Latta Panthers
Ada, OK 74820
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Latta blanks Byng, edges host Tigers
Baseball | | Brian Johnson | The Ada News
TUTTLE – Randis Gray fired a five-inning, one-hit shutout and Tyler Dean went 3-for-3 from the plate with two runs batted in, four runs scored and a walk Thursday as the Latta Panthers shut out the Byng Lady Pirates 10-0 in the Tuttle Tournament. Latta then clipped host Tuttle 7-6 in a come-from-behind win. The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, improved to 7-0 on the year, while Byng dipped to 5-6. Latta played Bethany Friday for a berth in today’s 7 p.m. championship game. Byng battled host Tuttle and Lawton Ike on Friday.
Vanoss becomes Latta's third shutout victim
Baseball | | Jeff Cali | The Ada News
The Latta High School baseball team is off to an impressive start to the 2018 spring season. Kyle Rogers pitched a four-inning no-hitter, and Tyler Dean pounded two home runs in Latta’s 15-0 win over host Vanoss Thursday evening. The Panthers are off to a 3-0 start and have recorded three straight shutout victories. Tyler Dean pitched five shutout innings in Latta’s 9-0 win over Ash
Smith shines in second half as Latta trips Hooker
Boys Basketball | | Jeff Cali | The Ada News
YUKON — Latta senior leader Trent Smith was, to say the least, frustrated while spending most of his time on the bench during the first half of a Class 2A State semifinal matchup with Hooker Friday night at Yukon High School. Smith took those frustrations out on the Bulldogs in the second half. The Latta playmaker scored 21 of his game-high 25 points over the final two quarters and stole a last-second inbound pass by Hooker as the buzzer sound to help the second-ranked Panthers trip No. 3 Hooker 42-41.
Latta girls upset No. 17 Am-Po
Girls Basketball | | Jeff Cali | The Ada News
AMBER — Latta senior Shaylee Senkel has a reputation. But don’t worry, it’s a good one.
Senkel is known to be one of the top on-ball defenders in Class 2A girls basketball. But her offense has been kind of an afterthought.
That is, until now.
GARBER'S WILL JONES TAKES SUPERINTENDENT'S POST AT DALE
| 
Michael Swisher
There’s not many places that can lure Will Jones away from Garber.
Dale just happened to be one of them.
Jones was approved earlier this month to take over superintendent duties for Dale Public Schools.
He’ll take over the role July 1 when the retirement of current Superintendent Ky Wilkins becomes official.
It will end a seven-year run at Garber, the last six as the school district’s superintendent.
“My most fulfilling years in public education have been at Garber,” Jones said. “It was a very difficult decision to leave.”
However, the pull from Dale was too much to resist.
“There aren’t too many places that would even allow me to consider leaving a great school like Garber,” Jones said. “But Dale is one of those places.”
“It’s a place that expects excellence in academics as well as extra-curricular activities,” he said.
Dale owns 40 state titles in athletics.
The baseball and softball teams have nearly annual reservations at their respective state tournaments. Baseball accounts for 21 state championships and softball another 11.
Girls basketball owns seven gold balls and has reached the state tournament every year of Eric Smith’s tenure.
The boys basketball program didn’t own a state championship…until about two weeks ago.
The Pirates, with nary a senior starter, claimed the 2A title.
That’s the kind of programs Jones will be inheriting.
He feels he’ll be turning over Garber’s reins in solid shape as well.
Among his proudest achievements was helping pass one transportation and one building bond issue in 2018. Both got 84 percent voter approval.
The district now has two devices for every student…one for school and one for home.
“We’ve made some tremendous gains in technology,” he said.
Jones also did what many small-school superintendents have had to do: Fill several roles.
“I leave here proud knowing that I was willing to do whatever I needed to help the district,” he said.
That included dusting off his coach’s whistle and taking over the boys basketball program prior to the 2017-18 season.
“I really thought my coaching career was over after 2009,” Jones said. “There was someone above pulling the strings on that.”
Under Jones, the Garber boys basketball team reached state three times in four seasons.
It peaked with a Class A state title in 2020 and a runner-up finish in 2021.
He stepped down after that season and hired Fletcher Reed away from Snyder to take his place.
Reed coached Garber to another runner-up finish in 2022.
The Garber girls basketball team, under longtime coach Jamie Davis, qualified for state for a third consecutive season.
The football team has reached the playoffs each of the last three years and all but once during Jones’ tenure there.
Jones’ oldest daughter, Karsen, graduated from Garber last year and is now a freshman at OSU.
His youngest daughter, Khloe, will be an eighth grader next year.
“For her, both academically and in extra-curricular activities, this is also a great fit,” he said of Dale. He also said the location is ideal in a number of other ways, notably the proximity to his mother, who lives in Edmond.
“A lot of things just came together,” Jones said, “to let us know this was the right move to make.”
Hard Work Pays Off for Army Signee Matteson
| Michael Swisher