Jones girls win first tournament in 5-on-5 era
As Jones celebrated winning Beggs’ girls tournament on Saturday, coach Jenni Holbrook was unaware of the history made.
Jones had never won a girls basketball tournament in the 5-on-5 era.
“It’s bigger than that,” Holbrook said. “Maybe putting Jones girls basketball on the map a little bit. It’s taken three years to be able to do it.”
Jones beat Stilwell in the championship one night after junior Bailey Ely hit six 3-pointers against Checotah. Jones is 11-0 entering a huge game Tuesday night with two-time Class 2A state champion Christian Heritage.
It’ll be a huge test for a team with aspirations of making the state tournament for the first time in school history.
“We’ve talked with the girls how this season can be many firsts that just haven’t happened,” Holbrook said. “That was on our radar as something to work towards.”
Piedmont wrestling takes Malcolm Wade Invitational
Piedmont wrestler Josh Heindselman cranked it to 11.
After a win at the Geary Tournament, the heavyweight then followed it up with his 100th win of his career against Newcastle.
At the Malcolm Wade Invitational at Carl Albert this past weekend, Heindselman pinned two-time defending state champion Montanna Phillips of Lawton MacArthur, won the heavyweight division and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler while helping lead the Wildcats to the team title.
“He’s just hyper focused right now and wrestling extremely well,” Piedmont coach Erik Ford said. “He’s turned it up a few notches this year.”
To get the team win at Carl Albert, Piedmont had to stage a comeback. In fourth place and trailing by more than 25 points entering the last day, Piedmont got the win from Heindselman and second-place finishes from Tabor McLure and Landis Scoon to pull within reach.
But Ford said it was the work of his guys in the consolation bracket that put the Wildcats over the top, helping them edge Skiatook 242.50 points to 226.
“Those guys didn’t hang their heads but got to work,” he said. “They fought hard and came away with enough points to give us the win.”
Beckham to make third private-school proposal
Blanchard superintendent Jim Beckham will present another proposal regarding the classification of private schools to the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association board of directors at Wednesday’s monthly meeting.
Under this proposal, metro-area private schools would be placed in Class 6A-II for football and Class 6A for all other sports. Rural-area private schools would be placed one classification higher than their average attendance.
Beckham gathered the 20 member school signatures. In an email to The Oklahoman, Beckham said Seiling, Idabel, Tuttle, Noble, Warner, Macomb, Paoli, Maysville, Cashion, Minco, Plainview, Pauls Valley, Mooreland, Sulphur, Buffalo, Dibble, Bridge Creek, Marlow, Holdenville, Wilburton, Eufaula, Indianola, Calvin and Pittsburg all signed.
Beckham attempted two proposals to the OSSAA last year, but the board voted both down.