No. 5 Eisenhower (8-6) 46-45, and topping Choctaw (5-11) 53-51. The Wolverines hold the No. 6 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 3 Midwest City (16-3) Tuesday and 5A No. 9 MacArthur (11-6) Thursday, then will travel to Enid (4-14) Friday. 

The picks:
Lawton 64 MacArthur 62
Lawton 65 Enid 58

No. 15 Owasso (16)

Owasso (10-7) split wins last week, falling 53-46 to No. 11 Broken Arrow (12-5), but topped No. 20 Sand Springs (7-10) 80-77 in their highest-scoring game of the season, led by Josh Proctor with 29. The Rams hold the No. 17 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 13 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 12 Sapulpa (10-4) Tuesday and will host No. 8 Muskogee (12-3) Friday.

No. 16 Norman (14)

Norman (9-8) split wins last week. They upset No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-6) 67-65, but were in turn upset 63-57 by unranked Moore (8-9). The Tigers hold the No. 16 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 15 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 20 Edmond Memorial (7-9) Tuesday and No. 6 Norman North (10-3) Friday. 

The pick: Norman 56 EDM 53

No. 17 Bartlesville (18)

Bartlesville (9-7) split wins last week. They fell 51-47 to No. 7 Muskogee (12-3) but topped Jenks (3-11) 56-45. The Bruins hold the No. 6 defense and No. 19 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 10 Broken Arrow (12-5) Tuesday and No. 1 Union (17-0) Friday.

No. 18 Mustang (17)

Mustang (9-7) split wins last week, prevailing 65-45 over Moore (8-9), but falling 56-39 to No. 5 Westmoore (15-2). The Broncos hold the No. 2 defense and No. 18 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 11 Yukon (11-5) Tuesday and will host No. 6 Norman North (10-3) Thursday and No. 9 Edmond Santa Fe (10-6) Friday.

No. 19 Stillwater (19)

Stillwater (8-9) fell 59-51 to No. 12 Yukon (11-5) last week. The Pioneers hold the No. 11 defense in Class 6A and will host No. 9 Edmond Santa Fe (10-6) Tuesday before traveling to No. 2 Edmond North (15-1) Friday.

No. 20 Edmond Memorial (unranked)

Edmond Memorial (7-9) was hammered 76-51 by No. 6 Norman North (10-3) last week. The Bulldogs hold the No. 5 defense in Class 6A and will travel to No. 16 Norman (9-8) Tuesday.

Dropped out: Sand Springs (20)

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (48)
2. Green Country (47.66)
3. Big Ten (47.6)
4. Frontier Valley (45.7)
5. All-City (30.09)

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)