NEW PODCAST: Spring sports spotlight and much more

5/10/2019 |  Ben Johnson

It's hardware galore as spring sports wind down. Michael and Ben dissect baseball, slowpitch softball, golf, track & soccer as teams and individuals enter the final weekend of competition for this athletic season.

Find out which performances this spring have impressed the guys the most, and listen in as they give props to the outstanding offensive performances at the slowpitch state tournaments that happened to close out the school year.

All that, plus some coaching moves to mention, including Justin Brown filling the shoes left by Larry Callison at Tahlequah Sequoyah. And also some football recruiting tidbits.

Thanks as always for listening.

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK! Have a topic you'd like discussed, or have any questions for us, feel free to contact the show at:

EMAIL: ben@skordle.com

@michaelswisher & @benjohnsontul

SPRING SPORTS: State golf recaps (boys and girls)

5/7/2019 |  Ben Johnson

Girls golf - state championship results

FIND FULL TOURNAMENT RESULTS HERE

Class 6A

Team
1. Edmond North - 621 - Huskies second straight championship and ninth overall
2. Jenks - 629
3. Edmond Memorial - 649

Individual
1. Sydney Hermann (Ponca City) - 144 (73-71) - Went from finishing in a tie for 10th at last year’s state tournament to winning this year’s title
2. Emma Shelley (Bartlesville) - 148 (71-77)
3. Emily Miller (Edmond North) - 150 (76-74)

Class 5A

Team
1. Durant - 666 - Lions pick up second title in program history (first was in 2016)
2. Duncan - 680
3. Ardmore - 737

Individual
1. Blayne Barker (Durant) - 146 (75-71) - Was last year’s seventh-place finisher in 5A.
2. Jaelynn Unger (Noble) - 150 (72-78)
3. Mika Ramos (Bishop Kelley) - 152 (75-77)

Class 4A

Team
1. Hilldale - 616 - Hornets first championship since 2015 and fifth overall.
2. Wagoner - 723
3. Muldrow - 724

Individual
1. Kenzie Kirkhart (Hilldale) - 146 (76-70) - Joins sister Katie Kirkhart as an individual state champion.
2. Maddie Kamas (Kingfisher) - 147 (73-74)
3. Jordan Clayborn (Hilldale) - 149 (74-75)

Class 3A

Team
1. Plainview - 582 - A move down to 3A this year secured the Indians’ third straight championship and fourth overall.
2. Purcell - 675
3. Dickson - 684

Individual
1. Reagan Chaney (Plainview) - 136 (66-70) - Was the fourth-place finisher in 4A last year before winning this year’s crown.
2. Taylor Towers (Rejoice Christian) - 143 (72-71)
3. Adeline Noron (Plainview) - 144 (70-74)

Class 2A

Team
*1. Oklahoma Christian School - 750 - Saints celebrated their first-ever girls golf championship in dramatic fashion.
2. Regent Prep - 750
3. Mooreland - 754
*Won in a playoff

Individual
1. Jenni Roller (Regent Prep) - 142 (73-69) - Roller wins the title in Regent Prep’s first year competing for the OSSAA championship.
2. Brooklyn Benn (Oklahoma Christian School) - 146 (73-73)
3. Sarah Sherrard (Christian Heritage) - 154 (75-79)

Boys golf - state championship results

FIND FULL TOURNAMENT RESULTS HERE

Class 6A

Team
1. Owasso - 897 - A second-round 284 propelled the Rams to their first championship since 2015, while ending Edmond North’s three-year run of titles.
2. Edmond North - 901
3. Stillwater - 901

Individual
1. Jordan Wilson (Edmond North) - 213 (68-70-75) - Went from fourth place last season to state champion this year.
2. Cooper Wilguess (Edmond Memorial) - 217 (72-70-75)
3. Kyle Peterson (Bixby) - 218 (74-74-70)

Class 5A

Team
1. Guthrie - 916 - Beat Bishop McGuinness by eight strokes to win last year’s state championship, and this year enjoyed a 28-shot cushion for the program’s fifth crown.
2. Bishop McGuinness - 944
3. Bishop Kelley - 949

Individual
1. Luke Morgan (Guthrie) - 213 (69-68-76) - Was eight shots off the winning pace last year for third place, but this season beat all other golfers and won by four strokes.
2. Hunter Oden (Piedmont) - (71-72-74)
3. David Woodliff (Bishop Kelley) - 223 (74-74-75)

Class 4A

Team
1. Heritage Hall - 911 - Chargers snagged their third straight title and 13th overall.
2. Cascia Hall - 950
3. Holland Hall - 951

Individual
1. Max Roberts (Ada) - 213 (70-72-71) - Had a seventh-place finish last year in the state tournament, but was one of three players to shoot a final-day 71 to claim the title.
2. Drew Mabrey (Holland Hall) - 217 (72-73-72) -
3. William McDonald (Heritage Hall) - 219 (75-69-75)

Class 3A

Team
1. Regent Prep - 882 - First program in school history to win its second championship. Rams won 2A last year and now 3A this season.
2. Oklahoma Christian School - 890
3. Kingston - 930

Individual
*1. Jaxon Dowell (OCS) - 202 (67-69-66) - Dowell edged out Goodman for last year’s championship by three strokes, and this time the Oklahoma commit won in a playoff.
2. Drew Goodman (Chr. Heritage) - 202 (63-69-70)
3. Jackson White (Regent Prep) - 207 (69-69-69)

Class 2A

Team
1. Turner - 924 - First team title since 2004 was never in doubt, thanks a 306 and a 308 in the first two rounds of the tournament.
2. Linc. Christian - 955
3. Community Christian - 956

Individual
1. Conner Boydston (Big Pasture) - 210 (66-74-70) - His first round 66 held up over the next two rounds, as he went from finishing fourth last season to first this year.
2. Brayden Strickland (Linc. Christian) - 215 (70-71-74)
3. Jackson Hoelker (Okla. Bible Academy) - 219 (71-71-77)

* Photo credit - Kevin Farr

GARBER'S WILL JONES TAKES SUPERINTENDENT'S POST AT DALE

3/24/2022 |  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

12/16/2021 |  Michael Swisher