High School Notebook:
Oklahoma will crown individual state champions in girls wrestling,
For the first time in state history, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association will award individual state championships in girls wrestling.
OS SA A assistant director Todd Goolsby said Wednesday there will be champions crowned in February for girl wrestlers.
There will not be team state titles for girls until more programs join the fold, which is happening rapidly. For this season, only state champions at each weight will be crowned.
The wrestling community, as a whole, is quite excited about this opportunity,” Goolsby said.
The long-term goal is an OSSAA- sanctioned girls wrestling division with standalone championships. For now, Goo ls by plans to ask wrestling coaches during the October meetings about whether to have 10, 12 or 14 weight classes at the girls division.
During the state wrestling championship in February, girls sessions will come before or after the boys sessions. In the championship finals, the OSSAA will add a fifth mat for girls to wrestle on while Class 6A-3A will remain on a mat per class.
More schools are exploring girls wrestling programs, with Broken Arrow starting the state's first in the spring. If numbers are too big this season, Goolsby said they may move the girls championships to its own date.
Private schools may have to move to 6A in volleyball, tennis
Oklahoma City- area private schools that have volleyball and tennis teams may have to compete in Class 6A soon.
The Rule 14 committee, which was formed to study the 2011 rule that was created to address the perceived competitive inequities between public and private schools, presented its findings to the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association board of directors Wednesday. After gathering four times from April to July, the committee studied data and recommended changes in only volleyball and tennis.
The suggested changes include removing the Class 5A cap for private schools, meaning t hey will be allowed to move to Class 6A for competitions. The committee also recommended reducing t he number of schools that move up to those finishing in the top four, two out of three years, instead of the top eight.
The board didn't take action son the committee' s findings, which Adair athletic director Brad Rogers presented to the board. Rogers served as the committee's chair, as well. The findings will be taken to the October area meetings.
Jaylon Orange looking to lead Shawnee as sophomore
Jaylon Orange has lofty goals for this season.
He wants ton ab 10 interceptions. On top of that, he's looking for 1,000 receiving yards.
And Shawnee's standout is only going to be a sophomore.
After a breakout freshman campaign that saw Orange intercept six passes, which was tied for the most in Class 6A-II, he's wanting to improve and bring Shawnee back to the playoffs. For a kid who quit football when he was younger because he didn't want to get hit, Orange has turned into one of the area' s best underclassmen.
“(Last year) gave me a lot of confidence, knowing that I could play with these people,” Orange said.