Archive - Feb 2011 - Sports Article
February 24th
The Guymon Tigers couldnât hold Heritage Hall off any longer.
With the Tigers leading 27-14 in the second quarter, the flood gates opened for the Chargers, who rallied to win the Class 4-A, Region A Tournament consolation opener, 72-60 and end Guymonâs season Thursday in Woodward.
âIn the third quarter, they caught fire and they got back in the ball game,â Guymon coach Tyler Chapman said. âTheir big post kid (Quintez Struble) went off. He had 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Few teams were better in the clutch this season than the Hooker Bulldogs.
But on Thursday, they finally felt what it was like to be on the wrong end of a nail-biter.
The Bulldogs led with 1 minute to play before falling behind and missing a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds as Okeene held on to win 41-40 in their consolation bracket opener of Class A, Area 1 Tournament in Woodward.
âIt was just the case of two really evenly matched teams,â Hooker coach Bud Valerius said. âWe just didnât make enough plays.â
Behind the leadership of senior forward Joe Pereda, the Hardesty Bison reached new levels this season.
Now, Pereda is being recognized for it.
The versatile big man was named the MVP of the High Plains Conference and was 1-of-16 boys named to the Conference All-Star team.
Fellow Hardesty senior Adan Rivera also made the squad along with eight other area players: Tyrone's Tyler Lai (senior), Adan Lomas (senior), Jacob Williams (senior) and Austin Olivas (sophomore); Goodwell's Erik Carrillo (junior) and Sammy Frickey (junior); and Yarbrough's Dalton Stephens (sophomore.
GIRLS
Some moments have captured greatness, others heartache.
There have been game-winning buzzer-beaters and fourth-quarter collapses.
Players have surprised, overachieved and inspired.
Yes, it's been a pretty interesting and exciting basketball season here in the Oklahoma Panhandle. With the postseason now in full swing we can sometimes forget what these teams have gone through to get where they are.
February 21st
By
Daniel Kelley, Guest Columnist
Back home in Kentucky, I live with my brother. Other than our shared lineage, though, Jeremy and I have almost nothing in common. Not music tastes, not common interests, not career paths.
And not sports.
If Iâm at home, the television is on ESPN. My iPhone sends me updates of Kentucky scores, Gonzaga scores, Rangers scores, Mavericks scores. And Iâm never without my Texas Rangers hat. I might take it to the extreme, sure, but letâs just say nobody would ever accuse me of not being a fan.
The Guymon Tigers have made big strides this season, but on Saturday, one of the demons from their past made a re-appearance.
Facing the same team which has beaten them in each of the last four district tournaments, the Tigers fell behind early before being buried in the third quarter as the visiting Woodward Boomers rolled to a 65-41 win and the district title.
The Guymon Lady Tigers knew they would need to play well for four full quarters to beat the surging Woodward Lady Boomers in their Class 4-A, District 1 final on Saturday.
Three and a half good quarters didn't prove to be close enough.
The Lady Tigers entered the fourth quarter with a two-point lead before going scoreless for nearly the first 4 minutes of the period and Woodward pulled away for a 58-51 win over their arch-rival.
"In the fourth quarter I saw fatigue set in and we had some turnovers due to that," Guymon coach Tim Hofferber said. "And they hit shots."
February 19th
GOODWELL, Okla. â Nobody on the Goodwell Eagles' roster has ever played this deep into the postseason, but you wouldn't know if from watching them.
In a physical back-and-forth game, the Eagles showed the poise of a veteran squad in the clutch, out-battling the Leedey Bison, 51-47 on Thursday in the consolation semifinals of the Class B, Region A Tournament at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
GOODWELL, Okla. â It was a season the Goodwell Lady Eagles will want to remember, but an ending they will try hard to forget.
It took nearly 2 1/2 minutes for the Lady Eagles to even get a shot off under the suffocating pressure of the fourth-ranked Leedey Lady Bison, who overwhelmed Goodwell in an 84-27 victory Friday during the consolation semifinals of the Class B, Region A Tournament at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
GOODWELL, Okla. â Teams that rely on their jump shooting often live and die by 3-pointers.
The Arnett Wildcats lived to play again Friday as they caught fire from behind the arc, while Balkoâs run the Class B, Region A Tournament died with a 64-50 loss in the semifinals of the consolation bracket at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
The Wildcats built an early lead as they unleashed a fury of 3-pointers, and after Balko caught up in the fourth quarter, they brought rain once again to seal the win.
