When the final buzzer sounded in the finals of the Tournament of Champions Championship in Tulsa, the Dale Pirates had accomplished something that hadn’t been done in more than 43 years.
The Pirates became the first small school since 1978 to win the tournament, defeating Tulsa Memorial 59-52.
The last time a small school won the tournament was New Lima that year.
Veteran Dale Coach Jeff Edmonson, “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. We shut the town of Dale down. Everyone came to the game.
“The boys made history. They played hard, together and did something no other small school team has done in 43 years.” Edmonson said that on their way to capturing the championship they first defeated Class 6A Tulsa Union by 15, 54-39.
“They are the second largest high school in the state with an enrollment of 4,500 students,” he noted.
“Our enrollment at Dale High school is 178.” He said of Tulsa Union, “they are really big, they had a 7-1 kid, But our kids played big. We were definitely excited about winning and being on the winners’ side of the bracket,” he added.
Next up for the Pirates was Crossings Christian, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A.
“They had just defeated No. 1 in Class 6A Edmond North,” Edmonson stated, adding, “we defeated them 70-55.
In the finals, the Pirates were up against Tulsa Memorial, the defending Class 5A state champion and currently ranked No. 2 in their class. “We beat them 59-52 to win it,” an excited Edmonson said.
“It was quite an accomplishment,” Edmonson commented.
He pointed to the fact that back in the ‘70s it was mostly all small schools that were in the tournament.
He also pointed out, “A team this small hadn’t been in the finals since 1985.”
Junior Dayton Forsythe was named Tournament MVP and teammates Deken Jones and Levi Kelly were also named to the All-Tournament team.
“Everyone played great,” said Edmonson. “Tray Chambers, Easton Edmonson and Denton Forsythe could all have been on the All-Tournament team,” he believes.
“Nobody (small school) has done this in 43 years,” the winning coach reiterated.
Edmonson pointed to 2022 being a good year. “We won the Gold Ball in Class 2Ain March of 2022 and now the Tournament of Champions also in 2022. A pretty special year,” he thinks.
The head coach explained what he sees as the key “is the way our kids play together so well. We have more depth than we did last year.”
Edmonson said his Class 2A No. 1 rated Pirates, now 14-0 on the season, take on Talihina at 12:20 p.m. today in the Kingston tournament which they won a year ago.
Coach Eric Smith’s girls’ team also plays today in the Kingston tournament, playing against Atoka at 1:40 p.m.
They also are the defending champions of that tournament from a year ago.