Midwest City brings back Midnight Madness
Midwest City’s seniors wanted to open the football season as soon as possible, partly due to excitement and partly due to last season’s semifinal loss.
So, they took a vote on bringing back Midnight Madness. It easily passed.
And the joy was evident as practice opened at 12:01 a.m. Monday at the Bombers’ Rose Field.
“I love the energy,” Preston Colbert said. “It motivates me every day thinking how many points we lost by last year and who we lost to. I don’t want that to happen again.”
Colbert, a senior, passed for more than 3,200 yards and 36 touchdowns last season. But only 6 of 187 completions return among the receiving corps. Colbert still likes the progression of Jerome Brown and tight end Samuel Sissions, who did not play last season.
“I feel very confident,” Colbert said. “The experience, I’m a little worried, but I trust the guys.”
Major, Millwood ready to focus on just football
Marcus Major Jr. finds solace on the football field.
After an offseason in which Major went from relative unknown prospect, to a highly sought-after talent and OU commit, the senior running back couldn’t wait for Millwood’s midnight practice on Monday.
“Oh my goodness, it feels amazing,” Major said. “I’ve been bored at home with no football to watch, and I’ve just tried to live in the weight room. I’m glad and excited to be out here and get to work.”
Between Major, receiver
De’Mariyon Houston and quarterback Daniel Howard, who are all ranked on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 list, Millwood expects to be stacked at the skill positions.
But it’s the offensive and defensive lines that are drawing the attention of coach
Darwin Franklin right now. Millwood graduated four starting lineman from its championship team in 2017.
“We have the size,” Franklin said. “But we have to gain the knowledge of how to play those positions. They are putting in the work, though.”
Shannon Watford excited to take over Douglass
Shannon Watford used to day dream of coaching for Douglass High School.
Watford, who has made stops at Bishop McGuinness, Edmond Memorial, Star Spencer, Chickasha, Anadarko, Hennessey, Purcell, Del City, Prague and El Reno in his nearly threedecade coaching career, says he was enthralled with the atmosphere and passion from the Douglass players and fans.
“They were just always these real cats that brought it,” Watford said. “I just thought one day it would be really cool to be a part of that.”
Watford is not only part of the Douglass Trojan family now, he’s steering the wooden horse.
Watford led Hennessey to back-to-back state championships from 2010 to 2011 and was part of several other program rebuilds.
At Douglass, Watford made some immediate changes to try and rebuild the participation numbers, which dipped to less than 30 kids by the end of last year’s 6-5 campaign that ended in the first round of the playoffs.
He moved the team weight room from the cramped quarters behind the gymnasium to the school’s unused auto-mechanics room.
“We just want to restore some of their confidence,” Watford said. “Let’s build our numbers back up and get back to winning championships.”
Holland Hall’s Gregory commits to OU
One of the state’s top girls basketball players in staying close to home.
Holland Hall star senior Gabby Gregory committed to Oklahoma late Saturday night on her Twitter page, choosing the Sooners over more than two dozen Division I scholarships.
“As a little girl I dreamt of this moment and my dreams are finally coming true,” Gregory wrote in her post. “With that being said, I am honored to say that I am committing to play basketball at the University of Oklahoma.”
In late July, Gregory narrowed her college choices to OU, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas State and Missouri.
A 6-foot player who can play guard or forward, Gregory averaged 31.2 points as a junior while leading Holland Hall to the state tournament for a second straight year.