-
North Rock Creek’s Caleb Hawkins lays in a bucket for the Cougars in the area finals last week. Photo/Sheryl Gowin
Three squads from Pott County will be aiming to bring home gold balls from the basketball state tournaments this.
The defending state champion Dale girls play at noon Wednesday against Okemah.
The two-time defending state champion Dale boys will play Warner at 7:30 p.m.
And North Rock Creek’s boys will face Perkins-Tryon at 9 p.m. Thursday.
All games are at the Norick Arena on the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.
While Dale is looking for repeat titles, North Rock Creek is making its second appearance in the tournament and looking for its first win and first championship.
Last year, the Cougars drew No. 2 Crossings Christian in the first round and suffered a 76-54 loss.
This year, they’re back, seeded No. 3 and owning a 23-3 record.
“I see a difference in our kids,” said coach Evan Smith. “I think that because they were there last year, having that experience under their belt. This year, we have a game we can win if we play well, so they have some confidence.”
Perkins comes in at 28-2 and seeded No. 4. Normally, the Cougars, as the third seed, would play the fifth seed, but the bracket was redone to avoid rematches in the first round.
“We have several films and I’ve seen them in person,” Smith said of Perkins. “I thought that was who we’d get, so I watched them play Inola on Saturday.
“We match up pretty well. We’re a lot alike. I think it will be a good matchup.”
Smith said one of the defining moments for his team this season came from some adversity, when senior David King broke his wrist against McLoud.
“We had a decision to make as far as our kids,” he said.
“They could have given up or showed up during advertsity. They stepped up in his absence and played well. Then, when he came back for the area finals it was a shot in the arm.”
Dale’s boys Pirates, ranked No. 1, are 27-2 on the season, losing only to Class 6A Owasso in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions in December and Hoover, Ala. High School at the Illinois Tournament of Champions in November.
“Hoover just won the Class 7A championship in Alabama.” Dale Coach Jeff Edmonson said,.
The Pirates are defending back to back state championships and are seeking their third consecutive title.
“We want a three-peat, something that no one has done around here,” Edmonson said.
The Pirates went 32-0 a year ago in grabbing their second consecutive state title and have only lost to one Oklahoma team in two seasons.
“The key is we returned everybody from back-to-back championships and they play so well together,” Edmonson said. “Our pressing man-to-man defense is the strongest part,” he said, adding, “It helps to have a guy like Dayton Forsythe.
“We try to take advantage of our depth. Our depth is deeper than most teams and we try to wear them down a bit.”
Forsythe, a senior averaging 19-20 points a game, is OU-bound following graduation, after having already signed earlier this season.
Coach Eric Smith’s Lady Pirates this season have lost only to Class 3A Millwood in a game that wasn’t on their schedule, but they picked it up in place of a cancellation due to weather.
“It was good for us anyway,” Smith stated.
He said Okemah is ranked No. 10 in Class 2A and are 22-6 on the season. “They are very good, they press, run and shoot it. It will be a tough task,” he said.
Smith said he believes the strengths of his Lady Pirates are “rebounding and defense. We play seven regularly and feel like our depth is good.”
He said the key to the season has been three returning starters and those coming off the bench. He pointed to Kaleigh Strange, Teague Muncy, Ava Bell, Karsen Griggs and Gracee Radford among the starters.